Who is Lennon Bradford
Lennon Bradford (they/them) is a Canadian non-binary actor. They is a queer trans actor from Brampton, Ontario, Canada. Lennon Bradford is an emerging artist and young generation theatre artist. Lennon enjoys looking for collaborative opportunities with like minded artists and companies. They are a Brock University alumni. They have a Bachelor of Arts with Honours. Lennon majored in Dramatic Arts concentrating in performance. Lennon is a 2020 Crane Creations Theatre Company Summer Ensemble Member.
Theatre Experience
Lennon Bradford’s most recent performance experience includes starring in Black Swan Productions 2021 new works festival as Fallon in Love and other drag. Other credits include starring in Essential Collective Theatre’s world premiere of The Team by Michael Kras, Amanda Freedman’s ABd Play as Jaimie The Unreliable Narrator, Bobbie Brantwood in The Team (World Premiere), Apocalypse Jo in Apocalypse Jo and Performer in Boom Boom Burlesque.
Lennon Is A Devised Theatre Artist
Lennon Bradford also specializes in devised theatre.
“My Passion lies in devised theatre and amplifying queer/trans narratives”
Lennon Bradford
In the past Lennon enjoys devising/creating with such companies as Toronto’s Goat Howl Theatre, and St. Catharines’ Twitches and Itches. During the Covid-19 Pandemic Lennon has dipped their toes in several creative projects/labs including: Digital FringeTO, Crane Creations Summer Ensemble, missus productions Re: Vision writing collective, and Buddies in Bad Times QueerCab.
What is Devised Theatre?
Devised theatre is a form of creating theatre that is not based off of a script, but collective collaboration and improvisation of an ensemble, or group of creators.
Television Experience
Lennon Bradford is also a film and television actor. They have appeared in Bristow Global Media’s Haunted Hospitals, OYA Media’s Bloom Room, and Border2Border Entertainment’s Dating Unlocked.
Lennon Is A Producer
As well as being an actor, Lennon knows their way around the production of theatre. Lennon worked as an assistant stage manager. They worked as an assistant stage manager at the Yellow door Theatre Project and Essentials collective theatre. They were a props and wardrobe assistant at Brock University and the Foster Festival.
Lennon Is A Freelance Writer
Lennon is a freelance writer and has written for Toronto based company Bonjibon’s online magazine, as well as Arts Guide Mississauga.
They were also a theatre critic, writing for Dart Critics at Brock University. DART Critics is a theatre criticism blog created and run by Doctor Karen Fricker of Brock University. Lennon Bradford worked as student research assistant/co-editor/writer for the blog. DART Critics seeks to critically analyze and promote Canadian theatre through reviews, interviews, feature work and vlog posts.
Fun Fact About Lennon
A fun fact about Lennon is that they can read Tarot cards, and let you know a bit more about yourself!
Summer Ensemble
Lennon Bradford is a 2020 Crane Creations Summer Ensemble Member.
What Is Summer Ensemble?
The Summer Ensemble is an 8 week training program for theatre artists. In this paid working opportunity artists learn skills required to be a professional artist in Canada, and gain valuable insights into the theatre industry in Canada and abroad. To apply artists must be between 18 and 30 years of age.
Lennon is one of the first summer ensemble members to join the team in June 2020, at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. Due to lock down restrictions a large portion of the program was conducted over zoom. Lennon as well as the rest of Crane Creations Summer Ensemble handled the transition beautifully, and Lennon was quickly able to adapt their talents to a Zoom’s online platform.
What Do You Learn In Summer Ensemble
Learn how To Get paid while traveling with your touring workshop
Did you know there are thousands of festivals around the world that pay artists from around the world to perform? Would you like to travel to interesting destinations, while being paid as an artist? This workshop will teach you:
- What is the difference between presenting and touring?
- What kind of work are festivals looking for?
- What you need to consider when creating the work to increase its potential to be selected for international touring?
- Where to find festivals to pitch to?
- What to include in your pitch?
Learn the basics Of Budgeting For Live Arts
How do you even start preparing a Budget?
What different types of revenue does a not-for-profit theatre company earn? Which fees do I pay the artists, the director and the designers? These are things that you will discover with the help of Crane Creations Theatre Company Artistic Director Andreja Kovac.
Andreja has worked on projects with budgets over $5 million. She is an expert in project management, has the equivalent of an MFA in directing from her home country of Slovenia, and is also a graduate of Canada’s National Theatre School directing program.
Join us to understand the basics of what it takes to plan, create, and balance a budget for a performing arts project.
Learn the basics of how to write a grant. Then actually write one.
Come and learn about the ins and out of building a budget for a project;
Planning for professional fees (artists, directors, stage manager, designers, etc.)
Knowing how to make grants work together
What funding bodies exist in Canada?
How long should I plan my projects in advance?
Andreja Kovac is a successful theatre director from Slovenia who graduated from the National Theatre School’s Directing program. She is the founding Artistic Director of Crane Creations Theatre Company, and is committed to helping emerging artists transition into the professional field, and understand the business of theatre.
What you will gain in Summer Ensemble?
- Artistic Skills: Explore classical and contemporary text, improvisation, theatre around the world and their relevance and impact on arts jobs and society today.
- Orientation in Arts Jobs: Honest insight into professional organizations, structures and systems in place and how to navigate them successfully
- Financial Skills: Budgeting and financial literacy delivered in a comprehensible and easy to understand way, tailored for theatre artists’ needs.
- Leadership: Debate complex questions and develop ideas and strategies how to build not only your career but theatre ecosystem in Canada and Internationally.
- Touring in the Arts: Discover how artists around the world use international touring as a source of income, and learn how to create shows that can allow you to participate in that market.
- Digital Skills: Discover how blog/content writing can earn you additional income, promote your work, while mastering WordPress, one of the most desired skills in todays job market.
Lennon is an actor in the 2020 Summer Ensemble
What Is An Actor?
An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs in the theatre, film, radio, television, or digital media. The analogous Greek term is ὑποκριτής. The meaning translates to “one who answers”.
What Does An Actor Do?
An actor’s doesn’t just memorize lines and look pretty. An actor has a fun but important role in creating a story. They are responsible for interpreting and embodying the character in a play, television series, or film. To do this well many actors rehearse and train their bodies and voices regularly. They study their script and consult with the director and scene partners about their interpretation of the character. The main concern of an actor should always be understanding what a character wants or needs and then what they are is doing to achieve this action. A want or a need is also called an objective, or motivation. What an actor is doing is referred to an action or a tactic. An Actor Acts.
A good actor makes many different and thoughtful choices about what the character is doing. A very good actor can make many creative choices, and is always ready to change their actions on the fly. Actors sometimes require additional special skills. For example, an actor in a Broadway musical may also need to know how to sing and dance. An actor is a puppet show must know how to operate a puppet. Professional Improvisers need to know how to create a character and make up a story on the spot without any preparation. An actor in an action blockbuster film may also be trained in stage combat and martial arts.
“Something I’ve begun to learn as of late, and that I would impart on others in the theatre industry is the importance of international relations and collaboration. In the past few weeks working with Crane Creations my eyes have been opened to just how unsustainable the Canadian Theatre business model is, and how shallow the pool of opportunities is for actors and theatre creators. It’s alarming to see the lack of Canadian representation across the globe in the plethora of theatre festivals that are happening – it makes me wonder why are we as Canadian theatre artists not jumping at the change to network and take our plays/works outside of the out country? Why isn’t touring the norm? i’m looking forward to diving deeper into the world of international theatre and how I can be part of this vibrant world”.
What Did Lennon Do During The Summer Ensemble?
Romeo and Juliet
Lennon Bradford is a cast member Crane Creations Theatre Company’s 2020 workshop production of Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare. Lennon played the role of Juliet and Benvolio. Using their fantastic acting skills Lennon Bradford, was able to break through transgressive gender norms and help to remake the tale of Romeo and Juliet that defies gender norms by playing a non-binary Juliet. Playing Shakespeare as a queer/non-binary actor, Lennon Bradford was able to bring to life a brand new interpretation of this classic female presenting character.
Mirror
Lennon worked on Mirror, a new puppetry show. Mirror is a Musical Puppetry Show for young children. Mirror is written by Former Summer Ensemble Member. Eugenia De Jong. Mirror is about four forest creatures who find a strange object in the middle of a forest and must work together to figure out what it is. The play is inspired by “The Little Mirror” written by Grigor Vitez.
Lennon was cast in the role of Crane, and adventure seeking world-traveller. As Crane, Lennon got to show off their long legs, and strut around as a know-it-all busy body with a compassionate heart and fascination about the world. In their role as Crane, Lennon showed off their amazing improvisation, writing and physical theatre skills. Lennon has been delighting audiences, in local to local outdoor Parks across Port Credit and Clarkson, playing the role of Crane in Mirror. They have a knack for fascinating and entertaining the young children, who’s favourite character of the show, quickly became Crane. Lennon’s fantastic improvisation skills, provided inspiration for the character of Crane, which is now in development as a puppet show.
New Play Development
Lennon Bradford is a former Summer Ensemble member, participates in a workshop of a new play, by past Summer Ensemble member Nicole Bonder. Nicole Bonder is 2019 Crane Creations Summer Ensemble Member. Nicole Bonder is the process of working on a new play, which she first developed during her time at Crane Creations in the Summer Ensemble 2019. The play explores the idea of creation and contains theological and philosophical themes. Nicole Bonder is inspired by the creation story of Adam and Eve. The show plays with the form of theatre, and mixes improvisation and text in the hopes of creating a brand new show, with a brand new cast every night.
Why We Love Lennon
As well as being a fantastic Summer Ensemble Member, Lennon is best known for being one of the funniest ensemble members. The competition was tough. When the Crane Creation’s Summer Ensemble finally got to meet each other in person, Lennon showed off all of their amazingly designer masks. Lennon is also known for bringing their ukulele to the Crane Creations Studio and playing it for the Summer Ensemble.
“(This program gave) me more control over my future and career than I thought. Having been given the tools to make beneficial decisions on my path to acting, I learned about money and feel a lot more financially literate now. (Another educational aspect) was learning about different avenues of income and funding for artists, and how to pursue a career internationally.
I am a better, more informed artist because of this company. I feel so lucky to have worked with Andreja who is a beacon of knowledge and resources for artists.”
