The Theatre Podcast with Alan Seales

Patrick Page is a Grammy award-winning actor and playwright currently playing Hades in "Hadestown". He looks back on his early years growing up in Oregon and becoming a professional magician wherein he toured an illusion show and won awards. He shares how doing magic gave him the validation he needed and taught him about audiences and how to hold the stage. Patrick eventually got deeply interested in acting as a craft and pursued it as a career. While he decided to go for a Liberal Arts degree, he also spent his college years performing in plays. He shares his audition story for The Utah Shakespeare Festival despite being unqualified. Patrick shares how because he didn't go to acting school, he sort of learned by failing. He also talks about the first time someone told him his way of work was out of line and why he considers that a good thing. Apart from acting and writing, Patrick also has an acting studio in New York where he teaches. He talks about the importance of time management and knowing what you can do and offer, his hearing loss and the struggles that came along with it, including having to rely on muscle memory, and pursuing acting not because it's how you wish to be perceived but because it is who you are.Patrick Page is an actor and playwright known for his role in "In the Heights", "Flesh and Bone", and "The Good Wife". His other TV and film credits include "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit", "The Blacklist", "Evil", "Chicago P.D.", "Elementary", and "Spirited". He originated the roles of Norman Osborn and Green Goblin in "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark", The Grinch in Dr. Seuss' "How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical", and Hades in "Hadestown". Patrick's Broadway credits also include "Saint Joan", "Spring Awakening", "Beauty and the Beast", and "Lion King". His long list of stage credits also includes "Cymbeline" (New York Shakespeare Festival), "Richard II" (The Public Theatre), "The Sound of Music" (Carnegie Hall), "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" (The Papermill Playhouse), and "Rex" (York Theatre). He's an Affiliated Artist with The Shakespeare Theater Company in DC and The Old Globe in San Diego, has taught acting in numerous programs and classes and is the founder of The Patrick Page Acting Studio where he also teaches. Apart from acting, Patrick is also a playwright. One of his plays, "Swansong", was nominated for Best New Play by The American Theatre Critics’ Association and received many regional productions. In his early years, Patrick did magic and was honored by The International Brotherhood of Magicians as the “Best International Teen Illusionist” at their yearly convention in 1979. Patrick is also the recipient of The Grammy Award, The Tony Award nomination, the Helen Hayes Award, The William Shakespeare Award for Classical Theater, and The Emery Battis Award among others.Connect with Patrick: Twitter: @pagepatrick Instagram: @pagepatrick Website: patrickpageonline.com Facebook: @thebigbrothertho Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast TikTok: @thetheatrepodcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Email me at feedback@thetheatrepodcast.com. I want to know what you think. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A live panel discussion with lead Actor Eric Sirakian, tabla phenom Salar Nader and Associate Director Damian Sandys from Broadway's The Kite Runner. This was recorded LIVE at BroadwayCon 2022 on July 10th, 2022.Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast TikTok: @thetheatrepodcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Email me at feedback@thetheatrepodcast.com. I want to know what you think. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Best known for his recurring role as FBI Special Agent Aram Mojtabai on the NBC hit TV show, "The Blacklist” is stage and TV actor Amir Arison who's also currently making his Broadway debut as Amir in "The Kite Runner". He shares one of the hardest scenes in the show for him, and that while playing his role can get tiring at times, he finds it "bizarrely energizing" and cathartic. Amir recalls the preparation he did for his role where he spent months not doing anything, practicing his lines and how his dog barking at him while doing so is a good thing. Amir shares an incident of a service dog barking in one of their shows and how he uses incidents like that as an opportunity to have a direct relationship with the audience. He shares the two moments that made him want to pursue acting, the support he's gotten from his parents who are both in the medical field, and why he thinks medicine is an art. Advocating for mental health, animal rescue and arts education, Amir makes sure to do good and that while he's alive, and why he believes that the one thing that transcends time and space is love.Amir Arison is a stage and screen actor best known for his role as FBI Special Agent Aram Mojtabai in NBC's "The Blacklist". His TV and film credits include "Billions", "Fringe", "Homeland", "The Mentalist", "American Horror", "NCIS", "Girls", "The Visitor", and "Jane Wants a Boyfriend". His stage credits include "Hamlet", and Off-Broadway productions like "The Way of the World", and "Aftermath". In 2018, he received the Mendez Award from the Maryland International Film Festival-Hagerstown, an award given to those who use their platform to give back to the community. Aside from acting, Amir advocates several causes , including mental health, arts education, and animal rescue. He recently made his Broadway debut as part of the ensemble cast of the Kite Runner, playing the role of Amir.Connect with Amir: Twitter: @AmirArison Instagram: @amirarison Facebook: @amirarison Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast TikTok: @thetheatrepodcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Email me at feedback@thetheatrepodcast.com. I want to know what you think. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Actor, writer, director and producer Faran Tahir may be best known for his roles in “Iron Man” (he tried to kill Tony Stark!) and “Star Trek” (he was killed by Nero!) but is now currently making his Broadway debut as Baba in “The Kite Runner”. Faran talks about playing villain roles, the challenge that comes with it, and how he brings a level of humanity to his roles. He talks about his childhood and growing up in a family who has been in the arts, and why he wasn't initially supported in his goal of becoming an actor. Aside from playing a bad guy, Tahir also shares the challenge of playing a good guy and of finding flaws, why he thinks art is "about putting up mirrors so that we can look at and examine ourselves". He shares what he would tell his students when he used to teach acting, which was you can never say you've mastered something. He also reflects on his role as Baba in "The Kite Runner", finding your spiritual community, and how as humans there is always room for redemption.Faran Tahir is an actor, writer, director, and producer who came from a theatre family. He has appeared in over 50 stage productions across the US and the world. He received his Bachelor's degree from the University of California, Berkeley and his graduate degree from the Institute for Advanced Theatre Training at Harvard University. His film credits include "Iron Man", "Star Trek", "Escape Plan", and Elysium. He has also appeared in numerous TV shows, including "The West Wing", “12 Monkeys”, "Shameless", "Supernatural", "24", "Lost", "Prison Break", "Chuck", "Criminal Minds", and "How to Get Away with Murder". He's recently played the title role of Othello at Shakespeare Theatre Company and Richard III at Commonwealth Shakespeare Company. His other theatre credits include "Macbeth" at American Repertory Theatre, "Beast and Moon" and “A Perfect Ganesh” at Actor’s Theatre of Louisville, and "A Midsummer Night’s Dream" at the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company. Tahir is currently making his Broadway debut as Baba in "The Kite Runner".Connect with Faran: Twitter: @farantahir_ Instagram: @faran.tahir Facebook: @OfficialFaranTahir Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast TikTok: @thetheatrepodcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Email me at feedback@thetheatrepodcast.com. I want to know what you think. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Damian Sandys is currently bringing his talent to the Broadway stage as The Kite Runner's associate director. The theatre director talks about the difference between the UK production and Broadway production of “The Kite Runner”, the importance of humor in the show, and how its US audiences are more vocal. He shares how he started getting into theatre directing, from watching and learning from his dad to meeting Cameron Mackintosh which opened up opportunities for him. Damian recalls how after graduating, he ended up taking a teaching job at a boy's boarding school where he taught English and Drama, and after putting on shows at the Edinburgh Festival, a producer who watched one of his shows offered him a directing job. He talks about working for the show, “NewsRevue” which was influential in his career. Damian also shares how he got connected with "The Kite Runner" production, why he decided to stay with the show for this long, and why he thinks a line from the show, "there's a way to be good again" is the key to life.Damian Sandys is a theatre director with productions across the UK, Edinburgh Fringe, the West End and internationally. He graduated from Oxford University and has directed over 50 productions at the Edinburg festival, including “Shakespeare For Breakfast: 25th Anniversary”. He has been the resident/associate director for several West End and international tours of “Priscilla Queen of the Desert”, “The Kite Runner”, and more. His other directing credits include “Aladdin”, “The Taming of the Shrew”, “Beauty and the Beast”, and “Sleeping Beauty” among others. He's also been a part of the teams responsible for the London revival of “Tick, Tick... Boom!”, “When Midnight Strikes”, and “West Side Story”. Currently, he's the associate director for Broadway's "The Kite Runner”.Connect with Damian: Twitter: @munchkindamo Instagram: @munchkindamo Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast TikTok: @thetheatrepodcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Email me at feedback@thetheatrepodcast.com. I want to know what you think. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Azita Ghanizada is currently making her Broadway debut in "The Kite Runner" as Soraya, and is now the first woman of Afghan descent to originate a role on Broadway. As we learn, Azita's childhood life was far from ordinary and easy. Her family fled Afghanistan and ended up in the US as political asylum seekers. Similarly to what happens in “The Kite Runner”, she had trouble getting citizenship because she didn't have proper paperwork, including her birth certificate. She talks about growing up and learning how to speak English through watching tv shows and movies, which has also sparked her interest in acting. She shares how she pursued acting by buying a one-way ticket to Hollywood and ended up working at E! for a couple of years where she learned everything about show business. From finding a loophole in not getting jobs she used to get to being told she was white, Azita, together with other actors who joined her cause, successfully drafted a new SAG-AFTRA – AMPTP TV/Theatrical hiring contract for the first time in 37 years. She also talked about MENA Arts Advocacy Coalition, an organization she founded to support and educate. Azita reflects on the issues we still need to fight for such as inclusion, and why we have to create from our heart and operate from a place of truth and integrity.Azita Ghanizada is an Afghan American actress who began her on-air camera career as a commercial model. Her family fled Afghanistan to the US and were granted asylum to remain. She has appeared in numerous television series, including “How I Met Your Mother”, “Entourage”, “Veronica Mars”, “The Wedding Bells”, “NUMB3RS”, “Bones”, “Psych” and “Castle”. Her film credits include "Killroy Was Here", “Our Friend”, “We Broke Up”, “Draupadi Unleashed”, “Complete Unknown”, “X's & O's”, and “A Kiss on the Nose” where she received a film festival best actress nomination for her performance. She's the Founder and President of MENA Arts Advocacy Coalition, an organization she launched after helping build the MENA category into the SAG-AFTRA theatrical contracts. In 2020, she gave her first TEDx talk on the path to visibility in Hollywood. In addition to "Ballers," and Freeform's "Good Trouble," she's also got a recurring role on the CBS show, “United States of Al” and is currently performing in Broadway’s "The Kite Runner" as Soraya. Connect with Azita: Watch Azita’s amazing TEDx Talk “The Invisible to Stereotyped: The Journey to Hollywood”  Twitter: @azitaghanizada Instagram: @azitagram MENA Arts Advocacy Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast TikTok: @thetheatrepodcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Email me at feedback@thetheatrepodcast.com. I want to know what you think. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Eric Sirakian recently made his Broadway debut in "The Kite Runner" as both Hassan and Sohrab. With stage credits such as "The Jungle", "Twelfth Night", "The Comedy of Errors", and "Pericles", Eric is definitely putting the extracurriculars he did at Yale and his training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art into good practice. He recalls his first acting class and being introduced to London’s West End shows by his aunt and uncle, which helped him realize his passion for acting and gave him the push to pursue it as a career. He shares what it was like to attend school in London and New York and the difference between the two. Eric talks about how he got the role for “The Kite Runner” and how the entire process was done on Zoom, the preparation and research he did for his roles, including Afghan cooking and music. He talks more about his training, including how to deal with heavy subject matters and pushing himself to the extremes in a safe environment. He shares that he's been doing transcendental meditation for more than five years now, the difference between acting and therapy and that acting is “in service of something.”Eric Sirakian is a first-generation Armenian-American actor who graduated from Yale and trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. He starred in podcast series, "The Effect" and "Passenger List", and short films such as "Deadpan" and "Nightswims". He is set to appear in the upcoming TV mini-series, "Masters of the Air", and the Netflix movie, "Havoc". Eric is also making his Broadway debut in "The Kite Runner" as Hassan and Sohrab. His other stage credits include "The Jungle" (West End), "Twelfth Night", "The Comedy of Errors", and "Pericles" (Shakespeare’s Globe).Connect with Eric: Twitter: @ericsirakian Instagram: @esirakia Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast TikTok: @thetheatrepodcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Email me at feedback@thetheatrepodcast.com. I want to know what you think. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With years of training with the best teachers, including Grammy award winner Ustad Zakir Hussain, it’s no surprise that Salar Nader is considered percussionist royalty. Apart from being the tabla artist and creating additional arrangements for The Kite Runner, Salar has also performed for the hit show and is playing the tabla for its current Broadway run. Salar passionately shares the history of tabla and the tradition that comes with it, treating instruments as a living entities and why it's important for him to connect with an instrument before playing it. No matter how long he's been playing and making music, Salar still considers himself a student who has more to learn--whether it's from performing or from the cast. He shares a story of buying three sets of tablas in 2020 to use for Stanley Clarke's concert, not knowing that the world is going to shut down two weeks later. He talks about the longevity of tablas, and why he would usually have a secret backup off stage in case they break on the spot. Salar recalls how he met Khaled Hosseini in the late 90s and how he eventually ended up making music for the Kite Runner's stage adaptation. For Salar, music has no boundary and is the most peaceful way of connection. He shares the emotional aspect of playing music for Kite Runner, and why it gets heavy at times.Salar Nader is a percussionist, composer, producer, beat maker, and one of the most sought-after Tabla virtuosos of his generation. He started his music career at an early age, doing classical training with Tabla bols as his main concentration. He also began studying with the Grammy award-winning Tabla virtuoso, Ustad Zakir Hussain, at the age of seven. With years of training and experience, he has become the leading pioneer in combining the art of Tabla with the musical sounds and rhythms from Afghanistan being the primary component. He is constantly expanding his musical language by weaving Tabla into contemporary music. In 2019, Saler launched the Salar System Collective which offers scholarships, as well as The Salar System album. He originally played the tabla and composed additional arrangements for the hit Broadway show, Kite Runner, which has been nominated for several awards. He has now played the tabla in seven “Kite Runner” productions, including its current Broadway run. He’s also currently touring with legendary bassist, Stanley Clarke.Connect with Salar: Twitter: @salarnader Instagram: @salar_system Website: www.salarnader.com Facebook: salartabla Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast TikTok: @thetheatrepodcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Email me at feedback@thetheatrepodcast.com. I want to know what you think. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For Ian Eisendrath, being an artist is like coming home. So many kids, Ian shares, don’t feel like they fit or belong until they find their creative outlet. By embracing chance, trusting his gut and putting himself out there in big ways, Ian has done just that.The University of Michigan School of Music graduate could never have predicted the path he would forge that has included various roles on the original Broadway version of Come From Away, which led him to a 2018 Olivier award and a 2017 Grammy nomination. Ian served as the Music Supervisor, Executive Music Producer, and Arranger for Come From Away.After the show's successful run on Broadway, Ian then music-supervised the Apple TV film version, which was recorded live on stage in New York City.Ian is currently the Executive Music Producer on Apple’s Spirited (starring Ryan Reynolds, Will Ferrell & Octavia Spencer) and his upcoming projects include Disney’s live-action Snow White (starring Rachel Zegler & Gal Gadot) and Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile (starring Shawn Mendes, Javier Bardem & Constance Wu).Ian has traveled the world with his family and continues to take exceptional risks that seem to have beautiful rewards. He’s always looking for that “I can’t not do this” feeling as that’s his sign to go, go, go!We love when our creative worlds collide! Ian is also a big fan of former WIC guest, Josh Breckenridge (we’re big fans also!). It was fun to chat about that during the episode.Follow Ian on Instagram and on the web.  Make sure to follow this podcast everywhere you find podcasts, leave a rating and a review, and slip into our Instagram DMs at @wasitchance. More about Heather via @vickeryandco on Instagram, @Braveheather on TikTok, and listen to The Brave Files More about Alan via @theatre_podcast on Instagram and listen to The Theatre Podcast with Alan Seales EPISODE TAKEAWAYS So many artists are kids that felt they “didn’t have a place” when they were younger. Access to live theater and music can, literally transform a child life.  Mentors matter from a very young age.  You have to ask for it … take the risk, put yourself out there. It’s with the risk because you never know what the answers will be if you don’t ask.  Sometimes we can love what we do so much that it induces fear of failure.  It’s amazing what people will do for and with you once they know how deeply and passionately you care. That you won’t lead them stray because you care too much to let it fall apart.  Art, music, and theater are so powerful. They help people heal, grow and learn.  Look for that “I can’t NOT do this” feeling and then go, go, go. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sonoya Mizuno recently made her stage debut as Maggie in the first Off-Broadway production of the Tennessee Williams classic, "Cat On a Hot Tin Roof". The actress slash ballet dancer and now a stage performer speaks candidly about her childhood, and how her uncle who was a stage actor inspired her to pursue acting. She talks about her ballet dancing career, auditioning and getting the role of Kyoko in Alex Garland's "Ex Machina" which was also her first feature film. She would later appear in Garland's other works as well. She shares what made her try theatre and how she got an audition for "Cat On a Hot Tin Roof", the production timeline and how the pandemic affected it, her favorite part about performing on stage, and why she prefers to play characters that are far from her personality.Sonoya Mizuno is an actress and ballet dancer who has appeared in movies, including Alex Garland's works like "Ex Machina" and "Annihilation". Her other film credits include "La La Land", "Beauty and the Beast", and "Crazy Rich Asians". She also appeared in film shows such as the Netflix miniseries "Maniac" and "Devs". Her upcoming works include the HBO Game of Thrones prequel series, "House of the Dragon" and the movie, “Civil War”. She made her stage debut as Maggie in the first Off-Broadway production of the Tennessee Williams classic, "Cat On a Hot Tin Roof".Get tickets to see "Cat On A Hot Tin Roof": https://www.telecharge.com/Off-Broadway/Cat-on-a-Hot-Tin-Roof/OverviewConnect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast TikTok: @thetheatrepodcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Email me at feedback@thetheatrepodcast.com. I want to know what you think. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices