The Educated Actor

In today's TEA episode, Natalie, Mat, and Caroline sit down with actor Cassie Moronez and costume tech, Nick Lamb, about what filming during the pandemic has been like, how to be a model for COVID safety on set, and ways you can get into the film industry.

Cassie Moronez is a Bay Area native whose heart has always belonged to Los Angeles. She is a Latinx creator, actor, director and believer in growing more knowledge about yourself and the world that surrounds us. She studied theatre performance for over 6 years finishing with her BA Theatre Arts in Performance from CSULB. For the span of almost 14 years, she has incorporated the arts in almost every aspect of her life. She continuously strive to grow her abilities as an artist seeking out any outlet she can. She's a full time (newly SAG-AFTRA) actress balancing an array of background gigs and auditions.

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EMAIL: officialteacast@gmail.com

In today's TEA episode, Natalie and Carolina speak with Tyler Bremer about breaking into the theatre scene straight out of acting training, Los Angeles's theatre community, and how to find ease during the pandemic.

Tyler Bremer is an LA-based actor and writer. Recent Theatre credits: Puppeteer in Little Shop of Horrors (Pasadena Playhouse), Cat in Wood Boy Dog Fish (The Garry Marshall Theatre), Lampwick in Pinocchio (South Coast Repertory), Jumbo in The Last Croissant (Broadwater MainStage; as part of Hollywood Fringe and winner of the Top of Fringe award), Bon-Bon in Lunatics & Actors (Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles). Tyler is a member of a number of LA theatre companies, including: The Attic Collective, Rogue Artists Ensemble, Four Clowns, and Sacred Fools. He co-produced Let’s Create: A New Play Festival (2017) with Natalie Cruz, and has hosted various readings of plays in development under the name Let’s Read a Play. Tyler received his BA in Theatre Arts, Performance Emphasis from California State University, Long Beach. He has also studied Clowning at The Clown School LA under Zach Steel. He is a proud member of AEA and is repped by BBR (commercial) and Hines and Hunt Entertainment.

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EMAIL: officialteacast@gmail.com

*DISCLAIMER* This episode was recorded over Zoom and, thus, has some audio issues that are inevitable when conducting virtual interviews. We appreciate your patience!

Black History Month is EVERY month here at TEA and this #TEAtime, we're bringing attention to theatre that doesn't get talked about very often. Dr. Daphnie Sicre sits down with Natalie, Mat, and Caroline to talk about her work in uplifting Afro-Latinx theatre, intentional casting when it comes to Latinx productions, and how she practices Anti-Racism in the classroom and rehearsal space.

Dr. Daphnie Sicre is an assistant professor of Theatre Arts at Loyola Marymount University, where she teaches directing, performance pedagogy, Latinx theatre and theatre for social change. She shares a deep passion for discovering multiple Latinx and African-American perspectives in theatre. Focusing on Afro-Latinx performance, she completed her Ph.D. at NYU. Her latest publication is a co-authored article entitled “Training Theatre Students of Color in the United States” in the Theatre, Dance     and Performance Training; special issue Against the Canon journal and a book chapter in The Routledge Companion to African American Theatre and Performance entitled, “Afro-Latinx Themes in Theatre Today”. Other publications include, “#UnyieldingTruth: Employing the Culturally Responsive Pedagogy” from the book Black Acting Methods and the upcoming book chapter, “A Time of Protest; Exploring Activism through Theatre of the Oppressed and Hip Hop Pedagogy” in Dynamic Bodies, Emerging Voices- Racializing and Decolonizing Actor Pedagogy as well as the journal article, Afro-Latinidad: Being Black and Latinx in Theatre Today. Engaging in anti-racist and cultural competent theatre practices, Daphnie facilitates Theatre of the Oppressed workshops remixed with Hip Hop Pedagogy to teach about equity, diversity and inclusion in theatre. When she is not writing, teaching, or conducting workshops, she can be found directing.

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EMAIL: officialteacast@gmail.com

It's almost been a year since the beginning of the pandemic. Since last March, millions of artists have been left unemployed. Theatres have had to become creative with producing works online, livestream, outside, or the ingenious (and infamous) Zoom Reading. Artists around the world are proving that even in a pandemic, theatre will still live on.

So in an age of digital advancement and social distancing rules that inhibit patrons from coming to the theatre, what has pandemic theatre proved to be? What does it look like? Why is it more important than ever to create art?

For today's TEA, Natalie, Mat, and Caroline talk with Ryan Chiu, creator and producer of Chiu's Haunted Drive-Thru, and Jesse Bosworth, co-founder and Executive producer of Streamlight Theatre Company, of which Caroline is Artistic Director.

Jesse Bosworth is a young theatre professional from Long Beach, California who fell in love with the theatre at the age of 4. He got his start working in small community theatres where he has done shows such as Old Black Magic (Olio Theatre Works), Somberton Senior Center Presents the Nutcracker (The Found Theatre) and Assassins (Long Beach Playhouse). He attended Cal State Long Beach where he earned his BA in Technical Theatre and Design and worked many of the student devised pieces in Theatre Threshold. He can usually be found behind the scenes at Knott’s Berry Farm making sure their main stage shows run without issue and is looking forward to coming back once this pandemic is over. In 2020, he recently founded and is Executive Director at Streamlight Theatre Company in Long Beach, CA.

Ryan Chiu is an Actor/Comedian with a B.A. in Theatre Performance from California State University, Long Beach. He has performed in hit plays such as She Kills Monsters and Woke: A Revolutionary Cabaret with the California Repertory Theatre. In 2020, Ryan Chiu is also executive producer and director of Chiu's Haunted Drive-Thru in Long Beach, a Halloween Drive-Thru Experience He is excited for his future being out of college and is itching to get back on stage once the pandemic is over.

Connect with us!

EMAIL: officialteacast@gmail.com

Happy Holidays, TEA fam! On today's episode, Natalie, Mat, and Caroline toast the end of 2020 with some wine, some self-care face masks, and some news about what we have in store for season 2. Grab your favorite face mask, your favorite drink (alcoholic or not), and decompress with us!

Connect with us!

EMAIL: officialteacast@gmail.com

Welcome back to TEA Time! In the kick-off for Season 2, Natalie, Mat, and Caroline sit down with April Sigman-Marx and Jaina Alexander of Thumprint Studios Chicago to talk about teaching theatre in the pandemic, what pandemic theatre looks like, and how YOU can enter in our partnered giveaway for a chance to win the must-read book, The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp.

Be sure to check out our livestream with Thumbprint Studios on their Facebook!

At Thumbprint Studios, we confront challenges, remove blocks, and cultivate the core of your artistic self. We assist artists in establishing strong practices, develop an embodied performance and empower artists to tell important stories from a place of honesty.  We are committed to inclusive, individualized educational practices. Active participation in a creative cooperative learning environment rooted in each individual’s unique needs and perspectives amongst faculty, guest facilitators and artists is our highest priority. Thumbprint Studios holds space for everyone to feel served and supported by our community within the work.

Thumbprint Studios Chicago:

https://www.facebook.com/ThumbprintStudiosChicago/

https://www.thumbprintstudios.org/

https://www.instagram.com/thumbprint_studios_chicago/

Connect with us!

EMAIL: officialteacast@gmail.com

WHAT'S UP. TEA-BAGS?!?!

... Wait, that came out wrong...

What's up, TEA listeners? We bring to your our SEASON FINALE of The Educated Actor. That's right, ladies, theydies, and gents, our next episode coming at you will be the start of SEASON 2 of our podcast. Can you believe it?! Don't worry, we'll be back on your podcast platforming sites in November. Just taking a much-needed mental/COVID break.

In the Season Finale episode of The Educated Actor, Natalie, Mat, and Caroline talk about how the artistic journey is not a straight-forward journey from childhood dreams to big-time success. Everyone's artistic journey is different and that's okay! Joining us in this episode are fellow theatre artists, Pedro Campos and Daniela Fajardo, who talk about how they became artists.

Connect with us!

EMAIL: officialteacast@gmail.com

At The Educated Actor, we feel it's necessary to use our platform to uplift the voices of Black artists who are at the frontlines of creating change so that America might see a more equitable system of power. That's why, for an indefinite period of time, we will be using our What's the TEA? episodes to bring you discussions from up & coming Black artists!

This week on What's the TEA?, Afro-Latina actress and writer, Malachi Beasley, tells us about his ourney as an athlete to an Army man to an actor, how he has had to struggle through his artistic process, and what it's been like studying his MFA at Yale.

Malachi Beasley is an actor, songwriter and storyteller from San Diego, CA. Currently at Yale School of Drama he is a 2nd Year rising in the MFA program. He earned his BA in Theatre Arts as a performance major from Cal State Long Beach. He currently resides in New Haven, CT.

Connect with us!

EMAIL: officialteacast@gmail.com

At The Educated Actor, we feel it's necessary to use our platform to uplift the voices of Black artists who are at the frontlines of creating change so that America might see a more equitable system of power. That's why, for an indefinite period of time, we will be using our What's the TEA? episodes to bring you discussions from up & coming Black artists!

This week on What's the TEA?, Afro-Latina actress and writer, Barbara Vides vulnerably tells us about what it means to her to be an Afro-Latina artist, the ways that even Latinx culture and media stereotype Afro-Latinx and other Black people, how to be a great ally to Black folks, and the racism she has experienced from Latinx people.

Barbara Vides is an actor and writer from Hawthorne, CA. She has appeared in several productions including “Wanda’s Visit”, “The Laramie Project”, and “The Pillowman” and also wrote the play “Distortion” which was performed at the 2017 Let’s Create Play Festival. She earned her BA in Theatre Performance from Cal State Long Beach and is a founding member of Contigo Theatre Company.

Connect with us!

EMAIL: officialteacast@gmail.com

TRIGGER WARNING: Racism, Violence against BIPOC

This episode, Mat and Natalie sat down with Brenda Orellana, McKinley Merritt (theatre alums of University of Tennessee, Knoxville), and your third host, Carolina Xique (theatre alum of Cal State Long Beach) to talk about how they are combating institutional racism in the traditional Western theatre education system. How do the micro- and macro-aggressions used against BIPOC students affect the whole student body? And what can alums and current students do to change it?

At The Educated Actor, we feel it's necessary to use our platform to uplift the voices of Black artists who are at the frontlines of creating change so that America might see a more equitable system of power. That's why, for an indefinite period of time, we will be using our What's the TEA? episodes to bring you discussions from up & coming Black artists!

This week on What's the TEA?, Black actress, Kayla Manuel speaks about her journey as an artist, from her background in dance, cheer, to her goals as an actress.

Kayla Manuel is an actor and artist from Inglewood, CA. She received her degree in Theatre Performance with an emphasis in Acting from Cal State Long Beach. Kayla starred in an award winning short film relating to police brutality called “Justice Delayed”. Kayla has booked commercials such as Super Bowl XLIX for Dove Men Care and recently T-Mobile. Kayla is a powerhouse artist who has been seen and mentored by legends like Debbie Allen and Alvin Ailey. As of now Kayla is a signed actor to a talent agency in Los Angeles, CA. Kayla is open to sharing her journey along the way and is grateful to give insight on ways she remained grounded and pushed through despite all odds!

At The Educated Actor, we feel it's necessary to use our platform to uplift the voices of Black artists who are at the frontlines of creating change so that America might see a more equitable system of power. That's why, for an indefinite period of time, we will be using our What's the TEA? episodes to bring you discussions from up & coming Black artists!

This week on What's the TEA?, Alie Jones, artist, curator, writer, and self-care advocate, shares her journey to artistry as well as pieces she's written herself!

At The Educated Actor, we feel it's necessary to use our platform to uplift the voices of Black artists who are at the frontlines of creating change so that America might see a more equitable system of power. That's why, for an indefinite period of time, we will be using our What's the TEA? episodes to bring you discussions from up & coming Black artists!

For this first week of new programming, Los Angeles-based artist Floyd Linzie takes over #TEAtime to talk about his journey as a Black actor and dancer, the artistic hustle during COVID-19, and the BLM movement and its relevance to the arts industry.

Floyd Linzie is Los Angeles-based entertainer. In 2015 he received a undergraduate degree in Journalism with a Minor in Theatre. The arts have always been a way of life. Having done theatrical work as a child, Floyd made no hesitation when deciding to pursue commercial work full-time. Working for artist like Kanye West and Dylan Minette catipulted him to more regular opportunities. Although Floyd doesn’t consider himself a expert in talking about humanitarian issues, he’s passionate to share his point of view.

BLM Resources

Black Lives Matter: https://blacklivesmatter.com/

NAACP Legal Defense Fund: https://www.naacpldf.org/

Marsha P. Johnson Institute: https://marshap.org/

Black History in Two Minutes: https://blackhistoryintwominutes.com/

Array Now: http://www.arraynow.com/

What do you mean we've been in quarantine for almost 3 months?!?! How the heck is it almost summer???

Happy Listening Thursday, TEAtime crew! On today's episode of The Educated Actor, Natalie, Mat, and Caroline sit down (virtually) with their mentor and past acting teacher, Hugh O'Gorman, as well as their colleague who is currently studying for her MFA in acting at Columbia University, Saby Ramirez. Today's discussion centers around how to define theatre in the time of the pandemic, the pros and cons of teaching and learning acting digitally, and what theatre might look like once we are able to safely commune together again.

Let us know of any great virtual performances you've watched, or any that you felt were subpar by emailing us or messaging our Instagram down below!

Connect with us!

EMAIL: officialteacast@gmail.com

Happy Quarantine! This month, Natalie, Mat, and Caroline ruminate on how Impostor Syndrome affects the way they see their accomplishments, and give tips on how to overcome it. You won't want to miss this #TEAtime

Be sure to listen to the whole episode for an update on "What's the TEA?" and our commitment to implementing tools from The Artists' Way by Julia Cameron.

Check Out Cool Stuff We Talked About in Episode 11:

In Episode 3 of What's the TEA, Caroline delves into her activities during quarantine, including makeup, working out, creating podcasts, and managing mental health in the time of Miss Rona. She also goes into depth about radical honesty and how we might be able to help each other get through this shared experience together.

Caroline recommends adding #BlackAF on Netflix to your binge-worthy quarantine shows you've been meaning to check out!

Connect with us!

EMAIL: officialteacast@gmail.com

In this episode of What's the TEA?, Mat shares what his life is like in quarantine. How do you keep yourself occupied while sheltering-in-place?

Connect with us!

EMAIL: officialteacast@gmail.com

This is the first of many mini episodes we are releasing apart of our new series where we ask you the question, WHAT'S THE TEA???

In this series will be focusing on shorter topical subjects and this being the first one we will be focusing in on how Nat, Mat and Caro are coping and creating during the Covid-19 out break!

In this episode, Natalie will be sharing what she's been up to during this time and of course all the horror movies and true crime documentaries she's been watching! She just can't get enough of the spooky stuff!

Some of Natalie's recommendations from this episode include The Tiger King (Duh!), Barry, The Good Place, The Twilight Zone, Train to Busan (Seriously, go watch this movie!!!), Hush, The Thing, Candyman and so much more! If you're looking for free flicks to check out, download the app Tubi! Do you want to learn a new skill? Check out Skillshare, they are still currently offering a FREE 2 month trial and it's totally worth it!

If you are able to donate to any charities or shop from any small businesses, here are some of Nat's picks:

LA Women's Theatre Festival

Natalie, Mat, and Caro invite on two guests, Victoria Melkonyan and Andrea Juarez, to talk about what it's like moving back home and putting your acting career on hold.

Connect with us!

EMAIL: officialteacast@gmail.com

In this February episode, we announce our Oscar Giveaway winners, recap major events during the Oscars, reminisce about the helicopter crash that included Kobe and Gianna Bryant, and talk about how white cisgender artists can be better allies to artists of color. Take a listen!

Corrections/Fact Check:

In 1980 Alien was nominated for Best Production Design and won the Oscar for Best Visual Effects.

The Departed directed by Martin Scorsese is a remake of a 2002 film from Hong Kong, China. The original Chinese title is Internal Affairs.

Hildur Gudnadóttir technically is the first woman to win for Best Score. Caro, you and I are both right! In 2000, The Academy combined the two awards for "Original Musical or Comedy Score" and "Drama Score" into one award. The previous women to win in those categories are Rachel Portman for Emma in 1996 and Anne Dudley for The Full Monty in 1997.

Check Out Cool Stuff We Talked About in Episode 11:

Happy New Year, #TEAtime listeners! In this episode, we talk about our 2020 resolutions for ourselves individually and for the the podcast. We also talk about the Oscars, its history of limited diversity, and why we should still keep up with the Oscars while also holding the Academy accountable to diversify what good film looks like.

Don't forget to enter for a chance to win our OSCARS GIVEAWAY! #TheEducatedOscars Check out the rules for the giveaway in our last episode, or visit our Official Oscars Giveaway post on our Instagram!

Check Out Cool Stuff We Talked About in Episode 10:

Happy Holidays! As we all prepare for the joy and stress of Christmas, and ponder about upcoming New Year's Resolutions, we sat down with Bonnie Dolan to kick off our recurring episode series about Content Creation!

Bonnie Dolan is a multi-hyphenate artist in Los Angeles, CA. She holds a BA in Theatre Performance from CSU Long Beach, working regularly with California Repertory (Kaliope/She Kills Monsters, Swing/Wonderland, Asst. Director/Dreamers: Aqui y Alla). She has also performed with South Coast Symphony and Knoxville Symphony Orchestra. Most recently, she originated the role of Rover in Rover the Bear (Take the Stage Productions). On camera, she will soon appear as the title character in the upcoming comedy web series Annabel Sucks. Bonnie is a founding ensemble member and co-artistic director of Contigo Theatre Company. Written works: Waffles, Annabel Sucks. Instagram: @thebonniebelle

For today's #TEAtime, we talk with Bonnie about her unique artistic journey, her creation process, how she was inspired to write and produce her upcoming webseries, "Annabel Sucks," the meaning of "finstas," and the kind of friends you should be recruiting onto your projects.

If you enjoy us (or not), please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts!

Check Out Cool Stuff We Talked About in Episode 9:

Keep up with Bonnie's Instagram (@thebonniebelle) and her upcoming multiple projects, including Annabel Sucks (@annabelsuckswebseries) and Contigo Theatre Company (@contigotheatre).

Watch Euphoria on HBONow, Breaking Bad, The Ranch, Fleabag, and Marriage Story on Netflix, The Farewell on Amazon Prime, Love Island on Hulu, and get into Disney Plus like we are.

This time on The Educated Actor, we sit down with up-and coming international actress, Siri Flygirl!

Since graduating from Cal State Long Beach, Siri Tveter, known by her stage name, Siri Flygirl, has taken on acting and dancing projects throughout several countries, including the U.S., India, Thailand, and Norway. Most recently, Siri was a part of the feature film, "The Cave," written, produced, and directed by Tom Waller, which tells the true story of the 2018 Thai rescue mission of 12 boys and their coach stuck in an underwater cave. 

Natalie, Mat, and Caroline sit down with Siri to talk about her unique career as an actor and dancer, her unlikely story of finding Cal State Long Beach's theatre department, and how she deals with embarrassing moments on set.

Check Out Cool Stuff We Talked About in Episode 8:

Join, ghouls and ghosts, to The Educated Actor's first spooky Halloween special, with our first *special guest,* Monica Pacheco! 

In this episode, we ponder theatre superstitions, onstage horror stories, and different scary movies that inspire us. So sit back, relax your BONES, and lift your SPIRITS because these 4 are CREEPIN it real this #TEATime! Okay, I'm done now. Have a safe and spoopy Halloween everyone! #SquadGhouls

What are some scary movies you recommend? Let us know on our Facebook, Instagram, or email! Links and @ down below. We're DYING to hear them.

Check Out Cool Stuff We Talked About in Episode 7:

As artists, it can be hard admitting that we're hitting a creative plateau when all we want to do is make our way to the top. Are you familiar with The Plateau? Like the creative work you're doing has hit a point of neither increasing or decreasing--just staying too still? A creative block, if you will.

Know that you are not alone. Natalie, Mat, and Caroline talk about The Plateau-- how it has affected the motivation behind The Educated Actor podcast, in their own lives, and their ways of dealing with it. It's about to get real honest up in Natalie's bedroom. You don't want to miss this one.

What are some of your ways of dealing with your creative plateau? Let us know on our Facebook, Instagram, or email! Links and @ down below.

Check Out Cool Stuff We Talked About in Episode 6:

Think back to the first time you saw an actor and thought, “Wow! I wanna be just like that!” Who is that for you? Leo DiCaprio? Will Smith? Meryl Streep? During this TEA time, we talk about our acting inspirations, diversity within the industry, and a little bit of Beyonce thrown in there.

EMAIL: officialteacast@gmail.com

Just like it’s always nice to say, “Please” or “Thank you,” there are just certain things one should and should not do in the theatre–audience or actor–to be courteous of everyone else around them. Listen to us talk about bad theatre etiquette and how to avoid being a d*ck.

EMAIL: officialteacast@gmail.com

Being an actor is 99% rejection, and we’re all hustling to find the 1% that will hire us. How do we deal with rejection healthily and keep it from holding us back from trying?

EMAIL: officialteacast@gmail.com

Figuring out that acting was what we loved was half the battle… the other half was admitting it to our friends and family. “Oh… so what are you going to do with theatre?” Listen to our “coming out” stories of how we knew that theatre was the love of our lives.

Introductions! Meet your hosts, Natalie, Mat, and Carolina. We talk about ourselves, our training, and what we have in store for this podcast.

EMAIL: officialteacast@gmail.com