My Job is to Play - Women in Television (Conversations on Creativity with Erin Mallon)

It's week two of my Spring Break and we're back with another great replay. Today we're heading back to the very first episode of the podcast where I got to talk to Amy Daws, romantic comedy author extraordinaire.  Amy is a #1 Amazon Bestselling author. She's written over 20 books and they're all hilarious, sexy and playful as hell. This is perfect timing, because just yesterday Amy released her latest and greatest book, Nine Month Contract. I was lucky to narrate the audiobook with my good friend Teddy Hamilton. We had an absolute BLAST with this story and these characters. If you're an audio lover, I know you're gonna love this one. You can find Nine Month Contract on Audible whenever you're ready to listen! For now, I hope you enjoy this conversation with Amy as much as I did.

I am on a Spring Break for the next two episodes, so we're revisiting two of our early conversations from back in September when we launched the podcast. First up for our replays is the wonderful Kristoffer Diaz. Kris and I go way back. Kris is a Pulitzer Prize nominated playwright, a screenwriter and an educator. People call his work "Brilliant theatrical innovation" and "A fist-bumping adrenaline-filled ride." This feels like perfect timing to revisit this interview. "Why?" you ask? You'll hear us talking about "Hell's Kitchen," the new musical Kris wrote and developed with Alicia Keys. At the time of this conversation they were getting ready to open at The Public Theater in NYC. Now? They're in previews on Broadway. I couldn't be happier for Kris and the whole team of Hell's Kitchen. If you can a ticket, please go. It's a really beautiful and exciting show. Kris is a super smart and generous guy and I'm so thrilled to share this conversation with you again.

Today we have my buddy Mike Houston on the show. He is an incredible actor who works in Theater, Film and TV. Mike spent four seasons on Orange is the New Black as Lee Dixon and recently played Harvey Weinstein in the feature film "She Said" starring Zoe Kazan, Carey Mulligan and Patricia Clarkson. In this episode, Mike and I really "talk shop" and get into what collaboration looks like inside a theater rehearsal room.  Anytime I get to work with this guy is a treat and this conversation was no exception.

Today we have the great Theodora Taylor on the show. I first learned about Theodora's work a few years ago when I picked up her book "7 Figure Fiction: How to Use Universal Fantasy to Sell Your Books to Anyone." With a title like that, why wouldn't I buy it, right? I expected lots of cool tips on selling my books - which I certainly got - but I got so much more. Theodora cracked my brain open to a whole new way of thinking when I'm plotting and crafting my books. Once she makes you aware of the Universal Fantasies that are slathered like butter throughout nearly all the bestselling movies you watch and books you read, you can't unsee it. Getting to spend this time with Theodora was such a treat for me. She knows what she's talking about and she was so generous to share so much of her widsom with us in this episode. 

Today we have the lovely Samantha Brentmoor on the show. Samantha is a wonderful romance audiobook narrator which is the space we've been hanging in lately, but we go way back to my early theater days in New York City where she actually ran the theater where I was performing. Every time I snag a few minutes with her at a book event, I think man, I want more time with this woman. So we made that happen today on the podcast. We talk how she handles reviews and social media, then we go full woo and vibe on surfing the waves of creative flow. I really loved this conversation and I hope you do too.

Today we have my friend Melanie Maras on the show. Melanie is a working writer in Hollywood, which you can hear her discuss every other week on her podcast: Two Writers Talking Shit w/her co-host Saeed Crumpler. This conversation was a real treat for me because I felt like I got to be the writer talking shit with her this week. Melanie is such a curious and gregarious person, so I shouldn't have been surprised when she started asking ME questions even though we were here to interview her. It ended up being a really great conversation about how we attempt to get work done, keep our mental health strong and build an unshakeable belief that we can get good at anything we set our minds to.

Today we have comedian Gianmarco Soresi on the podcast. The past few years, Gianmarco's career in stand-up has  skyrocketed. He made his late night debut on The Late Late Show with James Corden, who called him "a brilliant stand-up comedian." He's currently performing all over the world on his "Leaning In Tour" and you can catch episodes of his popular podcast "The Downside with Gianmarco Soresi" in all the places podcasts are hosted. This conversation was such a cool peek into the world of hardworking stand-up comedians and what it takes to perform fresh, fun material night after night, year after year. 

Today we have Erin Wrinkle Siegel on the show. Erin is a costume designer who specializes in Commercials, Television, Live Shows, Game Shows, Print and Film. In this discussion we get into the nitty gritty of what it takes to be a costume designer on a film set. The long hours, the sharp eye for detail you have to have, and how to make sure fake blood looks its best. This job isn't just about dressing people, people! I loved getting this inside look at this very cool creative profession and hope you do too. 

For this week's episode, I got to sit down with Julia Whelan. If you've listened to an audiobook, there's a very strong chance you know her voice. Julia has narrated some of the biggest bestselling books out there. She's also a brilliant writer herself. You may be familiar with her books My Oxford Year and Thank You for Listening. And this week she's releasing a brand new audio experience called Casanova LLC. We go deep into her journey of writing and releasing this new project. The way the seeds for this story were planted and the way Julia saw it all through is really exciting and inspiring to me. We also have a frank discussion on the highs and lows of being an audiobook narrator and how we can build a system that supports narrator better moving forward. Basically, this conversation is packed with goodness and I'm thrilled I got to have it.

For this week's episode, I got to sit down with the great Nick Petron. Nick recently retired as chair of the theater department at Adelphi University after 50 years of teaching, an incredible accomplishment. He's an actor, a voice artist, a director and an awesome mentor to soooo many. A few months ago I got to participate in a roast and celebration of Nick's work at Adelphi and it was a beautiful thing seeing how many lives he's touched.  I love him very much and am so grateful I got to be his student and now his friend. FYI, this conversation gets a little saucy at times, so be sure to keep little ears at bay.