Podcasts about baltimore center stage

We discussed a few things including:1. Their career journeys2.  Scaling Shoott3. Launching Lexore (formerly Frame Me)4. Lessons learned5. Trends, challenges and opportunities re photo and video industriesSequoia Blodgett is a visionary entrepreneur at the intersection of media and technology. As the CEO and co-founder of Lexore, an AI-powered video production platform, she is transforming how agencies create high-quality video content.Drawing from her extensive background in filmmaking, entrepreneurship, and venture capital, Sequoia empowers brands to craft compelling narratives that drive organic traffic and enhance customer engagement.She began her career in the entertainment industry, directing music videos for top-tier artists like Justin Bieber and Future. Her passion for entrepreneurship led her to co-star on ABC Family's Startup U, where she shared her journey as a tech entrepreneur.Her professional path includes pivotal roles at companies such as M13, Black Enterprise, and Truist, where she merged her creative expertise with innovative business strategies.Sequoia has earned accolades for her work, including multiple Telly Awards and the prestigious Women in AI Award. She is also recognized as a former venture-backed entrepreneur under Tim Draper's Draper Associates and as a mentor and entrepreneur-in-residence, guiding startups in their growth journeys.Through Lexore, she continues to leverage her expertise to simplify video production, enabling businesses to achieve exceptional results while scaling their digital presence.---With a diverse background in investment banking, strategic finance, documentary film producing, and acting, Jennifer combines her passion for all-things-process with my love of art and storytelling to manage growth, strategy, and operations for Shoott alongside my amazing team.As an actor, she was a longtime company member of The Bats at the Flea Theatre in NYC. She also performed in productions at Ensemble Studio Theatre, Baltimore Center Stage, Yale Cab, and National Black Theatre, among others. In film & TV, she's appeared in The Other Two, High Fidelity, The Village, The Blacklist, and Bored to Death as well as in numerous on-camera and voiceover spots for Citi, AT&T Wifi, Samsung, Geico, and Manhattan Mini Storage. From her time as an actor and creative, she saw firsthand how most artists struggle because their lives are gig to gig and they can't find enough work to sustain a career. It became her mission to see if we could create a business model that could help artists stay artists while providing a value-driven service for clients, which is what led me to her work co-founding and growing Shoott.#podcast #AFewThingsPodcast

Theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck joins Midday to share another weekly review of a local theatrical production. This week, Rousuck reviews Pride & Prejudice, at Baltimore Center Stage through November 10. The production is being billed as as a rom-com. Is that an accurate description?  Email us at midday@wypr.org, tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.

Theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck joins Midday to review the world premiere of Oh Happy Day at Baltimore Center Stage. The production is a new play with music that reimagines the biblical story of Noah's Ark. How well is this depiction of Noah's Ark portrayed on stage?Email us at midday@wypr.org, tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.

Theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck joins Midday to share another weekly review of a local theatrical production. We discuss The Importance of Being Earnest at Baltimore Center Stage until May 26. The production is a reimagination of Oscar Wilde's witty and humorous classic. (Photo by Michael Henniger)Email us at midday@wypr.org, tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.

Theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck joins Midday to share another weekly review of a local theatrical production. This week, we discuss “The Hot Wing King,” which continues at Baltimore Center Stage through April 28, 2024. The play follows a hot wing competition, with family drama and dysfunction spicing up the plot.Email us at midday@wypr.org, tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.

Today, on Notable Leaders' Radio, I speak with Stephanie Baker, Chief Experience Officer at WAEPA. She shares the role her life experiences, learnings, and challenges have played in guiding her all the way to the C-suite. In today's episode, we discuss:   Never give up! No matter what others say or think if you are met with resistance when you speak up…keep on going while leaning into your support system   To live your most robust life and career, be open to new things, curious about what is possible, and have an unquenchable thirst for knowledge, This will serve you in ways you can't imagine.   When living through challenging times in your life and career, it is important to take time out for yourself.. Celebrating your wins, both large and small. Evaluate the situation, what is here to learn from, how will you show up differently next time, how can you use this experience to become even better, stronger, and wiser at what you do.   Don't wait for your mentor to find you. Identify the person with the experience, vision, and shared values…and ask them to mentor you to achieve all you desire. That is how Stephanie found her first mentor. Working with him taught her things about herself that she didn't know and built a strong foundation of confidence that still serves her today.   Have a strong face, not front. Be who you are. Guest Bio: Stephanie is an accomplished executive with a successful strategic and tactical leadership track record. Visionary and creative with a steadfast commitment to excellence. She has been involved in leading service operations as well as serving as the Business Project Leader for IT enterprise-wide solution projects. Stephanie is the Customer Experience Officer of WAEPA (Worldwide Assurance for Employees of Public Agencies). She is responsible for leading all facets of the member and employee experience. Stephanie is also responsible for leading the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts for WAEPA.   Stephanie is an IASSC-certified Six Sigma Yellow Belt.   Ms. Baker serves on the Board of Directors for the Y in Central Maryland, is Chair of the Consumer Council of Maryland, Founding Member of Chief, Former Chair-Elect and Board Secretary of Executive Alliance, Former Member of the Board of Trustees for Baltimore Center Stage and Former Board Secretary of Big Brothers, Big Sisters of the Greater Chesapeake.   Stephanie lives in Maryland with her husband, Vincent, her Rottweiler, Zoe' and her cat, Chloe.   Email: slbaker28@gmail.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-baker-5833b78   Belinda's Bio: Belinda is a sought-after Leadership Advisor, Coach, Consultant and Keynote speaker and a leading authority in guiding global executives, professionals and small business owners to become today's highly respected leaders. As the Founder of BelindaPruyne.com, Belinda works with such organizations as IBM, Booz Allen Hamilton, BBDO, The BAM Connection, Hilton, Leidos, Yale School of Medicine, Landis, and the Discovery Channel. Most recently, she redesigned two global internal advertising agencies for Cella, a leader in creative staffing and consulting. She is a founding C-suite and executive management coach for Chief, the fastest-growing executive women's network. Since 2020, Belinda has delivered more than 72 interviews with top-level executives and business leaders who share their inner journey to success; letting you know the truth of what it took to achieve their success in her Notable Leaders Radio podcast. She gained a wealth of expertise in the client services industry as Executive Vice President, Global Director of Creative Management at Grey Advertising, managing 500 people around the globe. With over 20+ years of leadership development experience, she brings industry-wide recognition to the executives and companies she works with. Whether a startup, turnaround, acquisition, or global corporation, executives and companies continue to turn to Pruyne for strategic and impactful solutions in a rapidly shifting economy and marketplace. Website: Belindapruyne.com Email Address: hello@belindapruyne.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/belindapruyne  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NotableLeadersNetwork.BelindaPruyne/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/belindapruyne?lang=en  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/belindapruyne/   

Theater artist Stevie Walker Webb joins Midday. In October, he began his tenure as the new Artistic Director at Baltimore Center Stage. Walker Webb is an Obie Award winner and a Tony Award nominee. He is a director, playwright and educator, for whom social activism is a core tenet of his work.Email us at midday@wypr.org, tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.

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. We discuss ArtsCentric's production of “Cinderella,” which continues at Baltimore Center Stage through December 23. This show is not your typical “Cinderella.” So what's different?Email us at midday@wypr.org, tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.

Charm City is blessed with a vibrant arts and culture scene. Now, Baltimore Center stage and Baltimore American Indian Center team up to add to that bounty with a gallery to showcase local Indigenous arts. We hear about the inaugural Indigenous Art Gallery exhibit from Annalisa Dias, who directs ‘Artistic Partnerships and Innovation' at Baltimore Center Stage. She is a Goan-American artist and co-founder of the non-profit ‘Groundwater Arts.' Also with us was Ashley Minner Jones, a community-based visual artist in Baltimore who is an enrolled member of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472

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. We review “Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill,” which continues at Baltimore Center Stage through October 15.Email us at midday@wypr.org, tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.

This week we're getting an inside look at what it takes to create a book for the live entertainment industry. Stage manager, USITT Board member, and co-author of The Production Manager's Toolkit Cary Gillett discusses how the book idea came to life, the thoughtful changes that came with the second edition, and why this book's existence is important for the industry.Cary Gillett has worked as a production manager and stage manager in the Maryland/Washington DC area for over two decades. Cary is currently the General Manager of the DC branch of the event technology company CMI. Previously she has worked as a production manager for the Baltimore Center Stage, University of Maryland in College Park, Round House Theatre, the Potomac Theatre Project and the Helen Hayes Awards, celebrating theatre in the Washington DC area. Her stage management credits include three years as the Resident Stage Manager at the Round House Theatre in Bethesda, MD, the “In Performance” series at the White House and “A Salute to the Presidential Scholars” at the Kennedy Center. Cary is an adjunct faculty at the University of Maryland and Howard Community College where she teaches classes in management and communication. Cary serves as a board member for the United States Institute of Theatre Technology (USITT) and is the chair of the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Access and Social Justice (IDEAS) committee.Click here to purchase the second edition of The Production Manager's Toolkit.

Based in Brooklyn, New York and Minneapolis, Minnesota, David has performed off-broadway and around the country at American Conservatory Theatre, The Guthrie, Baltimore Center Stage, Asolo Repertory Theatre, Florida Repertory Theatre, Theatre Latte Da, and many others. He is the author of several musicals including The Passage, which has been developed at the NAMT Festival, Village Theatre, and beyond.  He is also studying at New York University Tisch School of the Arts.

Talking points: addiction, psychedelics, the trouble with success, death, grief, masculinity, How I Met Your Mother Honestly, there's not a single topic Josh and I didn't cover in this episode. We've been friends for years and wanted to jam together for a long time, and it's clear we had a ton to talk about. Deeply grateful for his insight, perspective, and stories. This is a great episode if you're looking for the perfect combo of candid, vulnerable, and funny. [00:06:02] - Josh's defining moments [00:18:43] - Addictive personalities [00:23:01] - The power of empathy and forgiveness [00:31:04] - What's brilliant about 12-step [00:35:03] - What was happening in Josh's life when How I Met Your Mother became successful [00:42:06] - What made HIMYM successful, and it's portrayal of masculinity (and Canadians) [00:50:47] - "The baseline question [of HIMYM] was 'Who Am I?'" [00:58:55] - Depth vs growth, Jung's puer aeternus, and death [01:14:03] - The role of a parent, unconditional love, and what Josh's dog Nelson has taught him [01:24:46] - Josh's experience with plant medicines Writer, director, and actor Josh Radnor is a multifaceted talent, bringing a wealth of experience to all his endeavors. Radnor is perhaps best known for playing Ted, the central character in the seven-time Emmy-winning comedy, "How I Met Your Mother." Premiering at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Audience Award, Radnor directed, wrote and starred in his first feature film, "happythankyoumoreplease." The film was released in March 2011, and featured an ensemble cast including Richard Jenkins, Malin Akerman, Kate Mara, Zoe Kazan, and Tony Hale. Radnor's second directorial effort came with the Sundance Film Festival favorite "Liberal Arts", which he also wrote and starred in alongside Elizabeth Olsen, Richard Jenkins, and Allison Janney. His upcoming music album, "Eulogy", will be released later this year. In addition to film and television, Radnor starred on Broadway as the title character in "The Graduate" opposite Kathleen Turner and Alicia Silverstone. Off-Broadway and regionally, he has appeared in productions with the Manhattan Theater Club, The Vineyard Theater, and Baltimore Center Stage, among others. A gifted writer, Radnor has published several articles in the Los Angeles Times Magazine, Guilt and Pleasure Magazine, Moviemaker Magazine, Indiewire, and The Huffington Post. A native of Columbus, Ohio, Mr. Radnor attended Kenyon College where he won the Paul Newman Acting Trophy. He received his MFA in acting from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. He currently resides in Los Angeles. Connect with Josh: -Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/JoshRadnor/ Pick up my brand-new book, Men's Work: A Practical Guide To Face Your Darkness, End Self-Sabotage, And Find Freedom: https://mantalks.com/mens-work-book/ Check out some free resources: How To Quit Porn | Anger Meditation | How To Lead In Your Relationship Build brotherhood with a powerful group of like-minded men from around the world. Check out The Alliance and join me today.  Enjoy the podcast? If so, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or Podchaser. It helps us get into the ears of new listeners, expand the ManTalks Community, and help others find the tools and training they're looking for. And don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts  | Spotify For more episodes, visit us at ManTalks.com | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's time again for a visit with Midday theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck, who joins Tom each week with her reviews of Maryland's regional stage. She joins Tom to tell us about Life is a Dream at Baltimore Center Stage, which runs until May 21, 2023.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thinking Cap Theatre's Artistic Director Nicole Stodard talks with celebrated director Stevie Walker-Webb about all things Fornes, including Stevie's direction of her adaptation of Calderon de la Barca's Life is a Dream at Baltimore Center Stage (May 4 - 21, 2023, https://www.centerstage.org). STEVIE WALKHER-WEBB'S BIO Stevie Walker-Webb is an Obie award winning Director, Playwright, and Cultural Worker who believes in the transformational power of art. He is the founder and Executive Director of HUNDREDS of THOUSANDS an arts and advocacy non-profit that makes visual the suffering and inhumane treatment of incarcerated mentally divergent people and the policies that adversely impact their lives. He is a recipient of the Princess Grace Award for Theatre, The Lily Award in honor of Lorraine Hansberry awarded by the Dramatists Guild of America, a 2050 Fellow at New York Theatre Workshop and a Wellspring Scholar. He's served as the Founding Artistic Director of the Jubilee Theatre in Waco, Texas and has created art and theatre in Madagascar, South Africa, Mexico, and across America. He's served as the Outreach Coordinator for Theatre of the Oppressed-NYC and holds an MFA from The New School, and a B.S. in Sociology from the University of North Texas. His work has been produced by: The Public Theater, American Civil Liberties Union, The New Group, Cherry Lane, Zara Aina, La Mama, Woolly Mammoth, Baltimore Center Stage, Lincoln Center, and Classic Stage.   Stevie is a regular professor and lecturer at NYU Tisch School of the arts where he teaches acting, ensemble work, and devised theatre. Currently he is a professor and Artist in Residence at Harvard University where he's teaching a series of courses aimed at “Decolonizing the Creative Process”. The Harvard lectures will culminate in a forthcoming book.Stevie has written and directed two films, We Got Out and the documentary Hundreds of Thousands.Notable Theatrical Productions: Ain't No Mo' written by Jordan E. Cooper at The Public Theater (2019), Associate Director for Shakespeare in the Park at The Public Theater Julius Caesar (2017) and Twelfth Night with Oskar Eustis and Shaina Taub (2018), One in Two by Donja Love at the Signature (2019), Black Odyssey by Marcus Gardley at Classic Stage (2023),   Stevie has served as a director for several Audible productions including, Wally Roux Phantom Mechanic written by Nick Carr and starring William Jackson Harper, Hop Tha A by James Anthony Tyler, and Brutal Imagination written by Cornelius Eady, starring Sally Murphy and Joe Morton.He's a contributing writer on The Ms. Pat Show a new breakout comedy streaming on BET+ and has been commissioned by The Mercury Store for a forthcoming play called Of Mercy And Madness. For more information about Stevie visit steviewalkerwebb.com Podcast Edited by Bree-Anna Obst. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thinking-cap-theatre/support

It's time again for a visit with Midday theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck, who joins Tom each week with her reviews of Maryland's regional stage. Today she tells us about Tiny Beautiful Things, writer Cheryl Strayed's bestselling digest of her "Dear Sugar" personal advice columns, retold in a compelling stage adaptation by "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" writer and actor Nia Vardalos, and in production now at Baltimore Center Stage. Tiny Beautiful Things — directed by BCS's new interim artistic director Ken-Matt Martin — continues at Baltimore Center Stage through April 2. Click the show link for more info.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sound Designer Matthew Nielson & Tony Angelini share stories and lessons about the joy and the craft of sound design for the theatre and for film. Based in the Washington, DC Area, Matthew M. Nielson is a producer, composer, sound designer, recording engineer, audio post production engineer, songwriter, and orchestrater for Film, TV, Theater, Radio, Web, and MusicHis music for film has been heard in film festivals across the US. He has composed and designed more than two dozen short films, feature-length documentaries and feature-length narratives, including Poker Face, Lulu and Josie, A Sleepover Story, Fire's Daughter, Death in Time, Londinium, and Elbow Grease. He has won several film festival awards for his work and been nominated for several more. His music and sound design for television have been featured in branding packages for Epix Drive-In and Spike TV, and his commercial clients include Delivery.com, NBA, UFC on FOX, Bounty Hunters, Discovery Channel, National Geographic, NBC Sports, v05, and Hometrust Bank. His work can be heard in video games, including Drone Command.Theatrically, Nielson has designed, composed, orchestrated and written songs for hundreds of productions around the world. Off-Broadway: Shakespeare's Villains and Lakawanna Blues (Public Theatre). Regional credits include Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Portland Center Stage, Baltimore Center Stage, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Milwaukee Repertory, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Delaware Theatre Company, Barrington Stage, NC Stage, Triad Stage, Ford's Theatre, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Arena Stage, Woolly Mammoth, Signature Theatre, Kennedy Center, Round House Theatre, Contemporary American Theatre Company, Library of Congress, Folger Theatre, the National Gallery of Art, and many others. International credits include productions in Germany and Russia. Nielson has mentored sound design students and taught master classes at the University of Maryland and American University.During the pandemic, Nielson worked on many digital content projects for theatres in the DC Area and across the US as a location audio recordist, sound designer, composer, and audio post engineer. Projects include Homebound, a 10-episode web series available online, several theatre/film hybrid projects, and more than a dozen streaming versions of live theatrical productions. Nielson was a founding member of the audio theatre company The Audible Group (now Listenably), who produced holiday productions of A Child's Christmas in Wales and Gift of the Magi for charity. With The Audible Group, Nielson wrote, directed, scored and designed the dramatic audio series Troublesome Gap. He co-founded Sound Lab Studios; a premier full-featured audio post-production house and The Curious Music Company; a production music library and custom music shop.Nielson has won five Helen Hayes Awards and been nominated for many more, including the League of Cincinnati Theatre awards, Barrymore Awards and BroadwayWorld.com awards. He is currently enrolled in the songwriting program with the Berklee College of Music Online.Some Links:Holding for Lights: https://curiousmusic.bandcamp.com/track/holding-for-lights Mary Stuart (Original Score by Matthew Neilson: https://open.spotify.com/album/5WxQXrkqW172hToax0jXOt?si=_eFQQ_2CT0C-PCGwXfu32w A track from The Book of Will at Round House: I'm your host, Tony Angelini. Thanks for listening. Find out more at www.creativemindset.org

It's time for another visit with Midday' theater critic, J. Wynn Rousuck, who joins us each week with her reviews of Maryland's regional stage. Today she spotlights the new ArtsCentric production of Crowns, playwright Regina Taylor's spirited musical tribute to the traditional Black church, adapted from the book by Michael Cunningham and Craig Marberry. The musical — which blends gospel, poetry, dance and dialogue — is directed at Baltimore Center Stage by ArtsCentric's artistic director, Kevin S. McAllister. Crowns continues at Baltimore Center Stage through March 5. Click the theater link for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's time again for our visit with Midday theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck, who joins us each week with her reviews of Maryland's regional stage. Today, she spotlights the new production of Jordan E Cooper's Ain't No Mo,' now running at Baltimore Center Stage. The no-holds-barred satirical comedy — a collection of often outlandish sketches about being Black in America — is directed at Center Stage by Lili-Anne Brown. The play is produced in association with the Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company in Washington, DC. A separate production began previews on Broadway on November 9. Ain't No Mo' continues at Baltimore Center Stage through November 20. Follow the links for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Katie checks in with actor of stage (St. Louis Rep, Barrington Stage, Arden Theatre Company, Baltimore Center Stage, the Mint, the Metropolitan Opera) and screen (Law and Order: SVU, The Good Fight, Elementary, Gossip Girl), Peterson Townsend.

It's time for another visit with Midday theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck, who joins Tom each week with her reviews of Maryland's regional stage. Today, she tells us about Baltimore Center Stage's new production of Thornton Wilder's Pulitzer Prize-winning drama, Our Town, often described as the finest American play ever written. The classic 1938 theater piece, which tells the story of the people in a fictional American small town, is reimagined in the new production in a way that draws inspiration from our own town, Baltimore. Directed by Obie Award winner Stevie Walker-Webb (who directed BCS's acclaimed The Folks at Home), Our Town chronicles a community, in their "growing up, their marrying, their living and their dying," and shines a poignant light on the beauty of the individual. Our Town continues at Baltimore Center Stage through October 9th. Follow the links for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hana Sharif, the Augustin Family Artistic Director for The Rep, stopped by to speak with Nancy about her career and the upcoming season. HANA SHARIF (Augustin Family Artistic Director) has enjoyed a multi-faceted theatre career, including roles as an artistic leader, director, playwright and producer with a specialty in strategic and cross-functional leadership. She served for five years as Associate Artistic Director at Baltimore Center Stage, where she oversaw the day-to-day execution of all of the mainstage and studio productions, and was the architect of the innovative CS Digital program: a platform that pushes the boundaries of traditional theatre and looks at the nexus point between art and technology. Her other achievements at Baltimore Center Stage include prototyping the Mobile Unit, strengthening community engagement, producing multiple world and regional premieres and helping to guide the theatre through a multi-million dollar building renovation and rebranding effort. In 2012, Hana served as the inaugural Program Manager of the ArtsEmerson Ambassador Program and launched ArtsEmerson Artist-In-Residency program featuring playwright Daniel Beaty. In addition to her work at ArtsEmerson, Hana leveraged her regional theatre experience to freelance produce for smaller theatre companies, looking to expand and restructure their administrative teams. Hana served as developmental producer and program manager for Progress Theatre in Houston, where she consulted with the Artistic Director on redefining the artistic vision and subsequent recasting of the ensemble company and lead strategic organizational planning focused on LORT market entry. During her decade-long tenure at Hartford Stage, Hana served as the Associate Artistic Director, Director of New Play Development, and Artistic Producer. Hana launched the new play development program, expanded the community engagement and civic discourse initiatives, and developed and produced Tony, Grammy, Pulitzer and Obie Award-winning shows. From 1997–2003, Hana served as the co-founder and Artistic Director of Nasir Productions, a theatre dedicated to underrepresented voices to challenge traditional structures. Her guest lecturer credits include Spelman College, Sewanee University, UT Austin, UCSD, Prairie View A&M, Emerson College, Maggie Flanigan Studio, Towson University, UMD, UConn, UMass and University of Hartford, among others. Additionally, Hana has directed acclaimed productions of Porgy & Bess, The Who & The What, Fun Home, Sense and Sensibility, The Christians, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Pride and Prejudice (DCArts: Best Director/Best New Play), The Whipping Man, Gem of the Ocean (six CCC nominations), Gee's Bend (CCC Award Best Ensemble, two nominations), Next Stop Africa, Cassie, The Drum and IFdentity. Her plays include All the Women I Used to Be, The Rise and Fall of Day and The Sprott Cycle Trilogy. Hana holds a BA from Spelman College and an MFA from the University of Houston. She is the recipient of the 2009–10 Aetna New Voices Fellowship, EMC Arts Working Open Fellowship, Theatre Communications Group (TCG) New Generations Fellowship, and is a founding member of The Black Theatre Commons (BTC). She serves on the board of directors for the TCG, BTC, and the Sprott Foundation.

Super excited to announce new guest, John Milosich, to The Story!Born in Buffalo NY, raised in Erie Pa, Actor-Musician John “Milo” Milosich continues to recalibrate his trajectory as a creative and a performer. He taught music and theater in public and private schools for ten years. Scrubbing toilets in exchange for acting and dance classes at Synetic Theater lead him to mainstage shows with them at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and neighboring DC theaters.He composed music for live performance by a gypsy punk band in a devised rendition of the Brechtian play Mother Courage and Her Children. It paid $50 and a case of PBR, but there he took up the accordion to soon after earn a role in a two-year Broadway touring production that ran in 70 cities across the US, Canada and Japan. He acted, played guitar, accordion and foot percussion at Arena Stage in DC, Kansas City Repertory Theatre and Baltimore Center Stage before the pandemic, but has yet to be cast in a theatre production close to Lancaster. Instead, he's the ringleader of the accordion-powered romp-rock band for adventurers, Featherburn, and the one-man ensemble, MiloSolo.You can find John's work here:Band sites:featherburn.comsongwhip.com/featherburninstagram.com/featherburnFeatherburnSolo music sites:milosolo.comMiloSoloActor website:johnmilosich.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-story/donations

Super excited to announce new guest, John Milosich, to The Story!Born in Buffalo NY, raised in Erie Pa, Actor-Musician John “Milo” Milosich continues to recalibrate his trajectory as a creative and a performer. He taught music and theater in public and private schools for ten years. Scrubbing toilets in exchange for acting and dance classes at Synetic Theater lead him to mainstage shows with them at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and neighboring DC theaters.He composed music for live performance by a gypsy punk band in a devised rendition of the Brechtian play Mother Courage and Her Children. It paid $50 and a case of PBR, but there he took up the accordion to soon after earn a role in a two-year Broadway touring production that ran in 70 cities across the US, Canada and Japan. He acted, played guitar, accordion and foot percussion at Arena Stage in DC, Kansas City Repertory Theatre and Baltimore Center Stage before the pandemic, but has yet to be cast in a theatre production close to Lancaster. Instead, he's the ringleader of the accordion-powered romp-rock band for adventurers, Featherburn, and the one-man ensemble, MiloSolo.You can find John's work here:Band sites:featherburn.comsongwhip.com/featherburninstagram.com/featherburnFeatherburnSolo music sites:milosolo.comMiloSoloActor website:johnmilosich.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-story/donations

It's time for another visit with Midday's award-winning theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck, who joins Tom each week with her reviews of Maryland's regional stage. Today, she tells us about Bakkhai, playwright and classicist Anne Carson's new version of the classic Greek tragedy by Euripides, now in a live production at Baltimore Center Stage. Featuring original music by Diana Oh and choreography by Willa Noel Montague, the play is directed at Center Stage by Michael Donahue, with a cast that also includes Kambi Gathesha, Shauna Miles, Alexander Sovronsky, Christopher Sears and Michael Maloney. Bakkhai continues at Baltimore Center Stage thru June 19. For information on showtimes and ticketing, follow the the play link. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's time for another visit with Midday theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck, who joins Tom each week with her reviews of the regional stage. In keeping with today's housing theme, she spotlights Dream Hou$e, playwright Eliana Pipes' energetic satire about how two LatinX sisters deal with cultural assimilation, capitalism, and the American home-ownership dream, now running at Baltimore Center Stage. The world-premiere production, staged in partnership with Atlanta's Alliance Theatre and New Haven's Long Wharf Theatre, is directed at Center Stage by Laurie Woolery. Dream Hou$e continues at Baltimore Center Stage through this Sunday, May 15. Follow the theater link for showtimes and ticketing information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

About the guestAnnalisa Dias is a Goan-American transdisciplinary artist, community organizer, and award-winning theatre maker working at the intersection of racial justice and care for the earth. She is Director of Artistic Partnerships & Innovation at Baltimore Center Stage. Annalisa is also a Co-Founder of Groundwater Arts. Prior to joining BCS, Annalisa was a Producing Playwright and Acting Creative Producer with The Welders, a DC playwright's collective; and a Co-Founder of the DC Coalition for Theatre & Social Justice. Artistic credits include: WRITING: 4380 Nights, the earth that is sufficient, One Word More, The Last Allegiance, A Legacy of Chains, Crooked Figure, Consider the Dust, Matanuska, Coal, and Servant of the Wind. DEVISING: Wit's End Puppets: Malevolent Creatures; banished? productions: Tyger; Theater Alliance: I Love DC. DIRECTING: Source Festival: Dust to dust to dust and Dressing Bobby Strong; The Salima Project (film). Annalisa's work has been produced or developed by The Welders, Theater Alliance, Signature Theatre (DC), Arena Stage, the Phillips Collection, The Gulfshore Playhouse, the Mead Theatre Lab, The Hub Theatre, Spooky Action Theater, Tron Theatre (Glasgow), and OverHere Theatre (London). Annalisa frequently teaches theatre of the oppressed and decolonization workshops nationally and internationally and speaks about race, identity, and performance. She is a TCG Rising Leader of Color. Recent work includes THE EARTH, THAT IS SUFFICIENT, a performance project about hope for the future in the face of the climate catastrophe, produced by The Welders throughout 2019 in Washington DC and globally.The Truth In This ArtThe Truth In This Art is a podcast interview series supporting vibrancy and development of Baltimore & beyond's arts and culture.Mentioned in this episodeBaltimore Center StageTo find more amazing stories from the artist and entrepreneurial scenes in & around Baltimore, check out my episode directory.Stay in TouchNewsletter sign-upSupport my podcastShareable link to episode★ Support this podcast ★

Pooya Mohseni is a New York based award winning actor, writer, and transgender activist, born and raised in Tehran, Iran. She has appeared on stage in New York and regional theaters, including Hamlet and Comedy of Errors at the Play On Shakespeare Festival, One Woman with United Solo Festival, Galatea with the WP Project, The Good Muslim at EST, White Snake at Baltimore Center Stage, Death of the Persian Prince with the Midtown International Theater Festival and the SAIPAF, A Touch of Forever with the New York International Fringe Festival and she recently appeared in the world premiere of English in an Atlantic Theater Company and Roundabout Theater co-production, which has been nominated for Outstanding Play, Outstanding Ensemble and Outstanding Scenic Design by the Lucille Lortel Awards. Her film and television credits include Law & Order: SVU, Big Dogs, Falling Water, Madam Secretary, Lucky, Terrifier and award winning film See You Then, available now to stream on VOD.  IG @ Pooyaland

Here's a Stoop Story from Martha Weiman about her family's escape from Nazi Germany. Don't miss the next opportunity to hear LIVE stoop stories … this coming Monday, April 11. The theme is ‘Never Have I Ever: Seven storytellers share tales about a wacky, wild, and weird thing they've done.' It all starts at 7 pm at Baltimore Center Stage with live funk music by the Jonathan Gilmore Project. Stories begin at 7:30.  Links: LIVE Stoop event at Center Stage. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Midday theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck, who brings us her reviews of the regional stage each week, joins Tom today to spotlight The Folks at Home, a new comedy now getting its world premiere at Baltimore Center Stage. Written by Baltimore's own R. Eric Thomas(whoseother new play, Crying on Television, is premiering at Everyman Theatre next month), The Folks at Homeis a TV sitcom-inspired romp about race, marriage and family ties that's directed by Obie Award-winner Stevie Walker-Webb. The cast includes Alexis Bronkovic, Brandon E. Burton, E. Faye Butler, Jane Kaczmarek, Eugene Lee, Christopher Sears and Roz White. The Folks at Home continues on stage at Baltimore Center Stage through April 10. For showtimes and ticket info, click here. The play will also be livestreamedApril 6-10. For livestream tickets, click here.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Midday on the Arts continues, Tom's next guest is R. Eric Thomas, a playwright, author, screenwriter, and humorist who is a Baltimore native. He has not one, but two plays that will be given their world premieres here in his hometown. They are both comedies. The Folks at Homeopened at Baltimore Center Stage last night. Crying on Televisionopens at the Everyman Theater on May 31st. Eric Thomas joins Tom on Zoom… (Because their conversation was pre-recorded, we can't take any calls or on-line comments.) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

EP 166: Aaron sat down with Baltimore Music Artist John Tyler to discuss Mental Health and how it has affected him in various stages of his career and currently now. He performed at Firefly Music Festival with Peach Face and that was an  experience that changed his life perspective. We spoke on how he wanted to be architect growing up but found the passion of music through an unlikely avenue. He has a new album  out & we talk about the next movement with Love Groove Ent/Festival John Tyler is a 21-year-old artist, multi- instrumentalist, multi-genre producer, Founder of Love Groove Music Festival, and film scorer for Under Armour, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Visit Baltimore, and Maryland Public Television.  He has been featured in Charm TV, Hulu Advertisements, BET Instagram Promotions, Baltimore Magazine, Afro Newspaper, Baltimore Sun, B'more Art, Baltimore's 92Q, & WTMD.    At 16, John released his first mixtape and has since released two more. In 2019, John's debut album “The Good Side of Things'' dropped, setting a high standard for Baltimore music.  This project highlights his abilities to merge multiple genres into one. At 17, John started the Love Groove Music Festival to bring together young artists from different genres of art to showcase talent and to offer learning and networking opportunities.  This year marks his fifth showcase, partnering with Hot Sauce Artists Collective, Baltimore Center Stage,  to bring an ultimate music, arts, and education festival. After two long years since John Tyler's debut album, “The Good Side of Things”, he is finally back with his new EP and documentary entitled “ Free Spirit”. Free Spirit is a soulful, yet relaxing four-song collection highlighting his musicality and inspired by his desire to take a step back and appreciate life. John made this relaxing EP because he was overwhelmed with the fast forward nature of his life, the good and the bad.  He describes this EP as “from sunrise to sunset”.    It is his hope that this EP serves as a relaxing tool for those who are facing anxiety and constantly in motion.  Join John on his upcoming 2022 winter tour as he performs the full free spirit project! IG: johntylersounds www.johntylersounds.com www.nopixafterdark.com Thank you to my sponsors:                 Zeke's Coffee        www.zekescoffee.com                           Maggies Farm  www.maggiesfarm.com                                 FoundStudio Shop  www.foundstudioshop.com                                 Charm Craft City Mafia  www.charmcitycraftmafia.com               Siena Leigh https://www.sienaleigh.com                     Open Works https://www.openworksbmore.org               Baltimore Fiscal                https://www.baltimorefiscal.com      

Brief summary of episode:John Tyler is a 21-year-old artist, Founder of Love Groove Music Festival, and film scorer for Under Armour, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Visit Baltimore, and Maryland Public Television.  He has been featured in Hulu Advertisements, BET Instagram Promotions, Baltimore Magazine, Afro Newspaper, Baltimore Sun, B'more Art, and Baltimore's 92Q.    At 16, John released his first mixtape and has since released two more. In 2019, John's debut album “The Good Side of Things” dropped, setting a high standard for Baltimore music.  This project highlights his abilities to merge multiple genres into one. At 17, John started the Love Groove Music Festival to bring together young artists from different genres of art to showcase talent and to offer learning and networking opportunities.  This year marks his fifth showcase, partnering with Hot Sauce Artists Collective, Baltimore Center Stage, Blueprints For Artists to bring an ultimate music, arts, and education festival.  John aspires to be a touring artist, compose music for major films, and to continue to give back to his community through Love Groove Music Festival.To find more amazing stories from the artist and entrepreneurial scenes in & around Baltimore, check out my episode directory.The Truth In This ArtThe Truth In This Art is a podcast interview series supporting vibrancy and development of Baltimore & beyond's arts and culture.Mentioned in this episode:Love Groove FestivalJohn's First InterviewPhotography by Brandon ArmstrongTo find more amazing stories from the artist and entrepreneurial scenes in & around Baltimore, check out my episode directory.Stay in TouchNewsletter sign-upSupport my podcastShareable link to episode★ Support this podcast ★

Kwame Kwei-Armah is British actor, playwright, director and broadcaster. In 2018 he was made Artistic Director of the Young Vic, where he has directed Twelfth Night and Tree. From 2011 to 2018 he was previously the Artistic Director of Baltimore Center Stage where he directed: Jazz, Marley, One Night in Miami, Amadeus, Dance of the Holy Ghosts, The Mountaintop; An Enemy of the People, The Whipping Man and Things of Dry Hours.Other work as a director includes: Tree (Manchester International Festival), Twelfth Night, Comedy of Errors, Much Ado About Nothing, Detroit'67 (Public Theatre, New York), The Liquid Plain (Signature Theatre, New York and Oregon Shakespeare Festival), Porgy and Bess (Baltimore Symphony Orchestra) the Olivier Nominated One night in Miami for Best New Play 2016 (Donmar Warehouse) and One Love (Birmingham Repertory Theatre). As a playwright his credits include Tree (Manchester International Festival, Young Vic), One Love(Birmingham Repertory Theatre), Beneatha's Place (Baltimore Center Stage) Elmina's Kitchen, Fix Up, Statement of Regret (National Theatre) Let There Be Love and Seize the Day (Tricycle Theatre). Kwame was Artistic Director for the Festival of Black arts and Culture, Senegal, in 2010. He conceived and directed the opening ceremony at Senghor National stadium. He was an Associate Director of the Donmar Warehouse and has served on the boards of the National Theatre, Tricycle Theatre, and Theatre Communications Group. Kwame was the Chancellor of the University of the Arts London from 2010 to 2015, and in 2012 was awarded an OBE for Services to Drama.In 2012, 2013 and 2014 Kwame was named Best Director in City Paper's Best of Baltimore Awards and in 2015 was nominated for the prestigious Stage Directors and Choreographers Zelda Fichandler Award for Best Regional Artistic Director. In 2016 he was awarded the Urban Visionary Award alongside House Representative Elijah Cummings by the Center for Urban Families for his work in the Baltimore community. In 2019 he was the Chair of the Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting. Kwame is a patron of Ballet Black and a visiting fellow of Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford University. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Reynaldo Piniella is an actor, writer, educator and activist from East New York, Brooklyn. He is an Advocacy Leadership Institute Fellow with the National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures (NALAC). He currently serves on the Council of the Episcopal Actors' Guild, a nonsectarian charitable organization that provides food and financial assistance to actors in need. He co-runs Youth Onstage!, a free youth theater training program for young people from underserved communities across the country. As an actor, he's been seen Off-Broadway in The Death of the Last Black Man…, Venus (Signature), The Skin of Our Teeth (TFANA), Lockdown (Rattlestick), The Space Between the Letters (The Public/UTR), Terminus (NYTW Next Door). Regional work includes Baltimore Center Stage, Syracuse Stage, Sundance Theatre Lab in Morocco, the O'Neill and the Cleveland Playhouse. TV credits include Blue Bloods, Sneaky Pete, Flesh & Bone, Greenleaf, The Carrie Diaries, Law & Order: SVU, NYC 22, Us & Them, Louie and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Film credits include Madeline's Madeline, Shadows, One Percent More Humid and Broken City. His writing has been developed and commissioned by Baltimore Center Stage, the National Black Theater, San Diego Rep, Single Carrot Theater, Pioneer Theatre Guild, Shakesqueer Theater Company, HB Studio and NYU. Piniella's play Black Doves won the Thomas Barbour award for Playwriting. Philanthropic/Activist Causes: Episcopal Actors Guild National Association of Latino Arts and Culture, Weeksville Heritage Center

The University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) is filled with artistically talented people, as well as art patrons of our local venues. To share what the UMB Council for the Arts & Culture is up to, we chat with Jennifer Litchman, MA, senior vice president for external relations; Nancy Gordon, executive director of protocol and special events; and our very own Dana Rampolla, the creative director and managing editor of 1807, our annual art and literary journal (3:07). Get a scoop on the return of the Neighborhood Spring Festival (8:52), a new mural on Greene Street (12:32), 1807 exhibits (16:21), performing arts partnerships (19:02), and the Artists' Alliance (27:18). Thank you for listening this semester. Remember to take “The UMB Pulse” survey (32:18)!

It's Midday on the Arts.  A little later in this hour, Tom checks in with our theater critic, J Wynn Rousuck, for her reviews of two shows at Baltimore Center Stage. Tom will also talk to some folks from Baltimore's Everyman Theater about their new production of Thornton Wilder's The Skin of Our Teeth. But we begin with two classically trained string players who have reimagined the repertoire and the audience for their instruments. In 2004, two high school buddies from Broward County, Florida, formed the duo Black Violin. Here's Wil B on viola and Kev Marcus on violin with a little taste of Black Violin from their 2020 release, a holiday album called Give Thanks. This is their take on the classic, Joy to the World. Black Violin is in the middle of a national tour that has them playing the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall here in Baltimore tonight (Dec.10), for one show only. They'll be joined on stage by DJ SPS and drummer Nat Stokes. Their show starts at 8:00. For ticketing information, click here. Wil Baptiste and Kev Marcus join us on Zoom from south Florida. Their conversation with Tom was recorded earlier this week, so we can't take any calls. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

And lastly on today's edition of Midday on the Arts, our theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck joins Tom for another of her weekly reviews of the region's thespian offerings. This week, she has reviews of two plays now running concurrently at Baltimore Center Stage. The first is ArtsCentric's ambitious production of Dreamgirls, the 1980s hit Broadway musical about a trio of young female singers aspiring to success. The sprawling cast is directed by Artscentric's founder and artistic director, Kevin S. McAllister. Musical Supervision is by Cedric D. Lyles, with choreograophy by Shalyce Hemby. The second play is the Center Stage production of Fires in the Mirror, playwright Anna Deavere Smith's powerful, one-woman evocation of the strife between Black and Jewish communities that erupted in New York City in the summer of 1991. The Center Stage production is directed by Nicole Brewer. (Tom Hall spoke about Fireswith Nicole Brewer, Center Stage Artistic Director Stephanie Ybarra and playwright Anna Deavere Smith, along with two scholars, here onMiddayearlier this month). The play is being presented in partnership with the Long Wharf Theater in New Haven, Connecticut. Theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck joins us today on Zoom. Both productions are running at Center Stage until December 19. For ticketing information for Dreamgirls, click here. For Fires in the Mirror, click here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on Midday, a variety of perspectives on Fires in the Mirror: Crown Heights, Brooklyn and Other Identities, the 1992 play about Black-Jewish relations in America that's getting a new production at Baltimore's Center Stage. Opening night is Thursday. Tom's first guest today is the playwright who created Fires in the Mirror: the writer, actor and educator, Anna Deavere Smith. In addition to the one-woman plays she has written and performed, her acting credits include dozens of well-known television and film roles. She has been awarded a MacArthur Fellowship, and in 2012, President Barack Obama awarded her the National Humanities Medal. Anna Deavere Smith has revolutionized theater with work based on intensive interviews with people around the subjects she explores. She transforms these interviews into powerful shows that capture the nuances and complexities of the issues she takes-up.Her work has examined, among other topics, health care, the school-to-prison pipeline, and racial tension in Los Angeles following the acquittal of white police officers who beat Rodney King in 1991. In 1992, she wrote and performed Fires in the Mirror: Crown Heights, Brooklyn and Other Identities, which explored the violence that broke out in a New York City neighborhood after a Hasidic Jew lost control of the car he was driving and killed an African American child. The play was a Pulitzer Prize finalist and a recipient of a 1993 Drama Desk Award. Anna Deavere Smithjoins us on Zoom from New York City. Baltimore Center Stage is presenting Fires in the Mirror in a live stage production that runs through December 19. A little later in this hour, Tom speaks with Center Stage's artistic director and with the director of the new production. But first, Tom is joined by two eminent scholars who help us explore the relationship between the African American and Jewish communities in America: Dr. Susannah Heschel is the Eli M. Black Distinguished Professor of Jewish Studies at Dartmouth College.  Her father, Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, was a close confidant and colleague of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. Heschel will be speaking in Baltimore a week from tonight about the current state of inter-religious dialogue in this year's Manekin-Clark Lecture, sponsored by the Institute for Islamic, Christian and Jewish Studies. Her talk is entitled “Recapturing the Prophetic Tradition: A Challenge for Interreligious Dialogue.” The event begins at 7:00pm at Kraushaar Auditorium at Goucher College, and will also be streamed on YouTube. To register for the talk, click here. Prof. Susannah Heschel joins us today on Zoom from Hanover, New Hampshire. Dr. Charles Chavis is the Founding Director of the John Mitchell, Jr. Program for History, Justice, and Race at George Mason University's Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution. He's also an Assistant Professor of Conflict Analysis and Resolution and History at George Mason. His new book will be published next month. It's called The Silent Shore:  The Lynching of Matthew Williams and the Politics of Racism in the Free State.Dr. Charles Chavis, Jr. joins us on Zoom from Virginia. Tom's final guests today are two artists who are bringing Anna Deavere Smith's extraordinary play, Fires in the Mirror: Crown Heights, Brooklyn and Other Identitiesto life at Baltimore Center Stage.Stephanie Ybarra is the Artistic Director of Baltimore Center Stage. Nicole Breweris directing the production. They join us on Zoom with their perspectives on this groundbreaking drama. The one-woman play opens on Thursday night and runs through December 19.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At the heart of most performance practice is storytelling. How can the arts impact the climate narrative? What can individuals and institutions do to make a difference when it comes to climate change? We'll speak with a variety of artists, activists and experts about their work in shaping the story on climate and then close out with our featured artist, Nefertiti Abdulmalik, also known as SolAR Lightbeam. Be sure to visit our website pivotarts.org and click on "Get Updates" to stay  informed about Pivot Arts or follow us @PivotArts.EPISODE 1: RESHAPING THE CLIMATE NARRATIVE GUESTS:Annalisa Dias (she/her) is a Goan-American transdisciplinary artist, community organizer, and award-winning theatre maker working at the intersection of racial justice and care for the earth. She is Director of Artistic Partnerships & Innovation at Baltimore Center Stage and a Co-Founder of Groundwater Arts. Prior to joining BCS, Annalisa was a Producing Playwright and Acting Creative Producer with The Welders, a DC playwright's collective; and a Co-Founder of the DC Coalition for Theatre & Social Justice. For more information on the Green New Theatre Initiative visit: groundwaterarts.com/green-new-theatreHans Detweiler (he/him) Senior Director, Development at Jupiter Power LLC, has a demonstrated history in renewable energy project development. As vice president of development at Clean Line Energy, he directed development of long-distance overhead transmission line projects for wind power. He also oversaw development of a 1,000-MW wind farm in New Mexico, served as director of state policy for the American Wind Energy Association and was deputy director for energy and recycling at the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.Kristin Idaszak (she/they) is a two-time Playwrights' Center Jerome Fellow and the former Shank Playwriting Fellow at the Goodman Theatre. Idaszak has received commissions from the Goodman, EST/the Sloan Foundation, Cleveland Play House, St. Louis Shakespeare Festival, and TimeLine Theatre. Her play SECOND SKIN received the Kennedy Center's Paula Vogel Playwriting Award and the Jean Kennedy Smith Playwriting Award, and her play ANOTHER JUNGLE was a Relentless Award Honorable Mention. She was the Kennedy Center Fellow at the Sundance Theatre Lab. She is a Resident Playwright at Chicago Dramatists and adjunct faculty at The Theatre School at DePaul University and Northwestern University. SolAR*, Nefertiti Abdulmalik (she/her) raised on Chicago's Northside, recently presented her video animation work Portal to New Earth as part of the 2021 Pivot Arts Festival. She has always been drawn towards the arts and nature. Her current focus is to create works that illustrate nature and how it is interconnected. Nefertiti holds a BFA in Animation from DePaul University and is now beginning her career as a performing artist, combining her love for music, dance, animation and storytelling. By blending together animated visuals, music and story, she shares messages of human empowerment, imagination and nature connection.Episode 1 was produced and edited by Julieanne Ehre with original music by Andrew Hansen and sound engineering by Hannah Foerschler.The Pivot Arts Podcast is made possible by FLATS, a Chicago based apartment community.Mentions in Episode Include:"All We Can Save: Truth, Courage, and Solutions for the Climate Crisis"  Edited by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Katharine K. Wilkinson"Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds" by Adrienne Maree BrownGroundwater ArtsIllinois' Stretch CodeHeat Pump Technology

President Biden was here in Baltimore two weeks ago for a CNN town hall at Baltimore Center Stage, and this afternoon, he'll be in town again to tout the infrastructure bill that passed after months of grueling, messy internecine fights within his party. With the aid of 13 Republicans, House Democrats passed the package that the Senate had passed last August. The bill passed without the support of “The Squad,” six progressives who refused to surrender the leverage they had fought to maintain by tying the infrastructure bill to a larger package that includes climate change provisions, child and elder care, and other major programs. The fate of that larger bill is still quite up in the air. But today, the President has chosen to return to Baltimore to talk about the bill that has passed. This time, he'll be at the Port of Baltimore in Dundalk. Joining Tom now to talk about what that legislation may accomplish is Kevin DeGood. He is the Director of Infrastructure Policy at the Center for American Progress, a progressive think tank in Washington, DC. Kevin DeGood joins us on Zoom. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Time again for a visit with Midday theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck, who joins Tom this week with her review of Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company's live production of Mohegan playwright Madeline Sayet's Where We Belong, being presented at Baltimore's Center Stage. Directed by Mei Ann Teo, Where We Belong is a one-woman autobiographical narrative in which playwright Sayet weaves together Shakespeare, self-discovery, and a quest for belonging in today's increasingly complex global society. After its limited engagement in Baltimore, the play begins a national tour. Where We Belong continues at Baltimore Center Stage through October 24th. For showtimes and ticket information, click here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Daven Ralston is the owner of Charm City Books. As an actor/teacher/classically-trained musician and lifelong book nerd (all of her best memories growing up involve books), she is passionate about sharing her love of literature and community building through the arts and education with Pigtown and Baltimore at large. She hopes that CCB becomes a destination in Baltimore known for its great selection of books, locally made crafts, community programming, and overall magic. Her favorite book is The Awakening by Kate Chopin, and she is currently reading Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse.Brandon Rashad Butts is a writer, director and producer based in the DMV area. He joined Charm City Books because of his love for books, his connections with the staff, and a desire to talk more about books. In his field, He's most recently participated as a writer in the DMV Q Fests (2.0 & 3.0), Jingle in July (Adventure MTC), and The Variations Project (Rapid Lemon Productions). His play Spice of Life was developed at AdventureMTC. His full-length plays Personal Protection and Reclamation have received readings at Baltimore Center Stage. His short plays Between Us and Profiled have been produced at Manhattan Repertory Theatre, The Secret Theatre, and Blue Pearl Productions. He is co-creator of Vigilant, which received a workshop at Flying V Theatre. He's contributed to an editorial piece with Huffington Post Black Voices, “Black Hair Defined”. His short story “The Red Barn” was published in the 3Element Review. Brandon has served as a Manhattan Theatre Club Directing Fellow, a Stage Choreographer and Director's Society Observer and Producing Fellow at Baltimore Center Stage. He is focusing more on his connection to literature and he is grateful to have a place like Charm City Books to expand in that. He loves reading memoirs, sci-fi, political science, and historical fiction/non-fiction. He is based in the DMV area.Charm City Books is an independent, family owned bookstore and community gathering space located in historic Pigtown. We offer new books and locally made crafts as well as classes, workshops, and a wide range of events for the community and by the community.  Charm City Books is a space for everyone, a place where neighbors can connect and learn about one another through literacy and the arts.To find more amazing stories from the artist and entrepreneurial scenes in & around Baltimore, check out my episode directory.Mentioned in this episode:Charm City BooksSubscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, or listen on my website, follow on Instagram (where I am most active), like on Facebook, or email mtrthenetwork@gmail.com!Be sure to check out our other podcasts:Mastermind Team's Robcast - Mastermind Team's Robcast is an irreverent and hilarious podcast covering all things pop culture and weird news. Let's Watch It Again - Let's Watch It Again is a movie review podcast from MTR The Network.★ Support this podcast ★

Chris Hirst, Global CEO of advertising group Havas Creative, cuts through the bullshit and gets to the heart of modern leadership in this straight-talking podcast brought to you by Intelligence Squared.In this episode Chris speaks to Kwame Kwei-Armah, the Artistic Director of the Young Vic theatre in London. He is also an actor, playwright, singer and broadcaster. From 2011 to 2018 he was the Artistic Director of Baltimore Center Stage, and he was Artistic Director for the Festival of Black arts and Culture, Senegal, in 2010. His series of eight short films, Soon Gone: A Windrush Chronicle, was shown on BBC4 in 2019. He is a patron of Ballet Black and a visiting fellow of Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford University. If you enjoyed this podcast please let us know what you think by rating and reviewing No Bullsh*t Leadership on Apple Podcasts. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

ITINERARY Nghi Vo talks about fan-fiction, how she came to write her Gatsby retelling The Chosen and the Beautiful, and how humanity is rooted in storytelling. Shelley Parker-Chan talks about retelling history in She Who Became the Sun, why she doesn't think too much about craft, and why she needed to get out of the world of diplomacy and politics. Stephanie Ybarra, artistic director of Baltimore Center Stage, talks about being an artistic leader and why we need to interrogate and redefine our ideas about the 'classics.' Full episode transcript available here. Tor Presents: Voyage into Genre is a co-production with Lit Hub Radio Hosted by Drew Broussard Audio engineering + production by Stardust House Creative Music by Dani Lencioni of Evelyn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As theater companies worldwide begin to take to the stage in front of live audiences again, there are lessons from lockdown many hope will stick. Chelsea Briggs talks with Stephanie Ybarra, artistic director for the Baltimore Center Stage, about how theater productions brought their magic online to bring the stage into our homes during the pandemic and which pandemic-era digital adaptations will be staying as live theater resumes.

In this episode, I talk with Stephanie Ybarra who is an incredible, mission-driven, dramatic arts entrepreneur. She's the Artistic Director for Baltimore Center Stage. Learn more about Baltimore Center Stage at their website: https://www.centerstage.org/

Two-time Obie Award winner and Tony Award nominee who works in movies, theater and television. Her new two-character play, The Garden, a commission of the LaJolla Playhouse, has productions scheduled in 2021 at both Baltimore Center Stage and The LaJolla Playhouse. Her plays are published by Dramatists Play Service and performed at regional theatres around the country and audio versions are available at Audible.com.

Waiting for Places is a podcast highlighting stage managers in the flyover states. Episode 5 features Jacqueline Singleton. She is an AEA stage manager based in Spring Green, Wisconsin, where she is a member of the core production staff at American Players Theater (20th season). Other recent work includes Asolo Repertory Theatre (Sarasota, FL); Milwaukee Repertory Theatre; Baltimore Center Stage; and the Clarence Brown Theater (Knoxville, TN). She also spent 10 seasons working in Madison, at Forward Theater and Madison Repertory Theater.

My guest on the podcast today is Jay Cobián. Most recently seen in the new play “Richard & Jane & Dick & Sally” written by Noah Diaz at Baltimore Center Stage. Our conversation dives into the learned racism of our childhoods, what privileges and challenges come with being “white-passing,” and diversity in the arts among other topics. This episode was recorded on June 30th, 2020.