Greetings from Sarasota—
Your storytelling tip this week is a reminder to take it step by step, word by word, bird by bird.
When we see the end, we begin to push. Every half-marathon I’ve run, I’ve seen and done this. That last quarter mile, when the finish line curves into sight? All the aches and pains vanish and you turn into Usain Bolt.
Station yourself at the end of a race and you’ll see it: absolutely everyone sprints across the finish line.
I experience the same with a story, podcast, newsletter, play, essay, whatever. As I sense the approach of the final paragraph, sentence, word… as the “press publish” moment looms… everything speeds up.
Nothing wrong with that push. It’s euphoric. It’s the sudden adrenaline spike you’ve earned by slogging through everything that came before.
And the slog is far more representative of your work than the sprint to the finish.
But sometimes… that finish line is bittersweet.
A friend from my St. Louis days, a fellow actor named Dave, added me to a Facebook chat this week. Within a day, the chat had grown to almost 200 people.
Every person on that chat had worked in some capacity with St. Louis Shakespeare, affectionately known as SLS. And for every person on that chat, there are two or three or ten more out there who also have this theatre company on their resumes.
Next month, SLS will present Twelfth Night, and then the lights will go down for good. The curtains will close a final time. After an unbelievable 40-year run, SLS will cease to be.
SLS is one of only seven professional companies in the country to perform Shakespeare’s entire canon.
And over the course of four decades, SLS gave hundreds of aspiring theatre artists their first professional crack at the Bard.
I can reverse engineer the dominoes of my entire career back to SLS. It was founder/Artistic Director Donna Northcott who gave me my first break.
I remember as a senior in college, back in 19-dang-98, over in nearby Greenville, Illinois, our theatre prof loaded us into a van and trundled us over the Mississippi River and took us to SLS to check out Richard III.
I had two visceral reactions. First, the venue and production were gorgeous. Second, with the arrogance/confidence of the soon-to-be-graduated, I thought, “I could hang with all those cool people up there. Maybe I can do this as a career!”
Within a year, I was auditioning for SLS. Donna slotted me into a supporting role in Antony and Cleopatra and a lead role in Comedy of Errors. My first lead in St. Louis!
Those roles gave me the courage to move to the big city. Donna kept providing me work. SLS had an educational touring arm—my first taste of TYA (Theatre for Young Audiences), rocking five-actor versions of Macbeth and Twelfth Night in gymacafatoriums in schools across the bi-state area.
She also pulled me into the Science Theatre Caravan, a touring company associated with the St. Louis Science Center. I played Nikola Tesla and one of the Wright Brothers (I think Orville??), taking history-rich, science-y shows to those same gymacafatoriums.
Typing this, so many memories come flooding back. So many shows and audiences and friends, and there—smack in the middle of the chaos—Donna Northcott, pouring her time and treasure and artistic guts into a love’s labour’s found.
I know I’m not alone in wishing her all wonderful things with whatever her next step is, and in expressing gratitude beyond measure for believing in me and setting me on paths I didn’t even know existed.
Now she’s reached her finish line with SLS. I cannot imagine what she must be feeling, whether she’s ready to sprint through the final closing or whether she’s in some sort of peaceful disbelief.
But here’s what I do know…
You can’t perform Shakespeare’s entire canon all at once.
You have to take it season by season.
Show by show.
Act by act.
Scene by scene.
Line by line.
Word by word.
The end will come when it’s time. The readiness is all.
Thank you, Donna. And congrats on 40 years of Shakespearean awesomeness.
11 DAYS: The Story of Operation Pineapple Express
I announced this incredible project last week—a world premiere one-man show based on the NY Times Bestseller Operation Pineapple Express.
Here is writer/actor Scott Mann doing a media hit on The Brief with Jim Sciutto. This brief chat outlines what motivated Scott to write the book, transform it into a play, and take on the role. (Click on the arrow to view the video.)
We go into rehearsals later this month, and the world premiere event is in December—info and tix at the purple button below.
The Lighthouse Series
My wonderful friends over at Lifeline Productions have announced the launch of The Lighthouse Series, a new monthly program led by Maria Schaedler-Luera and Scott Ehrenpreis. Beginning this September and continuing through May, The Lighthouse Series will be offered as part of our commitment to Mental Health & Mindfulness Mondays.
These free, drop-in workshops combine mindfulness, storytelling, and theater-based activities to support resilience, spark creativity, and foster connection.
Each session is designed to meet participants where they are — whether you are navigating a life transition, seeking a moment of calm, or looking for creative ways to connect with others.
Trauma-informed and choice-based, the workshops welcome people of all backgrounds and experience levels. Sessions will be held twice each month, with both in-person and online options, making it possible for anyone to take part.
The Lighthouse Series is about finding steadiness in uncertain times, building community through shared stories, and reminding ourselves that even in darkness, there is always light to be found.
Come as you are, and join us as we begin this journey together.
The Page&Stage Podcast
The next NEW episode of the PAGE&STAGE PODCAST will land in your inboxes on Monday. That’s right—the dog days break is over!
Theatre multi-hyphenate Lee Gundersheimer joins me to share his remarkable journey through the theater world—as actor, director, playwright, and educator. From formative lessons with Uta Hagen to reinvention in Duluth’s vibrant arts community, Lee reflects on the power of reputation, the wisdom gained from both success and failure, and the enduring joy of collaboration. With insights on showing up, staying curious, and the nature of theater itself, this inspiring conversation celebrates a life devoted to storytelling and connection.
You can listen on the Substack App, and all episodes are also available on Apple or Spotify.
And if you want to put faces with voices, the video version will be available over on YouTube.
Quick reminder that you are welcome to comment on this newsletter. I do my absolute best to respond to every comment, so if something I’ve offered above tickles that question/comment/complaint nerve in your reader-brain, I’d love to hear about it.
And if there’s a storytelling topic or issue you’d like me to address—writing, acting, directing, speaking, whatever—email me directly at jason@jasoncannon.art. If I don’t have a ready answer, I’ll make it my mission to go find one.
Thanks as always for reading, and have a great weekend—
Jason “Canon” Cannon