Creative Actors Lab

This week, Max and Kelley discuss the importance of meditating and reflecting on your art and what creativity you can accomplish. We discuss different meditation techniques, including Yoga Nidra it is considered sleep yoga, non-sleep deep rest,, and it's meant to reset your nervous system.

If you want to check out some of the practitioners, here are a few that Max suggests:
Ayla Nova - Yoga Nidra - here is a link to a YouTube intro video.
Ally Boothroyd - here is a link to a 10-minute YouTube video.
Ram Dass - here is a link to a YouTube video.

We can all practice a sense of well being whether you meditate for 1 minute, 10 minutes or more. It's good for your mental health and can increase your creativity. If you find yourself distracted at first, that's normal; keep working at it. 

For more on Creative Actors Lab, check our website, www.creativeactorslab.com. You can always find us at our Instagram page, @creative_actors_lab, Facebook page, @CreativeActorsLab, Linked-In - Creative Actors Lab, and YouTube Channel - @CreativeActorsLab . If you would like to support our work - this is our Patreon Page. Thanks so much for listening!

This week, Kelley and Max look at the person who has influenced Kelley's acting journey the most: Viola Spolin.  Viola Spolin was an actress, educator, director, author, and the creator of theater games, a system of actor training that uses games she devised to teach the formal rules of the Theater organically. Her groundbreaking book Improvisation for the Theater transformed American theater and revolutionized how acting is taught. Here is a link to the website. Her son, Paul Sills, founded the legendary Second City improv group.

Kelley uses many of her methods in her teaching, including A & B mirror exercises, The Library, and movement exercises.  Her creative and life journey is truly inspiring. 

If you want to learn more or order her book Improvisation for the Theater, which was first printed in 1963, you can order it on her website or Amazon.    Click here to look at a complete list of her books at the Northwestern University Press. 

For more on Creative Actors Lab, check our website, www.creativeactorslab.com. You can always find us at our Instagram page, @creative_actors_lab, Facebook page, @CreativeActorsLab, Linked-In - Creative Actors Lab, and YouTube Channel - @CreativeActorsLab . If you would like to support our work - this is our Patreon Page. Thanks so much for listening!

Join Max and Kelley as we look at iconic character descriptions in screenplays from Rick Blaine in Casablanca to Annie Wilkes in Misery to Apollo Creed in Rocky and Rose Maxson in Fences, and many other characters in between. We discuss the impact these characters had in their films and why writing good descriptions is vital for both the actor and the writer.  You get to hear the actual description as it was in the script and how an actor would interpret that character. 

For more on Creative Actors Lab, check our website, www.creativeactorslab.com. You can always find us at our Instagram page, @creative_actors_lab, Facebook page, @CreativeActorsLab, Linked-In - Creative Actors Lab, and YouTube Channel - @CreativeActorsLab . If you would like to support our work - this is our Patreon Page. Thanks so much for listening!

Max and Kelley discuss the importance of Set Etiquette whether you're on stage or on a TV or Movie set. They use personal examples of the do's and dont's such as:

• Do be kind and show good manners. 
• Don't ask for a selfie with a lead. 
• Do be on time. 
• Don't try to manifest by telling a lead you will be their co-star one day. (Yes, we saw that happen)

We also talk about how being professional and nice to the Assistant Directors and Production Assistants might land you in a scene with the leads. It's good practical advice so that if you're on set, you know what to do.  We use examples from The Resident, Will Trent and some small independent films and theater experiences.  Enjoy!

For more on Creative Actors Lab, check our website, www.creativeactorslab.com. You can always find us at our Instagram page, @creative_actors_lab, Facebook page, @CreativeActorsLab, Linked-In - Creative Actors Lab, and YouTube Channel - @CreativeActorsLab . If you would like to support our work - this is our Patreon Page. Thanks so much for listening!

This week, Max and Kelley interview fellow podcaster and the person who gave us great advice on starting our own show, Hersh from HERshyt Show. She's a retired combat veteran and also a FEMA hero who helps people and families get the help they need during a disaster.  One huge suggestion, keep an inventory of what you have in your home and put special documents in safe place, either a fire proof box or safe deposit box or have big receipts scanned and kept in the cloud. She gives great advice on handling those tough times, her creative process, and some information on Season 4 of HERshyt Show.  It's a wonderful and lively interview.  

Some of the resources she suggested were:
www.Fema.gov
www.usda.gov

For more on Hersh and HERshyt Show - check out these links:
Buzzsprout: https://thehershytshow.buzzsprout.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehershytshow
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thehershytshow ​​​​
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/thehershytshow
email: thehershtyshow@gmail.com
SUBSCRIBE on to HERShyt Show on Youtube at: http://bit.ly/HERshyt

For more on Creative Actors Lab, check our website, www.creativeactorslab.com. You can always find us at our Instagram page, @creative_actors_lab, Facebook page, @CreativeActorsLab, Linked-In - Creative Actors Lab, and YouTube Channel - @CreativeActorsLab . If you would like to support our work - this is our Patreon Page. Thanks so much for listening!

Max is flying solo in this episode as he talks about doing something he's always wanted to do - voice-over work.  He'll take you through his journey and even cold read a few scripts from Edge Studio, which specializes in voice-overs and has a library of over 6,500 free voice-over commercial scripts, narration, and animation. It's a great place to practice your voice-over skills.  Here's the link to the Edge Studio script library so you can try it out for yourself. 

For more on Creative Actors Lab, check our website, www.creativeactorslab.com. You can always find us at our Instagram page, @creative_actors_lab, Facebook page, @CreativeActorsLab, Linked-In - Creative Actors Lab, and YouTube Channel - @CreativeActorsLab . If you would like to support our work - this is our Patreon Page. Thanks so much for listening!

This week, Kelley and Max interview their student, Brandon Winget and talk about the acting and writing process. Brandon recently played Keith the Ghost on When a Bell Rings as well as also doing work with Brett Newton of LA Reels for a short film as well. We also put Brandon in the Hot seat and ask him probing question like his favorite sandwich, favorite action movie and we learn more about the love of his life, his wife, Jessie who he met in high school. 

Join us as we learn more about Brandon and how rewarding being a creative coach can be. 

For more on Creative Actors Lab, check our website, www.creativeactorslab.com. You can always find us at our Instagram page, @creative_actors_lab, Facebook page, @CreativeActorsLab, Linked-In - Creative Actors Lab, and YouTube Channel - @CreativeActorsLab . If you would like to support our work - this is our Patreon Page. Thanks so much for listening!

Kelley is flying solo this week and talks about how to make a resolution to allow yourself to be more creative and not block ideas that might some when you're working on another project. It's those creative detours that can often produce amazing results because you didn't plan them.  We're also looking at having guests on to discuss their creative process and how they get to where they're going. 

For more on Creative Actors Lab, check our website, www.creativeactorslab.com. You can always find us at our Instagram page, @creative_actors_lab, Facebook page, @CreativeActorsLab, Linked-In - Creative Actors Lab, and YouTube Channel - @CreativeActorsLab . If you would like to support our work - this is our Patreon Page. Thanks so much for listening!

This is our homage to It's a Wonderful Life.  A ghost hunter whose life seems to be in decline learns what the world would be like without him with the help of a fallen angel and a ghost on a fateful Christmas Eve.  

We have a wonderful cast of voice actors, including: 
Mezi Mulugeta as Em 
Dean Atkinson as Jack Bronson
Brandon Winget as Keith the Ghost 
Shiyla Gantt as Jack's Mom, Angela
Justin Deen as Jack's Father, Ted Bronson
Chiron Broderick as Dave
Liz Ireland as Jack's Grandmother, Nana
Tammi Latela as Mrs. Albury
Jaylee Thomas as Frank Jenkins
Carlos Tovar as Chris, the Bartender, and Larry Dane
Amber Grimm as Bruce Dane
Danielle Grimm as Teen Jack
Max Grimm as the Demon and Man
Kelley Cody-Grimm, as the Nurse and Hostess

Join us as Jack Bronson gets some divine intervention from Em, an angel who needs to help Jack so she can get back into the good graces of her "boss" with the help of Keith, the ghost.  It's a heartwarming episode with some spicy language, so it's PG-13. 

For more on Creative Actors Lab, check our website, www.creativeactorslab.com. You can always find us at our Instagram page, @creative_actors_lab, Facebook page, @CreativeActorsLab, Linked-In - Creative Actors Lab, and YouTube Channel - @CreativeActorsLab . If you would like to support our work - this is our Patreon Page. Thanks so much for listening!

This week's special guest is Queen Evi who talks about a wide range of subjects from first loves, how to govern, and favorite sandwiches.  She talks about her kingdom and how to teach her daughters how to stand in their power. 

It's also a good way to explore any characters by asking them questions and then answering as that character. The questions include: 

• Who was your first love?
• Favorite foods as a child. 
• What do you regret? 
• How would you like to be remembered? 

It helps you deep dive into your character and having some fun at the same time. 

For more on Creative Actors Lab, check our website, www.creativeactorslab.com. You can always find us at our Instagram page, @creative_actors_lab, Facebook page, @CreativeActorsLab, Linked-In - Creative Actors Lab, and YouTube Channel - @CreativeActorsLab . If you would like to support our work - this is our Patreon Page. Thanks so much for listening!

Max and Kelley discuss a long-lost performance piece Max wrote over twenty-five years ago when we first moved to Atlanta.  The piece examines our inner voice and how important it is to give grace to ourselves even if things are not going as well as we hoped.  He found it recently and wanted to perform it for our podcast audience for the first time.

We also talked about our history of doing radio theater, including for a public radio station, WLRN  in Miami, where we performed on the Pandamonium Midnight Uprising in the early 1990s.  Kelley also talks about other podcasts that are outgrowths of radio theater, including Sarah Wayne Callies' production of Aftershock, a fast-paced thriller about a massive earthquake that destroys the West Coast, causing a mysterious island to rise up from the Pacific and how creating it as a traditional show would be expensive. Still, as a podcast, you let the listeners use their imagination. We also talk about our ventures into doing a production of Sophia's Carol as a podcast dramedy holiday production.  

For more on Creative Actors Lab, check our website, www.creativeactorslab.com. You can always find us at our Instagram page, @creative_actors_lab, Facebook page, @CreativeActorsLab, Linked-In - Creative Actors Lab, and YouTube Channel - @CreativeActorsLab . If you would like to support our work - this is our Patreon Page. Thanks so much for listening!

In this episode, Max and Kelley discuss the importance of having consent from your acting partner before doing a romantic scene or a fight sequence. Too often actors might feel pushed into doing something that they are not comfortable in doing. If you don't  have the experience to see if something doesn't pass the smell test, it can be daunting and you can be told you're not being a team player or helping the project.
Max takes a few examples on his own career as caustionary tells. We discuss the importance of advocating for yourself. 

We do discuss how actors can unfortunately get caught up in being coerced into doing pornography when they think they're working on a legitmate project. Max also talks about the nonprofit Fight the New Drug which tries to confront the porn industry and the effect it has on both the people who have left the industry and those who watch the harmful videos. 

For more on Creative Actors Lab, check our website, www.creativeactorslab.com. You can always find us at our Instagram page, @creative_actors_lab, Facebook page, @CreativeActorsLab, Linked-In - Creative Actors Lab, and YouTube Channel - @CreativeActorsLab . If you would like to support our work - this is our Patreon Page. Thanks so much for listening!

Join Max and Kelley as they explore different interpretations of a monologue from the catalog of The Screenwriter's Grimm. Max offers to coach Kelley on different interpretations of Hey There, Neighbor, in which Detective Angela Johnson confronts her neighbor Kurt, who has been abusing his wife and family. She convinces the wife, Gail, to leave with the children to a safe house and is there to tell Kurt that his family has left him and is safe from his violence. 

We explore how many interpretations there might be with this piece and what might drive the detective to take this family under her wing. Kelley also shares why she wrote this monologue and her own experience with an abusive boyfriend in college, as well as observing telltale signs of abusive relationships with celebrities and neighbors.

We also discuss the show Found on NBC, which has a protagonist who investigates missing people the press doesn't cover and how she was once kidnapped herself. She abducted her kidnapper and now has him chained in her basement and uses him to help her solve cases. 

Thanks again for listing, and have a  wonderful Thanksgiving!

For more on Creative Actors Lab, check our website, www.creativeactorslab.com. You can always find us at our Instagram page, @creative_actors_lab, Facebook page, @CreativeActorsLab, Linked-In - Creative Actors Lab, and YouTube Channel - @CreativeActorsLab . If you would like to support our work - this is our Patreon Page. Thanks so much for listening!

Join Max and Kelley as we coach on a Shakespearean Sonnet 116 entitled Let Me Not to the Marriage of True Minds.  Max is launching a series of The Bard's work on TikTok and would like to work on some sonnets. We look at the poem from different vantage points: as a sermon, a proposal, with different emotions, and from the POV of a wolf. This sonnet was the favorite of acting legend Laurence Olivier. 

For an actor, it's essential to understand Shakespeare even if you don't plan to perform it. Breaking down the language and universal truths is vital for an actor.  Here is a link to Brian Cox coaching a toddler on Hamlet's To Be or Not To Be soliloquy.

We also discuss Shakespearian comedies and the Public Theater, founded by Broadway legend Joseph Papp, whom Kelley had the honor of reading for when she attended Florida State University and was a visiting artist. She also saw Peter MacNicoll rehearse for Hamlet for the Public Theater.  We also discuss the comedies of Shakespeare and how accessible they are to modern audiences.  Here's a link if you'd like to see a 1978 documentary of The Taming of the Shrew with movie legends Meryl Streep and Raul Julia produced by the Public Theater.

If you'd like to download a copy of the Sonnets, here's a link to The Folger Shakespeare Library. You can also download the plays for free as well. 

Thanks, everyone, and remember, when the going gets tough, the tough get creative 

For more on Creative Actors Lab, check our website, www.creativeactorslab.com. You can always find us at our Instagram page, @creative_actors_lab, Facebook page, @CreativeActorsLab, Linked-In - Creative Actors Lab, and YouTube Channel - @CreativeActorsLab . If you would like to support our work - this is our Patreon Page. Thanks so much for listening!

Join Max and Kelley as we discuss more ghost experiences with Paranormal Investigator and fellow actor Dean Atkinson.  They first met Dean while doing coaching for Acting Out Studios (now 541 Productions) and learned about his fascination with ghosts and otherworldly experiences.  Dean talks about how his wife has been so supportive and even purchased some of his paranormal equipment. We also discussed a few of his acting jobs and working with Nightshift Paranormal Events.  We discuss scary ghost experiences, life, death, power outages, and what makes a good sandwich.

If you want to learn more about Dean, here is his Instagram handle and Facebook page.  For more on Nightshift Paranormal, this is their Facebook page and Instagram. They hold public events and educational seminars on the paranormal. 

Thanks, and stay creative!

For more on Creative Actors Lab, check our website, www.creativeactorslab.com. You can always find us at our Instagram page, @creative_actors_lab, Facebook page, @CreativeActorsLab, Linked-In - Creative Actors Lab, and YouTube Channel - @CreativeActorsLab . If you would like to support our work - this is our Patreon Page. Thanks so much for listening!

Max and Kelley talk about their experiences with ghosts in a Miami theater, Underground Atlanta, and seeing holiday lights at a park in Tallahassee, where we actually got photo evidence two years in a row of a ghost with a tri-corner hat and his friends. What we learned from those experiences is that respecting the spirits is crucial, and when you do, they will often leave you alone and maybe jump in for a photo op.

If you'd like to read about the ghosts we mention, this link to Kelley's blog called Ghost of a Chance with the two photos.  This is the link to the blog that Max read - Between Here and Ever After. Max's Kindle book, A River Between Zen and Chaos, also talks about his experience with the ghost of the Cinematheque, which was located in Coral Gables before it moved to Miami Beach. 

Thanks, stay curious and creative!

For more on Creative Actors Lab, check our website, www.creativeactorslab.com. You can always find us at our Instagram page, @creative_actors_lab, Facebook page, @CreativeActorsLab, Linked-In - Creative Actors Lab, and YouTube Channel - @CreativeActorsLab . If you would like to support our work - this is our Patreon Page. Thanks so much for listening!

Join Kelley and Max as we explore a few well-known and not-so-well-known acting superstitions.  We explore what they are and offer logical explanations for why they came to be and include:

• Whistling backstage 
• Ghost lights
• No blue costumes on stage
• No mirrors on stage
• Bad dress rehearsals
• No peacock feathers 

We also discuss the origin of wishing someone luck by telling them to "break a leg" and how that came into our modern lexicon. Finally, we address the Scottish Play (Macbeth), how it has an unlucky and sometimes deadly history, and how to combat the curse if it's said in a theater.  We look at the history from the first performance when the actor playing Lady McB died to the most recent instance when Chris Rock congratulated Denzel Washington on his performance as the Scottish King, only to be slapped by Will Smith just a few minutes later. 

DISCLAIMER - if you are in a theater and superstitious, when we get to the part about the Scottish tragedy at minute 25:47, you might want to put the podcast on pause, but if you do hear the name of the Scottish king in the theater, we offer ways to combat the curse.  This is the link to the hilarious scene with arrogant actors in Black Adder that we mention. 

For more on Creative Actors Lab, check our website, www.creativeactorslab.com. You can always find us at our Instagram page, @creative_actors_lab, Facebook page, @CreativeActorsLab, Linked-In - Creative Actors Lab, and YouTube Channel - @CreativeActorsLab . If you would like to support our work - this is our Patreon Page. Thanks so much for listening!

In this episode, Max and Kelley welcome their special guest, Amber Grimm, a fellow writer and one of the sweetest people on the planet. We discuss her children's book, Polly the Polite Possum, and the importance of manners in a world that seems to value rudeness.

We explore how being kind helps you feel better and that sometimes rude people might have issues we're unaware of. As teachers, we've had our share of challenging students, and Max shares one poignant story of a young man named Bobby, who he describes as a "Tasmanian Devil," but when he sat down with the five-year-old, he learned what was driving the misbehavior.   

For additional stories by Amber that were read on the podcast,  you can go to Episode 4 - Boo's Zoo Adventure and Other Stories, our fourth episode.  

Thanks so much. Stay curious, creative and of course, polite like Polly!
 

For more on Creative Actors Lab, check our website, www.creativeactorslab.com. You can always find us at our Instagram page, @creative_actors_lab, Facebook page, @CreativeActorsLab, Linked-In - Creative Actors Lab, and YouTube Channel - @CreativeActorsLab . If you would like to support our work - this is our Patreon Page. Thanks so much for listening!

Max and Kelley discuss the importance of taking care of yourself mentally, whether you're an actor or a creative dealing with rejection (creatives do get a lot of rejection) or someone in the business sphere. We talk about our experiences dealing with people and places that were less than kind and how important it is to reach out if you are feeling down or depressed. We also talk about anxiety, whether you're on stage or on the job.  Practicing self-love is essential, and stepping back if you feel anxious or overwhelmed. 

If your health insurance offers counseling, check for what would work for you. If you want to do counseling online and in the privacy of your home,  BetterHelp is a great option. Tap into the world's largest network of licensed, accredited, and experienced therapists who can help you with various issues, including depression, anxiety, relationships, trauma, grief, and more (note - BetterHelp does not sponsor us).
go to Better Help - www.betterhelp.com/officeladies (you need to cut and paste into your browser if you want the discount; the hyperlink does not take you to the discount page) for your first month of sessions provided by The Office Ladies podcast.  

Take care of yourself, and know you're not alone if you do feel depressed, anxious, or overwhelmed.  

For more on Creative Actors Lab, check our website, www.creativeactorslab.com. You can always find us at our Instagram page, @creative_actors_lab, Facebook page, @CreativeActorsLab, Linked-In - Creative Actors Lab, and YouTube Channel - @CreativeActorsLab . If you would like to support our work - this is our Patreon Page. Thanks so much for listening!

In this episode, Max and Kelley explore the world of auditions, the ups and downs, and how it's changed from being in person to doing demo reels. We also look at some of the not-great experiences we've both had. We talk about our own mistakes auditioning and how to beware of scams, i.e., if someone wants you to audition at their home or apartment, don't put yourself in that position and ask to audition at their office during business hours. We also talk about Jenna Fisher's experience from her book, The Actor's Life, in which a singing audition was a scam for a call-girl ring. This is a link to the Creative Actors Lab site and the video -  Actor Be Aware to learn about more dos and don'ts (the last video on the page).

It's essential to be prepared, but you also need to be able to do other roles besides your monologue or demo reel. Our friend, Brett Newton, has a site called Weekly Audition, where you can download scripts to practice every week. It is a subscription service starting at $15 a  month, but you can video and post the scripts on social media and have them ready when a casting director wants to see something different than your demo reel.   

Enjoy and stay creative. 

For more on Creative Actors Lab, check our website, www.creativeactorslab.com. You can always find us at our Instagram page, @creative_actors_lab, Facebook page, @CreativeActorsLab, Linked-In - Creative Actors Lab, and YouTube Channel - @CreativeActorsLab . If you would like to support our work - this is our Patreon Page. Thanks so much for listening!