🎧 Speaking of Talking:
The Show Must Go On (Even with a Sore Throat)
Guest: David Marquis — Performer, Writer, Activist, Educator
Run Time: ~1 hour 30 minutes
Episode Summary:
In this episode, Jenni sits down with performer, writer, activist, and lifelong “teacher” David Marquis for a rich, wide-ranging conversation about voice, performance, and what it truly means to use your voice for a living.
What begins with travel stories quickly unfolds into the reality of touring one-man shows for decades: six to seven performances a week, relentless travel, vocal wear-and-tear, and the deep loneliness that often comes with life on the road. David traces his journey back to a single speech teacher who saw his potential early on—setting him on a path that led to I Am A Teacher, a one-man show seen by hundreds of thousands, later adapted into a book, and ultimately used as the foundation for a national Ad Council campaign to recruit new teachers.
Together, Jenni and David dive into the intersection of voice, body, and nervous system—sharing practical strategies for hydration, managing exhaustion, handling performance anxiety, and adapting vocal warm-ups to real-world constraints. David offers hard-earned wisdom from decades of performance, including techniques for resting the voice mid-show, releasing trapped energy in the body, and using stillness to deepen audience connection rather than losing it.
The conversation also weaves in unforgettable stories from the road: the infamous “two raw eggs” throat remedy, a powerful decongestant that sent a show into overdrive, and the night David lost sound mid-performance and finished the show on pure stage training alone.
As the episode closes, the focus turns reflective and deeply personal—exploring how voice is tied to identity, what it means to age out of certain performances, and how artists find new ways to communicate when their instrument changes. David hints at a future conversation about losing—and reclaiming—his voice, a journey he credits Jenni with helping guide him through.
They dive into:
• Life on the road as a one-man show performer
• How an early failure and a great speech teacher changed everything
• Vocal care in dry planes, hotels, and exhausting travel schedules
• Why silence is one of the most underrated tools for voice health
• Managing nerves through breath, body awareness, and releasing tension
• Using pauses and stillness to protect the voice and heighten impact
• The emotional power of live performance—and why it’s worth the cost
• What happens when your voice changes and your identity has to shift
🎙️ Guest Bio:
David Marquis is a performer, writer, activist, and educator whose work has reached audiences across the country through live performance, books, and advocacy. Best known for his acclaimed one-man show I Am A Teacher, David has spent decades using story and voice to inspire educators, leaders, and audiences nationwide.
✨ Quote of the Episode:
“If you don’t get nervous, you’re doing it wrong.”
Learn more about David:
https://theactivistheart.com/david-marquis-biography/
Most recent books:
The River Always Wins (Part 1 of the River Trilogy)
Shop local at Deep Vellum books
Buy on Amazon
The River of Goodness (Part 2 of the River Trilogy)
Shop local at Deep Vellum books
Buy on Amazon
The River of Blessings (Part 3 of the River Trilogy)
Coming soon…
