Beyond the Lights: A Conversation with Theater Professionals
65 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 2 years ago -Welcome to Beyond the Lights: A Conversation with Theater Professionals. Theater is a community event and it takes a village to operate. From actors to designers to company managers to teaching artists to data nerds and dramaturgs and everything in between. So join me weekly to learn more about each person's journey and the "hustle" we call theater as we go Beyond the Lights.
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Episodes
11. VELINA HASU HOUSTON - Playwright
October 19, 2020 10:00 - 1 hour - 42.6 MBVelina Hasu Houston is an award-winning writer of plays, opera, film, tv, novels--the list goes on and on. We talk about what it was like growing up as a mixed-race woman in Kansas and how that has informed her writing, her use of magical realism and whether or not she has a ghost in all of her plays, and the kinds of plays she thinks we will see AFTER Covid. For a full transcript of today's episode please visit beyondthelightspodcast.com. Mentioned in this Episode [00:01:10] Matcha Book...
10. BRAD CALEB LEE - Visual Dramaturge
October 12, 2020 10:00 - 55 minutes - 38.4 MBBrad Caleb Lee is a visual dramaturge working in both the US and Europe. We discuss how he went from pursuing a business degree in Alabama to becoming a sought-after theater maker in Europe, the difference between working in opera vs theater, and what exactly the term “visual dramaturge” means. Brad's resume is extensive and our conversation truly shines a light on the diversity of work a theater-maker can pursue within the industry. For a full transcript of this episode please visit beyon...
9. LAUREL PARRISH - Wardrobe Department at WICKED
October 05, 2020 10:00 - 56 minutes - 38.8 MBOn today’s episode, I speak with Laurel Parrish from the Wardrobe Department at Wicked. Laurel and I discuss what it’s like to be a dresser on Broadway, the ins and outs of quick changes, and costume fabric care. Our conversation is a unique look at what happens backstage at a Broadway show and she shares some great advice for anyone looking to work in a production wardrobe department. Laurel also provides a few fun Wicked wardrobe facts that you won't want to miss, so stick around until th...
9. Laurel Parrish - Wardrobe Department at WICKED
October 05, 2020 10:00 - 56 minutes - 38.8 MBOn today’s episode, I speak with Laurel Parrish from the Wardrobe Department at Wicked. Laurel and I discuss what it’s like to be a dresser on Broadway, the ins and outs of quick changes, and costume fabric care. Our conversation is a unique look at what happens backstage at a Broadway show and she shares some great advice for anyone looking to work in a production wardrobe department. Laurel also provides a few fun Wicked wardrobe facts that you won't want to miss, so stick around until th...
8. Jon Lawrence Rivera - Artistic Director of Playwrights' Arena
September 28, 2020 10:00 - 57 minutes - 39.6 MBJon Lawrence Rivera is the co-founder and artistic director of Playwrights' Arena in Los Angeles; a theater dedicated to "to discovering, nurturing and producing bold new works for the stage written exclusively by Los Angeles playwrights." On today's episode, Jon and I discuss his early life in the Philippines and Australia and how those experiences shaped the kinds of stories he seeks to tell. We also delve into the new play process and the journey a new play takes from page to stage. Fo...
8. JON LAWRENCE RIVERA - Artistic Director of Playwrights' Arena
September 28, 2020 10:00 - 57 minutes - 39.6 MBJon Lawrence Rivera is the co-founder and artistic director of Playwrights' Arena in Los Angeles; a theater dedicated to "to discovering, nurturing and producing bold new works for the stage written exclusively by Los Angeles playwrights." On today's episode, Jon and I discuss his early life in the Philippines and Australia and how those experiences shaped the kinds of stories he seeks to tell. We also delve into the new play process and the journey a new play takes from page to stage. Fo...
7. BONUS Episode - LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS Explained!
September 23, 2020 09:00 - 55 minutes - 37.8 MBI come from the world of new plays and Shakespeare, but my musical knowledge is...lacking. Prior to joining a Broadway marketing team, I attended MAYBE a musical a year? Now, I LOVE musicals, they just were never in my theatrical world...but the longer I worked in the commercial theater industry, the more I realized I was out of my musical depth. So, I decided to enlist my friends Brenden Rogers and Brian Dumbreski to teach me the ways of all the musicals that didn't make it through my pre-...
6. JENNY GRACE MAKHOLM and MATTHEW-LEE ERLBACH - Co-founders of BE AN ARTS HERO
September 21, 2020 08:00 - 39 minutes - 27.3 MBOn this episode, I speak with Jenny Grace Makholm and Matthew-Lee Erlbach two of the co-founders of Be An Arts Hero. The Arts and Culture sector employs 5.1 million people and provides $877 billion value added to the economy. It adds more value than transportation, agriculture, or tourism, and is a cornerstone of the larger U.S. economy, making up 4.5% of the GDP. Be an Arts Hero is an intersectional grassroots campaign comprised of Arts & Culture workers, Unions, and institutions in t...
5. TANIS PARENTEAU - Actor and Producer
September 14, 2020 08:00 - 1 hour - 41.8 MBOn today’s episode, I speak with actor and producer Tanis Parenteau who does a little of everything in the acting world: from theater to film to audiobooks and podcasts. We discuss how she found her way to a Drama 101 class, how her training helped her sustain a lead role in a long-running play, and why Billions was her favorite tv show to film to date. Tanis is a member of the Métis Nation of Alberta, Canada and we also talk about why representation is important in all aspects of media. F...
4. ERICA HEMMINGER - Associate Set Designer of MOULIN ROUGE
September 07, 2020 08:00 - 49 minutes - 34 MBThis week we have Erica Hemminger an associate set designer on Broadway. If you’ve been to a Broadway show within the last 10 years you’ve probably seen something she’s worked on, including but not limited to Anything Goes, Beautiful, American Son, and the biggest one to date Moulin Rouge. We discuss how she got started in set design, why we should all be discussing our salaries more, and just how many elephants are on the Moulin Rouge set. For a full transcript of today's episode visit be...
3. JASON LOFFREDO - Music Director of KINKY BOOTS
August 31, 2020 08:00 - 51 minutes - 35.1 MBToday’s guest is Jason Loffredo a music director in New York City. We discuss how an invite to play on a softball team led to becoming a substitute musician in a Broadway pit and ultimately to becoming the music director for off-Broadway's ALTAR BOYZ and Broadway's KINKY BOOTS. Jason also breaks down the ins and outs of working as a substitute musician on Broadway, what a music director actually does, and how he's kept busy while Broadway is suspended. If you have a musician in your life, T...
2. KAT WEST - Stage Manager of FIDDLER ON THE ROOF in Yiddish
August 25, 2020 08:00 - 58 minutes - 40.4 MBToday's episode features Kat West, a freelance stage manager working in New York City. We discuss her work with Prospect Theater Company, how she became involved with Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish (directed by Joel Grey), what it's like working on a show when your son is 3 months old, becoming a better advocate in the room, and what a "typical" middle-of-the-process day looks like in the life of a stage manager. For a full transcript of today's episode visit beyondthelightspodcast.com. Li...
1. TAI VERLEY - Artistic Director of Revolution Shakespeare
August 24, 2020 08:00 - 1 hour - 50.4 MBShow Notes Welcome to the first episode of Beyond the Lights: A Conversation with Theater Professionals. Today's guest is Tai Verley, a freelance actor and the Artistic Director of Revolution Shakespeare in Philadelphia, PA. We discuss how she went from Psychology major to actor, from being told she would never understand Shakespeare to running a Shakespeare Company, how she is continuing to foster artistic creation through her company during Covid-19, and so much more. For a full transcrip...
BEYOND THE LIGHTS: A Conversation with Theater Professionals - Trailer
August 13, 2020 14:00 - 1 minute - 1.12 MBWelcome to Beyond the Lights: A Conversation with Theater Professionals. Theater is a community event and it takes a village to operate. From actors to designers to company managers to teaching artists to data nerds and dramaturgs and everything in between. So join me weekly to learn more about each person's journey and the "hustle" we call theater as we go Beyond the Lights.
BEYOND THE LIGHTS: A Conversation with Theatre Professionals - Trailer
August 13, 2020 14:00 - 1 minute - 1.12 MBWelcome to Beyond the Lights: A Conversation with Theater Professionals. Theater is a community event and it takes a village to operate. From actors to designers to company managers to teaching artists to data nerds and dramaturgs and everything in between. So join me weekly to learn more about each person's journey and the "hustle" we call theater as we go Beyond the Lights.