The Firecracker Department - The Blaze Sessions Season 02

May 29 2024 9

The Firecracker Department - The Blaze Sessions Season 02 Podcast artwork

Award-winning actor Naomi Snieckus (Second City, Disney’s Zombies) is getting real with fellow artists about their struggles, successes, and everything in between. On Season 02, Jennifer Podemski (Little Bird, Reservation Dogs) joins her to curate inspiring, engaging, and refreshingly honest conversations with women and non-binary individuals at the top of their game in the industry. A new episode is out every 2 weeks.

Subscribe on Podcast Addict

Keilani Rose is on a lifelong journey to discover her voice

May 29 2024 52 mins

The extraordinary Keilani Rose (Shoresy) is embracing the lifelong journey of self-discovery to find her voice as an artist. Born and raised in Lheidli (The Place Where the Two Rivers Flow Together - also colonially known as Prince George, BC), she tells Naomi and Jennifer how her roots in dance gave her a safe space to find herself and morphed into other areas of artistry she’

Jennifer Podemski & Naomi Sneickus believe there’s comedy to be found in trauma

May 15 2024 35 mins

In our kickoff episode for the second season of The Blaze Sessions, Naomi sits down with this season's curator, Jennifer Podemski. As a multi-hyphenate artist, Jennifer’s creativity knows no bounds, and she’s committed to highlighting the importance of cultural sensitivity when it comes to Indigenous content and shining lights on aspects of the industry that still make her ang

The Blaze Sessions Season 2 Trailer

May 01 2024 3 mins

Welcome back to The Blaze Sessions brought to you by the Firecracker Department! Season two is here, and we're thrilled! Hosts Naomi Snieckus (Mr.D, The Madness, The Social, Second City Toronto) and the incredible Jennifer Podemski, ("Little Bird", "Reservation Dogs" and founder of Red Cloud Productions and The Shine Network) have curated inspiring, engaging, and refreshingly hones

Alana Johnston wants to be the funniest she’s ever been

Apr 17 2024 62 mins

For the past few years, performer and writer Alana Johnston has made it her mission to incorporate the theme of self-esteem into her artistic work. As the host of The Self-Esteem Party Podcast (on which this episode was first featured), she’s learned that the things we struggle with in regards to self-esteem might follow us forever, and that’s totally okay. She also shares how

Anne Rab finds bravery in being bold on stage & in life

Apr 03 2024 57 mins

Anne Rab’s improv career all started when she met a clown and stumbled into the art form that would change her life. Although it was difficult to make the transition from a city where she had stability and comfort to one completely unknown, she tells Naomi that learned that she didn’t want to play it safe and to make the choice to just go for her dreams. Now, she carries this

Nadine Antler gives herself permission to do the things she loves

Mar 20 2024 74 mins

One thing’s for certain about improviser Nadine Antler is that her strength lies in taking care of people. From studying to be a social worker to putting on a decade-long improv festival and now running her own improv school, Nadine tells Naomi about her desire to help both actors and non-actors through the communication and boundary-setting skills that improv teaches. But desp

Vanessa Matsui is a pro at taking things frame by frame

Mar 06 2024 58 mins

With her wealth of experience as an actor, writer, improviser, and now a director, Vanessa Matsui always finds time to look back and thank her younger self for having the gumption and bravery to take chances. By stumbling through her experience creating, writing, directing, and acting in the award winning series Ghost BFF, Vanessa tells Naomi about how she learned to just keep goin

Inbal Lori has a plan to not have a plan

Feb 21 2024 72 mins

Growing up in Israel, the multi-faceted Inbal Lori always knew she would be in the arts and fully embraced the holy trinity of acting, writing, and directing. But amidst her love for creation, she tells Naomi that before she moved to Berlin, she suffered when she played parts that she didn’t write because she wasn’t in control - even though she never had a “plan” in life.

Maria del Mar paved the way for all of us with power and passion

Feb 07 2024 60 mins

Maria del Mar has never let fear hold her back from anything in her extensive career and expansive life. As a young actress with a passion growing up in Ottawa, Maria took a chance and moved to Toronto to fake it ‘till she made it, with roles on incredible shows like Frasier, 24, and Hudson & Rex. The more Maria took chances, the more life presented her with opportunities to try

Beatrix Brunschko navigates life with her three “me”s

Jan 24 2024 80 mins

Beatrix Brunschko, aka Trixie, dives headfirst into every twist and turn of her incredible career. She's not just a director of the stage and screen – Trixie's a founding member of Theatre Bahnhof, a professor at the University of Hamburg, and the go-to guru for all things improv. Starting from the wild passion that birthed a theatre company to her game-changing improv workshops,