CBC | Patient Commando

Tent Talk: Healing Through Theatre

Posted on July 10, 2012 by Eamonn in Patient Commando Blog

Today at 5:00 PM we will present our Toronto Fringe Festival Tent Talk: Healing Through Theatre. All are welcome to attend.

Our Executive Director Zal Press, will be joined by speakers Daniel Stolfi, of the Award Winning Theatre Production, Cancer Can’t Dance Like This, and Dr. Jeremy Rezmovits, from Toronto’s Sunnybrook Hospital. Brian G. Smith, Creative Director for Patient Commando and The Second-City Alumni will facilitate this humorous one-hour event.

During a kick-off event at the CBC’s Glenn Gould Theatre last year, Brian orchestrated a brilliant performance that demonstrated the power of theatre and humour. While today’s event will be a slightly different program it will undoubtably build upon the efficacy of performance. Join us.

If you can’t make it we’ll be on Twitter the entire time tweeting #FringeTT

Tagged Under: brian g smith, CBC, Daniel Stolfi, Dr. Jeremy Rezmovits, event, Fringe Festival, funny, glenn gould, healing, humour, performance, public, the second city, Theatre, Toronto, Zal Press

Patient Stories at The Fringe

Posted on July 3, 2012 by Eamonn in Uncategorized

Two weeks ago we shared news on two patient storytelling events that will take place during this year’s Toronto Fringe Festival.

After a more thorough review of the festival’s listings, we’re pleased to announce that we found three (3) more. With the Fringe opening it’s doors tomorrow we felt it was an appropriate time to list all of the patient performances, whether chronic illness plays a starring role or is simply an undercurrent to the performance’s plot. Healing Through Theatre Host: Brian G. Smith (Second City Alumni) Panel: Zal Press (Patient Commando), Dr. Jeremy Rezmovitz (Sunnybrook Hospital), Daniel Stolfi (Cancer Can’t Dance Like This)

Eat Poo Love By: Paul Clement, Evan Mackay, Dan Mackay Cast: Dan Mackay, Evan Mackay, Paul Clement

Paul Clement survived Stage 2 Colon Cancer and went on to blog about it (selected blogs available here), and eventually co-wrote a stage version of the blog which will be performed at the 2012 Toronto Fringe Festival as “Eat, Poo, Love”. He recently appeared on the RogersTV program ‘daytime Peel’ to discuss his journey through the illness, and his fundraising work with Colon Cancer Canada.

Mum And The Big C By: Lynne Kamm

Stamped: A Story About Daniel, Who Happens to Have Autism By: Sarah Magni

21 Days By: Tabia Lau, Music by Mary Lougheed

If you know of patient performances that we have [...] continue the story

Tagged Under: CBC, chronic illness, eat poo love, elvira kurt, event details, festival, fringe, healing through theatre, mum and the big c, patient stories, randolph theatre, stamped, Theatre, Toronto, videos, youtube

Cancer Can’t Dance Like This: A Preview

Posted on May 7, 2011 by admin in Patient Commando Blog

Tagged Under: Arts, Brian Smith, Cancer Can't Dance Like This, CBC, Daniel Stolfi, Entertainment, Glenn Gould Studio, Lilah's Fund, May 12, Patient Commando, Stories, Theatre, Toronto, Zal Press

Patient Commando’s debut play hits close to home for Zal Press | National Post

Posted on May 6, 2011 by admin in Patient Commando Blog

When Zal Press was 29 years old, he went to the hospital with a pain in his gut that felt like he had “a cat trapped in [his] stomach trying to claw its way out.

“A doctor came up to me as I was lying in the hospital and he says to me, ‘Mr. Press, you have a serious illness. You have Crohn’s disease,’ ” Press recalls. “I couldn’t even spell Crohn’s, I had never heard of it. All I wanted was a pill so I could get on with my life.”

Thirty years later, Press has moved on with his life, but he certainly hasn’t forgotten about Crohn’s. About two years ago, he set off on a journey to try and get involved in changing the Canadian health-care system and the way patients perceive chronic illness.

“I became attracted to patient advocacy and patient empowerment and this whole new movement of this educated, informed, Internet-aware patient who’s engaged in their own health care,” he says.

Last year, after giving up a successful art business, Press started Patient Commando, a theatre production company that uses storytelling and humour to empower patients. The company’s debut production is a performance of Cancer Can’t Dance Like This, [...] continue the story

Tagged Under: Cancer, Cancer Can't Dance Like This, CBC, Crohn's Disease, Daniel Stolfi, May 12, National Post, Patient Commando, Toronto, Zal Press