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
----------
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 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.
Sign up for the monthly WINMI Newsletter.
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.
----------
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 25, 2021
Monday Oct 25, 2021
One of the themes of this podcast is how we as actors are constantly changing, adjusting, tweaking our careers as we transition from stage or screen or commercials or voiceover. But that same kind of transition happens for those behind the table as well.
Patrick Millsaps has had a unique journey of being an attorney turned political adviser and pundit to then becoming a talent manager and ultimately movie producer and studio head, taking the skills from one job to the next. Patrick’s story is not only one of diverse experiences and opportunities but also one of persistence and a constant drive to learn and improve. He was often a fish out of water, but that didn’t stop him from constantly diving into the deep end…headfirst.
Watch this full episode or Final Five on YouTube
Podcast hosted by Patrick Oliver Jones - https://www.pojones.comSupport WINMI and get access to Members-Only Episodes like the Final Five on Supercast.
----------
I'll See You in My Dreams (2015) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1VbBOTXzfIFinding Noah (2017) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvLe1q3Wkdk Kane Studios - https://kanestudio.com/production There Are Better Ways to Protest Georgia’s Abortion Law Than a Boycott (2019) - https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/georgia-s-abortion-law-are-better-ways-protest-a-boycott-guest-column-1210096
----------
Sign up for the Monthly WINMI Newsletter - https://eepurl.com/hpULdb
Check out Artist Resources - https://www.pojones.com/resources
WINMI on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/winmipodcast
WINMI on Twitter - https://twitter.com/winmipodcast
Monday Oct 18, 2021
Monday Oct 18, 2021
As an actor, one of the more difficult attitudes for me to manage is that of jealousy, and an elevated sense of competition for roles and even status in this industry. I’ve particularly noticed this as theater is opening up again after the long pandemic shutdown and other actors, not me, are back onstage again. My guest today, Peter Allen Vogt, is a talented actor in his own right but has struggled with this as well from time to time, especially considering he has a well-known identical twin who is also an actor and comedian.
Sign up for the monthly WINMI Newsletter on the WINMI website - http://whyillnevermakeit.com
I first got to know Peter Allen Vogt working for Disney. Both he and I worked at Tokyo Disney as well as the theme park in Orlando. He has since moved on to Universal out in Los Angeles, and he is also appeared in such TV shows as Hannah Montana, Parks and Recreation, and American Horror Story. But our first love is still theater. Whether it’s classic shows or new musicals, Peter brings a larger than life quality to all of his roles. In fact, his size has been one of Peter‘s notable characteristics for many years. In our conversation today he shares his weight loss journey and what that has meant for his career. But first we talk about what keeps Peter going and the longevity of his career as well as the importance of surrounding yourself with those who support and nurture you as an artist.
Final Five episode - https://youtu.be/HwiOlNZQVC0
Topics and people covered in this episode:
Streetmosphere - street performers in the various Disney theme parks who don’t have a theater or a home, but rather perform in the street for guests as they pass by.
1776 - a Broadway musical from 1969 with music and lyrics by Sherman Edwards and a book by Peter Stone, based on the events leading up to the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Grumpy Old Men - a new musical with book by Dan Remmes, music by Neil Berg, and lyrics by Nick Meglin (adapted from the Warner Bros. motion picture written by Mark Steven Johnson).
Cathy Rigby - Olympic gymnast, theater actress and producer
Glenn Casale - director, actor, and writer; former Artistic Director of Sacramento Music Circus
Mark Jacoby - Broadway and TV/film actor
Blake Hammond - stage and screen actor
Ken Page - longtime musical theater performer on stage and screen
Michael Kostroff - stage and screen actor who was a WINMI podcast guest back in Season One
Actors' Co-Op Theater - began in 1987 with a dozen actors and operates two 99-seat Equity-approved theatres on the campus of First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood.
Chicago City Limits - New York's long running award-winning and critically-acclaimed comedy revue that started in 1977 and relocated from Chicago to New York in 1979.
Fellowship! - a musical parody stage play based on The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien's, with book by Kelly Holden-Bashar & Joel McCrary and music by Allen Simpson
----------
Follow Peter - Instagram / Twitter
Support WINMI and get access to Members-Only Episodes on Supercast.
Check out Artist Resources and follow WINMI on Instagram or Twitter.
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.
Wednesday Sep 29, 2021
Wednesday Sep 29, 2021
In part one of our conversation Misty Rosas talked about an opportunity to finally pursue one of her first passions as an artist -- singing -- and the thrill of opening for her favorite band Air Supply.
Sign up for the monthly WINMI Newsletter.
In the second half of our conversation we’ll talk a bit more about that journey to becoming a singer again. We also get into how to handle our own inner critic, and I’ve even included the final five questions in this episode, where we do an even deeper dive into her work in the Mandalorian. But first Misty shares the joy and fulfillment that can come from finally saying yes to yourself.
Watch the full interview with Misty on YouTube - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTYRUFqmHBCZjAZ999bHTbha-2CR3yVGu
See Misty dancing - https://www.imdb.com/video/vi556710937
Follow Misty - Website / Instagram / YouTube
Support WINMI and get access to Members-Only Episodes on Supercast.
Check out Artist Resources and follow WINMI on Instagram or Twitter.
----------
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.
For more of Misty's music go to http://www.mistyrosas.com/music.html
Other music in the episode by Borrtex is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Monday Sep 27, 2021
Monday Sep 27, 2021
I’ve been a fan of The Mandalorian since it debuted in 2019, and when I found out that one actor had played two wonderful characters on the show (Kuiil and Frog Lady) I was really impressed with her work. That’s when I looked up Misty Rosas and discovered her long résumé of other character work besides the Disney+ Star Wars series. She is also a dancer, singer, gymnast, stunt woman, and voiceover artist.
And while her résumé is impressive, it was when I read her personal story that I truly became a fan of Misty. So we will certainly be talking about the Mandalorian and other movies and shows that she’s been a part of, but it is her personal and medical challenges with hearing loss that really forged her character and made her not only the actor but also the person that she is today.
Sign up for the monthly WINMI Newsletter.
I have to admit that there have only been a handful of interviews in the five seasons of this podcast where I was a mixture of nervous and excited to talk to a guest, my time with Misty was certainly one of those time. But as you’ll hear in part one of our conversation, she has a warm and open heart with so much wisdom to share from the lessons she’s learned in her life and career. And I am so grateful she came and this podcast to share it with you and me.
Henson Digital Puppetry Systems - https://youtu.be/m6Qdvvb1UTs
Watch the full interview with Misty on YouTube - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTYRUFqmHBCZjAZ999bHTbha-2CR3yVGu
Follow Misty - Website / Instagram / YouTube
Support WINMI and get access to Members-Only Episodes on Supercast.
Check out Artist Resources and follow WINMI on Instagram or Twitter.
----------
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.
"All Out of Love" performed by Air Supply, written by Graham Russell and Clive Davis for Arista Records.
Other music in the episode by Borrtex is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Monday Aug 30, 2021
Darren Darnborough - British Actor and Producer & CEO of WeAudition
Monday Aug 30, 2021
Monday Aug 30, 2021
Whether from personal experience or hearing stories from the past two episodes on this podcast, you know that almost anything can happen in an audition room. Sometimes it’s magical moments, while other times are filled with frustration. Yet even still, the most “perfect“ audition doesn’t always lead to a call back or a contract. It is this uncertainty that can bring both excitement and dismay. Not to mention the fact that auditioning for the stage is slightly different from auditioning for the screen. And with me today to discuss these differences is television and film actor Darren Darnborough, CEO of WeAudition.
Listeners of this podcast get 25% off a WeAudition Membership by using the promo code WINMI25. https://www.weaudition.com
Darren grew up in London and started to work as a professional actor around the age of 16. He earned a degree in film and media from the University of London but has also been very entrepreneurial throughout his career. In 2002, for example, he co-created StuckForStaff.com – the world's first online marketplace for promotional staffing.
But in 2006 he decided to relocate to Los Angeles to focus on his acting career and has appeared on shows like MacGyver, 2 Broke Girls, and True Blood. He was even writer and director of his own film called Stefano Formaggio, which is available on Amazon prime.
I first met and got to know Darren when he reached out to me as the CEO of WeAudition.com back in January of this year. He is someone truly dedicated and motivated to helping all actors get better at their craft and reach even greater heights in their career. And I’m very proud and grateful that he’s become a big fan of this podcast. You’ll certainly be hearing about more collaborations together in the future. But for today, I sit down with Darren to talk about his own journey as an actor, the wonderful opportunities he’s been given as well as the hard lessons learned along the way. He reveals a lot during our conversation and gave me new perspective not only on auditioning but the art and business of being an actor as well.
Part Two of our conversation can be found at https://youtu.be/IfPxrNynsoU
----------
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.
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.
Monday Aug 16, 2021
Monday Aug 16, 2021
This summer has seen actors returning to the stage as some regional theaters have returned to normal with a summer season and live audiences. And with that of course has seen an increase in auditions. So it is with great pleasure and excitement that I welcome you to the third annual Audition Stories here on the podcast. The last time these audition episodes were on the podcast was a month before the Covid shutdown. And there have been a lot of guests with a lot of great stories since then.
Today’s episode, brought to you by We Audition (promo code: WINMI25), is actually part one of these wonderful tales from the room where it happens. Now, we’ve been doing a lot of self tapes lately, but it's time for a need a reminder of the happy and hysterical things that can happen in person and in front of the audition table. And at the end of this episode none other than Bryan Cranston has some sage words of wisdom we can all apply to auditions and self-tapes.
Here's the list of former guests sharing their audition experiences:
Chaz Wolcott - triple threat performer who also directs & choreographs
Megan Carver - actress and singer who also produces films
Damian Thompson - classically-trained actor who does musicals...occasionally
Meredith Aleigha Wells - dancer and singer diagnosed with POTS
Carrie Bernans - actress and stuntwoman in Black Panther
Alex Pires - actor and writer who created his own web series
Kimberly Faye Greenberg - actress and singer known for her Fanny Brice show
Christophe Zajac-Denek - little person actor, musician, stuntman, and podcaster
Eric Jordan Young - actor and singer who directs and produces
Bryan Cranston - amazing actor who tells us a thing or two
Get more audition episodes by joining WINMI and supporting the work of this podcast. I love sharing these stories and episodes, and I hope that you'll choose to donate as much as you've benefited yourself from this podcast. Thank you!
Check out Artist Resources and follow WINMI on Instagram or Twitter.
----------
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.