The Firecracker Department with Naomi Snieckus

Our guest today is not just one, not just two or three, but FOUR iconic, hilarious, brilliant comedy trailblazers: Marla Lukofsky, Monica Parker-Savard, Gay Claitman and Rosemary Radcliffe. Last year during the Toronto Jewish Film Festival, I moderated a panel of these firecrackers, and we had so many laughs and great pieces of advice from these hilarious, storied, longtime comedy ladies!    TJFF...

Laura Rivas is the embodiment of joy and enthusiasm for her work. She and Naomi jumped into a conversation about her work ethic, the guilt and stress of no-budget creation and how our attitudes are what keep us focussed. Our team fell in love with her energy and excitement for her work and the collaborative process. In this #firecrackerAFTERSHOW we talk about how much we all understand Laura's jou...

Our guest today is writer, director, producer, LAURA RIVAS! She's worked on indie films, was an intern at NBC, moved up from a PA to an Associate Producer at Warner Brothers Television, wrote comedic copy for syndicated shows Two Broke Girls and The Middle ! From there she's directed web talk shows, dating docuseries, and has a killer short film lineup on deck. The hilarious digital series she dir...

Marquesha Babers is a legend in the making. She and Naomi had a genuine and inspiring conversation, discussed how life affects art and how an artist can be born without evening knowing it. Our team fell in love with her heart and mind! In this #firecrackerAFTERSHOW we talk owning your history, not being afraid to feel and how we are all emotional beings working to bring our artists energy to the w...

Our guest today is  poet, artist, mentor, public speaker, actor, Marquesha Babers. She was 15 years old and experiencing homelessnesss on the streets of Hollywood, when she met the filmmakers working on what would become a new documentary called AMERICAN STREET KID. Since then she's performed on VH1's Verses & Flow, been featured in The New York Times, and performed for global icons like Angelina...

Eva Taylor is a writer, script coordinator, former attorney, and the founder of Chicks with Scripts. Eva's worked on The Red Line, Paradise Lost, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, and more! Catch up with firecracker core members Naomi @snieckus Emily @emchurchill AJ @atotheje and Nadine Brito on the newest Firecracker Aftershow now! 😍 If you haven't yet heard the episode, listen where...

Our guest today is writer, script coordinator, former attorney, founder of Chicks with Scripts, EVA TAYLOR! Eva's worked on "The Red Line" for CBS, "Paradise Lost" for Paramount Network, and "High School Musical: The Musical: The Series" for Disney +.  We talk about obligatory television, genetic mental illness, financial honesty, sending family to prison, scholarships, hierarchy of TV assistants,...

Michelle has been on all our minds all year, just as she's been on our TV screens all year! From Netflix's Always Be My Maybe, The Circle, Tales of the City, and Work It! In this #firecrackerAFTERSHOW we talk about being funny without making fun of people, fairy godmothers with back fat, honest conversations, getting dressed up to go to the kitchen, and what the team's up to lately!  Catch up with...

Our guest this week is actress, comedian, writer, host, podcaster, producer MICHELLE BUTEAU! You know Michelle from Always Be My Maybe, Tales of the City, Russian Doll , and The Circle on Netflix, The First Wives Club on BET, Broad City, 2 Dope Queens , AND she's this year's Firecracker Department BLAZE Award recipient!   We met working together on Netflix's Work It, and on September 29th, @netfli...

Catch up with firecracker core members Naomi @snieckus Emily @emchurchill AJ @atotheje and Nadine Brito @nadine_brito on the newest Firecracker Aftershow now! 😍 If you haven't yet heard this week's ep with the glorious @thatgirlkarengraci, get on it! In this #firecrackerAFTERSHOW we talk about unplanned decision-making, energy flow, what keeps you creating, planting seeds, actors dating non-actor...

Tickets available NOW for our annual (now virtual) Firecracker Department TIFF Party on Sunday, September 13th! Our guest this week is writer, improviser, actor, producer KAREN GRACI! Karen's currently writing and producing a new, primetime animated comedy, The Harper House for CBS All Access! She's worked on Tuca & Bertie and Girlboss on Netflix, co-written for Blue on Hulu, AND toured worldwide...

We streamed a new, LIVE Aftershow to talk about director and Emmy nominee Lesli Linka Glatter's podcast episode. 🧨 Come join us for the chat, streamed live on Facebook, Thursday Sept 3rd at 1pm PT / 4pm ET! Catch up with firecracker core members Naomi @snieckus Emily @emchurchill AJ @atotheje and Firecracker Community Member Sedina Fiati @bwheelsheels on the newest Firecracker Aftershow now! 😍 I...

Every first Sunday of the month, I talk to a past guest about what's going on with them now, and we release it as a bonus episode on the pod! For the May Spark Chat, I caught up with comedian couple Jess & Eman, The El-Salomons! Hear what they're up to in 2020. Look out for July's Spark Chat with director Renuka Jeyapalan to be released as a podcast episode NEXT month! But first, Jess & Eman!    F...

Catch up with firecracker core members Naomi @snieckus Emily @emchurchill AJ @atotheje and firecracker community member Alissa Abeler on the newest Firecracker Aftershow now! Andrea has so many different outlets for her creativity, from animation to directing to tiny book creation, she really seems to do it all! This episode made our team think about how art can save you, being honest about how yo...

Our guest on the podcast this week is animator, writer, illustrator, director, artist, ANDREA DORFMAN!  She's written and directed shorts, documentaries, a feature-length musical drama, comedies with Ellen Page and most recently, the new comedy SPINSTER, with Chelsea Peretti. She's been Emmy nominated, adapted a young adult graphic memoir, and even has a viral video under her belt… that was ALSO a...

Catch up with firecracker core members Naomi @snieckus Emily @emchurchill AJ @atotheje and Sarah Potter @ssass34 on the newest Firecracker Aftershow now! This Aftershow episode, the team chats about Mozhdah's vibrance and artistry, her selfless choices, triple threat status, attempting to understand fame, and what they're up to now!

Our guest this week is actor, singer, TV host, champion of women's rights, "the Oprah of Afghanistan," Mozhdah Jamalzadah! She 's inspired women all over the world on her talk show show  The Mozhdah Show , braving death threats in Afghanistan to cover subjects like divorce, hijabs, child marriage, and violence against women. We talk about her being compared to Oprah, sleeping with a gun under her...

Happy 1st birthday to the Firecracker Aftershow! 🎈🎂🎈 We're celebrating with our first LIVE Aftershow to talk about actor/activist Carmen Aguirre's podcast episode. We chatted live on Facebook, Thursday August 6th at 1pm PT / 4pm ET! Turn on live notifications so you don't miss future live streams!

Lauren and Naomi met on Disney's Z-O-M-B-I-ES set, but their artist connection has extended way beyond actor + executive. Our team identified with learning to fail, writing to talk about how smart you are, the bullshit paragraph, systemic Canadian caution, not going to graduation, forward-critical-thinking, and learning conversations! Catch up with firecracker core members Naomi @snieckus Emily @e...

Our guest for your ears and soul today is LAUREN KISILEVSKY, the Vice President of Original Movies at Disney Channel! She's in charge of creative development of the Disney Channel Original Movies, as well as those for Disney Plus! We talked about writing to sound smarter, musical theatre, development & jobs you don't know about, shit sandwiches, resume typos, working as a parent, and so much more!...

Every first Sunday of the month, I talk to a past guest about what's going on with them now, and we release it as a bonus episode on the pod! For the April Spark Chat, I caught up with actor SARAH MCVIE, from Workin' Moms, The Handmaid's Tale, Odd Squad, and Detention Adventure! This was actually our first spark chat during the pandemic! I was in LA and Sarah was just back from a vacation and in t...

Jet's episode and journey made everyone want to be a part of her work! In this #firecrackerAFTERSHOW we talk about identity, blending labels, leadership on sets, their favourite films, social media's effects on creativity, and what the team's up to lately! 🧨💥 Catch up with firecracker core members Naomi @snieckus Emily @emchurchill AJ @atotheje and Sarah Potter @ssass34 on the newest Firecracker...

Our guest on the podcast this week is director/producer JET WILKINSON! Jet is from Sydney, Australia, and has directed some of Australia's most popular shows including Wentworth and Home & Away. She moved into directing in the US about 5 years ago, and has directed and executive produced The Chi, How To Get Away With Murder Season 4, and Netflix's newly released WARRIOR NUN, just to name a few!  W...

Celeste made us all laugh this week in her episode and on our Work In Progress panel, and in this #firecrackerAFTERSHOW we talk about selfishness and comedy, playing yourself, improvisation as self-acceptance, crazy ballerinas, her amazing attitude, and what the team's up to lately! Catch up with firecracker core members Naomi @snieckus Emily @emchurchill AJ @atotheje and Rebecca @rebeccaloops on...

This week's guest on the pod is actor, writer, comedian CELESTE PECHOUS! She's currently a series regular on Showtime's critically acclaimed dark comedy Work in Progress. You can also see her in Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Masters of Sex, Workaholics, and One Day at a Time! We talked about using your comedic voice as an artist during a crisis, 9/11, USO, making an impact by being vulnerable, impatience as...