Evil Thespian

Today I'm joined by Michelle Renee Bester! Michelle is an actress, writer, and lover of all things arts from Chicago. She has been seen on Chicago Fire , Amazon Prime’s Electric Dreams , and CBS’ Red Line as well as on several different stages in Chicago theater. In this episode, Michelle and I discuss her latest role in the upcoming Chicago premiere of Black Cypress Bayou at Definition Theatr...

On this episode of Evil Thespian, I am joined by Colm Summers! Colm Summers is the Artistic Director of Working Theater ! Working Theater is a working-class theater company that partners with labor unions, and cultural organizations to create contemporary performance work made for the 21st century. As an Artistic Director, Colm works hard to make certain that the company's ecosystem is built f...

Today we are joined by Sarah Groustra!!! Sarah Groustra is the editor-in-chief of 1319 Press, an indie play publisher that platforms emerging playwrights and advocates for newplay development! In this episode, Sarah tells us all about the publishing process at 1319 Press, and how she got into play distribution. We talk about the challenges of play distribution, the benefits of getting work publish...

David Roussève is a Guggenheim Fellow, magna cum laude Princeton graduate, and Distinguished Professor of Choreography at UCLA, whose work has travelled across the US, Europe, South America, and Great Britain, including major commissions by BAM’s Next Wave Festival and Jacob’s Pillow. He’s received top honors such as the "Bessie" Award, Creative Capital and Herb Alpert Awards, three Hort...

Anastasia West is an actor, playwright, and theater educator. In this episode, Anastasia discusses her experience writing a play that explores themes of generational differences and the impact of social media on young people. She explained her decision to write a play outside the traditional "living room" format, aiming to portray a more authentic and gritty depiction of Gen Z life, incl...

Daniel Holzman is a New York City based playwright! In this episode, I sit down with Daniel and discuss his journey into theater and playwriting. Many things inspire his unique storytelling, including his education, family dynamics, and cultural observations in NYC. While discussing his artistic background, Daniel also shares details about his play "Berlindia!", a psychedelic drama which...

This week, we’re joined by the thoughtful Sam Frye—a New York-based actor who transitioned from an anticipated career in marketing to fully embracing his passion for performance. In this episode, Sam shares his journey of building confidence through theater, navigating the challenges of auditions, and exploring the complexities of portraying characters with dark and intimidating given circumstance...

AJ Daniels is a filmmaker, poet, playwright, and stand-up comedian whose latest project is as brilliant as it is unhinged. And it’s called Hot Pussy Time Machine. In this episode, we talk about what it means to create something that’s both wildly absurd and deeply grounded. AJ opens up about growing up in New York, finding his artistic footing in Savannah, and why writing should only happen once i...

On stage and in the classroom, Joanna brings a fearless sensitivity to her craft. An actress, educator, and singer living in Brooklyn, Joanna is someone who carries story like a memory—personal, porous, and alive. In this episode of Evil Thespian, we talk about Torito, a new play by Dakota Silvey directed by Dougie Robbins, and Joanna’s role in bringing its textured world to life. We get into what...

On the heels of his grad program at the Actors Studio Drama School, TJ Boudreau is a playwright stepping boldly into New York City living, sparking stories that refuse to sit still. In this episode, TJ discusses his play, "If I Cleaned Everything: An Exorcism". It’s about two former high school sweethearts, brought together by a shared tragedy. TJ and I talk about why this piece is so pe...

Lourdés Zamora is a comedian, actress, singer, and most importantly, a public facing, cabaret hostess extraordinaire. In this episode, Lourdes discusses her documentary Anatomy of a Showgirl, which chronicles her peak year hosting a weekly cabaret show in the east village. She shares her experience filming the documentary, including but not limited to, being vulnerable, editing footage for the fir...

Dougie Robbins is a director and choreographer who is giving me life right now now! Dougie really brings enthusiasm, sincerity, and impeccable energy to the floor. In this episode, we discuss how drama is expressed through Dougie’s directorial framework, and, in parallel, talk about two 45 minute plays he’s currently working on. Topics include: good lighting, code switching, furniture arranging, a...

Jeremy Wechsler is Theater Wit 's Producing Artistic Director. On this episode, Jeremy joins us to discuss his direction of Prayer for the French Republic by Joshua Harmon, co-produced with Northlight Theatre . The play, set in 1944 and 1945, during the Vichy Government's fall, and in 2016 and 2017, delves into the complexities of personal relationships to their Jewish identity and the cha...

Frank Mosley is an actor and filmmaker from Texas, now living in Los Angeles. He is an alumnus of the 2015 Berlinale Talents , the 2017 NYFF Artist Academy at Lincoln Center, and Black Factory Cinema’s 2016 Auteur Workshop led by Abbas Kiarostami in San Antonio de los Banos, Cuba. He participated as an actor in the 2016 Austin Film Society Artist Intensive under the direction of Charles Burnett. M...

Jersey City Theater Center is producing CRIMES OF THE HEART in collaboration with Motherfather productions. Presented by Jersey City Theater Center. In this episode, we are joined by actor Audrey Rose Arnold and international film and theater director Albert Rudnitsky to discuss this play, in all of its paradoxes, and complexities. GET TIX HERE

Leah is an Irish actor! Leah's is playing the role of "yellow" in Dakota Silvey's The Maker: A Play on Words directed by Dougie Robbins. It's a new absurdist play about labels, the way we perceive them, and society at large, which often prescribes them to us. It follows characters who represent a spectrum of three colors, assigned to them by an omnipotent "Maker". A...

She also wears her heart on her sleeve in Dakota Silvey’s The Maker: A Play on Words  which opens on January 23rd at the AMT Theatre. In this episode, Eliza and I talk about self-defined roles as a means of self expression. How do our lived experiences inform our identity? Moreover, how do we communicate our identity to others? Eliza describes the play as absurd but also existential. There’s a pla...

Dakota Silvey is a playwright, pyrotechnician, an EMT, prior USAF, and former firefighter. Dakota's new play is called The Maker: A Play on Words directed by Dougie Robbins . It's a new absurdist play about labels, the way we perceive them, and society at large, which often prescribes them to us. It follows characters who represent a spectrum of three colors, assigned to them by an omnipotent "Mak...

She’s also a director, teaching artist, digital editor, consultant, and founder of the Let’s Make a Play playwriting program for kids and adults. Her first full-length play is called Agency for the Lost and it’s coming out at The Tank this January. The play deals with the dynamics of parental abandonment, work culture, and chasing elusive rewards, through a Twilight zone lens. In this episode, Ser...

Stephee Bonifacio (pronounced stevie) is an actor who recently found her artistic community within the past two years, which has helped her connect with other artists across different disciplines, describing how seeing others' creative projects motivates her to pursue her own "next big thing." In this episode, Stephee and I discuss learning styles in acting, and ways to observe the self in the eff...

In this episode, Producer Sophia Castuera and Director and Playwright Spencer Whale join us to talk about Making Our Space Theatre Company's inaugural production of Kin by Bathsheba Doran. Esteemed members of a company dedicated to creative communal spaces, they touch on the many things that make this play so contemporary. It's told through a series of scenes that might otherwise be found on the c...

Grayce Toon is a writer and actor. She's starring in Phil Carroll’s Failsafe , set to premiere at The Tank in New York City on December 8th. A contemporary take on grisly last ditch efforts, Grayce describes this play as pitch black comedy. It's a play that calls for a lot of emotional processing, and considering Grayce's balanced technical approach, she's confident that audiences will experience...

Mari Sitner is an actor and playwright, currently living in Inwood. Originally from the Detroit area, she is an exemplar of Midwestern sincerity and earnestness. Her new play, Nebraska , is a kitchen sink comedy that takes a turn for the grotesque, exploring the dark, hidden corners of family dynamics and desperation. In this episode, we dive into the inspiration behind Nebraska , discuss the play...

Samuel Vita is a theatrical and screen actor born and raised in the South Shore area of Massachusetts. Samuel moved to New York City in 2015 to obtain his B.F.A in Drama from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. There, he trained at the Lee Strasberg Theater and Film Institute and Stonestreet Studios. After graduating, Samuel continued to develop his craft at the Terry Knickerbocker Stu...

In this episode, I am joined by actress, producer, and fellow podcaster Michelle Moriarty! Michelle just finished shooting a film with our friend Juan, and presently, is preparing for an unannounced play that you can see in January in Bushwick (So chic). Michelle and I discuss the importance of scene study, and why it's important to stay in tune with natural impulses. If ever there were a single g...