“You’re starting a business every single time you produce a show.  You’re starting a business from scratch… It is a business first and nobody wants to lose money.” – Lynn Shore

International producer of musicals such as Friends! The Musical Parody; Happy 50ish! The Midlife Crisis Musical, and New York State of Mind [Billy Joel Tribute Show] businessman and creative force Lynn Shore joins the show from Southern California.  Off-Broadway and regional theatre performer, television and voiceover actor, and 2013 recipient of the worldwide Jason Robert Brown vocal contest.  

Hear from Lynn about:

·         His international licensing experiences

·         What it was like when Warner Bros called when they heard about his musical that parodied Friends

·         The reception of his show in New York versus Los Angeles

·         How he got into performing

·         What a summer workshop did for him

·         Why he turned down an offer to go to New York at 18

·         What summer stock theatre can be like (summer stock is when you do several shows in rep [repertory] during the summer; ie, perform one show while rehearsing the next one or two at the same time)

·         Premiering Babes in Toyland

·         What his biggest regret is (take note, listeners who want to be performers!)

·         What’s the most important thing to take away from his knowledge of this career

·         What he hopes theater degrees teach students now

·         How much it takes to produce theater on Broadway

·         His experience with Hamilton the musical

·         What Orange County High School of the Arts does well

You can see Friends! The Musical Parody in Las Vegas right now.  You can keep up with Lynn and learn more about his shows and performing at:

www.lynnshoreentertainment.com     Or follow him on Facebook or Instagram

Your host Steph Newman is a theatre pro who helps people.  Contact her!  You can share your questions, dreams, failures and successes to get tips, tricks and ideas by writing to [email protected]  

I Love Theatre Now What is a creation by Steph Newman and Travis Newman.  This podcast is on a mission to share the real stories that lead to real jobs (in the arts and beyond).  So if you're curious to know where that love of drama can lead, listen up!

This is a labor of love.  Your contributions lead to better equipment and interviews.  Contribute at www.stephnewman.com/podcast

“Even if you’re not actively submitting, you can be actively working on your career.” –Steph Newman

So you are almost done with your college theatre degree… NOW WHAT?! Steph Newman covers a submission from Braydon Simmons, a senior at a college looking to advance after his theater degree is achieved this Spring (Bravo, Braydon!)  What acting internships are there, where can you find them and what is next?!

Favorites include:

·         PCPA: Pacific Conservatory Theatre  www.pcpa.org

·         SRT: Summer Repertory Theatre www.summerrep.com (Starting January 20!)

·         Internships.com/theater

·         Playbill.com, backstage.com and more!

Your host Steph Newman is a theatre pro who helps people.  Contact her!  Just like Braydon, you can share your questions, dreams, failures and successes to get tips, tricks and ideas by writing to [email protected]  

I Love Theatre Now What is a creation by Steph Newman and Travis Newman.  This podcast is on a mission to share the real stories that lead to real jobs (in the arts and beyond).  So if you're curious to know where that love of drama can lead, listen up!

This is a labor of love.  Your contributions lead to better equipment and interviews.  Contribute at www.stephnewman.com/podcast

“I convinced him to hire me and that was that.” –Valerie Rachelle on how her career began

How to be an Artistic Director with Valerie Rachelle

Artistic Director of the Oregon Cabaret Theatre in Ashland, Freelance Director and Choreographer, and Talented Actor and Dancer Valerie Rachelle joins the show to talk about her journey with host Steph Newman.  Full of energy and laughs, Valerie is a savvy business owner and powerful leader in the performing arts. 

Learn from Valerie Rachelle about:

·         How her career launched

·         How she decided school/training versus just moving to New York

·         What a BFA at California Institute of the Arts can be like

·         Lucid By Proxy: how to start non-profit work

·         How Valerie became a producer

·         Getting hired as a choreographer versus a director

·         Getting the MFA at University of California, Irvine

·         How she came to buy a theater business

·         The shock that came with leaving Los Angeles (and the honesty Valerie brings here is heart-warming)

·         Why she continues to freelance (choreograph, direct, produce and perform)

·         How she feeds her creative and educational sides while juggling running a theater

·         What her research with female professors uncovered: https://stateraarts.org/blog/2018/3/14/valerie-rachelle

·         Taking a theater through the process to become Equity

·         What the duties of an Artistic Director can be

·         How technical advances allow for collaboration across the United States

·         How opera singers are changing with the times 

You can see more about Valerie Rachelle at www.oregoncabaret.com and you can follow her on Facebook.

Your host Steph Newman is a theatre pro who helps people.  Contact her!  You can share your questions, dreams, failures and successes to get tips, tricks and ideas by writing to [email protected]  

I Love Theatre Now What is a creation by Steph Newman and Travis Newman.  This podcast is on a mission to share the real stories that lead to real jobs (in the arts and beyond).  So if you're curious to know where that love of drama can lead, listen up!

This is a labor of love.  Your contributions lead to better equipment and interviews.  Contribute at www.stephnewman.com/podcast

“It always starts with humble beginnings [...] You’re not as far away as you think.” –Josh Grisetti

Broadway actor and director Josh Grisetti joins the show from Los Angeles after a recent move from New York City.  After starring in the hit musical Something Rotten, Josh is now at the helm of productions, directing musicals (including Something Rotten) and diving into new divisions of theater.  

Hear from Josh about:

·         How a Broadway actor got started in a small town

·         What his dad thought of theater and how it affected him

·         His research at LMU (Loyola Marymount University)

·         What the statistics are for having a livable wage as an actor as part of the union

·         How he got training in high school

·         Why a summer in Italy studying opera led him closer to musical theater

·         What area he targeted so that he could be competitive in the industry

·         How to distinguish a true triple threat (singer, dancer, actor)

·         What Josh’s strengths are (and you’ll find yours)

·         What it’s like auditioning for Obie-winning Michael Greif and Pulitzer Prize winner Tony Kushner for Angels in America

·         Emotional availability and how it plays into casting

·         How he got Mark in Rent 

·         What it was like to do an emotionally draining role for 9 months

·         How anchoring in New York City led him to booking a TV pilot

·         How he wiped out student loan debt while working as an actor

·         What the road was like getting to a Broadway show

·         Insights into prime time pilot season

·         What Marci Phillips, Executive Director of Casting in NYC for ABC, says about the career

·         How to keep your performances fresh and active over a long run

·         How he lives to his best potential

Keep up with Josh at his terrific website full of great photos and videos: www.joshgrisetti.com

Want a copy of his book, God In My Head: The true story of an ex-Christian who accidentally met God?

Share this episode of “I Love Theatre Now What” podcast on Instagram or Facebook and tag #Ilovetheatrenowwhat (theatre with a –RE) by the end of 2019.  One lucky winner will be chosen on January 1 and contacted for their mailing address.  

Your host Steph Newman is a theatre pro who helps people.  Contact her!  You can share your questions, dreams, failures and successes to get tips, tricks and ideas by writing to [email protected]  

I Love Theatre Now What is a creation by Steph Newman and Travis Newman.  This podcast is on a mission to share the real stories that lead to real jobs (in the arts and beyond).  So if you're curious to know where that love of drama can lead, listen up!

This is a labor of love.  Your contributions lead to better equipment and interviews.  Contribute at www.stephnewman.com/podcast

“There is no set way to build a career.” –Corey Jones

On tour with The Book of Mormon, actor and voiceover artist Corey Jones joins the show from Mexico where the 2nd National Tour of the hit musical debuts in yet another nation.  International touring with a show for several years is one way to make your love of drama into a dream career.  

Hear from Corey Jones as he describes:

·         Performing a show in another country and its tech needs

·         How he came to love theater

·         What an internship did for him

·         How to know where your passions truly are

·         How to figure out when you need to relocate for a career

·         Why he turned down a highly desirable job- twice

·         How it felt to do his dream part

·         What being a leading man really means

·         What it’s like being in a repertory company

·         How saying “yes” to small roles led him to a Broadway-level musical

·         What it was like auditioning for a Broadway musical

·         How to not get defeated and maintain composure

See Corey Jones on tour by checking out the Book Of Mormon schedule here:

https://bookofmormonbroadway.com/tour

You can follow Corey’s adventures on Facebook and then on Instagram with @coemjo

Your host Steph Newman is a theatre pro who helps people.  Contact her!  You can share your questions, dreams, failures and successes to get tips, tricks and ideas by writing to [email protected]  

I Love Theatre Now What is a creation by Steph Newman and Travis Newman.  This podcast is on a mission to share the real stories that lead to real jobs (in the arts and beyond).  So if you're curious to know where that love of drama can lead, listen up!

This is a labor of love.  Your contributions lead to better equipment and interviews.  Contribute at www.stephnewman.com/podcast

Support the show (http://www.stephnewman.com/podcast)

"Ten minutes to places!" –Every Stage Manager Ever

Host Steph Newman gives insights on what it takes to start being more disciplined with your goals.  We can learn a lot from drama—especially from the phrases we use all the time in theatre. 

Do you often say “I’m going to learn a new monologue for auditions…” or “I’m going to finish that script…” but never DO it?  Don’t fall into the trap of being mediocre.  If you want your dreams to manifest, you need to take action.

Steph Newman is a theatre pro who helps people.  Contact her!  You can share your questions, dreams, failures and successes to get tips, tricks and ideas by writing to [email protected]  

I Love Theatre Now What is a creation by Steph Newman and Travis Newman.  This podcast is on a mission to share the real stories that lead to real jobs (in the arts and beyond).  So if you're curious to know where that love of drama can lead, listen up!

This is a labor of love.  Your contributions lead to better equipment and interviews.  Contribute at www.stephnewman.com/podcast

“I’m a theatrical jack of all trades.” – Tony Rust

And he truly is.  Wyoming born Tony Rust has been through the rolodex of neat jobs: jazz singer and disc jockey being early highlights.  Thrust into theater during college because of an administrative snafu, Tony got involved with the early days of ACE (Actors Cabaret of Eugene  www.actorscabaret.org), embarked upon life in NYC for a couple of decades and hasn’t stopped since.  See why Technical Director, Director, Producer, Teacher, Actor and Carpenter Tony says, “It takes all of us to do theater.”

Hear about Tony’s journey and these topics:

·         Southern Methodist University in Texas for a Bachelors in Drama (BA degree)

·         What led him to his 20 years in New York City

·         How Patrick Tucker influenced him

·         What he did when the parts he imagined himself playing weren’t matching the parts his voice and body led him to be cast as

·         How he started to produce work, including relationships with the Riverside Shakespeare Company (though not operating now, here’s the Wiki info: ) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riverside_Shakespeare_Company

·         What living in New York City can be like

·         How to know when a company has run its course

·         Why he says joining Equity was “one of the dumbest things I did in my career”

·         Holding back on choices and how he got out of his own way

·         The struggle with “type”

·         The needs of characters that expose vulnerability or reveal a world close to the actor versus characters that are clowns or require a different, heightened reality

·         How he became a set carpenter, painter and designer

·         What it’s like to have a scene shop in New York

·         The union for stage carpentry (IATSE: https://www.iatse.net/ )

·         What his experience was working at the MET

·         Why he wanted to teach

·         Going to get his Master’s in Directing 

·         Evolving into Technical Director

·         How having kids influenced some of his choices

·         How they created their own New York in the West

·         What it was like getting involved (and then becoming key players both onstage and off) at the Cottage Theatre http://www.cottagetheatre.org/

·         The many factors involved with coordinating a set build

·         See Tony’s performance as Fagan in Oliver! And then his direction of Mamma Mia and The Hunchback of Notre Dame as part of the 2020 Cottage Theatre season.

·         Studying versus doing

·         His style of directing

·         Advice to future (and current!) high school drama teachers and how they relate to students

·         How to find a mentor and be a “mentee”

Share your journey, questions, successes and failures: contact your host Steph Newman at [email protected] and have your stories shared on a future episode!  She’ll celebrate with you,

“I'm passionate about collaborating with diverse creative teams, musicians, and singers, to create beautiful, innovative, musically excellent productions.” –Shoshana Seid-Green

Shoshana Seid-Green joins us from New York City: music director, accompanist and vocal coach extraordinaire.  Shoshana has a great open spirit and delves into what being a music director for the last decade has been like.  Hear about traveling for gigs (not just a couple of places: I’m talking 50 states!)  Shoshana gets candid about finding her career, and explains so much.  You can find her at www.shoshanaseidgreen.com 

Notes from this episode:

·         She’s about to music direct at Sierra Repertory Theatre (Great American Trailer Park Christmas Musical)

·         How to prep for a show once she’s booked it

·         How  a music director finds work 

·         What Backstage and Playbill can help you do

·         How being a female music director influences her options

·         Maestra MDs and Maestra

·         What she did when facing burnout

·         How she started to get her first credits

·         How to tell if you’re good enough to “make it”

·         How Shoshana made her first year in New York work

·         What the benefits are of being a hire from New York City

·         What it’s like personally and professionally to travel for gigs 

·         What types of shows she enjoys music directing

·         How technology influences her job

·         Working with Mainstage

·         What happens when a tech crisis occurs during a show

·         What the many paths music directing can lead to

·         How to get a job when inexperience is in the way

·         How personal development works in a field that doesn’t give feedback

·         How to be self-analytical when leaving a job

·         How to practice self-care in such a social job world

·         The Goodspeed Opera House’s MD workshop https://www.goodspeed.org/education-library/classes

·         What happens when you have a conflict

·         How to connect with others in your field

For more episodes on what to do with your love of theatre, go to www.stephnewman.com/podcast or subscribe at any of the major pod networks.

Share your journey, questions, successes and failures: contact your host Steph Newman at [email protected] and have your stories shared on a future episode!  She’ll celebrate with you, give you tips and tricks, ask questions of the guests for you, and help you thrive as a drama lover and theater contributor.

I Love Theatre Now What is a creation by Steph Newman and Travis Newman.  This podcast is on a mission to share the real stories that lead to real jobs (in the arts and beyond).  So if you're curious to know where that love of drama can lead, listen up!

This is a labor of love.  Your contributions lead to better equipment and interviews.  Contribute at www.stephnewman.com/podcast

Tracy Liz Miller Show Notes

“You’ve gotta try it.  You can’t say that you can’t do it because you’ve never done it before.” –Tracy Liz Miller

Tracy Liz Miller joins the show from New York.  What is a theatre maker? Well, take a look at this bio, listen to this episode, and you shall see!  Bio:  Co-Founding Producing Director The Bridge Initiative: Women in Theatre, www.bridgeinit.org.  Former Director of Theatre Arts at Chandler-Gilbert Community College in Chandler, Arizona. Co-Founding Producing Artistic Director of Pawling Theatre Exchange, www.pawlingtheatreexchange.org.  Co-Chair for the Statera Arts Conference IV that was held in New York City this October, 2019. www.stateraarts.org

Actor, Director, Producer, Teacher, Partner & Mother: you can learn more from Tracy at her website, www.tracylizmiller.com

Tracy discusses so many topics, including: 

• ·         How to balance family and career dreams
• ·         Expectations of hitting milestones and their aftermath
• ·         The competitive mentality that a lot of artists get tunneled into
• ·         How to know if you want to pursue the industry professionally
• ·         How to know if you want to go to college for theatre
• ·         Branching out from musicals to classical work
• ·         Internships that expanded horizons: Warehouse Theater, SC & Playhouse on the Square in Memphis, TN
• ·         What housing can be like at theatre companies and big cities for your theater gigs
• ·         How to push against (or let go of) the expectations of a linear life timeline for buying a house, having a career, personal milestones, and more
• ·         How to decide on whether or not to get more training in grad school
• ·         What makes a repertory theatre so valuable
• ·         What to ask yourself when you want to do this for the long term
• ·         What the Alabama Shakespeare graduate program is like
• ·         How to juggle career interests when processing a loved one’s loss (and Tracy’s openness in this section is heartbreakingly real)
• ·         How to channel self-doubt
• ·         How to help oneself translate the “no” from others into self-producing and taking positive action
• ·         Women’s Project Theater (WP Theater) www.wptheater.org 
• ·         How having courage to make a shift changed her life
• ·         Statera Arts www.stateraarts.org
• ·         How she started to produce work in New York City
• ·         How she became a “disrupter” in Phoenix, Arizona
• ·         Martha Richards and SWAN day www.womenarts.org
• ·         Her partnership with Brenda Jean Foley to create The Bridge Initiative: Women in Theater https://www.bridgeinit.org/
• ·         How she changed to asking herself, “How can I be of service?” and helped people, became head of a community college program, and o

Martin Follose is a playwright, drama teacher and director based out of Southern Oregon.  With 36 years of writing, Martin opens up about the journey of writing plays and musicals, and covers such topics as:

·         How to get published as a playwright

·         How to collaborate on writing a musical

·         What it is like to teach high school music and theater

·         What to do when a high school drama program’s budget gets cut

·         How it feels to see your plays get done at other theaters

·         What his writing process is like

·         Working with actors and others on your script

·         The rehearsal process when directing your own show 

·         Becoming a Board President of a community theatre

·         And so much more!

You can see Martin Follose’s repertory of plays and musicals available at his website: www.martinfollose.com

Martin has plays published at Pioneer, Heuer, Brooklyn and Eldridge publishing companies.  He also has a selection of plays and musicals not available for publishing that he will premiere at theaters.  You can contact Marty through his website for more information.  

Martin Follose is an educator who loves writing, music, directing and more.  He is currently the Board President of the Umpqua Actors Community Theatre in Roseburg, Oregon (www.uact-theatre.com)

For more episodes on what to do with your love of theatre, go to www.stephnewman.com/podcast or subscribe at any of the major pod networks.

Share your journey, questions, successes and failures: contact your host Steph Newman at [email protected] and have your stories shared on a future episode!  We’ll celebrate with you, give you tips and tricks, ask questions of the guests for you, and help you thrive as a drama lover and theater contributor.

I Love Theatre Now What is a creation by Steph Newman and Travis Newman.  This podcast is on a mission to share the real stories that lead to real jobs (in the arts and beyond).  So if you're curious to know where that love of drama can lead, listen up!

This is a labor of love.  Your contributions lead to better equipment and interviews.  Contribute at www.stephnewman.com/podcast