Table To Stage

Faithlyn Johnson is the founder and executive director of Act Up! Theater, and her daughter Tyler Johnson is the production manager of the Hartford-based theater company. They spoke with me about the Act Up! mission, productions, and how the arts can have a positive impact in disadvantaged communities. Act Up! offers productions to the Hartford community including "Ebony Annie", "Stand", and the April 2019 offering, "Raisin", based on the classic play, "A Raisin in the Sun." The Johnson ladies have some amazing things to say about inner-city arts programs and how families and communities can grow together by participating. Visit actuptheater.org for information and tickets. Raisin has performances April 4-5 & 12-13. #hartford #actuptheater #raisin #ctarts #keepcreating

Khaiim the RapOet (@rapoet), also known as Self Suffice, is a #Hartford based #hiphop artist and educator. His influences run deep in the civil rights movement and his music reflects those influences. He focuses on the positive message of moving forward and overcoming oppression. His latest album, #SelfControl, is available now at bandcamp.com, and can be streamed (partially) via #iTunes, #GooglePlay, and #Spotify. Visit rapoet.com/music to stream the track "Plus" which features Suffice and #DJBoo. If you're in the area March 29-31, be sure to check out Trinity International Hip Hop Fest. And be sure to follow @rapoet on all the social media!

Michael C. Bailey left journalism for the same reason most newspapers have left journalism - there's no money in it! Hahaha ... actually, that's not funny. Anywhozzle. He's since embarked on a rather successful career as a novelist, with three ongoing series - Action Figures (young adult), Strongarm & Lightfoot (fantasy), and Well Behaved Women (urban fantasy) among other writing projects. All of his work can be found at innsmouthlook.com, including signed copies of his novels, so give it a look! And check out Strongarm & Lightfoot on Audible! #writing #fantasy #novel #innsmouthlook

While I was listening to Guns N' Roses, MC Hammer, and the Monkees (don't judge me, judger), apparently there were some people actually listening to the music that accompanied their video games. I mean, everyone knows the #SuperMarioBros theme music, but do you know who wrote it? Video Game Music has a strong following, and a podcast community to feed its hunger. Ed Wilson is the creator and host of the VGMbassy, where he explores the "video game music culture" of his guests and discovers some great tunes along the way. This was a really enjoyable chat - brought back a lot of good memories of my own - and provided great insight into a niche I've never fully appreciated. #vgm #videogamemusic #nintendo #sega #playstation #xbox #keepcreating

Art is an intimate thing - no matter the form. But the vulnerability on display in a artist's work are often alone. For Alicia Cobb that vulnerability extends to her canvases - often other people in varying degrees of undress. #BodyPainting requires trust between the artist and the canvas, and for all the time and effort that go into the work, it's rather temporary. Alicia's story is pretty great, and her work is incredible. Make sure to check out www.artsimplicated.com to see some of her work. You can also learn more about her art at https://www.pechakucha.com/users/alicia-cobb. #bridgeport #305knowlton #creativity #art #keepcreating

Ben Orlando has spent the last few years entertaining audiences in may different spaces, and as many different characters. But he's probably best known as Summer Orlando, "Connecticut's premier theatre Drag Queen!" There's some pretty heavy stuff covered in this conversation, but there's also lots of joy. Visit summerorlandoproductions.com for event schedules and more information. And be sure to check out Summer's performances in the New Haven area. #dragqueen #theatre #performance #judygarland #keepcreating

Leonardo "LAGONZA" Gonzalez has a knack for drawing, and his skill can be seen at leonardoillustration.com. He's the artist behind "Theatrics", a UK-published graphic novel that has gotten some pretty incredible reviews (specifically for the artwork), among many other projects. Check his stuff out, and follow @leonardogonzalezart on Instagram for daily sketches. He's also working on moving his art into the tattoo world! And his story is worth hearing.  #lagonza #leonardoillustration #leoisnotaturtle #comics #illustration

Khamani Harrison identified a vacuum and decided to fill it. And that is the creative spirit that I hope we can all celebrate! The Key Bookstore (keybookstore.com) is Khamani's vision for bringing books - and the hope and knowledge they contain - into what she see's as the underserved black communities of Connecticut and beyond.The Key functions as a pop-up, mobile, interactive experience, and each selection is curated by Khamani. This is one of those times where I feel the conversation was important, and I hope you'll listen. #keybookstore #afrocentricity #entrepreneurism #environmentalism #uconn #the224

"Desultory: haphazard or random. Club: a group of people organized for a common purpose." Or so claims the website for the Desultory Theatre Club (desultorytheatreclub.com). Keith Paul began Desultory nearly a decade ago in order to bring creative artists into the area and to explore the use of interesting spaces in theatrical arts. And he talk good about it, too. #desultorytheatreclub #torringtonct #warnertheater #theatre

Jim Williams joined me in the first ever T2S remote recording! The quality isn't great, but it's a fun conversation. Lots of great theater opportunities coming through Connecticut this year, so there's something for everyone! #musical #preview2019 #couchgrouches #connecticuttheater

Theresa Govert was among a record number of women running for office in 2018, and the first time candidate took a lot away from the campaign. Even though she lost the race for Connecticut's 34th District, she represents a new generation of political leaders in the state and throughout the country. She was willing to speak with me just a couple of weeks following the 2018 midterm cycle, and it was great to get such wonderful insight into the process. #politics #campaign #yearofthewoman #womeninpolitics #creativity

Jon Bristol and Mike Finland of Elmwood Productions let me into the secret world of the Elmwood workshop to talk puppets, film making, and campsite murders. The fun kind - nothing untoward. We talk about everything from the craft of building a puppet to the challenges of filming and performing with puppets. If you're an Amazon Prime member and enjoy horror films, then definitely check out Elmwood's film, "Head", which has garnered Jon and company quite a bit of attention. And if you visit www.elmwood.vhx/products and enter the code "Table2Stage1" at checkout you'll receive awesome discounts on some of Elmwood's other great streaming content. #puppets #muppets #elmwood #horrorfilm #riselybrothers #animalbehavior #headhorror

Happy holidays to everyone! Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukkah! Happy Kwanzaa! Happy Tuesday, if that's all you're celebrating today! Get ready to fill your earholes with some beautiful a cappella Christmas music from the CT Yuletide Carolers (ctyuletide.com). Lori and Mike Cartwright started the group about 13 years ago, and they're a busy bunch this time of year. Lori, Mike, and Kent Jackson sat with me to discuss their group and the love of singing. There's lots of music sprinkled throughout the episode, so sing along! #ctyuletide #acappella #christmas #carols

World traveler and Fulbright Scholar Jacquelyn Gleisner talks about painting, patterns, the infinite, and Botswana. She works in large formats, and her time spent traveling in Italy, Finland, and elsewhere has shaped her work and her life. Visit jaquelyngleisner.com to see her work, and follow her on Instagram. Do it. #painting #scroll #artinembassies

Zufar Bikbov came to the U.S. from Russia at the end of 2003, with a medical background and a paintbrush. He's currently embracing his passion for oils on convas, and particularly Plein Air - outdoor - painting. You can view his work and instructional videos at zufar.com and confidentartist.com. We recorded at Arts Escape in Southbury, where you can take classes or otherwise explore your own creative passions. Visit artsescape.org for more information about their offerings. #oilpainting #pleinair #russianartist #creativity

Jeff Dooley has been the radio play-by-play voice of the Hartford Yard Goats more than 20 years, going back to their days as the New Britain Rock Cats. If you’ve never thought of sports broadcasting as a creative effort, I’d argue that you should reconsider, and Jeff talks about how he uses language to create images in listeners’ minds. Even if you’re not a sports fan I think you’ll enjoy this episode – and if you’re a baseball fan it’s an absolute can’t miss. #hartford #yardgoats #milb #rockies #minorleaguebaseball #mlb #baseball #radio #playbyplay #creativity 

Hey! Want to hear from an author on a subject that makes me super uncomfortable? Becky Cummings' new book, "The Magic of Me: A Kids' Spiritual Guide to Health and Happiness", hits that nail right on the head. Becky is an experienced educator, and has lots to pass along to her readers. But, as she explains, her thoughts aren't going to appeal to everyone. We had a great conversation, though, and the book is doing very well on Amazon - it's available in paperback and for the Kindle. You can follow her on Facebook (Author Becky Cummings) or visit authorbcummings.com to learn more about her and the book. #authorbcummings #kidsbook #selfhelp #spirituality

Sea Tea Improv Comedy Theater (seateaimprov.com) has established itself quite solidly during its time in Hartford, providing improv and stand-up comedy to some of the area's top performers. Julia Pistell is currently the managing director, and one of the group's performers, of Sea Tea, and spoke to me about her path to improv and how the principles of improv can impact people off stage. Really great stuff. #seatea #seateaimprov #improv #comedy #standup

Author Elsa Kurt (elsakurt.com) and her alter ego, Melanie Cherniack, write for very different audiences. Melanie focuses on children's literature, while Elsa steams up the windows with contemporary women's fiction. Her newest (at the time of this recording), Mae's Cafe, is set in the fictional town of Chance, Connecticut, and can be found on Amazon or in your local bookstore. Including That Bookstore (thatbookstore.com) in Wethersfield, where we recorded this conversation. Check it out! #elsakurt #melaniecherniack #localauthor #ctauthor #womensliterature #childrensbooks

The Norwalk Gamer Symphony Orchestra (norwalkgso.org) is a collection of musicians and gamers gathering to play some of the most iconic pieces of video game music ever composed. And if you think video game music is just a bunch of beeps and whistles, well, it's evolved over the years. And it's fascinating. #ngso #gamer #music #vgm #videogamemusic