Yes But Why Podcast

This week’s episode of Yes But Why features podcaster and arts educator, Rachel Oakes!Rachel Oakes is co-host of the Story Song Podcast, a pop-culture comedy podcast that tells the story of the songs that tell a story. Rachel is also one of the Education Directors for Manhattan Youth’s after-school program. In addition to overseeing four Manhattan Youth after-school sites, Rachel helps coordinate the theater programs across the entire middle school community and chairs the in-house Literacy curriculum committee. In this conversation, Rachel and Amy talk a lot about improv. Rachel tells Amy about the time she made a big move to Florida to work at the improv conservatory of Florida Studio Theater. Rachel talks about her passion as a teaching artist to provide kids with after school theater programs. Rachel also shares the joy she has when she is podcasting with her best friends on Story Song Podcast!Support Rachel by listening to Story Song Podcast - www.storysongpodcast.comYes But Why Podcast is a proud membe

Ever wonder how Austin got to be the thriving improv city that it is? In this special LIVE SHOW of Yes But Why Podcast, Amy Jordan interviewed some of the OG Austin improvisers about how the Austin Improv Community got started and the ups and downs of drama from the very beginning! This one gets JUICY!!In this episode, we chat about the experiences of Estevan Chuy Zarate, David Lampe, Shannon McCormick, Megan Flynn, Catherine Zarate, Tyler Bryce, Les McGehee, and Mike D'Alonzo.Estevan J. (Chuy) Zarate is an actor/director/coach from San Antonio TX. Chuy has been improvising for audiences for 29 years. He is a member of The Big Bash at The Hideout Theatre, The Known Wizards (Merlinworks faculty troupe), ¡Zarzamora! and more duos than he can count. David Lampe has been performing in, directing and teaching improv in Texas since 1981. David started with the Comedy Workshop in Houston and went on to establish the first professional improv troupe in San Antonio. In Austin, David was one of the earliest members of

In this week’s episode, Yes But Why Podcast showcases singer songwriter, Aubrey Hays. Aubrey Hays is an Austin-based musician who is set to release her debut album very soon this summer of 2019. Following the success of her 2018 NPR Tiny Desk submission, Aubrey started a band with drummer, Conner Ingle, and together, they currently perform all around the live music venues of the Austin, TX area and hopefully soon, across the country. Check out the 2019 Tiny Desk submission that they made together!In this episode, Aubrey talks about growing up watching her mom make theater and eventually getting a theater degree herself. Aubrey shares the struggle to find her own way as a performer. She tells Amy about how music is her way to connect to an audience, especially her song, “Mean to Me.”Aubrey was such a delight to talk to! Listen in for the discussion of both Aubrey’s creative process and the creative process in general. Lots of good talking points on what it takes to live a life in the arts! Support Aubrey Hays

This week on Yes But Why, we talk to Andre Sobral, a Portuguese improviser who performs in various troupes in the Lisbon improv scene. In this episode, Andre shares stories of the uphill battle that led him to his current creative life. We chat about how he learned improv in Sweden even though he didn’t speak the language and how that has made him a very physical improviser overall. Andre also talks about his performance philosophies and acting theories. Stay tuned to the end to hear Andre’s advice about generosity onstage!Support Andre Sobral in Lisbon by attending the shows he performs with his troupes, Improv FX and 4 Misfits!Yes But Why Podcast is a proud member of the HC Universal Network family of podcasts. Download the FREE HC Universal Network app for Android and iDevices or visit us at HCUniversalNetwork.com and join the fun.This episode of Yes But Why podcast is sponsored by audible - get your FREE audiobook download and your 30 day free trial at http://www.audibletrial.com/YESBUTWHY.

This week’s Yes But Why episode is a superfun chat with British-American comedy couple, We Are Thomasse.We Are Thomasse is a Los Angeles based sketch group made up of married couple Nick Afka Thomas (who is British) and Sarah Ann Masse (who is American). They perform live shows regularly in Los Angeles and around the world. Their show consists of fast-paced, character-driven sketches, often with a twist of their own perspective as a British-American couple. We Are Thomasse has also had viral success making comedy videos. So much so that Facebook approached them to be a part of a pilot program for independent creators. They accepted their offer and saw a significant increase in their fanbase!In this episode, Amy talks to We Are Thomasse as they are hiding in a closet in Disneyland. It’s how all the coolest comedians are doing podcasts these days (no big deal). Sarah and Nick talk about having confidence as a performer, writing satire for activism, and dealing with anger. We also talk about We Are Thomasse’s d

This week’s Yes But Why episode features actor, author, and Disney enthusiast, Chris Lucas.Chris is a lifelong fan of all things Disney. His admiration for Walt led Chris to create a one person show about Disney called “Of Mouse and Man,” and to write the book, “Top Disney: 100 Top Ten Lists of the Best of Disney, from the Man to the Mouse and Beyond.” Chris has also written two other books, “Seeing Home: The Ed Lucas Story”, the critically acclaimed book about his father, and “The Guide to Writing Letters to Celebrities: The secrets to getting in touch with your favorite stars.” Also a professional actor for over thirty years, Chris has been seen on the big screen and in television shows in supporting, recurring and featured roles. In this episode, Chris talks to Amy about learning comedy rhythm from cartoons. Chris shares the story of his first acting gig in 9th grade – on Broadway! Chris shares how a sketch writing gig at Gotham City Improv landed him an associate writer job on Saturday Night Live (yes, th

This week’s Yes But Why episode showcases Austin-based filmmaker Mei Makino.Mei is currently in production on Inbetween Girl, a feature film that she has written and will be directing and producing this summer! Mei is a graduate of the University of Texas RTF program and she has been working consistently in film since she graduated! Amy and Mei recently connected at the Transform Film Fest where Mei was speaking on a panel about women in film!In this episode, Mei tells Amy about her first film, a horror movie called “The Crittles” that she made on the family camcorder as a kid. We also talk about the “life-changing” Film Camp for Girls that she went to with Michelle Voss, the amazing internship she did at Apatow Productions, and the hard work she is doing right now with Creative Action to teach filmmaking to the next generation!Support Mei Makino by seeing her feature film, Inbetween Girl, as soon as it is available to you AND by supporting all women in film! https://www.facebook.com/inbetweengirlfilm/Yes But

This week’s Yes But Why episode is a chat with podcaster, writer, and journalist, Win Kelly Charles. Win is a total powerhouse of projects. She produces the Ask Win podcast, the Welcome to Journalism podcast, the Diary of a Fashionista podcast, and the Butterflies of Wisdom podcast! She writes books about her life and about living with cerebral palsy. She also writes novels about teachers and children’s books about butterflies! All the while, she is going to journalism school! Woo! We don’t know how she finds the time to do anything else but sleep. Still, she was kind enough to schedule some time to chat with Amy. In this episode, Win talks about her mission is to help others with physical and mental disabilities to find a way to tell their story. She talks about the “creative person syndrome” that keeps her juggling so many projects. She shares stories about the tragic event that led her to write her first book, about her love of Marc Maron and his interview with Barack Obama, and about the technology that i

This week’s Yes But Why episode features Lipan Apache, veteran, filmmaker and activist, Fox RedSky. Fox RedSky is a social justice warrior with a focus on reviving Native American language, history, and culture. Amy met Fox at the Transform Film Fest where Fox spoke on a panel about her first feature film, “Keep the Fire Lit: Lost Tribes of Texas.” After 3 and half years traveling all over Texas and parts of Mexico (and even making a trip to Standing Rock, North Dakota with her at-the-time 2 year old daughter in tow), Fox is ready to share her heartfelt documentary with the world.In this interview, Fox shares the tumultuous stories of her upbringing as well as the recent successes she has had promoting and showing her movie. “Keep the Fire Lit” recently won the award for Best Doc at the Alaska International Film Festival. In this episode, we also discuss her upcoming project, the Turtle Island Film Festival, a film festival coming to Austin in March 2020 that’ll support native youth’s stories. This talk also

This week’s Yes But Why episode showcases comedy performer, director and teacher, Scotty Watson!Scotty Watson is the Master Teacher for the improvisational theatre program at ANDTheatre Company in New York City. He has also taught Improv & Advanced Sketch Writing for The Second City NYC. In the past, Scotty is an alumnus of The Second City Canadian National Touring Company and he has performed as an actor Off-Broadway, on television, in feature films and in a popular series of TV commercials! In this interview, Scotty and Amy really hit it off! Scotty tells Amy about growing up in a funny family, doing a standup tour at 15 and meeting his wife when they acted in a play together! There are some great life lessons shared and a lot of good reflection on the state of the theater industry in the world today. Tune in!You can read Scotty’s blog at https://www.scottywatsonimprov.com/blog His book, Scotty Watson’s Improv Tips, is available NOW on Amazon.Yes But Why Podcast is a proud member of the HC Universal

This week’s Yes But Why episode features Shana Merlin, founder of Merlin Works improv conservatory in Austin, TX. It is unbelievable that Amy and Shana never met before recording this episode! How could their paths not have crossed in the 10 years that Amy has lived in Austin? Amy was definitely star struck at the top of this interview but she chilled out and they become besties by the end. In today’s chat, Shana Merlin talks about teaching improv to medical professionals, working on your presence onstage, and being a full time mom and theater owner. Amy is inspired by Shana’s entrepreneurship and she is jealous of Shana’s connections to Alan Alda. Listen in as Shana recounts stories from the beginnings of the Austin improv scene from “Monk’s Night Out” to “Girls Girls Girls.” Check out Shana’s upcoming performances and/or take classes with her right now at Merlin Works!Yes But Why Podcast is a proud member of the HC Universal Network family of podcasts. Download the FREE HC Universal Network app for Android

This week’s Yes But Why episode features podcaster and standup comedian, S. Anthony Thomas. Throughout this interview, S. Anthony entertains with tales from his life’s adventures. You can tell just by listening to him that he is good at crafting a narrative. It makes sense then that S. Anthony has spent his whole life performing. He is warm and welcoming and a great storyteller. From his “Fresh Prince” upbringing to his first ever open mic, S. Anthony shares the moments of his life that helped build him into the performer he is today! Listen in as Amy and S. Anthony chat about booking comedy shows, the freedom of podcasting, and the magical sound of audience laughter!Support S. Anthony Thomas by subscribing to BOTH of his two podcasts: The S. Anthony Thomas Show (https://anchor.fm/s-anthony-thomas) AND The S. Anthony Says Podcast (http://santhonysays.podbean.com/)Yes But Why Podcast is a proud member of the HC Universal Network family of podcasts. Download the FREE HC Universal Network app for Android and iDe

In this week’s Yes But Why Podcast episode, we meet Dawn Davis, actress, voiceover artist and host of the Desert Lady Diaries podcast!The conversation opens with Dawn talking about her acting career in regional theater in Florida and North Carolina before she moved to Los Angeles to dig into the film and TV business. Dawn is an amazing woman and Amy loved talking to her. Along the way, Dawn gives some great business tips for actors. But the real epiphany, both in this interview and in Dawn’s life, is when the story moved to the small town near Joshua Tree National Park where Dawn now resides. The change of location made palpable changes to Dawn and to her world view. It is so great to hear how at home Dawn feels in her new surroundings. Dawn and Amy spend most of the interview talking about the vibrant creative community she has now found and how they have nurtured her and inspired her as an artist. Dawn was so inspired by the wonderful women in her area that she started the Desert Lady Diaries to record some

This week on Yes But Why Podcast, listen in as our host Amy bonds with Grovetown, Georgia-based musician and podcaster Sam Ward, aka “Big Sam.” These two really hit it off and had a great discussion about life. This talk was really fun for both of them. “It’s like I’m listening to my mirror!” - SamSam Ward hosts and curates the BIG SAM PRESENTZ podcast. It’s an outlet for Sam to share stories about his life and to “modernize the circus” by living in the moment! In his podcast, Sam talks about being a musician, a father, a husband, and a disabled veteran as well as sharing his own weight loss journey. Sam is open and real and raw and his audience loves it!Listen in as Sam shares his journey from troubled youth to touring drummer in a country band to musical community organizer. Sam is a really great guy and he has learned so much from all the ups and downs in his life and now he just wants to share them with his audience! Sam has provided a great blueprint for creating your own business! Tune in for tips from

In this week’s episode of Yes But Why Podcast, our host Amy chats with Amsterdam-based improv instructor Laura Doorneweerd and Austin-based improv instructor Kevin Miller. Kevin and Laura are friends from way back. When we sat down for this interview, Laura had just taught workshops at Hideout Theatre’s Improvised Play Festival and was about to kick off a world tour. Kevin was so excited to have his pal in town that he shared his interview time with her!Kevin Miller is the current dean of the Merlin Works Institute of Improvisation at the ZACH Theatre in downtown Austin. Laura Doorneweerd is an independent improv trainer and performer in The Netherlands and across the world. Both of these great friends are the leaders of the next generation of international improvisers! We kick off the discussion talking about how when we were little, we were performers at heart! Listen in as Laura and Kevin tell stories about bad relationships, traveling improviser adventures and the journey of feeling comfortable onstage!

This week, Yes But Why features Atlanta-based filmmaker Jenna Kanell. Working in film since high school, Jenna has been an actor, a writer, a director, a stunt performer and now she is even learning sales & acquisitions! Amy and Jenna met at the Austin Film Festival at which Jenna was premiering her short film, Max and the Monster. Amy was the host of Jenna’s film’s Q&A and they hit it off immediately so they kept in touch. In this podcast episode, Jenna shares some great stories about developing writing partnerships and pitching films. Jenna has been involved in so many aspects of filmmaking that her perspective is really unique! Listen in as Amy and Jenna talk about killer sneezes, horror movies, and stunt driving. Check out Jenna right now on Netflix in Terrifier. Yes But Why Podcast is a proud member of the HC Universal Network family of podcasts. Download the FREE HC Universal Network app for Android and iDevices or visit us at HCUniversalNetwork.com and join the fun.This episode of Yes But Why p

This week’s episode of Yes But Why Podcast features Ken Schatz, the leading independent acting coach in New York City. Through The Ken Schatz Studio, he offers private coaching, audition prep, on-set film role maintenance work, as well as onstage and on-camera master classes in New York, Los Angeles, and around the world.In their conversation, Amy and Ken talk a lot about Ken’s approach to teaching acting. Borne of his inherent need to help people and his love of theater, Ken’s coaching technique is all about tailoring the work to the actor’s specific needs. There is no catch-all style for Ken; for him, it is intuitive. Ken Schatz is dedicated to challenging you to be the best actor you can be and to have fun while you do it! Ken is an amazing resource for actors all around the world! Work with him NOW!Ken is currently in Los Angeles. He just finished teaching his intensive two-day workshop in movement, acting technique, and scene study and he will be there available for coaching until May 1st! To book time w

This week on Yes But Why Podcast, Amy interviews standup comic, actress and podcaster, Lisa Orkin. Lisa is a voiceover artist as well as an actress in TV and film. She talks about how when she first started performing, she wanted to be a serious actress but people kept telling her she was too funny. When she finally focused her sights on comedic roles, she got an agent and started working more often. Now she uses her ability to make people laugh to create hilarious commercials with her production company, The Radio Ranch. In this episode, Lisa shares stories about terrible auditions, rude yoga teachers and (almost) making out with Peter O’Toole. Lisa has great stories and even better advice for any performer out there looking to go into acting, voiceover, or podcasting! If you are a podcaster local to Austin, you can meet Lisa at the Outlier Podcast Festival where she will speaking!You can also hear Lisa weekly on her own podcast, Project Woo Woo, an unscripted interview show in which Lisa gets her actor an

This week on Yes But Why Podcast, Amy interviews casting agent, Missy Finnell. Missy talks about her experience building her career at Donna Belajac Casting agency in Pittsburgh. Missy studied cinematography and producing film in school but her education didn’t teach her the business part of film. In her working life, Missy has done casting and costuming and she has learned a lot more from her real world experiences. Listen in as she shares what it was like for her to cast her first film, Love and Other Drugs. Missy shares with us a story about how an offhand comment from her father about movie credits inspired her to make film her full time career. Tune in for stories about graduating on ice, meeting crazy actors, and worrying like a millennial!In this episode, Missy talks about how hard it was for her to take the leap into working in the film industry. She did it and you can too! For anyone local to Pittsburgh who is an actor looking to be cast in films, TV and digital series or, if you are interested in st

This week on Yes But Why Podcast, we chat with fiction writer and standup comedian Roya Hamadani. Roya shares with us how the end of a stifling relationship helped propel her into standup comedy in Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania. Roya currently co-hosts Stout Laughs, a twice monthly comedy open mic at the Bethlehem Brewworks ,with the hope that she can provide a welcoming stage for performers who need it as much as she once did. Roya is a great storyteller. She tells us about how she wrote a novel in the 5th grade, how the vibrant Bethlehem improv scene embraced her when she needed it most, and how she never stops learning. Tune in for wild tales of divorce, perfectionism and variety show madness. Yes But Why Podcast is a proud member of the HC Universal Network family of podcasts. Download the FREE HC Universal Network app for Android and iDevices or visit us at HCUniversalNetwork.com and join the fun.This episode of Yes But Why podcast is sponsored by audible - get your FREE audiobook download and your 30 day