Podcasts about Alley Theatre

On Thursday's show: We talk about Houston's growing problems with trash, including how the city is quickly running out of landfill space, with Elena Bruess of Houston Landing.Also this hour: We learn about a new law creating a Texas version of DOGE.Then, we welcome your questions about our varied and fascinating insect world for entomologist Erin Mills of the Houston Botanic Garden.And issues of loneliness, hidden trauma, and breaking free of comfort zones all come to bear in Primary Trust, a Pulitzer Prize-winning play at The Alley Theatre through May 25.

Send us a textBrett Cullum has a conversation with the Shunya Theatre group about a romantic comedy they are staging at the MATCH in Houston for four nights only. It's about a white guy meeting an Indian guy at a temple and the clash in cultures and families that results. The show is called A NICE INDIAN BOY, and it has recently been turned into a film starring Jonathan Groff.Find out about Shunya: https://www.facebook.com/ShunyaTheatre/reels/?_rdrThen Olly Oxen joins Deborah Moncrief Bell to talk about The Shimmer Show. It's a Burlesque & Variety event held on the third Monday of every month starting next week at Dan Electros in Houston.And finally, Brett Cullum has a conversation with legendary playwright Ken Ludwig, who wrote the play the Alley Theatre is doing right now: It's called BASKERVILLE: A SHERLOCK HOLMES MYSTERY. Ken talks about his career and the secrets to writing great plays. Tickets for this production can be found at:  https://cart.alleytheatre.org/events/8889?view=calendar&startdate=2025-4-1&_gl=1*1y653g5*_ga*NzQ3NTcwNTYwLjE3NDQwMzk4ODE.*_ga_B70ZG76MRC*MTc0NDM4NTM0NS41LjAuMTc0NDM4NTM0NS42MC4wLjEzODE3MDY2Nzc.*_up*MQ..*_gs*MQ..&gclid=CjwKCAjw--K_BhB5EiwAuwYoyoIqcrqT1W3a-OnHKbjbv16oIx9oajuucfvUY-bljZgptecyMq2PPhoC2EIQAvD_BwE&gbraid=0AAAAADke6Eio2kfrRyIdqApEKEMs0db5GQueer Voices airs in Houston Texas on 90.1FM KPFT and is heard as a podcast here. Queer Voices hopes to entertain as well as illuminate LGBTQ issues in Houston and beyond. Check out our socials at:https://www.facebook.com/QueerVoicesKPFT/ andhttps://www.instagram.com/queervoices90.1kpft/

On Tuesday's show: Houston ISD, like many school districts across Texas, has been addressing teacher shortages in recent years by hiring uncertified teachers. A bill in the Texas House would end the practice. We learn what the bill says and what it would mean for schools here in Houston and across the state.Also this hour: More than half of all payday lending fees issued in the country are paid by Texans, according to the nonprofit advocacy group the Center for Responsible Lending, We find out why that happens and what Texans can do to escape the cycle of debt.Then, Todd Waite, longtime resident actor at The Alley Theatre, joins us. He's in his final role with the theater after 25 years, performing in Ken Ludwig's Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery, a wacky twist on the classic tale.And we discuss the challenges of meeting new people in a large, busy metro area like ours.

A ground-breaking ninety-minute new musical, Night Side Songs explores the intimacy of illness, mortality, and the incredible dignity of caregivers through the story of Yasmine Holly, a fictional character informed by interviews with real doctors, hospital staff, and patients, many from right here in Philadelphia. Night Side Songs is a musical convergence which reflects and celebrates Philly's “eds and meds” community with humor, grace, and profound empathy. The production will tour local hospitals, community centers, and places of worship for two weeks before its run at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre. Directed by Artistic Director Taibi Magar. Night Side Songs is supported by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage.Taibi Magar is an Artistic Director of Philadelphia Theatre Company. As a freelance director, her most recent credits are We Live in Cairo (A.R.T. world premiere, upcoming at New York Theatre Workshop), The Half-God of Rainfall (New York Theatre Workshop and A.R.T.), Macbeth in Stride (co-direction with Tyler Dobrowsky), Help (The Shed), and Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 (Signature Theatre and A.R.T., Lortel Award Best Revival). Other New York credits include Capsule by Whitney White and Peter Mark Kendall (Under the Radar Festival/The Public Theater, co-directed with Tyler Dobrowsky), Blue Ridge starring Marin Ireland and The Great Leap starring BD Wong (Atlantic Theater Company); Is God Is (Soho Rep, 2018 Obie Award;) Master (The Foundry); and Underground Railroad Game (Ars Nova, Obie Award). Regional: CTG, Woolly Mammoth Theatre, Shakespeare Theatre, Alley Theatre, The Guthrie Theater, and Seattle Repertory Theatre, among others. International: Hamburg Festival, Edinburgh Festival, Malthouse Theatre (Melbourne), and Soho Theatre (London). MFA: Brown University.Daniel and Patrick Lazour are brothers and music theater writers. Projects in development include a musical adaptation of Ritesh Batra's film The Lunchbox (Lincoln Center Theater) and their show with communal singing, Night Side Songs (Under the Radar, A.R.T./PTC co-production). They wrote original music for Caroline Lindy's debut feature Your Monster (Sundance 2024) and their movie musical Challenger: An American Dream is being developed with Bruce Cohen Productions and Spark Features. Their original musical We Live in Cairo makes its off-Broadway premiere this Fall at New York Theater Workshop after a world premiere at the American Repertory Theater in 2019, directed by Taibi Magar. Original songs by the Lazours can be heard on their independently released albums: Freres, Flap My Wings (Songs from We Live in Cairo), Beth's Homemade Cowboy Breakfast and Lullabies. They are Jonathan Larson Grant and Richard Rodgers Award recipients, MacDowell and Yaddo Fellows, and New York Theater Workshop Usual Suspects. They have worked with Noor Theatre Company, Ars Nova and PAC NYC, and are proud teaching artists. Patrick holds a B.A. from Boston College and Daniel holds a B.A. from Columbia University. @frereslazourFOR MORE INFORMATION: https://philadelphiatheatrecompany.org/night-side-songs/

Send us a textPlaywright Isaac Gomez joins us for a captivating exploration of his latest theatrical creation, "The Night Shift Before Christmas," a one-woman holiday comedy that transforms the stage at the Alley Theatre. Inspired by personal experiences in Texas, Isaac crafts a modern rendition of "A Christmas Carol," focusing on Margot, who is working the graveyard shift on Christmas Eve. This heartfelt tribute to Houston invites listeners to engage with themes of resilience and the unseen stories of those who work tirelessly during the holidays.Our journey continues with a deep dive into the world of playwriting and identity, where we uncover the collaborative process behind a fresh adaptation of a classic tale. Discover how a playwright's upbringing in a border town and life-shaping events, such as the tragic loss of a friend, have influenced her storytelling. She shares her process of weaving narratives that address exploitation and working-class struggles, while also reflecting on the lighter tones of her current project and the contemporary writers who inspire her work.Finally, we shine a light on the impactful efforts of Tori Williams and the Ryan White Planning Council. Delve into the evolution of HIV care and funding from grassroots efforts to the introduction of life-changing antiretroviral medications. Through an oral history initiative, the episode aims to preserve the powerful narratives of those affected by the AIDS epidemic, with a particular focus on documenting the experiences of transgender individuals. Our discussion emphasizes the critical need for ongoing community support and accessible healthcare, highlighting both the challenges and advancements in combating the HIV epidemic today.Queer Voices airs in Houston Texas on 90.1FM KPFT and is heard as a podcast here. Queer Voices hopes to entertain as well as illuminate LGBTQ issues in Houston and beyond. Check out our socials at:https://www.facebook.com/QueerVoicesKPFT/ andhttps://www.instagram.com/queervoices90.1kpft/

 On Monday's show: A new report sheds light on how much lead is showing up in drinking water at Texas schools.Also this hour: Pulitzer Prize winner Richard Powers, author of 14 novels including The Overstory and The Echo Maker, talks about his work and his latest book, Playground, ahead of an event with Inprint tonight at 7:30 at The Alley Theatre.Then, veterinarian Dr. Lori Teller talks about issues affecting pet health.And we get an update on sports from Jeff Balke.

On Tuesday's show: Have budget cuts affecting how kids get to and from school at Cy-Fair ISD contributed to recent accidents?Also this hour: We talk with Dean Gladden, the managing director of The Alley Theatre, who has just announced he's retiring in June.Then, we talk with some people who participated in last week's Week Without Driving challenge and learn what it says about mobility in the Houston area.Plus, Chef Chris Shepherd tells us about his love for the animated film Ratatouille, which he's selected for the next screening in the Movies Houstonians Love series at the MFAH.And Brenda Valdivia reports on last weekend's Southern Smoke Festival, proceeds from which benefit food and beverage workers nationwide.

On Tuesday's show: It's Houston Theater Week. All this week, area performing arts venues are offering discounts on performances as they promote their seasons. We learn more from Dean Gladden from The Alley Theatre and Hillary Hart from Theatre Under the Stars.Also this hour: A month after Hurricane Beryl rolled through, Patrick Jankowski of The Greater Houston Partnership returns with a clearer sense of the economic impact the storm had.Then, we revisit a conversation with Dr. Elizabeth McIngvale from the OCD Institute of Texas. She's co-hosting a new podcast about the rise of anxiety in America, called Anxiety Society.And we continue our series visiting area museums with a trip to the Lone Star Flight Museum.

In the previous episode you heard from theater writer and director Rob Melrose, who is the artistic director of Alley Theatre in Houston. He shared what it means to create and produce his own works and others. Well, now Rob is back to talk about lessons he's learned behind the table as well as from a heart attack he suffered two years ago by answering the Final Five Questions in this bonus episode of Why I'll Never Make It. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a recent opinion piece for The Daily Iowan, a vital point was made about the importance of regional theater. It said “not every production is ultra famous, boasting popular actors in leading rules. But every production is important.” (I even posted about it on WINMI's instagram feed, which you can follow: @winmipodcast.) The point being made was that Broadway may get all the attention, but it is in venues across the country, including college theaters, where the true heart and soul of theater resides. They bring diverse stories to local communities, they nurture new talent, and ultimately keep the art form vibrant and accessible to so many people of all backgrounds and experiences. And today's guest has been on a mission to bring live theater to as wide an audience as possible. Rob Melrose faced many challenges in founding the Cutting Ball Theater, which involved a lot of crap, literally, and we'll discuss his current position at The Alley Theatre and the unique audition of sorts he had to go through to land that leadership role. But what's truly fascinating is the work he's done as a writer of new works and translator of existing plays. And by wearing many hats in theater from writer and director to producer, he's learned valuable lessons not only for his own career but for the theater arts as a whole. Support Cutting Ball in its efforts to remain open by donating here. ---------- Subscribe to get early and ad-free access to the full conversation with each guest, which includes the auditions stories that are only available to subscribers. You can also donate to WINMI and help further podcast production with a one-time or ongoing contribution. If you'd like to support WINMI but have limited funds to do so, then contact me directly for reduced-price or even free access to the bonus content. Follow WINMI: Website | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube Why I'll Never Make It is an award-winning, Top Theater Podcast with actor and singer Patrick Oliver Jones and is a production of WINMI Media. Background music is by John Bartmann and Blue Dot Sessions and is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Tuesday's show: The Annie E. Casey Foundation's annual Kids Count report is out, and it doesn't have very flattering things to say about child wellbeing in Texas. We discuss whether the report jibes with what Bob Sanborn of Children at Risk sees locally and statewide.Also this hour: Just in time for summer, dermatologist Dr. Oyetewa Oyerinde answers questions about skin care. She's the director of the Skin of Color Clinic at Baylor College of Medicine.And film critic Joe Leydon reflects on the classic Hitchcock film Dial M for Murder, and we talk with an actor from an adaptation of the story on stage now at The Alley Theatre.

 On Tuesday's show: We get an update on severe weather around the region over night. And, with the weather already warm and humid, there are plenty of mosquitoes pestering Houstonians outside. Has the mosquito season started earlier than previous years? And how can you minimize them around your home?Also this hour: U.S. immigration policy hasn't changed in decades, but could it after the 2024 election? We preview a symposium on that topic happening today at Rice University.Then, the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Thornton Wilder has been dead for nearly 50 years. But, he has a new play making its world premiere now at The Alley Theatre. We learn the story of unearthing and completing The Emporium, which runs through June 2.And Houstonians are getting a second chance to experience what it's like to be aboard the International Space Station. We revisit an immersive, virtual reality experience called The Infinite, which has returned to Space City this summer and runs through June.

On Friday's show: Meteorologist Eric Berger of Space City Weather recaps a busy week in weather, provides the latest on storms and flooding from Thursday and outlines what we can expect the rest of Friday and through the weekend.Also this hour: Patrick Jankowski of the The Greater Houston Partnership joins us to discuss the state of Houston's global economy.Then, from the University of Houston using “Houston blue” uniforms, despite threats from the NFL, to rapper Kendrick Lamar confusing Joel Osteen and Haley Joel Osment, we discuss The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of the week.And we talk with the stars of The Alley Theatre's production of Jane Eyre.

In this episode, we sit down with Chef Stephen Coe. Stephen tells us the origins of his interest in cooking and the restaurant business and how it has led him to owning his own restaurant, multiple food trucks, and his x4 ‘Chopped' wins, including Chopped—Beat Bobby Flay. See Chef Stephen Coe at the Alley Theatre in Middleboro MA March 21st 2024 for an ‘Eat & Greet' Cooking / Q&A. chefstephencoe.com // @chefstephencoe https://revivalmotoring.com/  

Alley Theatre has made a name for itself in the Houston area. The organization does a fantastic job at bringing new and innovative productions to the theater scene, and their upcoming play called THE NERD is definitely one that will have audiences laughing and smiling! In today's episode, I chat with Chris Hutchinson and Chris Salazar, both of whom are Resident Company members of the Alley. We discussed everything from what it means to be a resident company member, as well as what audiences can expect from THE NERD, playing from February 23rd to March 17th!

Houston-area theatre fans, this episode is for you! If you have been attending Alley Theatre performances for the past few years, this duo will be no stranger to you: Susan Koozin and Todd Waite! Koozin has been seen in many Houston productions between both TUTS and the Alley Theatre, and Waite is no stranger to the Alley with a staggering 40+ credits under his belt! Today, I chat with them about all things Houston, and what it's like to be returning to the Alley for the production of PICTURES FROM HOME!

On Friday's show: We preview festivities this weekend leading up to the college football national championship game Monday night. Chris Massey of the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority talks about the events planned and security measures for the weekend. Also this hour: As we mark the third anniversary of the attack on the U.S. Capitol, author and historian Jeremi Suri examines the unresolved questions that have dominated the politics of our country since the end of the Civil War, which is the subject of his latest book, Civil War by Other Means. We hear an excerpt from Suri's interview on this week's edition of I See U with Eddie Robinson. Then, from who didn't make it to the college football national championship game in Houston on Monday, to a change in policy regarding cups at Starbucks, our non-experts weigh in on The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of the week. And deciphering old photos and home movies to understand what they really say about a family – and who gets to tell a family's story – are themes explored in the Alley Theatre's production of the Broadway hit Pictures from Home.

On Tuesday's show: The weather in Greater Houston heading into Thanksgiving is going to be cooler. We look at the forecast with Houston Chronicle meteorologist Justin Ballard. Also this hour: As we prepare for Thanksgiving this week and the holidays ahead, we get some advice on avoiding arguments with family members at holiday get-togethers from psychologist Dr. Michael Winters. Then, every year Houston Ballet performs The Nutcracker and The Alley Theatre performs A Christmas Carol. So, how do they keep those productions fresh and interesting for audiences while also staying true to the beloved source materials audiences hold dear?  And actor Graham McTavish talks about his work in shows like Outlander, The Witcher, The Hobbit, and House of the Dragon. He was recently in Houston to promote a new book.

On this episode of The Arts Effect Podcast, we are joined by Matthew Lawrence & Jen Onopa from the Alley Theatre in Houston, TX, and Tailis Oniwon, Principal of Crockett Elementary, to have a conversation about our strategic partnership. We will be speaking about the Alley's breadth of educational outreach programs, as well as advice on how to establish something like this in YOUR school district. Check it out! Learn more at https://www.alleytheatre.org/

One of AKB's longest friends, Ellen Harvey, the queen of switching characters mid-scene, brings us her quick wit for this episode. Did you know she grew up in a house that was actually haunted? Neither did we! But that certainly might explain a few quirks we love about her. Broadway: Present Laughter (Miss Erikson w/ Kevin Kline), How To Succeed in Business... (Miss Jones w/Daniel Radcliffe), Phantom Of The Opera, The Music Man, Thou Shalt Not. Off-Broadway: Little Women, Big Love. Shakespeare In The Park: Into The Woods. National Tours: Mary Poppins (Miss Andrew), Disney's High School Musical (Ms. Darbus), Mamma Mia, (Tanya). Regional Favorites: Lend Me A Soprano (Mrs. Wiley, Alley Theatre), Knoxville (Aunt Hannah, Asolo Rep), Company (Joanne, Barrington Stage), Sweeney Todd (Mrs. Lovett, KC Rep). TV: “WeCrashed,” “House of Cards,” “Blacklist,” “Gotham,” “Younger.” @ellenharveynyc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode discusses death, reincarnation, and our relationship with the other side.  We sit with Psychic Medium Scott Allan and Actor/writer/producer Robert Neal Marshall. We learn our guests' history and the interesting turns of events that led them together.  Scott was a funeral director and embalmer, now working as a professional Psychic Medium and host of the Paranormal Project radio show. Robert tells us about how his near-death experience brought him closer to understanding what may be on the other side.  They tell us about their upcoming live autobiographical play developing for a nationwide tour - Providence of the Heart.  You can see the first show This November at the Alley Theatre. For more information and ticket information, please visit providenceoftheheart.com https://revivalmotoring.com/    

  On Friday's show: We get an explanation of the ballot measures voters will decide in the November election, including Proposition B, which would decide whether the city stays in a regional body known as the Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC). Also this hour: We learn more about a spacecraft built in Houston that will be the first commercial craft to land on the moon and the first soft landing on the lunar surface by an American mission since the days of Apollo. Then, we break down The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of the week. And we learn more about the Alley Theatre's production of American Mariachi.

In this episode, Adam and Budi have a great conversation with director, public speaking coach, and podcaster Adriana BaerAdriana has directed for Alley Theatre, Portland Center Stage, Artists Repertory Theatre, Portland Playhouse, Profile Theatre (Artistic Director, 2012-2015), The Cutting Ball Theater (Associate Artistic Director, 2004-2007), and others. She has worked with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Opera Boston, The Public Theater, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, San Francisco Circus Center/Pickle Circus, California Shakespeare Theater, and American Conservatory Theater. Among other institutions, she has taught for Portland State University, Columbia University School of the Arts, The Acting Company, and Berkeley Repertory Theatre. She has lectured as a guest speaker at dozens of colleges and universities nationwide. Adriana holds a Bachelor of Arts from Sarah Lawrence College and a Masters of Fine Arts in Directing from Columbia University. She is a member of SDC, the professional union of stage directors and choreographers.She is the cohost of The Wellbeing Workshop's podcast and offers online courses and coaching through Adriana Baer Creative.Adriana lives on a two-acre farm just outside Portland, Oregon with her husband and child, and spends most of her free time digging in the dirt, practicing yoga, and reading.Special offer for Theatre of Others listeners! When you purchase Audition Master Class, you'll get free access to Get In: How to Rock Your MFA & URTA Auditions.* https://www.adrianabaercreative.com/others Support the showIf you enjoyed this week´s podcast, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts. To submit a question: Voice- http://www.speakpipe.com/theatreofothers Email- podcast@theatreofothers.com Support the Theatre of Others - Check out our Merch!Show Credits Co-Hosts: Adam Marple & Budi MillerProducer: Jack BurmeisterMusic: https://www.purple-planet.comAdditional compositions by @jack_burmeister

Vara reviews one of the best murder mysteries to hit the stage at the Alley Theatre, "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd" by Agatha Christie. Tune in and find out what Vara thinks of this show. Solve the mystery in Vara's mind and press play. Buy tickets or just visit at, https://www.alleytheatre.org/ Roxy Perez Tik Tok: Thepoproxx Instagram: Poproxx428 Facebook: Roxy Perez Curvy Model The VCR Show ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thevcrshow.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thevcrshow@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: thevcrshow  #thevcrshow #popculture #Nerd #podcast #Houston #Texas #Vara #Roxyperez #dating #relationships #2023 #curvymodel #vara #drinks #sexy #cosplay #Latina @thevcrshow #SEX #sexy @Love #romantice #lovsongs #theatre #Arts #culture #alleytheatre

It's time for another visit with Midday theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck, who joins us each week with her reviews of the Maryland, DC and Virginia regional stage. Today, she tells us about the new Arena Stage production of playwright Lauren Yee's Cambodian Rock Band, a mesmerizing, music-infused drama about how war and political oppression in the 1960s and 70s ravaged the southeast Asian nation's vibrant rock music culture, and the how the war's violent legacy still haunts a Cambodian family. Directed at Arena Stage by Chay Yew, Cambodian Rock Band 's cast includes Brooke Ishibashi, Francis Jue, Abraham Kim, Kelsey Angel Baehrens, Tim Liu, Jane Lui, Alex Lydon, Joe Ngo and Vi Tran. The show incorporates a live stage band - The Cyclos - covering 1960s- and 70s-era Cambodian psychedelic rock music and Cambodian-influenced songs by the contemporary American band, Dengue Fever. CRB is a Signature Theatre production, in association with Alley Theatre, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, and ACT Theatre/5th Avenue. Cambodian Rock Band continues at Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater in Washington, DC through August 27. (Photo by Margot Schulman)Email us at midday@wypr.org, tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.

Cameron Samuels 2023 Trendsetter Grand Marshal -- Queer Podcasters -- Actor/Writer Brett CullumWe speak with with Cameron Samuels, 2023 trendsetter Grand Marshal. For Cameron Samuels, the courageous teen who battled Katy Independent School District in a 2021 dispute involving the district's homophobic internet search filters and book bans, being recognized with the Human Rights Campaign's Trailblazer Award in April was a moment of resolution.Guest: Cameron Samuelshttps://www.outsmartmagazine.com/2023/06/trailblazing-teenager/Then we speak with fellow queer podcasters who are doing the work in the community. They include Tiffany Scales, Wendy Taylor and Joel Tatum.  Joel and Wendy produce "That Little Gay Talkshow" and Tiffany performs in the community.  They may be joining the Queer Voices collective.Guests: Tiffany Scales, Wendy Taylor and Joel Tatumhttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/that-lil-gay-talk-show/id1445946892Finally, we speak with Brett Cullum, actor and writer for "Broadway World" and will be covering the Houston Theater scene. Brett Cullum has been part of the Houston and Memphis Theatre scenes for several decades now. He's been seen on community theatre and professional stages in several cities including Playhouse 1960, Theatre Suburbia, Stages, the Alley Theatre, Theatre Memphis, Circuit Playhouse, and Playhouse on the Square. Brett has been a movie critic and blogger as well for DVD Verdict.com where he published over 1,000 reviews of feature films. He has been a reviewer for Broadway World for the last five years! Guest: Brett Cullumhttps://www.broadwayworld.com/houston/contact-local.cfm

            Director-producer-author, Sheldon Epps has directed major productions on and off Broadway, in London and at many theatres across America. He's also had an active television career helming numerous classic shows of recent years.                        Sheldon was first drawn to the stage while at Teaneck High School, and later graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with a degree in Drama.             He began his career as an actor studying at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Indiana Repertory Company, the Alley Theatre, the Pittsburgh CLO and The Production Company, which he co-founded and for which he directed various plays.             In 1980, Sheldon made his theater directing debut with the Off-Broadway musical Blues in the Night. It was revived in 1982, this time on Broadway. Since then he's directed numerous other stage productions on Broadway and in regional theaters including: Scenes and Revelations, Play On!, Blue, and Purlie.            As well, since 1994, Sheldon has directed many memorable, popular TV shows including: Evening Shade, Smart Guy, Sister, Sister, Frasier, Everybody Loves Raymond, Friends, Girlfriends, and George Lopez.            In 1997, Sheldon became artistic director of the Pasadena Playhouse, serving in that capacity for two decades. In 2020 Sheldon was appointed Senior Artistic Advisor at Ford's Theatre in Washington, DC.            Sheldon's best-selling memoir, My Own Directions, was published in September 2022. I've read My Own Directions and can tell you it's a fantastically entertaining and informative look at Sheldon's exceptional career and all of the many hurdles he's overcome and successes he's achieved throughout an outstanding life in the arts. 

In this episode, we sit down with Lorna Brunelle! Lorna has had an incredible career in all things performing arts.  After graduating from The Boston Conservatory, she began working for Boston casting, and at the age of 24, opened The Burtwood School of Performing Arts in Middleboro, MA.  In its current location, the school building is also the home of The Alley Theatre. Lorna is passionate about teaching and sharing her love for the arts. She has worked as a vocal instructor, acting coach, pageant consultant, producer, and more.  She curates and hosts many great events and shows, such as her vendor market series - Sip and Stroll.  After being diagnosed with Thyroid cancer at 33, Lorna found that there was limited information and resources for treatment and what to expect with this prognosis.  This led her to write her first book - Dirty Bombshell: From Thyroid Cancer Back to Fabulous!  Lorna then tells us the story of her Mother's Cancer diagnosis years later, the amazing approach Wanda took to cope with it, and the adventures it led them on.  This later became her second book, The Buoy Projects.  You can find more information about Lorna, The Burtwood School of Performing arts and the Alley Theatre Here: https://www.facebook.com/lorna.brunelle and IG @lornabrunelle You can find Lorna's books on Amazon.

I dreamt of being a pilot as a child and grew up watching The A-Team and my favourite character was 'Howling Mad Murdock' played by Dwight Schultz. I was obsessed with aircraft so he was the one I wanted to be as his character could fly any plane or helicopter that he had to. Years later I saw him with Jamie Glazov and Anni Cyrus on 'The Glazov Gang' and was intrigued at his strong Conservative Christian stance while delivering common sense commentary. This is the first interview he has done for many years so it truly is an honour to have Dwight join Hearts of Oak on this audio only discussion. (he is the voice king) We talk about those early days treading the boards in the theatre and as a star in Hollywood, working on the biggest TV programme in the world and Dwight shares some stories of how his strong conservative stance got him into much hot water. He truly is a breath of fresh air in an increasingly demonic industry that opposes truth at every turn and mocks all who have a Christian Faith or Conservative Values. (*Peter takes to the skies regularly and has held a pilots licence for many years) A respected performer on Broadway, Dwight Schultz found everlasting fame by playing the certifiable "Howling Mad" Murdock on the action series "The A-Team" (1983-86). A living, breathing cartoon with a seemingly endless selection of voices and accents at his command, Murdock provided the air power for the A-Team's clandestine adventures, provided that his compatriots could break him out of the mental hospital where he resided. One of the show's most popular and memorable figures, Murdock ensured Schultz steady work on television and on the big screen playing Reginald Barclay in "Star Trek: The Next Generation" An accomplished voice actor, Dwight can be heard in numerous hit computer games and in countless animated shows. Interview recorded 21.3.23 *Special thanks to Bosch Fawstin for recording our intro/outro on this podcast. Check out his art https://theboschfawstinstore.blogspot.com/ and follow him on GETTR https://gettr.com/user/BoschFawstin and Twitter https://twitter.com/TheBoschFawstin?s=20  To sign up for our weekly email, find our social media, podcasts, video, livestreaming platforms and more... https://heartsofoak.org/connect/ Please subscribe, like and share! TRANSCRIPT [0:22] Hello Hearts of Oak, and welcome to another interview coming up with Dwight Schultz, Howling Mad Murdock from the A-Team. He came in on a audio. Dwight hasn't done interviews for years. I was absolutely delighted to have him on when you talk to one of your childhood heroes who you grew up watching him in A-Team. And he was my favourite simply because he was a pilot. And I always wanted to grow up and that's what I wanted to grow up to be. But I'm talking to him about being a conservative, being a Christian in the industry, in Hollywood, in the movie industry. And actually we delve more deeply into his Christian faith, Roman Catholic background, and what it means for him to be a Christian in that industry where you're pulled every way and where your faith is ridiculed, mocked, and everything stands against that. So great conversation about some of his experiences and what it is to be a Christian and to be a conservative in the industry. We talk about his voiceovers, I mean his voice is legendary. Talk about that and why he stepped away from doing kind of in front of a camera in 2001, why that was, and all the voiceover and then I think 100 video games, his voice is in a whole other world, a whole other industry. So, I know you will enjoy listening to Dwight as much as I enjoyed speaking with him. [1:48] It is wonderful to have Dwight Schultz with us today. Dwight, thank you so much for joining us. [1:54] Oh, it's my pleasure, Peter, for my reintroduction to the world of podcasting, radio, television.   Well, this is something I've only been doing three years, So I know you have much more experience back in the day, but we'll get into some of that. And obviously I... Remember you fondly growing up. I think I was six when The A Team first came out, which is now 40 years ago. I'm sure I didn't want it when I was six. But your role obviously is as Howling Mad Murdock. So we can take just a little bit memory lane before we go into and talk about actually being a conservative in the industry and what that is like. But I mean, it ran for five seasons, 83 to think 87. Do you just want to let us know how you actually ended up in that role? Well, actually, it actually only went four seasons, real seasons, so it's not technically considered a success. That's true. I ended up in that role because I made a comedy tape at the Williamstown Theatre Festival around 1979, 1980. [3:18] Somewhere in there. And the comedy tape, and for two years, I didn't hear anything. And then suddenly I started getting calls from my agent to audition and to go to Los Angeles to audition. and it was because of this comedy tape. And I found out it had been making the rounds for two years and eventually Steve Cannell and Frank Lupo, his co-writer saw it and requested me to come. Joel Thurm, who was the vice president of NBC at the time, however, he had different ideas about this character. And anyway, I went in and they flew me out to Los Angeles. [4:03] And my wife was out here. She wasn't my wife at the time, but I had been dating her since 79. And she was out here living in Los Angeles, which was difficult. I mean, I was glad to come out here for any reason. And I had never. It was a joy, but I came in and I auditioned and it was a total flop. It was a bomb. I mean, you walk into a small room with 25 people, 30 people, and there was not a single laugh. There was nothing. There was no... And then they sent me out and they sent the director, Rod Holcomb, out with me to talk to me. I came back in, I did the same audition, And everybody was laughing and I had no idea why they were laughing now. And they weren't laughing before, unless someone said laugh when he comes back. You know, that's the way it was. It was just an astonishing thing. And they said, you got the part. [5:02] And then, uh, and this is the, really, this is the nub, right? So, uh, I, they shoot in Mexico and I went down to Mexico. And when we were down there, I was fired. I was fired. I was fired. Rod Holcomb came into my little room and he said, I'm afraid it's not going to work out. And I said, oh, what? He said, it's not Steven. It's not Frank. It's the would-be's at NBC. They just don't think you're quite right for it. And so they took me out of my little room and they put me in with a stuntman who I loved. I just loved him. I mean, it was incredible to work with these guys. And so there I was with the stuntmen for the rest of the shoot down in Mexico. And when we came back to the States, they were editing it and putting it together as we were shooting it, right? [5:58] I got a call from my agent said your dials were great. I said, what are you talking about? I had no idea what they were talking about. This is 82, right? This is 1980. I don't know what you're talking about. He said the dials, the dials, the testing. The audience loved you. You're the best dials that anybody had. So I was written back in. I was rehired before I was fired. And so you can't make this stuff up in life. You can't. So it just turns out that they had a different view of what this character should be like. And I had another view. And Stephen Cannell and Frank Lupo were in my camp. And so they had to write me back into the first five episodes, which they had kind of written me out of. And that's the way it started. And I was, [7:04] as anybody would be, you know, I got to work with some of the finest old actors [7:12] that I had grown up with in the 50s and 60s. And it was a thrill. The four years were a thrill. I mean, it was an absolute thrill. And I got along beautifully with everybody. And Stephen J. Cannell [7:24] was a conservative. I mean, I'm lucky. I'm fortunate there. I was fortunate because some of my other experiences were not so fortunate, working with people who knew I was a conservative and weren't going to have a conservative on their show. That was the way it started back then. But anyway, so it was four years of, we didn't really have a studio. We were working on locations and I got along famously with everybody. And it was a joy. It was four, believe me, it changed my life completely and totally. I never thought I would end up in Los Angeles and never leave. Well, what was I mean, it's intense, I guess, that you're living and breathing it. And most people, I have no idea what that's like. Most people go to a job and they go home, but you're there nonstop. What's that kind of intensity, especially for years with it's the same people? It's the same people. But listen, as an actor, I mean, I've been working I've been working professionally since nineteen sixty nine. This gig, it's over 50 years. Right. So I had, I have before the 18, I never knew what my next job was ever. I never knew what I was doing next. And after the 18, I never have known [8:50] what I'm going to do next. I've never had a consistent job other than those four years. And I thank God for them every night. I hoped it would go longer, but this was not the intention, nor the background of Stephen J Cannell. His shows were two years, three years. And then they name of every single writer that we had in the first year moved on to their own series. They all became producers. And this is not the way you have a successful series for an, actor, which is selfish, right? You want to go at least five years, seven years. But they all, you have to have somebody there who is consistently behind it, pushing it, making sure everything is the way it's supposed to be. But that was not the way it was. But I did everything that you can possibly imagine, I think, on that show. And as the 14-hour days, 15-hour day, I loved it because I knew that there was going to be an ending. I knew the day I started that there was going to be a last day. And so and I think that's the way life is, actually. [10:02] And so take advantage of what you have and enjoy it and hope for the best. But I savour it every minute and I look back very fondly. When you say it wasn't a success, I remember thinking this is the biggest thing ever. This is phenomenal. I watched it as a kid growing up. So it did seem to be the kind of TV show that you would watch. I mean, the only other one I remember at the same time was I think Knight Rider at the same time, but they were the shows to watch.   Yes, they were. But you see, we were on NBC, Grant Tinker and Brandon Tartikoff, and their moniker was quality programming. And Grant Tinker, and well, Tartikoff gave an interview for the New York Times, right? This is not an example of our quality program, right? Really, this is it. That's what he said. You know, their ideas was Hill Street Blues, which they had on. This was their idea of quality programming, not this schlock that's number one. [11:12] This is not it. And I sent Grant Tinker a telegram and George Peppard said, don't do it, pal. Don't do it. Don't do it, Peppard said to me. I sent it to him and I said, this is third rate executive ship. I said, we do the best work we can and we're number one, why are you doing this to us? And then he sent me a telegram back, which I have kept, saying, well, you're assuming that that was true, what you read. And I said, well, I checked with the writer, the journalist, quote unquote, who he said, he talked to you and this is what you said. And indeed he did. And this is a tag to all of this. He, after the show was over, it was cancelled, several years afterwards, I have received a phone call from his assistant saying [12:13] Brandon wants to talk to you. And I said, sure, I'll talk to him. And I met with him in this basement office, 20th Century Fox. And I walked in and there was nobody there but Brandon Tartikoff sitting at a table and he apologized to me. [12:31] His daughter had been in a very serious accident and it changed his life. It was one of these things. And he apologized to me. I'll never forget it. And this does not happen in show business. It does not happen. And I said, thank you. Thank you so much for that. I said, and then I went into my spiel about being an actor. And that I, you know, you do the best job you can, whether you're doing Shakespeare, whether you're doing a show, or whether you're doing The A-Team. You do the best job you can. It is the same job if you're good and you love your work. It doesn't matter. You do the best thing, the best you put. You're not walking through it. I said, that's what we were doing. And we happened to be number one. And why did you rain on the parade? You know, I asked him and he gave me some explanations as to the the exigencies at the top of a TV network. And I, so at any rate, that that that's the experience. That's the beginning and end of that experience, really.[13:43] And I carry with me.   How did you cope with that fame? And you were what, 30, 32, so you weren't young, young. But still, when you're thrust into that level of publicity, how did that affect you personally and how did you cope with that? Well, you know, I was fortunate that I was working since I had been working since 69. I spent 13 years in regional theatre. I spent years in New York, three Broadway plays. I had a lot of experience. [14:17] Really, they walk in the boards, doing all the grunt work, getting there. And I, fame was not a, I was known and all my interests in theatre were to be, this is a joke actually, but never the same actor twice. I mean, that's it. You didn't want to do the same thing. And here I was, and I forced the idea that this actor, this character would be different in each episode, which the vice president of NBC said, that's the way you comb your hair differently. You should be the same. We want you to be polite on this. And I said, no, no, no, no, no, I don't wanna do that. I wanna be different in every show. And so I maintained, I think, because of the work that I had had. When you do the classics, when you're in, and I don't mean this, when you have the great opportunity to play a Shakespearean role. [15:22] You understand something about talent, about what goes into writing, brilliant writing, and then schlock writing. I mean, you see it all. And when you've been given that opportunity, There's a humility that hits you. So fame was never something that I wanted. I wanted to be able to – and I've had this ability. I've been able to go to a department store or take my daughter to a mall and not be recognized, which is – I'm telling you, I have worked with – I mean, I worked with Paul Newman and Paul Newman was, it was not a, he, he told me he couldn't go anywhere. He was a prisoner of his fame. [16:12] George Peppard was a prisoner of his fame. I mean, the closest I think I've ever gotten was somebody said, your voice sounds familiar, do you know my brother? I'll say, no, I don't know your brother. Then every once in a while, somebody recognizes you, but it's a curse. [16:33] It is a curse, really. If you have a family, if you want a family life, if you want privacy, which I think is necessary for survival in this business. I mean, I've seen a lot of actors drop to their knees and open cardboard tubes and pull drugs out. You know, and that's fame. And you ask them, that's it, it's driven. You know, you gotta have that fame, you gotta have that fame, you gotta. And it's not what I wanted. I really am a repertory actor, that's it. I'm a repertory actor. I spent one year in Houston, at the Alley Theatre in Houston, and it was one of the greatest years I've ever had. And I never wanted to leave. And someone told me, that's why you have to leave. I would have stayed there. I could have stayed there. But my agents all told me, you have to leave. You can't stay here, or your career will be over. And I said, but I love this. And they said, you won't love it when it dries up there. You know, you have to go to a bigger, a bigger yard in essence. But I'm really a repertory actor. That's it. [17:47] Your last I think your last TV role was 2001. I will get into the voice side later, but your last 2001. Why did, why did it end there? Was a personal experience? Was it just choice? Oh, yeah. No, it was a really a personal experience. It was CIA. 2001 was... [18:17] I went in for wardrobe fitting, and we were at the Memorial Cemetery, Veterans Cemetery down in Wilshire Boulevard, and that's where it was being shot. And I walked in, and this is nothing, I won't mention the name, I shouldn't have even said what the show was. Just someone in the wardrobe room. We were talking about 9-11. We were talking about what had happened in New York. I had a lot of friends in New York, of course, obviously. And she said, I don't have any connection to that. I don't know why everybody – I just don't have any connection to it, you know? She still connects? And she rubbed it off, you know? And I said, I mean, life was – rules were at that point not easy to come by, actually. And I said I can't do this, you know, I can't work. This to me was a sign, a sign from God. I'm not joking. You look for these things. This was a sign that this was the wave of the future. There was going to be a lot of denial and there was going to be, and it's complicated. I mean, I'm not judging anybody. [19:43] But for me, I had an opportunity to move into another direction, and I decided to do the other direction because I could be anybody, anything in voiceover work. Video games were just becoming big at the time, and the whole business was very big. And voice work was something that, as an actor in the theatre, I always did. If I couldn't find the voice of the character, I couldn't find the character. And so that was it. I mean, the fates came together at that time. And I was doing radio at the time on a fairly regular basis with a friend named Don Ecker. And I just moved in that direction. [20:36] I mean, there were opportunities there, but I knew things had changed at that point. Yeah, well, we'll get into that. I want to pick on being a conservative in the, the movie and TV industry, and that seems to be opposites. We've seen more and more, and I think it probably gets worse. And you're Roman Catholic, you're conservative. And what has been your experiences having a faith and also having a conservative belief? How does that fit into the showbiz industry? What has it been like for you? Well, going back, if you look at, [21:23] if you look at the world that we're in today, the Judeo-Christian world, which is, and I have to say if I have one criticism of modern Christianity prior to today, and I mean going back, because there's a lot of things I could say about today, which we will, I'm sure. But one of the things which always struck me me was about Christians, was their antipathy for the Old Testament, the Torah. It is Judeo-Christianity, and if a Christian doesn't understand that the Old Testament is their testament, there's, a problem. And they don't, indeed. In Bible study, the number of times that I heard Christians say oh, that's not my God. I want to get out of this. I want to get to my God. Well, that's two gods. [22:24] I mean, there is the Trinity, which is three gods in one, right? I mean, we do have that mystery, but we are monotheistic. And Christ's Old Testament was his Old Testament. He was here to fulfil the Old Testament. This is what he said, that it is the Father. You're speaking of your father. This is Christ's father and the Torah, the law as it was laid down is your law. It went on to the New Testament. [22:58] You know, and Catholics, I mean, I was raised a Catholic, and when I found out that it wasn't, thou shalt not kill, but thou shalt not murder, you know, the wheels begin to turn, and you try to think as best you can about these things. But there was a disconnect between the Old Testament in the New Testament. But that has to do with my criticism of my own faith. In motion pictures in the film industry, it was under attack, as it is today. Christianity is—and Judeo-Christian ethic, the West, everything that has been built through the Judeo-Christian ethic is under attack and they want to destroy it. [23:55] And basically at the very front of that is the communist wagon, and it always has been. And you can go back to 1918 or whatever and read about it, and they tried every which way from Sunday to do it, and they always failed, and now they've found another way of doing it. And they have succeeded by going after our children when we didn't know they were going after our children. But as Christians, we're pretending that it wasn't important to be mothers and fathers and the nuclear family really wasn't that important. Well, then why were they trying to destroy it? And why has it been number one? [24:35] Because and I'm going to say something else here in a second, which I'm pointing to, there's a quote. This is the technique that they have used, and you didn't know it, but you felt it all along. You felt this, but you didn't know it. [24:57] A quote by, it's attributed to Oscar Wilde. And I think it is his, I don't think, I don't think, I think it is his quote. And it is pithy and accurate and brilliant and beyond belief descriptive of everything. Everything in the world is about sex, except sex. Sex is about power. And boy, when I read that, I said, is this, did he really say this? Is it? And it hit me from every direction. The entertainment business in every which way is about sex. Novels, books, television, commercials, life itself, clothes, it's all about sex. And it goes back to God's edict to humanity. [25:56] Go forth and multiply. This is the power of procreation, is sharing in the power of creation. That power was given to all of us. We don't know, I mean, people have talked about it, but you don't, we don't know where that came from, except from God. And it is something to, what do we do with these gifts? Do we throw them away? Or do we say these are precious? [26:30] And you see by the people that you meet, those who recognize the gift and those who don't recognize the gift. And you are asked not to recognize it on a daily basis. And as a child, if you think back to your childhood when sexual urges, whether you're—and of course, I can't tell you what a woman goes through, but I can only tell you what a kid goes through—boy, when you're going through puberty, the whistles and gongs are going off, and you're you're having dreams at night and you can't stop it. [27:03] Everything is at the wrong moment and you're not purposefully thinking about it, but it's a force to be reckoned with. And you understand it as you grow older that this force is to bring you to someone else, to love, to have a family and to create the next generation and then everything changes after that. If you can contemplate that greatness, that extraordinary thing, and realize that the world seems to want to distort it, well, you realize the powers that are set up against Judeo-Christianity. And who say, we don't want the Ten Commandments, we don't want that Old Testament rag, we want freedom, free, and of course I went through that in the 60s and 70s in school, and I saw it. I mean, I was part of it in that it bounced off of me at every moment. And being a Christian, you stay in it. [28:10] I stayed in my Christianity. This is another tale. When I got to school, to college, I mean, I had 12 years of Christian education, right? I wanted to be an actor and I went to Towson University, which had a great theatre program. And it was the first time that I was in a purely secular environment. The thing that killed me was that everybody hated their parents. Everybody hated their parents. I mean, nobody wanted to, nobody had a good thing, I loved my parents. And I used to say, I used to have a long bus ride home and I used to sit in the bus looking out the window saying, why do I love my parents and I can't find somebody who loves their parents? What is that? Well, I can't say that I answered the question, but the answer was in the destruction of the family. [29:10] It was in the destruction, and it had started then. Not my mother and father. And then here's the next aspect, and I think that this plays a very big part in all the trouble we're having today. I never wanted to do something that shamed my parents, that they would be ashamed of. I felt shame. I still do. I feel shame. It was given to me by my mother and my father. Now, none of us are perfect. I know my mother wasn't perfect, my father wasn't perfect. I'm not perfect, but I feel shame and shame is rare. Now, look, I was listening to your podcast [29:58] with Father Calvin Robinson. Right.   Goodness, you make me blush. No, no. And no, but he said something. He said he said something about drag queens in the sanctuary. [30:19] I mean, we're talking about there's no shame if you do that. Before, shortly after, I guess we communicated, I went to here in Los Angeles, I went to the Church of the Nazarene in Pasadena, and I saw two, I don't know if you know these individuals, Dennis Prager, do you know Dennis Prager? Dennis is a Jewish scholar. I've been following him since since 1982, when I came to Los Angeles. He had a program called Religion on the Line, one of the great minds and thinkers of all time. In fact, many times after listening to him, I would say to myself, I'm a Jew. That's what I am, I'm a Jew. [31:05] And then there's Eric Metaxas, who is a Christian writer, thinker, and these two were in a program, an evening called ask a Gentile, Ask a Jew. And it was a great evening, two hours of just two brilliant people talking about the state of religion. What was the final outcome, sad outcome of the evening? Metaxas and Prager both came to the conclusion that we, organized religion, has failed us. It has failed us. The churches and the synagogues have failed us. They have not stepped up to defend their own dogma, their own beliefs. And we are left flailing, individuals almost. And we are struggling to connect, which is what you and I are doing right now. [32:08] I was dumbfounded by that, but at the same time, that's what I'm thinking. That's what I've been thinking for quite some time. And all of these things, you know, we are under attack from every direction. And in your own mind, what do you do? Do you throw it away? Do you say, well maybe I'm thinking the wrong thing. No, no, no, that is not the case. Because when you think about why our children, [32:47] and if you've seen this now, why our children are being told that they don't know what their sex is, Metaxas brought this up in the evening that this is one of those key cardinal points. You can see. This is a perversion of reality, because you know what the truth is. If you have a Supreme Court justice, as we do in the United States, who says, I can't define a woman, and that children, 10 year old children, 11 and 12 year old children, secretly, don't tell your parents the hallmark of a lie. Keep it secret. Don't tell anybody. Don't even tell yourself. [33:26] You know the hallmark of concealment, consciousness of guilt, everything that you know is, they are trying to tell you you know nothing and everything you know is not to be believed, but they are to be believed. That children, there are not boys and girls, that men can give birth, that there are, you know, these things that we, it's incomprehensible what's going on and it's all to destroy right from wrong. Well, that's because it's kind of, I look at it a different way. One is the difficulty of living in a society where evil is slightly different, where it's a slippery slope and it may be difficult to distinguish what you believe with something that's slightly different. But we see such a chasm now between what is true, what is right, and the collapse and degradation of society. So in theory, that means it is easier to be a Christian because it's easy to be distinct, because what you face is the opposite of what you believe. And and that's why it's curious and interesting to see churches going down this line whenever there's, [34:38] there's no question of what we see is the opposite of what is written in scripture. Oh, there's no question. You know what you're saying? You can be crushed. You know, you can be crushed at the same time. You have to deny so many things to accept what's going on. And yet you say to yourself, how do I stop it? The war that's going on in Europe at this moment. And this is why I love Bannon. I mean, I just, I adore him. I never got to, I would not, and I'll say this, Andrew Breitbart brought me out of the closet politically, really politically. I was doing a lot of things, but saying a lot of things that were in the basket, but he truly brought me out.   When was this? When was this? . This is a through also through Gary Sinise and friends of Abe. [35:48] Boy, this is this is in the, I have to say nine. I'd say 2000 to 2005, 2006. By 2008, yeah, I have to say around 2005, 2006. [36:09] I was like a Jew wandering in the desert alone and wondering where God was. And a friend of mine who I worked with on Fat Man and Little Boy, a film about making the atomic bomb, called me up, his wife was a casting director, and he said, you know there are conservatives just like yourself who get together on a regular basis. I said, no, I did not know that. He said, would you like to go to a meeting? I said, I would love to go to a meeting of other people. I went and it was Gary Sinise and Andrew Breitbart, and a lot of other extraordinary people who were all, and this is it, seeking, trying to make connections. And so Andrew said, you have to become public. He had big Hollywood and big, you know, all of, he had all of these big websites. And he asked me to write an article. [37:09] He heard me in private describe a situation that I was in, in which I was at the Williamstown Theatre Festival. I had just come back from working with Charlton Heston and I had a long discussion, which was just a wonderful discussion in the hallway at the Amundsen Theatre about Ronald Reagan becoming president, right? And this individual who was a big producer in Hollywood overheard me talking about Ronald Reagan, and he said, Oh, so you're a Reagan a-hole, you know? [37:58] And yeah, that's right. That's right. And I was, I got to tell you, I mean, this was a big guy at the theatre too, that I was working, and I went cold. I went cold. I said, yes. I said, you know, not as a, you know, and I pulled back. I was, you know, he was attacking me, obviously, with his language. And I was shocked. I was totally numbed. And I didn't want to continue with this discussion, because otherwise there would have been a blowout. But that was how in 78, 80, I understood that there was this chasm there. And [38:51] it only got worse as time went on. As I said, fortunate, it is not a zero-sum game. Fortunate there was for me, and I did have an audition for this producer. There was a writer there and a brilliant writer. We had a fallout, but he's just an extraordinary writer. His name is Tom Fontana. He wrote some very, it was St. Elsewhere, producer, writer for St. Elsewhere, The Wire, many wonderful programs. And he did not know about this problem that I had and invited me to read for a part called Fiscus in St. Elsewhere. And I walked in and there was this producer [39:37] who has passed away since now. And Breitbart wanted me to write about him. And I did, and I regretted it, but I don't regret it. But anyway, so I walked in and he was there and he said, oh, what are you doing here? And to this audition, and I said, I'm here to read for the part of Fiskars. He said, it's not gonna be a Reagan blank hole on my show. So you know what that audition was like, right? You know, I mean, and I walked out and I just, I said, God, is this going to be it? You know, is this the way it's gonna be? And at any rate, so, but I finally did write this article about him and I lost a lot of friends for writing it. And then at the same time, and I was one of the first actors for Breitbart to use my name. This was what he wanted because a lot of pseudonyms, writing for Big Hollywood, And which I understand, please, I did not do this, I did this [40:40] for personal reasons, but not because I'm brave or anything of that nature. I just was at the point where I was going to tell the truth. This is the way it's done. And you are excluded on a cocktail napkin. And that cocktail napkin is sent around to other producers and you're excluded. It is not a zero sum game because there was Stephen J Cannell and he hired me. [41:03] But the majority of people will not, unless, of course, you bring in 30 or 40 million dollars over a weekend. And then they'll hire you. But the attack on Judeo-Christianity, the attack on conservatism, which is a hallmark of Judeo-Christianity, is now at its height. It's never been greater than it is today. Well can I, you're obviously being a Christian, being a conservative within an industry within the workplace, but then you had your podcast, then you're doing, you mentioned Breitbart on the Glazov Gang, that's something different. You're stepping outside and actually you're much more public. I mean was that a conscious decision to actually begin to use radio, use the internet, use TV and speak of these issues as a Christian and conservative. Yes, absolutely. And the reason for that was I, you know, if you're, [42:13] make a point, like I would not, as Murdock from The A-Team, go out and evangelize. I wouldn't go out as Murdock from The A-Team, vote for. Right? [42:34] You're taking something that is not related and you're trying to use it to get somewhere. Where it's not as, to me, as honest as separating yourself out, creating a podcast, creating another world. This is where I talk politics. This is where I talk my personal life, my personal beliefs. This is where I do it. And so you come to me and then we go out from there. And I associate with people who talk about religion, and I associate with people who talk about politics, and I talk it there in that realm. [43:19] There's obviously a mixture. You can't divorce yourself from who you are and what you've done, and I don't. But I've never hidden my religion. I've never hidden my Christianity, as some people do. That's not the way to do it either. Yes, I am a Christian. I'm a Judeo-Christian. I believe in the Old Testament and the New Testament. And it's, for me, not a contradiction in terms. And so I express it that way. I express it here on my own podcast when I had it. And if ever anybody wanted to talk about it, I was willing to do it. And I attended every event, and with Jamie and [44:10] the lovely Anni Cyrus, that was just wonderful. That was absolutely wonderful. I went to a David Horowitz retreat, where I met Jamie. I had the great fortune, an opportunity to speak at a Freedom Concert event. Many of my public heroes were there from various political websites. And I got to meet them. And that's where I met Jamie. And he invited me on to engage with him on his program, the Glazov Gang. It's so funny. But, you know, and I met just so many fabulous people. And there are so many things right now, which I see things now and can talk about things that I couldn't prior to coming out with Andrew. And that, of course, is Bannon's big thing, Andrew. Andrew, I mean, he's – and Andrew changed – just brought the world together. I mean, his vision, his understanding of what was really going on was unique. And he was right into – he was dead on about everything. And I still don't agree with most of his friends. [45:38] I have very dark feelings about what happened to Andrew, even though I know he had a heart problem. But when the, I mean, you know what I'm talking about. I don't want to get into that aside, but I know the darkness that's out there and a voice like his had to be stopped. And they don't stop at anything. They don't. And we have now been witness to it in the United States for five or six years. Nothing stops them. Nothing. And they will lie to your face. They do not care because they are the voice of something that is dark. [46:20] That's not a knife you feel in your back. That's me scratching it. Oh, but I feel blood. No, that's not blood. You know, that's it. That's it. Can I finish off with your voice? Now, it is always wonderful to have a guest coming on and the sound is absolutely beautiful, crystal clear. You're coming through. Obviously, your voice is your how you make your your living now. And you've you've moved away from being kind of front of the camera to doing voice. Tell us what that is like, because it means you talked about fame and that means you're not recognized. It is your voice. And I remember watching, you were the one who, again, using your voice in all different ways, even back as in The A Team. But tell us about, how that works in the industry.   Well, in the industry, it doesn't. You have to be very fortunate. One of the first casting directors I ever met was Sylvia Gold, was her name. And she met with me, my first agent introduced me to her, and she said. [47:36] Oh, darling, she said, you don't understand. No one wants to hear that stuff. That's in the theatre. They want to hear you. They want to hear your voice. It's your voice that's important. And I said, no, it's not. I said, that's not what it's not. You know, I'm a vampire. I'm a thief. I listen to other people. I'm a mathematical idiot. And God gave me this ability to hear people's voices. And I said, I remember being seven years old. I was about seven years old, and I remember the first impression I ever did, which was, James Mason in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, he had a line, it was, I am dying now, and the Nautilus is dying with me, present as him. And I said this out loud to myself, I am dying now, and the Nautilus is dying with me. And the more I did it, the closer I got. And I would spend time, and I became an Anglophile, and I started listening to Richard Burton and Peter O'Toole, and I found that if I put headphones on, their voice came from the middle of my head, and I could steal from them. I could do impressions of their voice, and even if it wasn't perfect. [48:52] It became another voice, another character. And I began to identify with my relatives that way. I started doing impressions of my relatives and they did not like it. And I started doing impressions of my teachers at school and the kids liked it, but the teachers didn't like it if they heard it. And that's how it started. And I just had an ear for people's voices and dialects in the United States. And that's it. And in terms of, well, if I'm coming across crystal clear, That's because somebody recommended this microphone, the Heil PR-40, which is a dynamic microphone. Most people are wedded to very expensive condenser mics. But this is a rejection, it's a cardioid. People can open the door and come into the room and you won't hear it, you'll just hear me. Art Bell used this mic and he was always extolling the virtues of this mic, and I listened to him. And so, you know, and it's inexpensive, comparatively speaking, so it's available. [50:04] And so I, but I have spent years studying and recording people's voices and listening to them and trying to reproduce them. And one of the great thrills in my life was, I was, I knew somebody who was intimately involved with Laurence Olivier. [50:29] Peter Shaffer, and he wrote Amadeus, right? And he was just an absolutely spectacular man. And he gave me the play Amadeus to read before it was on Broadway and in Great Britain. And he was just a sweetheart of all sweethearts anyway. So I went into a bathroom and I did my impression of Olivier doing the Othello chamber scene. And I gave it to someone who was with Peter and asked them to listen to it to see if I caught any of it. And he said, this friend said, Shaffer listened to it and said, well, he said if Larry was very, very sick. But it was, you know, it was one of those, I, God, to have, you know, I, I, I think I listened, I don't know, I can't, I can't repeat anything that I've ever done myself, but I, I think I listened to the chamber scene from Othello, Olivier's Othello a thousand times. And that's how you learn when you're a young kid. That's how you learn. And you say, oh, my God, every comma. I followed it along, and he followed the text. [51:49] Amazingly, he followed the text and was dead on. And those are the kinds of things that I became very attuned to people's voices, and recorded them. And I have a lot of recordings and sometimes I still listen to Burton's Hamlet. And Gielgud, of course, directed it. [52:21] And it was considered a disaster on Broadway, but there's some great, there's just to capture, it is a miracle that I can sit here and listen to people who have passed away as if they're in my room. It is, it is a miracle, a technical miracle, but a miracle, or listening to the great choruses, motion picture choruses from 1958 and 60, and I listen to these grand voices, and I say, most of these people are not here now, But I'm listening to them and I get emotional about it. So anyway...   You've also embraced just finally about. I think I looked through and you've done the voice for like 100 video games. Well, yeah, I guess that's just if you're you're good at something, then that can be used across different, different industries. Oh, exactly. and video games are bigger than motion pictures now. And the hardest thing I was ever asked to do, and we were asked to do this periodically, you know, these great actors, right? [53:31] Sir Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart, right? Those two individuals. Do impressions of both of them, to do them in the same thing. They were in X-Men, right? So I can't do them because they're so close. And you just do. You're asked to do it. They can't make it to do a pickup, right? So they ask an actor to come in and do a line, half a line. That's it. I can't do Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart at the same time. But I can't. I can't do it because they're too close. And yet they're different. But I have not been able to. I mean, you know, you in Ian McKellen with Bilbo Baggins, you know, he's called the essence. [54:19] Patrick is done it. Patrick is down there, too. But I can't do them together. I cannot do them together. I have to do them separately. And Patrick is he was a delight, by the way. Very liberal, very liberal. But one of the great things about Star Trek is my greatest experience that I've had in Hollywood, because there was little to no politics on that set, and everybody was a delight to work with. Everyone, absolutely everyone. And walking around on the great Paramount lot was a thrill. Anyway, sorry, I'm getting side-lined. I loved all those people. I did. I really did. Dwight, I so appreciate you coming on. It's absolutely wonderful to speak with you and hear about your experiences in the industry. So we really do appreciate your time today.   Well, it's my pleasure and I am very grateful. It's been a long time since I've done anything like this.   Oh, maybe it'll become more regular. Well, thank you, Peter.   Thank you so much, Dwight. Thank you.   Bye-bye.

Brad & Diego are in the studio with an amazing Poet, Theatre, TV, Film & Voice Over Artist, Luis Galindo! We discuss longevity in the business and how to maintain working relationships in this fast paced business. www.imdb.com/name/nm7842682Luis has been a professional actor for over 25 years. He has worked and lived in NYC, Chicago and Los Angeles. He has also worked in Connecticut, Montana, Utah and Texas both on stage and screen. He has taught acting at Tulane University, New York Film Academy (Los Angeles branch) and for the Alley Theatre. He was an acting company member of Company of Angels (LA's oldest theatre company) and of the Independent Shakespeare Company of Los Angeles, where he also sat on the board of directors for 6 seasons.He also works as a voice actor in Anime films. He is a founding member of Gravity Players in Houston, Texas.He received his MFA from the University of Delaware Professional Theatre Training Program. He is the author of two volumes of poetry: Electric Rats in a Neon Gutter and The Roaring Dawn, The Silent Mountain and the play, The Tale of the Barrio Jedi. His wife, Courtney has an animal rescue called Forgotten Coast animal rescue, a 501C3 organization. You can make a donation or learn about adopting a dogat forgotten coast animal rescue.org.Like our Podcast? Wanna Support with a Donation of any size?venmo - @BradAshtenWe thank you for your patronage & Keeping the arts alive!Audio Engineered by Britton SparkmanTheme Music by Evan Michael HartCover Art & Logos by Sam Weller

Jennafer is the current Glinda in WICKED on the National Tour! We recorded this episode in sunny Orlando, FL. It's a special one! We talk about her journey to this moment, booking WICKED and getting married 6 weeks after heading out on tour, working at Disney and performing as “Nemo”, what her faith means to her as a human and artist, social media boundaries, tips for younger performers and plenty of Instagram questions submitted by YOU! Thank you for sharing with us so beautifully and bravely, Jennafer! Jennafer is a native Houstonian and now proudly calls NYC home. She has been with Wicked since 2019 and in the Bubble full time since March of 2022. Recent credits: Disney's Freaky Friday (Gretchen) at La Jolla Playhouse, Cleveland Playhouse, & The Alley Theatre and Finding Nemo: The Musical (Nemo) at Disney World. Regional: The Mystery of Edward Drood (Rosa Bud), The Light in the Piazza (Clara), and Bat Boy (Shelley). BFA from NYU Tisch. Website: www.jennafernewberry.com Instagram: @jennafernewberry App recommendation: Lectio 365 Produced by @OnairwithQ

In this delightful Eerie Extra, co-hosts Katherine Troyer and Toni Tresca talk with actor, educator, and theatre administrator Heather Kelley. We had the opportunity to speak with Heather about her current (and super cool) research on the narratives of ghosts--and ghostly encounters--at three real-world theatres here in the United States: the Alley Theatre in Houston, Texas; Le Petit Theatre in New Orleans, Louisiana; and the Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center in Waterford, Connecticut. Heather talks to us about the ways that ghosts give or deny voices to certain identities, how ghosts serve as manifestations of trauma, and how theatrical ghosts acknowledge the ephemeral nature of theatre.    HEATHER KELLEY (she/her) is an award-winning actor, educator, and theatre administrator. She holds a BFA in Acting from the University of the Arts and an MFA in Acting from Florida State University/Asolo Conservatory; at the time of this episode's publication, she is a PhD candidate in the Theatre & Performance program at the University of Colorado Boulder. Heather's current research focuses on dark tourism, ghosts as manifestations of trauma, haunted attractions, mediumship as performance, and depictions of the supernatural on stage and on screen. If you are a theatre patron and/or practitioner that has experienced unexplained and/or paranormal phenomena in a theatre or theatre-related structure, Heather invites you to contribute to her research by submitting your story here (you are very welcome to do so anonymously).   This interview occurred on January 13, 2023; the episode first aired on February 14, 2023.   Twitter/Instagram: @NightmarePod1; YouTube: Such a Nightmare channel; Email: suchanightmare.pod@gmail.com; ALL LINKS

  On Tuesday's show: A sixth officer from the Memphis Police Department has been relieved of duty as the investigation into the death of Tyre Nichols continues. We take a closer look at how police officers are trained in Houston and how that has changed in recent years with the help of Douglas Griffith, president of the Houston Police Officers Union. Also this hour: We discuss how matters before the Texas Legislature might affect the environment across the state and here in Greater Houston. Then, we revisit the background story of Houston's downtown tunnel system and hear from a man responsible for how much of the city's skyline looks: the late Gerald D. Hines. MORE: The Man Who Built Houston's Skyline: Gerald D. Hines And Cambodian Rock Band, a play at The Alley Theatre, tells the story of a Khmer Rouge survivor returning to Cambodia for the first time in thirty years as his daughter prepares to prosecute one of Cambodia's most infamous war criminals. It features a live band playing contemporary hits from the band Dengue Fever and classic Cambodian oldies. We meet two of its cast members.

We will have a Christmas Special focusing on Moody Gardens and The Alley Theatre who are reaching out to the Latino community by hiring Latinos for key posts. Sharing these amazing opportunities are Marie Elena Cortés, Public Relations Coordinator, Moody Gardens & Baldemar Rodriguez, Community Manager of Partnerships, Alley Theatre. Marie Elena Cortés is a proud Latina who taught for 26 in Houston schools with her energetic and powerful dedication. Marie has experience as a photographer, published author, artists, actress, model, teacher, podcast host, and educational consultant. She is also an entrepreneur under Cortes Educational Services and inspires parents and teachers through her story telling, art projects and writing workshops. Cortes and her son share a podcast; Shine with Marie & Mark, where they highlight citizens and community leaders who are doing what they love. This summer, Marie Elena moved to Galveston Island and joined Moody Gardens as a Public Relations Coordinator. Her passion continues to glow as she promotes a non-profit educational destination that utilizes nature in the advancements of rehabilitation, conservation, recreation, and research. “Never stop shining your light, because it will show you the way!”-Marie Elena Cortes Baldemar Rodriguez (@myfilmdirector), the Manager of Community Partnerships at the @alleytheatre, will be co hosting our event at the Alley Theatre! Join us at the Nuestra Palabra 2022 & The Zocalo Committee's “Houstonians Who Shape The Nation” event at the @alleytheatre on Monday October 3rd. Get your tickets today by clicking the bio on our link! Baldemar Rodriguez was studied acting at the University of Houston's School of Theater where he transitioned into writing, directing, and producing. His resume includes In Search of the American Dream (2012), FlasNovelas (2015) and Grey Focus (2008). Thanks to Roxana Guzman, Multiplatform Producer Rodrigo Bravo, Jr., Audio Producer Radame Ortiez, SEO Director Marc-Antony Piñón, Graphics Designer Leti Lopez, Music Director Bryan Parras, co-host and producer emeritus Liana Lopez, co-host and producer emeritus Lupe Mendez, Texas Poet Laureate, co-host, and producer emeritus Writer and activist Tony Diaz, El Librotraficante, hosts Latino Politics and News and the Nuestra Palabra Radio Show on 90.1 FM, KPFT, Houston's Community Station. He is also a political analyst on “What's Your Point?” on Fox 26 Houston. He is the author of the forthcoming book: The Tip of the Pyramid: Cultivating Community Cultural Capital. www.Librotraficante.com www.NuestraPalabra.org www.TonyDiaz.net Instrumental Music produced / courtesy of Bayden Records Website | http://baydenrecords.beatstars.com

On Monday, October 3, 2022, Nuestra Palabra: Latino Writers Having Their Say highlighted grassroots Latino art and culture that has changed the way we are perceived and treated across the nation. This powerful showcase of talent took place in the state of the art facilities of Houston's Alley Theatre, a leading force for art in the U.S., through a partnership with its El Zócalo Advisory Committee headed by Baldemar Rodriguez, Manager of Community Partnership. This event will featured the Houston release of the new book The Tip of the Pyramid: Cultivating Community Cultural Capital by Tony Diaz, El Librotraficante. Diaz is a writer and activist originally from Chicago who moved to Houston to become the first Chicano to earn a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from the University of Houston. In 1998, he founded Nuestra Palabra: Latino Writers Having Their Say, Houston's first reading series for Latino Writers, which sparked a movement for art, culture, and civil rights. NP formed the foundation for the Librotraficante Caravan, organized to defy and defeat Arizona officials banning of Mexican American Studies. His book chronicles that history. Russell Contreras is an alum of Nuestra Palabra: Latino Writers Having Their Say, a graduate of Eisenhower High School and The University of Houston. He earned a Master of Fine Arts from Columbia University. He is the national Race and Justice Reporter for Axios News. Alvaro Saar Rios is a Texican playwright living in Chicago. He is an alum of Nuestra Palabra: Latino Writers Having Their Say, a graduate of Lamar High School and The University of Houston. His plays have been performed in New York City, Mexico City, Hawaii, Chicago, St. Louis, Milwaukee and all over Texas. He has received playwriting commissions from various organizations, including Kennedy Center, Chicago Children's Theatre, and Houston Grand Opera. His award-winning play Luchadora! is published by Dramatic Publishing Inc. Other plays include On The Wings of a Mariposa, Unmuted, and Carmela Full of Wishes. Alvaro holds an MFA in Writing for the Stage and Screen from Northwestern University. He is Playwright-In-Residence at Milwaukee's First Stage. Alvaro is a proud veteran of the US Army and an Associate Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Monica Villarreal is an interdisciplinary artist native to Houston. She is the founder of Creative Women Unite, a Houston feminist arts collaborative, and she is a traditional Aztec dancer with Danza Azteca Taxcayolot, a local group that practices indigenous traditions through spirituality and community-engaging performances throughout the nation and internationally. They will open the evenings events. We will re-live the power, majesty of the Mexica through its art, culture, knowledge recapitulated over the centuries and across the continent and all over the world, and presented as Danza Azteca this evening with: Danza Chikawa Conroe Texas & Danza Azteca Taxcayolot Poet Lupe Mendez is a veteran alum of Nuestra Palabra: Latino Writers Having Their Say where he made his literary debut. He went on to become one of the co-founders of the Librotraficante Caravan, Tintero Projects, author of the poetry collection "Why I Am Like Tequila," and he is now Texas Poet Laureate. You will hear a special announcement from Sixto Wagon about opportunities for Latino Artists through the BIPOC Arts Network Fund and Geraldina Wise, Chair of ALMAAHH- Advocates of a Latino Museum of Cultural and Visual Arts & Archive Complex in Houston, Harris County. Mariachi performances by: The duet of Jose Luis Rodriguez & Rigo Tapia, and solos by Keira Dalila Martinez, and Eduardo Treviño. www.Librotraficante.com www.NuestraPalabra.org www.TonyDiaz.net Instrumental Music produced / courtesy of Bayden Records Website | http://baydenrecords.beatstars.com

Nuestra Palabra Showcases Nuestra Música #HHM Nuestra Palabra Showcases Nuestra Música #HHM Your Host, Tony Diaz showcases Baldemar Rodriguez, Manager of Community Partnerships, Alley Theatre and the young musical talent he brings in to deliver an amazing performance. Eduardo Trevino is an inspired 10-year-old singer and musician. He's had a natural rhythm and ear for music since the age of two. His first inspiration came from Christian Mariachi music. During the Covid pandemic of 2020, he used that downtime to teach himself to play guitar through YouTube videos. His first Talent Show was for “Lake Houston's Got Talent” in 2021 and won first place. A year later in May 2022 he won first place in “Festival OTI Kids 2022.” He is also actively involved in his church choir. He hopes to one day be a famous Mariachi singer and continue the beautiful Mariachi music tradition of his Mexican culture. Keira Dalila Martinez is 12 years old. She studied at Project Chrysalis Middle School. Keira loved singing since she was a child. At school she had mariachi classes for a short time and has been taking online singing classes for several months. Although she does not consider herself a professional, Keira continues to follow her passion for music, developing as a young singer and learning newsongs. One of her favorite songs to sing is “La Llorona.” Jose Luis Rodriguez is 16 years old. He attends Eisenhower High School. He learned to play the accordion by watching YouTube tutorials. Part of his musical repertoire, he plays a huapango called Coconitos and a polka called Tampico Hermoso. Rigo Tapia, his best friend and accomplice in music, accompanies him playing the bass sixth. Alan Aguilar is a 7th grader from Patrick Henry Middle School in Houston, TX, whohas demonstrated his talent in Mariachi music since the age of six. He is the1 st place winner of the most renowned mariachi singing competition worldwide, Mariachi Vargas National Vocal Contest 2021 in San Antonio. He has received a special recognition from congresswoman Sylvia Garcia for his incredible talent as a mariachi performer and now, with the support of his parents and his music teacher Jose Longoria, he takes music classes at the University of Houston and plays three instruments, guitar, violin and vihuela. Alans favorite songs to perform include “Pelea de Gallos”, “Canta, Canta, Canta”, y “Mi Reina y Mi Tesoro.” Thanks to Roxana Guzman, Multiplatform Producer Rodrigo Bravo, Jr., Audio Producer Radame Ortiez, SEO Director Marc-Antony Piñón, Graphics Designer Leti Lopez, Music Director Bryan Parras, co-host and producer emeritus Liana Lopez, co-host and producer emeritus Lupe Mendez, Texas Poet Laureate, co-host, and producer emeritus Writer and activist Tony Diaz, El Librotraficante, hosts Latino Politics and News and the Nuestra Palabra Radio Show on 90.1 FM, KPFT, Houston's Community Station. He is also a political analyst on “What's Your Point?” on Fox 26 Houston. He is the author of the forthcoming book: The Tip of the Pyramid: Cultivating Community Cultural Capital. www.Librotraficante.com www.NuestraPalabra.org www.TonyDiaz.net Instrumental Music produced / courtesy of Bayden Records Website | http://baydenrecords.beatstars.com

Nuestra Palabra: Two Houstonians SHaping The Nation! Tony Diaz speaks with Baldemar Rodriguez, the Manager of Community Partnerships at the Alley Theatre, will be co hosting our event; also there will be UH Grad Russell Contreras who returns to the Space City to Help Launch Axios Houston Baldemar Rodriguez (@myfilmdirector), the Manager of Community Partnerships at the @alleytheatre, will be co hosting our event at the Alley Theatre! Join us at the Nuestra Palabra 2022 & The Zocalo Committee's “Houstonians Who Shape The Nation” event at the @alleytheatre on Monday October 3rd. Get your tickets today by clicking the bio on our link! Baldemar Rodriguez was studied acting at the University of Houston's School of Theater where he transitioned into writing, directing, and producing. His resume includes In Search of the American Dream (2012), FlasNovelas (2015) and Grey Focus (2008). Russell Contreras, Race and Justice Reporter for Axios, returns to Houston, Sept. 20, to help launch Axios Houston. Why it matters: Russell is a graduate of the University of Houston and Columbia University who began his career in journalism in Houston before moving to New York and working at The Associated Press, the Boston Globe, and now Axios. He lives in New Mexico. Thanks to Roxana Guzman, Multiplatform Producer Rodrigo Bravo, Jr., Audio Producer Radame Ortiez, SEO Director Marc-Antony Piñón, Graphics Designer Leti Lopez, Music Director Bryan Parras, co-host and producer emeritus Liana Lopez, co-host and producer emeritus Lupe Mendez, Texas Poet Laureate, co-host, and producer emeritus Writer and activist Tony Diaz, El Librotraficante, hosts Latino Politics and News and the Nuestra Palabra Radio Show on 90.1 FM, KPFT, Houston's Community Station. He is also a political analyst on “What's Your Point?” on Fox 26 Houston. He is the author of the forthcoming book: The Tip of the Pyramid: Cultivating Community Cultural Capital. www.Librotraficante.com www.NuestraPalabra.org www.TonyDiaz.net Instrumental Music produced / courtesy of Bayden Records Website | http://baydenrecords.beatstars.com

If you're like many Latinos, then you know that the theatre has not always been the most popular within our Hispanic community. But, the Alley Theatre is trying to change that with their new HIT show, What-A-Christmas, written, directed, and starring Latinos! In today's new episode, I sit down with Elena Valladolid-Rivera from the Alley Theatre, and we talk about their diversity initiative and how she came to work in the theatre business in Houston. Listen now, and then grab your amigas and go check out What-A-Christmas!    

On Friday's show: The Greater Houston Partnership outlines Houston's economic forecast for 2023. Also this hour: We discuss the challenges people face getting jobs once they're released from prison. Then, we break down The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of the week. And What-A-Christmas, a new one-woman show at The Alley Theatre, is a take on A Christmas Carol set in a fast food restaurant similar to a certain orange-themed Texas chain.

The Alley Theatre — Houston's oldest and biggest theater — turned 75 this year. For several of those decades, the Alley was led by artistic director Gregory Boyd, who in 2018 went down in Houston's biggest #MeToo scandal. But now, says City Cast arts contributor Olivia Flores-Alvarez, the theater's future is bright. The Alley Theater website: ite where you can find where you can check out when TORERA will premier and other shows. The Houston Chronicle's expose of Gregory Boyd from 2018. OutSmart Magazine Gayest & Greatest 2022 Arts winners. Let's get you caught up with what's going on in the H! Subscribe to our newsletter, Hey Houston. You can keep up with us daily on our Twitter and Instagram We also have a Facebook page! why not give it a look? Want to talk to us directly? Then leave us a voicemail or text us at +1 713-489-6972 with your thoughts!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Friday's show: Texas health officials won't publish new data on deaths related to pregnancy until after the next legislative session. We'll discuss why with the Houston Chronicle's Julian Gill. Also this hour: A Constitutional law scholar discusses why the Second Amendment right to bear arms may or may not apply to 18- to 20-year-olds, why some states can have more restrictions on gun purchases than the federal government, and whether any limits on assault-style gun purchases would pass Constitutional muster. Then, we break down The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of the week. And Ken Ludwig, America's preeminent comic playwright, had his first commercial success with the play Lend Me a Tenor. We learn why, more than 30 years later, he revisited it and rewrote it with women in the lead roles as Lend Me a Soprano, which debuts tonight at The Alley Theatre and runs through Oct. 9.

It's News Roundup Friday! Lisa is joined by producer Ferrill Gibbs and the City Cast culture contributor Olivia Flores Alvarez. Some of today's topics include: Texas' war on trans people; the Uvalde shooting sparks a note of Texas partisanship; the new musical “Noir” opens at the Alley Theatre; a 42-year-old Houston cold case takes a wonderful turn, and a few moments of genuine Houston joy… join us! Here is a link to Noir, the new show at the Alley Theatre: Get show info Here! Also! Check out this link to The Book Cycle that Olivia mentioned -- take advantage! Remember when Ferrill talked about "Houston Gripes?" Well, Lisa Gray and Brooke Lewis periodically cover them in the City Cast Newsletter - you should get in on all that chatter! It's here! We're on Twitter! Follow us at @CityCastHouston Not on social media? You can leave us a voicemail or text us at +1 713-489-6972 with your thoughts! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

        Listen to the Show Right Click to Save GuestsThe Alley Theatre Noir What We Talked AboutThe Bedwetter Playbill Pride Episode 1 (Eric Ulloa) Episode 2 (Beth Malone) Emoji Land The Thanksgiving Play 54 below is 10 Jenn Collela Almost Famous Tonys Trailer Houston Teacher wins Tony Tonys make history Covid Protocols at Tonys Dear Evan Hansen and Tina to close Thank you to Dean Johanesen, lead singer of "The Human Condition" who gave us permission to use "Step Right Up" as our theme song, so please visit their website.. they're good! (that's an order)  

Wines and Dolls is T H R I L L E D to bring you a special episode on the World Premiere of Noir, by Duncan Sheik (Spring Awakening) and Kyle Jarrow (Spongebob Squarepants the Musical). The premiere opens at Houston's Tony-award winning Alley Theatre Wednesday June 8th with previews beginning June 2 and closing July 3rd. Buy tickets now at https://www.alleytheatre.org/plays/production-detail/noir WHAT IS NOIR- A musical inspired by classic film noir. A heartbroken man who never leaves his apartment, finding his only solace in the music on the radio. Then a couple moves in next door.  Eavesdropping becomes his new entertainment - and his new obsession.  Soon he finds himself drawn into a web of love, lies, deceit, and danger. Joining us today from the cast is Voltaire Wade-Green, making his Alley Theatre debut. He is a Broadway, Met, Kennedy Center Vet, including the impressive credit of Dance Captain for OBC Hamilton. You may have also seen him on the screen in Smash. But low key he is also a music producer and co-songwriter for the new R&B/Jazz fusion group, Saffron Lips, working with our girl, Ashley Kate Adams at No Reverse Records. Follow him on instagram at @TISVOLTAIRE As always, feel free to reach out via email at winesanddolls@gmail.com or social media! Cheers! . . . Help Wines and Dolls be the best they can be by supporting us on Patreon at patreon.com/winesanddolls for a cheers on the show and other perks for Patrons. Cheers to our Patrons: Bob, Allison, Noah, Victoria, Sandra, Julia and John! Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Twitter at winesanddolls Artwork by From Pen to Paper Music from Guys and Dolls, 1992 on Spotify --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/winesanddolls/message

In the Season 3 kick off, Mark talks with actor Lew Temple.  In this raw and casual interview, Lew shares his perspective on the human condition, specifically around our interest in problem-solving.  Lew shares his insight on acting and even reveals a gold nugget on a strategy for success in the film industry.Lew Temple is an American film actor, perhaps best known for his roles as Axel on "The Walking Dead," the character of Ned Oldham in the action adventure thriller, "Unstoppable" which also starred Denzel Washington, Chris Pine and Rosario Dawson; directed by Tony Scott, and Cal the diner manager in the comedy-drama "Waitress."Other film credits include the ranger, Hollis in the summer, 2013 Disney blockbuster "The Lone Ranger," alongside Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer; Locus Fender in the action film "Domino," starring Kiera Knightley and Mickey Rourke, directed by Tony Scott and Rob Zombie's "The Devil's Rejects" with Bill Moseley, Sid Haig, William Forsythe, and Sherri Moon ZombieTemple began his acting career on the stage of the prestigious Alley Theatre in Houston, Texas, working alongside artists such as Vanessa Redgrave in "Julius Caesar" and "Anthony & Cleopatra", as well as acclaimed writer/directors Michael Wilson, Terrance McNally and Edward Albee. He next landed numerous television roles, as well as roles in independent and mainstream studio films, such as "On the Borderline," "The Newton Boys," and "Angels in the Outfield."Prior to acting, Temple had a Minor League Baseball career with the Seattle Mariners" and "Houston Astros." He worked his way through the Astros system to become Assistant Director of Minor Leagues and Scouting. [source: IMDB}Connect with Lew Temple:https://twitter.com/LewTempleActorhttps://www.facebook.com/lew.temple.96https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0854702/Connect with Mark D Valenti:https://www.instagram.com/valentihorror/http://www.brainburrow.com/https://vimeo.com/user170376205​https://www.imdb.com/name/nm11764201/https://twitter.com/brainburrowhttps://www.tiktok.com/@brainburrowhttps://www.instagram.com/brainburrowshow/Brain Burrow Sponsors:Delirium MagazineCreepy Crate (use code Burrow5 to save $5 off your first order)Horror Pack: Movie Subscription Box #brainburrow

On Wednesday's show: With the leaked draft ruling suggesting the U.S. Supreme Court will overturn Roe v. Wade, we check in with News 88.7 reporters covering local protests and find out what this all could mean for Houston and Texas. Also this hour: We discuss the potential Supreme Court ruling and all the latest developments in politics in our weekly roundup. Plus: Area foodies dish on their favorite Houston-area hamburger joints in this month's installment of The Full Menu. And a world premiere play at The Alley Theatre called Born with Teeth contemplates a possible, and likely contentious, partnership between Shakespeare and one of his contemporaries.

Town Square with Ernie Manouse airs at 3 p.m. CT. Tune in on 88.7FM, listen online or subscribe to the podcast. Join the discussion at 888-486-9677, questions@townsquaretalk.org or @townsquaretalk. It's time to talk tacos, margaritas, chips and salsa, fajitas, and more!  Nothing hits the spot better than sizzling fajitas…or crispy tacos …or just “chips and queso”. Today, it's all about Tex-Mex!  We'll talk about what you love to cook or order, and your “go-to” local restaurants. An award-winning Houston chef and food writer chats with listeners who call in to share their favorite dishes and what makes Tex-Mex such a fine food and family tradition. Plus, Alley Theatre just announced their 2022–2023 season! We'll hear about what they're presenting to Houston audiences from a world premiere about a female bullfighter to a new adaption of a Christmas Carol. Guests: Rob Melrose Artistic Director of Alley Theatre https://www.alleytheatre.org/season Adán Medrano Houston chef and food writer Town Square with Ernie Manouse is a gathering space for the community to come together and discuss the day's most important and pressing issues. Audio from today's show will be available after 5 p.m. CT. We also offer a free podcast here, on iTunes, and other apps.

Broadway Drumming 101 is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Based in NYC since 2011, Adam came to New York by way of Houston, TX where he completed his Master's Degree at Rice University's Shepherd School of Music (2008). Adam grew up in Northeast Ohio where he attended Cleveland State University (2006). Formally studying classical percussion throughout his education, Adam also actively performed as a freelancer on drum set. His classical background combined with his drum set skills gave him a unique set of skills that turned out to be very well-suited for working in musical theater. After playing its out-of-town tryout at Houston's Alley Theatre, Adam was offered the drum set chair on Frank Wildhorn's WONDERLAND when it transferred to Broadway (Spring 2011). With his foot in the door from his first Broadway show, Adam set about the work of subbing and building a reputation in and around the city. Subbing on shows as diverse as RENT, EVITA, MATILDA the Musical, AVE Q, CATS, HELLO DOLLY, ANASTASIA, THE PROM, and many more, Adam routinely demonstrates a wide-ranging versatility. A unique hybrid player, Adam is equally at home playing drum set and percussion and excels in situations that demand both contemporary drum set styles and legit classical/orchestral sensibilities. Adam's most recent NYC chairs include 2017's BANDSTAND on Broadway (TONY Nomination for Best Orchestrations and TONY WINNER for Best Choreography), Jerry Springer the Opera, and CLUELESS the Musical.When not in the theater, Adam is often found in NYC recording studios playing for singer/songwriters and composers like Desi Oakley, The Jack Mosbacher Band, Michael Mott, and David Mallamud, playing at cabaret spots like Feinstein's 54 Below, and downtown concert venues such as Rockwood Music Hall, Piano's, or The Bitter End. Adam also maintains an active teaching practice at his studio in Midtown Manhattan and produces music and drum tracks from his at-home project studio. Connect with Adam on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram or use the contact form for bookings and any other inquiries. Thank you for reading Broadway Drumming 101. This post is public so feel free to share it.Broadway Drumming 101 is your one-stop shop for everything you'll need to know about playing drums for broadway musicals. When you subscribe to The Broadway 101 Newsletter, you'll learn about what it takes to be a successful pit musician with content delivered directly to your email inbox two to three times a week.For $5 a month, or $50 a year, you'll have a backstage pass to the world of a broadway drummer playing on a hit show. As a paying subscriber, you will receive behind-the-scenes access to the life of a musician who makes a living on Broadway. You'll also be able to read every post (not just the occasional free ones), you'll get access to all newsletter issues in the archives, and have the ability to participate in subscriber-only comments and events.The Broadway Drumming 101 Podcast is on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.The podcast features conversations with my colleagues who currently hold drums chairs showcases talks with broadway drumming legends, and highlights up-and-coming drummers breaking into the scene.There is a lot to learn. Subscribe now, so you don't miss out on the latest posts and podcasts!Clayton Craddock hosts the Broadway Drumming 101 Podcast and Newsletter. He has held the drum chair in several hit broadway and off-broadway musicals, including Tick, tick…BOOM!, Altar Boyz, Memphis The Musical, Lady Day At Emerson's Bar and Grill and Ain't Too Proud.The Broadway Drumming 101 Instagram page: InstagramThe Broadway Drumming 101 YouTube page: YouTubeFor more about Clayton, click HERE Get full access to Broadway Drumming 101 at broadwaydrumming101.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, James speaks to playwright Arthur M. Jolly about the five basic elements of drama and human relationships as well as the benefits of being a member of the New Play Exchange and his experience participating in The Last Frontier theatre conference in Valdez, AK. James loosens up about his pet peeve of using "perhaps" and maybe" in stage directions, and Arthur tells us why "we're all writers" and suggests "when in doubt, set the car on fire."Arthur M. Jolly is a former stunt performer and coordinator as well as winner of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting for his screenplay The Free Republic of Bobistan. He has written over 70 plays including A Gulag Mouse, The Ithica Ladies Read Media, Long Joan Silver, How Blue is My Crocodile, and two collections of short plays - Guilty Moments andThin Lines. His plays have been produced across the U.S., Canada, Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa and South America. He has won the Joining Sword and Pen competition three times, the Todd McNerney National Playwriting Award, the Region IV David Mark Cohen Playwriting Award and was a finalist for the Woodward/Newman Drama Award. In 2016, 2017, and 2019, he was invited by Houston's Alley Theatre to participate in the inaugural Alley at Ucross Residency. He is a member of the WGA Caucus, The Alliance of Los Angeles Playwrights, and The Dramatists Guild. His recent play The Lady Demands Satisfaction is due to be published February 2022.To watch the video version of this episode, follow the link below -https://youtu.be/Xz9UGSoqXeILinks to sites mentioned in this episode -Babes with Blades - https://babeswithblades.org/Next Stage Press -www.nextstageprss.comThe Lady Demands Satisfaction -https://nextstagepress.net/the-lady-demands-satisfaction/Nicholl Fellowship -https://www.oscars.org/nichollThe Last Frontier Theatre Conference -http://www.theatreconference.orgNew Play Exchange -https://newplayexchange.orgMiami City Theatre Summer Shorts Festival -https://www.citytheatre.com/summer-shortsYouth Plays -https://www.youthplays.com/Loft Ensemble -https://www.loftensemble.org/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_spotlightWriting services through Los Angeles Collegiate Playwrights Festivalwww.losangelescollegiateplaywrightsfestival.com/services.htmlSupport the show

(S5, EP 7) Trigger Warning: Episode will contain topics on personal Anti-Asian violence. Queer Khmer American playwright Vichet Chum joins me as part of Season 5's "Our Becoming: An LGBTQ Asian Experience" for this week's episode. This episode was recorded back in April 15th during Khmer New Year's. We talk about the ongoing anti-Asian violence and his family's own experience with anti-Asian racism as a child. We discussed the controversy with VICE News and the Tuol Sleng Prison photo controversy, and how cultural appropriation and colonizing harms our Khmer community to learn history and begin the healing process. Vichet shares his excitement over his upcoming plays that he's working on, and the goals that he seeks to amplify the Cambodian-American experience. Check out this episode and follow Vichet on IG @vichetchum . Bio: Vichet Chum is a Cambodian-American playwright and theater maker, originally from Dallas, Texas and now living in New York City. His plays have been workshopped at Steppenwolf Theatre, the Magic Theater, the Alley Theatre, the UCROSS Foundation, Fault Line Theatre, Crowded Outlet, Second Generation Productions, Weston Playhouse, Cleveland Public Theatre, All For One Theater, Amios, Florida State University, Merrimack Repertory Theatre and the New Harmony Project. He received the 2018-19 Princess Grace Award in Playwriting with New Dramatists and is a current board member for the New Harmony Project. Vichet was a part of the 2019-20 Resident Working Farm Group at Space on Ryder Farm, the 2020 Interstate 73 Writer's Group at Page 73 and the 2020 Ars Nova Play Group. In the 2022/23 season, his plays High School Play: A Nostalgia Fest will have its world premiere at the Alley Theatre and Bald Sisters will have its world premiere at Steppenwolf Theatre Company. He is a proud graduate of the University of Evansville (BFA) and Brown University/Trinity Repertory Company (MFA). He's represented by Beth Blickers at APA. vichetchum.com --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/banhmichronicles/support