11-4-19 By the time he was 13 years old producer, director, and author Rocky Lang had fallen in love with storytelling and film making. He took his super 8 camera everywhere he went and documented everything in his life with it . Rocky came to his fascination with story telling and film naturally, as he was born into a prestigious show business family: his father was Film producer and screenwriter Jennings Lang and his mother was jazz Singer and Actress Monica Lewis. Jennings Lang had given Steven Spielberg his first film, and Steven became Rocky’s friend and mentor. Listen to this charming, talented man tell stories from the world of film and television and describe his most recent creation, the extraordinary book called “Letters From Hollywood.” https://www.lettersfromhollywood.com and come to Bookstore1 (call 941-365-7900 for reservations) on Sunday Nov 20th to get a copy and hear him talk about it.

8-5-19 Interview
Actor Jen Diaz says that she wanted to be a “singer, actress and veterinarian.” Fresh from a performance at in “Dyke” at Sarasota’s Urbanite Theater, Jen is part of the Asolo Conservatory Dog Days Theater Production of “Harbor.” Come see proof that she made the right choice.

7-22-19 Interview

7-15-19 Interview

7-8-19 Interview

1-1-19 Interview

6-24-19 Interview

6-3-19 Interview

6-3-19 Part 3 of my interview with Ballet Master Robert de Warren begins with a description of the frightening climax to his tour with Iran’s National Folklore Organization to celebrate America’s Bicentennial and his departure from Iran as that country descended into chaos. It goes on to describe his seven year tenure with La Scala in Milan which Rudolph Nureyev chose him to lead: a star studded period during which Robert choreographed and designed ballets for the world’s most prestigious dancers and for which Princess Margaret was the Ballet’s patron. It concludes with a description of the ironic way Robert began his 13 years leading the Sarasota Ballet Company.

5-13-19 Interview

5-13-19 Sharon Leslie Ohrenstein is a renaissance woman. Her extraordinary voice was first discovered in Kindergarten when she was chosen to sing the solo in the Christmas play and has delighted countess audiences since. She is a fine actor appearing in vastly dissimilar roles with authenticity. As a director she has helped actors find nuances which enabled them to be better than they were. And, as a teacher, she has enhanced the experience of the eager students at Roads Scholar for 16 years. Although writing came late in her life, along with her composer husband David, she wrote the book and lyrics to two musicals and two operas; producing, directing, and staring in many (she even made the costume). Listen to this amazing woman talk about her life journey and her current adventure; the creation of Patra a brand new Opera based on Cleopatra’s last days, which was chosen as a workshop production at the prestigious Seagle Music Colony in Schroon lake NY. And click here to donate to its gofundme page to be a part of this adventure. https://www.gofundme.com/patraopera

4-28-19 Interview

4/29/19 On May 6 2019 “The New York Theatre Barn is honoring co-founder and board member Sheilah Rae with a Lifetime Achievement Award for her exceptional contributions to musical theatre as a writer, composer, lyricist and performer for over 50-years, and her outstanding service and vision for New York Theatre Barn for more than a decade”. Sheilah found her life path very young. During the performance of “South Pacific” 5 year old Sheilah told her mother that she was “going to do that.” Her parents arranged for her to study dance with the renowned Edna McRae. Since Ms McRae also required that her students know music, 6 year old Sheilah began piano lessons. She was soon studying dance, piano, music theory and violin at the Chicago Conservatory of Music. She got her first role on Broadway in “Fiddler on the Roof” right out of college and never stopped adding to her arsenal of talents and accomplishments. Listen to this multi-talented, effervescent woman talk about a career in which she has done everything. And hear a song from one of her musicals (“I Married Wyatt Earp,” now called The Belle of Tombstone) lyrics by Sheilah and music by Michele Brourman.

3-18-19 Interview

4/1/19 On Sunday April 14th at 2:00 at Bookstore1 (12 S Palm Ave, Sarasota, FL 34236) Lynne Bernfield will discuss concepts in her book When You Can You Will which explain what stops people from changing. She says “When you can’t do what you want to do there is always a good reason.” Come discover the reason you haven’t been able to do what you want to do. Listen to the introduction to the When You Can You Will audiobook and call Bookstore1 at 941-365-7900 for reservations.

3-25-19 Interview

Shakespearean scholar Johnny Epstein has had a long career as an actor beginning when, at seven years old, he spontaneously adlibbed to cover a fellow student missed cue. He is currently a professor at the FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training, where he teaches a 3 hour a day course in Shakespeare. Listen to this knowledgeable, articulate man describe the upcoming production of As You Like it, which will open on April 12th and the Selby Gardens and be performed by his class of 2nd year graduate students.

3-10-19 Interview

Frank Galati is “in his bones a theatre person.” But despite many hints along the way: his delight in mugging before the picture window in his family home, entertaining friends and family with antic behavior, the play he wrote and directed in High School, and spending most of his time in College and Graduate school playing in the theater, he had “no ambition to work in the theater.” But life had other plans for Frank. In this first of my two interviews with Frank listen to him describe the ironic way he got his Equity Card while still in Graduate School, became part of the fledgling Steppenwolf Theater Company and wrote what would be his Tony Award Winning Adaptation of The Grapes of Wrath.

3-10-19 Interview

My second interview with Frank Galati, six years after the first, picks up where the first left off. In it Frank describes his theatrical adaptations of the works of Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami. Some of which were then translated back into the Japanese and other languages as well. He talks about his love of teaching, why he left teaching and the, to him, surprising turn his life has now taken. And he describes his newest endeavor; a theatrical piece called “Knoxville,” based on the novel “A Death in the Family,’ by James Agee which he is creating with Lynn Arens and Stephen Flagherty – with whom he collaborated on the Tony Award winning musical “Ragtime.” And which will debut at the Asolo Repertory Theatre in the spring of 2020

3-4-19 Interview

Poet, Painter, Philosopher, Professor Terrance Hayes was born to a single 16 year old who jokes that she “couldn’t afford to anything but keep him.” He began to draw very young and was known for his visual art skill – listen to the sweet story of discovering what he took to be his father’s drawings which motivated him to be an artist too. He also wrote but he kept his writings a secret. He went to college on a basketball scholarship At graduation he was encouraged to pursue a career in basketball by his coach and a career in art by his art teacher, but an unexpected event – a conversation with Maya Angelou convinced him to be get his MFA in Poetry. Listen to this passionate, articulate man describe a truly unique life.

2-18-19 Interview
2-18-19 Syreeeta Banks was born with a to die for voice, but her natural shyness and commitment to “adulting´ caused her to major in Electrical Engineering in college and spend several years pursuing her determination to be an adult; working at straight jobs, buying a condo, being self-supporting. Luckily she has now turned her talent and energy to pursing what she should always have been – a performer. Come see her star in The Amen Corner currently running at the West Coast Black Theater Troupe

1-24-19 Interview

1-28-19 Florida Studio Theater Associate Artist Catherine Randazzo bounded into life. She decided to play the piano at two, by four she was demanding that her family listen while she described and acted out her dreams, but that was just the beginning. A good student, she was also an actor, a singer, a dancer, a volleyball star, president of school government, member of the chorus/choir, accompanist to same. There isn’t room on the page for all of her skills and accomplishments, all of which was achieved with a positive, open, self-deprecating, warm energy. Listen to this, talented, charming, remarkable woman talk about a life in which everything is possible

1-14-19 Interview

1-14-19, a scholar, rhetoric and Shakespeare specialist Glenn Schudel is a multi-faceted, multi-talented man. Although he didn’t take a straight path, over time Glenn discovered his interest in and passion for acting, writing, directing, and teaching. Disciplined and conscientious he studied and became all of them and more. Listen to this thoughtful, articulate man describe his circuitous route to become all that he is. And come see him perform his one man show based on one of his delightful, if arduous experiences at 1:00 on Jan 26th at this year’s Sarasolo festival.

1—17 Interview

Synia Carroll knew she could sing. Although delighted when, in the 2nd grade, the Nuns picked her to sing Silent Night in the Christmas pageant– she didn’t think it was anything special – she thought everyone could sing. It wasn’t until her “first grown up boyfriend,” an up and coming rock musician, told her she was a singer that she began to take it seriously. While working as a teacher she found time to sing in a variety of formats – including developing a storytelling career which included movement as well as music. But it was just in the last two years that Synia “found her voice,” and that voice sings Jazz. Listen to Synia talk about her various attempts to define herself as a singer and describe and the challenges she faced when finding herself as the only woman of color amongst a sea of white faces. Listen to cuts from her first CD – in which she is accompanied by the Billy Marcus (named the best musician in So FL) on piano, Don Mopsik (the sage) on Bass and blazing drummer Steve Bucholtz., and come see her perform her first one woman show “Finding Sassy” on Sat Jan 26th 7PM at this year’s Sarasolo Festival

10-15-18 Interview

Andrei Maleav-Babel is a Russian Immigrant. The son and grandson of writers and artists, Andrei wrote musicals and directed his parent’s friends in his plays, by the time he was 10 or 12. Luckily coming of age as Perestroika was occurring in Russia, Andrei was able to start his own theater as a very young man. Barely able to speak English, he met, courted and married an American sociology student and became a Professor of Acting at the prestigious FSU Conservatory for Actor Training, one of the top ten actor training companies in the United States. Listen to him tell his amazing story and talk about his direction of the Conservatory’s production of Ibsen’s’Ghosts opening on Jan 4th