Duke’s Trinity School of Arts and Science produced a lovely video to introduce my teaching philosophy to the university. In Part I, I speak about my journey into acting and teaching as well as my challenges along the way.

Part II of Duke’s video sharing my pedagogy and work. I speak about community and the realistic pursuit of the artist’s life.

Casting director Xavier Rubiano shares his journey from being a young actor in LA to becoming a top casting director in New York City. We discuss what happens beyond the table and the many aspects of casting that are often not seen by actors. Later in the discussion, we delve into Xavier’s transition to casting as a Latino man who was often one of the only BIPOC casting directors in the room, the shifts in casting, and what casting mean to the changes in culture.

In Part II of our discussion, Xavier discusses his work with the Casting Society of America Alliance which was formed to aid the BIPOC community in gaining access to the casting profession. Xavier shares amazing training and resources for diverse and inclusive programs young people who are curious about beginning careers in casting. We also address questions from young actors about what to do in a room, self tapes, and how to prepare for the unknown in the current climate. Resources for casting mentorship and education programs can be found at the Casting Society of America Alliance https://www.castingsociety.com/committees/csa-alliance-public and Broadway for Racial Justice https://www.castingsociety.com/committees/csa-alliance-public

King Richard actress, special Tony Award winner and former student, Mikayla Bartholomew, recently stopped by The Simple Actor to discuss her personal journey, activism, and her fight to be seen for all that she is as a black woman and actress in today’s industry. In Part I, we talk about her early college years, major decisions in her creative path, and her newfound role with the Broadway Advocacy Coalition.

In Part II of my talk with Mikayla Bartholomew, we discuss about her exciting experience of being cast alongside Will Smith and Aunjanue Ellis in the recent feature film, King Richard. The talk finishes with a Q&A.