In this latest episode of "TAKING FIVE WITH..." I get to chat with a charming and talented Broadway actor about:

• Their Broadway journey
• How their dreams came true
• Where they were when COVID hit
• Will the Broadway tour they were on be back in 2021?
• What they’ve been doing to stay positive and active during the pandemic
• What it's like to be at the Tony Awards when your Broadway show is nominated for Best Musical

• And...what's next for them?

 
Find out the answers to these questions and more -- in just five minutes!

And if you enjoyed this conversation, be sure to check out this other fun episode of
​ "TAKING FIVE WITH..."

Looking for someone to help script and produce
your next short vide0 project? ​

Excited to announce my latest bike tour video highlighting some of downtown NYC's coolest landmarks, public art, and monuments! 

This is the third video in a three-part series that I produced for Village Preservation.

In this final episode of the series, discover the history and delights of Astor Place, St. Marks Church in-the-Bowery, Charlie "Bird" Parker's Residence, and Tompkins Square Park.

The video also includes interviews with local experts: Village Alliance Executive Director, William Kelley; Reverend Anne Sawyer, the fourteenth rector of St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery; and professional saxophonist and "Bird" expert, Jason Marshall.

If you like this video, please check out here and here for the first two videos in this series.

As I say over on my home page, I'm here to tell your organization's most compelling stories. 

Compelling, positive stories. 

I mine positivity. Because there are already plenty of people out there putting out the negative stuff. And I've got nothing to add on that front. Nor do I want to add anything on that front.

Speaking of mining positivity, here's something that got me excited that I really wanted to share. The HBO show Betty was recently shooting some scenes in SoHo for one of their second season episodes. We used to have TV and film shoots in NYC all the time. And this shoot was a sure sign that we're gonna have a whole bunch of shoots again very soon!

I decided to get a little meta and did a short shoot of the shoot. Check it out here.

​Or, you can see it by clicking this photo:

My second bike tour video that I produced in partnership with Village Preservation is now posted!

🚴‍♀️ In this latest short video I highlight examples of public art, monuments, and landmarks in the Greenwich Village area.

🚴‍♀️ The video also features SUPER interviews, including a special chat with UK-based professional sculptor Isabel Coulton and her delightful mum--who was Pablo Picasso's muse for "The Bust of Sylvette!" Sylvette (who now goes by Lydia) is, quite literally, an inspiration. You won't want to miss her! I also interview Michael Venturiello, the founder and highly knowledgeable ​lead tour guide of Christopher Street Tours. 

🚴‍♀️ There is much to discover and enjoy in our neighborhoods, and I look forward to covering more meaningful downtown NYC sites in my next video.

🚴‍♀️ If you missed my first bike video, you can check it out HERE.

I'm a HUGE fan of LinkedIn. I've been a member for close to 10 years now, and I'm pretty active on the platform. It's way more than just a place to hunt for jobs and it's definitely my favorite of all the social media platforms out there by far. It's a place to network, learn, meet people from all over the world, and yes, job hunt, but it's also where I get the most promotional bang for my (free!) buck.

In fact, here's an article I just published there. 

I otherwise post on LinkedIn in my regular feed pretty often. Let me know you found my website and send me a connection request! 

So many industries are taking a hit as a result of Covid-19, but I would argue that no other industry is experiencing the level of devastation that Broadway, other live entertainment and cultural organizations and arts professionals are experiencing. The arts and entertainment industry and its jobs were the first to go...and they will be the last to come back.

The hit to the theatre industry in New York City, from Broadway on down, also affects the many restaurants and bars, hotels, parking lots and retail shops that rely on the theatre to keep their businesses afloat. New York City will not fully recover until Broadway is back. Tourists come to New York largely for Broadway.

Yet, while we all wait to see how Broadway can come back amidst Covid-19, there is currently no financial support in sight for arts and culture from the federal government. Hoping this changes, as I fear that many lives that are directly connected to Broadway -- mine included -- could become very challenging, very soon, especially if Congress does not vote to extend the $600.00 unemployment supplement.

I am confident Broadway and theatre in other parts of New York City and beyond will eventually come back, but it will take a while -- and, sadly, not all the organizations will be able to hold on long enough to return.

​In the meantime, I hold on to my many happy memories as a playwright, musical theatre writer and theatre industry professional to keep my spirits up. To that end, I recently shared one of these memories as part of a challenge that has been circulating on social media. If you've EVER worked in the theatre in any way, be sure to share your own favorite memory on your social platforms!

To all professionals in the film, television, theatre, entertainment, and arts world, join the challenge to post a photo of you in your job. Just a picture, no description. The goal is to flood social media with our profession. #SaveTheArts 🎭💔

🗣️< MASSIVE shout out and special thanks to Metropolitan Playhouse, Producing Artistic Director Alex Roe, Director John Long, Artist Danny Licul, and our amazing cast: Maxwell Bartel, Alia Chapman, and Kim Yancey-Moore!

🗣️< The reading of my brand new short play Grassroots on June 27th was AMAZING!

🗣️< And -- despite our physical separation -- the talkback afterward was deeply felt and thought-provoking!

🗣️< And the Zoom after-parties were a total blast! 🥂🤪

🗣️< I'm so thrilled and grateful that I got to meet so many new lovely and talented individuals through this process!

🗣️< Like everyone else, I miss the live theatre experience, but, at the same time, I find myself connecting with people I would have likely never otherwise met...

...and this continues to be a gift.) ❤️

New York City and its people have a long history of heroism and resilience.

In this video I produced for the highly respected non-profit Village Preservation, I take you on a special bike tour that highlights downtown public art and landmarks that honor our past and resonate with our times today.

If you enjoy the video, please give it a “LIKE!"👍🚴🏼‍♀️

Well, the world has certainly changed since my initial 2020 post. (Yikes!)

Yet, despite this, I still continue to forge ahead with my number one 2020 goal -- Producing More Video!

These strange circumstances we now all find ourselves in have provided me with the unexpected gift of time. Time to focus on those activities that make my heart sing. Time to slow down and take in the small things. And just time to get totally quiet and clear and focus on what's important -- and that for me includes focusing on what's important through the camera lens.

Just before everything shut down around here back in mid-March, I produced a short video for Village Preservation that highlighted one of our terrific small downtown businesses. I was already planning to produce more small business videos for VP when things took a turn. I have tremendous faith, though, that small businesses will come back and, when they do --  I will be ready to help promote them!

In the meantime, the limits on the ability to interact with people IRL has forced me to figure out ways to use this restriction to my advantage. To that end, I conceived a video project that I'm currently in the midst of shooting right now, and that I expect to complete in a few weeks. It's going to be great, and I can't wait to post it here!

These are not only surreal times, but also terribly painful times for many, many people. Yet, I see this as a chance for each of us, in our own way, whatever our circumstances, to regain some sense of clarity, to regroup, to rejuvenate -- and to refocus.

I hope you also see 2020 as an opportunity to refocus your life in some way that brings you joy.