The actor and writer, Joe Coyle has appeared in such movies as Jack Reacher with Tom Cruise, Promised Land with Matt Damon, Frances McDormand, Emily Blunt, and John Krasinski, and Where’d You Go, Bernadette?, starring Cate Blanchett.Joe hails from Sewickley, Pennsylvania.  He’s been a paperboy, journalism student, university newspaper writer/photographer, magazine junior executive, TV/Film actor/writer/producer, bartender, landman and salesman, so he’s heard and told his share of stories.His most recent work, titled Just Trash, appeared in Roger Williams University’s literary magazine, Mount Joy.  His story, Just Outside Lisbon, appeared in Oregon Greystone Press. And in 2017, a series of his essays were published in Boomers, edited by a favorite StoryBeat guest, Robert Crane.Joe continues to write, working on short stories, poetry, screenplays and his memoir. 

Al Olson is one of a select handful of eccentric, quirky, and entertaining people who helped grow American Renaissance Festivals into being a very popular ticket. He shares his story in his comprehensive book, A History of the American Renaissance Festival.While attending the University of Minnesota, working nights in a parking ramp and pumping iron at Dove’s Bicep Gym, Al also performed his original songs in the same coffee houses on the west bank of the Mississippi that Bob Dylan had played just a few years earlier. The artistic director of the Minnesota Renaissance Festival attended a theatrical presentation of Al’s original works at Theatre in the Round and hired him on the spot.Al began performing at Renaissance Faires as a member of the group, “Pumpkin,” writing original Renaissance music. After less than a season, he noted the greater crowd impact of performers like Penn and Teller, Avner the Eccentric, the Flying Karamazov Brothers, and Puke and Snot. As a result, Smee and Blogg were formed out of frustration and a desire to present something unique. The tandem comedic vaudeville act performed for 36 years, singing and dancing across the U.S. and Canada at 56 renaissance festivals and medieval faires.  After the act stopped performing in 2013, Al carried on as the Singing Executioner at renaissance and medieval faires in Texas and Oklahoma to this day.For six years, he was the co-founder and general manager of the Tennessee Renaissance Festival. Over the past two decades Al has performed voice-overs for radio commercials for various festivals. And for the past decade he’s served as the master of properties for Texas Ballet Theatre. 

Screenwriters/Producers, Brian Gunn and Mark Gunn, are cousins who grew up in St. Louis, Missouri and attended the same high school and college, where they launched a sketch comedy troupe and began writing together.They moved to Los Angeles and landed their first job by writing the MTV movie 2gether, a spoof about a fictional boy band. It spawned a concert tour, two top-40 albums, and a TV series created and executive produced by the Gunns.Since that time Brian and Mark have transitioned from TV into film. Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, starring Dwayne Johnson and Michael Caine – a modern-day take on the 19th-century Jules Verne novel – was their first widely released theatrical movie. It was a box-office hit, with global grosses of over $330 million.Recently, the Gunns wrote and executive produced the superhero horror movie Brightburn, starring Elizabeth Banks, which has become a worldwide success. Brightburn delivers an unusual and unexpectedly eerie twist on the superhero genre. Brian and Mark are currently working on a film project for Warner Bros to star Jason Momoa and John Cena, as well as writing and developing a TV series for Amazon. 

Greg Weisman has been a storyteller all his life.  His first professional work was as an Editor for DC Comics, where he also wrote Captain Atom.Greg was Director of Series Development at Walt Disney Television Animation, where he created and produced Gargoyles.  Later, he wrote the Gargoyles and Gargoyles: Bad Guys comic books for SLG, and the Gargoyles and Gargoyles: Dark Ages comics for Dynamite.Greg developed, produced, wrote, story-edited and voice acted in Sony and Marvel’s The Spectacular Spider-Man.  At Warner Bros. he held the same jobs on four seasons of Young Justice, while writing the comics Young Justice and Young Justice: Targets for DC.Greg was a writer and Executive Producer on the first season of Star Wars Rebels for Lucasfilm and Disney and wrote the spin-off comic Star Wars Kanan, plus Starbrand & Nightmask for Marvel.Greg’s first novel Rain of the Ghosts was followed by its sequel, Spirits of Ash and Foam.  He’s also written two World of Warcraft novels and two Magic: The Gathering novels.

Ron Destro is an award-winning writer, actor, director, and teacher. Trained in the US and UK, his mentors have included Royal Shakespeare Company founder John Barton, Oscar-winner F Murray Abraham, TV legend Lucille Ball, painter Pierre Matisse, and teachers at the Iowa Writers Workshop. He received the Kennedy Center New American Play Award for his work, Hiroshima, for which Yoko Ono wrote the original score.             He runs the nonprofit New York and London summer-based Oxford Shakespeare Company, which trains actors and presents Shakespeare plays in historic locations, including Hamlet in Elsinore, Macbeth in Birnam Wood, and Richard III on Bosworth Field.             He’s lectured on the Shakespeare authorship question at Harvard University, Chautauqua Institution and the Edinburgh Skeptics Society.             His new book, The Starre, The Moone, The Sunne, is an Elizabethan murder mystery, the solving of which just happens to reveal the identity of the real “William Shakespeare.” I’ve read The Starre, The Moone, The Sunne and can tell you it’s uniquely entertaining, especially as Ron has written it as if he was an author living in the Elizabethan era. Funny, dramatic, raucous, and filled with an amazing theatrical energy, I highly recommend it to you.             And if you’re into the Bard of Avon, please check out Ron’s excellent book, The Shakespeare Masterclasses, featuring fantastic insights from 13 of the world’s greatest classical actors.            Among some of Ron’s more unusual achievements, he taught Christopher Reeve to smoke, was told by Groucho Marx to give somebody the finger, and nearly ran Michael York off a mountaintop in a toboggan.www.rondestro.com

The award-winning French Algerian American playwright, librettist and activist, Catherine Filloux, has been, for the past 3 decades, traveling to conflict areas writing plays that address human rights and social justice.             Catherine’s new play, “How to Eat an Orange,” will open at La MaMa Theatre in New York City, and her new musical “Welcome to the Big Dipper” (written with composer Jimmy Roberts of, “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change” fame) will premiere Off-Broadway at the York Theatre in New York. It’s a National Alliance for Musical Theatre finalist.             Catherine’s play, “White Savior” is nominated for The Venturous Play List. Her many plays have been produced around the U.S. and internationally. I’ve read her play Lemkin’s House and can tell you it’s an intense and engaging exploration of the politics of genocide through the surreal landscape of the mind of Raphael Lemkin, the man who invented the word genocide.            Catherine’s also the librettist for four produced operas, including New Arrivals, Where Elephants Weep, and The Floating Box. Her works have been played on Cambodian national TV, on Broadway on Demand, and chosen for Opera News Critic’s Choice. And her opera, “Orlando,” is the winner of the 2022 Grawemeyer Award--the first opera by a woman composer and woman librettist in the history of the Vienna Staatsoper.             Catherine has traveled for her plays to countries including Bosnia, Cambodia, Guatemala, Haiti, Iraq, Morocco, Northern Ireland, and Sudan and South Sudan on an overseas reading tour with the University of Iowa's International Writing Program.             Catherine received her French Baccalaureate in Philosophy with Honors in Toulon, France, and is the co-founder/co-director of Theatre Without Borders. 

My guest today, Dr. David Sharp is a writer, performer, and spiritual teacher. Through his business, Power for Life Now, David produces and presents workshops, retreats, videos, music and performances for personal and spiritual growth.             David is an ordained Presbyterian minister and has worked as a pastor, university lecturer, and seminary professor.             As a performer, David has sung, danced, and acted on Broadway, television, and film and has been a talk show host.             He’s written for numerous publications and is an award-winning author with four books published including: Annie Ruth’s Truths, Power for Life, I’m a Black Man, Who Are You?, and Voicemaster. I’ve read Power for Life and Annie Ruth’s Truths and highly recommend David’s excellent writing to you. His books are easy reading pleasures with positive, upbeat messages. He’s also recently finished writing a new musical and is soon to publish an illustrated book of poetry.              David and his wife, Dr. Jeannine Goode-Allen, run in-person and virtual retreats called “Live Your Dreams” and have recently completed building the Good and Sharp Studios, a campus for spirituality and the arts in Boulder, Colorado.              David’s a graduate of the University of Southern California, where he was a Drama major in the School of Performing Arts. He’s also earned a Master of Divinity degree, a Masters in Special Education, and a Doctorate in Ministry.             For the record, David and I have been friends for a very long time having met and worked together while we were both Drama students at USC.            By the way, David and Jennine have very generously offered a free gift to anyone listening to this podcast, it’s a roadmap to your creativity. To find the link to receive your free gift, please check out David’s episode here at storybeat.net. FREE GIFT: https://goodandsharpstudios.lpages.co/10-ways-to-tap-into-creativity/ 

The noted Connecticut artist, Amy Genser, has been creating mixed-media artwork for more than 20 years. She opened her studio after receiving her MFA in Graphic Design from the Rhode Island School of Design, where one class in paper making changed the arc of her career.             Amy uses paper, paint and other materials to explore her fascination and obsession with texture, pattern, and color. The natural world is a clear source for Amy’s work. She’s fascinated by the flow of water, the shape of beehives, and the organic irregularity of plants, flowers, rock formations, barnacles, moss, and seaweed. Her pieces bring to mind aerial landscape views, satellite imagery, and biological cellular processes.             Amy’s work can be found in hospitals, corporate offices, private collections and museums worldwide. Her latest project was developing a site-specific installation for the Fuller Craft Museum in Brockton, Massachusetts. She had a vision of her work coming to life beyond the walls and becoming sculptural. Her multiple award winning installation, “Shifting,” is a result of her exploration.             Amy’s work is astonishing to look at, brimming with a vibrant kinetic energy, and always breathtakingly beautiful. 

Peter Brosius has served as the Artistic Director of Minneapolis’s Children’s Theatre Company since 1997, where he’s directed the world premieres of Dr. Seuss’s The Sneetches The Musical; The Last Firefly; Seedfolks; Animal Dance; and many others, all of which were commissioned and workshopped by Children’s Theatre Company. Previously, Peter was the Artistic Director of the Honolulu Theatre for Youth and the Improvisational Theatre Project at the Mark Taper Forum.             During Peter’s tenure at CTC he’s produced more than 187 shows, brought to life more than 70 new works from commission to fully developed stage productions, served more than 5 million children and community members, founded innovative educational programming, and championed equity, diversity and inclusion efforts to eliminate barriers to participation for those underrepresented in theatre. Peter’s passion has been at the core of CTC's mission to educate, challenge, and inspire young people and their communities through extraordinary theatre experiences.            Peter and the CTC have worked with more than 100 writers including: Cheryl West, Nilo Cruz, Naomi Iizuka, Larissa FastHorse, Itamar Moses, Jerome Hairston, Barry Kornhauser, Lloyd Suh, Will Power, Liz Duffy Adams, Carlos Murillo, Kia Corthron, Philip Dawkins, and Greg Banks.             A major new initiative, Generation Now, is a partnership between CTC and Penumbra, Latino Theatre Company, Mai Yi, and Native Voices at the Autry to commission and develop 16 new plays and musicals by Black, Indigenous, AAPI and Latinx writers for a multigenerational audience. These new works will have a life for years to come.             Peter also introduced preschool programming to CTC, commissioning original works and bringing in extraordinary preschool productions from across the globe. CTC has also become a major presenter of acclaimed international productions from Europe, Africa, and Asia. 

Actor-Writer-Director-Producer, Skip Lackey started his career as a Ringling Brothers, Barnum & Bailey Circus Clown after graduating from clown college. Skip’s acting credits include: Big River on Broadway, National Tours of The Secret Garden, Barnum, Big River, lots of Regional Theater, and numerous Off and Off-Off Broadway developmental musicals.             He also had the distinct honor of spending 2-years with Sanford Meisner in a professional hand-picked acting class.            On camera, Skip co-starred in Jim Carrey’s first film Once Bitten. TV credits include: The Guiding Light, the mini-series, The Blue and the Grey, and host for Nickelodeon’s Ace-Award winning Think Fast. He’s also been seen in over 100 national network commercials, and he’s recorded over 1000 voice-overs. Skip even spent 3-seasons working as Santa Claus alongside the Rockettes in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular in Chicago.            A graduate of the Vancouver Film School, Skip co-wrote, directed and produced the low budget feature film, Love at Second Sight. He then became Executive Producer for Kewazinga, a vision technology company that developed an interactive 36+ camera system for network broadcast and early internet applications. He’s worked with Sun Microsystems, NBC, ABC, ESPN, the X-Games, the NY Mets, the Golf Channel, the USGA, the NHL All-Star Game, Nike, the US Navy and more.              He then shifted his focus to giving Personal Growth and Leadership Development seminars. Skip has worked directly with over 25,000 clients, taught over 1000 workshops, and made 1000 personal appearances. Clients include the IMDB, World Bank for Latin America, and a 2-Year Leadership Development immersion for the Canadian Department of Justice. 

Lisa Barnes has spent two tours of duty as an actress in New York. First, after graduating from the University of Southern California’s theatre department, she spent a number of years in the Big Apple. She acted in plays Off-Broadway and in regional theaters while studying with the legendary Stella Adler. As well, along with a favorite StoryBeat guest, Casey Childs, Lisa co-founded the renowned off-Broadway theatre company, Primary Stages.            She subsequently headed to Los Angeles where she performed in television and theatre, winning numerous acting awards, including two Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards. But in time, a stage show she did in L.A., directed by the late, great Orson Bean, moved Off-Broadway, and Lisa then spent more than a decade in Gotham once again.             Occasionally, when in New York, Lisa performs “All of Us,” a piece that she co-wrote via Zoom with 6 other New York actress-writers during the two-year Covid lockdown. 

Stuart Ross wrote and directed the long running musical Forever Plaid, and its various offsprings: Plaid Tidings, The Sound of Plaid, and Forever Plaid: The Movie.             Other New York Credits include: Radiant Baby, Enter Laughing, The Musical, Standing on Ceremony, The Gondoliers, and Fun with Dick and Jane.            Stuart co-wrote with Jack Viertel The Secret Life of the American Musical and directed it. He also he directed Golden Rainbow in its workshop.             For the York he adapted and directed Subways Are for Sleeping, It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s Superman, Minnie’s Boys, Silk Stockings, and Bajour.             On Broadway, Stuart co-wrote the book to Starmites, which received 6 Tony Nominations, and The Radio City Music Hall Easter Show.              For TV, he’s directed sitcoms like Frasier and Veronica’s Closet. He also created special material for PBS’s Great Performances, An Evening at the Pops starring Jason Alexander, and Diahann Carroll: Both Sides Now!            For ten seasons Stuart has worked as a Director/Dramaturg and/or writer at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center-National Music Theatre Center Conference. And for nine years he’s been a panelist for the ASCAP/Disney Musical Theatre Workshop.            Current Projects include: Industrial Strength, The Alice B. Toklas Cookbook, The Bay Street Theatre-Youth Workshops: Creating Theatre Magic, and Second Time Around workshops.

Amy Powers is a Harvard-trained lawyer, Columbia University MBA, best-selling author, Emmy nominated songwriter, theater and film producer, online business owner, coach, and connector.            After discovering that being a lawyer fed her bank account but starved her soul, she ditched that life to begin writing lyrics, finding multi-platinum success with artists from Barbie to Barbara Streisand.            Freelance life brought its own challenges: unpredictable income, uncontrollable marketplace changes, and too few hours spent with her husband and sons.  She yearned to increase her revenue, decrease her stress, and have more flexibility.  That’s when she discovered Network Marketing, through a company that aligned with her core values of healthy living inside and out.  After following her company’s blueprint to create an extra six figure revenue stream and seven figure asset, Amy felt called to reach a wider audience and assist others looking for solutions.              Amy’s book No Degree Required: Network Marketing The Ivy League Way is a #1 Amazon best seller.  I’ve read No Degree Required and can tell you it’s a fast-paced and entertaining look at Network Marketing. I highly recommend No Degree Required to anyone interested in the world of Network Marketing or looking for inspiration in it.            Additionally, Amy and her husband, J. Todd Harris, co-produce in both theater and film. On stage, they’ve co-produced Heathers, The Musical; Phenomenal Woman – The Maya Angelou Story, the Broadway bound Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical and a revival of her own Broadway musical, Dr. Zhivago. Their work in film includes On Fire, the acclaimed autobiography of world-renowned inspirational speaker John O’Leary.                       Amy’s newest venture, AmySentMe, a health and happiness concierge service, helps people up level their lives and businesses with hand-picked, pre-vetted services from psychic mediums to sober coaches, book writing to boudoir photography, and health reboots to healing retreats.            Please be sure to stick around at the end of the show because Amy has generously lent us one of her songs, Sands of Time, for you to enjoy.

Steve Maher is a musician, and singer-songwriter out of Denver, Colorado. He combines vocals, lyrics, and piano into one cohesive pop-soul sound-style that doesn’t take itself too seriously while also touching upon life experience.             Steve’s first solo album, Pathways, was recorded in Chicago in 2020 during the pandemic and released in July of 2021.             His current project Night Routine is a funk-pop-soul group that has performed throughout Colorado and the Midwest. Steve sings lead vocals and plays keyboards along with co-founder Tomas Houser on guitar, Marc Hudson on bass, and drummer Josh Neitzel.            Please stick around at the end of the show for a real treat – one of Night Routine’s songs, Springtime Shine, for you to enjoy.

Wayne Byrne is an acclaimed author and film historian from Ireland. He started his career working for local County Kildare newspapers before being invited to write for the iconic Irish pop culture bible Hot Press Magazine as a music, book, and restaurant critic.             His debut book, The Cinema of Tom DiCillo: Include Me Out, was released in 2018.  Wayne followed it with well-received works on subjects like Burt Reynolds, cinematographer Nick McLean, the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise, and legendary Hollywood filmmaker Walter Hill. I’ve read both Welcome to Elm Street and Walter Hill: The Cinema of a Hollywood Maverick and can tell you that they’re both deeply researched, entertainingly detailed looks at how influential filmmakers create the dreams the world loves to watch. I highly recommend Wayne’s work to you.            Look for the release of Wayne’s latest book, Hired Guns: Portraits of Women in Alternative Music, co-written with his best friend, acclaimed musician Amanda Kramer, who’s been the keyboardist/vocalist of The Psychedelic Furs, 10,000 Maniacs, Siouxsie Sioux, The Golden Palominos, and Information Society.             He’s also busy writing three upcoming books, including another collaboration with Amanda Kramer, which is a study of the evolution of film soundtracks in the revolutionary New Hollywood era.             Wayne’s also working with cinematographer Roy Wagner on a biography documenting Wagner’s acclaimed career, called Beyond the Shadows, as well as a critical/cultural overview of the Halloween movies entitled, The Ongoing Halloween Franchise: 13 Films and Counting.

Jeff Harnar is an award-winning cabaret, concert and recording artist. His Carnegie Hall appearances include both the Cole Porter and Noël Coward Centennial Galas. Jeff’s televised PBS concerts include: The 1959 Broadway Songbook with music director Alex Rybeck, as well as American Songbook: Stephen Sondheim co-starring KT Sullivan, and Michael Feinstein’s Live at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. Jeff also toured with Broadway’s Shauna Hicks in their Symphony Pops Concert I Got Rhythm: Mickey & Judy’s Hollywood. For his exceptional live performances, and for directing the shows of other outstanding performers, Jeff has won multiple MAC, Bistro, and BroadwayWorld Cabaret Awards and The Noël Coward Foundation Cabaret Award. He’s released four solo albums, including Dancing in the Dark, and most recently I Know Things Now: My Life in Sondheim’s Words. Jeff can also be seen performing in the movie Joshua Tree, 1951: A Portrait of James Dean. 

Producer-Director Casey Childs founded Primary Stages, a leading New York City Off-Broadway theater, in 1984. Primary Stages has produced over 175 new plays, giving playwrights the opportunities to see their new works staged, including: Christopher Durang, Tina Howe, John Patrick Shanley, Lee Blessing, David Ives, Donald Margulies, Theresa Rebeck, and A.R. Gurney among many others. Casey directed many of those productions for the company, as well as helming new plays at other Off-Broadway theaters.            He served as the Artistic Program Director for the New Dramatists from 1982-1985 where he worked with numerous leading American playwrights in their early years.Casey’s the recipient of the Carnegie Mellon University Commitment to New Playwrights Award, as well as the winner of two Emmy Awards and many nominations for his extensive work in television.               He’s a past Vice President of the Directors Guild of America and a past trustee of the National Association of Television Arts and Sciences.              At Primary Stages Casey launched the Einhorn School of Performing Arts, the Fordham/Primary Stages MFA in Playwriting program, and the Primary Stages Off-Broadway Oral History Project, which has documented over 190 interviews with the leaders of the Off-Broadway movement.             Casey’s taught at many universities including Duke, Columbia and NYU, and he’s currently an Associate Fellow at Grace Hopper College at Yale University. 

The novelist Monte Schulz released his first novel, Down by the River, in 1990. He then spent more than twelve years writing the Jazz Age-based novel, Crossing Eden, for his father, the late, extraordinarily influential cartoonist, the creator of Peanuts, Charles M. Schulz. The book was initially released in three smaller volumes called This Side of Jordan, The Last Rose of Summer, and The Big Town.            Monte’s latest novel, Metropolis, is a grand dystopian tale in a time of war, with a blossoming romance throughout. I’ve read Metropolis and can tell you it’s a powerful and intense journey through a world into which I hope we never find ourselves. If you enjoy marvelously epic storytelling, I highly recommend you read Metropolis.            Since 2010, Monte has been the owner of the Santa Barbara Writers Conference and has taught a class in voice and style both there and at UC Santa Barbara.            He’s also a composer/songwriter with an album out worldwide: “Seraphonium – After Many a Summer.”

Donna Loughlin is the Founder of LMGPR and known for her work with futurists and innovators. Since forming her agency in 2002, she’s launched more than 500 companies, taking them from stealth to market leaders.            Donna excels in the realm of storytelling and uses those skills to propel new companies into the mainstream.             She is also the host of BeforeItHappened, a leading narrative podcast featuring visionaries and the moments, events, and realizations that inspired those visionaries to change our lives for the better.

Callum Woodhouse is a brilliant stage and screen actor originally from Durham, England. You may recognize Callum from playing Leslie Durrell in ITV’s much-loved series The Durrells. He’s also starred as Tristan Farnon in the Masterpiece TV adaptation of All Creatures Great and Small, and as James Marsden in series 6 and 8 of ITV’s beloved British comedy-drama Cold Feet, starring alongside James Nesbitt, Fay Ripley, Robert Bathurst, Hermione Norris and John Thomson.              He also played Will Taylor in Christopher Hatton’s excellent Edgar Allen Poe feature, Raven’s Hollow. Christopher Hatton has been a guest on this podcast, as has Callum’s exceptional co-star, Melanie Zanetti.            Callum trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. On stage, he has appeared at the Hampstead Theatre in Ryan Craig’s Filthy Business, which was directed by Edward Hall. The play also starred Sara Kestelman, Ashley Martin-Davis, Louis Hilyer, Dorian Lough and Callie Cooke. Filthy Business opened to rave reviews with Callum’s performance being critically highlighted as ‘sharply defined’ in The Guardian, ‘glinting promise’ in The Telegraph and ‘a fine performance’ in The Financial Times. 

The actor, director, teacher, and author, John Shepard, began his professional career at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival where he was a company member for 4 seasons. Subsequently moving to New York, he worked in regional theatres like The Long Wharf, Yale Rep, Barter Theatre, Actors Theatre of Louisville, and many others. Off Broadway, he performed at The Manhattan Theatre Club, Soho Rep, The Public Theatre, Lamb’s Theatre, and others. On Broadway, he worked in American Buffalo with Al Pacino, in which he also toured the U.S. and played on London’s West End, and John also appeared in A View from the Bridge.             Career highlights include the stage version of George Orwell’s 1984, in which John played Winston Smith, at the Wilma Theatre, Kennedy Center and Joyce Theatre, and the world premiere of Eduardo Machado’s Fabiola at the Theatre for a New City.            John spent time in L.A. pursuing TV and Film work, appearing in many episodic TV series including L.A. Law, Spenser: For Hire, Dallas, Quantum Leap and others. John’s feature film credits include Sneakers and Patriot Games.             After receiving an MFA in Acting from Cal State University, Long Beach, John became a faculty member at the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point, the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and finally at Point Park University, where he taught for over 20 years and was the Theatre Department Chair for 10 years. John’s book “Auditioning and Acting for the Camera” is used throughout the country. Backstage Magazine named it one of “11 Amazing Books for the On-Camera Actor.”            John remains active in the Pittsburgh theater and film community, appearing in many plays for The REP, City Theatre, Quantum, PICT and the Pittsburgh Public Theatre. Highlights include playing Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman for the REP, (for which the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette named him Performer of the Year), and Ralph in A Christmas Story at the Pittsburgh Public Theatre.             John has also directed numerous productions, including August Osage County for Point Park’s professional theatre company, The REP, and Tamara for Quantum; both were named best productions in their respective years by the Post-Gazette.            While in Pittsburgh, he’s appeared in TV shows like: A League of Their Own and The Chair, and in Films like The Race, Fathers and Daughters, Homemakers, and The Deliverance directed by Lee Daniels.

Melanie Zanetti, is an award-winning Australian actress of both stage and screen, who divides her time between Australia and the United States.         Melanie voices the role of Chilli, in the popular, internationally renowned, Emmy Award winning animation series, Bluey. Her most recent feature films include Raven’s Hollow, which was written and directed by Christopher Hatton, who has been a guest on StoryBeat, Gabriel’s Rapture, Love and Monsters, and Head Count, which is set to be released in 2024. Aside from Bluey, Melanie’s other TV credits include Young Rock, The End, The Bureau Of Magical Things, and The Leisure Class, which was produced by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck.Melanie began her career in theatre and has played many iconic roles such as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, Eliza Doolittle in Pygmalion, Cathy in Wuthering Heights and numerous others since graduating from The University of Southern Queensland in 2007.

Robert Crane is the co-author of eleven books including Crane: Sex, Celebrity, and My Father's Unsolved Murder, My Life as a Mankiewicz, Bruce Dern: A Memoir, and Jack Nicholson: The Early Years. He contributed a short story called Wingding to the recently published story collection, Beyond Where the Buses Run: Stories. Robert is also the co-writer of Hostage for a Day, a Fox Television film directed by John Candy. And he wrote for Playboy for twenty years, including numerous celebrity interviews. Robert also happens to be the son of the late TV icon, Bob Crane, who was best known for playing Colonel Robert Hogan in Hogan’s Heroes during its six-season run. 

Michael Elias is an award-winning writer, actor and director who’s written film, television, theatre and fiction.            His new novel, You Can Go Home Now, is a timely and thoroughly entertaining psychological thriller featuring a female cop on the hunt for a killer while battling violent secrets of her own.  I’ve read You Can Go Home Now and can tell you it’s a deeply engaging mystery with a lot of heart. Michael is also the author of the novel, The Last Conquistador.            Born and raised in upstate New York, Michael moved to New York City after graduating from St. John’s College in Annapolis to pursue a career in acting. He was a member of the Living Theatre and acted at The Judson Poets Theatre, La MaMa, and Caffé Chino. Michael then transitioned to Hollywood and with Frank Shaw wrote the screenplay for The Frisco Kid starring Gene Wilder and Harrison Ford. With Eve Babitz he wrote Envoyez les Violons.  And then he began a long writing partnership with Rich Eustis. Together, they wrote the screenplays for Serial, Young Doctors in Love and they created the popular sitcom, Head of the Class for ABC, which was partially based on Michael’s experience as a high school teacher in New York City.             Michael also worked with Steve Martin, a collaboration that included material for Steve’s comedy albums, network TV specials, and the screenplay for The Jerk.            Michael wrote and directed Showtime’s Lush Life with Forrest Whitaker and Jeff Goldblum, leading to a nomination for Best Director at The Cable Ace Awards . His semi-autobiographical play, The Catskill Sonata, about a small hotel in upstate New York, was directed by the legendary filmmaker, Paul Mazursky.

          George Stevens, Jr. has crafted an extraordinary creative legacy over a career spanning more than 60 years as a screenwriter, director, producer, playwright and author. He’s enriched the film and television arts as a filmmaker and is widely credited with bringing style and taste to the high-profile, national television events that he has conceived. In doing so he’s lived one of the most profoundly influential American lives ever.             As a writer, director and producer, George has earned many accolades, including 15 Emmys, two Peabody Awards, the Humanitas Prize and 8 awards from the Writers Guild of America, including the Paul Selvin Award for writing that embodies civil rights and liberties. In 2012, George received an Honorary Academy Award for “extraordinary distinction in lifetime achievement.”             George served for eight years as Co-chairman of the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities following his appointment by President Obama in 2009.            He’s the Founding Director of the American Film Institute. During his tenure, more than 10,000 irreplaceable American films were preserved and catalogued for future generations.  He also established the AFI’s Center for Advanced Film Studies, which gained a reputation as the finest learning opportunity for young filmmakers.            With Nick Vanoff, George created the annually televised Kennedy Center Awards in 1978, which he wrote and produced for more than 35 years.            George executive produced Terrence Malick’s film, The Thin Red Line, which was nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture.  He co-wrote and produced The Murder of Mary Phagan, starring Jack Lemmon, which received the Emmy for Outstanding Mini-Series. He wrote and directed Separate But Equal starring Sidney Poitier and Burt Lancaster which also won the Emmy for Outstanding Mini-Series.  He produced two acclaimed films about his highly revered, Oscar-winning father, George Stevens: A Filmmaker’s Journey and George Stevens: D-Day to Berlin.  In collaboration with his son and partner, Michael Stevens, he produced the feature length documentary Herblock – The Black & The White on the famed political cartoonist Herbert Block.             In 2008, George made his Broadway playwriting debut with Thurgood, starring Tony nominee Laurence Fishburne as Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall.            As an author, George has published: Conversations with the Great Moviemakers of Hollywood’s Golden Age, and Conversations with the Great Moviemakers – The Next Generation, featuring interviews with notable filmmakers from the AFI’s Harold Lloyd Master Seminar Series. In 2022 he published his autobiography, My Place in the Sun. I’ve read My Place in the Sun and can tell you it’s a truly entertaining memoir of his family’s show business legacy as well as his own top-tier life in Washington, Hollywood and beyond. I highly recommend this most excellent book to you.          George Stevens, Jr. resides in Washington, D.C. For more information, please consult: www.georgestevensjr.com 

            Ken Fallin began his career creating witty pen and ink caricatures for the long-running satirical revue, “Forbidden Broadway”.  Intended as an homage to the legendary theatrical caricaturist, Al Hirschfeld, this concept was so successful that Ken continued to design artwork for the show’s phenomenal thirty-year run.            Ken’s instantly recognizable, intricately detailed pen and ink celebrity portraits have been published internationally by such diverse and distinguished publications as The Wall Street Journal, In Style Magazine, The New Yorker, The Hollywood Reporter, L.A. Times, Washington Post, Politico, and Barron’s.            Ken has produced stylish and eye-catching art for major ad campaigns, posters and specially commissioned corporate gifts for HBO, Showtime, Jazz at Lincoln Center, The Metropolitan Opera Company, American Express, CBS News, Walt Disney Productions, and Microsoft.            A TV commercial that animated Ken’s drawings for CNBC’s “Squawk Box” was nominated for an EMMY Award. Several original Ken Fallin posters are in the permanent poster collection of London’s Victoria and Albert Museum. A number of his original pen and ink drawings now hang in the venerable Players Club.            As a regular contributor to Playbill.com and BroadwayWorld.com Ken has chronicled the New York Theatre scene for over ten years.            Private collectors of Ken’s work include: Barbra Streisand, Bernadette Peters, Darren Criss, Matthew Broderick, Bradley Cooper, Sarah Paulson, Frank Langella, Sir Patrick Stewart, Warren Buffett, and Sir Cameron Mackintosh.https://www.kenfallinart.com/

            Director-producer-author, Sheldon Epps has directed major productions on and off Broadway, in London and at many theatres across America. He’s also had an active television career helming numerous classic shows of recent years.                        Sheldon was first drawn to the stage while at Teaneck High School, and later graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with a degree in Drama.             He began his career as an actor studying at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Indiana Repertory Company, the Alley Theatre, the Pittsburgh CLO and The Production Company, which he co-founded and for which he directed various plays.             In 1980, Sheldon made his theater directing debut with the Off-Broadway musical Blues in the Night. It was revived in 1982, this time on Broadway. Since then he’s directed numerous other stage productions on Broadway and in regional theaters including: Scenes and Revelations, Play On!, Blue, and Purlie.            As well, since 1994, Sheldon has directed many memorable, popular TV shows including: Evening Shade, Smart Guy, Sister, Sister, Frasier, Everybody Loves Raymond, Friends, Girlfriends, and George Lopez.            In 1997, Sheldon became artistic director of the Pasadena Playhouse, serving in that capacity for two decades. In 2020 Sheldon was appointed Senior Artistic Advisor at Ford's Theatre in Washington, DC.            Sheldon’s best-selling memoir, My Own Directions, was published in September 2022. I’ve read My Own Directions and can tell you it’s a fantastically entertaining and informative look at Sheldon’s exceptional career and all of the many hurdles he’s overcome and successes he’s achieved throughout an outstanding life in the arts. 

Andrew Conte serves as the founding director of the Center for Media Innovation at Point Park University.  He writes the Pittsburgh Public Editor column at NEXTpittsburgh. And he was an investigative reporter at the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, where he won numerous national, state and local awards. Andrew has published several books, including Death of the Daily News, released in September, 2022, Breakaway, and The Color of Sundays, which explores the role of race in the National Football League mainly through how Bill Nunn, Jr. and the Pittsburgh Steelers identified undervalued players at historically black colleges. Netflix has optioned the book for a potential movie, and the Independent Book Publishers Association recognized The Color of Sundays with a Silver Benjamin Franklin Award. I’ve read The Color of Sundays and can tell you it’s a thoroughly researched, fascinating deep dive into how African Americans have become indispensable, elite players in high-profile sports.For the record, Steve and Andy have known one another for many years as colleagues at Point Park University. If Andy hadn’t put out a call in 2016 for professors who might like to use the Center for Media Innovation to launch a podcast, StoryBeat would not exist.

Robert Kosberg is best known in Hollywood as, “The King of the Pitch,” for his ability to sell movie and TV stories to producers. After graduating from UCLA’s film program, Bob took a succession of minor entertainment industry jobs, while also writing scripts. He then moved to New York to work for a producer, where he found the time to look for his own material. He found a true story and was able to option it. Upon later returning to L.A., Bob began pitching this one true story idea while creating others. He found what he was always looking for: simple high concepts that no one knew about. A second true story sold to Lorimar that Bob and his writing partner wrote for that studio.Bob discovered that he was best at creating and/or finding great commercial material and then working to package those ideas with talent. Pitching is a major component of his success, which helped to launch his career as a producer.Bob learned that there is great 'power' in ideas. In time, his reputation grew as a "pitcher" of good material and he was dubbed the "King of the Pitch." As a result, he has had first look deals with most of the studios and somehow ended up with an unusual career based on pitching ideas and stories. Projects that Bob set up, some of which he also helped to produce, include: 12 Monkeys, In The Mood, The Hardy Men, Wild Pitch, My One and Only, Commando, Kick, Keeper of the Flame, A Novel Life, Stepping Out, and Born to Shop among others.Bob’s favorite response to people who say, “Good ideas are a dime a dozen," is to respond, “No, bad ideas are a dime a dozen. Good ideas are one in a million.”Bob is also the author of the very useful book, “How to Sell Your Idea to Hollywood,” which is filled with valuable advice on how to develop ideas, pitch them, and sell them to Hollywood. 

Jimmy Ryan has been Carly Simon’s guitarist since the 1970s. He’s an American artist, composer, producer, and author with a career that has spanned six decades. Beginning at seventeen, he and his college band, The Critters, had their first top forty hit, “Younger Girl,” which was followed by three charting albums and two more top forty hits, “Mr. Dieingly Sad” and “Don’t Let The Rain Fall Down on Me.”In 1970, Jimmy’s friend, Carly Simon, called him to put a band together for her. She was rising fast on the US and British top 40 charts with “That’s The Way I’ve Always Heard It Should Be,” as well as her first album “Carly Simon,” on which Jimmy played guitar. Jimmy went on to perform with Carly on most of her future albums and continues to work off and on with her to this day. He's the guitar soloist on many of Carly’s hits, the most memorable being “You’re So Vain,” and the Academy Award winning song of the year, “Let the River Run,” from the movie, Working Girl. Aside from Carly Simon, Jimmy’s also recorded with numerous superstars including no less than: Paul McCartney, Mick Jagger, Luther Vandross, James Taylor, Cat Stevens, Jim Croce, John Entwistle, Elton John & Kiki Dee, The Doors, Rod Stewart, and many more, earning him six gold records and one platinum record. As a studio musician Jimmy has recorded alongside legendary session players, like: Jim Gordon, Claus Voorman, Jim Keltner, Nicky Hopkins, Will Lee, Steve Gadd, Lowell George, Robbie Robertson, Paul Shaffer, David Sanborn and many more. Along the way, he found time to perform in the original Broadway production of Hair. And he was a principal actor and musician in the Broadway production of “Pump Boys and Dinettes.”Jimmy has scored music for TV, creating themes and music for NBC News, CNBC, MSNBC, Lifetime, USA, and PBS. He’s also composed, arranged, and produced music for over 500 radio and TV commercials for clients like: Doritos, McDonalds, IBM, Ford, Nikon, Pizza Hut, Budweiser, Chevy, Coke, Diet Coke, and more.In April 2019, he and his touring band, The Hit Men, were honored with the first ever Road Warrior Award from the Nashville Musician’s Hall of Fame. In 2022, Jimmy published his memoir, Behind: Autobiography of a Musical Shapeshifter. It’s a fascinating look at the life of a musician working at the highest levels of the music industry, especially the life of a working rock musician.And please be sure to stick around at the end of the show for a real treat. Jimmy has generously loaned us an unreleased song that he wrote and produced, Slow Burn.

Peter Smith and Laura Smith are co-authors of the book, “My Travels Through the Maelstrom of Punk Rock.”Peter is an Emeritus Professor at the University of Sunderland, in the United Kingdom. Though paralyzed from the neck down, Peter continues teaching students online, while researching and writing about a number of subjects. He recently published articles and books on topics related to disability, postgraduate education, and rock music. He supports a number of students who are completing their Masters dissertations and PhD theses.  Peter is perhaps best known for his great contributions to Artificial Intelligence. Peter’s daughter, Laura, also publishes, sometimes with Peter, on topics relating to disability, rock music and the UK radio show “The Archers,” of which she’s a passionate follower and listener. Laura, who lost her sight at a young age, is a mother of two children and lives in the Northeast of the UK. She’s a qualified social worker, teacher, and a classically trained singing teacher.Peter and Laura recently published My Travels Through the Maelstrom of Punk Rock. As a young man, Peter’s rebellious nature pulled him away from his academic studies into the world of punk rock. During the late 1970s he threw himself into a life of attending turbulent, manic, and perilous concerts full of young, disillusioned punks and skinheads, many of whom saw Peter as an outsider. He witnessed first-hand early performances by numerous groups like The Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Cure, and dozens more. Amidst a sea of punks, Peter’s long hair stood out, attracting trouble and tempting danger. Life was daring, wired, and scary yet fun. My Travels Through the Maelstrom of Punk Rock is a fantastic exploration of both Peter’s youth as a music superfan, and also an eye-opening probe into the history of how Punk Rock developed in England in the 1970’s, 80’s and beyond, including dozens of accounts of Peter attending concerts of now infamous bands before they became widely known. 

Leigh Marz is a co-author with Justin Zorn of the brilliant book called Golden, The Power of Silence in a World of Noise. Golden is a deeply researched, eye-opening revelation about just how important silence is, how much our world is currently lacking it, and ways to achieve silence that will enrich all of our lives. Leigh is a leadership and collaboration consultant with organizations including Harvard, Google, and IKEA, and she’s led a multi-year program teaching experimental mindsets to multigenerational teams at NASA. Leigh is also a longtime student of pioneering researchers and practitioners of the ritualized use of psychedelic medicines in the West.

David McGiffert was First Assistant Director on close to 50 feature films including: all three of the Back to the Future films, Rain Man, Batman Returns, Tootsie, Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, The Fisher King, Absence of Malice, Witness, The Firm, Vanilla Sky, King Kong, An Officer and a Gentleman and dozens of others. David began working in film in 1969 when a friend offered him a job as the second assistant director on a movie he was working on. Two weeks later, when that person quit, David inherited the first assistant director position and was tutored by the film’s very patient Director who had, himself, been an assistant director.Subsequently, David worked beside a succession of experienced mentors who put him in the right place at the right time and allowed him opportunities he would not have been able to find for himself. During David’s years as a First A.D. he never stopped learning the job, which is essentially carrying out the director’s wishes for the day’s shooting while guiding and facilitating the film’s crew. Being a First A.D. is a high visibility occupation, known for being stressful, but it’s also one of the most satisfying and interesting jobs on a set. In 2022, David published his memoir, Best Seat in the House, revealing numerous experiences working on some of the highest-profile Hollywood movies ever produced. Best Seat in the House is a beautifully written retelling of David’s many amazing exploits working alongside such legendary directors as: Milos Forman, Sydney Pollack, Robert Zemeckis, Barry Levinson, Cameron Crowe, Terry Gilliam, Tim Burton, and many more, as well as working with movie superstars like: Paul Newman, Tom Cruise, Dustin Hoffman, Nicole Kidman, Robert Redford, Michael Keaton, Jessica Lange, John Travolta, Harrison Ford, Sally Field, Michael J. Fox, Robin Williams, and Jeff Bridges, just to name a few.

Jay Moriarty has written and produced some of the most beloved and revered half-hour comedies in television history including: The Jeffersons, All in the Family, Good Times, Maude, What’s Happening Now!!, Dear John, The Royal Family, Here and Now, Cosby, and Los Beltran. And he’s developed and written pilots for networks and studios including CBS, NBC, ABC, Warner Bros., Columbia, and Paramount.Jay’s recent memoir, Honky in the House: Writing & Producing The Jeffersons, sneaks the reader behind the scenes of this classic series for a close-up look at how sitcom sausage is made.Jay and his writing partner, Mike Milligan, sold their first freelance script to Norman Lear’s Good Times and were hired on staff at The Jeffersons where they began movin’ on up from Writers to Producers to Showrunners.Most recently, Jay published Deadeye, a cowboy comedy novel with heart offering a tip of the Stetson to Don Quixote. Jay is also the author/creator of the classic Sherlock Holmes board game 221 B Baker Street, which has sold over 3 million copies in nine different countries.Jay served for 11 years as an Adjunct Professor in the Writing Division of the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts. 

Ruslan K is the Chief Technology Officer of Filmustage, a technology company that is streamlining the film production process using neural network technology.With 10 years of development experience, Ruslan has been able to develop Filmustage technology to automate the script breakdown process, normally a painstaking task that is necessary in the production of motion pictures. A lifelong musician, Ruslan is also well-versed in sound design.  Filmustage.com Filmustage is offering a discount to StoryBeat listeners.  On the Filmustage site, enter StoryBeat30 for a 30% discount.

Mike Byrne created The Beatles Story Exhibition in Liverpool in 1990 with his wife, Bernadette, who was a Cavern Club regular who knew the Beatles well in the early years and became one of the first official Beatles Guides in Liverpool.  Mike was a fellow Merseybeat musician, who went on to work in marketing, theatre and promotions.  He saw the huge potential of Beatles tourism through what Bernadette was doing as a guide and became the manager of Beatle City – an ill-fated exhibition of memorabilia which he took on tour to Dallas, Texas in 1987.Mike was determined that Liverpool would have its own permanent Beatles exhibition, but found the Liverpool tourism board apathetic.  Mike and Bernadette realized they would have to do it themselves, eventually raising funding.  Creating the exhibition presented a multitude of challenges and hurdles, not least of which was securing permission from The Beatles!Their vision was to create an immersive experience that conveyed the feelings and emotions of key periods in the Beatles’ career. They wanted people to see it, hear it and feel it!  The result was 18 different features including a replica Cavern Club, a street in Hamburg, and an interactive Yellow Submarine with an Octopus’ Garden.The exhibition has had over 5 million visitors to date and is the most successful Beatles Exhibition in the world.  Mike and Bernadette have written a book about their lives and the creation of the exhibition called The Birth of The Beatles Story, which is a fascinating, deep dive into the early years of the Beatles and how the exhibition in Liverpool came into being.

Kate Linder was cast as Esther Valentine on The Young and the Restless 40 years ago, where she remains a key member of the top-rated daytime drama’s cast. Kate’s feature film credits include: Hysteria, Erased, Miss Meadows, Garry Marshall's Mother's Day, Charlie Matthau's The Book of Leah, and various others.Kate enjoys the best of two worlds -- on the air and in the air – because she never quit her pre-Young and the Restless weekend job as a United Airlines flight attendant, which she says keeps her grounded.Born in Pasadena, California, Kate entered dance classes at 3. By the time she finished high school, she’d appeared in major singing and dancing roles in Promises, Promises, Threepenny Opera, L’il Abner, Jesus Christ Superstar, and many more.Following graduation from San Francisco State University with a degree in Theater Arts, Kate worked part-time at the University, which is where she met her husband, Professor Dr. Ronald Linder, who subsequently joined the Public Health and Medicine faculty at UCLA. After settling in Los Angeles, Kate broke into TV with sitcom and drama guest-starring roles, including starring in Cotillion ’65 as a dance teacher with a dual life that won multiple film festival awards.Kate became the celebrity spokesperson for the ALS Association following her brother-in-law’s diagnosis. She spends most holidays serving food at the L.A. Mission. And she was on many USO tours with the late Johnny Grant, spending Thanksgivings visiting troops in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Korea, Guantanamo Bay and Fort Hood.Kate and Robin Wyss debuted Kate’s charity OpportuniTea in 1998 in Vancouver, featuring her Young and Restless castmates. Kate’s teas also benefit the March of Dimes Canada's Conductive Education® program in Toronto and Calgary.Kate was elected to two terms as the Television Academy’s Governor of Daytime Programming Peer Group and was elected to multiple terms as a SAG-AFTRA board member.In April 2008, Kate received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. 

Christopher Hatton is a writer-director-producer based in Singapore.  His work ranges from sci-fi to drama to action to animation. He’s created projects in North America, the U.K., Europe and Asia.  He recently completed writing, directing, and producing Raven’s Hollow, an ambitious period thriller based on events in the life of a young Edgar Allan Poe.   I’ve seen Raven’s Hollow and can tell you it’s a terrifically entertaining, beautifully rendered, quite eerie mystery-horror-thriller. Some of Christopher’s other credits include Battle of the Damned with Dolph Lundgen, the robots-gone-berserk thriller Robotropolis, Cyber Wars with genre legend David Warner, Phantom Racer, and the first draft screenplay for what would become Shanghai Noon, among many others. Christopher earned an MFA in Playwriting from the University of Iowa where he took time out from writing plays to submit an unsolicited spec script to Star Trek: The Next Generation, which wound up being produced as a two-part episode.  This was immediately followed by the sale of a pitch to Star Trek, which brought him to Los Angeles where he secured an agent and never wrote a stage play again.   

Hilary Sloane is a journalist and documentary photographer living in the Mojave Desert. She researches, writes, shoots and works as an event reporter for local radio station Z107.7 FM.Hilary was an advertising photo stylist with various skills in production, wardrobe, set design, and makeup for many years in Los Angeles. She worked for, and with, numerous celebrities and well-known photographers and directors until 2008, when she saw an opportunity to leave L.A. and move to Joshua Tree, California. Hilary’s love for photography and writing inspired her to study journalism. She subsequently earned a certificate from Michigan State University. In 2017 and 2018, she traveled with Raleigh International, a British non-profit, as their photographer. In 2020, she joined a group of world-renowned photographers working with consultant, Christina Force, in which they share information and support. Hilary spends her free time photographing local wildlife around her home and dreaming up new projects that will take her into her community and beyond.

David Carpenter is the CEO of Gamiotics, a live entertainment software company that enables real time communication between audience and content and is powering the next generation of immersive and experiential entertainment. Gamiotics’ mission is to deliver authentic experiences through audience agency. David is a twenty-year veteran of the entertainment industry and a Tony nominated producer. He got his start many years ago at the renowned theatrical office of The Dodgers. Eventually, he became a Dreamworks Theatricals executive, where he oversaw sales operations for Shrek The Musical.He’s currently a managing partner in the new interactive experience, The Twenty-Sided Tavern, which brings a Dungeons & Dragons style Role Playing Game into the live entertainment space using Gamiotics technology to power audience engagement. In 2019, David was the lead producer of the Broadway run of Slava’s Snowshow. He helmed the off-Broadway record breaking comedy Puffs, which ran for three years in New York and is in the top ten most licensed shows in the US.He produced Puffs in Australia for two years with a record-breaking engagement in Melbourne before touring to Sydney and Brisbane. He was also the Executive Producer of Puffs: Filmed Live Off-Broadway which debuted on screen nationwide with Fathom Events and can now be viewed on any streaming platform.He’s also lectured on producing at various Universities, like Columbia, Bucknell, The University of New Mexico and the University of Florida at Gainesville. 

Deborah Grace Winer is a theatrical writer, creator of theatrical revues and concerts, and she’s a leading expert on the American Songbook. Her new collaboration with Jazz at Lincoln Center--the Songbook Sundays Series at Dizzy’s Club--has been an instant sold out music destination. Deborah’s previous collaborations include Feinstein’s/54 Below, Birdland, and a decade as Artistic Director of the 92Y’s Lyrics & Lyricists™ concert series, steering the venerable series back to audience and critical acclaim.  She collaborates with top-tier artists from Broadway and the music world and works with leading institutions.  Among Deborah’s various books, On the Sunny Side of the Street: The Life and Lyrics of Dorothy Fields, was named by the Wall Street Journal one of the five best books on American Songwriters. Her articles have appeared in The New York Times and numerous other publications.  And her plays have been produced off-Broadway and regionally.  Deborah’s been featured on PBS’ American Masters, as well as NPR’s Fresh Air and “Morning Edition.”  Deborah’s newest project, the audio adventure podcast series Flash Force: Middle Aged Women Superheroes Save Democracy, with an all-star Broadway cast, launches in 2023.

Dakin Matthews is familiar to audiences the world over.  He’s an actor, playwright, dramaturge, teacher, director, translator, emeritus English professor, and Shakespeare scholar. He’s been a leading actor in over 250 professional plays—eight on Broadway, including recently Waitress and To Kill a Mockingbird. Dakin is a member of both the Motion Picture and the Television Academies and has appeared in over 30 feature films, including: True Grit, Bridge of Spies, and Lincoln; and over three hundred television episodes, including shows such as: The Gilded Age, The King of Queens, Desperate Housewives, The Office, and Gilmore Girls. He’s been the Artistic Director of four professional theatre companies. His multiple award-winning scripts – adaptations, translations, and originals – have been performed across the country. Dakin won a Drama Desk Award for his Broadway adaptation of Shakespeare’s Henry IV. His eleven rhyming verse translations of Golden Age comedies are currently being published by LinguaText. He's taught and directed across the U.S., and has dramaturged Shakespeare for the country’s leading directors. Dakin’s also given workshops in Shakespearean verse-speaking across the country and around the world, based on his handbook Shakespeare Spoken Here.Dakin was a Founding Member of John Houseman’s The Acting Company and of Sam Mendes’ Bridge Project and The Antaeus Theatre Company. 

Margy Whitmer produced the beloved TV series, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, for many years. After production ended in 2001, she continued on with Fred Rogers Productions, producing live-action segments for Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood through the end of 2018, after which she remained a script consultant on the show through season 6.  Over the years, Margy has also been the liaison for Fred Rogers Productions to PBS’s Ready To Learn Initiative. She co-created, wrote and produced video-based early childhood professional development workshop materials. And she was the project director for two series of picture books, “First Experiences” and “Let’s Talk About It.” She has held production and administrative positions at WQED-TV for both local and national programs, including the “Once Upon a Classic” series and National Geographic Specials. Margy has served on the board of the Women’s Center and Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh, ultimately as board President. She’s been a volunteer reader for Read Together and a steering committee member for Empty Bowls, which is an annual fundraising event for the Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank to raise hunger awareness.She is currently a reader and Board President for Reading Ready Pittsburgh, a nonprofit encouraging family engagement and early literacy through reading for children up to the age of 5. 

Writer, editor, and manager, Tim Quinn was born in Liverpool, England. He started his career as a clown at Blackpool Tower Circus before working on BBC TV’s Good Old Days music hall series where he wrote scripts for top comedians. It was a small jump from there into the world of comic books where he spent many happy years as a scriptwriter on such noted UK titles as The Beano, The Dandy, Sparky, The Topper, Buster, Whoopee!, Bunty, Jackie, Dr Who Magazine, and Whizzer & Chips before heading to the United States to work for the mighty Marvel Comics Group as both editor and Head of Special Projects. Through those years he also produced many daily newspaper comic strips and interviews with such names as Klaus Voormann, Derek Taylor, Sir Tim Rice, Jeffrey Archer, Willy Russell, Eddie Izzard, Sierra Boggess, and Chyler Leigh.Tim has worked as a writer for the Guardian newspaper, as well as editor for America’s oldest publication, The Saturday Evening Post, and as producer for LWT’s The South Bank Show TV documentary series – that included among others, a show on the history of Marvel Comics! For many years Tim ran a publishing company with his wife Jane and Gillian Baverstock, the elder daughter of noted children’s author, Enid Blyton.Additionally, Tim and Jane ran Mighty Quinn Management, as agents and managers to many musicians while putting on huge charity shows featuring members of Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones. These days, Tim’s the Editor-in-Chief for the Merseyside charity, Liverpool Heartbeat, creating literacy-based comic books for schools across the region. He’s also produced books for New Haven Publishing, who just released The Jolly Bloodbath, a piratical novel for children written by The Brothers Quinn, Tim and his younger brother, Jason, who’s a well-known comic book writer. Also, look for Tim’s autobiography, Argh, also from New Haven Publishing.

The brilliant singer-songwriter, David Pomeranz, has achieved success in virtually every entertainment medium. His songs have been recorded and performed by a long list of major artists including: Bette Midler, Kenny Loggins, Cliff Richard, Freddie Mercury, Kenny Rogers, Glen Campbell, Lou Rawls, John Denver, Missy Elliott, and Barry Manilow, who had international #1 hits with David's “Tryin’ to Get the Feeling Again,” and “The Old Songs.” David's concert performances have delighted audiences worldwide. His recording and songwriting projects have earned him a total of 22 platinum and 18 gold albums, selling over 40 million records worldwide.At 19, Decca records signed David to a multi-album solo contract. He subsequently toured extensively with artists like: The Carpenters, Steely Dan, Air Supply, Randy Newman, Rod Stewart, The Doors and many more. David’s solo albums include: "It’s in Every One of Us,” "The Truth of Us,” “Time to Fly”, “New Blues,” “On This Day,” and “The Eyes of Christmas.”He’s performed sold out concerts at The Kennedy Center, Hollywood Bowl, London Hippodrome, Universal Amphitheater, and hundreds more. David has written music and lyrics for major Motion Pictures like: "Big” and “King Kong." On TV, his songs have been featured on "Will and Grace,” “The Summer Olympic Games,” "Boston Legal,” “American Idol,” and Showtime’s “Elvis Presley’s Graceland,” for which he composed the score. He’s also contributed songs to the hit London Musical, “Time,” starring Cliff Richard and Sir Laurence Olivier. For the Charlie Chaplin-based musical, “Little Tramp,’ David wrote music, lyrics, and co-wrote the book with Steven Horwich. He also composed music for the Dickens classic, “A Tale of Two Cities” with lyrics by Steven Horwich and book by Steven Horwich and David Soames. And he composed the Tony-nominated musical, “Scandalous,” with Kathie Lee Gifford and composer, David Friedman.Beyond all that, David also hosts “SongSessions with David Pomeranz,” a popular podcast in which David talks shop with some of the most iconic songwriters of our time. Guests have included: Richard Marx, Melissa Manchester, Barry Mann, Paul Williams, Barry Manilow, Alan Bergman and more. SongSessions can be found at davidpomeranz.com and on major apps and platforms. 

The brilliant stage, screen, and voice actress, Melinda Peterson, has been performing professionally for more than 40 years. She was introduced to audio theatre in 1990 when she played all 17 of the female roles in Proctor & Bergman’s Power which aired on NPR as a regular segment of John Hockenberry’s Heat. Since that time she has contributed voices to NPR Playhouse productions, including working with all-star casts on We Hold These Truths and Empire of the Air for Other World Media, as well as performing with the legendary Firesign Theatre on The Great Internet Broadcast for the Toyota Comedy Festival in New York. And she’s traveled several times to Dublin to participate in Crazy Dog Audio productions for RTE, Ireland’s public radio service. Melinda is most proud that she was Norman Corwin’s very favorite Lucretia Borgia in his The Plot to Overthrow Christmas. She’s also led the casts of Agatha Christie’s BBC Murders playing Agatha Christie herself. Melinda has performed at regional theatres across the country and is a member of the Los Angeles’ classical acting ensemble, The Antaeus Theatre Company. She lives in LA with her husband, the great Firesign Theatre writer and performer, Phil Proctor, who’s also one of my favorite guests ever on StoryBeat. I’ve been privileged to interview Phil twice on this show. 

The brilliant singing duo of Maripat Davis and Richard Osborn,burst onto the cabaret scene with sold out California engagements at The Gardenia in Hollywood, and Sterling’s Upstairs at Vitello’s in Studio City. Their first show, entitled Let’s Fall In Love, featured a potpourri of classic American love songs from the 30’s, 40’s and beyond, taking a fun and sentimental look at the many moods of love from first blush to a lifetime love affair. Their second show, Moonlight and Love Songs, took them on a romantic journey through many of the memorable songs from the silver screen, past and present. In addition to numerous appearances at The Gardenia, they’ve also performed at: the Ten20 Club, and The Vermont in Los Angeles; the Central California Cabaret Series with Broadway star Luba Mason; Billy Reed’s, Azul's, the Annenberg Theater in Palm Springs; and the Laurie Beechman Theater in New York.Maripat began her performing career at the age of six. She’s also an actress and dancer with credits in theater, film, TV, concerts, nightclubs, cabarets, radio and records.Richard, too, is an actor with an extensive background in musicals, as well as classical and contemporary theater.Maripat and Richard’s shows highlight their strong vocals, gorgeous harmonies, special arrangements, and an on-stage chemistry punctuated by moments of great humor. Their shows run the emotional gamut from lighthearted to poignant. The common thread uniting all of it is a celebration of life, love, and romance.Please be sure to check out their beautiful album, “Here’s to Love.”

Please enjoy this Encore StoryBeat Episode, featuring John Davidson, one of the most extraordinarily gifted entertainers of this or any era. John’s probably best known for hosting the TV shows, The Hollywood Squares, That’s Incredible!, and as the guest host of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson some 80 times, more than any other singer.  John has also hosted his own daytime talk show, many beauty pageants, the Tom Jones summer replacement series, as well as The Kraft Summer Music Hall with regular performers no less than George Carlin, Flip Wilson, and Richard Pryor.  As an actor, John has appeared in dozens of TV shows including The Streets of San Francisco, Fantasy Island and The Love Boat. And he starred opposite Sally Field in the TV series The Girl With Something Extra. You’ll also know him from the Disney films: The Happiest Millionaire and The One And Only Genuine Original Family Band! He can also be seen in Airport 80, Edward Scissorhands, and The Squeeze. But it was John’s performances in the major showrooms of Las Vegas that established him as one of America’s foremost entertainers. If you have the opportunity, you must see him live! Over 50 years ago, John made his Broadway debut in Foxy, starring the legendary Burt Lahr. Later, John would star in State Fair, and win a Theater Guild Award for playing Curly in the Broadway revival of Oklahoma! As well, John played The Wizard in the Broadway musical Wicked.  He’s also toured the US in multiple Broadway musicals. And he’s released 13 albums on the Columbia Records label.John and his wife, Rhonda, created the geography card game, BORDERLINE USA. He’s also written a book and a play. And most recently, he’s been entertaining America as a troubadour/singer/songwriter/storyteller with his original songs, his jokes, his guitar, and his backup singers, The Inflatables!For more, please visit johndavidson.com.

Bill Mumy is an actor, songwriter, recording artist, producer, voice-over artist, musician, photographer, and writer. Entering the world of professional entertainment at the age of five, Bill has worked on over 400 television shows and is best known by fans around the world for the creation of many memorable roles, including: the iconic heroic boy astronaut, Will Robinson, on the long-running classic TV series Lost in Space; Anthony Fremont from The Twilight Zone; and Lennier from the popular science fiction series Babylon 5, in which he co-starred for five years. As a prolific songwriter and recording artist, Bill has produced numerous solo CDs, as well as being half of the infamous novelty rock recording and short filmmaking duo, Barnes and Barnes, best known for the classic demented song and film Fish Heads. He’s also worked with the pop group America off and on for over 30 years, composing, producing, and performing with the band. Bill has also served as a consulting producer on the long-running hit TV series Ancient Aliens. He’s written scores of comic books and television shows. And he’s collaborated with his Lost in Space co-star, Angela Cartwright, on three books. Bill’s autobiography, Danger Will Robinson: The Full Mumy, was recently published by Next Chapter Entertainment. It’s filled with fantastic stories and photos from Bill’s remarkable career in show business. Check out:ncpbooks.comBillMumy.com