That One Audition with Alyshia Ochse

Today we’re sitting down with an imaginative and perceptive artist, writer and director, Sheldon Candis. He is a force for passionate storytelling, and is unbelievably candid and generous as he shares his personal pursuit to see his stories live on the big screen. He graduated from USC film school where he raised all his own money to produce his thesis project, he shares how he’s continued to fund the production of his art, and how he managed to stay focused and inspired, even when the people writing the checks weren’t quite convinced of his writing and directorial abilities. He continued to press through, never giving up, as he fought for the opportunity to share his stories. From his 10 years on set as a production assistant to the 56 different drafts of his directorial debut, LUV, he’s stayed committed to developing his authentic voice and staying in the game, in the highest of highs---his film premiering at Sundance, to the lowest of lows, and in every moment in between. He shares how he was able to manage the pressure of directing artists like Common and Dennis Haysbert as a first-time director, and how he found and continues to re-discover the power to define himself and pursue his passion---to tell stories that unite humanity and empower and inspire people from every background. Baltimore native Sheldon Candis is a graduate of the USC School of Cinematic Arts. Candis recently created and directed the docu-narrative series ‘I WILL WHAT I WANT’, a cinematic portrait of ballet phenom Misty Copeland for Under Armour. Candis’ documentary THE DWELLING, chronicles the lives of two homeless men living along Tokyo’s Sumida Gawa. The film is being distributed by Scion and Giant Robot magazine. Candis’ feature directorial debut LUV (which he also co-wrote) was an official selection in the Sundance Film Festival Dramatic Competition. He assembled an incredible cast including Common, Charles S. Dutton, Dennis Haysbert, Danny Glover, Meagan Good, Michael K. Williams and a wonderful 11-year-old breakout talent named Michael Rainey Jr. IG: @sheldoncandis  

An honest conversation about riding the wave of the highs and lows. Understanding how to recharge creativity after a moment of HIGH in your artistry.

  Today we are chatting with Ian Verdun, an actor and playwright, seen most recently on Freeform’s hit show SIREN. Ian was born and raised right here in Los Angeles, and graduated from Cal Arts where he studied acting, and also used much his time away from the stage writing his own plays. Today, he candidly shares his journey, from struggling to pay for school, to grinding in New York with multiple side jobs, all the way to booking his big break on SIREN.  He generously shares his insight on the expanding diversity dialogue within the industry, how things have changed since he was stuck playing bit parts throughout school, and how, as a storyteller, he feels characters can and should be depicted by artists from every background.  Verdun's past performances have been described as "brimming with grit and honesty" by Backstage, "quirkily charming" by Variety, and "finely nuanced" by LA Weekly. He has also been hailed by Stage Scene LA as the "brightest stage discovery of 2011". Ian continues to cut his teeth on the stages of New York and Los Angeles, along with writing and producing several plays himself. After appearing on ABC's Last Resort, TNT's Hawthorne and FOX's Lucifer, Ian threw his energy into his own television creation, Life's A Drag. Following years of experiencing the lackluster opportunities for diverse entertainers, Life's A Drag went on to win a number of awards in the burgeoning web festival circuit, including a special award for recognition in diversity. IG: @ianverdun

"Would you rather be typecast than not cast"? A real discussion on how to look at typecasting, is it really a bad thing or a good thing? You get to be the judge.

Today we’re sitting down with television, film, and theatre actress Necar Zadegan. From her break-out performance on the hit TV series 24, to her starring turn on Broadway with Robin Williams in the Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, and her roles in Girlfriend’s Guide to Divorce and currently in NCIS: New Orleans, Necar has built her career playing fierce, powerful, and passionate women who always leave us wanting more.  She shares how her upbringing afforded her exposure to the arts from an early age and how her parent’s encouragment kept her going as she ultimately found herself on stage in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival at 16 years old. After a few years in the theatre honing her craft and obtaining a literature degree, she made her way to Los Angeles, and shares how her determination to find collaborative relationships guided her into a career on screen. From her audition for 24, to reading for a play workshop that ultimately lead her to Broadway, she honestly answers a few of the listeners questions, and shares how she goes about trusting her voice, winning the room, and making fans of future collaborators.  Prior to that Necar scoring her star level turn as Delia Hassen on the mega-hit Fox TV series, '24' for Season 8, her television credits include "Harry's Law,""A Gifted Man","CSI: Miami," "The Shield," "Nip/Tuck," "The Unit," "NCIS," "How I Met Your Mother," "Lost" among others. Necar graduated with honors from the University of California at Santa Barbara with a degree in English Literature. IG: @necarzadegan

Embracing the mistake that allows humanity to seep into your performance. Commanding the performance to not fall apart when you are messy and making mistakes. Something that happens that was not planned is a GIFT and usually the most captivating moment!

This week’s guest caught the improv bug in college and hasn’t looked back since. Rebekka Johnson began her on-screen career putting her comedy skills to good use in an MTV prank show called Boiling Point. Since then she’s been a writer, producer, director, and actress---all in the name of making an audience laugh.  She shares with us how creating the work she loves with her best friends and collaborators has lead her to countless opportunities to shine. From an audition opposite Kristen Wiig, to finally booking her series regular role in GLOW, her story is an example of an artist who puts in the work and doesn’t give up, even when success feels impossible. From negotiating her own contract for a pilot, to how her years of grinding and preparation has empowered her to step into her strength and be fearless in her comedy. Best known for her work in the musical comedy trio The Apple Sisters and on Netflix’s wrestling comedy GLOW, Rebekka Johnson has performed in various sketch and improv shows across the country for over 10 years, including The Neutrino Video Projects which was an official selection at the HBO U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen. She is a co creator of the award winning Apple Sisters which performed in the 2008 Just for Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal. Rebekka voiced many characters in the upcoming Comedy Central animated series, Ugly Americans. She currently performs with Bandit, a Mainstage Harold Team at IO West and recently directed her comedy film, CONSENT. IG: @hellorebekka

This week, the "P" word really peaked my interest. How do we give ourselves the permission to be a vessel for the storytelling business and how we give permission to live our lives to the fullest as artist. Permission has been a challenge to fully embrace. This week I had several challenges around giving permission to just be where I am.

In today’s episode, I got to sit down with an extraordinary actress who has crafted a diligently curated body of work defined by her remarkable range. Carmen Ejogo has played major roles in Sam Mendes’ Away We Go, Sparkle with Whitney Houston, It Comes at Night, Roman J. Israel, Esq., Alien: Covenant, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them, and most recently opposite Mahershala Ali in the new season of True Detective.  Characteristically tight-lipped about her personal life, Carmen generously pulls back the curtain to reveal how she’s made it this far and how her commitment to her vision has afforded her a career that has captivated audiences and critics alike. She shares how she says no more often than she says yes, and how this discernment has empowered her to keep a clear vision for the stories she wants to give voice to. We also get to chat about how she prepares for an audition, how she balances her art with the business of the industry, and how she decided from the very beginning of her career that her body of work would be defined, not by her appearance, but by her talent, determination, and humanity. INSTAGRAM: @carmenejogo

Remembering where and how we got the job or the opportunity is just as important as the JOB. This is a simple suggestion of how to cultivate the relationships that will help you sustain your career.