The Quiet Part Out Loud

Mary Testa is a theater legend with a storied career spanning 50 years, and it is her natural grit, intuition, and boldness that contribute to her smarts - a part that has enabled her to stand in her power and to know exactly who she is- onstage and in life.

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Jenn Colella (SUFFS, Come From Away) has always been a natural born leader, whether it's with her friends, her cast, or her community. Bobby and Jenn discuss the essential quality of leadership that often goes unnoticed - self-compassion. It is through a commitment to inner grace that Jenn nurtures every aspect of community with genuine optimism.

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Brent Comer (The Outsiders) is from Frederick, Maryland - the same small town that Bobby grew up in 15 years earlier. Brent and Bobby explore what it means to come from the very same place, where they had the same teachers and performed on the same high school stage. They discover what bonds them together and how one community molded each of their lives a generation apart.

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Mike Wartella (Wicked, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Tuck Everlasting) found theater as a kid and discovered a sense of power that would change his life, but a career in the arts is filled with uncertainty and powerlessness. Mike and Bobby discuss how overcompensation for fear and insecurity often lead to addictive validation-seeking that can lead us down harmful paths, and that a redefinition of personal power is essential for healthy and sustainable relationships to ourselves and others.

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Lilli Cooper (POTUS, Tootsie, Spring Awakening) has always relied on defiance as a source of personal power - essential to her life as an artist, as someone who has often been the only black woman in the room, and now, as a mother, whose very presence as an actor who is visibly navigating motherhood at the same time is an act of defiance in itself.

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Alex Brightman (Beetlejuice, School of Rock) and Bobby have been friends since they were in the Broadway production of Big Fish together. They were both quietly struggling with mental health, not knowing where to turn or how to address it. Alex shares how his drive to entertain and succeed was ultimately an obstacle to authentic wellbeing. A decade later, their reunion celebrates the growth and relief in finding paths towards authentic connection, self-care, and life balance.

Disclaimer: For anyone considering medication for their mental health, always seek the guidance of a qualified healthcare provider, such as a psychiatrist or doctor, before making any decisions regarding treatment.

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction to gambling, visit www.gamblersinrecovery.com for support.

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Ana Nogueira is an actor, playwright, and screenwriter whose way with words is just one aspect of her enormous intelligence. She reveals a complex relationship to her intellect, growing up in a family where her emotional and interpersonal understanding of the world were always nurtured, but in school settings where they were minimized. Ana and Bobby explore how artistry requires simultaneous confidence and doubt in one's capacities in order to truly succeed.

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Krysta Rodriguez (The Collaboration, Smash, Spring Awakening, The Addams Family) explores a complex history of trust (and mistrust) as influenced by many factors in life - religion, family addiction, and a cancer diagnosis at the age of 30. She shares how the journey to self-trust is about continuing to center autonomous choice over reliance on external forces.

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Alex Puette (Hadestown) shares his story of addiction with honesty and transparency, exploring both the initial benefits of substance use for coping with life's stressors, and the ultimate shame and isolation that inevitably results from it. Opening up about his experience is a reconnection to the world, and central to his recovery.

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Cara Rose DiPietro is an accomplished performer and advocate whose influence on social media has fostered a career in both musical theater and mental health awareness. She opens up about her struggle with an eating disorder that has been a means of control in otherwise uncontrollable circumstances, and how she has evolved towards a more healthy and sustainable control over her life through sharing her story with the world.

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