Places, Everyone

The Cast and Creative Team of 'The Outsiders' on Crafting it into a Musical: Live from the Books That Changed My Life Festival

Sat, 08 Mar 2025 07:00:00 GMT

Join host Lonnie Firestone as she interviews the creative and cast members behind the Tony Award-winning musical, The Outsiders. This special live episode from the Books That Changed My Life Festival at JCC Manhattan features insightful conversations with lead producer Matthew Rego and cast members Trevor Wayne (Ponyboy) and Kevin William Paul (Bob).

Highlights:

How S.E. Hinton’s classic novel changed young adult fiction and continues to resonate across generations.
Challenges of adapting a beloved, interior-driven novel into a vibrant musical, including how and why characters start to sing.
Behind-the-scenes stories from the show's creative process, including the unique contributions from first-time musical creators Jamestown Revival and playwright Adam Rapp.
Insightful anecdotes about audience reactions, demographics, and personal interactions at the stage door.
Discussions about key themes like class division, teenage identity, and emotional vulnerability portrayed through Ponyboy and Bob.
Exploration of unique production elements, including powerful choreography and innovative lighting and sound design that enhance the musical's emotional depth.

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Barry Manilow, Bruce Sussman, and the Cast of Harmony, Live at The Streicker Center

Thu, 25 Jan 2024 21:56:32 GMT

This episode was recorded live at the Temple Emanu-El Streicker Center on January 8, 2024. It is an interview with Barry Manilow and Bruce Sussman whose 50+ year collaboration has produced hit songs as well as the Broadway musical, Harmony.

This episode also includes an expanded conversation with nine members of the Harmony cast: Chip Zien, Danny Kornfeld, Zal Owen, Sean Bell, Eric Peters, Steven Telsey, Bruce Landry, Julie Benko, and Kayleen Seidl.

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The Broadway Musical "Harmony" - A Live Interview at JCC Manhattan

Mon, 30 Oct 2023 23:24:41 GMT

This episode was recorded live at the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan on October 9, 2023. It is a conversation with creative and cast members of the Broadway musical, Harmony. They include book writer and lyricist Bruce Sussman, and performers Chip Zien, Julie Benko, Sierra Boggess, and Danny Kornfeld. The narrative of Harmony is set in the 1920s and 30s in Germany, a deeply unsettling time in history, and still the central characters found harmony, not only in the melodic sense but also as a diverse group coming together in partnership. It's an inspiring idea for us all to seek ways to live harmoniously with others. After all, harmony occurs when different sounds blend together.

I hope you enjoy the following interview, and please check out the links below to two songs from the cast recording of Harmony. Both were performed live at the event.

"Where you go”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjyhgYk3GDE

"Every Single Day”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWkXyWpoEOk

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A Conversation Between Co-Directors of Exploring Black Narratives

Tue, 12 Sep 2023 16:16:51 GMT

Three years ago, I founded a curricular theater program called Exploring Black Narratives, situated in Jewish schools and grounded in the work of acclaimed Black playwrights. One of the most exciting facets of the program has been helping students develop their interview skills in preparation to meet a professional actor who has performed in the play that we've studied. One such actor whom I was lucky to meet is Ron Emile, who starred in a production of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom by August Wilson and who participated dynamically in EBN guest artist sessions. When Ron expressed an interest in the programmatic side of EBN, I was thrilled, and in the year ahead, we are forging a path as co-directors. In this conversation with Ron, we explore some of the topics we consider when we do the work of Exploring Black Narratives. @hollywoodrondon

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Conversations on A Strange Loop - Continuing with Jason Veasey and Nemuna Ceesay

Sat, 26 Nov 2022 18:25:34 GMT

Part II of an extended interview with Jason Veasey and Nemuna Ceesay about their formative roles in developing the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical A Strange Loop for its Broadway production where it won a Tony Award for Best Musical. Picking up on our live interview event at JCC Harlem, Jason – an original cast member for A Strange Loop who plays Thought 5, and Nemuna – Associate Director for the Broadway production, talk about the show’s ideas ranging from family to religion to self-acceptance.

For more information on A Strange Loop, visit strangeloopmusical.com, and follow Nemuna and Jason on Instagram at @_nemuna_ and @veaseyville

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Conversations on A Strange Loop - Live at JCC Harlem

Sat, 26 Nov 2022 18:25:24 GMT

At a live interview event at JCC Harlem on October 24, 2022, I spoke with two artists who were integral to the Broadway production of A Strange Loop, the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical by Michael R. Jackson. These artists – Associate Director Nemuna Ceesay and original cast member Jason Veasey – spoke about the show’s development and themes . This episode includes highlights from the live event.

For more information on A Strange Loop, visit strangeloopmusical.com, and follow Nemuna and Jason on Instagram at @_nemuna_ and @veaseyville.

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Ma Rainey - Interview with Michael Potts

Fri, 14 May 2021 18:28:54 GMT

This is the second of two episodes focusing on August Wilson’s play Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and its recent film adaptation on Netflix. Today’s interview is with actor Michael Potts who starred in the Netflix film as Slow Drag, the bass player in Ma Rainey’s blues band.

When I watched Michael Potts as Slow Drag, I saw something recognizable: the way his character can convey so much with a glance or a knowing look. It is the tendency to observe rather than jump into action. To see a situation from an intellectual distance. I went back to re-watch three roles from his TV work, all HBO series: True Detective, Show Me a Hero, and The Wire in which he played the notable character Brother Mouzone.

The art of observation is apparent in each of these characters. As Michael says in the interview: “It’s part of my natural inclinations as a person, as Michael, to observe everything. I’m very aware of where I am in situations. I’m always checking the temperature of the room, which the actor training simply reinforced.”

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Ma Rainey - History, Play, & Netflix Film

Fri, 14 May 2021 17:46:35 GMT

In April, I had the pleasure of leading an evening event about August Wilson, specifically his play, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. This event was hosted by the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School in Maryland, where the program I co-direct, Exploring Black Narratives, first took off. This conversation includes background on Wilson’s life and the Great Migration in America, as well as a comparative discussion on the script of Ma Rainey and the Netflix film adaptation.

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"Pipeline" - Nya

Thu, 15 Apr 2021 19:17:03 GMT

This episode is one of two classroom interviews with 11th grade students at Shalhevet high school in Los Angeles, CA. As part of the Exploring Black Narratives program, we studied Dominique Morisseau's play "Pipeline" and interviewed actors who starred in productions around the US. Today's interview is with Andrea Harris Smith who played Nya at the Studio Theatre production of "Pipeline" in Washington, D.C.

Pipeline centers on a public high school teacher named Nya whose own teenage son, Omari, attends a private boarding school. Nya’s ex-husband Xavier, Omari’s dad, believes that the private school will give Omari the best education though it’s a distance from his home and Omari would be one of the only Black students in his classes. At the start of the play, Nya calls Xavier with the news that Omari has gotten into an altercation with his teacher. The teacher had pressured him to talk about Richard Wright’s novel Native Son as though Omari were the representative to speak about Black characters. Feeling increasingly cornered by the teacher, Omari physically pushed back and winds up suspended and at risk of being arrested. Nya worries that the school administrators will see Omari’s appearance and respond harshly, channeling him into the school-to-prison pipeline. While Nya is confident in her role as a teacher, she feels inadequate as a parent trying to protect her son.

If you'd like to learn more about Exploring Black Narratives, here is an article about the program that I wrote for American Theatre magazine: https://www.americantheatre.org/2021/03/19/the-familiar-and-the-new-teaching-black-plays-in-jewish-high-schools/

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"Pipeline" - Jasmine

Thu, 15 Apr 2021 18:47:55 GMT

This episode is one of two classroom interviews with 11th grade students at Shalhevet high school in Los Angeles, CA. As part of the Exploring Black Narratives program, we studied Dominique Morisseau's play "Pipeline" and interviewed actors who starred in productions around the US. Today's interview is with Heather Velazquez who played Jasmine at the world-premiere production of "Pipeline" in 2017 at Lincoln Center Theatre in New York.

Pipeline centers on a public high school teacher named Nya whose own teenage son, Omari, attends a private boarding school. Omari and his girlfriend Jasmine are among the only students of color at their school. When we meet them, Omari is about to leave school. He has been suspended after an incident in class in which his white teacher singled him out repeatedly as a Black student and Omari physically pushed back. Jasmine is understandably worried about the consequences for Omari. And because she’s in love with him, her desire to shield him is wrapped up in her need to keep him around. While Jasmine and Omari’s relationship is intense, Jasmine’s presence onstage is filled with humor. She’s tough-talking but uncertain. And though she’s onstage only a short amount of time, she’s an unforgettable character.

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The Power of Speech

Wed, 13 Jan 2021 03:56:40 GMT

In Will Arbery’s play Heroes of the Fourth Turning, which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize last year, a group of 20-something friends, all of whom are Catholic and politically conservative, gather for a party to toast their college professor who has become the president of their Catholic university. One of these friends is a young woman named Theresa whose right-wing views cross into alt-right territory. When I watched this play, I found the character of Theresa fascinating, particularly the way she wields speech and language to assert her political views. I agree with almost nothing she says, but her love of debate is thrilling to behold, and her confidence is magnetic. Much of that is due to the actress playing her. Zoë Winters, my guest this episode, starred in Heroes of the Fourth Turning in its world premiere production at Playwrights Horizons and reprised the role for a virtual performance during COVID that happened live on zoom. It was a remarkable difference from the last time I saw Zoë perform, which was in Bess Wohl’s play, Small Mouth Sounds – set at a silent retreat where Zoë’s character Alicia spends the play attempting to withhold her speech. Both plays are about seeking a deeper truth either by speaking out or by being silent. In Heroes, the gateway to truth is vociferous discussion of religion and politics, while in Small Mouth Sounds the gateway is silent reflection. Zoë has performed in numerous roles on stage and screen, so it was a real delight to delve into two of her performances and examine their points of comparison around the power of speech. https://www.zoewinters.com/

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Classix

Tue, 22 Dec 2020 19:15:04 GMT

Classix is a team of theatermakers and scholars who provide universities, theater companies, publishers, and readers with resources to expand their exploration of classic Black playwrights. As founder Awoye Timpo says, the intention is "creating access to the plays for the widest possible audience but really by centering Blackness." Awoye and her teammates - Dominique Rider, Arminda Thomas, Brittany Bradford, and A.J. Muhammad - bring a wide array of skills to their work, including directing, producing, dramaturgy, archiving, and acting. Learn more about their work at https://www.theclassix.org/our-vision.

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School Girls Series: The New Girl Who Seems to Have it All

Tue, 15 Dec 2020 16:45:47 GMT

I'm excited to share a series of conversations with actresses who starred in Jocelyn Bioh's play, School Girls: Or the African Mean Girls Play. These interviews were recorded with students at the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School in Maryland. This fall, I developed a program for Jewish high schools, which are majority white spaces, to explore plays by Black playwrights, to read and watch those plays, discuss the themes, expand the art they love, and perhaps most importantly, to interview Black actors and directors who have made those plays come alive in performance. This interview is with Joanna Jones who played Ericka at the MCC production of School Girls in New York. Joanna talked to us about her similarities to Ericka, particularly the experience of being the new girl in school. The depiction of Ericka as a light-skinned young woman who gains social capital at her new boarding school in Ghana draws on themes of colorism, which Joanna calls "a prejudice within a prejudice". Joanna also answered a few questions about Hamilton, in which she played the dual role of Peggy Schuyler and Maria Reynolds on Broadway.

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School Girls Series: Embodying the Queen Bee

Wed, 25 Nov 2020 02:06:39 GMT

I'm excited to share a series of conversations with actresses who starred in Jocelyn Bioh's play, School Girls: Or the African Mean Girls Play. These interviews were recorded with students at the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School in Maryland. This fall, I developed a program for Jewish high schools, which are majority White spaces, to explore plays by Black playwrights, to read and watch those plays, discuss the themes, expand the art they love, and perhaps most importantly, to interview Black actors and directors who have made those plays come alive in performance. This interview is with Ciera Dawn, who played Paulina at School Girls' Chicago production at the Goodman Theater. Ciera talked to us about finding the physicality of Paulina, a young woman who knows her power and potential, and she shared thoughts on her professional journey from Louisiana to Boston to Chicago to LA.

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School Girls Series: Delivering Laughs Amid Dramatic Themes

Mon, 09 Nov 2020 16:34:42 GMT

I'm excited to share a series of conversations with actresses who starred in Jocelyn Bioh's play, School Girls: Or the African Mean Girls Play. These interviews were recorded with students at the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School in Maryland. This fall, I developed a program for Jewish high schools, which are majority White spaces, to explore plays by Black playwrights, to read and watch those plays, discuss the themes, expand the art they love, and perhaps most importantly, to interview Black actors and directors who have made those plays come alive in performance. This interview is with Mirirai Sithole, who originated the role of Mercy at School Girls' NY production at MCC Theater. Mirirai's theater work includes Suzan-Lori Parks' "The Death of the Last Black Man in the Whole Entire World AKA The Negro Book of the Dead" and her TV work includes roles on "Broad City", "Russian Doll", and "Black Mirror". Mirirai won Lucille Lortel award for Outstanding Featured Actress and a Drama Desk Award for Best Ensemble with her School Girls' cast mates.

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Musical Videos in Quarantine

Thu, 18 Jun 2020 12:56:14 GMT

Since theaters shut down this spring, a certain type of performance has gained traction online – the compilation video, in which multiple performers, each in their own space, record their part of a musical number that is compiled into one cohesive performance. One of those compilation videos that has been widely circulated features the Broadway revival cast of “A Chorus Line” doing the famous opening dance number. I reached out to Jeffrey "Shecky" Schecter, who starred in that production and who had the idea to reunite his cast for this compilation. We discussed how artists are connecting with each other during quarantine and how they find outlets for their creativity when theater is dark. Here is a link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pALsCSZmWY

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Eradicating Racism in the Theater

Thu, 11 Jun 2020 13:42:16 GMT

Kelley Girod, a playwright and the founder of The Fire This Time festival, spoke with me about racism in the American Theater. We talked about the statements that many theater companies put out as protests began around the country. To Kelley and many Black artists and other artists of color, these statements in support of the Black community felt hollow. They followed years of diversity and inclusion initiatives that were deemed to lack depth, intention, and real commitment. Kelley pointed to an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion conference where a roomful of White participants stated the importance of inclusivity without seeming to recognize any disconnect. In the single week between this interview and the publishing of this episode, hundreds of theater artists who are Black, Indigenous, and people of color, composed a letter titled, We See You White American Theater, stating the many ways that they have felt diminished, manipulated, and overlooked. At the time of this publishing, it had close to 70,000 signatures. Artists, companies, and audiences will need to come together to rebuild an old art form that celebrates storytelling but limits the storytellers.

https://www.weseeyouwat.com/

http://www.firethistimefestival.com/

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Mother’s Day Episode: Strength of Character

Fri, 15 May 2020 15:10:07 GMT

On Mother's Day, I spent the evening speaking with the very talented actress Karen Pittman. Every time I watch Karen perform, I notice her strength first and foremost. In this interview, we discuss three of Karen’s roles on TV and on stage that exemplify strength of character: a determined producer on “The Morning Show” (Apple TV+), a dedicated teacher in “Pipeline” (Dominique Morisseau’s play at Lincoln Center), and an ambitious lawyer in “Disgraced” (Ayad Akhtar’s play on Broadway). In each of these, Karen exudes a fierce spirit and an inner strength that is amazing to behold. Karen’s strength of character extends to her role as a mother too. She was pregnant when she auditioned for her graduate acting program and, since then, her life as a mother and her life as an artist have been entwined.

https://www.instagram.com/thekarenpittman/?hl=en

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How Can We Know the Dancer from the Dance?

Tue, 12 May 2020 12:45:57 GMT

Reed Luplau is a veteran dancer who has performed in Broadway shows and prominent dance companies including Lar Lubovitch Dance Company and the Sydney Dance Company. Trained in multiple forms of dance including classical ballet, modern dance, acrobatics, tap, and jazz, Reed is most interested in being a “good mover”, particularly when movement is a conduit to storytelling. In this conversation we discuss the language of movement and the way it shapes a narrative. Reed’s interest in dancers as unique storytellers with separate identities illuminates the question in this episode’s title, which is taken from a William Butler Yeats poem.

Reed’s Broadway credits include: “Fiddler on the Roof”; “Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812”; and “Moulin Rouge”.

http://www.reedluplau.com/

Watch “Fiddler on the Roof” at the Tony Awards: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-j661y6KwYA

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Artists + Money (in a time of crisis)

Mon, 27 Apr 2020 06:37:04 GMT

Financial Advisor Bailie Slevin is a great success story. When a car accident disrupted her career as a stage manager for the theater, Bailie found her way to the financial sector and has been a champion for artists’ careers ever since. Bailie transformed a set back into a prosperous career, and when she advises her clients, many of whom are stage and screen artists, she activates that same model of pragmatism, hopefulness, grit, and flexibility. Rebounding after a crisis, like, say, a pandemic, is imperative for artists. Bailie’s mission is to help them get smart about money and to help them think of their work as a business. There’s nothing romantic about starving artists, she says. When artists find good opportunities to make money, they create more opportunities to make good art.

Bailie runs her own company, Entertaining Finance. She's also an educator and financial coach at IFWA, the Institute of Financial Wellness for the Arts. You can find Bailie’s contact info on the homepage of entertainingfinance.com. You can also connect with her to become a client if you’re interested.

https://www.entertainingfinance.com/

https://www.theifwa.com/

Disclaimer: The included is not intended to be financial advice to be acted upon. The opinions here to not reflect those off Park Avenue Securities LLC (PAS) or The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America® (Guardian), New York, NY. PAS is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Guardian. Entertaining Finance is not an affiliate or subsidiary of PAS or Guardian. OSJ: 52 Forest Ave., Paramus, NJ 07652, 201-843-7700. California license OJ17279

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Am I Supposed to Row the Boat or Rock the Boat?

Wed, 08 Apr 2020 12:49:30 GMT

Pirronne Yousefzadeh is a director of all sorts. She directs plays and she has a dual position at Geva Theatre Center as the Associate Artistic Director and the Director of Engagement. She’s also a co-founder of Maia Directors, a consulting and advocacy group for artists of Middle Eastern, North African, and South Asian descent. In these roles, Pirronne frequently seeks to strike a balance between the work of making theater and what she calls “disrupting” the theater community. They’re potentially at odds with one another. As Pirronne said in our conversation, “Am I supposed to row the boat or rock the boat?”

Pirronne admits that as a young theater artist, she was very deferential. She was just happy to be there. Now she directs and teaches around the country. She not only advocates for stories about the Middle East and beyond, she’s made it a business. This month, she was scheduled to deliver the keynote speech at Humana Festival, which was canceled due to the Coronavirus. The speech she was going to give was a reckoning with her younger self. She wouldn’t have rocked the boat as a newcomer. Now it’s part of her job description.

https://www.pirronne.com/

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Directing is Architectural

Wed, 05 Feb 2020 19:45:34 GMT

Sam Gold, the Tony-Award winning director of Fun Home, wants to eliminate all barriers between the audience and the story. To that end, he removes any element that actors might use as a crutch in their performance, like an unnecessary set piece, and he utilizes the physical theater space to bring the actors as close as possible to the audience. In many of Sam’s productions including Hamlet, Look Back in Anger, and Glass Menagerie, he creates what he calls “a theater with no stage”. Of course, there is a stage, it just blends into the audience’s physical space and therefore into their emotional experience. As he says, “I like putting actors in the architecture that is perfect for the piece we’re making.” This spring Sam will direct Three Sisters at New York Theatre Workshop starring Oscar Isaac and Greta Gerwig. Sam’s emphasis is always on the actors – and he’s worked with some of the best in the business including Laurie Metcalf, Adam Driver, and Glenda Jackson. Combining skilled actors, an architectural approach to directing, and the belief that theater is inherently up for interpretation has made Sam one of the most in-demand directors working today.

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Disrupting Nostalgia

Tue, 24 Dec 2019 03:52:24 GMT

This episode is all about nostalgia and how we experience it through art. Any art form can have nostalgic effects, but I think there’s something unique and specific about music: the way hearing an old song you love transports you back in time to a younger version of yourself. Tony award-winning Broadway producer Eva Price has lots of musical nostalgia: she’s been drawn to pop music and Broadway musicals forever and in the past year she lead-produced two Broadway shows that are deeply nostalgic for audiences - Oklahoma!, a classic Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, beloved since 1943, and Jagged Little Pill, a new musical based on Alanis Morissette’s eponymous album that invigorated listeners in 1995 and has stayed popular ever since. But here’s the thing: Eva’s not going to give you exactly what you expect. One of her skills as a producer is developing shows that disrupt nostalgia by merging beloved songs and stories with an honest and sometimes piercing awareness of our current moment. How does Eva convince investors and audiences that the way to honor nostalgic work is to dust it off and make it new?

Links:

https://www.maximumcompany.com/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/leeseymour/2019/04/22/meet-eva-price-broadways-powerhouse-entrepreneur/#6114b11a2142

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Making The Audience Work For It

Thu, 12 Dec 2019 04:19:18 GMT

Branden Jacobs-Jenkins writes some of the most challenging plays I’ve read and seen. That’s partially due to the fact that his plays are each distinct in form, namely the way each play is delivered is as important as the story itself. Branden is a writer who is fascinated by the history of storytelling, from the Greeks to the Middle Ages, and within American drama, from the Civil War through the 20th century. In our interview, we talked about how he draws on old plays to examine how we experience the same themes today.

Branden’s plays, which include Neighbors, Appropriate, An Octoroon, Gloria, War, Everybody, and Girls, have won a host of awards including the MacArthur Fellowship. Branden is also a Pulitzer Prize finalist, a theater professor, and a consulting producer on the HBO series Watchmen.

Talking to Branden was a true pleasure. He is scholarly, perceptive, and genuine. If you haven’t seen or read Branden’s plays, I encourage you to check them out. His work will challenge you in the best way.

Links:

https://www.macfound.org/fellows/958/

https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2015/05/28/branden-jacob-jenkins-on-his-play-neighbors/

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How Church and Gospel Shape an Artist

Tue, 29 Oct 2019 11:34:39 GMT

In this episode, I look at the ways in which church and gospel music can shape an artist like my guest, Ephraim Sykes, a veritable triple threat of acting, singing, and dancing. As a kid and teenager, Ephraim had a natural affinity for dance and music, and his outlet was Sunday worship. Joining the gospel choir wasn’t a conscious decision, Ephraim says. “It was just what we did.” Since getting his BFA in dance, Ephraim has performed with the Alvin Ailey company, danced and acted in the original cast of Hamilton, and won over audiences as Seaweed in NBC’s Hairspray Live! He is now the star of Ain’t Too Proud, a Broadway musical about the iconic Motown group The Temptations. To play the group’s showman David Ruffin, Ephraim gives his voice a raspy quality that he borrows directly from church pastors. He knows how significant the show is for audience members: the homage it pays to black history and the way it speaks openly and directly about God. It’s all familiar territory for Ephraim.

Links:

https://www.instagram.com/ephsykes/?hl=en

https://www.ainttooproudmusical.com/

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The Meaning of Accents

Thu, 10 Oct 2019 03:27:25 GMT

TV and stage actress Kristen Sieh loves languages and has developed a talent for creating her characters’ voices. When Kristen nails a character’s voice, she fully inhabits her – or him as is sometimes the case. She has played Teddy Roosevelt in the play RoosevElvis, an Israeli in the musical The Band’s Visit, and a New Jersey mother in the 1940’s in the upcoming HBO adaptation of Philip Roth’s novel, The Plot Against America. Developing the sound of a character is a different process on the set of a TV series than it is onstage. And Kristen says it’s not just about getting the region right; it’s also about finding those idiosyncrasies of a certain place and time period that feel authentic and recognizable. Kristen and I talked about landing the voices and styles of characters who are visibly different from her. Different gender, different ethnicity. What are the situations when that feels out of bounds? And what discoveries has she made in her many transformations?

More about Kristen:

https://www.nytimes.com/video/theater/100000002522251/in-performance-roosevelvis.html

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2734920/

http://theteamplays.org/about/core-company/kristen-sieh/

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Citizenship

Fri, 30 Aug 2019 11:20:09 GMT

In this episode, I explore citizenship in the arts. Is citizenship simply about having rights and membership, or is it a more active stance that incorporates voting, advocacy, and protest? I discussed that question with director Saheem Ali, a dual-citizen himself who addresses issues of citizenship throughout his art. Saheem has become increasingly in-demand as a director in recent years and his work has been fueled by what he calls "the responsibility of citizenship". Saheem just wrapped up “The Rolling Stone” at Lincoln Center Theater and will soon debut his revival of Anna Deavere Smith’s acclaimed play “Fires in the Mirror” at Signature Theatre. In these productions, Saheem compels audiences to ask what we owe our fellow citizens and what it means to belong.

https://www.saheemali.com/

https://www.signaturetheatre.org/shows-and-events/Productions/2019-2020/Fires-in-the-Mirror.aspx

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The Artist as Activist

Wed, 07 Aug 2019 15:38:14 GMT

Adam Kantor, the Broadway actor known for his roles in Rent, Avenue Q, The Last Five Years, Fiddler on the Roof, and The Band’s Visit spends his time offstage tending to his other passions – food, travel, and community service. Throughout his career, Adam’s dedication to philanthropy and activism have been central and constant. Adam was a founder of Broadway in South Africa, an initiative that brought performers to South African townships to offer students resources in music and education. More recently, he co-founded StoryCourse, a curated dining program that advocates for storytelling through cooking, with an emphasis on immigrant and LGBTQ chefs. Adam’s core idea is the question, “How does food tell a story?” And his core mission is finding a delicious, clever way to make the marginalized feel seen.

Links:

https://www.storycoursenyc.com/

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/05/style/showbiz-passover-seder.html

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A Full Picture of Detroit

Fri, 26 Jul 2019 14:03:20 GMT

Dominique Morisseau, a MacArthur “Genius”, Kennedy Prize Winner, and Tony Nominee, loved growing up in Detroit. Good friends, close relatives, and formative teachers made the city feel like a close-knit family. But as a young adult, she realized that the outside perspective was altogether different – others saw Detroit as a city in ruin. Dominique took her passions for poetry and acting and set out as a storyteller, writing plays that created a full portrait of Detroit. Her play “Skeleton Crew”, about Detroit’s auto industry, has become among the most produced plays in America in recent years. Her work “Detroit ’67” won the prestigious Edward M. Kennedy Prize for Drama which honors plays about American history. And her current Broadway musical, “Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations” garnered her first Tony nomination. Detroit is one of those cities that conjures immediate associations, from American cars to Motown music. But what does a full portrait of the city look like? That’s today’s episode.

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An Actor’s Physicality

Wed, 05 Jun 2019 11:52:28 GMT

How does physicality shape an actor’s work? Noah Robbins can speak to that. He was a child dancer who performed at the Kennedy Center in annual dance productions led by choreographer Debbie Allen. From there he went straight to Broadway and has been busy in theater and TV ever since. Throughout his acting career, Noah’s dance experience has been beneficial, allowing him to channel the physicality needed to clarify his characters’ movements, demeanors, and styles. In other words, dance has made Noah a better actor, and it shows in his work on Amazon’s “Forever”; Netflix’s “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”, and the play “Clarkson” which ran this past season in New York. So how does dance inform the physicality of an actor? That’s today’s episode.

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African Comedy Sounds Like This

Thu, 23 May 2019 16:32:40 GMT

Writer and actress Jocelyn Bioh gets excited about African comedy. Not "The Book of Mormon" kind where Africa is the punchline, but the insider first-person kind that draws on memory, nostalgia and referential humor. As the daughter of Ghanaian immigrants, Jocelyn craved stories about West Africa that were as funny and multi-layered as her personal experiences. This past year, a particular African comedy called “School Girls: Or the African Mean Girls Play” put Jocelyn on the map and led to her becoming a writer on two hit Netflix shows, “Russian Doll” and Spike Lee’s “She’s Gotta Have It”. Jocelyn intends to clarify all of your misconceptions about Africa, but she plans to do it with humor. So, what is the sound of African comedy? That’s today’s episode.

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BAM and the Making of the Big Arts Venue

Wed, 08 May 2019 19:31:05 GMT

Brooklyn Academy of Music is the oldest performing arts venue in America that is continually operating. It presents dance, theater, opera, music, and film, and its performances are known for being contemporary, experimental, global, and unusual, much like Brooklyn itself. Across the river in Manhattan, there’s a new major arts venue on the scene called The Shed - a massive structure on the west side of Manhattan with a movable glass façade that creates a shape-shifting performance space. It cost almost $500 million to build. When I scrolled through their line-up of events, my first thought was: any of these artists could be at BAM, and some already have. Do brand new arts venues pose a challenge to arts venues that already exist? Are there enough deep-pocketed donors and enthusiastic ticket buyers to go around? I decided to ask a producer at BAM, Amy Cassello. She says she’s not worried. Why not? That’s today’s episode.

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When Personhood is Your Livelihood

Thu, 18 Apr 2019 23:46:48 GMT

Tony Award winner Itamar Moses is a playwright, a book writer for musicals, and a screenwriter on several TV shows. Each of these art forms is rewarding, he says, but playwriting is thus far the medium that allows him full creative control. Perhaps for that reason, it’s also the arena in which he probes the most personal subject matter. Like many novelists, screenwriters, and playwrights, Itamar draws both directly and indirectly on first-hand experience, and he admits that getting to a place of vulnerability invariably leads to better storytelling. What does it mean for personal excavation to be your livelihood?

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A TV Star Blends New and Familiar

Thu, 04 Apr 2019 01:32:23 GMT

Michael Zegen has acted in dozens of TV series, films, and plays over the past decade and a half, but he has recently hit a new level of celebrity playing Joel Maisel on the hugely successful series, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”. The show offers an exciting challenge for the actor – a multi-layered character that Michael admits he's still discovering. Yet the world of "Maisel" – a distinctly Jewish world – is recognizable and close to home. In this episode, Michael discusses getting into character in a world he knows well.

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How Long-Term Roles Impact an Actor's Career

Wed, 20 Mar 2019 16:38:29 GMT

Actress Sarah Steele knows a thing or two about long-term roles: she's had one on TV (on the CBS drama "The Good Wife" and its spin-off, "The Good Fight") as well as on stage (in the award-winning Broadway play, "The Humans", whose original cast took the production to Los Angeles and London). The ability to shape a character over years and years is a great opportunity for an actress, though it comes with complications, among them concern about being typecast and rigid scheduling. In an industry that depends on actors playing many parts, are long-term roles a good thing?

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How a Black Theater Festival Opens Doors

Thu, 07 Mar 2019 03:04:20 GMT

What makes a theater festival successful? High-quality art, solid ticket sales, and an enthusiastic audience response. Since 2008, Kelley Girod has worked toward that goal with a festival designed to launch black writers in the early phases of their careers. Many of the festival’s alumni have since risen to prominence.

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How a Risk-Taker Thinks About Risk

Wed, 13 Feb 2019 20:50:23 GMT

What does risk-taking mean in art? New York Theatre Workshop, a company in downtown Manhattan that's known for taking risks, has an advantage: an enthusiastic audience with an appetite for thought-provoking art. What might be risky at other arts venues is expected here. Which is to say, risk is subjective. In this episode, New York Theatre Workshop's managing director, Jeremy Blocker, talks about how he makes decisions about art that keep his loyal audiences on the edge of their seats.

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How a Theater Maker Convinces a Filmmaker

Thu, 07 Feb 2019 03:55:06 GMT

A theater producer falls in love with a foreign film and wants to adapt it as a live musical. Fast forward eight years and he's accepting a Tony Award on live television for Best Musical. For that producer, Orin Wolf, and that show, The Band's Visit, the path appeared smooth but was in fact arduous and steeply uphill. With no funding or support, Orin had to get people on board: investors, theater companies, and, perhaps most importantly, the original film's director. When all you've got is an idea, how do you convince the rest of the world?

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Welcome to Places, Everyone!

Thu, 03 Jan 2019 20:16:47 GMT

Welcome to Places, Everyone: a podcast about the intersection of art and finance. Through interviews with creative people across stage and screen, this podcast explores how artists work the business side.

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