Jim On The Air

The 54th episode of JIM ON THE AIR features the director and cast of the NEW musical MISS YOU LIKE HELL! This show will be produced by OUT OF THE BOX THEATER COMPANY and is making its South and Central Coast premiere at Center Stage Theater in Santa Barbara! My guests include Samantha Eve, Executive Director of Out of the Box, and the two leads of the show, Michelle Hernandez, who plays Beatriz, and Lara Mehlig, who plays Olivia. The show runs November 4th thru November 13 at Center Stage. For tickets, visit www.centerstagetheater.org/show-details/miss-you-like-hell.

When a whip-smart, deeply imaginative teenager agrees to take a road trip with her free-spirited Latina mother, neither can imagine where it will take them. Chance encounters with a medley of characters along the way brings them closer to understanding what sets them apart—and what connects them forever. At the heart of the story is a mother-daughter relationship complicated and threatened by immigration policies. MISS YOU LIKE HELL reminds us that musicals have the power to explore the exposed territory where the political becomes personal. Featuring compelling original songs that are every bit as diverse and eclectic as America. MISS YOU LIKE HELL is a new musical that exudes the joy, love, and frustration of being a family in a changing country. 

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN IN A SITUATION WHERE THE "PROFESSOR" BECOMES THE "STUDENT?" This subject is at the center of the play Collected Stories by Donald Margulies, produced by DramaDogs, and starring E. Bonnie Lewis and Felicia Hall. Both Bonnie and Felicia are my guests on this episode of Jim On The Air. Bonnie Lewis plays Ruth Steiner, a professor and lauded writer of short stories. Ruth hires graduate student Lisa Morrison played by Felicia Hall, to be her assistant. Lisa, also a writer, thrives in her new role and becomes Ruth’s protégé—then her rival upon the release of her first novel. In Collected Stories, the complicated issue of story ownership is at the fore. This intelligent and engaging play by Donald Margulies asks questions about consent, appropriation, and the ethics of taking artistic license. Give it a listen! We have a fantastic conversation about the play, theater, how actors prepare a role, AND... GUILTY PLEASURES!

WHAT DO CHORAL MUSIC AND CRAFTING HAVE IN COMMON? Well! You'll find out in Episode 52 of Jim On The Air! This episode features AJ Rawls, who is the president of the Santa Barbara Gay Men's Chorus. He also owns and operates The Crafter's Library in downtown Santa Barbara! The main focus of the interview is centered on the SB Gay Men's Chorus. However, after learning that AJ runs The Crafter's Library, I wanted to learn a little bit about that as well! The SBGMC is starting rehearsals soon for their Holiday concert later in December. Of course, the details will be discussed in this episode! Give it a listen, and learn more! You can also visit their website at www.sbgmc.org. 

GUESS WHAT! THERE ARE ANGELS living among us, and I got to interview one of them! Angel Dmon is my latest guest on Jim On The Air. Angel was born and raised in Oxnard, California and now lives in Santa Barbara. She has been a professional dancer over the past 10 years and has traveled overseas to showcase original choreography. Angel is an educator in Ventura County and has her master's degree in Education. Besides teaching children, D’Mon is a children’s book author and hosts “Drag Queen Storytime” at local queer-owned businesses. Angel is one of the founders of the very successful “Glitter Brunch” in Santa Barbara. We will discuss all of this and more on this 51st episode of JIM ON THE AIR! 

Episode 49 of Jim On The Air features Actor and Comedian Stacie Burrows! Stacie has written a one-woman show called Bulletproof Unicorn. She recently had the opportunity to take her show to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland. At the time of the interview, Stacie was still in Edinburgh, however, she has since returned to the US. In this interview, Stacie tells us about the incredibly heart-wrenching real-life events that "inspired" her play. Also, she shares her experience attending the Efringe for the first time! Plus! We had so much fun chatting about theater in general. A genuinely delightful conversation!

I'm on a roll! Two episodes in less than a week! Can you just stand it!! Episode # 48 of JIM ON THE AIR, features Miss Kitty Willows from the Drag Revue and Cabaret, LES FEMMES FATALES AT CENTER STAGE, ENCORE! Miss Kitty Willows, or Miss Kitty for short, identifies as he/him when the boots and jeans are on, but Gurl/she when the wigs and heels are put on. Miss Kitty has been doing drag for nearly 22 years. Currently, Kitty is working with Center Stage with her fellow Sister BellaDonna, which has been a total blast to do with her. Miss Kitty is a past Queen of Pride of Santa Barbara in 2010 and 2011 and was runner-up to the crown in 2009. Her notable mention would be in 2018 when she spoke out to the youth of Carpinteria High School for the LGBTQ+ club. She's also been part of the French Festival Les Femmes Fatales since 2002 and took leadership in 2019. Kitty's origin story is she was born in West Covina, California, at a Hospital named Queen of the Valley Hospital on April 9th, 1979. That being said, she was already born a queen. Miss Kitty Willows lived in La Puente all her young life. In 2001 she moved to Santa Barbara, where she became part of this community and will always call Santa Barbara home. Learn more about Miss Kitty and Les Femmes Fatales at Center Stage on this podcast! And for tickets to Les Femmes, visit www.centerstagetheater.org.

A new episode of JIM ON THE AIR! This is my 47th episode of JIM ON THE AIR, and my guest this time around is Esteban Ramirez. Esteban and I talk about his upcoming concert at Center Stage Theater. His concert, Esteban Ramirez: Romance Tour, will be performed Saturday, September 17th at 7:00 PM.  During my interview with Esteban, we talk about his journey through music, his inspiration for writing his music, and the process he goes through to produce each piece. Esteban Ramirez and his quartet ensemble combine his mastery of the acoustic grand piano interspersed with select poetry readings to inspire the senses. With touching ensemble accompaniments consisting of cello, flute, violin, and clarinet, his original neo-classical instrumental compositions will touch your heart, and his poetry will move your soul. To learn more about his concert and to purchase tickets, visit www.centerstagetheater.org. 

Ok, soooo you know that musical "Rent?" It was a groundbreaking, Tony Award-winning, and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical that changed the course of how musicals are done "at the end of the millennium" and into this current millennium. Well!... it was written by Jonathan Larson. But before Larson wrote "Rent," he wrote a show called "Tick, Tick...Boom!" Larson's autobiographical musical is the story of a composer and the sacrifices that he made to achieve his big break in theatre. Out of The Box Theatre of Santa Barbara is producing this play at Center Stage Theater at the end of April. I had a chance to talk with the Artistic Director for Out of The Box, Samantha Eve, and she fills us in on their production of Tick, Tick Boom. We also talk about her other projects coming up as well. To learn more about "Tick, Tick... Boom!" log onto www.centerstagetheater.org/show-details/tick-tick-boom or visit www.outoftheboxtheatre.org. And if you want to know what I'm up to, (6'3" ba-dump tch!) check out www.jimsirianni.com! Enjoy the podcast! :-)

POW! ZZZZZAP! BOOOOOOF! ZOINK! SWOOOOOOOOSH! SPLAT! ARRRRRRRRRRRR! AWWWWWWWWWWWW! WAAAAAAHHHHHHHH! You might have guessed it... this episode of Jim On The Air is all about comic books! My friend, Kevin Doyle, has started a comic book series called "The Ninja Scouts," and we talk about how he got started writing a comic book, what goes into creating it, how he got it published, and what's next in his series! Kevin's first comic book is available on his publisher's website, which just happens to be www.scoutcomics.com. Kevin's website for his comic book is www.theninjascouts.com where more information is available about his Kickstarter campaign for his second book in the series. We also talked about Kevin's adventures at Wonder Con this year! Give this episode a spin! It's out of this world! It's MARVELous! Man, this episode is SUPER! I WONDER if it'll win an award? Naaaahhh! It would be STRANGE if it did! ;-) Enjoy!

In this episode of Jim On The Air, I interview Cyrus Roberts, Matte Kranz, and Grace Wilken from the upcoming original play - "Seaward." Seaward is written and directed by Cyrus Roberts. It will have its debut performance at Center Stage Theater in Santa Barbara, CA. Seaward is an absurdist tragicomedy exploring the issue of identity within the setting of a 1930’s asylum for the mentally ill. Long-time F-Ward residents Carrie and Arthur endure various therapies inflicted by their less than empathetic wardens, Cassandra and Adam. When new patient Rick arrives, the strange mix of realities he faces rattle his confidence in his own. What is real and what makes it that way? Seaward will perform March 17 - 20 at Center Stage Theater in Santa Barbara. For tickets, call 805-963-0408.

In this episode, I have a conversation with actor and playwright Matt Talbott. Matt has written a one-man show called "Reptile." During our chat, we talk about his career in the performing arts, his inspiration for writing this piece, and the process he uses to write and rehearse the show. Reptile is about a white male who struggles with the image of the country he loves through personal stories, the history he was taught in school, and the sins of the past that have shaped him, and the country. The show is directed by Larry Cambell (of T.V.’s According to Jim) and will be performed on February 4th through the 6th at Center Stage Theater in Santa Barbara. For tickets, call 805-963-0408 or log onto www.centerstagetheater.org.

In this episode of Jim On The Air, I had the opportunity to interview two students at UC Santa Barbara who wrote four one-act plays which will be performed in an evening called "Doubles." Roni Ragone and Will Huffaker are 3rd-year students who wrote two plays each. The plays are titled 'My Barricade,' 'One Hundred Years and a Day,' 'The Dulling of Teeth,' and 'We Weary Children.' The evening of one-acts are produced under UCSB's New and Reimagined Works Initiative and are directed, acted, and produced by students in the UCSB Theatre/Dance Department. During our chat, Roni, Will, and I discuss their inspiration for each piece, their writing process, their plans after graduation, and many other topics. "Doubles" will be performed on Sunday, January 23 at 2:00 pm in the Studio Theater on the UCSB campus. Tickets are free, but proof of Covid vaccination is required for admission. 

On this week's episode of "Jim on the Air," I have a delightful conversation with Noah Lashly. Noah is a writer from Ojai, California. His work has been featured in Cagibi Literary Magazine, Allegory Ridge Magazine, Array Photo Journal, The Aonian, The Dewdrop, Beyond Words Magazine, and at Speaking of Stories, and on The Townies Podcast. His radio play, produced through Eastside Queer Stories and Q Youth Foundation, is available on Spotify. He is also the producer of the Comedy/Party Thing at Kim Maxwell Studio.

In this episode of "JIM ON THE AIR," I had a chance to talk with Ryan Howard. Ryan's dance film will be featured during the "RE: EMERGE A DANCE FESTIVAL" at Center Stage Theater in Santa Barbara. The short film, "Sylkies," will be shown on opening night, Thursday, June 17, and Saturday, June 19. Both screenings will be at 7:00 PM. Mr. Howard has a degree in Theater Production and Design from UC Santa Barbara. He works and lives in Los Angeles as a Designer and Maker. Ryan has worked with Center Theater Group as a Prop Artisan and Theater Technician and is the Director of Production and Design for Psychopomp Dance Theater. His work has been seen onstage at the Ahmanson Theater, the Mark Taper Forum, and the Kirk Douglas Theater. His current artistic adventure is exploring the world of analog film, in both still and motion picture formats. Ryan is thrilled to show his short film at Center Stage Theater!

This episode of JIM ON THE AIR features Mauricio Vera. Mauricio's dance film will be shown at the RE: EMERGE A DANCE FESTIVAL on opening night, Thursday, June 17 at 7:00 PM. The festival is produced by Center Stage Theater and the UCSB Initiative for New and Reimagined Work. All four unique programs will take place at Center Stage Theater. Chilean artist Mauricio Vera began his studies in 1998 with Hugo Urrutia Academy. In 2000, he was accepted at the Chilean Opera House School of Ballet of the Teatro Municipal de Santiago, under the artistic direction of Patricio Gutierrez. He became corp of the Ballet De Santiago under the direction of Marcia Haydée. He participated in several Chilean TV productions. After moving to the US, he trained at Steps on Broadway and School at Steps in NYC and worked with Charleston Ballet Theater in South Carolina. He danced with State Street Ballet in Santa Barbara, CA for six seasons. He moved back to the east coast and joined Roxey Ballet dancing principal roles, Connecticut Ballet Company, and Solomon Guggenheim Museum. Mauricio has toured all over Germany, China, South America, as well as the EU invited as a principal guest artist especially for the Nutcracker season. He has danced and produced the first Las Condes International Ballet Gala and Festival Reencuentro de Coreógrafos in Santiago de Chile. He produced "#danzarestless collaboration," a quarantined short film that has recently received awards and nominations at film festivals.

In this episode of JIM ON THE AIR, I had the privilege of talking with Ashley McQueen. Ashley will be featured in the RE: EMERGE A DANCE FESTIVAL at Center Stage Theater in Santa Barbara, CA. The festival is from June 17 through the 20th. Ashley McQueen is the Founder/Artistic Director of Smashworks Dance, a non-profit dance company advocating for women’s empowerment through performing arts, educational programming, and community outreach. She holds a BFA in Dance from Webster University and an MFA in Dance from Hollins University. McQueen has performed as a company member with Amanda Selwyn Dance Theatre, Common Thread Contemporary Dance, and Arova Contemporary Ballet. Her choreography has been commissioned by Lake Arts Project Milwaukee, Peridance Youth Ensemble, Minnesota Ballet, and Big Muddy Dance Company; and presented at festivals such as Dance St. Louis Spring to Dance, Midwest RADFest, and NYC Transit Museum. Smashworks Dance was named a Village Voice “Voice Choices,” and their evening-length political satire For Which It Stands - featured in Time Out NY and Brokelyn’s “Top 20 Cheap Things To Do” - toured to St. Louis in Fall 2018. They partnered with Troop 6000, a Girl Scouts program that supports girls experiencing homelessness in the NYC area, and most recently partnered with Rebel Girls Productions to write movement activities for their most recent chapter book, “Alicia Alonso Takes The Stage,” published worldwide August 2020.

This episode of JIM ON THE AIR features dancer, choreographer, and actor Victoria Finlayson. Victoria's dance film, "Out There," will be shown during the RE: EMERGE DANCE FESTIVAL presented by Center Stage Theater and the UCSB Initiative for New & Reimagined Work. The festival will be from June 17 through June 20 at Center Stage Theater in Santa Barbara, CA. Victoria Finlayson is new to video dance on the production/choreography side. She was a member of the Merce Cunningham Dance Company from 1984-1992 where she appeared in video dances by Merce Cunningham and Eliot Caplan, then she worked with the Lit Moon Theater Company from 1992-2020. She is currently working on independent projects and seeing where her movement and theatrical interests lead next.

In this episode of JIM ON THE AIR, I had the chance to talk with Yamini Kalluri. Yamini will be featured in the RE: EMERGE DANCE FESTIVAL June 17  through the 20th at Center Stage Theater in Santa Barbara, CA. Yamini Kalluri is a world-class professional Kuchipudi dancer based in New York City where she teaches, performs, and trains full time. She offers performances, workshops, intensives, and production direction internationally with an aim to bring a new face and a bigger representation to Kuchipudi globally. Raised in Hyderabad, India, Yamini Kalluri has been celebrated by the New York Times and BBC as being a Kuchipudi sensation. Yamini has founded Kritya Dance with the mission to empower up and coming artists to take Kuchipudi to global platforms. Yamini envisions a new school of thought for Kuchipudi with more awareness of the body, mind and soul. She is taking several nuances from ballet and modern dance to find her own technique and bring about a new age of Kuchipudi which is more relevant to a newer and global generation. Yamini sees Kritya as a budding conservatory and incubatory for challenging experimentation and also as a means for dancers to immerse themselves to find their truest form of expression.

In this episode, I chat with Gianna Burright, Meredith Lyons, and Musician Sio Tepper about their piece that will be featured in the RE: EMERGE DANCE FESTIVAL!! Center Stage Theater and the UCSB Initiative for New & Reimagined Work presents RE: EMERGE, A DANCE FESTIVAL! Thursday, June 17 through Saturday, June 19 at 7:00 pm and Sunday, June 20 at 2:00 pm at Center Stage Theater. This 4 day festival of dance is directed and curated by Brandon Whited. Gianna Burright & Meredith Lyons with Musician Sio Tepper have created a dance piece titled "A Study on Seeing and Being Seen." 

In this episode of JIM ON THE AIR, I spoke with Erin White. Erin's dance film, RENEWAL, will be featured in the RE: EMERGE DANCE FESTIVAL presented by Center Stage Theater and the UCSB Initiative for New and Reimagined Work. The festival takes place June 17 through the 20th at Center Stage Theater in Santa Barbara, CA. Erin White was born and raised in Alton, IL where she began taking tumbling, acrobatics, and dance lessons at the local studio. She went on to graduate from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville with a B.S. in Theater and Dance. Upon graduation, Erin made her way to Los Angeles where she began her education and performance career with DIAVOLO: Architecture in Motion. Erin has had the privilege to showcase work at the Kennedy Center and was a Top 10 Finalist on America’s Got Talent. Erin is now a member of PSYCHOPOMP Dance Theater where her love of creating dance films was sparked. Now residing back in Illinois, Erin is grateful for how dance has had to adapt during the pandemic. Erin enjoys staying connected to her dance company as well as her students by teaching and performing remotely.

RENEWAL

Directed, Performed and Edited by: Erin White

Assistant Director & Videography by: Jacque Hartman & Ashley Wright

Original Concept inspired by: PSYCHOPOMP Dance Theater

In this episode, I have a chat with Daisy Mohrman and Cory Cullington. Their dance film will be featured in the RE: EMERGE DANCE FESTIVAL. Center Stage Theater and the UCSB Initiative for New & Reimagined Work are presenting the festival Thursday, June 17 through Saturday, June 19 at 7:00 pm and Sunday, June 20 at 2:00 pm at Center Stage Theater. This 4 day festival of dance is directed and curated by Brandon Whited. Daisy's piece is a dance film set to "Harvest Moon" by Modern Crusoe (originally by Neil Young). The entire piece takes place with the lone female dancer physically connected to a wall for almost the entire duration of the piece. The wall represents her lover or relationships and love in general. The choreography is driven by the connection with the wall. Although emotional expression and romantic connection will be highlighted, the movement invention comes from finding new and unexpected ways to dance with an immobile partner. This piece was conceptualized in collaboration with videographer and cinematographer Cory Cullington. Listen to JIM ON THE AIR to learn more about this amazing performance piece.

In this episode of "JIM ON THE AIR," I chat with Emily Stratton who will perform in the "RE: EMERGE DANCE FESTIVAL at Center Stage Theater in Santa Barbara, CA. Emily Stratton is an aerialist and modern dancer who blends disciplines into contemporary Aerial Dance. As a lover of all things air-bound, Emily is a multi-disciplinary artist who choreographs, performs, and trains in Lyra, Trapeze, Fabrics, Corde Lisse and Sling. Her particular area of passion is momentum filled metal apparatus. She combines high flying, dynamic skill with detailed, complex movement to create emotional impact.

This episode of "JIM ON THE AIR" features Delila Moseley. Delila is the Artistic Director of the UCSB Dance Company in Santa Barbara, CA. UCSB Dance Company will perform at the RE: EMERGE DANCE FESTIVAL at Center Stage Theater, June 17 thru the 20th. Delila Moseley, Artistic Director of the UCSB Dance Company, conceived the project of creating the collaborations and the film, UCSB Dance Company in Flight and on Film. Delila is a versatile choreographer, teacher, and director who works in a variety of styles, including ballet, jazz, and modern dance. She holds a B.A. in Dance and an M.A. in Dramatic Art from UCSB where she is currently on the faculty in the  Department of Theater and Dance. She has performed professionally in Los Angeles, New York, and throughout the United States on tour. She performed for 10 years with Repertory-West Dance Company, traveling to Europe with the company three times. She has directed the UCSB Dance Company, the student company at UCSB, for thirty years.

In this episode of "JIM ON THE AIR," I had a fabulous conversation with Karyn Laver. Karyn is the director of The Dance Network. Her company will perform at the RE: EMERGE DANCE FESTIVAL at Center Stage Theater in Santa Barbara, CA. The Dance Network is a dance and fitness studio in Santa Barbara, dedicated to uniting the community and bringing joy through dance and movement. The Dance Network offers classes in tap, jazz, hip hop, contemporary, ballet, breakdance, and more for students of all ages and experience levels. Their mission is to provide a comprehensive, enriching, customized, and fun dance experience for all who come to their studio. They work towards uniting the dance community and creating a family and home where all can feel welcome.

My guests on this episode of "Jim On The Air," are Kaita Lepore Mrazek and Robin Bisio. Their dance films will be shown at the Re: Emerge Dance Festival at Center Stage Theater in Santa Barbara, CA June 17 through June 20th. Kaita Lepore Mrazek and Robin Bisio found themselves suddenly cut off from studio rehearsals and film production protocols during the pandemic. They decided to have some fun and make two iPhone films at the beach across the street. The beach was solace and spoke of mysteries that it carried for those who sat on the shores to listen. They did and are so glad to present "A Vanished Day" and "The Errant Sea."

In this episode of "Jim On The Air," I have a delightful chat with Alexandra King. Alexandra will perform belly dancing at the Re: Emerge Dance Festival at Center Stage Theater in downtown Santa Barbara, CA. Alexandra King is a nationally recognized Middle Eastern dancer and has been one of Santa Barbara’s top belly dancers since 1981. She was the house dancer at The Plaka restaurant for twelve years, co-founded the UCSB Middle East Ensemble, and has won a number of awards for her work. www.alexandraking.com

In this episode of "Jim On The Air" I have a nice chat with young, student dancer Avila Edwards. Avila will perform her piece "Rescue" at the Re: Emerge Dance Festival at Center Stage Theater in Santa Barbara, CA. This piece was choreographed to give a visual to the lyrics of the song "Rescue" originally sung by Lauren Daigle. Avila (age 12) and Katie (age 18) worked together to create the storyline and choreography. Maile Merrick will perform the vocals. The Re: Emerge Dance Festival takes place June 17 through June 20.

This episode of "Jim on the Air" features Ballroom dancers Vasily Golovin and Jatila Van der Veen. Vasily and Jatila will be performing in the Re: Emerge Dance Festival at Center Stage Theater in Santa Barbara, CA. Their duet style of Latin International Ballroom, includes elements of Rumba, Paso Doble, and Contemporary Dance. For the festival, they decided to create something new and powerful using a combination of Paso Doble and Rhumba styles. We also discuss their second piece which is a Viennese Waltz in the American Smooth style of Ballroom Dance. This piece will feature the song "Only Hope" by Mandy Moore.

In this episode I chat with Khushbu Dalsania who will be performing in the Re: Emerge Dance Festival at Center Stage Theater in Santa Barbara. Khushbu Dalsania is a dedicated dancer and teacher in the acknowledged dance of Bharatanatyam, Tanjavoor style. 10 yrs of rigorous training in Bharatanatyam has enhanced her inherent talent and transformed her into an accomplished dancer by sheer grace, rhythm, and fluidity. The artist in her blossomed into a dedicated teacher. She is the pioneer of the branch for Arya Dance Academy in Cherryhill, NJ.  She taught Classical and Bollywood dance to over 200 students at the Cherryhill location from 2003-2008 including 15 Aarangetrams and numerous trophies under her. After a 5 yrs maternity break, Khushbu is all set to teach Indian classical Dance in California.

Continuing our series that features the Re:Emerge Dance Festival, in this episode I talk with Whitney Ross. Whitney's piece titled "At Once" is a dance film that was created and filmed entirely over Zoom. This work grew out of a conversation with another piece she choreographed at UCSB titled "In: Somnia." That first work investigated community, loneliness, and reality through an exploration of daydreaming. Whitney was interested in continuing that investigation during the pandemic. Three dancers from that original piece joined her in creating this new work. The Re:Emerge Dance Festival takes place at Center Stage Theater in Santa Barbara from June 17 thru June 20th. 

In this episode of Jim On The Air, I have a chat with Meredith Cabaniss. Meredith is one of the founders of Selah Dance Collective. Her dance piece will be featured in the Re: Emerge Dance Festival at Center Stage Theater in Santa Barbara, CA. The Re: Emerge Dance Festival takes place June 17 through the 20th. 

In this episode of Jim on the Air, I have a chat with dancer, Shenandoah Harris. Ms. Harris is one of the performers in the upcoming Re:Emerge Dance Festival at Center Stage Theater in Santa Barbara, CA. We talk about her "path" as an artist, her background as a dancer, and the details of her piece that will be featured on June 19th of the festival. 

In this episode, I have a chat with Brandon Whited. He is the Artistic Director and Curator of the Re: Emerge Dance Festival. The festival will take place June 17-20 at Center Stage Theater in Santa Barbara. It will be a hybrid of live and online dance performances from all over the country. Brandon and I talk about all the various aspects of putting on a festival like this from beginning to end, and how to navigate through putting on an event as Covid/pandemic protocols are starting to ease up.

Jim On The Air (JOTA for short) episode 15 - I interview the 3 actors who play the 3 sisters in... THREE SISTERS by Anton Chekhov. These young actors who are in the UCSB BFA program are finally getting a chance to be on a live stage after a year and a half doing theater online due to the pandemic. We talk about life as an actor before and after Covid, how they prepare for their roles, and what's next for the future. It was an honor and a privilege to get to talk to these young ladies as they prepare to go back on stage for the first time in a long time!

I talk about my experience with getting the Covid Vaccine, my thoughts about it, and the newest phase of the pandemic.

In this episode, Executive Director of Center Stage Theater, Teri Ball and I discuss the new guidelines for indoor theaters to open as the Covid-19 Pandemic is entering its second year.

In this episode, I take a look behind the scenes at Center Stage Theater in Santa Barbara. I had a chance to visit with Technical Director Antonio Cruz, and Assistant Technical Director Kai Kogo at CST, and I learned what it takes to put on a show especially during a pandemic!

After taking a LONG hiatus, my podcast "Jim on the Air" or JOTA for short is back! It's been almost a year, but I'm looking forward to providing some fresh new content! Enjoy!

Felicia Hall Interview

This show is part of the Digital Arts Festival that is produced by Center Stage Theater of Santa Barbara, CA. The Digital Arts Festival shows stream nightly at 7 pm. You can find more on the Center Stage website... www.centerstagetheater.org and click on the blog tab!

On this show, my guest is Actor, Director, and Acting Coach Felicia Hall!

Felicia Hall has been performing and directing professionally for over ten years in theatres throughout California, Utah, and England. She has been the recipient of several awards and honors, including a Robins Award naming her Talent of the Year, and an Indy Award for her work in Communicating Doors (SBCC Theatre Group). Favorite local acting credits include Girls Like That, Annie, A Christmas Story, Oliver, Our Town, Beau Jest (Actor Circle), and most recently The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (SB Theatre Group). Felicia is a singer/songwriter,  she is the founder of Hall Studio, where she teaches acting, singing, and audition prep. Felicia is also the Managing Artistic Director and Founding member of Actor Circle, a new theatre company that debuted its first production last spring.