Today we have a bit of a different episode: it’s a great chat with an actor who happens to host another podcast about working actors that I think you’d really enjoy. Think of this chat as a quick look at the kinds of things you’ll hear more of in another show, plus we get to know the host a bit! Paden is an actor, director, writer and producer, currently based in Atlanta. He studied at AADA and his first screenplay, As Far as the Eye Can See, made its World Premiere at the Montreal World Film Festival

Ray Porter from Ep. #16 talks text work in John Webster's The White Devil, a Jacobean play (right after Shakespeare). You'll hear Ray discuss: why this speech fascinates him, how language was the CGI of the day, why classical theatre and plays like this are still so relevant today. It's a great session and a wonderful discussion about theatre, politics, and acting!

Ray Porter grew up in Indiana and studied at the California Institute of the Arts. He spent 18 seasons with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and is an award-winning audiobook narrator with 300+ titles, including the Joe Ledger series by Jonathan Maberry. He has multiple Earphones Awards, has been nominated for Audie awards for his narration, and was named Audible's Narrator of the Year. Ray also has 40+ film and tv credits.

Some considered Philip Bosco to be a god onstage. He was one of the best actors of his generation, particularly skilled with Shaw and Shakespeare. "No one spoke better than Phil Bosco." Phil recently passed and now you'll hear Armin Shimerman and Peter Van Norden share stories of working with Phil and what they learned from him. Plus, hear Phil himself as Malvolio in Twelfth Night!

Dawn Didawick is an LA-based actor who has worked at numerous regional theatres, has lived and worked in both DC and New York, and also has a number of film and TV credits. In today's episode, Dawn and I cover doing industrials, dealing with fear, having mentors, working on new plays, sexual harassment and shame, how to keep working, Yiddish actors, passing it on, being respectful, and lots more!

Francis Guinan from Ep. #14 talks text work in Jessica Dickey's The Rembrandt, which premiered at Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago in 2017 with Francis in the cast, alongside John Mahoney. You'll hear how Francis found his way through the text, and the deeper connections between art and the relationship his character has with John's.

Francis Guinan has been a Steppenwolf Ensemble member for 30 years. We chat about discipline and focus; messing with other actors onstage; great directors; rehearsal questions; John Mahoney; Shakespeare; younger actors; current passions, and lots more! Plus, he works on a piece from THE REMBRANDT, which premiered at Steppenwolf.

Reed Birney thought he was just going to be a schmuck actor after decades of struggle. Then he takes on a part that terrifies him and it leads to a number of great projects and successes, including a Tony Award. We discuss the unbelievable circumstances of his first Broadway show, why your imagination is so important, what can lead you to “bad acting”, and much more.

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What's ahead for this season? Hear excerpts from upcoming interviews from actors that have worked for 30-50+ years, hearing how they got started, what challenges they faced, how they deal with auditions, actually work on material, and more.

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