Today’s episode features Dominique Kempf, who is currently on the Tootsie tour with me as a cast member! We dive into her musical theater background, life on tour, and the challenges of being a woman in entertainment. We then talk about finding beauty in both of our supporting roles on tour, while still staying motivated. She then breaks down branding yourself as an actor, the audition process, and the differences between all the varying types of roles in a cast. Dominique emphasizes the challenges of being a woman of color in this industry, including grappling with her biracial identity while being pigeon-holed into certain roles. We then discuss the importance of owning our space as women and feeling empowered to speak up when we’re being mistreated. We end by speaking to the changes we want to see in musical theater, namely having more diverse creative teams, normalizing intimacy coaches, and being open to workshopping shows as a part of the rehearsal process.