Local with Laura Ekstrand

Dear Local with Laura Ekstrand listeners, we have some exciting news to share! While we take a short break from our regular episodes, we invite you to explore our new podcast, Jacqueline Goes to Film. Join Laura and Dave as they embark on a thrilling filmmaking journey, and discover the creative process behind their upcoming feature film. Subscribe now for behind-the-scenes insights, interviews, and more! Just search 'Jacqueline Goes to Film.' on your favorite podcast platform. Thank you for your continued support!

In this episode of Local, Laura interviews Sydney Marie Fucito, a New Jersey-based actress with a passion for theatre and the arts. Sydney shares her journey, from earning a Theatre Arts degree at Centenary University to her current role as a Marketing Assistant at The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey. Sydney discusses her experience in marketing, focusing on learning Adobe products and keeping up with social media trends to engage younger audiences. Highlighting her favorite acting roles, Sydney explains her affinity for characters that are vastly different from herself. She shares the transformative experience of playing an arsonist in "Marisol" and emphasizes the importance of honoring the larger story through acting. Sydney reflects on the emotionally taxing production of "Twirl" and its ability to start conversations and hold a mirror to the world. She also sheds light on the fast-paced nature of New Jersey's regional theatre scene, with short rehearsal periods and the upcoming season at The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, including her involvement in a reading of a new play Acts of Creation by Brianna Barrett. Join Laura Ekstrand and Sydney Marie Fucito in this insightful episode as they explore theatre, marketing, and the arts in New Jersey.

In this episode of Local, Laura is joined by stage manager Amy Hadam-Rapp, the first stage manager to be featured on the show. Amy shares her experience working behind the scenes in the theatre industry and sheds light on the often-overlooked role of the stage manager. Laura and Amy dive deep into the art of stage management, discussing how it involves being an invisible character while also managing the logistical and creative aspects of a production. They also explore the challenges of being a middle manager, responsible for communicating the vision of the director to the cast and crew, and ensuring everyone is on the same page. Join Laura and Amy as they celebrate the unsung heroes of the theatre and learn about the vital role stage managers play in bringing a production to life. Music by Jeff Ertz & John Todd.

In this episode of Local, Laura is joined by the multi-talented Andrew Binger, a respected educator, actor, director, consultant, and arts administrator from Newark, NJ. Andrew shares his experience as the Producing Artistic Director of Yendor Theatre Company, which is dedicated to developing, producing, and celebrating works by Black and Brown writers. Laura and Andrew also chat about his latest directorial project, "Only Human: An Evening of Short Plays" at Vivid Stage this month, and the importance of using the arts to explore social issues. Additionally, Andrew shares his passion for working with young people and how he uses theatre to empower them to tell their own stories. Join these two artist as they share their love of the theatre and their commitment to creating meaningful change through their work.   For more on Andrew visit: https://www.andrewbinger.com ------------------------------------------- Music by Jeff Ertz & John Todd.

This month, Laura talks with Vanessa Parvin, a singer and voice teacher who is also the longtime musical director for the Vivid Dreamers summer program. Vanessa talks about her early history performing (when she met her husband), and how she has developed a life as an arts entrepreneur. Hear about how her work as a teacher, a singer in Marquee Five and manager of a carolling business intertwine to satisfy her itch to both create and to lead. Vanessa also talks about trends in musical theatre sound, and how she helps her students find their most authentic voice while becoming healthy and versatile singers. For more about Vanessa: www.thejunestudio.com

Join Laura for an incredible conversation with Summit NJ-based visual artist Yolanda Fundora. Entering the conversation with the big news of her work being sold and displayed at the Clinton offices in Harlem. Yolanda goes on to talk about her process of creating art, and her transformative experience drawing the Matterhorn. The conversation spans many topics, including meeting her wife, her former life as a musician, digital art, and her childhood in Cuba.

In the season premiere of Local season 5 Laura chats with the incredible young artist Darin F. Earl II. They talk about juggling multiple projects as a freelance artist, and the power in not finishing all projects right away. The conversation touches on reimagining choices around age, gender, and race in casting and the impact on theatre and storytelling. And the conversation gets intimate when Laura and Darin talk about the upcoming show Soft Animals and being vulnerable in the moment and in rehearsal. -- Music by Jeff Ertz & John Todd

For the season finale, the tables are turned, and Laura Ekstrand takes her turn in the interview seat. Fellow Local producer Dave Maulbeck steps in to fill her interview shoes. These two friends have an enjoyable and fascinating conversation that is an absolute must-listen for every Vivid Stage fan! These two old friends discuss the dichotomy of living simultaneously as an Artistic Director and a Working Actress. The history of Vivid Stage, from formation to moving spaces, to raccoons falling from the sky. Her scariest role as an actress. Why improv is such a fun challenge and what she envisions in the next chapter of her life.   For more on Laura visits:  https://www.lauraekstrand.com -- Music by Jeff Ertz & John Todd

This month Laura sits down with, Barbara Blumenthal-Ehrlich. After moving from Massachusetts to the confusing land of New Jersey, Barbara joined a writing group with former Local guest Lia Romeo. Laura and Barbara talk about the art of playwriting and how writing IS rewriting. They discuss Barbara's inspiration from real-world events, as well as how impersonal the business of submitting plays can feel - especially juxtaposed against the very personal nature of writing plays. For more on Barbara: http://www.barbarablumenthalehrlich.com -- Music by Jeff Ertz & John Todd  

In this episode, Laura talks with company member Scott McGowan. Scott is a Pennsylvania native who was later transplanted to NYC and then New Jersey. Vivid Stage fans will remember years of Scott's performances. Laura and Scott talk about his acting work and transition from musical theatre to plays. From his struggles to feel comfortable with improv to writing a one-man show. Don't miss this amazing conversation with two-time NJ Tony Award winner Scott McGowan.   -- Music by Jeff Ertz & John Todd

Harriett Trangucci - If I Can Just Ease Something For a Moment   We are back from our winter break with a fresh episode of Local. In this episode, Laura sits down with Harriett Trangucci. Harriett grew up in Kansas City before becoming a New Jersey resident. Fans of Vivid Stage will remember years of Harriett's performances. Laura and Harriett talk about her acting work and her advocacy for children in need. It is a beautiful conversation that is at times funny, and other times heartwarming.   --   Music by Jeff Ertz & John Todd

This month on Local, Laura connects with playwright, actor and director Emma Gibbson. Emma is a British playwright now based out of Philadelphia, where she founded the theatre company Tiny Dynamite. Vivid Stage fans can look forward to seeing Emma's writing come to life in the main stage production of her play; Water in My Hands. Emma talks with Laura about her journey and evaluation as an artist — from her founding of a theatre company using Pepsi bottle caps, to the methodical writing process of everything from prose, to poetry to theatre, and sometimes all three at once. Listen in on this fascinating conversation between two theatre aficionados. --   Music by Jeff Ertz & John Todd

In this episode of Local, Laura sits down with actor and teaching artist Harry Patrick Christian. Harry hails from the great state of Georgia where he began his acting career as a teenager. Vivid Stage fans know Harry well, from years of his amazing performances. Harry talks with Laura about his life as a teaching artist and actor — from his experience teaching workshops with the Patterson Police Department to performing one-man shows, don't miss this fun, sprawling, and fascinating conversation between two dear friends. -- Music by Jeff Ertz & John Todd

Kicking off Local Season 4, Laura sits down with actor and singer Stephanie Windland. Stephanie received her BA in Musical Theater and Communication Studies at Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey, and currently lives and works in New York City. Vivid Stage audiences will remember her from the 2018 main stage production of Dead and Buried. Stephanie tells Laura what drives her to continue pursuing an artistic life and career—particularly after considering leaving it behind during the pandemic. Stephanie's energy and wit radiate throughout this conversation, and we're so thrilled to share it.   To learn more about Stephanie check out - www.stephaniewindland.com/about --   Music by Jeff Ertz & John Todd

On the season finale of Local, Laura chats with the incredibly talented Joe Sutton. They talk about his return to New Jersey, his native New Yorker bias against the Garden State, and overcoming the Jersey stigma to fall in love with Montclair. Joe went to grad school as a director, but almost immediately realized that artistic opportunities were greater as a playwright. Within years of leaving grad school, he was writing plays professionally and seeing them produced. Laura and Joe then dive deep into the art and craft of playwriting. Joe talks about putting his own personal life and psychology into his work, from the more extreme to the more realistic, and the relationship between stage directions and the visual world of the play. Also, what to do about those plays in the drawer...

On the April podcast we’re joined by Dreamcatcher Rep company member Daria M. Sullivan — the M is important, don’t forget the M! Laura and Daria talk about how they first met, racism in the acting industry, the audition grind, and the challenges and triumphs of discovering your voice as an artist. Don’t miss Daria this month in Everything is Super Great: A Comedy, opening April 29, 2021, and as Madame 6 in the ongoing webseries Together Apart.

This month on Local, Laura talks with Dreamcatcher Rep company member Jason Szamreta. In this fun, light-hearted interview, they get deep into what makes Jason tick and what makes him fulfilled — including his enthusiastic eating.  Jason discusses his decision to enter the field of social work in addition to acting, and how the two fields inform each other. They remember some favorite moments working together at Dreamcatcher, and look ahead to Jason’s role as Lil Nephew Balki in Dreamcatcher’s forthcoming web series Together Apart.

Local is back! And to kick off the new year, Laura sits down with Dreamcatcher Rep’s resident Sound Designer Jeff Knapp. In this fascinating and intimate interview, Jeff talks his college radio DJ days, being a theater student at a school without a theater, and his infamous appearance in The Sound of Music as “Captain Von Knapp.” He goes on to talk being a theatre sound designer in the pandemic — from his foley work in Ways to Be Happy, to recording in-studio for the upcoming cabaret Kindred Spirits. 

Jessica F. Baskerville is a playwright based in New Jersey. She joins Laura for a fascinating and wide-sweeping conversation, covering the personal, political, and the life and work of a young creative whose work thus far has been intimately focused on community and sotries in New Jersey. Jessica tells Laura about attending Whitney Houston Academy in East Orange where she was a middle school drama major, making her way with determination back to New Jersey for college after attending high school in Maryland, and some of the projects she’s produced since graduating from Montclair State University. Jessica has delved into history and themes of community, culture, and race, her work has been produced at Luna Stages, Montclair’s Undoing Racism Committee, and in December she premieres a one-act play part of Dreamcatcher’s Holiday Bites. This conversation is not to be missed, and Jessica F. Baskerville is a name and a voice that we’re so pleased to get to know. -- Music by Jeff Ertz and John Todd    

In this episode, Laura is joined by playwright and educator David Lee White. A longtime friend and frequent Dreamcatcher collaborator, David has worked with theatres and theatre programs across the New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania area. And this month with Dreamcatcher, we’re thrilled to be virtually premiering David Lee White’s audio play Ways to Be Happy. David and Laura share a warm and lively conversation—socially distanced on the Dreamcatcher stage—about the challenge of trying to write the current moment, how he first started writing Ways to Be Happy in grad school and how it was developed since, the welcome respite of taking a laugh break, and what his 10-year-old son thinks of his life and work as a playwright. We’re so happy to share this conversation with the wonderful David Lee White—and we invite you to join the conversation and tell us what you do to recharge and find happiness. Find out more about David Lee White at davidleewhite.net -- Music by Jeff Ertz and John Todd  

In this first episode of Season 3, actor, singer, arts administrator, and advocate Deonté Griffin-Quick joins Laura. Hear Deonté discuss how he made his way into arts administration, how he uses his voice to advocate for diversity and equity in the arts, and how important it is for him to continue flexing his creativity as a performer. We’re so excited to share this conversation between Laura and Deonté. Learn more about Deonté Griffin-Quick here. -- Music by Jeff Ertz and John Todd  

In the final episode of season 2, Laura is joined via Zoom by George Marriner Maull, Artistic Director of the Discovery Orchestra. Maestro Maull is a conductor, violist, television host, and music educator. Laura and Maestro Maull have an illuminating conversation on a range of topics, including  how he founded the Discovery Orchestra and why the orchestra is so committed to teaching audiences the listening skills to viscerally connect to classical music. They touch on the history of recorded music, the current state of live performance, and their hopes for the future. You can learn more about George and the Discovery Orchestra  at https://discoveryorchestra.org/

In this episode of Local, Laura turns to Zoom for a conversation with her college pal Steve Harper. Steve is a producer on the CBS show God Friended Me, a co-producer on the HBO Max series Tell Me Your Secrets, and writer and creator of the original web series Send Me. They discuss his work acting, writing, networking, and building connections and brand. They delve deep into the differences between writing for TV and writing for the stage, and discuss his side passion for life coaching.  Learn more about Steve at http://www.harpercreates.com -- Music by Jeff Ertz & John Todd

This month Laura sits down with Julian Blake Gordon, an actor, classical pianist, and writer. Hear how Julian went from despising theatre to being a professional actor, how he experiences being a musician versus being an actor, and the importance of finding  community and collaboration as an artist.  Connect with Julian on Instagram.   -- Music by Jeff Ertz & John Todd

Laura sits down with Nicole Callender—stunt coordinator, stuntwoman, intimacy coordinator, and actor—for a fascinating and inspiring conversation. Hear how the past 25 years have led Nicole to this unique moment in her career and family life, how she shows up for all aspects of her life—and how acting feels like coming home.    Learn more about Nicole at http://www.ncallender.com -- Music by Jeff Ertz & John Todd

Jeff Ertz is a NJ-based singer-songwriter, who has been featured on ABC’s ‘A Million Little Things,’ NPR’s ‘Reveal,’ as well as right here, because he composed the theme song for Local. In this episode of Local, Jeff tells the story of his music, and how he found his way into a creative and technology-driven career in post-production. He wears many hats and has gained experience and expertise in a variety of production and post-production roles, including editing documentaries, post-supervising feature films, sound design, sound mixing, and more.  Hear how storytelling is the thing that drives everything he does, and how making music keeps him sane.   Learn more about Jeff: http://www.jeffertz.com  -- Music by Jeff Ertz & John Todd

Emaline Williams is a charming, smart presence you can find in theaters all over New York and New Jersey, including at Dreamcatcher Rep and Centenary Stage Company, as well as in film and commercials. Hers is a face you see around Dreamcatcher Rep a lot — helping us run smoothly behind the scenes and lighting up our stage in some of this season’s upcoming programming. Learn more about her story as a young actor in New Jersey, the pros and cons of joining the union early, and all of the sleep she doesn’t get while pursuing a life in the theatre.  Learn more about Emaline: http://www.emalinewilliams.com -- Music by Jeff Ertz & John Todd

On the season 2 premiere of Local, Laura sits down with powerhouse of the New Jersey theatre scene Betsy True. Betsy talks her love of working on new plays, the importance of respect and trust in artistic collaboration, and all of the many ways her artistic expression comes to life, now and throughout her career -- directing, teaching, singing, writing, and more. Don't miss this thoughtful, intimate conversation!   Music by Jeff Ertz & John Todd  

For the Local Season 1 finale Laura is joined by two guests, Lia Romeo and Erin Mallon, both of whom are NJ playwrights. This three-woman conversation is a fun exploration of the play creation process, being a mom and an artist, and what led them both to the artform.   For more on Lia Romeo: www.liaromeo.com  For more on Erin Mallon: www.erinmallon.net   Music by Jeff Ertz & John Todd

This month on Local - Laura sits down with her good friend, Clark Carmichael. They talk about his acting and directing methods, casting adventures, and raising a family. It’s a fasinating peek into the world, art and industry of working actors. For more on Clark Carmichael:  https://clarkcarmichael.wixsite.com/clarkscottcarmichael Music by Jeff Ertz & John Todd

Laura welcomes longtime Dreamcatcher company member Dave Maulbeck for a chat about his many artistic talents: acting, improv, comic books, and getting paid thousands of dollars to eat a hot dog. Dave explains the impetus for co-creating The Kinetix, a comic book series centering around teenage superheroes with disabilities, and he talks how his love of visual art influences all that he does, including acting. Enjoy the intimacy and fun of this conversation between these friends who have been making moments on stage together for 20 years. For more on Dave Maulbeck: https://www.davemaulbeck.com For more on the Kinetix: https://www.facebook.com/TheKinetixTeamPage/   Music by Jeff Ertz & John Todd        

Visual artist Jessica Joyce joins Laura Ekstrand for a conversation about making art through the lens of Synaesthesia, a neurological condition that for Jessica means she can hear sound and also see the line and shape of its tambour. Hear how this sensory experience of the world affects Jessica's art, including the story of her amazing collaboration with dancers at UNRULY Collective. See Jessica's work here. -- Music by Jeff Ertz

Listen to Laura’s conversation with the multi-talented Michael Aquino, a musician, actor, and creative audio producer from Northern New Jersey -- and don’t miss Aquino perform an original song at the end of the episode.   Find Aquino at michaelaquino.com -- Music by Johnny Ripper

Hear Laura's conversation with New Jersey actor, improviser, and small business owner Lulu French. Lulu shares what it takes to teach and perform improv comedy -- to children, to adults, and to businesses -- and she brings out some of her go-to comedic characters. Find Lulu at lulufrench.com and her business at rocketimprovcomedy.com -- Music by Johnny Ripper

This month Laura sits down with playwright James McLindon to talk about his dark comedy Dead and Buried, which the Detroit Free Press calls “funny, sad and heartwarming, often at the same time.” McLindon discusses some of the inspirations for his play, as well how he thinks about his work as a playwright and theater in general.   Here's more on the study Laura mentions about theater and the synchronization of heartbeats: https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatre-news/news/research-finds-theatregoers’-hearts-synchronise-during-performances -- Music by Johnny Ripper