November 27, 2025 • 37 mins
In part two of this insightful episode with actor, writer, and director Marcus Callender, Loren Lorosa explores the evolution of his creative journey and the inspiration behind his stage production, Spades. Marcus opens up about navigating Hollywood without representation, the importance of betting on yourself, and how real-life experiences shaped the characters and themes in his play.
They dive into the cultural significance of theater for Black communities, the need for fresh storytelling, and how stage work allows creators to connect more intimately with audiences. Marcus shares his vision for elevating live theater, building community partnerships, and amplifying authentic voices in entertainment. This episode highlights the challenges and triumphs of independent creativity, emphasizing perseverance, representation, and the power of owning your narrative.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
I'm a homegirl that knows a little bit about everything
and everybody.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
You don't know if you don't lie about that.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
Right, All right, y'all, we're gonna get back into part two.
Speaker 3 (00:15):
I'm Laura the Rosa.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
This is the Latest with Laura Rosa, which is your
daily dig on all things pop culture, entertainment, news, and
all of the conversations that shake the room. We've been
having a conversation with creator, storyteller, actor, director and writer
Marcus Callender. He played Oliver Power Grant or you may
remember him if you've watched Ghost Power Book two. He
(00:38):
played real Ray. Y'all, remember we lost Raina, Baby Raina
because of ray Y. Now tap in as we get
into the final part of our conversation about how he.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
Stuck it out good, bad, ugly.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
They say the power actors don't get more jobs, but
he stuck it out and now he is bringing Spades
to play to life on stage here in New York,
and you guys get an exclusive listen of what the
inspiration was. So talk to us about why Spades, Like,
I know you said you walked into a place one
time in LA and people were playing space check. I
gotta get back to it, but originally like why write
(01:12):
a play about space? Like why is that? This is
like your passion project? And also tell us about us,
you know, briefly, what what is the story? What is
the log line of the play?
Speaker 4 (01:22):
Okay, before I tell you that, here's another thing too
for people to know. When I was putting that reading
together last year, my agent drop.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
That, also, how does it? So?
Speaker 3 (01:35):
What happened when you say they robbed you?
Speaker 2 (01:37):
Like? How?
Speaker 1 (01:38):
Because I'll be watching my money like I mean, but
I'm also I mean, I'm not a regular series on
a network show or a streaming platform show, so my
checks maybe not like yours, but I be no, I'm
in all of it, Like, yo, what's up?
Speaker 4 (01:52):
So while I'm while I was getting ready to put
this reading together, I woke up from a nap and
my agent calls me. I'm thinking I booked something, because
that's the only time they call you. She's like, yeah,
you know, Unfortunately, we're gonna have to let you go
because due to the writers strike, a lot of things
were cut Agired.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
Agents are being fired there.
Speaker 4 (02:13):
You know, the rosters are getting smaller, and I was
with a big agency, so I knew it was going
to happen.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
I was like, if I don't book something.
Speaker 4 (02:20):
They probably gonna drop me, which is really fucked up
because I just did three seasons of a show where.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
Y'all getting that money.
Speaker 4 (02:27):
Yeah, y'all so quick to drive me, you know, because
I'm not working off of a writer strike.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
That's crazy.
Speaker 4 (02:33):
But at the same time, I didn't even I didn't
even react crazy. I didn't ask questions. I just said, okay, cool,
because I knew it was all a part of the plan,
all a part of Guy's plan. Because I knew that
that had to be cleared away in order for me
to really dive in because now I don't have an agent.
Now I don't have any reps, so I'm not auditioning
(02:54):
for anything. So I have no choice but to focus.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
On this, right.
Speaker 4 (02:59):
So it was it was a blessing in disguise, you
know what I mean. But it was also my first
time not having reps.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
Well, you said they robbed you?
Speaker 2 (03:07):
What, like what the no?
Speaker 3 (03:08):
No?
Speaker 1 (03:08):
No? No?
Speaker 2 (03:09):
The drop?
Speaker 3 (03:10):
Oh dropped You said they rob no no? What did
they take? Like, we're with them? Okay, they dropped you?
Speaker 1 (03:15):
Okay, I mean yes, but I also feel like too,
and this is just like twenty twenty five, Lauren speaking,
I feel like unless your agent is like moving mountains
for you, you can kind of low key figured the
shit out with a good manager, G lawyer honestly just
good lawyer, a manager if they really whit you with you.
(03:35):
But I don't think you need like that's where I'm
at right now too, us like talent that is.
Speaker 3 (03:40):
Learning to build a team.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
I'm like, I don't need all these people, all these
noises and all these decisions and blah blah blahlah like splits. No,
Like I just need one to two good people. That's like, yo,
we out where we gotta be, what we gotta do.
Like so it was a blessing in disguise, and I
think the world and the industry changed. Where agent, you know,
for you as a playwriter and creator and also talent
(04:03):
would be amazing. We want to speak that into existence,
but you could do.
Speaker 4 (04:07):
It without exactly but because I think what it not,
I think I know what it allowed me to do
was like really tap into all of these talents that
I have because I don't consider myself just an actor.
When people ask me what I do, I tell I'm
a storyteller. Whether that's acting, directing.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
And writing, you know. So it allowed me to like
really dive into that and really own.
Speaker 4 (04:28):
It, you know what I mean, Because for a long
time it was like yeah, right, but you know, but
now I'm owning it, you know what I'm saying. No,
I'm a playwright, I'm a writer, I'm a director, I'm
a producer, and I'm an actor. I do all of
these things and I think I do it pretty well.
So it's like a multi a multi hyphen it as
they call it.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
So it gave me.
Speaker 4 (04:48):
All this time to dive in, and I fucking I
committed to it, you know what I mean. I put
all my money into it because I know, you know,
for me, I'm like sitting on this story because it's
bigger than the play. So let's get into that.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
Yes, So what inspired me to write this play.
Speaker 4 (05:07):
I was learning how to play Space at the time
with some friends and what I thought was interesting was
I was like, Yo, I feel like watching the game
is more interesting than the game because.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
It's just so much drama. It's all this other shit.
I said, Yo, this would be a dope.
Speaker 1 (05:22):
Play in anybody house and anybody you know what's crazy?
I was before I left TMZ. We were piloting a
podcast for me, and now Nick Cannon has me playing spades.
But I said to them, I'm like, we should do it,
like let's just sit down and play space with people. Yeah,
I mean, of course they didn't really understand it. And
my co host shout out to Tawanna. She's still there
(05:43):
at TMZ. She don't know how to play spades. I
don't think she got to beat because she's never been
at the spades table. But so when I the name
of your play grabbed me. But also when I saw
Nick Cannon doing we playing spades to sit down in conversation,
I'm like, this is like Genians for any black person
to live off of or thrive off off, because it
is entertaining just watching and hearing.
Speaker 4 (06:02):
The game exactly. So I'm like, Yo, this will make
a dope play. And I knew that, you know, I
was at the time. I was starting to dab in
writing and stuff like that. So I was like, yo,
let me start writing this. And as I said, it
just kind of poured out of me. The characters, because
all of the characters in the player are based off
of people that I know.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
So let's talk about the story, So give us the
It's very simple.
Speaker 4 (06:25):
Yes, it's about a group of friends that get together
on a Friday night in Harlem to play some spades.
But on this particular Friday, things go a little left,
as they typically go in a space game. You got
the liquor flowing, you got the we going, Things kind
of go a little left. The main character, we got
Gil Who's house. They're at Corey and Andre. These are
(06:48):
the core. This is the core friend group. But then
Gil invites a new friend to come play who can't play,
and she kind of stirs the pot a little bit.
Speaker 3 (06:59):
The girl is the girl.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
Okay, So the first time I came to see the
play in Dumbo House, I thought that she was Gael
Bean it was Gil.
Speaker 3 (07:08):
Oh, so it was Gail. Gil was okay, all right?
Speaker 1 (07:11):
Because then when I came in Harlem, I'm like, wait,
that wasn't Gail.
Speaker 3 (07:15):
Am I tripping? But because they look they resemble each other.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
Actually, okay, so thanks for answering that for me, because
I thought I was tripping. I'm like, yo, I had
just interviewed Gail for BT Talks, and I'm like, I
know Gail.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
I've been watching her. And then I come and I'm like.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
You tribab Me interviewed her while she was in rehearsal I.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
Did, which was so crazy. Yeah, which was so crazy
because I didn't I didn't know.
Speaker 3 (07:38):
I came to the.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
Play because Taylor shout out to Taylor made it, who
is our one of the producers here on the podcast
for the latest with Long the Roads, which is how
we met. She just was like, Yo, my friend has
this play? Come with me? And then and I told
her yes because I love plays. And then I didn't
make it to that. She was like still just go,
like just pull up and I was like, okay, cool.
So I came and when I got there and I
(07:59):
saw Gail, I was like, oh shoot. But then when
I came to the second time, I'm like, did I
not seek.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
No. Yeah, Gail is doing a play right now in LA.
Speaker 4 (08:09):
But I had her for that reading, which was which
was great because she came in last minute.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
She came in last minute out.
Speaker 3 (08:16):
She was reading from the script.
Speaker 4 (08:18):
Yeah, okay, so that was another stage reading. And that's
another thing too. I'm realizing through this process, like there's
a lot of like theater things that some people don't
know about, especially in our communities particularly, And you know,
that's kind of a part of why I'm doing what
I'm doing, because I feel like theater is becoming a
(08:40):
lost art form in our community particularly. I feel like
everybody wants to be on TV, everybody wants you know,
the social media stuff. But it's like, yo, let's take
it back to the stage. Let's take it back to
the purest form, you know what I mean. Like, for me,
all my favorite actors coming up a theater act.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
And I think people too don't understand that, like stage
live anything, theater plays, that's where you get instinct from.
Speaker 4 (09:06):
That's where you get your instant That's where you learn
how to act on stage. But not only is it
getting lost in our community, but I think a part
of that has to do with the material that's being produced.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
You know what I mean.
Speaker 4 (09:20):
I feel like not enough of us are being inspired
to say, like, hey, I'm gonna write a play.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
You know.
Speaker 4 (09:26):
Everyone's like, yeah, you know, I wrote this movie, I
wrote the screenplay, but very rarely are you here, No,
I wrote this play, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
And to me, you know, I'm gonna be real.
Speaker 4 (09:35):
I feel like a lot of plays right now I'm
going to the theater. Everything fucking sucks. I'm like falling asleep, you.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
Know what i mean.
Speaker 4 (09:42):
I'm sitting here for two hours and what you know
what I mean? I want to I want to have
an experience, you know what I mean. That's the whole
point of theater. That was what made it different going
to go see a play as supposed to going to
see a movie, because you knew you were gonna get.
Speaker 3 (09:57):
An experience in experience, remember when people.
Speaker 4 (09:59):
Were excited to see the actor spit on stage, like yo,
Like I could see the actors spit and like yo,
they they really in it, you know what I'm saying.
So for me, I was like, yo, I want to
I want to bring that essence back. So that's a
part of what I'm doing with the play. I mean,
you were there, like the audience is right there, you
know what I mean?
Speaker 1 (10:17):
Because our actors played to the audience too, like when
they're toast when they chairs which, to be honest with you,
if you are at a family get together and space
is going down and they get a little crazy, everybody
joining in, everybody they talking about the renigga and they
talking about that. You know what I'm saying, so it
felt like that like family get together environment, which was.
Speaker 3 (10:36):
Great question for you.
Speaker 1 (10:44):
So you say every character in the play reminds you
of someone or based off of someone that you know.
Speaker 2 (10:50):
Right.
Speaker 1 (10:51):
I thought it was interesting because Spain is very synonymous almost.
Speaker 3 (10:55):
I mean, I don't know if white people the white
people play Spades. Sophie.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
I've met one white person.
Speaker 1 (11:00):
Okay, you know what space is, Okay, I've never I
just thought about this right now and forming this question.
Speaker 3 (11:11):
I've never even heard the white person even talk about space.
Never heard of space in your life? Okay.
Speaker 1 (11:20):
She just left at Landa Okay, Okay, yes, so it's
oh girl, dang, we gotta bring Sophie to the play.
Speaker 3 (11:33):
It would freak her out. Okay.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
So okay, So Spades is it's it's a black thing.
The lead character Guild that you talked about is a
gay man in the play. I thought that that was
as a creator and a person that writes. I was like,
I don't know, because I didn't make it to the
end of the play. I was like, I don't know
if he did this on purpose, but that instantly drew
me in because I was wondering what role or what
(11:57):
conversations do you want people to leave the play having
becau because our community sometimes shies away from anybody in
any type of community that sexuality wise, they don't accept.
So a gay male as the lead of the play,
he's very openly gay the first not to get the
story away, but he's dibbling and dabbling into you know,
the DL conversation right off writ off the rint and
(12:20):
I'm okay, I didn't get to that part.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
Oh yea yea yea yeah, yeah, yeah, yah yaha.
Speaker 3 (12:28):
Oh okay. So but see even with that, I did
see that part.
Speaker 1 (12:32):
I didn't think that because so in the play basically,
for those who didn't hear the off came off camera
voice in the play, there's a point where he's talking
about his homegirl's mom.
Speaker 3 (12:41):
But my gay guy friends will compliment you.
Speaker 2 (12:43):
Up and down.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
They don't want you though, but they the gay men
are you know they're not. There's so much personality and
characteristic there that those compliments. In the way he was
talking about her mother, I just thought it was her
homeboy just complimenting her mom because she's fine.
Speaker 4 (12:58):
I mean, the nuance of that character is that like,
yes he is gay, but like he doesn't consider himself
that to him, he just likes what he likes, you
know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (13:07):
It just happens to be men all the time.
Speaker 4 (13:09):
Yeah, but he just likes what he likes. So for him,
it's like I could pull whoever the fuck I want
to pull, right, you know.
Speaker 2 (13:15):
What I'm saying.
Speaker 4 (13:15):
So that's what also gives his character that that nuance
and you know, that kind of special energy, and it
makes his character more specific and not so general, you
know what I mean.
Speaker 3 (13:27):
Because Yeah, and he's a very strong likes person like you.
Speaker 1 (13:33):
He resonates very well, like you feel like you know him,
you have a friend like him as a straight man.
Writing for his part though, because that was another thing too,
I'm sitting there and I'm like, you know this, I'm like,
hold on, wait, I didn't know your sexual preference at
the time, and talking to you right now, I still
don't know fully all of your sexual per Okay.
Speaker 3 (13:56):
Thanks for clearing that up.
Speaker 1 (13:57):
But yeah, now I'm sitting here and I'm thinking, I'm like,
as a writer, nailing that character the way that you
did as far as like what you wrote for him
was so on point as well too, and that.
Speaker 4 (14:09):
Character is based off of one of my best friends
to this day. So you know, this is somebody I
hung out with. So the characters in the player about
twenty three years old, rush out of college, you know,
trying to figure it out. So during that time in
my life, you know, him and I will hang out
pretty much every day Aaron Harlem. The play where the
(14:30):
play takes place is five blocks from the theater gotch,
so we would.
Speaker 2 (14:35):
Hang out all the time and just you know, all
kinds of shit that went down.
Speaker 4 (14:40):
And he's just an interesting person. He actually lives in
London now, so but yeah, he's just this interesting person
to me, like Gay or I. He was just interesting
and I just and his philosophies were interesting. So, you know,
to write, I was able to write that character because
I've just spent so much time with him, and I
was able to.
Speaker 3 (14:59):
Find why was it important for you to make him
the main Like he is the glue to the whole spade.
Speaker 2 (15:06):
I consider that like the ring master, like when you
got a circus. Yeah, I consider him the ring master.
Speaker 4 (15:11):
Because I just think I think I think he's just
I think he's interesting, you know what I'm saying. I
think he and I feel like you know, he may
make some people uncomfortable, which I like, but that's what
we want when we go to the theater.
Speaker 2 (15:25):
We want to feel something.
Speaker 3 (15:26):
But that's why I thought it was genius. That's literally
why I'm like.
Speaker 4 (15:31):
When people see the first the first thing that happens
in the play throws people.
Speaker 3 (15:35):
Off, like, yes, he is very much okay, living his
best life.
Speaker 1 (15:41):
You know what I'm saying, He is and and but
and but That's what I'm saying by because the first
I swear, the first thing I thought of is like, ooh,
the auntie is gonna have a field day with this
one when they come, because they love to play spades.
But certain conversations you just not having with your aunties
and uncles if you are black male. Honestly, not even
just a male. I have female cousins who are also
(16:02):
gay that have had a hard time to explain any
things to our family exactly.
Speaker 3 (16:06):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 4 (16:07):
And I think the beautiful thing about his character is
that I honestly feel like it for people to come
see it who aren't used to like maybe hanging out
with people in that crowd or whatever, I think it
kind of gives them a different perspective that could be
or what that could look like.
Speaker 2 (16:23):
Because his character's hilarious. He's fucking hilarious, you know.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
What I mean.
Speaker 4 (16:28):
So to have that and then to have the character Corey,
who you know, is a best friend of his. They
grew up in DC together, so they have that rapport,
and you got Andre, Andre is.
Speaker 3 (16:38):
You know, is God blessing. Andre is one of the
characters in the play, y'all.
Speaker 1 (16:43):
I was sitting there and I'm like, I'm so glad
that I met people like Andre when I was sixteen
and not at thirty three, because he is just out here,
just doing whatever comes his way.
Speaker 2 (16:54):
So Andre is based off of me.
Speaker 3 (16:56):
Oh god, lord, you got yourself together there.
Speaker 4 (16:59):
Yeah, this is my younger days. Okay, this is me
or my younger days. But yeah, the character is based
off of me, you know, yeah, the characters based off
of me. The character Corey is based off of an
X of mine, a couple of exes of mine, kind.
Speaker 2 (17:13):
Of in one.
Speaker 4 (17:15):
The character net for Titty, who's the friend that comes
in and stirs the possion, is based off of somebody who.
Speaker 2 (17:20):
I used to date.
Speaker 3 (17:21):
Is the situation.
Speaker 1 (17:23):
I can't I don't even know how to ask this?
How are the situations based off of real situations too?
Speaker 2 (17:29):
Yes? I really in the play? Yeah, virginity thing, we
can take that out. You take that out. I don't
want to give away.
Speaker 3 (17:37):
To I can't get we can't. Y'all gotta go see
the play.
Speaker 1 (17:39):
So, knowing that this is all based off of like
real life things, I mean, it felt real, but it
adds to it. Have any of these people seen the play,
like the people that you've based it off of. Have
they seen the play? And reactions? Especially the ex girlfriends?
Speaker 2 (17:55):
My ex girlfriend has not seen the play?
Speaker 3 (17:57):
Is this the ex girlfriend that's also on TV right now?
Speaker 2 (17:59):
No?
Speaker 4 (18:00):
Okay, no, but I'm sure she'd be triggered by it
if she saw it too. But no, they have not
seen the play. Nor do I think they want to
see the play. I mean the X that is based
off of She still still does not.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
Fuck with me to this day.
Speaker 4 (18:15):
Wow, So you know, I don't think she's gonna see
the player, at least not this production.
Speaker 2 (18:20):
Maybe another production.
Speaker 1 (18:22):
The show your exison isn't Belair because Belair is only
a season four. I've been trying to figure this out.
I'm gonna keep thinking, why you talking. I had to
look that up, like, how do I Seasons a bel Air?
Speaker 2 (18:33):
Sure you probably watch it.
Speaker 4 (18:35):
You seem like you might watch it, so yeah, yeah,
Andrews based off of myself. NEFFERTITTI is based off of
someone I met in La. That's another thing too, And
that's another that's a part of like the journey in
writing it. When I first wrote neffer Titty, I didn't
spend that much time in La, so I wasn't as
familiar with La culture and people like that. So when
I was living in La, I was able to develop
(18:57):
that character more, you know.
Speaker 2 (18:58):
What I mean. I remember meeting somebody out in La
and I was like as soon as I saw her,
I was like, that's.
Speaker 4 (19:06):
That's right there, so you know that kind of date
and her kind of added some details and stuff like that.
Speaker 3 (19:16):
And why is the drink of choice? Do you can? I? Yeah, Hennessy,
it's too it's Hennessy and his tailor.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (19:26):
Because we didn't have a run with cosmigos in the community.
Patron had us in the cold sorak. But maybe you
can't do with boys you're not allowed to beat them
no more? Like is there a creative answer to that? Question,
or did you just pick those because that's what niggas
be doing.
Speaker 2 (19:41):
I feel like Hennessy is such a staple in the
black community.
Speaker 4 (19:44):
Yeah, when you pull that handy out, you know what
time it is? Yeah, I'm saying, like, you know what
time it is? And then tailorport. I feel like there's
another staple in our community.
Speaker 1 (19:53):
It's having a run right now with really yeah. Oh
all summer they've been doing teleports.
Speaker 3 (20:00):
Yo.
Speaker 4 (20:02):
But it's you know, it's known to be this cheap,
delicious wine. It tastes like juice, but that shit'll fuck
you up, you know what I'm saying. So, and I
think it also plays I use that because it plays
to like her age. She's young, you don't know any
refined wines or anything like that, but she's boozy enough
to be like, I don't drink any okay, you know
(20:23):
what I'm saying, Like, it's.
Speaker 3 (20:24):
A certain type of girl.
Speaker 1 (20:26):
So in the play, without giving it away, in the
Spades game, you know, you have your drinks going, your
food going, and those were the drinks of choice.
Speaker 3 (20:33):
Which they leaned a lot on as tools in the play.
Speaker 1 (20:37):
So I was wondering, like, is that a creative thing
or just because that's what we've been doing, so you know,
thinks for that.
Speaker 4 (20:42):
In earlier versions it was Moscato because that's I feel
like Moscato's another.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
Like the chink, Yeah yeah, you know wine.
Speaker 4 (20:51):
But I was like, let me do the tailorport because
I've had tail report and I know that thing that
should fuck you up.
Speaker 3 (20:58):
Well, people go ahead. No good when people come and
see the play.
Speaker 1 (21:04):
When it's done and it's over, and they walk away
and in their cars and they lick because they didn't
had a good time there, right, y'all a good time?
Speaker 3 (21:11):
What conversation do you want them to have?
Speaker 4 (21:15):
I mean one, I want them, you know, I want
the experience of being there and seeing the show. I
want that to kind of resonate with them because to me,
I feel like I'm bringing back what theater used to
feel like.
Speaker 2 (21:27):
They used to feel like going to.
Speaker 4 (21:29):
The theater, you know what I mean, you got an
experience and like I remember back in the day, like
going to like something underground or like off Broadway was
like that's where the real work and the magic was happening.
So for me, it's like I'm bringing people up to Hallow,
you know what I mean? Yo, We're not even on
Broadway with it. We up on one hundred and twenty
fifth right in the heart of it.
Speaker 2 (21:48):
And it's not like a tradition.
Speaker 4 (21:50):
It's not a theater technically, it's just this really dope space,
the spot that we use and create and created this
story out of, you know what I'm saying. So like
people come in and like the play's happening here. Yes
it is, you know what I'm saying. So to me,
it's like I want them to leave with that experience.
I hope that, you know, they could relate to somebody
(22:11):
in this play. I feel like there's at least one
character in this play you can relate.
Speaker 2 (22:14):
To, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 4 (22:15):
And yeah, and I hope it inspires people to want
to write their own plays. I want people to be inspired,
you know what I'm saying. I want people to realize.
And I also want people black people specifically to understand, like, Yo,
we don't have to wait on them to make stuff.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
We can make the shit ourselves.
Speaker 3 (22:32):
Based off of things we literally just do all day
long in real life anyway.
Speaker 4 (22:35):
Exactly, you know what I mean, Like shout out to
my team and like everybody that's working with me on this,
Like these are all people I love, all people that
you know, Like I couldn't do this without.
Speaker 2 (22:45):
Them, you know what I'm saying. And it takes a village.
As they say, teamwork makes the dream work.
Speaker 3 (22:58):
And then talk about you know, just you're talking about
taking a village.
Speaker 1 (23:02):
So we did all of the kind of like the
context of your backstory, how has everything that you've been through,
the people that you've met come into this moment of
spades right now, because like I said, I walked in
the first one and I'm like, that's gal Bean, Like
you know what I'm saying, And that's a big name
to have attached to a slag. You're a big name
as well, but you know it was I mean face
recognition you instantly, like you know, and that helps to
(23:25):
put your project in certain conversations because she has fans.
Speaker 4 (23:28):
Exactly, I mean shout out to Gail, thank you. I
mean the story about how that she wasn't who I
had originally for that reading, the girl I had originally
had to pull out, and she kind of pulled.
Speaker 2 (23:38):
Out last minute, So I was at it. I was
in a pit goal, but.
Speaker 4 (23:42):
You know, I hit up a friend of mine in
the industry who has worked with Gail. I said, look,
I think Gail would be good for this role. I
think she lives in New York from what I see
on Instagram. You mind reaching out to her and you
know what I'm saying, And she reached out. I mean
the person I called to reach out to her. She
(24:05):
makes things happens because people have a lot of respect
for her as to why. So I knew hitting her
up to hit up Gail was just gonna expedite Tasha Smith.
Speaker 2 (24:15):
Tasha need to come see the play. I met Tasha
a few months ago. She needed to come see the play.
She would love it.
Speaker 1 (24:20):
Tasha Smith was, which is so random because like we
didn't even really know each other like that. It was
just like, you know, you meet good people in passing.
When I was trying to figure out leaving LA, I
randomly called her. She couldn't She didn't answer, but she
texted me and was like, Hey, everything okay. And I
texted her and said, I'm about to quit my job
and move from LA. I just wanted to get some
advice from somebody that's actually working and doing all the
(24:40):
things I want to do. And she sent me a
voice no, and that voice note had me crying And
the next day I quit my job and moved her.
Speaker 2 (24:47):
You see, but you took the leak. Yeah, but the league.
Speaker 1 (24:49):
But I'm saying she's the person that, like I mentioned
that because I know that like Gail did Harlem, and
you know Tasha Smith is working on well was working
with Harlem and all the things.
Speaker 3 (24:59):
But you talk about getting her.
Speaker 1 (25:01):
To that play like, she's the type that will come
out to that play, talk about that play like, and
that's one of the things that I love about what
you're doing and the reason why I'm like, all right,
I might can only come for like thirty forty minutes,
but I'm gonna come it. Text me an hour to
get there, but I'm gonna come because I want to
support it. Is because I understand that if what we're
doing right now, that's how people find out about it,
(25:21):
that's how your play gets to wherever theaters you want
it to go. Just the eyes gets the financial support
all it does take community and had your resources. But
we gotta be like the Tasha Smith's of the world,
who we will pick up the phone and call, will
come out. We'll talk about it like that's like so
big for me, and I think what you do, y'all
need it because theater is it's not the thing that
(25:44):
people like run and yell about exactly.
Speaker 4 (25:46):
I mean because also too, it's like, as I said,
I think it's another example of like people are more
concerned with the glitz and the glam. You know, folks
want to be on Broadway and all this other shit.
That's cool, but what's the work that's being produced. I'm
sitting in these plays and I'm like, Yo, this is whack.
On top of that, I'm tired of seeing the same
actors all the time.
Speaker 2 (26:06):
Why can't we get new faces? You know what I'm saying.
There's other people who are just as hungry, who are
just as talented, if not more. They just need the opportunity,
you know what I'm saying. That was something I did.
Speaker 4 (26:17):
That was something I was very conscious about in casting this.
I wanted brand new faces. I don't want to see
the same all the time. These are all people I
know because I'm in the industry with them. I'm tired
of seeing, y'all. I want new faces to help bring
this story to life, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (26:34):
Because instead of people coming and be like, oh that's
so and so. I want people. Oh that's guilt.
Speaker 4 (26:39):
Oh that's core, you know what I mean, Like I
want because to me, I feel like that helps the
character resonate even more, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (26:46):
So you know, for me, it's just kind of like
we just need, like we need to shake things up
a bit right now because it's too stale. It's too stale.
Speaker 4 (26:56):
Everybody just wants the accolade. But what's the product? What's
the story that you're telling? What's the experience that we're getting,
you know what I mean? Besides, hey, I was there,
and so and so from so and so was in it,
and I took a picture with them.
Speaker 2 (27:10):
But what's the story. What was the play about? I
don't remember. I fell asleep, you know what.
Speaker 4 (27:14):
I'm saying, Like I want to if I'm coming to
the theater, I will tell you a story like move me,
you know what I mean. Something So I'm I want
to bring that back. And I want to travel with this,
like New York is not the one and the only stop.
I want to take this all over the country.
Speaker 3 (27:30):
I know, Atlanta, Sophie said, Atlanta.
Speaker 2 (27:33):
Oh, I know they're gonna eat it up Atlanta.
Speaker 3 (27:34):
Look, Sophie told us, Oh, oh, they're gonna eat it up.
Oh no, Sophie, we know I had some.
Speaker 2 (27:44):
People auditioned from Atlanta, send audition tapes from Atlanta.
Speaker 1 (27:47):
I mean, but that's a black mecca. So that's like
a duve, you know what I'm saying. Atlanta, DC, Chocolate City,
Chicago would do well.
Speaker 2 (27:56):
Icago eat it up to that.
Speaker 3 (27:57):
I went to Chicago recently and I was like, this
is Atlanta, Like it's so black.
Speaker 1 (28:02):
I was in the Soho House in Chicago and it
was black people, and like I was, I was because
you hear the complete like not that you don't hear
that black people are in Chicago, but you only hear
about the bad things happening with black people when it
comes to Chicago, at least on a media level for
me and what I do. So when I went there
and I'm seeing all these black people in the Soho
House and you know, it's just vibes and people are
(28:25):
happy and you know they're I was just like, yes,
like it felt like I was in Atlanta. It felt
like I was in Atlanta where you walk outside and
like black is royalty.
Speaker 2 (28:35):
I'll tell you what my dream city is Oh, yes,
New Orleans is my favorite city in the world. Yes,
I would love New Orleans.
Speaker 4 (28:48):
I think it'll happen because you know, New Orleans doesn't
have a theater scene like that, which is which is.
Speaker 3 (28:54):
Crazy to me.
Speaker 1 (28:55):
Yeah, all of their like the band like front line
stuff that they do is music and the costuming.
Speaker 4 (29:02):
And you know what it is, It's because New Orleans
is a theatric is a theatrical experience in itself, just
being in the city, the food. So New Orleans is
my dream city because you know, as I said, like
they don't have a theater scene out there, and I
think this place specifically they would, oh they would eat
it up. On top of that, what you know, what
(29:22):
we want to do is like every city we go to,
we want to like cater to like that city, you
know what I mean. So like you know how we
have the Sunday brunches here, Yeah, you know, we'll do
that in New Orleans and say, like we'll have you know,
we'll bring in a band, you know, because they're big
on that second line and all that type of stuff.
Speaker 2 (29:38):
And imagine the food in New Orleans. Imagine the food
in New Orleans. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (29:44):
So what do you need to make that happen? Like money?
Exactly simple?
Speaker 1 (29:49):
As well, how can the people, you know, our community
here at the Ladies with one of the rosa it
is called the Low Riders. On the audio side, we
have five million people. That was like a few months ago,
so we probably will well over that. The visual side,
we're here, this is new our home in our studio.
So to all the people listening, anyone watching, how what.
Speaker 2 (30:10):
Do you mean?
Speaker 4 (30:11):
For one, if you're in New York, if you if
you if you are in New York City, come see
the play. Just first and foremost, just come see the play,
come experience it, so that at least you know what
you're putting your dollars into and you know now and
then you can relate to what we're talking about. We have,
you know, we have a donation link if people want
to donate. But I think first and foremost, I just
(30:33):
want people to come see it. Come see it, come
experience it, you know what I mean, Because I think
that will help with moving people to want to do it.
Because then also to I get it, the economy is
real fed up, right, it's up, But we need joy too,
that we need the great do you need you? That's
why Sunday brunches are my favorite days because it's just pure.
Speaker 2 (30:54):
Family, you know what I mean. You come in.
Speaker 4 (30:56):
We have a different DJ every week. His on has
been our food. Ok to her, she's been killing it
with the food.
Speaker 2 (31:02):
People do they eat?
Speaker 3 (31:03):
They eat in the space that we were in. Yeah,
and what there's on tables.
Speaker 2 (31:08):
On the second floor. We got table set up and
everything you eat.
Speaker 4 (31:12):
It's a it's a four to twenty friendly space, so
you know, you get your smoke on too, you know
what I'm saying. We have drinks, you know what I mean.
Everything is everything that you need to have a good time.
It's provided for you. Shout out to our whost Sarah. Sarah,
you know, kind of keeps the vibs going. She's really
dope and it's just a good time. And then you
get us to watch a play after, you know what
(31:32):
I mean. And then after the play, if you want
to chill and play space some more, you can do
that too, you know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (31:36):
It's just a good time where you could just come
and commune and.
Speaker 4 (31:40):
Just you know, it's it could be a nice little
date night, little situation or a nice little yo.
Speaker 2 (31:45):
Come find you, you know, come find a little you know.
Speaker 1 (31:48):
They need a website, they need a website, they need
an Instagram. So how can they come to Where do
they get the tickets to come see the play?
Speaker 2 (31:54):
Go to our Instagram at space to play.
Speaker 3 (31:58):
All common spelling, huh, all regular spellings.
Speaker 4 (32:03):
It is. Our ticket link is in the bio and
they can find it there. And yeah, you know, we're
still building. We're still building. We we are in the
beginning stages. But this is gonna grow. You know what
I'm saying, I think because also to another beautiful thing
is that this is literally the only thing of its kind.
Speaker 2 (32:21):
There's no other play that revolves around the game.
Speaker 3 (32:25):
I love this for you.
Speaker 1 (32:26):
I'm trying to look up your ticket link so you
can share it because on the audio side, you got
people that might not be Instagram savvy, okay, so I
want to make sure that can get to you.
Speaker 4 (32:36):
We're selling our tickets through posh. It's an app for
like events and stuff like that. So if you have
the app Posh, you can find us their space to play.
Speaker 2 (32:46):
Same way.
Speaker 1 (32:48):
Nothing else got you, got you, and we'll in the
so for everybody. Uh, you know, listening, watching whatever. We'll
have the link visually if you're watching, but if you're listening,
we'll make sure that we put the link.
Speaker 3 (33:01):
I'll have it on my like Instagram, and then we'll
also try and make sure that we put it in
a description.
Speaker 1 (33:06):
I don't know if it's clickable there from that though,
but if it is, I don't mind doing that for
you either, so that people can be able to But
if you're listening, just I'm gonna do this just in
case we can't link it if you're listening, Spade to
play on Instagram all common spelling, but you guys follow
me on Instagram as well. I'm Laura le Rosa everywhere,
and y'all know I'll be posting this and tagging and
all the things so that you guys can find this play.
(33:29):
Definitely go out and see it. Definitely bring a friend.
Definitely tell a friend. I've enjoyed the conversation.
Speaker 4 (33:34):
I know.
Speaker 1 (33:34):
One of my favorite things to do, as you know,
a podcaster, because we're podcasters now, y'all, it's have conversations
that I enjoy, and like I've been able to do
that through this show.
Speaker 3 (33:44):
I've been blessed to be able to do that.
Speaker 1 (33:45):
And I thoroughly enjoyed this conversation and hearing your journey,
and I'm proud that you kept going.
Speaker 2 (33:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (33:50):
Are you happy now?
Speaker 2 (33:51):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (33:51):
I mean yeah, I mean it's look, but there's been
a lot of moments where it was like, Yo, what
am I doing?
Speaker 2 (33:57):
What am I doing? You know? God? Like what you
do to me right now?
Speaker 4 (34:01):
But you know, it's just that it's that resilience to
like keep going no matter what, cause you know you're
gonna be faced with obstacles.
Speaker 2 (34:08):
That's life. But that's the test. Yes, can you make it?
You know what I mean? Like, are you gonna let
so and so stop you from making it happen? You
know what I mean?
Speaker 4 (34:16):
And every time I persevered, it's come through for me,
you know what I'm saying. So I already know big
things are gonna happen from this. I don't know what,
but I just know this is this is something that
I was put here to do, you know what I mean.
And that's another thing too, that in that journey I
told you about, I find it.
Speaker 2 (34:34):
Allowed me to discover my purpose. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 4 (34:37):
Okay, I'm not just Marcus the actor anymore. Telling people
I'm an actor is so boring to me because it's like,
I do way more than that. Yeah, acting is my
you know, my first love and all of that, and
I could do that, it ain't going nowhere.
Speaker 2 (34:51):
But I also do these other things and I have
a lot to offer. But sometimes you have to.
Speaker 4 (34:55):
Put yourself out on front street in order for people
to realize that, as opposed to waiting for someone to
tell you that, because these folks ain't gonna tell you that,
they're just worried about Hey, can you audition for this thing?
You know we want to ten percent? You know what
I mean exactly yourself. You gotta bet on yourself. If
you know that you have more to offer to the world,
(35:16):
you have to bet on yourself because no one's gonna
want it more than you.
Speaker 3 (35:19):
Yes, I agree.
Speaker 1 (35:21):
Well, look, low riders, I tell you guys, every single episode,
y'all could be anywhere with anybody having these conversations and listen,
y'all choose to be here every single episode. So I
am extremely excited that you guys got to experience what
I've been able to experience in seeing space to play
and hearing from the creator Marcus calendar.
Speaker 2 (35:40):
Oh so too.
Speaker 4 (35:41):
I'm an ambassador of this company called you a full
rolls its rolling paper company. And what makes their product
unique as well is that the rolling paper kids.
Speaker 2 (35:52):
Come with a builting grinder. Come on, now, I think
it's in here.
Speaker 3 (35:58):
I don't know nothing about much, but he's very excited
about it.
Speaker 2 (36:02):
So so this is so, this is the paper right here.
You know, you got your you got your papers, you
got your filters. But then on the inside, let me
see the ground. It's like there's a little mini grinder
right there. So on the go you can take your
we oh.
Speaker 3 (36:18):
You still gotta do it, like yeah, okay, but like
let's get under your nails though.
Speaker 2 (36:22):
But but look, it's better than nothing.
Speaker 3 (36:25):
Oh it's a greater Okay, because I know grinders, you
normally like twist them.
Speaker 2 (36:29):
Sometimes you'll be out You're like, damn my god.
Speaker 3 (36:31):
Yeah you know what I'm saying. What's your carry?
Speaker 2 (36:33):
And it comes with that, and then we have a grinder.
We do have a ground one. Okay, that's pretty special too,
got you. It's shaped like a U of fo got you. Okay,
this is our grinder.
Speaker 3 (36:44):
I love that.
Speaker 4 (36:46):
Got it like a little U fold shaped to it
so for all my marijuana kind of seers out there
looking at the UFO role.
Speaker 1 (36:54):
You can copy your product and then you can come
and watch your play because it's for twenty friendly and
you can use the product with it.
Speaker 2 (36:59):
We got we got product goal lord at the show.
Speaker 1 (37:01):
Yes, well, y'all, make sure y'all pull up check out
Space to play. Created directed by Marcus Calendar. Thank you
so much for joining us. This has been an amazing conversation.
And congratulations and when you are winning all of the
awards and all the things. Okay, don't forget us over here.
Speaker 2 (37:17):
I ain't gonna forget.
Speaker 3 (37:17):
They gonna call y'all back for another interview. Don't forget sure.
Speaker 1 (37:20):
I know I'm a little all over the place, but
we knew, but we hear. It's the latest with Lorna
Rosa the Podcast. I'll see you guys in our next episode.
Speaker 3 (37:28):
Thank y'all for joining me.
Speaker 1 (37:29):
This has been a live conversation with act your storyteller
creative Marcus Calendar.
Speaker 3 (37:35):
I'm Lorna Rosa. This is the latest with Laura Rosa.
Signing out
I'm a homegirl that knows a little bit about everything
and everybody.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
You don't know if you don't lie about that.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
Right, All right, y'all, we're gonna get back into part two.
Speaker 3 (00:15):
I'm Laura the Rosa.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
This is the Latest with Laura Rosa, which is your
daily dig on all things pop culture, entertainment, news, and
all of the conversations that shake the room. We've been
having a conversation with creator, storyteller, actor, director and writer
Marcus Callender. He played Oliver Power Grant or you may
remember him if you've watched Ghost Power Book two. He
(00:38):
played real Ray. Y'all, remember we lost Raina, Baby Raina
because of ray Y. Now tap in as we get
into the final part of our conversation about how he.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
Stuck it out good, bad, ugly.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
They say the power actors don't get more jobs, but
he stuck it out and now he is bringing Spades
to play to life on stage here in New York,
and you guys get an exclusive listen of what the
inspiration was. So talk to us about why Spades, Like,
I know you said you walked into a place one
time in LA and people were playing space check. I
gotta get back to it, but originally like why write
(01:12):
a play about space? Like why is that? This is
like your passion project? And also tell us about us,
you know, briefly, what what is the story? What is
the log line of the play?
Speaker 4 (01:22):
Okay, before I tell you that, here's another thing too
for people to know. When I was putting that reading
together last year, my agent drop.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
That, also, how does it? So?
Speaker 3 (01:35):
What happened when you say they robbed you?
Speaker 2 (01:37):
Like? How?
Speaker 1 (01:38):
Because I'll be watching my money like I mean, but
I'm also I mean, I'm not a regular series on
a network show or a streaming platform show, so my
checks maybe not like yours, but I be no, I'm
in all of it, Like, yo, what's up?
Speaker 4 (01:52):
So while I'm while I was getting ready to put
this reading together, I woke up from a nap and
my agent calls me. I'm thinking I booked something, because
that's the only time they call you. She's like, yeah,
you know, Unfortunately, we're gonna have to let you go
because due to the writers strike, a lot of things
were cut Agired.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
Agents are being fired there.
Speaker 4 (02:13):
You know, the rosters are getting smaller, and I was
with a big agency, so I knew it was going
to happen.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
I was like, if I don't book something.
Speaker 4 (02:20):
They probably gonna drop me, which is really fucked up
because I just did three seasons of a show where.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
Y'all getting that money.
Speaker 4 (02:27):
Yeah, y'all so quick to drive me, you know, because
I'm not working off of a writer strike.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
That's crazy.
Speaker 4 (02:33):
But at the same time, I didn't even I didn't
even react crazy. I didn't ask questions. I just said, okay, cool,
because I knew it was all a part of the plan,
all a part of Guy's plan. Because I knew that
that had to be cleared away in order for me
to really dive in because now I don't have an agent.
Now I don't have any reps, so I'm not auditioning
(02:54):
for anything. So I have no choice but to focus.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
On this, right.
Speaker 4 (02:59):
So it was it was a blessing in disguise, you
know what I mean. But it was also my first
time not having reps.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
Well, you said they robbed you?
Speaker 2 (03:07):
What, like what the no?
Speaker 3 (03:08):
No?
Speaker 1 (03:08):
No? No?
Speaker 2 (03:09):
The drop?
Speaker 3 (03:10):
Oh dropped You said they rob no no? What did
they take? Like, we're with them? Okay, they dropped you?
Speaker 1 (03:15):
Okay, I mean yes, but I also feel like too,
and this is just like twenty twenty five, Lauren speaking,
I feel like unless your agent is like moving mountains
for you, you can kind of low key figured the
shit out with a good manager, G lawyer honestly just
good lawyer, a manager if they really whit you with you.
(03:35):
But I don't think you need like that's where I'm
at right now too, us like talent that is.
Speaker 3 (03:40):
Learning to build a team.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
I'm like, I don't need all these people, all these
noises and all these decisions and blah blah blahlah like splits. No,
Like I just need one to two good people. That's like, yo,
we out where we gotta be, what we gotta do.
Like so it was a blessing in disguise, and I
think the world and the industry changed. Where agent, you know,
for you as a playwriter and creator and also talent
(04:03):
would be amazing. We want to speak that into existence,
but you could do.
Speaker 4 (04:07):
It without exactly but because I think what it not,
I think I know what it allowed me to do
was like really tap into all of these talents that
I have because I don't consider myself just an actor.
When people ask me what I do, I tell I'm
a storyteller. Whether that's acting, directing.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
And writing, you know. So it allowed me to like
really dive into that and really own.
Speaker 4 (04:28):
It, you know what I mean, Because for a long
time it was like yeah, right, but you know, but
now I'm owning it, you know what I'm saying. No,
I'm a playwright, I'm a writer, I'm a director, I'm
a producer, and I'm an actor. I do all of
these things and I think I do it pretty well.
So it's like a multi a multi hyphen it as
they call it.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
So it gave me.
Speaker 4 (04:48):
All this time to dive in, and I fucking I
committed to it, you know what I mean. I put
all my money into it because I know, you know,
for me, I'm like sitting on this story because it's
bigger than the play. So let's get into that.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
Yes, So what inspired me to write this play.
Speaker 4 (05:07):
I was learning how to play Space at the time
with some friends and what I thought was interesting was
I was like, Yo, I feel like watching the game
is more interesting than the game because.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
It's just so much drama. It's all this other shit.
I said, Yo, this would be a dope.
Speaker 1 (05:22):
Play in anybody house and anybody you know what's crazy?
I was before I left TMZ. We were piloting a
podcast for me, and now Nick Cannon has me playing spades.
But I said to them, I'm like, we should do it,
like let's just sit down and play space with people. Yeah,
I mean, of course they didn't really understand it. And
my co host shout out to Tawanna. She's still there
(05:43):
at TMZ. She don't know how to play spades. I
don't think she got to beat because she's never been
at the spades table. But so when I the name
of your play grabbed me. But also when I saw
Nick Cannon doing we playing spades to sit down in conversation,
I'm like, this is like Genians for any black person
to live off of or thrive off off, because it
is entertaining just watching and hearing.
Speaker 4 (06:02):
The game exactly. So I'm like, Yo, this will make
a dope play. And I knew that, you know, I
was at the time. I was starting to dab in
writing and stuff like that. So I was like, yo,
let me start writing this. And as I said, it
just kind of poured out of me. The characters, because
all of the characters in the player are based off
of people that I know.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
So let's talk about the story, So give us the
It's very simple.
Speaker 4 (06:25):
Yes, it's about a group of friends that get together
on a Friday night in Harlem to play some spades.
But on this particular Friday, things go a little left,
as they typically go in a space game. You got
the liquor flowing, you got the we going, Things kind
of go a little left. The main character, we got
Gil Who's house. They're at Corey and Andre. These are
(06:48):
the core. This is the core friend group. But then
Gil invites a new friend to come play who can't play,
and she kind of stirs the pot a little bit.
Speaker 3 (06:59):
The girl is the girl.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
Okay, So the first time I came to see the
play in Dumbo House, I thought that she was Gael
Bean it was Gil.
Speaker 3 (07:08):
Oh, so it was Gail. Gil was okay, all right?
Speaker 1 (07:11):
Because then when I came in Harlem, I'm like, wait,
that wasn't Gail.
Speaker 3 (07:15):
Am I tripping? But because they look they resemble each other.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
Actually, okay, so thanks for answering that for me, because
I thought I was tripping. I'm like, yo, I had
just interviewed Gail for BT Talks, and I'm like, I
know Gail.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
I've been watching her. And then I come and I'm like.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
You tribab Me interviewed her while she was in rehearsal I.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
Did, which was so crazy. Yeah, which was so crazy
because I didn't I didn't know.
Speaker 3 (07:38):
I came to the.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
Play because Taylor shout out to Taylor made it, who
is our one of the producers here on the podcast
for the latest with Long the Roads, which is how
we met. She just was like, Yo, my friend has
this play? Come with me? And then and I told
her yes because I love plays. And then I didn't
make it to that. She was like still just go,
like just pull up and I was like, okay, cool.
So I came and when I got there and I
(07:59):
saw Gail, I was like, oh shoot. But then when
I came to the second time, I'm like, did I
not seek.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
No. Yeah, Gail is doing a play right now in LA.
Speaker 4 (08:09):
But I had her for that reading, which was which
was great because she came in last minute.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
She came in last minute out.
Speaker 3 (08:16):
She was reading from the script.
Speaker 4 (08:18):
Yeah, okay, so that was another stage reading. And that's
another thing too. I'm realizing through this process, like there's
a lot of like theater things that some people don't
know about, especially in our communities particularly, And you know,
that's kind of a part of why I'm doing what
I'm doing, because I feel like theater is becoming a
(08:40):
lost art form in our community particularly. I feel like
everybody wants to be on TV, everybody wants you know,
the social media stuff. But it's like, yo, let's take
it back to the stage. Let's take it back to
the purest form, you know what I mean. Like, for me,
all my favorite actors coming up a theater act.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
And I think people too don't understand that, like stage
live anything, theater plays, that's where you get instinct from.
Speaker 4 (09:06):
That's where you get your instant That's where you learn
how to act on stage. But not only is it
getting lost in our community, but I think a part
of that has to do with the material that's being produced.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
You know what I mean.
Speaker 4 (09:20):
I feel like not enough of us are being inspired
to say, like, hey, I'm gonna write a play.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
You know.
Speaker 4 (09:26):
Everyone's like, yeah, you know, I wrote this movie, I
wrote the screenplay, but very rarely are you here, No,
I wrote this play, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
And to me, you know, I'm gonna be real.
Speaker 4 (09:35):
I feel like a lot of plays right now I'm
going to the theater. Everything fucking sucks. I'm like falling asleep, you.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
Know what i mean.
Speaker 4 (09:42):
I'm sitting here for two hours and what you know
what I mean? I want to I want to have
an experience, you know what I mean. That's the whole
point of theater. That was what made it different going
to go see a play as supposed to going to
see a movie, because you knew you were gonna get.
Speaker 3 (09:57):
An experience in experience, remember when people.
Speaker 4 (09:59):
Were excited to see the actor spit on stage, like yo,
Like I could see the actors spit and like yo,
they they really in it, you know what I'm saying.
So for me, I was like, yo, I want to
I want to bring that essence back. So that's a
part of what I'm doing with the play. I mean,
you were there, like the audience is right there, you
know what I mean?
Speaker 1 (10:17):
Because our actors played to the audience too, like when
they're toast when they chairs which, to be honest with you,
if you are at a family get together and space
is going down and they get a little crazy, everybody
joining in, everybody they talking about the renigga and they
talking about that. You know what I'm saying, so it
felt like that like family get together environment, which was.
Speaker 3 (10:36):
Great question for you.
Speaker 1 (10:44):
So you say every character in the play reminds you
of someone or based off of someone that you know.
Speaker 2 (10:50):
Right.
Speaker 1 (10:51):
I thought it was interesting because Spain is very synonymous almost.
Speaker 3 (10:55):
I mean, I don't know if white people the white
people play Spades. Sophie.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
I've met one white person.
Speaker 1 (11:00):
Okay, you know what space is, Okay, I've never I
just thought about this right now and forming this question.
Speaker 3 (11:11):
I've never even heard the white person even talk about space.
Never heard of space in your life? Okay.
Speaker 1 (11:20):
She just left at Landa Okay, Okay, yes, so it's
oh girl, dang, we gotta bring Sophie to the play.
Speaker 3 (11:33):
It would freak her out. Okay.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
So okay, So Spades is it's it's a black thing.
The lead character Guild that you talked about is a
gay man in the play. I thought that that was
as a creator and a person that writes. I was like,
I don't know, because I didn't make it to the
end of the play. I was like, I don't know
if he did this on purpose, but that instantly drew
me in because I was wondering what role or what
(11:57):
conversations do you want people to leave the play having
becau because our community sometimes shies away from anybody in
any type of community that sexuality wise, they don't accept.
So a gay male as the lead of the play,
he's very openly gay the first not to get the
story away, but he's dibbling and dabbling into you know,
the DL conversation right off writ off the rint and
(12:20):
I'm okay, I didn't get to that part.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
Oh yea yea yea yeah, yeah, yeah, yah yaha.
Speaker 3 (12:28):
Oh okay. So but see even with that, I did
see that part.
Speaker 1 (12:32):
I didn't think that because so in the play basically,
for those who didn't hear the off came off camera
voice in the play, there's a point where he's talking
about his homegirl's mom.
Speaker 3 (12:41):
But my gay guy friends will compliment you.
Speaker 2 (12:43):
Up and down.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
They don't want you though, but they the gay men
are you know they're not. There's so much personality and
characteristic there that those compliments. In the way he was
talking about her mother, I just thought it was her
homeboy just complimenting her mom because she's fine.
Speaker 4 (12:58):
I mean, the nuance of that character is that like,
yes he is gay, but like he doesn't consider himself
that to him, he just likes what he likes, you
know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (13:07):
It just happens to be men all the time.
Speaker 4 (13:09):
Yeah, but he just likes what he likes. So for him,
it's like I could pull whoever the fuck I want
to pull, right, you know.
Speaker 2 (13:15):
What I'm saying.
Speaker 4 (13:15):
So that's what also gives his character that that nuance
and you know, that kind of special energy, and it
makes his character more specific and not so general, you
know what I mean.
Speaker 3 (13:27):
Because Yeah, and he's a very strong likes person like you.
Speaker 1 (13:33):
He resonates very well, like you feel like you know him,
you have a friend like him as a straight man.
Writing for his part though, because that was another thing too,
I'm sitting there and I'm like, you know this, I'm like,
hold on, wait, I didn't know your sexual preference at
the time, and talking to you right now, I still
don't know fully all of your sexual per Okay.
Speaker 3 (13:56):
Thanks for clearing that up.
Speaker 1 (13:57):
But yeah, now I'm sitting here and I'm thinking, I'm like,
as a writer, nailing that character the way that you
did as far as like what you wrote for him
was so on point as well too, and that.
Speaker 4 (14:09):
Character is based off of one of my best friends
to this day. So you know, this is somebody I
hung out with. So the characters in the player about
twenty three years old, rush out of college, you know,
trying to figure it out. So during that time in
my life, you know, him and I will hang out
pretty much every day Aaron Harlem. The play where the
(14:30):
play takes place is five blocks from the theater gotch,
so we would.
Speaker 2 (14:35):
Hang out all the time and just you know, all
kinds of shit that went down.
Speaker 4 (14:40):
And he's just an interesting person. He actually lives in
London now, so but yeah, he's just this interesting person
to me, like Gay or I. He was just interesting
and I just and his philosophies were interesting. So, you know,
to write, I was able to write that character because
I've just spent so much time with him, and I
was able to.
Speaker 3 (14:59):
Find why was it important for you to make him
the main Like he is the glue to the whole spade.
Speaker 2 (15:06):
I consider that like the ring master, like when you
got a circus. Yeah, I consider him the ring master.
Speaker 4 (15:11):
Because I just think I think I think he's just
I think he's interesting, you know what I'm saying. I
think he and I feel like you know, he may
make some people uncomfortable, which I like, but that's what
we want when we go to the theater.
Speaker 2 (15:25):
We want to feel something.
Speaker 3 (15:26):
But that's why I thought it was genius. That's literally
why I'm like.
Speaker 4 (15:31):
When people see the first the first thing that happens
in the play throws people.
Speaker 3 (15:35):
Off, like, yes, he is very much okay, living his
best life.
Speaker 1 (15:41):
You know what I'm saying, He is and and but
and but That's what I'm saying by because the first
I swear, the first thing I thought of is like, ooh,
the auntie is gonna have a field day with this
one when they come, because they love to play spades.
But certain conversations you just not having with your aunties
and uncles if you are black male. Honestly, not even
just a male. I have female cousins who are also
(16:02):
gay that have had a hard time to explain any
things to our family exactly.
Speaker 3 (16:06):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 4 (16:07):
And I think the beautiful thing about his character is
that I honestly feel like it for people to come
see it who aren't used to like maybe hanging out
with people in that crowd or whatever, I think it
kind of gives them a different perspective that could be
or what that could look like.
Speaker 2 (16:23):
Because his character's hilarious. He's fucking hilarious, you know.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
What I mean.
Speaker 4 (16:28):
So to have that and then to have the character Corey,
who you know, is a best friend of his. They
grew up in DC together, so they have that rapport,
and you got Andre, Andre is.
Speaker 3 (16:38):
You know, is God blessing. Andre is one of the
characters in the play, y'all.
Speaker 1 (16:43):
I was sitting there and I'm like, I'm so glad
that I met people like Andre when I was sixteen
and not at thirty three, because he is just out here,
just doing whatever comes his way.
Speaker 2 (16:54):
So Andre is based off of me.
Speaker 3 (16:56):
Oh god, lord, you got yourself together there.
Speaker 4 (16:59):
Yeah, this is my younger days. Okay, this is me
or my younger days. But yeah, the character is based
off of me, you know, yeah, the characters based off
of me. The character Corey is based off of an
X of mine, a couple of exes of mine, kind.
Speaker 2 (17:13):
Of in one.
Speaker 4 (17:15):
The character net for Titty, who's the friend that comes
in and stirs the possion, is based off of somebody who.
Speaker 2 (17:20):
I used to date.
Speaker 3 (17:21):
Is the situation.
Speaker 1 (17:23):
I can't I don't even know how to ask this?
How are the situations based off of real situations too?
Speaker 2 (17:29):
Yes? I really in the play? Yeah, virginity thing, we
can take that out. You take that out. I don't
want to give away.
Speaker 3 (17:37):
To I can't get we can't. Y'all gotta go see
the play.
Speaker 1 (17:39):
So, knowing that this is all based off of like
real life things, I mean, it felt real, but it
adds to it. Have any of these people seen the play,
like the people that you've based it off of. Have
they seen the play? And reactions? Especially the ex girlfriends?
Speaker 2 (17:55):
My ex girlfriend has not seen the play?
Speaker 3 (17:57):
Is this the ex girlfriend that's also on TV right now?
Speaker 2 (17:59):
No?
Speaker 4 (18:00):
Okay, no, but I'm sure she'd be triggered by it
if she saw it too. But no, they have not
seen the play. Nor do I think they want to
see the play. I mean the X that is based
off of She still still does not.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
Fuck with me to this day.
Speaker 4 (18:15):
Wow, So you know, I don't think she's gonna see
the player, at least not this production.
Speaker 2 (18:20):
Maybe another production.
Speaker 1 (18:22):
The show your exison isn't Belair because Belair is only
a season four. I've been trying to figure this out.
I'm gonna keep thinking, why you talking. I had to
look that up, like, how do I Seasons a bel Air?
Speaker 2 (18:33):
Sure you probably watch it.
Speaker 4 (18:35):
You seem like you might watch it, so yeah, yeah,
Andrews based off of myself. NEFFERTITTI is based off of
someone I met in La. That's another thing too, And
that's another that's a part of like the journey in
writing it. When I first wrote neffer Titty, I didn't
spend that much time in La, so I wasn't as
familiar with La culture and people like that. So when
I was living in La, I was able to develop
(18:57):
that character more, you know.
Speaker 2 (18:58):
What I mean. I remember meeting somebody out in La
and I was like as soon as I saw her,
I was like, that's.
Speaker 4 (19:06):
That's right there, so you know that kind of date
and her kind of added some details and stuff like that.
Speaker 3 (19:16):
And why is the drink of choice? Do you can? I? Yeah, Hennessy,
it's too it's Hennessy and his tailor.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (19:26):
Because we didn't have a run with cosmigos in the community.
Patron had us in the cold sorak. But maybe you
can't do with boys you're not allowed to beat them
no more? Like is there a creative answer to that? Question,
or did you just pick those because that's what niggas
be doing.
Speaker 2 (19:41):
I feel like Hennessy is such a staple in the
black community.
Speaker 4 (19:44):
Yeah, when you pull that handy out, you know what
time it is? Yeah, I'm saying, like, you know what
time it is? And then tailorport. I feel like there's
another staple in our community.
Speaker 1 (19:53):
It's having a run right now with really yeah. Oh
all summer they've been doing teleports.
Speaker 3 (20:00):
Yo.
Speaker 4 (20:02):
But it's you know, it's known to be this cheap,
delicious wine. It tastes like juice, but that shit'll fuck
you up, you know what I'm saying. So, and I
think it also plays I use that because it plays
to like her age. She's young, you don't know any
refined wines or anything like that, but she's boozy enough
to be like, I don't drink any okay, you know
(20:23):
what I'm saying, Like, it's.
Speaker 3 (20:24):
A certain type of girl.
Speaker 1 (20:26):
So in the play, without giving it away, in the
Spades game, you know, you have your drinks going, your
food going, and those were the drinks of choice.
Speaker 3 (20:33):
Which they leaned a lot on as tools in the play.
Speaker 1 (20:37):
So I was wondering, like, is that a creative thing
or just because that's what we've been doing, so you know,
thinks for that.
Speaker 4 (20:42):
In earlier versions it was Moscato because that's I feel
like Moscato's another.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
Like the chink, Yeah yeah, you know wine.
Speaker 4 (20:51):
But I was like, let me do the tailorport because
I've had tail report and I know that thing that
should fuck you up.
Speaker 3 (20:58):
Well, people go ahead. No good when people come and
see the play.
Speaker 1 (21:04):
When it's done and it's over, and they walk away
and in their cars and they lick because they didn't
had a good time there, right, y'all a good time?
Speaker 3 (21:11):
What conversation do you want them to have?
Speaker 4 (21:15):
I mean one, I want them, you know, I want
the experience of being there and seeing the show. I
want that to kind of resonate with them because to me,
I feel like I'm bringing back what theater used to
feel like.
Speaker 2 (21:27):
They used to feel like going to.
Speaker 4 (21:29):
The theater, you know what I mean, you got an
experience and like I remember back in the day, like
going to like something underground or like off Broadway was
like that's where the real work and the magic was happening.
So for me, it's like I'm bringing people up to Hallow,
you know what I mean? Yo, We're not even on
Broadway with it. We up on one hundred and twenty
fifth right in the heart of it.
Speaker 2 (21:48):
And it's not like a tradition.
Speaker 4 (21:50):
It's not a theater technically, it's just this really dope space,
the spot that we use and create and created this
story out of, you know what I'm saying. So like
people come in and like the play's happening here. Yes
it is, you know what I'm saying. So to me,
it's like I want them to leave with that experience.
I hope that, you know, they could relate to somebody
(22:11):
in this play. I feel like there's at least one
character in this play you can relate.
Speaker 2 (22:14):
To, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 4 (22:15):
And yeah, and I hope it inspires people to want
to write their own plays. I want people to be inspired,
you know what I'm saying. I want people to realize.
And I also want people black people specifically to understand, like, Yo,
we don't have to wait on them to make stuff.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
We can make the shit ourselves.
Speaker 3 (22:32):
Based off of things we literally just do all day
long in real life anyway.
Speaker 4 (22:35):
Exactly, you know what I mean, Like shout out to
my team and like everybody that's working with me on this,
Like these are all people I love, all people that
you know, Like I couldn't do this without.
Speaker 2 (22:45):
Them, you know what I'm saying. And it takes a village.
As they say, teamwork makes the dream work.
Speaker 3 (22:58):
And then talk about you know, just you're talking about
taking a village.
Speaker 1 (23:02):
So we did all of the kind of like the
context of your backstory, how has everything that you've been through,
the people that you've met come into this moment of
spades right now, because like I said, I walked in
the first one and I'm like, that's gal Bean, Like
you know what I'm saying, And that's a big name
to have attached to a slag. You're a big name
as well, but you know it was I mean face
recognition you instantly, like you know, and that helps to
(23:25):
put your project in certain conversations because she has fans.
Speaker 4 (23:28):
Exactly, I mean shout out to Gail, thank you. I
mean the story about how that she wasn't who I
had originally for that reading, the girl I had originally
had to pull out, and she kind of pulled.
Speaker 2 (23:38):
Out last minute, So I was at it. I was
in a pit goal, but.
Speaker 4 (23:42):
You know, I hit up a friend of mine in
the industry who has worked with Gail. I said, look,
I think Gail would be good for this role. I
think she lives in New York from what I see
on Instagram. You mind reaching out to her and you
know what I'm saying, And she reached out. I mean
the person I called to reach out to her. She
(24:05):
makes things happens because people have a lot of respect
for her as to why. So I knew hitting her
up to hit up Gail was just gonna expedite Tasha Smith.
Speaker 2 (24:15):
Tasha need to come see the play. I met Tasha
a few months ago. She needed to come see the play.
She would love it.
Speaker 1 (24:20):
Tasha Smith was, which is so random because like we
didn't even really know each other like that. It was
just like, you know, you meet good people in passing.
When I was trying to figure out leaving LA, I
randomly called her. She couldn't She didn't answer, but she
texted me and was like, Hey, everything okay. And I
texted her and said, I'm about to quit my job
and move from LA. I just wanted to get some
advice from somebody that's actually working and doing all the
(24:40):
things I want to do. And she sent me a
voice no, and that voice note had me crying And
the next day I quit my job and moved her.
Speaker 2 (24:47):
You see, but you took the leak. Yeah, but the league.
Speaker 1 (24:49):
But I'm saying she's the person that, like I mentioned
that because I know that like Gail did Harlem, and
you know Tasha Smith is working on well was working
with Harlem and all the things.
Speaker 3 (24:59):
But you talk about getting her.
Speaker 1 (25:01):
To that play like, she's the type that will come
out to that play, talk about that play like, and
that's one of the things that I love about what
you're doing and the reason why I'm like, all right,
I might can only come for like thirty forty minutes,
but I'm gonna come it. Text me an hour to
get there, but I'm gonna come because I want to
support it. Is because I understand that if what we're
doing right now, that's how people find out about it,
(25:21):
that's how your play gets to wherever theaters you want
it to go. Just the eyes gets the financial support
all it does take community and had your resources. But
we gotta be like the Tasha Smith's of the world,
who we will pick up the phone and call, will
come out. We'll talk about it like that's like so
big for me, and I think what you do, y'all
need it because theater is it's not the thing that
(25:44):
people like run and yell about exactly.
Speaker 4 (25:46):
I mean because also too, it's like, as I said,
I think it's another example of like people are more
concerned with the glitz and the glam. You know, folks
want to be on Broadway and all this other shit.
That's cool, but what's the work that's being produced. I'm
sitting in these plays and I'm like, Yo, this is whack.
On top of that, I'm tired of seeing the same
actors all the time.
Speaker 2 (26:06):
Why can't we get new faces? You know what I'm saying.
There's other people who are just as hungry, who are
just as talented, if not more. They just need the opportunity,
you know what I'm saying. That was something I did.
Speaker 4 (26:17):
That was something I was very conscious about in casting this.
I wanted brand new faces. I don't want to see
the same all the time. These are all people I
know because I'm in the industry with them. I'm tired
of seeing, y'all. I want new faces to help bring
this story to life, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (26:34):
Because instead of people coming and be like, oh that's
so and so. I want people. Oh that's guilt.
Speaker 4 (26:39):
Oh that's core, you know what I mean, Like I
want because to me, I feel like that helps the
character resonate even more, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (26:46):
So you know, for me, it's just kind of like
we just need, like we need to shake things up
a bit right now because it's too stale. It's too stale.
Speaker 4 (26:56):
Everybody just wants the accolade. But what's the product? What's
the story that you're telling? What's the experience that we're getting,
you know what I mean? Besides, hey, I was there,
and so and so from so and so was in it,
and I took a picture with them.
Speaker 2 (27:10):
But what's the story. What was the play about? I
don't remember. I fell asleep, you know what.
Speaker 4 (27:14):
I'm saying, Like I want to if I'm coming to
the theater, I will tell you a story like move me,
you know what I mean. Something So I'm I want
to bring that back. And I want to travel with this,
like New York is not the one and the only stop.
I want to take this all over the country.
Speaker 3 (27:30):
I know, Atlanta, Sophie said, Atlanta.
Speaker 2 (27:33):
Oh, I know they're gonna eat it up Atlanta.
Speaker 3 (27:34):
Look, Sophie told us, Oh, oh, they're gonna eat it up.
Oh no, Sophie, we know I had some.
Speaker 2 (27:44):
People auditioned from Atlanta, send audition tapes from Atlanta.
Speaker 1 (27:47):
I mean, but that's a black mecca. So that's like
a duve, you know what I'm saying. Atlanta, DC, Chocolate City,
Chicago would do well.
Speaker 2 (27:56):
Icago eat it up to that.
Speaker 3 (27:57):
I went to Chicago recently and I was like, this
is Atlanta, Like it's so black.
Speaker 1 (28:02):
I was in the Soho House in Chicago and it
was black people, and like I was, I was because
you hear the complete like not that you don't hear
that black people are in Chicago, but you only hear
about the bad things happening with black people when it
comes to Chicago, at least on a media level for
me and what I do. So when I went there
and I'm seeing all these black people in the Soho
House and you know, it's just vibes and people are
(28:25):
happy and you know they're I was just like, yes,
like it felt like I was in Atlanta. It felt
like I was in Atlanta where you walk outside and
like black is royalty.
Speaker 2 (28:35):
I'll tell you what my dream city is Oh, yes,
New Orleans is my favorite city in the world. Yes,
I would love New Orleans.
Speaker 4 (28:48):
I think it'll happen because you know, New Orleans doesn't
have a theater scene like that, which is which is.
Speaker 3 (28:54):
Crazy to me.
Speaker 1 (28:55):
Yeah, all of their like the band like front line
stuff that they do is music and the costuming.
Speaker 4 (29:02):
And you know what it is, It's because New Orleans
is a theatric is a theatrical experience in itself, just
being in the city, the food. So New Orleans is
my dream city because you know, as I said, like
they don't have a theater scene out there, and I
think this place specifically they would, oh they would eat
it up. On top of that, what you know, what
(29:22):
we want to do is like every city we go to,
we want to like cater to like that city, you
know what I mean. So like you know how we
have the Sunday brunches here, Yeah, you know, we'll do
that in New Orleans and say, like we'll have you know,
we'll bring in a band, you know, because they're big
on that second line and all that type of stuff.
Speaker 2 (29:38):
And imagine the food in New Orleans. Imagine the food
in New Orleans. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (29:44):
So what do you need to make that happen? Like money?
Exactly simple?
Speaker 1 (29:49):
As well, how can the people, you know, our community
here at the Ladies with one of the rosa it
is called the Low Riders. On the audio side, we
have five million people. That was like a few months ago,
so we probably will well over that. The visual side,
we're here, this is new our home in our studio.
So to all the people listening, anyone watching, how what.
Speaker 2 (30:10):
Do you mean?
Speaker 4 (30:11):
For one, if you're in New York, if you if
you if you are in New York City, come see
the play. Just first and foremost, just come see the play,
come experience it, so that at least you know what
you're putting your dollars into and you know now and
then you can relate to what we're talking about. We have,
you know, we have a donation link if people want
to donate. But I think first and foremost, I just
(30:33):
want people to come see it. Come see it, come
experience it, you know what I mean, Because I think
that will help with moving people to want to do it.
Because then also to I get it, the economy is
real fed up, right, it's up, But we need joy too,
that we need the great do you need you? That's
why Sunday brunches are my favorite days because it's just pure.
Speaker 2 (30:54):
Family, you know what I mean. You come in.
Speaker 4 (30:56):
We have a different DJ every week. His on has
been our food. Ok to her, she's been killing it
with the food.
Speaker 2 (31:02):
People do they eat?
Speaker 3 (31:03):
They eat in the space that we were in. Yeah,
and what there's on tables.
Speaker 2 (31:08):
On the second floor. We got table set up and
everything you eat.
Speaker 4 (31:12):
It's a it's a four to twenty friendly space, so
you know, you get your smoke on too, you know
what I'm saying. We have drinks, you know what I mean.
Everything is everything that you need to have a good time.
It's provided for you. Shout out to our whost Sarah. Sarah,
you know, kind of keeps the vibs going. She's really
dope and it's just a good time. And then you
get us to watch a play after, you know what
(31:32):
I mean. And then after the play, if you want
to chill and play space some more, you can do
that too, you know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (31:36):
It's just a good time where you could just come
and commune and.
Speaker 4 (31:40):
Just you know, it's it could be a nice little
date night, little situation or a nice little yo.
Speaker 2 (31:45):
Come find you, you know, come find a little you know.
Speaker 1 (31:48):
They need a website, they need a website, they need
an Instagram. So how can they come to Where do
they get the tickets to come see the play?
Speaker 2 (31:54):
Go to our Instagram at space to play.
Speaker 3 (31:58):
All common spelling, huh, all regular spellings.
Speaker 4 (32:03):
It is. Our ticket link is in the bio and
they can find it there. And yeah, you know, we're
still building. We're still building. We we are in the
beginning stages. But this is gonna grow. You know what
I'm saying, I think because also to another beautiful thing
is that this is literally the only thing of its kind.
Speaker 2 (32:21):
There's no other play that revolves around the game.
Speaker 3 (32:25):
I love this for you.
Speaker 1 (32:26):
I'm trying to look up your ticket link so you
can share it because on the audio side, you got
people that might not be Instagram savvy, okay, so I
want to make sure that can get to you.
Speaker 4 (32:36):
We're selling our tickets through posh. It's an app for
like events and stuff like that. So if you have
the app Posh, you can find us their space to play.
Speaker 2 (32:46):
Same way.
Speaker 1 (32:48):
Nothing else got you, got you, and we'll in the
so for everybody. Uh, you know, listening, watching whatever. We'll
have the link visually if you're watching, but if you're listening,
we'll make sure that we put the link.
Speaker 3 (33:01):
I'll have it on my like Instagram, and then we'll
also try and make sure that we put it in
a description.
Speaker 1 (33:06):
I don't know if it's clickable there from that though,
but if it is, I don't mind doing that for
you either, so that people can be able to But
if you're listening, just I'm gonna do this just in
case we can't link it if you're listening, Spade to
play on Instagram all common spelling, but you guys follow
me on Instagram as well. I'm Laura le Rosa everywhere,
and y'all know I'll be posting this and tagging and
all the things so that you guys can find this play.
(33:29):
Definitely go out and see it. Definitely bring a friend.
Definitely tell a friend. I've enjoyed the conversation.
Speaker 4 (33:34):
I know.
Speaker 1 (33:34):
One of my favorite things to do, as you know,
a podcaster, because we're podcasters now, y'all, it's have conversations
that I enjoy, and like I've been able to do
that through this show.
Speaker 3 (33:44):
I've been blessed to be able to do that.
Speaker 1 (33:45):
And I thoroughly enjoyed this conversation and hearing your journey,
and I'm proud that you kept going.
Speaker 2 (33:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (33:50):
Are you happy now?
Speaker 2 (33:51):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (33:51):
I mean yeah, I mean it's look, but there's been
a lot of moments where it was like, Yo, what
am I doing?
Speaker 2 (33:57):
What am I doing? You know? God? Like what you
do to me right now?
Speaker 4 (34:01):
But you know, it's just that it's that resilience to
like keep going no matter what, cause you know you're
gonna be faced with obstacles.
Speaker 2 (34:08):
That's life. But that's the test. Yes, can you make it?
You know what I mean? Like, are you gonna let
so and so stop you from making it happen? You
know what I mean?
Speaker 4 (34:16):
And every time I persevered, it's come through for me,
you know what I'm saying. So I already know big
things are gonna happen from this. I don't know what,
but I just know this is this is something that
I was put here to do, you know what I mean.
And that's another thing too, that in that journey I
told you about, I find it.
Speaker 2 (34:34):
Allowed me to discover my purpose. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 4 (34:37):
Okay, I'm not just Marcus the actor anymore. Telling people
I'm an actor is so boring to me because it's like,
I do way more than that. Yeah, acting is my
you know, my first love and all of that, and
I could do that, it ain't going nowhere.
Speaker 2 (34:51):
But I also do these other things and I have
a lot to offer. But sometimes you have to.
Speaker 4 (34:55):
Put yourself out on front street in order for people
to realize that, as opposed to waiting for someone to
tell you that, because these folks ain't gonna tell you that,
they're just worried about Hey, can you audition for this thing?
You know we want to ten percent? You know what
I mean exactly yourself. You gotta bet on yourself. If
you know that you have more to offer to the world,
(35:16):
you have to bet on yourself because no one's gonna
want it more than you.
Speaker 3 (35:19):
Yes, I agree.
Speaker 1 (35:21):
Well, look, low riders, I tell you guys, every single episode,
y'all could be anywhere with anybody having these conversations and listen,
y'all choose to be here every single episode. So I
am extremely excited that you guys got to experience what
I've been able to experience in seeing space to play
and hearing from the creator Marcus calendar.
Speaker 2 (35:40):
Oh so too.
Speaker 4 (35:41):
I'm an ambassador of this company called you a full
rolls its rolling paper company. And what makes their product
unique as well is that the rolling paper kids.
Speaker 2 (35:52):
Come with a builting grinder. Come on, now, I think
it's in here.
Speaker 3 (35:58):
I don't know nothing about much, but he's very excited
about it.
Speaker 2 (36:02):
So so this is so, this is the paper right here.
You know, you got your you got your papers, you
got your filters. But then on the inside, let me
see the ground. It's like there's a little mini grinder
right there. So on the go you can take your
we oh.
Speaker 3 (36:18):
You still gotta do it, like yeah, okay, but like
let's get under your nails though.
Speaker 2 (36:22):
But but look, it's better than nothing.
Speaker 3 (36:25):
Oh it's a greater Okay, because I know grinders, you
normally like twist them.
Speaker 2 (36:29):
Sometimes you'll be out You're like, damn my god.
Speaker 3 (36:31):
Yeah you know what I'm saying. What's your carry?
Speaker 2 (36:33):
And it comes with that, and then we have a grinder.
We do have a ground one. Okay, that's pretty special too,
got you. It's shaped like a U of fo got you. Okay,
this is our grinder.
Speaker 3 (36:44):
I love that.
Speaker 4 (36:46):
Got it like a little U fold shaped to it
so for all my marijuana kind of seers out there
looking at the UFO role.
Speaker 1 (36:54):
You can copy your product and then you can come
and watch your play because it's for twenty friendly and
you can use the product with it.
Speaker 2 (36:59):
We got we got product goal lord at the show.
Speaker 1 (37:01):
Yes, well, y'all, make sure y'all pull up check out
Space to play. Created directed by Marcus Calendar. Thank you
so much for joining us. This has been an amazing conversation.
And congratulations and when you are winning all of the
awards and all the things. Okay, don't forget us over here.
Speaker 2 (37:17):
I ain't gonna forget.
Speaker 3 (37:17):
They gonna call y'all back for another interview. Don't forget sure.
Speaker 1 (37:20):
I know I'm a little all over the place, but
we knew, but we hear. It's the latest with Lorna
Rosa the Podcast. I'll see you guys in our next episode.
Speaker 3 (37:28):
Thank y'all for joining me.
Speaker 1 (37:29):
This has been a live conversation with act your storyteller
creative Marcus Calendar.
Speaker 3 (37:35):
I'm Lorna Rosa. This is the latest with Laura Rosa.
Signing out
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