Beyond the Lights: A Conversation with Theater Professionals

On today’s episode, I speak with actor and producer Tanis Parenteau who does a little of everything in the acting world: from theater to film to audiobooks and podcasts. We discuss how she found her way to a Drama 101 class, how her training helped her sustain a lead role in a long-running play, and why Billions was her favorite tv show to film to date. Tanis is a member of the Métis Nation of Alberta, Canada and we also talk about why representation is important in all aspects of media.

For a full transcript of today's episode visit beyondthelightspodcast.com.

Mentioned in this Episode
[00:01:08] Métis Nation of Alberta, Canada
[00:24:47] Manahatta
[00:36:55] ACX
[00:39:08] Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse
[00:41:41] AHAB
[00:44:05] The Moment with Brian Koppleman
[00:46:54] Not Invisible: Native Women on the Front Lines
[00:50:17] Rebecca Nagle on Pod Save America
[00:52:13] This Land
[00:53:15] Tara Houska
[00:55:21] Red House Series on Instagram
[00:55:30] Red House Series
[01:02:00] Paula Vogel’s Bard at the Gate

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This week we have Erica Hemminger an associate set designer on Broadway.  If you’ve been to a Broadway show within the last 10 years you’ve probably seen something she’s worked on, including but not limited to Anything Goes, Beautiful, American Son, and the biggest one to date Moulin Rouge.  We discuss how she got started in set design, why we should all be discussing our salaries more, and just how many elephants are on the Moulin Rouge set. For a full transcript of today's episode visit beyondthelightspodcast.com.

Mentioned in this Episode
[00:01:02] Derek McLane
[00:03:17] Carnegie Mellon 
[00:03:22] DePaul University
[00:10:17] I Am My Own Wife
[00:17:46] Moulin Rouge! The Musical
[00:28:52] The Elephant of the Moulin Rouge
[00:31:13] Catherine Martin
[00:35:14] The Wiz Live
[00:35:20] Hairspray Live
[00:36:22] Kenny Leon
[00:36:25] Harvey Fierstein
[00:44:40] Anything Goes
[00:45:45] Buffy the Vampire Slayer Musical Episode


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Today’s guest is Jason Loffredo a music director in New York City. We discuss how an invite to play on a softball team led to becoming a substitute musician in a Broadway pit and ultimately to becoming the music director for off-Broadway's ALTAR BOYZ and Broadway's KINKY BOOTS. Jason also breaks down the ins and outs of working as a substitute musician on Broadway, what a music director actually does, and how he's kept busy while Broadway is suspended.  If you have a musician in your life, THIS is the episode to share with them.

For a full transcript of today's episode please visit beyondthelightspodcast.com

Links Mentioned During this Episode
[00:39:30] Finale Tutorials
[00:40:34] Radio Free Broadway
[00:41:56] Tickets to Birdland Performance
[00:42:12] Kate Rockwell's BACK TO MY ROOTS

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Today's episode features Kat West, a freelance stage manager working in New York City. We discuss her work with Prospect Theater Company, how she became involved with Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish (directed by Joel Grey), what it's like working on a show when your son is 3 months old, becoming a better advocate in the room, and what a "typical" middle-of-the-process day looks like in the life of a stage manager.  For a full transcript of today's episode visit beyondthelightspodcast.com.

Links Mentioned During this Episode
[00:2:57] Prospect Theater Company
[00:10:00] Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish
[00:10:07] Museum of Jewish Heritage
[00:11:26] National Yiddish Theatre
[00:15:33] Steven Skybell as Teyve
[00:26:15] Teyve the Dairy Man
[00:55:12] The Ferryman

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Show Notes
Welcome to the first episode of Beyond the Lights: A Conversation with Theater Professionals.  Today's guest is Tai Verley, a freelance actor and the Artistic Director of Revolution Shakespeare in Philadelphia, PA. We discuss how she went from Psychology major to actor, from being told she would never understand Shakespeare to running a Shakespeare Company, how she is continuing to foster artistic creation through her company during Covid-19, and so much more. For a full transcript of today's episode visit beyondthelightspodcast.com.

Links Mentioned During this Episode
[22:30] The Shakespeare Forum
[26:24] Revolution Shakespeare
[42:04] At Home with the Macbeths
[59:16] My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
[1:00:14] Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
[1:00:39] Artists Against Abernathy
[1:07:51] Mister Rogers appears in front of Congress

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Welcome to Beyond the Lights: A Conversation with Theater Professionals. Theater is a community event and it takes a village to operate. From actors to designers to company managers to teaching artists to data nerds and dramaturgs and everything in between. So join me weekly to learn more about each person's journey and the "hustle" we call theater as we go Beyond the Lights.