COZY ZONE with Ben Weber

Reyna Bonaparte invited me to her friend's apartment in Battery Park City. The spot was super gorgeous and the conversation was inspiring, invigorating, and of course, super cozy.

I've been dreaming about art with Jon Bock for just about half my life. He's watched me grow and evolve, stumble and triumph, love and laugh. I used to think Jon was cool because he's a native New Yorker. Now I think he's cool because he's a working actor committed to nourishing himself through his creative endeavors. Please enjoy our cozy conversation at his girlfriend Claire's apartment.

My dear friend, longtime collaborator, and comedian dream buddy Brett Aresco invites me to Black Mountain Wine House for a tipsy, freewheeling conversation about love, race, and theater.

I met Dorna on Governors Island at FIGMENT this past summer. I found myself at a dinner party at her beautiful Brooklyn house this Winter. I was all atwitter with my big plans for my cozy zone podcast and so she showed me her stupendously cozy treehouse bedroom. The rest is history. I am so grateful to bring you this episode with Dorna Lange, a perfect stranger who consistently moves me with her generosity, candor, thoughtfulness, and insight. I know you'll enjoy our cozy chat!

Josh Matthews is an international symbol of delight, transcending time, space, and gustatory perception. He is a clown, a physical comedian, a writer, a teaching artist, a sometimes roommate and a brand new friend. He taught me about hygge (pronounced hooga), a Danish word suggesting a cozy, copacetic vibe. We smoke hygge hookah at Kybher Pass, an Afghani restaurant famous to Josh for being a cozy zone and famous to me for being the coolest place in New York City, according to the first love of my life Kelsey. Snuggle up with some boulani kadu and sink in to this fabulous conversation.

Be sure to check out Josh’s theater company Under The Table Ensemble Theatre. Immediately.

 

 

Josh Matthews is an international symbol of delight, transcending time, space, and gustatory perception. He is a clown, a physical comedian, a writer, a teaching artist, a sometimes roommate and a brand new friend. He taught me about hygge (pronounced hooga), a Danish word suggesting a cozy, copacetic vibe. We smoke hygge hookah at Kybher Pass, an Afghani restaurant famous to Josh for being a cozy zone and famous to me for being the coolest place in New York City, according to the first love of my life Kelsey. Snuggle up with some boulani kadu and sink in to this fabulous conversation.

Be sure to check out Josh’s theater company Under The Table Ensemble Theatre. Immediately.

 

 

Jess Levy, my friend and grad school colleague, invites me to Studio 34, a yoga/healing/arts center in West Philadelphia. Jess is a facilitator at The Blue Door Group, a consultancy organization that specializes in participatory education and building community. My favorite thing about Jess is the way she moves through the world. She is tall, slender, elegant, comedic, wise, passionate, humble, and genuine. She breathes the world in deeply and inspires delight in community. Thanks for sharing your Philly Cozy Zone with me, Jess!

Wow! What a cozy zone! Tim Manley – author, storyteller, and my dear, dear friend – invites you and me into The Nook, a sacred, sumptuous, walk-in closet space, home to many a bro-sesh, in his Astoria apartment. We’ve been friends for a long time and have spent that friendship supporting each other’s creativity. Please enjoy this celebration of fraternity and coziness!

Follow COZY ZONE with Ben Weber’s board “Learning Lodge” by Tim Manley and Ben Weber on Pinterest.

Nicolette Dixon - the lady that I love - drives me in our Car2Go to one of our favorite spots: Saraghina Brooklyn, a quaint Italian restaurant in Bedford-Stuyvesant. Through the din of the brunch crowd, we find our rhythm, feel the love, and settle into the first ever Cozy Zone with Ben Weber.

Hey Everybody! My name is Ben Weber. I'm an artist, educator, comedian, arts administrator, and a lover of cozy zones.

What's a cozy zone?

A COZY ZONE is a real place where you feel safe, warm, creative, inspired, relaxed, abundant, and brave.

One of my first cozy zones was on the couch with my dad, snuggling under an afghan, watching "Ren & Stimpy".

In the inaugural episode, I'm sitting at my very messy desk in my Brooklyn home that I share with the lady that I love, Nicolette. I set my creative intentions for COZY ZONE.