The Yay - A Bay Area Theatre Podcast

Norman and I welcome local writer and director Katja Rivera. Katja has worked with various theatre companies in the bay area, including Shotgun Players, Eastenders Repertory Theatre, and Playground. We talk about Katja's beginnings in the LA area, her directing style, and the future of theatre in the age of COVID-19. Katja can be reached directly via Twitter: @katja_rivera SHOUTOUTS: The Private L...

Norman and I bring on Torange Yeghiazarian, a playwright, actor and founding artistic director at Golden Thread Productions. Torange gives us her perspective of American life as an Iranian immigrant and talks about her founding Golden Thread in the ‘90s, funding struggles amid the backdrop of Bush’s Iraq War and the future of Golden Thread. You can reach out to Torange via Facebook. SHOUTOUTS: The...

With the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, it's easy to feel defeated for the future of American democracy - but our next guest is full of optimism and drive to create a better future - for theatre and for the bay area community. Norman and I welcome Margo Hall, the newly named Artistic Director of the Lorraine Hansberry Theatre. Margo is an established actor who has worked at the Marin Theatre, Z Spa...

A 17 year old killed two protesters in Kenosha, WI – what would have happened if Kyle Rittenhouse had a theatre class? If you’re cast as a minority, are you bringing diversity to the stage or are you a token? And is Academy theatre training doing artists a disservice? Norman and I talk about all of these things as we bring on AeJay Antonis Marquis, a great actor, director, dancer and choreographer...

Norman and I welcome Cheri Miller, actor and director who has worked with TheatreFirst, Gritty City Rep and Eastside Arts Alliance. Cheri shares with us her journey into theater after years of working in the corporate world. She talks about her directing style, her experiences at ACT (both positive and negative) and where she sees herself and TheatreFirst in the future. You can learn more about Ch...

The Yay is starting up a new series: The BAD Summit - where we talk to Bay Area Directors of various theater companies to understand how theater companies in the bay area operate, collaborate and survive in today's economic and cultural environment. Our guest, Rebecca Ennals, is the Artistic Director of San Francisco Shakespeare Company (SF Shakes); she talks about her upbringing, her starting wit...

The Emperor is here! Norman and I bring in Jim Fourniadis, the former owner of the Darkroom Theatre and the producer of the Emperor Norton Musical back in 2006.. Jim toured with Steve Miller in 1990 as a back line tech and met Prince when they rehearsed in Paisley Park. Jim has a punk band called Rats of Unusual Size. Jim is also the author of The King Lives: An Elvis-ceral Adventure. You can also...

Can you be too real on stage? Can you be too grounded in the work and too absorbed in the emotions. We speak of this and other theatre subjects and Norman and I welcome Bob Zick and Travis Bedard - two college kids from New Hampshire who drive cross country to the bay area to get involved in theatre. Two decades later, they reunite. Bob and Travis are two of my former colleagues, whom I worked wit...

Existentialism: what are we, and where do we fit in society? Mix it with love, and you get the plot of Love The Struggle, the musical co-written by our next guest, Stacy Kray. We talk about the tragic suicide of Daisy Coleman (whom Stacy personally met), the writings of Jean Paul Sartre, the influence of Simone Du Beauvoir on the future women's movement and the process in creating philosophy and a...

Whether it's SF Shakes, the Aurora or ACT, she's been everywhere on the Bay Area theatre stage. She's Elizabeth Carter, and it's a privilege for Norman and I to have her on the show. We talk about the merits of theatre education, the subject of race in casting and the actor finding value in themselves. You can connect with Elizabeth directly via Twitter: #boolizard Bindlestiff Studios has an onlin...

Norman and I bring on Jonathan Williams, artistic director of Tabard Theatre, which celebrates its 20th anniversary. Tabard Theatre’s play Looking Over The President’s Shoulder, just opened this week – a live performance streaming to audiences at home. It’s the story of Alonzo Fields, the long time chief butler of the White House – starring James Creer. You can learn more about Jonathan and Tabard...

Spirituality. Connectivity. Are you connecting with the audience? Is the role you're playing connecting with you? Norman and i talk about this and many other topics (like the Living Document of POC Experiences) with Lauren Grace, talented actress and artist now living in San Diego. Lauren, whom I formally worked with while doing Othello (the Guerilla Shakespeare Company), is now working with the R...

Is there a real controversy with Hamilton? Should kids go back to school in the fall? And how do you deal with one misguided actor in a large ensemble? On this latest episode of The Yay, Norman Gee and I welcome Aureen Almario, the artistic director of Bindlestiff Studios, the only Filipino American owned theatre company in the United States. Last year, Bindlestiff celebrated their 30th year in ex...

She's an actress, a writer and a director. On her IMDB page, she's listed in films like Hopes Identity, The Confession and Robin's Hood. She's Kimberly Ridgeway and Norman and i had the pleasure of interviewing her this afternoon. We talk about AI's doing method acting, how black women are presented on stage and Kim's philosophy on directing and writing. Kimberly is currently teaching an online cl...

Norman and i welcome Brian Rivera, a local actor who currently works at the Intersection for the Arts, as well as the San Francisco Mime Troupe. Brian is one of the few bay area actors who's been on Broadway, understudying for The King And I. We talk about the current pandemic and the protests against police violence - we also talk about Brian's upbringing, his time in LA and New York as an actor,...

He was a recipient of TBA's TITAN Award for playwriting, the 2012 Emerging Artist Laureate by Arts Council Silicon Valley and the 2014 Leigh Weimers Emerging Artist Award. His play Writing Fragments Home was a semi-finalist for the Eugene O'Neill Playwright's Conference. He is Jeffrey Lo (Twitter and Instagram: @TheyCallMeJLo) and he is currently the casting director for TheatreWorks Silicon Valle...

The death of George Floyd has touched us all. Norman and I bring on Naseem Badie, actress, writer and political sociologist who studied at Oxford. We talk about how the death of a black man by the hands (or the knee) of the police is simply an extension of a greater systemic problem of imperialism that is endemic in many parts of the world. Naseem speaks about her growing up in war torn Iran durin...

In our first video podcast, Norman and I welcome Mallory Somera - actress, writer, producer and audio journalist who currently works for KCBS Radio in San Francisco (https://kcbsradio.radio.com). I worked with Mallory and her mom Earlena when we did a reading of Jeannie Barroga's Buffalo'ed and Mallory and I both worked at Bindlestiff Studios back in 2011. We talk politics (Biden's "you're not bla...

The Corona Virus or COVID-19 has affected all aspects of life, and theatre is no exception: all over the Bay Area, from ACT to the Altarena Playhouse, shows have shut down. Actors aren't getting paid, producers have to reshuffle their seasons and theatre owners don't have renters. Norman Gee and I get together to talk about the hard impact corona has had on all of us, and we talk of possible solut...

We're not letting a little thing like the COVID-19 virus stop The Yay! We have not one but two guests - Norman and I welcome director Amanda Bailey and actress Gretta Stimson – Amanda is directing Tiny Beautiful Things. We talk politics, Amanda and Gretta’s back story on how they got involved in theatre, and the amazing work of Cheryl Strayd and her play. We're well aware that most current shows a...

Judith Offer, who organizes staged readings at the Brooklyn Preserve, is our next guest on The Yay. Judith is a published poet and playwright who’s play Frame of Possibilities was directed by Norman Gee. We talk politics, her early days in Washington DC, playwriting in the bay area and her future. You can find more information on Judith Offer on her webpage: http://judithoffer.com SHOUTOUTS: The C...

On this episode of The Yay, Norman and I welcome Angel Adedokun, a young actress, singer, dancer, songwriter and “professional sunflower”, whom I’ve worked with, doing a staged reading for Lynn Aylward’s Snow’da’doh. Angel is also employed with Ray of Light Theatre. Angel talks about growing up in Indiana, her experiences with sexual harassment in the rehearsal space, and her future as a singer an...

On this episode of The Yay, Norman and I bring on ShawnJ West, veteran actor and director. ShawnJ is currently directing Sugar In Our Wounds, at the New Conservatory Theatre, which will open April 3 and close May 10th. ShawnJ directed me during the Playwright’s Center for SF two years ago. Norman, ShawnJ and I talk about concepts of directing, working with new playwrights as a director, and the ex...

On this post-Valentine's Day episode of The Yay, Norman and I welcome Maya Herbsman, certified intimacy coach and associate artistic director and education coordinator at Cutting Ball Theatre. Maya also works with the Intimacy Directors International. Maya just finished directing Ways To Leave A Body and will be working on Cyrano (opens April 9) at the Cutting Ball Theatre. You can directly reach...

On this episode of The Yay, Norman and I bring on Steven McCloud, a fantastic actor and singer (great vocal range!) – he and I shared the stage at the Town Hall Theatre when we did Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown. Steven talks politics, his time at San Francisco State, his work in the bay area and his views on the future of Bay Area theatre. You can hit up Steven directly via Facebook. H...