July 5, 2021 • 28 mins
Sophia is a playwright, screenwriter, and a film & theater director. She is a producing artistic director of Garden of the Avant-Garde Productions and she’s also a member of the New York City Bar Association, working in human rights.
She was the screenwriter and producer for the international arthouse film Poor Liza, which won a Garnet Grand Prix award. The film starred Emmy and Golden Globe Award winner Ben Gazzara and Emmy & Academy award winner Lee Grant.
Sophia has written and directed three films for New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts Dramatic Writing Program.
Outside of film, Sophia has written fourteen different stage plays which have been produced either off-Broadway or “off, off Broadway”.
Sophia’s latest project, which is currently streaming on Amazon Prime is Used and Borrowed Time. It is a 2020 time travel film about an aging actress who is magically returned to the year 1965 in segregated Alabama.
Sophia penned screenplays and directed three films for New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts Dramatic Writing Program. She also wrote and directed a series of cutting-edge short films for the New York Film Academy
Pornography!" and "Commercial America in the 90’s." She wrote the screenplay for the documentary "Call Girls for Hire: The Sex Slave Trade Epidemic in Eastern Europe," for which she was honored with Moscow’s Social Awareness Documentary Film Award at the Moscow Women Make Documentaries Film Festival.
Romma also wrote and directed a series of cutting-edge short films for the New York Film Academy: "Underneath Her Make-Up" (unveiling the stigmatized and hounded LGBTQ community in India) and "The Frozen Zone" (shedding light on the supernatural healing powers of ancient shamanism and its infinite wisdom).
Dr. Romma is the author of fourteen stage-plays, produced Off-Off Broadway/Off-Broadway, three of which were produced at La MaMa E.T.C. Her play, “The Past Is Still Ahead” which she wrote and directed, ran at the Cherry Lane Theatre, at the Midtown International Film Festival and toured Montauk, London, Moscow, Montreal and Seoul.
The Negro Ensemble Company presented “The Mire” at the Cherry Lane Theatre; it was heralded by the New York Times for “grinding down stubborn cultural borders with love’s symphony.” Romma’s “Cabaret Émigré” was lauded by The Villager for "delving deep into the dislocated émigré’s soul in erotic quantum verse.”
Romma graduated from Tisch School of the Arts, earning her B.F.A. from the Dramatic Writing Program and her M.F.A. from the Dramatic Writing and Cinema Studies). She holds a Ph.D. in Philology from Maxim Gorky Literature Institute and a Masters of Law from Fordham University School of Law.
gardenoftheavantgarde.com
gardenoftheavantgarde@gmail.com
Subscribe: http://www.youtube.com/c/AvisBoone
Website: http://avisualconceptphotography.com
IG: https://www.instagram.com/avis.boone
IG: https://www.instagram.com/thatshowwerole
The Great Discovery is offering a FREE COURSE right now! Check it out and use my affiliate link, https://bit.ly/4jvvj1A and you'll be on your way to creating your very own podcast!!!
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Avis (00:09):
Hey there, beautiful people.
And welcome back to anotherepisode of That's, How We
Role, a biweekly podcast,where I talk with motivating
and inspiring women, who areprofessionals, entrepreneurs,
organization, leaders,artists, and so much more.
This week's guest is themulti-talented and the multi
(00:30):
-hyphenate Sophia Romma.
Sophia is a playwrightscreenwriter and a film
and theater director.
She is a producing artisticdirector of Garden of the
Avant-Garde Productions.
And she's also a member of theNew York City Bar Association,
working in human rights.
She was the screenwriter andproducer for the International
(00:51):
Art house film, poor Liza, whichwon a Garnet Grand Prix Award.
The film stars, Emmy andGolden Globe Award winner,
Ben Gazzara and Emmy andAcademy Award winner Lee Grant.
Sophia has written and directedthree films for New York
university's Tisch school of thearts dramatic writing program.
(01:13):
Outside of film, Sophia haswritten 14 different stage
plays, which have been producedeither off Broadway or off-
off Broadway Sophia's latestproject, which is currently
streaming on Amazon Primeis Used and Borrowed Time.
It is a 2020 time travel filmabout an aging actress who has
(01:33):
magically returned to the year1965 in segregated, Alabama.
I'm so glad towelcome Sophia Romma.
Sophia, thank you somuch for being here.
Sophia Romma (01:46):
Thank you, Avis.
It's a distinct pleasure.
Avis (01:48):
Thank you.
Well, first of all, I'd liketo say congratulations to you
and your production team onthis, this film that's on Amazon
prime used and borrowed time.
Sophia Romma (01:58):
Thank you ever so much.
Thank you.
Avis (02:01):
Good.
Can you tell us a little bitabout the film and how Used
and Borrowed Time came about?
Sophia Romma (02:06):
Yes, of course.
So I am a child of La Mamaexperimental theater, but I
was introduced to the lategreat Ellen Stewart, or as she
allowed me to call her mama forthe select few that she did.
I had a professor at NYUwho quite frequently worked
with Ellen Stewart and hisname was Colonel Leslie Lee.
He wrote the first breezeof summer for which
(02:28):
he was nominated fora Tony and Obie award.
And he won the Obie, a wonderfulAfrican-American playwright.
And he was my mentor.
I worked with him for25 years in the theater.
We produced three of my playsand he was the director of them.
And he basically, he wentto Ellen and told her that
I share this notion of whatintolerance means because I
(02:52):
come from the kind of culture.
That was also, you know, houndedand persecuted and I'm an
immigrant and refugee and I,and he suggested that, you know,
I, I take a trip out to Alabamajust to see what it's like.
And I always traveledwith my grandmother.
So I traveled with mygrandmother from New York to
Alabama on the Amtrak and onthe Amtrak train, there was this
(03:12):
wonderful chef and he preparedthe collard greens and beautiful
scrumptious, luscious lamb.
And we sat there andwe got to talking and
he was very personable.
He sat down with us and ofcourse my grandmother was very
old and he said I want to tellyou a story about my life.
And he had grown up in thesixties and he had a cousin
(03:32):
that fell into the hands ofa white supremacist's family,
oh, horrific, terrible tale.
And, and, and what transpiredbecause of the fact that he was
in love with a with a young...
she was blind, but so she was,you know, impaired in that
way, a Jewish girl and theywere taking this hostages and
(03:53):
this was a true story and ittouched me so deeply, but at
the time I was involved in somany different projects and
I decided to, to write it.
And I wrote it as a short10 minute play on a dare at
The Players where I belong.
It's a club in Gramercypark for writers and
theater practitioners, andthey, it was performed.
(04:14):
And a gentleman fromAstonia came who was a
filmmaker just by accident.
And he happened tobe there watching.
He was invited to the playersand he liked, it said, Hey.
I'd like to see thisas a film and that's
really how it came about.
Avis (04:30):
Oh, wow.
That's very interesting.
I did love the trailer,so I can't wait to really
sit back and watch it.
And it's in two parts, correct?
Sophia Romma (04:37):
It is, it had to be Avis, because it is
three hours and 36 minutes.
And I also had, it also couldbe a mini series, which we
have done and chopped itup into, into six episodes.
Just for fun, just incase, you know, Netflix
rolls around or something.
Avis (04:53):
Well, let's go ahead and say Netflix.
Okay.
Netflix, Hulu.
Here I come.
Welcome Sophia with open arms.
Sophia Romma (05:01):
Yes.
I hope so.
Fingers crossed.
Praying to God.
Avis (05:05):
Yes.
Yeah.
Well, how did you get startedin the business because you
know, you have this careerpath, you went to law school,
you're a member of the NewYork city bar association.
And, but you're, you are sucha, such a visionary and such
a in your multihyphenate, as Isaid earlier, and you have all
this, this background in writingand producing and directing.
(05:29):
So what was this pathand how did you get
started in the business?
And which one and whichone did you do first?
Sophia Romma (05:36):
You taught me a new word.
I didn't know, multi-hyphenatecause you said it, well, you
learn something new every day.
How did I get started?
So I, I immigratedfrom the former Soviet
union as a refugee.
So I may have of Romanyand Jewish ancestry
from Poland and Ukraine.
In Romania.
And we were basically houndedback in the back in the day.
(05:59):
All my family members asis typical, pilgrims
and what have you.
And when I came to this country,my mother So all the money
she had and told me to go tothe movies with my friend,
cause you can come with me.
She was, you know, she wascleaning other people's
homes, even though she was amicrobiologist back at home.
And I, and she said go, youseem to like television.
(06:22):
We had a little television setwith those antennas back then.
No really rural controlsand very bad picture.
And I went with a friendwhen I was about, six, seven
years old and I watched ET.
And I didn't leave the theater.
She had to drag me out.
My friend, I was glued tothe chair to the point where
(06:44):
she was like, the creditshave rolled, everyone's left.
Your mom is going to be worried.
And I just, I couldn't getmyself away from there.
And I knew that I had.
Love for the allure andsort of the, the lurid part
of of what cinema and whatcelluloid had to offer.
When I saw those images, thoseframes, the, the human stories,
the humanity about cinema.
(07:06):
I fell in love with it,with such a passion and
such art or that I that'sall I ever wanted to do.
And, and then therewas a traveling troupe.
My father had.
Had the pleasure.
He was in the, he was in thearts and he had gotten together
a group of people from all overthe globe to perform here in
the United States and tour.
And I fell in love withtheater because these were
(07:27):
theater troups, and I gotto go behind the scenes.
And I was withthem all the time.
So they lived a verycaravan, like a very kind
of, you know, not a pieceof term of very gypsy lies.
I won't say it, but you know,very kind of Romany life.
Like my, my grandmotheron my father's side and
who, who was an actress.
And I just sort of fellin love with that life.
(07:49):
I wanted to be a part of thismajestic kingdom that I, that I
thought was, you know, theater.
The only, the only closenessthat you would receive was from
the audience and God, so I, Ifell in love with all of that.
Avis (08:03):
Majestic.
That's not really what mostof us describe as theater,
especially just when you'rejust doing some off Broadway
or off, off Broadway pieces.
So that's how you got started.
So your father was artistic,so that's what you did.
And, and how old were you atthe time that you decided that
when you started writing yourpieces, like when you decided
(08:24):
this is what I'm going to do.
Sophia Romma (08:26):
You know I really was quite young and
this may be the story ofmost writers or most writers
that write for theater.
And I spent 25 years gluedto the theater with both
heart, hands and eyes.
But I I clawed my way into thetheater, but my real beginnings
were, I think at the age ofabout eight, when I was in
and school and sponsored fora refugee program because,
(08:49):
and that time we did livein the refugee home on the
Upper West side with all theseeclectic different people,
a very diverse community.
And I had had this, this notionto put something down on paper
about the immigrate experienceand my father who was not
allowed out of the former Sovietunion he came two years later.
He, I had asked about mygrandmother and he had said
(09:11):
that she was that her threechildren were shot on a train
in, from Eastern Poland,during world war II, when she
had lost her first husband.
And I thought that I wantedto write stories that have
historical context, but alwaysput some folklore in it.
And so I sat down to write abouther story and I brought it to
(09:31):
my teacher and it was aboutthe last exit about that last
train ride, where my grandmotherhad lost most of her family
at the hands of the Nazis,she was spared because she had
had a hidden in the, in thecompartment while next to the
bathroom and they didn't check.
So that Gestapo tale andeverything that the atrocity
that humanity can unleashupon the, up upon other people
(09:56):
just simply because they'redifferent propelled me to
write an and my teacher said,Hmm, kind of rhyme when you
write, you sort of have talent.
She came up to my mother andsaid, I think your daughter
might be into poetry.
Pay attention.
So that's really howI, how I came to be,
but very, very young.
I was.
Avis (10:12):
Wow.
That's a very interestingstory too, about your,
your grandmother.
So yeah, I can see how by youbeing creative, that that would
be something that a creativetale that you would tell.
Sophia Romma (10:23):
Yes.
Yes.
I felt really, really compelled.
I had this, this genuinecompulsion to tell it.
Avis (10:29):
So that's what you did first.
So you did the, so youstarted writing and
so you're in New York.
How did the law, you werewriting before you went to
law school, but what made youdecide to go to law school?
Sophia Romma (10:41):
Yeah.
Right, right.
Well, so I finished.
I graduated from Tischschool of the arts.
I always wanted to do film.
I had some wonderful professors.
We were always under theinfluence of Marty Scorsese who
came around quite often showedus his very first film at NYU.
And then I had the professorSpike Lee, who just, no, I hate
to use the term blew my mind.
Literally the gentlemanis so di divinely talented
(11:03):
that I have no words.
Really.
He renders his filmsrender me speechless.
So I, I.
I knew I was in the rightplace and rulemaking, you
know, at that time we use16 millimeter and we use a
Steenbecks to splice film.
It's now we're all digital,you know, we are we're in the
digital world, but before thatit was human connection and
all of the plays that I wrotefor La Mama and the later
(11:24):
online looked the cherry lane.
And the lion theater down thetheater row, they were produced
either by La Mama or by NegroEnsemble Company, for which
I served as literary managerunder Charles Weldon for who
was my great, great friendand, and directed two of my
plays, one at the lion theaterand then one that cabaret
immigrate and then one thatCherry Lane Theater which was
(11:46):
called a sweet word of advice.
And the Meyer.
And I started to developthis notion that the world
is, is, is so biased andthere's so much intolerance.
And I wanted to, I knew that, Ialways wrote about immigrates.
In fact, three of my cycleplays at La Mama were about
the immigrate experienceas was cabaret immigrate,
(12:06):
although it was a satirical.
philosophical work.
And I decided that itwould be a good fit for me
to work in human rights.
I had worked in Europeancountries before where the
LGBTQ community was continuouslyharassed, especially in
the arts and in sports.
I wrote a play aboutthe, the constriction
of the 2014 Olympics.
And So chi down at 13th street,I tried to expose, you know,
(12:30):
the victims of this perhapseven often unconscious bias,
but nonetheless, a bias andprejudice, very strong enough
to marginalize people whowere already marginalized.
And so I said, okay, letme check out programs that
dealt with human rights.
And I found Fordham University.
And that's why I went tolaw school I was the oldest
student there, actually.
(12:51):
Yes.
So that's how Ifound my way to law.
Avis (12:54):
And knowing law or learning law is, is great in
this business too, becausethere are always contracts and
things like that that you haveto read in order to, especially
now that you are, becauseAmazon is not the end for you.
So as you go forward to,to the other, to the other
digital streaming services,being a lawyer and knowing
(13:17):
certain things without beingan entertainment lawyer,
you still need to knowsome of the terms and those
contracts are hard to read.
So at least they'llbe easy for you.
It's just like flippingin a magazine to you.
I'm sure.
So that helps you a lot.
Sophia Romma (13:32):
Right?
I mean, yes, you'reabsolutely correct.
And Avis you and I both know,you know, fighting for women's
rights in, in the right tohave gender equality in the
theater in film is alwaysan uphill battle because
you belong to such prominentorganizations, yourself, the
deal with, and center aroundpromoting women as do I, that
(13:52):
it's important to be able toknow how to read a contract.
It's important to understandthat if a man is getting
a better salary than you,then you have to speak up.
It's important that ifit's vital, that you
speak up, if there isharassment in the workplace.
Because you are afemale it's vital.
And those organizations suchas, you know, the League of
professional women in theater,where I was on the board and,
(14:12):
you know, we have a connectionand you being such a grand
part of the Women in the Artsand Media Coalition, right.
Those are the very organizationsthat deal with protecting women.
Protecting women from, from whatfaces them in the workforce.
And I don't think thatespecially women of color or
minority women, I don't thinkpeople know what goes on.
(14:33):
And so therefore I think thatit's, it's important to be
able to read your own contractand stand up for yourself or
read your fellow's contract,read your girlfriend's
contract and help her out.
And I've done so much of that.
So yes.
Avis (14:47):
That's great advice to have someone that an
accountability partner, theother side of that is have
someone that can help youget some kind of meaning and
understanding out of whateverit is that you have in front of
you, because we all need that.
Sophia Romma (15:01):
Precisely so well spoken.
That's exactly what I meant.
Avis (15:05):
Right.
Right.
And it is important for womento bring this along with what
you said, just bringing theplight of women and women
of color, just bringing thisplight to people's, to the
forefront because people don'trealize until they actually
know about something, they don'trealize that it's an issue.
(15:25):
And that can, that goes with.
Sophia Romma (15:27):
Right until it's it's overblown until, you know,
the paparazzi have overtaken it.
And then there's somehow it'swatered down and diminished
from the actual, the actualdecrepitness of this issue, how
it torments people and how ittorments women in the industry.
Avis (15:43):
Yeah, very true.
What motivates you andwhat keeps you motivated?
We're just coming into likeour actual a real summer.
Cause we didn't have that lastyear where we could be around
people, be present with people.
What motivates you andwhat keeps you motivated?
Sophia Romma (16:01):
I, I, I really would have to say.
Human stories, you know,though it sounds perhaps the
now, or maybe it's definitelynot contrived people that
I hear talk in places incafes when cafes were open.
And now, like you said,they're opening up and I heard
that in your last podcast,which was wonderful all about
(16:22):
rebirth and, you know, there-emergence of going back
to our former normal, whichshould be our new normal now.
Right.
And going back to humanity,I'm inspired by what I read.
If I read a New York timesarticle, or if I read something
that's going on globally, orif I have a case in court that
(16:44):
deals with somebody desperatelyrunning from persecution,
harassment in their own country,or being limited to not being
able to, to marry the samesex or religious persecution
or those stories moved mebecause they're not only worth
telling, and it's not aboutbeing political or by partisan
(17:04):
it's humanity, trying to carvea slice of life for themselves.
And I think that thosestories inspire me, but also
folklore and legend and.
Those are inspirational stories.
You know, the cosmos is vastand I recently wrote a piece
called the virus Corazon.
I think we, we did a zoomkind of play about it.
(17:26):
And I only wrote the firstact, but it was about people
that had suffered through asimilar virus, but it was like
a love virus, not the, notthe virus that unfortunately
we were having a pandemic.
But but it, it, it, everybodyended up in, back in, in
a space kind of situation.
And as we were floating upto outer space and they were
(17:47):
putting colonies becausethey were forbidden to love.
The emotion of love wouldcause them to outbreak
any virus and that theywere living in colonies,
but they still found love.
And it's.
I'd say star Trek kind ofconcept because I was very
inspired by the by the storySartre, Le Jeux Sont Fait,
which is the die is castwhere no matter what you do
with sort of predestined, soyou can try to fight against
(18:09):
life, but you're going toend up in a similar space.
I was inspired by that storyto live out the reverse.
So let's not endup in that space.
Let's change.
Let's change the world.
Let's really not just sayto make it better, but
work inch by inch fabricby fabric to so a beautiful
conglomerate world one, wherewe have this understanding of
(18:32):
people that we all, we all.
Need similar, similar things,love, you know, compassion,
tolerance, understanding.
That's what inspires me most.
Avis (18:43):
Nice.
Sophia Romma (18:45):
It's true.
It's really true.
You bring out the truth in mebecause I have an affinity.
I think you feel very similar.
You know, I think you feelsimilarly to me about that.
Avis (18:56):
Right.
I do I do.
Do you have anything coming upaside from the Amazon prime,
anything in any other piecesor anything that, because now
that the world is opening up,so, you know, so are stages
so are small places that canhave these events that were on
zoom for the past year and ahalf, now they are opening up
(19:16):
and we can actually be present.
So do you have anythingcome up that you can
actually talk about.
Cause I know so many timeswe are not able to mention
projects that we're working onfor confidentiality reasons,
but anything that you can talkabout is something that you're
writing or something that you'reworking on, that you can share.
Sophia Romma (19:33):
Yes.
So I am working on a commissionproject and it is about, it
is a, it is the reaction to, Iwill say to Lolita by Nabokov,
but from by Vladamir Nabokovof from a female point of
view and, and I hope to finishit by the end of the summer.
(19:55):
And hopefully we'll be ableto shoot by October, November.
And it's an important stancewith you know, my former film
was really again it was itwas a call to tell people,
Hey, look, anti-semitismis on the rise globally.
People are desecrating,synagogues and
desecrating the religion.
Also the African-Americancommunity suffering desperately,
(20:16):
especially under COVID-19.
I led the project that therewas such disparity among how,
how the healthcare system hadaffected the COVID-19 crisis
in minority populations,especially African-American
and Hispanic population.
I was, you're heading thatproject for the New York city
bar association these days.
I just want to concentrateon the Me Too movement and
(20:38):
project what, what happens whenmen solve size, very young
ladies and that's my project.
And I think that hopefullyit will bear some meaning to
people that have been harassedthat have been violated
in a very, very bad way.
Oh wow.
You're going to be verybusy and I am so glad.
I mean, that's such a greatundertaking that you're,
(21:01):
that you're doing with the,you know, being a lawyer.
I love that.
So, you know, and just FYI.
I'm going to include everythingthat Sophia is talking about.
All her links to herprojects and any events
that she is having.
It's got everything is goingto be in the show notes.
So no one misses anythingthat you're doing, because
it's going to just befabulous from here on out..
(21:23):
Thank you Avis..
Thank you so much.
Avis (21:25):
What advice can you offer, or can you give to
like to upcoming writers andmulti-hyphenates like yourself?
Sophia Romma (21:35):
You know, I would say, and life is not
a tuna and white beans.
Life is, life isvery complicated.
And if you, but if you, ifyou really aspire to write or
to act or to dance, Or to gointo space, explore, become
(21:55):
a scientist, whatever, fromwherever you are from whatever
walk of life, whether you're animmigrant or refugee like me,
or whether you're, you know,not of the color that everybody
else you know is, or whetheryou have any kind of handicap.
I think that it's importantto realize your dream.
If a professor tellsyou you're not good.
(22:16):
A fellow neighbor tellsyou you're strange.
If there's a kid in schoolthat makes fun of you,
which is really my story.
Just if you could really riseabove that because I think
people are so worthwhile.
It's such a worthwhileinvestment in humanity.
Every single soul was anindividual game with something
(22:38):
to say something to portray,whether it's in baking a cake
for somebody's birthday orwhether it's sewing a dress
or whether it's making films.
Really adhere to your aspirationbecause it might take 50 years.
It might take after yourlifetime, but it will, it will
take if you're persistent persperseverance is everything.
(23:01):
If you believe, if you havefaith in yourself, there is no
end to what you can achieve.
I know that for sure.
Avis (23:09):
Very true to.
Just to just keepgoing, no matter what.
And most of the world, a lotof us that made it through
2020, we've done just thatwe've reinvented ourselves.
We have changed directions,not forgetting about any
direction or any path that wedecided to veer from, but just
broaden a lot of things thatmake up that will make us.
(23:32):
better and that will make usbetter for others as well.
Sophia Romma (23:36):
Absolutely.
You could definitely see thehumanity even through this
crisis, the way that peoplecame together, the way that
bells were wrong, every time atseven o'clock for those lives
lost in Manhattan and the wayhospitals worked and healthcare
workers work, and actuallythe way liquor stores worked,
(23:56):
they cater to your needs.
And there's a fabricof beautiful worthwhile
rhythm to, to human life.
And it needs to be harnessedand fortified and protected.
Avis (24:10):
And I hope that we don't lose that the coming together
and that helping each other.
During the hard, one of thehardest things that we've
gone through, you know,in the world, I'm hoping
that we don't lose that.
Sophia Romma (24:24):
I, I agree with you wholeheartedly.
I think less blame and morepositivity, you know, less,
less trying to blame eachother, pointing fingers
and more coming togetherand working on something
that happens for all of us.
Something that upliftsall of us, at once.
Avis (24:43):
Hmm.
Do you have any wordsof wisdom that you can
leave with us today?
Sophia Romma (24:50):
Words of wisdom, you know, it was a
very, very difficult year.
I'm sure for everybody.
And we crawled out of it likesnails, but the light of the
tunnel, you know, the, the oldbiblical saying this too shall
pass there's truth to that.
There's the, the ignitingof a bonfire in your
soul with the prospects.
(25:13):
The future holds somesort of kernel of hope.
And I think that was alsowhat you had mentioned
in your last podcast.
Hope is everything andhope really does die last.
I mean, I had a play by thattitle at LA mama, but it was
the first work I'd ever donein '97, gosh I'm so old.
But you know, who countsthe chronological years?
(25:34):
I think that if the wordsof wisdom would be that.
Please, please.
Don't give up hope you know,the day that you hear the birds
singing that day, that you goout and see the blue sky and
you see the horizon and yousee the tequila, sunset, you
understand there's hope in life.
And if that's everything,so keep to your dreams
(25:54):
and, and keep striving.
I think those aremy words of wisdom.
Avis (25:58):
Well, they're beautiful words.
Sophia Romma (26:00):
Thank you.
Thank you.
Avis (26:03):
Well, Sophia, I just want to thank you so much for
being here with me today andthank you for sharing your
words of wisdom and thank youfor sharing your craft to,
to all of us, to the peoplethat get to and, on Amazon
prime, you know, check it out.
Thank you so much for sharingyour gift because what you
bring and what you are andwhat you direct and, and
(26:24):
write and produce, they're allgifts they're coming from you.
And thank you for the heartthat you put into each and every
project that, that you put out.
And I really appreciateyou being here and
sharing that with us.
Sophia Romma (26:37):
Oh, thank you so much for having me, you
know, the crystal clarity ofyour voice, your beautiful
soul shines through.
And I.
I would have to say, Iwould implore everybody
to listen to your podcast.
You are so very uplifting.
Thank you for having me.
It's such a pleasure,such an honor.
Avis (26:54):
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Sophia Romma (26:56):
Thank you.
Avis (26:56):
And you're very welcome.
So everyone please likesubscribe and share the
podcast with your friends.
Thank you so much fortaking the time to listen,
checking out the podcast.
Thank you for invitingme into your space.
And until next time I hopeyou will continue to thrive,
grow and be kind to yourselvesand be kind to others.
Hey there, beautiful people.
And welcome back to anotherepisode of That's, How We
Role, a biweekly podcast,where I talk with motivating
and inspiring women, who areprofessionals, entrepreneurs,
organization, leaders,artists, and so much more.
This week's guest is themulti-talented and the multi
(00:30):
-hyphenate Sophia Romma.
Sophia is a playwrightscreenwriter and a film
and theater director.
She is a producing artisticdirector of Garden of the
Avant-Garde Productions.
And she's also a member of theNew York City Bar Association,
working in human rights.
She was the screenwriter andproducer for the International
(00:51):
Art house film, poor Liza, whichwon a Garnet Grand Prix Award.
The film stars, Emmy andGolden Globe Award winner,
Ben Gazzara and Emmy andAcademy Award winner Lee Grant.
Sophia has written and directedthree films for New York
university's Tisch school of thearts dramatic writing program.
(01:13):
Outside of film, Sophia haswritten 14 different stage
plays, which have been producedeither off Broadway or off-
off Broadway Sophia's latestproject, which is currently
streaming on Amazon Primeis Used and Borrowed Time.
It is a 2020 time travel filmabout an aging actress who has
(01:33):
magically returned to the year1965 in segregated, Alabama.
I'm so glad towelcome Sophia Romma.
Sophia, thank you somuch for being here.
Sophia Romma (01:46):
Thank you, Avis.
It's a distinct pleasure.
Avis (01:48):
Thank you.
Well, first of all, I'd liketo say congratulations to you
and your production team onthis, this film that's on Amazon
prime used and borrowed time.
Sophia Romma (01:58):
Thank you ever so much.
Thank you.
Avis (02:01):
Good.
Can you tell us a little bitabout the film and how Used
and Borrowed Time came about?
Sophia Romma (02:06):
Yes, of course.
So I am a child of La Mamaexperimental theater, but I
was introduced to the lategreat Ellen Stewart, or as she
allowed me to call her mama forthe select few that she did.
I had a professor at NYUwho quite frequently worked
with Ellen Stewart and hisname was Colonel Leslie Lee.
He wrote the first breezeof summer for which
(02:28):
he was nominated fora Tony and Obie award.
And he won the Obie, a wonderfulAfrican-American playwright.
And he was my mentor.
I worked with him for25 years in the theater.
We produced three of my playsand he was the director of them.
And he basically, he wentto Ellen and told her that
I share this notion of whatintolerance means because I
(02:52):
come from the kind of culture.
That was also, you know, houndedand persecuted and I'm an
immigrant and refugee and I,and he suggested that, you know,
I, I take a trip out to Alabamajust to see what it's like.
And I always traveledwith my grandmother.
So I traveled with mygrandmother from New York to
Alabama on the Amtrak and onthe Amtrak train, there was this
(03:12):
wonderful chef and he preparedthe collard greens and beautiful
scrumptious, luscious lamb.
And we sat there andwe got to talking and
he was very personable.
He sat down with us and ofcourse my grandmother was very
old and he said I want to tellyou a story about my life.
And he had grown up in thesixties and he had a cousin
(03:32):
that fell into the hands ofa white supremacist's family,
oh, horrific, terrible tale.
And, and, and what transpiredbecause of the fact that he was
in love with a with a young...
she was blind, but so she was,you know, impaired in that
way, a Jewish girl and theywere taking this hostages and
(03:53):
this was a true story and ittouched me so deeply, but at
the time I was involved in somany different projects and
I decided to, to write it.
And I wrote it as a short10 minute play on a dare at
The Players where I belong.
It's a club in Gramercypark for writers and
theater practitioners, andthey, it was performed.
(04:14):
And a gentleman fromAstonia came who was a
filmmaker just by accident.
And he happened tobe there watching.
He was invited to the playersand he liked, it said, Hey.
I'd like to see thisas a film and that's
really how it came about.
Avis (04:30):
Oh, wow.
That's very interesting.
I did love the trailer,so I can't wait to really
sit back and watch it.
And it's in two parts, correct?
Sophia Romma (04:37):
It is, it had to be Avis, because it is
three hours and 36 minutes.
And I also had, it also couldbe a mini series, which we
have done and chopped itup into, into six episodes.
Just for fun, just incase, you know, Netflix
rolls around or something.
Avis (04:53):
Well, let's go ahead and say Netflix.
Okay.
Netflix, Hulu.
Here I come.
Welcome Sophia with open arms.
Sophia Romma (05:01):
Yes.
I hope so.
Fingers crossed.
Praying to God.
Avis (05:05):
Yes.
Yeah.
Well, how did you get startedin the business because you
know, you have this careerpath, you went to law school,
you're a member of the NewYork city bar association.
And, but you're, you are sucha, such a visionary and such
a in your multihyphenate, as Isaid earlier, and you have all
this, this background in writingand producing and directing.
(05:29):
So what was this pathand how did you get
started in the business?
And which one and whichone did you do first?
Sophia Romma (05:36):
You taught me a new word.
I didn't know, multi-hyphenatecause you said it, well, you
learn something new every day.
How did I get started?
So I, I immigratedfrom the former Soviet
union as a refugee.
So I may have of Romanyand Jewish ancestry
from Poland and Ukraine.
In Romania.
And we were basically houndedback in the back in the day.
(05:59):
All my family members asis typical, pilgrims
and what have you.
And when I came to this country,my mother So all the money
she had and told me to go tothe movies with my friend,
cause you can come with me.
She was, you know, she wascleaning other people's
homes, even though she was amicrobiologist back at home.
And I, and she said go, youseem to like television.
(06:22):
We had a little television setwith those antennas back then.
No really rural controlsand very bad picture.
And I went with a friendwhen I was about, six, seven
years old and I watched ET.
And I didn't leave the theater.
She had to drag me out.
My friend, I was glued tothe chair to the point where
(06:44):
she was like, the creditshave rolled, everyone's left.
Your mom is going to be worried.
And I just, I couldn't getmyself away from there.
And I knew that I had.
Love for the allure andsort of the, the lurid part
of of what cinema and whatcelluloid had to offer.
When I saw those images, thoseframes, the, the human stories,
the humanity about cinema.
(07:06):
I fell in love with it,with such a passion and
such art or that I that'sall I ever wanted to do.
And, and then therewas a traveling troupe.
My father had.
Had the pleasure.
He was in the, he was in thearts and he had gotten together
a group of people from all overthe globe to perform here in
the United States and tour.
And I fell in love withtheater because these were
(07:27):
theater troups, and I gotto go behind the scenes.
And I was withthem all the time.
So they lived a verycaravan, like a very kind
of, you know, not a pieceof term of very gypsy lies.
I won't say it, but you know,very kind of Romany life.
Like my, my grandmotheron my father's side and
who, who was an actress.
And I just sort of fellin love with that life.
(07:49):
I wanted to be a part of thismajestic kingdom that I, that I
thought was, you know, theater.
The only, the only closenessthat you would receive was from
the audience and God, so I, Ifell in love with all of that.
Avis (08:03):
Majestic.
That's not really what mostof us describe as theater,
especially just when you'rejust doing some off Broadway
or off, off Broadway pieces.
So that's how you got started.
So your father was artistic,so that's what you did.
And, and how old were you atthe time that you decided that
when you started writing yourpieces, like when you decided
(08:24):
this is what I'm going to do.
Sophia Romma (08:26):
You know I really was quite young and
this may be the story ofmost writers or most writers
that write for theater.
And I spent 25 years gluedto the theater with both
heart, hands and eyes.
But I I clawed my way into thetheater, but my real beginnings
were, I think at the age ofabout eight, when I was in
and school and sponsored fora refugee program because,
(08:49):
and that time we did livein the refugee home on the
Upper West side with all theseeclectic different people,
a very diverse community.
And I had had this, this notionto put something down on paper
about the immigrate experienceand my father who was not
allowed out of the former Sovietunion he came two years later.
He, I had asked about mygrandmother and he had said
(09:11):
that she was that her threechildren were shot on a train
in, from Eastern Poland,during world war II, when she
had lost her first husband.
And I thought that I wantedto write stories that have
historical context, but alwaysput some folklore in it.
And so I sat down to write abouther story and I brought it to
(09:31):
my teacher and it was aboutthe last exit about that last
train ride, where my grandmotherhad lost most of her family
at the hands of the Nazis,she was spared because she had
had a hidden in the, in thecompartment while next to the
bathroom and they didn't check.
So that Gestapo tale andeverything that the atrocity
that humanity can unleashupon the, up upon other people
(09:56):
just simply because they'redifferent propelled me to
write an and my teacher said,Hmm, kind of rhyme when you
write, you sort of have talent.
She came up to my mother andsaid, I think your daughter
might be into poetry.
Pay attention.
So that's really howI, how I came to be,
but very, very young.
I was.
Avis (10:12):
Wow.
That's a very interestingstory too, about your,
your grandmother.
So yeah, I can see how by youbeing creative, that that would
be something that a creativetale that you would tell.
Sophia Romma (10:23):
Yes.
Yes.
I felt really, really compelled.
I had this, this genuinecompulsion to tell it.
Avis (10:29):
So that's what you did first.
So you did the, so youstarted writing and
so you're in New York.
How did the law, you werewriting before you went to
law school, but what made youdecide to go to law school?
Sophia Romma (10:41):
Yeah.
Right, right.
Well, so I finished.
I graduated from Tischschool of the arts.
I always wanted to do film.
I had some wonderful professors.
We were always under theinfluence of Marty Scorsese who
came around quite often showedus his very first film at NYU.
And then I had the professorSpike Lee, who just, no, I hate
to use the term blew my mind.
Literally the gentlemanis so di divinely talented
(11:03):
that I have no words.
Really.
He renders his filmsrender me speechless.
So I, I.
I knew I was in the rightplace and rulemaking, you
know, at that time we use16 millimeter and we use a
Steenbecks to splice film.
It's now we're all digital,you know, we are we're in the
digital world, but before thatit was human connection and
all of the plays that I wrotefor La Mama and the later
(11:24):
online looked the cherry lane.
And the lion theater down thetheater row, they were produced
either by La Mama or by NegroEnsemble Company, for which
I served as literary managerunder Charles Weldon for who
was my great, great friendand, and directed two of my
plays, one at the lion theaterand then one that cabaret
immigrate and then one thatCherry Lane Theater which was
(11:46):
called a sweet word of advice.
And the Meyer.
And I started to developthis notion that the world
is, is, is so biased andthere's so much intolerance.
And I wanted to, I knew that, Ialways wrote about immigrates.
In fact, three of my cycleplays at La Mama were about
the immigrate experienceas was cabaret immigrate,
(12:06):
although it was a satirical.
philosophical work.
And I decided that itwould be a good fit for me
to work in human rights.
I had worked in Europeancountries before where the
LGBTQ community was continuouslyharassed, especially in
the arts and in sports.
I wrote a play aboutthe, the constriction
of the 2014 Olympics.
And So chi down at 13th street,I tried to expose, you know,
(12:30):
the victims of this perhapseven often unconscious bias,
but nonetheless, a bias andprejudice, very strong enough
to marginalize people whowere already marginalized.
And so I said, okay, letme check out programs that
dealt with human rights.
And I found Fordham University.
And that's why I went tolaw school I was the oldest
student there, actually.
(12:51):
Yes.
So that's how Ifound my way to law.
Avis (12:54):
And knowing law or learning law is, is great in
this business too, becausethere are always contracts and
things like that that you haveto read in order to, especially
now that you are, becauseAmazon is not the end for you.
So as you go forward to,to the other, to the other
digital streaming services,being a lawyer and knowing
(13:17):
certain things without beingan entertainment lawyer,
you still need to knowsome of the terms and those
contracts are hard to read.
So at least they'llbe easy for you.
It's just like flippingin a magazine to you.
I'm sure.
So that helps you a lot.
Sophia Romma (13:32):
Right?
I mean, yes, you'reabsolutely correct.
And Avis you and I both know,you know, fighting for women's
rights in, in the right tohave gender equality in the
theater in film is alwaysan uphill battle because
you belong to such prominentorganizations, yourself, the
deal with, and center aroundpromoting women as do I, that
(13:52):
it's important to be able toknow how to read a contract.
It's important to understandthat if a man is getting
a better salary than you,then you have to speak up.
It's important that ifit's vital, that you
speak up, if there isharassment in the workplace.
Because you are afemale it's vital.
And those organizations suchas, you know, the League of
professional women in theater,where I was on the board and,
(14:12):
you know, we have a connectionand you being such a grand
part of the Women in the Artsand Media Coalition, right.
Those are the very organizationsthat deal with protecting women.
Protecting women from, from whatfaces them in the workforce.
And I don't think thatespecially women of color or
minority women, I don't thinkpeople know what goes on.
(14:33):
And so therefore I think thatit's, it's important to be
able to read your own contractand stand up for yourself or
read your fellow's contract,read your girlfriend's
contract and help her out.
And I've done so much of that.
So yes.
Avis (14:47):
That's great advice to have someone that an
accountability partner, theother side of that is have
someone that can help youget some kind of meaning and
understanding out of whateverit is that you have in front of
you, because we all need that.
Sophia Romma (15:01):
Precisely so well spoken.
That's exactly what I meant.
Avis (15:05):
Right.
Right.
And it is important for womento bring this along with what
you said, just bringing theplight of women and women
of color, just bringing thisplight to people's, to the
forefront because people don'trealize until they actually
know about something, they don'trealize that it's an issue.
(15:25):
And that can, that goes with.
Sophia Romma (15:27):
Right until it's it's overblown until, you know,
the paparazzi have overtaken it.
And then there's somehow it'swatered down and diminished
from the actual, the actualdecrepitness of this issue, how
it torments people and how ittorments women in the industry.
Avis (15:43):
Yeah, very true.
What motivates you andwhat keeps you motivated?
We're just coming into likeour actual a real summer.
Cause we didn't have that lastyear where we could be around
people, be present with people.
What motivates you andwhat keeps you motivated?
Sophia Romma (16:01):
I, I, I really would have to say.
Human stories, you know,though it sounds perhaps the
now, or maybe it's definitelynot contrived people that
I hear talk in places incafes when cafes were open.
And now, like you said,they're opening up and I heard
that in your last podcast,which was wonderful all about
(16:22):
rebirth and, you know, there-emergence of going back
to our former normal, whichshould be our new normal now.
Right.
And going back to humanity,I'm inspired by what I read.
If I read a New York timesarticle, or if I read something
that's going on globally, orif I have a case in court that
(16:44):
deals with somebody desperatelyrunning from persecution,
harassment in their own country,or being limited to not being
able to, to marry the samesex or religious persecution
or those stories moved mebecause they're not only worth
telling, and it's not aboutbeing political or by partisan
(17:04):
it's humanity, trying to carvea slice of life for themselves.
And I think that thosestories inspire me, but also
folklore and legend and.
Those are inspirational stories.
You know, the cosmos is vastand I recently wrote a piece
called the virus Corazon.
I think we, we did a zoomkind of play about it.
(17:26):
And I only wrote the firstact, but it was about people
that had suffered through asimilar virus, but it was like
a love virus, not the, notthe virus that unfortunately
we were having a pandemic.
But but it, it, it, everybodyended up in, back in, in
a space kind of situation.
And as we were floating upto outer space and they were
(17:47):
putting colonies becausethey were forbidden to love.
The emotion of love wouldcause them to outbreak
any virus and that theywere living in colonies,
but they still found love.
And it's.
I'd say star Trek kind ofconcept because I was very
inspired by the by the storySartre, Le Jeux Sont Fait,
which is the die is castwhere no matter what you do
with sort of predestined, soyou can try to fight against
(18:09):
life, but you're going toend up in a similar space.
I was inspired by that storyto live out the reverse.
So let's not endup in that space.
Let's change.
Let's change the world.
Let's really not just sayto make it better, but
work inch by inch fabricby fabric to so a beautiful
conglomerate world one, wherewe have this understanding of
(18:32):
people that we all, we all.
Need similar, similar things,love, you know, compassion,
tolerance, understanding.
That's what inspires me most.
Avis (18:43):
Nice.
Sophia Romma (18:45):
It's true.
It's really true.
You bring out the truth in mebecause I have an affinity.
I think you feel very similar.
You know, I think you feelsimilarly to me about that.
Avis (18:56):
Right.
I do I do.
Do you have anything coming upaside from the Amazon prime,
anything in any other piecesor anything that, because now
that the world is opening up,so, you know, so are stages
so are small places that canhave these events that were on
zoom for the past year and ahalf, now they are opening up
(19:16):
and we can actually be present.
So do you have anythingcome up that you can
actually talk about.
Cause I know so many timeswe are not able to mention
projects that we're working onfor confidentiality reasons,
but anything that you can talkabout is something that you're
writing or something that you'reworking on, that you can share.
Sophia Romma (19:33):
Yes.
So I am working on a commissionproject and it is about, it
is a, it is the reaction to, Iwill say to Lolita by Nabokov,
but from by Vladamir Nabokovof from a female point of
view and, and I hope to finishit by the end of the summer.
(19:55):
And hopefully we'll be ableto shoot by October, November.
And it's an important stancewith you know, my former film
was really again it was itwas a call to tell people,
Hey, look, anti-semitismis on the rise globally.
People are desecrating,synagogues and
desecrating the religion.
Also the African-Americancommunity suffering desperately,
(20:16):
especially under COVID-19.
I led the project that therewas such disparity among how,
how the healthcare system hadaffected the COVID-19 crisis
in minority populations,especially African-American
and Hispanic population.
I was, you're heading thatproject for the New York city
bar association these days.
I just want to concentrateon the Me Too movement and
(20:38):
project what, what happens whenmen solve size, very young
ladies and that's my project.
And I think that hopefullyit will bear some meaning to
people that have been harassedthat have been violated
in a very, very bad way.
Oh wow.
You're going to be verybusy and I am so glad.
I mean, that's such a greatundertaking that you're,
(21:01):
that you're doing with the,you know, being a lawyer.
I love that.
So, you know, and just FYI.
I'm going to include everythingthat Sophia is talking about.
All her links to herprojects and any events
that she is having.
It's got everything is goingto be in the show notes.
So no one misses anythingthat you're doing, because
it's going to just befabulous from here on out..
(21:23):
Thank you Avis..
Thank you so much.
Avis (21:25):
What advice can you offer, or can you give to
like to upcoming writers andmulti-hyphenates like yourself?
Sophia Romma (21:35):
You know, I would say, and life is not
a tuna and white beans.
Life is, life isvery complicated.
And if you, but if you, ifyou really aspire to write or
to act or to dance, Or to gointo space, explore, become
(21:55):
a scientist, whatever, fromwherever you are from whatever
walk of life, whether you're animmigrant or refugee like me,
or whether you're, you know,not of the color that everybody
else you know is, or whetheryou have any kind of handicap.
I think that it's importantto realize your dream.
If a professor tellsyou you're not good.
(22:16):
A fellow neighbor tellsyou you're strange.
If there's a kid in schoolthat makes fun of you,
which is really my story.
Just if you could really riseabove that because I think
people are so worthwhile.
It's such a worthwhileinvestment in humanity.
Every single soul was anindividual game with something
(22:38):
to say something to portray,whether it's in baking a cake
for somebody's birthday orwhether it's sewing a dress
or whether it's making films.
Really adhere to your aspirationbecause it might take 50 years.
It might take after yourlifetime, but it will, it will
take if you're persistent persperseverance is everything.
(23:01):
If you believe, if you havefaith in yourself, there is no
end to what you can achieve.
I know that for sure.
Avis (23:09):
Very true to.
Just to just keepgoing, no matter what.
And most of the world, a lotof us that made it through
2020, we've done just thatwe've reinvented ourselves.
We have changed directions,not forgetting about any
direction or any path that wedecided to veer from, but just
broaden a lot of things thatmake up that will make us.
(23:32):
better and that will make usbetter for others as well.
Sophia Romma (23:36):
Absolutely.
You could definitely see thehumanity even through this
crisis, the way that peoplecame together, the way that
bells were wrong, every time atseven o'clock for those lives
lost in Manhattan and the wayhospitals worked and healthcare
workers work, and actuallythe way liquor stores worked,
(23:56):
they cater to your needs.
And there's a fabricof beautiful worthwhile
rhythm to, to human life.
And it needs to be harnessedand fortified and protected.
Avis (24:10):
And I hope that we don't lose that the coming together
and that helping each other.
During the hard, one of thehardest things that we've
gone through, you know,in the world, I'm hoping
that we don't lose that.
Sophia Romma (24:24):
I, I agree with you wholeheartedly.
I think less blame and morepositivity, you know, less,
less trying to blame eachother, pointing fingers
and more coming togetherand working on something
that happens for all of us.
Something that upliftsall of us, at once.
Avis (24:43):
Hmm.
Do you have any wordsof wisdom that you can
leave with us today?
Sophia Romma (24:50):
Words of wisdom, you know, it was a
very, very difficult year.
I'm sure for everybody.
And we crawled out of it likesnails, but the light of the
tunnel, you know, the, the oldbiblical saying this too shall
pass there's truth to that.
There's the, the ignitingof a bonfire in your
soul with the prospects.
(25:13):
The future holds somesort of kernel of hope.
And I think that was alsowhat you had mentioned
in your last podcast.
Hope is everything andhope really does die last.
I mean, I had a play by thattitle at LA mama, but it was
the first work I'd ever donein '97, gosh I'm so old.
But you know, who countsthe chronological years?
(25:34):
I think that if the wordsof wisdom would be that.
Please, please.
Don't give up hope you know,the day that you hear the birds
singing that day, that you goout and see the blue sky and
you see the horizon and yousee the tequila, sunset, you
understand there's hope in life.
And if that's everything,so keep to your dreams
(25:54):
and, and keep striving.
I think those aremy words of wisdom.
Avis (25:58):
Well, they're beautiful words.
Sophia Romma (26:00):
Thank you.
Thank you.
Avis (26:03):
Well, Sophia, I just want to thank you so much for
being here with me today andthank you for sharing your
words of wisdom and thank youfor sharing your craft to,
to all of us, to the peoplethat get to and, on Amazon
prime, you know, check it out.
Thank you so much for sharingyour gift because what you
bring and what you are andwhat you direct and, and
(26:24):
write and produce, they're allgifts they're coming from you.
And thank you for the heartthat you put into each and every
project that, that you put out.
And I really appreciateyou being here and
sharing that with us.
Sophia Romma (26:37):
Oh, thank you so much for having me, you
know, the crystal clarity ofyour voice, your beautiful
soul shines through.
And I.
I would have to say, Iwould implore everybody
to listen to your podcast.
You are so very uplifting.
Thank you for having me.
It's such a pleasure,such an honor.
Avis (26:54):
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Sophia Romma (26:56):
Thank you.
Avis (26:56):
And you're very welcome.
So everyone please likesubscribe and share the
podcast with your friends.
Thank you so much fortaking the time to listen,
checking out the podcast.
Thank you for invitingme into your space.
And until next time I hopeyou will continue to thrive,
grow and be kind to yourselvesand be kind to others.
Popular Podcasts
Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club
Welcome to Bookmarked by Reese’s Book Club — the podcast where great stories, bold women, and irresistible conversations collide! Hosted by award-winning journalist Danielle Robay, each week new episodes balance thoughtful literary insight with the fervor of buzzy book trends, pop culture and more. Bookmarked brings together celebrities, tastemakers, influencers and authors from Reese's Book Club and beyond to share stories that transcend the page. Pull up a chair. You’re not just listening — you’re part of the conversation.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com