Why I‘ll Never Make It
Episodes
Monday Mar 14, 2022
Elizabeth Swain Leads a New Generation of Theater Artists
Monday Mar 14, 2022
Monday Mar 14, 2022
In the final episode of Season Five, I spoke with a talented and passionate actress and producer Debra Ann Byrd. In our conversation, she mentioned one of the professors that had a significant impact on her own training and understanding theater. Debra Ann spoke so highly of this mentor that I looked her up and decided to ask her to come on his podcast as well.
But Elizabeth Swain is so much more than just a professor of theater. She is a Broadway actress with national tours and television credits as well. And she is quite the prolific director as well, with a specialty in classics like Shakespeare and the Greek tragedies. Elizabeth is also a member of the prestigious Antaeus theater company in Los Angeles. As you’ll hear Elizabeth is the perfect guest for Women’s History Month as she provides such a unique and wide perspective through her decades of work both on stage and off.
And in today’s episode you’ll be hearing three stories from her life:
Her first theater tour before she had actually decided to be an actress
Balanced her growing Broadway career with motherhood
How and why she was ousted from Barnard College
Podcast hosted by Off-Broadway actor and singer Patrick Oliver Jones - https://www.pojones.com
This Week's Spotlight: Antaeus Theater Company
Antaeus began in 1991 as a project of the prestigious Center Theatre Group. Founding Artistic Directors Dakin Matthews and Lillian Groag believed there could be a world-class classical ensemble in a city driven by the TV and film industry. They brought together a remarkable group of 30 members in Los Angeles to embark on this ambitious project. The group came together every Monday night to read, study and rehearse great classical plays.
After three decades and hundreds of readings, workshops and productions later, Antaeus has established an impressive reputation as a leader in the Los Angeles intimate theater community. Elizabeth Swain is a regular faculty member with the Antaeus Academy and has directed numerous productions for the company. As Antaeus continues to grow and mature, we remain committed to producing full seasons of plays, providing professional training and arts education programs, and utilizing our home as much as possible.
Women's History Month: Aprha Behn
“All women together ought to let flowers fall upon the tomb of Aphra Behn, for it was she who earned them the right to speak their minds.” - Virginia Woolf
Aphra Behn, one of the most influential dramatists of the late 17th century, was also a celebrated poet and novelist. Her contemporary reputation was founded primarily on her "scandalous" plays, which she claimed would not have been criticized for impropriety had a man written them. Her first play, The Forc'd Marriage (published, 1671), was produced in London, and Behn became one of the period's foremost playwrights. Her most famous novel, Oroonoko (1688), is based on her experiences in the West Indies and her friendship with a prince of the indigenous peoples. She earned her living in the theater and then as a novelist until her death on April 16, 1689. For more about her history, including service as a spy for King Charles II, check out this Smithsonian article.
WINMI Begins Outsourcing Projects
Thanks to recent support of Why I’ll Never Make It (through donations and monthly subscriptions), an effort has been made to hire outside help to work on various projects for the podcast. One is ongoing and has to do with IMDb listings and another involved organizing episode within Podbean, WINMI's hosting service. Due to errors on the part of this hired help, this podcast feed saw a lot of unintended activity the past couple of weeks. So first off, I want to apologize for the confusion and know that steps were taken to not let that happen again. Secondly, it was a wake up call for better vetting and training of such workers to more easily accomplish the task they are hired for. The next big task will be transcriptions for each episode.
So 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!
The Final Five
Though studying economics first, Elizabeth Swain eventually found a place in theater and has gone onto to acting, directing, and teaching. She has guided so many students through the Classics, and continually inspires a new generation of artists. You can find her Final Five on the WINMI Blog.
Follow Elizabeth - Website | Twitter | Antaeus
Support WINMI through donations or 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.
Monday Feb 07, 2022
Monday Feb 07, 2022
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
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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.
Tuesday Dec 28, 2021
A Look Back at 2021 and What’s Next for Theater and This Podcast
Tuesday Dec 28, 2021
Tuesday Dec 28, 2021
Happy birthday, WINMI! Welcome to the 4th Anniversary Episode of Why I'll Never Make It.
Normally at the end of each season I take a chance to look back at the guests and conversations we’ve had throughout the year. But for this special episode you aren’t gonna be getting some "best-of" retrospective (although I will be counting down the Top 5 guests of 2021). Instead I’m bringing back two former guests and introducing you to a new creative as we talk about what this year has meant for theater in general as well as special events coming up next year.
Featured in this episode...
Clayton Howe and his podcast Entertainment(X)
Justin Guarini, MoonAmie Productions, Terry Knickerbocker, Will Swenson, and Brad Oscar & Diego Prieto
Check out Season Five on Why I’ll Never Make It's YouTube Channel
Matthew Stern and Broadway Stage Manager Symposium
Anna Robb and TheaterArtLife
EPIC Event - use promo code EPICPODCAST for 15% off tickets at https://www.globalepicevent.com
Sign up for the WINMI Newsletter and check out Artist Resources on the website
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Podcast hosted by Patrick Oliver Jones - https://www.pojones.com
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 Kai Engel and Blue Dot Sessions is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Monday Nov 29, 2021
Monday Nov 29, 2021
In this day and age of everything going digital, and especially with zoom becoming an important part of both personal and professional connections, it’s a very rare moment to have a phone interview. But back in August of 2021 I had the privilege of calling up a wonderfully talented actress both on stage and on screen, four-time Emmy winner Michael Learned. Though she is best known for playing Olivia Walton, on the long-running 70's TV show The Waltons, it’s important to point out that she has had a stellar Broadway career as well, which began in 1969 with a production of Anton Chekhov’s The Three Sisters, produced in association with the San Francisco-based American Conservatory Theater.
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But as you’ll hear in this intimate and revealing Interview, she’s also had to face her own struggles and disappointments. She opens up about divorce, alcoholism, and regret. We also discuss the evolution of women’s roles on television and the stage, and Michael confesses her true feelings of playing Olivia all those years on The Waltons. She has such depth of knowledge and experience so we start off talking about her about longevity as an actress and what has kept her going for 60 years.
Podcast hosted by Patrick Oliver Jones - https://www.pojones.com
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. Music in this episode by John Bartmann is Public Domain.
Monday Oct 04, 2021
Monday Oct 04, 2021
Balancing work and life is a tough juggling act for most any actor or artist. But adding another person, a relationship, to the equation can be even more difficult to maintain. And actors as a whole aren’t known for the longevity of their relationships. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible.
Brad Oscar and Diego Prieto are actors and husbands who have learned their own lessons in both working and living as a couple. Brad has appeared in nine Broadway shows and is a Tony-nominee for his performances in The Producers and Something Rotten. Diego has performed at some of the biggest regional theaters and is also an actor with one of my favorite organizations, Only Make Believe, bringing interactive theater into children’s hospitals and care facilities.
These two talented gentlemen remind us that just like our acting careers, being in a relationship isn’t about perfection. It’s about persistence through the ups and downs. We talk about how they met, what they've learned living and working together, and how they support each other emotionally and creatively.
Topics covered and mentioned:
9 Reasons Why Dating Actors is a Bad Idea by Dr. Ali Binazir
"Two Lost Souls" from Damn Yankees, sung by Brad and Diego
Checking in with Brad Oscar from Mrs. Doubtfire
Brad & Diego's wedding at Arena Stage
"A Musical" Karaoke Track from Something Rotten
Sign up for the monthly WINMI Newsletter.
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 Chad Crouch (Podington Bear) is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Monday Sep 20, 2021
Monday Sep 20, 2021
We're less than a week away from the 2020 Tony Awards ceremony (finally!) so I wanted to bring back this special episode all about those surprising Tony Award Nominations (announced 11 months ago) and the fallout from them. My conversation is with music director, conductor, and fellow podcaster Nate Patton. Nate and I first met when he was associate conducting Charlie and the Chocolate Factory on Broadway. And his podcast called Booked It.
The title to one of his episodes was “Broadway is broken and I alone can fix it.” And it's this kind of witty, tongue-in-cheek, knowledgeable opinion that I wanted to bring on the show as we talk about things like:
The lone best actor nomination of Aaron Tveit
The complete snubbing of The Lightning Thief
Only plays being nominated for best original score
Nate and I will also get into these topics and more, including what these nominations in general say about the state of theater, and we even make a few Tony predictions.
You can also watch this full conversation (with 7 extra minutes) on YouTube -
Here are links to the people and topics discussed in this episode:
Broadway reaches for normalcy with Tony Award nominations
‘West Side Story’ Won’t Reopen on Broadway
Snubs and Surprises: The Tonys Point a Middle Finger at The Lightning Thief
Tony Award Snubs, What Ifs And That Strange Case Of Aaron Tveit
The 2020 Tony Award nominations were weird and sad
Tony Awards Announces 2019-2020 Nominating Committee
Outer Critics Circle Honorees
Tony Nominee Reactions
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Join the monthly WINMI Newsletter by going to whyillnevermakeit.com
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Incidental music in this episode by Chad Crouch and Admiral Bob and used under a Creative Commons License.
Wednesday Sep 15, 2021
Rodney Hicks (Part 2) - Broadway Actor Shares His Difficult Journey of Self-Discovery
Wednesday Sep 15, 2021
Wednesday Sep 15, 2021
When it comes to work as an actor, there’s that old adage of "feast or famine" or "when it rains it pours." For myself that has meant going 11 months without any work…all while still auditioning of course. While there have been other times when three shows come up at once, and I had to decide which ONE of them I’m going to do.
In Part Two of my conversation with Rodney Hicks, we’re going to be talking about the feasts and famines of his career -- various shows and original casts he’s been a part of as well as the shows he didn’t get and the lessons he’s learned from both experiences. As he shared in Part One, Come From Away marked a time in Rodney’s life that was certainly a feast. Not only was the show a wonderful chance for him to create and perform a rich character, but the show itself was getting a lot of buzz and it opened on Broadway with a lot of fanfare and high expectations. At the same time other aspects of his performing and coaching career were also taking off.
But his diagnosis of spasmodic dysphonia and it’s unfortunate progression took him in a very unexpected direction. And that’s where we pick up our conversation today: a look at everything that was going right in his life and how quickly it all changed.
We also discuss the upcoming Tony Awards and his bookend contracts in the original Broadway run of RENT.
Sign up for the monthly WINMI Newsletter.
Follow Rodney - Website / Playwrights Center / Instagram
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.
Incidental music in this episode is by Hyson is used under Creative Commons License.
Monday Sep 13, 2021
Monday Sep 13, 2021
Here in America, we just marked the 20th anniversary of 9/11. And on the eve of that anniversary a live recording of the Broadway production of Come From Away was released. It featured many past and present members of the cast. But one of the original cast members, Rodney Hicks, was absent from the filming. And in part one of our conversation, Rodney takes us through his long journey with the show and how it came to a sudden end. But he reminds us that even in the darkest of times, there is still some light to be found.
Sign up for the monthly WINMI Newsletter.
Follow Rodney - Website / Playwrights Center / Instagram
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 that comes from Soundstripe ("Retreat" by Gold Coast) is used under a Promo Enterprise Agreement.
Other music in the episode provided by Karaoke Queen Brasil is used under Creative Commons.