Discussions about Creating Original Performances for a Live Audience!
Episodes
Monday Dec 11, 2017
Monday Dec 11, 2017
Episode 26 with Frank Gallaghar comes out on Wednesday this week. This is a fun bonus download tonight. It's a seasonal song I wrote and recorded. I hope you enjoy A Modern Holiday! Stay vigilent for the Monday podcast on Wednesday this week.
Monday Dec 04, 2017
Monday Dec 04, 2017
Episode 25 of Sally’s Performing Arts Lab Podcast features Teresa Fellion whose new show, rose walk green ice, at Danspace Project, 131 E. 10th Street, NY, premieres this week! December 7-9, 2017 at 8pm. Tickets are $22 in advance ($25 at the door)
Teresa Fellion
Just commit and get the tickets now! They’re available at danspaceproject.org, or by calling TheaterMania/OvationTix at (866) 811-4111.
Teresa's new work, rose walk green ice, is the culmination of work begun with Home and Agawam that explores self-awareness within communal bonds. During the show, audience members will find they each become more aware and appreciative of their complete self and the people around them.
Performances with Teresa’s very well reviewed, highly physical company of dancers include immersive humor and emotion, and live musicians. Teresa’s resume is too long to include here. But she’s taught for The Ross School, The Ailey school, and many others, and choreographed for dozens of organizations and events around the world. Teresa and her company are on the leading edge of performing arts creation and I think you’re going to enjoy hearing what she says on the podcast about the creative process.
Concise Advice from the Interview
5 No one style of dance is inherently better than another
4 Bring collaborators into the process as soon as you can
3 Listen to yourself and don’t over define your style
2 Give your audience a shared experience
1 Be brave
Sign up for a FREE Creator’s Notebook insert at SallyPAL.com/join. And for the person who asked, there’s an iTunes link in the sidebar to my CD with the song, Stop for a Minute, that you hear during the podcast.
Thank you for sharing, subscribing, reviewing, joining, & thank you for listening. I want you to pursue your dream to have original work on the stage in front of a live audience. It’s scary, but I’m here with resources, encouragement, and a growing community of people like us.
Connect with Teresa Fellion Dance at bodystoriesfellion.org
Monday Nov 27, 2017
Monday Nov 27, 2017
Every Monday evening I talk to people about making original work for a live audience. Episode 24 features professional stage manager, Liza Vest. Liza is a long-time friend with Broadway experience and a master's degree from the Yale School of Drama. She’s also a former Tulsa Holland Hall student.
Liza had so much good stuff to share that I ended up with 10 pieces of great advice. She’s humble, she’s fun, and she’s at the top of her field. One piece of advice stands out for being excellent, yet often forgotten: Make good contacts and stay in touch with people in your field. This is true whether you're a stage manager or a restaurant manager. People in performing arts are like people in any other profession. To succeed, they need to make connections. Liza has done a great job staying in touch. Despite the fact that I did not have a job to offer, Liza has always been one to reach out, return calls, and keep tabs. In the performing arts, you never know when someone from your past will be able to answer a question, make an introduction, or just have a glass of wine.
Liza with a little egg from her sister's pet chicken
Luckily for Tulsa, Oklahoma where I lived and taught, students have options when it comes to performing arts training. I mention Clark Youth Theatre during the podcast, as well as Holland Hall School. But we also have Spotlight Children's Theatre and Edison Eagle Theatre with Amber Harrington. That's where all three of my kids got amazing performance opportunities. This might be a good place to tell you, I am a huge fan of performing arts education. Theatre skills include acting, stage management, lighting, house management, sound technology, set building and carpentry, event planning, collaborating, problem solving (long term and on-the-fly) and a host of other skills that translate to the world at large.
As a kid I had opportunities in church, school, and the communities where I grew up to learn about theatre from a lot of different angles. My family has always supported my passion just as I encourage you to support the young people you know who are hungry to learn more. Theatre is about so much more than getting a job backstage.
Speaking of theatre jobs, you can still get your 20-page FREE theatre resource. It’s a glossary of live performance support you’ll need for your show. It’s useful, entertaining, and you have my permission to copy pages and trade with your friends. If you're a drama teacher, this is a great resource to get students thinking about all the areas where a person might contribute to a show's success.
Concise Advice from the Interview: This is a short version of tips from my guest, stage manager Liza Vest. The advice is geared for stage managers but it’s actually great advice for life.
10 - To make theatre work, you must be part of a community.
9 - Once a show starts, it’s a fast-moving train and the stage manager’s job is to keep that train on track and not stop.
8 - Find ways to practice calling cues before calling an actual live performance.
7 - Remain present and keep going no matter what happens. You must be focused and in the moment.
6 - If you are a stage management student, most stage managers on Broadway will allow you to watch them call their show.
5 - To find out how to contact a stage manager, get a copy of the Theatrical Index to look up shows and stage managers. Be professional and polite when you ask.
4 - Stage managers must be adaptive because theatre is a generative art form and new ideas can constantly change the needs of the work.
3 - Get as much experience as you can (but you don't need a master's degree to stage manage).
2 - Ask people who are doing what you want to do for advice, or simply ask how they got there.
1 - Talk to people and maintain your contacts.
Next Monday I'll post my conversation with the founder of New York’s BodyStories -Teresa Fellion Dance: Teresa Fellion. I’m super excited! Check out SallyPAL.com for articles and podcast episodes. And sign up for a FREE Creator’s Notebook insert at SallyPAL.com/join.
Thank you for sharing, subscribing, reviewing, joining, and thank you for listening. I want you to pursue your dream to have original work on the stage in front of a live audience. It’s scary, but I’ll be here with resources, encouragement, and a growing community of people like us. I want to help you create original shows for a live audience… All the performances you’ve seen on stage once lived only in someone’s imagination… Now go support a kid who wants to perform!
Monday Nov 13, 2017
Monday Nov 13, 2017
I’m your host, Sally Adams. Every Monday evening I talk to people about making original work for a live audience.
Leave comments. Give me a review. Or send an email to Sally@sallypal.com. Your ideas keep great conversations coming every Monday evening. Thanks so much for sharing the podcast and the blog.
Don’t forget about the FREEBIES on sallypal.com/join. You can still get your 20-page FREE theatre resource. It’s a glossary of live performance support you need for your show. It’s useful, entertaining, and you have my permission to copy pages and trade with your friends.
Today’s episode features play director, performer, and playwright Julie Tattershall. Julie is a forever friend with a long resume. She was the 2012 Mary Kay Place Legacy Award recipient through the Tulsa Awards for Theatre Excellence (Tulsans call it TATE). Over the years, Julie has won two TATE awards and two Oklahoma Community Theatre Association awards as a director.
Julie worked with theater companies in Chicago before settling down in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In Tulsa Julie became the Artistic Director of Clark and Heller Theatres logging nearly 30 years of non-stop directing. In addition to directing over 100 productio ns, Julie founded the long-running Laughing Matter improvisation group. With her husband, Tony Batchelder, she co-founded the Tulsa Area Community Theatre Alliance. Julie has toured nationally with "Where the Red Fern Grows". She also participated in the Oklahoma Artist in Residence program. She still works as an artist in the schools performing original works that resonate with a message of acceptance and healing. Julie has a Masters degree in Psychology and uses that knowledge as a director, playwright, and performer. Julie and I met while she visited me and George in our new home on the Potomac river in Virginia.
Concise Advice from the Interview (a short version of tips from my guest, theatre guru, Julie Tattershall.)
7 - Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable on stage.
6 - Decide where the character holds stress and build that into the character.
5 - Take advantage of seeing things from another point of view.
4 - Open yourself up to the flow to be in the NOW.
3 - Approach any play script as if you are approaching a brand new play.
2 - Create a safe environment for rehearsal.
1 - And Julie Tattershall’s number one piece of advice? Don’t feel like you have to know it all, and don’t pretend to.
Next week, you’ll hear my conversation with former Broadway stage manager, Liza Vest.
Check out the blog, SallyPAL.com, for articles and podcast episodes. Sign up for a FREE Creator’s Notebook insert at SallyPAL.com/join.
Thank you for sharing, subscribing, reviewing, joining, & thank you for listening. I want you to pursue your dream to have original work on the stage in front of a live audience. It’s scary, but I’m here with resources, encouragement, and a growing community of people like us. If you like SallyPAL, a new show goes out every Monday evening!
If you download and listen on your drive to work, or fall asleep to my alien transmissions like my sister does, let me know you’re out there. I want to help you create original shows for a live audience.
All the performances you’ve seen on stage once lived only in someone’s imagination… Now it’s your turn!
Monday Nov 06, 2017
Monday Nov 06, 2017
Hi Friend, I’m your host, Sally Adams, and every Monday evening, I talk to people about making original work for the stage. Subscribe to SallyPAL on iTunes, Google Play, Podbean and many other podcast platforms. Leave comments, give me a review, or send an email to Sally@sallypal.com. Your ideas keep great conversations coming every Monday evening. Thanks so much to those of you who continue to share. Thanks to Connie, Steve, Jeremy, Pat, Emile, George, Vicki, and all of you who are taking the time to spread the word.
Don’t forget about the FREEBIES on sallypal.com/join. You can still get your 20-page free original theatre resource. It’s a glossary of live performance support you'll need for your original work. It’s useful, entertaining, and there are places to scribble your show's notes on the pages.
Today’s episode features an amazing young artist, David KoloKolo. David is a senior in the accounting program at George Washington University in Washington DC. He's like many serious-minded young men about to embark on a career in the corporate world. But just under the surface is a passionate, thoughtful, poetic soul. David is a spoken word artist and musician who draws energy and inspiration from his Christian faith. Although his poetry is not filled with religion, his walk as a believer is all-encompassing. David’s non-judgmental approach to his art and his life is nothing short of inspiring. I want to share a poem he wrote and performed that spoke to me as a human being. Here's a link to David KoloKolo’s spoken word piece, Anthology of Apologies.
I'm including Concise Advice from the Interview. This is a short version of tips from my guest. Here are David KoloKolo's 5 great bits of advice:
5 As you grow as an artist, pay attention to your technique.
4 Art is communal even if you create in solitude.
3 Sharing digitally is a legitimate way to create a communal experience.
2 Share your whole self with your community.
And the number 1 piece of advice from spoken word artist David KoloKolo?
Worship can bind together all the areas of your life including your art.
Thank you for sharing, subscribing, reviewing, joining, and really and truly, thank you for listening. I want you to pursue your dream to have your original work on the stage in front of a live audience. It’s scary, but I’ll be here with advice, encouragement, and a growing community of people like us. If you like SallyPAL, a new podcast goes out every Monday evening!
Remember: All the performances you’ve seen on stage once lived only in someone’s imagination… Now it’s your turn!
Monday Oct 30, 2017
Monday Oct 30, 2017
Episode 21 lands on the Interwebs the day before Halloween 2017. No tricks, but I do have a treat for you; a really great interview with the incredibly versatile and talented Jeremy Stevens.
I’m Sally Adams, host of Sally’s Performing Arts Lab podcast (SallyPAL). Every Monday evening I talk to people about making original work for the stage.
If you’re not a SallyPAL subscriber, find a platform (iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, Podbean, etc.) and subscribe! SallyPAL will be featured on Podbean during Thanksgiving week.
Leave comments, give me a review (iTunes reviews are especially helpful) or send an email to Sally@sallypal.com. Your ideas keep great conversations coming every Monday evening.
On sallypal.com/join you can get a FREE 20-page theatre resource. It’s a glossary of jobs you might need people to do for your show. It’s useful, entertaining, and you can do your pop quizzes right off the pages. I’ll keep building on it every month while you build your show.
Today’s episode features Tulsa pianist, conductor, teacher, and actor Jeremy Stevens. During the podcast, Jeremy shares the Rachel’s Challenge list.
Named for Rachel Joy Scott, the first person killed in the Columbine High School shooting in 1999, the list of actions called, “Rachel’s Challenge” is based on her personal writings. The program that grew from the list works with schools to reduce harassment, bullying, and violence.
Concise Advice from the Interview is a short version of tips from my guest, musician, Jeremy Stevens. Today I have 5 great bits of advice.
5 Keep going even when things get tough.
4 A creative journey never fully stops.
3 Don’t hesitate to refine your path through questioning.
2 It’s okay for the musician to pause because the music continues.
And the number 1 piece of advice from choral conductor Jeremy Stevens? Find your passion and pursue it.
Next week you’ll hear an interview with spoken word artist and GWU student, David Kolo.
Check out the blog, SallyPAL.com, for articles and podcast episodes, and to sign up for a FREE Creator’s Notebook insert.
Thank you for sharing, subscribing, reviewing, joining, and especially, thank you for listening. I encourage you to pursue your dream to have your original work on the stage in front of a live audience. It’s scary, but SallyPAL will be here with advice, encouragement, and a growing community of people like us. If you like SallyPAL, a new podcast goes out every Monday evening.
Remember: All the performances you’ve seen on stage once lived only in someone’s imagination… Now it’s your turn! I want to help you create original shows for a live audience… Let’s do it together!
Monday Oct 23, 2017
Monday Oct 23, 2017
Episode 20 of Sally’s Performing Arts Lab Podcast (SallyPAL) posts during LOVE YOUR BODY week!
The National Dance Education Organization and the National Honor Society for Dance Arts celebrate 2017’s Love Your Body Week October 22-28. You don’t have to be a dance student to love your body. So, whatever else you do, love your body today!
Every Monday evening I talk to people about making original work for the stage. Episode 20 features dancer, choreographer, and teacher, Kerrie King from Northern High School in Greensboro North Carolina.
Kerrie is a firecracker of an artist. She has more enthusiasm than a kid on the way to Disneyworld. She is encouraging, creative, and full of amazing ideas. Kerrie has been the dance teacher at Northern High School in Greensboro, North Carolina for several years. Her students have far exceeded anyone’s expectations for a public-school dance program.
Kerrie pushes her students to do more than simply dance. She drives them to create. Every student in her ever-growing program (there are nearly 100 students) stretches to develop original movement. Student dancers create thoughtful and innovative choreography. This interactive style of teaching is important. Kids get to use their bodies in positive ways. The Love Your Body Week event is part of a push toward inclusion in performing arts.
Kids who worry about miniscule weight gains and barely visible perfection in the world of dance may not maintain that enthusiasm for long. We’ve all seen little kids dancing their hearts out on YouTube or Facebook. Some of our own tiny family members dance for the joy of it. It’s great to see teachers encouraging a return to that joyful self-expression. Young people who love to dance will gain technique as they progress because they are inspired. It’s one reason Kerrie’s dance program is bursting at the seams. Let’s all work to love our own bodies as an example for the young people we love.
If you’re not a Performing Arts Lab subscriber, find a platform and subscribe to SallyPAL! I’m on a bunch of podcast platforms including Podbean where SallyPAL will be a featured show during Thanksgiving week! Leave comments, give me a review or send an email to Sally@sallypal.com. Your ideas keep great conversations coming every Monday evening.
If you want to get in on newly created FREEBIES go to sallypal.com/join and sign up to get FREE downloadable (and fun) performing arts postcards, workbook inserts with useful links, and the starter pages for your Creator’s Notebook. Right now, you can get a 20-page free theatre resource. It’s a glossary of jobs you might need people to do for your show. It’s useful, entertaining, and you can do your pop quizzes right out of the pages. I’ll build on it every month to help you build your show.
Concise Advice from the Interview, a short version of tips from my guest, Kerrie King. Here are 10 great bits of advice:
10 - You don’t have to fit into a mold to be a dancer. It’s okay to be who you are.
9 - Your body differences are your creative strengths. Work with them.
8 - Everything in your dance piece must have purpose.
7 - Take positive strides to make your world a better place.
6 - To offer a new perspective, reach beyond the edge of the stage.
5 - Be true to yourself.
4 - Get lots of feedback.
3 - You don’t always have to take every piece of advice you are offered.
2 - Educate your audience and help them understand your work.
1 - Love Your Body
Next week SallyPAL the podcast will feature an interview with pianist, conductor, teacher, and actor Jeremy Stevens. We talk about expressing stories through music. Check out the blog, SallyPAL.com, for articles and podcast episodes, and to sign up for a FREE Creator’s Notebook insert.
Thank you so much for sharing, subscribing, reviewing, joining, and especially, thank you for listening. I encourage you to pursue your dream to have your original work on the stage in front of a live audience. It’s scary, but I’ll be here with advice, encouragement, and a growing community of people like us.
If you like SallyPAL, a new podcast goes out every Monday evening. Thanks again for listening, I’m Sally and this is the SallyPAL blog. The P-A-L in PAL stands for Performing Arts Lab.
Remember: All the performances you’ve seen on stage once lived only in someone’s imagination… Now it’s your turn! I want to help you learn to create original shows for a live audience… Let’s do it together!
Tuesday Oct 17, 2017
Tuesday Oct 17, 2017
Episode 19 features artist and teacher, Jan Butler. Jan is a former collaborator and my forever friend. Jan’s background is in 2D, and 3D art, as well as puppeteering. She works with students in stop motion animation, graphic novels, pottery, mask making AND she teaches kids all about monarch butterfly migration and supports the butterfly population in Northeastern Oklahoma. On top of all that, Jan is a member of the Tulsa Oratorio Chorus and a consummate gardener.
Be sure to listen until the end of the interview for Concise Advice from the Interview, and Words of Wisdom from George.
If you haven’t signed up for the SallyPAL freebies like theatre comics, super helpful links and articles, and the awesome cool sections of your Creator’s Notebook, you can sign up on SallyPAL.com/join to get your 20-page free theatre resource. It’s useful, entertaining, and you can do your pop quizzes right out of these pages. We’ll keep building on it every month.
Concise Advice from the Interview:
Here are 10 bits of advice from visual artist Jan Butler for all artists.
10 Layer your learning to build on what you already know
9 Think bigger than the moment you’re doing your art
8 Focus on the story you want to tell
7 Feed and nurture your inner artist
6 For children to feel they can express something in different ways is really important
5 Getting to experience something through different senses before it becomes academic really makes learning stick
4 The opportunity to work at something and fail without being judged for it is really important
3 As a teacher, you can be creative and free to be an artist for you instead of for people who purchase your work
2 Be open and search for new experience for both you and your students to keep it fresh
1 Whatever you do, do it for yourself
Monday Oct 09, 2017
Monday Oct 09, 2017
In today’s episode, I’ll go over Part One of your Creator’s Notebook. If you want to pause the show while you go download the pdf at SallyPAL.com/join, I can wait… (waiting music). Is everybody ready? Okay. While you wait on your printer, I’ll tell you that there will be no Concise Advice from the Interview today, but we do have Words of Wisdom from George.
Recently I found myself thinking more and more about the team that makes a live stage show possible. Your show could include clowning and aerial acrobatics like Cirque de Soleil, or it might be a poetry reading, or a tap dance recital. What all performing arts have in common is collaboration. Even if you’re a busker playing for the quarters people toss in your guitar case, you’re still collaborating with your audience. For most shows, there’s a Production Team. (This team is forced to meet in secret in order to remain mysterious and powerful). The team includes the Director, the Stage manager, and the Technical Director, but depending on the type of show it might include a variety of other team players.
I created a 20 page insert to a larger resource called the Creator’s Notebook. The Creator’s Notebook is based on a notebook most play directors make themselves called a director’s notebook. I’ll dig up some of my old director’s notebooks and take some pictures so you can get a look at my attempts to stay organized.
If you send a picture to sally@sallypal.com of your well-used director or creator’s notebook, I will try to post it on SallyPAL.com. AND I’ll send you a link to a free collection of funny images I made with some public domain theatre art. You’ll find examples of the images in the 20-page pdf you can get for free when you join the SallyPAL Creative Team! Just go to sallypal.com/join.
Wednesday Oct 04, 2017
Wednesday Oct 04, 2017