ABOUT
Founded and coordinated by composer / music director Jake Schindler and folk singer/songwriter Sam Boer (AKA Samson Wrote), The Uncommon Folk Collective is a music-forward theatre collaboration.
Our original show Ursa: A Folk Musical has been staged all across Ontario, including at the Toronto Fringe NextStage Festival, the Kingston Grand Theatre, Bon Echo Provincial Park (as the first show selected for Tweed & Company's site-specific theatre program) and online via Stratford Festival's online streaming service.
Praised by The WholeNote for its “freshness, youthful energy, and experimental daring,” and dubbed a "winning, foot-tapping account of grizzly adolescence" by the Guardian, this fabricated folktale spins the tale of a restless young woman, an anxious bear, and the star-crossed friendship they forge.
We have released an Original Cast Recording of Ursa: A Folk Musical, recorded at Revolution Recording in Toronto with Belinda Corpuz as Ursa and Ben Page as Bear. We were so thrilled with the album that we even pressed it to vinyl - you can order a copy (with Abby Nowakowski's brilliant illustrations) on Bandcamp!
The Uncommon Folk Collective also orchestrated, music directed, and performed in Joni Mitchell: Both Sides Now, a theatre revue celebrating the music and life of Joni Mitchell co-written with Tricia Black and presented by Tweed & Company (2023). This show presented the Canadian icon's music through brand new, thrilling arrangements while highlighting her storied past and ongoing legacy.
The Uncommon Folk Collective is currently writing its second musical, with support from the Grand Theatre (London) and the Toronto Fringe Festival.