Three actors, one enigmatic play, and surprising insights into collaboration, craft, and curiosity

What can three actors teach you about memory, silence, and creativity? In this episode of Your Creative Mind, I sit down with Jaqui Shiel, Mark Cosby, and Lori Kee, three accomplished performers who brought Harold Pinter’s Old Times to life in a Zoom performance in Karen Kohlhaas’ directing class that I took.

You’ll hear how they build layered characters, balance artistic work with everyday demands, and use pauses and presence to create powerful moments on stage and in life. Their stories offer practical strategies you can apply to your own communication, whether you’re leading a team, teaching a class, or crafting your next project.

If you want fresh insight into acting craft, collaboration, and the artistry of silence, this conversation will spark new ideas and confidence in your own creative journey.

The actors in this project were: Jaqui Shiel as Kate, Mark Cosby as Deeley, and Lori Kee as Anna. See below for their information. If you're a producer or a casting director, book them for shows. They are tremendous at their art and craft.

See the production on YouTube.

 

Jaqui Shiel

Jaqui Shiel is an actor, singer and writer. Born and raised in South Africa to Irish parents- she trained as an actor in S.Africa at the TUT School of Drama and in the UK at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts. 
 
After a varied theatre career in London playing roles in, amongst other things, The Libertine, Rainshark, Mary Zimmerman's The Arabian Nights, Playboy of the Western World, and A Month in the Country, Jaqui moved to NYC where she has been seen in Elektra at the Baryshnikov Arts Centre and in industry readings for new plays including Craig Lucas's play Change Agent as Jackie Kennedy.
 
As a writer, Jaqui was the 2023 winner of the Red Bull Theatre short play festival- where her play “Taboo is the Thing” had a one night off-Broadway reading produced by Red Bull. She continues to enjoy the challenge and thrill of playwriting and is currently mentored by Lucy Thurber. 
https://www.jaquishiel.com/ 
https://www.instagram.com/jaquishiel/
 
Lori Kee

Award winning Actress. Upcoming: shooting 2 films-- Everything's Fine Now and  Salting. Favorite roles: Tracey in Sweat by Lynn Nottage, Wife in Wife to the Headless Horsemanby Don Nigro, Woman in Neil Labute’s Falling in Like, Emma in Pterodactyls by Nicky Silver, Lola in Lola Lies to Corky. & Linda in According to the Chorus both by Arlene Hutton, Sandwich in Hungry by Matt Crowley, Seagull in Sisters Grimm: Pointy the Starfish by Bricken Sparacino, Saint Birgitta in the TV series Parable, also the beloved authoress Jane Austen in the web series The Jane Games and Susie in Days of Our Lives.. Member: Nylon Fusion, SAG/AFTRA, AEA, SDC.  
www.lorikee.com
https://www.instagram.com/thelorikee/
 
Mark Cosby

Mark Cosby has performed in over 40 plays in New York City, Los Angeles, and his hometown of Atlanta, which he returned to just last year to be closer to his family and where this Halloween you can catch him in “Wolfman” with the experimental movement theatre company Havoc.



Mark’s first exposure to Pinter was in a shoestring production of The Lover, put up over summer break with fellow actors of the Atlantic Theater Company Acting School in 2002, where he also first met teacher, Karen Kohlhaas, who shepherded our “Old Times” project.
 
https://www.instagram.com/markccosby/
 

 

Connect with Izolda

Get exclusive content and bonus podcast episodes when you join my Patreon.

Website: https://IzoldaT.com

BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/izoldat.bsky.social.

Book Your Discovery Call: https://calendly.com/izoldat/discovery-call

New Play Exchange: https://newplayexchange.org/users/90481/izolda-trakhtenberg

Submit a Play to the Your Creative Table Read Podcast Series

https://crossroads.consulting/ 

This episode is brought to you by Brain.fm. I love and use brain.fm! It combines music and neuroscience to help me focus, meditate, and even sleep! Because you listen to this show, you can get a free trial and 20% off with this exclusive coupon code: innovativemindset. (affiliate link)

URL: https://brain.fm/innovativemindset

It’s also brought to you by my podcast host, Podbean! I love how simple Podbean is to use. If you’ve been thinking of starting your own podcast, Podbean is the way to go!**

 

Listen on These Channels

Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Podbean | MyTuner | iHeart Radio | TuneIn | Deezer | Overcast | PodChaser | Listen Notes | Player FM | Podcast Addict | Podcast Republic |

**Affiliate Link

 

 

Some of the topics in this episode touched on suicide. If you need help, please contact the Suicide Hotline: Call 988, or go to: https://988lifeline.org/