Beyond Technique with Samantha Rund

On this episode award winning director and writer Katherine Vondy joins Samantha Rund to discuss  creativity, tenacity, and the true gift of creative work. 

We also explore

• Differences in Film, Theater, and Literature
• How to Protect Your Self Worth
• Ways to Release Writer's Block
• Creative Challenges and Discoveries during Quarantine
• Reimagining Hedda Gabler and How She Stays Relevant Today
• Using The Voice Body Mind Connection to Create a Life You Want to Live

Katherine Vondy is a Los Angeles-based writer and director working in film, theater, and literature. She is the recipient of the Davey Foundation Theatre Grant for her play The Fermi Paradox, and The Broken Heart of Gnocchi Bolognese, her award-winning short film, has screened at festivals worldwide. Kat has received writing residencies from the HBMG Foundation, Palazzo Stabile, Vermont Studio Center, Starry Night, and Wildacres. Her plays have been developed with the Salt Lake Acting Company, The Athena Project, The Blank, Paper Wing Theatre Company, Campfire Theatre Festival, and The Vagrancy (where she currently serves as playwriting group moderator). Her prose and poetry appears widely in literary journals and has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize, Queen’s Ferry Best Small Fictions, and Best of the Net. She received her BA in English and Music from Amherst College and her MFA in Film and Television Production from USC.
 www.katherinevondy.com

Samantha Rund is a  professional actor, comedian, and coach. A graduate of Northwestern University, the University of Washington’s Professional Actor Training Program MFA, and Second City’s Improv and Directing Conservatory; she is passionate about enriching people’s lives through the performing arts. Some of her recent acting work includes 3 Busy Debras on Adult Swim, Lady Macbeth in Shakespeare’s Macbeth, and various commercials including Google, Microsoft, and Amazon.
Her company, Beyond Technique Coaching, focuses on using performance principles to empower people to bring more of their whole selves to their lives and work. She works with a wide range of people around the world on performance and personal development.
www.samantharund.com
www.beyondtechniquecoaching.com

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On this episode entomologists and professional educators Kristie Reddick and Jessica Honaker join Samantha to share  how learning about bugs can help improve our communities, our understanding of our own humanity, and increase our capacity for empathy towards ourselves and others.  
We also discuss 

• Their incredible Kenyan research expedition 
• Filming with Bruce Willis
• How learning about bugs can improve your acting
• The very real way their research is helping to change the world

It's a fascinating episode you won't want to miss!

Kristie Reddick and Jessica Honaker are The Bug Chicks, entomologists and professional educators who inspire people of all ages to find their inner bugdork! Connecting the science of entomology with social-emotional learning, they use bugs to help people open their minds, break down prejudices and feel empowered in their lives.

They've recently started  a new curriculum called DIFFERENT (www.thebugchicks.com/different) that dives deep into social-emotional concepts through the science of entomology

Links: www.thebugchicks.com; @thebugchicks on Instagram & Twitter; The Bug Chicks on Facebook

Samantha Rund is a  professional actor, comedian, and coach. A graduate of Northwestern University, the University of Washington’s Professional Actor Training Program MFA, and Second City’s Improv and Directing Conservatory; she is passionate about enriching people’s lives through the performing arts. Some of her recent acting work includes 3 Busy Debras on Adult Swim, Lady Macbeth in Shakespeare’s Macbeth, and various commercials including Google, Microsoft, and Amazon. Her company, Beyond Technique Coaching, focuses on using performance principles to empower people to bring more of their whole selves to their lives and work. She works with a wide range of people around the world on performance and personal development. 

www.samantharund.com

www.beyondtechniquecoaching.com

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On this episode photographer Joanna DeGeneres joins Samantha Rund to share her journey to becoming one of the top headshot photographers in Los Angeles, and how her background in the arts has informed and empowered her life. 

We discuss

• Choosing to be Free From Suffering
• Commitment and what it really means to "Fake it till you make it"
• Talent vs Hard Work
• Why a great headshot is vital to your career
• Advice for starting out
• Arrogance
• Confidence Crushers
• and Doing What You're Great At

Joanna has her BFA in Art from Michigan State University and her MFA from the University of Washington’s Professional Actor Training Program (PATP 2002) She moved to Los Angeles in ’02 to pursue acting and quickly picked up a camera, the rest is history.

She started shooting headshots in Los Angeles over 10 years ago right when the industry switched from black and white film to color digital. While pursuing her career as an actress, she  worked as an assistant and associate in a casting office where she had the experience of looking at thousands of headshots and sitting in on incredible auditions. She is a full time photographer and loves what she does. Her studio is located in North Hollywood, California.

http://www.joannadegeneres.com

Samantha Rund is a  professional actor, comedian, and coach. A graduate of Northwestern University, the University of Washington’s Professional Actor Training Program MFA, and Second City’s Improv and Directing Conservatory; she is passionate about enriching people’s lives through the performing arts. Some of her recent acting work includes 3 Busy Debras on Adult Swim, Lady Macbeth in Shakespeare’s Macbeth, and various commercials including Google, Microsoft, and Amazon. Her company, Beyond Technique Coaching, focuses on using performance principles to empower people to bring more of their whole selves to their lives and work. She works with a wide range of people around the world on performance and personal development. 

www.samantharund.com

www.beyondtechniquecoaching.com

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Two Time Emmy Award winning director Mary Lou Belli joins Samantha Rund this episode to discuss her experience as a director and the importance of mindset, boundaries, and trust. She shares lessons from working on Girlfriends, useful tips for raising kids, and the 4 things essential to success. 

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Samantha Rund is a professional actor, comedian, and coach who performs on stage and screen across the country. A graduate of Northwestern University, the University of Washington’s Professional Actor Training Program MFA, and Second City’s Improv and Directing Conservatory; she is passionate about enriching people’s lives through the performing arts. Some of her recent acting work includes 3 Busy Debras on Adult Swim, Lady Macbeth in Shakespeare’s Macbeth, and various commercials including Google, Microsoft, and Amazon.

Her company, Beyond Technique Coaching, focuses on using performance principles to empower people to bring more of their whole selves to their lives and work. She works with a wide range of people around the world for performance and personal development. 

www.samantharund.com

www.beyondtechniquecoaching.com


Mary Lou Belli, a two-time Emmy award-winner, has been
directing television for over 20 years. She has done ground-
breaking work on web-series and her award winning short,
America, just won The Hague Fest. Through her teaching, she
supports many of the vibrant diversity programs including the
DGA, ABC/Disney, CBS, Sony, HBO Access, AFI’s Directing
Workshop for Women, and Warner Bros. Directing Workshop
mentoring the next generation of directors. She is the co-author of
four books: “The NEW Sitcom Career Book,” "Acting for Young
Actors," "PERFORM: Acting for the Screen" and “Directors Tell
the Story” which she co-wrote with fellow DGA member Bethany
Rooney. She taught directing at USC for 10 years.

www.maryloubelli.com
Twitter/IG/FB @maryloubelli

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In this episode comedian Cat Alvarado joins Samantha Rund to discuss the importance of prioritizing your time, approaches to networking, and the things that can make or break your career.
Cat shares what it's like to be a comedian with an economics degree, some of the underbelly of the biz, and what to prepare so you don't miss your shot. We briefly geek out over A Midsummer Night's Dream and talk about how to make sure we don't lead miserable lives.

Samantha Rund is a  professional actor, comic, and creator of Beyond Technique Coaching. Recently, she can be seen on 3 Busy Debras on Adult Swim. She's passionate about using performance principles to help enrich and empower people's lives.

www.samantharund.com
www.beyondtechniquecoaching.com

Cat grew up just outside Los Angeles in the San Fernando Valley and devoted her teens to performing arts, but took a hard left, got married at 19, and became the single mother of a fully grown man child and earning a BA in Economics.  By the end of college, she realized getting married at 19 was a terrible mistake, and got divorced at 21. She then had to find her own identity while pursuing her MA in Economics from UC Santa Barbara. At UCSB, she took up stand up and the rest is history. She’s been in comedy festivals all over country including the Laughing Skull Comedy Fest in 2017.  Follow her on Instagram @thecatalvarado or on Facebook.com/catalvaradocomedy to find out when she has shows near you. You can also catch her onstage at IO West in Hollywood with Dollop in the Del Close Theatre on Saturdays at 10PM!

https://www.catalvarado.com/

Check out her upcoming event Oct 3rd with over 12 hours of live comedy with comedians including Maria Bamford
https://secure.actblue.com/donate/laughacrossamerica?refcode=rund

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In this Episode Samantha Rund and Cathy Madden discuss the Alexander Technique and how it can improve our lives in countless ways... on and off the stage. 
By choosing to work with our body's natural design we can decrease tension in our experience of life's many challenges, increase our range, and assist our ability to achieve our dreams. 
We discuss topics ranging from social distancing, character development, leading man energy, zoom fatigue, Meisner, and Uta Hagen. 

Samantha Rund is a professional actor, comedian, and coach who performs on stage and screen across the country. A graduate of Northwestern University, the University of Washington’s Professional Actor Training Program MFA, and Second City’s Improv and Directing Conservatory; she is passionate about enriching people’s lives through the performing arts. Some of her recent acting work includes 3 Busy Debras on Adult Swim, Lady Macbeth in Shakespeare’s Macbeth, and various commercials including Google, Microsoft, and Amazon.

Her company, Beyond Technique Coaching, focuses on using performance principles to empower people to bring more of their whole selves to their lives and work. She works with a wide range of people around the world for performance and personal development. 

www.samantharund.com

www.beyondtechniquecoaching.com



Cathy Madden is a Teaching Professor for the University of Washington’s Professional Actor Training Program, and Director of the Integrative Alexander Technique Studio of Seattle. Her books include: Integrative Alexander Technique Practices for Performing Artists : Onstage Synergy and Teaching the Alexander Technique: Active Pathways to Integrative Practice . 

Madden studied the Alexander Technique with Marjorie Barstow , the first graduate of F.M. Alexander's training school, for nearly 20 years and served as her assistant in workshops in the U.S.A. and Europe. She regularly teaches for Alexander Technique training schools and Arts organizations in in Australia, Europe, and Japan, and has been a featured keynote speaker/presenter for International Congresses and meetings; She was a founding member of Alexander Technique International and is a former chair of the organization. She is also a founding member of the Integrative Alexander Technique Circle.

She remains active as a theater director and is  a Creative Collaborator for Lucia Neare Theatrical Wonders (http://www.lucianeare.org/).    Her most recent directorial outing was "directing by Zoom" for Amanda Cole's production celebrating Hildegard von Bingen for the Anywhere Festival in the Sunshine Coast , Australia. (This was before we needed to do much of our communication by Zoom!)

For Cathy’s complete biographical information, please see her website:

http://www.cathymadden.net/

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On this episode comedian, author, coach, and speaker Aidan Park joins Samantha Rund to explore how carefully choosing our thoughts can enable us to live our dream lives. Aidan discusses the isolation and powerlessness of his youth as an undocumented immigrant, why he worked as an "erotic services provider", living with HIV, becoming a widow, overcoming shame, how NLP changed his life, and writing his book " The Art of Being YAY!".

This is a life changing episode you don't want to miss!

Samantha Rund is a professional actor, comedian, and coach who performs on stage and screen across the country. A graduate of Northwestern University, the University of Washington’s Professional Actor Training Program MFA, and Second City’s Improv and Directing Conservatory; she is passionate about enriching people’s lives through the performing arts. Some of her recent acting work includes 3 Busy Debras on Adult Swim, Lady Macbeth in Shakespeare’s Macbeth, and various commercials including Google, Microsoft, and Amazon.

Her company, Beyond Technique Coaching, focuses on using performance principles to empower people to bring more of their whole selves to their lives and work. She works with a wide range of people around the world for performance and personal development. 

www.samantharund.com

www.beyondtechniquecoaching.com

Aidan Park is a comedian, author, empowerment coach/speaker and creator of his brand “the art of being yay” dedicated to helping people get happier!

Aidan has a VLOG on AidanPark.com where he addresses topics of interest as it relates to mental health! And free resources for yayfulness!

www.aidanpark.com
IG @aidanparkshow

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In this episode engineer, producer, and comedian Sushil Ganesh joins Samantha Rund to discuss  his decision to leave Microsoft and pursue his dreams in Mumbai.
We discuss relationships, comedy, shame, and major life changes.
Sushil shares his deeply personal journey  to self acceptance. 


Sushil Ganesh recently moved back from Seattle to Mumbai, and started his own Comedy Production Company called Masala Mama Productions. He hosts a biweekly International Online Comedy show called 50 Shades of Brown which promotes artists of color internationally (white is also a color xD), and raises funds to support African Indian athletes. Previous headliners include Craig Gass, who has been on Family Guy, Sex and the City, The King of Queens and several great shows. 

IG @MasalaMama17
IG@DadJokesGuy
Facebook @MasalaMamaProductions

Samantha Rund is a  professional actor, comedian, and coach. A graduate of Northwestern University, the University of Washington’s Professional Actor Training Program MFA, and Second City’s Improv and Directing Conservatory; she is passionate about enriching people’s lives through the performing arts. Some of her recent acting work includes 3 Busy Debras on Adult Swim, Lady Macbeth in Shakespeare’s Macbeth, and various commercials including Google, Microsoft, and Amazon. Her company, Beyond Technique Coaching, focuses on using performance principles to empower people to bring more of their whole selves to their lives and work. She works with a wide range of people around the world on performance and personal development. 

www.samantharund.com

www.beyondtechniquecoaching.com

***If you enjoyed this episode please help spread it’s message****

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On this episode  Mayor Chance Mullen joins Samantha Rund to discuss their experiences post graduate school, moving to NY and LA, as well as the highs and lows of the auditioning process. 
Chance shares ways performance training helps him better serve his community as mayor and his transition into politics. 
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Chance Mullen is the current  Mayor  of Pelham, NY since 2019.
Before which he served as a trustee for two years .

He also works professionally at Ford Foundation  since 2012  as a people development specialist focused on diversity, equity and inclusion, onboarding, professional development and coaching, training, etc

Additionally, he's  worked as a professional actor and filmmaker for over a decade in NYC. Credits include commercials for at&t, Toyota, Verizon, time Warner cable, McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, Netflix and many more. Wrote sun belt express (available on Netflix). 
Launched Alberio Films (production company).
Key credits: Co-produced sun belt express (distributed by mar vista entertainment, available on Netflix, Hulu, etc) 
Web series: real American voter, kitchen sink,
Short film: equity

Twitter @ChanceMullen

Samantha Rund is a  professional actor, comedian, and coach. A graduate of Northwestern University, the University of Washington’s Professional Actor Training Program MFA, and Second City’s Improv and Directing Conservatory; she is passionate about enriching people’s lives through the performing arts. Some of her recent acting work includes 3 Busy Debras on Adult Swim, Lady Macbeth in Shakespeare’s Macbeth, and various commercials including Google, Microsoft, and Amazon.Her company, Beyond Technique Coaching, focuses on using performance principles to empower people to bring more of their whole selves to their lives and work. She works with a wide range of people around the world on performance and personal development. 

www.samantharund.com

www.beyondtechniquecoaching.com

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Comedian Paul Moomjean joins Samantha Rund to  discuss how to navigate and define control. Paul shares how his experience in stand up comedy affected his previous teaching career, his life in and out of “The Church”, and the surprising story behind his new tattoos. 

Samantha Rund is a  professional actor, comedian, and coach. A graduate of Northwestern University, the University of Washington’s Professional Actor Training Program MFA, and Second City’s Improv and Directing Conservatory; she is passionate about enriching people’s lives through the performing arts. Some of her recent acting work includes 3 Busy Debras on Adult Swim, Lady Macbeth in Shakespeare’s Macbeth, and various commercials including Google, Microsoft, and Amazon.Her company, Beyond Technique Coaching, focuses on using performance principles to empower people to bring more of their whole selves to their lives and work. She works with a wide range of people around the world on performance and personal development. 

www.samantharund.com

www.beyondtechniquecoaching.com

Paul Douglas Moomjean is a Southern California native with fresh perspectives on dating, his numerous careers, and his faith. He was a finalist in the 100+ comedian Ventura Comedy Festival, appeared on Laughs on Fox, and his VidAngel comedy special "Guys Like You and Me" will be coming out soon! Paul has opened for Tom Segura, Bert Kreischer, Christopher Titus, and The Sklar Brothers. Paul tours the country performing at clubs, colleges, churches, bars, warehouses and even backyards.

Paul Douglas Moomjean

www.themoomabides.com

INSTA/TWITTER: @themoomabides

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