Lady Bam Podcast with Mary McDonnell - Episode 15 - John McDonnell

Happy Holidays! We can't think of a better way to celebrate our first new episodes in over a year than with this weeks guest, Mary Trump. Author of the bestselling books Too Much and Never Enough and The Reckoning, Mary combined her background as a Clinical Psychologist with her personal history to shine a light on her family, her uncle "Donald", and racism in America. In part 2 of Lady Bam's conversation with Mary Trump. Mary McDonnell and Mary Trump discuss policy, politics, and "The Reckoning". As we reluctantly wrap up our incredible conversation, Mary Trump talks to us about the impetus and intention behind her new newsletter, "The Good in Us". 

We're back! We can't think of a better way to celebrate our first new episode in over a year than with this weeks guest, Mary Trump. Author of the bestselling books Too Much and Never Enough and The Reckoning, Mary combined her background as a Clinical Psychologist with her personal history to shine a light on her family, her uncle "Donald", and racism in America.  In part one of our podcast, Mary McDonnell speaks to Mary about the Trump family, and how delving into her families history in the course of researching her books also gave her a new insight on her father and his own legacy. 

This week on the Lady Bam Podcast, it's a family affair when Mary's brother John McDonnell joins us on the podcast. As COO of Clyde's Restaurant Group in Washington D.C., John has been leading his company through the last few months of changes the Covid-19 pandemic has brought to the restaurant industry. His innovative solutions and strategies continue to bring stability and assistance to his restaurants and its employees even in today's ever-changing climate.  We first spoke with John several weeks ago. This week we returned to the conversation and caught up on Clyde's support of BLM in part two of the podcast. 

This week on the Lady Bam Podcast, Mary speaks to her longtime friend and collaborator, playwright and director Emily Mann.  As McCarter Theatre Center's Artistic Director and Resident Playwright since 1990, Emily wrote 15 new plays and adaptations, directed over 50 productions, produced nearly 180 plays and musicals, supported the work of emerging and legendary playwrights and received the Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theater. Last fall, in her final season at McCarter, she directed her own play Gloria: A Life, starring Mary as Gloria Steinem.  Now as she wraps up her time at McCarter and looks forward to her next act, Emily and Mary discuss their shared experiences in the theatre, what's next for Emily, and how theatre moves forward in the time of Covid.

Lady Bam is back! As we all continue to be safer at home, we're excited to continue bringing some wonderful discussions and voices to you! This week, Mary talks to Lisa McNulty,  Managing Artistic Director of the WP Theater (formerly the Women's Project Theater) in New York. Lisa and Mary discuss their shared histories with the WP,  Lisa's experience as the pandemic forced the shutdown of all NYC theaters, and what theater in the time of Covid may look like as we all move forward in these complicated times.

Welcome to Lady Bam: Covid Edition! This is a confusing time, one where anxiety and fear seem like constant companions. In the spirit of perseverance, of choosing to act, and believing that creativity and human connection are never cancelled, we invite you to join us for our first Covid-era stay-at-home podcast with the indomitable Marina Sirtis. Beloved for her role as Deanna Troi in Star Trek: The Next Generation, Marina and Mary discuss Marina's early career and her world-premiere role in London's West End last year, the devastating loss of her husband, Michael Lamper, and her return to Star Trek in PICARD. We're glad to be back with an episode we know you’ll love, and are looking forward to bringing you much more Lady Bam content in the coming weeks.

A starship captain and the president of the universe walk into a bar... well, almost!  Lady Bam podcast traveled to New York City to speak to the one and only Kate Mulgrew.  Mary and Kate sat down for an amazing talk, discussing Kate's new book "How to Forget: A Daughter's Memoir", their experiences growing up in Irish-American households, her recent play in New York "The Half-Life of Marie Curie", and much more. Lady Bam Podcast is thrilled to bring you this long-awaited episode.   Learn more about Kate's new book, "How to Forget: A Daughter's Memoir" Download the audio book of Kate's play, "The Half-Life of Marie Curie" Special thanks to Amy Imhoff for helping to make this episode possible.

Happy New Year! The Lady Bam Podcast is back with the first of two brand new podcasts for a brand new decade! This past fall, Mary starred as Gloria Steinem in Gloria: A Life, at the McCarter Theatre in Princeton, NJ. The show featured a dynamic, all-female cast telling Gloria’s story in the first act, and inviting the audience to join them in a talking circle to share their personal experiences in the second act.  While the actors brought Gloria and her contemporaries to life each night, they found many of the messages and history being told on stage impacting and informing their lives. In this episode, Mary is joined by two of her co-stars in Gloria, Gabrielle Beckford and Patrena Murray, to discuss their experiences on and off the stage, in the first of our own Lady Bam talking circles with the cast and creative team of Gloria: A Life.

Mary McDonnell and the Lady Bam Podcast traveled to Washington DC last month to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, where we met with Maria Marable-Bunch, Associate Director of Museum Learning and Programs. Maria’s life-long work of bringing museums and educational outreach together has had a tremendous national impact through her programs at the National Archives, National Gallery of Art, Art Institute of Chicago and numerous other institutions that she’s worked with in her career. With her recent appointment at NMAI, Maria is working to update and change decades-old texts and perceptions about Native Americans through curriculum outreach, along with showcasing exhibits and artists whose work exemplifies the struggles Native Americans have and continue to experience, and the wisdom their culture has to share with us. Maria’s impressive experience and perspective on outreach, education, and the role of museums in our culture is truly inspiring, and we’re thrilled to bring her conversation with Mary to our listeners.  

So Say We All!  Lady Bam Podcast traveled to the Saenger Theatre in Pensacola, Florida to take part in an epic Battlestar Galactica reunion as part of Pensacon 2019, and we're thrilled to be able to share the full panel with our listeners for the first time ever as a podcast! President Roslin and the Lady Bam herself, Mary McDonnell, led a special cast reunion panel with Michael Hogan (Saul Tigh), James Callis (Gaius Baltar), Michael Trucco (Sam Anders), Tricia Helfer (Six), Tahmoh Penikett (Helo) and Leah Cairns (Racetrack). Taking place on the eve of the 10 year anniversary of the end of the series, the panel reminded us just how special this show was, and what an extraordinary group of people it brought together to bring it to life. Discussing character arcs, reminiscing and debating the idea of a revival (spoiler alert: the cast is ready, and even has an idea!), this is a BSG panel unlike anything you might have heard before. They say that all this has happened before – but it only happened this first time in Pensacola!