May 5, 2025 • 24 mins
Welcome to the latest episode of Making It Happen, a Career in the Performing Arts. Join host Leesa Csolak, CEO and founder of Making It Happen, as she delves into the intricacies of breaking into the performing arts industry. This episode features a conversation with Ellen Sauchelli, founder of Stage Door Designs, who shares invaluable insights on supporting your child or teen's journey in the arts.
From managing auditions and creating professional resumes to building essential digital portfolios and websites, Ellen and Leesa discuss the importance of having a solid support system and the right tools. They also explore the balance between pursuing a career in the arts and living a well-rounded teenage life. Ellen shares personal stories of her son's journey, highlighting the importance of taking breaks and enjoying life outside of the industry.
Whether you're a parent considering this path for your child or a young adult looking to navigate the industry, this episode is packed with practical advice and heartfelt stories. Don't miss out on learning how to make your or your child's performing arts career a reality!
For more information on professional performance industry support, visit lbctalent.com and schedule your free, no-obligation consultation with Leesa Csolak. Connect with Stage Door Designs on Instagram at @stagedoorbway or visit their website at stagedoordesigns.com.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:04):
Is talking out of it to just to say before
you promise your child this that
or the other thing sit down with your partner you don't have all that inside
information you know hence a reason to talk to you a reason to talk to me you
know what i mean to get that information so you understand what those things
are and how it's going to work these teachers were like retired teachers from
(00:27):
the public school system.
So they didn't get it. Yeah, because they have to juggle what their work is,
you know, which child is needed in rehearsal, which child is on stage,
which isn't. And it's kind of like you're a short order cook.
Music.
(00:48):
Welcome to Making It Happen, a career in the performing arts,
where we discuss how to break into the performing arts industry for yourself
or your child, teen, or young adult.
Guests include professionals who are passionate and share my vision of helping
talented individuals land professional representation and have successful careers in the arts.
My name is Lisa Solak, and I am the CEO and founder of Making It Happen,
(01:11):
a career in the performing arts, having helped hundreds of clients break into
the performing arts business on stage, in films, television,
commercial work, and more.
This podcast is supplemental to my groundbreaking online courses.
For more information, check out all the ways you can benefit from my courses,
how-to videos, live webinars, in-person seminars, and free guides. Go to lbctalent.com.
(01:34):
My guest today is Ellen Socelli.
Let's talk about teen years. Was college an option?
Was he thinking of continuing as an adult?
What was that like, trying to navigate that space?
What ended up happening in the later teen years and with the college space? space.
(01:57):
So Jay was a very late bloomer.
And when he, so when he first started that, that show in Kansas city, I quit my job.
I actually started stage door designs right after we got home from Kansas city.
Here you are corporate executive.
You're, you know, having to juggle all of this.
(02:19):
And, and then yeah, dot, dot, dot.
So I, I got there and it was really fun to go out to lunch with the mothers,
you know, every day, but I had a career, you know, and I felt like I needed
to do something and it, you know, I was learning more and more and more about
the business and all of the things that they needed, you know,
this, this toolbox, right.
(02:41):
So your, your audition book and your profiles and what does your resume need to look like?
And headshots were headshots. Three reasons.
Digital portfolios and websites.
And I thought to myself, who the heck is supposed to do all this stuff?
Will the manager do it? Like, yeah, no, not so much.
(03:04):
Well, I guess it's me. Figured it out, mastered it.
Met a dad while I was in Kansas City whose son actually was Ralphie.
They were from Alabama and they had been doing the back and forth from Alabama
to New York and an Asia tour and all kinds of U.S. national tours.
(03:26):
And he had built a little website for his son and I was like,
do kids need these? And he's like, well, no, but.
How it helps. I did the same. It helps to bring everything together in one place.
So when somebody wants to talk about you, you can see everything,
the picture. You know what?
It is whatever. Yeah. It is so important because I did the same,
(03:47):
figured it out, did the website.
And do you know that when Kevin was in Mean Girls on Broadway and the original
cast, there was an, it was, I'm trying to think of what it was.
It was a timeout in New York.
I don't know. There was, there was a publication and they were looking at all
of these different new Broadway ensemble members and Kevin was one of them.
(04:11):
And they actually mentioned that he had a website that was one that all young,
new performers should have and how much that helps exactly what you just said.
If you know, and obviously they all have social media now, but that's not the
same. If you're casting, you definitely want to look at what digital properties
(04:32):
are out there for that actor, singer, dancer, so that you can kind of get more information.
You can see some of the other work they've done. I mean, go on about that a
little bit. What's included in that website? Right.
I mean, we live in the world of being able to Google somebody's name and God
knows what's going to come up.
One of the nice things about having a website is that you, you know,
(04:55):
as the parent, as the actor, as the performer, as the whatever,
you can really control that.
What you want people to see. Because at the end of the day, if a major casting
director has had you in the room and they're interested and they want to learn
more, they're going to Google you. So what do you want them to find?
(05:16):
Take the time to make even the smallest landing page with a couple of your very
best things, you know, because we all know that, like Bernie tells us,
he's probably not going to go and spend four hours on your website.
But he's going to spend 45 seconds
him what do you want him to see in
45 seconds yeah what's on that home page what's
(05:39):
on that home page exactly you know i i often
say to to clients that i
work with about building a website we talk about writing a little
bio you know and the bio shouldn't necessarily just be
a narrative of like your credits yes we
don't need you to just put your credits in a paragraph format matt we want
to give the viewer an idea of who you are so you get on an elevator you know
(06:03):
when you're on the elevator with lynn memble and miranda just tell me a little
bit about you've got three floors what do you do and it's not like i did this
and i did that and i did this you know you you certainly want to let people
know what your level of experience is and,
yeah your interest in that but you also want to you know talk about your dog.
Or your fabulous chocolate chip cookie recipe to give you, to add some humanity.
(06:29):
So we started the company as soon as we got back from Kansas City.
And we reached out to a couple of people who were friends and said,
we're going to build you a website and we're going to learn this process and
figure out how to help people.
And years later, I'm still doing it and I love it.
(06:49):
But I, you know, I was like I said earlier in the call, I went to school for
theater and voice and I never worked in the business at all.
And I'm here I am now. But you do, I think, is so great because you get to know
the clients and, you know, what they you get to know what they're doing and
(07:09):
what their what their process was, what their story was. Right.
It's got to be a wonderful thing to be able to give them that platform also,
to give them a lift. You're lifting people.
I think that's a beautiful thing. What's the name of the company?
Give us a little bit more information about the name of the company and everything.
We called it Stage Door Designs 14 years ago because that's what we were doing. We were on stage.
(07:36):
And basically we are, you know, I like to think of us as kind of a concierge hand-holding company.
So we will help you at any and all stages of your career from a person who is just getting started,
who has no idea what an actor's resume should look like or what profiles are
the right ones to use or whether or not I should be using social media and how
(07:59):
do I do that so that my 10-year-old doesn't get kicked off for being nice.
To starting to build at all levels the digital package, you know,
making sure people have their domain names, the address of their website,
even if they're not ready for a website today.
You know, having that is an important thing. You don't want to go and try to
(08:21):
get it and then find out somebody else has it.
Yeah. I mean, I hear people buy domain through brand new newborn babies.
You know, that's what we do. Everything really from soup to nuts that will allow
us to shine a light on the person, the business.
And we work with actors and performers of all ages. We work with creative types.
(08:45):
We work with artists. We work with choreographers, musicians.
We've done music.
Sites for some little shows that we're just getting started and
some small business too now yeah so we're we're
small we're small really there's just
three of us carter who is our chief designer me who handles all the client intakes
(09:08):
and working with clients to understand what we should be using what we shouldn't
be using you know what you're ready for and what you need And then Carly,
who is one of our project managers,
who helps to do a little bit of everything.
And it's a real personal relationship.
We celebrate the highs, we suffer the lows.
(09:33):
I love going through Facebook and seeing what clients from today and clients
from years past are doing.
And, you know, I, I feel like a little bit of the stage mother,
if you will, to all of them. Yeah. Yeah. Same.
Yeah. I feel the same. It's funny you say that. I feel the same way with all my clients. Yeah.
Yeah. It is. Yeah. It's great to be able to share what we know about the industry
(09:56):
and our experience and be able to take it to a place where we can lift these
other individuals and give them so much more opportunity and then be able to celebrate with them.
It's There's kids who do this their whole life and then go to college for it. You know, Jake did.
(10:18):
We can get back to that for a second. Yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure.
And then there's kids who decide, I'm going to do something else.
I'm going to be an attorney. I'm going to be a doctor.
I'm going to be a whatever. Yeah, you know, I think I think, though,
being a part of the industry with your child teen, giving them an opportunity
(10:40):
if they have the passion, interest and talent to do it, it does change.
I think it changes the perception of the admission officers,
because these kids have been in the adult world and they understand a little
bit more than the child that just has kind of done a normal high school experience, you know, whatever.
(11:04):
I think there's a difference there. And I think that being involved does give
them a leg up no matter what career they're going into.
I say that all the time. It doesn't matter.
Same thing. You know, they say, well, my kid's not going to do this.
You know, someone will say, he's not going to do this when they grow up.
They're going to be a doctor like their dad or a lawyer. Like, yeah, mom.
(11:25):
Yeah, that's fine. That's fine. And all of these skills, it's,
and abilities that they are developing over the years, whether they become an
Oscar-winning actor or a veterinarian. Yes.
Absolutely. Absolutely. Absolutely. I'm a perfect example.
When Jake graduated, Jake went to school. He got his BFA.
(11:48):
He went to Montclair, New Jersey. What was his major? What was his major?
Oh, it was acting. Okay. Okay. And he graduated.
He had his senior showcase the day before the world shut down. Oh, wow. Yeah.
And he's actually on a little break.
Nice. Doing something else. Okay. Although last night he said to me,
(12:11):
I think I want to audition again. And I was like, okay.
Yeah, yeah, you can. You can. Sure, let's go. I mean, I have clients who,
I have so many clients that are adults.
Some of them are close to 40 years old.
I have a couple of clients who are in their 50s and 60s, you know,
and they either did it initially and then had a family, did the thing.
(12:33):
And now they're like, you know, I think I want to go back.
You can always go back and you could, or you could always start.
You know, exactly. Exactly. When I was actually working with a guy now who's
just recently retired from the police department and he always kind of wanted
to do this and he sort of got his feet a little wet with it on the day doing
(12:53):
like he volunteered to do like training videos and stuff like that.
So he kind of very cool with the camera and now he's retired and he's just going
in hook, line and sinker.
That's very cool. I love that. So so I think, you know, just to to reiterate
that point, I think no matter what you do, at the end of the day,
these are going to serve you well.
(13:13):
I mean, you wouldn't stop a kid from playing tennis or soccer,
you know, because they weren't going to be a professional soccer player.
Oh, it's so true. I love that. Yes. Training and the camaraderie and the teamwork
and, you know, it's all the same. It all makes a well-rounded adult.
Everyone, if you need a website, if you need reels put together,
you know, if you need your profiles set up because you don't want to do it yourself,
(13:37):
call Ellen, call Stage Door Designs.
Can you give us a little bit more detail about how people can get in contact
with you, like an email address, the website?
Can you kind of give us that so that people can reach out? Because I'm sure
they're out there because there's definitely a need for what you are doing.
I have many clients that I'm going to call up and be like, hey,
(13:59):
listen, you need to run over to Ellen in and talk to her. So yeah,
how can they get in touch?
So they can, well, we have a website, I guess we'd be terrible website designers
if we didn't have a website, right? This is true. We do.
It's www.stagedoordesigns.com. We're on Instagram and social media at Stagedoor
(14:19):
Bway, B-W-A-Y, but you can get there from our website because that's the portal to everything.
And you can reach me at Ellen at stage door designs.com.
Every client that comes in the door gets to talk to me.
I'm, I'm the, I'm the first point. So, you know, I, we always offer a free consultation
(14:40):
to talk about whatever it is that you have questions about.
And, you know, as you said, everything from, I, I have a theater emergency.
I have a, an audition tomorrow and I I do not have a resume and I feel like
my kid has done nothing, but they told me I have to bring a resume.
I am a hundred percent sure your kid has not done nothing. We just have to talk
(15:03):
about it, figure out how to present it.
Your person to these
casting people to based on their experience yeah
yeah from resumes and profiles
to things like imdb or
broadway world or the internet broadway database you know i'm on there but i'm
(15:24):
not on there right how do i fix it oh lovely i did an episode of law and order
and i didn't get credit for it how do i fix that oh nice all kinds of that stuff and then of
course, the websites and everything from, you know, landing pages that are really
just a portal to get to everything else to very elaborate sites for, you know,
(15:45):
kids who have multiple Broadway credits and want their website to not only be
a place where casting can learn who they are.
But so that fans learn a little bit about them.
We built a site for Benjamin Pajak, who was Winthrop in the most recent Music Man production.
Kids got some fans. you know so
(16:05):
they want to know not only about his work on that
show but what other things he's doing nice what about
social media yeah and social media right so that's a scary thing that we we
all love to hate but the reality is you gotta have it how do you have it in
a way especially for a child that you're protecting your child and who they
(16:27):
are and where they live in the school
they go to, you know, but at the same time, creating a following,
because I'm sure you're still seeing this, you know, yes, an audition sometimes,
and sometimes there's a little sheet you got to fill out.
And they ask you, yes, yes, it's a it's a thing these days.
It's how do you do it in the last such a way?
(16:49):
Yeah, exactly. So how do you do it in such a way that you're that you're out
there, you know, that that you can manage it and keep up with it,
and that it has a nice balance of.
Here's what I'm doing. Here's what I bring to the table. A little bit of interaction
with the people who follow you.
And also just a little bit about like, you know, this is my favorite ice cream
(17:10):
that I have when I leave an audition, because when I leave an audition,
it's over and we just go have an ice cream and go home and forget about it.
How to balance all of that. How to balance it. Yeah. Yeah. So,
okay. This has been awesome.
I'm just so thrilled that I got to talk to you today. I really appreciate your
time. I have a last question.
Advice for for new parents in the industry? Anything off the top of your head
(17:33):
or for someone thinking about doing it and who is unsure or both?
I would say do it. I would say try it. If you think for a moment that this is
something your child really wants and this is something that your family can support.
I get it. Yeah, same. It's just, it's so scary in the beginning when you don't
understand how this business works, but at the end of the day,
(17:55):
you're going to figure it out.
And if you, If you get people who are in the industry to help you,
like yourself, like myself,
like teachers and coaches and people who are in the industry and who understand
it, not people who are saying that they did,
people who actually have been in it, it's going to be a very exciting and fruitful
journey for the parent and the child, of course, the child, the teen.
(18:19):
And I think as a parent, if I can just PS it, you're doing well when your kid
needs or wants to take a break.
So like for us, to go back to a personal story, Jake played Peter in the developmental
lab of a musical called Fly that I hope to God someday makes it to Broadway. I remember.
(18:42):
And he did the production of the Baryshnikov in New York City, and it was amazing.
And he was almost 16 and not five feet tall.
And his voice had not changed. Wow. My husband was a little concerned because
he's 6'3", and he's like, what's happening here?
But anyway, so we finished the workshop, and the show went to the Dallas Theater Center.
(19:06):
And my phone rang, and it was Jeffrey Seller, which I was like,
why is Jeffrey Seller calling me?
And he called me because the plan was that the show would go to Dallas Theater
Center, and then it would go to Broadway.
And Jake was 16, and five feet tall, and his voice hadn't changed.
But like, you know, we all hoped that someday he would be more than five feet
(19:26):
tall and his voice would change.
And probably by the time the show got to Broadway, it would no longer be for Jake.
So Jeffrey called and he offered Jake the understudy a performing role.
He would get to go on. And I don't know that I could have gone.
We didn't have that. So I'm grateful to Jeffrey to this day for giving him that
opportunity. But he said, this is up to Jake.
(19:50):
He said, we would love him to come with us. We would love him to be the understudy for Peter.
He covered all the roles as well, which fortunately he never had to go on for anybody else.
And it was an amazing experience and just phenomenal. Flying,
all kinds of exciting stuff. So when we came home from Dallas,
he said to me, I'm going to take a break. I'm going to be a junior in high school.
(20:11):
And he said, I'm going to take a break. He said, I want to go to the prom and
I want to have a girlfriend and I want to go out for pizza with my friends on
Friday and get my learner's permit.
And we happen to live in a school district that has a spectacular music program.
He said, I want to do a school show. And I was like, okay. And I said, okay. okay, so it's up.
(20:35):
And I'm quite certain that his manager was not too happy with me.
But at that point, we said, you got one chance to be 16. Yes.
Agreed. And if that's what you want your 16, 17 to be, then have at it. Yeah. And let's do it.
And you take a breath. You've been doing this since you're little.
It'll help you decide if this is what you want to do in college.
(20:57):
And we went back and forth. Maybe not.
And he got to do a school show and his senior show was Pippin and he was Pippin.
Spectacular. You know, and he just got to have like a balanced life,
you know, a real balanced life as a teenager.
You just know. Yeah, yeah. I agree with you totally.
And I think, you know, you're also in it for him.
(21:22):
You're not living vicariously through him, even though you did have the degree and all of that.
Like, I was also very involved in the dance acting voice space.
I had the school. school but if either one
of my kids wanted to stop kurt basically stopped during college
he went to nyu and stopped during that time other than he
(21:43):
had he was the voice of speed and speed racer the
next generation in the series the animation series and
he kept that going in college but he really took a break because
for the same reasons you know he wanted to study
and do his thing and you have to as
a parent see that you can't get so wrapped
up in it that you know you want to
(22:04):
go back out on tour because you want to have lunch with the ladies again like
you can't be that person i want to go back out on tour though and have
lunch with the ladies and have lunch with the ladies there you go there you
go we'll have to we'll have to try to make that happen well you know i think
those those people become lifelong friends too yes yes it's so true you you're
all up in each other's everything and so reliant on each other yeah you know
(22:28):
the moms that I traveled with.
Yeah, it's a beautiful thing. We refer to ourselves as the sister wives.
Oh, nice. I love that. I love that.
Oh my gosh. Well, you know what, Ellen, this has been great.
Thank you so, so much for your time. I really appreciate it.
Everybody check out Stage Door Designs.
And if you need us, call on us. We're here to help. Two insiders.
(22:52):
Thank you so much. So nice spending time with you today.
Thank you. Thank you so much for being here.
Thanks for watching the making it happen a career in
the performing arts podcast tune in next sunday at
8 p.m eastern if you'd like to connect with ellen and
stage door designs follow on socials at
stage door bway need more
(23:13):
info and details about the professional performance industry visit lbctalent.com
and schedule your free no obligation consultation with me and follow me on socials
at lisa solek underscore lbc talent by sharing our stories we we can help other
talented individuals land the career of their dreams.
If you're enjoying this podcast, please like and subscribe below and hit the
(23:35):
bell for notifications.
Music.
Is talking out of it to just to say before
you promise your child this that
or the other thing sit down with your partner you don't have all that inside
information you know hence a reason to talk to you a reason to talk to me you
know what i mean to get that information so you understand what those things
are and how it's going to work these teachers were like retired teachers from
(00:27):
the public school system.
So they didn't get it. Yeah, because they have to juggle what their work is,
you know, which child is needed in rehearsal, which child is on stage,
which isn't. And it's kind of like you're a short order cook.
Music.
(00:48):
Welcome to Making It Happen, a career in the performing arts,
where we discuss how to break into the performing arts industry for yourself
or your child, teen, or young adult.
Guests include professionals who are passionate and share my vision of helping
talented individuals land professional representation and have successful careers in the arts.
My name is Lisa Solak, and I am the CEO and founder of Making It Happen,
(01:11):
a career in the performing arts, having helped hundreds of clients break into
the performing arts business on stage, in films, television,
commercial work, and more.
This podcast is supplemental to my groundbreaking online courses.
For more information, check out all the ways you can benefit from my courses,
how-to videos, live webinars, in-person seminars, and free guides. Go to lbctalent.com.
(01:34):
My guest today is Ellen Socelli.
Let's talk about teen years. Was college an option?
Was he thinking of continuing as an adult?
What was that like, trying to navigate that space?
What ended up happening in the later teen years and with the college space? space.
(01:57):
So Jay was a very late bloomer.
And when he, so when he first started that, that show in Kansas city, I quit my job.
I actually started stage door designs right after we got home from Kansas city.
Here you are corporate executive.
You're, you know, having to juggle all of this.
(02:19):
And, and then yeah, dot, dot, dot.
So I, I got there and it was really fun to go out to lunch with the mothers,
you know, every day, but I had a career, you know, and I felt like I needed
to do something and it, you know, I was learning more and more and more about
the business and all of the things that they needed, you know,
this, this toolbox, right.
(02:41):
So your, your audition book and your profiles and what does your resume need to look like?
And headshots were headshots. Three reasons.
Digital portfolios and websites.
And I thought to myself, who the heck is supposed to do all this stuff?
Will the manager do it? Like, yeah, no, not so much.
(03:04):
Well, I guess it's me. Figured it out, mastered it.
Met a dad while I was in Kansas City whose son actually was Ralphie.
They were from Alabama and they had been doing the back and forth from Alabama
to New York and an Asia tour and all kinds of U.S. national tours.
(03:26):
And he had built a little website for his son and I was like,
do kids need these? And he's like, well, no, but.
How it helps. I did the same. It helps to bring everything together in one place.
So when somebody wants to talk about you, you can see everything,
the picture. You know what?
It is whatever. Yeah. It is so important because I did the same,
(03:47):
figured it out, did the website.
And do you know that when Kevin was in Mean Girls on Broadway and the original
cast, there was an, it was, I'm trying to think of what it was.
It was a timeout in New York.
I don't know. There was, there was a publication and they were looking at all
of these different new Broadway ensemble members and Kevin was one of them.
(04:11):
And they actually mentioned that he had a website that was one that all young,
new performers should have and how much that helps exactly what you just said.
If you know, and obviously they all have social media now, but that's not the
same. If you're casting, you definitely want to look at what digital properties
(04:32):
are out there for that actor, singer, dancer, so that you can kind of get more information.
You can see some of the other work they've done. I mean, go on about that a
little bit. What's included in that website? Right.
I mean, we live in the world of being able to Google somebody's name and God
knows what's going to come up.
One of the nice things about having a website is that you, you know,
(04:55):
as the parent, as the actor, as the performer, as the whatever,
you can really control that.
What you want people to see. Because at the end of the day, if a major casting
director has had you in the room and they're interested and they want to learn
more, they're going to Google you. So what do you want them to find?
(05:16):
Take the time to make even the smallest landing page with a couple of your very
best things, you know, because we all know that, like Bernie tells us,
he's probably not going to go and spend four hours on your website.
But he's going to spend 45 seconds
him what do you want him to see in
45 seconds yeah what's on that home page what's
(05:39):
on that home page exactly you know i i often
say to to clients that i
work with about building a website we talk about writing a little
bio you know and the bio shouldn't necessarily just be
a narrative of like your credits yes we
don't need you to just put your credits in a paragraph format matt we want
to give the viewer an idea of who you are so you get on an elevator you know
(06:03):
when you're on the elevator with lynn memble and miranda just tell me a little
bit about you've got three floors what do you do and it's not like i did this
and i did that and i did this you know you you certainly want to let people
know what your level of experience is and,
yeah your interest in that but you also want to you know talk about your dog.
Or your fabulous chocolate chip cookie recipe to give you, to add some humanity.
(06:29):
So we started the company as soon as we got back from Kansas City.
And we reached out to a couple of people who were friends and said,
we're going to build you a website and we're going to learn this process and
figure out how to help people.
And years later, I'm still doing it and I love it.
(06:49):
But I, you know, I was like I said earlier in the call, I went to school for
theater and voice and I never worked in the business at all.
And I'm here I am now. But you do, I think, is so great because you get to know
the clients and, you know, what they you get to know what they're doing and
(07:09):
what their what their process was, what their story was. Right.
It's got to be a wonderful thing to be able to give them that platform also,
to give them a lift. You're lifting people.
I think that's a beautiful thing. What's the name of the company?
Give us a little bit more information about the name of the company and everything.
We called it Stage Door Designs 14 years ago because that's what we were doing. We were on stage.
(07:36):
And basically we are, you know, I like to think of us as kind of a concierge hand-holding company.
So we will help you at any and all stages of your career from a person who is just getting started,
who has no idea what an actor's resume should look like or what profiles are
the right ones to use or whether or not I should be using social media and how
(07:59):
do I do that so that my 10-year-old doesn't get kicked off for being nice.
To starting to build at all levels the digital package, you know,
making sure people have their domain names, the address of their website,
even if they're not ready for a website today.
You know, having that is an important thing. You don't want to go and try to
(08:21):
get it and then find out somebody else has it.
Yeah. I mean, I hear people buy domain through brand new newborn babies.
You know, that's what we do. Everything really from soup to nuts that will allow
us to shine a light on the person, the business.
And we work with actors and performers of all ages. We work with creative types.
(08:45):
We work with artists. We work with choreographers, musicians.
We've done music.
Sites for some little shows that we're just getting started and
some small business too now yeah so we're we're
small we're small really there's just
three of us carter who is our chief designer me who handles all the client intakes
(09:08):
and working with clients to understand what we should be using what we shouldn't
be using you know what you're ready for and what you need And then Carly,
who is one of our project managers,
who helps to do a little bit of everything.
And it's a real personal relationship.
We celebrate the highs, we suffer the lows.
(09:33):
I love going through Facebook and seeing what clients from today and clients
from years past are doing.
And, you know, I, I feel like a little bit of the stage mother,
if you will, to all of them. Yeah. Yeah. Same.
Yeah. I feel the same. It's funny you say that. I feel the same way with all my clients. Yeah.
Yeah. It is. Yeah. It's great to be able to share what we know about the industry
(09:56):
and our experience and be able to take it to a place where we can lift these
other individuals and give them so much more opportunity and then be able to celebrate with them.
It's There's kids who do this their whole life and then go to college for it. You know, Jake did.
(10:18):
We can get back to that for a second. Yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure.
And then there's kids who decide, I'm going to do something else.
I'm going to be an attorney. I'm going to be a doctor.
I'm going to be a whatever. Yeah, you know, I think I think, though,
being a part of the industry with your child teen, giving them an opportunity
(10:40):
if they have the passion, interest and talent to do it, it does change.
I think it changes the perception of the admission officers,
because these kids have been in the adult world and they understand a little
bit more than the child that just has kind of done a normal high school experience, you know, whatever.
(11:04):
I think there's a difference there. And I think that being involved does give
them a leg up no matter what career they're going into.
I say that all the time. It doesn't matter.
Same thing. You know, they say, well, my kid's not going to do this.
You know, someone will say, he's not going to do this when they grow up.
They're going to be a doctor like their dad or a lawyer. Like, yeah, mom.
(11:25):
Yeah, that's fine. That's fine. And all of these skills, it's,
and abilities that they are developing over the years, whether they become an
Oscar-winning actor or a veterinarian. Yes.
Absolutely. Absolutely. Absolutely. I'm a perfect example.
When Jake graduated, Jake went to school. He got his BFA.
(11:48):
He went to Montclair, New Jersey. What was his major? What was his major?
Oh, it was acting. Okay. Okay. And he graduated.
He had his senior showcase the day before the world shut down. Oh, wow. Yeah.
And he's actually on a little break.
Nice. Doing something else. Okay. Although last night he said to me,
(12:11):
I think I want to audition again. And I was like, okay.
Yeah, yeah, you can. You can. Sure, let's go. I mean, I have clients who,
I have so many clients that are adults.
Some of them are close to 40 years old.
I have a couple of clients who are in their 50s and 60s, you know,
and they either did it initially and then had a family, did the thing.
(12:33):
And now they're like, you know, I think I want to go back.
You can always go back and you could, or you could always start.
You know, exactly. Exactly. When I was actually working with a guy now who's
just recently retired from the police department and he always kind of wanted
to do this and he sort of got his feet a little wet with it on the day doing
(12:53):
like he volunteered to do like training videos and stuff like that.
So he kind of very cool with the camera and now he's retired and he's just going
in hook, line and sinker.
That's very cool. I love that. So so I think, you know, just to to reiterate
that point, I think no matter what you do, at the end of the day,
these are going to serve you well.
(13:13):
I mean, you wouldn't stop a kid from playing tennis or soccer,
you know, because they weren't going to be a professional soccer player.
Oh, it's so true. I love that. Yes. Training and the camaraderie and the teamwork
and, you know, it's all the same. It all makes a well-rounded adult.
Everyone, if you need a website, if you need reels put together,
you know, if you need your profiles set up because you don't want to do it yourself,
(13:37):
call Ellen, call Stage Door Designs.
Can you give us a little bit more detail about how people can get in contact
with you, like an email address, the website?
Can you kind of give us that so that people can reach out? Because I'm sure
they're out there because there's definitely a need for what you are doing.
I have many clients that I'm going to call up and be like, hey,
(13:59):
listen, you need to run over to Ellen in and talk to her. So yeah,
how can they get in touch?
So they can, well, we have a website, I guess we'd be terrible website designers
if we didn't have a website, right? This is true. We do.
It's www.stagedoordesigns.com. We're on Instagram and social media at Stagedoor
(14:19):
Bway, B-W-A-Y, but you can get there from our website because that's the portal to everything.
And you can reach me at Ellen at stage door designs.com.
Every client that comes in the door gets to talk to me.
I'm, I'm the, I'm the first point. So, you know, I, we always offer a free consultation
(14:40):
to talk about whatever it is that you have questions about.
And, you know, as you said, everything from, I, I have a theater emergency.
I have a, an audition tomorrow and I I do not have a resume and I feel like
my kid has done nothing, but they told me I have to bring a resume.
I am a hundred percent sure your kid has not done nothing. We just have to talk
(15:03):
about it, figure out how to present it.
Your person to these
casting people to based on their experience yeah
yeah from resumes and profiles
to things like imdb or
broadway world or the internet broadway database you know i'm on there but i'm
(15:24):
not on there right how do i fix it oh lovely i did an episode of law and order
and i didn't get credit for it how do i fix that oh nice all kinds of that stuff and then of
course, the websites and everything from, you know, landing pages that are really
just a portal to get to everything else to very elaborate sites for, you know,
(15:45):
kids who have multiple Broadway credits and want their website to not only be
a place where casting can learn who they are.
But so that fans learn a little bit about them.
We built a site for Benjamin Pajak, who was Winthrop in the most recent Music Man production.
Kids got some fans. you know so
(16:05):
they want to know not only about his work on that
show but what other things he's doing nice what about
social media yeah and social media right so that's a scary thing that we we
all love to hate but the reality is you gotta have it how do you have it in
a way especially for a child that you're protecting your child and who they
(16:27):
are and where they live in the school
they go to, you know, but at the same time, creating a following,
because I'm sure you're still seeing this, you know, yes, an audition sometimes,
and sometimes there's a little sheet you got to fill out.
And they ask you, yes, yes, it's a it's a thing these days.
It's how do you do it in the last such a way?
(16:49):
Yeah, exactly. So how do you do it in such a way that you're that you're out
there, you know, that that you can manage it and keep up with it,
and that it has a nice balance of.
Here's what I'm doing. Here's what I bring to the table. A little bit of interaction
with the people who follow you.
And also just a little bit about like, you know, this is my favorite ice cream
(17:10):
that I have when I leave an audition, because when I leave an audition,
it's over and we just go have an ice cream and go home and forget about it.
How to balance all of that. How to balance it. Yeah. Yeah. So,
okay. This has been awesome.
I'm just so thrilled that I got to talk to you today. I really appreciate your
time. I have a last question.
Advice for for new parents in the industry? Anything off the top of your head
(17:33):
or for someone thinking about doing it and who is unsure or both?
I would say do it. I would say try it. If you think for a moment that this is
something your child really wants and this is something that your family can support.
I get it. Yeah, same. It's just, it's so scary in the beginning when you don't
understand how this business works, but at the end of the day,
(17:55):
you're going to figure it out.
And if you, If you get people who are in the industry to help you,
like yourself, like myself,
like teachers and coaches and people who are in the industry and who understand
it, not people who are saying that they did,
people who actually have been in it, it's going to be a very exciting and fruitful
journey for the parent and the child, of course, the child, the teen.
(18:19):
And I think as a parent, if I can just PS it, you're doing well when your kid
needs or wants to take a break.
So like for us, to go back to a personal story, Jake played Peter in the developmental
lab of a musical called Fly that I hope to God someday makes it to Broadway. I remember.
(18:42):
And he did the production of the Baryshnikov in New York City, and it was amazing.
And he was almost 16 and not five feet tall.
And his voice had not changed. Wow. My husband was a little concerned because
he's 6'3", and he's like, what's happening here?
But anyway, so we finished the workshop, and the show went to the Dallas Theater Center.
(19:06):
And my phone rang, and it was Jeffrey Seller, which I was like,
why is Jeffrey Seller calling me?
And he called me because the plan was that the show would go to Dallas Theater
Center, and then it would go to Broadway.
And Jake was 16, and five feet tall, and his voice hadn't changed.
But like, you know, we all hoped that someday he would be more than five feet
(19:26):
tall and his voice would change.
And probably by the time the show got to Broadway, it would no longer be for Jake.
So Jeffrey called and he offered Jake the understudy a performing role.
He would get to go on. And I don't know that I could have gone.
We didn't have that. So I'm grateful to Jeffrey to this day for giving him that
opportunity. But he said, this is up to Jake.
(19:50):
He said, we would love him to come with us. We would love him to be the understudy for Peter.
He covered all the roles as well, which fortunately he never had to go on for anybody else.
And it was an amazing experience and just phenomenal. Flying,
all kinds of exciting stuff. So when we came home from Dallas,
he said to me, I'm going to take a break. I'm going to be a junior in high school.
(20:11):
And he said, I'm going to take a break. He said, I want to go to the prom and
I want to have a girlfriend and I want to go out for pizza with my friends on
Friday and get my learner's permit.
And we happen to live in a school district that has a spectacular music program.
He said, I want to do a school show. And I was like, okay. And I said, okay. okay, so it's up.
(20:35):
And I'm quite certain that his manager was not too happy with me.
But at that point, we said, you got one chance to be 16. Yes.
Agreed. And if that's what you want your 16, 17 to be, then have at it. Yeah. And let's do it.
And you take a breath. You've been doing this since you're little.
It'll help you decide if this is what you want to do in college.
(20:57):
And we went back and forth. Maybe not.
And he got to do a school show and his senior show was Pippin and he was Pippin.
Spectacular. You know, and he just got to have like a balanced life,
you know, a real balanced life as a teenager.
You just know. Yeah, yeah. I agree with you totally.
And I think, you know, you're also in it for him.
(21:22):
You're not living vicariously through him, even though you did have the degree and all of that.
Like, I was also very involved in the dance acting voice space.
I had the school. school but if either one
of my kids wanted to stop kurt basically stopped during college
he went to nyu and stopped during that time other than he
(21:43):
had he was the voice of speed and speed racer the
next generation in the series the animation series and
he kept that going in college but he really took a break because
for the same reasons you know he wanted to study
and do his thing and you have to as
a parent see that you can't get so wrapped
up in it that you know you want to
(22:04):
go back out on tour because you want to have lunch with the ladies again like
you can't be that person i want to go back out on tour though and have
lunch with the ladies and have lunch with the ladies there you go there you
go we'll have to we'll have to try to make that happen well you know i think
those those people become lifelong friends too yes yes it's so true you you're
all up in each other's everything and so reliant on each other yeah you know
(22:28):
the moms that I traveled with.
Yeah, it's a beautiful thing. We refer to ourselves as the sister wives.
Oh, nice. I love that. I love that.
Oh my gosh. Well, you know what, Ellen, this has been great.
Thank you so, so much for your time. I really appreciate it.
Everybody check out Stage Door Designs.
And if you need us, call on us. We're here to help. Two insiders.
(22:52):
Thank you so much. So nice spending time with you today.
Thank you. Thank you so much for being here.
Thanks for watching the making it happen a career in
the performing arts podcast tune in next sunday at
8 p.m eastern if you'd like to connect with ellen and
stage door designs follow on socials at
stage door bway need more
(23:13):
info and details about the professional performance industry visit lbctalent.com
and schedule your free no obligation consultation with me and follow me on socials
at lisa solek underscore lbc talent by sharing our stories we we can help other
talented individuals land the career of their dreams.
If you're enjoying this podcast, please like and subscribe below and hit the
(23:35):
bell for notifications.
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