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We are delighted to have Sean Cook on the show with us today! Sean joins us from L.A. where he has worked and studied for over 13 years. He trained at The Groundlings, Upright Citizens Brigade, Lesly Kahn and Company, Sam Christensen Studios, John Rosenfeld Studios, and was an associate instructor at L.A. On-Camera Training Center. Sean has worked with numerous celebrity actors and directors including; Antonio Banderas, Jimmi Simpson, Steve Zahn, Seth MacFarlane, and Jon Favreau. He is represented by Unified Management, The Wayne Agency, and Brick-House Talent. Mr. Cook earned an MFA in Performance Pedagogy from the University of Pittsburgh and is currently teaching out of Sean Cook Studio. In addition to producing, directing, and acting, Sean also works as an Intimacy Coach for set and stage. He is a member of the Michael Chekhov Association, the National Alliance of Acting Teachers, and the American Alliance for Theatre and Education and has trained extensively with Theatrical Intimacy Education. He has recently opened the world premiere of Unsung and Julian the Humble by Rosalind Reynolds, as well as the world premiere of Priestess of the Witch Goddess at the Sylvia Center for the Arts in Bellingham, Washington as a Co-Director. The performances were live-streamed for audiences using a seven-camera setup and live edit. Sean is teaching now at AMDA in the Acting for Camera department within the BFA Acting program.

This episode was produced on the unceded ancestral territory of the Kiikaapoi, Peoria, Bodéwadmiakiwen, and Miami. This episode was edited by Emery Lade, with original intro and outro music by Marc Young.

This week, we are absolutely delighted to be speaking with Curtis Bannister! The 2021 recipient of the Actors Equity Foundation Roger Sturtevant Award as well as a 2021 Drama League Award nominee, Curtis Bannister is praised by TimeOut Magazine as “radiating with slowly simmering energy” and a “quiet revelation” by the L.A. Times as he continues to establish himself as one of the most dynamic and multi-genre performing artists of his generation in theatre, opera & film.

Bannister begins his 2021/22 season with a return to the role of Coalhouse Walker Jr. in Ragtime with Music Theatre Works, makes his U.S. solo recital debut with The Festival of new American Music and debuts with Hearing In Color and WFMT (Classical Chicago Radio) as Carlos in the new chamber opera, Undying Love, inspired by the iconic song of the same name by legendary rapper, Nas. Curtis will also make his anticipated debut with Drury Lane Theatre in the lead role of Jim Hardy in Irving Berlin’s Holiay Inn, and his New York City operatic debut as Florestaan in Fidelio with Heartbeat Opera and the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Live Arts; this production of Fidelio will also tour the west coast with performances at The Broad Stage (L.A.) and the Mondavi Center (Davis, C.A.). Bannister ends the season starring as Juba Freeman in the world premiere opera production of Quamino's Map with Chicago Opera Theater. Bannister made his debut at the Tribeca Film Festival in the world premiere feature film “The Conductor” and can be seen as Marquee in season 2 of the Apple TV+ series, Dickinson, as well as as Reimers in NBC’s hit series Chicago Fire.

More resources:

Lucia Lucas

This episode was produced on the unceded ancestral territory of the Kiikaapoi, Peoria, Bodéwadmiakiwen, and Miami. This episode was edited by Emery Lade, with original intro and outro music by Marc Young.

Sammi Grant (she/her/hers) Sammi is a blind voice/speech teacher and dialect coach. She is an adjunct professor at The Theatre School at DePaul University as well as at Illinois Wesleyan University. In the past, Sammi has taught at The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. She also teaches for Access Acting Academy, a training program designed specifically for blind and low vision actors. For dialect coaching, she has worked with Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Fox as well as over 60 theatrical productions in the Chicago area. Sammi holds an MFA with Distinction in Voice studies from The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. She is a Junior Board member for the Voice and Speech Trainers Association (VASTA) for which she also serves on the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee. You ca learn more about Sammi at her website here.

More Resources:

Caitlin Reilly

This episode was produced on the unceded ancestral territory of the Kiikaapoi, Peoria, Bodéwadmiakiwen, and Miami. This episode was edited by Emery Lade, with original intro and outro music by Marc Young.

This week, we sat down with Dr. Joyce Lu! Dr. Joyce Lu is a Feldenkrais Method, Taijiquan and Qigong Practitioner who has been performing and teaching for over 25 years. She is the Director of LAPlayback Theatre Company and considers her performance practice now to be an engagement with an ongoing process of empowerment and health. You can learn more about Joyce at her website here.

More resources:

Building Block 360

Body Weather

Diego Pinon

This episode was produced on the unceded ancestral territory of the Kiikaapoi, Peoria, Bodéwadmiakiwen, and Miami. This episode was edited by Emery Lade, with original intro and outro music by Marc Young.

This week, we're sitting down with Gabby Jackson of the Joy-Jackson Initiative to talk about building systemic equity in the arts!

Gabrielle is a Los Angeles-based actress, singer, poet, and activist. She is the founder and director of The Joy-Jackson Initiative, a non-profit organization creating actionable tools to build systemic equity in the arts. Her performing credits include: Nala in Disney’s Tale of the Lion King, Celie in The Color Purple, Angela in Parade, Nehebka in Aida, and Ti Moune u/s in Once on This Island.

Gabrielle also writes and produces her own children’s show, Hey, Miss Gabby!, which fosters anti-racism in young kids through fun, accessible characters.

Gabrielle is dedicated to work that centers and redefines Black narratives, and creates equitable artistic expression for all. She is a graduate of Saddleback College Applied Vocal Program with a Classical emphasis.

Learn more about the Joy-Jackson Initiative at www.joyjackson.org.

More resources:

We See You White American Theatre

Black Theatre Girl Magic

Your Black Friend Are Busy

This episode was produced on the unceded ancestral territory of the Kiikaapoi, Peoria, Bodéwadmiakiwen, and Miami. This episode was edited by Emery Lade, with original intro and outro music by Marc Young.

This week we sit down with Los Angeles based Director & Producer Jessica Hanna to discuss her process of saying “F*ck it! Let’s try.”

Jessica Hanna is a Los Angeles based Director & Producer with a BFA from The Theatre School at DePaul University. She is a member of The Kilroys, an activist artists group working for gender parity in the American Theatre. She was an Artist in Residence at Thymele Arts in 2019. She has trained with The SITI Co. and performed with them in 2010 & 2013 at The Getty Villa. She is currently the Chair of The SITI Co.’s Board. She Co-Founded Bootleg Theater and was it's Producing & Managing Director for 12 years. She worked with Roger Guenveur Smith on RODNEY KING. She helped create the Hope On Stage playwriting prize in collaboration with Cornell and Notre Dame Universities. She created the Solo Queens Festival that has featured 15 women solo performers in 2 years.

Directing credits include: Lisa Dring's DEATH PLAY at Circle X Theatre, Brandon Baruch’s NO HOMO, at Hollywood Fringe Festival which was awarded Best Director, Best Ensemble and Best New Play.  At Bootleg Theater jessica directed the World premieres of FOUR CHORDS AND A GUN by John Ross BowIe, I CARRY YOUR HEART by Georgette Kelly, THE WILLOWS by Kerri-Ann McCalla and BLUE GOLD & BUTTERFLIES by Stephanie Batiste.

She also directed, PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT at Celebration Theatre (Winner 2019 Ovation Award Best Production of a Musical). Also In 2019, she directed A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM for Make Trouble in Wilmington, NC. And Directed Michelle Kholos Brooks’ HOSTAGE at Adobe Rose Theatre in Santa Fe, NM. Jessica produced two plays by Kirsten Vangsness at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.  She Co-directed Justin Sayre’s RAVENSWOOD MANOR at Celebration Theater and directed a workshop of Sarah Tufts’ ABIGAIL for Inkwell Theatre

In 2020 she directed POLAROID STORIES at CalPoly Pomona. THE WOLVES at CSU Long Beach. During the pandemic she directed Iris Bahr’s solo piece DAI and produced Philicia Saunder’s BREATHE for Outpost_13 & Outside In and A WALK IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD by Katie Lindsey. Upcoming: FEFU & HER FRIENDS (online) at CalPoly Pomona and AS ONE at Orlando Opera.

Edited by: Rachel Post

Intro & Outro Music by: Marc Young

Transcript: TBA

This week, Jaina Alexander and April Sigman-Marx, chat with Matthew Ellenwood about the values of training performers to embrace. Listen to them talk about the importance of learning self-awareness in actor training.

Matthew is the owner of Complete Vocal Services: Ellenwood studios, an independent studio focusing on the artistic development of performing artists through classes in voice training, acting, and emotion regulation integrated into performance skills. He is also the artistic director for Terra Mysterium theatre troupe and a proud dog dad.

Edited by: Rachel Post

Intro & Outro Music by: Marc Young

Transcript: TBA

Today’s guest, Gary Grundei, talks to us about how his artistic paths in theatre and music merged. More importantly, he challenges artists to rethink the “boxes” they have placed themselves in and to expand beyond those limitations through play and vulnerability, particularly… in song writing.

Gary Grundei has composed music for NPR, MTV, the Discovery Channel, New York Stage and Film, Ensemble Studio Theatre, the Magic Theatre, GALA Choruses, and the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. He has worked with Meredith Monk, Bill Pullman, Leigh Fondakowski, Caitlyn FitzGerald, and Barbara Dilley. Gary has taught at Naropa University, Occidental College, University of Denver, Whitman College, MICHA and online through his own website goldenlotusstudio.com. He lives in NY and plays with the band High Fiction.

Edited by: Rachel Post

Intro & Outro Music by: Marc Young

Transcript: TBA

Grab your favorite cup (put some tea in it), a notebook and a writing implement (for note taking), and a warm blanket (to wrap yourself in). This week we have a room full of strong women: Jaina Alexander and April Sigmnan-Marx are asking Sara Kay Godot (a multi hyphenated bad a*s) steamy questions about how she has managed to trail-blaze a new road for herself, while finding community, in the virtual world of comedy.

Sara Kay Godot is a Standup Comic, Actor, Writer, & Director based out of Long Beach, CA. She currently produces and hosts a monthly live-streamed comedy show called THINK TANK. She is also featured on the "Bad Reading" and "Heat and Constant Knowledge" podcast as an improv comic. She is currently still a working actress during Covid times.

Book recommendations championing female comedians:

Yes Please by Amy Poehler

Bossypants by Tina Fey

Dead People Suck: a Guide for Survivors of the Newly Departed by Laurie Kilmartin

Edited by: Rachel Post

Intro & Outro Music by: Marc Young

Transcript: TBA