Today’s guest is the incomparable multidisciplinary theatre-maker, musician, performer, and writer Diana Oh. They were known for combining experimental theatre, art installation and ritual to create deeply communal and transformative spaces, which include signature projects like “My Lingerie Play,” “The Infinite Love Party,” “My H8 Letter to the Gr8 American Theatre,” and “Art Chxrch.” They can be heard on the audio drama “Give Me Away,” which just premiered its third season.

Diana tragically passed away on June 17, 2025, and their loved ones, as well as the theatre community, are grieving this immeasurable loss while celebrating the joy Diana brought to our lives. The following conversation was recorded in May, 2016 at Playwrights Horizons in New York City. We talked about the highs and lows of being an artist, and different ways to sustain ourselves in a rapidly changing media landscape. 

If you or someone you know is struggling, please know that you are not alone. In the U.S.and Canada, you can call or text '988' to connect with a trained crisis responder, 24/7, for free and confidential support with mental health, emotional distress, or suicidal thoughts. For listeners outside North America, please seek out local mental health resources or crisis lines in your area. Your life matters, and there are people ready to listen and support you.

Today’s returning guest is writer, editor, and my friend Tara Edwards. In this episode, we dive inside the hit television medical drama “The Pitt,” and analyze the storytelling elements that make the show one of the television breakout hits of 2025. 

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Today’s guest is multi-disciplinary writer, producer and dramaturg Aisha Josiah, from London. She is an award-winning playwright and screenwriter who has also written for publications such as Media Diversified, The Upcoming, and Mouthlondon. She has served as the editor of the independent theatre blog Fringebiscuit since 2014.

In this conversation, we dive inside Aisha’s nomadic and multicultural upbringing, her passion for exploring postcolonial narratives, and the art of dramaturgy and criticism.

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Today’s returning guest is Sol Smith, the author of “The Autistic’s Guide to Self-Discovery” and a certified autism specialist who is autistic, dyslexic, and living with ADHD. He spent more than two decades as a college professor before shifting his professional focus to coaching other autistic and ADHD people to gain autonomy in their lives. Sol’s speaking skills have earned him a following of hundreds of thousands on TikTok and led to educational seminars about neurodiversity with corporations around the world. 

In this conversation, we dive inside the different paths for diagnosis, the scientific and social factors that impact allistic and autistic people, and different roadmaps towards self-acceptance, fulfillment, and community.

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Today’s “Side by Side” guest is Billy Wynne, the author of “The Empty Path: Finding Fulfillment through the Radical Art of Lessening.” As a student of Buddhism and mindfulness for 30 years, he received his meditation teaching certification under Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach, and his lay Zen Buddhist ordination from the Zen Center of Denver, where he teaches classes and serves on the board. 

In this conversation, we unpack the practice of lessening in a world built on the pursuit of having more, and its connection to Buddhist concepts such as detachment, freedom, and suffering.

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Today’s guest is Elena Armijo, a Master Certified Coach and former professional opera singer who specializes in executive and leadership coaching for high-performing clients. She is the founder of the C-Suite Collective, an executive coaching agency offering in-depth, customized programs for high performers, and, she is the host of The Collective Corner, a podcast where badass, inspiring, and compassionate conversations get to flourish. 

In this conversation, we discuss the most pressing issues with clients and business leaders in 2025, and the way communities move forward during moments of crisis and conflict.

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Today’s “Side by Side” guest is Phil Ginley, a filmmaker, programmer and writer based in Brooklyn, NY. Having produced several short films, Phil is currently a programmer at the microcinema Spectacle Theater, where they've moderated Q&A’s with filmmakers such as Dylan Mars Greenberg for her film SPIRIT RISER. They are currently promoting a posthumous retrospective for the films of experimental theater auteur Antero Alli. 

In this conversation, we dive inside Phil’s formative experiences growing up around cinema and television, the value in supporting local and community-driven arts and culture projects, and the pros and cons of digital versus physical media.

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Today’s “Side by Side” guest is Kate Rose, the author of “Written in the Stars: The Astrology of Soulmate, Karmic, and Twin Flame Relationships.”

As a therapist, relationship expert, spiritual Intuitive and astrologer, Kate uses the stars to help her clients clarify their purpose and recognize the blocks that are keeping them from living the life they are destined to live.

In this conversation, we dive inside universal relationship dynamics within dating and relationships, the foundational elements of a person’s astrological chart, and ways we can develop our chart and honor our strengths.

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Today’s guest is Jane Shi, a poet, editor, and the author of her debut poetry collection echolalia echolalia. She is an alumnus of Tin House Summer Workshop, The Writer's Studio Online at Simon Fraser University, and StoryStudio Chicago. In this conversation, we explore Jane’s early connection to poetry and wordplay, the ethos behind her collection, and the illusory nature of writer’s block.

Living on the stolen and occupied lands of Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh peoples, she wants to live in a world where love is not a limited resource, land is not mined, hearts are not filched, and bodies are not violated.

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Today’s guest is Happy Ali, the author of “The Intuition Bible: How and Why to Tap Into Your Inner Wisdom.” With a B.A. in psychology from UCLA, he is a prophetic dreamer, certified master NLP practitioner, certified master clinical hypnotherapist, and host of the “Happy Insights” podcast. Happy’s spiritual journey began in 1995 when he dedicated his life to the exploration of metaphysical disciplines after a near-death experience inspired a dramatic awakening. 

In this conversation, we explore Happy’s early life growing up in a family of prophetic dreamers, the power of joy and fun in unleashing our intuition, and ways we can find our unique expression of intuition.

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