Podcasts about actors equity

Australian Casting director Anousha Zarkesh, an influential creative force in the Australian screen industry, is in conversation with producer Fraser Brown discussing how to establish a great relationship with your Casting Director. They cover searching for new talent and attaching high-profile actors, the importance of cultural considerations and respect protocols and considerations in early develipment and budgeting. This session is a collaboration with Actors Equity. 

Karma Jenkins⁠ is a multi-hyphenate artist whose work on screen includes The Time Traveler's Wife (HBO), Ghost: PowerBook II (Starz) and The Last O.G (TBS). She's appeared in commercials for Amazon Prime & William Hill Winery and is a member of SAG/AFTRA & Actors Equity. Karma has worked across the United States at reputable regional stages such as The Old Globe, 5th Ave Theatre & The MUNY, and has recently joined the production side of upcoming new stage works. Karma believes that the change we want to happen starts in our own backyards and she is dedicated to the idea that art and activism go hand in hand.  In today's episode, Karma discusses using one's voice for change, the lack of diversity and representation behind the scenes in the entertainment industry, and the need for more diverse voices and perspectives in decision-making roles. She also discusses taking care of one's mental health, finding outlets for self-expression and joy outside of the industry, and the power of being true to oneself in auditions. Learn more about Karma Jenkins & The Story Project.   --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/storyproject/support

In the documentary “¡Casa Bonita Mi Amor!,” Matt Stone and Trey Parker depict themselves as saviors of the Pink Palace, spending unexpected millions to bring Lakewood's beloved eatertainment icon back from bankruptcy. But a few weeks after the documentary's premiere, it's become clear that the South Park creators haven't figured it all out quite yet. Two Casa Bonita performers — WM. Riley Holmes and our regular guest Joshua Emerson — join producer Paul Karolyi today to talk about why they and more than 70 of their colleagues have petitioned to form a union with IATSE and Actors Equity, and discuss Matt and Trey's response. We broke the story of the Casa Bonita performers pushing to unionize in our newsletter Hey Denver last week. Subscribe now and never miss another important update! Our fall campaign is happening now! It takes a lot to keep City Cast Denver and Hey Denver running strong. Your membership helps us cover the cost of bringing you the local stories you care about. If you believe in what we do, become a member of City Cast Denver today. Every member makes a difference! For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver at denver.citycast.fm. Follow us on Instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver What do you think about the unionization effort at Casa Bonita? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsors of this October 21st episode: Denver Film Fest Denver Public Library - RSPV to the grand Reopening here Denver Art Museum Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Earlier this year, Actors' Equity Association, the stage union representing actors, dancers, and stage managers, made a big showing of celebrating swings and understudies for the annual Swing Day that happens each January. They even brought together a roundtable of four performers to talk about their experiences. Swings and understudies often have multiple roles to keep straight, each with their own nuance and character arc. And it's important to recognize the hard work that swings, understudies, and standbys do to keep shows running, and even keep them open on Broadway and on the road, like the Beetlejuice tour I'm currently on, where I play Otho but also understudy two other roles. You'll be hearing snippets from others in that roundtable as well as my own thoughts and experiences, and how Actors Equity says one thing but does another when it comes to honoring and crediting swings and understudies. All that and more in this special episode of Why I'll Never Make It.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Who is absolutely loving HULU's Only Murders in the Building? I am! On this episode of Dear Multi-Hyphenate, we have the loveable Michael Cyril Creighton who plays Howard Morris on Only Murders in the Building on HULU. We discuss how Michael was compelled to create his own work and how it created a domino effect of constant work in the industry. It's all about writing what you know, and Michael certainly proves that theory. How did he end up from working the box office to working on some of the most successful tv shows and films of all time? TELEVISION: Hulu's “Only Murders in the Building” (Series Regular), Amazon's “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” (recurring) Showtime's “Dexter: New Blood” (recurring), Netflix's “Dash & Lily” (recurring), HBO's "High Maintenance" (recurring), EPIX's "Graves" (recurring), Amazon's “A League of Their Own”, Netflix's “AJ & the Queen”, FOX's "Bob's Burgers," Showtime's "Billions," "Horace and Pete," FOX's “Bob's Burgers,” CBS's "The Good Fight," Adult Swim's "Neon Joe Werewolf Hunter," Showtime's "Nurse Jackie," Netflix's “Orange is the New Black,” NBC's “30 Rock,” FX's “Louie,” CBS's "2 Broke Girls," CBS's “Person of Interest," FX's "Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll," LOGO's “Jeffery & Cole Casserole.” FILM: Cord Jeffereson's “American Fiction,” Steven Spielberg's "The Post," "Game Night," "Spotlight," "Can You Ever Forgive Me?," “Seneca,” "Home Again," "Coin Heist," "Sleeping With Other People," "Fits and Starts," "3rd Street Blackout," “Towheads,” “How To Follow Strangers,” “Paper Spiders” and “The Outside Story.” THEATRE: Jordan Harrison's The Amateurs (Vineyard Theatre), Sarah Ruhl's Stage Kiss (Playwrights Horizons), Blood Play, Buddy Cop 2, You're Welcome and Cape Disappointment (all with The Debate Society), Joshua Conkel's MilkMilkLemonade and more. I was a founding member of the New York Neo-Futurists and performed weekly in “Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind.” WEB: Michael created a web series called “Jack in a Box,” which he starred in, produced, wrote and co-directed. The series ran from 2009-2012 and consisted of 31 episodes, dozens of cupcakes and a fair amount of funny-sad humor. It was written about in several publications and on several websites, including The New York Times, The Huffington Post, Time Out New York, Le Monde Paris, The New York Daily News, The AV Club and Michael was named a “Digital All Star” by Backstage. The series won Best Web Pilot at the 2010 New York Television Festival and was nominated for a Writers Guild of America Award for Outstanding Achievement in Original New Media two consecutive years in a row (2012 & won in 2013). Other work on the web includes "High Maintenance," "The Outs," "Very Mary-Kate," "Eat Our Feelings" and more. Proud member of SAG-AFTRA, Actors Equity and the Writers Guild. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we dive into the world of performance and self-expression with Elma Linz Kanefield, author of 'Hamlet's Mirror: Reaching Your Performance Potential'. Elma shares her expertise on how to overcome obstacles, build confidence, and unlock your full potential. Join us as we explore the intersection of performance, psychology, and personal growth, and discover how 'Hamlet's Mirror' can help you reach new heights in your craft and beyond.About ElmaElma Linz Kanefield, LCSW, CPC, succumbed to debilitating stage fright as a young performer which left her voice… silent. However, rather than remain devastated and at the effect of her fear, she transformed her fright into her life's calling and became a specialist in the psychology of the performing artist.So passionate was Elma about addressing the special personal and professional needs, challenges and possibilities of performing artists that she relocated in 1980 from the Midwest to New York City to open the only Psychotherapeutic private practice exclusive to performers. For the last four decades Elma has been healing and empowering artists at all ages and stages of their lives and careersIn 1986, Elma became the Founding Director of The Juilliard School's Counseling Services. She created the first of its kind, on-campus, fully staffed psychotherapy facility, offering unlimited, confidential sessions to serve the entire graduate and post-graduate student body. The Juilliard School's Counseling Services remains the only mental health service in the world for performing arts students in an independent performing arts institution. Elma has continued to serve The Juilliard School as a clinical and organizational consultant.Elma attended Connecticut College in New London, Connecticut and attained her undergraduate degree with honors in psychology at Webster University in St. Louis, Missouri. She went on to earn her Masters of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis and did her post-graduate studies in Advanced Psychodynamic Psychotherapy at the Psychoanalytic Institute in St. Louis. In New York City, Elma became a Certified Professional Life Coach at iPEC, the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching. She also studied at The Neighborhood Playhouse in New York City and Yale Music Summer School in Norwalk, Connecticut. Elma is a member of Actors Equity.Elma's philanthropic work includes Board memberships on: The Actors Center, The New York New Music Ensemble, The Juilliard Council, The Actor's Fund's Dancer's Resource Advisory Council, and Chair of the Artist for the Cure Benefit at Carnegie Hall. In 1999, Elma became a member of The Lotos Club, an arts and literary club founded in 1870 in New York City. As a member, she was asked to serve on The Lotos Foundation Board that offers grants to noteworthy arts organizations in the city.Not only has Elma written and lectured about her specialization on the psychology of the performing artist, but her pioneering expertise on stage fright has been written about and quoted in The New York Times, Time Magazine, The US and Canadian Opera News, In Style Magazine, The Daily News, and other trade publications. Elma recently published a book reflecting her life's work entitled Hamlet's Mirror, Reaching Your Performance Potential Onstage and Off.https://www.elmalinzkanefield.com/https://a.co/d/fzLfJc2Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/i-am-refocused-radio--2671113/support.

Robyn Arthur is one of Australia's leading theatre performers who soon celebrates 50 years working in the Industry. Robyn toured with Jonathan Church's Singin' in the Rain and Jonathan Biggins' Australia Day for Hit Productions and Mother & Son with Noeline Brown for McLaren House. In 2013, she toured Australia in Elizabeth Coleman's play It's My Party (And I'll Die If I Want To!) with Henri Szeps for Hit Productions and appeared in the Production Company's Singin' in the Rain directed by Gary Young at the State Theatre. In 2011, she starred again alongside Todd McKenney in the hit revival of The Boy From Oz having also appeared in the original cast. Robyn played Mrs Potts in the Aria Award winning Australian premiere season of Beauty and the Beast with Hugh Jackman and will be long remembered for her performance as Madame Thenardier (Victorian Green Room Award) in the original cast of Les Miserables directed in Australia by Trevor Nunn. Robyn clocked up almost 1,300 performances in the role. In 2007, she was nominated for a Helpmann Award for her performance in the Australian premiere of Sideshow Alley (Keelan/Young) for QPAC. Robyn's other theatre highlights include Stuart Maunder's production of My Fair Lady (Opera Australia); Minefield's and Miniskirts by Terence O'Connell (Malthouse), Gale Edwards' production of Sweeney Todd (Opera Queensland); Stephen Sondheim's Company directed by the late Richard Wherrett and Michael Gow's classic Away for the Sydney Theatre Company. Television credits include The Newsreader, Rosehaven, Five Bedrooms, Sisters, Woodley, Twentysomething, Laid 2, The Librarians, City Homicide, Very Small Business, Kath and Kim, Blue Heelers, MDA, Neighbours, and the US production, Nightmares and Dreamscapes. Robyn also appeared in Charlotte's Web with Dakota Fanning for Paramount Pictures and the Tropfest short film Hoarder Control directed by Nichola Colla. Robyn's been a proud member of Actors Equity since 1975 and serves on the Victorian Actors Benevolent Trust (VABT).The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages).www.stagespodcast.com.au

Episode 458. "PIG" Actor: David Knell. David can be seen as Chef Derek Finway in "Pig," opposite Nicolas Cage, answering the question, "Who has my pig?" Best known for his roles as a goofy, callow youth in films like Spring Break, Splash, Total Recall, and Turner and Hooch, David is a veteran in the industry with a career that spans over four decades. He appeared on Broadway in his teens in Liz Swados' "Runaways" before making his screen debut in "Life on The Mississippi," playing the young Mark Twain. Over the years David has performed in countless television series and commercials, in regional theatre around the country, and often works behind the scenes as an editor, camera operator, and assistant director. David is a long time member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, as well as SAG-AFTRA and Actors Equity. #nicolascage  #pig #splash #movie #totalrecall #fyp #shorts #short #moviescenes #nicolascagehttps://linktr.ee/mondaymorningcritic

Texas State University's Richard Robichaux, a professor in the Department of Theatre and Dance, joins the Big Ideas TXST podcast to discuss his career path, teaching acting for television and movies and his upcoming projects.   A native of East Texas, Robichaux George Pappas on David E. Kelley's “Big Shot” with John Stamos and Yvette Nicole Brown on Disney+. Later this year he will appear in the feature films “The Long Game,” which won the audience award at SXSW, as well as “Hit Man,” a new film with Glen Powell. Other film credits include “Ocean's 8” with an all-star cast and “Where'd You Go Bernadette?” with Cate Blanchett. Robichaux has worked on five films with award-winning director Richard Linklater, including “Boyhood,” which was nominated for six Academy Awards and won the Golden Globe for Best Picture. His theatre credits include the Shakespeare Theatre in Washington, D.C., Yale Repertory Theatre, Mark Taper Forum, and great theatres in New York, California and everywhere in between. Last fall he directed “The Thin Place” at the Zach Theatre in Austin. As a speaker and educator Robichauz is a passionate advocate for arts education. He has been a guest artist and teacher at many of the top programs in the country including Yale University, Juilliard, Pennsylvania State University and the University of California San Diego where he was the Arthur and Molli Wagner Endowed Chair in Acting. During his tenure at UCSD it was ranked the No. 3 program in the world by the Hollywood Reporter. He has delivered keynote addresses and conducted masterclasses for students and teachers at dozens of conferences, festivals and schools. He is also a judge for the College Television Awards presented by the Emmys. He is a member of the Television Academy, SAG-AFTRA, Actors Equity and Stage Directors and Choreographers Society. FURTHER READING:Lone Star roots bring Richard Robichaux to Texas State theatre facultyRichardRobichaux.com

Actors Equity has petitioned the NLRB on behalf of Strippers United.  They held a joint rally to announce and celebrate the partnership.  Speeches from the AE president, LA City Council candidate Hugo  Soto-Martinez, and the ladies of Star Garden. Interviews with Hugo Soto-Martinez and attendees.

Harvey Brownstone conducts an in-depth Interview with Baayork Lee, Legendary Broadway Star, Choreographer & Director About Harvey's guest: Today's guest, Baayork Lee, is a highly acclaimed actress, singer, dancer, choreographer, theatre director, and author, who's been dazzling audiences since she made her Broadway debut at the age of 5 as Princess Ying Yawolak in the original production of “The King and I”, starring Yul Brynner.    She's gone on to perform in a dozen Broadway shows including “Flower Drum Song”, “Golden Boy”, “A Joyful Noise”, “Promises, Promises”, “See Saw” - and of course, she created the iconic role of “Connie” in “A Chorus Line”. She was also Michael Bennett's assistant choreographer for the show, and in 1990 she co-authored a book about the inception and evolution of the show entitled, “On the Line:  The Creation of A Chorus Line” .   She's also directed many national and international companies of classic shows like “The King and I”, “Bombay Dreams”, “Rogers and Hammerstein's Cinderella”, “Barnum”, “Porgy and Bess”, “Jesus Christ Superstar”, “Gypsy “, and many others.  Her choreography credits include “Mack and Mabel”, “Camelot”, “Damn Yankees”, “South Pacific”, “The Merry Widow” and so many more.  She was in the movie “Jesus Christ Superstar”, and 2 years ago she directed the wonderful television special, “Wicked In Concert”, starring Kristen Chenoweth and Idina Menzel.  She's received 2 Helen Hayes Award nominations for Outstanding Choreography, for “Animal Crackers” and “South Pacific”.    And she co-founded the groundbreaking non-profit organization, the National Asian Artists Project, which showcases the work of Asian-American theatre artists through performance, outreach, and educational programming.  Under our guest's inspired leadership, this visionary group of artists, educators, administrators, community leaders, and professionals, is dedicated to building bridges between the work of artists of Asian descent, and the many communities who benefit from the work, from under-served primary school students to seasoned arts patrons.  Through the many shows they've produced, this organization has demonstrated that iconic theatrical productions can speak to all audiences, and ethnicity is no longer a barrier.   Our guest has received a whole slew of prestigious awards and accolades, including the 2003 Asian Woman Warrior Award for Lifetime Achievement from Columbia College, the Isabelle Stevens Tony Award,  the Paul Robeson Award from Actors Equity, the Asian Pacific American Heritage Association Achievement In Arts Award, the Arena Stage American Artist Award, and an Award from the Actors Fund for Outstanding Contribution to the World of Dance – and I'm only mentioning a FEW of the awards this extraordinary artist has won.   For more interviews and podcasts go to: https://www.harveybrownstoneinterviews.com/ To see more about Baayork Lee, go to:https://www.facebook.com/baayork.lee/https://twitter.com/baayorkleehttps://www.naaproject.org #baayorklee    #harveybrownstoneinterviews

FINAL EPISODE OF SEASON 2! We made it another year. In this season ending episode, we spend time speaking with Richard Vetere. Richard reached out to me on Instagram and voiced interest in being on an episode of Playwright's Spotlight. After looking over his credentials, Richard certainly had insight to offer, and as always, I learned something new. In this episode, we discuss the evolution of grants, the current state and the fate of theatre, what makes a good director, what's necessary in stage directions, obtaining flow in playwriting, his personal process when it comes to the craft, structure, and finding inspiration and generating ideas. We also reflect upon the brilliance of Rod Serling's The Twilight Zone, whether Shakespeare was a real person, innovation as a young playwright, whether rewriting published work is possible, Equity as a union, maturing as a playwright, producing in smaller markets, and having creative control in playwriting. It was an absolute treat to talk with Richard, and I was enthralled to have him wrap up our second season of Playwright's Spotlight. See you in Season 3.Richard Vetere is a playwright, novelist, poet and film and TV writer, actor, director and producer.  He has over twenty plays published by Dramatic Publishing, Smith & Kraus and Applause Book and include Caravaggio, Gangster Apparel, Machiavelli, One Shot, One Kill and Bird Brain with production of the plays Off-Broadway in NYC, Chicago, Melbourne, Cyprus, Rome, Paris and London. He has received numerous grants for writing including a Mary Roberts Rinehart Grant for Playwriting and a Cultural Council Foundation for poetry and playwriting. He was a guest of the Chicago Humanities Theater Festival for his play Caravaggio. He has a Masters in Comparative English Literature from Columbia University and lectured at NYU in the master's program in playwriting and film writing and continues to lecture at Queens College. To view the video format of this episode, visit -https://youtu.be/r5gxnIpnuuALinks to sites mentioned in this episode - Mary Robert Rinehart Grant -https://english.gmu.edu/awards/127Cultural Council Foundation - https://www.americansforthearts.orgDramatists Guild -https://www.dramatistsguild.comSimon and Schuster -https://www.simonandschuster.comPDW -https://www.actingstudio.com/acting-classes/playwrights/beginning-playwriting/Actors Equity -https://www.actorsequity.orgWebsites and socials for Richard Vetere -Website - https://www.richardvetereauthor.comFB - https://www.facebook.com/richard.vetereIG - @vetererichardTwitter - @RichardVetereWebsites and socials for James Elden, PMP, and Playwright's Spotlight -Punk Monkey Productions - www.punkmonkeyproductions.comPLAY Noir -www.playnoir.comPLAY Noir Anthology –www.punkmonkeyproductions.com/contact.htmlJames Elden -Twitter - @jameseldensauerIG - @alakardrakeFB - fb.com/jameseldensauerPunk Monkey Productions and PLAY Noir - Twitter - @punkmonkeyprods                  - @playnoirla IG - @punkmonkeyprods       - @playnoir_la FB - fb.com/playnoir        - fb.com/punkmonkeyproductionsPlaywright's Spotlight -Twitter - @wrightlightpod IG - @playwrights_spotlightPlaywriting services through Los Angeles Collegiate Playwrights Festivalwww.losangelescollegiateplaywrightsfestival.com/services.htmlSupport the show

The We Rise Fighting podcast reports. Today's labor quote: Elizabeth Gurley Flynn. Today's labor history: Actors Equity recognized. @wpfwdc @AFLCIO #1u #UnionStrong #LaborRadioPod @Teamsters @ActorsEquity Proud founding member of the Labor Radio Podcast Network.

Two of their shows, Parcel from America and Allie Kazan premiered last year. Their 11 musicals include Chaps! and Dogpark: the Musical (Concord Theatricals); Holmes and Watson Save the Empire (Ovation Award for "Best Small-Cast Musical"); Ann M. Martin and Laura Godwin's The Doll People; and The Best Christmas Pageant Ever: The Musical (Broadway Licensing), which has been produced by more than 200 theaters since its premiere in 2016. Jahnna is co-author with Malcolm of more than 130 books for young adults (www.jahnnanmalcolm.com). She is a member of the Dramatists Guild and Actors Equity. Malcolm is an award-winning narrator of nearly 300 audiobooks (www.malcolmhillgartner.com) member, SAG-SFTRA, ASCAP, AEA). Please see: www.ParcelFromAmericaMusical.com www.alliekazan.com www.bestchristmaspageantevermusical.com www.jahnnanmalcolm.com www.malcolmhillgartner.com Facebook: ParcelFromAmerica

-Will SAG be striking like the WGA? -Stripper Strike Victory! -Thanks to Facial Recognition, a single mom is evicted for taking night classes. Seriously!

Workers won union recognition is some significant places in the past week. Harold Meyerson reports on interns and residents in Philadelphia joining the SEIU, a bus factory—in Georgia!—joining the Steelworkers, and dancers at a strip club in LA joining Actors Equity.Plus: Progressives and Biden: what is to be done—about the 2024 election? Bhaskar Sunkara, president of The Nation, comments.Also: Ron DeSantis is campaigning for president promising to “stop woke history.” That is, to stop teaching about slavery and its legacy of institutional racism. Adam Hochschild found the history guide DeSantis wants: the Hillsdale College “1776 Curriculum.” He reports on what's in it —and what's not.

Candace Cameron Bure does NOT eat fast food; Strippers in a North Hollywood topless bar join Actors Equity; Priscilla Presley and Riley Keogh settle their dispute over Lisa Marie's estate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Candace Cameron Bure does NOT eat fast food; Strippers in a North Hollywood topless bar join Actors Equity; Priscilla Presley and Riley Keogh settle their dispute over Lisa Marie's estate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Leanna Renee Hieber is an actress, playwright, ghost tour guide and the award-winning, bestselling author of over fourteen Gothic, Gaslamp Fantasy, Supernatural Suspense and Non-Fiction books for adults and teens with publishers such as Tor, Sourcebooks and Kensington Books. A Haunted History of Invisible Women: True Stories of America's Ghosts, co-authored with Andrea Janes, is a 2022 Bram Stoker Award finalist for "Superior Achievement in Non-Fiction". The book explores the intersection of women's history and ghost stories.Her Strangely Beautiful saga, beginning with The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker, hit Barnes & Noble and Borders Bestseller lists and garnered numerous regional genre awards. Tor Books notes Strangely Beautiful as a "foundational text of Gaslamp Fantasy" and new, revised editions are now available via Tor. Darker Still hit American Bookseller's Association's "Indie Next List", was a Scholastic Book Club "Highly Recommended" title and a Daphne du Maurier award finalist.The Spectral City was a # 1 bestseller across several genres and digital platforms. A 4-time Prism Award winner for excellence in the genre of Fantasy Romance, Leanna's short stories have been featured in notable anthologies and her books have been selected for national book club editions as well as translated into many languages. She lectures on Gothic fiction and ghostly themes for prominent institutions such as New York University, Miami University and at conventions, libraries and conferences around the country.A proud member of Actors Equity and SAG-AFTRA, Mystery Writers of America, SFWA, Historical Novel Society, International Thriller Writers and The Dramatists Guild, she lives in New York where she is a licensed NYC tour guide working with Boroughs of the Dead and has been featured on television in Mysteries at the Museum and Beyond the Unknown, discussing Victorian Spiritualism. She tours a one-woman show as 19th century designer Clara Driscoll and is represented by Sara Megibow and Chelsea Hensley of the KT Literary Agency. She tweets often @leannareneeSRTN Website

Allyson defines the word multi-passionate creative. She is an Author, Playwright, Composer, Lyricist, Singer, Actor, Producer, and mom to two teenage boys. Allyson is deeply passionate about telling stories that highlight and uplift women's voices. Ballad of Dreams, a novel with music was published in January 2022 through New Degree Press and is an Amazon #1 Best Seller and a new release in Musicals. It can also be found at Barnes and Noble, Indigo, and The Drama Book Shop in New York. In March of 2022, she appeared on the Tamron Hall Show to discuss her book, Ballad of Dreams, a novel with music, and performed one of her original songs from the show “It's Never Too Late”. She has performed at the acclaimed Apollo Theater with Tony award-winning Director George Faison and toured with the Gospel musical “If This Hat Could Talk” in the role of Miss Tilly and understudied for the principal role of Eleanor Roosevelt. She is a proud member of Actors Equity and ASCAP. She has a BFA in Musical Theater from Syracuse University. A concept album of Ballad of Dreams is available on all music streaming platforms and the Audiobook on Audible will be released in early 2023. Her debut EP, Soul Stories, can be found on iTunes, Spotify, and YouTube. Allyson is also the Founder and President of AH Coaching Group that specializes in Leadership Development and Coaching for Women Executives.

It is a pleasure to welcome actress and dancer Tiffany Daniels to The Jake's Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast. Tiffany Daniels was born and raised in San Diego, California, and graduated from the San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts. She graduated from Cornell University and received a year-long dance scholarship to Hollywood's Edge Performing Arts Center, where she trained intensely in different areas of dance, improv, and voice. Tiffany has since been training with Anthony Meindl's Acting Workshop.Tiffany has made booked roles on American Crime Story: The People vs. OJ Simpson, The Big Bang Theory, Criminal Minds, The Good Doctor, Grace and Frankie, and Station 19. She also briefly stepped into the role of Jordan Ashford on the long-running ABC soap opera General Hospital and appeared as a dancer on Sherman's Showcase for multiple episodes. Tiffany Daniels stars as Trish Alexander on That Girl Lay, which can be seen on Nickelodeon and Netflix.In addition to her television work, Tiffany, a proud member of Actors Equity and SAG-AFTRA, has performed in several stage productions. Tiffany portrayed Squeak in Oprah Winfrey's The Color Purple's first national tour and Lorraine in Jerry Mitchell's production of Hairspray at the Hollywood Bowl. She also originated the role of “Liz” at the Planet Hollywood Casino in Las Vegas' SURF: The Musical production. In this edition of The Jake's Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast, Tiffany Daniels spoke about her experience on American Crime Story: The People vs. OJ Simpson and General Hospital. She also talked about getting the opportunity to be a part of La La Land from conception to the film's iconic traffic scene.

It's showtime. I'm wickedly nervous as I prepare to deliver my monologue in my very first acting class. I've been rehearsing relentlessly and memorizing my script so that I don't forget any of my character's dialogue. I begin. And not two minutes into it, my teacher Peter stops me.  What he says next changes me--not just as an actor, but as a speaker, storyteller, and communicator. He tells me, “Kymberlee, I want you to live in the line you are in. Don't worry about what's going to happen. Good acting is when you risk losing the next line.” Whoa. What if we all lived in the line we're in during conversations with loved ones at home or associates in everyday life? As a voiceover artist and actress, my special guest this week, Kate Marley, does this in spades. And in this episode, she's here to talk all about it and answer questions like: What can anyone bring into a story character to give it life? How powerfully do shared stories affect you emotionally, both inside and outside of a community? What you will learn in this episode: Why purpose is such an essential storytelling element How story and art help you reconnect to your authentic self How shared stories shift previously-stuck perspectives and help others Who is Kate? Kate Marley is a full-time artist in visual art, acting, and photography in Los Angeles, California. She graduated and obtained her degree from Ithaca College's Musical Theatre program and is a proud member of the Actors Equity and SAG-AFTRA. Despite her musical days feeling far away, she still has a lifelong goal of telling stories and communicating with various audiences in her current fields of work. Currently, Kate spends most of her time acting and directing in voiceover and selling her artwork locally, always meeting new people and sharing new stories in the process. You can connect with her and find her work through her websites, Kate Marley and Jungmisul. Links and Resources: Kate Marley Jungmisul Storytelling School Website @storytellingschool on Instagram @storytellingSchool on Facebook

Allyson defines the word multi-passionate creative as an Author, Composer, Actress, Singer, Producer, Executive Coach, and mom. Ballad of Dreams, a novel with music was published in Jan 2022 through New Degree Press and is an Amazon #1 Best Seller and a new release in Musicals. The soundtrack of Ballad of Dreams is scheduled to be released in November 2022 and the audiobook on Audible in early 2023. She recently performed her original song "It's Never Too Late" on the Tamron Hall Show. Her debut EP, Soul Stories, can be found on iTunes, Spotify, and YouTube. She has performed at the acclaimed Apollo theater with Tony award-winning Director George Faison and toured with the Gospel musical “If This Hat Could Talk” in the role of Miss Tilly and understudied for the principal role of Eleanor Roosevelt. She's a proud member of Actors Equity and ASCAP. She has a BFA in Musical Theater from Syracuse University. She's also the Founder and President of AH Coaching Group which specializes in leadership development and Coaching for Women Executives.  https://linktr.ee/allyson.hernandez @allysonhernandez_extra - IG @balladofdreamsthemusical - IG https://www.facebook.com/allysonhernandezextra https://www.linkedin.com/in/allyson-hernandez-053878b/ Website - https://www.allysonhernandez.net/ Concert tix: 12/12/22 at The Triad Theater, NYC, 7pm https://www.instantseats.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.event&eventID=5EB8D0CC-044B-FA94-FB9885C1781CF83E

Welcome to Heilman & Haver - Episode 66.  We hope you enjoy the show! Please join the conversation - email us with thoughts and ideas and connect with the show on Facebook and Twitter and Instagram and at www.heilmanandhaver.com!   IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Kathryn Van Meter Kathryn Van Meter was the inaugural recipient of the Heilman & Haver 2021/2022 Best Choreography Award for Beauty and the Beast at the 5th Avenue Theatre.  A champion of large scale community theatrical adventures, Kathryn choreographed As You Like It for Seattle Repertory Theatre's PUBLIC WORKS program, and directed and choreographed Matilda at Village Theatre where she worked with Star 101.5 to generate The Matilda Movement, a program honoring local youth making a difference in their community.   Kathryn also served as the Interim Artistic Director of Seattle Children's Theatre, where she created Ghost Light Stories, a weekly web series of ghost stories designed to help children process fear and anxiety around COVID- 19 and produced and directed So Many Heroes, a National Song of Thanks, with 75 youth from 16 cities across America.  Kathryn's work as a teaching artist has taken her around the world from Iowa to South Africa and Siberia.  As an artist/activist, Kathryn worked with A.S.T.E.P. (Artists Striving to End Poverty) to develop One World Through Theatre, a generative theatrical conversation between students in South Africa, North Carolina, and Washington.   She was the series choreographer for the NETFLIX Original Series 13 Reasons Why and Crater, an upcoming feature for Disney+ and she recently made her debut as Intimacy Coordinator for the NETFLIX Original Series ECHOES, which spent two weeks at #1 worldwide.  In 2016 she worked with the US Dept. of Labor to develop the national definition for the occupation of “Choreographer.”  She is a five time nominee and two time Gregory Award winner for Choreography, and was the 2018 People's Choice winner for Directing and Outstanding Performance as a Lead Actor.   Kathryn holds a BA in Theatre and a Minor in Dance from The College of William and Mary.  She has served on the National Board of Governors for AGMA, the Seattle Liaison Committee for Actors Equity and was the Chair of the Seattle Steering Committee for the Society of Directors and Choreographers.  She joined us from her home in Seattle. Keep up with Kathryn on Instagram: @itsgoingverywell

A startling non-fiction work by psychic-author Patricia Pfeffer, is the result of six years of messages from Moore; messages from the beyond that were channeled through the author's mother, Irene, via automatic writing. Irene passed at age 92 on August 5, 2005. Her handwritten writings of Moore's "messages" came into the author's possession at that time, and she has since transcribed them all to present them in this much more readable form. The result is one unforgettable non-fiction chronicle about life and death. John's paranormal messages to Irene contain advice and instruction on living life in this dimension from someone who sees it from the next. John tells it "the way it is", in eloquent lyrical prose. Interestingly, John T. Moore is not a made-up character - Pfeffer's extensive research reveals authentic photographs and U.S. military records that verifies Moore's existence, military service, and death; many of which are included in this 295-page volume. Born with psychic skills, this mother of three and grandmother of four, Patricia Pfeffer fills her life with adventures in both inner and outer space. A Licensed Pilot, Real Estate Entrepreneur, past member of AGVA, AFTRA, and Actors Equity as professional singer-actress, she spent twenty-five years working with pre-schoolers in developmental training. She has maintained a focus on life, living and learning, the thrust of which has been studying our unknown inner realms by exploring those elusive, obscure and unidentified abilities in the psychic area. Listed in six different Who's Who publications, Past President - local Board of Realtors, Founder-President of CEI, a non-profit corp. http://www.patriciapfeffer.com******************************************************************To listen to all our XZBN shows, with our compliments go to: https://www.spreaker.com/user/xzoneradiotv*** AND NOW ***The ‘X' Zone TV Channel on SimulTV - www.simultv.comThe ‘X' Chronicles Newspaper - www.xchroniclesnewspaper.com ******************************************************************

On this episode of #WeNeedToTalk, Malynda sits down and talks with Actress Tiffany Daniels, about her career growth, struggles of race and misogyny in the industry, how she grew into the Black culture being bi-racial,  and the importantce of being on an all Black sitcom in 2022.   Tiffany Daniels was born & raised in San Diego, CA. She graduated from the San Diego School of Creative & Performing Arts. Tiffany also began working at The San Diego Civic Light Opera at the age of 16, performing in a variety of musical theatre productions. After high school Tiffany attended Cornell University & received a bachelor of science in Hotel & Restaurant Administration. Upon graduation ,Tiffany received a dance scholarship to Edge Performing Arts Center in Hollywood where she trained full time in different areas of dance, voice, & improv. After completing the scholarship program, Tiffany began building a large body of work in multiple commercials, films, television & stage appearances. She has also had the pleasure of dancing for both the NBA & the NFL with the LA Laker Girls in 2005-2006 & the LA Charger Girls in 2017-2018. Currently you can catch her playing “Trish” (the mom) on Nickelodeon's “That Girl Lay Lay!” Tiffany has trained at the Master Level with Anthony Meindl's Acting Workshop, Stan Kirsch Studios, & Christinna Chauncey. She is signed with BRS/Gage theatrically, A3 Artists Agency commercially, & Go2Talent Agency for dance representation. Tiffany is managed by Jeffrey Brooks at Redrock Entertainment. She is a proud member of Actors Equity, & SAG-AFTRA.

Actors Equity has petitioned the NLRB on behalf of Strippers United. They held a joint rally to announce and celebrate the partnership. Speeches from the AE president, LA City Council candidate Hugo Soto-Martinez, and the ladies of Star Garden. Interviews with Hugo Soto-Martinez and attendees. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/district34/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/district34/support

MPF Discussion with Allison DeSalvoTransforming Your Life with Song with Allison Desalvo About AllisonAllison DeSalvo is the owner and director of World of Song. She is a singer-songwriter, children's artist educator and entertainer, and kids' yoga instructor with a background as a professional actor and singer. She is the creator of the Music, Art & Me and YogAmi -Kids Yoga Programs. World of Song is a ​creative arts multi-​​media educational​ program for young children interweaving music, art, stories & kids' yoga to nurture connections from an early age that inspire learning and living with love. www.worldofsong.com BIOLong before performing for families, children's entertainer Allison DeSalvo, could be heard singing up in a tree at her childhood home in San Francisco. Like many little girls her passion began as an aspiring ballerina at the age of three, continuing on to study dance, theatre and voice. She completed her formal training at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, and at the Lee Strasberg Theater Institute, earning her a BFA in Drama. She is a member of Actors Equity. Throughout her 30 years, Allison has shared her talents and expertise in early childhood in arts infused events at numerous festivals, museums, nature centers, libraries, and schools in the NY, PA, CA, and China. She is also a co-founder of The Creative Living Room, a local arts center in her locale. Allison celebrated the release of her 2nd album, It's A Beautiful World, on October 4, 2021.  The music explores the gifts that are experienced through friendship, family and in our interactions with nature's changing seasons, and inspires caring about each other and our earth. World of Song continues to develop programs and products that encourage children's appreciation of the arts in a loving spirit of learning and joy. On this episode of My Perfect Failure (Transforming Your Life with Song) Allison discusses how music, song and dance has been in her life since she was a small child and how it has formed a central part of her life ever since. Today, Allison recognises the ever-increasing importance of song, music, and dance to  helping children develop their language abilities and evolve.  Some of the areas we cover.We discuss Allison's love of music, dance, and songAllison's love of music taking her to New YorkAllison realises that she wanted her work to provide a healing qualityAllison discussed the importance of meeting her mentor.We discuss Allison's company “World of Song.We discuss Allison's new album “It's a beautiful world” Purchase Allisson's album “It's a beautiful Life”·         https://www.amazon.co.uk/music/player/albums/B09CLLTD9J?ref=sr_1_1&s=amazon-devices&keywords=its+a+beautiful+world+allison+desalvo&crid=17LR27YJ84C6P&sprefix=its+a+beautiful+world+allison+desalvo%2Camazon-devices%2C83&qid=1658618350&sr=1-1  Work with Allison. www.worldofsong.comEmail Allison. allison@worldofsong.com  ·         Work with me: paul@myperfectfailure.com·         MPF Website:

Director Lee Wilkof talks about the production of his film, “No Pay, Nudity” (starring Gabriel Byrne and Nathan Lane), as well as his work as an actor on the musicals “Little Shop of Horrors” and “Assassins.”LINKSA Free Film Book for You: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/cq23xyyt12Another Free Film Book: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/x3jn3emga6Fast, Cheap Film Website: https://www.fastcheapfilm.com/Eli Marks Website: https://www.elimarksmysteries.com/Albert's Bridge Books Website: https://www.albertsbridgebooks.com/YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/BehindthePageTheEliMarksPodcast“No Pay, Nudity” trailer: https://youtu.be/toO8g8fgtP4Lee Wilkof revisits “Suddenly Seymour”: https://youtu.be/x7DNEts0yQQ“Suddenly Seymour” from MDA Telethon: https://youtu.be/b4tddRw6JVU“Little Shop” TV spot: https://youtu.be/itYxORbajScTRANSCRIPTThe Occasional Film Podcast - Episode 103NATHAN LANE 0:00I had one of the best times I've ever had making a movie doing this, this little teeny-tiny film. One could say it's a niche film. And yet I think everyone can relate to the notion dreams lost or shattered and you think it's going to turn out one way and it doesn't. And how do you come to terms with that? JOHN GASPARDThat was the one and only Nathan Lane talking about his experiences making Lee Wilkof's lovely film, “No Pay, Nudity.” Hello, and welcome to episode 103 of the Occasional Film Podcast, the occasional companion podcast to the Fast Cheap Movie Thoughts blog. I'm the blog's editor, John Gaspard. Today we're talking with long time actor and first-time director Lee Wilkof about his film “No Pay, Nudity.” It's the story of Lester Rose, a mid-career actor in crisis about show business in particular, and life in general. It stars Gabriel Byrne, Frances Conroy, Boyd Gaines, Donna Murphy, and Nathan Lane. [AUDIO EXCERPT FROM THE FILM'S TRAILER]When I saw the name Lee Wilkof listed as director during the film's credits, I thought where do I know that name from? I racked my brain and then it came to me. Suddenly.[LEE WILKOF SINGING “SUDDENLY, SEYMOUR”]Lee originated the role of Seymour Krellborn in the Off Broadway production of a little musical called “Little Shop of Horrors,” and went on to originate the role of Samuel Bick in Stephen Sondheim's “Assassins.” He talked about those two memorable roles at the end of our conversation. But first we talked about “No Pay, Nudity”, which was his first time as a film director. Tell me what it was that made you decide, hey, at this point after stage and TV and movies, I want to direct.LEE WILKOF 3:20 It was something that was gnawing at me for the last 10 years, just something that I always wished I had done. I never said I wish I wasn't an actor, and I wish I had been a director. But it was something that I just felt that I thought I could do. And I would say oh, maybe nine years ago, I was in a kind of a fallow period and I had been friendly with this young man, Ethan Sandler, we had met at this theatre festival, the Williamstown Theatre Festival. We've done a play together. He was a young, in his 20s, maybe, maybe early 30s. And I decided, I said I think we should I have this idea for a story. Let's write it together. And let's direct it together and then we'll write it for me. As it shook down, you know, I'm not, it wasn't for me, I decided it was not something that I didn't want to direct it and be in it. And then I realised the character was I was not really, the right character for it. And then as it turned out, we didn't end up co-directing it and he got the screenplay credit. And that was kind of how it played out. But it took it took and we wrote it I think together eight years ago and then it sat in my on my computer for at least five years and then I dusted it off when I was doing a play in Chicago, and I was free during the days and I looked at it and I said, this is good. I happen to be working with Nathan Lane. And we were doing a play at the Goodman “The Iceman Cometh.” And I said, I said, would you read this, this screenplay that I wrote. And I was hoping he'd get back to me eventually. And he got back to me the next day. And he said, This is really good. And I said, would you play Herschel, if I got this made? And he said, Yes. And that's really when the ball started to roll. JOHN GASPARD 5:35 Why did you decide you weren't right to play the part? Because it kind of feels like you would be. I mean, was just you didn't want to direct and act? LEE WILKOF 5:42 I didn't want to direct and act. To say that I wasn't right for it, I think, didn't mean, as it turned out, I wanted more of a leading man. But it would have worked, I think with a character actor, but I didn't want me directing my first film. I just couldn't do double duty. I admire those people that can, but I just I just couldn't. I couldn't multitask to that level. And maybe this had a little to do with it. Although I think I'd already made the decision by the time the investors came on, and they wanted a name, and I was certainly not a sufficient name. I was not. I was not and I'm not a name. So, we started making some inquiries about some names. JOHN GASPARD 6:34 So, what was your process for that? I mean, you already had one name, who had said yes.. LEE WILKOF 6:39 I had Nathan, and that was they wanted for the lead, they wanted a name. But we made some offers to some prominent names. And one was one was very interested, but his wife was ill. Several didn't get back to me. One other prominent name just was on the fence and decided no, and then I got a casting director, involved and gave me a list of a number of names. And Gabriel was on it, Gabriel Byrne, and it, sent it to him. And he responded immediately. And he wanted, he wanted to do it. He understood it, he got it. And I couldn't be more fortunate that it worked out that way. If you would have said to me when I started the process, and we were going to make this film, that Gabriel Byrne would be playing Lester Rosenthal, it was not something I would have not believed it possible. I would have said to you, I don't I'm not really positive that he's right for it. And you know, these kinds of accidents happen. And it was so fortuitous that we got Gabriel, I think he's just fantastic in the role. JOHN GASPARD 7:52 Did you find that once you had everyone in place, did you tweak the script at all to fit? LEE WILKOF 8:00 Yes, to some extent, although the Gabriel, the fact that Gabriel is you know, there's a line that when you first, when he runs into the girl from high school, she said when you first got here, your accent was so fascinating. That's the only reference to the fact that he has a not necessarily an American accent. It's not quite fish or fowl. And we didn't find that it was a problem. When he first called me. Our first phone conversation was I was at the Jazz Fest in New Orleans with music blaring. And he was in Norway, shooting I think it's called the Vikings. And we spoke, I could barely hear him. But he said I think I'm going to keep my accent. And I didn't quite know what to say. I didn't know him. I didn't want to say no, I don't want you to but by the time we started shooting, it was kind of vague, and it never seemed to be an issue. So, we didn't necessarily tweak for the particular person. Now, some of the actors wrote some things for themselves. Nathan contributed a fair amount of his dialogue, which I encouraged. And then there was an incident where somebody brought in dialogue for themselves and I did not care for it. And it created the only real conflict during shooting. And I insisted, with the help of my producer, insisted that the actor speak the words written and it I think it enhanced the performance because the actor was so upset. And the actor didn't speak to me for a couple of days.But there was tweaking all along. The role Nathan plays was originally written for actually another actor, an actor friend of mine who had passed away in between the time it was written and we shot it. It was written with, I wrote it with Maury Chaykin. You know, Maury… JOHN GASPARDYes indeed. LEE WILKOF Maury Chaykin. He and I did our first play in New York together like 44 years ago. And he was just physically and such a, such a wonderful actor that Herschel was I just wrote it, we wrote it for him. But as I said, he passed away. And Nathan stepped into it brilliantly, I think. JOHN GASPARD 10:44 I agree. So, with all your time on the other side of the camera, what was it like to step behind it? And how easy a transition was that for you? I mean, you probably know how to talk to actors, or at least how not to talk to actors… LEE WILKOF 10:59 I had spent many years in Hollywood on TV and film sets. And I probably would have paid way more attention if I knew someday I was going to be directing. But I always was paying attention. I wasn't like going up to the DP and saying, You know what size lens you're using? But I was I was like, I watched and I listened. And I also had the I had the great pleasure and the great fortune of working with Sidney Lumet twice. And I didn't do a movie with him, but I'd worked with Bob Fosse. I mean, I've been around some, some very amazing people, and I observed them as closely as I could without being in their way. So being on the set itself, physically, was not was not intimidating at all. Speaking to the actors. No one was with the exception of that one little set-to with the actor that rewrote their lines, the actors were very, I didn't have to give many notes. But when I gave notes, I was surprised that not only were they well received, but they were well understood. Because I've been directed. I'm an I'm an actor that needs as strong a good hand as possible by a director. So, I've had many directors have to talk to me to get me to what they need to do. And there was like, just like maybe two or three times. Gabriel had so much to do, there were times where I had to, like, maybe guide him and another just a little nudge, and he liked to talk things out. He probably would have wanted to talk things out longer, but we just didn't have the time. That's just how he works. One of my actors would call me up at night, and just need to be stroked. And he's a good friend of mine. And I was able to do that. I had worked with him in a play and knew that that was something that he needed. And I was sincerely telling him how wonderful he was because he was and that was useful. The first scene in the movie with the veterinarian's assistant, I cast this woman I love this actress. Her name is Janine Serralles. I don't think she'd be embarrassed by this story. She was a student of my wife, my wife used to teach at Yale Drama School. And she was somebody that I was aware of her, and my wife cast her in a lot of plays. She came in with an interpretation that was completely and it was completely valid, but it was not what I wanted her to do. And I think I like said maybe two sentences to her. And she's such a great actress, she made the adjustment. And I surprised myself by being able to communicate that to her. But luckily, I had an actress that could take it, you know, take it in and make that quick adjustment. So, I cast the film with such fine actors, that I didn't have to tell them too much. But when I did, they got it. JOHN GASPARD 14:20 Right. Did you have rehearsal time away from the set? Or was it just like, like a TV show where you just show up and block and rehearse? LEE WILKOF 14:28 We did read through the movie for about four hours, I think a couple days before we started shooting. And we talked it through and we would rehearse on the set. But my DP, my wonderful young DP, named Brian Lannon. He was he was 26 years old. I met him I had done a couple episodes of a show called High Maintenance. And he was the DP and I loved what I saw. And I hired him and he and his crew were a little, I have to say this, and I think he knows is they were a little slow. Andnd they were slow because they were, you know, immaculate with, with their setting up. But we had a little more time sometimes than I wanted. So, we were able to rehearse. And the actors, all the actors, the first nine days of the shoot, were in the lounge set that we built the Actors Equity lounge, and the actors would be in a holding area, and they would work on the stuff while I was on the set, you know, getting things set up. JOHN GASPARD 15:40 Was that the only set you built? LEE WILKOF 15:41 We built I think we built another set. I believe you are required to build a set on certain sound stages that are designated by the state in order to get your tax credit. So, we were required to build a set. It was one of the plays that was getting done. We could have found a theatre to do it at, but it was the one that was most easy to build. So, we built that, we had some raw space down in Wall Street. And that's where we built the Actors Equity lounge. And then we built one other set for the two-hander play that Lester attends. JOHN GASPARD 16:35 The lounge set is terrific. It looks, I thought oh, yeah, it's you're actually on location. LEE WILKOF 16:41 Yeah, we wanted to use the real Actors Equity lounge, but it was in a state of transition, it was finally being renovated. And it just timewise we couldn't use it. But luckily, I had a friend of mine is one of the, I think I know most of the officers there. My friend is a vice president and they were really helpful. But I had a young production designer Maki Takenouchi. And she put that together in three days. It was the last location that we found. It was the most crucial location, it was driving us insane, that we couldn't find the space we liked. But we finally settled on this. And they threw it together. And I don't mean throw it together. They put it together in three days, her and her crew. And it really was effective. JOHN GASPARD 17:35 How many days did you have to shoot overall? You said you spent nine days in the lounge? LEE WILKOF 17:40 I believe it was either 24 or 25 days. And I wanted to read I had a scene that I wanted to end the film with that I wanted to add, and we would have had to have a day of shooting but we just didn't have it in the budget. There's nothing that I miss. JOHN GASPARD 18:04 Okay. Was it always planned that the character of Herschel would narrate the story? LEE WILKOF 18:11 No. JOHN GASPARD 18:12 At what point did you decide to include that? LEE WILKOF 18:15 When certain people thought it would be a good idea. JOHN GASPARD 18:19 Okay. I'll move on. LEE WILKOF 18:25 Some people weren't as comfortable with silence as I was. So, some compromises were made to be perfectly blunt. I'm assuming you wisely got it that it was added on. I believe film works with it. And I believe the film would have worked without it. JOHN GASPARD 18:41 And that's exactly what I'm feeling to it. It certainly didn't hurt, it kind of it filled in some gaps. But it didn't feel to me like when you sat down to write at the very first thing you thought was, okay, I'm going to have this character narrate it LEE WILKOF 18:58 No. But it was I've had people that watch the film like it, and people go, Yeah, you don't need it. Okay, I'm glad you know, I feel fine about it either way. It is. It's what we have. JOHN GASPARD 19:13 Yeah. Do you want to talk about the Kickstarter campaign and... LEE WILKOF 19:18 It was not successful. I'm assuming you know that. It was very highly, highly ambitious. I think it was, uh, if memory serves me, it was like $450,000, which is a ton of money for a Kickstarter campaign. And we did nicely, but we didn't succeed. I think we got close to $200,000, which is very, I was, I was, I was touched by all the generosity, but it didn't work out. But because of the Kickstarter campaign, certain people became aware of the film. And then were able to communicate their knowledge of the film to some other people that came aboard and invested in the film. So, the Kickstarter campaign had value. Also, I did circle back to some people on the Kickstarter that had that had committed money to the Kickstarter campaign and said to them, would you still be willing to, to help me out? I'm not going to give the same kind of perks. But if you can give me, if you can help, a couple people got associate producer credits, everybody got their name in the credits, everybody got a video, no matter what the level, so that was helpful. But it was not the amount of money that, I didn't go to back to everybody. I just was like, at that point, I had had my hand out for so long, I couldn't go, like with my hand out to every single person. That was more stressful than making the movie. JOHN GASPARD 21:04 So, I was going to ask, what advice would you give to someone who is considering Kickstarter now that you've tried to get that and then end up going with more traditional investors? LEE WILKOF 21:14 I would say don't ask for so much money. But don't go nuts with the, with the perks. People are really, I don't believe, giving you, being generous for little rewards. Or I don't mean to belittle the rewards, but they're doing it out of the kindness of their, you know, belief in you. Some guys I know, did a Kickstarter campaign to do in a documentary film about something to do about my hometown. And they did I think, a 40-day campaign, and I said, Don't do it, it's too long, and you'll have like a nervous breakdown. And they did it and they raised the money. So, what the hell do I know? JOHN GASPARD 21:58 I noticed that you had Ann Roth credited for a special custom consultant. What? What way did she help you guys out? LEE WILKOF 22:08 Ann Roth is as to me, she's, you know, the premier costume designer of the second part of the 20th century, Edith Head and then Ann Roth into the 21st century. I had worked with Anne on a couple plays. I did The Odd Couple with Nathan Lane on Broadway and Ann designed that. But we had a very nice, warm relationship. And I told her, someday I'm going to direct a film and I want you to be the costume designer, and then she would if she could. And then as it turned out, she agreed to and then she got busy. And another lovely woman that works in her with her, became the costume designer. Michelle Matlin who did a great job. But Ann specifically worked with, because she's done so many shows with Nathan, they work together on his look, and Gabriel's look. And I said to her, I hope you know, I hope this is not a diss to Michelle and I don't believe it was, but I would like I would like you and to give you some sort of credit. You're Ann Roth. I mean, it's and she said whatever you want to give me. So, we gave her that title. JOHN GASPARD 23:41 As you were editing the movie, I know you've you were very in from the beginning on the writing and then I've obviously there for the directing. What was your process for finding the movie in the editing? How, how precious were things to you? How willing were you to move things around or change? LEE WILKOF 23:58 That is a very, we're opening. We're opening a very interesting can of worms. Editing was the most difficult part of the process for me. I'd never been in an editing room. My editor and I, I think sometimes we didn't see eye to eye. And I didn't really sometimes know how to communicate what I wanted. The producers got involved in the editing room. I mean, the you know, the money people, were not thrilled with the editing. And we brought on another supervising editor. And it got a little more complicated. And I was doing a play at the time. And the editor was the supervising editor was doing some editing out in California while I was in New York. And there were some ideas that were had, that I did not agree with. And there are some things in the film... Boy, I'm just opening a can of worms. JOHN GASPARD 25:12 There's open it as far as willing to open it. LEE WILKOF 25:18 There are some things in the film that it was it was suggested that we edit it a different way. And I was adamant not to. And, and those things are in the film. And there's a few things that were not my idea. And that I learned to live with. Ultimately, we ended up with I think, a pretty damn well edited film. It was a somewhat of a difficult journey, the post production, I think, where we got in, I think, I probably got us into a little bit of a little bit of jams, because I didn't do the sometimes the coverage I should have done. Yeah, if I had the opportunity, if I get the opportunity to do it again, I will. I've learned I learned a ton from that. That's where I learned the most, what I needed for the editing room. JOHN GASPARD 26:22 So, there's two questions I always ask at the end, do with these what you will. The first question is two part: what's the smartest thing you did during production? And what was the dumbest thing you think you did? LEE WILKOF 26:36 The smartest thing I did was getting Nathan and Gabriel on board, deciding when Maury wasn't available to get Nathan, and not saying, I don't think Gabriel Byrne. And the stupidest thing I'm not going to say. I won't. JOHN GASPARD 27:00 But you learned from it. LEE WILKOF 27:01 I learned from it. I learned from it. And that's all I can say. JOHN GASPARD 27:07 So, are you going to do this again? LEE WILKOF 27:10 I'm really getting itchy to do it. There's another script that I wrote with the same young man, it's called Teenage Waistband. And it's about growing up in Canton, Ohio my junior, sophomore year high school. Was at a junior? In late 60s in Canton, Ohio, it's period and it would cost a fair amount of money. I'd love to do it. But I wouldn't want to do it under the certain same circumstances. I don't want to do it. I don't want to put my hat in my hand and have to go ask a zillion people for, you know, $1,000 here and there. So, I don't know. But I hope to do it again. I'm trying to figure out what to do next. JOHN GASPARD 27:59 Before I could let him go. Lee was kind enough to spend a few minutes talking about two early-stage successes, Sondheim's Assassins, and the original off-Broadway production of Little Shop of Horrors. So, I had a couple questions for you about just that whole experience, because having talked to Roger Corman about the movie, the original movie. LEE WILKOF 28:18 Yeah, I did it in Los Angeles and met him That was thrilling. Actually, opening night in Los Angeles, Roger came, Jackie Joseph came who played Audrey, and I forget the guy's name. Yes. I forget his name. Anyhow, anyhow, what do you want to know? JOHN GASPARD 28:38 Well, Corman was so, I tell the story all the time to filmmakers, because he was he's a great interview. He's an engineer, and he speaks like an engineer and perfect sentences. And I had 20 minutes and I had to talk about five movies with him, because I was doing five different. And I asked him, I said, So you shot a little shop in three days? And he said, Well, technically, yes. But there was some pickups. I had the actors for five days, and we rehearsed for three and shot for two. And that's what I tell people all the time is you think you think rehearsal is not important? The cheapest man in the world, spent three days rehearsing. And then he said, I shot it with two cameras. He said it really was more of a stunt. I've never do that sort of thing again. But how did you get involved in that project? LEE WILKOF 29:25 I could go on for hours. Anyway, I grew up in Cleveland. I grew up in Canton, Ohio. This is a little background because you just talked about the film, grew up in Canton, Ohio, on Friday nights. In the late 50s. Early 60s There was a guy that did the horror movies. His name was Ghoulardi his name, Ernie Anderson. His son is Paul Thomas Anderson. If you see Paul Thomas Anderson's films called Ghoulardi films. And he showed horror movies. One of our favourites, we would have like sleepovers with you know, 12 year old boys and we'd stay up late and watch. And one of our favourites was always Little Shop of Horrors, the original Little Shop of Horrors. So, I grew up knowing it, loving it, being, just thinking it was amazing. Didn't know when I was a kid that it was shot in three days, but it was primitive. You know, it was great. It's crazy. It's one of those movies. It's so bad that it's great. It's brilliant. It's not bad movie. It's just production values when you look at it now, of course, two days, you know, the scene with Jack Nicholson, this that fell over and they stopped shooting this. So anyway, okay, I was familiar with it. I did a play in New York. The play with Maury Chaykin and I met our stage manager, who had a girlfriend who was a casting director. And I knew them personally. I moved to California a few years after doing that first play in New York, and I was pursuing my Hollywood, that pursuit, working sporadically and playing nerds on TV. And I got a call from this woman. The woman who was the girlfriend of my stage manager. We're doing a musical written by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, and I knew Alan Menken from a revue I did in in New York before I moved to California. And it's called Little Shop of Horrors. I said, I know this, I know Little Shop of Horrors. I grew up watching it, somebody's turned it in to a musical. That's amazing. So, I was very excited. I flew myself into New York. And I was auditioning for the role of the dentist for some reason or another and I , in those days, when I was in California, I was I was I was wearing I was trying to get jobs with wearing a toupee. I was bald when I was 17. And I walked into the audition. And Alan Menken knew me from this revue that I did as bald and he started laughing, and I got so embarrassed, I tore off my toupee. And Howard Ashman said, You are not a dentist, you're Seymour, you're you know, you're a potential Seymour. So, I auditioned for the role. And it, I got a call back the next day. And it was between me—this is a story I've heard years later—but the story was it came down to me and another actor. Nathan Lane, between me and Nathan and Howard Ashman had an assistant, a young woman who suggested to him that I was probably a better fit, for one reason or another. And she is my wife. I married her, I met her on the show, and married her. Her name Connie Grappo. She subsequently directed it all over the world. And so, I played Seymour. We opened it in New York, it was this tiny little show, I would take the flyers for it to people. And they would like, you know, look at me, like what the hell was this. And then, a month later, they were begging me for tickets, because it was such a huge hit. It was the hottest ticket in New York. And it was in a little 99 seat theatre, and then it moved off Broadway ran for five years, but I didn't do it for five years. I did it for like six months, and then six months in Los Angeles, where it didn't do so well. And then I fille in over the years for different Seymour's that would go on vacations. So that was that. My wife directed it all over the world. And then there was a production in Florida that was Broadway bound about 12 or 15 years ago, and I played Mr. Mushnik in that. So I have played Mr. Mushnik. But I did not come. It came to Broadway but I did not come in with it for all sorts of different reasons. But I would like to play this. I'm certainly old enough. JOHN GASPARD 34:38 Yes. It's finally time. LEE WILKOF 34:44 It was 35 years ago, it was just about now. We were in rehearsal. 35 years ago, we opened the end of April or the beginning of May in 1982. And it was you know very, it was very profound for my career. Because it was a huge hit. And it got me. You know, people came to see it. And I met my wife on it. So it was it was very significant. You know, people say to me, what's your favourite thing you've ever done? And they all think I'm going to say Little Shop of Horrors. And it's Assassins. Assassins is, is the greatest experience I ever had. It was not a huge smash hit. But I was, you know, I was in A Sondheim musical, which is a gift that I got. And the cast. I loved the cast. And for me a lot of doing it any show is who I'm doing it with. Of course, you know, the material is really important, but I, it was just a great cast. And the part was really challenging. I think that was a show like the director didn't know what the hell to help me do and I was kind of on my own and I kind of, thank God, found my way.I don't have a lot of stories except we did the album. Nowadays you do a cast album, you do it in like, you get one take. On Assassins, we had three days. And the first number up was the number that I had the most singing. My character really did monologues and didn't sing. I played this guy Sam Bick, who tried to kill Richard Nixon by crashing an airplane into the White House. He was shot in the cockpit. But anyhow, he did these like rants. He did these taped rants. But I had the song that I had to sing and it was the first number up and I was nervous and I was tight. And Steve Sondheim had a broken ankle so he couldn't come in like to the studio. He was in the in the control room. And I was I was just struggling with it. I came in during a break to hear it and Steve Sondheim said to me, yeah, it's tough for you guys that can't sing. And, you know, I wanted to disappear. But we finally got it. They told me to try to sound like Jack Nicholson. And I think it's who I tried to sound like.And then years later I did another thing with Steve Sondheim, this workshop of thing called The Frogs. And I did have a number and I sang. And he forgot that he told me I couldn't sing and he was very complimentary. So, in the presence of him was just like, the most intimidating, the most. It was, it was thrilling, but he's very intense. It was just a great experience. My greatest joy and the thing that I cherish the most. [SOUND CLIP FROM LITTLE SHOP] JOHN GASPARD 38:20 Thanks to Lee Wilkof—heard here performing my favourite song from Little Shop of Horrors, Mushnik and Son—for taking the time to talk to me about his movie, “No Pay Nudity,” which is available now for home viewing. I recommend that you track it down. If you liked this interview, you can find lots more just like it on the Fast Cheap Movie Thoughts blog. Plus more interviews can be found in my books, Fast, Cheap And Under Control:Lessons Learned From The Greatest Low Budget Movies Of All Time, and its companion book of interviews with screenwriters, called Fast, Cheap And Written That Way. Both books can be found on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Google, and Apple books. And while you're there, check out my mystery series of novels about magician Eli Marks and the scrapes he gets into. The entire series starting with The Ambitious Card can be found in paperback hardcover eBook and audiobook formats. Well, that's it for episode 103 of the occasional film podcast. Produced at Grass Lake Studios. Original Music by Andy Morantz. Thanks for tuning in, and we'll see you occasionally.

Justin has maintained a diverse career working in the theatre industry for over three decades. He served as Executive Producer to The Group Theatre Too, a theatre collective in NYC, for 15 years producing the award-winning musical, Count To Ten at The New York Musical Festival, the revival of Michael Bennett's Seesaw, and the Pulitzer-Prize nominated play, Album by David Rimmer. Other credits include: The Choreographer's Canvas at the 92nd Street Y, The World Goes Round at Circle in the Square, and Song and Dance Men at The Laurie Beechman Theatre. Justin is an award-winning director and choreographer with credits including Crazy For You (Berkshire Theatre Award), Hairspray (Lincoln Center Award), Errol and Fidel (NYMF Award), Gypsy of the Year, and the Off-Broadway musical One Night With Fanny Brice. In 2019 he was the program advisor for Peridance's Commercial Dance Program, and currently is co-director of the non-profit youth organization, New Generation Theatre, in Rockland County. Justin appeared on MTV's "Made" as a coach for aspiring performers and continues teaching as an adjunct professor at Marymount Manhattan College and Broadway Dance Center. He is also Artistic Director of Common Ground, a project bringing tap dancing and its history to people all around the world. He's worked with such talented artists as Lady Gaga, Phillip Boykin, Nicole Fosse, Richard Kline, Chita Rivera, and many more. Justin is a member of Actors Equity and the Society of Directors and Choreographers. www.justinboccitto.comMichael Kevin Baldwin, Associate Artistic Director/Director of Education Michael has performed in dozens of productions on the Playhouse stage, most recently as Cogsworth in Beauty and the Beast. Other favorite acting credits include playing Tony Whitcomb in Shear Madness at The Kennedy Center and The Notary in The Barber of Seville at The Metropolitan Opera. Michael has taught at The Brearley School, Hunter College High School, Skidmore College, Ghost Light Theater Camp, TADA NYC, SOAR, and The Falls Village Children's Theater. Michael co-created and directed the play #BraveSpace, which premiered at New York University's Forum on Ethnodrama. #BraveSpace explores the impact that theater has on the development of youth identity. Michael has conducted masterclasses and delivered speeches all over the country, most notably serving as a keynote speaker for The Educational Theatre Association's "Theater in our Schools" initiative. Michael received a Bachelor's Degree in Theater and Sociology from Skidmore College and a Master's Degree in Education from The City College of New York. 2022 SEASON CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE A SEASON SUBSCRIPTION FOR ALL OUR SHOWS Please review our Covid Protocols Page before purchasing. CLICK HERE A One-Woman Musical Starring KIMBERLY FAYE GREENBERG Directed by BRIAN CHILDERS Choreographed by JUSTIN BOCCITTO SATURDAY, JULY 2ND - 8PM IN THE BOBBIE OLSEN THEATER If you're looking for laughs and Broadway style theatrical entertainment, Fanny Brice is the one to deliver ‘em to ya — well, Fanny Brice via Kimberly Faye Greenberg. The legendary comedian's life was first dramatized by Barbra Streisand in the hit Broadway musical and film Funny Girl, and now you can see Greenberg capture her hilarious spirit all over again in this original critically acclaimed and fabulous one-woman solo show. Enjoy classic show tunes, good old-fashioned fun and hilarity, as we travel through time with Fanny Brice, the legendary Jewish comedienne, Ziegfeld Follies/Broadway star, recording artist, and film actress extraordinaire. One of the most popular radio stars of all time, Fanny was the voice of “Baby Snooks” on air for 25 years and even better known as the inspiration for the musical & movie Funny Girl. “Fabulous Fanny Brice brings Fanny Brice to fabulous life!” - The Huffington PostTICKETS ON SALE HERE! A Musical Fable of Broadway Based on a Story and Characters of Damon Runyon Music and Lyrics by FRANK LOESSER Book by JO SWERLING & ABE BURROWS Directed & Choreographed by JUSTIN BOCCITTO Associate Choreography by DANI CHAMPAGNE Musical Direction by JACOB CARLL JULY 29TH - AUGUST 14TH IN THE BOBBIE OLSEN THEATER Set in Damon Runyon's mythical New York City, Guys and Dolls is an oddball romantic comedy. Gambler, Nathan Detroit, tries to find the cash to set up the biggest craps game in town while the authorities breathe down his neck; meanwhile, his girlfriend and nightclub performer, Adelaide, laments that they've been engaged for fourteen years. Nathan turns to fellow gambler, Sky Masterson, for the dough, and Sky ends up chasing the straight-laced missionary, Sarah Brown, as a result. Guys and Dolls takes us from the heart of Times Square to the cafes of Havana, Cuba, and even into the sewers of New York City, but eventually everyone ends up right where they belong.TICKETS ON SALE HERE! Presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International. By PAUL PORTNER Directed by BRUCE JORDAN “The audience was helpless with laughter!” - The New York Times “Shrieks of laughter night after night!” - The Washington Post Presented by special arrangement with Cranberry Productions, Inc. AUGUST 27TH - SEPTEMBER 11TH IN THE BOBBIE OLSEN THEATER This unique comedy-whodunit takes place today in the Shear Madness hairstyling salon and is chock full of up-to-the-minute spontaneous humor. During the course of the action, a murder is committed and the audience gets to spot the clues, question the suspects, and solve the funniest mystery in the annals of crime. The outcome is never the same, which is why many audience members return again and again to the scene of the mayhem. Voted "Best Comedy of the Year" seven times by the Boston Globe and recipient of the title "Best Play of the Year" by both the Chicago Sun-Times and the Philadelphia Enquirer, Shear Madness has also received the Raven Award from the Mystery Writers of America and has been inducted into the Comedy Hall of Fame, the first play ever to receive that accolade.TICKETS ON SALE HERE! By LORRAINE HANSBERRY "A pivotal play in the history of the American Black theatre." - Newsweek OCTOBER 7TH - OCTOBER 16TH IN THE BOK Set on Chicago's South Side, the plot revolves around the divergent dreams and conflicts within three generations of the Younger family: son Walter Lee, his wife Ruth, his sister Beneatha, his son Travis, and matriarch Lena. When her deceased husband's insurance money comes through, Mama Lena dreams of moving to a new home and a better neighborhood in Chicago. Walter Lee, a chauffeur, has other plans: buying a liquor store and being his own man. Beneatha dreams of medical school. The tensions and prejudice they face form this seminal American drama. The Younger family's heroic struggle to retain dignity in a harsh and changing world is a searing and timeless document of hope and inspiration.TICKETS ON SALE HERE! Presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com

In this special episode, Katie gets into the nitty gritty of auditioning in New York City -- the highs, the lows, the union, the studios, etc., all helped by actor (Fiorello!, Criminal Minds), dancer (Newsies, West Side Story, A Chorus Line), and friend, Drew Carr.

For Video Edition, Please Click and Subscribe Here: https://youtu.be/H9LfokRVCJs In a very special presentation, Sandy Duncan turns the tables on ME and will celebrate ME! Sandy was interviewed by me several months ago and said, "Next time, I interview you!" She wasn't kidding!" Here we are! We have no idea what to expect! Please tune in for what will be a very interesting broadcast! Sandy Duncan is known for her performances in the Broadway revival of Peter Pan and in the sitcom The Hogan Family. Duncan has been nominated for three Tony Awards, two Emmy Awards, and two Golden Globe Awards.I am Celebrating 43 years in the entertainment industry this year. I have been blessed to excel in many areas of show business. I left Conway, South Carolina in 1979, to pursue a career as an actor in NY. I am a proud member of Actors Equity. Eventually, my gift of gab and quick wit, along with my love of Singing led me to a variety of stages from Atlantic City to Las Vegas. My original blog to chronicle the history of ( Hello Dolly) morphed into a talk/variety series called , "Richard Skipper Celebrates." This series which ran for 2 and 1/2 years is now syndicated on most popular podcast platforms and YouTube. #SandyDuncan #RichardSkipper #entertainmentindustry

If there's a Playwright's Spotlight episode that encompasses all aspects of theatre that not only playwrights could benefit from but also actors, directors, and producer, this interview with Gregory Crafts is it. The amount of information Gregory offers is abundant and inspirational. We discuss bringing "the" human to dialogue, recognizing one's weaknesses, the dangers of not acquiring the rights to plays, ego in theatre and entitlement in playwriting, festivals, finding a tribe, how to successfully stream theatre, and the conflicts of interest while producing and performing within the confines of Actors Equity. It's a well-rounded episode that anyone involved in theatre will benefit from, so be sure to share it with your favorite thespian, playwright, director, or producer.Gregory Crafts is a playwright, actor, producer, and director. He co-founded the non-profit Theatre-Unleashed and currently runs Studio/Stage in Koreatown in Los Angeles, California. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild and the Alliance of Los Angeles Playwrights. His plays include Friends Like These, Super Sidekick: The Musical, Three Can Keep a Secret, and (It's Been Sixty-Seven Years and We're) Still Waiting for Lefty.The video version of this episode can viewed at -https://youtu.be/7dgAZQpEzHELinks to sites and resources discussed in this episode -Studio/Stage -https://www.thestagecrafts.comTheatre Unleashed (Facebook until their new site is active) -https://www.facebook.com/TheatreUnleashed/Sacred Fools -http://www.sacredfools.org/Hollywood Fringe -https://www.hollywoodfringe.orgNew York Fringe -https://www.nyc-arts.org/organizations/2649/new-york-international-fringe-festivalTheatre Producers of Southern California -https://tpsca.orgConcord Theatricals/Samuel French -https://www.concordtheatricals.comNew Play Exchange -https://newplayexchange.orgMevo Cameras -https://www.mevo.com/pages/mevo-cameraContact and Socials for Gregory Crafts -www.gregorycrafts.comTwitter - @gregorycraftsIG - @gregorycraftsFB - fb.com/gregorycraftsEmail - gregory@gregorycrafts.com Websites and socials for James Elden, Punk Monkey Productions and Playwright's SpotlightPunk Monkey Productions - www.punkmonkeyproductions.comPLAY Noir -www.playnoir.comPLAY Noir Anthology –www.punkmonkeyproductions.com/contact.htmlJames Elden -Twitter - @jameseldensauerIG - @alakardrakeFB - fb.com/jameseldensauerPunk Monkey Productions and PLAY Noir - Twitter - @punkmonkeyprods                  - @playnoirla IG - @punkmonkeyprods       - @playnoir_la FB - fb.com/playnoir        - fb.com/punkmonkeyproductionsPlaywright's Spotlight -Twitter - @wrightlightpod IG - @playwrights_spotlightPlaywriting services through Los Angeles Collegiate Playwrights Festivalwww.losangelescollegiateplaywrightsfestival.com/services.htmlSupport the show

It's the final episode of our first season (sob), and there is no better artist, soul, human to help us close it out than Michael Urie. We talk about the crazy time we all find ourselves in, the value - and the work - of real self care, how to pay attention to the signals we are given, and how our understanding of spirituality has evolved individually and over the course of this podcast. A self-proclaimed agnostic, Michael never thought he'd be invited to the show (even though he's our hashtag number one listener), so we were thrilled to go deep, share some laughs, and sit in the warm glow of his charisma. As an actor, Michael is most well known for his television work as Marc St. James on Ugly Betty, Gavin Sinclair on Modern Family, Redmond on Younger, roles on Partners, Workaholics, Hot in Cleveland, The Good Wife, and The Good Fight. Movies include: Single All The Way, Swan Song, The Decoy Bride, Petunia, Beverly Hills Chihuahua, Lavender, the upcoming Jersey Boys Live starring Nick Jonas. On Broadway, Michael has appeared in Douglas Lyons' Chicken & Biscuits, Bess Wohl's Grand Horizons, Harvey Fierstein's Torch Song and How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. Off Broadway, on tour and in London, he did more than 600 performances of Jonathan Tolins' solo play Buyer & Cellar - including one from his living room early in the pandemic streamed live on Broadway.com, raising nearly 300k for Broadway Care Equity Fights Aids. Other Off Broadway plays include Jane Anger, The Temperamentals, The Government Inspector, Homos or Everyone in America, Shows for Days, High Button Shoes, The Cherry Orchard, and two Tony Kushner plays: A Bright Room Called Day and Angels in America. Behind the scenes, Michael directed Bright Colors and Bold Patterns and produced Happy Birthday Doug (both plays written and performed by Drew Droege and both available on BroadwayHD), directed the short film The Hyperglot, feature comedy film He's Way More Famous Than You and co-directed Thank You For Judging an award winning documentary about High School speech tournaments. He's narrated the audiobooks Lily And The Octopus, Hero, Midnight Cowboy and The Editor. He is the recipient of two Drama Desk Awards, two Lucille Lortel Awards, an Obie, an LA Drama Critics Award, Actors Equity's Clarence Derwent award, as well as GMHC's Howard Ashman Award, The Broadway Beacon Award, Coach Art's Coach Champion Award and Juilliard's John Houseman Award. He lives in New York with his partner Ryan and their children, a dog and cat. Follow Michael: On IG: @michaelurielikesit On Twitter: @michaelurie This week's Do: Support Equality Florida - https://www.eqfl.org/   Follow us! On IG: @art.fully.grounded On FB: @art.fully.grounded On Twitter: @AFGpod Podcast's website: www.sweptbythewind.com/podcast 

Every musical theatre actor's favorite topic... summer stock. What is it? How do you audition for it? And what happens when you don't book the job? We're talking all your favorite summer stock audition acronyms (A1, SETC, NETC, MTWA, UPTA, etc), actor job boards to take advantage of (Actors Access, BroadwayWorld, Playbill, Actors Equity), self tapes, how to put your best foot forward, and what to do when your summer doesn't turn out the way you want it. Other episodes to check out: 136: 10 tips to nail your next self tape 42: 5 Actor Job Boards For Finding Casting Calls and Auditions Helpful blogs: 6 Audition Conferences For Summer Stock Employment 3 Helpful Tips From Casting Director Michael Cassara On Self Tape Auditions To join the Actor Aesthetic Alliance Facebook group, click here. Spread love and don't forget to rate, review and subscribe to the Actor Aesthetic Podcast on your favorite podcast app. Visit actoraesthetic.com for more info. Follow Maggie Bera on social media Instagram: @actoraesthetic / @maggiebera Facebook: www.facebook.com/ActorAesthetic/ Email: maggie@actoraesthetic.com

NEIL TYRONE PRITCHARD is a Liberian-American, New York-based Actor/Singer/Teaching Artist. His most recent Acting Credits include: Halfway Bitches Go Straight To Heaven (LAByrinth Theater Company/Atlantic Theater Company), There's Always The Hudson (The Goodman Theatre) The Berlin Electric (Park Ave Armory/Trusty Sidekick), The Prizefighter of P.S. 217 (New Victory LabWorks), The Mendelssohn Electric (Park Ave Armory/Trusty Sidekick), The Stowaway (Classic Stage Company/Trusty Sidekick), Clover (La Mama), Queen Latina and Her Power Posse (Cherry Lane Theater), AT BUFFALO (NYMF). He has been a part of workshops and concerts at Sundance  TheaterLAB, Manhattan Theater Club, Dorset Theater festival, Joe's Pub, Bowery Poetry Club, Lincoln Center Theater, and Primary Stages. He is currently on staff at the Park Avenue Armory where he brings Arts Education to public schools throughout the five boroughs. A Proud New York City Public School Kid and A Member of LAByrinth Theater Company and Actors Equity.  

Actors Equity is opening its doors. I think this is one of the most exciting things that's happening in my almost two decades as a Union member. It shifts the way people can become members. . . It is now OUR choice to become a member and that's incredible. Jessica Wu is an award-winning NYC-based playwright, director, songwriter, educator, and actor. Performance credits include the Broadway revivals of A Chorus Line and Miss Saigon, and she is the writer of numerous theatrical works including several full-length musicals - YOU, ME, I, WE (O'Neill Conference Semi-Finalist, Live & In Color Finalist, Winner of NAAP's Discover New Musicals), and Poupelle of Chimney Town (debuting in Tokyo, Fall 2021; NYC, Summer 2022). In addition to her writing, Jessica is an Adjunct Theatre Professor at American University in Washington DC, and a Lyricist-Mentor with the Harvard-Radcliffe G&S Players. After spending several years running a Times-Sq non-profit theatre as Associate Artistic Director, Jessica is now is the owner/operator of her own consulting and development company Inspirate Creative. 

Pamela Jorgensen is an extremely versatile singer-actor. Age range: 30-50. Vocal range: E3-C6. She is very affable, is always willing to take risks and prides herself on her consummate professionalism. Musical theatre, comedy/drama, cabaret, voice over. After years of drudging through a sea of vocational diversity, Pam is finally living the life she has always dreamed of since she was 5 years old! A proud member of Actors Equity, Pam enjoys the success of being a working actor and that makes her feel accomplished and complete.   Let me sing you a song, introduce you to a new character, tell you a silly story or break your heart with a single expression. It has been a long road to get here and she wants to share her passion with you all.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/quidditasfactor)

On this episode of Why The F*** Am I an Artist we have the opportunity to speak with and learn about Actor and Musician Krystal Millie Valdes! In this episode we talk about getting through the anxiety and making what you want on the path less traveled happen. We learn about what exactly Actors Equity is and how it can really be a gift to onesself. We also learn that through these challenging times an artist can really open new doors for themselves and open up new doors for their careers. This episode packs a lot of great info for artists, musicians, and vintage lovers! Thank you for the music @adultprogramming follow their music on IG! Thank you Krystal Millie Valdes follow her on IG @kyrstalmillie Look out for the new season announcement on Sept 1st of New City Players at www.newcityplayers.org and on IG @newcityplayers You can follow Host Amanda Ortega @manderz323

On this episode of ActorSpeak, Austin Basis speaks with actor Polly Lee (The Americans, The Blacklist, Law Order: SVU, Gotham, Nurse Jackie, Chicago Med, The Looming Tower, Younger). In Part 1, we talk about The Sound of Music, playing Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors, her novelist mum and vicar dad, being a princess, observing the human condition, studying with Barbara Poitier and Gene Lasko, her one weeping eye, giving fear a name, playing worried moms, having your own personal comic timing, the given circumstances, Fiona Shaw in Medea, and the subjective art of acting. Polly Lee is an award-winning actress who has dedicated her career to new plays and, as such, has performed in over 20 world premieres, both in New York City and across the country. Her New York theatre credits include Lincoln Center Theatre, Clubbed Thumb, Ensemble Studio Theatre, New Georges and Little Lord Theatre- among many others. Regionally she has worked at A.R.T., Yale Rep, La Jolla Playhouse, Humana Festival @ATL, McCarter Theatre, Wilma Theatre, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, and many many more. Polly's Film & TV credits include The Blacklist, Law & Order: SVU, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Gotham, Butterflies of Bill Baker, Nurse Jackie, Chicago Med, The Looming Tower and recurring roles on Younger and The Americans. Polly has narrated over 200 audiobooks and is a proud member of Ensemble Studio Theatre, Actors Equity and an affiliated artist at Clubbed Thumb. Her upcoming films include Things Heard and Seen and Give and Take. Polly went to school for Theatre Studies at Royal Holloway at the University of London and attended the Actors Studio Drama School at New School University. Her kind eyes, warm smile, big heart, and cheeky sense of humor have endeared audiences all over the country and now I get to talk to her about her process, craft & all things acting related. WE AUDITION is a video-chat community where actors can audition, self-tape, rehearse, and get expert industry advice. USE promo code: ACTORSPEAK to get 25% off when joining at WeAudition.com

On this episode of ActorSpeak, Austin Basis continues to speak with actor Polly Lee (The Americans, The Blacklist, Law Order: SVU, Gotham, Nurse Jackie, Chicago Med, The Looming Tower, Younger). In Part 2, we discuss the fundaments, audiobooks, being stranded on stage in her underwear, hating seeing herself, teasing out the humanity of a scene, serving new plays, missing human randomness, character as the actor's domain, perfection vs. progress, faking chemistry, being positively judgmental, the exact right amount of intimacy, and wanting a universal basic income for artists. Polly Lee is an award-winning actress who has dedicated her career to new plays and, as such, has performed in over 20 world premieres, both in New York City and across the country. Her New York theatre credits include Lincoln Center Theatre, Clubbed Thumb, Ensemble Studio Theatre, New Georges and Little Lord Theatre- among many others. Regionally she has worked at A.R.T., Yale Rep, La Jolla Playhouse, Humana Festival @ATL, McCarter Theatre, Wilma Theatre, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, and many many more. Polly's Film & TV credits include The Blacklist, Law & Order: SVU, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Gotham, Butterflies of Bill Baker, Nurse Jackie, Chicago Med, The Looming Tower and recurring roles on Younger and The Americans. Polly has narrated over 200 audiobooks and is a proud member of Ensemble Studio Theatre, Actors Equity and an affiliated artist at Clubbed Thumb. Her upcoming films include Things Heard and Seen and Give and Take. Polly went to school for Theatre Studies at Royal Holloway at the University of London and attended the Actors Studio Drama School at New School University. Her kind eyes, warm smile, big heart, and cheeky sense of humor have endeared audiences all over the country and now I get to talk to her about her process, craft & all things acting related. WE AUDITION is a video-chat community where actors can audition, self-tape, rehearse, and get expert industry advice. USE promo code: ACTORSPEAK to get 25% off when joining at WeAudition.com

This week on Chasing Artists with XENJA, we chat with actor, producer, and career coach Jodie Bentley about her journey as a multi-hyphenate creative and navigating the business side of acting and creativity. Guest Bio Jodie Bentley is an LA based actor, producer and creative business coach. A graduate of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts with a BFA in Acting, she's worked for Netflix, Hulu, ABC, CBS and many more. For the past 13 years, she's also been educating actors and artists on how to achieve their goals, implement success strategies, become organizational masters, stop the self-sabotage and own their brand.  She has taught workshops on all the above at SAG-AFTRA, Actors Equity, Comic Con  and over 50+ universities and training programs. Jodie's students have gone on to perform on Broadway, star in films, recur in TV, book commercials & VO, land agents & managers, and live abundant joyful and creative lives. Links to Guest Social Media: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jodiebentley Twitter - https://twitter.com/jodiebentley  Facebook -  https://www.facebook.com/jodiebentleycareercoach/  Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodiebentley/ FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theactorsthinktank Websites: https://www.jodiebentleycareercoach.com/ https://jodiebentley.com/ Free Gifts: When you set out to be an actor, you didn't think “Cool, I just became the CEO of my own business!” Yet, you get to be a proactive savvy actor who understands business principles and how to leverage them to fast track your acting career. Learn my 7 Steps to be a Working Actor in this free eBook! https://www.jodiebentleycareercoach.com/free_ebook/ Links to XENJA @iamxenja www.xenja.org www.xenja.bandcamp.com Produced by XENJA Music by XENJA Audio Editing by High Noon Audio

We're back baby! This week on the pod, Kian and Jill discuss it all, including a fascinating announcement by Actors Equity, more of the new shows announced in San Diego, and as always, Bo Burnham. Can you tell he's an icon around here? We also answered even more amazing listener questions! Keep them coming y'all! Hosted by: Kian Kline-Chilton and Jillian Jones Produced by: Eric Clark and Dillon Hoban Edited by: Dillon Hoban Music by: Dr. Delight and Brent Wood

Co-winner of The Theater Project's 2021 Young Playwright Competition, Brennan Columbia-Walsh introduces a full audio performance of his award winning play, The Opossum. Followed by an interview of Brennan by 2020 Young Playwright Competition honoree, Jacob Makofske. Announcer: Mary Iannelli Audio Engineers: Gary Glor and Alex Gomez Reference info: The Opossum by Brennan Columbia Walsh Directed by Gary Glor* Slim Jim Welsh was played by Matt McCarthy Fatman Lennie Shaw by Scott Cagney and Colonel Murdock by Harry Patrick Christian* *Member of Actors Equity  

The audio version of Ruthie's acclaimed Medium article: “What It Will Take for New York Theater to Come Back as the Industry and Community It Professes to Be.” Originally published March 23, 2021, the article includes quotes from 13 major industry leaders (Amber Iman, Bonnie Comley, Brian Pavilonis, Brandon Michael Nase, Clint Ramos, Damian Bazadona, Eric Ulloa, Gregory Kirsopp, Jess Burns, Jessica Paz, Terry Byrne, Sammi Cannold, and more), statements from Actors Equity and The Broadway League, and oodles of research about how we get Broadway and Off-Broadway (and theater at large) better than it was pre-pandemic. Plus, this exclusive audio version includes an Epilogue on where we are now in July 2021. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Catherine's origin story (6:45)Catherine's first equity job (15:00)Catherine's  Broadway debut in “Mamma Mia!” (18:10)Hundreds of hours of training, practice, and injury to perform (26:43)Catherine starts the “Artists Who Code” organization (38:20)Spiritual question: What theatre superstition/ritual have you been able to bring into your day-to-day life? (46:35) Connect with our podcast:https://www.instagram.com/mostpodcast Connect with Catherine:https://www.instagram.com/cattricafort/ Artists Who Code:http://artistswhocode.com/https://www.instagram.com/artistswhocode/

On this final episode of season one of Why The F*** Am I an Artist host Amanda interviews Asian American actress-singer and fellow Floridian Jen Chia! Amanda and Jen talk about how the industry is growing and shedding more light on diversity. Jen speaks on being a proud half-asian artist. We dive into the audition scene and the transition from Florida to NY. We both share stories on how the auditioning scene can be a whole other world in the BIG APPLE! We also talk about Jen's success in the auditioning front by landing the Magic School bus tour and receiving her Actors Equity card! This final episode packs a whole lotta info in just under an hour, but don't be sad because more episodes will be coming in the near future. Till then stay safe, continue to create, and what I've learned from this episode stay positive! Happy Memorial Day and Happy Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month! If you are a Half-Asian Artists check out HAPA Society! There is one in NY, LA and Atlanta! Follow Jen on IG @jenchia and on her website www.jenchia.com Follow host Amanda Ortega @manderz323 Follow the music you hear on each episode by Adult Programing on Spotify and follow on IG @adultprogramming

The professional union known as Actors Equity. Find out about some of the interesting facts, benefits and drawbacks to joining the main theatrical union in the Untied States. Jeffrey shares some useful information so you can decide if this is something tha is right for you now! Please remember to leave a comment, review or thumbs up! www.castingactorscast.com

The I.W.W. was a tough, militant, radical union, and its very existence terrified business owners, factory bosses, and the entire U.S. government. Since its founding, the law had been out to get the Wobblies. In 1919, as a record number of Americans went on strike for better wages and working conditions, would the union be able to help them? Would the union even survive? The Wobblies were so famous for singing that they repeatedly published their lyrics in "The Little Red Songbook," which contained Wobbly sayings and organizing advice as well as songs. "Big Bill" Haywood was tough and physically imposing, but he had a big heart and a gift for communicating with workers. Samuel Gompers was leader of the IWW-rival the American Federation of Labor. He cultivated a reputation for the organization as reasonable and cooperative--and achieved many results for his members. Pinkerton agent James McParland took over the investigation of the murder of former Idaho governor Frank Steunenberg, and his handling of the main suspect was, shall we say, questionable. McParland was one of the country's most famous Pinkerton agents, known for his infiltration of the Molly Maguires--so famous, in fact, that Arthur Conan Doyle modeled a character in his novel The Valley of Fear on McParland and imagined a conversation between Sherlock Holmes and the real detective. The trial of multiple Wobbly leaders for the murder of Frank Steunenberg garnered nationwide--even international--press attention. The most successful IWW-led strike was the "Bread and Roses" strike in 1912 in Lawrence, Massachusetts. Many of the strikers were women, seen here on the picket line. IWW organizers urged the strikers to remain peaceful no matter how much the police and state militia threatened them. The strikers generally remained non-violent, although in one confrontation between the two groups a young woman was shot and killed. It remains uncertain who was responsible, but IWW organizer Joseph Ettor was placed on trial. No evidence connected him to the murder, and he was aquitted. Joe Hill was an uneducated, unskilled Swedish immigrant with a remarkable gift for songwriting--in an adopted language, no less. He was convicted of murder and executed by firing squad in 1915. His death can be seen as matter of perverse stubbornness in the face of officialdom--he refused to explain how he had received a gunshot wound on the night a former policeman was killed. Or it was a blatant miscarriage of justice in which a man with no connection to the the murder victim became a convenient scapegoat. Or perhaps it was both. In any case, Hill became a martyr to the Wobbly cause. This remarkable image shows striking miners and those considered their allies being loaded up into cattle cars on the morning of July 12, 1917 by the sheriff of Bisbee, Arizona and the self-appointed Citizens' Protective League. The men were told if they attempted to return to town, they would be killed. The cattle cars were abandoned across the New Mexico border, leaving the men without food or water. Sheriff Harry Wheeler was unconcerned that his actions might have been illegal. "It became a question of 'Are you American, or are you not?'" he said. In September 1918, 48 IWW offices across the country were raided. This image shows one office after the raid. More than one hundred IWW members and leaders were tried under the Espionage Act. Most were convicted and received sentences of up to twenty years. The union spent most of 1918 and 1919 raising money for defense and appeals. This was a Wobbly fundraising picnic. The banner reads, at the top, "We're in For You" and asks for money for the "Class War Prisoners." When the unions of Seattle called a general strike in January 1919, the mayor was so terrified he requested U.S. Army troops, including machine gun companies, be sent to his town. Actors walked out of Broadway shows in August 1919 in the first Actors Equity union strike. Here actors walk the picket line. When the Boston Police went on strike in September 1919, the public was terrified they would be helpless at the hands of criminals. The recently elected governor Calvin Coolidge sent the state militia to town and earned nationwide praise for ensuring law and order. Coolidge is seen here inspecting militia members. The steelworkers strike was pushed from the bottom up and never had the full support of the unions who were supposed to organize and lead it. The factory owners convinced workers that the cause was hopeless and they should go back to work. Notice that this advertisement, which ran in a Pittsburgh newspaper, is in mutiple languages to reach immigrant workers. When the town of Centralia, Washington planned a parade for the first anniversary of Armistice Day, rumors swirled that the IWW hall would be attacked. The rumors were so prevalent that the Wobblies issued a statement requesting that the townspeople avoid violence and turn to law enforcement if they believe the IWW is guilty of any crimes. This photo shows the parade stepping off, before violence erupted at the IWW hall. Warren Grimes had served with the U.S. Army in Vladivostok and had a well-earned fear of Bolshevism. He was a local hero, and when he warned about the IWW, people listened. Grimes was one of the first shot in the conflict between the IWW and the American Legion. Exactly what happened that day remains under dispute. It is not disputed that a mob of Centralia townsfolk dragged Wobbly member Wesley Everest out of jail and hanged him on a nearby railway bridge. Labor Songs "Solidarity Forever" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCnEAH5wCzo) by John H. Chaplin, recorded by Pete Seeger on the album "If I Had a Hammer: Songs of Hope and Struggle," Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, 1998. "The Popular Wobbly" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wleLxETd_kM) by T-Bone Slim, recorded by Eric Glatz on the album "IWW Rebel Voices: Songs of the Industrial Workers of the World," Universal Music Group, 1984. "Bread and Roses" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDdvbqbmM4o&t=29s) from a poem by James Oppenheim, sung by Bronwen Lewis, from the movie "Pride," 2014. "There Is Power in a Union" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEHZRrbDDzA) by Joe Hill, recorded by Joe Glazer on the album "Songs of the Wobblies, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, 1977. "The Preacher and the Slave" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8qoB1XwtHM) by Joe Hill, recorded by Utah Phillips on the album "Classic Labor Songs from Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, 2006. "Joe Hill's Last Will" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkoMdhxk03k) by Joe Hill, recorded by John McCutcheon, 2015. "Union Burying Ground" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuzbX6pfY-c) written and performed by Woody Guthrie, recorded in the 1940s and released on the album "Struggle," Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, 1976. "Bread and Roses" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiiKgST_G2Q) from a poem by James Oppenheim, sung and recorded by Bronwen Lewis, 2014. Please note that the links below to Amazon are affiliate links. That means that, at no extra cost to you, I can earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. (Here's what, legally, I'm supposed to tell you: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.) However, I only recommend books that I have used and genuinely highly recommend.

follow us on Instagram: @lamezclapod and on facebook: @lamezclapod follow mike on Instagram: @miketurnernyc About Mike: Mike is an NYC based actor, novelist, and an NYU-Tisch alum. A proud member of Actors Equity, some of Mike's recent credits include Night of the Iguana (American Repertory Theater, dir. Michael Wilson), Lucy Thurber's Orpheus In the Berkshires (Williamstown), Arthur Laurents' The Enclave (Rattlestick Playwrights Theater), and Katie Cappiello's JOY (Fridge Fest), to name a few. Mike is currently the face of the self-care app Bloom (available in App Stores everywhere) and in the process of publishing the first book in his dystopian fantasy trilogy, The Creators. Instagram: @miketurnernyc Website: www.MikeTurnerNYC.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices