Podcasts about steppenwolf theater

Send us a textOn Today's episode of The "Center", we welcome guest Brian Beals. In 1990, Brian Beals was wrongfully convicted of murder and sentenced to 80 years in prison. Beals was incarcerated within several prisons throughout Illinois, and during his wrongful incarceration became a published author. It was during his incarceration in a prison in Dixon, IL that Brian along with other prisoners developed the Mud Theater Project, a prison-based theater group that has produced several award-winning plays. In December 2023, because of evidence produced by the Illinois Innocence Project, Brian's conviction was overturned, and he was released from prison after a total of 35 years of being incarcerated in a combination of county jails and state prisons. In January 2025, just a year following his release, the Mud Theater Project produced and presented a performance of their production “Searching For Justice” at the Steppenwolf Theater in Chicago. The venue was sold out for the event. It is with great pleasure that I welcome Brian Beals to The “Center.” "Sweet Times" is by All Bets Off, and is provided by Adobe Stock.

“The goal is to challenge folks.” Glenn Davis reflects on his work as an actor, producer, and Artistic Director of Chicago's famed Steppenwolf Theater. (Is it possible Marc Antony might just be too good a person?) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this edition of The Arts Section, host Gary Zidek previews Drury Lane's new production of AIN'T MISBEHAVIN'. We'll hear from director E. Faye Butler. The Dueling Critics, Kelly Kleiman and Jonathan Abarbanel, join Gary to review Steppenwolf Theater's much anticipated world premiere starring Laurie Metcalf, LITTLE BEAR RIDGE ROAD. Later in the show, we'll hear about a new jazz singing competition taking place in July. And Gary visits a suburban exhibit that looks back at life in the Chicago-area during World War II.

Happy Easter! On this edition of The Arts Section, host Gary Zidek takes you inside the Newberry Library to check out its new exhibit on one of Chicago's hottest nightspots in the 50s & 60s. The Dueling Critics, Kerry Reid and Jonathan Abarbanel, join Gary to review the much-talked about world premiere at Steppenwolf Theater, PURPOSE. Later in the show, we'll hear about an exhibition at a suburban museum that shines a light on what life was like on the homefront during WWII. And Gary revisits his interview with Louis Gossett Jr., the award-winning actor passed away last week.

Former international street performer turned emcee, Sonal Aggarwal has brought her talents to Chicago as an actor, comedian, producer and movement artist. Her one woman show The Alchemy of Bliss played for a sold out weekend at Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theater and you can see her on Netflix’s Easy as well as the short A Period Piece which debuted at SXSW 2020. She is a regular host of the Moth. The First Time is a live lit and music series recorded at Martyrs in Chicago's North Center neighborhood. Each reader tells a true first tale, followed by any cover of the storyteller's choosing, performed by our house band, The First Time Three. The First Time is hosted by Jenn Sodini. Produced by Bobby Evers, Andy Vasoyan, and Julie Mueller. Podcast produced by Andy Vasoyan. Recorded by Tony Baker

In this episode Gary Sinise, actor, author and servant leader, shares his story of how he found his true calling in life by dedicating his time to serving and honoring our nation's heroes and their families. About Our Guest: Gary Sinise, actor, director, musician, and humanitarian, has been an advocate for America's veterans for nearly forty-years. He's best known for his roles in award-winning movies Forrest Gump, Apollo 13, Ransom, Of Mice and Men, Truman, George Wallace, and The Green Mile, and in the hit TV shows CSI: NY and Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders. Gary has won an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and was nominated for an Oscar. He's the founder of the Gary Sinise Foundation, which serves and honors America's defenders, veterans, first responders, their families, and those in need. He's the leader and bass player for the Lt. Dan Band, which has entertained more than half a million troops around the world. He is the co-founder of the prestigious Steppenwolf Theater of Chicago. Gary has been presented with many awards, including the Spirit of Hope Award by the Department of Defense. He was named an honorary Chief Petty Officer by the United States Navy, was pinned as an honorary marine, and received the Sylvanus Thayer Award at West Point, given to a civilian "whose character, service, and achievements reflect the ideals prized by the US military Academy." He's the recipient of the Presidential Citizens Medal, the second-highest civilian honor awarded to citizens for "exemplary deeds performed in service of the nation."

On this edition of The Arts Section, host Gary Zidek catches up with the director of a new documentary that tells the story of a family-run arthouse theater struggling to navigate the current entertainment landscape. The Dueling Critics, Kerry Reid and Jonathan Abarbanel, join Gary to review Steppenwolf Theater's latest, a new production of Harold Pinter's NO MAN'S LAND. Later in the show, Gary visits one Chicago's last true doll shops, we'll hear what impact the new Barbie movie is having on business. And Gary pays tribute to WDCB family member and local mambo legend Victor Parra. The longtime program host died this past week, we'll revisit an interview that was conducted ahead of his final broadcast.

Also in the news: Glen Ellyn woman charged with felony animal neglect; Indigenous art to be featured at Goodman Theater this weekend; Actress Judy Greer to perform at the Steppenwolf Theater and more.

Also in the news: Glen Ellyn woman charged with felony animal neglect; Indigenous art to be featured at Goodman Theater this weekend; Actress Judy Greer to perform at the Steppenwolf Theater and more.

Also in the news: Glen Ellyn woman charged with felony animal neglect; Indigenous art to be featured at Goodman Theater this weekend; Actress Judy Greer to perform at the Steppenwolf Theater and more.

Gary Sinise is coming back to Highland ParkGary talks:-What is happening during the day on July 4, 2023-How the band is trying to bring joy to people-The shows he's played after shootings-Go to songs to lift the crowd-Great Lakes naval base show-Forrest Gump came out in 1994 - when did the band start-How his foundation has raised over $350 MILLION DOLLARS so far !!!-Early days of Steppenwolf Theater     GarySiniseFoundation.org

FU Podcast - E164 - APRIL 4, 2023 - Chuck Huber To be a live guest go to: https://dge.dgemedia.com/FU_Podcast FU Podcast - We Invite Our Listeners To Become Guests LIVE ON AIR!! To interact with our LIVE shows and see the episodes you might have missed go to: https://www.facebook.com/Frustration.Unlimited.Podcast Your Hosts: Devin G Ewart Patrick Martin Andy Henning Special Guest: Chuck Huber To Donate to the Show: https://paypal.me/FUPodcast Find Us On: Facebook: Frustration.Unlimited.Podcast Twitter: FrustrationU Instagram: Frustration_Unlimited Youtube: https://dge.dgemedia.com/FU-Podcast Twitch: FU_Podcast Patreon: FUPodcast Listen to ALL of our shows on: Amazon Alexa: https://dge.dgemedia.com/FU-Amazon Apple iTunes: https://dge.dgemedia.com/FU-Apple Spotify: https://dge.dgemedia.com/FU-Spotify iHeartMedia: https://dge.dgemedia.com/FU-iHeart Google: https://dge.dgemedia.com/FU-Google Stitcher: https://dge.dgemedia.com/FU-Stitcher Breaker: https://dge.dgemedia.com/FU-Breaker Castbox: https://dge.dgemedia.com/FU-Castbox Anchor: https://dge.dgemedia.com/FU-Anchor Audible: https://dge.dgemedia.com/FU-Audible Radio Public: https://dge.dgemedia.com/FU-Radio Pocket Cast: https://dge.dgemedia.com/FU-Pocket Podchaser: https://dge.dgemedia.com/FU-Podchaser Listen Notes: https://dge.dgemedia.com/FU-Listen Castro: https://dge.dgemedia.com/FU-Castro Podcast Addict: https://dge.dgemedia.com/FU-Addict Player FM: https://dge.dgemedia.com/FU-Player Listen App: https://dge.dgemedia.com/FU-ListenApp Coming from the great state of TEXAS!!! This Podcast Is For The People, By The People Who Are Frustrated With All The Issues Going On In The World… Come join us, unlike any other podcast we interact with viewers/listeners. Feel free to contact us via email and we will definitely get back to you! Chuck's most recent anime roles are Android 17, Emperor Pilaf and Kibito in Dragon Ball Super, Kurogiri in My Hero Academia, Jajuka in Escaflowne, Kuro in Servamp, Kuniharu in The Disastrous Life of Saiki K, Asanaga in Endride, Kyūta's Father in The Boy and Beast, Tony Stark in Death Battle, Jason the Toymaker in Creepy. Chuck Huber started acting in Anime in DBZ. Since then he has voiced hundreds of characters including Hiei in YuYu Hakusho, Stein in Soul Eater, Kululu in Sgt. Frog, Mohji in One Piece, Shou Tucker in Full Metal Alchemist. He has been a writer on Hetalia, Sgt. Frog, Baccano, Spice and Wolf, Strike Witches, Dragonaut and Skip Beat!. Video games Chuck has contributed voices for include Borderlands II, Ghostbusters, The Walking Dead, Aeon Flux, DBZ, Smite, The Killing Floor ...among others. As a filmmaker Chuck has acted, produced, written or directed for Arbor Day - The Musical currently on Amazon Prime, Prince Adventures, The Troubadoors, The Fragility of Seconds, The Mechanical Grave, Odd Man Out among others. He began acting in Chicago at the Goodman Theater, Court Theater, Steppenwolf Theater after graduating from DePaul University and continues to work on stages in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. He also plays Dr. McCoy in Star Trek Continues; Dean Hansen on Season 2 of American Crime on ABC and Detective Swinton in the The Harrowing. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/frustration-unlimited/support

Today, Lydia Conklin talks to us about their collection RAINBOW RAINBOW, writing humor and joy, Lorrie Moore, deciding to publish their collection before their novel, working with Catapult, and more!  Lydia Conklin has received a Stegner Fellowship, a Rona Jaffe Foundation Writer's Award, three Pushcart Prizes, a Creative Writing Fulbright in Poland, a grant from the Elizabeth George Foundation, a Creative Writing Fellowship from Emory University, work-study and tuition scholarships from Bread Loaf, and fellowships from MacDowell, Yaddo, Hedgebrook, Djerassi, the James Merrill House, and elsewhere. Their fiction has appeared in McSweeney's, American Short Fiction, The Paris Review, One Story, and VQR. They have drawn cartoons for The New Yorker and Narrative Magazine, and graphic fiction for The Believer, Lenny Letter, and the Steppenwolf Theater in Chicago. They've served as the Helen Zell Visiting Professor at the University of Michigan and are currently an Assistant Professor of Fiction at Vanderbilt University. Their story collection, Rainbow Rainbow, was longlisted for the PEN/Robert W Bingham Award and The Story Prize.  Sign up for Krys Malcolm Belc's online class, Writing Queer Memoir! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Author Lydia Conklin reads "Pioneer," a story from Rainbow Rainbow, their delightful debut collection of prize-winning stories, queer, gender-nonconforming, and trans characters struggle to find love and forgiveness, despite their sometimes comic, sometimes tragic mistakes. Lydia Conklin is an Assistant Professor of Fiction at Vanderbilt University. Previously they were the Helen Zell Visiting Professor in Fiction at the University of Michigan. They've received a Stegner Fellowship in Fiction at Stanford University, a Rona Jaffe Writer's Award, three Pushcart Prizes, a grant from the Elizabeth George Foundation, a Creative & Performing Arts Fulbright to Poland, work-study and tuition scholarships from Bread Loaf, and fellowships from MacDowell, Yaddo, Djerassi, Hedgebrook, the James Merrill House, the Vermont Studio Center, VCCA, Millay, Jentel, Lighthouse Works, Brush Creek, the Santa Fe Art Institute, Caldera, the Sitka Center, and Harvard University, among others. They were the 2015-2017 Creative Writing Fellow in fiction at Emory University. Their fiction has appeared in Tin House, American Short Fiction, The Southern Review, The Gettysburg Review, and elsewhere, and is forthcoming from The Paris Review. They have drawn graphic fiction for Lenny Letter, Drunken Boat, and the Steppenwolf Theater in Chicago and cartoons for The New Yorker and Narrative Magazine.

What an honor it was to perform Last Out in the historic Steppenwolf Theater. I thought I would take a few moments to share some thoughts with you  about the leadership journey and what it means to all of us to chase our dreams! Enjoy  Join Rooftop Nation! Website: https://www.rooftopleadership.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ScottMannAuthor Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scottmannauthor LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rooftop-leadership Twitter: https://twitter.com/RooftopLeader Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYOQ7CDJ6uSaGvmfxYC_skQ  

Overcoming substance abuse, becoming the caveman in the Geico commercial, and creating a successful producing and writing career with John Lehr Lehr starred as Leslie Pool in “10 Items or Less,” from Sony on TBS for three seasons and recently starred as Sheriff Hoyle on Hulu's original comedy western “Quickdraw” for two seasons. Lehr also co-created, wrote and executive produced both series. Lehr is one of the original Geico Cavemen from the wildly successful commercial campaign. He appeared in dozens of spots, including the first commercial as a caveman boom operator, the caveman in therapy with Talia Shire, the tennis spot with Billy Jean King, Superbowl spots with Phil Simms and many more. Under their banner Howler Monkey Productions, Lehr and producing partner Nancy Hower have created multiple projects, most involving their unique improvisationally-based “hybrid” style found in “QuickDraw” (Hulu) “10 Items” (TBS) “Jailbait (Crackle) and “Memron” (Slamdance award-winner). With Lehr starring and Howler directing, the team completed comedy pilots “Let It Ride,” (Comedy Central), “Retreat!” (NBC), “Team McPhearson (Fox) and “King of Beers” (EUE/Sokolow). The team's script/development deals include “The Loop” (HBO), “Troubadour” (MTV), “Life on Mars” (Sony/BBC), and “LARP” (Echo Lake), Tommy Chong's Pipe Dreams (TBS).   Lehr is one of the original Geico Cavemen from the wildly successful commercial campaign. He appeared in dozens of spots, including the first commercial as a caveman boom operator, the caveman in therapy with Talia Shire, the tennis spot with Billy Jean King, Superbowl spots with Phil Simms and many more.     John has appeared in numerous television series, including “Friends” and was a series regular on “Jesse,” both for Warner Brothers/NBC. His feature film roles include “The Sweetest Thing,” and three Noah Baumbach films, “Kicking and Screaming,” “Mr. Jealousy,” and “Highball.” John's hosting credits include “News Weasels” for E!; “I'm a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!” for ABC; CBS' special “Clash of the Commercials” with co-host Heidi Klum; and “John Lehr's Movie Club” for TBS. A recovering alcoholic and drug addict, Lehr is a seasoned monologist and comedian who speaks openly about his twenty plus years of sobriety. Under the banner “Cold. Sober. Comedy.” Lehr performs and MC's at fundraisers, non-profits and sober communities about his personal/career struggles, his continuing sober journey and the importance of an authentic sense of humor. Lehr recently debuted his newest monologue “Wait, I Have to Give a Crap About Other People?” at the Annual Sober St. Paddy's Day Comedy Night for the Atlanta Caron Treatment Center.” Lehr's critically acclaimed “Comedic Lectures” solo performances have had sold out runs in LA and New York. He is also a respected improvisational performer having worked at the Organic Theater and Steppenwolf Theater in Chicago, the Montreal Comedy Festival, Chicago Improvisational Festival and multiple venues in Los Angeles and New York. Lehr regularly performs stand-up comedy and MC/Hosts events around the country. John is married to author Jennifer Lehr with whom he has two children. The Lehrs reside in Los Angeles.  

"Let's Deconstruct a Story" is a podcast where we read and discuss one short story with the author. In this episode, Lydia Conklin and Lillian Li will be discussing the story "Sunny Talks" first published in One Story in January 2022. This conversation was recorded live at Pages Bookshop in Detroit on June 24, 2022. This episode is part of a series of "Let's Deconstruct a Story" podcasts offered in collaboration with the Grosse Pointe Public Library in Michigan. The GPPL has committed to purchasing ten books by each author this season to give to their patrons! If you are a short story writer who has tried to make money in this game then you know what a big deal their support is to us! My hope is that other libraries will follow the GPPL's lead and be inspired to buy books by these talented short story writers. I will be contacting many libraries this year to suggest this programming. Please feel free to do the same if you enjoy this podcast. This podcast is also supported by Pages Bookshop in Detroit, and we would be extremely grateful if you purchased the book online through Pages here. Local bookstores won't survive without help from customers like you! Lydia Conklin is an Assistant Professor of Fiction at Vanderbilt University. Previously they were the Helen Zell Visiting Professor in Fiction at the University of Michigan. They've received a Stegner Fellowship in Fiction at Stanford University, a Rona Jaffe Writer's Award, three Pushcart Prizes, a grant from the Elizabeth George Foundation, a Creative & Performing Arts Fulbright to Poland, work-study and tuition scholarships from Bread Loaf, and fellowships from MacDowell, Yaddo, Djerassi, Hedgebrook, the James Merrill House, the Vermont Studio Center, VCCA, Millay, Jentel, Lighthouse Works, Brush Creek, the Santa Fe Art Institute, Caldera, the Sitka Center, and Harvard University, among others. They were the 2015-2017 Creative Writing Fellow in fiction at Emory University. Their fiction has appeared in Tin House, American Short Fiction, The Southern Review, The Gettysburg Review, and elsewhere, and is forthcoming from The Paris Review. They have drawn graphic fiction for Lenny Letter, Drunken Boat, and the Steppenwolf Theater in Chicago and cartoons for The New Yorker and Narrative Magazine. Their story collection, Rainbow Rainbow, will be published in June 2022 by Catapult in the US and Scribner in the UK. Lillian Li is the author of the novel Number One Chinese Restaurant, which was an NPR Best Book of 2018, and longlisted for the Women's Prize and the Center for Fiction's First Novel Prize. Her work has been published in the New York Times, Granta, One Story, Bon Appetit, Travel & Leisure, The Guardian, and Jezebel. Originally from the D.C. metro area, she lives in Ann Arbor. The host of this podcast is Kelly Fordon and you can find out more about her at www.kellyfordon.com.

Nestor Gomez joins Rick Kogan to discuss his upcoming shows, including “80 Minutes Around the World,” at the Steppenwolf 1700 Theater on Friday and Saturday. His collection focuses on immigrant stories, from both descendants and allies. For more information on Nestor, click here.

Jordan talks with Lydia Conklin about bucking the conventions of queer storytelling, how a childhood Oregon Trail reenactment led to one of the most memorable stories in Rainbow Rainbow, and the excitement of making big moves in life and art. MENTIONED: * The Oregon Trail (play here) * Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates * Intimacies by Katie Kitamura Lydia Conklin is an Assistant Professor of Fiction at Vanderbilt University. Previously they were the Helen Zell Visiting Professor in Fiction at the University of Michigan. They've received a Stegner Fellowship in Fiction at Stanford University, a Rona Jaffe Writer's Award, three Pushcart Prizes, a grant from the Elizabeth George Foundation, a Creative & Performing Arts Fulbright to Poland, work-study and tuition scholarships from Bread Loaf, and fellowships from MacDowell, Yaddo, Djerassi, Hedgebrook, the James Merrill House, the Vermont Studio Center, VCCA, Millay, Jentel, Lighthouse Works, Brush Creek, the Santa Fe Art Institute, Caldera, the Sitka Center, and Harvard University, among others. They were the 2015-2017 Creative Writing Fellow in fiction at Emory University. Their fiction has appeared in Tin House, American Short Fiction, The Southern Review, The Gettysburg Review, and elsewhere, and is forthcoming from The Paris Review. They have drawn graphic fiction for Lenny Letter, Drunken Boat, and the Steppenwolf Theater in Chicago and cartoons for The New Yorker and Narrative Magazine. Their story collection, Rainbow Rainbow, was published in June 2022 by Catapult in the US and Scribner in the UK. For more Thresholds, visit us at www.thisisthresholds.com Be sure to rate/review/subscribe on your favorite podcast platform! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this last episode of season two of Cabana Chats, writer Lydia Conklin talks with Resort founder Catherine LaSota about fostering dogs, writing a story versus making a comic, and the places we can't bring our cell phones (thank goodness), among many other fascinating topics. Lydia Conklin is an Assistant Professor of Fiction at Vanderbilt University. Previously they were the Helen Zell Visiting Professor in Fiction at the University of Michigan. They've received a Stegner Fellowship in Fiction at Stanford University, a Rona Jaffe Writer's Award, three Pushcart Prizes, a grant from the Elizabeth George Foundation, a Creative & Performing Arts Fulbright to Poland, work-study and tuition scholarships from Bread Loaf, and fellowships from MacDowell, Yaddo, Djerassi, Hedgebrook, the James Merrill House, the Vermont Studio Center, VCCA, Millay, Jentel, Lighthouse Works, Brush Creek, the Santa Fe Art Institute, Caldera, the Sitka Center, and Harvard University, among others. They were the 2015-2017 Creative Writing Fellow in fiction at Emory University. Their fiction has appeared in Tin House, American Short Fiction, The Southern Review, The Gettysburg Review, and elsewhere, and is forthcoming from The Paris Review. They have drawn graphic fiction for Lenny Letter, Drunken Boat, and the Steppenwolf Theater in Chicago and cartoons for The New Yorker and Narrative Magazine. Lydia's story collection, Rainbow Rainbow, was recently published by Catapult in the US and Scribner in the UK. Find out more about Lydia Conklin here: https://lydia-conklin.com Purchase RAINBOW RAINBOW by Lydia Conklin here: https://bookshop.org/a/83344/9781646221011 Join our free Resort community, full of resources and support for writers, here: https://community.theresortlic.com/ More information about The Resort can be found here: https://www.theresortlic.com/ You can find books for purchase by all of our Cabana Chats guests here: https://bookshop.org/lists/cabana-chats-podcast Cabana Chats is hosted by Resort founder Catherine LaSota. Our podcast editor is Jade Iseri-Ramos, and our music is by Pat Irwin. Special thanks to Resort assistant Nadine Santoro. FULL TRANSCRIPTS for Cabana Chats podcast episodes are available in the free Resort network: https://community.theresortlic.com/ Follow us on social media! @TheResortLIC

A live taping of our podcast at the Steppenwolf Theater in Chicago! S/o to #KickassKorean #AnnChoh of Korean American Story

For our landmark 800th episode, we're joined by Rajiv Joseph, the Obie-winning playwright and screenwriter whose Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo was a finalist for the 2010 Pulitzer Prize, talking about his new play King James, now in its final week at Steppenwolf Theater before its month-long run at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles. Rajiv talks about how the play found its ultimate shape; the bona fides and credibility he brings to the topic; the theatrical pageantry of sporting events, and how some of that invaluable arena energy is brought into the theater; the largely unexplored area of the emotional impact of sports; and our shared belief that the subject of sports remains fruitful and largely unexplored territory in the theater. (Length 17:44) The post Episode 800! Hail, ‘King James'! appeared first on Reduced Shakespeare Company.

Playing at the Steppenwolf Theater's Downstairs Theater thru April 10th is the hit (and money that it gets to Broadway) show, “King James.” Discussing the play which reflects the path line of the career of LeBron James is Steppenwolf Ensemble Member and an Artistic Director for Steppenwolf, Glenn Davis. You'll want to listen in to […]

Next on The Eclectic from Destination Freedom Black Radio Days is Idris Goodwin, a playwright, director, break beat poet and educator. He is the Director of the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College and a 2021 United States Artist Fellow. Idris is a highly sought-after writer for multi-generational audiences, produced and commissioned by Regional, Community and Academic Theater institutions across the country. Idris's play The Way The Mountain Moved was commissioned and produced as part of Oregon Shakespeare's groundbreaking American Revolutions series. His work has been produced Off-Broadway and at The Humana Festival at Actor's Theater of Louisville, Steppenwolf Theater, The Kennedy Center, The Denver Center for The Performing Arts, Cleveland Playhouse, and Company One. He's received awards and development support from the NEA, The Ford, Mellon, and Edgerton Foundation, Berkeley Rep's Ground Floor Program, The Eugene O'Neill Center, The Lark Playwriting Center, and New Harmony Project. Across two decades Idris Goodwin has forged an impactful career as a multiple award-winning playwright, breakbeat poet, director, educator, and organizer. Idris is the Director of The Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College, and the first Black man to hold the position in its 100 year history. Prior to this, Goodwin served two seasons as Producing Artistic Director at StageOne Family Theatre in Louisville, Kentucky The Eclectic is a companion podcast to Destination Freedom Black Radio Days that features interviews with difference makers, artists, authors, bold thinkers, and people we love who get stuff done. Produced and hosted by donnie l. betts of No Credits Productions, LLC. Follow @nocreditsproductions on Facebook and Instagram, and @donniebetts on Twitter. #Blackradiodays #socialjustice #destinationfreedomblackradiodays #donniebetts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, Tes talks with Melissa DuPrey. Melissa is a multidisciplinary artist with roots from Humboldt Park, Chicago. After earning double Bachelor degrees from the University of Houston, she returned to Chicago to join the all-Latina theatre company, Teatro Luna. Her one-woman show, SEXomedy (2012), was developed during their monthly series for women of color in the arts and received a Chicago Reader Recommendation, a Member's Pick, and had a successful debut Off-Broadway in New York. The popular show spurred a progressive sequel, SEXomedy 2.0, which debuted at Steppenwolf Theater in April 2019. Her second solo show, SUSHI-frito, has also been critically acclaimed as part of MPAACT's Signature Series for solo artists. In 2014, she was selected as a new talent in the ABC Diversity Showcase in New York City. DuPrey is also a community organizer and spiritualist who also launched The Good Grief Project- an extension of the social justice component from her play GOOD GRIEF, where communities of color are connected to local, accessible and multidisciplinary mental and spiritual wellness practitioners of color. Her full-length play BRUJAJA was selected as part of 16th Street's New Play Pop Up Reading Series for 2019 and is slated for a world premiere in 2021 with UrbanTheater Company. She has performed stand-up comedy in Chicago, New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles. She is a featured actor in the Emmy-nominated web-series Brown Girls and has many regional and non regional theater credits in Chicago. She can currently be seen as DR. SARA ORTIZ on "Grey's Anatomy" (Season 17 and 18). Other TV credits include a recurring appearance on “Empire” (FOX), and guest appearances on “The Resident” (FOX), “Chicago PD” (NBC), and “The Chi” (Showtime). Film credits include: Relative (2022), Long Division (2022), Cherry (2020), Two in the Bush (2017), The Way We Speak (2014) and Bromance (2014). As a musician and active member of her community, she is dedicated to the preservation of Puerto Rican culture by way of the folkloric music, Bomba y Plena, with Africaribe and Las BomPleneras. She is currently an Ensemble Member at UrbanTheater Company and Artistic Associate at Sideshow Theater. To learn more about Melissa DuPrey: Website: www.melissaduprey.com Twitter & IG: @BoomBoomDuPrey News links: Chicago Sun Times coverage for Grey's Anatomy Review of Good Grief- A healing experience Please and Resistance in the face of Patriarchy Coverage of The Chicago Women's March and critique of lack of inclusivity Centering Black and Brown Narratives in Chicago as ED of Social Justice Theater

Austin Pendleton, a Yale University graduate and ensemble member of the Steppenwolf Theater in Chicago, made his Broadway debut in 1964 as Motel in the original Broadway cast of Fiddler on the Roof. Other theatre credits include: Oh Dad, Poor Dad…, The Last Sweet Days of Isaac, The Diary of Anne Frank, Goodtime Charley, and Choirboy. He has made over 150 appearances in television and films including: What's Up, Doc?, My Cousin Vinny, Mr. & Mrs. Bridge, Finding Nemo, The Muppet Movie, A Beautiful Mind, Catch-22, Skidoo, and 2 Days In The Valley. Pendleton wrote the plays Uncle Bob, Booth, and Orson's Shadow, all of which were staged off-Broadway. As a director, Pendleton has worked extensively both regionally and on and off-Broadway. His direction of Elizabeth Taylor and Maureen Stapleton in Lillian Hellman's The Little Foxes garnered him a Tony Award nomination in 1981 and his 2011 direction of the off-broadway production of Three Sisters won him an Obie Award.  He currently teaches acting at HB Studio.

Victor Almanzar, is a New York based actor who came from the Dominican Republic at an early age.  He appeared as Oswaldo in the Pulitzer Prize winning production of Between Riverside And Crazy in both The Atlantic Theater and Second Stage Theater (NYC) and the Steppenwolf Theater (CHICAGO).  He also appeared as Oscar at The Steppenwolf Theater production of Grand Concourse.  He has completed a lead role in the feature film 11:55 (INDEPENDENT), a recurring role in the series Homeland as lieutenant Wenzel (Showtime), a recurring role in the series Power as Arturo (STARZ), a recurring role in the series Empire as Big Heavy (FOX), a supporting role in the feature film Brawl in Cell Block 99 (XYZ FILMS), a guest star role in Blue Bloods (CBS), a guest star role in Chicago PD (NBC), a guest star role in High Maintenance (HBO), and a role in LFE (a pilot for CBS). Before turning his attention to acting, Victor was in the United States Marine Corp, where he served in Kosovo and Iraq.  Since then he has worked on the New York stage, Regional Theaters, and in London.  He was nominated for The Lucille Lortel Award for his role in Between Riverside And Crazy. Victor is a proud lifetime member of The Actors Studio.

The early 90s was an exciting but difficult time to be a queer person in the United States. The AIDS crisis was still claiming so many lives and after 8 years of President Regan not even mentioning the word AIDS and 4 years of President Bush’s inaction, LGBTQ folks felt invisible, and our visibility was a matter of life and death.In the spirit of making a political statement, and shocking the squares, Joan Jett Blakk, backed by Queer Nation, launched her bid to become President of United States with the catchy slogan “Lick Bush in ’92.”This bold political performance art would had been just a delightful footnote in the history of queer activism until this year when Broadway director Tina Landau and Moonlight Oscar winner Tarell Alvin McCraney presented their new play, “Ms Blakk for President,” now playing at the Steppenwolf Theater.Today Terence Alan Smith, the artist behind the drag personage of Joan Jett Blakk joins us to talk about that amazing time when a black drag queen ran for President of the United States and how 27 years later she’s back making a big splash. Will she run again in 2020?{Best of Feast of Fun, originally ran as FOF #2759 - The Time When Ms. Joan Jett Blakk Ran for President, Jul 3, 2019}

Hey it’s Arroe. This is Play It Forward. A look at the unexpected changes endured by entertainers, writers, camera people and all others affected but not infected by the global invasion of the Coronavirus. Real people. Real stories. The struggle to Play It Forward. Episode 167 with Rob Belushi From GSN’s Get A Clue An accomplished actor, working in film, theater and television. The native Chicagoan began his career in the improv and theater scene at the famed Second City and Steppenwolf Theater. Best known for his role as Linus the bartender on "How I Met Your Mother.” He returns to GSN for season 2 of Get A Clue. A fast-paced, high energy clue game in which two teams compete to see who can successfully guess the most answer words before time runs out. That’s Play It Forward. You can listen to the full conversations with these artists on three different podcasts. Like Its Live, Unplugged and Totally Uncut and View from the Writing Instrument found on all digital platforms.

Hey it’s Arroe. This is Play It Forward. A look at the unexpected changes endured by entertainers, writers, camera people and all others affected but not infected by the global invasion of the Coronavirus. Real people. Real stories. The struggle to Play It Forward. Episode 167 with Rob Belushi From GSN’s Get A Clue An accomplished actor, working in film, theater and television. The native Chicagoan began his career in the improv and theater scene at the famed Second City and Steppenwolf Theater. Best known for his role as Linus the bartender on "How I Met Your Mother.” He returns to GSN for season 2 of Get A Clue. A fast-paced, high energy clue game in which two teams compete to see who can successfully guess the most answer words before time runs out. That’s Play It Forward. You can listen to the full conversations with these artists on three different podcasts. Like Its Live, Unplugged and Totally Uncut and View from the Writing Instrument found on all digital platforms.

Hey it’s Arroe. This is Play It Forward. A look at the unexpected changes endured by entertainers, writers, camera people and all others affected but not infected by the global invasion of the Coronavirus. Real people. Real stories. The struggle to Play It Forward. Episode 167 with Rob Belushi From GSN’s Get A Clue An accomplished actor, working in film, theater and television. The native Chicagoan began his career in the improv and theater scene at the famed Second City and Steppenwolf Theater. Best known for his role as Linus the bartender on "How I Met Your Mother.” He returns to GSN for season 2 of Get A Clue. A fast-paced, high energy clue game in which two teams compete to see who can successfully guess the most answer words before time runs out. That’s Play It Forward. You can listen to the full conversations with these artists on three different podcasts. Like Its Live, Unplugged and Totally Uncut and View from the Writing Instrument found on all digital platforms.

Hey it’s Arroe. This is Play It Forward. A look at the unexpected changes endured by entertainers, writers, camera people and all others affected but not infected by the global invasion of the Coronavirus. Real people. Real stories. The struggle to Play It Forward. Episode 167 with Rob Belushi From GSN’s Get A Clue An accomplished actor, working in film, theater and television. The native Chicagoan began his career in the improv and theater scene at the famed Second City and Steppenwolf Theater. Best known for his role as Linus the bartender on "How I Met Your Mother.” He returns to GSN for season 2 of Get A Clue. A fast-paced, high energy clue game in which two teams compete to see who can successfully guess the most answer words before time runs out. That’s Play It Forward. You can listen to the full conversations with these artists on three different podcasts. Like Its Live, Unplugged and Totally Uncut and View from the Writing Instrument found on all digital platforms.

Poet and publisher Kevin Coval is the recipient of the 2018 Studs Terkel Award, the 2017 John Peter Altgeld Freedom of Speech Award. He is the author of over a dozen books including; A People’s History of Chicago and Everything Must Go (https://amzn.to/3cXMojM), editor of The BreakBeat Poets: New American Poetry in the Age of Hip-Hop, and the play, This is Modern Art, co-written with Idris Goodwin, which premiered at Steppenwolf Theater. Coval is also the Artistic Director of Young Chicago Authors, which won a MacArthur Award for Creative & Effective Institutions, and the founder of Louder Than a Bomb: The Chicago Youth Poetry Festival, the world's largest youth poetry festival, now in more than 19 cities around the world. He co-hosts the podcast The Cornerstore on WGN Radio and his work has appeared on The Daily Show, 4 seasons of HBO’s Def Poetry Jam, CNN and Poetry Magazine. He is editor of BreakBeat Publishing an imprint of Haymarket Books dedicated to publishing radically fresh voices.You can find Kevin Coval at:Website : https://youngchicagoauthors.org/about/team/kevin-covalInstagram : https://www.instagram.com/kevincoval/Check out our offerings & partners: Netsuite: NetSuite.com/GOODLIFE

An interview with Chicago musician Paul Von Mertens, as well as the usual full throated ranting!  Paul Von Mertens is a Chicago-based composer/arranger and a performer on saxophone, flute, clarinet and harmonica. He has played and recorded with a variety of artists including Mavis Staples, Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, Elton John, Stereolab, The Sea and Cake, Poi Dog Pondering, Broken Social Scene, Wilco, and Mono. He has been a member of the Brian Wilson Band since 1999 and is currently musical director.Paul has written arrangements, orchestrations and performed for Brian Wilson's tour and Grammy-winning recording of "Smile," the Pet Sounds Tour, "Live In London," "Gettin' In Over My Head," "That Lucky Old Sun," "Wilson Reimagines Gershwin," "In The Key Of Disney," and "That's Why God Made the Radio" with Brian and The Beach Boys. Paul spent 2016 touring “Pet Sounds 50th Anniversary” worldwide, featuring performances with the Boston Pops. His arrangement of "Dvorak Re-mix Fantasy" was premiered at Orchestra Hall with Poi Dog Pondering and the Chicago Sinfonietta in 2005, and his "Carmen Remix" in 2007.Writing credits include music for Steppenwolf Theater, the Peabody Award-winning documentary "The Lost Children of Rockdale County" and "Merchants of Cool" for Frontline, and the long-running "Workplace Essential Skills" for PBS. Paul and his wife, Cynthia Von Orthal, have created original puppet musicals "Akuba's Dream," "The Yellow Wallpaper," "A White Heron" and "Tara's Story" for their own company, Von Orthal Puppets.

In this episode of Half Hour, ensemble member Caroline Neff interviews Cydney Cleveland and Tamara Drew from Storycatchers Theatre, as well as Abhi Shrestha from Steppenwolf Education. Listen to learn about the vital performing arts programs that Storycatchers run inside and outside of juvenile justice facilities in Illinois, as well as their methodology and philosophy underpinning that work, and how their programs intersect with Steppenwolf Education’s. Interview begins at 2:30. This episode of Half Hour is sponsored by John Hart and Carol Prins in memory of Louise Hart, and co-sponsored by Winston & Strawn LLP. Cydney Patrice Cleveland is the Production Director for Storycatchers Theatre. As Director, she oversees all production elements for the annual original one-act musicals presented at three juvenile justice facilities, and for the touring production of musical stories created by the Changing Voices Ensemble, Storycatchers’ post release performance employment program. Ms. Cleveland began her career at Storycatchers while a junior in high school at Young Women's Leadership Charter School of Chicago during a time when the organization worked in CPS schools in addition to juvenile facilities. Quickly moving up the ranks from participant, to administrative support, to program manager, and Production Director, Cleveland became a member of Storycatchers’ leadership team this year. She is responsible for creating a multi-year partnership with Steppenwolf Theatre Company. Together, the companies co-produce a multiple facility tour of a Steppenwolf Theater for Young Adults professional production. Tamara Drew is a graduate of Millikin University where she earned a degree in both Theatre & Sociology. Currently, Tamara is the Artistic Manager of the Storycatchers Firewriters ensemble at IYC Chicago, is the Artistic Coordinator for Storycatchers Changing Voices Program, and is the Project Manager of the Storycatchers CPD training program. She is a mother to three sons, and serves as chair of the Fine Arts Magnet Education Committee at Ravenswood Elementary School. Abhi Shrestha is a Chicago-based poet, arts educator, and theatre artist originally from Kathmandu, Nepal. Abhi is the Education Associate at Steppenwolf Theatre, serves on the Board of Directors for the Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health (ICAH) and is the Resident Dramaturge and a Community Organizer with The Chicago Inclusion Project. About Storycatchers Theatre: Storycatchers Theatre is dedicated to creating a safe, inclusive environment that uses the performing arts to prepare marginalized youth to envision and pursue productive futures. Through their healing-centered process, they believe that these resilient young people build agency and capacity to make productive life choices.About Steppenwolf Education: Every season Steppenwolf for Young Adults (SYA) creates two full-scale professional productions specifically for teens. Programs include classroom residencies led by Steppenwolf-trained teaching artists; the Young Adult Council, an innovative year-round after-school initiative that uniquely engages high school students in all areas of the theater’s operation; in-depth mentorship programs for early-career professionals who will one day lead the American Theater.Learn more at steppenwolf.org. Want to get in touch? Email halfhour@steppenwolf.orgFor a transcript of this podcast, go to: https://www.steppenwolf.org/globalassets/half-hour-podcast/half-hour-ep5-transcript.pdf

Life is hard, and even through the pitfalls, we learn who we are and what we are made of. We revisit the first Dreams and Detours episode that is as relevant today. New York native Daniel Joshua Rubin finds that life in Hollywood is not all it’s cracked up to be. Expressing his creativity was a principle Daniel was encouraged to do from a young age. Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, he learned early that if you’re going to do something, do it right! This included having an Orthodox Bar Mitzvah even though his family were not religious. Daniel has been a storyteller for over 30 years, getting his start at Steppenwolf Theater in Chicago, with plays produced in Chicago, NYC and London, before heading to LA where he wrote for popular television series on NBC and WB networks. He has collaborated with award-winning artists, further shaping his craft. In the end, Dan walked away from the glitz of Hollywood and shares why it’s not so glamorous after all and what he's discovered instead. Links: Daniel Joshua Rubin's 27 Essential Principles of Story (Workman Publishing, Summer 2020) Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/danieljoshuarubin/ Twitter -  https://twitter.com/DanJoshuaRubin Website -  https://www.danieljoshuarubin.com Medium - https://medium.com/@DanJoshuaRubin   Thanks for listening! It means so much to us that you listened to our podcast! If you would like to continue the conversation with us, head on over to Facebook or Instagram @dreamsdetours. With this podcast, we are building a community of life storytellers that we hope inspire, encourage and challenge our listeners to step toward their desires. If you know somebody who would benefit from this message, or would be an awesome addition to our community, please share it using the social media links below. Dreams and Detours: https://www.dreamsdetours.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dreamsdetours/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dreamsdetours/   Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Please leave a note in the comment section below and rate, review and subscribe! We appreciate every bit of feedback to make this a value adding part of your day. Ratings and reviews from our listeners not only help us improve, but also help others find us in their podcast app. If you have a minute, a review on iTunes goes a long way! Thank You!!

The early 90s was an exciting but difficult time to be a queer person in the United States. The AIDS crisis was still claiming so many lives and after 8 years of President Regan not even mentioning the word AIDS and 4 years of President Bush’s inaction, LGBTQ folks felt invisible, and our visibility was a matter of life and death.In the spirit of making a political statement, and shocking the squares, Joan Jett Blakk, backed by Queer Nation, launched her bid to become President of United States with the catchy slogan “Lick Bush in ’92.”This bold political performance art would had been just a delightful footnote in the history of queer activism until this year when Broadway director Tina Landau and Moonlight Oscar winner Tarell Alvin McCraney presented their new play, “Ms Blakk for President,” now playing at the Steppenwolf Theater.Today Terence Alan Smith, the artist behind the drag personage of Joan Jett Blakk joins us to talk about that amazing time when a black drag queen ran for President of the United States and how 27 years later she’s back making a big splash. Will she run again in 2020?[Originally posted as FOF #2759 - The True Story of When Ms. Joan Jett Blakk Ran for President, July 4, 2019]

MUSE LIVE! Special Guest VIDA'S Tanya Saracho: On today's MUSE Live! Mike Sandoval welcomes the Creator/Executive Producer of STARZ Vida, Tanya Saracho. Vida is currently on its' third and final season of the show. Saracho is a Chicago playwright who currently writes for Television (HBO's "Looking," "Girls," and "Devious Maids."). Named "Best New Playwright" by Chicago Magazine, Saracho has had plays produced at: Oregon Shakespeare Festival, The Goodman Theater, Steppenwolf Theater, Teatro Vista, Teatro Luna, Fountain Theater, Clubbed Thumb, NEXT Theater and 16th Street Theater. Saracho was named one of nine national Latino "Luminarios" by Café magazine and given the first "Revolucionario" Award in Theater by the National Museum of Mexican Art. She is currently in development with HBO and has commissions with the following theatres: Goodman Theater, Steppenwolf Theatre, Two Rivers Theatre, Denver Theater Center, South Coast Rep. Tanya is also a successful Spanish Voice-Over artist and a SAG/AFTRA actress. You can watch the final season of STARZ Vida by clicking the link https://www.starz.com/us/en/series/37707/episodes?season=1 Host: Mike Sandoval For more coverage, follow MUSE at: Website: https://www.musetv.net Website: https://www.culturallyobsessed.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MUSETVNews Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/culturallyobsessed Twitter: @MUSETV1 Twitter: @Culturallyo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/musetv Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/CulturallyObsessed ©2020 MUSE --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/musecast/support

This week we're mixing it up, talking about an author more than a specific book -- the Queen of Dirty Talk herself, Tessa Bailey. But we're not just talking about the sexybits -- we're also talking about working class heroes, women and worry and how awesome it is to watch authors evolve.We love having you with us! — subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform and like/review the podcast if you’re so inclined!In two weeks, we’re reading a book that blooded both Sarah and Jen — and approximately 50% of Romancelandia, we think -- Stephanie Laurens's Devil's Bride, starring Devil Cynster, who also happens to be the only romance hero Sarah's husband can name (yes, even now). Find it at: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, Kobo, or your local indie.Full Show Notes @ FATEDMATES.NET- Sarah was heading to Birmingham for the Southern Voices Book Festival. The last time she was there, it was when she was a kid going to a Science Olympiad competition. Based on the description of that event, Jen suspects that she was outside orienteering. She's going to see Rachel Hawkins and Naima Simone!- Meanwhile, Jen went to see Bug by Tracy Letts at the Steppenwolf Theater, which is known for being the home theater of John Malkovich and also where hope goes to die.- Jen wrote about Johanna Lindsey and her New York Times obituary in a column for Kirkus.- The hero of Protecting What's His is Derek Tyler, which is Jen's second favorite romance Derek. Derek and Ginger also appear in a follow-up novella, Protecting What's Theirs. Derek also appears as a secondary character in the Crossing the Lines series, where he assembles a team of ex-cons and misfits as a special crime fighting team. Ginger's sister gets her own book in Unfixable.- The rise of eBooks made room for indie publishing and small presses like Entangled. Here's the story of how Barabara Freethy took advantage of the Kindle revolution.- Enemies to Lovers is one of the most beloved romance tropes. Jen is going to talk about her whole energy theory in an upcoming Kirkus column.- This is a romance that deals with class in an unusual way--she's the poor little rich girl, while he's working two jobs because of family obligations to his siblings.- Tessa Bailey is the Queen of Dirty Talk. She just is. Jen's favorite is Duke from Worked Up, who is a perfect grunting hero.- Jen noticed that several motifs that appear in Asking for Trouble appear in other books -- for example, there is a trip to Atlantic City in Worked Up, and connecting doors in a hotel room in Driven by Fate.- Sarah identifies "heroine as rock" as part of Tessa Bailey's core story, Jen noticed the pull between familial duty and individual needs. At first Sarah thought Tessa's most recent book, Love Her or Lose Her, doesn't fit into the core story...but after talking it through, she thinks it fits perfectly.- Sarah mentioned the one with a hero who is a recovering alcoholic called Indecent Exposure. Jen also loved it and reviewed it for The Book Queen.- Some advice in case you ever need to stop a wedding.- But buttons and stickers from Kelly at Jen's shop and the newly available full line of t-shirts from Jordandene.- Listen to this week's music selections and peruse this episode's transcript.- Next time on Fated Mates, we'll be reading Devil's Bride by Stephanie Laurens.

Artist Nikki Lynette shares her inspirational journey of improving her mental health and gives some insight into her new play Get Out Alive. For more information on the play and to check out Nikki’s next project visit nikkilynette.com

Dave’s conversations with Chicago’s own Gary Sinise on his acting journey, The Steppenwolf Theater, ‘Forrest Gump’ and his unwavering support for our veterans; rock legend Mick Jones of ‘Foreigner’; David Eigenberg, best known from ‘Sex in the City’ and NBC’s ‘Chicago Fire’; and comedy legend Carl Reiner.

The wait is finally over!!! It's the first ever LIVE Ajumma Show taped in front of a sold out audience at the Steppenwolf Theater in Chicago. @peterkz and @thebesteunji talk about the phenemenon of ddeh (dead skin, the lack of sex education in Korean families, and much more! #KickAssKorean @miaparkmiapark

In this episode we hear from New York native Daniel Joshua Rubin that life in Hollywood is not all it’s cracked up to be. Expressing his creativity was a principle Daniel was encouraged to do from a young age. Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, he learned early that if you’re going to do something, do it right! This included having an Orthodox Bar Mitzvah even though his family were not religious. Daniel has been a storyteller for over 30 years, getting his start at Steppenwolf Theater in Chicago, with plays produced in Chicago, NYC and London, before heading to LA where he wrote for popular television series on NBC and WB networks. He has collaborated with award-winning artists, further shaping his craft. In the end, Dan walked away from the glitz of Hollywood and shares why it’s not so glamorous after all and what he's discovered instead. Coming soon: Daniel Joshua Rubin's 27 Essential Principles of Story, Master the Secrets of Great Storytelling, from Shakespeare to South Park (Workman Publishing, Spring 2020) Daniel Joshua Rubin’s Social Media links Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/danieljoshuarubin/ Twitter -  https://twitter.com/DanJoshuaRubin Website -  https://www.danieljoshuarubin.com Medium - https://medium.com/@DanJoshuaRubin   Thanks for listening! It means so much to us that you listened to our podcast! If you would like to continue the conversation with us, head on over to Facebook or Instagram @dreamsdetours. With this podcast, we are building a community of life storytellers that we hope inspire, encourage and challenge our listeners to step toward their desires. If you know somebody who would benefit from this message, or would be an awesome addition to our community, please share itusing the social media links below. Dreams and Detours: https://www.dreamsdetours.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dreamsdetours/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dreamsdetours/   Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Please leave a note in the comment section below and rate, review and subscribe! We appreciate every bit of feedback to make this a value adding part of your day. Ratings and reviews from our listeners not only help us improve, but also help others find us in their podcast app. If you have a minute, a review on iTunes goes a long way! Thank You!!

Chicago is still coping with last year's unfortunate breakup of electro pop duo Celine Neon. The fiery and dynamic collaboration between Maggie Kubley and Emily Nejad drew a devoted following with their gritty anthemic songs, upfront feminism, inventive videos and more sass than just about anybody in the game. But don't worry, Maggie and Emily are still BFF's. While Emily is baking amazing cakes, Maggie is already back in the scene with new music to share. Her new solo effort is the "Come Over" EP. For this collection of songs, Maggie taps into her theater background as she excavates past traumas, processes past relationships and reflects on periods of loneliness and her lifestyle pre-sobriety. Jill Hopkins spoke with Chicago musician and performance artist about the new project, and the new stage in her music career. For more info about Maggie Kubley, visit: https://www.maggiekubley.com "Come Over" EP release show takes place 4/19 and 4/20 at The Steppenwolf Theater in Chicago.

Thank you to Stage Manager Kate Porter for her time and conversation. At the time of this recording, Kate was on tour in Edmonton, Alberta Canada Ms. Porter is a Graduate of Yale '02 and a former Stage Management Intern of the Steppenwolf Theater, Chicago, IL. She is currently a professional Stage Manager dividing her time between Theater and Opera. She is also a member of the Canadian Actor'sEquity. Katie begins calling Puccini's "La Boheme" for the Vancouver Opera in a few short weeks and will be teaching at the opera stage management program at Banff. She is originally from Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Sonal Aggarwal is a stand up comedian living in Chicago, IL. She can be seen performing in shows all over town, and she recently finished her one woman solo show, The Alchemy of Bliss at the Steppenwolf Theater, this past December. This episode brought to you by- https://soundcloud.com/pdlttfp

Isaac Gomez grew up on the U.S.-Mexico border, across from El Paso Texas in Ciudad Juarez. For years, it was called the most dangerous city in the world. And while some of the drug cartel-linked violence has eased, hundreds upon hundreds of young women have been murdered or disappeared since the 1990’s. La Ruta, a new play at Steppenwolf Theater, tells the stories of some of the missing, and those who continue to seek answers.

The world premiere of “La Ruta” at the Steppenwolf Theater, Chicago by playwright Isaac Gomez who has figuratively commandeered a bus transporting “maquila” workers to and from their jobs in Juarez, then pointed its headlights into the vast darkness exposing the despair and anguish of the mothers and sisters of hundreds of young women kidnapped, used as sex slaves, murdered and disposed of in the Mexican desert.

Actor Austin Pendleton was born March 27, 1940 in Warren, Ohio to Frances and Thorn Pendleton. He graduated from Yale University. He later became an ensemble member of the Steppenwolf Theater in Chicago, and acted in several of the theater's productions. His first film appearance in Petulia (1968), a minor and uncredited role. Since, he has made over 100 appearances in television and film. Meet: Austin Pendleton.

I sit down and have a conversation with one of my favorite people from the Chicago comedy scene, Jarrell Scott Barnes. I've enjoyed about everything this guy has ever done. He's a member of the Martin Luther Kings of Comedy, a group that's performed all over the city of Chicago at venues as prestigious as the world famous Steppenwolf Theater. He hosts every Friday at the longest running independent comedy show in the city of Chicago, Lincoln Lodge. Find him on instagram: goo.gl/UFyYHu

Madeline Weinstein exploded out of Northwestern University finding herself acting on Broadway in The Real Thing by Tom Stoppard alongside Maggie Gyllenhaal, Ewan McGregor, and Cynthia Nixon. Following Broadway, she worked at the Steppenwolf Theater in Chicago on a play written by and starring Tracy Letts. At the time of our conversation, Madeline just came back from the Sundance Film Festival where the film she was in entitled Beach Rats was shown and picked up. We talk differences in approach between stage and film as well as what it means to “listen”. She’s an expert at setting records… even in categories she doesn’t want.

Our guest today on “ADD Comedy with Dave Razowsky” is Alan Wilder. Alan is a Joseph Jefferson Award-nominated ensemble member at Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theater, and he’s appeared in over 60 Steppenwolf productions all over the world. He’s also appeared on numerous shows on NBC, CBS, HBO, and FOX.  Alan’s hilarious, and smart, and wise, and honest. We chatted in Chicago at Steppenwolf’s rehearsal space located alongside the “el” tracks at Halsted and North. We had a blast and could have talked for a long time. Enjoy!

Chef Grant Achatz live on stage at the Steppenwolf Theater, joins Chewing co-hosts Louisa Chu and Monica Eng for the inaugural Sounds Like Chicago podcast festival. Chef Achatz talks the new Alinea, plays Delicious Combo (with wasabi peas and Junior Mints) and Will She Eat It?, plus explains what he once made with eggplant ends, peanut nips, and cocoa husks, and why.

The tavern is busy, and the Bandit King is here!CreditsThe tavern is busy, and the Bandit King is here! Credits: Arnie: Arnie Niekamp Chunt: Adal Rifai Usidore: Matt Young The Bandit King: John Thibodeaux Craig: Ryan DiGiorgi Producers: Arnie Niekamp, Evan Jacover, Ryan DiGiorgi Editor: Garrett Schultz Theme Music: Andy Poland Magic Tavern Logo: Allard Laban Audio Assistance: Jason Knox Production Assistance: Garrett Schultz

When does life imitate art, and why was Cher banned from a pumpkin patch? Open Ended investigates during a live show at Steppenwolf Theater Chicago for the “Sounds Like Chicago” Podcast Festival.

In this installation of "Kahnversations," we interview John Lehr. John is a comedic performer, writer and producer working in television, film and theater. Lehr starred as Leslie Pool in 10 ITEMS OR LESS, the half-hour improvisational comedy series from Sony on TBS. Lehr also co-created and executive produced the series, which ran for three seasons. Lehr is one of the original Geico Cavemen from the wildly successful commercial campaign. He appeared in dozens of spots, including the first commercial as a caveman boom operator, the caveman in therapy with Talia Shire, the tennis spot with Billy Jean King, Superbowl spots with Phil Simms, and many more. Under their banner Howler Productions, Lehr and Hower have created multiple projects, most involving their unique improvisationally-based “hybrid” style found in QUICKDRAW (Hulu) 10 ITEMS (TBS) and MEMRON (a Slamdance award-winning mockumentary). With Lehr starring and Hower directing, the team recently completed LET IT RIDE, a half-hour comedy pilot set in Las Vegas for Comedy Central; RETREAT!, a half-hour comedy pilot set in a corporate retreat for NBC; KING OF BEERS, a half-hour comedy set in a brewery for EUE/Screengem; and JAILBAIT, a web series for Sony and Crackle.com. In addition, Howler Productions created the pilots TEAM MCPHEARSON, an animated series inhabiting the world of Nascar for Fox starring Jeff Foxworthy; and JOHN LEHR MOVIE CLUB for TBS. Recently Lehr and Hower completed a pilot script for Sony Television in association with the BBC; finished a pilot script, THE LOOP, for HBO; and are currently developing a show with MTV. As an actor, John has appeared in numerous television series, including FRIENDS, and was a series regular on JESSE, both for Warner Brothers/NBC. His feature film roles include THE SWEETEST THING and three Noah Baumbach films, KICKING AND SCREAMING, MR. JEALOUSY, and HIGHBALL. Lehr’s critically acclaimed Comedic Lecture solo performances have had sold out runs in LA and New York. He is also a respected improvisational performer, having worked at the Organic Theater and Steppenwolf Theater in Chicago, The Montreal Comedy Festival, Chicago Improvisational Festival, and multiple venues in Los Angeles and New York. John’s hosting credits include NEWS WEASELS for E!; I'M A CELEBRITY…GET ME OUT OF HERE for ABC; CBS’ special CLASH OF THE COMMERCIALS with co-host Heidi Klum; and JOHN LEHR'S MOVIE CLUB for TBS. John is married to author Jennifer Lehr, with whom he has two children. The Lehrs reside in Los Angeles. You can download or subscribe to the podcast for FREE by clicking below. If you like “Kahnversations,” please leave a rating or review on our iTunes page! There are so many inspiring podcasts with fabulous stars out there. But their careers feel light years away from ours, don’t they? Wouldn’t it be great to hear from the guy who just booked his first pilot? Or the kid finally doing a studio pic after a bunch of low budget indies? Or the woman who’s been a series regular a few times but is only now becoming a name? What about the guy who’s been on a show for years and you know his face but what’shisnameagain? Or that actress who is now a freakin’ showrunner???? How’d THEY do it, right? How did they transition from relative obscurity, bartending and bottle service, to buying that house in Brentwood? We’re producing “Kahnversations,” a podcast that provides access to THOSE people -- your immediate predecessors -- so that you can learn from them while their battle scars are still fresh. In “Kahnversations,” our own Ryan Bailey interviews some of Lesly Kahn & Company’s working actors, directors, and writers in order to learn how they got started in Hollywood, the challenges and hurdles they faced, and how they overcame the odds. (They also dish out some crazy stories!) Listen in and enjoy as these entertainers speak candidly about their paths, processes, and experiences. You might even hear a bit about how Lesly and the Kahnstitute have influenced and shaped their careers.

Jeremy is joined by Chuck Huber from Dragon Ball, Borderlands, Star Trek Continues and Arbor Day the musical. How did he go from Steppenwolf Theater to voice acting? Was he a Star Trek fan? Find out here!Jeremy is joined by Chuck Huber from Dragon Ball, Borderlands, Star Trek Continues and Arbor Day the musical. How did he go from Steppenwolf Theater to voice acting? Was he a Star Trek fan? Find out here!

 Buffalo Grove’s Aaron Himelstein has been acting since he was a kid, in film, television, and stage. After appearing professionally in Chicago area projects such as Cupid, High Fidelity, and at the Steppenwolf Theater, he made his New York debut in The Dead Eye Boy (which earned him a Drama Desk Nomination). Then came a regular role on TV in Joan of Arcadia and found regular film work; and continues to work as a filmmaker himself. This year he appeared in Avengers: Age of Ultron (reprising his role from Captain America: The Winter Soldier) and will appear at the Steppenwolf for a third time this fall in East of Eden, starting September 17th.

Alexandra Billings. Alex is an actress and singer who is currently starring as the character Davina on Amazon’s TV series “Transparent,” winner of two Golden Globe awards. Alex was the first transgendered female to play a transgendered female on television. She's been in "Eli Stone,” "Nurses,” "Grey's Anatomy," and "ER." She has been in productions at Steppenwolf Theater, and is a teacher for Steppenwolf Theatre in LA.

Alexandra Billings. Alex is an actress and singer who has been in “Eli Stone,” Nurses,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” and “ER.” She has been in productions at Steppenwolf Theater, and is a teacher for Steppenwolf Theatre West in LA. She was the first Transgendered Female to play a Transgendered Female on television. 

We Only Know So Much (Harper Perennial) Acclaimed short story writer Elizabeth Crane will read and sign her debut novel, We Only Know So Much, about four generations of an eccentric family living under one roof. "Crane has a distinctive and eccentric voice that is consistent and riveting." --The New York Times Book Review Elizabeth Crane is the author of three collections of short stories, When the Messenger is Hot, All This Heavenly Glory, and most recently You Must Be This Happy to Enter.  She is a recipient of the Chicago Public Library 21st Century Award. Her work has been featured on NPR's Selected Shorts and adapted for the stage by Chicago's Steppenwolf Theater.  Her debut novel, We Only Know So Much, is forthcoming in June from HarperPerennial 2012. THIS EVENT WAS RECORDED LIVE AT SKYLIGHT BOOKS JUNE 11, 2012.