Actorcast

In the season 1 finale of Actorcast, we talk with actress, singer, director, producer, writer, and teacher, Anita Hollander. Anita has such a powerful passion for the arts that would inspire any fellow creative pursuer. We discuss how performing is wired in her DNA, the challenges and hurdles Anita overcame as an actress with a disability, and the lasting change that she has been able to create within the entertainment industry.
Anita Hollander has written & performed work throughout Europe, Asia, Russia and America, in film, TV, and live theatre. Her award-winning original solo musicals Still Standing & Spectacular Falls have played Off-Broadway, at the Kennedy Center, White House, nationally & internationally. She serves as SAG-AFTRA National Chair of Performers with Disabilities.
To learn more about Anita, and her upcoming show, please visit http://www.anitahollander.com/index.htm and https://tbtb.org

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In this episode of Actorcast, we discuss the new Open Policy for AEA, the debate about this new policy, and whether receiving the coveted equity card still holds the same clout. But, more so than that, we talk about whether to join the union or not and when might be the opportune time to do so in your career.
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Jumpin Boogie Woogie by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Artist: http://audionautix.com/

Stewart F. Lane has such a deep passion for New York City, theater, and Broadway. I always enjoy our conversations as his energy is contagious as he speaks about his work. In this episode, we discuss how he became a theater producer, the biggest challenges involved in producing on Broadway, and why it's important for actors to know the foundations involved in producing.
Stewart F. Lane is the Chief Executive Officer, President and Co- Founder of BroadwayHD, Chief Executive Officer of Theater Venture Inc and a six- time Tony Award winning producer for ”Jay Johnson:  The Two & Only,” “Thoroughly Modern Millie,” “The Will Rogers Follies," “La Cage Aux Folles,” "A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder," and "War Horse." As well as a nine time nominee including “Fiddler on the Roof” (revival) starring Alfred Molina, “Gypsy” (revival) starring Bernadette Peters, “1776” (revival) starring Pat Hingle and Brent Spiner, “The Goodbye Girl” starring Martin Short and Bernadette Peters and “Woman of the Year” starring Lauren Bacall. Lane is also the recipient of four Drama Desk Awards, a Drama Critics Circle Award, a Outer Circle Critics Award and a Drama- Lounge Award . Other Broadway producing credits include “Cyrano De Bergerac” starring Kevin Kline, Jennifer Garner and Daniel Sunjata, “Legally Blonde the musical,” “Minnelli on Minnelli” starring Liza Minnelli, “Wait Until Dark” starring Quentin Tarantino and Marisa Tomei, “Can-Can” starring Zizi Jeanmaire, “Frankenstein” starring Dianne Wiest, “Teaneck Tanzi” starring Deborah Harry and Andy Kaufman, “A Change in the Heir,” “The Grand Tour” starring Joel Grey, “West Side Story” starring Debbie Allen and many more.  Giving back to the theater community, Lane has created scholarship funds at Columbia University Business Graduate School and Boston University College of Fine Arts Undergraduate School and has been a major support to the University of Massachusetts, Emerson College and Fiorello H. La Guardia High School for the Performing Arts School. Five Towns College honored Lane with naming their business school, Stewart F. Lane School of Business for his contributions to the World of Entertainment. 
You can learn more about Stewart by visiting https://mrbroadway.com/index.html and https://www.broadwayhd.com/
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In this short episode of Actorcast, we discuss how you can go about developing your acting technique. When starting out in the industry, it can be difficult to choose among the hundreds of classes to take. It can be difficult knowing where to start. The key is to know what type of actor you want to become and go from there.
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Jumpin Boogie Woogie by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Artist: http://audionautix.com/

Michael and I first had the opportunity to connect via LinkedIn. After a career as an actor, director, and running his own theatre company, Michael stepped into the world of finance to help artists in their financial planning. In this episode, we discuss how actors can stay on top of their finances and why this is an important skillset to develop when growing one's creative career.
Michael Raimondi originally hails from Southern California, having made New York City home after earning his master’s from The New School. Following an exciting career directing and acting in theatre and film, Michael grew as a business professional in the field of supplemental education. His passion for social justice then led him to establish Play Your* Part, a nimble arts nonprofit. Whether in the arts, education, or the nonprofit sector Michael's mission has always been to help people. Now, as a licensed financial professional, he seeks to help folks in the arts, and those who are 'arts adjacent', increase their financial literacy by demystifying the world of investments and insurance.   
You can learn more about Michael and his work by visiting https://www.clarisfinancial.com and https://www.facebook.com/MichaelRaimondiCG
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Jumpin Boogie Woogie by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Artist: http://audionautix.com/

The starving artist mentality has become very romanticized over the years, but it does not serve anyone, especially the artist. We must not place the burden of earning money on our creativity. In this episode of Actorcast, we discuss why it is so important to have money coming in from a day job or multiple income sources, why this is important for your craft, and why it's important to keep finances separate from art in most cases.
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Jumpin Boogie Woogie by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Artist: http://audionautix.com/

Networking in the entertainment is just as important, if not more important, then in other industries. They key is knowing how to network effectively. In this episode, we discuss different ways that actors can network, the approach to take, and why building relationships within the industry is so important.
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Jumpin Boogie Woogie by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Artist: http://audionautix.com/

Devin is an incredible acting and audition coach based in New York. I had the opportunity to take one of her classes and was blown away by her knowledge and useful and practical advice for actors. In this episode, Devin talks about common traps that actors fall into during auditions, how to steer clear of generalizations while performing a character, and how to adjust to performing in front of a camera.
Devin Shacket is an actress, casting professional, audition coach, and on-camera acting teacher.  Devin began coaching and taping auditions in early 2013, while working in the House of Cards: Season 2 casting department. Her casting credits include the second season of House of Cards, alongside Emmy Award winning casting director, Julie Schubert, feature films including Good Funk, Black Nativity, Three Backyards, and theatre projects and the San Francisco Playhouse. Her students have appeared on television shows such as The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Iron Fist, Happy, Gotham, New Amsterdam, Switched at Birth, Tyrant, Ramy, The Deuce, Jack Ryan, Sneaky Pete, Quantico, Infierno Verde, Jessica Jones, Blue Bloods, Sweet Bitter, The Looming Tower, FBI, Dickinson, The Blacklist, The Godfather of Harlem, and more.  In addition to private coaching and audition taping, Devin teaches on camera acting and audition technique to adults and young actors internationally.  She has been a guest lecturer at NYU Stonestreet School for Film and Television, SF Playhouse, SF State University, Palm Beach Atlantic University, dBs Berlin Film School, and several private studios in New York City.  She is the founder and Artistic Director of the New York Drama Center.
You can learn more about Devin by visiting https://www.thenewyorkdramacenter.com and https://www.devinshacketoncamera.com
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Jumpin Boogie Woogie by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Artist: http://audionautix.com/

I had the opportunity to work with both Margaret and Zach on a short film in early 2020 and was inspired by their work as filmmakers. In this episode, we discuss why they decided to pursue a career in cinematography, why film is an effective medium to tell stories, and some of the challenges that come with being a film director. They also share their insights for those looking to pick up a camera.
Margaret Sclafani is currently working on the feature film, Greetings from Arizona, as producer, co-director and cinematographer. She began her career in the film industry in 2008 as a post-production coordinator and production coordinator on documentary and short films, many with women at the helm. In 2010, she wore multiple hats at startup, Parent Earth, making videos about sustainable living and healthy food for families, working as director of photography, editor, associate producer, and line producer. Establishing herself in New York, she concentrated within the camera department, working her way up from assistant camera, to operator, to cinematographer.  Her one minute documentary film, Water Walker, on indigenous water protectors was accepted into the Galway Film Fleadh in 2016. She also won a grant from the Russo Brothers to make a short documentary about her Sicilian-American heritage, Saints of Little Italy, which screened across the NYC boroughs as part of the NYWIFT Women Filmmakers: Immigrant Stories Series. In 2019, Margaret began working as the in house DP for MTV News. While there she also worked as Director of Photography on multiple independent shorts and features and continues to work freelance on both narrative and documentary projects. Her recent short directorial work, We Are Here, filmed March 1st 2020 and finished in post remotely. You can learn more about her past work experience at www.ladybugrelease.com.
Zach Singer studied in the Film/Video program at CalArts, selected from a large pool of applicants to be one of twelve students in their undergraduate film program. He began  directing and producing theater and short films at the age of 14. In 2005, Zach obtained the theatrical rights to ‘Canibal! The Musical’ (written by South Park’s Trey Parker) and produced and directed the show as a benefit for the Matlou Foundation, a non profit that helps children afflicted with AIDS in Botswana, Africa. In 2014, Zach Directed ‘Lily’ (Produced by James Franco and Deborah LaVine) a short film adapted from an unpublished stage play by Tennessee Williams. From 2015-2019 he produced and directed several music videos including ‘Baby It’s You’ by Haley Reinhart and ‘The Standard’ by Tolliver. Throughout his career as a producer and director, Zach has consistently worked as a video editor and story producer for companies that include MTV, Comedy Central, VH1, ATTN:, Genius, Discovery, Nickelodeon, as well as working on several award winning social/ web campaigns for entertainment clients A24, Disney, Fox Searchlight, Amazon/ Roadside, and Magnolia Pictures.
You can learn more about Margaret and Zach by visiting  https://www.margaretsclafani.com and https://www.zachsinger.tv
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Jumpin Boogie Woogie by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Artist: http://audionautix.com/

Mimi Intagliata has a 30 year career working in production and stage management, most recently as Director of Production Operations at Disney Theatrical Group. In this episode of Actorcast, she provides us with a wealth of knowledge and a behind-the-scenes look into how shows are made. We discuss her career path, the biggest challenges involved in her role, and why others within the industry must develop a foundational understanding of production management.
Mimi Intagliata (she/her) is the Director of Production Operations at Disney Theatrical Group. During her time at DTG, starting in 2013, she’s worked on Beauty and the Beast at Shanghai Disneyland Resort, the Broadway Production of Frozen the Musical, the national tour and theatrical film of Newsies, the new tour of The Lion King, and developmental productions of The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Shakespeare in Love. Mimi has spent over 30 years working in theatrical production. Prior to joining Disney, she was the Director of Production at Paper Mill Playhouse, a premier regional theatre in Millburn, NJ. There she guided over 40 shows to the stage, including the World Premiere of Newsies and the North American Premiere of the 25th Anniversary National Tour of Les Misérables. Before her time at Paper Mill, Mimi was the Production Manager at Dodger Stage Holding, working on, among other shows, the Broadway productions and national tours of 42nd Street and Urinetown, and the off-Broadway Production of Bare: A Pop Opera. She also worked for the touring company NETworks as an Associate Production Manager and, prior to making the transition to Production Managing, was a Stage Manager working in settings as varied as children’s theatre, opera, and dinner theatre and spent nearly 10 years criss-crossing the country and globe with touring shows. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre from Indiana University, Bloomington, and is originally from St. Louis, MO. Mimi currently resides in Maplewood, NJ, with her wife, Alicia, and their two children, Lucas, 18, and Celeste, 15.
To learn more about Mimi, please visit her on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mimi-intagliata-a716755/. You can learn more about her work with Disney at https://disneyonbroadway.com
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Jumpin Boogie Woogie by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Artist: http://audionautix.com/