Tjaša Ferme, Nasay Ano, Melody Munitz, Arianne Banda, & Thammie Quach of “BIOADAPTED”

Posted on September 18, 2023 by robby

Listen in as BIOADAPTED creator & director Tjaša Ferme, along with performers Nasay Ano, Melody Munitz, Arianne Banda, & Thammie Quach, discuss the benefits of a long development process, collaborating with AI, learning as an actor just what all these concepts mean, how to welcome an audience of theatre-people into a show about those same difficult tech concepts, the deep space/slow time benefit of a residency, mosaics, and show as meatball.

“…even if you’re someone who doesn’t know a ton about AI, or what’s inside that black box, or how it’s functioning in society right nows on the levels we can’t always see, I think people have a perception about what it is: maybe it’s creepy, maybe it’s robotic […] we had a lot of conversations about playing into the expectations of what an audience would think an AI would be, and how can we bend those expectations and expand on them…”

Continue reading →

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Garrett Miller, Olivia Hewitt, Sabrina Gómez, Phanie Cherres, & Michael James Duran of “The Motherf**ker With the Hat”

Posted on August 29, 2023 by robby

Listen in as The Motherf**ker With the Hat executive producers Garrett Miller (who also plays “Jackie”) and Olivia Hewitt (who also stage manages the show), along with performers Sabrina Gómez (“Veronica”), Phanie Cherres (“Victoria”), and Michael James Duran (“Ralph D”), discuss self-producing, considering your audience, growth between iterations, seat-filling strategies & guerrilla marketing, taking over postcard stands, and the utmost importance of making sure you’ve got a great show.

“…I think if you’re doing independent theatre, you’re doing it because you really want to do it, and that shows…like, this isn’t as far away as you think. It is accessible. It’s a lot of work…a f*ckton of work. But it’s doable…”

Continue reading →

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Lucie Tiberghien, Michelle Veintimilla, and Matthew Rauch of “Tartuffe or The Hypocrite”

Posted on May 24, 2023 by robby

Listen in as Molière in the Park founding artistic director Lucie Tiberghien, director of the company’s World English-language Premiere of Molière’s original three-act version of TARTUFFE or The Hypocrite, along with performers Michelle Veintimilla and Matthew Rauch, discuss inviting in the audience, staying focused, feminism in 17th century France, creating space for open theatrical magic, and bringing accessible, free theatre to Brooklyn.

“…really, the idea is to democratize access to theatre, and also play our part in diversifying access. We have this vision that Brooklyn is a place where everyone can benefit equally from access to the arts, and to theatre.”

“It’s been so cool to see people walk by, and see them be intrigued, and then decide to sit and watch…”

Continue reading →

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Kara Feely & Daniel Allen Nelson of “HOUSECONCERT”

Posted on May 11, 2023 by robby

Listen in as HOUSECONCERT writer/director/performer/drummer Kara Feely, along with fellow performer / production manager Daniel Allen Nelson, discuss actors playing instruments and musicians doing actions, reacting to the energy of the audience, finding ways to get from one thing to another, how different audiences can interact with the same piece, and “resurrecting the ghosts of past house concerts.”

“…we got our start sort of performing in peoples’ living rooms, and going to house concerts and more informal things. So we had this idea that, coming out of the pandemic when we were all at home all the time…that it would be kind of interesting, instead of inviting people into our home, that we would turn the theater into our home…”

Continue reading →

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Jess Wood, Lisa Graham Parson, Henry Temple, & Laura Fois Bosley of “The Best Punk Band in Conway, Missouri”

Posted on May 10, 2023 by robby

Listen in as performers Jess Wood, Lisa Graham Parson, and Henry Temple of The Best Punk Band in Conway, Missouri: An Oral History of Presley Cox and the Fallout Five, along with UP Theater Company’s Managing Director Laura Fois Bosley, discuss old punks looking back on impetuous youth, casting unique actors & discovering your multiple characters, growing up where you don’t fit in, playing in indie theatre “punk rock camp,” calling your cast-mates poseurs, and “being the person you want to be where you are.”

“…I don’t think you have to be from a small town to feel like you don’t fit in.”

“It’s never too late to enjoy yourself, to follow your dreams, to have fun: to find your tribe.”

Continue reading →

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Amy Michelle & Zaven Ovian of “Emilie: La Marquise du Châtelet Defends Her Life Tonight”

Posted on April 26, 2023 by robby

Listen in as Emilie: La Marquise du Châtelet Defends Her Life Tonight actor/producer Amy Michelle, along with fellow cast member Zaven Ovian, discuss physics, inviting the audience in, those plays that follow you around until you put them up, staging opportunities, deep research, love for stage managers, differentiating your multiple character assignments, and exploring “purpose & passion.”

“…the question that Emilie asks at the top of the play, ‘What do we mean?,’ I think is much more existential than ‘what do you mean by that?’ I think it’s actually, ‘what do WE mean? What is our meaning? What does our existence mean?’…I think a lot of people are asking that question since the pandemic…”

Continue reading →

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Duncan Pflaster, Clinton Powell, and Wyn Delano of “Harmony Hall”

Posted on February 16, 2023 by robby

Listen in as Harmony Hall playwright & director Duncan Pflaster, along with the cast of Wyn Delano and Clinton Powell, discuss inspiration from terrible/wonderful Tennessee Williams adaptations, what is and is not a “pandemic play,” personal connections to the material, grounding your characters, the challenges of putting a show up in a festival, religious trauma, and the joy of working on poetic new work.

“…this is one of those things where we put our hearts and soul into it, all of us, it’s a very meaningful show…something where I think people will get a lot out of it if they see it, but to see it, you gotta do the old-school theatre thing and put your butt in the seat.”

Continue reading →

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Heather E. Cunningham & Sara Thigpen of “On the Verge”

Posted on September 21, 2022 by robby

Listen in as Retro Productions Artistic Director Heather E. Cunningham, who also plays Fanny in the cast, along with director Sara Thigpen, discuss looking at the past through the lens of theatre and theatre through the lens of history, enthusiasm to jump in and play, suggestions vs. specificity, getting back to the live space post-COVID, and how it seems like everything comes back around again, in their production of Eric Overmyer’s On the Verge.

“…I love what it says about America, what it says about our history. The language is beautiful…”

Continue reading →

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Blake Habermann & Jae Woo of “Take Shape”

Posted on April 26, 2022 by robby

Listen in as Blake Habermann & Jae Woo, performers in Broken Box Mime Theater‘s newest show Take Shape, discuss being prepared, music for mime, outbursts from toddlers, the benefits and difficulties of being a mime when masked, making some last-minute adjustments pre-show, breaking through language barriers, and making theatre accessible to as many people as possible.

“…we’ve been working on accessibility as part of our approach for all of our productions…being more inviting to different kinds of populations, people with different kinds of needs to come into the theater…”

Continue reading →

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Kirk Gostkowski & Deven Anderson of “Garbageman”

Posted on April 4, 2022 by robby

Listen in as Garbageman performers Kirk Gostkowski and Deven Anderson discuss seeing the familiar onstage, truth in absurdity, the benefits of repartee, how the audience interacts with juxtaposed seriousness and silliness, how a difficult piece morphs and changes over time, and searching for the American dream.

“…the bottom line with this piece is, I feel like this topic needs to be discussed. And people are afraid to discuss it. Because what does it mean? What does it mean about our humanity, what does it mean about our families, and our neighbors, and people that we know in our society…and we can’t just sweep it under the rug. The only way things gets better is if we discuss it…It’s about humanity, ultimately…”

Continue reading →

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Go See a Show!

The off-off-Broadway podcast

Tag Archives: Actors

Tjaša Ferme, Nasay Ano, Melody Munitz, Arianne Banda, & Thammie Quach of “BIOADAPTED”

Garrett Miller, Olivia Hewitt, Sabrina Gómez, Phanie Cherres, & Michael James Duran of “The Motherf**ker With the Hat”

Lucie Tiberghien, Michelle Veintimilla, and Matthew Rauch of “Tartuffe or The Hypocrite”

Kara Feely & Daniel Allen Nelson of “HOUSECONCERT”

Jess Wood, Lisa Graham Parson, Henry Temple, & Laura Fois Bosley of “The Best Punk Band in Conway, Missouri”

Amy Michelle & Zaven Ovian of “Emilie: La Marquise du Châtelet Defends Her Life Tonight”

Duncan Pflaster, Clinton Powell, and Wyn Delano of “Harmony Hall”

Heather E. Cunningham & Sara Thigpen of “On the Verge”

Blake Habermann & Jae Woo of “Take Shape”

Kirk Gostkowski & Deven Anderson of “Garbageman”