Last week on the podcast I spoke with an acting teacher (Terry Knickerbocker) about techniques and the creative process for us actors. Well, this week a publicist will guide us through the business side of our profession, and how best to promote and grow our careers, not letting others and especially ourselves stand in our way. Join or Donate to WINMI - whyillnevermakeit.com Back in March 2021 I appeared on a podcast called sing dance act thrive hosted by PR and marketing coach Diane Foy. Other ...
May 26, 2021•48 min•Season 5Ep. 32
The last time a couple came on the podcast was way back in Season 1. And on today's episode Evelyn LeBel and her fiancé Chris Stepanek join me to discuss their different roles backstage, why unions are so important, and how networking is the name of the game in finding work. Give your feedback in the 2021 Listener Survey . This Broadway dresser and Master Technician would have been married last year but something called Covid got in the way, and it continues to affect all arts workers profession...
May 19, 2021•46 min•Season 5Ep. 31
Give your feedback in the 2021 Listener Survey . Ever since I became WINMI's sole host and producer, I have wanted to have an acting teacher on this podcast. Well, it certainly took long enough, but that time has finally come. Terry Knickerbocker has been guiding students for almost 30 years, having trained and taught with William Esper, one of the most respected protégés of Sanford Meisner. And The Terry Knickerbocker Studio is this month's featured Artist Resource. You can find a full list of ...
May 12, 2021•1 hr 17 min•Season 5Ep. 30
As you and I certainly know there is so much more to Theater then just what happens on stage. There are those behind the scenes and backstage, contributing just as much to the production of any show. The next four episodes will be focusing on this important work and how we as Actors can collaborate with them. Today’s guest is not only an actress but has worked as a dresser in more than 20 Broadway shows. But for Kimberly Faye Greenberg, performing in a Broadway show is still on her bucket list. ...
May 05, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Season 5Ep. 29
It’s really no big secret that having children involved in the performing arts can have a major impact on them in school and out of school. Well, today’s guests are training some of these young artists in a fine arts conservatory down in Miami, Florida called MoonAmie Productions. Monica Rosell and Priscilla Blanco join me to discuss their important work and the creative home they provide their students. Sign up for the WINMI Newsletter . My conversation begins with Monica, Owner and Artistic Di...
Apr 28, 2021•54 min•Season 5Ep. 28
In the last episode we learned the importance of producing our own work as actors. Well today's guest, Joel B. New, will show us that just because you build it doesn't mean people will come. After the hard work of creating, then comes the daunting task of producing and promoting it, getting others to take notice and support that work. Learn how Joel found unique ways to get the word out on one of his own musicals. " Strong Hands " - performed by Ernie Pruneda " The Fort " - performed by Marita S...
Apr 21, 2021•55 min•Season 5Ep. 27
At one point or another there is a lesson that all actors have to learn, and this past year has driven home that lesson even more so, and that is the need to create our own work. Today’s guest, Ashley Kate Adams, Not only added producing to her already sizable acting resume, but she put all of her thoughts and lessons learned into a new book called Be Your Own Producer . #BYOP - https://amzn.to/3wUPUF9 (pre-order for August publication) Join WINMI - http://whyillnevermakeit.com Follow Ashley - W...
Apr 14, 2021•57 min•Season 5Ep. 26
On today’s podcast journalist Marcus Scott shares his love of telling stories and how he suddenly found himself writing musicals. Sign up for the WINMI Newsletter Real life writing, that’s really the best way to describe the kind of work Marcus does. It’s something of the moment. It's meaningful, insightful, and true to the experiences that Marcus knows firsthand or has researched down to a minute detail. And one of the most ever present issues affecting Artist right now is the pandemic, and eve...
Apr 07, 2021•45 min•Season 5Ep. 25
While natural talent certainly plays a part in the capabilities of any actor to perform, there’s one skill that has to be learned and nurtured for any actor to really make it in this business, and in part two of my conversation with Joyce Hshieh, she talks about this all important ability to learn and memorize lines. As an actor she struggled with memorizing lines, but as a trivia enthusiast she learned several simple and easy techniques to boost her memory. She studied and researched the scienc...
Apr 02, 2021•30 min•Season 5Ep. 24
Almost every actor would seize upon the opportunity to be in a big TV show. But even with a BFA in acting and conservatory theater training, none of it had really prepared Joyce Hshieh for one of the biggest roles of her life, Becoming a three day champion on the game show jeopardy. Sign up for the WINMI Newsletter . In part one of my conversation with Joyce, we talk about her theater training and her struggle to find fulfillment as an actor. She shares how surprising it was to find herself on J...
Mar 31, 2021•36 min•Season 5Ep. 23
On December 23, 2020, Broadway and musical theater lost one of its most beautifully talented leading ladies, Rebecca Luker. In the second half of my conversation with Sally Wilfert, we talk about their close friendship and the last project of Rebecca’s life, a duo album called All the Girls . We also touch on what made her such a unique and special individual who touched the lives of so many. We also share personal stories of knowing and working with Rebecca, and discuss the legacy she leaves be...
Mar 26, 2021•33 min•Season 5Ep. 22
Sally Wilfert is a Broadway actress and an amazing vocalist who understands the rigors and demands of performing at the top of her game. In part one of my conversation with Sally, she and I discuss the difficulties, injuries, and self-doubts she’s endured. Sign up for the WINMI Newsletter . Unlike other jobs like accounting, engineering, or even medicine, singing is uniquely personal, expressing parts of ourselves that may go unspoken or unknown at any other time except through the music and lyr...
Mar 24, 2021•39 min•Season 5Ep. 21
As we talked about in Part One, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is what put Gabrielle Ruiz on the map. However, it was her theater training and performance abilities that made it possible for her to be cast in the show. In this episode we talk more about her time on the stage and what drives her most as an artist. Get the WINMI Newsletter - join.whyillnevermakeit.com Follow Gabrielle - Website / Instagram / Twitter / WAFF Podcast ————— Here are ways to connect with me and the guests as well as opportunities...
Mar 19, 2021•43 min•Season 5Ep. 20
My good friend and amazing performer Gabrielle Ruiz joins me for Women's History Month to chat about her journey from ensemble member on Broadway to a principal role on primetime television. It's a path many of us actors wish to have, but hers has not been without personal and professional setbacks. And in part one of our conversation we touch on some of the highlights as well as how she's handled the low points. Get the WINMI Newsletter - join.whyillnevermakeit.com Follow Gabrielle - Website / ...
Mar 17, 2021•44 min•Season 5Ep. 19
Fifty years ago this month 10 people were inducted into the songwriters Hall of Fame. Included on that list are well-known names like duke Ellington, Ira Gershwin, and Alan J Lerner. The only woman in that group was Dorothy Fields. But despite her talents for lyrics and storytelling, her journey to becoming a songwriter wasn’t easy. In fact, there were some pretty big roadblocks in her way. This episode Is presented in conjunction with Maestra Music . Women's History Month continues wirth part t...
Mar 12, 2021•42 min•Season 5Ep. 18
This week for Women’s History Month, I’m sharing a special conversation with Dr. Broadway about prolific lyricist and librettist Dorothy Fields, who collaborated with some of the most iconic and legendary composers in Broadway history. For much of the Golden Age of the American musical, Fields was one of the only women writing for the Broadway theatre. This episode is presented in conjunction with Maestra Music . Even if the name Dorothy Fields isn't completely familiar to you, her songs and mus...
Mar 10, 2021•29 min•Season 5Ep. 17
The church plays and school musicals of Carrie's childhood eventually gave way to on-camera acting and her desire to become a "black girl James Bond." So she was introduced to stunt work and martial arts classes, giving her a whole new set of skills that she also created careers of themselves. That's when she also discovered WeAudition and it online video community for actors. Sign up for the WINMI newsletter and get 25% off a WeAudition membership. We also talk about her travels abroad and the ...
Mar 05, 2021•28 min•Season 5Ep. 16
Carrie Bernans is the perfect person to kick off Women's History Month. She is a strong individual who knows who she is, what she wants, and usually how to get there. That’s not to say it’s been all smooth sailing for her, either personally or professionally, but she never lost her faith or belief in what’s possible. She isn’t just an actress, she’s also trained in martial arts, stunt work, and body movement in addition to theater. Growing up she not only performed in plays and dance recitals bu...
Mar 03, 2021•35 min•Season 5Ep. 15
In part two of my conversation with Brie Eley, she talked about her latest project that has been such a mountaintop experience for her and we get into her organization that promotes and supports black actresses, providing them with opportunity and community but also showcasing the vast diversity among these black actresses. Topics discussed: The High Republic - a new digital series from STAR WARS Pew Research - social media and Black Americans Nielsen Company - 2019 Diverse Intelligence Series r...
Feb 26, 2021•46 min•Season 5Ep. 14
When it comes to being an artist, Brie Eley is the very definition of a multi-hyphenate. She is a classically trained actress and improviser, spent more than 10 years in marketing and small business development, and she creates, produces, and directs independent productions. As Black History Month comes to a close, Brie joins me to talk about the wide variety of projects in her career, the daily grind of being an actor, and the persistence that we all need to keep going. Because no matter how bu...
Feb 24, 2021•28 min•Season 5Ep. 13
One of the hardest lessons for any actor to learn is to not take constant rejection personally. Adrienne Walker and I continue in part two of our conversation with stories from our own struggles and failures in the audition room and on stage. We also get into her YouTube Series called 32 Bar Cut as she seeks to help others navigate this tricky business. But first, I did a little deeper into something she said about bringing her blackness into the audition room and try to gain a better understand...
Feb 19, 2021•30 min•Season 5Ep. 12
While the goal of every actor is to perform, our day-to-day job is actually auditioning. As we continue Black History Month here on the podcast, Adrienne Walker from The Lion King on Broadway joins me for a very open and candid conversation about being in such an iconic show. We also touch on some very important issues: auditioning as a black actress and the need for authentic black voices in theater. But we start off talking about The Lion King , when it and Broadway are coming back, the show’s...
Feb 17, 2021•41 min•Season 5Ep. 11
In the second half of our conversation, Erin Cherry focuses on her weekly show Sundays with a Cherry on Top , a health and lifestyle show that showcases Black Culture in all its forms. She also joined playwright Mfoniso Udofia, Ngozi Anyanwu, and Chinyere Anyanwu as a founder producer of NOW Africa . This playwrights festival seeks to introduce, and sometimes reintroduce, artists and academics to the masters of African Dramatic Literature, both classic and contemporary. Thank you for joining me ...
Feb 12, 2021•35 min•Season 5Ep. 10
For almost a year now Actors have had very little in the way of exercising and using our creative muscles, so in this episode I wanted to remind us of the craft and joy of acting. As Black History Month continues here on the podcast, who better to discuss the ins and outs of acting with than Emmy-winning actress Erin Cherry. join.whyillnevermakeit.com Cherry, as she prefers to be called, coaches and teaches actors at Maggie Flanagan Studio in New York City. It’s a Meisner based acting program, w...
Feb 10, 2021•31 min•Season 5Ep. 9
The life of any actor is one of going in and out of employment. But for Geoffrey Owens back in 2018, his side job was captured in a photo and spread across the Internet. In part two of our conversation for Black History Month, Geoffrey opens up about what led to his job at Trader Joe’s. We talk about the importance of work and how hard it can be for Actors to find it. join.whyillnevermakeit.com Follow Geoffrey: Website / Instagram / IMDB ————— Season 5 brings with it a new ways connect with me a...
Feb 05, 2021•37 min•Season 5Ep. 8
Throughout his career Geoffrey Owens has been an actor, director, and teacher. But for more than 35 years he has been known as Elvin from The Cosby Show . As we kick off Black History Month here on the podcast I sat down with Geoffrey to talk about his own history as an actor, the lucky breaks that have come his way as well as the hardships he’s faced, the photo that surfaced in 2018 of him working at Trader Joe’s, and what it means to be so singularly identified with one show. join.whyillneverm...
Feb 03, 2021•37 min•Season 5Ep. 7
I think it’s fair to say that artist are an emotional bunch in general. We feel things deeply and react with conviction. And that goes for the wonderful and exciting emotions but also goes for the heavy and worrisome emotions as well. In part two of my conversation with Ashley Monique Menard, she reveals the yen and yang of her confidence and her self-doubt, she compares her dating life to Broadway, and has a few choice words for perfectionism. Join WINMI to listen to the Final Five episode: joi...
Jan 29, 2021•29 min•Season 5Ep. 6
In theater or really in any performing art, we have certain genres or types of characters and stories that fit us better than others. And today’s guest Ashley Monique Menard found her niche in comedy. But often, even what we’re good at doesn’t really begin to blossom and grow until we really hone that craft and work on it. So in part one of our conversation we’ll talk a lot about that comedy, how it’s helped her find and strengthen her voice, but also how an honest assessment of her talents and ...
Jan 27, 2021•29 min•Season 5Ep. 5
As the host of NPR‘s the big listen, Lauren Ober was basically podcasting about podcasts and through that became a bona fide podcast expert. Maybe you’ve thought of starting your own podcast. In part two of our conversation, she takes us through her production process on Spectacular Failures and what it takes to make a great podcast. Join WINMI: Website / Memberships / Newsletter Thank you for joining me for part two of my conversation with Lauren Ober. Come back next week for for my discussion ...
Jan 22, 2021•37 min•Season 5Ep. 4
Here on Why I’ll Never Make It, we focus on the challenges and setbacks that artists face, but there is one podcast out there focusing on the Spectacular Failures of companies and organizations. Lauren Ober is the host and producer of that podcast and is also a journalist, a noted speaker, and voice coach. In part one of our conversation She and I discuss some of the parallels between being onstage and behind a mic, but we focus mainly on the rise and fall the big Broadway production company Liv...
Jan 20, 2021•38 min•Season 5Ep. 3
