EPISODE 191 - TIMOTHY BUSFIELD

TIMOTHY BUSFIELD is a Producer, Writer, Director and Emmy Award winning actor with over 650 professional credits. As a director, his most recent film Guest Artist, written by and starring Jeff Daniels, is scheduled to be released internationally in July of 2020. The film has won many awards since its premiere at The Santa Barbara International Film Festival, including Best Director at the New York Independent Film Festival.

As an actor he has been a series regular or recurring character on 20 television series including the currently running “For Life”, “Almost Family”, “thirtysomething,” “The West Wing,” “Entourage,” “Designated Survivor,” “Sleepy Hollow,” Secrets and Lies,” “ED,” “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip,” “Trapper John, M.D.,” “The Byrds of Paradise,” “Champs,” “Family Ties,” “Without A Trace,” “The Paper Chase,” “Reggie,” “All My Children”, “One Dollar”. He recently appeared in the mini-series “The Loudest Voice”.

Mr. Busfield has appeared in over 40 television movies and feature films, including Field of Dreams, Stripes, Revenge of the Nerds, Nerds in Paradise, Quiz Show, Sneakers, Striking Distance, Little Big League, First Kid, National Security, 23 Blast, Strays and Trucks. His short film One Smart Fellow which he co- directed, co-wrote, and also acted in, won many film festivals nationwide in 2015-2016.

Timothy has directed over 140 episodes of television, including “This Is Us“ and multiple episodes of “The Fosters” (also directed the pilot), “thirtysomething, “Children’s Hospital”, “Sports Night,” “Damages,” “Lipstick Jungle,” “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip,” “Without A Trace,” “Las Vegas,” “The Night Shift,” “Secrets and Lies,” “The Glades,” “Designated Survivor,” “Law and Order SVU”, “Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings”, “The Rookie”, “The Conners”, and many more.

He has served as a Producing Director on six television series including “Secrets and Lies,” “Mind Games,” Lipstick Jungle,” “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip,” “Without A Trace,” “ED” and the mini-series “Maneater.” In theatre, he has appeared in over 50 regional theatre productions including productions at The Long Wharf, The Mark Taper Forum, Actor’s Theatre of Louisville, and The Westport Country Playhouse. And on Broadway twice, most recently as Lt. Daniel Kaffee in Aaron Sorkin’s “A Few Good Men.” He has also directed more than 35 professional productions and written dozens of children’s plays. Mr. Busfield founded two of America’s most successful professional theatres, The Fantasy Theatre (AKA the B Street School Tour) and The B Street Theatre, both in Sacramento, California. Now in their 33rd season, the theatres perform annually for over 250,000 children and adults at their facility in Sacramento and in schools throughout northern California. He has an honorary PhD from Michigan State University and has served as an Artist in Residence and Director of National Content for their PBS affiliate WKAR. Timothy splits his time between New York City and Sullivan County, NY with his wife, television icon and fantastic cook, Melissa Gilbert.

EPISODE 188- GEORGE SALAZAR RETURNS

George Salazar is best known for originating the role of "Michael Mell" in Be More Chill (coming to the Signature off-Broadway this summer) and for his Drama Desk-nominated performance in off-Broadway's The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical. Most recently he starred in the Pasadena Playhouse production of Little Shop of Horrors. He was previously seen off-Broadway in Keen Company's Drama Desk-nominated revival of tick, tick... BOOM! and in David Byrne and Fatboy Slim's hit off-Broadway immersive musical, Here Lies Love. George made his Broadway debut singing "Light of the World" in the 2011 Revival of Godspell and toured with the second national company of Spring Awakening prior to that. Regional credits include the world premiere of Joe Iconis and Joe Tracz's Be More Chill, the world premiere of Joe Iconis, Lance Rubin, and Jason "SweetTooth" Williams' Broadway Bounty Hunter, the world premiere of Raging Skillet, and "Chip Tolentino" in ...Putnam County Spelling Bee. He was also a cast member of the 10th Annual CBS Diversity Showcase in Los Angeles.

George's TV credits include CBS' BULL, HBO's DIVORCE, & appearances on CBS' LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN, ABC'S THE VIEW, OWN'S THE ROSIE SHOW, and the 2012 TONY AWARDS telecast. He appears on various recordings including GEORGE SALAZAR AND JOE ICONIS: TWO-PLAYER GAME (Ghostlight), BE MORE CHILL (Ghostlight), THE LIGHTNING THIEF (Broadway Records), GODSPELL (Sh-K-Boom), BROOKLYN CRUSH (Broadway Records) and MOMENT BY MOMENT.

For more information, follow him on Instagram and Twitter @georgesalazar or visit his website at www.thegeorgesalazar.com

EPISODE 187- THE SHOW MUST GO ON...EXCEPT WHEN IT CAN'T

On March 12th 2020 Broadway shows and performances all over the United States came to an immediate halt but the voices of all the artists are going strong while waiting for  shows to re- open or mourning the shows that will not be able to come back.

Listen to Ilana and her friends Joe Iconis, Kristin Chenoweth, Judy Kuhn, Beth Malone, Kathryn Gallagher and Jonathan Marc Sherman tell their tales of shows ending abruptly and what that means to them and the community at large.

EPISODE 186- ELIZABETH STANLEY

Elizabeth Stanley is a Drama Desk Award nominee, and widely recognized stage and screen actress. 

She can currently be seen starring as Mary Jane Healy in Jagged Little Pill featuring the beloved music of Alanis Morissette, a book by Diablo Cody, orchestrations by Tom Kitt, and directed by Diane Paulus. Stanley originated the role in its World Premiere at Harvard’s American Repertory Theater. In the show’s Broadway bow, Variety said that she portrayed Mary Jane with “with infinite compassion in a stunning performance.” 

She originated the roles of Dyanne in Million Dollar Quartet and Allison in Cry-Baby. Additional Broadway credits include the revival of On the Town (Drama Desk Nomination) and the Tony Award-Winning revival of Company. She also appeared in the First National Tours of The Bridges of Madison County and Xanadu

On television, Stanley can be seen in “NOS4A2” (upcoming), “FBI,” “The Get Down”, “The Affair,” “Black Box,” “Made in Jersey,” “Fringe,” “The Chappelle Show,” and “PBS Great Performances – Company.”

She resides in New York. 

Photo Credit- Jenny Anderson

EPISODE 183- ZANE PAIS

Currently starring in The Perplexed at Manhattan Theater Club . Zane also appeared in Sunday at The Atlantic Theater Company, dir. Lee Sunday Evans). Other selected theater includes Dead Poets Society (CSC, dir. John Doyle), Mercury Fur (The New Group, dir. Scott Elliott), and Skylight (McCarter Theater, dir. Emily Mann). Film/TV: “Room 104” (HBO, dir. Lila Neugebauer), Margot at the Wedding (dir. Noah Baumbach), Alba & June (short, dir. Pepi Ginsberg), and Minyan (upcoming, dir. Eric Steel, premiering at Berlin Film Festival 2020). Zane also wrote a television pilot which was optioned by Sony.