Creativity in Captivity

A journalist, documentary filmmaker and the founder & CEO of Emblematic Group widely credited with helping create the genre of immersive journalism.  Nonny combines Unity graphics with real witness audio to recreate powerful events the user can experience using virtual reality headsets. She was selected by Wired Magazine as a “Make Tech Human Agent of Change” and Fast Company listed her as one of the “13 People Who Made the World More Creative.” Nonny is also the program director of ASU’s Center for Emerging Media and Narrative. She is a 2018 New America Fellow, a member of the BAFTA VR Advisory Group, a Ted Talk speaker, and the 2016 recipient of the Knight Innovation Award. De la Peña is a former correspondent of Newsweek, a writer for The New York Times and other major news organizations. In this episode, she shares her views on empathy in storytelling, the importance of connection, and how the immersive experience can give a person the feeling of a duality of presence.  

An actor, author, musician and magician who is the former frontman for the post punk-pop group Possum Dixon, and wrote the captivating memoir Strange Cures. Rob Zabrecky is a regular performer at the Magic Castle in Hollywood who frequently hosts séances for private events. As an actor, Rob landed a supporting role in the supernatural drama, A Ghost Story. His other film credits include a supporting role in Ryan Gosling’s directorial debut Lost River, and a starring role in the psychological thriller, Decay, portraying a troubled theme park groundskeeper who falls in love with a corpse. As a television actor he has been on GLOW, Strange Angel, Criminal Minds, CSI: NY, Comedy Bang! Bang! and Angie Tribeca. In 2019, he and his wife Tommi Zabrecky created the supernatural comedy series, Other Side with Zabrecky. In each episode, Zabrecky invites guests into his home to participate in a séance to contact a departed spirit of their choice. Guests have included Jack Black, Jason Sudeikis, Kate Flannery, Will Forte, and David Arquette. On this episode of the podcast Rob shares that he is never afraid to fail, he explains what art tears are, and he encourages us all to be “punk” in spirit. Pat and Rob are both very intrigued by the concept of a zombie paintball hayrack ride as Halloween approaches. 

This five-time Tony Award-winning stage & film Director/Choreographer brought to life The Producers, Young Frankenstein, Crazy For You, Contact, The Scottsboro Boys, Bullets Over Broadway, Steel Pier, Big Fish, The Music Man and Prince of Broadway. For 10 years she choreographed Madison Square Garden’s annual spectacular A Christmas Carol. She made her Metropolitan Opera debut directing and choreographing The Merry Widow. For the New York City Ballet, she created Double Feature and For the Love of Duke. She has collaborated with the Kennedy Center, The Boston Pops, Martha Graham Company, and Pacific Northwest Ballet. Her choreography received an Emmy nomination for the HBO presentation of Liza Minnelli – Live from Radio City Music Hall, starring Liza Minnelli. She directed and choreographed the Broadway-bound Ahrens + Flaherty musical Little Dancer for The Kennedy Center and Seattle's 5th Avenue Theatre. In collaboration with the Williamstown Theatre Festival, she directed the play Photograph 51 for Audible. In this episode, Stro tells us what it is like to cast a show virtually, the difference between directing The Producers musical on stage and for film, and she reminisces about choreographing dancing beer cans for a Miller High Life industrial. 

An award-winning character actor recognized for his salute to the lunacy and legacy of Groucho Marx and his portrayal of the outrageous Latin Lover Caesar in Teatro ZinZanni. Frank is a theatrical barnstormer and has performed lead roles at the Arena Stage, Goodspeed Opera House, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Milwaukee Rep, Bucks County Playhouse, Pasadena Playhouse, Boston's Huntington Theatre, Paper Mill Playhouse and Alliance Theatre.  Ferrante is the in-house director at the Walnut Street Theatre for the critically-acclaimed revivals of Neil Simon's Brighton Beach Memoirs, Biloxi Blues, Broadway Bound, Laughter on the 23rd Floor, The Sunshine Boys and Lost in Yonkers. The film version of his stage show Frank Ferrante's An Evening with Groucho premieres on public television in Spring, 2022. On this episode he shares insights on the importance of preparation when creating and channeling characters and the value of focusing on “quality of performance” in every show.

This poetic polymath was born in Cape Town, South Africa. The daughter of jazz musicians Sathima Bea Benjamin and Abdullah Ibrahim, she was raised in New York City and studied vocal performance at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School. Jean was destined to be an entertainer from her earliest days dancing with the Alvin Ailey Dance Company. She is a versatile writer, musician, director, producer, actor, and lightning rod lyricist who enjoys expression in all mediums. Jean put rap music behind her in 2018, but has since self-released her music through her website and Bandcamp. Her latest album, Everything’s Fine, was a collaboration with partner Quelle Chris, with cameos from Hannibal Buress, Nick Offerman, Michael Che, and John Hodgman.  Jean developed an online sitcom, wrote an audiobook, and created the non-denominational ministry called the Church of the Infinite You as a way of connecting and motivating people who don’t do church. In this episode, she reminds young artists of the importance of getting yourself a good lawyer, and we discuss the power of the “F” word. If you haven’t figured it out, Jean is a creative force; if she can dream it, she can deliver it. (Photo Credit: Mindy Tucker) 

This iconic Hollywood talent manager that represented Jerry Seinfeld, Andy Kauffman & Carl Reiner began in the mailroom at the William Morris Agency in New York. He soon became an agent and accompanied Elvis to an early appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. He served as a packaging agent for a series of hit shows: The Steve Allen Show, That Girl, Gomer Pyle and specials for Dick Van Dyke, Mary Tyler Moore and Carol Channing. He broke away from the agency life to form the personal management company Shapiro / West Productions with his partner Howard West and they executive produced NBC’s Seinfeld, Andy Kaufman at Carnegie Hall and the film Man on the Moon starring Jim Carrey. The David Lynch Foundation presented Shapiro with the Lifetime Bliss Award in 2012 at a starred-studded comedy fundraiser in Beverly Hills. George and Aimee Hyatt produced the documentaries The Bronx Boys, If You’re Not In the Obits, Eat Breakfast and The Bronx Boys Still Playing at 80. On this episode George shares stories of Andy Kaufman’s first appearance on SNL, he reveals the life highlights of being hugged by Paul McCartney and holding hands with Liz Taylor. He also tells young managers and agents that they need to fall in love with a comedian to represent them well.  

Jerry Seinfeld is best known for playing a semi-fictionalized version of himself on NBC’s Seinfeld, which he co-created and wrote with Larry David. The show aired from 1989- 1998 becoming one of the most popular American sitcoms of all time. Seinfeld also produced and co-wrote the film Bee Movie, the reality series The Marriage Ref, the documentary Comedian, and is the host of the web series Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. For his TV work, he received 20 Primetime Emmy Award nominations and has four Grammy nominations for his comedy albums. In October 2020, Jerry released his newest book, Is This Anything?, chronicling his 45 years working in comedy. His most recent Netflix special is titled 23 Hours to Kill. On the podcast, he shares how he approaches writing new material like he is viewing it with a drone, the powerful reset he gets from practicing transcendental meditation, and offers advice that to be a success you must learn to be your own boss and the employee at the same time. 

An accomplished stage and TV actress, theatre educator, and singer who originated the Broadway roles of Vanessa in In The Heights and Satine in the stage adaptation of Moulin Rouge! She portrayed Angelica Schyler in the Chicago production of Hamilton and received a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her role as Anita in West Side Story. Today she reveals what it means to be a “Swing” in a Broadway show, the intensity of performances once you are nominated for a Tony and she explains how important it is for her students to discover the intention in the material that leads to the passion and ultimately better performance. Whether she is performing, teaching, or engaging in activism, Karen Olivo knows how to shine. 

This multi-talented comedian and podcast host served as a writer and Co-Executive Producer on The Simpsons. He has numerous HBO specials as well as appearances on Conan and Letterman. He appeared as an actor on Seinfeld and The Ben Stiller Show. He created the series Stan Against Evil and co-created MTV’s Super Adventure Team. He hosts his own podcast The Dana Gould Hour available everywhere in the known universe. In this episode, he shares his love of Planet of the Apes, Johnny Carson, and the genre of horror. He explains how laughter and screams both offer a way to relieve tension. Together he and Pat explore the clever names of animal groupings and birds of prey.

A dynamic award-winning Magicienne and the executive director of Magicana, a Toronto-based Arts Organization, dedicated to the study, exploration, and advancement of magic as a performing art. Julie was one of the founders of My Magic Hands a community outreach program for at-risk youth. She was also instrumental in launching Senior Sorcery an interactive magic program designed to engage and empower isolated seniors. Julie was featured in CBC’s The Nature of Things episode “The Science of Magic. On the podcast, she tells us about her life as a thriving archivist and what it’s like growing up in Victoria, BC behind the counter of her father’s Trick & Joke Shop.