Alex Brightman is a two-time Tony-nominated actor for his performances in Beetlejuice the Musical and School of Rock. Other Broadway credits include Matilda, Big Fish, & Glory Days. Most recently, Alex was seen on stage in Lewberger's The Wizard of Friendship as Ketih's Dad. You can also hear him on the upcoming cast recording of The Wizard of Friendship as Flim Flam the Sausage Man. Alex can be seen on the current (and final) season of The Blacklist on NBC as forensic analyst Herbie Hambright. Other TV credits include Law & Order: SVU, Documentary Now!, The Good Fight, Blue Bloods, and Important Things w/ Demetri Martin. Alex is the voice of Pugsley/Temeluchus on the acclaimed Netflix animated series Dead End: Paranormal Park. Other cartoon credits include Helluva Boss, Teen Titans Go!, and the upcoming Scooby Doo and the Haunted High Rise. As a writer, Alex has developed series with NBC, Universal Studios, 20th Century, and Warner Brothers. He is currently developing Cleaners, an animated musical comedy, with his writing partner (and Spamalot cast mate) Nik Walker, and Singular, a New York romantic comedy, with 20th Century Studios. Alex’s play, Everything Is Fine, recently received a developmental reading/workshop at Manhattan Theatre Club (directed by Cynthia Nixon), and is expected to have its world premiere in 2024. Alex lives in New York City and has a dog named Kevin.
EPISODE 355 - YOUNG PLAYWRIGHTS UKRAINE
In the fall and winter of 2021/2022 Laura Cahill taught screenwriting to 8 young acting students from Kyiv on Zoom in English. Their last class was February 6th, 2022. The war started 18 dayslater. Most of the students fled their homes.
Laura reunited with her students and started teaching them playwriting.
On May 1st, she started teaching a second playwriting class that had been advertised on a aTelegram channel for art programs for Ukrainian Youth. It was supposed to last four weeks.
Most of those students were still in Ukraine, but some had fled.The May class went so well, they decided to keep going, so on June 1st, the two classes came together and formed Young Playwrights Ukraine.
On July 24th, six months after the war started, they had a reading of 18 short works withprofessional actors on Zoom for an audience. The cast included noted actors David Morse,Cara Buono, Ann Dowd, Kevin Corrigan, Misha Brooks, Bridgette Lundy-Paine, Ivanna Sakhno,Stefanie Lavie Owens, Oona Laurence and others.
The plays were subsequently produced by Orion Theater in Stockholm Sweden, directed byLars Rudolfsson, who had been in the audience on July 24th. The plays opened on March 20th,2023, to outstanding reviews and ran for 30 performances. Laura and ten of the playwrights metin person for the first time in Sweden for the opening night. The collection is soon to be published by Smith&Kraus
Young Playwrights Ukraine continues to meet every Saturday and Sunday to write. They’recurrently working with professional mentors including Theresa Rebeck, Peter Hedges,Jacquelyn Reingold, Kate Robin, Alexis Scheer, as well as Will Arbery, Stephen Belber, ErinCressida Wilson, Keith Bunin, Jessica Goldberg and Suzanne Heathecoate on a collection often minute plays that tell their stories of living with war.
Aside from the mentors, they have special talks with professional artists like filmmaker MaryHarron, TV creator Michelle King, Juilliard professor Kathleen McNenny, casting director RobDecina, Playwright/TV writer Aurin Squire and others.
Writers and directors offering help with this project include Warren Leight, Matthew Carnahan,Mark Brokaw, Paul McCrane, Whitney White, Lila Neubauer and more.
The Young Playwrights Ukraine Festival of Ten Minute Plays is set for August 20th,2023 on Zoom.
EPISODE 354 - THE FEARS
Steven Soderbergh (Producer) is a writer, director, producer, cinematographer, and editor. He most recently directed this year’s Magic Mike’s Last Dance, as well as the forthcoming HBO Max limited series “Full Circle.” He earned the Academy Award in 2000 for directing Traffic, the same year he was nominated for Erin Brockovich; and an Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for his 2013 HBO film “Behind the Candelabra.” Soderbergh earlier received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay for sex, lies, and videotape, his feature film directorial debut. That film also won the Palme d’Or at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival. Soderbergh has also worked as a theatrical director, creating and directing the play Tot Mom at the Sydney Theatre Company in December 2009; as well as directing the world premiere of Scott Z. Burns’ play The Library at New York’s Public Theater in April 2014.
Emma Sheanshang (Playwright) is a playwright and screenwriter from New York City. Her first play, Every Girl Gets Her Man, was performed at the Soho Playhouse. Greetings from Tim Buckley, a film she co-wrote with director Dan Algrant, starring Penn Badgley and Imogen Poots, premiered at the Toronto Film Festival.
Dan Algrant (Director) is a film director and writer. His films include Greetings from Tim Buckley (Focus World/Tribeca), which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, Naked in New York (Fine Line Features) and People I Know starring Al Pacino (Miramax Films). Dan has also directed HBO’s Emmy winning “Sex and the City” and award-winning short films including Some Film Chopping Wood. He directed the documentary Anything for Jazz about piano legend Jaki Byard, executive produced How to Grow a Band about prodigy mandolinist Chris Thile and the Punch Brothers and acted in Steven Soderbergh’s The Girlfriend Experience and Let Them All Talk with Meryl Streep, Candace Bergen and Lucas Hedges. Current directing projects include the film Little Rootie Tootie, executive produced by Whoopi Goldberg; and Cathedrals, a documentary spanning nearly fifty years of the lives of two young men living in the Cathedral Housing projects in Boston, MA.
EPISODE 353 - MIRIAM SILVERMAN
Miriam Silverman’s Broadway credits include The Sign In Sidney Brustein’s Window and Junk. Other theater credits include - A Delicate Ship at The Playwrights Realm, Everything You Touch at Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre, You Got Older at Page 73, The Hour of All Things and Finks at Ensemble Studio Theatre (Drama Desk Award nomination for Outstanding Actress), Septimus and Clarissa at Ripe Time, The Witch of Edmonton at Red Bull Theater, Hamlet at The Public Theater/NYSF and Bone Portraits at Walkerspace at Soho Repertory Theatre. Regional credits include The Moors at Yale Repertory Theatre; The Dog in The Manger (Helen Hayes Award nomination), Measure for Measure, All’s Well That Ends Well, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, As You Like It and the world premiere of David Ives’s The Liar at Shakespeare Theatre Company, where she is an affiliated artist; Extremities and Moonchildren at the Berkshire Theatre Festival; Peer Gynt at the Guthrie Theater; Awake and Sing! at Arena Stage, As You Like it at the Folger Theatre and numerous productions with Trinity Repertory Theatre. Film and Television credits include Breaking, Bad Education, Fleishman Is In Trouble, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisle, Dead Ringers, Elementary, Pan Am, Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Better Days Ahead.
She received her BA and MFA from Brown University and is a recipient of the 2011 TCG Fox Foundation Fellowship.
EPISODE 352 - JULIAN LERNER
The talented Julian Lerner is quickly becoming a star to watch on not only on the stage, but the big screen. Lerner will next be seen starring as ‘The Artful Dodger’ in New York City Center’s production of Lionel Bart’s “Oliver!” The show also stars Lilli Cooper, Raúl Esparza, Tam Mutu, Benjamin Pajak, and Mary Testa.Lerner can currently be seen in ABC’s hit reboot “The Wonder Years.” Lerner plays ‘Brad Hitman,’ lead character Dean’s (Elisha Williams) best friend, a smart, good-natured kid with a sense of humor. He’s described by Adult Dean as “the Pee Wee Reese to my Jackie Robinson. That is, if Pee Wee Reese were Jewish and Jackie Robinson couldn’t catch a fly ball.” Set in the same era as the original, the series is a family comedy-drama that looks at how the Williamses, a Black middle-class family in Montgomery, AL, in the turbulent late 1960s made sure it was the Wonder Years for them too. The second season is set to premiere on June 14, 2023. In 2022, Lerner completed production on “Boys of Summer,” a fantasy-adventure film directed by David Henrie. The film, which is set in the summer of 1997, follows a trio of best friends (Lerner, Mason Thames, and Abby James Witherspoon) who team up with a retired detective (Mel Gibson) to confront a supernatural entity that has recently moved to Martha’s Vineyard.
Early in 2021, Lerner starred in Netflix’s hit film “Yes Day” opposite Jennifer Garner, Edgar Ramirez, and Jenna Ortega. Based on the novel of the same name, “Yes Day” follows Allison (Garner) and Carlos (Ramirez) who decide to give their kids a "yes day", where for 24 hours, the children make the rules. Lerner plays their son ‘Nando,’ a fun, energetic kid who is slightly nerdy and has a love of science. The film was the streaming giant’s second-biggest Kids & Family release – it was watched in nearly 53 million homes.
For the past three years, Lerner has played ‘Lucas’ in the animated series “Alma’s Way” for PBS. Written by Sonia Manzano, Maria from “Sesame Street,” the show is inspired by her childhood growing up in the Bronx. ‘Lucas’ is one of ‘Alma’s’ best friends and is an aspiring pop singer. Lerner can also currently be heard playing the 12-year-old version of Brian Cox in “From Now,” a podcast series available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. The podcast also stars Richard Madden, Erin Moriarty, David Dastmalchian, and more.
On the silver screen, Lerner has been seen in Netflix’s “Pottersville” where he starred opposite Michael, Shannon, Judy Greer, Ron Perlman, Christina Hendricks, and more. He was also featured in Netflix’s animated adaptation of the best-selling video game “Dragon Quest.”
On the stage, he starred in the out-of-town trial for a new Broadway show in Fall 2019 called “Last Days of Summer” as well as touring the country in the National Broadway Tour of Les Misérables.
Lerner currently resides in New York.
EPISODE 351 - JULIA MAYORGA
Julia Mayorga was born in Los Angeles, Ca. She attended the Terry Knickerbocker studio in New York to study acting. During her first year attending the Knickerbocker conservatory she booked a series regular role on the show AMERICAN RUST. She is currently shooting season 2 of the show. Mayorga can also be seen in RARE OBJECTS starring opposite Katie Holmes.
EPISODE 350- NaTasha Yvette Williams & Kevin Del Aguila
NaTasha Yvette Williams Broadway: Tina, The Tina Turner Musical (Zelma), Chicken and Biscuits (Brianna), Waitress ( Becky), Chicago (Mama Morton) A Night With Janis Joplin( Aretha, Joplinaire) The Gershwin's Porgy and Bess (Mariah) The Color Purple (Sofia). Selected TV/Film Credits: “Partner Track” (Nella) , “Run the World ( Aunt Grace), “Harlem ( Rebecca), “FBI ( Mrs. Adamu) “New Amsterdam”(Esther) ,“The Good Fight”. Some movies: The Historical Thriller ALICE (Ruth) on Prime video and Disney’s BETTER Nate than Never (Principal), Follow insta @Natashayvettewillliams . Proud Black Theatre United and Actor’s Equity Member.
Kevin Del Aguila has been part of the original Broadway companies of Frozen (as Oaken), Peter and the Starcatcher (as Smee), and Rocky (as everybody in Philadelphia). He’s performed in a myriad of off-Broadway shows including Peter and the Starcatcher (NYTW/New World Stages), Love’s Labour’s Lost (The Public/Shakespeare in the Park), Jacques Brel (NYC revival), God Bless You Mr. Rosewater (Encores), and A Christmas Carol (TheaterworksUSA). His television guest appearances include “Peg + Cat,” “Law & Order: SVU,” “Deadbeat,” and children everywhere have heard his voice as a Troll in the Disney blockbuster movie “Frozen.” In his spare time, Kevin is a multi-Emmy-winning TV writer, lyricist for stage & screen (Lortel, Drama Desk, and Emmy noms), and book-writer of the hit comedy Altar Boyz (Outer Critics Circle Award), which made history as one of the longest running off-Broadway musicals ever. Kevin’s other stage adaptations include musical versions of the Dreamworks movie Madagascar and the smash book series Diary of a Wimpy Kid. www.kevindelaguila.com
EPISODE 349- KEVIN CAHOON
Broadway: Shucked, The Who’s Tommy, The Lion King, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Rocky Horror Show, The Wedding Singer. Off Bway: Hedwig and the Angry Inch ( also Boston, San Francisco, Edinburgh Fest ), The Foreigner (Lortel nomination), The Wild Party (MTC), How I Learned To Drive (Second Stage), The Shaggs ( Playwrights Horizons ). TV/ Film: Monarch, Glow, The Marvelous Mrs Maisel, A Series of Unfortunate Events, Nurse Jackie, Modern Family, Good Wife, Six Degrees, NCIS, CSI, Elementary, Franklin and Bash, Odd Mom Out, The Mentalist, Mars Needs Moms, So Cold The River, I Am Michael, Curse Of The Jade Scorpion, One Night, among others. NYU Tisch. @kevincahoon
Photo Credit- Dirty Sugar Photography
EPISODE 348 - DEIRDRE CONNOLLY
Deirdre Connolly is the Executive Producer of Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen. In 2009, she helped to launch late-night’s first live, interactive talk show alongside host Andy Cohen. Under Deirdre’s leadership, WWHL has become a late night and pop culture phenomenon, hosting guests such as Hillary Clinton, Oprah, Lady GaGa, Mindy Kaling, Jimmy Fallon, Mariah Carey and Jennifer Lawrence. The show has produced over 2400 episodes and was recently renewed through 2023. Deirdre also works in development at Embassy Row producing pilots and series including Bravo’s groundbreaking Fashion Queens.
Prior to her role at Watch What Happens Live and Embassy Row, Deirdre was a producer at MTV’s Total Request Live, which led her to temporarily relocate to London to launch TRL for MTV UK. As a prominent female leader in late-night, Deirdre has been featured in LA Times, The Washington Post, Boston College Magazine, Glamour and as a panelist for both Variety and NYWIFT. Deirdre’s success is a direct reflection of her passion and commitment to those around her and a love of making great television.
EPISODE 347- ZOË WANAMAKER
ZOË WANAMAKER is an actress with a multitude of Film, TV, and Theatre credits to her name. Theatre: Zoë is a 2-time Olivier Award winner, and 9-time nominee, for her work on the West End including: Once in a Lifetime (Olivier Award - Best Actress in a Revival), The Time of Your Life, Twelfth Night, Mother Courage and her Children, Othello, The Crucible, Electra (Olivier Award – Best Actress), Boston Marriage. She has also received 4 Tony Award and Drama Desk nominations for her work on Broadway in Piaf, Loot, Electra, and Awake and Sing! (won a special Drama Desk award for Outstanding Ensemble Performance). Additional West End credits include: The Devil’s Disciple, Ivanov, Wild Oats; or, The Strolling Gentleman, The Taming of the Shrew, Captain Swing, Piaf, Mrs. Klein, Dead Funny, The Glass Menagerie, All My Sons, All On Her Own and Harlequinade, The Birthday Party, Constellations. She has worked extensively with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre, as well as other regional productions including: Cabaret, Much Ado About Nothing, Kiss Me Kate, The Importance of Being Earnest, The Crucible, The Last Yankee, The Old Neighbourhood, His Girl Friday, The Rose Tattoo, Much Ado About Nothing, The Cherry Orchard, Stevie, Elegy, and Two Ladies. TV: Zoë is most known for her British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Award nominated work on “Love Hurts” (Tessa Piggot) and “Prime Suspect” (Moyra Henson), in addition to other television work on “My Family” (Susan Harper), “Doctor Who” (Cassandra), “Brittania” (Queen Antedia), and “Shadow and Bone” (Baghra). Other TV credits include: “Edge of Darkness,” “Paradise Postponed,” “Once in a Life Time,” “Agatha Christie’s Poirot” (Ariadne Oliver), and “Mr. Selfridge,” Film: Zoë received a BAFTA nomination for her role as Ada Leverson in Wilde. She has also starred in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Madame Hooch), Five Children and It (Martha), It’s a Wonderful Afterlife (Mrs. Goldman), and My Week with Marilyn (Paula Strasberg).
EPISODE 346 - DAVID GORDON
David Gordon is editor of TheaterMania.com and president of the Outer Critics Circle. He made his Broadway debut playing himself in The Prom, and is most proud to be Felicia's husband, McKayla's father, and Umm and Omar's cat parent.
EPISODE 345 - AMY IRVING
Amy was brought up in the world of theater. She was put on stage from the time she was nine-months-old, her father was the director and her mother was the actress, they didn't want baby sitters for their children, so if she wasn't performing, she would stay in the wardrobe department or her mother used to put her in the second row center where she could watch her. And, before she was 10-years-old, she had already worked in several plays. At a young age, Amy Irving was trained at the American Conservatory Theater and Britain's London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts (L.A.M.A.D.A.). She made her off-Broadway debut at the age of 17 and, from that moment to date, she received critical acclaim, appearing in such plays as: "Heartbreak House" (1983), "The Road to Mecca" (1988), "Broken Glass" (1994), "The Three Sisters" (1997), "The Guys" (2002), "Ghosts" (2002) and "Celadine" (2004), among others.
In 1976, Amy made her film debut, playing "Sue Snell", one of her most unforgettable characters in Stephen King's Carrie (1976), a classic in the horror genre, taken to the big screen by director Brian De Palma. For the next few years, Irving continued working in important films, The Fury (1978), also directed by De Palma, Voices (1979) and The Competition (1980). Later, in 1983, she gave a fine performance as "Hadass", in Barbra Streisand's Yentl (1983), and won an Oscar nomination for her great work in that successful film. Two of her best opportunities arrived in the late 80s, when she played "Anna Anderson" in Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna (1986) and "Isabelle Grossman" in the romantic comedy, Crossing Delancey (1988); she received a Golden Globe nomination for each movie.
She went on to starring roles in Voices, Honeysuckle Rose, The Competition and Micki and Maude.
In 2023 Amy released her album -BORN IN A TRUNK- featuring ten cover songs pulled from her life and career.
Photo Credit- Gabriel Barreto
EPISODE 344 - TAYLOR IMAN JONES
TAYLOR IMAN JONES currently stars in SIX on Broadway and recently played Andy in the new musical The Devil Wears Prada in Chicago.
Broadway: original casts of Head over Heels and Groundhog Day. Off-Broadway and regional: Roundabout’s Scotland, PA; Tale of Despereaux; The Who’s Tommy at Kennedy Center; Hamilton and American Idiot tours.
EPISODE 343 - DAVID MARSHALL GRANT
DAVID MARSHALL GRANT… Broadway credits include “Bent,” so-starring with Richard Gere, and “Angels in America,” for which he was nominated for a Tony Award and a Drama Desk Award. He has appeared in over twenty-five movies, including “American Flyer,” “The Chamber,” “Air America,” “Stepford Wives,” and “The Devil Wears Prada.”
Television work include Bobby Kennedy in “Citizen Cohn,” “And the Band Played On,” “Thirty-Something,” “Party Down,” and “Career Opportunities in Murder and Mayhem,” which will air this summer on Hulu.
David’s first play, “Snakebit” was produced off Broadway and was nominated for a Drama Desk award, an Outer Critics Circle Award and was named one of Time Magazine’s best plays of the year. Other plays include “Current Events” at The Manhattan Theater Club, and “Pen” at Playwrights Horizons. He has been a writer/executive producer on “Brothers and Sisters,” “Nashville,” “Smash,” “Code Black,” and “A Million Little Things.”
He recently co-wrote the film, “Spoiler Alert” with Dan Savage.
EPISODE 342- JENNIFER KAHN
When she's not not behind her computer or visiting the shops in Florida and Houston, our CEO and Founder Jennifer Wheeler Kahn is probably chasing her two boys #InternHudson and #InternJudah around the house, park, library, or museum.
Kahn was a professional Stage Manager for 17 years getting to work on such shows as: The Deaf West Revival of Spring Awakening (Broadway), In the Heights (National Tour), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (La Jolla Playhouse and Paper Mill Playhouse), Hold Onto me Darling (Off-Broadway at the Atlantic), Kinship (starring Cynthia Nixon and Christopher Lowell at Williamstown Theatre Festival), and many productions at The Old Globe Theatre and La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego.
Over her last 4 years as a Stage Manager she also ran a blog on giveback and ethical style. SCENERY was born as the love child of these two parts of her heart. Ethical style, Theatre, and giving back to make theatre more accessible for others.
EPISODE 341 - ADRIAN HOLMES
With over 100 film and television credits to his name, award-winning actor, Adrian Holmes, has become one to watch in the entertainment industry. He can be seen starring opposite Ian Somerhalder, in the Netflix vampire-drama series, "V Wars" based on the popular bestselling book series by Jonathan Maberry. The series follows Dr. Luther Swann (Somerhalder) who enters a world of untold horror when a mysterious virus transforms his best friend, Michael Fayne (Holmes), into a murderous predator.
On the film front, Holmes can be seen in the Universal Pictures' action-thriller "Skyscraper" alongside Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson.
Holmes is well-known for starring as Nick Barron on Bravo's original award winning series, "19-2" and for his portrayal of Captain Pike on the long running CW series, "Arrow." In 2017, he took home Canada's top honor in film and television for "19-2," with the Canadian Screen Award for Best Male Lead in a Dramatic Series. The show also won Best Drama series at the 2016 Canadian Screen Awards and was also nominated for a 2016 International Emmy Award. "19-2" is now streaming on Crave TV, Akorn, and Amazon.
In addition to working in front of the camera, Holmes received a producer credit, for co-producing, alongside Step by Step Productions, the docudrama "Barrow: Freedom Fighter", which was shot in his homeland of Barbados.
Additional film credits include Sony/TriStar Pictures' "Elysium" & "Debug", WWE Studios' "Vendetta," "Frankie & Alice", IFC's "Wrecked", and Warner Bros' "Red Riding Hood".
Born in Wrexham, North Wales, with family from Barbados, Holmes grew up in and around Vancouver, British Columbia. The eldest of three boys, Holmes was a natural entertainer as a child. In junior high school, his drama class wrote a play for a local drama festival called, "The Challenge: An Environmental Happening" which was awarded Outstanding Junior Play, and Holmes awarded Outstanding Junior Actor. From that moment on he knew he wanted to pursue a career in acting.
He continued to perform in stage productions throughout high school and college and studied his craft in Vancouver with a few different coaches including world-renowned coach Larry Moss, and Ivana Chubbuck. He also studied in New York at Black Nexxus Inc. held at the Times Square Arts Centre.
In 2004, Holmes received his first LEO Award nomination [the Canadian Emmys], for his work in the series "The Collector" and then again in 2017 for his work in "19-2." In 2020 he had won for his work in the comedy Web-Series, "Hospital Show".
When he isn't working, Holmes enjoys traveling, and tries to get back to see his family in England and Barbados as much as possible. He likes to keep active in his down time and is always up for a good round of golf. Holmes splits his time between Vancouver, LA and London.
Hello, World!
With over 100 film and television credits to his name, award-winning actor, Adrian Holmes, has become one to watch in the entertainment industry. He can be seen starring opposite Ian Somerhalder, in the Netflix vampire-drama series, "V Wars" based on the popular bestselling book series by Jonathan Maberry. The series follows Dr. Luther Swann (Somerhalder) who enters a world of untold horror when a mysterious virus transforms his best friend, Michael Fayne (Holmes), into a murderous predator.On the film front, Holmes can be seen in the Universal Pictures' action-thriller "Skyscraper" alongside Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson.Holmes is well-known for starring as Nick Barron on Bravo's original award winning series, "19-2" and for his portrayal of Captain Pike on the long running CW series, "Arrow." In 2017, he took home Canada's top honor in film and television for "19-2," with the Canadian Screen Award for Best Male Lead in a Dramatic Series. The show also won Best Drama series at the 2016 Canadian Screen Awards and was also nominated for a 2016 International Emmy Award. "19-2" is now streaming on Crave TV, Akorn, and Amazon.In addition to working in front of the camera, Holmes received a producer credit, for co-producing, alongside Step by Step Productions, the docudrama "Barrow: Freedom Fighter", which was shot in his homeland of Barbados.Additional film credits include Sony/TriStar Pictures' "Elysium" & "Debug", WWE Studios' "Vendetta," "Frankie & Alice", IFC's "Wrecked", and Warner Bros' "Red Riding Hood".Born in Wrexham, North Wales, with family from Barbados, Holmes grew up in and around Vancouver, British Columbia. The eldest of three boys, Holmes was a natural entertainer as a child. In junior high school, his drama class wrote a play for a local drama festival called, "The Challenge: An Environmental Happening" which was awarded Outstanding Junior Play, and Holmes awarded Outstanding Junior Actor. From that moment on he knew he wanted to pursue a career in acting.He continued to perform in stage productions throughout high school and college and studied his craft in Vancouver with a few different coaches including world-renowned coach Larry Moss, and Ivana Chubbuck. He also studied in New York at Black Nexxus Inc. held at the Times Square Arts Centre.In 2004, Holmes received his first LEO Award nomination [the Canadian Emmys], for his work in the series "The Collector" and then again in 2017 for his work in "19-2." In 2020 he had won for his work in the comedy Web-Series, "Hospital Show".When he isn't working, Holmes enjoys traveling, and tries to get back to see his family in England and Barbados as much as possible. He likes to keep active in his down time and is always up for a good round of golf. Holmes splits his time between Vancouver, LA and London.
EPISODE 340 - JESSICA STONE
Jessica Stone worked as an actress on and off-Broadway, in television and in film for decades before transitioning to directing. Broadway credits included Anything Goes, Butley, The Odd Couple, The Smell of the Kill, Design for Living, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and Grease. Her directing career began in earnest with her all-male 2010 production of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum for the Williamstown Theatre Festival. She has since been directing all over the country at such theaters as The Old Globe, A.C.T, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Huntington Theatre Company, Two River Theatre Company, and the Williamstown Theatre Festival among others. Productions include As You Like It, Kate Hamill’s Vanity Fair, Barefoot in the Park, Dancing at Lughnasa, Bad Dates, Ken Ludwig’s Robin Hood! (world premiere), Ripcord, Bad Jews, Arms and the Man, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, Charlotte’s Web, June Moon, Last of the Red Hot Lovers, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and Absurd Person Singular, Kimberly Akimbo (off-Broadway premiere at the Atlantic). Most recently, Stone directed the original Broadway musical Kimberly Akimbo, which opened in November 2022. She currently lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two sons.
“Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.”
EPISODE 339 - NICHOLAS PODANY
Classically trained actor Nicholas Podany is quickly making a name for himself in the world of entertainment. Nicholas started his career on Broadway in the wildly successful play Harry Potter and The Cursed Child as Albus Potter.
Nicholas will next be seen in the upcoming Apple TV+ series Hello Tomorrow! alongside Billy Crudup, Hank Azaria and Allison Pill. The series, which is set in a retro-future world, centers around a group of traveling salesmen hawking lunar timeshares. It will premiere in February of 2023.
His other television credits include: the CW’s Hart of Dixie and Netflix’s Archive 81.
Nicholas is also a singer songwriter, who served as a singer/bassist for the rock band Across Coves. The band has embarked on many tours across the country, opening for bands such as Maroon 5. Nicholas has also released four solo songs, including “Telling Myself” which was released in February 2020.
Nicholas is a Juilliard graduate who currently resides in New York City.
EPISODE 338 - JENNIFER SIMARD
Jennifer Simard is a Tony Award, four-time Drama Desk Award, three-time Drama League Award and Lucille Lortel Award nominee.
Broadway credits include: Company (Sarah); Mean Girls (Adult Woman); Disaster! (Sister Mary Downey, Tony nomination); Hello, Dolly! (Ernestina); The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (opposite Mo Rocca); and the companies of Sister Act and Shrek the Musical.
Off-Broadway credits include the original companies of Forbidden Broadway: SVU; The Thing About Men; and I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change. Film credits include The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas, Wish You Were Dead and Sisters.
Television credits include: "Girls5Eva," “The Good Wife,” “Law & Order,” “Law & Order: SVU,” “The King of Queens”, and “Younger.”
Jennifer can be seen playing the role of 'Patsy' in Ray Romano's upcoming Feature Film directorial debut dramedy.
Photo Credit- Sarah Jenkins
EPISODE 337 - TAMSEN FADAL
Tamsen Fadal is known as a primetime evening news anchor in New York City and the host of a nationally syndicated entertainment show, and while reporting is her profession, ( she has won 13 emmy awards.)
Today, she is also a menopause advocate for women, including in the (news) workplace. She is working on implementing a menopause policy at one of the largest media companies in the country and she has taken her advocacy to social media where she releases new videos each day to talk to other women who are going through the same life change. She has garnered a passionate, loyal social media following by sharing her journey of midlife, menopause and finding meaning. No other on air female reporter is taking such a bold step to put it all out there and break this stigma of talking about “the change”.Tamsen anchors four newscasts daily in New York City on WPIX-TV, and can be seen at the anchor desk at 4, 5, 6, and 10 p.m. each weeknight. She also hosts and produces a weekly national television show The Broadway Show with Tamsen Fadal that nationally airs in 118 markets across the US, covering 92% of the country and targeting a demographic that is 68-percent women.
But it was her own experience off-camera that changed her life. Tamsen landed on the bathroom floor as the result of severe menopause symptoms. Feeling isolated, ashamed, and experiencing these very severe symptoms with her hormones all over the place, in an industry that values youth – Tamsen decided it was time to change the narrative and talk openly about the uncertainty and fear that goes along with the intersection of midlife and menopause.
Tamsen is no stranger to life change. After co-founding a matchmaking business in New York City with her then-husband, she went through a very public divorce at age 40. She chose to speak to women about how to navigate endings and create new beginnings in her book The New Single (St. Martin’s Press, 2015) with appearances including The CBS Early Show, TODAY Show, Good Morning America, and Lifetime.
Now, at the age of 50, Tamsen found her life purpose as a menopause and midlife advocate for women. She has established a dedicated TikTok community of 150,000+ and growing by being raw, open, and honest about her experiences. She was recently featured in Forbes and Bloomberg as one of the leading voices to bring menopause to the forefront of the TikTok platform. She hosts a weekly podcast, Coming Up Next with Tamsen Fadal, featuring interviews with wellness experts, doctors, and authors about how to approach the next stage of your life boldly. Additionally, she has a weekly newsletter, a digital video series about menopause, and is developing a documentary about midlife, all with the intention of creating purpose-driven content to address navigating change, gender equality and women’s health.
Having lost her mother to breast cancer in 1990 and her stepmother last year to the same disease, Tamsen is also a fierce advocate of educating women and their families about this devastating killer, giving all women a chance at early detection. She is involved in a range of charitable organizations, including Best Buddies International Board and SHARE Cancer Support. She is a member of New York Women in Communications (NYWICI), Women Health Innovation Coalition (accelerating women in health and life sciences), and the Women Insider Network (WIN).
Today she is living out her second act in many ways.
Tamsen went back to school at the IIN Integrative Institute of Nutrition to become certified as a Menopause Wellness Coach.
Last year, at the age of 50 she found happiness and married her husband, television studio co-founder, Ira Bernstein. She lives in Manhattan and Santa Monica with her husband and their soon-to-be 18-year-old (!) Chihuahua.