⚠️ CONTENT ADVISORY

This episode contains discussion of sexual abuse and misconduct perpetrated by a person in a position of power. Listener discretion is advised.

___________________________________________________

Jay Reum sits in with two old pals, Todd Kramer and actor Mark Cirillo, for a raw, unfiltered conversation about their shared university experience as young theatre students in the early 1990s.

This is not a nostalgic trip down memory lane. It's a bold, honest reckoning with the good, the bad, and the deeply uncomfortable truths of an era when power imbalances were rarely questioned, boundaries were poorly defined, and harmful behaviour was often ignored or normalised.

Together, Todd, Mark, and Jay lay themselves bare — revisiting formative years shaped by ambition, confusion, silence, and survival. They speak candidly about misconduct, complicity, and the long shadow those experiences can cast over a life and career, while also reflecting on growth, accountability, and the importance of finally telling the truth.

This is a difficult but necessary episode — one rooted in vulnerability, responsibility, and the belief that speaking openly is part of how the industry (and the people in it) move forward.

Brace yourselves.

⏱️ CHAPTERS

00:00 – Content advisory & setting intentions 04:30 – Reuniting with Mark Cirillo 09:10 – Theatre school in the early '90s 15:40 – Power dynamics and unchecked authority 22:30 – What was normalised back then 29:10 – Silence, fear, and survival 36:00 – The long-term impact of early experiences 43:20 – Complicity, guilt, and hindsight 50:10 – Why it took so long to speak 56:40 – Accountability and responsibility 01:03:30 – How the industry has changed (and hasn't) 01:10:20 – Speaking truth without spectacle 01:17:00 – Healing, perspective, and growth 01:23:30 – Why these conversations matter 01:29:40 – Final reflections & closing

💬 Join the Conversation

How do we reckon with the past without rewriting it? What responsibility do artists have to speak up — even decades later? If you're able, join the conversation with care, respect, and honesty.

🎬 SELECTED CREDITS DISCUSSED

• Wet Hot American Summer

• How to Survive the Zombie Apocalypse

• Those Who Can't

• Walk of Shame

• Grey's Anatomy

• Bullets

• Will & Grace

• How I Met Your Mother

• Greek

• Masters of Sex

🔗 CONNECT & FOLLOW

🎧 Podcast & more: https://offstageacting.com/podcast 📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/offstageacting ❌ X: https://x.com/OffstageActing 📘 Facebook: https://facebook.com/offstageacting 🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@offstageacting 🌐 Todd's Linktree: https://linktr.ee/toddkramer 🌐 Jay's Linktree: https://linktr.ee/jayreum

#️⃣ HASHTAGS

#acting #actingpodcast #actor #actors #actorslife #TheatreTraining #IndustryTruths #SpeakingOut #Accountability #MarkCirillo #ToddKramer #JayReum #OffstageActing