Creativity in Captivity cover image

Creativity in Captivity

Latest episodes

undefined
Apr 3, 2025 • 48min

LEE ZIMMERMAN: Some Strings Attached

A rock & roll marionette artist that brings to life the iconic rock performances of Jimmy Hendrix, Tina Turner, Michael Jackson and others by pulling a few strings. Lee Zimmerman, aka “The Puppet Guy” has been doing his show all over the world for more than 40 years. Some of the greatest names in music history come alive in a unique and amazing display of humor and skill. Lee was a regular performer at Universal Studios and The Improv in Hollywood and has appeared on dozens of TV shows and films, including The Drew Carey Show and the cult film, Eddy Presley with Quentin Tarantino. Lee also entertained the cast and crew at the Seinfeld final wrap party and has done command performances for many dignitaries and celebrities such as the Sultan of Brunei, Hugh Hefner, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Frank Zappa and Guns 'N' Roses. Since 1998, Lee has been a performer/instructor at numerous circus camps, including the Winnipeg International Children's Festival Circus and Magic Partnership, (CAMP) a circus arts program designed to help kids-at-risk. For Custom Puppet Portraits as gifts visit thepuppetguy@hotmail.com
undefined
Mar 27, 2025 • 46min

ANNIE WOOD: Playdates with Time

A Los Angeles-based artist, writer, poet and actor whose art is full of vibrant texture and layers, exploring the depth and beauty of imperfection. As the third female solo dating game show host in television history, she brought her signature wit and charm to the nationally syndicated dating game show, BZZZ!, which reran on BUZZR TV in 2020. Annie is the author of three books: Just a Girl in the Whirl, Dandy Day, and A Quantum Love Adventure. Whether crafting paintings with loose figures and impressionist flowers, penning and performing evocative poetry, or breathing life into characters, Annie inspires others to explore freely, feel deeply, and create unapologetically.
undefined
Mar 20, 2025 • 41min

LESLIE DEWAN: Nuclear Optimist

A Nuclear Engineer and environmentalist who spent the first ten years of her career redesigning nuclear reactors to make them safer and reducing the amount of waste they produce. Together with a classmate from MIT, she created and served as CEO for Transatomic Power, reimagining a 1960s design for a molten salt reactor. Leslie earned a Ph.D. in nuclear engineering with a research focus on computational nuclear materials from MIT, where she also earned S.B. degrees in mechanical engineering and nuclear engineering. She has served on the MIT Corporation, MIT’s board of trustees, and on the National Academy of Engineering’s study, “Laying the Foundation for New and Advanced Nuclear Reactors in the United States.” Leslie has been named a TIME Magazine "30 People Under 30 Changing the World," an MIT Technology Review "Innovator Under 35," a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, and a National Geographic Explorer.
undefined
Mar 13, 2025 • 47min

NICK ELLIOTT: The Beats Go On

An accomplished Electronic Dance Music DJ, producer and songwriter that plays worldwide at festivals, clubs and appears in Las Vegas as a part of his Wynn Nightlife residency. In 2011, Elliott was introduced to EDM and was instantly hooked. He remembers the first song he fell in love with was “First of the Year (Equinox)” by Skrillex. He focuses his production skills on EDM with some pop and hip-hop crossover, Elliott draws heavy influences from some of the greats in the industry like Afrojack, Calvin Harris, David Guetta, and Avicii. By 2019, Elliott had opened for many of the greats at SoundCheck, a venue owned and operated by Club Glow, the list of performers includes: Sander Van Dorn, Dirty South, ilan bluestone, and Matt Zo. Nick has also performed at Bootsy Bellows, a club in Aspen three times; once when the club opened in January 2019, again for X-Games 2019, and for Ajax mountain’s closing weekend. Nick also performed at Moonrise Festival 2019 on the Celestial Garden stage.
undefined
Mar 6, 2025 • 39min

CASSANDRE JOSEPH: Streb Action Hero

As the Co-Artistic Director of Streb Extreme Action she ziplined across the Park Avenue Armory, scaled the walls of the Bergdorf building and danced on the spokes of the London Eye. Cassandre was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. Her investigation in movement began at the age of four with the sport of gymnastics. Over a span of twenty years as a competitive gymnast, she earned several state and regional titles. She graduated from Cornell University with a B.A. in English Literature and studied journalism at Temple University’s graduate communications program. She joined STREB in 2007 as an instructor and company member. In September 2017, Cassandre Joseph was appointed Associate Artistic Director of STREB Extreme Action, and also oversees SLAM’s education program. Cassandre has been the Creative Director of the STREB Kid Company since 2010 for which she has choreographed and self-produced three evening length works: Heroes (2015), Momentum (2016) and Navigation (2017). She is a strong believer in the transformative power of movement and is passionate about empowering young people to push boundaries and expand their notions of what is possible. When she is not seen in a rehearsal, teaching classes or creating action events at SLAM, she can be found training her daughter Nia to be a mini-action hero.
undefined
Feb 27, 2025 • 38min

WALLACE THOMAS: A Cappella Ambassador

A touring singer, custom songwriter & music arranger who performs as the high tenor for the R&B/Soul/Pop A Cappella group Ball in the House which as been featured on America’s Got Talent and in Cool Whip Commercials. In high school Wallace participated in All-State choirs, Solo and Ensemble competitions, and even had the opportunity to share his talents overseas in Europe. He pursued a degree in music at Florida State University where he was introduced to contemporary A Cappella music. He joined Reverb, a start-up, all-male a cappella group. Later he joined the United States Air Force, an experience that instilled in him the values of leadership, discipline, and the pursuit of excellence. As he transitioned from military life, he found a home in West Palm Beach, Florida, with his beloved wife, Angie. He continued to share his vocal talents with the community, through serving as a cantor for local churches and serenading patrons in restaurants and nightclubs as a crooner. It was during that period that he stumbled upon Ball in the House. Nearly 9 years later, through singing with Ball in the House he has found a way to showcases his talents that allows him to connect with a diverse and appreciative audience. He feels honored to be part of such a storied group where his passion for music can shine.
undefined
Feb 20, 2025 • 39min

COLIN MOCHRIE: Lightning Wit

One of the most renowned improv artists today best recognized from his 20 seasons as one of the stars of Whose Line Is It Anyway?  Colin currently tours the country with his two acclaimed shows – Asking For Trouble with Brad Sherwood. Colin & Brad had the honor of headlining at the White House Correspondent’s Dinner. And then there is Hyprov: Improv Under Hypnosis with Master Hypnotist Asad which also tours after completing a successful Off-Broadway run. In addition, Colin can be seen starring in the feature films – Hey, Viktor!, a Canadian mockumentary and Villians Inc. Colin was a regular for nine years on the British version of Whose Line Is It Anyway? Colin also finds to time reprise his role as private investigator Ralph Fellows in the Canadian mystery/crime drama The Murdoch Mysteries which airs on the Ovation Channel in the U.S. Other notable appearances include Amazon’s LOL: Last One Laughing Canada where Colin took home first prize in the competitive series and a cameo role in the Kids In The Hall special which also aired on Amazon. Previously, Colin co-starred in CBC’s TV movie A Christmas Letter, the theatrical film Boys vs. Girls opposite Kevin McDonald and was a featured in the documentary Act Social about the healing potential of applied improvisation. And last year, Colin received a Canadian Screen Award nomination for Best Lead Performance for his role in the webcast Mass Hysterical: A Comedic Cantata. Colin also authored Not Quite the Classics, published by Viking Books where he takes the first and last lines from familiar classics and reimagines everything in between, taking the reader in bizarre and hilarious new directions. In 2018, Colin was honored alongside comedienne Andrea Martin with the inaugural recipients of Canada’s John Candy Award for Excellence in Comedy. An alumnus of Toronto’s famous Second City troupe and life-long resident of Canada, he and his wife, actress and comedian, Debra McGrath, enjoy performing their own improv shows throughout the Canada. They are proud parents of their daughter Kinley who is transgender and have become supporters of Welcome Friend Association's Rainbow Camp which provides for LBGTQ teens.
undefined
Feb 13, 2025 • 46min

MICHELINE AUGER: Write On!

An award-winning playwright, screenwriter, journalist, ghostwriter, producer, and film director who has been featured in American Theater Magazine, The NY Times, NPR, Bust Magazine, and New York Magazine. Micheline's award-winning storytelling journey began with her daring debut Poop – A True Story, inspired by her avant-garde experience as a living art piece in a downtown NYC gallery. Micheline Auger crafts stories that captivate, challenge, and resonate with the issues of the day and has earned honors such as the NY Innovative Theater Award, National Theater Conference Paul Green Award, People of the Year Award by Indie Theater Now and a Time Out New York Critics Pick. As a creator and producer, she has showcased the talents of hundreds of up-and-coming and award-winning playwrights in her playwriting installation Write Out Front which took place in the window of the iconic Drama Bookshop in NYC, furthering her commitment to the craft of storytelling. Micheline’s ghostwriting work has appeared in numerous publications such as Fast Company, Inc., Entrepreneur, Business Insider, and Forbes, and in books such as the upcoming leadership memoir, I Can, I Will & I Did by Samina Bari, set for release in May 2025.
undefined
Feb 6, 2025 • 45min

TERRANCE SEMIEN: The Zorro of Zydeco

A two-time Grammy Award winning American Roots musician and an 8th generation Louisiana Creole performer who leads the Zydeco Experience Band with accordion and vocals as they take their audiences on a multi-cultural tour of the world. The band creates a hypnotic mix of zydeco-roots-reggae-folk-soul-gospel and New Orleans jazz that is carefully crafted to lift spirits and force bodies onto the dance floor. Their zydeco music has been featured in the historic Disney film, The Princess and the Frog in collaboration with legendary songwriter Randy Newman and has been written up in Rolling Stone and Billboard Magazine. Terrance has recorded with Paul Simon, Art Neville, Dennis Quaid, the Meters, Marcia Ball and Dr. John. He toured with Los Lobos, the late Robert Palmer, Dave Matthews Band and even shared the stage with Steve Wonder. Simien has deep Creole roots and continues to redefine his genre and elevate his cultures visibility by touring to more than 40+ countries and performed over 9000 concerts. He created an outreach educational program called Creole for Kidz about the History of Zydeco for K-12 and college students that has helped raise the cultural IQ of 250,000 students, parents, teachers and administrators around the globe. 
undefined
Jan 30, 2025 • 1h 3min

MYSTIFY MAGIC FESTIVAL: Ladies of Legerdemain

A preview of the Mystify Magic Festival in Las Vegas where mystique, wonder and empowerment blend seamlessly into one extraordinary event spotlighting women in the magical arts.  Mystify aims to be a transformative gathering, where magicians of all ages and backgrounds creatively connect to exchange knowledge, collaborate, and become stronger in their craft with historical programming that reveals and amplifies the stories of women in entertainment. Inspiring future generations of women magicians by providing mentorship, guidance, and opportunities to learn from industry pioneers. Leah Orleans, the festival director introduces us to Rachel Wax, Carisa Hendrix, Nicole Cardoza, Alexandra Duvivier & Alyx Hilshey. 

Get the Snipd
podcast app

Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
App store bannerPlay store banner

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode

Save any
moment

Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways

Share
& Export

Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode