• The Clamshell Effect: Why we walk around closed off and how to stay open to your own creative aliveness.
• Jumping into the Fire: Why the sense of discovery is more important than the end result.
• Princess Essex: The true story of a woman who pretended to be a princess just to be seen for a day.
• Creative Oxygen: Why finding what makes you feel human is a necessity, not a luxury.

Want more? Here are handy playlists with all my previous interviews with guests in writing and theatre.

Check out the full show notes at fycuriosity.com, and join us for the Follow Your Curiosity Creativity Circle.

Please leave a review for this episode—it’s really easy and will only take a minute, and it really helps me reach new listeners. Thanks!

If you enjoyed our conversation, I hope you’ll share it with a friend.

• The Fence-Climbing Incident: How a literal leap of faith launched Phil's career with one of Hollywood’s greatest casting directors.
• No Means Yes: Why Phil views rejection as fuel rather than a stop sign, and how that mindset saved the Doctor.
• The "Indelible" Teacher: The power of the people who see our potential before we do.
• SprueVerse and Scale Models: Why "owning your time" for a hobby like scale modeling is a vital act of creative survival.

Want more? Here are handy playlists with all my previous interviews with guests in theatre, writing, and  Doctor Who.

Check out the full show notes at fycuriosity.com, and join us for the Follow Your Curiosity Creativity Circle.

Please leave a review for this episode—it’s really easy and will only take a minute, and it really helps me reach new listeners. Thanks!

If you enjoyed our conversation, I hope you’ll share it with a friend.

• The 2020 Perspective: A snapshot of creative survival recorded in May 2020 during the first months of the pandemic.
• The Failed Athlete: Why Paul’s first ambition wasn't the stage, and how he navigated the "brutality" of not making the cut.
• The RADA Turning Point: How a "confused kid" who nearly joined the Navy found his way to the Royal Academy.
• The Custodians of History: Why the fans, not the actors, are the ones who truly look after the Doctor's legacy.

Want more? Here are handy playlists with all my previous interviews with guests in theatre and  Doctor Who.

Check out the full show notes at fycuriosity.com, and join us for the Follow Your Curiosity Creativity Circle.

Please leave a review for this episode—it’s really easy and will only take a minute, and it really helps me reach new listeners. Thanks!

If you enjoyed our conversation, I hope you’ll share it with a friend.

• The Digital De-assimilation: Why Paul decided he didn't want to be the "kind of person" social media was making him.
• The Power of Audio: Why working in the "theatre of the mind" is qualitatively different and physically freeing.
• Richard E. Grant: A look at their rare on-screen reunion and the power of natural enthusiasm.
• The Next Story: Why for a professional actor, the most important role is always the one that’s coming next.

Want more? Here are handy playlists with all my previous interviews with guests in theatre and  Doctor Who.

Check out the full show notes at fycuriosity.com, and join us for the Follow Your Curiosity Creativity Circle.

Please leave a review for this episode—it’s really easy and will only take a minute, and it really helps me reach new listeners. Thanks!

If you enjoyed our conversation, I hope you’ll share it with a friend.

0:00 Intro and childhood creativity

4:15 The art of creative cooking

8:30 Perception and seeing the world differently

13:00 From ballet school dreams to acting

17:45 The "act 18" audition story

22:15 Realizing the power of acting choices

27:30 Embodying roles and character work

32:00 The secret Doctor Who audition

37:15 Living a double life as American

42:30 Navigating career typecasting and snobbery

47:45 Getting discovered in the West End

52:15 Returning to Peri on audio

56:30 The science and art of hypnosis

1:00:00 Trusting your gut and the mind body connection

Want more? Here are handy playlists with all my previous interviews with guests in theatre and  Doctor Who.

Check out the full show notes at fycuriosity.com, and join us for the Follow Your Curiosity Creativity Circle.

Please leave a review for this episode—it’s really easy and will only take a minute, and it really helps me reach new listeners. Thanks!

If you enjoyed our conversation, I hope you’ll share it with a friend.

Want more? Here are handy playlists with all my previous interviews with guests in theatre, writing, and  Doctor Who.

Check out the full show notes at fycuriosity.com, and join us for the Follow Your Curiosity Creativity Circle.

Please leave a review for this episode—it’s really easy and will only take a minute, and it really helps me reach new listeners. Thanks!

If you enjoyed our conversation, I hope you’ll share it with a friend.

Louise Jameson is a classically trained actress whose first love is the stage—she spent two years with the Royal Shakespeare Company at the beginning of her career—but she also became known to millions of British television viewers through her roles in such hugely popular television series as Doctor Who, Tenko, Bergerac  and  EastEnders. Her recent theatre credits include Vincent River and directing the UK tour of Revenge. Her audio credits include Doctor Who (Big Finish), writing ATA Girl, about the women of the Air Transport Authority during World War II, and  multiple titles for BBC Audio and Audible.

Louise talks with me about her unusually young start at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and how her training continued at the Royal Shakespeare Company, how her Doctor Who character, Leela of the Sevateem, reflected the feminism of the 1970s (and how she didn’t), how she started writing, and what she thinks of the opportunities for—and representation of—women in film and TV over the years.

If you want to watch this conversation, you can see it here on YouTube!

Episode breakdown:

00:00 Introduction

04:00 Louise describes childhood creativity, daydreaming, and reading early.

08:00 Drama school, age gap with classmates, and strict discipline.

12:00 Acting requires teamwork; Louise reflects on early career.

16:00 Louise's Shakespeare passion, favorite roles and performance experiences.

20:00 Louise talks about landing Leela role in Doctor Who.

24:00 Doctor Who impacts life daily; gratitude for lasting connections.

28:00 Leela's feminist traits and costume choices, fighting stereotypes.

32:00 Leela's intelligence and evolution, relationship with other companions.

36:00 Influence of audio plays; Gallifrey series has strong female fandom.

40:00 Louise discusses writing, self-doubt, and encouragement from collaborators.

44:00 Directing stage, teaching drama; regrets and living in the now.

48:00 Shakespeare’s rhythmic influence on Louise’s writing and teaching.

52:00 Conversation shifts to social media, attention economy, and technology.

56:00 Louise analyzes Shakespeare’s poetic technique and its storytelling power.

01:00 Louise explains collective magic of live theater and storytelling.

01:04 Progress and ongoing challenges for women in TV and film.

Want more? Here are handy playlists with all my previous interviews with guests in writing, theatre, and Doctor Who.

Check out the full show notes (now including transcripts!) at fycuriosity.com, and connect with me and fellow creatives on Substack.

Please leave a review for this episode—it’s really easy and will only take a minute, and it really helps me reach new listeners. Thanks!

If you enjoyed our conversation, I hope you’ll share it with a friend.

My guest this week is Richard Wilmore, the host and executive producer of the wildly successful daily talk and variety series Make Your Day Richer TV. From 2016 to 2022, he hosted the award-winning The Richard Wilmore Show. He also co-hosts the Wolf Media Fest podcast. Behind the scenes, Richard helps numerous podcasts and livestreams with production, editing, and talent booking needs through his company, Make Your Day Richer.

Richard talks with me about how he found his calling as a talk show host, why you should start where you are with what you have, the challenges of making work for hire and turning your art into a business, the importance (and difficulties) of listening to yourself, and a lot more.

Episode breakdown:

00:00 Introduction

04:09 Supportive parents let Richard explore.

09:06 Young Richard pretended to be a weatherperson, then talk show host.

13:11 Performing as himself felt natural, but nerves still linger.

17:16 Richard describes building colorful sets to energize his shows.

22:18 Created talk show sets in basements, bedrooms, and studios.

27:04 Richard and Nancy reflect on starting shows with minimal gear.

32:44 Burnout can happen even doing what you love most.

37:15 Turning creativity into business poses unexpected challenges for artists.

41:21 Listening to your gut is crucial but not always easy.

46:29 Self-doubt and outside opinions complicate creative decisions and direction.

51:49 Guests surprise Richard; reaching out directly often leads to yes.

Want more? Here are handy playlists with all my previous interviews with guests in writing and theatre.

If you enjoyed our conversation, I hope you’ll share it with a friend.

Check out the full show notes at fycuriosity.com, and connect with me and fellow creatives on Substack.

Please leave a review for this episode—it’s really easy and will only take a minute, and it really helps me reach new listeners. Thanks!

Every year at Thanksgiving and Christmas, I offer up my favorite episodes of the year. This year's Thanksgiving selection is my conversation with force of nature Lizzie Hopley. Enjoy!

(Original release date: July 16, 2025)

—

Actress and writer Lizzie Hopley was born in Liverpool and trained at RADA. As an
actress, she has worked for the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Globe Theatre and recent screen work includes Black Doves and upcoming feature film Fackham Hall. As a writer, her radio sitcom Green won Pozzitive TV’s Funny Dot Comp 2021 and TV series Bloody Betty is currently in development. She has written and appeared in over 90 Big Finish audio adventures including Dark Shadows and Doctor Who, and her Doctor Who audio play The Curse of Lady Macbeth won the 2022 Scribe Award.

Lizzie joins me to talk about how her childhood love of writing and acting became a vocation, auditioning for RADA—twice—and how she ended up continuing to write even as a drama student, how learning to think of acting and writing as having a target changed her work, and a whole lot more.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Lizzie Hopley shares her creative childhood and love for books.
04:56 Acting out movie scenes alone sparked early passion for performance.
08:45 Family encouraged storytelling, costumes, and imagination at home.
13:11 Difficulties pursuing creative careers; importance of following passion.
17:33 University and RADA experiences shaped her acting and writing path.
22:24 Writing plays began due to lack of desired acting roles.
27:29 Rewriting and feedback are crucial for improving both crafts.
32:54 Learning to target audience while writing; acting versus writing focus.
37:22 Acting training emphasizes focusing on scene partner, not yourself.
43:48 Importance of editors and learning to kill your darlings.
48:21 Confidence and caring less about others’ opinions increases with age.
53:07 Acting and writing overlap at Big Finish; playing her own roles.
57:16 Big Finish’s community impact, creative freedom, and professional development.
01:02:18 Target books and early Doctor Who fandom as creative inspiration.
01:07:04 Embrace varied interests; open doors for yourself in creativity.

Want more? Here are handy playlists with all my previous interviews with guests in writing, theatre, and Doctor Who.

If you enjoyed our conversation, I hope you’ll share it with a friend.

Check out the full show notes (now including transcripts!) at fycuriosity.com, and connect with me and fellow creatives on Substack.

Please leave a review for this episode—it’s really easy and will only take a minute, and it really helps me reach new listeners. Thanks!

If you’ve been tearing up when you encounter other people’s art because you’ve lost touch with your own, we should talk.

My guests today are Lisa McMullin and Alfie Shaw, both of whom write for Big Finish Productions, creators of audio dramas ranging from established series like Doctor Who, Sherlock Holmes, and Dark Shadows to original dramas featuring the Air Transport Auxiliary from World War II and Marcus Tullius Cicero in Ancient Rome. Lisa started her career as a drama teacher before moving into dramatic writing—she’s written for TV series like Death in Paradise and the Sister Boniface Mysteries as well—and Alfie, who is also a producer for Big Finish, dabbled in stand-up comedy.

We talk about Big Finish’s apparently magical ability to redeem characters—including villains—who were less than beloved, the challenges and opportunities of recasting familiar characters, the way Big Finish finds new writers (including the best ways to do that), what the writing process looks like for an audio series, and a lot more. While there’s a lot of Doctor Who in this conversation, there’s also a lot of insight into the creative process, too. We apologize for being a bit vague about particular stories so as not to spoil them for those who haven’t heard them. Here’s my conversation with Lisa McMullin and Alfie Shaw.

Episode breakdown:

00:00 Introduction

01:39 Lisa's creative childhood

09:22 Alfie's early passion for stand-up.

11:03 Alfie worked at BBC before Big Finish.

21:10 Lisa met writers, felt impostor syndrome, networked successfully.

23:19 Mixed interests: Paul McGann, river, Big Finish's "Survivors."

27:46 Amused student challenges English class symbolism interpretations.

34:57 AI affects creativity more than expected.

42:27 Exploring creativity within set formats is valuable.

44:13 Big Finish enhances characters like Sixth Doctor, Daleks.

50:54 Varied reactions to piece on religion, conversion.

57:04 Balancing new ideas and classic elements creatively.

59:44 Paul Spragg entries processed anonymously for judging panel selection.

01:05:56 Balancing established and new talent in writing.

01:14:58 Audio parallels theater through character-driven dialogue.

01:21:24 Recast Doctors' strength: unique, non-traditional portrayals.

01:23:24 Continuously innovate and explore new creative possibilities.

01:28:25 Eleventh Doctor and Jacob Dudman.

Check out the full show notes (now including transcripts!!) at fycuriosity.com, and connect with me and fellow creatives on Substack.

Please leave a review for this episode—it’s really easy and will only take a minute, and it really helps me reach new listeners. Thanks!

If you enjoyed our conversation, I hope you’ll share it with a friend.

Want more? Here are handy playlists with all my previous interviews with guests in Doctor Who and writing.

Actor, activist, musician, and artist Michael Broussard joined me back in 2021 to talk about his one-man show, Ask a Sex Abuse Survivor, and what he’s learned about destigmatizing trauma abuse through art. A few months ago, he mentioned to me that he’s been focusing on pulling the rug out from under himself artistically. He’s back today to talk about just what that means and how it’s actually been influencing his work all along, and his upcoming game show project. We talk about game shows over the years, improv skills—that ability to accept and adapt in the moment—as integral to art and to life, how we are each an experiential filter for creativity, the importance of creativity as self-care, and more. 

Get tickets for Michael's game show here. If you'd like to be a contestant, send 3 interesting things about yourself to michaelbroussardarts@gmail.com 

Read this week's post: Mucking about in the creek, here.

Listen to Michael's earlier episode here.

Episode breakdown:

00:00 Introduction

01:11 Embracing surprises in performance adds excitement.

05:15 Creativity is influenced by internal and external factors.

10:32 Panelist embraces chaos, hosts semi-controlled game shows.

15:51 Influences shape individuality and creative process uniquely.

27:09 Repetition in performance can lead to boredom.

33:02 Understanding the challenge of listening and relating.

34:21 Benefits of good listening.

41:20 Improvisation and humor on the Match Game.

45:55 Zoom shows make audience feel ownership, enjoyment.

52:29 We're trained to be passive, but need agency.

57:40 Denying ourselves what we love limits life.

01:04:50 Art is subjective; worth exploring and learning.

01:07:29 Story inspired by Disney; teacher encouragement.

Check out the full show notes (now including transcripts!!) at fycuriosity.com, and connect with me and fellow creatives on Substack.

Please leave a review for this episode—it’s really easy and will only take a minute, and it really helps me reach new listeners. Thanks!

If you enjoyed our conversation, I hope you’ll share it with a friend.

Want more? Here are handy playlists with all my previous interviews with guests in theatre.

Happy holidays, everyone! I'm thrilled to present my second holiday replay of the year, which was easily one of my favorite interviews of 2023, if not my very favorite. It's a perfect story for the holidays, reminding us that there's room for redemption in all of us. Enjoy!

My guest today is Kate Powers, a lifelong theatre kid who became an off-Broadway and regional theatre director. Her list of credits is long, but I wanted to talk to Kate about the unusual home she’s found for her work: maximum security prisons. Kate is the founding artistic director of the Redeeming Time Project, which uses Shakespeare to effect positive change for the incarcerated and the formerly incarcerated. She has been a facilitator with Rehabilitation Through the Arts (www.rta-arts.org) at Sing Sing Correctional Facility since 2009. 

Kate tells me how she discovered this work, how she runs her program, and the transformative effect of combining Shakespeare—famous for his depictions of all facets of human nature—with a prison population. I’m not gonna lie to you—I had goosebumps for most of this interview, and I think you might, too. If you do, I hope you’ll consider donating to help these programs transform lives—you’ll find a list of links in the show notes.

Please leave a review of the show, and in it, tell us about a time when theater transformed a part of your life.

Want more? Here's a handy playlist with all my previous interviews with guests in theatre!

Join the conversation on Post.news, Spoutible, and Mastodon! And if you're feeling stuck in your own creative process, get the 6 Creative Beliefs that Are Screwing You Up, plus biweekly updates on what's going on in my world (including upcoming events) for free!

Marc Kaye calls himself a “restless creative”—a musician, writer, and comedian who loves to tell stories and make people laugh. He also, through his company, VitalConex, uses those skills to help develop the vital connections needed for focused, united teams and creative problem solving. Marc tells me how—and why—he took the leap into stand-up, how his comedy and his writing skills have influenced each other, and how he takes both of those, and his business partner’s therapy background, and creates programs to help teams create a sense of psychological safety that lets them do difficult work from a place of greater unity.

Episode breakdown:

00:00 Childhood creativity shapes lifelong passion for creation.
05:37 Piano, writing, science, marketing, stand-up comedy.
07:49 Email to Gary Goldman about Last Comic Standing.
11:48 Got hooked on comedy, performed sporadically. Kids grew.
15:32 Song critique circle provides valuable but diverse feedback.
18:26 Improving character portrayal in writing and comedy.
21:41 An exercise in making unexpected connections.
23:45 Comedy, improv, and creativity in storytelling.
27:23 Adults miss suspending belief in harmless ways.
31:03 Comedy clubs are a past entertainment trend.
34:24 Challenges with DEI initiatives and team building.
36:42 Avoiding the “consultant” label
40:33 Using humor to build real interpersonal connections.
43:12 Identifying strengths and weaknesses through team activity.
46:24 Human experience involves shared emotions and perspectives.
52:26 Humor is crucial in navigating change.
54:38 Finding humor in life is a superpower.

Check out the full show notes at fycuriosity.com, and connect with me and fellow creatives on Substack.

Please leave a review for this episode and in it, tell us about a time when humor made something easier for you. If you enjoyed our conversation, I hope you’ll share it with a friend.

Want more? Here are handy playlists with all my previous interviews with guests in writing and theatre.

As you may know, every year I offer two episode replays over the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. These are always two of my favorite interviews from the year—conversations that stuck with me and are worth a second listen (though, in honesty, they're all worth a second listen!).

This year, Thanksgiving in the US falls on November 23, 2023—60 years to the day since the premiere of Doctor Who. What could be more fitting, then, than to revisit my conversation with Peter Davison, who played the Fifth Doctor and brought us one of the most beloved Doctor Who anniversary specials of all time ten years ago? 

I hope you enjoy the episode!

***

I’m absolutely thrilled to be talking this week with actor Peter Davison, star of All Creatures Great and Small, Doctor Who, At Home with the Braithwaites, West End musicals like Spamalot and Gypsy, and much more. He’s also the author of a delightful memoir, Is There Life Outside the Box: An Actor Despairs, and Doctor Who fans also know him as the creator of the 50th anniversary special, The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot. Peter talks with me about many of those things, plus how he came to write his book, the "rise of the nerds," and more. 

Episode breakdown:

00:01:10 Childhood creativity, music, becoming an actor.

00:10:08 Taking on Doctor Who, and being unsure how to approach the character.

00:17:03 Doctor Who, and playing unpleasant characters well.

00:24:54 All Creatures Great and Small and the lessons learned from Robert Hardy.

00:35:18 Actors fear of being replaced, and the difference between US and UK actors.

00:42:13 Acting as the best job.

00:50:28 Writing his memoir.

00:55:34 The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot.

01:03:07 Doctor Who fandom and the "rise of the nerd."

Please leave a review and in it, tell us your favorite Doctor Who experience or memory.

Want more? Here are some handy playlists with all my previous interviews with guests in theatre and Doctor Who.

Check out the show notes at fycuriosity.com (I have some really cool extras over there for you!)and connect with me and fellow creatives on Substack.

[I'm on vacation this week, so I'm re-upping one of my favorite interviews from the last year. I'll be back with new episodes next week!]

My friend and fellow Kaizen-Muse creativity coach, Nina Hart, was one of my first guests, and she comes back to the podcast today. Nina is an author and performer—including being an original member of San Francisco’s experimental dance troupe, Contraband, and, playing a purple electric bass, recording and performing with numerous bands—and I invited her to dig into Keith Johnstone’s groundbreaking book on theatrical improvisation, Impro, with me.

I knew Nina would have a lot to say about how we unknowingly are our own biggest obstacles to our own creativity, which is a primary focus of the book. We talk about the role status plays in our lives and our perception of things like permission and perfection, how cultural and societal expectations create the fears that hold us back, the importance of feeling safe to let those fears go, and much more.

Please leave a review and in it, tell us when you feel most safe to express yourself.

Want more? Here's a handy playlist with all my previous interviews with guests in acting and theatre!

Check out the show notes at fycuriosity.com, and join the conversation on Post.news, Spoutible, and Mastodon!

If you'd like weekly updates, plus a chance to see where my curiosity is leading me, check out my new (free!) Substack newsletter.

I’m absolutely thrilled to be talking this week with actor Peter Davison, star of All Creatures Great and Small, Doctor Who, At Home with the Braithwaites, West End musicals like Spamalot and Gypsy, and much more. He’s also the author of a delightful memoir, Is There Life Outside the Box: An Actor Despairs, and Doctor Who fans also know him as the creator of the 50th anniversary special, The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot. Peter talks with me about many of those things, plus how he came to write his book, the "rise of the nerds," and more. 

Episode breakdown:

[00:01:10] Childhood creativity, music, becoming an actor.

[00:10:08] Taking on Doctor Who, and being unsure how to approach the character.

[00:17:03] Doctor Who, and playing unpleasant characters well.

[00:24:54] All Creatures Great and Small and the lessons learned from Robert Hardy.

[00:35:18] Actors fear of being replaced, and the difference between US and UK actors.

[00:42:13] Acting as the best job.

[00:50:28] Writing his memoir.

[00:55:34] The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot.

[01:03:07] Doctor Who fandom and the "rise of the nerd."

Please leave a review and in it, tell us about a time when a story was important to you.

Want more? Here are some handy playlists with all my previous interviews with guests in theatre and Doctor Who.

Check out the show notes at fycuriosity.com (I have some really cool extras over there for you!), and join the conversation on Post.news, Spoutible, and Mastodon! And if you're feeling stuck in your own creative process, get the 6 Creative Beliefs that Are Screwing You Up, plus biweekly updates on what's going on in my world (including upcoming events), all for free!

Lucinda Sage-Midgorden has been a story lover since she and her family watched TV and movies together. Her father taught her how to find the deeper layers of a story. This love prompted her to pursue a double major in Religious Studies and Theatre and Speech, a MA in Theatre Arts, and finally a MAEd so she could share her love of stories with her students. Now retired, Lucinda writes her weekly blog, Sage Woman Chronicles, is working on her second novel, manages her online course, "Saving the World One Story at a Time", and produces the bi-weekly podcast, Story-Power.

Lucinda talks with me about the overlap between religion and theater, how story can broaden our understanding of others and help us learn emotional intelligence, how she came to create her online course, and even shares some classic books and movies that are still relevant today.

Episode breakdown:

[00:05:05] Reading fiction helped Lucinda love literature.

[00:08:33] Religious studies to theater.

[00:15:06] Emotional intelligence.

[00:19:18] Father's emotional intelligence led to success.

[00:27:23] From teaching to writing a book, blog, novel, podcast, and online course.

[00:37:12] Language, colors, and stories shape us.

[00:42:58] Acting class teaches medical students empathy skills.

[00:50:44] Movie and book recommendations: awakening journeys and making a difference.

Please leave a review and in it, tell us about a time when a story was important to you.

Want more? Here are some handy playlists with all my previous interviews with guests in theatre and writing and publishing.

Check out the show notes at fycuriosity.com, and join the conversation on Post.news, Spoutible, and Mastodon! And if you're feeling stuck in your own creative process, get the 6 Creative Beliefs that Are Screwing You Up, plus biweekly updates on what's going on in my world (including upcoming events), all for free!

Author Elizabeth (Eliza) Morton was an actress before she started writing, and has always loved the power of stories. She’s also part of an acting family—she’s married to Doctor Who’s Peter Davison and step-mother-in-law of the show’s David Tennant, and sometimes wonders if she started writing romantic sagas as an escape from all the science fiction in the house. Liz joins me to talk about acting and drama school, transitioning into writing, how her drama background influences her fiction writing, whether artificial intelligence can replace human writers, her new novel, and more.

Please leave a review and in it, tell us about a time when a story was important to you.

Want more? Here are some handy playlists with all my previous interviews with guests in theatre and writing and publishing.

Check out the show notes at fycuriosity.com, and join the conversation on Post.news, Spoutible, and Mastodon! And if you're feeling stuck in your own creative process, get the 6 Creative Beliefs that Are Screwing You Up, plus biweekly updates on what's going on in my world (including upcoming events), all for free!

My guest today is Kate Powers, a lifelong theatre kid who became an off-Broadway and regional theatre director. Her list of credits is long, but I wanted to talk to Kate about the unusual home she’s found for her work: maximum security prisons. Kate is the founding artistic director of the Redeeming Time Project, which uses Shakespeare to effect positive change for the incarcerated and the formerly incarcerated. She has been a facilitator with Rehabilitation Through the Arts (www.rta-arts.org) at Sing Sing Correctional Facility since 2009. 

Kate tells me how she discovered this work, how she runs her program, and the transformative effect of combining Shakespeare—famous for his depictions of all facets of human nature—with a prison population. I’m not gonna lie to you—I had goosebumps for most of this interview, and I think you might, too. If you do, I hope you’ll consider donating to help these programs transform lives—you’ll find a list of links in the show notes.

Please leave a review of the show, and in it, tell us about a time when theater transformed a part of your life.

Want more? Here's a handy playlist with all my previous interviews with guests in theatre!

Join the conversation on Post.news, Spoutible, and Mastodon! And if you're feeling stuck in your own creative process, get the 6 Creative Beliefs that Are Screwing You Up, plus biweekly updates on what's going on in my world (including upcoming events) for free!

My friend and fellow Kaizen-Muse creativity coach, Nina Hart, was one of my first guests, and she comes back to the podcast today. Nina is an author and performer—including being an original member of San Francisco’s experimental dance troupe, Contraband, and, playing a purple electric bass, recording and performing with numerous bands—and I invited her to dig into Keith Johnstone’s groundbreaking book on theatrical improvisation, Impro, with me.

I knew Nina would have a lot to say about how we unknowingly are our own biggest obstacles to our own creativity, which is a primary focus of the book. We talk about the role status plays in our lives and our perception of things like permission and perfection, how cultural and societal expectations create the fears that hold us back, the importance of feeling safe to let those fears go, and much more.

Please leave a review and in it, tell us when you feel most safe to express yourself.

Want more? Here's a handy playlist with all my previous interviews with guests in acting and theatre!

Check out the show notes at fycuriosity.com, and join the conversation on Post.news, Spoutible, and Mastodon! And if you're feeling stuck in your own creative process, get the 6 Creative Beliefs that Are Screwing You Up, plus biweekly updates on what's going on in my world (including upcoming events) for free!

Jodi Krangle is a Toronto-based voice actor who works with major brands all over the world including Dell, BBVA, HGTV, Nespresso & Kraft. She's been heard in thousands of your favorite commercials and websites, so odds are very good that you’ve already heard her voice. She also hosts the Audio Branding podcast, which delves into how to make an impact with sound, and how sound influences us. We talk about her journey to voice acting, the reality of voice acting versus our perception of it, and some ways sound can alter perception that will probably surprise you. Jodi also has some advice for anyone who’s considering a career in voice acting.

Please leave a review and in it, tell us about a time when incidents from your own life have turned up in your creative work!

Want more? Here's a handy playlist with all my previous interviews with guests in acting and theatre!

Check out the show notes at fycuriosity.com, and join the conversation on Post.news and Mastodon! And if you're feeling stuck in your own creative process, get the 6 Creative Beliefs that Are Screwing You Up, plus biweekly updates on what's going on in my world (including upcoming events) for free!

My guest this week is opera singer Dale Travis, who has performed with companies all over the world in a career he never imagined as a child. Dale always loved to sing, but went to school for football. When an injury thwarted that plan, he auditioned for the choir, setting him on an unexpected path. We talk about his surprising leap to opera, how he lets the text and music teach him how to perform a character, the future of opera, and more. (And I promise you don’t have to be an opera fan to follow along!) Here’s my conversation with Dale Travis.

Check out the show notes at fycuriosity.com, and join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!

Maria James-Thiaw is a performance poet, playwright, and professor at Central Penn College. She’s also a friend of mine from the MFA program at Goddard College.

Maria has been playing with words since she was old enough to understand them, and has a phenomenal talent for wielding them with power. Her most recent project, the choreopoem Reclaiming My Time, is based on the histories of women who lived through the Jim Crow Era. She’s also the CEO and co-founder of the Reclaim Artist Collective, which works with artists and individuals in marginalized communities.

Check out the show notes at fycuriosity.com, and join the conversation on Facebook and Instagram! You can rate and review the show here. Thanks!

Michael Smith is a software engineer turned musician—or is it the other way around? He's worked for Google, Swiftkey, and fuboTV, all while staying active as a musician and actor on the side.

I wanted to talk to Michael about how he balances the two, and also about the creative side of coding, which sounds to so many of us like a highly uncreative activity. We also talk about just what an algorithm is, how he chose whether to focus on code or music, the mathematics of music, and why the delicate balance of math and music is so important to him.

Check out the show notes—including the Bach video he mentions—at fycuriosity.com, and join the conversation on Facebook and Instagram! You can rate and review the show here. Thanks!

As a young child, Rupert Goodwins was equally fascinated by science and gadgetry, and by the English language. He followed both into a career as a tech journalist, both in print--his weekly diary was one of the first blogs--and on radio and TV. He now co-writes The Big Data Show, a play that educates kids about data and hacking, and his BBC Radio 4 essay series, "Let There Be Dark," chronicles the loss of his eyesight and the process of adapting to it.

We talk about how he got hooked on technology, how Clive James influenced his writing, how to find a second (or third!) career path in midlife, the ups and downs of social media, and more.

Check out the show notes at fycuriosity.com, and join the conversation on Facebook and Instagram! You can rate and review the show here. Thanks!

This week, I'm talking to Jennifer Nasta Zefutie, who has accomplished what many people think is impossible: she's a working actress, and the co-founder and co-producing artistic director of the Pegasus Theatre Company in Bordentown, New Jersey.

Jennifer has one of the most interesting (and unlikely) creative journeys you're likely to hear, and our wide-ranging conversation also covered loss aversion, why failure is essential, defining success for ourselves, and the theatrical improv rule of "Yes, and...," both as a creative principle and a way of life.

Check out the show notes and links at fycuriosity.com, and join the conversation on Facebook and Instagram! You can rate and review the show here. Thanks!

Adam Dietz grew up in small-town Pennsylvania, went to Westminster Choir College in New Jersey, and then moved to New York to seek his fortune on the Broadway stage. Things didn't go quite the way he'd planned. Adam and I talk about what it's like to audition in New York, how to survive even without your creative dream coming true—and the effects of making that sacrifice—and how you actually can come home again and find work that fulfills your dream, even if home is a rural area rather than the big city.

Check out the show notes at fycuriosity.com, and join the conversation on Facebook and Instagram! You can rate and review the show here. Thanks!

Amber Petty attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York, taught musical improv at the Upright Citizens Brigade, and starred in an off-Broadway show based on the 50 Shades books. She also discovered that the life she’d imagined and the one she was living weren’t the same, and shifted into writing. She also helps ordinary people build confidence about singing at SingADifferentTune.com. We talk about the realities of life as an actor; dealing with rejection (and whether that’s harder as an actor or a writer), how “overnight success” really works, why singing is such a vulnerable act, and more.

Check out the show notes at fycuriosity.com, and join the conversation on Facebook and Instagram! You can rate and review the show here. Thanks!

Michelle Ward, aka the When I Grow Up Coach, has literally made a career out of staying true to herself, and helping others do the same. Michelle's dream from childhood was to be on Broadway, but after graduating from NYU's Tisch School and going to audition after audition, she realized to her dismay that it was not likely to happen for her. She decided she needed to find something that worked for her—that was true to her creative spirit and fed her soul—and that she wanted to help others do the same. She joined me to tell her story and how it's led her to something unexpectedly perfect for her, and what she learned along the way, from the power of authenticity when auditioning to figuring out what else might meet her creative goals when acting fell through.

Check out the show notes at fycuriosity.com, and join the conversation on Facebook and Instagram! You can rate and review the show here. Thanks!

Desiree Argentina does a little bit of everything—in addition to being a school counselor, she's a writer, a travel blogger, a film production assistant, a podcaster, and even runs a cat rescue. Several of these are things she's learned by doing them, finding people to mentor her rather than studying up beforehand, which has given her experience and community right off the bat. Desiree has a lot to say about not letting perfectionism get in your way, exploring what you're interested in, following your energy when choosing what to work on, the value of travel, and a lot more.

Check out the full show notes at fycuriosity.com, and join the conversation on Facebook and Instagram! You can rate and review the show here. Thanks!

Alex Rudy started out drawing, and recording his own comic book audios, before taking a video production workshop in high school that led him to acting. While he took a few so-called detours along the way, everything he was curious about has factored into his creative life in one way or another, from being a wedding videographer to writing those childhood scripts, to using his drawing skills to bring his screenplay to life. Alex also has a podcast, The Artist Matters, where, like me, he interviews creative people. Alex is living proof that all you need to make things happen is start taking steps toward them.

Check out the full show notes at fycuriosity.com, and join the conversation on Facebook and Instagram! You can rate and review the show here. Thanks!

This week—this month!—I have the honor and pleasure of talking with actor Paul McGann. He started his career in the West End, moving to TV with the BBC’s Monocled Mutineer, and to film with the cult classic Withnail and I. His credits also include Horatio Hornblower, Luther, and the Dickens adaptation Our Mutual Friend, and he’s narrated numerous documentaries. All that said, he’s probably best known as the Eighth Doctor from Doctor Who.

In the first of two episodes, Paul and I talk about how his elder brother, Joe, steered him to drama school, the advice he was given early on, and, of course, how he came to be the Eighth Doctor—and what that role has taught him about himself, fandom, and the power of stories to influence our lives.  

Check out the show notes and links at fycuriosity.com, and join the conversation about this episode on Facebook and Instagram! You can rate and review the show here. Thanks!

This week—this month!—I have the honor and pleasure of talking with actor Paul McGann. He started his career in the West End, moving to TV with the BBC’s Monocled Mutineer, and to film with the cult classic Withnail and I. His credits also include Horatio Hornblower, Luther, and the Dickens adaptation Our Mutual Friend, and he’s narrated numerous documentaries. All that said, he’s probably best known as the Eighth Doctor from Doctor Who.

In the second of two episodes, Paul and I talk about working in radio/audio, the way lockdown has changed recording audio, working with Richard E. Grant, his thoughts on Jodie Whittaker as the Doctor, earlier roles in The Hanging Gale and The Monocled Mutineer, and why he left social media.

Check out the show notes and links at fycuriosity.com, and join the conversation about this episode on Facebook and Instagram! You can rate and review the show here. Thanks!

When your father is a playwright and your mother is a lyric soprano, you're unavoidably exposed to a creative outlook on life. This week begins a series of three episodes where we'll be hearing from three siblings from an incredibly artistic family, all of whom are artists themselves.

We start with Todd Evans, the eldest sibling, a poet who has started several open mics in the Trenton, NJ, area, and also started the Don Evans Players, which performs his father's plays and other classics. We talk about what inspired him to start that group, how art came back to him after a period of addiction, and how his parents influenced him as a child and never lost their faith in him. He also graces us with a beautiful, brand-new poem.

Next time, I'll be talking to his sister, poet and school administrator Rachel Marianno, and we'll round the set out with his brother Orrin Evans, of the Grammy-nominated Captain Black Big Band.

Check out the show notes at fycuriosity.com for details, including a video tribute to their mother (including some of her singing!), and share your thoughts with us on Facebook and Instagram! You can rate and review the show here. Thanks!

This week, I’m bringing you a current teacher who’s a former colleague of mine: Lisa Houston, who started the drama program at the Pennington School and now serves as its middle school dean of students. Among other things, Lisa tells us how she rebuilt the drama program from the ground up, how it’s expanded over the years, what it’s like to take a group of high school students overseas to perform at a major festival, and how she’s seen theater impact the kids who participate in it, and even change lives. You'll also hear about the effect teaching drama has had on her life. 

Check out the show notes at fycuriosity.com, and join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!

Actor Richard Oliver has performed in film, TV, stage, commercial, audio, and even video games. He also directs for his own theatre and teaches acting. Richard has been named best actor by the New York City Indie Film Awards, and was a finalist for best actor from the Lockdown Festival. While we connected online thanks to the Minister of Chance, a Doctor Who spinoff audio series, we talk about everything from whether drama school is really necessary to the ways punctuation and breathing can help illuminate a character to the importance of having fun with whatever you’re doing—and everything in between. And we do also get into the birth of the Minister of Chance (both the character and the series) and its future.

Check out the show notes at fycuriosity.com, and join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!

My guest this week is Michael Broussard, an actor, activist, musician, and artist. His solo show, “Ask a Sex Abuse Survivor,” uses his own experience to demystify and destigmatize abuse trauma while also giving his audience, which often includes fellow survivors, a chance to ask questions and open up about their own experiences in a safe environment. As you’ll hear, it’s a show that’s grown with its creator both in scope and content, and has also branched into the online world during the pandemic, reaching a far wider audience than ever before.

We also talk about living with trauma, processing trauma through art, and how Doctor Who fandom gave Michael a desperately needed social outlet, a chance to embody a role model, and more.

Trigger warning for sexual abuse.

Check out the show notes at fycuriosity.com, and join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!

Kathryn Malek is an actor, writer, and coach. Kathryn started focusing on acting and writing as a young adult, studying with apprentices of Lee Strasberg before taking the leap into playwriting. We talked about those early experiences, the ways acting is viewed in our society as performers on demand or as people who “just pretend for a living”—and the truth of what goes into good acting, and how she uses her acting skills as a coach.

Check out the show notes at fycuriosity.com, and join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!

Eddie Louise, writer of the Sage and Savant audio drama podcast, has lived one of the most fascinating creative journeys I’ve ever heard. She has followed her curiosity from the libraries of Wyoming to undergraduate studies in Edinburgh and back to California, and absolutely none of it has happened in the way anyone is told a life story is “supposed” to unfold.

We talk about her first adventures with Shakespeare, the unexpected detour in high school, how she got to Edinburgh, and, of course, the genesis of Sage and Savant. There’s a lot here about daring to take chances and step out of the cave our society tends to want to tell us is the only safe place to be.

Check out the show notes at fycuriosity.com, and join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!

Kate Chapman knew at a young age that Broadway was “the answer” to where she wanted to be. She made it, though it wasn’t easy, with performances ranging from Les Mis to the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. In the last decades she’s become more and more interested in helping others with their health, via both health and life coaching, though she doesn’t think she’ll ever stop singing. We talk about how she kept hope alive while waiting for her big break, how her own health journey led her to coaching, and how the health system is often stacked against consumers. Kate even sings a song for us—And we fangirl over Martha Beck and Elizabeth Gilbert a little, too. 

Check out the show notes at fycuriosity.com, and join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter! You can also listen on YouTube.

Oh, look! I decided to do a holiday replay anyway. ;) 

Eddie Louise, writer of the Sage and Savant audio drama podcast, has lived one of the most fascinating creative journeys I’ve ever heard. She has followed her curiosity from the libraries of Wyoming to undergraduate studies in Edinburgh and back to California, and absolutely none of it has happened in the way anyone is told a life story is “supposed” to unfold.

We talk about her first adventures with Shakespeare, the unexpected detour in high school, how she got to Edinburgh, and, of course, the genesis of Sage and Savant. There’s a lot here about daring to take chances and step out of the cave our society tends to want to tell us is the only safe place to be.

If you're feeling stuck in your own creative process, I made the Creative Tune-Up just for you. It'll help you get moving again quickly, and it's fun!

Check out the show notes at fycuriosity.com, and join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter! I also post pretty regularly on TikTok, and you can also listen on YouTube. 

Author, actor, and podcaster Vance Neudorf is a man of many talents. In addition to those three pursuits, he’s also a set designer and builder, and the executive director at the Badlands Amphitheatre, Canada’s largest outdoor theatre stage. Our conversation covers everything from his free-range childhood, his transformation into a voracious reader thanks to The Hobbit, how he stumbled—almost literally—into acting, the perks of releasing a novel-in-progress as a podcast, and a lot more. Vance has a lot to say about the benefits of saying yes to new, unexpected opportunities, and experimenting with what you’re doing.

Check out the show notes (including images of the hammer Vance made) at fycuriosity.com, and join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter! I also post pretty regularly on TikTok, and you can also listen on YouTube. And if you're feeling stuck in your own creative process, I made the Creative Tune-Up just for you!

Actor, photographer, and filmmaker Jon Davey has appeared in 50 episodes of Doctor Who since its revival in 2005, as a variety of monsters including Cybermen, Daleks, Ood, and Judoon. He’s also done behind-the-camera work on a variety of projects, including quite a few music videos for Radiohead. He joins me to talk about how he came to those roles, as well as what it’s like to meet fans at a convention when you grew up as a fan yourself, how growing up with learning issues including dyslexia equipped him for an unconventional career, and the value of questioning your assumptions about yourself and what “normal” means to you. 

Check out the show notes at fycuriosity.com, and join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter! I also post pretty regularly on TikTok, and you can also listen on YouTube. And if you're feeling stuck in your own creative process, I made the Creative Tune-Up just for you!

Get stuff DONE at my free Creative Check-In/Parallel Universe Time session. Register here.

My guest this week is actor Colin Spaull, who began acting as a child and is still going strong. His early appearances include the role of Pip in Great Expectations and Peter in Heidi, and since then he’s been in everything from Coronation Street to Doctor Who. Colin talks with me about acting school, why he prefers theatre to television, his experience on The Murder Game, which had no script, and what it’s like to encounter the Cybermen close up on Doctor Who—and a lot more. 

One correction: While Colin was the first actor to be in both classic Doctor Who and the new series, he's no longer the only one.

Check out the show notes at fycuriosity.com, and join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter! I also post pretty regularly on TikTok, and you can also listen on YouTube. And if you're feeling stuck in your own creative process, I made the Creative Tune-Up just for you!

Leave a review (and in it, tell us about your favorite actor)!

Get stuff DONE at my free Creative Check-In/Parallel Universe Time session. Register here.

Sign up for email notifications of coming events.