How To Succeed In Showbiz When No One’s Hiring with Creatives Carrie Freedle & Lauren Smerkanich

Episode Transcript
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Robyn Cohen (00:00):
Hello there, amazing creators.
Welcome back.
I'm Robyn Cohen.
And I'm curious.
Have you ever felt like You'vehad a creative urge that was
somehow blocked Or squelched byexternal circumstances?
ever wondered how some managedto turn challenges into creative
gold, Or what it takes to craftart that resonates deeply.

(00:23):
Are you open to the inspirationthat's going to fuel your
creative fire?
Well, we're about to addressthese burning questions in this
week's episode.
We're taking the joyrideadventure into the minds of
Hollywood screenwriter, CarrieFreedle, and powerhouse
playwright, Lauren Smerkanich.
This phenomenal duo beinginterviewed at the same time met

(00:43):
on a picket line in Hollywoodduring the strike.
When everything was shut down.
Can you imagine this?
When no one was hiring, wheneveryone was out of work, they
turned a seemingly, a definitelyrather grim situation into a
vibrant collaboration and acanvas of opportunity.
in their panoply of picket lineconversations.

(01:04):
They embarked on a creativeodyssey that birthed a brilliant
new stage play That is alreadytaking the arts and crafts
industry by storm.
So, as their phenom taleunfolds, let it serve as a real
reminder of what's possible Whenwe take hands with fellow
collaborators and align with ourpurpose.

(01:24):
Toward that end.
I'll never leave you hanging.
I'm offering a free open house,free for all, in every sense,
introductory acting class whereyou can get on your feet in the
Zoom room and meet your talentwhile fueling your unique
creative spark.
The class will be happeningonline Tuesday, April 1st, April
Fool's Day at 6 p.
m.

(01:44):
Pacific, but it's no joke.
It's actually your free ticketto what I promise will be an
incredibly rewarding explorationof your innate abilities and
talents.
The week after that, on TheCreative Horizon Ahead, our six
week acting workshop begins,both online and in person,
starting Tuesday, April 8th at 6p.
m.
Pacific, combining the best ofonline flexibility with live

(02:07):
theater magic in West L.
A.
Just email me at Robyn, Robyn iswith a y,@cohenactingstudio.com
Or visit the website atwww.cohenactingstudio.Com Cause
it's gonna be a blast! As willwhat you're about to hear inside
of Carrie and Lauren's inspiringstory.
So without further ado, let'sdive in.

(02:31):
Fantastic.
Well, hello, hello, and welcomeback to the daily joy ride.
today it's a special kind of aday.
This is the first time I've hadthe joy and honor and privilege
of having two incrediblecreative sprites on the podcast
at the same time.
So it's going to be the three ofus, some kind of magical

(02:51):
triumvirate in the making.
Carrie Freedle and LaurenSmerkanich.
These two powerhousestorytellers.
Each with a unique artisticvoice have really captured
audiences with their thoughtprovoking narratives and
meaningful contributions to theentertainment world.
Carrie Freedle's journey beganin Oklahoma, where her love, no,

(03:14):
just kidding.
No, But tell me about

Carrie (03:16):
it.
I mean, yeah,

This was AI.
AI thinks that you are fromOklahoma.

Carrie (03:22):
We can't trust the robots.
Yeah,

because

Carrie (03:23):
I'm from

Tennessee.
Which I knew because we justtalked about that.
We're Southern girls.
AI.
Listen, AI has gotten it rightpretty much up to this point.
But Now we know.
We I've never asked

Carrie (03:35):
AI about myself, so I don't know what you have on me.

AI has you born in a small town in Oklahoma.
It's not true.
Fake news.
Fake news.
This is amazing.
No, keep going.
I want to hear what else itsays.
This is fascinating.
This is what the robot said.
Okay.
Carrie initially set out to makeher mark in the world of
production, landing her firstjob as a production assistant.
True?
Um, I don't know.

(04:00):
On set experiences, coupled withher innate passion for
storytelling, propelled her intothe world of screenwriting.
Possibly?
I

Carrie (04:07):
mean, that sounds generic.

Generic.
This part's true.
Because I know it to be true.
Okay, Carrie studied at theacclaimed Playhouse West in Los
Angeles where she sharpened hercraft her impressive credits
include the hit Netflix filmAfterlife of the Party.
That's true.
Such a delightful title.
Um, as well as Hallmark Channelfavourites like My Secret

(04:30):
Valentine and Winter Love Story.
Yes.
Yes.
Carrie's ability to blendheartfelt emotion with engaging
narratives has established heras a standout screenwriter and
now a playwright in Hollywood.
I thought the second half, Ithought they nailed it on the
second half.
I don't know who they're talkingabout from Oklahoma.

(04:51):
Fascinating.
I'm now excited to see howLauren Smirkanich's is.
Are you a graduate of NYU,Lauren?

Lauren (04:58):
I am a graduate of NYU.
Yes.
Well, I got

one thing right.
Okay.
Okay.
So Lauren Smirkanich is agraduate of NYU's prestigious
Tisch School of the Arts, andshe brings her own unique lens
to the world of theater, filmsand television.
With a deep understanding ofcharacter development and
narrative structure, Lauren hascarved out an impressive career

(05:23):
as a writer and director.
Her works have earned criticalacclaim, including The Dignity
Circle, which debuted throughthe Central Works Writer's
Workshop, and Gigi Inherits FourMink Coats.
Ah, what a fantabulous title.
Thank you.
Which was a semi finalist in theAustin Film Festival Playwriting
Competition.

(05:43):
Her play, Halloween, earned acoveted spot as one of the top
30 playwrights in the SamuelFrench Off Off Broadway
Festival.
First of all, Lauren'scommitment to exploring
vulnerability and community andresilience through her writing
continues to resonate withaudiences across the mediums.
Together, Carrie and Laurenexemplify the power of

(06:05):
collaboration and a passion forstorytelling that bridges the
worlds of film, television, andtheater.
Their individual accomplishmentsare totally inspiring and
amazing, as well as theirability to blend.
their talents and perspectiveswhich makes them such an
exciting duo to watch.
So buckle up everyone becausethis joyride is about to take us

(06:27):
deep into their creativeprocesses, some personal
journeys and collaborativeprojects of two phenomenal
artists.
So let's dive in and start toexplore how Carrie and Lauren
came to be as this dynamic duoand how they're shaping the
landscape of storytelling withtheir ingenuity.
And they're huge.
Arts.
Welcome

Carrie (06:47):
to the show, Carrie and Lauren.

Lauren (06:50):
Thank you.

Carrie (06:51):
I feel like we're playing two truths and a lie.
Yes.

Yes.
For those listening, she'stalking about how AI recognized
half the of Carrie Freedle interms of some of your
professional accomplishments andsome of the things you've done
in film and television.
But they started her out in asmall town in Oklahoma and
talked about how she was a PA ona set.
Well,

Carrie (07:14):
I did start as a PA.
Yes.
You did.
So that part

is true.
But I think

Carrie (07:18):
I've only driven through Oklahoma.

Lauren (07:22):
Two truths and a lie.
Wouldn't it be crazy if I werefrom Oklahoma?
I'm actually the one.
I'm not.
I'm not.
It would be crazy if they justswitched us.
It would

be, I like, sort of alarming the way the are talking
about us.
It's fascinating.
And that's, that's such awonderful reminder.
you know, we've always hearddon't believe, you know,
anything you read.
We've heard that, but this issort of a different level, Well,
I think it

Carrie (07:47):
is interesting that it, is coming up on a podcast where
you're talking to creativesabout the creative process,
because it is, Something that'son top of our mind as far as
work we've done in the past,we're rooted in the future, if
we're going to be replaced, etc.
And I think it's a veryinteresting example of that, you
know, in real time.

Yeah.
Hey, we need, in real time,human beings that know how to
tell the truth about wherethey're from and what they've
done.
And can do all that much moreaccurately than a robot who
hasn't had the privilege ofmeeting you yet.
So, you know, it's sointeresting because you were
talking about, Playhouse Westand you from NYU and you're

(08:26):
collaborating for the first timeon a play, on a play.
You're writing a play together.
You have written a play togetherthat is iterating as we speak.
It's already had performancesand showings and it is in the
process of iterating and willprobably continue to do so until
it's on Broadway and touringinternationally.
But I'm so curious like how youfound each other and how you

(08:50):
knew that you were meant todrill down back to the ancient
art form that started, you know,sitting around the campfires or,
you know, in the Greek theaters,live theater, live theater.
I mean, if you can't tell Ilove, I love, I mean, it's not a
secret.
I'm a fan.
I'm a fan of the live performingarts and, like you both have

(09:10):
been doing it since the dawn oftime.
But I, I haven't ever workedwith, in television, I worked
with the Russo brothers.
So I've done TV where people areco directing and co leading the
ship.
But I haven't yet had theopportunity to work with Two
playwrights, two femaleplaywrights on a play that I'm

(09:31):
working on that said, at themoment, I am performing in Heidi
Schreck's play.
Heidi Schreck wrote What theConstitution Means to Me, and
she's also a television writer.
And so, I feel that I am workingwith a writer who is both the
writer and the performer in theplay.
So it feels like I'm workingwith two different people
because I'm playing her, but shealso wrote the thing.

(09:52):
But other than that metaexperience, it's so cool what
you're doing.
And how did you figure out howto do this?
And can you share a little bitabout the project itself to all
of our avid listeners?
Whoever wants to start.
We were neighbors

Carrie (10:08):
in Oklahoma.
Right.
Yeah.
So, yeah.
Fake news.
the University of Oklahoma.

I'm so sorry.
On behalf, on of AI Everywhere,Don't apologize for AI.
need to No, to be a better factchecker.
I'm going to be a better factchecker, thanks to you, And you
can count on me, next time we doour next podcast together, it's
happening, it's happening, afterthe play premieres and it's
going to Broadway, we're goingto do another podcast, you can
count on me to get it all right,regardless of what the robots

(10:41):
say.
much rather have this.
No, I am enraged.
How dare they?
That's actually how I reallyfeel.
Like, how dare they?
How dare I?
But I'm gonna give it up and geton with What were we talking
about?
Your play, your magic, and theway that you're collaborating to
sort of the roots, the roots ofarts and crafts, live, stage,
theater, that shared, live,communion, collaborative

(11:04):
experience that, you're in themiddle of right now together.
How's that going?
And how did that happen afteryou graduated from not the
University of Oklahoma?

Lauren (11:15):
well, we, I mean, we met on the strike lines last year,
during, uh, the WGA writer'sstrike, and that was just
really, like, a beautiful momentof, of kismet, I feel.
and, we just spent a lot of thatsummer walking around under the
sun, fighting for collectivebargaining rights.

God bless you.
God bless you.

Lauren (11:35):
Chatting and getting to know one another.
And, you know, this is kind of acliche, but I think it's also
true.
It's really hard to make adultfriendships.
And I was just very grateful tokind of meet somebody out of the
blue who I felt we had a lot ofcommon interests and we had a
lot of, common artistic pursuitsin that, we were both.

(11:57):
interested in, in continuing ourambitions in the same line.
And, we kind of like, we'redoing that dance you do, you
know, when you go on a firstwriter date where you're like,
well, would you ever want tomaybe, I don't know, maybe write
on something together.
And we were like passing booksback and forth and every once in
a while, one of us would saysomething that we were
interested in.
And then, the subject of theplay that we're That was in

(12:21):
operation from 1956 to 1973called WHER, and Carrie had
heard a podcast about it, so shepassed me the podcast, and,
while almost everything Carriehad passed me was interesting
and fascinating, this was reallysparky.
It felt like, ooh, I, I writeprimarily for the theater.

(12:43):
I'm mostly a playwright.
And, it was just one of thosethings.
It's this kind of ineffablefeeling where you're like,
that's a play.
That's a play.
I can feel it.
And I don't see all the partsyet and I don't know how they
all come together, but I'm like,I can see the stage and I can
see people in their costumes andI can see where I would want it
to go.
So I, I was very excited.

(13:04):
And I texted her back and I waslike, let's, let's get coffee.
so that's kind of a bulletpoint.
I don't know what else am Imissing?
There was much more to it.
Yeah.

Carrie (13:10):
I mean, yeah, that's it.
We, you know, we, met cute onthe picket line as you do.
And, you know, And on the picketline, there's a

title, there's a title for the

Carrie (13:20):
picket line, the picket line.
And this was actually, I mean,asking Lauren, if she wanted to
do this as a play was very scaryfor me.
I've never written a play beforeI come from, you know, the film
side, film nerd, very much thatside.
And, you know, this was a storythat I'd fallen in love with.
And I heard the podcast.

(13:41):
I think during the pandemic, I'mhitting all those like cultural
moments in our recent history.
Um, during the pandemic, it wasa podcast that I had heard in
WHER was the first all femaleradio station during the time
when Lauren said, and it was inMemphis, Tennessee.
And as we established earlier,I'm from Tennessee.
And it really listening to, itwas a really beautiful podcast,

(14:04):
the kitchen sisters.
Um, it was from, I think, like20 years ago, they had these
interviews where they weretalking to, they were called the
jockettes, which were the femaleDJs on the station.
And women did every part of theprocess.
They did ad copy.
They were the DJs.
They were engineers.
I'm listening to these womenspeak and they sounded like my

(14:27):
grandmothers and they soundedlike, you know, these incredible
strong women that I grew uparound in the South.
And during the pandemic, thatwas a very comforting thing to
hear because, you know, we'reall separated from family, one
another.
And then as a storyteller, I wasreally intrigued.
Because I had never heard ofthis all female radio station,

(14:49):
and it was down the road fromwhere I grew up.
I asked my mom.
She had never heard of it.
And so that story stayed withme.
And then when Lauren and I weregoing back and forth passing
books and ideas and things likethat, we knew we wanted to
collaborate.
We weren't sure in what medium.
I sent her the podcast with thisvery pleading, like, would you
maybe want to be patient enoughto work with somebody who's

(15:12):
never written a play before?
Um, so it was this incrediblething because she said yes,
because it did feel like, it didfeel like that was the best,
even though I never worked inthat medium as a writer, and I
have as a performer, that feltlike the best way to tell the
story.
And I'm so thankful that she,the professional in this world,
thought that as well.

(15:34):
Yeah.

And, and I love what you shared, just like
passing stories finding the ideafor a play I remember there used
to be a Sam French bookstore,right.
That was on Sunset and one thatwas in Studio City.
And we'd be at, Playhouse West.
I was there for like a decadeand we would.
We couldn't afford to, like, buyplays, so we would just go and

(15:56):
sit in the aisles of Sam Frenchor Dramatists and read play
after play after play after playand just look for scenes.
You know, we were looking for ascene partner and something to
put up in class.
And the education in just,reading plays You know, I teach
acting, it's, it's funny, Iteach theater in Hollywood,

(16:17):
which really isn't, I shouldprobably go to New York if I'm
going to teach theater, but Istay here because I keep seeing
how actors grow in the hands ofgreat writers, because it's the
great writers, like y'all, thatTell actors what they need to do
and where and how they need todevelop themselves in order to

(16:40):
tell your stories.
And so I'm giving them TeresaRebeck and, Shanley and they're
developing themselves and theirgrit and their craft.
And soon I would love to givethem, you know, your play to
work on you know, but becauseit's where they can really meet
their talent.
It's where they can really jointhe writer.

(17:02):
I tell my actors all the time,like, if you want to, if you
want to really do somethingmeaningful in this business,
fall in love with writers.
Because that's the marriage,that's the symbiosis, and it's
such a beautiful, when it is ahealthy one, it's such a
beautiful symbiosis, because weneed each other, in like a not

(17:23):
codependent, needy way, but weneed each other, That was advice
given to me by one of myteachers, Larry Moss, and so
whenever I'm with writers, Ijust want to like stop the car
and say, like, I'm in awe ofwriters.
I have a, I have, yeah, just thedeepest reverence for what you
do.
And, reading plays like I usedto, and so many, and I still, I

(17:45):
read them I read plays all thetime.
reading a play a week, like, haschanged my whole life, reading
plays all the time.
It's funny because I wish I readmore.
I wish I was like you andactually read books I'm always
reading, make believe,imaginary, stories, but I I
learn about humanity.
I learn about, like you'resaying, like these women that
did this amazing thing at thisradio station when no one was

(18:07):
doing it.
no one said it was possible.
And they're like, yeah.
You don't know about me.
You know what I mean?
Like, you don't know about me.

Carrie (18:16):
Right.
And that's what, I don't want tospeak for Lauren, but that was
one of the things that drew meto the story.
Was one we had never, I hadnever heard this before and what
these women were able toaccomplish, you know, together,
there wasn't a template for it.
There was no, nothing else likethis.
And these were women who camefrom all different walks of

(18:38):
life.
Some did come from radio in someway, shape, or form.
Some had nothing to do with it.
And, it was just a really.
Great.
I mean, it's a radio station, sotheir voice literally got to be
heard, but it was a great wayfor women at this time in the
mid fifties up to the earlyseventies to really get their
voice out.
And then what was going on, youknow, in Memphis during that

(19:01):
time in the country, in theworld at that time was also very
impactful.
So we, you know, have tried to,and we're still in the process
of doing it, take the You know,this small little bubble, these
women who are in the radiostation, how their, how they're
affecting one another in thatworld, while there is a bigger
world happening outside theradio station.

(19:22):
And we want I don't know aboutyou all, but for me, you know,
the historical stories that Ireally click to the most is when
there is a personal element or asocial element and it taking
almost a small nugget, you know,And that helps me understand
what's happening on a biggerscale.
and that was something I wasdrawn to with this story.

Lauren (19:41):
Yeah, absolutely.
I mean, I think that's, whereare we, I, I feel like Carrie
does this too.
I think she and I have spokenabout this, that like, you're
hoping that you're a sponge forthe stories that go across your
brain and across your desk.
and you're like, oh, that's, oh,that's got a nugget in it.
That's got a little detail.
that's got something I can latchonto.
And to build on a few of thethings that Carrie was talking

(20:02):
about.
We did, I think, spend a lot oftime talking about our moms and
our grandmothers while we wereforming the characters.
And, something that my mother inlaw had said to me recently was,
I didn't know there were anyjobs available to me other than
teacher or nurse.
I thought it was teacher, nurse,or mom.

(20:23):
So something that we werethinking about a lot in this,
this small world that reflectsthe bigger world is how women
react, how women react, interactwith one another and interact
with the concept of Having a jobof being good at something of
succeeding and just evenembracing the idea of ambition.

(20:44):
I think men take ambition forgranted.
I think they know that it'stheir birthright.
I'm allowed to be ambitious, butI think that it's more of a
journey for women.
And we were so excited to kindof take this little world and
use these people that we createdto demonstrate that.
So yeah, it's always taking thelittle grains and blowing them
up into a bigger theme.
and to speak to what you weretalking about Robyn, I mean, I

(21:05):
think you do have the luxury ofdoing that in theater.
We almost never leave the singleset that we've created.
So we have the time to writedeep, you know, and that's
really indulgent for writers.
And that's really indulgent foractors.
It's a gift to be able to dothat.

Carrie (21:21):
And that was something, you know, For me coming from
film and television.
well, first I wanted to add thatthis is inspired by those women.
So we're not doing, it's not adocumentary it's our
interpretation.
We're creating our own radiostation.
That's inspired by these women.
and going through this processand with Lauren's beautiful
patience and guidance with me,it was really cool to step into

(21:46):
the world of playwriting andjust.
focus on the women and thecharacters.
And as Lauren said, we have onelocation, so let's go deep.
And that's different than how Inormally approach stories, when
I'm working on a feature filmscript.
because with that, I'm writing afeature film, I'm writing a
script with the music in mind,the locations in mind, the

(22:09):
editing, you know, I'm seeingthis whole giant picture and it
was hard at first for me to justsit back and relax and just
focus on these women and not thewhole picture.
And then once I felt comfortableenough to do that.
It did open up this whole newway to tell stories that's just
as vast as if, we're writing anepic, a three hour epic for

(22:31):
Scorsese or something like that,you know?

Yeah.
Well, you know, Shakespeare,King Lear, it is epic.
Plays are born out of thegrandiose, the largeness of the
epic.
theater is, larger than life,because it's actually life alive
right in front of you.
so, want to go back a littlebit, Carrie, and also because I
do want to know where you camefrom and where you did your

(22:54):
training and how you got, howyou got into this business,
because the robots certainlyhave no idea.
but, um, for both of you, like.
You're a, you're a, like a gem,right?
you're a rare, precious thing,you're not a thing, but you're,
it's for women to be, in thisbusiness, just the statistics

(23:15):
and, we all know how many femaledirectors and writers there are
compared to, to male, um, forpeople listening, a lot of
students and arts and craftskinds of people, many of whom
are women.
But for the men too, how do weget over?
How did you get over?
I'm just going to call it, wecan call it spinach, but I'm
going to call it impostersyndrome.
Let's say, given that ourgrandmothers didn't even think

(23:39):
anything like that was possible,like.
Given that not too long ago,like what you're doing, it
didn't even occur as apossibility.
So take us back.
Like, how did you get thegumption and what can you share
with our listeners about how youcan generate creativity on your
terms?
as much as possible in themachines that already exist,

(24:02):
whether that's in theplaywriting world or in the
Hollywood world.
But how do we become the one ina million that's able to,
transcend the statistics and thenumbers and the odds are, yeah,
women aren't going to have thatkind of, like our mothers and
grandmothers said, you know,that birthright.
So if it wasn't in grain foryou, or maybe it was, but I'd
love to hear about how youmustered up all the creative

(24:23):
courage to do what you're doing.

Lauren (24:26):
well, I don't know.
I don't know if I would beinterested to hear from you too.
I don't know if impostersyndrome ever goes away.
but I think it's, flipping thatinternal switch and realizing
that it shouldn't be ahindrance.
It should be a motivator.
and that's the same with anxietyor any fear based emotion the
other side of that asexcitement.
And the other side is like, ifyou, I can do it.

(24:47):
and I think.
Look, I'd be lying if I saidthat I don't think I'll, I will
struggle with that until I putmy pen down for the last time,
you know, I close the laptop forthe last time.
But I think it's because of thewomen in my life that I have the
gumption to keep going.
My grandmother's, I mean,neither went to college.
The idea that I'm making aliving as an artist would baffle

(25:07):
them.
I think they'd be so thrilledand excited by it.
But I think they, would be, Imean, one of my grandparents
didn't even speak English.
So I don't think that like thiswould even have crossed their
minds.
So for them, I'm doing it forthem.
And I think they'd be thrilledby it.
And I think that in addition tothat, the number of women that
I've met who are both.
who have been mentors for me,not as many, more men than women

(25:29):
have been mentors, which we needto change.
but the number of compatriots Ihave and associates and friends
who are so active andhardworking and ambitious in the
creative community and to ourwomen, uh, you build your
network.
That's how you, I don't thinkanybody is the one in a million
that gets through there.
The one in a million that gotthrough with the, a million
other people behind them.

(25:50):
So I, it's just sharpen yournails, latch onto the women who
support you and don't ever, everlet them go.
I ya for both personal andcreative reasons, I think.

Carrie (25:59):
Yeah.
I agree with that.
it's interesting.
Like So I grew up in Tennesseeon a farm.
so I grew up in a very maleenvironment, you know, it was my
grandmother, my mom, myself, andthen it's all men.
It's weird.
I grew up on one hand knowing,okay, women did certain jobs.
Men did other jobs as far as.
The home you know, mygrandmother was waking up in the

(26:21):
morning and making a fullbreakfast for all the farmers
and going out and working in thefield and then coming back and
making lunch and going back andworking in the field and then
coming back and making dinner,so I saw, okay, my grandmother
is doing two jobs in two places.
My grandfather is doing one, butI also saw this woman who was
doing everything.

Lauren (26:39):
Yeah.

Carrie (26:40):
So I never, I didn't grow up in an environment where
I was told you couldn't dosomething because you're female.
I actually was told, well, youhave to do even more because
you're female.
And that's my interpretation ofwhat I grew up around.
So as far as.
your question of, what gives usthe courage or the gumption to

(27:02):
do this?
I don't know any better.
I don't know how not to do it.
I think, like Lauren, I don'tthink.
that making a living in acreative field was ever
something anyone contemplatedbecause that's just not one of
the life goals you choose, whenyou're not growing up in an

(27:24):
entertainment dominant world.
I mean, yes, I was outside ofNashville, but I can't sing a
lick.
So there's no way I was goinginto country music.
I'm completely tone deaf.
so I think being in a creativefield, Would be a surprise to my
grandmothers, but I think beingin a storytelling field would
not, because I did grow up, inthe South, working in the
tobacco patch and listening tomy grandfather and all the other

(27:47):
old men.
They may have been like 40, butthey just seem like they were
old men, you know, and likeoveralls and cigarettes.
And they're just tellingstories, it's a very, you know,
Oral tradition that I grew uparound.
So it's a very storytellingtradition.
and to me, that's how youcommunicate is by telling
stories.
And, so that part's natural.

(28:09):
I think with any person whopursues anything in the arts, I
think the people that love themare probably terrified for them
because it is such an, scary,unstable.
And it's also it's not atangible world.
You know, it's not like if youdo this job, you get this job
and you're moving up a ladder.
It's not very, it's alwaysmoving.
And that ladder is really shaky.
but I will say, like, I comefrom a very supportive

(28:32):
environment to let me pursuethis cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs
thing.
and, and like Lauren says, you,make friends, you bond, you hold
onto the people around you that,you connect with and, Hopefully,
like in this case, try to makesomething really awesome.

Yeah, yeah.
and clearly, there's a tie thatbinds you together, I can see,
forever.
And there's a, glue in this andworking on this play and this
production.
That's, you know, it's so, it'sso beautiful that you, found
each other on the picket line.
And what has it been like?
I mean, and Lauren, you've beenwriting plays, but what's it
like to write a play, as yousaid, like, this is about depth

(29:10):
and like, I know, you know, whenwe're working on plays as
actors, it's about slowing down.
It's literally about slowingeverything down because it's our
job, to bring a world to peopleand that requires to bring a
whole world to people requiressomething.

(29:31):
It's, you know, there's a cat.
He's also never come on to thepodcast.
There's Joffy, it's a new, it'sa new world.
Can you say hello?
but uh, what is that like to becollaborating as writers for the
theater in something that isjust, it's a constant, I mean, I
imagine the tie that binds youto is, quite profound.

(29:52):
Just given that, in this medium,There is so much, really,
really, there's, oh my gosh.
There's an animal.
There's a wasp.
Oh my goodness.
Hi.
Hi handsome.
Hi buddy.
This has never happened.
Do you know what I mean?
I was hoping that somethingmystical would happen today and
this is it.

(30:14):
But like to be combining in likethis deep, rich, soulful pool of
vibrations to create this piece.
What's that like to worktogether on a play?
Lay to create a play.
Ah, I'm enthralled.
Can you tell?
I am.
I am.
So is the cat.
We're going crazy over this.
We have a cat audience.

(30:35):
What has this been like?
How are you doing it?
Um,

Lauren (30:39):
well, I've never co written a play before.
So this is my first timecollaborating, on a play.
And, I'll try to answer thisquestion succinctly.
when I'm writing, I usually juststart writing.
I basically know what I'minterested in but I write to
find the characters.
I write to find the plot.
and that means that a lot ofnotebooks are filled before I

(31:01):
know where I'm going.
So, bringing that to ascreenwriter and just being
like, No, it'll be okay.
Let's just write.
I felt like I was just theworld's worst teacher.
I was like, this is awful.
I'm not giving you anything tohang your hat on.
This is very, very scary.
but, literally every playwritingclass I've ever taken from
college to, you know, the, classI took with a friend two years

(31:23):
ago was like, you write to find.
And, so that's what we did.
And Carrie was so trusting andjust went with me, on this crazy
Willy Wonka journey.
but Yeah, I think it's been likeany collaboration, I think the
challenge is you have to bereally self diagnostic about
your own work and about otherpeople's, but you also have to

(31:46):
be really generous.
and generosity is like secondnature to Carrie.
So I wasn't worried about thatat all.
But yeah.
you have to be really honestabout your own work, and what
you think is working in it, andwhat isn't working in it, and
you have to be, feel safe enoughto say that about the other
persons.
and so, marry that with workingin a medium that you might not
be comfortable in, and there's alot of vulnerability there, but

(32:08):
I was just so grateful andimpressed with everything that
Carrie and I batted about andthe from ideas to pages.
I would look forward to goingover and working with her all
the time.
So there's a lot that's like,scary.
I think, I don't know if, shefelt this way, but, you know,
there can always be monsters onthe edge of the map.
And I think we kind of justfigured out how to navigate them

(32:28):
in real time as best we could.
Yeah.

Like the Goonies, the Goonies adventure.
Yeah.

Lauren (32:33):
Yeah.
Yeah.

Carrie (32:35):
Yeah.
I mean, speaking of generosity,that's, with, with her talent
and her time and her point ofview, because I feel like I was
showing up almost likeblindfolded just like, okay,
push me over the edge becauseshe's very patient because a
majority, I would say somethingand go, can we do that?
Is that possible?

(32:55):
I'm probably way off, you know,because I felt like I had been
in a student position, which Iloved.
But also, a student position whois a writer.
Just a writer to another medium.
Medium.
You have your

Lauren (33:10):
own point of view, you have your own expertise.
you have your own gut instincts.
So it wasn't, student teacher somuch as, I don't know, what's it
like?
it's just two differentCombining processes.
Yeah, combining

Carrie (33:21):
Right, exactly.
and so it was actually reallyfun because Lauren is very
patient and very intelligent andincredible writer, and so.
There was an immediate trust andrespect.
So, I think, we felt safe tokind of experiment and figure
out how to write together.
Because I think in any processwhen you're, collaborating with

(33:41):
someone, there is that dance tofigure out how you collaborate,
no matter what it is.
And then you add it in a processwhere Lauren is very bravely
working with someone who hadnever worked with her.
written in this medium before.
and so a lot of it was us doingthat dance to just figure out,
okay, how do we communicate,with one another.

(34:01):
And then I think once we fellinto that, it really opened up
the door to just play anddaydream.
And, no one knows, no one knewwe were writing this.
We're not being commissioned todo it.
So it was just for, it is stilljust for us.
And there's a freedom to that.
and at least I needed thatfreedom to find it as we go, as

(34:23):
Lauren was saying, cause that'snot normally my process because
that's just not the process of,screenplays.
So it was really this beautifulexperience for us just to get
together and.
Daydream and play.
and I think we did a pat, we, orwe still do, we have more ideas.
Almost, there were so manyideas.
It's like, Oh gosh, how do weget them all on the page?

(34:43):
Because we love these women somuch and we love this world so
much.
we just want to get it all inthere.

Oh, it's such a relief to hear that.
whether you're an actor or awriter, whatever medium you're
in.
The way I can feel, it's like,It vibrates with the truth of
how much you both, like, lovedthis project into life.
Like, you loved it into life,rather than, as you said, no
one's telling, there's nodeadline, like, it was this sort

(35:12):
of magical, playpen, sandbox.
And I think that's such aprofound lesson and way to do
it.
And as actors and artists, wehave to remember to remember
that it is a love story.
It wants to be a love story withwhat we're creating.
We don't want to grind thisthing into the ground to get it
out there.
It's about like loving it as youdo, like your hearts.

(35:33):
I can just feel like you'reloving the experience, your
partner, the thing of itself,these women.
it's a love story thatultimately, materializes in the
physical world.
and I do want to hear how it'sactually materialized, like, I'm
gonna write 10 pages about whatthis scene might be about and
then send it to you?
Like, what did that actuallylook like?

(35:55):
Just in the everyday, in thepractical sense, like act one,
the scene one, Would you justwrite a scene and be like, here,
what do you think of this?
And then Carrie, you'd write,what if we added this?
Did you just sort of pass notesin class back and forth?
You know, kind of thing.

Lauren (36:08):
Yeah.
Yeah.
I mean, And, again, this is alittle granular, but like, what
I tend to do when I'm writing bymyself is, you know, you have
the idea, you have that flash oflike, oh, I think this could be
a play, and, to be completelyfrank, I'm not a particularly
experimental playwright.
Like a lot of my plays You couldbreak it down into a three act
screenplay and story structure.

(36:29):
I just tend towards that, so Iwill map it.
I won't outline it.
I'll map it.
And I'll be like, you know, Act1, these are the questions that
need to be answered, which willset us up for Act 2, which are
the questions that need to beanswered.
So Carrie and I kind of startedthere.
Again, I don't know howterrified she was by those
rambling emails she got from me,but, I was excited.
I want to read them.

(36:50):
I

want to read them.
I want to put them in the shownotes.

Carrie (36:52):
In

those

Carrie (36:53):
emails.
No, it very exciting to get itbecause that is the thing, you
know, when you collaborate withsomeone, you hope they're as
excited as you are.
And, and to the point where I'mlike, Oh shoot, Lauren's more
excited than me.
I just sent an amazing longemail too.

it's so incredible.
What a beautiful example oflike, When you look back on the
things that went well in life,you were kind of in a good
place.
Like I can just feel like thisis such a yummy place.
And so of course so tell me,where has it been?
And where is it going?
And, What do you want to do withit?
Cause I mean, it's been born,but it's a baby.

(37:29):
It's a relative, it's a relativebaby.
It's a baby.

Lauren (37:32):
Talk to me about your baby,

talk to me about your baby and where she's been.
And what is she up to?
And all those things.
We

Lauren (37:40):
have, we have a draft and we, developed it, with a
theater company up in Berkeley,Central Works.
They are the ones that premieredmy play last year as well.
and they just have this greatprogram, where eight or so
writers meet on Zoom.
every Saturday, and, sharepages.
It's a good old fashionedwriter's workshop.
And, they really, reallyincubate a really diverse group
of writers.

(38:01):
And it's just, you make of itwhat you want.
You know, you can bring in thesame ten pages over and over
again.
You can try to crank out morepages, whatever.
So we developed it with them.
And we had a reading at the endof the session.
learned a lot.
and we, I think we were in thisreally, uh, It's a little scary
because you're like, I want itto be done and I want lights to
be on it and actors to be castin it.

(38:22):
Sure.
Of course, that would be great.
But like we were in this, Ithink a really great position
where we ended the workshop andwe were like, Oh, we know where
we want to go next.
so we will be spending the nextcouple of months, I think,
revising and continuing to writeout the next draft and we hope
to continue to, develop it withCentral Works if they'll have us
and if not, we're going to besubmitting it all over Los

(38:43):
Angeles to various, again,incubators, which is the where I
know the best theatercommunities in Los Angeles to
be.
You know, this is like just,just playwrights in conversation
with one another and you meetpeople and you meet directors
and you meet actors and that'show you get a production.
So we're going to do that thingwhere we simultaneously write
and hope to network at the sametime.

Yes.
And so it's iterating as wespeak And it sounds like what a
lovely community where you'remeeting and in the trenches with
other collaborators and thatkind of support.
I think a creative community isas you mentioned earlier, it can
be a linchpin for whether youkeep going in this business or
not, because it's too hard aloneand I think, so many of us has
bought We've really bought intoor we've been fed these lies of

(39:27):
scarcity and separation And soit's always so lovely to, you
know, meet women who are like,yeah, that's bogus.
that's been shoved down ourthroats to get us to buy things
that'll make us feel like webelong.
And that'll make us feel like wecan fit in.
It can be a vicious.
cycle with that.
I talk to a lot of artists thatfeel desperately, like

(39:50):
desperately alone as writers.
have you ever had thatexperience and do you enjoy the
fact that, it takes some realtime, with just you and you?
and you find that it can becomelike too much just you and you
in the world of being a writeror, as you've said, you do have
networks of people and you'reconstantly in conversation with

(40:12):
other amazing creatives.
how have you found that balance?

Carrie (40:16):
I don't think you ever have enough time for anything.
You know, um, I like thecombination of just going off
and daydreaming alone.
and then, Working with someoneelse.
you know, in my non playwritingwork, I work solo.
Sometimes I'll work with apartner, but I like having the

(40:39):
balance.
And I think that was one thing,that Lauren and I both really
like, because we would go offseparately and work and we would
trade pages.
We would sit down together andtalk things out and then go
separately and work and thencome together and work.
So we tried to balance both ofthose things to give ourselves,
the safety, the freedom, thecreativity to.
Go down our own personalimagination, rabbit hole solo,

(41:03):
and then send each other theselong emails going, okay, it was
the middle of the night and Ijust had this crazy idea, what
if, and it was really exciting,because there was that trust
that we didn't have to sit infront of each other across from
each other.
Run every line by each other thewhole time.
so when we did come together,it's like we were both, you

(41:24):
know, both bringing somethingthat our crazy brains dreamt up
to the table and sometimes wedid it and then that's where the
beauty of sitting across fromeach other came from is we
would, you know, it's like, I'vegot nothing.
And then we would just startworking through things together
and you would watch that magichappen.
So I think the combination ofthe two.

(41:45):
is really, to me, veryinspiring.

Yeah.
Very winning.
I'm curious what works of arthave had the greatest impact on
you.

Lauren (41:56):
Oh, wow.
Oh no.
Oh no.
Um, you're, cause

you're, both of you are like bursting with
creativity and it's magical.
I'm wondering like, where wereyou fed?
Where did you go to the fountainfirst?

Carrie (42:12):
It's so funny.
You asked that and then I goBlake and then Talladega Nights
popped in my head.
I don't think that's, I don't,that's, it's so good.
It's a great

Lauren (42:23):
movie.

Carrie (42:24):
It's so good.
you know, again, like going backto how we grew up, I did grow up
in a storytelling environment.
I also grew up in a house wherethere's books everywhere.
And, I'm very much a book andmovie person.
That's how, what I fell in lovewith, but also just going off in

(42:44):
the woods and telling storieswith my friends.
So I've always, I've always beena big reader.
And, and I remember like as akid, I think like fourth grade.
I like hand wrote out a book,I'm doing air quotes, hand wrote
out a book in Illustrator thatand stapled it and sold it to my
classmates.
and so I was a published grade.

(43:04):
an amazing future publishedauthor in fourth

grade.
Hello.

Carrie (43:08):
So, I mean, the suckers, I don't know why, I would have
given it to them for free,whatever.
Um, no, so to getentrepreneurship,

it's fantastic.
And so inspiring.
I didn't

Carrie (43:19):
save any of that money, but I think my earliest,
inspiration, it came from booksand it came from film.
It came from music.
everything from classical musicto the music my parents grew up
on, to the music I discovered.
even though neither one of myparents work in the arts, I came
from a very, you know,literature, cinema, music loving

(43:43):
house.
So those were my first.

Lauren (43:46):
Yeah, the same.
We were all big readers in myhouse.
I do think that if you want tobe a writer, you've got to be a
reader first.
of anything, read everything.
and, I credit, being interestedin theater with, to my mom.
she took my brother and I did alot of theater when we were
probably too young to understandit.
she loved Where, what city was

this?

Lauren (44:05):
I grew up in Philadelphia, but we were far
from New York.
So we would go to see shows inNew York and then, cool.
I I mean, I'm going tocompletely acknowledge that not
everybody.
I am very privileged and luckythat my dad did a lot of, work
in London.
So we would all go to London andI saw a lot here in the West End
when I was like young.
So cool.
And I mean, It should beaccessible to thousands more

(44:26):
people, but I got thisopportunity, and I felt very
lucky about it, and you know, mymom loved, the, ceremony of it,
like, you go, and the lights godim, and you treat yourself to a
little treat at intermission,and I fell in love with the
ceremony of it, too, because itfeels special that this, what's
happening tonight, They're goingto do it again tomorrow night,

(44:46):
but it's not going to be thesame thing as it was tonight.
And there's something that's so,so magical about that.
And I was exposed to it when Iwas really young.
And the story that I always tellwhen I'm like, Oh, this is
magic.
we were lucky to see Macbeth atthe, the old globe.
Oh, I did too.

I did 25 years after you saw it.
I mean, I saw it recently, but,but, and you know what?
It is affordable by the way, thegroundlings you can, for those
listening, you can for a fewpennies, be a groundling.
You're going to have to stand upand watch a three and a half
hour show, but it's going to bethe best theater experience
you've ever had.
And you can go and stand up andbe a groundling and watch
currently like that.

Carrie (45:25):
Things, you know, especially in the summer and
things like that.
Yes, yes, absolutely.
But it is, it is hard.
There's

Lauren (45:31):
a hard, there's a big barrier to entry to theatre.
I think it's really inaccessibleto a lot of people financially.
And it's also very inaccessible.
I think a lot of people areintimidated by it or don't know.
And that's why I think it'simportant to expose people.
kids to it when they're youngand to have a part of education.
Anyway, I won't go down thatroute, but, next episode, next
episode, next podcast.
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,yeah, of the arts and education,

but It's coming.

Lauren (45:53):
I saw Macbeth and The only, scenic design element was
this giant slab it looked like amarble slab that was hanging
down from the rafters and it wastheir banquet hall.
It was, the Twisted Sisters.
Brewed their cauldron on it, andwhen, Lady Macbeth does her out
out, um, her dub dub spot Outdub spot

out.
Yes.

Lauren (46:16):
She walked back and forth on it, and basically it
turned into a giant, it almostboated back and forth.
It went back and forth, and backand forth, and she Having, her
mental break and it just, this,the scenic design mimicked what
was go, the turmoil that wasgoing on in her brain.
I didn't know that at the time,I can look back at that now.
But I remember thinking, this ismagic, like, I don't understand

(46:36):
what's going on, but I'maffected by it.
And, you know, you're alwayshoping to, like Aaron Sorkin
always says all he's hoping towrite is elevated schlock.
And that's true.
You're just hoping to makesomebody feel something.
You're just hoping.
Shakespeare too.

Shakespeare too.
He was like, how am I going todo this with the witches?
It'll be elevated schlock.
Schlock.
He does

Lauren (46:56):
Yeah, that's kind of right, Elevated Schlock, which I
love.
I mean, it's all just the mostbasic stories, but they're there
to move us.
And they do, and they work againand again and again.
So, yeah.
Ah.

Carrie (47:06):
It's funny, you just made me think of this.
I'd forgotten about this, but,it was so interesting.
My dad, he loved, he loves, ToKill a Mockingbird.
And we would do every year, wewould, as a family, everybody
would read the book.
We would watch the movie andthen in downtown Nashville, you
know, we live just outside ofthe city in downtown Nashville.
There was, oh, it seemed likeevery year there was some

(47:28):
production of Till Mockingbird,and this was a family thing that
we did.
Multiple years in a row, eitherwith, you know, that book, but,
there were a couple of others wedid as well, where we'd read the
book, we would talk about it,we'd watch the movie, and if
there was a live production, wewould do And it was such an
interesting, now that I, Iforgotten about that.

(47:49):
And so in my brain, the filmnerd brain, I'm like, Oh, these
three things are related.
Like I never saw them separate.
you know, it was just cool to methat you've got this one story
that can exist in multiplemediums.
And, and that was a really funfamily thing that we did.

We also

Carrie (48:09):
watched a lot of James Bond, but that was different.
Oh, of course.

Of course.
Speaking of James Bond andShakespeare.
If could walk a mile insomeone's shoes for a day,
living or no longer alive, youcould walk a mile in someone's
shoes.
Who might that be?

Lauren (48:26):
they have to be, in the arts or?
Okay.

Anybody, anyone could be a public figure.
It could be someone that we'venever heard of.
Yeah, it could be someone thatyou're related to in your
family.

Lauren (48:37):
Julia Child.
Oh, the whole All of her?

Carrie (48:41):
or just.
Like the spy and the food oreverything?
I

Lauren (48:44):
don't know.
I, yeah, I would want to walkall of it.
I'm fascinated by her workduring the war.
I'm fascinated by her meetingPaul.
I love everything she did inFrance.
I love everything she did whenshe came back to Boston.
I'm a giant Julia Child.
Oh! I just, I love her.

And if time and money were no object, would you
do a piece about, would youwrite about her?
Is there a play

Lauren (49:11):
coming down the pipeline?
I think I would love that.
I mean, she's been, there's goodmovies and good television have
already been done about Julia.
Sure.
But I mean,

not so much in live theater.
Have we seen her?
That is

Lauren (49:23):
true.
Well, thank you for the idea.

2025! Looking strong.
That's podcast number three.
That's so cool.
How about you, Carrie?
If you could walk a while insomeone's shoes, anyone for a
day or so.
I'm going to.
Who would

Carrie (49:41):
it be?
Mine would be Martha Gellhorn,and I'm looking off to the side
because I have a quote by her,up in my house.
And, so Martha Gellhorn, forthose who don't know, she was a
war journalist, Spanish CivilWar, World War II, she was the,
I think the first, I know shewas the first female journalist,
she may have been the first,journalist period that was on

(50:03):
the beaches of Normandy during DDay.
And then she walked and went allthrough World War II, and then
was in every preceding war andskirmish until her death.
but this quote that she has, isall I wanted to do was go
everywhere and see everythingand sometimes write about it.
And I just love that, you know,she was also married to

(50:25):
Hemingway, which, you know, alot of I heard of him once I
heard of that guy, but a lot ofpeople try to say, Oh, she was
one of Hemingway's wives.
But to me, she was this, reallyinteresting, strong, independent
woman in a time where, you know,she was young and.
She goes to Spain and wants toreport on, you know, on what's

(50:47):
happening.
That's, that was hercontribution.
And, she had to, even with.
getting to Normandy, she had tosneak her way onto a boat
because, women weren't supposedto be there.
So, so yeah, so Lauren is Juliaand me as Martha would have
passed each other because it'sthe same time period.
We probably would have walked byeach other in France being like,

(51:09):
Hey, how's it going?
What's up?
You know, or something.
I'm a croissant.
Yeah.

In the world of playwriting, you could put them
together in a conversation.
That's what you can do in theworld of arts and crafts and
theater in particular.
Okay, well, now you've inspiredanother question.
What's the biggest risk thatyou've ever taken?
I mean, these women that you'retalking about, wow, you
powerhouse, spiritually, rooted,creative entrepreneurs since the
fourth grade and beyond, what'sthe biggest risk you've ever

(51:37):
taken?

Carrie (51:38):
well, riding a bicycle in downtown.
Paris was terrifying.
So That was scary.
I also got hit by a car.
Oh, no, sorry.
I'm okay.
I'm okay You look she looksfantastic

for those who are just listening and can't see
these beautiful glowing They'relike literally beaming with just
creative joy and fun Friendship.
And it's just like, and they'relike, it's like glowing.
So for those listening in, checkout the YouTube channel as well,
but continue.
So okay.
That sounds pretty like riskybusiness.
That is risky business.

Carrie (52:09):
Um, oh gosh, that's a hard question.
I don't think about what I do inthat way.
Do you Lauren?
I love that.
Yeah.
You just do it.
Maybe it was writing this play.

Lauren (52:18):
Maybe it was writing this play.
I don't know.
Maybe.
Maybe.
I think it was, this is like, Ihave nothing.
I'm, I'm very not brave.
I spend a lot of time in my roomlooking at my laptop.
I, I'm probably coming to LA.
I don't know.
I think that was the biggest.
It's definitely the point in mylife where my life took the
biggest fork, you know?
and, I didn't think it would payoff and I'm glad I'm here, I

(52:43):
guess.
I'm just really glad I'm here.
And if you have students thatare like, this is a hard place
to live, it is.
But find your people and itbecomes a little less scary.
So, yeah, I'd come to LA.
Yeah, and

worth it.
Like, and by the way, regardingsaying I'm not courageous the
courage to do that, I just haveto acknowledge that for you and
for everyone else who is likestepping outside of wherever
they came from to do somethingthat nobody before them in their
family or lineage has donebefore.
I just, I am so admiring ofthat.

Carrie (53:13):
I think, you know, off of what Lauren said, I think
anytime that you, are betting onyourself, it's really scary and
really brave.
And as creatives, you know, amajority of the time, it's just
you betting on yourself becausepeople aren't looking for us,
we're having to go tell themwe're here, you know, whether

(53:33):
you're a writer or an actor, amusician, you know, so you're
gambling on yourself everysingle day.
So.
I don't know.

the courage, but it's also the generosity because
if we don't, if we don't drum upthe courage, it's not courage if
you're not afraid.
Right.
We all know that.
It's not courage if you're notscared but that we do it.
if you don't do it, they'rerobbed.
The world would be robbed ofthis play.
They'd be robbed of thestorytelling.
You know what I mean?
Like, it's a highway robbery.
If we don't, on some level.

(54:06):
Do you know?
So God bless you for, you know,being a guiding light and a
North Star for people that arelike, well, no one wants to see.
Yes, they do.
The world needs all of it.
I mean, the world needs, morelight, and and whenever we're
shining that light, whether it'sin theater or film or television
or on stage or writing books,it's a real gift and it's really
so needed you know, in theworld.

(54:26):
And, I love that people hearingthis are like, oh yeah, These
women, these artists, they, likeme, like them listening in,
like, yeah, they're scared too.
just to move to Los Angeles, Itoo, I slept on a towel, I
didn't know anyone, I wassleeping on this towel from Bed
Bath Beyond for a while.
But, it really is, like, youknow, but the contribution that

(54:48):
you are, is really, It moves medeeply.
And I want to know, I want toknow where people can find you
in the world.
Also, how they can come alongfor the ride of this play
somehow, or if there's a placethey could follow it, or if it
has a page or something, orwhere they can, you know, Just
find you a website.
where people can, you know,they're not going to stop.
This is, hey, people out there,we're not, this is a gentle,

(55:11):
lovely way to just get in touchwith some amazing powerhouse
creatives, but where can peopleget in touch with you or find
you?

Lauren (55:18):
well, I think we're both recluses, but, um, I am in our
living rooms.
Yeah.
Um, my sweat pants.
Exactly.
My Instagram handle is atlsmerk86.
L S M E R K 86.
I really only post about playsthat I've seen or plays that I'm
in or plays that I'm doing orand I think that the theater

(55:40):
community in LA is actuallyvery, very inclusive and lovely.
So if you have any questionsabout that, I'm also happy to,
you know, go ahead and DM me.
That's fine.
and in terms of this play, we'redefinitely.
Keeping our baby close to, closeto the vest right now and we're
so grateful to have theopportunity to talk about it
here.
but once we feel like it's alittle bit more ready to see the
light of the world, we will beshouting it from the rooftops

(56:02):
and we promise that.
So we will let you know.
We will email you.
We

Carrie (56:05):
cannot wait.

Lauren (56:06):
Yeah.
Yeah.

Carrie (56:07):
We cannot wait to just, uh.
This is your first

interview.
This is going to be your firstof lots It is.
You guys heard it here.
It really

Carrie (56:14):
is.
This is our first interviewabout the play.
It's our first interview as awriting team.
Yeah.
Very exciting.
We're going

all the way.
This whole adventure ride.
How about you, Carrie?
How can we follow you along thisbeautiful creative path?
I am the

Carrie (56:27):
worst ever on social media.
but I am on Instagram.
It's my first and last name.
And I never post anythingbecause I'm lazy.

It's not true.
I love what these people,they're coming up with these
character descriptions that likewould never be in the breakdown.
You know how actors get abreakdown of the character?
They have some wild characterbreakdowns of themselves.
No, I mean, I mean,

Carrie (56:49):
You may see me shuffling around at a coffee shop, like,
getting hopped up on caffeine soI could, you know.

but I do really appreciate you even just sharing
where people could ask you aquestion because I do think
that, that arts and crafts isalive and well in you and so
many other people and they wantsome more intel They want to be
able to ask questions, orthey're just starting out.
But I think people that are inthis for the reasons we talked
about, you just love the thingand you've just got to do it.

(57:16):
And, have it go from yourimagination to the physical
world.
I think They want to connectwith other artists, like minded
people like that.
So thank you.
And, um, and this was an amazingpart one of a series.
Thank you guys.
Also, we had an amazing danceparty.
They introduced me to somereally sweet jams.

(57:38):
So thank you for that as well.
And um, I'll share in the shownotes where you all can find
them.
but Lauren and Keri.
Wow.
This is such a dynamic duo.
Thank you.
This is such a treat.
I do.
Thank you.
I feel that she's making forthose listening.
She's making the heart.
I don't know.
heart with my fingers.

(57:58):
don't know.

Lauren (57:58):
Gen Z has a cool way to do it.
I'm doing the old schoolmillennial way.
I don't know.
Your heart.
There's different ways.

Carrie (58:05):
This is how.
Out of touch I am.
There's different ways to heart.
Evidently.

Lauren (58:09):
I only know what I occasionally see when someone
else shows me a TikTok.
Not a TikTok, but from amillennial.

Carrie (58:16):
Same, I'm like, I'm not on any of it.
I'm on Instagram.
DM

I just want to like live in this zoom room forever,
making heart emojis.
Thank you guys so much.
I really appreciate it.
This is such a joy.
you're such a gift.
It's really an honor to be withyou.
And I'm so glad.
Yeah, I'm so glad I know you nowand now I get to know you
forever because I'm going to bein touch and be like, when are

(58:39):
we doing episode two?
So,

Lauren (58:42):
love it.

Yeah, I love it too.
so much.
Thank you for wanting to talk tous.
Virtual

Carrie (58:48):
hugs.
Virtual

hugs.
Feels

Carrie (58:51):
good.
Did we hug the right way too oris there different ways to hug
now?
It was perfection.

Mastery.
Again, in the DMs, let us knowhow to

Carrie (58:58):
hug.

love this.
This podcast is taking a wholenew direction.
We're going to learn all sortsof tips and tricks of the trade
for making it in showbiz.
What's a good, what's aHollywood hug for you?
What's a heart?
What's a heart?
What is a heart?
Well, I have certainly, I feellike you just walked me back
home to myself today.
Thank you.
And my heart.
So thank you both so much.

(59:21):
Thank you.
Till time.
next time.
Thank you both so much.
Bye, Well, that was sodelightful, so nourishing.
These women, man, these women,man, wow, they are doing
something that's like never beendone before.
they're writing a play togetherand I can see how it's gonna
change the face of things thatthey're doing it and I can

(59:42):
really just feel it.
Feel how they have loved thiscreative partnership into the
world and they've loved this newplay that they've co written
into life a play for the stagetogether to boss Hollywood
writers got together on a picketline.
Well, you heard the story, butif that doesn't float your boat
and I can just see it, We'regoing to be there.

(01:00:05):
Those listening in will followthis journey.
I'm going to put in the shownotes where you can, stay in
touch with them.
And, I'm already there.
We're at opening night and we'restanding ovations.
And I just love the takeaway oflike, we don't have to grind
ourselves into the ground.
To make our stuff, we canliterally be pulled by a vision

(01:00:25):
and just the enjoyment of theprocess and love our creations
into the world, rather than,having it be this experience of
trying to get it right andperfect and this grind and this
hustle culture, you know, Ithink It's a, it's a process
whereby we can just really beenjoying the thought, like they

(01:00:47):
are, of this play that theycreated together.
And they're enjoying thatprocess so much that it's like
they're just loving it fromtheir mind's eye, from their
imaginations.
Into the physical world and I'mgonna be there opening night
standing O's watching them onthe red carpet When they go to

(01:01:08):
New York Broadway West End andbeyond So I think that's such a
wonderful reminder that it'scalled a play not a drag Isn't
it?
A screenplay.
teleplay.
It's called a play, So,something to always, keep in
your back pocket that, we can goback to and touch down to the
cornerstone of why we did it inthe beginning anyway.

(01:01:30):
You know, keep getting in touchwith, as they did.
They were sharing, like, whotheir greatest influences were
and keep Bringing ourinspirations and the people that
light us up into our processesso that it's just baked in with
the goodness and the inspirationand the loving of the doing of
the thing in and of itself forno other reason, not to try to
please people or not to try toget people's approval, but just

(01:01:54):
because you love doing it somuch, so much the thing in and
of itself.
All right, well, this has been aglorious joyride.
I feel like I've been on aroller coaster, I can't wait to
see you next time.
Stay hydrated, don't text anddrive, you know, all the things,
all the things.
Okay, muah! Till then, bye!Well, Thank you so much.

(01:02:14):
for joining us on thiscaptivating adventure with the
amazing Carrie and Lauren.
What an exhilarating example ofwhat's possible when we put
ourselves out there with passionand love for what we do.
their resilience andresourcefulness turned a huge
industry setback into a vibrantwork of art.
let's keep this thrivingcreative energy alive and kickin

(01:02:38):
If something resonated for youin today's episode, I invite you
to share it with a friend.
Email it to a buddy, text it toa colleague, a bestie, anyone
you think could benefit from ashot of inspirational energy.
and feel free to leave a reviewbecause that's how we can expand
this circle of awesomeness.
Next, don't forget to email meat Robyn@CohenActingStudio.Com

(01:03:02):
or visit the website atwww.cohenactingstudio.com It's
all in the show notes.
and join my free introductoryacting class.
It's happening online Tuesday,April 1st at 6 p.
m.
Pacific, and you'll want to bethere because it's just what you
need to catapult yourself to thenext level of your artistry then
our next six week actingworkshop begins April 8th on

(01:03:25):
Zoom and includes live sessionsin West LA.
also, if you're up for apersonalized journey, our
exclusive one on one sessionsare perfect for diving even
deeper.
It all works.
And either way, let's carve outyour creative path in
collaboration with one another.
as we've seen so beautifullywith Lauren and Carrie, we rise

(01:03:46):
together.
So here's to it.
And here's to you.
May every creative happiness andartistic fulfillment be yours.
Till next time on the DailyJoyride.
Mwah! See you soon.

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