Reed Birney played Uncle Vanya at SoHo Rep in 2012 in a translation by Annie Baker, with a cast that also included Michael Shannon. He joined us in December 2021 to discuss the character in depth. This episode marks our third installment in our Chekhov series as we focus on Reed playing the role of […]
Ep #28: James Newcomb (Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Denver Center Theatre, Shakespeare & Company) on Being Authentic, Career Hang Times, and Readiness
“I take great pride in the fact that as a profane clergyman in the theater—I think of the theater as a profane church, a place of worship—we honor the human condition, with all of its warts.” ~ James Newcomb Today’s guest started in the theatre at a very young age, felt adrift and wasn’t exactly […]
Ep #26: Elizabeth Dennehy (Star Trek, Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding, Guiding Light, and hundreds of commercials) on Being Natural vs. Casual, Propelling the Story Forward, and Saving Your Money
“I think the biggest mistake people make is playing their given circumstances instead of the characters’ given circumstances. Nick Bottom [in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’] is not trying to do a funny death scene. He thinks he’s going to blow your mind with his tragedy and it’s going to be the most heartbreaking death scene […]
Reed Birney on playing the role of Uncle Vanya from Chehov’s play – LIVE Discussion and Q&A on Facebook [Watch the Replay]
Professional actor Reed Birney joined us LIVE (December 1, 2021) to discuss the character of Uncle Vanya in Chekhov’s play of the same name. Reed played the role in a critically-acclaimed production at Soho Rep in NY in 2012, using a new translation by Annie Baker. Reed has been a working actor for 40+ years, […]
Ep #25: Randall Duk Kim and Annie Occhiogrosso (American Players Theatre founders, Shakespeare actors/teachers, Kung Fu Panda, The Matrix, John Wick) on Pursuing Crazy Ideas, Shakespeare’s Clues, and Your Own Discretion
If you have a dream and you love these plays, don’t let anyone tell you it can’t happen. It will break your back and tear your heart out at times, but if you have that dream, please don’t give up on it because the theatre needs you—we need the people who won’t take “no” for […]
Behind the Podcast: Mike Moreno of Actor CEO (Run Your Career Like a Business)
So don't be surprised!
“Instead of thinking of yourself as a freelancer, think ‘I am a business that partners with other businesses to tell stories. That’s what I do.’ So when I go into an audition, I’m representing my business, and you think that my business might partner well with your business on this project.” — Mike Moreno […]
Ep #24: Tony-Winner L. Scott Caldwell (Broadway, Regional Theatre, The Fugitive, Lost, A Million Little Things) on Self-Doubt, Pretending vs. Being, and Meeting Your Destiny
The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step, but if you don’t even know the direction you’re going in, the step you’re taking may be away from your ultimate mission or destiny. — L. Scott Caldwell If you’re looking for what it takes to be an actor long-term, over the course of […]
Ep #19: Alan Mandell (The Actor’s Workshop, Waiting for Godot/Endgame, Shortbus) on Samuel Beckett, Theatre Artists, and Always Working
Know something about lighting design, about set design, about stage management, about writing. The actors get most of the praise—but there are all these other artists. Acting is important and you have to work hard at it, but you’re not working any harder than anyone else. — Alan Mandell On the show today is Alan […]
Ep #17: Robert Goldsby (Columbia/ACT/UC Berkeley; Directed 150+ plays, 60+ years in theatre) on the Aliveness of Molière, Clear Transitions, and Being Blissfully Happy
Plays are intensely personal to the writers—when they write them, they’re imagining something that’s very vivid to them. You have to get into their head and try to find another vividness that’s truthful to the original. I’m all for the playwright; that’s where you go to study. — Robert Goldsby On the show today is […]
Ep #13: Tony-Winner Reed Birney (The Humans, Casa Valentina, House of Cards, The Blacklist) on Actor Despair and Roles That Scare You
Always tell the truth, but in the most interesting way possible. The range of human experience and expression is vast. There are many ways to react to a situation and still have it be utterly and deeply truthful. — Reed Birney Welcome back to season 2 and I’m excited to have actor and teacher Reed Birney […]
