Talking Real Talk

Sigh...  When I grow up, I want to be Alex and Anthony.

Alex and Anthony, or AA, as I will now refer to them, (screw the 12 steps!) are some of my favorite humans. My good friend Mick Mize introduced me to them a few years back and I've been a happy camper ever since.  Well, when I'm with them, that is.

Why?  Because they are both so...  open.  And present.  And fun loving.  And spiritually...  cool.  Being around them makes me understand and re-remember what relationships can/could/should be/feel/look like.  I love what they have.  They love each other a lot.  They communicate deeply and frequently.  They are honest AND loving with one another.  They are real AND supportive.  They are kind AND straight shooting.  They are healthy.  I hate them.

No.  I love them.

And hate them a little.

Not really.

But a little.

In the podcast, they say such healthy, balanced, lovely things about the life of the actor, that I ALMOST want to go get a day job just to be somewhere near as healthy, balanced and lovely as they are.

Just listen.  You'll see what I mean.

big love,

deep blessings,

and sometimes,

chocolate mouse,

Katie Sabira

Sooooo...  Yeah.

Janis Stevens is.

Uncomparable.

She's the Queen Bee, The Master, The Grande Dame (rhymes with Lawn Fawn) of Theater.

If you want to see masterful, specific, brilliantly crafted character work, watch Janis.  If you want to get SCHOOLED about how your character could have been more specific, masterful and brilliantly crafted, call Janis.  If you want your play to be directed in a specific, brilliant- you get the idea.  Janis is The Best.

She's made a career for herself in the theater for at least a couple decades, and despite what she'd say to you, doesn't look a day worse the wears for it.  I think Janis is actually the Actor with a Capital A that we all secretly wish we could be.  AND!  I love that her podcast happened on the same day as Alex and Anthony's, whose beliefs about how to BE in the theater couldn't be more different than hers.  I LOVE hearing such vastly different points of view because it validates the fact that we are all eeking out careers and lives and relationships in the best ways that work for us as individuals, and that, once again, there is no ONE way or RIGHT way to do ANYTHING.

So, if you're feeling like you have to figure out HOW to do your creative life, or what the RIGHT way to proceed might be, listen to this cast and then listen to the next one and discover two diametrically opposed perspectives, and come to remember or understand, as I just did, once again, that we are all inventing our paths as we walk them.

Big love, deep blessings, thanks Janis.

kt

I.

Love.

Jessica Goldapple.

She carries this beautiful, subtle, gentle, feminine, strong, centered, sweet energy that seems, to me, like the PERFECT blend of qualities.  Admittedly, I felt like a big, loud, messy Jewish Bull in her dainty, kind, and lovely China Shop.  Oh, SHE would never MAKE me feel that way at ALL.  It was all in my brain.  But when you listen, you'll see what I mean.  Where I can be brash, she is even.  Where I can be angry, she is all peace.  Where I can be edgy, she is polished and round.

I learned just by being in the room with her.

I think she is a gem.

Casting Directors.  Seriously.  Put down whatever object you are presently holding.   Turn off whatever show you are watching.  And CAST THIS WOMAN IN STUFF.  She is a pleasure to be around and, I'm certain, is a GIFTED and skilled actress.

I can't imagine you won't fall in love with her, you guys.

Please enjoy.  Absorb.  Love.  Learn.

Blessings,

Katie Sabira

Hi guys!

What a treat and a...  well, a re-learning process is was for me to get to talk with Arianna.

Arianna and I met in a casting director workshop/acting class with the fabulous Risa Bramon.  We hit it off relatively easily, and I, in true Aquarian fashion, insisted for some time, via facebook, that we be friends.  I figured she'd eventually get annoyed with me and stop answering my emails or write back and we would hang out.  Happily, the latter occurred.

Anyhoo, chatting with Arianna about the biz gave me a good dose of the "Remember-hard-work-really-does-work"s.  Arianna's been around LA, busting her butt for 15 years and is just now getting to do some "breaking in," as we say.  Her episode combined with Mike Redfield's episode reminded me of the idea of "Who said this was going to be easy?"

I have to, somewhat abashedly admit, that I do fall into feeling like this whole rat-race professional artist thing "should" be easier.  It's a lot of work for a long time with NO pay until it suddenly isn't.  Or, it suddenly is less that way.  And me slipping into resentment about that certainly doesn't help me any.  Nor does it help me be of greater service in the world in any way.

Arianna has simply been a great actress and done her footwork with diligence and commitment.  And it's paying off for her.  And I'm super lucky to be her friend and to get to be reminded of the value of those things.  I know them.  But I slip into entitlement and laziness.  And that's not cute.  Or badass.  And I'd like to be a spiritually evolved, socially generous, personally loving badass.

Thanks, Arianna.  I remember now.

Love,

Katie

Paula Paula Paula...  What can I say about Paula?

Paula Christensen is, simply stated, a FORCE.  To be RECKONED with.

She's teeny tiny in body.  And stupid BIG of spirit.

She dances, acts, directs, choreographs, improvises, writes.  She's a bad ass, is what she is.  A Bad ass.

She's also PREGNANT.  But, seriously, guys, you have to see her to understand the significance of that fact.  The baby is almost as big as SHE is.  She's gorgeous, you guys.  But TINY.  TINY  AND WITH CHILD.

I don't understand it.

And I'm amazed by it.

Talking with Paula made me SO happy because it was like being back in college again- where we met.  Where things were always interesting, and people were always talking deeply and with intelligence about things.  Now, we have to make podcasts to keep those conversations happening.  But that's ok.  Because in so doing, I got to talk with the lovely and lively Ms. Paula Christensen.

Enjoy.  And write things down.

I love you.

Katie

I love this guy.

He's my neighbor and my buddy and I love him.

He's also a ridiculously committed performer and potential workaholic.  I truly do not know any one who works as hard as Grant Lyon.  He never rests.  It worries me for him.  But it inspires me to get off my ass at the same time.  He makes me realize and remember how much power we actually DO have in our lives to effect change and to achieve our goals.  Whenever I'm laying around in my living room, un-motivated, all I have to do is head over to Grant's pad and sit there for 5 minutes and I'll realize I'm being profoundly avoidant.

Grant faces every challenge HEAD ON and he does so with kindness of heart and gentleness of spirit.  I'm still learning how to hold kindness/gentleness at the same time as pursuit of vision.  But Grant is a lovely little integrated package of all of that.

Oh, and he's funny too.  He just booked, like 5000 colleges through the Naca conference.  So he'll be doing fabulous dorm room jokes ALL ACROSS AMERICA, pretty soon here, America.  Get ready!  Cuz here he comes!

Check out Grantlyon.com for tour dates and general good times.

All my lovin,

Katie

These two, you guys, are on, what we call, THE CLIMB.

They've got a kid, a house, pilots that everybody's reading, a theater company I'm personally in love with, a HIT play that John wrote AND starred in, a million acting roles (on stage and screen) between the three of them (Yes, their 7 year old has a more impressive career than I do), and a generally loving, social, outgoing, generous out look on life.

How the hell do they do it?

Jen says they're a little "psychotic," but so far, all I've seen is that they are crazily dedicated to their work, and to being good folks.  I wanted to get MORE into the conversation about spirituality that Jen and I start at the END of this conversation, but it was late at night and we were all fading...

So, I'm just going to have to go back and talk with them again!

We were JUST getting into John's latent Catholicism, Jen's NEW understanding that dinosaurs and man didn't live together at the SAME time, and my amazement at how they do all that they do AND have a house and a kid AND go to the gym AND AND AND..

They're crazy achievers these two.  Listen and learn, love muffins.

Or, listen and decide you'd rather just work at a bank after you realize how hard these two work.  No offense to bankers.  (Except, sort of some offense to bankers...)

Big love and profound bafflement, and continued questions,

Katie Sabira

I could just hang out with Sarah Sweet all day.

In fact, I do sometimes.  Well, we haven't hung out ALL DAY yet.  But I like her.  And she's my neighbor right now.  And I'm so happy about that.

Sarah is a comic.  And an actress.  And a solid, hearty, deep-thinking woman.  Who I... ADORE.

I loved our conversation and I'm gonna go ahead and out her by saying I LOVE that she was smoking a smokeless cigarette INDOORS throughout the interview!  You can't see it!  So I'm SAYIN' it!  I didn't even know such things EXISTED until she showed them to me recently.  Have you seen these?  No smoke comes out of it.  It's like a plastic fake cigarette that sends filtered nicotine or something through it and into you via... steam?  Ponies?  Magic?  I don't know.  But it's funny, that's for sure.

Anyhoo, I love Sarah and I can't imagine that you won't also.

Write to me.  What do you think?  How do you like these chats?

big love, deep blessings,

Katie Sabira

You know how sometimes beautiful and amazing miracles happen?

My getting to meet and chat (and hopefully work in the future) with John Ruskin was just such an event in my recent history.

An actor friend of mine, Eric Doyle, told me recently that he'd found, in The Ruskin Theater Group, what he'd been hunting for in a theater company in LA for the past several years- a real community.  With a loving and generous leader.

This idea, of course, thrilled me.  So I went and met the man himself.  And boy oh boy (who says that?) was I pleasantly surprised?!  John Ruskin is a true gem of a human being.  Being at the theater feels like coming home.  To love, and nurturance and endless artistic, personal and spiritual support.

I'm eager to take Meisner classes with him as he is one of the very few "Official" Mesiner Proteges, and is, apprently, a master of the work himself.

He was a true pleasure to speak with, and I'm wishing I had kept the mic on after our chat as the guidance he gave me off mic was priceless.

Enjoy John, please, humans.  And, for God's sake, take classes with him.  Your mind will be blown.

Love and light,

Katie Sabira

Hi friends and fans and followers and such!

Welcome, to THIS, our first episode of the podcast!

In this episode, my relatively new friend, Michele Johnson and I get deep and dirty about spirituality and The BIZ.  Michelle is a powerful and admirable woman and I'll be fascinated to hear your thoughts about our chat.

Dig deep, laugh loud, live hard, love much, and stay in touch!

Love

Katie Sabira