New Trier Performing Arts Stories

This week we have a very special show. Actress, writer, producer, and now director Beth Lane joins me to talk about her current project (and her first film as a director), Would You Hide Me, a documentary about two German farmers who hid Beth's mother and six siblings from the Nazis during World War 2. We also talk about Beth's role in the film "Hollywood Musical", and of course, how her time at New Trier helped to shape her career in Performing Arts. Enjoy!

This week I welcome singer and Opera Executive Diana Hossack to the show! Diana and I talk about how her memories and experiences at New Trier translated into the skills needed to market, manage, fundraise, and eventually run large non-profit performing arts operations. She also tells us a really funny New Trier Performing Arts Story. Enjoy!

New Trier has obviously produced a LOT of talented people, but whether they go on to careers in Performing Arts or not, the skills they learned at New Trier's PAD are useful in both Performing Arts and business. This week, we visit with Mary Ryan, who talks with me about how she has used what she learned at New Trier on camera, on stage, AND in business.

One of the reasons I really wanted to interview Mary Ryan was because so many of her peers spoke so highly of her. I wanted to learn WHY so many of our friends remember her so fondly. And I did. She’s warm. friendly, smart, funny, talented, inclusive, and engaging … in fact, I can now say from experience that if you spend any time with her at all you realize pretty quickly that there really is … something about Mary. And when someone like that is willing to sit around and talk with you for a while after the interview, well, you DEFINITELY do THAT.

In Part 2 of our tribute to Shakespeare productions at New Trier, Tim, Laura and I talk about theater preferences (and why Shakespeare was better in a smaller theater), and then I get to answer one of my standard questions for all of my guests ... and finally, I get to tell one of MY New Trier Performing Arts stories, involving our guests and what was literally THE funniest moment of my life! Enjoy!

In my post interview conversation with Tim and Laura, Tim gets to tell his favorite Laura story, and then the conversation somehow drifts into MY dating life, before Laura talks about her year away from New Trier, and the difficulty in returning. We also touch on the Rocky Horror Picture Show (of course) and then we return to New Trier, and why it was and remains so special.

Shakespeare was a special part of the New Trier Performing Arts Department. So special, that it takes not one but TWO weeks ... AND not one but TWO former thespians to talk about it. This week, professional stage actor Tim Walsh and professional musician Laura (Ebert) Brenner talk about their New Trier experiences in general, as well as their specific memories of working with the late, great Dr. Robert Boyle (New Trier's MASTER of Shakespeare for over 30 years). Enjoy!

Welcome to the show "CP"! In the late 70s and early 80s, WNTH was still very much a male dominated place, and there were things that girls just didn't do ... until Christine (Polydoris) Webster showed up. WNTH's first female rock jock (and later, its first female Music Director) joins our show this week to talk about smashing the Glass Ceiling on the 5th floor at New Trier.

During the show I started to tell a story about driving Chris to the 1983 WNTH Awards Banquet, after the show, I told Chris what happened AFTER I dropped her off, and then we chatted about what she's up to today, as well as some of additional memories we had of our time at WNTH. Enjoy!

I have discovered that sometimes the conversation which takes place after an interview is fun and/or worth sharing too .. so I've started recording those moments as well. Here are some highlights of my post-interview conversation with Suzanne Adams.