SheSources

Macy Schmidt (she/her) is an orchestrator, music supervisor, producer, and founder of The Broadway Sinfonietta, landing her on the Forbes 30 Under 30 List in 2022. The Broadway Sinfonietta is an all-women and majority women-of-color orchestra and production company renowned for reimagining the music of popular culture in a symphonic setting. This interview was originally recorded & published in 2023 but replaying it today emphasizes the visionary that Macy is and how her career lessons & strategy are even more relevant today. Emma and Macy chat about how theater’s boundaries can be pushed, and what music does in our lives, and what the internal lines of mentorship in orchestration look like — and the problem that presents. To learn more about Macy Schmidt visit her website here, and learn more about The Broadway Sinfonietta here. Follow SheSources on social media: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@shesources_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about SheSources on their website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lauren Halvorsen (she/her) is a dramaturg and writer based in Washington D.C. If you’re unsure of what a dramaturg is, Lauren knows that explaining it is part of the job too. But hopefully, not for long. Lauren also runs the newsletter Nothing for the Group on Substack where over 10,000 subscribers getting insights on theatre news, reviews, and takes each week since 2020. Lauren has dramaturged over 45 works of new, contemporary or classic plays, with some of her credits including John Proctor is the Villain on Broadway & The Huntington, and What the Constitution Means to Me at Round House Theatre. Her writing has been featured on websites and publications such as American Theatre Magazine, Howlround, and 3Views. Her work has a dramaturg has grown from championing artists and their work, to the advocating for a fair and equitable theater industry at large through her newsletter. Emma & Lauren chat about the relationship between theatre makers and New York, the biggest challenges facing theaters around the country, and what opportunities are out there for innovation, and why you should document everything. Ultimately, Lauren’s work celebrates the “eclecticism of the American theater ecosystem.” Learn more about Lauren’s work as a dramaturg and writer at her website here. The essay written by Annalisa Diaz mentioned by Lauren in this episode can be read here. Follow SheSources on social media: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@shesources_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about SheSources on their website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Christina Staggs (she/her) is the architect behind the branding of SheSources, and she was just nominated for an EMMY! Celebrate with us and learn more about Christina’s experience as a filmmaker, music photographer, and graphic designer based in Austin, Texas. Christina and Emma chat about rewriting what success means, what to know before you make your first or next short film, and get candid about the challenges of being a creative charting your own path. Learn more about Christina’s work as a designer, photographer, and filmmaker at her website here. Follow SheSources on social media: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@shesources_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about SheSources on their website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kira Troilo (she/her) helps theaters and and arts leaders build brave creative spaces using her tested stages framework. Instead of letting “inclusion” merely stay a hot topic, she turns it into a reality. An EDI consultant and a multi hyphenate creative, Kira speaks on how we can actually talk across our differences: something needed not only in the theater space, but in our daily lives. Learn more about Art and Soul Consulting here, and listen to Kira’s podcast: Inclusive Stages, here! Follow SheSources on social media: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@shesources_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about SheSources on their website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lisa Brenner (she/her) is an actor, writer, producer and director whose (somewhat) autobiographical film, One Big Happy Family, releases in theaters on October 3rd. Written and starring Brenner, with Matt Sohn directing, One Big Happy Family is also the beloved Linda Lavin’s last theatrical appearance and plays in her memory. To get tickets at an AMC theater near you, visit the film’s website here. Lisa’s been working on set since childhood, and the vast array of experiences that brought influences her leadership on set today. With Emma, she discusses the challenges and joys of making her latest movie, why you can’t wait for permission to create, and how seeing Hamilton altered her career trajectory. Follow SheSources on social media: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@shesources_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about SheSources on their website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Graphic Design by Christina Staggs. Photo credit: Anthony Mongiello. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kate Hammer (she/they) is a Canadian comedian, writer, and director based in the UK. She grew up on a goat farm and decided to be bold in the pursuit of her dreams, hopping on a plane to Scotland to dive into the UK’s entertainment scene. Between writing and directing numerous short films to working on beloved programs like River City, Kate has also performed as a sketch comic, stand-up, and improviser internationally. In Montreal they also carved out a space for femme and nonbinary people in comedy called INFEMOUS, a monthly comedy hour and production company. Kate and Emma chat about their tips on mentorship, getting over cringe, and believing in your why. Learn more about Kate at their website, here. Follow SheSources on social media: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@shesources_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about SheSources on their website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Izzy Stevens (she/her) is a writer, director, actor and the founder of Indie Spunk - a film production house & mentorship studio. Izzy takes us through her fast-paced journey into film and television, what made her realize she needed film school, and the way building her own coaching business has forced her to reconsider what “hard work” means, while supporting herself as a creative. Plus, she and Emma nerd out over the subconscious brain. Fun stuff! Learn more about Izzy at her website here, and more about Indie Spunk here. If you want to be a part of watching Izzy make her first feature film (so you can too) click here. Follow SheSources on social media: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@shesources_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about SheSources on their website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fran Sanderson (she/her) is the CEO of Figurative, an independent charity based in the UK, finding imaginative ways to grow the financial resilience & social impact of cultural and creative sectors. Fran breaks down her career journey and how art challenges the algorithm, our societal expectations, and expands our empathy. Fran and Emma chat about the issues within the economic structures for both arts organizations and the lives of artists, and Emma gets to fan girl over the Scene Change study from the National Theatre, for which Fran was on the advisory group. Learn more about Figurative at their website, here. Follow SheSources on social media: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@shesources_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about SheSources on their website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Graphic design by Christina Staggs. Photo Credit: Eve Holloway. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Imani Davis (she/her) has a love for history and film, which intersects perfectly in her role at American Cinemathique as a film programmer. Also a writer and producer, listen in as Imani dives into why she loves film as a medium, who gets to decide what’s in the canon, and how to widen your own exposure to film made by underrepresented directors and writers. If you’re based in LA or Chicago, check out Imani’s Film Girlz Brunch, and listen to Imani co-host Players: A Film Industry Podcast, demystifying the film industry one episode at a time. Follow SheSources on social media: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@shesources_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about SheSources on their website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Julia Taudevin (she/her) does nothing interesting really. At least, that’s what she tells people, but we couldn’t disagree more. She’s a writer, director, actor, script editor, mentor, dramaturg, and the co-Artistic Director of theatrical production company, Disaster Plan. Listen in for a chat on making your own work, finding yourself outside of the entertainment industry, and what leadership looks like to Julia. Learn more about Julia here and Disaster Plan here. Follow SheSources on social media: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@shesources_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about SheSources on their website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Avery Looser (she/her) is a writer, director, producer and assistant director who founded Brave Mouse — a media company that empowers women through their stories and productions. Brock Looser (she/her) is an actor, writer, and producer who serves as Brave Mouse’s Creative Coordinator. Brock and Avery are incredible collaborators who also happen to be sisters. Brave Mouse’s award-winning work spans film and television, photography, writing, digital media, and web design. Now, they’re headed into their first stage project with too much of water in the UK’s Camden Fringe this August 2025. While navigating grief and contemplating suicide, Hamlet gets 1,506 lines as the titular character in his own play. While navigating grief and contemplating suicide, plus enduring gaslighting and assault, Ophelia gets 173 lines as a side character in her ex-boyfriend’s story. In "too much of water," it's Ophelia's turn. Buy a virtual ticket to see too much of water here, or a physical ticket if you’re in the UK this summer. Brock and Avery dive into the lessons they’ve learned since Brave Mouse’s inception in 2020, as they’ve both championed their own work while excelling as collaborators on other projects. Brock is wrapping up her MFA in Acting at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, and Avery most recently worked on The Phoenician Scheme as Third Assistant Director and Assistant to Wes Anderson. Visit Brock's website here, and visit Avery's website here. Follow SheSources on social media: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@shesources_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about SheSources on their website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sabrina Lassegue (she/her) is a director, producer, writer, founder, activist, actor, and model, to name a few of her hyphenates. She’s the founder/EP of Extinguished Youth Productions, co-founder of the startup BraveBand, a UNICEF Next Gen Ambassador, and has worked to help push legislation aiding women and children of abuse. She’s also working on a children’s book. And that’s what she leads with at parties in LA lately. Sabrina shares her honest advice for new directors, she and Emma bond over what networking actually is, and we talk about what helps her stay brave and move forward. Follow Sabrina on instagram here. *trigger warning* this episode discusses sexual abuse, if this isn’t a conversation you’d like to have today. We’d like to uplift RAINN, an anti-sexual violence organization that provides a 24/7 online chat and national hotline for those who need support. Visit their full list of resources here. Follow SheSources on social media: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@shesources_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about SheSources on their website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Raven Whisnant (she/her) is the founder & executive producer of New 32 Productions, and the founder of Indie Empire, a networking and live learning platform that meets indie filmmakers at all levels of experience with encouragement and support. Raven dives into her journey, sharing with Emma how she created opportunities to create films in her home base: North Carolina. Plus, the tough lessons she learned when she made a career pivot that didn’t greet her with open arms. With every “no”, her skillset expanded. Listeners get an exclusive discount code to join Indie Empire and get their first month of membership for free with the code SHESOURCES. Visit this link to sign up and become part of a community that supports, uplifts, and creates opportunities for indie filmmakers around the globe. Learn more about New 32 Productions here, and read their super informative blog while you’re at it. And find them on instagram! Follow SheSources on social media: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@shesources_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about SheSources on their website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hillary Cutter (she/her) is the founder & executive producer of Cutter Entertainment, a full-service production house that develops and produces best-in-class content from feature films to documentaries, commercials, and branded content.  Hillary shares what it means to “find the business”, what prompted her to start her own production house, and how to intentionally pursue mentorship from both sides of the relationship. She also shares the biggest lessons she’s learned as Cutter Entertainment’s celebrates its 20th year in business this fall. Don’t miss the Cutter Connections mentorship event for women at all stages of their career in the advertising, entertainment, and digital media industries, this June 25th in New York City! This year’s theme is about embracing growth and longevity in the film business. You can inquire about being a mentee here. Learn more about Cutter Entertainment here, and follow them on social media @cutterentertainment Follow SheSources on social media: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@shesources_⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about SheSources on their website ⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dayna Lee (she/her) is a producer and content creator (@artsfoodfamily), and part of the team behind Tony and Olivier Award winning production company, AF Creative Media. Dayna breaks down what it is to be a lead producer cultivating original, award-winning work in today’s world and shares the most important lessons she’s learned along the way.  AF Creative Media just opened the Olivier Award winning play Giant, starring John Lithgow, on the West End, Here There Are Blueberries Off-Broadway alongside the Tectonic Theater Project (Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Play) and Becoming Eve (starring Tommy Dorfman at NYTW). Follow Dayna on Instagram here, and learn more about her production company AF Creative Media here. Follow SheSources on social media: ⁠⁠⁠@shesources_⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about SheSources on their website ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aiko Little (they/them) is a writer, actor, and co-chair of the Writers Guild of America’s Native American & Indigenous Writers Committee. They recently wrote and developed Get It, a new series headed to Amazon, and worked as support staff in the writer’s room for Amazon’s Outer Range. Learn more about how Aiko unintentionally started their career as a writer on a zoom call and advocates for what the community of Native & Indigenous voices in Hollywood need. Plus, Aiko and Emma dish about what they’re …uh…reading and writing about lately.   Follow Aiko on Instagram here, and learn more about their work here. Follow SheSources on social media: ⁠⁠@shesources_⁠⁠ Learn more about SheSources on their website ⁠⁠here⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Katharine Quinn (she/her) is a theater creative, strategist, consultant, and content creator. If you’re already overwhelmed by her titles, don’t worry. She isn’t. Katharine and Emma talk the Broadway Branding Problem and the ways social & digital media can open up a world of possibility for the business we call show (because, we love Broadway!). Katharine also gets real about building a multi-faceted career and how to angle yourself in different rooms, the way age has been a gift, and what prompted her to start her own Broadway media and marketing agency, And That’s Showbiz. ATS works with shows like The Great Gatsby and Maybe Happy Ending and just launched 5 bespoke media series on YouTube for Broadway fans. Learn more about Katharine here, and see the work And That’s Showbiz is doing here. Follow SheSources on social media: ⁠@shesources_⁠ Learn more about SheSources on their website ⁠here⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

francisca da silveira (she/her) is up to a LOT lately. Most recently she worked in the writer’s room for Season 3 of Industry on HBO and landed on this year’s list of Women To Watch on Broadway, from the Broadway Women’s Fund. Her current play, minor•ity, is having its world premiere at the WP Theatre in New York City and running until May 4th, 2025 (more info here). Listen for Fran’s insights on writing vs. being a writer, and for some nerdy talk about good old semiotics. If that sounds like your jam, go ahead and press play on this episode. To learn more about francisca da silveira, visit her website. Follow SheSources on social media: @shesources_ Learn more about SheSources on their website here. Graphic Design by Christina Staggs. Photo credit: Felice-Cabral. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shany Dagan (she/her) and Jana Krumholtz (she/her) have something extraordinary in common: they're both third-generation descendants of Holocaust survivors, and they’re both using their artistry to create beauty out of pain to honor their grandparents’ memories. Enter 3rd Gen Project (of which Shany is the producer & artistic director), a theatrical collective that commemorates Holocaust survivor stories through dance & live music. Shany and Jana share with Emma how their devised pieces based on their grandparents came to be, offer advice for artists & creatives who want to create work of a similar, personal nature, and talk about how instrumental finding their 3rd Gen community has been in their lives. 3rd Gen Project (which also includes fellow 3rd Gen artist John Reed) has their first collective show in NYC on August 7th, 2025, at Arts on Site. They will also be participating in Holocaust Remembrance Day (Yom HaShoah) this month, at Sutton Place Synagogue in NYC.   Follow 3rd Gen Project on social media: @3rdgen.project Donate to 3rd Gen Project here if you’d like to support their work.   Follow SheSources on social media: @shesources_ Learn more about SheSources on their website here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SIGN THE PETITION HERE urging the BBC to reconsider their cancellation of Scotland’s beloved and longest-running soap River City: https://www.megaphone.org.uk/petitions/tell-bbc-scotland-to-save-river-city   Vai Ramu (she/her) works as a script coordinator on Scotland’s longest-running soap, River City, and was looking forward to the next step she could take in her career there. Then the BBC cancelled it. A petition with at least 11,000 signatures on it as of April 5th, 2025, strongly urges the BBC to reconsider their decision. In “axing” River City, the BBC has also taken away Scotland’s only returning drama, in exchange for three new limited series. A sense of longevity and a clear entry point into Scottish television feels like it’s diminishing as well. Emma & Vai address why the BBC’s cancellation of River City is more disheartening than the headlines lead you to believe & the new hole it’s leaving in Scotland’s entertainment industry. Plus, learn more about Vai’s experience of breaking into television as someone who didn’t see a clear pathway in for herself from her beginnings in rural Scotland.   Follow Vai on social media: @vaishuwashere To learn more about SheSources, visit our website here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices