The Yay - A Bay Area Theatre Podcast

On this episode, I speak to veteran actor Jay Krohnengold, whom I worked with when we did Candide, and who will be acting in All The Way, playing at the Contra Costa Civic Theatre on April 12th. Jay and I talk about his time growing up in the Bronx New York, life in the Bay Area during the tumultuous late 70's, and the politics behind All The Way - the Civil Rights story taken place between the de...

On this episode of the Yay, Norman and I bring on Barry Graves, a gifted black actor and filmmaker who was our Richard Wright for my play Four Men In Paris. If you’re in need of a strong black actor or you want to collaborate on a film project, hit up Barry at @poboyfilms. SHOUTOUTS: La Ronde (Cutting Ball Theatre) Mar 14 – Apr 14 www.cuttingball.com Jeunee Simon – good friend of mine – is in the...

This is a special Yay podcast, where we uplift the life of Jeff Thompson, actor and playwright who passed away last week at the age of 67. Craig Dickerson (Episode 25) and John Hutchinson (Episode 57) talk about their friend, remembering old shows and what Jeff meant to the theatre community.

On this episode of the Yay, Norman and I welcome Terrance Smith – a young actor who is now in Brooklyn Bridge, playing at the Town Hall Theatre. Terrance and I acted in Civil War Christmas two years ago and he’ll be playing Rev. Ralph Abernathy in All The Way (at the Contra County Civic Theatre). You can hit up Terrance Smith on Facebook or on Instagram (@youngtsmith23) SHOUTOUTS: Brooklyn Bridge...

On this episode of the Yay, Norman and I welcome back Alicia Von Kugelgen (@disneytipmama), who was previously on Episode 46, and she brings Dana Lewenthal (@leadingladydelights) on – she and Alicia are a two-woman show in The Mystery of Irma Vep, by Charles Ludlam and directed by Mike Reynolds. The Mystery of Irma Vep is produced at the Role Players Ensemble in Danville. Alicia is also a booking...

On this episode of the Yay, Norman and I talk to Sherilyn Connelly, film critic for the SF Weekly and an old member of the Darkroom Theatre, where I remember her. You can find her via Twitter (@Sherilyn) and Instagram (@LandingOnWater) SHOUTOUTS: Everyday Alice (Utopia Theatre Project) Feb 15 – Mar 9 (http://www.utopiatheatreproject.com) Norman Gee is in the show Maryssa Wanlass (Episode 93) is di...

On this episode of the Yay, Norman and I talk to Javier Reyes (@improvjav), artistic director at Colored Ink (www.coloredink.org) and Executive Director of City Crossroads SOMA. Javier studied cinema and television arts at SFSU and studied theater at Laney College. SHOUTOUTS: Everyday Alice (Utopia Theatre Project) Feb 15 – Mar 9 (http://www.utopiatheatreproject.com) Norman Gee is in the show Mary...

On this episode of the Yay, Norman and I talk to Deborah Murphy (Instagram: DMU79) and David Valayre, the co-owner of Generation Theatre - www.generationtheatre.com - and the director of their new show, Olivia’s Kitchen, or What The Cook Saw On Twelfth Night – opening at the Southside Theatre on March 7 – 17th. We talk about current events, like the latest Supreme Court ruling against Louisiana’s...

On this episode of the Yay, Norman and I talk to Krystle Piamonte-Jong, a veteran actress I’ve worked on stage with at Bindlestiff Studios. You can find her at www.krystlepiamonte.com. Krystle is currently in King of the Yees, a SF Playhouse production – that will be from Jan 22 to March 2. Krystle is on Instagram at XLE. SHOUTOUTS: Ah Wilderness (Douglas Morrison Theatre) Feb 14 – Mar 3 (https://...

On this episode of the Yay, Norman and I talk to Cynthia Lagodzinski, veteran actress, whom I shared the stage with when we did Skin Of Our Teeth at the Douglas Morrison Theatre – Cynthia will also appear at the DMT in the show Ah Wilderness in February, and she’ll be in Sojourn, the science fiction play at the Pear in March. Cynthia is also directing a staged reading of Boy, a gripping tale addre...

On this episode of the Yay, Norman and I talk to Armando McClain, an actor who has done work at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, CalArts School of Theatre and Crowded Fire. SHOUTOUTS: A History of World War II (Marsh Theatre) extended until February 2nd (www.themarsh.org) John Fisher (Episode 30) wrote and is acting in the show Honky (Role Players Ensemble Theatre) Jan 31 – Feb 10 Khary Moye (Epis...

Slaps! Being dragged down stairs! Guns! All this and more were talked about on this week's Yay, where Norman and I talk to actor, director, and fight coordinator expert Durand Garcia (sffightdirector@att.net). We talk politics, like the current shutdown and the weatherman fired for saying Martin Luther Coon instead of King, and Durand talks about the safety of doing fights and handling weapons on...

On this episode of the Yay, Norman and I talk to Maryssa Wanlass, the Artistic Director of the Utopia Theatre Project (www.utopiatheatreproject.com), and an actor at Cal Shakes. She’s also a teaching artist at the TheatreWorks Silicon Valley and Cal Shakespeare Theatre. Maryssa talks about her experiences at Mills College, studying abroad in London, her work as a teaching artist at the California...

Episode 92: Deb Carriger Interviews Norman And Reg by The Yay - A Bay Area Theatre Podcast

On this episode of the Yay, Norman and I talk to Priya Guyadeen, who played Velvet in Four Men In Paris – and who will also be performing at the Plethos New Years Day 2019 celebration. We discuss politics and other issues, like Offset crashing Cardi B's performance and Pete Davidson not handling the breakup between him and Ariana Grande; the government shutdown and Defense Secretary Mattis' depart...

On this episode of The Yay, Norman and I talk to Avi Jacobson, who will be in a new play, White Man On The Bus, playing at the Campbell Theater in Martinez, February 8 til March 3rd, 2019. Avi and I last shared the stage doing 110 In The Shade at the Douglas Morrison Theater. We talk about politics, Avi's growing up in Israel, and White Man On The Bus, a play that tackles race, class and cultural...

On this episode of the Yay, Norman and I talk to one of our favorite actors, Melvign Badiola - I've worked with Melvign at Bindlestiff Studios and he's done work at the Magic Theater and he currently works at Brava (www.brava.org). We talk politics (Kevin Hart dropping out of the Oscars; John Kelly resigning as Trump's Chief of Staff; and Kansas City Chiefs ex RB Kareem Hunt accused of beating a w...

On this episode of The Yay, Norman and I talk to Kieran Beccia (www.kieranbeccia.com), the director of a gripping and timely new play, SaRafael - a play that deals with sexual assault and the limitations of expressing trauma. At a time where even Neil DeGrasse Tyson was recently accused of rape (adding to the many other individuals accused of sexual assault), the play, written by Julius Rea, canno...

On this episode of the Yay, Norman and I talk to Anna Joham, singer and actress, who I last shared the stage with when we did Candide at the DMT. We talk about the horrible air conditions in the bay area; Anna’s beginnings in Oregon, her opera training at the University of Oregon and Oklahoma State, and her acting career here. And we wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving Holiday! We'll have our next...

On this episode, Norman and I welcome James Koponen, local actor, playwright and owner of the GibsonHouse Mystery Performers (www.gibsonhouse.com). We talk politics (the midterm election results, Trump firing Sessions and Trump's war of words with CNN reporter Jim Acosta and several black female reporters), James shares his theater origins and his current projects. SHOUTOUTS: Chasing Papeles (Bind...

On this episode of the Yay, I talk to Fallon Blaser, the owner of the Brooklyn Preserve, a former church now converted as a performance space for all artists in the Bay Area. (https://www.facebook.com/pg/BrooklynPreserve/posts/), @BrooklynPreserve. To donate to the Brooklyn Preserve, participate and shop using AmazonSmile (https://smile.amazon.com/ch/47-4342415) We talk about politics, Fallon's tr...

On this episode of the Yay, we talk to Charley Lerrigo (charley@playwrightcentersf.org), the Production Director of the Playwright’s Center of San Francisco (http://playwrightscentersf.org. Norman, Charley and I talk about the current state of affairs in America today (like the recent alt-right bomber that was caught and the mass shooting that happened in a Pittsburgh synagogue), Charley's history...

Episode 83: Linda Amayo-Hassan by The Yay - A Bay Area Theatre Podcast

Episode 82: Adrian Deane by The Yay - A Bay Area Theatre Podcast

On this episode of the Yay, Norman and I talk to John Warren, educator who has worked at the Tamalpais High School and helped create the Conservatory Theater Ensemble, a theater company made solely of high school students. John's earlier projects include the John Walker Lindh project, which got a write-up by the BBC (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/1779455.stm), Greensboro: A Requiem - focusin...