WME | William Morris Endeavor’s Post

We host something called Friday Funnies at The Improv Lab. And recently our performing troupe (Sidebar Comedy Improv) invited a group of high school theatre students from the Arkansas Arts Academy in Rogers - led by the brilliant Jordan Haynes - to perform with us. Let me set the scene - no pun intended. The doors opened at 7:00pm and we were SOLD OUT by 7:20pm for a 90-minute (2 set) show that started at 7:30pm. We (Sidebar) had never performed with these students. We never even practiced with them. Cue the magic that is improv.... Every player on stage was well versed in the craft - the foundational framework that makes it work so seamlessly: agree to a shared reality, listen intently, make your partner look like a genius, give up control. To summarize with one of my favorite quotes: "Just bring a brick, together we'll build a cathedral." AND. IT. WAS. A. BRILLIANT. SHOW. We honored each other...collaborated in the truest sense...gave each other the space to shine...championed creativity...adapted in the moment...laughed with each other...and when we got a little lost, we looked each other in the eye and graciously asked for help - which was graciously given. This is why I love the craft and why I love the "applied" construct - taking what works on stage in theatre and applying it to work in corporate America. With just a few guiding principles that we all have agreed to adhere to, we can create magic on the stage that is big business. We can. We really, truly can - and with monumental results. Immense gratitude for every player who showed up and stepped on stage and made us all look better - together. So much love.... #appliedimprovisation #businessimprov #improv #honoring #bettertogether Michael Markovich, Jen Ellis, Jennifer Miller, Laurie Marshall, Alex Gackle, LPC, Jeremy Gackle, Dalton Hays, Michael Day, Caleb Markovich, James Ryan Hollingsworth, Anthony Sumlin

Sheryl Lee Ralph discusses Overcoming Rejection in the Entertainment Industry We discuss the harsh truths of the entertainment industry, addressing the emotional challenges many face. Embrace your unique journey and recognize that comparison only leads to pain. In closing, she reminds everyone that what's meant for you is meant for you. #MentalHealthAwareness #EntertainmentIndustry #SelfAcceptance #OvercomingRejection #EmotionalWellbeing #PersonalGrowth #JamaicanWisdom #ConfidenceBoost #LifeLessons #UniqueJourney #SherylleeRalph #SummersFinestFilmFestival

Our article today explores the value of a partnership between an educational theatrical company and people who draw on MacIntyre's support https://ow.ly/w8QT50ROQgk #WorkingTogether

Here’s our story: We were artists first. We met while teaching at an acting school and were pursuing the arts. That led us to successfully marketing that business, leading to a new passion - helping other businesses grow. Passion is what we know. It’s the driving force that keeps us moving forward, even when the path isn’t clear. It’s the fire inside that fuels our journey. What’s your little engine pushing you toward? #FindYourPassion #ThursdayThoughts #KeepGoing

THIS IS ONE YOU'LL WANT TO WATCH. I PROMISE. 1) How Does Disney Do That? brings together fans and the people who create and operate the experiences for them. 2) Why? Because something special happens when they meet. And, of course, they don't have to actually meet. After all, when I teared up from wonder on "Flight of Passage," it was like I was meeting former Imagineer and Disney Legend Joe Rohde and his team. 3) That's why I highly recommend watching this documentary, "The Whimsical Imagineer," about Disney Legend Rolly Crump, who started as a Disney animator and then became an Imagineer. The award-winning documentary was directed by Ken Kebow. 4) There are many wonderful stories here, including how he spent 6 months animating the spots on the puppies for "One Hundred and One Dalmatians," how his penchant for propellors led to him creating for the 1964 New York World's Fair and then the entrance for Disneyland's "it's a small world" and being selected for WED Enterprises (precursor to Walt Disney Imagineering), his work on The Haunted Mansion and The Enchanted Tiki Room, and more. Also, why Walt gave Roland the nickname "Rolly" and how he was selected as a Disney Legend. 5) But, just as important, watch what Rolly says and how he reacts at 24:10 in the video as he describes watching people coming off "it's a small world" at Disneyland. The moment perfectly captures why HDDDT exists. 6) Why? Because it shows that we fans are just as important to the Imagineers and Cast Members as they are to us. Disney is the canvas. We are the paint. We need each other. And that is how both sides do THAT. _________________________________________________________________________ Purchase my book, "How Does Disney Do That?: How Disney Makes Us Feel and Why It Matters": https://lnkd.in/eNCS2TMM Join How Does Disney Do That? LinkedIn Group at https://lnkd.in/eF52vYzN #hdddt The Walt Disney Company Walt Disney Imagineering Walt Disney Animation Studios Ken Kebow https://lnkd.in/eJs7YgAY

I tried my best to explain in as much detail as I could to explain what Industrial Theatre is and how we approach it as StageFright Edutainment. However in a nutshell, we apply live performance theatre techniques to bridge the communication gap between staff and management. We produce tailor-made Industrial Theatre plays that we perform live at your workplace, for your workforce, about work-related issues. We are the drama of corporate communications.

Community as Art...a 5 Week Series............................Week 5. John Leguizamo made me smile yesterday evening. Not because he was comedic relief, but because he spoke from his heart during the 2024 Emmys. This was DEI as Art - in Action - on an international platform. The celebrated Colombian American Writer, Actor, Producer and Director created clarity around what DEI means for those who try to bastardize its original intent - and he did it with style. "I'm one of Hollywood's DEI hires...That's right: The D is for diligence, the E is for excellence, the I is for imagination. Everyone in this room tonight has dedicated their lives to diligence, excellence and imagination." About 3 months before this speech, Leguizamo took out a full page ad in the New York Times advocating for more actors of color to be recognized during the Television Academy's Emmy award nomination process. Leguizamo used his privilege as a well-known entertainer to advocate for BIPOC entertainers; many of whom he may never meet or never know. And while so many aspects of this work can feel like climbing an ever-growing mountain, his speech is a reminder that there truly are aspects to this work that are easier than others. Choose to do some things differently. Choose to spend time considering people you might not normally see. Choose to learn more about how you can understand perspectives that are far different from your own. Like Leguizamo wrote in his open letter... "It's Simple!" #CommunityIsNow

HEAR YE! HEAR YE! 📜 Let it be known that episode 8 of "Better Know Cincy's Arts," featuring the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, has arrived! In this episode, we chat with Candice Handy, Director of Education, about the importance of arts education for students in the region. Check it out below! #CincyArts #betterknowcincysarts

Porter’s Five Forces model is taught as a way to understand industry landscape and the power dynamic relationships playing out – examples: Power of Buyer; Power of Supplier, etc. If you think about it, power dynamics play out in every relationship we have: parent-child; between spouses; teacher-student; policeman-citizen; boss-subordinate… etc. If you have something I need, or vice versa, our power dynamic is set. A new actor in the world of film/theatre has no power and is exploited – until they reach a level of fame to be able to get an equitable deal. So on and so forth. The lesson here: power dynamics shapes each and every human interaction we have. Understand it…

For this article I interviewed producers and performers in locally-based storytelling and improv shows in different areas of the country. As the theater and entertainment world continues to find its post-pandemic footing, all the perils and problems that plague arts-based projects are amplified: operational costs, scarce resources, risk-averse behavior on every side. But we need what theater offers: Stories. Insight. Emotional connection. Community. Storytelling and improv shows on a local level are thriving because they fill that need. https://lnkd.in/eSSH8AYi