Welcome back to the BodPod! Today, we are thrilled to have Greg Carruthers on the show! Greg is a Toronto-based choreographer, actor, body positive activist, and the founder/artistic producer of EveryBody on Stage, an initiative that aims to break down stigma and fat-phobia in the arts. As a choreographer, Greg’s work has toured to Dubai and won awards for the long-running Toronto production of Disney’s Mary Poppins. He has served as the resident director/choreographer for Canada’s Wonderland and co-wrote and directed the Patron’s Pick of the 2017 Toronto Fringe Festival’s KidsFest. As a performer, Greg was most recently seen on the U.S. tour of Trey Parker’s Cannibal! The Musical. His organization, EveryBody on Stage was the recipient of our inaugural Impact grant and he will be joining us as part of the Body Diversity and Entertainment Industry panel at this year’s BodCon.
In this episode, Greg will share with us his performing origin story including how he began dancing and his time going to school for musical theatre. Besides this, we’ll discuss body shaming, body dysmorphia, and disordered eating in the theatre/performance industry and the need for audience support. We’ll also share our experiences with body shaming and dieting including the roles we didn’t receive because of our bodies. Last but not least, Greg will talk about how and why EveryBody on Stage came to be and what they are up to now. Keep listening to hear how Greg is fighting for representation by giving marginalized performers the opportunity to showcase their talents.
Greg’s Instagram: @gregcarruthers
EveryBody on Stage’s Instagram: @everybodyonstage
EveryBody on Stage’s YouTube can be found here
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