ANDRÉA BURNS received an Outer Critics Circle Award Nomination for her portrayal of Gloria Fajardo in Broadway’s On Your Feet! She is a winner of a Drama Desk Award for her creation of the role of Daniela, the saucy hairdresser in the Tony Award-winning musical In The Heights.  Ms. Burns began her career touring the opera houses of Europe as Maria in West Side Story when she was 18 years old. She has appeared on Broadway as Belle in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, as Vicki Nichols in The Full Monty, as Googie Gomez in The Ritz and has sung concerts at Carnegie Hall. She starred opposite Nathan Lane on Broadway in the Lincoln Center production of The Nance which subsequently broadcast on PBS' "Great Performances". Ms. Burns was in the original company of Jason Robert Brown’s critically acclaimed Songs for a New World and has since become one of the foremost interpreters of his work. Burns portrayed Lucille Frank in the national tour of Jason Robert Brown's Parade, directed by Harold Prince, for which she received a Touring Broadway Awards nomination for Best Actress. She was also selected by Stephen Sondheim to create the role of Celeste in his musical Saturday Night in its New York premiere.  Ms. Burns' debut solo album A Deeper Shade Of Red was described by Playbill as "superb on all counts”. “100 Stories," a single she co-wrote with her brother, music producer Mike Burns, rose to the #2 spot on the 2006 Billboard Hot Dance Club Play charts. A favorite at 54 Below Broadway Supper Club, Andréa performs her one woman show all of over the world, which has been hailed by the New York Times as “ uproarious, ebullient and playful”. Television credits include Mad About You (Reboot), Jessica Jones, Kevin Can Wait, Blue Bloods, Law & Order: SVU, Rescue Me, The Electric Company (2009 TV series), and Wonder Pets. She can also be heard on the original cast recordings of On Your Feet!, In The Heights, Songs for a New World, This Ordinary Thursday - The Songs of Georgia Stitt, Saturday Night, It’s Only Life, Dear Edwina, Shine, Broadway Bound, and Broadway Musicals of 1953. Ms. Burns can be heard as the voice of Elaine Stritch in Alexandra Jacob’s new biography, “Still Here - The Madcap, Nervy, Singular Life of Elaine Stritch.”  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Darby Stanchfield stars as ‘Nina Locke’ in the Netflix hit show  Locke and Key. Stanchfield is well-known for her role as ‘Abby Whelan,” the spunky and outspoken investigator on all seven seasons of the Shonda Rhimes hit ABC show “Scandal” alongside ‘Olivia Pope’ (Kerry Washington). She also r stars in  the Disney+’s film “Stargirl” which was adapted from the best-selling novel. Prior to “Scandal,” Darby was featured in season two of AMC’s Emmy ® Award winning drama “Mad Men.” In the hit series, Darby played the role of Helen Bishop, a liberal single mother who relishes in stirring up controversy with Betty Draper, the wife of an iconic advertising guru. Other television credits include starring opposite Nathan Fillion in ABC’s crime thriller “Castle,” a recurring role as Shannon Gibbs on CBS’s military drama “NCIS,” and a spot on CBS’s action packed series Jericho where she played “April Green.” In addition, Darby has appeared in roles across a host of successful television series including “Burn Notice,” “CSI: Miami,” “How I Met Your Mother,” “CSI: New York,” “The Mentalist,” “Private Practice,” “Bones,” “Nip/Tuck,” “Without a Trace,” and Monk . Her feature film credits include Adrienne Shelley's critically acclaimed “Waitress,” opposite Nathan Fillion and Keri Russell, and an adaptation of Oscar Wilde's “The Picture of Dorian Gray” co-starring opposite Josh Duhamel. Darby can be heard in a recording of Neil Simon's “Biloxi Blues” with Josh Radnor and Justine Bateman, part of an ongoing series of radio plays that LA Theatre Works produces for NPR. Originally from Dutch Harbor, Alaska, Darby is a graduate of The American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco where she received a Master Of Fine Arts degree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Emma Nelson’s powerful performances have established her as a young actress on the rise. Nelson can be seen in the Netflix drama film The Unforgiveable alongside Oscar winners Sandra Bullock and Viola Davis. The film follows a woman who attempts to rebuild her life after serving time in prison for committing a violent crime.  Nelson made her big screen debut in the film adaptation of the best-selling novel Where’d You Go Bernadette, helmed by Academy Award nominee Richard Linklater. Emma played the character of Bee, the daughter of the eponymous Bernadette, portrayed by Academy Award winner Cate Blanchett and also starred Billy Crudup, Laurence Fishburne and Kristen Wiig. A native of the Chicago area, Emma has participated in many local theater productions including a lead role in the pre-Broadway production of Trevor! The Musical, which was produced and directed by the renowned Marc Bruni. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Caissie Levy most recently seventh Broadway show, as Rose Stopnick Gellman in Roundabout’s revival of Caroline, Or Change, after originating the role of Elsa in Disney's blockbuster hit, Frozen. She recreated the iconic role of Fantine in the 2014 revival of Les Misérables on Broadway, and is known to New York and London audiences for originating the roles of Molly in Ghost, and Sheila in the Tony Award winning revival of Hair. Her other Broadway credits include Elphaba in the Broadway and Los Angeles productions of Wicked, Penny in the Broadway, 1st National Tour and Toronto companies of Hairspray and Maureen in the national tour of Rent. Off-Broadway, she played Patti Davis and Julie Nixon in the world premiere of Michael John LaChiusa's First Daughter Suite at The Public Theater, and Sara in the Off-Broadway production of Murder Ballad. She has starred in the short films Options and Ms. Bula Banerjee, and guest starred opposite Sean Pertwee on Fox's Gotham. In concert, she headlined Carnegie Hall with the NY Pops, backed up Sir Rod Stewart during his Las Vegas residency, guested with The United States Military Academy at West Point, and performed solo shows to sold-out audiences across the US and the UK. Recordings include Frozen, Ghost, Hair, First Daughter Suite and over twenty singer/songwriter's albums, including her own EP, With You, available everywhere. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Marc J. Franklin is a New York City-based photographer specializing in portrait and editorial photography, currently working as the Photo Editor and Principal Photographer for Playbill. His photos have been featured in The New York Times, The LA Times, Vogue, Elle, The Paris Review, Out Magazine, The Boston Globe, Mashable, People Magazine, and more. Highlight subjects include Hilary Clinton, Andrew Garfield, Adam Driver, Tina Fey, Jeremy Pope, Darren Criss, Lauren Ridloff, and many others. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

JAMES CALLERI along with his partners Paul Davis and Erica Jensen own Calleri Jensen Davis, a creative casting partnership. They have been awarded 16 Artios Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Casting. James proudly served on the Board of the Casting Society of America for many years. He is an Associate Professor of Theater at Columbia University School of the Arts where he co-heads the Graduate MFA Acting Program. He is the co-author with Robert Cohen of ACTING PROFESSIONALLY: RAW FACTS ABOUT CAREERS IN ACTING published by Palgrave MacMillan, in it’s eighth edition it is one of the leading books in the country for young actors. He also runs his studio www.calleristudio.com where he coaches and explores the craft with professional actors. He resides in New York City and Saugerties, New York. Broadway Theater: Broadway credits include the current running Thoughts of a Colored Man and his office will cast the upcoming revival of For Colored Girls…this Spring. Other credits include Burn This starring Adam Driver and Keri Russell, Fool for Love starring Nina Arianda and Sam Rockwell, and Hughie starring Forest Whitaker, The Visit starring Chita Rivera and Roger Rees, Renee Fleming in Living on Love, the Tony winning revival Hedwig & The Angry Inch starring Neil Patrick Harris and Lena Hall, the revival of The Elephant Man starring Bradley Cooper, Patricia Clarkson and Alessandro Nivola which traveled to London's West End as well and Of Mice and Men with James Franco, Chris O'Dowd and Leighton Meester.  Other Favorite Broadway credits include: Venus in Fur with Tony-winner Nina Arianda and Hugh Dancy, 33 Variations starring Jane Fonda, A Raisin in the Sun with Sean Combs, Audra MacDonald, Phylicia Rashad, Chicago with Usher, and James Joyce’s The Dead starring Christopher Walken. Off-Broadway includes Ives Lives of Saints and his revival of All in the Timing, Buyer & Cellar, Murder for Two, The Hilltown Plays, Satchmo at the Waldorf, My Name is Asher Lev, the long-running Fuerza Bruta and The Revisionist with Vanessa Redgrave and Jesse Eisenberg.   Most proud of long terms collaborations with : Playwrights Horizons (10 seasons) including such premieres as Betty’s Summer Vacation, Lobby Hero, Small Tragedy, Goodnight Children Everywhere, Violet to name a few. Over 10 years with Classic Stage Company- including A Month in the Country with Peter Dinklage & Taylor Schilling, Peter Sarsgaard as Hamlet, Passion, New Jerusalem, Three Sisters, The Cherry Orchard, Uncle Vanya with Maggie Gyllenhaal & Peter Sarsgaard and The Seagull with Dianne Wiest & Alan Cumming. and was Resident Casting Director ... for CSC, Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, Long Wharf Theater, The Flea, Keen Company, Williamstown Theater Festival, and Playwrights Realm. Other: City Theater, Berkeley Rep, Oregon Shakes, Naked Angels, New Georges, stageFARM, Epic Theater Ensemble and many seasons of SPF (Summer Play Festival) and NY Stage & Film Company. Some long running past productions... include Fuerza Bruta, Lobby Hero, The Guys, Fully Committed, Dinah Was, and The Vagina Monologues Nat’l Tour. TV: Love Life for HBO, Dickinson for Apple+, Queens for ABC , NY casting for When They See Us for Netflix, The Path for Hulu, Army Wives, Lipstick Jungle, Z Rock on IFC, the critically acclaimed A Raisin in the Sun on ABC also the hit series Ed, Hope & Faith, and Monk. Film: Beautiful Darkness, I Origins, Emoticon ;), Saint Janet, Another Earth, Refuge, Merchant Ivory’s The City of Your Final Destination, Heights, and The White Countess, Yearbook, Lisa Picard is Famous, The Jimmy Show, Ready? OK!, Trouble Every Day, Peter & Vandy and Armless. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kimber Elayne Sprawl originated the role of Marianne in Girl From The North Country at The Public Theater and on Broadway. Other Broadway credits include A Bronx Tale, and Beautiful:The Carole King Musical. She performed in the National tour of The Lion King and regionally she appeared in The Niceties at the Milwaukee Rep and Memphis at the Walnut Street Theater. She is a graduate of CCM. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Bonnie McKee made a name for herself as a pop songwriter, writing 10 #1 hit songs for the chart topping stars of the past decade, and for her own career as an indie pop artist. After years of packing big emotional stories into tidy 3 1/2 minute songs and creating her own colorful music videos, she is finally expanding into a new realm of story telling. April Kills The Vibe is Bonnie’s screenwriting and directing debut. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dori Berninstein is a four-time Tony-winning Broadway producer, an Emmy-award-winning director, producer and writer of film and television, a Golden Globe Nominee and the founder and CEO of The Broadway Podcast Network. Dori joined Ryan Murphy as Producer on the Netflix movie adaptation The Prom (Golden Globe Nominee), based on Dori’s Broadway musical The Prom (Best Musical – Drama Desk Award). Dori’s other Broadway Shows include: Is This A Room, Dana H., the 2021 revival of Company, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (Tony Award – Best Play Revival); Legally Blonde: The Musical (Olivier Award – Best Musical), Thoroughly Modern Millie (Tony Award – Best Musical), The Crucible, One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest (Tony Award – Best Play Revival), Fool Moon (Special Tony Award), Flower Drum Song, Enchanted April and Golden Child. As a Documentary Filmmaker, Dori directed, wrote and produced: The Show Must Go On (launching November 2021), ShowBusiness: The Road To Broadway (Showtime); Marvin Hamlisch: What He Did For Love (Emmy Award / American Masters); Carol Channing: Larger Than Life (Showtime); Gotta Dance (adapted for the stage as Half Time); Some Assembly and The Last Blintz. For Television, Dori directed and produced Joshua Bell: Music at Home (PBS - 2020), Eavesdropping with Alan Cumming (Oxygen) and The Isaac Mizrahi Show (Oxygen). Dori is the recipient of Broadway’s Robert Whitehead Award for Outstanding Achievement in Commercial Theatre Producing and the Jacob Burns Vision Award. She is the curator and moderator of The Jacob Burns Actor’s Fund “Life On Stage” series. Dori is also partnered with illustrator Justin “Squigs” Robertson on the creation of the Lights of Broadway Trading Cards (www.lightsofbroadway.nyc) and is the co-founded Camp Broadway, an immersive behind-the-scenes Theatre Camp for kids. Dori executive produced and/or supervised over 50 feature, special f/x and/or animated productions, including Isaac Mizrahi’s award-winning documentary Unzipped, Dirty Dancing) and Jim Henson’s MuppetVision 3-D. She has executive produced websites for Oprah and President Clinton. Dori has worked as a Producer and/or an Executive for DreamWorks Theatricals, Paramount Pictures, Warner Brothers, Sony Pictures, NBC, MTV, Sesame Workshop, Oxygen Media, Vestron Pictures, and Walt Disney Imagineering. Dori began her professional career as an Investment Banker in Mergers & Acquisitions for Morgan Stanley Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jane Kaczmarek is best known for her role as Lois on Malcolm in the Middle, for which she received 7 consecutive Emmy nominations, 2 Televisions Critics Awards (the only woman to receive such recognition), and nominations for the Golden Globe and SAG Award .Her television career began with The Paper Chase, St. Elsewhere, and Hill Street Blues after graduating from The University of Wisconsin and the Yale School of Drama. In New York Kaczmarek has appeared both On and Off Broadway and at the Berkshire Theatre Festival ,the Eugene O'Neill Playwright Conference, The Williamstown Theatre Festival where she and Alfred Molina appeared in Tom Holloways ' AND NO MORE SHALL WE PART directed by Ann Kauffman . Also at Williamstown , with S. Epatha Merkerson in Jen Silverman's THE ROOMATE. Most recently she appeared as the Stage Manager in the Deaf West - Pasadena Playhouse production of Our Town . . Jane frequently hosts and reads on the Symphony Space Radio program SELECTED SHORTS. Los Angeles credits include KINDERTRANSPORT (Ovation Award), the premiere of Pulitzer Prize winning DINNER WITH FRIENDS and RAISED IN CAPTIVITY(L.A. Drama Critics Award) HOUSE OF BLUE LEAVES (Mark Taper), GOOD PEOPLE (Geffen, Ovation nomination), and at L.A.Theatre Works -AWAKE AND SING , DEATH OF A SALESMAN with Stacey Keach and as Inge Morath in ARTHUR MILLER: A LIFE . She and Alfred Molina recorded A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE for BBC Radio and  appeared as James and Mary Tyrone in LONG DAY'S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT at the Geffen Theatre . The production was filmed and is available for viewing on BROADWAY HD.  Jane is the founder of Clothes Off Our Back, an online auction that raised over 4 million dollars for children's charities by selling celebrity finery. She has traveled k to India, Tanzania and Rwanda to visit their hospitals and the children they help. She serves on the Board of the Pasadena Educational Foundation, the Pasadena Conservatory of Music and the Pasadena Playhouse. She lives in Pasadena with her 3 children . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mary McCormack is one of today’s boldest and most versatile actresses, continually challenging herself with roles that often defy Hollywood standards and bring to light the complex lives of ordinary women. The LA Times says, “McCormack has a kind of 20th century sass, a lively impertinence you find in classic Hollywood comedians like Barbara Stanwyck, Irene Dunne and Rosalind Russell.” She has shown her immense talent working in film, television and on stage, and has tackled roles ranging from slapstick comedy to intense drama. Tony-nominated for her role in Broadway’s “Boeing Boeing” opposite Mark Rylance, she is also widely known for her four seasons as a regular cast member of “The West Wing" (two SAG Award nominations), as the lead of USA’s critically acclaimed “In Plain Sight,” and for her role opposite Howard Stern in Private Parts.  McCormack’s recent television work includes starring roles in the ABC series “The Kids Are Alright,” the AMC series “Loaded,” the NBC comedy series “Welcome To The Family” as well as arcs on such shows as HBO’s “The Newsroom,” “Scandal” (ABC), Gus van Sant’s award-winning miniseries “When We Rise” (ABC), “House of Lies” (Showtime) and the “Will & Grace” reboot (NBC). McCormack will also appear in the new Hulu Blumhouse anthology series “Treehouse.” McCormack can also be seen in the HBO Max feature Unpregnant. In non-scripted, McCormack produces the hit game show “25 Words or Less” alongside Lisa Kudrow and Dan Bucatinsky which was just renewed for a second season. Next up, McCormack can be seen staring in the STARZ series “Heels.”  McCormack returned to the Broadway stage in 2008 to star in “Boeing Boeing” alongside Christine Baranski, Mark Rylance and Bradley Whitford. Marc Camoletti’s classic sixties comedy won the Tony for Best Revival and earned McCormack a 2008 Tony nomination for “Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play.” Additional stage credits include a highly successful run opposite Alan Cumming as Sally Bowles in the Sam Mendes and Rob Marshall-directed Broadway production of “Cabaret” for the Roundabout Theatre Company, as well as the acclaimed London stage production of Neil LaBute’s play “Bash,” the David Warren-directed productions of “My Marriage To Earnest Borgnine” and Jon Robin Baitz’s “A Fair Country.”  McCormack breakout performance, opposite Howard Stern in Private Parts, won her universal critical acclaim. McCormack’s additional television and feature credits include: Aaron Sorkin’s NBC smash hit “The West Wing,” a recurring role on “ER,” Right At Your Door, the Stephen King thriller 1408, Christopher Guests’ “For Your Consideration,” the Steven Soderbergh and George Clooney HBO political series “K-Street,” as Justine Appleton in Steve Bochco’s “Murder One,” as well as the USA Network miniseries “Traffic,” directed by Stephen Hopkins (24). In addition, McCormack has appeared in varied roles in such films as Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star opposite David Spade; K-PAX opposite Jeff Bridges and Kevin Spacey; Full Frontal, directed by Steven Soderbergh and opposite David Duchovny and Catherine Keener; High Heels & Low Lifes with Minnie Driver; Mystery, Alaska, written by David E. Kelley and starring Russell Crowe; Other Voices, with Stockard Channing and Campbell Scott; The Broken Hearts Club, opposite John Mahoney and Timothy Olyphant; The Big Tease opposite Craig Ferguson; Gun Shy with Sandra Bullock and Liam Neeson; the Clint Eastwood film, True Crime; Mimi Leder’s Deep Impact; The Alarmist, opposite Stanley Tucci; Father’s Day and Miracle on 34th Street. She also appeared in Michael G. Cooney's The Men and the feature film Drone with Sean Bean as well as Amazon’s period drama American Girl: Mary Ellen.  Born in Plainfield, New Jersey, McCormack is a graduate of Trinity College and resides with her family in Los Angeles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Born in Hunan, China, and raised by two moms outside of Ann Arbor, Michigan, I grew up as one of the only Asian kids in school. And, one of the only queer kids. I stood out from my peers, and for a while, I struggled to really embrace it. I came out as trans when I was 12 and started my social transition in middle school. With the support of a local group for queer and trans youth, I found a way to share my story. I learned how to tell my story in my own words. And later, I went public, documenting my transition online. Through Instagram, Huffington Post Articles, and MTV Voices, I documented my medical transition. I found a community of trans men and queer and trans people of color during my journey. Since coming out, my activism has centered the narratives of trans people, particularly trans people of color; authentic representation in the media; and deconstructing gendered systems. On screen Leo stars as Micah Lee on Showtime’s THE L WORD - GENERATION Q Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kristolyn Lloyd is an award winning Broadway Actress and Singer who is located in New York. She most recently was Jo March in an Off-Broadway Production of Little Women and Princess Faye in Bliss the Musical in Seattle. She is most known for originating the role of Alana Beck in the Tony Award Winning musical Dear Evan Hansen as well as more noticeable roles such as Heather Duke in Heather the Musical Off-Broadway and Dayzee on the daytime soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful. She has worked as an audition coach, teacher, and director for all ages and was more recently honored with the Core Values Award for Artistry Professionalism and Compassion by Broadway For All, an organization committed to the inclusion and equity of BIPOC young professionals in the arts. She has directed and produced her own shows as well as assisted for Tony Award winning directors. She is an Activist and an Artist and is passionate about investing in and educating a more diverse and eclectic future generation of artist. Her training includes a BFA from Carnegie Mellon University, John Rosenfeld Studios, and The Upright Citizens Brigade. Before having a successful acting career spent her summers coaching competitive swimmers and Tri-athletes. She was a lifeguard and a fitness instructor for all ages but specialized in cardio and plyometrics training. When she has the time she trains and runs in marathons and triathlons on the east and west coast or you can find her in Cross Fit or Core Rhythm Fitness. She believes that the way you do one thing is the way you do everything and that pushing yourself physically has mental and spiritual benefits.When training or co-training she focuses on the now and achieving personal goals one step at a time in the gym and in the kitchen. Photo Credit- Anthony Chatmon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ethan Slater is an actor, writer and musician (mostly) based in New York. He was nominated for a Tony Award, and won the Drama Desk Award for playing SpongeBob in The SpongeBob Musical, which also happened to be his Broadway debut! As a writer, some upcoming projects include the films Intervenors and Silent Mode, both of which he co-wrote and co-stars in. He’s released two EPs of original music, available on Spotify (or wherever you listen to stuff). As an actor, other theater includes: Who’s Your Baghdaddy..., PEMDAS, Camelot (Lincoln Center), and when theater returns this fall (!), he will be playing Lee Harvey Oswald/The Balladeer in Assassins at Classic Stage Company. Some TV/film credits: Fosse/Verdon (FX), Law and Order (NBC), Murphy Brown (CBS), SpongeBob: Live On Stage (Nickelodeon), Evol, Untitled Vanessa Del Rio Biopic (upcoming), Kurt. (upcoming). IG: @ethanslater TW: @ethansaslater Nick Blaemire is a writer and performer based in Brooklyn. At 23 years old, Nick wrote the Broadway one-night-sensation rock musical Glory Days, which has since had over 50 productions around the world -- and will re-open in Japan in Fall 2021. He has written five other original musicals: A Little More Alive (commissioned by Broadway Across America, produced at Williamstown, Kansas City Rep, Barrington Stage, and is optioned as a feature film); Soon (premiered at Signature Theatre, upcoming at the Prima Theatre Fall 2021); Fallout (with Kyle Jarrow), Edge of the World (with Ethan Slater) and Space Dogs (with Van Hughes, upcoming Winter 2022 Off-Broadway at MCC Theatre). Nick has released three EPs of pop songs, all available on iTunes, Spotify, etc. As an actor, he most recently completed the National Tour of Falsettos as Mendel, recurred on Dash & Lily on Netflix, and was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for his performance as Jon in the Off-Broadway Revival of Tick, Tick...Boom!. IG: @blaemire TW: @nickblaemir Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

1964-2021 Rarely at a loss for work, Garson had appeared in over 300 episodes of television and more than 70 films. Garson is best known for his long runs on television, as Mozzie on WHITE COLLAR, Stanford Blatch on SEX AND THE CITY, and Henry Coffield on NYPD BLUE. Other TV series include ASK HARRIET, and JOHN FROM CINCINNATTI. He had been recurring as the grifter with a heart of gold Gerard Hirsch on "HAWAII 5-0" since 2015. Born in New Jersey, he started training at The Actors Institute In New York, before majoring in Psychology and Theater at Wesleyan University. After graduation, he quickly started landing guest roles on shows such as CHEERS, FAMILY TIES, THIRTYSOMETHING, LA LAW, as well as continually recurring on a wide array of shows including XFILES, TWIN PEAKS, TWO & A HALF MEN, STARGATE, PUSHING DAISIES, THE PRACTICE, ALLY MCBEAL, JUST SHOOT ME, SPIN, SALVATION, etc etc. His favorite longform on TV was Dr. Kreutz for Steven Spielberg in the acclaimed miniseries TAKEN. On the big screen, other than reprising his SEX & THE CITY role for two features, he has collaborated with the Farrely Brothers on 3 films, SOMETHING ABOUT MARY, KINGPIN, and FEVER PITCH, as well as appearing in SOAPDISH, GROUNDHOG DAY, MARS ATTACKS, THE ROCK, BEING JOHN MALKOVITCH, FEED, POLKA KING, and many others. He has often been re-used by such varied directors as Spike Jonze, Michael Bay, the late great Mike Nichols, and Ron Shelton. Garson continued to perform with various bi-coastal theater companies such as Naked Angles, Manhattan Theater Club, The Roundabout Theater, and The Geffen. He is very involved with many charities, including AMFAR, Camp Joslin for Diabetes, Doctors Without Borders, Habitat for Humanity, and especially The Alliance for Childrens Rights, which facilitates adoptions in LA County---this has a special place in the Garson family, as Willie adopted his son Nathen in Los Angeles in 2010, and has twice served as National Spokesman for National Adoption Day, as well as winning the Francis Wheat Award from The Alliance, and many others. Willie and Nathen speak about adoption nationwide. Aside from acting, Garsonwas known as a world-class poker player, having been nicknamed "Evil Willie" on the first episode of CELEBRITY POKER SHOWDOWN, and continued to play in tournaments all over the world, both for charity, and through the WORLD POKER TOUR. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NGOZI ANYANWU is a playwright, storyteller, and most recently a 2020 Steinberg Playwright Award winner. Previous productions include Good Grief (Vineyard Theatre in NYC / Center Theatre Group in LA) and The Homecoming Queen (sold-out world premiere run at Atlantic Theater Company). Good Grief was on the Kilroys List 2016 and a semifinalist for the Princess Grace Award, and won the Humanitas Award. The Homecoming Queen was on the Kilroys List 2017 and was a Leah Ryan Finalist. Her play Nike… (Kilroys List 2017) was workshopped at The New Black Fest in conjunction with The Lark and The Strand Festival in conjunction with A.C.T and Space on Ryder Farm. Ngozi also has commissions with NYU, The Old Globe, Two Rivers Theatre, Atlantic Theater, and Steppenwolf. Anyanwu has also received residencies from LCT3, Space on Ryder Farm, the Djerassi Resident Artists Program, The New Harmony Project, New York Stage and Film, and Page 73. She attended Point Park University (BA) and received her MFA in Acting from University of California, San Diego. DANIEL J. WATTS is an NYC-based multidisciplinary artist. For acting, Watts is a 2020 Tony Award nominee and Outer Critics Circle Award winner for his portrayal of Ike Turner in the hit Broadway musical TINA. He has appeared in nine Broadway shows including Hamilton, Memphis, and After Midnight. He received the Barrymore Award (People’s Light) and the LA Ovation Award (Geffen Playhouse) for Best Featured Actor for his portrayal of Sammy Davis, Jr. in Lights Out: Nat King Cole opposite Dulé Hill. TV credits include Season 3 of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” Seasons 1 & 2 of “The Last OG,” “Blindspot,” and “Vinyl.” Off-Broadway he has starred as the title character in Suzan-Lori Parks' Death of the Last Black Man in the Entire World AKA The Negro Book of the Dead (Signature Theatre) and Whorl Inside a Loop (Second Stage Theater). A play-on-words, Daniel J. Watts’ The Jam pays homage to Watts’ great-grandmother who, after making jam from scratch, would share with others what she was unable to consume herself. The Jam is Watts’ continuation of that legacy, blending elements of stand-up comedy and compelling storytelling with his original spoken word, often set to music and/or dance. The Jam: Only Child was a wide success at the 2020 Public Theater Under the Radar Festival and has also streamed as part of the Signature Theater (DC) 2020-2021 season. Inaugural (2020) ANTONYO Award Winner for Best Quarantine Content. His original work and musical collaborations are featured on Raphael Saadiq’s newest album “Jimmy Lee,” Tituss Burgess’ “Saint Tituss,” Divinity Roxx’s “ImPossible,” Nick Blaemire’s “Ampersand;” as a contributing artist for Armstrong Now in conjunction with The Louis Armstrong House Museum; and featured in the young adult anthology "How I Resist" edited by The New York Times Best Seller Maureen Johnson for Wednesday Books/Macmillan. His TED talk “To Accomplish Great Things, You Need to Let Paint Dry” appears at go.Ted.com/danieljwatts. Watts is an artist in residence at ASU Gammage and also serves as an adjunct professor of NYU's Tisch New Studio. BFA, Elon University Music Theatre Program. 2021 Commencement SpDaniel J. Watts has appeared in eight Broadway shows including Tina : The Tina Turner Musical, Hamilton, In The Heights and Memphis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

ANTHONY VENEZIALE (Two-Touch) is conceiver and co-creator FLS and FLS Academy. Founding member of American Immigrants (San Francisco). He has used improv techniques to create endeavors with Thomas Kail & Lin-Manuel Miranda (In the Heights, Bartlett, “The Electric Company”), Daveed Diggs (The Freeze), numerous networks/companies (HBO, Cartoon Network, Sesame Workshop, Boardwalk Pictures, Google) and co-founded speechlessinc.com, an improv thinking company that helps humans create, collaborate, and find their authentic voice. STAGE: Freestyle Love Supreme, Servicemen, Death in One Acts, and Trashin': Time to Waste. TV: ”Sex and the City”, “Freestyle Love Supreme”. ANEESA FOLDS made her Broadway debut in Freestyle Love Supreme in 2019. Off-Broadway/NYC: Sistas The Musical. Regional: North Shore Music Theatre, Goodspeed Opera House, Arrow Rock Lyceum. National Tour: Ragtime. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Maddie Baillio can be seen  in the live action remake of CINDERELLA  on Amazon.  Maddie stars in the film as one of the evil step-sisters to Camilla Cabello’s Cinderella and Idina Menzel’s step-mother. She is a trained musical theater actress who first burst onto the scene as Tracy Turnblad in NBC’s HAIRSPRAY LIVE! After beating out thousands for the role. She most recently starred in the Netflix film DUMPLIN’.  Maddie is also an accomplished vocalist who has performed at the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ilana shares a quick end of summer note Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Adam Pascal was born on October 25, 1970, in the Bronx and raised in Syosset, New York. He started singing in various rock bands when he was 12, playing the local New York club scene for many years, and has been singing in bands, as a solo artist, in movies, or on the Broadway stage ever since. In 1996, Adam tried out for the then unknown, off-Broadway production of Rent. He landed the role of Roger Davis. Adam was nominated for a 1996 Tony Award as Best Actor (Musical), and won a Drama League and Obie award for his performance as Roger. The Show went on to become a worldwide success and one of the longest running shows in Broadway history. In 1997 He reprised the role of Roger (the first of several times he would do so) for the West End Premiere of Rent. In 1998, Adam’s career expanded to the big screen in the independent film SLC Punk! In  2000, Adam was cast as Radames in Elton John and Tim Rice’s new Broadway musical Aida, for which he received a Drama League award. In May of 2000, his debut solo album, Model Prisoner, was released. Also in 2000, Adam co- produced the hit off-Broadway play Fully Committed with fellow former Rent cast member, Jesse L. Martin. The show went on to garner many awards and played to sold out houses in New York City, Chicago, San Francisco and London. In October 2003, Adam once again visited the Broadway stage, this time, asked to be the final Emcee in the Sam Mendes/Rob Marshall production of Cabaret at Studio 54, as part  of the closing cast. Also during that time Adam starred alongside Jack Black, as Theo, the lead singer of “No Vacancy” in 2003’s School of Rock. Finally in 2004, Adam’s second CD, Civilian, was released in November, again on Sh-k-boom records. In 2005, Adam reprised the role of Roger in the movie version of Rent. Adam’s journey with Rent finally came to conclusion when in 2009, he reprised the role one last time alongside Anthony Rapp, in Rent The Broadway Tour which traveled all over the U.S. as well as Japan and South Korea.  In 2008, Adam played the role of Freddie Trumper in the Tim Rice/Abba Musical Chess, alongside Josh Groban, and Idina Menzel for two sold out performances at The Royal Albert Hall, in London. The DVD is currently on sale worldwide. In 2010/11 Adam starred as Huey Calhoun in Broadway’s Tony Award winning musical Memphis and in 2013 Adam starred as Billy Flynn in Broadway’s long running hit Chicago. In 2015 Adam starred as Chad in Broadway’s Disaster. In 2017 Adam starred as Shakespeare on Broadway and in the first national tour of the musical Something Rotten. Most recently he starred as Edward Lewis in Broadway’s Pretty Woman and Harold Hill in the 5 Star Theatrical’s production of The Music Man. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rosanny currently stars as a series regular lead on Season 2 of Showtime’s THE L WORD: GENERATION Q. She will next be seen in Sam Esmail's limited series ANGELYNE for Peacock and UCP. Among her many NYC theater credits, Rosanny starred in A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM for the Public Theater (Shakespeare in the Park). She recently performed the role of “Natasha” in the Roundabout Theater’s workshop of Anton Chekhov’s THREE SISTERS spearheaded by Resident Director Sam Gold. Rosanny's brilliant performance in the titular role of Jose Rivera's MARISOL while at Juilliard catapulted her into the NYC theater world. Rosanny is a major talent out of Juilliard – recurring recently on ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK for Netflix, MODERN PERSUASION on Hulu, as well as THE CODE, and INSTINCT for CBS. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

BILL IRWIN:  Original member of Kraken and San Francisco's Pickle Family Circus.  Original works include: On Beckett, Old Hats, Fool Moon, Largely New York, The Harlequin Studies, Mr. Fox: A Rumination, The Happiness Lecture, and The Regard of Flight. Theatre: The Iceman Cometh, Show Boat (SF Opera), Endgame, Bye Bye Birdie, Roundabout Theatre Company’s revival of Waiting for Godot (2009 Drama Desk Nomination), Broadway/West End revival of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (2005 Tony Award, Helen Hayes Award), The Goat or Who is Sylvia, King Lear, Accidental Death of An Anarchist, 5-6-7-8 Dance! , Waiting For Godot at Lincoln Center, Scapin, The Tempest, Garden of Earthly Delights, Texts for Nothing, A Flea In Her Ear, 2003/2004 Signature Theatre Playwright in Residence, The Seagull, A Man's A Man, 3 Cuckolds. Television: PBS Great Performances: Bill Irwin Clown Prince, Third Rock from the Sun, Northern Exposure, Sesame Street, Elmo's World, The Regard of Flight, Closing Ceremony 1996 Olympic Games, The Cosby Show, The Laramie Project, Subway Stories, Bette Midler: Mondo Beyondo, Law and Order, Life on Mars, A Gifted Man, CSI, The Good Wife, Lights Out, Monday Mornings, Law & Order: SVU, Elementary, Quarry, Sleepy Hollow and Legion on FX.   Film: Irresistible, HBO’s Confirmation, Interstellar, Identity Theft, Rachel Getting Married, Higher Ground, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Definitely, Maybe; Igby Goes Down, Lady in the Water, Dark Matter, Raving, Across The Universe, Popeye, Eight Men Out, Silent Tongue, Illuminata, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, My Blue Heaven, A New Life, Scenes from a Mall, Stepping Out. Awards: National Endowment for the Arts Choreographer's Fellowship, a Guggenheim, a Fulbright and a MacArthur  Fellowship.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Eric Petersen stars in the AMC series “Kevin Can F*** Himself” alongside Annie Murphy. A dark comedy that mixes single-cam and multi-cam shooting in front of a studio audience to re-examine the trope of the passive sitcom wife while peeking into her secret life, the series was developed by Rashida Jones and Will McCormack and created by Valerie Armstrong.  A veteran of television and the Broadway stage, Petersen’s previous television credits include the TV Land series “Kristie,” and voicing Ant’ney the pigeon on the hit DreamWorks’ animated show “Madagascar: A Little Wild” now available on Hulu/Peacock. On stage Petersen has starred in the hit Broadway production and national tour of “Shrek: The Musical,” as Shrek, “School of Rock” as Dewey Finn, the musical “Escape To Margaritaville,” as Brick, and “Peter and the Starcatcher.”  Petersen hails from the Chicago suburb of Carol Stream, Illinois. He attended Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois, where he earned a degree in Acting. He currently resides in both Los Angeles and New York with his wife and two children. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Described by The New York Times as a “one-of-a-kind performer who combines the sass of a classic blues mama with the skill of a Broadway star,” Lillias White is world-renowned for her glorious voice and extraordinary ability to communicate the heart of a song. Her performance in Cy Coleman’s Broadway musical, The Life, won her the TONY® AWARD for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. She was nominated for a second TONY® AWARD for her brilliant work in Fela! Additional Broadway credits include: Barnum, Dreamgirls, Cats, Carrie, Once on This Island, How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, and Chicago. Other Off-Broadway and Regional Credits include The Public Theater’s Romance in Hard Times, for which she won the OBIE® AWARD, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (directed by Phylicia Rashad), for which she won the NAACP AWARD, and the Carnegie Hall Concert version of South Pacific, starring Reba McEntire, which was also broadcast on PBS’ Great Performances.  In addition to receiving Broadway acclaim, Lillias is internationally-recognized for her TV and film work. Lillias received the DAYTIME EMMY® AWARD for her role as Lillian Edwards for Outstanding Performer in a Children’s Series on Sesame Street in 1992, and is beloved by audiences around the world for voicing the lead muse Calliope in Disney’s animated feature Hercules. Film credits include Pieces of April (starring Katie Holmes) and How the Grinch Stole Christmas (starring Jim Carrey). Recent TV credits include the Baz Luhrmann-directed NETFLIX series The Get Down, as well as Russian Doll and Search Party. She has appeared in cabarets and concert halls around the world, including The Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall and the Sydney Opera House. She can be heard on several Broadway cast albums, in addition to her acclaimed From Brooklyn to Broadway. Get Yourself Some Happy! which is Lillias’ first solo studio album, was released on July 23, 2021 via Old Mill Road Recording.  Instagram  @LilliasWhiteOfficial Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Alyssa first trained at UCB, and continues to do stand up all over the country. She has performed her solo show “No Bad Days”, in which she uses stand-up, sketches and even Zumba to look back on losing her father to brain cancer, at multiple festivals including Providence Fringe, Cinderblock and Improv Boston. She continues to host a podcast with May Wilkerson called “Crazy; in Bed”, where the two best friends join each week to discuss mental health, pop culture and more. Alyssa stars in the Gravitas Ventures film, TOO LATE, which can be found in select theaters and on digital platforms including iTunes, Google Play, Fandango Now and all major cable/satellite platforms. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Andy Señor Jr. was born and raised in Miami, Florida. In the summer of 2021 he made his film directorial debut with the HBO Original Documentary Revolution Rent, Executive produced by Neil Patrick Harris . He was the Associate Director of Gloria and Emilio Estefan’s musical On Your Feet! on Broadway, Netherlands, and UK West End Productions as well as Roundabout Theatre Company’s Broadway production of Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn. He served as Associate Director on the new musical FLY at Dallas Theatre Center w Jeffrey Seller. Andy made his professional debut in the Tony Award winning musical RENT as "Angel," playing the role on Broadway, London’s West End, and US National and International Tours. Later he became the Assistant Director to Michael Greif on the RENT revival Off Broadway, and went on to re-stage the production in Tokyo, Japan and the historic production in Havana, Cuba. Most recently he directed two new Nilo Cruz plays, Tsunami and Farhad and the Secret of Being. He holds a BFA in Theatre from Florida International University who honored him with a Torch Award, noting him as a distinguished alumni, and further trained at The Public Theatre’s Shakespeare LAB where he appeared in All’s Well That Ends Well at the PUBLIC Theatre Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kimiko Glenn is best known for her work as 'Brook Soso' in the award-winning Netflix series ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK, which garnered her three Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy Series. As well as her work voicing ‘Peni Parker' in the Oscar winning animated phenomenon SPIDER-MAN INTO THE SPIDERVERSE. Recently, Kimiko can be seen in the YouTube Original, LIZA ON DEMAND, and the Freeform feature GHOSTING starring opposite Aisha Dee. She appeared in the second season of THE GUEST BOOK on TBS and DRUNK HISTORY as 'Maya Lin' on COMEDY CENTRAL. She has also guest starred on HBO's hit-series, HIGH MAINTENANCE, and was in second season of the Facebook Watch series SACRED LIES opposite Juliette Lewis. On the big screen, Kimiko was most recently seen in the feature film CAN YOU KEEP A SECRET starring opposite Alexandra Daddario. Her other feature credits include the feature film NERVE alongside Emma Roberts and Dave Franco and the feature film, IN REALITY. Kimiko is also known for her recurring role on FX's MARRIED, and made a memorable cameo on Comedy Central's BROAD CITY. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Britton Smith is Co-founder and President of the Broadway Advocacy Coalition (BAC), In addition to his work as an advocate and facilitator and adjunct prof. at Columbia Law School, Britton is a Broadway actor recently featured in Be More Chill, Shuffle Along and After Midnight. Front man and songwriter Britton Smith leads Britton & The Sting with electric passion and mission for total community. The pack of musicians embody liberation in their fusion of SOUL, funk and it’s unique electro-neo groove. Recently featured in Vanity Fair, Vogue, Fault Magazine, and The New Yorker - Britton & The Sting’s latest single “Burn” was highlighted on Paper Magazine’s “Bops Only” 10 Songs You Need to Start Your Weekend Right” list, as well as a featured 2020 NPR Tiny Desk Submission Top Pick. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sammi Cannold is a director who is one of Forbes Magazine's 30 Under 30 in Hollywood & Entertainment, class of 2019. Recent theater credits include Evita (New York City Center), Endlings (New York Theatre Workshop, A.R.T.), Ragtime on Ellis Island, Violet on a moving bus (A.R.T.), and Allegory (La Jolla Playhouse WOW). Upcoming projects include Carmen (Lincoln Center w. MasterVoices), a documentary film, and a feature film. Associate director credits include the Broadway production of Natasha, Pierre... (dir. Rachel Chavkin). Sammi has also served as an Artistic Fellow at the A.R.T., a member of Cirque du Soleil's Creative Cognoscenti, and a Sundance Institute Fellow and developed work with Playwrights Realm, The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center, New York Stage and Film, Cirque du Soleil, and Nickelodeon. She holds a B.A. from Stanford University and an M.A. from Harvard University. www.sammicannold.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Actress/director/playwright/educator/activist Regina Taylor is a Meadows Distinguished Visiting Artist. She is the playwright-in-residence at the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, a three-year appointment through the National Playwright Residency Program established by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and HowlRound Theatre Commons. Taylor is also writing new plays for Audible and for Southern Methodist University (the black album, about what it is to be Black in 2020).Her playwright credits include Bread (Edgerton Award, WaterTower Theatre); Crowns (four Helen Hayes Awards, including Best Director); Oo-Bla-Dee (Steinberg-ATCA award); Drowning Crow (Broadway, Manhattan Theatre Club); The Trinity River Plays (Edgerton Foundation New American Play Award); and stop.reset. (Signature Theatre Residency 5).Taylor received the Denzel Washington Endowed Chair in Theatre at Fordham University at Lincoln Center. An artistic associate of Goodman Theatre, Taylor is its most produced playwright.Taylor is featured in Netflix’s All Day and a Night starring Jeffrey Wright and Ashton Saunders and directed/written by Joe Robert Cole (writer for Black Panther), and guest stars on Council of Dads (NBC), The Red Line (producer Ava DuVernay, CBS), The Good Fight, and Lovecraft Country (producers Jordan Peele, J. J. Abrams and Misha Green). For her television role as Lily Harper in I’ll Fly Away, Taylor received a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress, three NAACP Image Awards and two Emmy Award nominations. Her other television roles include The Unit. Taylor was the first African American lead in Masterpiece Theatre’s Cora Unashamed, starred as Anita Hill in HBO’s Strange Justice (Gracie Award), and was featured in A Good Day to Die starring Sidney Poitier. She has co-starred in USA Network’s Dig and guest starred in Elementary and The Black List. Taylor’s film credits include Saturday Church, The Negotiator, Courage Under Fire, Clockers, and Lean on Me. Taylor was also the first Black woman to play Juliet in Romeo and Juliet on Broadway. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A vibrant and diversely talented actress, Zoey Deutch can recently be seen in Sony’s highly anticipated sequel to ZOMBIELAND for director Ruben Fleischer, starring opposite Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone and Woody Harrelson. She also can be seen in Ryan Murphy’s first series for Netflix THE POLITICIAN, starring opposite Ben Platt and Gwyneth Paltrow, and is currently shooting its second season. Most recently, Deutch starred in and produced the independent feature BUFFALOED, which premiered at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival and just released for Magnolia to rave reviews. Deutch can also be seen as the female lead of Netflix’s hit romantic comedy SET IT UP starring opposite Glen Powell. Recently announced, she and Glen will be reteaming with the same team of filmmakers for a new Netflix romantic comedy, tentatively titled MOST DANGEROUS GAME with Deutch and Powell also on board as exec producers. Additional credits include Max Winkler’s FLOWER, Russo-Young’s BEFORE I FALL, which premiered at Sundance Film Festival, RICHARD SAYS GOODBYE opposite Johnny Depp , REBEL IN THE RYE opposite Nicholas Hoult, EVERYBODY WANTS SOME!! from writer/director Richard Linklater, WHY HIM? opposite Bryan Cranston, and more recently THE YEAR OF SPECTACULAR MEN, which she also produced. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Steve Basilone is an American television writer and producer. He attended Emerson College in Boston before eventually moving to Los Angeles to pursue several writing opportunities. He eventually ended up on "Community" from 2011 to 2013 penning a number of episodes alongside his writing partner (and former Emerson College classmate) Annie Mebane. Basilone has since moved on this other projects including the "The Michael J. Fox Show". He was married to Lauren Morelli, a fellow television writer who works on the Netflix original series "Orange is the new Black". Morelli filed for divorce after two years upon coming out as a lesbian in 2014. Basilone currently serves as writer and producer of the ABC sitcom "The Goldbergs". Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kurt Sutter is a storyteller. That obligation has manifested into writing, producing, directing, and acting. Born and raised in the homogenous suburbs of Jersey, his home positioned between the Mafia-stronghold neighborhoods to the west and Rahway State Prison to the east. Sutter would struggle with those conflicting influences -- absolute authority and unbridled rebellion -- for most of his life. After graduating from Rutgers University with a BA in Mass Media & Film, Kurt spent several years as an actor in NYC, performing in off-off-Broadway theatres, meatpacking warehouses, and NYPD holding cells. His theatre work eventually led to teaching and directing and in the mid-nineties he joined the faculty of The Gately-Poole Acting Studio on Theatre Row, teaching the Sanford Meisner Technique and directing productions at The Nat Horne Theatre. In the late 90’s Kurt was awarded an MFA Fellowship to attend Northern Illinois University. In Chicago, his exposure to the dramatic masters -- Strindberg, O'Neill, Genet -- inspired Sutter, and he began writing unproducible plays and cultivating ideas for the screen. After graduating with a Master of Fine Arts, Kurt moved to Los Angeles where he began his writing career. In 2001, he landed his first gig on FX's The Shield. Starting as a staff writer, he finished the last two seasons as an Executive Producer. Then, in 2008, Kurt created the critically acclaimed drama series Sons of Anarchy for FX. Its seven-year run is the most successful episodic series in the history of the network. In 2014, he followed up SOA with the medieval drama series, The Bastard Executioner. Then, co-created the next chapter of the Sons saga, Mayans MC. Mayans is entering its third season on FX. Kurt also ventured into reality programming with a documentary series on the Discovery Channel, Kurt Sutter’s Outlaw Empires. In 2015, Sutter made his feature writing debut with Southpaw starring Jake Gyllenhaal and directed by Antoine Fuqua. A collaboration with award-winning BOOM! Studios produced several successful comic books for Sutter. Including Sons of Anarchy and two originals -- Lucas Stand, about a drug-addicted vet turned hit man for Hell. And Sisters of Sorrow, where victims of abuse spin their pain and rage into vengeance through the cover of vigilante nuns. The next four issues of Sisters will be on shelves in 2021. As an actor, Kurt had recurring roles on The Shield and Sons of Anarchy. Playing an Armenian hitman with a foot fetish and an incarcerated outlaw with a proclivity for ironic, self-mutilation. Chaos Walking, directed by Doug Liman, is Sutter’s first feature film role. Awards/Nominations Peabody Award (The Shield) Emmy Nomination for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics: “Come Join the Murder” (SOA) Emmy Nomination for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics: “Day is Gone” (SOA) Emmy Nomination for Outstanding Original Main Title Music: “This Life” (SOA) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Annabelle Gurwitch is an actress, activist, and New York Times bestselling author of five books including her latest You're Leaving When, Adventures in Downward Mobility. Other books include: I See You Made an Effort (a Thurber Prize finalist), Wherever You Go, There They Are; and Fired! (also a Showtime Comedy Special). She’s written for The New Yorker, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, amongst other publications and is currently adapting You're Leaving When? for HBO, centering on her Los Angeles Times op-ed about hosting an at-risk housing insecure couple in her home which was recognized with a 2020 Los Angeles Press Club excellence in journalism award. Gurwitch was the longtime cohost of Dinner & a Movie on TBS; a regular commentator on NPR; and host of WA$TED for the Discovery Channel. Her acting credits include: The World Premiere of Donald Margulies' Coney Island Christmas, The West Coast Premiere of Wendy MacLeod's Women in Jeopardy, and the West Coast Premiere of David Greenspan's Go Back to Where You Are. Her performance in the title role of Joe and Betty off Broadway and in Los Angeles won her inclusion in "The Top Ten Performances of the Year in Theater" in both The New York and LA Times. Other credits include: Seinfeld, Murphy Brown, Boston Legal, Dexter, and Melvin Goes to Dinner. She performs her stories with The Moth and at arts centers around the country. Gurwitch lives in Los Angeles and co-hosts the Tiny Victories podcast on the Maximum Fun Podcast Network, which Vulture called a “bright spot of light and laughter in 2020.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jeffrey Omura is an artist, activist, labor leader, and candidate for New York City Council District 6. As an actor, he recently appeared on TV in The Blacklist, Limitless, Succession, and Hawaii Five-0, and he's known for his work onstage across the country. He's a founding member of both Fair Wage Onstage and Be An Arts Hero, and an elected officer of Actors' Equity Association. If elected, he will be the first openly gay person to represent District 6 and the first Japanese American ever elected to office in New York State.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jennifer Todd has been a film and television producer for over 20 years, and some of her notable credits include THE WAY BACK (2020), ALICE IN WONDERLAND and ALICE THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS, ACROSS THE UNIVERSE, MEMENTO, and the AUSTIN POWERS franchise. In 2017 and 2018, Jennifer produced the 89th and 90th Annual Academy Awards with Michael DeLuca for ABC, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel. She currently serves as an Academy Governor representing the Producers Branch.  Jennifer is currently producing films under her banner, Jennifer Todd Pictures, with a first-look feature deal at MGM. She is partnered with director Thomas Kail (FOSSE/VERDON, HAMILTON) in television, under an overall deal with Walt Disney Television Studios. She also currently serves as an Executive Producer on the Showtime series CITY ON A HILL. Prolific in both independent and studio films as well as television, Jennifer has been nominated for three Emmys, two Golden Globes, and the PGA David L. Wolper Award for Outstanding Producer of Longform Television. She has won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Picture, Women In Film's Lucy Award, The Glaad Media Award and a People's Choice Award. From 2012 to 2018, Jennifer served as the President of Ben Affleck and Matt Damon's production company Pearl Street Films, where she produced LIVE BY NIGHT for Warner Bros., which Affleck directed and starred in. She also served as an Executive Producer on JASON BOURNE in 2016. Additionally, Jennifer was an Executive Producer on HBO’s PROJECT GREENLIGHT, as well as the series INCORPORATED for the Syfy channel. Some of Jennifer’s other credits include CELESTE AND JESSE FOREVER, MUST LOVE DOGS, PRIME, BOILER ROOM, NOW AND THEN, and the HBO film IF THESE WALLS COULD TALK II. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

JEREMY WEIN (Producer) is a producer and director based in New York City. Jeremy is the founder and artistic director of the virtual theatre initiative Play-PerView. His additional producing credits include Open Mike Eagle: Anime, Trauma, + Divorce: Live Emotional Processing Event (Dynasty Typewriter) Kevin McDonald: ALIVE (Theatre Row, Dynasty Typewriter), Neva (Brooklyn College) Godspell (2011 Broadway Revival) Faux Snow (Thespis Theater Festival), Take Me Home (Incubator Arts Project, Associate Producer, dir. Meghan Finn) and the 2012 documentary The Bitter Buddha (Co-Producer). He is also the founder of the New York City Podcast Festival, which he produced from 2013-2018. His directing credits include 8 by Dustin Lance Black (BMCC) and Neva by Guillermo Calderon (Brooklyn College). He recently produced the debut EP for The U.S Open (featuring Shawn Randell, William Jackson Harper, Steven Boyer, Diana Oh, Jeff Biehl and Bobby Moreno), which will be released later this year. Follow him on Twitter: @ThisMyShow and Instagram: @JeremyWein90 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jordan Thierry is a documentary filmmaker, activist, and storyteller. He has worked for over a decade to highlight the stories of people of color and working to undo the ongoing legacy of systemic racism in the U.S.A. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kate Burton is best known for her Tony nominated work on Broadway (where she last appeared in Present Laughter with Kevin Kline) and for her Emmy nominated work in Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal. On film, she was most recently seen in Where’d You Go, Bernadette! She can also  be seen on television in Inventing Anna, Prodigal Son, Charmed and Supergirl. She is a professor at USC and lives in Los Angeles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Internationally renowned theater choreographer and director, SERGIO TRUJILLO is the first ever Latinx recipient of the Tony Award for Best Choreography. He was honored with the Tony in 2019 for AIN’T TOO PROUD: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF THE TEMPTATIONS. Additionally, he won the 2015 Olivier Award for Best Theatre Choreographer for MEMPHIS. Sergio was previously nominated for several awards including a Tony Award for ON YOUR FEET!, Drama Desk Awards for HANDS ON A HARDBODY, LEAP OF FAITH, MEMPHIS, and JERSEY BOYS, a Lucille Lortel Award for SAVED, and received an Ovation Award for EMPIRE. He made his Broadway debut in 1999, dancing in JEROME ROBBINS’ BROADWAY. As a dancer, he has performed on Broadway in GUYS AND DOLLS, VICTOR/VICTORIA, KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN, and FOSSE. Sergio made his choreographic debut in 2005 with Broadway’s ALL SHOOK UP. His success expanded from there with JERSEY BOYS — which continues to grow in popularity worldwide. In 2011, four of his productions ran simultaneously on Broadway: NEXT TO NORMAL (2010 Pulitzer Prize), THE ADDAMS FAMILY, MEMPHIS (Olivier Award, Outer Critics Circle Award, NAACP Award, Drama Desk Award nomination, Astaire Award nomination), and JERSEY BOYS (Greenroom Award, Olivier Award nomination, Drama Desk Award nomination, Dora Award nomination, Outer Critics Circle Award nomination). Adding to his list of Broadway choreography credits are SUMMER: THE DONNA SUMMER MUSICAL (Chita Rivera Award, NAACP Award nomination), A BRONX TALE (Chita Rivera Award nomination), and GUYS AND DOLLS (Astaire Award nomination). Recent directing credits include Cirque Du Soleil’s PARAMOUR currently playing in Germany, ARRABAL for American Repertory Theater (Elliot Norton Award for best direction), the North American tour of FLASH DANCE THE MUSICAL, and the Broadway concert of GLORIA ESTEFAN & MIAMI SOUND MACHINE. Sergio is bringing a number of Latinx musicals aimed at bringing forth the stories of the Hispanic Culture in America. Some of his favorite future productions include: WAITING FOR SNOW IN HAVANA based on the book of the same title by Carlos Eire, LIVES IN LIMBO based on the book by Roberto Gonzales, REAL WOMEN HAVE CURVES based on the play by Josefina Lopez, and CASA DE LAS FLORES inspired the Netflix Series by Manolo Caro. He has introduced audiences to his choreography in many noteworthy Off-Broadway shows including INVISIBLE THREAD for Second Stage, ROMEO & JULIET for The Public Theater’s Shakespeare in the Park, A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN and KISMET for New York City Center Encores!, THE GREAT AMERICAN TRAILER PARK for Dodger Stages, and BARE: A POP OPERA for the American Theatre for Actors. Sergio works and resides in New York City. He is proud to be the first choreographer ever invited to serve as a voting member of the American Theatre Wing’s Advisory Committee for the Tony Awards, is an avid supporter of and serves on the advisory boards of R.Evolution Latina and New York Theatre Barn, and is an active member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society. Sergio is Colombian born, and was raised in Toronto. He studied science at the University of Toronto, and later pursued further education by attending chiropractic school. Recently he was distinguished as one of the Top 100 Colombians in the world by President Juan Manuel Santos and was voted as one of the top 50 Creative Colombian Artists in the world by Forbes Magazine. Since 1990, he has been in a loving and inspiring relationship with actor Jack Noseworthy. They married in 2011 and were ecstatic to welcome their baby boy, Lucas Alejandro Truworthy, in March 2018. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Eden Espinosa is most recognized for her critically acclaimed portrayal of Elphaba in "Wicked” on Broadway and in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Other credits include originating the title character in “Brooklyn the Musical”, Flora in “Flora the Red Menace,” and Maureen in the closing company of “Rent” on Broadway. Eden also originated the role of Sadie Thompson in the world premiere of “Rain”, at the Old Globe Theater. She portrayed Eva Peron in TPAC and Studio Tenn’s production of “Evita”. In 2017 she toured Denmark and London playing Emma Borden in the rock musical “Lizzie”. She played Mary Flynn to rave reviews in Maria Freidmans productions of “Merrily We Roll Along” at the Huntington Theatre in Boston. Eden was Daniela in Kennedy Center’s “In The Heights”. Also portrayed Anita in West Side Story for the BBC PROMS at the Royal Albert Hall. Most recently she originated the role of Tamara De Lempicka in the world premiere of “Lempicka” at Williamstown Theatre Festival, directed by Rachel Chavkin. Her television appearances include shows such as Law and Order, Ugly Betty, and Elementary. Voiceover credits include Cassandra in the Disney Channel’s Tangled the Series, Robot Chicken, MAD TV, Elena of Avalor, and Titan Maximum Eden’s debut album, Look Around, charted in the Pop iTunes top 50 between Adele and Katy Perry. Her second album REVELATION of all new original music was released in January 2019. Karen Olivo is a television, film, and stage actor who is most recognized for her Tony Award-winning performance as Anita in the acclaimed 2009 Broadway revival of West Side Story, a role for which she also earned Drama Desk, Drama League, Outer Critics Circle, and Astaire Award nominations. Some of her Broadway theater credits include originating the role of Vanessa in the Tony Award-winning musical In the Heights (2008 Astaire Award) and starring as Faith in the Broadway production of Brooklyn The Musical.  She played the role of Angelica Schuyler in the Chicago production of Hamilton and currently stars as Satine in Moulin Rouge on broadway. Additional theatre credits include Murder Ballad at the Manhattan Theater Club, By the Way, Meet Vera Stark by Lynn Nottage at 2nd Stage, and The Miracle Brothers directed by Tina Landau at the Vineyard Theatre. Olivo is also recognized for her many television appearances including recurring & guest-starring roles on “The Good Wife,” “Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior,” “Chase,” “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” “Conviction,” and “Law & Order.” Karen Olivo is a native New Yorker who currently lives in Madison, Wisconsin. Olivo recently taught Musical Theater Styles at UW-Madison as well as working as a teaching artist and writer for Theatre LILA, she serves on the Advisory Committee for Forward Theater and she also coaches students in her private Madison studio. Karen also released her first solo, ‘Leave,’ album in 2017. www.Karenolivo.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Howard Sherman is a theatre administrator, writer, and advocate. He has been executive director of the American Theatre Wing and the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, managing director of Geva Theatre, general manager of Goodspeed Musicals, and public relations director of Hartford Stage, as well as interim director of the Alliance for Inclusion in the Arts. He has also held administrative positions at the Westport Country Playhouse, Manhattan Theatre Club, and Philadelphia Festival Theatre for New Plays.  Since 2012, he has been the US columnist and a feature writer for The Stage newspaper in London, and in 2018 was named Contributing Editor of Stage Directions magazine. His writing has appeared in a number of other publications including Slate, The New York Times, The Guardian, and American Theatre magazine.  Howard frequently consults, writes and speaks on issues of censorship and artists’ rights in both academic and professional theatre and he created the Arts Integrity Initiative in 2015 to focus on those efforts. He has delivered keynote addresses for, among others, the Educational Theatre Association, KCACTF, Florida Association for Theatre Education, and the Texas Educational Theatre Association’s Arts Program Administrators Conference. He was cited as one of the Top 40 Free Speech Defenders in 2014 by the National Coalition Against Censorship and received the Dramatists Legal Defense Fund’s “Defender” Award in 2015.  A native of New Haven, Connecticut and graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Howard resides in New York with his wife, producer Lauren Doll. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After graduating from Yale University with a B.A. in Theatre Studies, Josh made his professional acting debut in the Broadway production of Aaron Sorkin’s A FEW GOOD MEN. He went on to star as Jeremy Goodwin in Sorkin’s critically acclaimed television series SPORTS NIGHT. Later, Josh co-starred as Will Bailey in Sorkin’s multi- Emmy winning THE WEST WING. Other Sorkin credits include the hit features THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT and MALICE.  For three seasons, Josh portrayed multi-millionaire Peter Alpert on USA Network’s hit IN PLAIN SIGHT. Josh’s film credits include the comedy A VIEWFROM THE TOP with Gwyneth Paltrow and Mike Meyers, IN THE LINE OF FIRE with Clint Eastwood, and BULWORTH with Warren Beatty and Halle Berry. For seven seasons, Josh co-starred as David Rosen on ABC’s hit show SCANDAL. A co-creator of Bravo’s hit show CELEBRITY POKER SHOWDOWN, and a co-host of the podcast THE WEST WING WEEKLY, Josh was seen recently as President Siebert on the final season of THE BIG BANG THEORY. He can currently be seen on the final season of Showtimke’s SHAMELESS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

MAURICIO MARTÍNEZ is a Mexican Emmy Winning actor, Broadway veteran and recording artist. He recently starred as Emilio Estefan in On Your Feet! The Story Of Emilio & Gloria Estefan on Broadway and in the world premiere of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical memoir Unmasked at PaperMill Playhouse. He can also be seen in NBC Universo’s original Emmy Wining TV series “El Vato” on Netflix.  Mauricio’s television credits include multiple Telenovela’s in Univision and Telemundo like Señora Acero and La Mujer Del Vendaval as well as the 40th Annual Kennedy Honors on CBS and “The 2019 Gershwin Prize” on PBS (performing next to artists like Patti Labelle, Cindy Lauper, Rita Moreno, Andy García and Gloria Estefan).  In the Mexico City stage, Mauricio starred in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Saturday Night Fever, The Drowsy Chaperone, Sweet Charity, the premiere Spanish versions of Off Broadway's The Last Five Years, Songs From An Unmade Bed and Arthur Miller's A View From The Bridge, among others.  Mauricio has released two Latin pop albums available on iTunes and is currently working on his first english album with Broadway Records. Follow @martinezmau on Instagram & Twitter Facebook.com/MauricioMartinezOficial  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Julia Murney last appeared on Broadway as Elphaba in Wicked after playing the role on the national tour for which she received an Acclaim Award. Other New York credits include Lennon, The Wild Party (Drama Desk nomination), The Vagina Monologues, Falling (Drama Desk nomination), A Class Act, The Landing, Saved, Crimes of the Heart, Queen of the Mist, and Time and Again (Lucille Lortel nomination). She’s been seen regionally all over the U.S.- Signature, Muny, Williamstown, Reprise!LA, Sacramento Music Circus, NCT, Lyric, Rubicon and Goodspeed, to name a few-and in concert she has performed solo shows nationally as well as in NYC at Feinstein's/54 Below, Birdland, Joe's Pub & Ars Nova. Symphony appearances have ranged from Carnegie Hall to The Kennedy Center, Caramoor to Town Hall, from Malaysia to Maui & a lot of spots in between. Among her TV credits are Madam Secretary, 30 Rock, Sex and the City, Elementary, Brothers and Sisters, Ed, NYPD Blue, all the Law and Orders, First You Dream and about a gazillion voiceovers. A Syracuse University graduate, her recordings include the original cast albums of The Wild Party and A Class Act, the Grammy nominated Actor’s Fund Benefit of Hair and her first solo album I’m Not Waiting, which is available on iTunes & on her website, juliamurney.com. Twitter: @juliamurney Instagram: @pepamama Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Max von Essen is a Tony, Drama Desk and Grammy nominated singer and actor best known for his role as Henri in the award winning production of An American in Paris on Broadway. Most recently, he completed a year long run in the Broadway production of Anastasia and then toured the country in Lincoln Center Theater's revival of Falsettos. Other Broadway credits include Evita, the revivals of Les Miz and Jesus Christ Superstar, Dance of the Vampires, and the closing company of the original Les Miz. Additional New York credits include Yours Unfaithfully, Death Takes a Holiday, The Jerry Springer Opera, Hello Again, Finian's Rainbow and The Fantasticks. Tours include Xanadu, West Side Story and Chicago. TV & Film include Law & Order: SVU, Elementary, Boardwalk Empire, The Good Wife, Royal Pains, Gossip Girl, Seven Lovers, Sex and the City 2, and the webseries Submissions Only. Max's concert work has brought him all across the country and Canada, including The Kennedy Center, Birdland Jazz Club and a recent solo debut at Carnegie Hall with the New York Pops. Recordings include An American in Paris, Evita, Death Takes a Holiday, Finian's Rainbow, Love Songs of Andrew Lloyd Weber, and his debut solo album, Call Me Old Fashioned: The Broadway Standard, now available on iTunes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nicole Kang stars in the CW television series BATWOMAN as Mary Hamilton. Kang was also  seen on Greg Berlanti's Lifetime/Netflix series YOU. In the highly successful show, based off of Caroline Kepnes’ bestselling novel, she starred as Lynn alongside Penn Badgley, Elizabeth Lail and Shay Mitchell. Her other television credits include: THE CODE, INSTINCT and ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK. On the big screen, Kang was most recently seen in SWALLOW, which premiered at the TriBeCa film festival, and will next be seen in TEN MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT, THE SOCIAL ONES and FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY. She has starred in numerous productions on stage including the 2016 production of SENSE AND SENSIBILITY at the Folger Theatre, for which she earned a Helen Hayes Award nomination in the category of Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Play. Kang is an NYU BFA trained actress and a proud member of The Actor’s Studio.  #ProtectMary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How do you navigate managing the social media site for an entertainment magazine when there is a national crisis happening? How do you share content that works for both older and newer Broadway fans? How do you keep the conversation about theater going when there is no live theater due to a global pandemic? Meet Felicia Fitzpatrick the social media director for Playbill- the theater publication known all around the world to theater lovers. Felicia is the first black female department head at Playbill and is a pioneer in the social media landscape. She also hosts  “CALL AND RESPONSE” a podcast that explores the intersection of Blackness and the performing arts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices