Music of the Spheres (with Kara Arena)

This week, in true Shakespearean fashion, Monty reclaims the pod as a solo host! His first guest in his new and glorious podcast empire is actor/singer/casting-director, Daniel Kemper (www.montgomerysutton.com). Topics include:The fact that websites are, by definition, a tool for self-aggrandizementYouTube live chat questionsDaniel’s belief in having an affinity to certain skills and how working hard can sometimes bridge the gapThe different pleasures achieved when working within natural skillsets versus working in areas that require additional effortWhat Daniel looks for as a Casting DirectorTreating an audition like a first date (or, don’t be a jerk)The production and personal experience that inspired Daniel to become an actorThe power of theater to help people to look outside of themselvesPeople’s willing state of readiness for change as audience members and the responsibility to do justice to people’s time that goes along with itThe special atmosphere created by the communal knowledge that each theatrical performance is a singular and irreplicable moment.Loving cats while being allergic to themDaniel’s love for Shakespeare being born out of their enduring impact throughout the centuries and their abilities to ask the big questionsDaniel’s beautiful rendition of a speech from the Archbishop Scroop from Henry IV part 2Shoutouts, recommendations, and further reading include:The West WingJesus Christ SuperstarCarl AndersonJames GandolfiniThe SopranosZoom Dinners with your friendsCircle in the SandInternational Actors EnsembleAlex TheatreMelbourne, AustraliaShakespeare’s Age of CrownsSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/this-wooden-o/donations

This week, in true Shakespearean fashion, Daniel stages a coup and takes over the podcast as a solo host! His first guest in his new and glorious podcast empire is actor/director/writer and Master of the Revels for Rude Grooms, Montgomery Sutton (www.montgomerysutton.com). Topics include:Daniel’s boundless capacity for benevolence as a resplendent podcast dictatorHow Monty was (maybe?) dropped as a baby.Where Monty gets his drive to constantly createUsing accountability to others as a means to spur productivityUsing art to engage with the world around you.Toddler Monty’s 3 hour, living room Batman playsThe religious experience of live theatreWhat makes a good actor?Figuring out your own artistry through exposure to other artists and forms of theatreThe importance of a degree of “messiness” in live theatreThe difference between emotionally honest and performative actingWhen do you impose structure on the sense of play when managing a showThe essential relationship between an actor and the audienceHow much rehearsal is too much?The importance of a small amount of challenge or fear on opening nightWhich TV show would Monty put himself in if given the opportunity?Shoutouts, recommendations, and further reading include:The Drawer BoyShakespeare DallasRene MorenoThe Dallas Children’s TheaterDallas Junior Players Shakespeare Happy HoursMichelle TarryColin HurleyToni Morrisson“Different Every Night” by Mark AlfredsEd DixonDavid BaynesNew York Shakespeare CompanySupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/this-wooden-o/donations

Daniel & Monty are back with our first episode recorded during Corona. In a Facebook livestream (using Skype), they virtually sit down with Rude Grooms Associate Artist Laura Piccoli (check out her website lauracpiccoli.com). Topics include:Shifting to a virtual Wooden OHow Laura’s super-high work ethic developed and has influenced her life from undergrad, through freelance acting, producing with Rude Grooms, and into a Masters programThe benefits for an actor of wearing other theatrical hats and feeling more power in the process of creating opportunitiesHow the feeling of empowerment from getting more involved on the producing side of theater inspired Laura to start writing her own short filmsPursuing a Masters degree in Energy and Environment Policy to learn more about subjects so that she should start writing projects, like a recent short film she wrote inspired by studying in BoliviaShifting as a writer from writing for herself as an actor to writing with a hope towards other actors flourishingFinding your Artistic FamilyImposter SyndromeHow a Process-oriented approach can benefit even Product-oriented environments.COVID brainThis week, Daniel & Monty both recommend Shakespeare Happy Hours, co-produced with Seven Stages Shakespeare Company - 90 minute virtual performances of all of Shakespeare’s plays, every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at shakespearehappyhours.tv. Other shoutouts, recommendations, and further reading include:PachamamaCloud Forests of BoliviaThis Wooden O is a production of Rude Grooms. Learn more at rudegrooms.com or follow us @rudegrooms on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/this-wooden-o/donations

CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains mentions of sex, and references of drug use. This week, Daniel and Monty reconnect with a former acting classmate turned entrepreneur and International Tea Master, Mike Ortiz (@sipjojo on Instagram) to discuss his journey from theatre school to brewing tea on the world stage. Topics include:The return of “Danny” KemperFinding your weirdos in action!The parallels between auditioning and building a business.The importance of unapologetically taking up space.Being comfortable with not having answers, and being willing to constantly ask questions in life and theatre.The proper way to drink teaHow Mike went from actor to tea salesman and entrepreneurBrewing tea as a practice of meditationThe importance of persistence in developing relationshipsLearning under pressureThe influence of slave labor on modern tea consumption and sales.How an actor with no business training starts a companyResilience as a necessity in the pursuit of your goalsWhat makes a master?Understanding a structure well enough to break it.The origin of the name Jojo TeaThis week’s shoutouts, recommendations, and further reading include:Anya SaffirEBE EnsembleMaster Chufei Tsai Jojo Tea CompanyBadia Spice CompanyWorld Tea ExpoGrandmaster Maurice AshleyTea Master’s CupOsteria 57Cafe IntegralMalaparteTiger King on NetflixHollywood Caucus podcastThis Wooden O is a production of Rude Grooms. Learn more at rudegrooms.com or follow us @rudegrooms on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.WE HAVE MERCH! Official This Wooden O coffee mugs and baseball tees are available on our website. Get yours at http://www.thiswoodeno.com/shop today!Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/this-wooden-o/donations

WE HAVE MERCH! Official This Wooden O coffee mugs and baseball tees are available on our website. Get yours at http://www.thiswoodeno.com/shop today!This week Daniel (@thedanielkemper) and Monty (@montgomerysutto) sit down with Rude Grooms' Master of Movement Bridget Bose (@bridgetbose on Instagram). Bridget has choreographed dances, jigs, and creepy death movement pieces for all Rude Grooms productions. Listen to her talk about her journey from Colorado to New York, starting and running Guilty Pleasures Cabaret, and much more.Topics include:Rude Grooms’ Secret Shakespeare Hunt (possibly returning in 2020)Performing at Lincoln Center with Bridget’s cabaret troupe, Guilty PleasuresDancing in a circus in the Middle EastTouring the world in a Bollywood dance company, and becoming a tourist attraction by rehearsing in Central ParkThe happenstance creation of Guilty Pleasures in a tiny UWS barDefying expectations at The Duplex by making dance that functions in a non-traditional spaceThe power of appealing to the 11pm timeslot nicheHow Guilty Pleasures alters shows from late-night to mainstage, from smaller venues to larger venues, and from 1.0 to 11.0 versionsRepurposing successful material to fit in different showsParallels between creating frequent cabaret content and the incredibly prolific rate of new plays in Shakespeare’s LondonKeeping all of her creative work in notebooks and having an archive dating back to high schoolThe importance of overplanning and yet being able to throw it all out in the moment when none of it works for the bodies in the roomCue Scripts and the power of muscle memory from writing down, going back to the beginning until you make no mistakes, or just repeating things over and overThe difficulty of dancing someone else’s choreography vs. what comes naturally to your own bodyThe importance of letting dancers write choreography down in the performer’s own vocabulary because there’s no standardized form of notationHow to navigate the balance choreographing for character and for an individual actorIs there a point at which a piece is “done” for Guilty Pleasures?Music is by Kara Arena, Master of Music for Rude Grooms. Share your thoughts and questions with us @thiswoodeno on Twitter and Instagram, email audio responses to [email protected], visit us on the web at thiswoodeno.com, like us at facebook.com/thiswoodenopod/, or support us on Patreon (patreon.com/rudegrooms) to join the conversation during livestream broadcasts of every episode.This week’s shoutouts, recommendations, & further reading include:Guilty Pleasure Cabaret | email: [email protected]; website guiltypleasurescabaret.com; twitter/instagram: @gpcabaretThe Duplex54 BelowLineLearner App, available on the App Store or Google PlayKast App: kastapp.coThe Show Must Go Online, produced by Rob Myles (@robmyles)This Wooden O is a production of Rude Grooms. Learn more at rudegrooms.com or follow us @rudegrooms on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/this-wooden-o/donations

WE HAVE MERCH! Official This Wooden O coffee mugs and baseball tees are available on our website. Get yours at http://www.thiswoodeno.com/shop today!This week Daniel and Monty sit down with actor, singer/songwriter, and Rude Grooms Master of Music, Kara Arena. Kara has composed music for every Rude Grooms production, as well as the music for this very podcast. Listen to her talk about her journey as an artist, how her creative process works, and then go and follow her on Instagram HERE.Topics include:Kara’s artistic origin story.Fearless, mystical writingLearning to play an instrument for a showThe difficulty of consistent practiceHow the comfort of the theatre and performance can relieve the pressure of learning an instrumentThe difference between the artist and their artistic personaPlaying your own music for the first timeLearning not to take judgement personallyThe inherent compelling nature of fictional villainsThe fun of playing roles that go counter to “type”Looking internally at your own experience as a catalyst for character developmentSeparating your own sound from your influencesHow to write music for a showFinding the vibe of a showThe power of oooooh’s and aaahh’s in musicHow simplicity in songwriting leads to adaptabilityWhat most people get wrong about Romeo and JulietWhy Juliet is out of Romeo’s leagueAllowing your creations to take on lives of their ownImprovisation within structureWhy you don’t need lessons to be a musicianKara’s first music video!How the meaning of a song evolves as you spend more time with itThe differences in writing for Greek theatre vs. ShakespeareMusic is by Kara Arena, Master of Music for Rude Grooms. Share your thoughts and questions with us @thiswoodeno on Twitter and Instagram, email audio responses to [email protected], visit us on the web at thiswoodeno.com, like us at facebook.com/thiswoodenopod/, or support us on Patreon (patreon.com/rudegrooms) to join the conversation during livestream broadcasts of every episode.This week’s shoutouts, recommendations, & further reading include:Rickie Lee JonesSpring AwakeningJoni MitchellSufjan StevensArcade FireThe Beatles“Heart Song” by Kara Arena on YouTubeGilbert TheaterPortland Stage CompanyThis Wooden O is a production of Rude Grooms. Learn more at rudegrooms.com or follow us @rudegrooms on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/this-wooden-o/donations

WE HAVE MERCH! Official This Wooden O coffee mugs and baseball tees are available on our website with a special 10% Discount (offer expires 3/16/2020). Get yours at http://www.thiswoodeno.com/shop and use code “WEIRDOS” at checkout!This week Daniel and Monty sit down with director, producer, and Associate Artistic Director of Shakespeare Dallas, Jenni Stewart. To learn more, follow her on Instagram @jennalolaTopics include:Monty’s life’s work of getting everyone he knows from Dallas to move to NYCThe enduring splendor of snow for people born in the southJenni’s journey from producing intern to Program Coordinator to Associate Artistic Director in her 14 years with Shakespeare DallasJenni’s background in performance art, avant-garde, and making really f*$%ing good shadowsInfusing principles of anant-grade performance into her interpretations of Shakespeare so that any type of learner can absorb the storyDirecting a play so that a dog could watch and follow the storyThe job of directing as being a professional audience memberThe importance of the setting up character, concept, and setting first 7-10 minutes of a Shakespeare play for audience membersJenni’s early 1900s Suffragette-era Taming of the Shrew and its Silent Film homage to the InductionThe unique difficulties of working in large, outdoor, mic’d spacesThe Tablework Controversy: essential, or a waste of time?Shakespeare practitioners who have open disdain for scholarsShakespeare Dallas’s Canon Completion Project: The Complete Works of Shakespeare as unabridged staged readings with just a week of rehearsalThe fake news of Romeo and Juliet’s “two hours traffic”The importance of bridging the gap between the skills and knowledge of an Elizabethan actor and those of a contemporary actor in “original practice” rehearsal environmentsOregon Shakespeare Festival’s PlayOn project, modern playwrights translating Shakespeare’s playsWords that only appear once in Shakespeare’s plays: translate them, or play them as a character making up a word?How to bring the inherent collaboration built into Shakespeare’s plays into a 21st century production setting.The fact that every time to produce Shakespeare you are doing an adaptation by cutting, choosing a version, putting on a concept, etc.Protecting capital “S” Shakespeare versus collaborating with a down and dirty playwrightFolio vs. Quarto versions of the texts, and the incredible opportunity we have to get our fingers dirty and collaborate with Shakespeare by working from the original source material and choosing the versions that work for our particular productions and groups of actors.Moving out of the “Newlywed” phase of directing Shakespeare and becoming less “precious” with the plays.The fact that cutting one line of Shakespeare means you are adapting the play, and its implications for more “controversial” adaptation.The potential problems with how our educational system teaches Shakespeare (and literature)Send us your own personal translations of Shakespeare! Daniel will read them and Monty will wear his Darth Vader mask while maybe or maybe not paying attention!Jenni’s journey from actor to director and the clear crossroads where that new journey began.ASMRMusic is by Kara Arena, Master of Music for Rude Grooms. Share your thoughts and questions with us @thiswoodeno on Twitter and Instagram, email audio responses to [email protected], visit us on the web at thiswoodeno.com, like us at facebook.com/thiswoodenopod/, or support us on Patreon (patreon.com/rudegrooms) to join the conversation during livestream broadcasts of every episode.This week, Daniel recommends the upcoming Album It is What it is by Thundercat (releasing April 3), and its single “Dragonball Doorag.” Monty Recommends the podcast An Actor Despairs, hosted by Ryan Perez, and available wherever you listen to podcasts.This week’s shoutouts, recommendations, & further reading include:Shakespeare DallasProjectX TheatreShakespeare Theater AssociationShakespeare’s First Folio (Internet Shakespeare Editions, University of Victoria)Folger Online Editions of Shakespeareshakespeareswords.comThis Wooden O is a production of Rude Grooms. Learn more at rudegrooms.com or follow us @rudegrooms on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/this-wooden-o/donations

WE HAVE MERCH! Official This Wooden O coffee mugs and baseball tees are available on our website with a special 10% Discount (offer expires 3/16/2020). Get yours at http://www.thiswoodeno.com/shop and use code “WEIRDOS” at checkout!This week Daniel and Monty sit down with actor, yogi, and Rude Grooms Sharer/Founding Member Deb Radloff who has been featured in every RG production going all the way back to Much Ado about Nothing. She shares her story today about finding your wins in the theatre industry, and the importance of community. To learn more, follow her on Instagram @debfindingherwinTopics include:The importance of training for different mediumsThe lies we tell ourselves as actors that inhibit our progressMaintaining positive, clear relationships.Giving yourself permission to fail.The dangers of knowing “just enough”Staying focused and positive during career dry spellsKnowing the difference between what you can control vs. what you can’tThe self-sabotaging habit of intentional under preparationThe safety of familiar failureThe power and terror of being fully present and open.Counting your victories, no matter how small.Rude Grooms origin stories!Finding people you like to do work that matters to you.Being proactive about maintaining and building relationships.How creativity breeds creativity, and practice breeds preparedness.How to find or create your artistic homeAn actor’s secret superpower.The camaraderie of community.Knowing your worth as an artist.Music is by Kara Arena, Master of Music for Rude Grooms. Share your thoughts and questions with us @thiswoodeno on Twitter and Instagram, email audio responses to [email protected], visit us on the web at thiswoodeno.com, like us at facebook.com/thiswoodenopod/, or support us on Patreon (patreon.com/rudegrooms) to join the conversation during livestream broadcasts of every episode.This week’s shoutouts, recommendations, & further reading include:Devin Shackett On CameraLetting Go: The Pathway of Surrender- Dr. David HawkinsMichele ShayHedgepig Ensemble TheatreRichard EastonThis Wooden O is a production of Rude Grooms. Learn more at rudegrooms.com or follow us @rudegrooms on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/this-wooden-o/donations

This week Daniel and Monty sit down with actor Elisabeth Ahrens, who was featured in Rude Grooms’s 2019 productions of Romeo & Juliet and The Changeling. She’s also the person we specifically referenced in Episode 1 of the podcast whose audition was so strong we added an entire actor track to a production. To learn more, follow her on Instagram @elisabethahrens.Topics include:Finding alternatives to clichéd one-note character choices through non-traditional casting choicesHow a rural, pre-Nintendo childhood inspired young Elisabeth to write, act, and direct in plays for her family to keep herself entertained.Elisabeth’s time in the MFA program at the Asolo Conservatory (Florida State) and the Ringling Circus Museum, Art Gallery, and historic theater spaceMonty’s inability to differentiate between Jeff Bridges and Jeff DanielsWhite Russians as Daniel’s entry to drinking in NYCElisabeth’s extraordinary sense of play as an actor and its root in the textLearning how to work on limited rehearsal time by being thrust into the fire of a condensed rehearsal periodThe benefits & responsibilities of working in a condensed rehearsal period that doesn’t give you time to procrastinate as an artistHow to find freedom and play even in rehearsal rooms where the job is to fulfill a director’s predetermined planThe difference between watching actors who are present with other actors on stage and actors who are checked out and going through the motionsThe energetic tether between two people who are truly present with each other, on stage and in lifeThe return of Mirror Neurons!The difference in watching theater as an audience member and as a practitionerHow to keep things fresh and new and present after you’ve reached the fourth week of a runHow rediscovering our spontaneous play as actors requires us to abandon our “good student” desire of some arts to “get it right.”The importance of playing the reality of “mistakes” (or gifts) that happen in performanceHow difficult it can be to enjoy watching theater as a theater makerThe power of being easeful on stageWorking on classical texts as a puzzle for the artist to unpack for the audienceElisabeth’s turn as Peter in our production of Romeo and Juliet & finding new ways to “translate” jokes that resonate in hurtful ways for modern artists and audiencesMusic is by Kara Arena, Master of Music for Rude Grooms. Share your thoughts and questions with us @thiswoodeno on Twitter and Instagram, email audio responses to [email protected], visit us on the web at thiswoodeno.com, like us at facebook.com/thiswoodenopod/, or support us on Patreon (patreon.com/rudegrooms) to join the conversation during livestream broadcasts of every episode.This week’s shoutouts, recommendations, & further reading include:University of KansasFSU Asolo ConservatoryThe Ringing, the State Art Museum of FloridaTootsie the MusicalShakespeare’s GlobeOnce Upon a Time in HollywoodTaylor Tomlinson’s “Quarter-Life Crisis” on NetflixSherry Turkle’s Reclaiming ConversationThis Wooden O is a production of Rude Grooms. Learn more at rudegrooms.com or follow us @rudegrooms on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/this-wooden-o/donations

This week Daniel and Monty sit down with self-described Method props artist, set decorator, and producer, Sara Slagle. Sara and Monty have collaborated on numerous projects for 10 years, and Sara was the brains behind the world Rude Grooms created this summer with Romeo and Juliet. To learn more, follow her on Instagram @ehtoozee.Topics include:How Sara found her way into props and designMethod props designHow fully realized, hand-crafted props help with immersion, and the power of physical objects on an actors’ performance.The dangers of burnout.The desire for effective world-building and realism in the theatre.How many things does Sara make by hand? Listen to the episode and tweet us your answers!Mishandled prop horror stories.The importance of CHECKING YOUR DAMN PROPS.Navigating whether or not to stay in your lane when problems ariseThe importance of communication between performers and technical artists. How observation and noticing small details affect big decisions in a production.Theatre ghost stories!How suggestions lead to better direction.ACTORS- be nice to your production crew!The cost of kindness.The pros and cons of the current power dynamic structure in modern theatre.Switching hats between crew member and producer on the same production.The creative advantages of independent theatre vs. Broadway.Music is by Kara Arena, Master of Music for Rude Grooms. Follow us @thiswoodeno on Twitter and Instagram, visit us on the web at thiswoodeno.com, like us at facebook.com/thiswoodenopod/, or support us on Patreon (patreon.com/rudegrooms) to join the conversation during livestream broadcasts of every episode.This week’s shoutouts & further reading include:The Gallery PlayersRetro ProductionsCarl ForsmanComedy Central Presents: This is Not HappeningRoy Wood Jr.Heather CunninghamSteven Walters (and the play “Booth” which inspired the podcast “1865”)Jessica Renee RussellYour Colonel (Monty’s Aaron Burr play)Shakespeare DallasThis Wooden O is a production of Rude Grooms. Learn more at rudegrooms.com or follow us @rudegrooms on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/this-wooden-o/donations