- Auditions

David Dean Bottrell Faces His Fears and Unlocks a Greater Love for Acting and Performing

No matter how many conversations I have with artists, no matter how many episodes this podcast releases, I’m amazed at the variety of insights and lessons that each person brings to these discussions. But in this episode, I think we hit upon one of the biggest obstacles, if not THE biggest, that holds us back as actors and creatives--and that is fear. Being afraid of vulnerability or not making enough money or not being cast or simply not being good enough.
This fear is the cause of our self-doubt and uncertainty and it can hold us back or even paralyze us from moving forward. Today, I’m talking with David Dean Bottrell, who knows all too well what fear can do to us. Though he's been in TV shows like Boston Legal and After Forever (created by former guest Kevin Spirtas), David has also battled fear as an artist and has even written a book to help us navigate the ins and outs of this business to become a Working Actor.
David joins the podcast to talk about three specific examples of fear...
His upbringing and the strange reaction his family had to success.
The book he wrote and how completely inadequate he felt while writing it.
His desire to imitate and be someone else, rather than understand or even accept his own unique talents. 
Support WINMI through donations or subscriptions - https://winmi.supercast.com
Podcast hosted and produced by Off-Broadway actor and singer Patrick Oliver Jones - https://www.pojones.com 
 
This week's Artist Resource - WORKING ACTOR
This veteran character actor draws on his 35+ tumultuous years of work in the entertainment industry to offer a witty, informative and very honest guide to breaking in, making a living, and making a life in the fabulous trenches of show business.  
"Both practical and inspiring...open-eyed and unsentimental...This is no guru-like tome, but a hands-on, working manual written out of true experience and enthusiasm for what can be achieved.” --Alfred Molina
"Weaves a lifetime’s worth of experience navigating the slings and arrows of the acting game into a compilation of personal stories and pragmatic lessons to enlighten, encourage and forewarn both the novice and more advanced performer." --The Los Angeles Times
 
The Final Five Questions
Learn more of David's journey from Louisa, Kentucky to Los Angeles and New York, as he chronicles various roles and milestones. It highlights his struggle and successes as well as covers topics we didn't get to in this interview. Find it on the WINMI Blog.
Follow David - One-Man Show | Twitter | Instagram
 

Mental Talk About Performance Anxiety with Mostafa Ashraf and Yara

The art of performing is certainly filled with joy and passion and can offer a creative fulfillment not found another professions. But as this podcast highlights with each episode, there are also underlying bouts of stress, anxiety, and frustration that come with being an artist and offering our creativity to the world. Last year I sat down with Mostafa Ashraf and his co-host Yara to talk about performance anxiety on their podcast Mental Talk. So I wanted to share with you this candid discussion with Mo and Yara about my own struggles with doubt and worry and what I do to push through that. 
 
Listen to Mental Talk - https://blog.pod.link/1535397612
Their show is produced by a nonprofit organization called Advice Seekers, which aims to provide help in the areas of mental health and online anti-bullying campaigns. 
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Check out other Artist Resources and follow WINMI on Instagram or Twitter
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Get a copy of WINMI’s free ebook Creative Wisdom
 

Gina Morgano Learned That Self-Awareness Is Key to the Performer’s Journey

No matter what profession you’re in, setting goals is an important part of finding the best path to get you there. For actors and performers our goals can be big ones like being on Broadway or come down to specific shows or roles that we want to do. But just because you know your goals, does that mean you also have a clear picture of your mission as an artist or the purpose of your life?
My guest today is Gina Morgano, a fellow singer and podcaster who also teaches voice. And she’s brought along three stories that highlight that distinction between what we do as an artist and who we are as individuals. One story deals with an illness and losing her voice, while another talks about her big move to New York yet not getting cast in any shows. Since then Gina has found her joy in concerts rather than musicals, and in this episode she helps us understand that self-awareness is key to both reaching our goals and finding our purpose even as they may change direction.
Follow WINMI - Instagram / Twitter 
 
 
Help WINMI with a Few Kind Words...
Not everyone can support this podcast financially, but anyone can give a 2-3 sentence review to help WINMI as it seeks a grant from Podca$h. They are currently in a drive to support small, independent podcasts and their ideas. So they’re awarding between $250 and $5000 in sponsorship to hundreds of podcasters and with your help WINMI can be one of them. Please show me and this podcast some love and give my Podca$h application a boost.
 
 
This week's Artist Resource: Vocal Mentorship
A powerful voice is about much more than how you sound. As we talked about in this episode, it’s about being secure in who you are and wholeheartedly offering your creativity to the world so that you can make a difference in people’s lives. And Gina's dream for singers is for them to understand the value of their own voice. That’s why these are not your normal voice lessons. These are life lessons - training for your inner voice as well as your outer one - so that you can embody freedom, ease and expansion while serving audiences to your highest capacity. Learn more here and discover a new facet of your voice and yourself.
 
 
Final Five Questions with Gina Morgano
As a voice teacher as well, Gina Morgano brings an important perspective to her work as a performer. And in this episode she shares the wisdom and experience she’s gathered from her own performing and the work she’s done with her students. In these five final questions, she addresses topics we didn't get to in this conversation and provides extra insight into the work and practice she puts into being a performer. You can find her Final Five on the WINMI Blog.
Follow Gina - https://www.ginamorgano.com
The Practice Parlor Podcast - https://www.ginamorgano.com/podcast
Support WINMI through donations and subscriptions - https://winmi.supercast.com
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Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast hosted by Patrick Oliver Jones and is a production of WINMI Media, LLC.  It is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 
Background music in the episode is by Blue Dot Sessions and used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Kathryn Allison Shares How She Found Her True Authentic Self Outside of Broadway

With live theater happening once again here in New York, one of the joys has been seeing friends back on stage, doing what they do best. And I certainly hope to be joining them soon, but in the meantime it’s wonderful to reconnect with today’s guest. Kathryn Allison is a singer and actress who I got to know at The Muny in St. Louis, just as she was really beginning her professional career. 
But she’s gone on to perform in Wicked, Aladdin and currently the revival of Company. (She seems to have a thing for Broadway shows with one-word titles.) But as Kathryn shares her three stories with us today, being on Broadway doesn’t replace the importance of mental health, nor does it make her forget those embarrassing auditions when she didn’t book the show, and it also doesn’t mean that the work of inclusion is done as Kathryn continues to push for more access and a continuing search for strong, diverse voices.
Get a copy of WINMI’s free ebook Creative Wisdom. 
 
 
Listen to Kathryn's Other Audition Story
In addition to the audition story shared in this episode, Kathryn recalls another audition for Waitress and performing for Sara Bareilles. This is in a special bonus episode where she also discusses her experience of doing in-person auditions again.
Bonus episodes like this are only available to supporters of Why I’ll Never Make It. And a big thank you goes to to Courtney Potts for becoming the latest WINMI Producer. Courtney actually chose the yearly subscription option, and I couldn’t be more grateful for the support!
So if you’d like to help this podcast as well, then please consider an ongoing subscription to bonus episodes (via Supercast). There is also an option to give a one-time donation (via PayPal), both of which help offset the cost of producing 50+ episodes each year. Whichever way you choose to contribute, your help is so very much appreciated!
 
 
Find a Reader for Your Next Self-Tape: WeAudition
And as self-tapes are now the norm, WeAudition has been a great help to me this past year and provides a wonderfully creative, safe space to create the best video submissions possible. I just recently used them in a TV self-tape for Uncoupling and got a callback! Join today using the promo code WINMI25, which not only saves you money but it also helps support WINMI through this affiliate link. So join me and thousands of actors helping each other rehearse auditions and make better self-tapes.
 
 
The Final Five
In these five final questions Kathryn addresses topics not covered in that episode, providing extra insight into her work and experiences in the performing arts.
What job within the arts do you feel is the most undervalued or least recognized?
What does success or “making it” mean to you? 
What/Who inspires you most an an artist and creative?
Name a personal lesson that took you awhile to learn or one that you are still working on to this day?
What’s the most useful advice you’ve received, and how have you applied it to your life or career?
You can find her Final Five on the WINMI Blog.
Follow Kathryn - YouTube / Spotify / Instagram 
Follow WINMI - Website / Instagram / Twitter 
 
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Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast hosted by Patrick Oliver Jones and is a production of WINMI Media, LLC.  It is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 
Background music in the episode is by Blue Dot Sessions and used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
 

Al Blackstone On Knowing Yourself as an Artist & Not Waiting for Permission to Create

The act of creating is both a testament to and a full embodiment of its creator. An actor gives so much of themselves to the role that they’re playing. A dancer utilizes every muscle to express an emotion. A writer pulls from their own life and experiences to create other worlds and powerful stories. And so it is only natural that we often tie our own self-worth and meaning to the success or failure of that creation. 
Today, I’m talking with Emmy-winning director/choreographer Al Blackstone, who I had the pleasure of working with a few years back. He brings us three stories of doubt and uncertainty and aloneness, when his own talent as a dancer was questioned and his value as a director was dismissed. This is an honest conversation on who we really are beyond the labels of actor or artist and how the idea of “making it” comes more from ourselves than from the acceptance or validation of others. 
Podcast hosted by Patrick Oliver Jones(Off-Broadway actor and singer)
 
Listen to This Week's Audition Story
In addition to the three main stories, there are bonus episodes where guests like Al share memorable audition stories as well. Al talks about when he was at a dancer call years ago for the revival national tour of Sweet Charity. It's a story that any non-dancer (like myself) can definitely relate to. And these bonus episodes are only available to monthly supporters of Why I’ll Never Make It. Producing this podcast isn’t cheap, and with your help I can reach a wider audience with things like more video and transcription options, which would greatly benefit deaf and hard of hearing artists, for example.
So please consider a one-time donation (via PayPal) or a monthly subscription to bonus episodes (via Supercast), which will help offset podcast production costs. Whichever way you choose to contribute, your help is so very much appreciated!
 
 
Freddie Falls in Love
Al also shares a fourth story about a show he actually created called Freddie Falls in Love. In 2019, this dance narrative production was presented at the famous Joyce Theater in New York City, marking a personal and professional highlight in Al's career. However, the NY Times had a very different opinion about his show, calling it a "frothy" and "meandering production" among other things. Al admits that he hasn’t really spoken publicly about this review and how much it devastated him. But in a special conversation he opens up what this review did to him, offering heartfelt candor and insight into how he handled such public rejection. To access this bonus episode (and more) go to support.winmipodcast.com.
 
 
This Week's Artist Spotlight: MOMEN NYC
Born out the pandemic to meet the needs of dancers, who just needed the time and space to move again. Al co-founded MOMEN NYC as a way to bring adult dancers together so they could focus on their craft and make lasting connections with other dancers. He truly believes deeply in the power of dance, community, and kindness to express what is more true about ourselves and help bring us all closer together. Follow MOMEN on Instagram for the latest updates.
 
 
The Final Five
For the past few seasons, the Final Five has been a bonus episode to this podcast, but for Season 6 it’s in the form of a blog post where guests answer the five final questions. You can find Al's Final Five on the WINMI Blog.
Follow Al - YouTube / Instagram / Website 
Follow WINMI - Instagram / Twitter 
 
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Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast hosted by Patrick Oliver Jones and is a production of WINMI Media, LLC.  It is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 
Background music in the episode is by Blue Dot Sessions and used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Briana Packen on Finding Balance and Stability in our Lives and Acting Careers

Sometimes the biggest obstacle standing in our way as actors is ourselves. Whether it’s self-doubt and a disbelief in our own abilities or maybe it’s giving too much weight to the criticism or expectations of others, or maybe a shift in priorities comes along and we have to make life decisions that go against our creative ambitions.
To kick off season six, I’m talking with actor and coach Briana Packen about ways we can stop getting in our own way. She brought three stories with her today: one about the importance of training and mastering our craft, a second one how the me too movement still has ramifications today for her as a mother and teacher, and finally the need for balance and stability not only as an actor but as an individual as well. 
Sign up for the monthly WINMI Newsletter
 
 
Help WINMI Transcribe Every Episode
One of my goals this season is to help Deaf/hard-of-hearing actors like John McGinty access the Why I’ll Never Make It podcast by offering transcriptions of each and every episode (I actually did it once). However, this is both time-consuming and would add a major cost to the production of this podcast (approximately $5000 per season). Regardless, I think the effort is worth it, don't you? So I’ll definitely need your financial help to make this a reality.
Please consider a one-time donation (via PayPal) or a monthly subscription to bonus episodes (via Supercast), which will help offset the cost of this important service. Whichever way you choose to contribute, your help is so very much appreciated!
 
 
This Month's Artist Resource: Movement 4 Everybody
For about a decade now, Briana and her colleague Julia Crockett have been teaching movement to actors at conservatory programs and are thrilled to finally offer their classes to people not currently enrolled in an acting or university program. These classes are designed for everyone – artists, non-artists, professionals, unprofessionals, dancers, non-dancers, people afraid of dance, queers, beards, clowns, tops, bottoms, switches, queens, kings, cat AND dog people. You can strengthen your artistic physical practice, crack open your creativity, become more present in your body, or simply have a good time. Whatever your reason for going, you will leave feeling stronger, more connected, more creative, and with a richer connection to your body and others. Contact them for the latest class schedule or follow them on Instagram.
 
 
The Final Five
For the past few seasons, the Final Five has been a bonus episode to this podcast, but for Season 6 it’s going to be in the form of a blog post where guests will answer five final questions. And Briana starts it off by talking about learning from her mistakes and the ability we have as actors to grow and change throughout our life and career. You can find her Final Five on the WINMI Blog.
Follow Briana - YouTube / LinkedIn / IMDb 
Follow WINMI - Instagram / Twitter 
 
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Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast hosted by Patrick Oliver Jones and is a production of WINMI Media, LLC.  It is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 
Background music in the episode is by Blue Dot Sessions and used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Standby for Places Uses Podcasts to Exercise and Explore an Actor‘s Creativity

Bettering Ourselves, Bettering Our Careers (Part Two)
This is a continuation of part one’s look at voiceover work and acting behind the mic. You will hear from a group of actors, directors, and producers applying voiceover and acting techniques into their radio play podcast called Standby for Places. As the pandemic was shutting down most opportunities for actors, this group of artists found a way to keep acting and producing throughout the pandemic.
Sign up for the monthly WINMI Newsletter. 
Standby for Places was co-created by Freda Mattea, Margie Zarcone, and Graydon Gund. They then brought on Dunya Karam and others to make it a full audio drama production team. And I’ll be talking with three of them today. They’ll give us a bird’s eye view as well as hands-on experience of the art and craft of producing audio dramas, which gives us actors a new way to both exercise and explore our creativity. To be a part of their audio drama productions, contact them via email: info@standbyforplaces.org
Podcast hosted by Patrick Oliver Jones - https://www.pojones.com 
Follow Standby For Places - Instagram / Facebook 
Learn more about Storytelling and Communication
Support WINMI and get access to Members-Only Episodes on Supercast.
Check out Artist Resources and follow WINMI on Instagram or Twitter.
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Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot, and is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 
Music in the episode by Blue Dot Sessions is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
 
 

Kate McClanaghan Helps Actors Find Their Voice

Bettering Ourselves, Bettering Our Careers (Part One)
Today begins the second annual presentation of this month-long series with actress and voiceover coach Kate McClanaghan. We will be touching on the various aspects of voice work and technique but also addressing some fundamental struggles every actor faces.
Sign up for the monthly WINMI Newsletter. 
About 30 years ago Kate founded Actors’ SOUND ADVICE with fellow producer and coach Jeff Finney. Together they sought to provide an honest and personalized approach to career consulting, voiceover coaching, and demo production. And as both an actress and casting director, Kate has a unique dual perspective of what is expected of us as actors, both in the audition room as well as in performance. So while this episode may be focusing on the art and craft of voiceovers, these lessons and insights are useful to most any actor on stage or on screen as well.
Podcast hosted by Patrick Oliver Jones - https://www.pojones.com 
Follow Sound Advice - Website / Backstage / Twitter 
Support WINMI and get access to Members-Only Episodes on Supercast.
Check out Artist Resources and follow WINMI on Instagram or Twitter.
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Why I’ll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast on Feedspot, and is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 
Music in the episode by John Bartman is in the Public Domain.