Creating Behavior with Charlie Sandlan

This week Charlie talks with his dear friend and grad school classmate Lawrence Ballard. Charlie and Larry discuss the use of a racial slur in a structured scene work exercise in the first year of their grad school training in 1998. The impact it had on Larry, on Charlie, and on the rest of their class is talked through with vulnerability and honesty. This is an amazing conversation about racism, white fragility, and the importance of tapping into the beautiful and the ugly parts of ourselves in order to truly illuminate the human condition. Larry and Charlie also share their thoughts on acting training in this country,  and what they've learned from the next generation. You can follow CBP on Instagram @creatingbehavior, and Charlie's NYC acting conservatory, the Maggie Flanigan Studio @maggieflaniganstudio. Theme music by  https://www.thelawrencetrailer.com. For written transcripts, to leave a voicemail on SpeakPipe, or contact Charlie for private coaching, check out https://www.creatingbehaviorpodcast.com

This week Charlie talks to his former student, actor and recording artist Ellis Melillo about her EP release Cry Wolf. Ellis went to a Brittney Spears concert with her dad at the age of five at Jones Beach. For over two decades she saw herself on that stage performing to a sold out crowd. Charlie and Ellis talk about that dream coming true when she opened for the Zac Brown Band this summer at Jones Beach. It's an incredible conversation about manifestation, the creative process, and the importance of giving yourself permission to acknowledge your talent. You can follow CBP on Instagram @creatingbehavior, and Charlie's NYC acting conservatory, the Maggie Flanigan Studio @maggieflaniganstudio. Theme music by  https://www.thelawrencetrailer.com. For written transcripts, to leave a voicemail on SpeakPipe, or contact Charlie for private coaching, check out https://www.creatingbehaviorpodcast.com

It's another solo episode this week fellow daydreamers! This week Charlie talks about the importance of digging into the past with two silent films, Buster Keaton's masterpiece Sherlock Jr., and the 1932 cult classic Freaks by Tod Browning. There's also some thoughts on Timothée Chalamet, and Theater for a New Audience's current production of Waiting for Godot. Charlie also discusses some recent acting notes from the classroom. You can follow CBP on Instagram @creatingbehavior, and Charlie's NYC acting conservatory, the Maggie Flanigan Studio @maggieflaniganstudio. Theme music by  https://www.thelawrencetrailer.com. For written transcripts, to leave a voicemail on SpeakPipe, or contact Charlie for private coaching, check out https://www.creatingbehaviorpodcast.com

Acting is a collaborative art form, and for an actor, the most important collaboration is with the writer, the playwright or screenwriter. Their process of getting an idea to the page is no less a creative struggle. This week Charlie shares a talkback from the Maggie Flanigan Studio in NYC with Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle award winning playwright Joshua Harmon. His latest play Prayer for the French Republic comes to Broadway in January 2024. Joshua talks about his process, about riding out the lows, and the importance of replacing judgement with curiosity. Here's another incredible conversation about living a professional creative life. You can follow CBP on Instagram @creatingbehavior, and Charlie's NYC acting conservatory, the Maggie Flanigan Studio @maggieflaniganstudio. Theme music by  https://www.thelawrencetrailer.com. For written transcripts, to leave a voicemail on SpeakPipe, or contact Charlie for private coaching, check out https://www.creatingbehaviorpodcast.com

We look at age completely differently in our 20's than we do in our 50's. This week Charlie talks to his former student Gene Pope, who didn't begin serious acting training until he was almost 60. Charlie and Gene talk about the winding path that ultimately lead him into the classroom, the successes and failures along the way, and the amazing decade that has followed. Gene discusses his first major feature length film King of Knives which came out in 2020, and the upcoming Queen of Knives opening in March 2024. You can go to https://www.queenofknivesthefilm.com for more information. Enjoy this inspiring conversation about the creative life. You can follow CBP on Instagram @creatingbehavior, and Charlie's NYC acting conservatory, the Maggie Flanigan Studio @maggieflaniganstudio. Theme music by  https://www.thelawrencetrailer.com. For written transcripts, to leave a voicemail on SpeakPipe, or contact Charlie for private coaching, check out https://www.creatingbehaviorpodcast.com

Time for another solo episode fellow daydreamers. This week Charlie shares one way he exercises his intellectual curiosity. Most recently, it started with an article about the playwright Jeremy O Harris, and how that led to a deep dive into the artist Kara Walker, the great fashion icon André Leon Talley, Manet, Audre Lorde, and MLK's Letter From a Birmingham jail. Charlie also shares some  advice on the issue of intensity and pushing in actors. You can follow CBP on Instagram @creatingbehavior, and Charlie's NYC acting conservatory, the Maggie Flanigan Studio @maggieflaniganstudio. Theme music by  https://www.thelawrencetrailer.com. For written transcripts, to leave a voicemail on SpeakPipe, or contact Charlie for private coaching, check out https://www.creatingbehaviorpodcast.com

This week Charlie talks with professional film & television writer Graham Roland, whose most recent accomplishments include co-creator of Amazon's hit series Jack Ryan, and the creator of the excellent AMC series Dark Winds. Graham has been in the writer's rooms of some of televisions best shows, including Prison Break, Lost, and Fringe. He talks about writing at the highest level of the business, and what he has learned along the way. Charlie and Graham also take a deep dive into creating opportunity, the importance of stealing from your hero's, and what it means to pursue a creative life. You can follow CBP on Instagram @creatingbehavior, and Charlie's NYC acting conservatory, the Maggie Flanigan Studio @maggieflaniganstudio. Theme music by  https://www.thelawrencetrailer.com. For written transcripts, to leave a voicemail on SpeakPipe, or contact Charlie for private coaching, check out https://www.creatingbehaviorpodcast.com

This week Charlie talks with photographer Jamie Schofield Riva on her new book Girlhood: Lost and Found. An artistic career unfolds in ways we cannot anticipate, but Jamie did know a few things for sure, she wanted to be a mother, and she wanted a serious creative life. Charlie and Jamie talk about how that was possible, along with a deep conversation about girlhood, womanhood, and the road to self-love. It's another fascinating look into the creative process. You can follow CBP on Instagram @creatingbehavior, and Charlie's NYC acting conservatory, the Maggie Flanigan Studio @maggieflaniganstudio. Theme music by  https://www.thelawrencetrailer.com. For written transcripts, to leave a voicemail on SpeakPipe, or contact Charlie for private coaching, check out https://www.creatingbehaviorpodcast.com

It's a solo episode this week fellow daydreamers. Charlie talks about the importance of embracing artistic heroes, championing those artists whose artistry and courage lay a roadmap for living a significant creative life. Charlie shares his thoughts on a few of his: William Friedkin, Ron Cephas Jones, Paul Reubens and Sinéad O'Connor. Charlie also answers a listener's acting question, and highlights some important commentary on the SAG/AFTRA strike, and the state of American theater.  You can follow CBP on Instagram @creatingbehavior, and Charlie's NYC acting conservatory, the Maggie Flanigan Studio @maggieflaniganstudio. Theme music by  https://www.thelawrencetrailer.com. For written transcripts, to leave a voicemail on SpeakPipe, or contact Charlie for private coaching, check out https://www.creatingbehaviorpodcast.com

There's a lot to learn about sustaining a professional artistic career, beyond the training. This week Charlie talks with his former student Kris Sidberry, who has been carving out a serious career for over a decade. Kris shares the mistakes, the lessons learned, and the need to accept that your career will most likely not go the way you had imagined. Join Charlie and Kris for a deep dive into the ups and downs of navigating a creative life.   You can follow CBP on Instagram @creatingbehavior, and Charlie's NYC acting conservatory, the Maggie Flanigan Studio @maggieflaniganstudio. Theme music by  https://www.thelawrencetrailer.com. For written transcripts, to leave a voicemail on SpeakPipe, or contact Charlie for private coaching, check out https://www.creatingbehaviorpodcast.com