The Lighter Side with Jay

It's the 4th of July, and what better way to celebrate than with Louis Palena and Jordan Brennan, two of my dear friends from my days at the Bucks County Playhouse and beyond. We talked about their coming out stories; we talked about that time Louis went to Russia and almost got invaded by rebels (yuh huh); we talked about how difficult it can be for two kind, loving, DESERVING people like Louis and Jordan to adopt a child.

And, most of all, we laughed. Happy Fourth! Louis and Jordan's theater company, Music Mountain Theater, is producing a live performance of Stars N' Stripes, a 4th of July Cabaret, today (July 4th 2020) at 3:00pm EST. These are some supremely talented folks! Check it out here.

Chrissy Gardner is a singer/songwriter/musician raising her daughter in Connecticut. When the pandemic struck, Chrissy needed to do something to keep herself afloat financially and mentally. So, with a giant picture of a moose behind her, she flipped on Facebook Live and began The Moose Piano Lounge, a weekly livestream in which she performs songs and special guest stars make appearances at her window. There have been puppets, dance troupes, and so on.

Chrissy and I talked about our respective pandemic projects and how they have become like full-time jobs in the absence of...full time jobs. We discussed her career in music, and laughed a lot. I HIGHLY suggest checking out all of her music here. 

Kelvin Young grew up one of five brothers. He saw his older brothers fall victim to the crack epidemic of the 80s and 90s, and started to suffer with substance use disorder as a young child. Kelvin's life became a roller coaster, bringing him to lowest of lows. When he found himself incarcerated and tired, he decided to make a change.

And change he did. Kelvin is now a sound healer, and he taught me all about the practice. I really enjoyed our talk immensely, and I applaud the work Kelvin is doing to bring methods like sound healing and yoga to his community. Check out his work here. 

Dumpster diving, panhandling, and drinking were once everyday activities for Frederick Shegog. In his early twenties, he entered a spiral of addiction and untreated mental health that pulled him away from his childhood dreams. Despite a decade of alcohol abuse and time spent homeless, Shegog was able to transform himself into a graduate with high honors. Now, as a motivational speaker, he is on a mission to help others combat substance use disorder and mental health issues, especially in the black community.

This interview left me feeling hopeful and blessed to have the chance to meet and speak with people as inspiring as my new Friend Freddy. Check out all of his motivational speaker info at The Message LLC. I can't wait to see what he does next. 

Allison Kolarik is part of the team responsible for Asbury Park Dinner Table, a charity formed in March of 2020 in order to provide meals to those with food insecurity. In just 3 months the charity has donated thousands of meals and raised tens of thousands of dollars. She also runs East Coast Comic-Con. And is an author. And other stuff. 

We had such a great conversation. The fact that Allison is non-binary/trans may have come up. She taught me more about the real meaning of these words and what it feels like to be uncomfortable in your assigned gender in the few hours we spoke than I have ever learned anywhere before. Learning the pronouns is the easy part. Getting past all that and meeting Allison is the gift. 

Clarence Celius is a young, black man who grew up in Wall Township, NJ, an idyllic suburb where he describes the very "air quality" as being "filled with racism and discrimination". In light of recent events, and as an act of love for his younger twin sisters, Clarence took it upon himself to do something about it: He organized a Black Lives Matter March in Wall.

Since then, Clarence has been thrust into activism at a breakneck pace. He is ready to give a part of himself over to the cause for racial equality. He bravely took me through the seemingly endless, exceedingly racist moments he has endured as black man growing up in suburbia. I applaud Clarence and implore you to follow him, as I know he will be making big waves in the future. 

Ray Dademo is an English Professor who is hard at work on "decolonizing" his curriculum, which essentially means making it less racist. He is also, less officially, working on "queering" the classroom, which is exactly what Conservative America is afraid of!!!! 

All jokes aside, Ray and I had a fabulous chat. I accidentally outed him, but I didn't edit it out. We talked about The Most Happy Fella, how he has become a stray on his sister's couch during quarantine, and how he was once friend of the Lighterside Joe Lezza's bully in high school. 

Tamika Bickham is an award-winning TV journalist who has interviewed presidential candidates, civil rights leaders, celebrities, athletes, everyday people, and this list goes on. She left the world of news to pursue a small business dream, and is now the founder and CEO of TB Media Group, a company focused on working  with nonprofits, government agencies and businesses of all sizes to help them cultivate their story, create engaging content, and connect with their audience.

Tamika is also the host of a video podcast called Lift U Up: Inspiring Health Stories and just an overall badass. We talked about her career as a reporter in Alabama and Miami, what it is like as a POC living through the madness, and a little bit of Dateline. 

Vincent Harris is the child of two civil rights lawyers. So, naturally, he went on to become a Wall Street success story who then pivoted into software and now describes himself as a serial entrepreneur and the host of Heart of the City, a podcast about spotlighting people of color from around the country who are making a real difference in their communities. 

Vincent considers himself "artistic adjacent", but the work he is doing to advance his community is truly a blessing. 

Sean Dustin is the host of Nowhere To Go But Up podcast. A child of divorce, Sean went down a dark path, struggling with a meth addiction and landing in both state and federal prison. He has since made drastic changes in his life, and is now using his experiences to help others, and to raise his young daughter. Sean's story is one of true transformation and redemption.