The Firecracker Department

Anne Rab’s improv career all started when she met a clown and stumbled into the art form that would change her life.

Although it was difficult to make the transition from a city where she had stability and comfort to one completely unknown, she tells Naomi that learned that she didn’t want to play it safe and to make the choice to just go for her dreams. 

Now, she carries this outlook through her teachings and thrives off of encour...

One thing’s for certain about improviser Nadine Antler is that her strength lies in taking care of people. 

From studying to be a social worker to putting on a decade-long improv festival and now running her own improv school, Nadine tells Naomi about her desire to help both actors and non-actors through the communication and boundary-setting skills that improv teaches. 

But despite committing to help others with this, she reveals ...

With her wealth of experience as an actor, writer, improviser, and now a director, Vanessa Matsui always finds time to look back and thank her younger self for having the gumption and bravery to take chances. By stumbling through her experience creating, writing, directing, and acting in the award winning series Ghost BFF, Vanessa tells Naomi about how she learned to just keep going an...

Growing up in Israel, the multi-faceted Inbal Lori always knew she would be in the arts and fully embraced the holy trinity of act...

Maria del Mar has never let fear hold her back from anything in her extensive career and expansive life. As a young actress with a...

Beatrix Brunschko, aka Trixie, dives headfirst into every twist and turn of her incredible career.
She's not just a director of the stage and screen – Trixie's a founding member of Theatre
Bahnhof, a professor at the University of Hamburg, and the go-to guru for all things improv.
Starting from the wild passion that birthed a theatre company to her game-changing improv
workshops, Trixie's all about creating spaces where creativity ...

Rev up your year with a brand new season of The Firecracker Department Podcast! Let's ignite 2024 with an explosive lineup of captivating conversations. Join our sensational host, Naomi Snieckus, and an array of global artists as they take you on a heart-pounding journey into the depths of creativity and inspiration. But that's not all – mark your calendars because later this spring, we're bringing you The Blaze Sessions, a special...

Jennifer Holness is not only a force to be reckoned with, but she is a beacon of change in the industry. An award-winning filmmaker and the co-founder of Hungry Eyes Media (with her partner Sudz Sutherland), she is the first ever recipient of the Firecracker Department's Red Point Award, going to women over 50 who are still creating incredible content and leading the way in out community. After a life-changing health scare in her e...

With a career spanning decades and a multitude of incredible roles in beautiful shows, it’s no wonder actor Read more