7-9-18 Interview

10/1/18 In Part 2 of our interview, musician, composer, educator and philosopher Stephen Miles describes the “accident” which caused him to explore new ways for audiences to experience music and led to the creation of New Music New College, which is celebrating its 20th year. He describes innovations, like Club Sudakoff, which provides a Cabaret atmosphere instead of the conventional, static setting in which music is usually heard. Listen to Stephen describe his belief that music can actually affect behavior. Many of his compositions are intended to achieve that goal and in this interview he describes one which does just that. Come out on Thursday Oct. 4, to hear this season’s first New Music New College Artist Conversation and on Sat Oct 6th to experience So Percussion.

9-1718 Interview –

9/17/18 Part 3 of my interview with Roger Steffins begins with his description of how he discovered Bob Marley and Reggae Music and how this discovery became a lifelong obsession. Today his collection of records, posters and other memorabilia, is the largest in the world. Hear about his frustrating campaign to establish an archive of this collection as the Museum of Reggae Music in Jamaica. Then he describes his years of doing a radio show on MPR, the creation of the Reggae/African Music newsletter which lasted 28 years and had as many as 60,000 subscribers, his relationships with film greats Waldo Salt, Bill Link and John Ritter which led to his career as an actor and narrator of film, audio books and documentaries.

9-10-18 Interview

9/10/18 The radicalization of Roger Steffins. Part 2 of my 3 Part interview with Roger takes him through his service in the army during the Vietnam War. Listen to Roger describe his extraordinary experiences, including; training in Psyops, having had the Tet Offensive happen all around him, and being responsible for tons of food and clothing delivered to displaced refugees. Listen to him talk about the impact his war-time experience had on his beliefs, the life he then chose to lead as a result, and the work it spawned. This segment ends with my asking Roger about his relationship with the legendary Bob Marley.

9-3-18 Interview

9/3/18 This is the first of a 3 part interview with the indescribable Roger Steffins. It seems impossible that one person would have had the time, energy or talent to care about and/or do all the things that Roger has both cared about and done. Truly Roger demonstrates what we humans are capable of, but which few achieve. In this segment Roger describes his early love of, interest in, passion for all things visual which begins at the age of 5 with stamp collecting, all things written, beginning with newspapers, he wrote his first newspaper at seven both the copy and the editorial cartoon, and the serendipitous way in which he created his one man show “Poetry for people who hate poetry”’ which took him all over the world. This segment ends with my asking Roger if he was drafted during the Viet Nam war.

2-11-19 Interview

Many artists describe themselves and their work with one or a few adjectives, they’re a writer, a painter, a musician, an actor, a singer, a dancer; they work with light or sound or design. Eliza Ladd uses all these adjectives and more to describe herself and her art. She has spent her life exploring every possible way a person can express themselves creatively. Although she didn’t know how she was going to use all the skills she pursued, Eliza followed her curiosity and instinct and has created an art which synthesizes all of the skills she studied, trained in and developed. Listen to this spontaneous, guileless, breathless woman describe a journey for which there was no roadmap, a life in which she had to be her own guide and in which she created an Art which is uniquely her own

8-13-18-23-8/13/18 Memorial to Jimmy Clark.

This is an interview I did in 2011 when Jimmy was part of the ensemble company of 12 Angry Men. In it he recounts his life from his five year old memory of seeing Jimmy Cagney in Midsummer Night’s Dream and telling his mother that he wanted to “live there,” through his eccentric education and rapid success. He is candid, spontaneous, outrageous, self-deprecating, funny and serious by turns. He is quintessential Jimmy Clark and all the reasons that he is missed.18 Interview

7-23-18 Interview

8/6/18 Monica Cross’s mother loved to sew and she passed her love of creating costumes on to her daughter. But that was just the beginning of a life dedicated to all things theater for Monica. Today, as the Production Manager and Technical Director of the black box theater at Sarasota’s New College, she acts, directs, costumes, creates lights, sound and scenery and teaches. In her spare time she writes. Her first full-length play The Wonder of Our Stage, recently won the competition at the new play reading festival at the Players Theater and will be fully produced next season. Listen to Monica talk about her discovery that theater was where she belonged and her infectious passion for all the things she does there.

7-30-18 Interview

Actor, singer, dancer, musician, educator Kyle Blanzel realized that he was performer when his 2nd grade costar, Mrs. Claus, sang his line instead of hers and he went on with the show, just like a professional. Years of training and understudying Joe Kinosian, one of the writers of Murder for Two, in the National Tour of the show, made him the absolutely best choice to portray the role/s (12) he is currently playing in the Florida Studio Theater production. Don’t miss this!

7-23-18 Interview

7/23/18 Pianist, singer, director, actor, musical director Paul Helm was lucky. From the elderly babysitter who convinced his parents to give four year old Paul piano lessons, to the choir teacher who “saw something in him,” to the agent who having seen Paul on stage, pursued him until Paul agreed to leave his beloved Wisconsin and make the leap to New York City, Paul has been led to the career which he “loves” and which although often difficult, he “wouldn’t have it any other way.” Listen to this enthusiastic young man talk about his work and don’t miss his delightful performance in the wacky and wonderful musical “Murder for Two” at Florida Studio Theater.

7-16-18 Interview

When he was five years old and had never taken a piano lesson Mark Kroll could play by ear the pieces his eight year old brother was studying. His brother was so embarrassed by his baby brother’s ability that he gave up the piano, but Mark never did. Dreaming of being a concert pianist Mark filled his life with music, studying, practicing and listening to his favorite works, by his favorite pianists and composers. At seventeen he fell in love with “early music,” but thought it didn’t sound quite right played on the piano. Then he heard Harpsichordist Ralph Kirkpatrick play and his fate was sealed. Listen to Mark tell the story of his parents moving his bed out of the bedroom to make room for his harpsichord. And get a taste of Mark playing.

6-18-18 Interview

12 year old Trudie Kessler was recruited to help her 18 year old brother learn his lines for a high school play. Watching him on stage and mouthing all his lines, Trudie knew that she wanted to do that too. She waited, not to patiently, for freshman year to arrive when she was finally able to audition. Terrified, but determined, she auditioned for, was cast in the first freshman play and she was “home.” Like many others who fall in love with an art, Trudie was determined to have a steady paycheck and so although she majored in Theater she always knew she would teach. Adding directing and voice to her skill set Trudie taught theater first at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City and then at the Goodman School of Drama, which was adopted by DePaul University, where she taught voice, acting and directing for 33 years. Retirement has given her an opportunity to get back on stage herself. Listen to this lovely woman talk about a life dedicated to experiencing and passing on the joys of theater. And come see her demonstrate that joy as she plays Hannah the “shotgun” – matchmaker, in the Players Theater production of Crossing Delancey.

8-2-16 Interview

When Alto Sax player Frank Ascone was four years old he saw the Louis Prima band and fell in love. Unable to play an instrument at that time little Frank taught himself to tap dance. Seeing that he was captured by Jimmy Dorsey’s clarinet, his parents bought Frank a $200.00 clarinet for his 11th birthday and his fate was sealed. He loved the instrument, learned quickly and on his 13th birthday his parents bought him a saxophone. Although music was and would always be his “life” Frank wanted to have a steady paycheck – something a career in music was not guaranteed to provide – so Frank went to art school and for many years balanced his full time job and his love of playing music. When gigs for Sax became less plentiful Frank taught himself to play the drums and piano, now retirement has given him an opportunity to indulge his lifelong passion for music. Listen to this delightful, self-deprecating man, who can’t “pass a piano without sitting down to play,” describe a life in which music is his constant companion.

6-4-18 Interview

6/4/18 Actor, theater maker Brendan Ragan loves being on stage. He always knew he was a natural; but he “never wanted to settle for pretty good,” and the need to hone his “artistry,” to be pushed, to be torn down and rebuilt if that was what it took for him to reach his personal best, drives him. It drove him to risk to joining 11 other graduates to create Single Carrot, a theater company in Baltimore on what was – although they didn’t know it – the most dangerous street in town; it drove him to leave there, although people thought he was crazy to leave that wonderful set up, and apply to graduate school; and its driven him to join Summer Wallace and Harry Lipstein in creating the Urbanite theater in Sarasota. Listen to this passionate, articulate man talk about his obsession to create the very best theater experience he can for himself and his audience, come see him demonstrate his “artistry” in the Urbanite’s current production of “Incognito”

1-15-18 Interview

5-28-18 Jerry Billik is a composer, arranger, songwriter, conductor, and director of stage productions. Although he downplays his skill and accomplishments Jerry’s career is extraordinary. A musical virtuoso by the age of 13, he has composed more than 50 pieces of music, from popular ballads to marches to his ‘Symphony for Band’. His concert march “Block M” composed for the University of Michigan Marching Band when he was a senior there has been voted by band composers as one of the top 100 marches of all time. He wrote the “M Fanfare” which is still played by the University of Michigan marching band prior to their playing the famous fight song. He has worked with many popular artists, including Danny Kaye, Dick Van Dyke, Leonard Bernstein, Barbra Streisand, and Neil Diamond. He has arranged music for several television series and serves as Vice President of creative development for Disney on Ice, having arranged all the music for the Disney on Ice shows, which he also writes and directs. Listen to this self-deprecatory charming man tell delightful stories of a life spent with music and theater like the ironic reason he taught himself to play piano.

5-21-18 Interview

5-21-18 Actor, Singer, Dancer Jared Joseph never actually decided to be a musical theater performer. His first love was art, he drew and painted and won awards while still in elementary school. But his mother encouraged him to join the choir and a teacher invited him to a poetry class – which seemed to lead to a drama club. And then they needed boys to sing… So somehow he wound up at the New York University Musical Theater Program, and the rest as they say – is history. It was a fortunate choice as anyone who has seen his portrayal of Coalhouse Walker Jr. in the Asolo production of Ragtime will attest. The production is so popular that an additional performance has been scheduled – this is no small part due to Jared’s powerful performance. Listen to this charming, spontaneous man talk about his ironic way to the musical theater stage.

4-30-18 Interview

5-7-18 As a boy Chuck Smith felt his family’s distress when his uncle, a Merchant Marine, was lost at sea. Chuck decided that he wanted to matter as much as his beloved uncle and, as soon as possible, enlisted in the Marines, believing that he would spend his life in the service. After two tours Chuck decided to check out civilian life but he found it boring and was just about to re-up when friends asked him to stand in for an actor who had dropped out of a play which was just about to. Chuck had no experience of, or even any interest in the theater – in fact he was insulted to be to be asked – after all he was “a military man!” But he agreed to help out his friends. The reaction he got from the audience when he came out for his bow changed his life. Today Chuck, is a resident director at Chicago’s prestigious Goodman Theater where he is currently directing Having Our Say and a freelance director anywhere that African American theater is growing. Listen to this extraordinary man tell his unusual story.

5-14-18 Interview
5-14-18 Marie Thomas-Foster knew by the time she was twelve years old that she didn’t want to follow in her families tradition – and become a teacher – she wanted to perform. She began taking dance lessons as soon as she could and convinced her friends to create “shows” in which they sang and danced. She misled her mother into thinking she was majoring in Education when she was actually studying Theater. And her determination paid off as her career has taken her to roles on Stage and Screen (big and little). But apparently the power of her early training never quite left her as she also taught theater at the City College of New York and created Theater Workshop where she gave hundreds of youngsters and opportunity to learn to sing and dance and act. Today she is staring in Having Her Say at the Goodman Theater in Chicago directed by Chuck Smith.

4-30-18 Interview

4-30-18 Bill Selby was 11 years old when his mother asked him to accompany her to an audition. Bill had no idea that he would be auditioning. Listen to Bill describe how his “competitiveness” asserted itself the moment he understood that he was auditioning for the role of young Patrick in a production of Auntie Mame, He decided he would win the role, he did and the course of his life was set. Come see Bill demonstrate what that long ago director must have seen when he steps on the stage at Florida Studio Theater in the cabaret production of Shakespeare’s Greatest Hits,

4-30-18 Interview

4-23-18 Leon Pitts was nine years old when he met his mentor, his “rabbi,” Nate Jacobs. Nate was a teacher at Leon’s school and although, neither knew it at the time, one day Nate would be the founder of The West Coast Black Theater Troupe and Leon would be one of its founding members. Today, decades later, Leon is a seasoned performer, he has sung, danced and acted in dozens of productions; recently getting his actors equity card. Listen to Leon describe the magical way he was convinced to turn his back on the career everyone thought he should pursue and follow Nate into the “fire’ where he discovered his passion, his commitment and the life he was meant to live. And come see the result of that courageous leap as Leon becomes one of the “Soul Men” in the current production at the West coast Black Theater Troupe.

4-16-18 Interview

4-16-18 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. 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 Much Ado About Nothing, which will open on April 18th and the Selby Gardens and be performed by his class of 2nd year graduate students.