The following is the text work session taken from the full episode with Randall and Annie. In this episode, Randall and Annie share insights into working on Shakespeare through the appropriately chosen piece, Hamlet’s “Advice to the Players”—the one that begins “Speak the speech I pray you”. You’ll hear Randall and Annie discuss: Some of the […]
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 #22: Jeanne Sakata (Actress/Playwright, Hold These Truths, Regional Theatre, Dr. Ken) on the Joy of Discovery, Eagerness, and Redemptive Writing
What fuels it all for me right now is gratitude, because I’m grateful all these things are happening, and that there are so many more opportunities than there used to be, and when I’m tempted to feel overwhelmed as sometimes I do, I really try to go back to that place of gratitude, and I […]
Text Work: Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale with Richard Riehle
The following is the text work session taken from the full episode with Richard. In this excerpt, Richard discusses one of Leontes’ speeches in The Winter’s Tale by Shakespeare—it’s in the first act where he has his suspicions about his wife and his best friend having an affair. Leontes is speaking with his trusted advisor Camillo, […]
Ep #21: Richard Riehle (Regional Theatre/Broadway, The Fugitive, Casino, Office Space, 400+ Film/TV credits) on Being Open, Dependable, and Watching Everything
I’ve never felt anything personal in terms of rejection about auditions. I know a lot of actors do. I’m pretty good at doing the audition and walking away. I bring the best I can to the audition, and if that’s what they want, and if all the other stars are in alignment, I’ll get it—and […]
Text Work: Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130 with Tony Amendola
The following is the text work session taken from the full episode with Tony. In this excerpt, Tony discusses Sonnet 130 by William Shakespeare. As Tony shares, it’s almost like an “anti-love” sonnet, that it makes fun of sonnets that are too flowery, as it has a very different tone and style with its message. You’ll hear […]
Ep #18: Tony Amendola (Regional Theatre, Berkeley Rep, Stargate SG-1) on Stamping Your Own Passport and Following the Work
Being an actor in Los Angeles can be—if you’re not careful—living off the interest of your talent and experience. And every so often, you need to make a deposit, and that can be doing theatre in LA, New York, in the regions, or it can be a self-generated project, but you do need to do […]
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 […]
Text Work: John Webster’s The White Devil with Ray Porter
So don't be surprised!The following is the text work session taken from the full episode with Ray. In this excerpt, Ray will be discussing a speech from John Webster’s The White Devil, which is a Jacobean play and comes in the period right after Shakespeare. As Ray shared, plays in this period were much darker and a definite […]