Press

They Call You a Doctor(Tarragon Solo Room)

by Robyn Grant-Moran

“A lawyer, a psychiatrist, a therapist, and an actor walk onto a stage. It looks like a set-up for a joke, but it’s just Dr. Lwam Ghebrehariat, all of those things in one. His thought-provoking theatrical lecture tickles the funny bones, but Dr. Ghebrehariat is no punchline.

Armed with little more than notes resting on a music stand masquerading as a podium and an obscene amount of charisma, Dr. Ghebrehariat holds his audience rapt with his unconventional storytelling show They Call You a Doctor. His story is unusual: he explains that he’s a lawyer who became a psychiatrist and now primarily practises as a psychotherapist. He was bitten and subsequently infested by the theatre bug as a small child, a devoted son of immigrant parents. Under scrutiny, many definitions of theatre don’t hold up, according to Dr. Ghebrehariat. He believes it’s the relationship between the performer and the audience that defines the form. Through a collection of personal anecdotes, facts, and jokes, Dr. Ghebrehariat explores similar challenges to defining crimes and medical care. Why people commit crime, how psychiatric medication affects patients, what is theatre — it’s all relational, and it’s all riveting.

Dr. Ghebrehariat is part-storyteller, part- scholar, earnest seeker, and fascinating performer. For curious minds who enjoy liminal spaces, They Call You a Doctor is a must-see.”

REVIEWS: Toronto Fringe 2024

Gaibrie Stephen, Hissan Butt and I wrote this article for Resident Awareness Week. Did you know resident physicians (the junior doctors who are a key part of our healthcare system) are often required to work 26 hour shifts with no protected breaks? This is part of the context for higher rates of depression, burnout and suicidal ideation among our resident physicians, not to mention the physical health risks of extended working hours.

Healthy Debate publication for Resident Awareness Week:

“Resident Physicians are Humans Not Heroes: It’s Time to Abolish 26

Hour Shifts”

Any member of the public is encouraged to sign this associated petition.

Resident Physicians are Humans, Not Heroes: It's Time To Abolish 26 Hour Shifts

“The way we organize our workplaces is not inevitable; it is rather a reflection of collective values and historical and political struggles. Change can happen if we engage with the moral and political dimensions of the debate.”

My talented and dear old friend and powerhouse comedian Dana Alexander has a great podcast called Comedians of the World. I was honoured to be on an episode. Here it is on Soundcloud. It’s also on iTunes and on Stitcher.

Hearings into Justice of the Peace’s remarks should proceed, lawyer says

Robert Whittaker retired before a disciplinary probe could examine allegations that he made controversial comments to defendants in court. But a Toronto criminal defence lawyer says that for the sake of transparency, the review should still be conducted

Lwam Ghebrehariat was acting as duty counsel on one of the days former Justice of the Peace Robert Whittaker made controversial remarks to a defendant in court. He felt Whittaker “totally failed” to appear unbiased in the case.

“Toronto Fringe Lets Non-Mainstream Voices Be Heard”, Toronto Star, by Richard Ouzounian Theatre Critic, Published on Fri Jun 27 2014

Toronto Fringe Festival organizers looked around a few years ago at the people who were appearing on its stages and realized they had one thing in common.

Most of them were white.

But if the winning applicants were all chosen by random lottery, how could there be any question of exclusionary practices? They don’t pick people by name or skin colour but by number. Read more