The Yay - A Bay Area Theatre Podcast

Aaron Seymour is our next guest for The Yay. He is an actor who has worked at the Eclectic Box Theatre and last worked with Jake Fong doing A Soldier’s Story. Jake and I talk about Aaron’s upbringing, his thoughts on bay area theatre and where he sees himself in the future. Aaron can be contacted directly via Facebook Messenger. Jameelah Rose has her own business selling healthy drinks - MelanA☥D...

Our next guest is Ryan Marchand, an actor who has worked with Theatre Yugen, the San Francisco Opera and Handful Players. Ryan was last seen on stage at Theatre Yugen, doing A Noh Christmas. Jake and I learn about Ryan’s background, his work in bay area theatre and where he sees himself in the future. Ryan can be reached directly by Instagram: gone_aw_ry Jameelah Rose has her own business selling...

Nicole Tung is an actress and choreographer and she’s our next guest on a special two episode Yay. Nicole is the former director and choreographer at South Bay Musical Theatre. Jake and I learn about Nicole’s upbringing, her work at South Bay Musical Theatre and what she’s doing these days. Nicole can be reached directly via Instagram: @nicole__tung Jameelah Rose has her own business selling healt...

Richard Perez, the artistic director at Town Hall Theatre, is our next guest on The Yay. I have had wonderful memories performing at Town Hall and it’s an honor to have Richard on. Jake and I listen as Richard talks about his upbringing, his education at Arizona State University, his leadership at Town Hall and where he sees himself in the future. Richard can be reached directly via email: Richard...

Jake and I welcome Tory Williams, an actor who worked with Jake when they did A Soldier’s Story. Tory talks about his upbringing in Little Rock, Arkansas; his time as an actor in the bay and where he sees himself in the future. Tory can be contacted directly via Instagram: @torywofficial SHOWS: The Oracle (The Lost Church SF) LAST SHOW Jan 11! Diana Brown (Episode 242) is in the show https://thelo...

Joey Alvarado is our next guest as we welcome in 2025! Joey is a veteran actor who’s last show was A Noh Christmas at Theatre of Yugen. Joey has also worked with the Pear Theatre and Z Space, among other companies. Jake and I talk about Joey’s upbringing, how he got into theatre and where he sees himself in the future. Joey Alvarado can be reached directly via Instagram: @tito_sexty Jameelah Rose...

This is the end of the year and it’s altogether fitting that we bring Norman Gee back as our guest for the last Yay of 2024. We’ll give an assessment of how the year has been, what Norman has set for the future and we’ll give Norman the proper send off and thanks for being a magnificent host of the Yay from 2017-2024. Norman can be reached directly via Instagram: @whosyrhoosier Jameelah Rose has h...

Actor, editor and color grader Mark Anthony joins Jake and I as our next guest on The Yay. Mark is a graduate of SF State University and has been on many stages in the bay area like Town Hall Theatre, Theatre Rhinoceros and the Altarena, where Jake and Mark shared the stage. We talk about Mark’s upbringing, studying at SF State, how theatre in the bay has treated him and where he sees himself in t...

Jake and I introduce Devon LaBelle as our next guest. Devon is a prop master and scenic designer who has worked with Crowded Fire, Shotgun Players and the Contra Costa Civic Theatre. She is a two time TBA award winning props designer for her work on Vanya, Sonya, Masha and Spike (CCCT) and Eurydice (Shotgun Players). We talk to her about her upbringing, her studies at SF State and where she sees h...

Bessie Zolno is our next guest on The Yay! Bessie is an actress, fight coordinator and an intimacy/violence choreographer – she was the former director of Center Stage. We talk about her background, her views on intimacy on the stage and where she sees herself in the future. You can contact Bessie directly via Instagram: @bessiezolno You can learn more about Bessie Zolno via her personal webpage:...

Jake and I are doing two Yays this weekend! Yesterday we had fight choreographer Brandon DiPaola – today we have actor Sean Purcell, who last performed with Jake in A Soldier’s Play two years ago. We talk to Sean about his upbringing, his studying at Buffalo State University, his life as a bay area actor and what he’s doing now. Sean can be reached directly via Instagram: @purcsn12 Jameelah Rose h...

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving ;) Jake and I welcome Brandon DiPaola, an actor and fight coordinator. Brandon talks about his upbringing, his career in the bay, and where he sees himself in the future. You can follow Brandon via Instagram: @dipaola.brandon Brandon’s resume can be found online here: https://resumes.actorsaccess.com/brandondipaola Jameelah Rose has her own business selli...

Brady Morales-Woolery is our next guest on the Yay. Brady is an actor who was last seen on stage in the ACT production, Private Lives. Brady talks about his upbringing, studying at UC Berkeley and where he sees himself in the future. You can follow Brady via Instagram: @bradalius You can learn more about Brady via his website: https://www.bradymwoolery.com Jameelah Rose has her own business sellin...

Natasha Adorlee is our next guest on The Yay – she is an actress and choreographer who recently won the Grand Prize at the Palm Desert Choreography Festival. Jake and I ask Natasha about her background, working with actors in choreography and where she sees herself in the future. Natasha can be contacted directly via Instagram and Threads: @natashaadorlee Jameelah Rose has her own business selling...

I had the pleasure of watching an amazing production of The Engine of Our Disruption, done a year ago at Central Works. Pat Milton, the playwright (Episode 270) is our guest host and the star of that production is our next guest, Chelsea Bearce. Chelsea and Pat has collaborated several other times and Chelsea just did a stint at the Flash Comedy Show last night in Hayward. Chelsea talks about acti...

Sinjin Jones, the former artistic director of the Pear Theatre, is our next guest on The Yay. I had the pleasure of working with Sinjin while I acted in Pear Slices two years ago. Sinjin shares with Jake and I his background, how the Pear is doing, why he stepped down as the artistic director and what his plans for the future are. Sinjin can be reached directly via Instagram: @sinjinjones You can...

Our next guest is David Maier, fight coordinator who has last worked with the Marin Theatre and their show Yaga. Jake and I interview David as he talks about the world of combat on stage, his upbringing and where he sees himself in the future. You can reach out to Dave directly via Instagram: @duelingartsdave Jameelah Rose has her own business selling healthy drinks - MelanA☥D is a black owned bus...

We’re back – and we have a special announcement. Jake Fong is the new permanent co-host of the Yay! Jake has been a guest and a guest host for many episodes and, as Norman redirects his focus on family and future projects, Jake has the permanent 2nd chair. And our guest for episode 300 is Miranda Liu, an actress who is now in the Loose Knit, a show that just had its opening last week at the Masque...

Ciera Eis is our next guest on The Yay – she’s the director of Pickpocket, a new musical written by Sandy Kasten and Billy Wolfe, produced by Musical Café. The staged reading will be on November 3rd and 4th at 7pm. Jake and I will talk about Ciera’s venture into theatre, her work with Musical Café and where she sees herself in the future. You can reach out to Ciera directly via Instagram: @eis_to_...

Jeannie Barroga has been on The Yay more times than any other guest - Episodes 18, 32, 221, 243 (with Raisa Donato) and 279 (with Ely Sonny Orquiza). There's a reason why: we love her so much. Talented writer whom Stanford has honored by having a section of their library dedicated to her, for her work on uplifting Filipino theatre - both in the bay area and throughout the United States. She and he...

I’ve been dying to get this incredible actress in our chair for a while now and she’s finally here! Equity actress Jeunee Simon is our next guest – she finished up playing Richard II at the Magic Theatre. Jeunee talks about her experiences in the bay area theatre scene, her education and background and where she sees herself in the future. You can learn more about Jeunee via her website: https://w...

We had Cary Ann Rosko (Episode 77) back in August of 2018 – six years later, we bring her back on! Cary is rehearsing for The Thanksgiving Play, which will open at the Altarena on October 25 through Nov 24th, directed by the venerable Kimberly Ridgeway. You can learn more from Cary Ann Rosko via her website: https://www.caryannrosko.com Bridgette Dutta Portman (Episodes 75 & 136)’s play, Coffee La...

Bridgette Dutta Portman (Episodes 75 & 236), now a faculty member of UC Berkeley and a member of the Pear’s Board join The Yay once again as a guest host, and we welcome Brian Freeman, a veteran actor who has decades of experience as an actor in the bay area. Brian and I was part of the development of the Baldwin Project and he goes back to the days of Thick Description, a theatre group that resid...

It's been a while but the Yay is back and Norman and I are happy to welcome Bruce Kaplan on as our next guest. Bruce is a veteran actor who shared the stage with me back in 2013 when we did 110 In The Shade. Bruce is currently in The Imaginary Invalid, which opens tonight at the John Hinkel Park Ampitheatre tonight. Bruce and I talk about his upbringing, our reflections on working at the DMT, the...

Episode 293a Live at Camp Monologa (Better Quality) by The Yay - A Bay Area Theatre Podcast