Yes But Why Podcast

This week on Yes But Why, we talk to theater artist and podcaster, Paul Deichmann. Paul Deichmann is an improviser from just outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Paul is a performer, a director and a producer of improvised and devised theater pieces. At home like the rest of us in live entertainment, Paul currently produces an improvised long form podcast called The Offer with Cesar Gozurreta. Our chat goes deep into improv theory straightaway. This conversation starts with an examination of improv as meditation and ends with a discussion about finding yourself through performance. Yeah. Paul was a fun person to talk to. We discuss Paul’s voracious appetite for learning all things theatrical. Paul has explored all the different disciplines of improv, by taking classes, reading books, or going down a Google search rabbit hole. Paul shares his love for improv, as well as storytelling and creating shows. Paul has been improvising theater since his first role as a bench in his high school’s production of Shakes

This week on Yes But Why, we talk to Kelly Hopkins, founder of Soul Exploration Through Art.Kelly Hopkins is a life coach as well as an experienced speaker and facilitator with decades of experience working with groups large and small. Kelly has been working to help people for her whole life. After a career in social services burnt her out, she moved her family to Costa Rica. To connect with her new neighbors and to begin to heal, Kelly started an art connection group. They worked on journaling, meditation, visualization, painting, drawing, dance, and movement. The exercises Kelly developed during this journey eventually led to her coaching business, Soul Exploration Through Art. Through art therapy and community building, Soul Exploration Through Art helps people reconnect with their authentic selves. Kelly Hopkins works with clients all over the world to help them get unstuck, to clarify their creative purpose and to unleash their artistic passion!In our conversation, Kelly teaches me about how creative pro

This week on Yes But Why, we had the opportunity to talk to improviser, Jay Sukow. Jay Sukow has been performing with and without a script for almost 30 years now. He is a director, writer, actor, and podcaster as well as an award-winning improv performer and instructor. He is the founder of Today Improv, which teaches improv to actors, businesses and everybody else. Jay also thrives in the corporate arena. He has extensive experience helping businesses enhance their abilities by using improvisational philosophies and exercises. Jay has designed interactive learning sessions for clients such as McDonald's, Netflix, and Allstate Financial Services. Jay trained with, among others, Stephen Colbert, Steve Carell and Del Close. He is a graduate of the training centers of The Second City, The Second City NW, iO Chicago, and ComedySportz Chicago.Jay currently teaches improv at Second City Hollywood and Westside Comedy Theater. He has previously worked for the Improv Comedy Copenhagen Theatre, Second City Chicago, i

This week on Yes But Why, we chat with Rebecca Bernstein, producer of Zoom Shakespeare Productions. Rebecca Bernstein is a Houston based actor/director/producer. She grew up doing theater classes for kids and worked several summers as a camp counselor at various theater camps around the city. After graduating with a theater degree from St Edward’s University in 2011, she spent a summer as the theater specialist at the Chicago JCC’s CAMP CHI. Since then, she has been acting and directing with several companies in Houston. Some of her recent acting credits include Theresa De Lamballe in Sankofa Collective’s Marie Antoinette, Laura Wingfield in The Glass Menagerie at Pasadena Little Theater, and Actor in 154 Sonnets with Boiling Point Players. Her directing credits include Angel Street and Alice in Wonderland at The Company Onstage, The Betrothal at The Landing Theater and The Grapes of Wrath at Houston Theater Company. She has appeared in several short films, has appeared in Pronoia Theater’s Magical Lying Hour

This week on Yes But Why, we chat with writer/actor Gary Miceli and comedian/actor Noel Gibson. Gary Miceli and Noel Gibson came on the podcast to promote their new comedy series, Freshman Circus, streaming now on YouTube. Freshman Circus is a comedy web series about navigating freshman year in college in the world of online classes. Freshman Circus premiered on January 20th . New episodes come out every Wednesday!Actor, writer, producer and New York native Gary Miceli is an avid film and television lover. He is a graduate of Five Towns College where he earned a BFA in film & video studies. Early on, Gary started acting of course, and with that came his discovery of his ability to do different characters. He then developed that skill for mimicry into a strength, allowing him a talent for switching from one character to another in rapid succession. He took this rare ability to the stage in his one-man show based on "Star Wars: A New Hope", playing over 30 characters. He eventually would like to bring his v

This week on Yes But Why, we interview Alric Davis, Artistic Director of The Sankofa Collective in Houston, TX. Alric Davis is an artist focused on preserving history through the power of words and movement. Since 2013, he has served as the Founding Artistic Director of The Sankofa Collective, a non-profit theatre organization in his hometown Houston, Texas. The Sankofa Collective produces theater for the purpose of educating and enriching the lives of at-risk communities of color. Alric is drawn to work that is equal-parts thought-provoking, communal, entertaining, and visceral.Since getting his B.F.A. from Howard University with a concentration in Musical Theatre and Playwriting, Alric Davis has been writing and producing his own plays to rave reviews. His original work, “Different, Damaged, Damned,” received accolades at the 2016 Capitol Fringe Festival. Alric is also a freelance performer, director and adjunct instructor in acting, playwriting, slam poetry, and choreography. In this episode, we talk abo

This week on Yes But Why, we interview Australian improv duo, Asia Beck & Ben Snaith. Asia Beck is a musician and an improviser. They studied Jazz at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music. They credit their ability to improvise in the realm of comedy to the training received during music studies. Asia is an advocate for mental health/schizophrenia awareness and encourages anyone else with similar struggles to use comedy as therapy and a valuable learning tool.Ben Snaith has been creating and working in the performing arts industry since 2007. In the last seventeen years, he has been exposed to an incredibly diverse range of experience that has seen his output include experimental underground music, performance art, and production & direction in physical, experimental & traditional theatre. Improvised comedy is a recent addition to his ever-growing list of creative skills. As a qualified and dedicated teacher and creative, Ben hopes to inspire others to think innovatively and develop deep empathy

This week on Yes But Why, we chat with improviser, Annie O’Connor. Annie O’Connor is a veteran improviser that has been teaching and performing since 1997. Alongside her husband, Levin O’Connor, Annie created NOW improv in Los Angeles. This is where they invented the New Earth Army improv classes for personal development. She has taught improv at MI’s Westside Comedy Theater (Santa Monica, CA) , iOwest (LA), Improv Utopia, The Verge Theater (Bozeman, MT), AMDA (LA) and at universities, theaters and festivals around the country. They recently moved the adventure to Bozeman, Montana. There, Annie and Levin along with long time local performer Molly Hannan, opened a new theater and training center called Last Best Comedy. They, like the rest of us, are currently waiting to start teaching and performing again. In our conversation, Annie and I talk about the role that shattered her confidence for many years. We talk about her first taste of improv at Ball State in Indiana. We connect on comedians we love: Carol Bu

This week on Yes But Why, we chat with Jessica Thonen, theatrical design and technology professor at Eckerd College.Jessica Thonen is a passionate community builder. At Eckerd College, she supports the BA and BFA degree programs for the Theatre Dept. And they are truly lucky to have her.With a BA in drama from University of Dallas and an MFA from West Virginia University, Jessica Thonen has designed scenery and costumes in Europe, Off-Broadway, and throughout the United States. She has extensive touring experience, working at venues such as Radio City Music Hall and the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles as well as Norwegian Creative Studios, the entertainment arm of Norwegian Cruise Lines Holdings.Jessica and I are friends from way back, as you can hear in our chat. She is the reason I first moved to New York City; she got me my first BIG DEAL THEATER job right out of college. We both worked as stage managers for the NYU Tisch School of the Arts graduate acting program. It was an amazing experience and yet, in thi

Website blurb: This week on Yes But Why, we interviewed Nepali theater artist, Surya Abhineta.Listen in as we catch up with Surya Abhineta at the beginning of his creative journey. Surya recently broke into the international improv scene and he caught my eye doing a couple zoom improv shows. In our conversation, we talk about his interest in acting and in casting. Surya wants to open the world to the beauty and the theatrical talent of Nepal. He has aspirations to connect his hometown with more creative outlets than it currently has. We talk about how he got into improv online through a duo jam with LA-based improviser, Jay Sukow. Since then, he has been getting his bachelors in tourism in Kathmandu and performing in late night improv jams via Zoom with the international improv community. To support Surya Abhineta, check out the short film we chatted about during the episode, “Good Times Nepal” by the Good Times Brothers. Yes But Why Podcast is a proud member of the HC Universal Network family of podcasts. Vi

This week on Yes But Why, we talk to stand-up comedian and political comedy writer, John Poveromo.John Poveromo is a Brooklyn-born, Jersey-raised stand-up comic who exudes the perfect blend of self-deprecation and optimism. John is a dynamic and engaging performer who uses comedy to make sense of himself and the world around him. As open and honest onstage as he was in this interview, John’s charm gives him the ability to connect with every audience every time. John can be heard on Sirius XM Radio; he has performed at the Jersey City, Baltimore, Salem, Boston, and New York Comedy Festivals; and, he currently has a short film that he wrote and stars in called, “Duppet,” streaming on Amazon Prime. John has been featured in the New York Times and the Asbury Park Press. John has written for a variety of shows, including ESPN’s Sports Nation, Current TV’s Viewpoint with John Fugelsang, Joy Behar’s Say Anything on HLN, The Independents, and CNN Newsroom. He recently wrote a piece for Newsweek about his experience a

This week on Yes But Why, we talk to improviser and arts educator, Sarah Mikayla Brown.Sarah Mikayla Brown is a performer, educator and producer based in Lafayette, Louisiana. She is an ensemble member of Silverbacks Improv Theatre, RagTag, and The Family Dinner (Baton Rouge). She is a graduate from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and the improvisation program at the Annoyance Theatre in Chicago. Brown co-founded and produced the Chicago Fringe Festival, which went on to have an adventurous 10-year run. She also recently took up performing stand-up comedy.In our conversation, Sarah and I talk about the avant garde theater we did in our twenties. Sarah told me about her experience creating the original work "Cajun Face," with Lian Cheramie, and how she loves exploring her own Cajun culture in her art. We chat about creative experimentation, building community, and teaching the next generation of artists. Support Sarah Mikayla Brown by following her on Instagram and by following her improv group on Fac

This week on Yes But Why, we talk to theater artist and comedy writer, Aaron Garrett. Aaron Garrett is a writer and lighting designer by inclination (and a producer/director/actor by necessity) based in Houston, Texas. He has a passion for pushing the cultural boundaries of sketch comedy and in 2012 founded Be Kind To Strangers, currently Houston's longest running sketch comedy troupe. In 2014 he founded the semi-improvised Magical Lying Hour which (when possible) travels frequently in the U.S. and beyond. In 2017 he merged his projects into Pronoia Theater, which now focuses on original scripted and improv comedy. In our conversation, Aaron and I get into a heated discussion about improv and sketch. He has strong opinions and we talk it all out. Challenge is the theme of this episode. Aaron likes to be challenged. I oblige.Aaron shares some great stories about the theater community at his alma mater, Rice University. We talk about college and the opportunities we had. Alongside past guest Steven M. Saltsman,

This week on Yes But Why, we talk to Austin based actress and voiceover artist, Danu Uribe. Danu Uribe is an Emmy-nominated, full-time voice-over and on-camera talent for commercials, video games, film, animation, motion capture, corporate training, and eLearning projects. Danu has twenty years of audio and video studio experience. Danu earned her B.A. in Drama from Texas Woman’s University, received her introduction to comedy performing with the critically acclaimed, multimedia sketch comedy troupe, The Latino Comedy Project, and then, completed studies in Writing and Improvisational Comedy at the historic Second City Training Center in Chicago.In our conversation, Danu talks about 4 years of touring the world with the live-action graphic novel show, The Intergalactic Nemesis. She talks about what a toll touring can take and yet how happy she is to have been able to do that before covid.I really loved the part where she told me about when The Intergalactic Nemesis was featured on CONAN. It was so wild that s

This week on Yes But Why, we talk to Italy-based improviser and educator, Leah Dawson. Leah Dawson is an elementary school teacher at an international school in Italy. Leah is also an active member of the improv scene at Teatribù in Milan. We connected on an international improv Facebook group. Leah weaves improv games into her daily lessons to keep her students engaged and we bonded when she advised me on an improv class I was teaching for elementary aged children. It was great to talk to Leah about how she got involved in improv and how it has helped her to be a better teacher. In our conversation, Leah tells me how space camp got her out of US public schools and into an Italian international school. Leah tells the story of the chance meeting at brunch that inspired her interest in theater. And Leah regales me with quite a few funny tales about how she is still using improv to help her with speaking Italian!Support Leah by taking an impro class with her. She has a unique perspective that will help you get

This week on Yes But Why, we talk to actress and podcaster, Ivy Meehan. Native Texan Ivy Meehan has always found her way to performing on a stage, even when there were no theaters anywhere to be found. Even when she was going to college on a golf scholarship and getting a degree in Entertainment and Sport Promotion, she somehow convinced the business school she was attending to produce a musical every spring. And yet, most of the stories Ivy tells me in our conversation have to do with fear. Ivy, like all of us, was afraid to do something that wasn’t so stable. But still she found her way to the theater. She got internships at theaters doing marketing and PR. She became a wedding DJ. But what she really wanted to do was act. Maybe in films, maybe onstage but definitely in front of people. Ivy and I talk about how hard it can be to get out of your own way. Ivy and I talk about wanting to be performers but how fear can really hold you back. Ivy tells me about every job she had that was theater adjacent before s

This week on Yes But Why, our interview is with standup comedian, Alex Velluto.Alex Velluto is a standup comedian, based out of Utah. With millions of online views, he has performed in the top comedy clubs across the country in over 60 cities as a member of the Dry Bar Comedy Tour. Dry Bar Comedy produced his debut comedy special, “Alex Velluto: Spurious,” available now on Amazon. Alex was a finalist in the prestigious Boston Comedy Festival, was named “Best of Fest” at the Golden Spike Comedy Festival and was the winner of the Finger Lakes Comedy Festival in Ithaca, NY. Alex shares his love of John Mulaney and Jerry Seinfeld. Alex tells the story of going to see Seinfeld perform comedy. Wow! I’m so jealous!In our conversation, we talk about the ups and downs of figuring out how to be a comedian and all the weird advice he got along the way. Alex tells stories of his comedy community at Salt Lake City’s WiseGuys Comedy club. Tune in for great advice about marketing yourself!Support Alex Velluto by watching hi

This week on Yes But Why, we talk to world renowned performer and improv teacher, Joe Bill. Joe Bill has been a performer and teacher at iO Chicago for more than 30 years; he was one of the co-founders of Annoyance Theater; and, he was an Artistic Associate for The Chicago Improv Festival for the entirety of its existence. He has been an Internationally Touring Teacher, Performer and director for more than 20 years and acts as an Artistic Adviser for a number of Improvisation and Comedy Theaters all over the world. He has taught at pretty much every major improv/impro Festival in the U.S. & Canada in the last 30 years.In our conversation, we talk about where we find inspiration and Joe shares an anecdote from his childhood about his musician cousin, Katherine. He talks about going on tour for a year with Up With People and what an amazing experience that was.We talk about family drama and the need to escape. We talk about the community of misfits in Chicago where Joe finally found his artistic home. We ch

This week on Yes But Why, we talk to improviser, J Villanueva. J Villanueva is an improviser and educator from the city of Manila in The Philippines. J teaches Disaster Readiness and Earth Sciences to high school students. Alongside his students, he started “Schrodinger’s Act,” the first High School improv club that his school has ever had. J has been performing improv for 25 years, even before he knew what organized improv was. Now J teaches and performs improv all over the world. J runs online jams every Tuesdays and teaches improv with Manila’s Clutch Inc. Improv Group. J also regularly performs online improv shows with Mesa, Arizona’s National Comedy Theatre Phoenix. In our conversation, we talk about the pushback we get for choosing to do art in our lives. J and I chat about how inspired we are by the global improv community for their efforts to stay connected with online shows. J tells me the story of the accident that got him back into theater after college, and the subsequent performance superpower th

This week on Yes But Why, we talk to Chicago-based actor, arts educator and casting director, Nik Whitcomb. Nik Whitcomb is a nimble theatrical Renaissance man. Nik has had a varied and successful career in entertainment, working as an actor, a director, an arts educator, a podcast host, an arts administrator, an online content creator and a casting director. Recently Nik was recognized for his hard work in the world of entertainment when he was named a "Theatre Worker You Should Know" by American Theatre Magazine. Nik is also the creator and host of the new online multi-platform talk show "THE COME UP with Nik Whitcomb." In our conversation, Nik shares stories of growing up doing theater in Omaha at the Rose Theater. Nik tells me about his experiences working at theaters in Minneapolis and Chicago and the differences in his experiences in either city. We talk about covid’s effect on the theater/film scene in Chicago. We have a couple of hilarious rabbit hole discussions, one of which is about JFK and harkens