This weeks episode Russell finally gets a chance to chat with fellow UNCG acting cohort class member Jessica Hirsh on the importance of staying prepared and not waiting for the moment to be seen pass you by.

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Jess is the Head of Musical Theatre at the Salt Lake School for the Performing Arts in Salt Lake City Utah. She holds a Master of Fine Arts in Acting from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (Thesis: Fabiana Aziza Cunningham in The Last Days of Judas Iscariot), a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre from Youngstown State University (Magna Cum Laude, Senior Project: The Witch in Into The Woods), a Shakespeare Certificate from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, and a Musical Theatre Certificate from the Open Jar Institute in New York City. Jess was a two-time Irene Ryan Acting Competition nominee and was a semi-finalist for Musical Theatre Initiative in 2017 at the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival.

In Russell's very first dual interview he talks with two friends and fellow artists in the acting & directing space & husband and wife pair Chris Gilly-Forrer & Tiffany Gilly-Forrer as they discuss the importance of supporting each others artistic endeavors as well as finding their own way artistically.

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Tiffany Gilly-Forrer (she/her) is an actor, acting instructor, and playwright with an MFA from Louisiana State University. She is certified in Seven Pillars Acting and will be leading three workshops at the Southeastern Theatre Conference in March 2023, as well as producing a two-person cabaret in NYC. Check out more of her work at www.tiffanygillyforrer.com and stay tuned for upcoming performances!

Chris Gilly-Forrer is a director and theatre educator currently teaching at Utah Tech University. He received his MFA from UNC Greensboro and is a proud alumnus of the PCPA—Pacific Conservatory Theatre directing internship. Chris firmly believes in the transformative power of theatre and seeks to produce work in conversation with current socio-economic and political events. Favorite credits include Macbeth, Peter and the Starcatcher, Dealer’s Choice, and The World on a Hill. -- 

Today's episode Russell speaks with fellow cohort class member from UNCG and Theatre for Young Audiences Directing student Hayley Greenstreet on the importance of impacting young people in theatre in a positive way.

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Hayley Greenstreet comes from Winston-Salem, North Carolina. She earned her BA in Theatre with Honors from Wake Forest University in 2015. After graduating, she worked as a year-long Education Resident Professional Intern at Lexington Children's Theater in Kentucky. In 2016, she moved to Omaha Nebraska to work as a Teaching Artist Fellow at The Rose Theater. After her fellowship year, Hayley continued working at The Rose as a full time Teaching Artist! In this role, Hayley wore many hats; she served the children and families of Omaha as a teacher, performer, director, and mentor. Starting in fall 2020, Hayley attended the University of North Carolina at Greensboro for her MFA in Theatre for Youth. While at UNCG, she directed The Arkansaw Bear by Aurand Harris and Round Pegs, Square Pegs by Mary Hall Surface, and the North Carolina Theatre for Young People’s first ever TVY piece: Wake Up, Brother Bear! Since graduating, she has been teaching in the School of Theatre at UNCG, as well as a Teaching Artist for Drama Kids of The Triad. Throughout all of her endeavors, Hayley strives to work with young people as collaborators, using their voices and ideas to fuel the work that will ultimately be shared with other young minds.

This weeks episode Russell sits down with Wing Chun Grandmaster Sifu Steve of Cloud Forest Martial Arts Greensboro and they talk about the importance of martial arts in not only a use of defending oneself but also the benefits of using the skills learned in everyday life as well as other art forms such as acting.

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Sifu Steve McGowan-is the founder and head instructor of Golden Harvest Wing Chun (CFMAG). He began his study of martial arts with Japanese Go Jyu Ryu Karate at the age of eight. A year later, when his new neighbor, Chan Kau Mo moved in next door, he was introduced to Wing Chun. From the Age of nine to 18 Steve intensively training under Sigung Chan. 

After graduating high school, Steve enlisted in the US Army and became a special force operative. He carried combat missions in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and other parts of the world. After serving for seven years, 

he decided to join the Honolulu police force. Steve served as an officer for 3 years, and then moved to Kansai, Japan. After moving to Japan in the mid 1990s, he decided to open one of Japans first Wing Chun 

Kung Fu schools in the heart of Osaka, in 2007. 

As the leading instructor of Golden Harvest, 

Steve McGowan has taught over one hundred students 

the art of Wing Chun, self defense techniques, weapons 

techniques and competitive fighting techniques. 

Since his childhood encounter with Sigung Chan, 

Steve McGowan has had an undying passion for martial 

arts. 

In addition to Wing Chun, he has also studied 

and practiced many styles of Chinese, Filipino, 

and Japanese martial arts. He has 42 years of experience 

in Wing Chun and has trained hundreds of students. 

He is a dedicated teacher and mentor who focuses 

on the art of simplicity.

In the Season 3 Premeire Russell sits down with UNCG's musical theatre professor and director Erin Speer as they discuss the similarities as well as differences between directing musical theatre compared to theatre itself and the impact it has on artists and audiences alike.

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Erin Farrell Speer – Erin is a musical theatre director, educator and filmmaker. She serves as an Assistant Professor of Musical Theatre and Director of Undergraduate Studies – School of Theatre at UNC Greensboro. She earned her MFA in Directing for the Musical Theatre from Penn State where she studied under the mentorship of veteran Broadway director, Susan H. Schulman. Erin is also a proud graduate of The University of Michigan, holding a BFA in Acting.

 Erin made her Broadway debut in 2018 serving as the Assistant to Tony winning director Christopher Ashley on Escape to Margaritaville, the Jimmy Buffett musical. She also served in that capacity on the pre-Broadway tour. She made her off-Broadway debut in 2022 as the Associate Director for Hoagy Carmichael's Stardust Road at the York Theatre.

 Originally from Los Angeles, California, Erin’s creative work has taken her all around the United States. Regionally, Erin has worked at Center Theatre Group/the Mark Taper Forum, Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, Heritage Repertory Theatre, Sierra Repertory Theatre and the North Carolina Theatre among others.

 In 2022, Erin directed both The Spongebob Musical and The Scarlet Pimpernel. In Spring of 2023, she will direct The Bridges of Madison County at Elon University and Rock of Ages at UNCG. Favorite Direction credits include: The Spongebob Musical, Pippin, American Idiot, Sweet Charity, and many, many more.

In the Season Finale, Russell sits down with one of his favorite teachers at UNCG the Flan Man aka Micheal Flannery as they talk about the ins and outs of acting and teaching for the camera as well as some pretty important people Micheal has got to rub shoulders with during his journey.

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Michael received his MFA in Acting from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He also holds a professional acting degree from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York and a Bachelor of Science from Wake Forest University. His professional work includes numerous film and television credits. He is a member of SAG, EQUITY, and AFTRA.

https://vpa.uncg.edu/home/directory/bio-michaelflannery/

Russell is joined today by the UNCG School of Theatre Director and Professor Natalie Sowell, as they discuss the overall importance of theatre creation in connection to more diversity and inclusion within the school of theatre department not only at UNCG but campuses across the country.

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Sowell has taught and served in administrative roles at Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts for the past 16 years where she founded the Child Drama and Community program. Sowell currently serves as Dean of the School for Interdisciplinary Arts and Dean of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion. Specializing in applied theatre for social change, creative drama, critical literacy, and oral storytelling, Sowell is a trained Theatre of the Oppressed practitioner having studied with Augusto Boal, Julian Boal, TOPLAB New York, and the Center for the Theatre of the Oppressed NE. Sowell has conducted applied theatre workshops, classes, and artist residencies in schools, prisons, community centers, and churches throughout the United States and in Nigeria. She has worked as the Artistic Director of UJIMA YOUTHEATRE and Associate Managing Director of Manbites Dog Theater, and has served on many arts organization boards. Sowell has directed dozens of socially conscious plays for young audiences and adult audiences and is a consultant on issues of diversity, inclusion, and access for several organizations. She currently serves as an Arts Ambassador for the Massachusetts Department of Secondary and Elementary Education and is the faculty consultant for Five Colleges Inc.’s Doors to the World: Global Children’s Literature for Critical Multicultural Literacies project. Sowell received a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Creighton University, and an MFA in Theatre for Youth from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

https://vpa.uncg.edu/home/directory/bio-natalie-sowell/

In this weeks episode, Russell talks with the head of the MFA acting program at UNCG Jim Wren about the importance of teaching actors and inspiring them to make strong choices for themselves.

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Jim received his BA in Psychology/Communication and Theatre Arts from Heidelberg College and his MFA in Acting/Directing from The University of Florida. Tenured in the Department of Theatre and Dance at UF in 1990, he defied conventional wisdom by leaving one month later for the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where he currently serves as the Coordinator of the Performance Program and MFA Acting Advisor. He also serves as the Resident Fight Choreographer for Triad Stage. Jim teaches both undergraduate and graduate acting classes, and serves as Artistic Director of THTR 232 – the annual summer theatre festival co-produced by UNCG Theatre and Triad Stage. As Artistic Director of UNCG Summer Repertory Theatre prior to the new festival, Jim produced over seventy plays in his sixteen years of leadership. In 2001 he received a Kennedy Center Gold Medallion for Excellence in Theatre Education, and in 2005 was named Outstanding Teacher of Acting in the Southeast serving as mentor to the acting students at the National Festival. In 2006 he directed the Irene Ryan Evening of Scenes at the Kennedy Center. Directing credits include THE BLUE MARTINI (Kids with Guns at the NYC International Fringe Festival and Fringe Encore), THE NEW HOPEVILLE COMICS (Commander Squish Productions, Chernuchin Theatre, NYC), MOONLIGHT AND MAGNOLIAS (Hippodrome State Theatre, Gainesville, FL), THE SANTALAND DIARIES (Triad Stage), and CINDERELLA (Casa Manana, Ft. Worth, TX), in addition to over thirty productions for UNCG Theatre. His production of THE REVENGER’S TRAGEDY (co-authored with Joe Sturgeon) was selected for performance at the Kennedy Center as part of the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival in 2009. He and Joe have also written three musicals for young audiences- UNCLE ULYSSES AND THE MYTHIC SWORD, REDBEARD’S REVENGE, and KOKO KARATE AND THE KUNG FU KITTENS- all produced by THTR 232. A member of Actors’ Equity, he has appeared onstage in numerous roles including OUR LADY OF 121st Street here at UNCG and THE LITTLE FOXES at Triad Stage.

https://vpa.uncg.edu/home/directory/bio-jimwren/

Russell chats with Music Director and UNCG professor Dominick Amendum about his music career when he was apart of the Broadway musical "Wicked" as well as receiving a Grammy nomination for "The Prince of Egypt" and also finding balance between his teaching profession in the UNCG Musical Theatre department and his family life.

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DOMINICK AMENDUM served for nearly a decade as Associate Music Supervisor of the International Mega-Hit Musical Wicked, also having Conducted and Music Directed Wicked on Broadway, in Los Angeles, and in cities across the U.S. on the First National Tour. Additionally, Dominick was the Arranger and Music Supervisor for the Broadway musical First Date (starring Zachary Levi). Other credits include:  Heathers (Off Broadway- New World Stages); Gigantic (Off Broadway- The Vineyard); The Blue Flower (Off Broadway- SecondStage); The Kid (Off Broadway- The New Group); The Romance of Magno Rubio (Off Broadway- DR2 Theatre); Cabaret (National Tour); Oliver! (National Tour); Moonshine (Dallas Theatre Center); LMNOP(Houston TUTS); Elf (Paper Mill Playhouse); Secondhand Lions (Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theatre).

 As part of his continuing collaboration with Stephen Schwartz, Dominick is the Arranger and Music Supervisor of The Prince of Egypt, currently running at the Dominion Theatre in London’s West End. The Prince of Egyptwas developed at Fredericia Teater in Denmark and TheatreWorks in California.

 Dominick received a GRAMMY nomination for his production of The Prince of Egypt Original Cast Recording. He also produced the First Date Broadway Cast Recording and the Studio Cast Album of the world premiere musical Secondhand Lions.  Additional recordings as Producer include Stephanie J. Block (“This Place I Know”); Carrie Manolakos (“Echo”), Will Van Dyke (“Chasing The Day”) and Paul Loesel and Scott Burkell (“Sorta Love Songs”).  In the studio, Dominick has collaborated with the likes of Dolly Parton, Rupert Holmes, Andrew Lippa, Stephen Schwartz, and Marvin Hamlisch.  

 Dominick is the Smart-Tillman Artist in Residence at his alma-mater, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. At UNCG, he serves as Coordinator of the Musical Theatre Program, Professor of Musical Theatre Performance, and resident Music Director. He also continues to work professionally around the globe developing new musicals.

https://vpa.uncg.edu/home/directory/bio-domamendum/

Russell sits down and chats with his newly hired movement teacher at UNCG Robi Arce-Martinez and they talk about the benefits of movement as an artist as well as the importance of mime training.

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Puerto Rican director, actor, educator and mask-maker. Robi holds an MFA in Ensemble-Based Physical Theatre from Dell'Arte International and a BA in Drama from the University of Puerto Rico. 

 With more than 15 years of experience, Robi has performed, toured, and lead workshops in México, Venezuela, Argentina, Italy, Puerto Rico, and several cities in the U.S. He taught theatre in Puerto Rico at a high school level and for many years has toured with theatrical, educational and circus shows throughout his career. He has collaborated with companies as Y no había luz, Teatro del Sesenta, The Dell’Arte Company, Escena Latina and Lucky Productions.

 His work is diverse, created through a fusion of styles and fueled by social justice and change. His passion is to explore the poetry of movement, where actors shape the space with their bodies to create a physical, dynamic and poetic theatre that connects with people as sports connect with fans. For the past 3 years, Robi has collaborated with numerous theatre companies in Portland, including: Oregon Children’s Theatre (actor and teaching artist), Milagro Theatre(actor and director), Profile Theatre (character coach and choreographer) and Hand2Mouth Theatre(teaching artist).

 Currently, Robi is focusing his efforts to serve and empower the underrepresented Latinx diaspora in Portland, OR. He works as an on-site interpreter for medical appointments and collaborates with Hand2Mouth Theatre as a teacher for their educational program where he focuses on empowering the youth to tell their own stories through different mediums.

Instagram: @robi.artemar

Facebook: @Robi Arce Martinez