"Every day is a new, exciting challenge. I am having a great time doing it, but it is a challenge."

Anita Smith has been creating live theatre for nearly 30 years. She is the Executive and Artistic Director of the 25th Street Theatre Company and loves providing Saskatchewan artists the opportunity to tell their stories and showcase their skills.

The company's latest production, however, is pushing Anita and her team to their limits.

Behind Closed Doors takes people to six different sites across Saskatoon to explore unseen conversations and gives them a chance to experience in a performance in a unique venue specific to the story. Each play is 20 minutes, has limited capacity (we're talking 6-8 people per venue), and will no doubt make the impression on audience members.

Anita and 25th Street Theatre is committed to supporting Saskatchewan playwrights and Behind Closed Doors is giving six playwrights the chance to share their voices with our community.

I am a huge fan of Anita as an artist and a person, and any opportunity to talk with her on the podcast is one that I will take. She graciously took time in-between her many duties to speak with me on the University of Saskatchewan campus to tell listeners about Behind Closed Doors and why people will never forget watching a play in a bathroom!

Here are the six plays and their locations in Saskatoon, and you can purchase tickets on the 25th Street Theatre website.

• Historical “Friends” by Kaydence Banga. At The Senator Hotel. Directed by Jennifer Brewin.
• Fallen Women by Marley Duckett. In Kirk Hall, USASK. Directed by Pamela Haig Bartley.
• Hiring by Mitchell Larsen. At The Two Twenty. Directed by Murray Utas.
• First On, Last Off by Clare Middleton. On a bus at Louis’ Pub, USASK. Directed by Pamela Haig Bartley.
• Another Day on the Diamond by Drew Mantyka. At Gordie Howe Sports Complex. Directed by Murray Utas
• This Is It by Cheyenna Sapp. At Louis’ Pub, USASK. Directed by Jennifer Brewin

Thank you for continuing to support a local, independent podcast!

Cheers...Eric

• Host, Producer, Editor: Eric Anderson
• Theme Music: Andrew Dickson
• Website: https://www.yxeunderground.com
• Recorded: On Treaty 6 Territory and the traditional homeland of the Metis

Welcome to the YWCA Saskatoon's Hopeful Hearts Home program.

The program takes place in a four-story building that opened last year and is a transitional housing wing attached to the main YWCA building.

The Hopeful Hearts Home program provides women and their families with a safe home in a nurturing environment to heal from experiences of interpersonal violence. There are 35 suites in the building that can house up to 75 people, and it is truly making a difference in the lives of the women and children who call it home.

Mirna Funes-Klaasen is the Manager of Hopeful Hearts, and as you will hear in this episode, is passionate about helping women and children in need access the many services provided by the YWCA.

Whether it’s the Employment and Learning Centre in the YWCA, or the cultural supports offered within the Hopeful Hearts Home that you will hear about in the episode, Mirna wants women to feel supported and cared for when they enter the program.

I first heard of Hopeful Hearts Home in October of 2023. That’s when I interviewed Kim Fisher for the podcast. Kim is the Director of Residential Programs at the YWCA, and in her episode, she talked about looking out her office window and imaging a building that could meet the transitional housing needs of the community. It took years of fundraising and hard work behind the scenes, but that dream is now a reality, and Kim is so happy that her long-time colleague, Mirna, is managing Hopeful Hearts Home.

A big thank you to Mirna for taking the time to share her passion for the Hopeful Hearts Home program with me on the podcast. If you want to learn more about the program, and how you can become a volunteer, please visit the YWCA Saskatoon's website.

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Thank you for continuing to support a local, independent podcast!

Cheers...Eric

• Host, Producer, Editor: Eric Anderson
• Theme Music: Andrew Dickson
• Website: https://www.yxeunderground.com
• Recorded: On Treaty 6 Territory and the traditional homeland of the Metis

Growing up in Swift Current, I never saw the infamous Great Buffet of China television ad that aired all the time from 1996 to 1998, but Craig Silliphant and Don Sparrow sure did.

They remember seeing it in the mornings before university, at supper during the news, and into the wee hours of the night.

The story of how this advertisement came to be, the impact it had on those involved in the production of the advertisement, and why it became a viral hit in China, are all touched on in Craig's new documentary film, 'How Chee.'

The film debuts at the Broadway Theatre on Thursday, April 2nd, at 7pm, but Craig was kind enough of take time out of his busy schedule to join me at the Yard and Flagon Pub to give YXE Underground listeners a preview of the documentary and why he wanted to tell this story.

Saskatoon artist Don Sparrow, who designed the documentary's poster, joined us at the Yard and Flagon to share his memories of the advertisement and why it is such a memorable piece of nostalgia for so many people in Saskatoon.

I am lucky to call Craig and Don my friends. They are both gifted storytellers and two of the most creative people I know. They also recognize how lucky we are in Saskatoon to have such a passionate community of creative people who support each-other in their artistic endeavours. It was a blast speaking with them and learning about this truly unique slice of Saskatoon pop culture.

You can visit the Broadway Theatre website to get your tickets for Thursday night's screening, which includes a special Q&A after the film featuring Craig and several of the characters in the film.

Thank you for listening and hope to see you Thursday night. Congrats on the film, Craig!

Cheers...Eric

• Host, Producer, Editor: Eric Anderson
• Theme Music: Andrew Dickson
• Website: https://www.yxeunderground.com
• Recorded: On Treaty 6 Territory and the traditional homeland of the Metis