The Voracious Student

Conductor Kwamé Ryan is the final guest for Season 2 of the podcast. Mr. Ryan's international career includes holding the position of General Musical Director of Freiburg Opera, Musical and Artistic Director of the National Orchestra of Bordeaux and Musical Director of the National Youth Orchestra of France. As a guest conductor, he has worked with the Paris Opera, Belgian National Opera, English National Opera and many more. In 2011, he was inducted as an officer in the Order of Arts and Let...

Kimberly Vaughn is a performance coach, teacher, actress, producer, director and dramaturg. One of the things she focuses on at the Kimberly Vaughn Performance Studio is releasing her students’ need to be perfect and "get it right the first time” so that they can be improvisational beings and bring their own unique humanity to the stories they tell. This episode is centered on that idea. Kimberly and Denis also discuss the challenges of the audition waiting room, why she tells her students "y...

Will Burrard-Lucas is a prolific British wildlife photographer. He is known for developing innovative devices such as the BeetleCam and camera traps. Some of his projects include The Black Leopard, Land of Giants, Ethiopian Wolf and Year in Zambia. Will discusses safety, conservation, commitment, his relationship to Africa, the different purposes of photography and how he found his passion. Denis' conversation with Will inspires him to think about depth of experience versus breadth of experie...

Darian Sanders is about to step into the role of Simba in the National Tour of The Lion King, make his New York debut in Songs for a New World at New City Music Theatre on August 26 and he starts work next week on recording his first album. Denis sits down with his friend to discuss his inspiring and unconventional path to being a busy professional performer. Darian started late in life and never expected to be on a musical stage. Darian talks about how having a strong purpose in life g...

Joseph Siravo was a magnificent actor who passed on earlier this year. Best known for his work in The Sopranos, Carlito's Way, American Crime Story: The People vs. O. J. Simpson and the original Broadway productions of Oslo and The Light in the Piazza, Joe was also a profoundly gifted teacher and an extraordinary human being. Thirty people from Joe’s life contributed to this special tribute episode. They share their memories of Joe, talk about the influence he had on their lives and, collecti...

Martine Kei Green-Rogers is a freelance dramaturg, theatre educator and author. Her credits include the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Goodman Theatre, Kennedy Center and Court Theatre. She is the Past President of the Literary Managers and Dramturgs of the Americas and is currently the Interim Dean of the Division of Liberal Arts at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Martine obtained her Ph.D. from the Department of Theatre and Drama at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. De...

Stephanie Pope's career as a performer is over 35 years long and includes over 10 Broadway shows. Stephanie worked directly with Bob Fosse on Sweet Charity and Big Deal, in addition to performing his material in many shows after his passing. She now teaches Fosse rep for The Verdon Fosse Legacy as one of their legacy teachers. Stephanie talks about the significance of Fosse's work in her life and why it's important to her to protect its integrity as she passes it on to the next generation. Sh...

David W. Connolly is a Canadian director and educator and the Associate Artistic Director of Drayton Entertainment, where he has helmed over 30 productions. He also happens to be a double below-knee amputee. As an advocate deeply committed to disability inclusion in the arts, David shares his thoughts about the true goal for disabled representation and what he believes needs to happen in order for positive change to occur. David and Denis also discuss the healing nature of musical theatre, wh...

k. Jenny Jones is a fight master, fight director, actress and a professor of acting at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM). She also served as Board President for the ground breaking organization Intimacy Directors International (IDI) and is a passionate advocate for consent culture. In this episode, she discusses intimacy, the relatively new position of the intimacy director and coordinator, its connection to the #metoo movement and how this work improves so many...

Devin Shacket is an on-camera acting coach, actress and casting professional. Devin talks about auditioning for TV and Film, what she focuses on in her on-camera classes and how her experience in casting has influenced her approach as a teacher. Devin shares how and why she created the New York Drama Center and gives insight into the work of some of the acclaimed faculty at the Center, including Jim Calder and Olympia Dukakis. Devin and Denis also debate the term "master teacher", discuss the...