Mollynook Podcasts

In this episode, Matt and Mitchell are joined by Kaleb, the third member of the "core" Mollynook Films trio. Kaleb has appeared in "The Power of Love," "The Werewolf Who Loved," and many more films on the Mollynook Films site; and will soon be releasing his directorial debut on the site, a documentary about medical student advisors.

Matt and Mitchell chat about what makes a balanced musical.

In this episode, Mitchell and Matt are joined by Chris Youstra, the music director at the Olney Theatre Centre in Maryland. A year ago, the Olney staged a production of The Music Man featuring a cast and creative team made up of Deaf, hearing, and hard-of-hearing performers/crew members.

The rebrand/reboot of Mollynook Podcasts! We're starting fresh (back at Episode 1) with a brand new cohost, Mitchell Case! Mitchell is an actor turned director and is an undergraduate Theatre Studies and English major at Penn State University. Mitchell has cerebral palsy and is a wheelchair user, meaning his insights into accessibility in the arts/performance spaces comes from both his research on this topic and his own first-hand experiences.

This episode's guest is a licensed sign language interpreter who works with All Hands Interpreting Services and whose focus is on interpreting theatrical and musical performance. She discusses her path to becoming a licensed interpreter and the significance of that title; her interest in theatrical interpreting; and the process of learning and interpreting entire theatrical productions.

In this episode, Amber Shojaie introduces her literature review which examines the benefits of performance based intervention in the lives of participants with developmental disabilities. From confidence, to stronger social bonds, to other skill-based development opportunities, the research shows that performance and theatrical intervention can positively impact its participants. Learn about different forms of performance intervention and more -- as well as her experience "spinning-off" Harmony (the theater troupe covered in the last several episodes of the podcast series) to the Pittsburgh area when she started her doctoral program.

The fourth and final episode spotlighting members Harmony's community features some of the organization's performers. Harmony is a Penn State University sanctioned theater organization whose mission is to put on musical theater performances starring performers with and without disabilities. In this episode, some of those performers discuss their interest in theater; what it means to them to have an organization like Harmony in their lives; and the value of performance for themselves -- what they've learned and hope to achieve through performance and performance techniques.

The third part of Mollynook Films' collaboration with the Penn State sanctioned theater organization Harmony; whose mission is to unify performers with and without disabilities onstage for musical theater performances. This episode's focus is a conversation with the Penn State student volunteers who the support the performers and fill out the ensemble onstage. Hear from the volunteers why theater and performance are important parts of their lives, and about some of their favorite moments and memories being part of Harmony.

This episode is the second installment featuring the Penn State theater organization Harmony whose mission is to put on musical theater showcases featuring performers with and without disabilities. This episode focuses on a "spin-off" of Harmony, called "HarMINIs" which works with performers between the ages of 3-10. Guests include performers, parents, and instructors all answering the question: what does performance and Harmony/MINIs mean to them.

Learn all about how the Pennsylvania State University organization Harmony accomplishes its mission of integrating performers with and without disabilities with its student volunteers to put on theatrical performances. In this first episode (of four) featuring the organization, the executive board of Harmony discusses the value of theater for themselves and their performers, a little history of the org, and the need for more organizations like Harmony which offer theatrical opportunities for performers with disabilities. Look forward, in upcoming episodes, to hearing from the performers themselves, their parents, and some of the Penn State student volunteers about the value of "universal design for performance and theater" -- making theater spaces more accessible for performers and spectators with disabilities.