Yes But Why Podcast

This week on Yes But Why, I talk to improviser and theater producer, Jessica Arjet.

Jessica Arjet is an award-winning improv teacher as well as the Youth Director and co-owner of The Hideout Theatre in Austin, Texas.

In our conversation, Jessica and I talk about how the theater just keeps pulling us back! You think you can maybe try something else but then BOOM, it’s calling your name and then you’re just helping …and then, all of a sudden, you’re teaching classes and producing shows.

Jessica considers herself a hard worker as well as being a curious creative so she’s always working to improve herself. She talks about The Artist’s Way and how she did the exercises a couple different times to get the creative juices flowing. This could be a good time to try something like this!

Jessica talks about being a loud child actor. She tells the tales of playing a clown at parties for many many years. And she shares the “one night” she knew she wanted to be an owner of The Hideout Theatre. Great stories from a great guest!

Support Jessica Arjet by checking out her weekly online show, Hideout Kids virtual show! You can also check out the Hideout Theatre website for lots of online workshop opportunities as well!

Yes But Why Podcast is a proud member of the HC Universal Network family of podcasts. Download the FREE HC Universal Network app for Android and iDevices or visit us at HCUniversalNetwork.com and join the fun.

This episode of Yes But Why podcast is sponsored by audible - get your FREE audiobook download and your 30 day free trial at http://www.audibletrial.com/YESBUTWHY.

This week on Yes But Why, I talk to NYC comedian Robin Gelfenbien!

Robin Gelfenbien is an NYC-based storyteller, writer and comedian. She’s a three-time Moth Story SLAM winner who has performed on PBS, RISK!, Mortified and countless other shows. Robin is the Creator and Host of the storytelling series and podcast, “Yum’s the Word,” that features amazing stories alongside her homemade ice cream cakes. The show was named a New York Times and Time Out New York Critic’s Pick.

In our conversation, Robin tells us the stories of her life that have helped beget award winning theater: “the Calamity Jane” story and the “Wienermobile” story. Robin is a force of nature. She is the Ambassador of Fun. I had a great time talking to her.

From her aspirations to be a wacky weather girl to her career in advertising and marketing, we discuss all that she learned along the way. She talks about taking classes in sketch comedy and storytelling and later, teaching those classes and inspiring future performers.

Robin Gelfenbien is a fun lady and she works hard to bring the fun to her audience. I can’t even believe she makes her own HOMEMADE ICE CREAM CAKES to share with the audience of “Yum’s the Word” live events! This show brings together my two very favorite things – comedy and ice cream.

Support this hardworking woman of comedy by taking one of her storytelling classes! And you should listen to Robin’s podcast, “Yum’s the Word”!

You can also find Robin out hosting big corporate events. You should hire her for YOUR corporate event! Robin is an indispensable resource for you!

Robin and I are actually both going to be speaking at the #PodfestGlobal Summit! Check that out to support both of us by going to Podfestexpo.com and signing up for your free tickets to the event!

Yes But Why Podcast is a proud member of the HC Universal Network family of podcasts. Download the FREE HC Universal Network app for Android and iDevices or visit us at HCUniversalNetwork.com and join the fun.

This episode of Yes But Why podcast is sponsored by audible - get your FREE audiobook download and your 30 day free trial at http://www.audibletrial.com/YESBUTWHY.

This week on Yes But Why, I talk to Canadian improviser and film actor, VJ Delos-Reyes.

VJ Delos-Reyes is an improviser and comedy teacher from Vancouver. Up until recently, VJ was performing at Vancouver Theater Sports, coaching improv troupes, and acting in films and television.

In our conversation, VJ talks about all the different jobs in improv comedy that he has had throughout his life. From performing improv all over Vancouver to coaching a high school improv troupe to win the Canadian Improv Games, VJ’s love for improv has kept him steady making theater for the past 25 years.

VJ is a positive and kindhearted soul. He was really nice to talk to. We had a lot in common. We talk about balancing family life with performing and teaching and having a day job.

We talk about VJ’s recent announcement to his improv community that he’s decided to retire from Vancouver Theater Sports. Like many of us, the Covid shutdown has given him the opportunity to refocus on his home life.

Still, VJ is a creative soul. We talk about how he has been investigating new and different styles of theater and performance. VJ talks about being inspired by Dan O’Connor to do dramatic improv. He tells me how he watched Middleditch & Schwartz on Netflix and learned how to do better audience interaction.

This is not the last we’ve heard from VJ Delos-Reyes. But he is on hiatus. BRB. I’m glad I got to talk to him before he went underground.

Support VJ Delos-Reyes by sharing this video of him dancing. Everyone in your whole family needs to see it right now. Oh yeah and also, did you see this amazing stop motion video he made? WOW.

Yes But Why Podcast is a proud member of the HC Universal Network family of podcasts. Download the FREE HC Universal Network app for Android and iDevices or visit us at HCUniversalNetwork.com and join the fun.

This episode of Yes But Why podcast is sponsored by audible - get your FREE audiobook download and your 30 day free trial at http://www.audibletrial.com/YESBUTWHY.

This week on Yes But Why, I talk to fellow University of Dallas Drama alum, Terence MacSweeny.

Terence MacSweeny is an actor and a stay-at-home-dad in New Jersey. Terence LOVES Shakespeare; he can turn literally any subject into a discussion on the Bard and I am tickled by his dedication. (Seriously. If you’re interested in Shakespeare and want to talk to Terence, he says you can email him at [email protected] . )


Listen in as we talk about using auditioning opportunities as tiny acting classes. Terence talks about the need for actors to develop their own techniques. Terence stresses the importance of being able to pivot your interpretation if the audience doesn’t dig what you’re doing.

In our conversation, Terence prophesies the reformation of theater after covid and I like it. Terence is an artist to the core and his creativity will weather the storm.

Yes But Why Podcast is a proud member of the HC Universal Network family of podcasts. Download the FREE HC Universal Network app for Android and iDevices or visit us at HCUniversalNetwork.com and join the fun.

This episode of Yes But Why podcast is sponsored by audible - get your FREE audiobook download and your 30 day free trial at http://www.audibletrial.com/YESBUTWHY.

In this week’s Yes But Why episode, we talk to Atlanta actor, Eric James Morris.

Eric James Morris is an entertainment professional who was born and raised in Atlanta GA. Being a native, Eric has a unique perspective on the growing Atlanta entertainment industry.

The episode opens with the “Wild Thing” story! Eric has been playing guitar since he was 12 years old and this is the story of his first performance. We talk about when Eric was a rowdy skateboarding teen. Eric shares stories of performing Johnny Cash covers in restaurants.

Years later, after getting married and having kids, Eric got into acting for film and television and now that is the creative path to which he is currently dedicated. Eric tells me the story of his stumble into his first break. He tells me how to juggle being a dad with being an actor while also running Morris Enviro foundation repair business. This guy keeps BUSY!

In our conversation, we talk about the training that goes into being an actor. Eric takes his acting classes very seriously. He is excited to develop his craft. We discuss the rhythm and structure of comedy.

Support Eric James Morris by checking out his IMDB page and watching his movies! Also, if you live in the Atlanta area and need help with waterproofing and/or foundation repair, contact Eric at Morris Enviro.

Yes But Why Podcast is a proud member of the HC Universal Network family of podcasts. Download the FREE HC Universal Network app for Android and iDevices or visit us at HCUniversalNetwork.com and join the fun.

This episode of Yes But Why podcast is sponsored by audible - get your FREE audiobook download and your 30 day free trial at http://www.audibletrial.com/YESBUTWHY.

This week on Yes But Why, we talk to Alex Marion and Nick Hildred of Release The Clowns Podcast.

From writing sketch comedy for “Week Ending” on BBC Radio 4 to orchestrating silly gags on “The Big Breakfast”, Nick Hildred has built a career as a TV and Radio writer and producer. Get ready for the crazy chicken story!

During this time, Alex Marion was performing comedy and running comedy venues. Later, he went to study improv with the Free Association and that is where he met Nick. Together, Nick and Alex produce the Release The Clowns Podcast.

Release The Clowns is what happens when a mix of comedy writers, performers and improvisers get together to have fun. Nick and Alex bring some semblance of order to the chaos, but only when they're not causing chaos themselves.

These two were a fun pair to talk to. In our conversation, Nick and Alex tell me about the separate adventures that eventually led them to find each other and start collaborating. Tune in for Alex’s harrowing tale of booking venues with gangsters!

We had a lot of laughs throughout the episode and probably the most joking I’ve had in a long time. It was like talking to old friends.

For anyone interested in how to produce a fictional podcast, listen up! Get the inside scoop on making a sketch comedy podcast when Alex and Nick share the process of putting together Release The Clowns!

Support Alex Marion and Nick Hildred by listening to Release The Clowns Podcast, available on Podbean!


Yes But Why Podcast is a proud member of the HC Universal Network family of podcasts. Download the FREE HC Universal Network app for Android and iDevices or visit us at HCUniversalNetwork.com and join the fun.

This episode of Yes But Why podcast is sponsored by audible - get your FREE audiobook download and your 30 day free trial at http://www.audibletrial.com/YESBUTWHY.

This week on Yes But Why, we talk to podcaster, activist and arts educator, Carob Mars.

Carob Mars is the creator of “Age Out. Rise Up!”, a podcast by and for survivors of childhood trauma, especially former foster children, who refuse to let their past define them.

In our conversation, Carob shares with me some of the darker moments of her life and the ways in which she has used art to process them. She says, “there’s never been a time that [she hasn’t] been a storyteller and a performer.” She is also a great producer of plays. After going to an acting conservatory, Carob organized a Shakespeare in the Park series in Utah; she has directed her son’s elementary school play for many years; and, most recently, she has been teaching 4H performing arts via Zoom.

Carob launched “Age Out. Rise Up!” on Mother’s Day this year. Since then, she has populated her podcast feed and YouTube channel with an empowering message to disenfranchised youth, newly released from foster care. Age Out Rise Up's mission is to enable survivors to set and reach personal goals and live their best lives.

Support Carob Mars by subscribing to “Age Out. Rise Up!” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube!

Yes But Why Podcast is a proud member of the HC Universal Network family of podcasts. Download the FREE HC Universal Network app for Android and iDevices or visit us at HCUniversalNetwork.com and join the fun.

This episode of Yes But Why podcast is sponsored by audible - get your FREE audiobook download and your 30 day free trial at http://www.audibletrial.com/YESBUTWHY.

This week on Yes But Why, listen in as I talk to India-based improviser, Balasree Viswanathan.

Balasree Viswanathan is the co-artistic director of Improv Comedy Bangalore as well as the leader of the only all-female improv troupe in India, The Adamant Eves.

Bala found improv on a whim while she was in grad school for mechanical engineering. She really loved it. She joined the university’s improv team and soaked up all the different improv styles they could teach her. Then, when she graduated and returned home to Bangalore, she connected with Improv Comedy Bangalore and started performing, producing and directing improv shows with them.

In our conversation, Bala talks about being inspired by all the international Zoom improv jams that she has connected with! She says she has found great comfort in this community online. Bala talks about what she has learned from the adjustment of performing via Zoom instead of #improvIRL . She says it has improved her confidence and her commitment to the bit.

Balasree is always working on something new creatively. Since before ICB had to take their improv shows online, Bala has been on the lookout for fun collaborations with different artists in India. She is currently working on developing a new show that combines poetry with storytelling and improv with scripted theater.

Keep an eye out for online classes being offered at Improv Comedy Bangalore by checking out their website. Maybe Bala could be your teacher! You can also watch Bala’s online improv shows on the ICB Facebook page. Support Balasree Viswanathan and her improv community in India!

Yes But Why Podcast is a proud member of the HC Universal Network family of podcasts. Download the FREE HC Universal Network app for Android and iDevices or visit us at HCUniversalNetwork.com and join the fun.

This episode of Yes But Why podcast is sponsored by audible - get your FREE audiobook download and your 30 day free trial at http://www.audibletrial.com/YESBUTWHY.

This week on Yes But Why, listen in as I talk to actress and comedian, Nicole Odell.

Nicole Odell has been performing comedy and theatre for over a decade.
After graduating San Francisco State with a theater degree, Nicole went to Los Angeles to receive her comedy education from the Second City Hollywood. There, she received the bulk of her training in sketch writing and improv. While in LA, she also performed stand-up and participated in several small theatrical productions. Many comedy shows, a couple of plays and quite a few improv festivals later, Nicole moved back to the Bay Area. She connected with the vibrant improv and theater communities of San Francisco. She is currently teaching and performing improv with Leela SF, as well as teaching, performing, and writing sketch comedy with Killing My Lobster.

In our conversation, Nicole and I talk a lot about adjustments that are being made to performing improv via Zoom. In the beginning of our chat, Nicole provides some excellent advice about performing on Zoom.

We talk about finding the right place to live for you. Figuring out what you are looking for in a lifestyle. Nicole talks selfcare during tough times.

Nicole also tells me stories about her sketch comedy training. I get to pick her brain about the differences between the Second City method and the Killing My Lobster method for writing sketch comedy. I get real geeky.

I had a great time talking to Nicole. We laughed a lot and there are lots of funny tangents throughout our chat!

Support Nicole Odell by watching out for online shows from her improv troupes, Odell and DeJong and La Spazzatura. And check out Killing My Lobster for her upcoming sketch comedy shows!

Yes But Why Podcast is a proud member of the HC Universal Network family of podcasts. Download the FREE HC Universal Network app for Android and iDevices or visit us at HCUniversalNetwork.com and join the fun.

This episode of Yes But Why podcast is sponsored by audible - get your FREE audiobook download and your 30 day free trial at http://www.audibletrial.com/YESBUTWHY.

This week on Yes But Why, we chat with comedy writer and producer, Meghan R. Ross.

Meghan R. Ross is a writer, producer, director, and comedian from New York, now living in Austin, Texas. Since 2015, she has been hosting, writing, and producing That Time of the Month, an award-winning late night show featuring an all-women and non-binary comedy lineup. Meghan’s comedy writing has also appeared in Broadly, Reductress, Medium’s Slackjaw, and one time she wrote tweets for Mel Brooks.

In our conversation, Meghan and I talk about networking and getting connected to the performers and producers you want to work with. Meghan’s experience running her show, That Time of the Month in both NYC and Austin really fascinated me and I picked her brain about it.

Meghan started out in marketing before her first comedy writing internship, doing television recaps at Bravo’s Television Without Pity. But Meghan always had an eye on a career in entertainment. Meghan shares stories about her experiences at UCB and her decision to move to Austin, Texas.

Support Meghan R. Ross by checking out her newest project, a quirky online interview show called “No One Asked For This,” that you can find on her Instagram, @meghanrross

Yes But Why Podcast is a proud member of the HC Universal Network family of podcasts. Download the FREE HC Universal Network app for Android and iDevices or visit us at HCUniversalNetwork.com and join the fun.

This episode of Yes But Why podcast is sponsored by audible - get your FREE audiobook download and your 30 day free trial at http://www.audibletrial.com/YESBUTWHY.