#98 Quarantine Happy Hour #6 w/ Carl Mulert

The pandemic has raised a host of questions regarding current and future contracts, pay schedules, working conditions, health insurance, union dues and many other topics and Carl Mulert is back with us to help wade through it all. Carl is the Business Rep for Live Performance for United Scenic Artists, and he joins us, along with Jen Schriever and Bradley King, to break down what we know about how theatre will come back (very little) and what questions will need to be answered before that happens (quite a lot.) Carl also shares with us conversations being had regarding streaming rights, a very important distinction in how the different USA contracts are legally binding, and how the lack of leadership from the federal government is making it difficult to establish guidelines for how venues will be able to reopen. Knowledge is power so tune in and power up with this important episode!

#97 Quarantine Happy Hour #5

We’re back this week with another Quarantine Happy Hour featuring Scenic Designer Mike Carnahan, Production Designers Rob Bissinger and Anita La Scala, Scenic Designer Donyale Werle, Costume Designer Paloma Young, and Lighting Designers Jeff Croiter and Jen Schriever! After checking in as to how everyone is doing at the end of week 7, the group dives in to discuss what kind of work is appropriate to do before a contract, how people are engaging with future work, they discuss the newly released Barrington Stage plan for their summer shows, and whether everyone is having crazy dreams (hint: yes). Paloma tells us how the pandemic threw a wrench in her wedding plans, Mike recounts getting the last flight out of Brazil in March, and Donyale explains how she’s essentially been preparing for a quarantine her entire life. There are surprise appearances from babies and dogs, Rob shares details on a secret hobby and Jeff brings a really big bottle of Gin!

#96 Quarantine Happy Hour #4

The world remains shut down but our Happy Hour rages on here at the podcast with episode 96. This week we’ve got Scenic Designers Adam Koch and Paul dePoo, Projection Designer Alex Koch, Costume Designer Andrea Hood, and Lighting Designers Amanda Zieve and Jen Schriever. The group shares their feelings on what changed this week as everyone started thinking bigger picture about the theatre industry as a whole and what our jobs might look like when they come back.  Everyone shares their shutdown stories, where they are getting their news, whether audiences will want to come see a show, how we can help graduating young designers, and of course a check-in on everyone’s unemployment status. Pour whatever you’ve got lying around and come join the party!

#95 Quarantine Happy Hour #3

The madness and mayhem continues this week with our third Quarantine Happy Hour. Joining Cory and Jen is Arnulfo Maldonado, Sarah Laux, Adam Honoré, Palmer Hefferan, Nevin Steinberg, and Artistic Dir of Philidelphia Theatre Company Paige Price. Paige gives us insight into what it’s like trying to keep a regional theatre afloat during this crisis and how she is approaching difficult decisions about furloughing staff, canceling shows, selecting a new season, and managing audience expectations. We expand on last week’s conversations regarding digital options for theatre and discuss Williamtown’s plan to produce an all audio season and what it would mean to stream/live broadcast more theatre. The gang also discusses wiping down groceries, whether we’ve all become hypochondriacs, if anyone is feeling the need to be creative right now, some Unemployment success stories (woohoo!) and Sarah tells us all a joke! Come for the company, stay for the comedy!

#94 Quarantine Happy Hour #2

In what is fast becoming a tradition, the podcast is back with an all new episode and an all new Quarantine Happy Hour. This week, Cory sits down with Anna Louizos, Wilson Chin, Alejo Vietti, Isabella Byrd, Clint Ramos, Tyler Micoleau and in1 all star Jen Schriever! The gang checks in on each other and everyone discusses routine vs not routine, watching the news vs turning it off, how everyone is eating, cooking, working out and passing time and what they miss the most being stuck at home. There’s a report back from the large United Scenic Artist Wingspace Salon this week, some good news about union dues and healthcare payments, and the group discusses when we might get back to work, what the world of regional theatre might look like post Covid-19, what kind of shows writers will be creating, how art has typically responded to mass world events in history, and whether we’ve seen the end of shaking hands and (gasp!) the double cheek kiss. You’ve got nothing better to do so grab a glass and join the happy hour!

#93 Quarantine Happy Hour #1

In times of need and uncertainty, we turn to our friends for comfort, so it only made sense that we gathered a slew of friends of the pod to come together for a Quarantine episode of the podcast. Joining Cory for a Friday night drink is Buist Bickley, Darron West, Caite Hevner, Beowulf Boritt, Jason Lyons, Jen Caprio, Jen Schriever, Jason Lyons and Bradley King. Everyone shared how they are coping with the new normal caused by Covid-19 and how it’s taking its toll on everyone’s personal and professional lives. They chat about the work lost, the uncertainty of work in the future, and what it means for the theatre community at large. We hear from the parents of the group as to how they are working through this time with their young children, Beowulf tells us about making masks on his grandmother’s old sewing machine, Jason tells us how he’s working to continue the important education of his students and Bradley offers useful info on behalf of United Scenic Artists. And everyone shares what they are reading and watching to pass the time. There’s a lot of laughs and a lot of love in this group and it’s just a small slice of what all designers are feeling these days. Enjoy listening in on the chat while staying HOME and staying safe!

#92 Olivia Sebesky

This week we are sitting down with Projection Designer and bespectacled wonder-woman Olivia Sebesky! She is currently a Knight of Illumination nominee for her work on the lastest Aerosmith concert and she’s here to tell us the journey of that design including a 35-minute preshow retrospective of the band and the massive undertaking of clearing all the rights for every frame of footage. She’s also sharing stories about her other recent concert designs including Hootie and the Blowfish and James Taylor. Cory and Olivia discuss her theatrical work on shows like ‘Jerry Springer’ and ‘Me…Jane’ and discuss a whole host of topics facing projection designers including content budgets, software costs, to program or not, how she divides up the work among her team, and how to find the balance of how much video to incorporate into a show. She tells us how (friend of the show!) Justin Townsend may be responsible for her career and why by the time you listen to this, she will have spent some quality time with a Beluga whale!

#91 Arnulfo Maldonado

Today we are sitting down with Scenic (and occasional Costume) Designer Arnulfo Maldonado! Arnulfo takes us through the creation of some of his recent designs including ‘A Strange Loop’, the first regional production of ‘Indecent’ at the Guthrie, his Lortel winning design for MTC’s ‘Sugar in Our Wounds’ and his cornfield surround for ‘Bobbie Clearly.’ He tells us why he is attracted to the “magic of a void” and how his designs often become the distillation of many ideas into one strong visual. He also has great stories about working on Ursula’s tentacles as an assistant of George Tsypin’s on ‘The Little Mermaid’ and how Peter Sellers became obsessed with his model figures. And he takes us through an entire design process from reading the script to the final design and the various tools he uses. He’s one of the hottest set designers in New York with shows on nearly every major Off-Broadway stage and today he is talking to us!

#90 Around the World with Lindsay Jones – Part 4

He’s back for round number 4! It’s our annual check-in with Lindsay Jones! He’s telling us all about his new Fitbit and gym membership and how that has led to a healthier lifestyle while working on the road. (And a skinnier Lindsay!) Then Cory shares his recent experience of flying Business and (finally!) getting lounge access and how things fared on his trips with Latam, Southwest, Singapore Air and Alitalia. Lindsay teaches us why everyone needs to know about Rule 240, his thoughts on neck pillows, how to sleep better on an airplane, and how the AA mechanic strike has affected his travel and his elite status. Cory shares how he nearly got a $1k voucher from Delta then it’s another deep dive into rental car insurance as they try to determine whether Cory has been breaking the law for years. It’s 2 hours of travel woes, tips, highs, and lows. And we have our first cat on the podcast!

#89 Jason Sherwood

This week we are sitting down with Emmy Nominated Scenic Designer Jason Sherwood! Jason is nominated for the production design of ‘RENT Live’ and he gives us the full deep dive into his set for this groundbreaking production. From it’s development along side Michael Greif, to figuring out audience locations and camera blocking, to how to transition the story from place to place, Jason is giving us the inside scoop on all of it. He and Cory also touch on a whole host of topics including social media use, the keys to staying positive, Jason’s live music work with Sam Smith, Sara Bareilles and the Spice Girls, how he’s achieved so much before his 30th birthday, and much much more. Prepare for an eye opening, candid chat with a designer who clearly sleeps very little and works very hard. AND, true stories from a 6′-6″ guy trying to squeeze into a Broadway theatre seat. Jason is easily one of the most in demand theatrical designers working today and he’s spending over two hours giving us a window into his world. Enjoy!