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Dear Multi-hyphenate

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Rating
★★★★★
4.8
from
62 reviews
This podcast has
100 episodes
Language
English
Explicit
No
Date created
2018/08/21
Latest episode
2026/06/04
Average duration
63 min.
Release period
60 days

Description

Are you a combination of actor, director, producer, designer, or anything else? Congratulations, you’re a multi-hyphenate! A multi-hyphenate is an artist who has multiple proficiencies that cross pollinate to help flourish professional capabilities. Dear Multi-hyphenate explores the full potential of artists in show business who have taken the paths less traveled. Are you unsure how to stay creative and garner income during the pandemic? Are you sitting on a project and you have no idea how to get started? What if others have cornered you into thinking that you are just an actor, or just a director, or just a producer? Let go of the rules and take agency of your full potential! Listen to me and my guests, the leaders of the multi-hyphenation station, as we dissect the mentality and possibilities about artistic agency.”Michael is the glue that holds the Broadway community together.” - Tony Award Winner Alice Ripley (Next to Normal)

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Check latest episodes from Dear Multi-hyphenate podcast


S4; EP. 4 -- Paola Lázaro: Dog Day Afternoon
2026/06/04
TW: This episode does contain conversations about suicide and self harm. Michael Kushner interviews Paola Lázaro about her role as Guadalupe in Broadway’s Dog Day Afternoon, her path from Puerto Rico through the Labyrinth Theater Company, and the mentorship and community that transformed her career and life. They discuss how the show creates conversations about love, LGBTQ+ representation, and mental health, Paola’s return to writing, practical advice for artists on courage and showing up. Paola Lázaro (Guadalupe) (she/her) is an actress and playwright from San Juan, Puerto Rico. She is best known for her role as Princess on “The Walking Dead,” earning an Imagen Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress, and is a Drama Desk Award nominee for To the Bone. She most recently stared in Netflix’s “Obliterated.” An award-winning playwright, she has received Drama League and Outer Critics Circle nominations, as well as the Steinberg Playwright Award. She was a Van Lier and Tow Foundation Playwright-in-Residence at The Public Theater and Atlantic Theater Company and a Sundance Institute Time Warner Storytelling Fellow. Additional film and television credits include “Lethal Weapon,” “Wu-Tang: An American Saga,” “SMILF,” “Patty’s Auto,” Black Bear, and Shelter. For tickets, please visit: https://dogdayafternoon.com/
S4; EP. 3 -- Kayli Carter: The Balusters (Truth Over Applause)
2026/05/12
This podcast episode features Michael Kushner's interview with actress Kayli Carter about her Broadway debut in David Lindsay-Abair's Tony Nominated new play "The Balusters" at Manhattan Theatre Club. The conversation opens with Kushner praising the play's successful handling of sensitive topics through humor without moralizing, while Carter explains how the playwright allows audiences to examine their own reactions rather than telling them what to think. Carter discusses her identity as a multi-hyphenate artist, sharing how writing makes her more vulnerable than acting. She explains the collaborative relationship between writers and actors, emphasizing how she brings line issues directly to playwrights when something doesn't feel authentic. Carter recounts working with Tom Hanks on a play at The Shed, where Hanks actively sought feedback from the cast, demonstrating the value of genuine artistic collaboration. The conversation explores Carter's acting philosophy, particularly her rejection of manufactured emotional responses. She refuses to "ask for the laugh" or control audience reactions, preferring authentic emotional honesty over predetermined cues. Carter shares that she values feedback from fellow actors like Margaret Collin and Mary Louise Burke far more than critics or audiences, describing specific compliments that have meant the most to her career. She also reveals how reading David Lindsay-Abair's plays during a lonely period in high school—after winning competitive theater awards that alienated her peers—ultimately led to this Broadway opportunity. Carter and Kushner discuss broader industry challenges, including the lack of meaningful feedback actors receive and the difficulty of maintaining confidence without external validation. They explore the importance of building authentic artistic communities, with Carter emphasizing how her SCAD students and NYU connections have sustained her career. The episode concludes with a passionate discussion about the lack of ensemble recognition at the Tony Awards, with Carter advocating for better acknowledgment of collaborative theatrical work. Throughout the conversation, Carter demonstrates remarkable self-awareness about her craft while celebrating the ensemble nature of "The Balusters," particularly her deep admiration for her co-stars and artistic community.  Kayli Carter is a New York-based actor and writer whose previous notable credits include Emmy-nominated shows “Mrs. America” (FX), “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” (Amazon), “Godless” (Netflix), and the Focus Features film Let Him Go. She was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award in the Best Supporting Female category for her work in Tamara Jenkins’s Netflix feature Private Life. Her previous stage work includes Tom Hanks and James Glossman’s This World of Tomorrow, directed by Kenny Leon, Tracy Letts’s Mary Page Marlowe, directed by Lila Neugebauer, and On The Evolutionary Function of Shame. She originated the role of Flo in Mark Rylance’s Olivier Award-nominated comedy Nice Fish. She will be seen in the upcoming series “Vladimir” (20th Television, Netflix) opposite Rachel Weisz. Find Kayli on social media @kaylicarter   www.michaelkushnerphotography.com www.instagram.com/themichaelkushner
S4; EP. 2 -- Jonathan Tolins & Remy Germinario: Buyer & Cellar
2026/04/21
Host Michael Kushner sits down with playwright and showrunner Jonathan Tolins and actor Remy Germinario to explore life as a multi‑hyphenate in the arts — writing, producing, directing, and performing. They discuss Tolins’ hit one‑person play Buyer & Cellar, its Barbara Streisand inspirations, and how saying “yes” to opportunities shapes a creative career. Listeners will hear practical advice on writing and producing, the differences between creating in the theater and television, how personal truth fuels work, and the enduring power of niche audiences and sharp references. Buyer & Cellar one of the 10 most produced plays in America in 2016, “Buyer & Cellar,” which won the Lucille Lortel Award for Best Solo Show and was named “Best Unique Theatrical Experience” by the Off-Broadway Alliance during its record-breaking run at the Barrow Street Theatre. The show also enjoyed a London engagement at the Menier Chocolate Factory, a run at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles and was shown on the WNET series “Theater Close-Up.” "How do we spend our time in a way that makes us feel like our life is worth living,” says Tolins on the themes of Buyer & Cellar, “And how much does that involve other people?" In this hilarious, fictionalized one-man show, Alex More has a story to tell. A struggling actor in L.A., he takes a job working in the Malibu basement of entertainment legend Barbra Streisand. One day, the Lady Herself comes downstairs to play. It feels like real bonding in the basement, but will their relationship ever make it upstairs? Buyer & Cellar is an outrageous comedy about the price of fame, the cost of things, and the oddest of odd jobs. The play is a tour de force for a comedic actor, guaranteed to delight any musical theatre lover. JONATHAN TOLINS is best known as the author of Buyer & Cellar, which won the Lucille Lortel Award for Best Solo Show and was named “Best Unique Theatrical Experience” by the Off-Broadway Alliance during its record-breaking run at the Barrow Street Theatre, before a national tour and being named one of the ten most produced plays in America in 2016. It also enjoyed a London engagement at the Menier Chocolate Factory and was shown on the WNET series, Theater Close-Up. Other plays include The Twilight of the Golds (Broadway, Booth Theatre), If Memory Serves (Promenade), The Last Sunday in June (Rattlestick, Century Center), Secrets of the Trade (Primary Stages), and The Forgotten Woman (Bay Street Theater). A collection of his plays has been published by Grove/Atlantic. He was also represented on Broadway by additional material written with his husband, Robert Cary, for the revival of On the Town. His film work includes The Twilight of the Golds (based on his play) starring Brendan Fraser and Faye Dunaway, and Martian Child starring John Cusack and Amanda Peet, both co-written with Seth E. Bass. For television, he was a writer for Queer as Folk (Showtime, first season, co-producer), the 2000 and 2002 Academy Awards, the 2003 Tony Awards, Partners(CBS, consulting producer), BrainDead (CBS, consulting producer), five seasons of The Good Fight (Paramount+, executive producer), Schmigadoon (Apple TV+, co-executive producer), East New York (CBS, consulting producer), and is currently the showrunner of Elsbeth, recently renewed for a fourth season on CBS. In addition, he and Robert Cary wrote the script for Grease Live!, the Emmy award-winning live broadcast based on the classic musical, and A Christmas Story Live!, both for Fox TV. Cary and Tolins also wrote scripts for 50 Years of Broadway at the Kennedy Center, A Concert for Ukraine at Carnegie Hall, Get Happy: A Judy Garland Centennial Celebration at Carnegie Hall, starring Jessica Vosk, and the book for Take the Lead which premiered at the Paper Mill Playhouse in 2025. In addition, Jon was the author of Pushkin 200: A Celebration at Carnegie Hall, acted as script consultant on Walking with Dinosaurs: The Arena Spectacular, and co-wrote The Divine Millennium Tour and The Showgirl Must Go On for Bette Midler. He has written articles for Opera News, Opera Monthly, TheaterWeek, Time Magazine, and The Huffington Post, and is a regular panelist on the Metropolitan Opera Radio Quiz. Jon lives in Fairfield, Connecticut with his husband and their children, Selina and Henry. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild and the Writers Guild of America. REMY GERMINARIO is so thrilled to be returning to Barbra’s basement for the 4th time, especially at Core Theatre Group as a part time resident of Greenwood Lake  Remy is a NYC based actor, comedian, singer, writer and teaching artist. New York Theatre: Rough Trade (The Tank) birthday birthday birthday (The Tank) More Than All The World (Theatre For The New City), Boys Who Tricked Me (Musical Theatre Factory), Bradley Cole (FringeNYC Award Winner), When I Started Dating Men (Dixon Place), and The Vanity (Theatre Row). Regional: Buyer and Cellar (Florida Studio Theatre, Riverside Theatre, Cardinal Stage Company), Clue (Greenbrier Valley Theatre)  America’s Sexiest Couple (Cape May Stage), Caveman Play (ArtHouse). Film/TV: The Feast of Stephen (dir James Franco), Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, Synonymous With, An Actor Unprepared and Livin’ the Dream. Voiceover: Peter in the hit musical video game Peter Panic (Adult Swim Games), Radio Play Revival and The World To Come musical podcast (dir.Rachel Klein). Remy is also a sketch comedian (currently performing with his team ,Golden Hour, on Maude Night at UCB) and stand up comedian and can be seen at comedy clubs all over the city. He  is also known on TikTok and Instagram for his  impressions of Food Network Chefs and other viral comedic content!  Remy is also a teaching artist at NYU/The Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute! BFA NYU (CAP21/Strasberg Studios). Much love to Michael (who always knows what to do on Sundays), Sandwich, Mom, Dad, Chuck, Paul and the entire Warwick Valley community who has come out to support this show and this thriving new  regional theatre! @RemyGerminario. www.remygerminario.com  Visit www.coretheatregroup.com for ticket information.
S4; EP. 1 -- Liz Lerman: Critical Response Process®
2026/04/01
“It’s not a given that you will be applauded for what you are doing.” - Liz Lerman Welcome to the first episode of Dear Multi-Hyphenate, Season Four!  Let's dive in with an amazing episode featuring the brilliant Liz Lerman! In this episode we discuss movement, creative tools, choreography and storytelling, Critical Response Process®, and Liz's upcoming new book Shape and Momentum: An Insomniac’s Guide to a World in Constant Motion.  Lerman is a choreographer, writer, educator, and the recipient of numerous honors, including a 2023 Guggenheim Fellowship, the 2014 Dance/USA Award, and the 2002 MacArthur “Genius Grant” Award. Beginning her choreographic career in 1974, she has spent the past five decades making her artistic research personal, funny, intellectually vivid, and up to the minute. A key aspect of her artistry is opening her process to various publics, from librarians to physicists, rabbis to bharatanatyam dancers, resulting in both research and outcomes that are participatory, relevant, urgent, and usable by others. Recently, Liz and her team of witches toured the dance theatre piece Wicked Bodies (2022) investigating the attempted erasure of embodied knowledge. Current projects include building the Atlas of Creative Tools®, an online resource and archive, and Legacy Unboxed™ that involves a series of site-specific research performance events called My Body is a Library™. Lerman’s upcoming book, Shape and Momentum: An Insomniac’s Guide to a World in Constant Motion, is a collection of personal essays set to be published by Wesleyan University Press in 2026. Liz continues to evolve the Critical Response Process® through the Certification program, Fundamentals cohorts, and Essentials online course. Liz founded and led the Dance Exchange from 1976 until 2011, where she cultivated the company’s unique multi-generational ensemble into a leading force in contemporary dance, including its residency at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. Lerman’s community-based practices have included residencies at Children’s National Hospital, Roosevelt Hotel for Senior Citizens, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, and the Harvard ArtLab. Her work has been commissioned by numerous presenters, including Arena Stage, The Kennedy Center, Harvard Law School, and Portsmouth Music Hall. She is the author of Teaching Dance to Senior Adults (1984), Hiking the Horizontal (2014), and co-author of Liz Lerman’s Critical Response Process (2003) and Critique Is Creative (2022) with John Borstel. Liz’s retrospective titled Brett Cook & Liz Lerman: Reflection & Action was featured at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts from October 2022 until June 2023. She is currently an Institute Professor at Arizona State University’s Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts and a Fellow at the Center for the Study of Race and Democracy. Born in Los Angeles and raised in Milwaukee, Liz attended Bennington College and Brandeis University, received her BA in dance from the University of Maryland, and an MA in dance from George Washington University. She is married to storyteller Jon Spelman. Their daughter, Anna Clare Spelman, is a documentary filmmaker. www.https://lizlerman.com/
S3; EP 9 -- Shaina Taub: Facing a Dying Nation
2025/02/26
“I think one of the reasons I wanted to be a multi-hyphenate and wear all the hats in SUFFS was to hopefully, if I could, inspire others to show, specially young women,that’s an avenue available to us as well… and the multi-hyphenate male artist is sort of a moniker that goes unquestioned.” On this episode of Dear Multi-Hyphenate, we have one of Broadway’s hottest writers, Shaina Taub, writer and star of SUFFS on Broadway. A true multi-hyphenate, we discuss: The responsibility of starring in a musical you wrote. Any ghostly visits from Alice Paul? Sacrifice. The creation of SUFFS. Lessons learned. Establishing boundaries. Organizational tips. Facing a dying nation and the progress we’ve made. Shaina Taub is an American actress, singer, musician, and Tony Award-winning composer.Taub composed and starred in three adaptations of Shakespeare plays for The Public Theater's Public Works program: Twelfth Night in both 2016 and 2018 and As You Like It in 2017. Taub has appeared Off-Broadway in the revival of the revue show Old Hats in 2016, Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 as Princess Mary (2013), and Hadestown as a Fate (2016). She played the role of Emma Goldman in the Ragtime on Ellis Island concert and performed at Joe's Pub in Manhattan monthly during a solo residency. In 2022, her original musical Suffs, based on suffragists and their American women's suffrage movement, premiered off-Broadway at The Public Theater. Taub wrote the book, music, and lyrics, and also starred as Alice Paul. The show transferred to Broadway in April 2024 to positive reviews. Taub won Tony Awards in 2024 for Best Book and Best Score. Alongside Elton John on music, Taub penned the lyrics for the 2022 musical adaptation of the 2006 film The Devil Wears Prada, based on Lauren Weisberger's 2003 novel of the same name. It enjoyed a limited run in Chicago in 2022, and a new production is opened in London's West End in October 2024. In November, she reprised the role of Emma Goldman in New York City Center’s Ragtime. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S3; EP 8 -- J.W. Crump: Pitching a Project
2025/02/05
“You know – when you have multiple mini successes in a row, just how affirming that can be. And how for me, personally, it spills into the rest of my day, the rest of the week – there’s a part of me that wishes that career successes didn’t affect my mood that much, but it’s absolutely true that it does – and then I feel like it begets more success in just every other aspect of my life.”   In this episode we discuss… Soda. Especially the ones from EPCOT. Jobs vs. Careers. How to pitch a project. Letting people know what you’re good at.  Reality television. Process vs. Product The Writer’s Strike How other people perceive you.  J. W. Crump is a Carolina-born, LGBTQ writer, game creator, and comedian represented by Authentic Talent and Literary Management. A seasoned game show producer and host, he developed a game show for Whoopi Goldberg’s production company in 2023 and has hosted over 250 live game shows. He served as Senior Producer and Head Writer for over 50 three-hour game shows for Microsoft's live streaming TV network. His expertise spans live and televised game content, from writing and producing all content for the ESPN Table Hockey international tournament to creating over 50 original segments for TBS’s Gods of the Game. He also worked on ViceTV’s Super Maximum Retro Show, designing all gaming segments and scripting an entire episode solo. Beyond game shows, Crump created the award-winning web series Kylie Jenner's Beauty Tips, which amassed over one million views. He produced Gas Station Horror, a Sony Pictures-sponsored B-horror comedy show, for seven years. His pilot, Ian Owes U, was an official selection at the New York Television Festival. Most recently, he wrapped six years with Pod Ledom, a comedic America’s Next Top Model retrospective podcast with over 2M listens and 700 five-star reviews. @themichaelkushner @dearmultihyphenate @jw_crump Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S3; EP 7 -- Spencer Liff: Why Can’t It Be Me?
2024/12/21
“You have to say yes to everything. You have to put yourself in every room you can. It's not learning from one person, it’s going to learn from as many people as possible. Noone is going to hand it to you on a silver platter.” In this episode we discuss… Making his Broadway debut at 10 years old. Becoming Rob Ashford's assistant. A mortifying debut and successful second chance on So You Think You Can Dance. Stepping up and problem solving. Producing, directing, and choreographing. Drag the Musical Spencer's Broadway journey has been nothing short of remarkable. Starting at the age of 7 on the national tour of The Will Rogers Follies, he made his Broadway debut at age 11 and went on to perform in 5 Broadway shows. After transitioning to choreography, he worked on 4 more Broadway productions, including the Tony-winning Hedwig. His 10-year stint on "So You Think You Can Dance" led to multiple Emmy nominations and he's choreographed for top TV shows as well as the Oscars, Tonys, and Grammys. Recently, he has added directing to his resume with a successful production of the cult classic Reefer Madness in LA, with Hollywood stars like Kristen Bell, Matthew Morrison, and Rachel Bloom making weekly cameo appearances. The musical will hopefully make its way to NYC and the UK. https://www.spencer-liff.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S3; EP 6 -- David Henry Hwang: Yellow Face
2024/11/20
“The advice that I would give myself now is not that different than what I believed was true 30 or 40 years ago, which is the thing that makes you different… the thing that makes you unique, idiosyncratic, weird… that is your superpower as a writer. Maybe as a human being, but particularly as an artist or a writer.” – Tony Winner David Henry Hwang In David Henry Hwang’s play Yellow Face, he explores the Chinese concept of face, an idea that correlates directly to multi-hyphenating. Which is the face we are currently wearing? Which is the one we want the world to believe about us? Which one do we believe the most for ourselves? Hwang is a giant among us – his resume spans years from hits, to flops, to plays, to operas, to films to brilliant works penetrating the cultural zeitgeist. In this episode, we discuss multi-hyphenating, making choices in our plays, the weight of other people’s opinions, the concept of face, and the state of creating art today. This episode is wonderful for any episode, especially playwrights and soon-to-be playwrights as it is a masterclass of inspiration from one of our great living writers.  David Henry Hwang’s stage work includes the plays M. Butterfly, Chinglish, Yellow Face, Golden Child, The Dance and the Railroad, and FOB, as well as the Broadway musicals Aida, Flower Drum Song, and Disney’s Tarzan. M. Butterfly was revived on Broadway in 2017. His newest musical, Soft Power, a collaboration with composer Jeanine Tesori, received four Outer Critics Honors, a 2020 Grammy nomination and was a Finalist for the 2020 Pulitzer Prize in Drama. Yellow Face was revived on Broadway in Fall of 2024, starring Daniel Dae Kim. Called America’s most-produced living opera librettist by Opera News, Hwang has written thirteen libretti, including five with composer Philip Glass. An American Soldier (with Huang Ruo) will receive its New York premiere at the Perelman Performing Arts Center in May 2024. Ainadamar (with Osvaldo Golijov) will be seen at the Metropolitan Opera in Fall 2024. His screenplays include M. Butterfly and he is penning an Anna May Wong biopic to star actress Gemma Chan as well as a musical feature for Paramount Pictures. For television, he was a Writer/Consulting Producer for the Golden Globe-winning television series The Affair and is currently creating and show running a new television series, Billion Dollar Whale. He also co-wrote the Gold Record “Solo” with the late pop music icon Prince.  David Henry Hwang is a Tony Award winner and three-time nominee, a three-time OBIE Award winner, a Grammy Award winner who has been twice nominated, and a three-time Finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Drama. A professor at Columbia University School of the Arts, Hwang is a Trustee of the American Theatre Wing, where he served as Chair, and sits on the Council of the Dramatist Guild. Recent honors include his 2022 induction onto the Lucille Lortel Playwrights’ Sidewalk, his 2021 election to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and his 2018 induction into the Theatre Hall of Fame.  In 2016, The David Henry Hwang Society was founded by William C. Boles (Rollins College), Martha Johnson (University of Minnesota), and Esther Kim Lee (University of Maryland). The DHH Society is devoted to the scholarly examination of plays by David Henry Hwang.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S3; EP 5 -- Lindsey Ferrentino: The Fear of 13
2024/10/08
Where does a playwright start from? Would a playwright identify as a multi-hyphenate if they span genre, style, and medium of writing? How does a playwright break into both Broadway and the West End? Lindsey Ferrentino is one of our contemporary prolific voices in playwriting and she’s full of inspiring nuggets that will get anyone to put their ideas on paper.  In this episode we also discuss her upcoming play THE FEAR OF 13. Based on the extraordinary true story of Nick Yarris, Academy Award winner Adrien Brody makes his London theatre debut at the Donmar Warehouse in the world premiere of THE FEAR OF 13; a new play by Lindsey Ferrentino (Ugly Lies the Bone) directed by Justin Martin (Prima Facie).  Lindsey Ferrentino is an American playwright with three world premieres in the 2024 season. In May, she opened The Artist in the UK (co-adapted with Drew McConie, Theatre Royal Plymouth,) and this August, she will premiere the new musical The Queen of Versailles (book by Lindsey Ferrentino, music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, starring Kristin Chenoweth and F. Murray Abraham, The Colonial Theater). Her other produced plays include Ugly Lies the Bone (The Lyttleton - National Theatre, UK, Roundabout Theatre Company, NY, over 100 productions worldwide), Amy and the Orphans (Roundabout Theatre Company), This Flat Earth (Playwrights Horizons), The Year to Come (La Jolla Playhouse) — among others. Her plays have been translated into Spanish, German, and Portuguese and have been produced across the US, in London, Germany, Spain, and Venezuela. This winter, Lindsey will direct her first feature film - an adaptation of her play Amy and the Orphans for Jason Bateman’s Aggregate Films. She has various film projects in development at Netflix and Sony Pictures — with producers including Higher Ground, 3 Dot Entertainment, Dylan Clark Productions, Defiant by Nature. Lindsey is the recipient of The Arc’s prize for Entertainment Industry Excellence for her writing centered on disability inclusion. Other prizes include: the Kesserling, ASCAP Cole Porter Playwriting Prize, Paul Newman Drama Award, Laurents/Hatcher Award, NYU Distinguished Alumna Award, and Hunter College’s 40 Under 40 Distinguished Alumna. Lindsey is repped by CAA, Anonymous Content and Felker & Associates. You can purchase tickets to The Fear of 13 here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S3; EP 4 -- Cameron Monaghan & Natalie Rebenkoff: Great Work Survives
2024/10/01
Many people go to college for theatre so one can become an educated actor. Through technique and tools, this will help the actor sustain a healthy and rich career. But what are students getting in terms of theatre business? My NYU student, Natalie Rebenkoff, graduated and took off with flying colors by digging into her multi-hyphenate potential and producing her first piece of work, The Nursery, an unpublished Clifford Odets one-act. The production co-stars Cameron Monaghan from the ever popular television show, Shameless. So how does one graduate and produce their own work? What comes easy? What comes hard? What do we learn along the way? This episode is a great resource for actors who are deep in learning their technique but can also understand how to produce their own work – and not let each artform distract the other.  Natalie Rebenkoff is a New York-based actor, writer, and producer from Hermosa Beach, California. Her recent theater credits include Smokeshow (Edinburgh Fringe), Hamlet (RADA), MotherBoard (Experimental Theatre Wing), and I’m Sorry for Your Troubles (Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute). Her film credits include Don’t Look Up opposite Leonardo Dicaprio and Jennifer Lawrence. She would like to thank Walt Odets, Robert Ellerman, her family, and friends for all the support in bringing The Nursery to life and is excited to finally share this story. Cameron Monaghan is an American actor, writer, director, and photographer. With a career of over 25 years, he is perhaps best known for his series regular roles as Ian on ‘Shameless’ and ‘The Joker’ on Gotham. In addition, he stars in the ‘Star Wars: Jedi’ game series. Supporting roles include ‘The Giver’ with Meryl Streep and Jeff Bridges, ‘Paradise Highway’ with Juliette Binoche and Morgan Freeman, and the lead role in ‘Jamie Marks is dead’ which premiered at Sundance, amongst countless other projects. He studied screenwriting at SNHU and has attended directing courses at the Australian Film and Television School (AFTRS), The Actors Studio at Pinewood UK, and Marjorie Ballentine Theatre Company. He most currently filmed TRON: ARES for Disney. Clifford Odets' The Nursery will be staged Off-Broadway October 10-12 at The Sam Theatre, with Stella Diji directing. The unpublished one-act will be presented by Point 5 Collective, in collaboration with The Lee Strasberg Creative Center.  Set in the 1950s, The Nursery follows an upper-middle class couple who are forced to confront the long-simmering fault lines in their troubled marriage. When the suppressed emotions of their union explode during a pivotal conversation, the strength of their love is tested. The Nursery was discovered in the archives of The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute. Visit TheNurseryPlay.com for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S3; EP 3 -- Hannah Solow: Oh, Mary!
2024/09/16
Hannah Solow is probably one of the funniest people on the planet. She creates hysterical characters on social media, is a stand up comic, and musical theatre performer. In this very funny episode, we dive into specific social media practices, grabbing control of your career, how getting cast in Broadway’s hit OH, MARY! came to be, and brilliant gems of stories from being in the industry – including what it was like to tour the country in Daniel Fish’s OKLAHOMA!, for instance.  Hannah Solow is currently understudy to Mary Todd Lincoln and Mary’s Chaperone/Bill in Oh, Mary!, written by Cole Escola and directed by Sam Pinkleton, at The Lyceum Theatre on Broadway.  She received her BFA in drama from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts and has performed everywhere from The Kennedy Center to a hostel in Chinatown. She traveled to over 20 cities across the country performing as “Gertie Cummings” in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Oklahoma!” directed by Daniel Fish. She performed on Broadway at The Cort Theatre as the “understudy” to Mike Birbiglia in his show, The New One.  For many years she performed weekly at the Upright Citizen’s Brigade with musical improv team, Rumpleteaser, and monthly with house sketch teams. She has performed her original standup, characters and songs at The Bell House, Caroline’s, Club Cumming, Littlefield, and many more places/basements. She has taught improvisation to students pre-K through fifth grade across both Manhattan and Brooklyn. They were way funnier than she is. @babymcgoo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S3; EP 2 -- Michael Cyril Creighton: Only Multi-Hyphenates in the Building
2024/09/16
Who is absolutely loving HULU’s Only Murders in the Building? I am! On this episode of Dear Multi-Hyphenate, we have the loveable Michael Cyril Creighton who plays Howard Morris on Only Murders in the Building on HULU. We discuss how Michael was compelled to create his own work and how it created a domino effect of constant work in the industry. It’s all about writing what you know, and Michael certainly proves that theory. How did he end up from working the box office to working on some of the most successful tv shows and films of all time? TELEVISION: Hulu’s “Only Murders in the Building” (Series Regular), Amazon’s “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” (recurring) Showtime’s “Dexter: New Blood” (recurring), Netflix’s “Dash & Lily” (recurring), HBO's "High Maintenance" (recurring), EPIX's "Graves" (recurring), Amazon’s “A League of Their Own”, Netflix’s “AJ & the Queen”, FOX's "Bob's Burgers," Showtime's "Billions," "Horace and Pete," FOX’s “Bob’s Burgers,” CBS's "The Good Fight," Adult Swim's "Neon Joe Werewolf Hunter," Showtime's "Nurse Jackie," Netflix’s “Orange is the New Black,” NBC’s “30 Rock,” FX’s “Louie,” CBS's "2 Broke Girls," CBS’s “Person of Interest," FX's "Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll," LOGO’s “Jeffery & Cole Casserole.” FILM: Cord Jeffereson’s “American Fiction,” Steven Spielberg's "The Post," "Game Night," "Spotlight," "Can You Ever Forgive Me?," “Seneca,” "Home Again," "Coin Heist," "Sleeping With Other People," "Fits and Starts," "3rd Street Blackout," “Towheads,” “How To Follow Strangers,” “Paper Spiders” and “The Outside Story.” THEATRE: Jordan Harrison's The Amateurs (Vineyard Theatre), Sarah Ruhl's Stage Kiss (Playwrights Horizons), Blood Play, Buddy Cop 2, You're Welcome and Cape Disappointment (all with The Debate Society), Joshua Conkel's MilkMilkLemonade and more. I was a founding member of the New York Neo-Futurists and performed weekly in “Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind.” WEB: Michael created a web series called “Jack in a Box,” which he starred in, produced, wrote and co-directed. The series ran from 2009-2012 and consisted of 31 episodes, dozens of cupcakes and a fair amount of funny-sad humor. It was written about in several publications and on several websites, including The New York Times, The Huffington Post, Time Out New York, Le Monde Paris, The New York Daily News, The AV Club and Michael was named a “Digital All Star” by Backstage. The series won Best Web Pilot at the 2010 New York Television Festival and was nominated for a Writers Guild of America Award for Outstanding Achievement in Original New Media two consecutive years in a row (2012 & won in 2013). Other work on the web includes "High Maintenance," "The Outs," "Very Mary-Kate," "Eat Our Feelings" and more. Proud member of SAG-AFTRA, Actors Equity and the Writers Guild. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S3; EP 1 -- Lea Delaria: The Gay Agenda
2024/09/16
Welcome back to Dear Multi-Hyphenate! It is Season Two and let’s kick it off with superstar multi-hyphenate Lea Delaria. In this episode we discuss all about how and when to identify as a certain type of artist, unheard stories of working with Lea’s idols, hysterical and inspiring stories about projects like POTUS and Orange is the New Black, and of course Lea’s new brunch show at 54 Below… Brunch is Gay, currently running one Sunday a month at 54 Below.  Lea was the first openly gay comic on television in America, and is an accomplished Jazz performer who has performed in concert venues all over the world. She is best known as ‘Big Boo’ from Orange is the New Black (3 SAG Awards). Lea can currently be seen in the indie feature film Potato Dreams of America, and in the Indigo Girls jukebox feature film, Glitter & Doom. Lea recently starred in the Off-Broadway Revival of Tennessee Williams' play, The Night of the Iguana, directed by Emily Mann. TV credits include Girls5Eva, Awkwafina is Nora from Queens, East New York,The Blacklist, Physical, Reprisal, Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts, Shameless, and Broad City. Film credits include Cars 3, Support The Girls, and First Wives Club. Broadway credits, POTUS Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive (Bernadette), The Rocky Horror Show (Eddie/Dr. Scott) and On The Town (Hildy), Obie and Theatre World Awards. @realleadelaria www.leadelaria.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
#103 - Adam DeCarlo: Post Pandemic Practices
2024/03/11
“I love self tapes in the post pandemic world.” Why? Why does Adam love self tapes when so many other actors don’t? How can we embrace them? In fact, how can we embrace and adapt post-pandemic practices into our lives? Let’s face it – the industry looks different. So, we have to shift. And Adam DeCarlo has done a great job at doing just that.  Adam DeCarlo is an award-winning actor and filmmaker based in NYC. Adam was born and raised in Orange County, California; where he began studying acting at the Tony Award-Winning regional theatre, South Coast Repertory. After graduating High School, he studied as a Theatre major at Fullerton College, where he performed in many of their productions and served as a Theatre Arts Ambassador for the department for two years. He then transferred to the University of California, Riverside (UCR) where he continued to study theatre and graduated with a BA, as a double major in Theatre and Media/Cultural Studies. Upon graduating from UCR, Adam moved to New York City and studied at the renowned Circle in the Square Theatre School. While living in NYC, he has appeared on several hit TV shows on Netflix, FOX, HULU, HBO, and A&E. Adam is the writer & director of two award-winning short films, ‘Lost & Found’ & ‘Skeletons’. Proud member of SAG-AFTRA and AEA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
#102 - Jodi Carter: Taxes and Financial Mentality
2024/02/27
“What ever jobs you have on your path to where you're trying to get to to your vision all matter. And the fact that we call these things a side hustle or we talk about ‘the unwanted jobs' and all of those types of descriptions… it's not empowering people.” -- Jodi Carter When it comes to being an artist, what is the first thing we have to know about money?  According to Jodi Carter, it’s a new language. A wow, do we discover a new language in this episode. This episode is deeply, deeply personal and Michael and Jodi truly get into a vulnerable conversation about money. It might be something all artists can relate to.  What is “ifcome” and how does it change our perspective of money managing? How do we work around the starving artist paradigm? The pressure to say yes and show up. Is it healthy? The myth of uncertainty and the myth of someday. Things we make up to ourselves when it comes to money.  A big financial hug. Jodi Carter, CPA, has spent decades helping individuals, couples, and families – from all different financial levels and circumstances – make countless choices. This unique view sparked her desire to reach people how to live their best lives. Jodi founded Financial Insight Training to help people shift their lives from stress to freedom. As a lifelong supporter of the arts, Jodi knew she has to create a program specifically tailored to the unique needs of artists, who live with fluctuating income and need specialized guidance for managing their finances. The IfCome® Paradigm is the framework for creative people to live as thriving artists.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Podcast reviews

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4.8 out of 5
62 reviews
★★★★★
michemidl1 2023/07/28
Great interview! Great guests!
I had heard of the Dear Multi-hypenate podcast and Michael Kushner before so I was happy to check out his BroadwayCon 2023 panel. The panel had the lo...
★★★★★
ewalkitout 2023/07/26
Best guests!
I love this podcast for so many reasons (informative, funny, inspiring) but not least of which is the amazing people he pulls in! The guests he talks ...
★★★★★
ryanjmacc 2023/07/26
Obsessed with this podcast
I LOVE listening to these conversations. He gets the coolest theatre artists to chat with. Highly recommend.
★★★★★
Fleecy Mag 2023/07/26
Great Show!
Thank you for this revelatory podcast!
★★★★★
Skahagg 2023/07/26
Crucial- especially for young people!
The industry requires us to be multi-hyphenates now. If you want to do something creative, and not wait for someone else to say yes, you have to do it...
★★★★★
happyrosebud91 2023/07/26
DMH is 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Michael is so brilliant and kind. I love this show.
★★★★★
Actor + Sport Psychology Coach 2023/06/22
Purpose-driven work can look like different careers
I love the message you’re sending about artists being able to be multi-hyphenates! I studied vocal performance and science at NYU as a double major (t...
★★★★★
AndrewRimby 2023/04/29
Michael's Show is the Best!
I always love tuning into Michael's podcast, and I absolutely loved his recent conversation with Billy Porter. The questions that Billy asks of his gu...
★★★★★
sarham18 2023/04/25
Educational, reflective and entertaining.
Michael is a very skilled interviewer. He is able to create beautiful dialogue that extracts the most educational, and important information from his ...
★★★★★
averynelsonb 2023/01/14
Humble, Curious, Exciting and a Total Pro
Michael is the real deal! He asks the real questions, listens with deep humanity, and he’s got humor, empathy, and insight for days. Plus he really do...
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