In the last few years, the Canadian-American musician Beverly Glenn-Copeland has reemerged, finding acclaim as a pioneer of emotive electronic music. There's been a documentary and an all-star reimagining of Glenn-Copeland's 1986 album Keyboard Fantasies. Two years ago, Glenn-Copeland released The Ones Ahead, his first new album in 20 years. Last year, Glenn-Copeland revealed that he has been diagnosed with dementia. Before that diagnosis, Glenn-Copeland was working on a surprising new project, a children's television show called Caring Corner. It sadly won't get to become the ongoing series that he envisioned, but the pilot episode will soon have its premiere, and it'll stream on the Criterion Channel.
For decades, Beverly Glenn-Copeland was a regular performer on the Canadian kids' TV series Mr. Dressup, and he also wrote music for Sesame Street. Glenn-Copeland, who goes by Glenn, and his wife and creative partner Elizabeth Glenn-Copeland came up with the idea for Caring Cabin, a show that takes place in a forest setting, with puppet animals. Filmmaker Chelsea McMullan and their husband and creative partner Douglas Nayler Jr. wrote and directed the 11-minute pilot episode. That pilot will debut July 1 on the Criterion Channel, and it'll have a special free in-person screening July 5 at Toronto's TIFF Lightbox. The premiere will include a performance from Beverly and Elizabeth Glenn-Copeland and a Q&A with the show's creative team.
In a press release, Caring Cabin producer and co-creator Sean O'Neill says:
Caring Cabin began as a serendipitous phone call in the early weeks of the pandemic. Elizabeth had a vision for a series that would bring together Glenn’s warmth and playfulness, inspiring music, and amazing puppets. Glenn described hosting a children’s show as a dream he’s held since he was a cast member on Mr. Dressup. After years of collaboration and some curveballs along the way, we’re all so thrilled that the pilot episode will find an audience on the Criterion Channel, and in-person at the TIFF premiere. The project is a tribute to Glenn’s spirit -- a celebration of his music, his joy, and the path he has spent a lifetime laying for others.
Beverly and Elizabeth Glenn-Copeland say:
We’re thrilled that Caring Cabin has found a home on the Criterion Channel, and we’re so looking forward to sharing it with audiences in person at TIF. This project emerged from our years collaborating to bring theatre, music, and the arts to young people across Canada and around the world, offering "the ones ahead" tools for resilience, calming their nervous systems, and facing difficulty. The core to that work, for us, has been community -- and we’re so grateful to the community who came together to make this beautiful pilot.
