Empowered Artist Collective Podcast - for actors, singers, dancers, writers, creators and performers

What’s the secret to building longevity in casting while protecting your creative vision? In the final episode of Season 3, Jennifer sits down with Emmy-nominated independent casting director, Bess Fifer, to dig into the realities, responsibilities, and rewards of the work. Bess shares candid insights about navigating the freelance hustle, redefining success on your own terms, and why even with hi...

How does one build a career defined not just by talent, but by joy, leadership, and resilience? In this episode, Jennifer sits down with Kate Baldwin, Tony-nominated actor, singer, and teacher, whose perspective on craft and community is as generous as it is practical. Kate discusses her current play, Murder on the Links at Two River Theater, and reflects on her career thus far,  working with visi...

What does it mean to devote nearly two decades to a cycle of work while also leaping into entirely new forms? In this episode of our Playwright Mini-Series, Jennifer sits down with playwright, TV writer, and educator Mfoniso Udofia. Mfoniso shares how writing came from a place of healing and purpose and how her nine-play Ufot Family Cycle has grown into an expansive, intergenerational exploration...

What does it take to sustain a decades-long directing career? In this episode of our Director Mini-Series, Jennifer chats with director and choreographer Marcia Milgrom Dodge, who has been shaping stories on stages across the country for more than 40 years. Marcia shares how she digs into the heartbeat of each piece she does, balancing politics, social consciousness, and community impact with thea...

What does the ecosystem of a casting office and career look like? In this episode of our Casting Director Mini-Series, Jennifer chats with casting director and co-owner of the TRC Company, Claire Burke. Claire shares her journey from intern to co-owner, offering a glimpse into the intricate workings of a casting office. She emphasizes the need to balance artistic intuition with analytical skills f...

How do you honor your creative timing in a culture that often has other priorities? In this episode of our Playwright Mini-Series, Jennifer sits down with playwright and actor, Ngozi Anyanwu, for a conversation about claiming your artistic voice, holding your ground in the industry, and creating work that is both deeply personal and universally resonant. Ngozi shares how her background as a perfor...

How can performers turn the audition process into a collaborative partnership? In our first episode of our Casting Director Mini-Series, Jennifer sits down with casting director Sujotta Pace to pull back the curtain on the casting process and reframe how actors see the people on the other side of the table. A former actor herself, Sujotta shares how she collaborates with directors and creative tea...

What does it look like to lead a major cultural institution with courage, care & a commitment to transformation? In this episode of our Artistic Director Mini-Series, Jennifer chats with director, writer, community organizer & Artistic Director of New York Theatre Workshop, Patricia McGregor, about how her full identity shapes her leadership. She shares how she curates using a funnel model rooted...

How can you choose repertoire that reflects who you are, not how others define you or what others expect of you? In this episode, Jennifer sits down with voice teacher, pedagogue, and researcher Mariana Elosúa Serna to explore culturally responsive teaching and how identity, culture, and personal experience can shape a more empowering approach to choosing material. Drawing from her thesis work and...

What kind of work emerges when you write from curiosity, not expectation? In this episode, as part of our Playwright Mini-Series, Jennifer chats with playwright and screenwriter Keiko Green to explore how emotional intelligence, actor instincts, and a healthy disregard for traditional rules have shaped her distinctive writing career. Keiko shares how she began writing roles for herself as an actor...

How can artists and creatives enhance their online presence, visibility, and income using SEO? In this episode, Jennifer sits down with Tonya Lawson, a classically trained clarinetist and SEO specialist, to break down exactly how folks can use search engine optimization to grow their online presence and monetize their work. Tonya breaks down the basic concepts of SEO, offers practical advice on op...

What role does projection, video, and media design play in shaping a theatrical production? In this episode, Jennifer chats with Tony Award winning projection and video designer Hana S. Kim who invites us into her world where ideas transform into powerful visual landscapes on stage. From her roots in graphic design in Seoul to designing for Broadway in productions like Redwood, Real Women Have Cur...

How can curiosity become a roadmap for directing meaningful, human-centered theater? In this episode, as part of our Director Mini-Series, Jennifer chats with director and dramaturg Amy Marie Seidel, who shares her approach where sound, scent, light, language, and presence all carry weight. Amy talks about her relationship with Tectonic Theater Company, being mentored by Moisés Kaufman, and her ex...

How can one lead a theater artistically, logistically, and sustainably, all with deep humanity? In this episode of our Artistic Director Mini-Series, Jennifer chats with Maria Manuela Goyanes, current Artistic Director of the Woolly Mammoth Theatre and incoming Artistic Director of LCT3 at Lincoln Center, for an honest conversation about what it takes to run a cultural institution with integrity....

What does it take to move a play from the cloud of an idea onto the page? In this episode of our Playwright Mini-Series, Jennifer sits down with one of the most produced playwrights, Lauren Gunderson, to unpack the alchemy of writing stories that matter. Lauren shares how she begins every piece with clarity around the ending, staying obsessed with a story long enough to see it through, then revers...

How does one feel into being enough as an artist, and is art itself enough? In this episode, Jennifer sits down with author Stephanie Elizondo Griest to discuss her decade-long global exploration of women artists and the creative life. Stephanie shares the emotional, economic, and spiritual trade-offs she’s made in pursuit of a life devoted entirely to art on a path she calls being an “art monk.”...

What are the essential tools, systems, and values behind running a multi-faceted Broadway marketing and media company in today’s fast-paced digital world? In this episode, Jennifer talks with Katharine Quinn, digital strategist and founder of the Broadway-focused marketing and media company, “And That’s Showbiz.” Katharine unpacks how a series of yeses, content creation, and a background in perfor...

How do you build a multi-disciplinary directing career in today’s entertainment landscape? In this episode of our Director Mini-Series, Jennifer chats with Sammi Cannold, who shares her journey as a director of theater, opera, TV, film, and ceremonies. From directing Broadway’s How to Dance in Ohio to shadowing on Grey’s Anatomy to participating in Sundance’s Collab program, Sammi breaks down the...

What is the role of a publicist and what does the job entail? In this episode, Jennifer sits down with longtime arts publicist Adriana Leshko, Executive Vice President at Blake Zidell & Associates. With over two decades in the field working with institutions, artists, and mission-driven nonprofits, Adriana offers clarity around the distinctions between institutional, personal, and production-based...

What exactly does an orchestrator do, and what else is possible in the landscape of orchestration? In this episode, Jennifer sits down with orchestrator and founder of The Broadway Sinfonietta, Macy Schmidt, to explore the creative, technical, and entrepreneurial facets of orchestration. Macy breaks down the craft, from expanding a piano sketch into a fully orchestrated arrangement to choosing ins...

How do you navigate the delicate balance between creative vision, financial stability, and community engagement as an Artistic Director? In this episode, as part of our Artistic Director Mini-Series, Jennifer chats with Brisa Areli Muñoz, Artistic Director of the Musical Theater Factory. Brisa shares her interest in the intersection of artistic practice, justice, community, and healing and how tha...

What happens when we let go of expectations and write from a place of trusting your intuition? In this first episode of our Playwright Mini-Series, Jennifer chats with playwright, writer, and screenwriter Amy Berryman about navigating her writer's journey with intention, agency, and a little “woo.” Amy shares how different forms of writing activate different parts of her brain, how intuitive playw...

What if you redefined success as trying, wholeheartedly, for the things that matter most to you? In this deeply reflective episode, Jennifer talks to returning guest, Liz Kimball, who explores how her creative process has evolved since her previous episode (#24) and what it means to redefine success on your own terms. They unpack the impact of achievement culture on artists, the myth of external v...

Ever wondered what it takes to become a sound designer? In this episode, Jennifer chats with Tony Award-winning sound designer Jessica Paz to demystify the path into sound design and offer a behind-the-scenes look at what the job entails. From breaking down the different jobs within the world of sound to discussing the gear that is helpful to know, Jessica shares the nitty-gritty of how she got st...

What does it mean to be an Artistic Director, especially in today’s ever-evolving theater landscape? In this kickoff episode of our Artistic Director Mini-Series, Jennifer sits down with Lisa McNulty, Producing Artistic Director of WP Theater—the oldest and largest theater in the country dedicated to work by women+ artists. Lisa shares her journey, the lessons she’s learned from working at top ins...