Breaking the Fourth Wall

Artistic directors and season selection committees should consider these 7 factors when determining their upcoming season programming.Plus, as always, your favorite weekly puzzler is included!Visit the podcast website that includes a full transcript.New episodes every Monday morning.Websites:AshleeEspinosa.comTimEspinosa.comInstagram:@ashleelynnespinosa@timespinosaofficialYoutube:Ashlee EspinosaTim EspinosaTwitter:@AshleeLEspinosaEmail us at: team@AshleeEspinosa.com

Consider these 7 steps when entering the rehearsal and production process to support and advocate for greater diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice.Plus, as always, your favorite weekly puzzler is included!Visit the podcast website that includes a full transcript.New episodes every Monday morning.Websites:AshleeEspinosa.comTimEspinosa.comInstagram:@ashleelynnespinosa@timespinosaofficialYoutube:Ashlee EspinosaTim EspinosaTwitter:@AshleeLEspinosaEmail us at: team@AshleeEspinosa.com

Ashlee and Tim discuss actionable steps that program heads and faculty can immediately implement into their curriculum and teaching practices in order to affect the much needed positive change moving forward.Plus, as always, your favorite weekly puzzler is included!Visit the podcast website that includes a full transcript.New episodes every Monday morning.Websites:AshleeEspinosa.comTimEspinosa.comInstagram:@ashleelynnespinosa@timespinosaofficialYoutube:Ashlee EspinosaTim EspinosaTwitter:@AshleeLEspinosaEmail us at: team@AshleeEspinosa.com

Are theatre programs adequately preparing students to meet the demands of the professional arena of theatre after graduation?Plus, as always, your favorite weekly puzzler is included!Visit the podcast website that includes a full transcript.New episodes every Monday morning.Websites:AshleeEspinosa.comTimEspinosa.comInstagram:@ashleelynnespinosa@timespinosaofficialYoutube:Ashlee EspinosaTim EspinosaTwitter:@AshleeLEspinosaEmail us at: team@AshleeEspinosa.com

Does working on Broadway and New York City serve as the  sole definition of success in the theatre industry?Plus, as always, your favorite weekly puzzler is included!Visit the podcast website that includes a full transcript.New episodes every Monday morning.Websites:AshleeEspinosa.comTimEspinosa.comInstagram:@ashleelynnespinosa@timespinosaofficialYoutube:Ashlee EspinosaTim EspinosaTwitter:@AshleeLEspinosaEmail us at: team@AshleeEspinosa.com

How to avoid burnout in an industry built on more work and less pay. Plus, as always, your favorite weekly puzzler is included!Visit the podcast website that includes a full transcript.New episodes every Monday morning.Websites:AshleeEspinosa.comTimEspinosa.comInstagram:@ashleelynnespinosa@timespinosaofficialYoutube:Ashlee EspinosaTim EspinosaTwitter:@AshleeLEspinosaEmail us at: team@AshleeEspinosa.com

How are self tape submissions evolving and creating equitable opportunities in musical theatre. Tim and Ashlee also discuss how self promotion is linked to your process and ways you can maximum your online presence.Plus, as always, your favorite weekly puzzler is included!Show Notes:Essential Guide to Creating Musical Theatre Self-TapesYouTube for Artists + Educators Online CourseRead the blog post of this episode that includes additional photos, videos and resources.Visit the podcast website that includes a full transcript.New episodes every Monday morning.Websites:AshleeEspinosa.comTimEspinosa.comInstagram:@ashleelynnespinosa@timespinosaofficialYoutube:Ashlee EspinosaTim EspinosaTwitter:@AshleeLEspinosaEmail us at: team@AshleeEspinosa.com

How we can begin to honor and acknowledge the benefits of creating a career in musical theatre that includes multiple steams of income, passion and value.  Plus, as always, your favorite weekly puzzler is included!Read the blog post of this episode that includes additional photos, videos and resources.Visit the podcast website that includes a full transcript.New episodes every Monday morning.Websites:AshleeEspinosa.comTimEspinosa.comInstagram:@ashleelynnespinosa@timespinosaofficialYoutube:Ashlee EspinosaTim EspinosaTwitter:@AshleeLEspinosaEmail us at: team@AshleeEspinosa.com

It's time to reframe the narrative that surrounds cruise ship and theme park entertainment. Ashlee and Tim Espinosa talk about their experience meeting on a cruise ship as performers, how it enabled them to explore the world and multitudes of cultures, work with multi million dollar sets and costume, and why theme park are a valuable means of income within the entrainment industry.Plus, as always, your favorite weekly puzzler is included!Read the blog post of this episode that includes additional photos, videos and resources.Visit the podcast website that includes a full transcript.New episodes every Monday morning.Websites:AshleeEspinosa.comTimEspinosa.comInstagram:@ashleelynnespinosa@timespinosaofficialYoutube:Ashlee EspinosaTim EspinosaTwitter:@AshleeLEspinosaEmail us at: team@AshleeEspinosa.com

Korrie Yamaoka, host of the podcast Studying the Song, joins us as we talk about changing the way we train singers, creating healthy boundaries, and audition thoughts from her perspective as a vocal coach and music director.Read the blog post of this episode that includes additional photos, videos and resources.Visit the podcast website that includes a full transcript.Korrie Yamaoka is a musical theatre vocal coach and music director in San Diego, CA.  A specialist in musical theatre repertoire and contemporary pop/rock performance styles, Korrie explores the intersection of rock music and musical theatre and has been a guest lecturer at Musical Theatre Educator’s Alliance (MTEA) and Association of Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE) as well as a guest teaching artist at universities across the United States.  Korrie is also the host of Studying the Song, a podcast for musical theatre actors about audition preparation and vocal styling.  She helps singers create a powerful audition book that showcases their artistry and helps them achieve their artistic goals.Selected music direction credits include White Christmas (Gateway Playhouse, NY), Phantom (Gateway Playhouse), Beth Malone: So Far (New York and San Diego), Everybody’s Talkin’ (San Diego Repertory Theatre), Violet (San Diego Repertory Theatre), Cabaret (AMDA College and Conservatory, LA). M.F.A in Musical Theatre, San Diego State University; B.A. in Music, San Diego State University.Studying the Song is a podcast for musical theatre actors who want to take their vocal artistry to the next level by going deep into the music of musical theatre.   I’ll help you figure out WHAT to sing and HOW to sing it so that you SHINE in your audition, one-woman-show, or leading role.  Specifically, we’ll be dissecting the songs, character and vocal archetypes, musical genres, and vocals styles of Broadway so that you can:1) create a powerful audition book that showcases your artistry and actually gets you work2) feel totally at home reading the musical score of a show3) define your unique artistic voice4) craft a performing career you love!Follow Korrie on Instagram and learn more on her website.New episodes every Monday morning.Websites:AshleeEspinosa.comTimEspinosa.comInstagram:@ashleelynnespinosa@timespinosaofficialYoutube:Ashlee EspinosaTim EspinosaTwitter:@AshleeLEspinosaEmail us at: team@AshleeEspinosa.com

The history of American acting methodologies and ways that we can eliminate trauma when teaching acting fundamentals.Reflecting on American Acting Training in 2021What is the history of teaching acting in musical theatre?How has it affected actors negatively?What can we do to better train actors without using trauma?Plus, as always, your favorite weekly puzzler is included!Read the blog post of this episode that includes additional photos, videos and resources.Visit the podcast website that includes a full transcript.New episodes every Monday morning.Websites:AshleeEspinosa.comTimEspinosa.comInstagram:@ashleelynnespinosa@timespinosaofficialYoutube:Ashlee EspinosaTim EspinosaTwitter:@AshleeLEspinosaEmail us at: team@AshleeEspinosa.com

In this episode of Breaking the Fourth Wall, Ashlee (she/her) and Tim (he/him) interview Leo Yu-Ning Chang about his thoughts on the current state of musical theatre.Visit the podcast website.Leo Yu-Ning Chang is a bilingual performer and educator born and raised in Taiwan, where he co-founded an award-winning A Cappella Band-Guess What. Upon earning his M.F.A. degree in Musical Theatre from San Diego State University, Leo took the faithful leap. He moved to NYC and soon made his Off-Broadway debut in Revelation: The Musical. Leo is currently on faculty at Marymount Manhattan College and serving as a teaching artist at New York City Center. His selected credits include Bubble Boy, Farewell My Concubine (Reading), Mr. Holland’s Opus (Reading), Thoroughly Modern Millie, Company, The Full Monty, and Enchanted April. Follow Leo on Instagram, Facebook and his website.New episodes every Monday morning.Websites:AshleeEspinosa.comTimEspinosa.comInstagram:@ashleelynnespinosa@timespinosaofficialYoutube:Ashlee EspinosaTim EspinosaTwitter:@AshleeLEspinosaEmail us at: team@AshleeEspinosa.com

In this episode of Breaking the Fourth Wall, Ashlee (she/her) and Tim (he/him) discuss the challenges associated with the role of the stage director.Plus, as always, your favorite weekly puzzler is included!podcast websiteNew episodes every Monday morning.Websites:AshleeEspinosa.comTimEspinosa.comInstagram:@ashleelynnespinosa@timespinosaofficialYoutube:Ashlee EspinosaTim EspinosaTwitter:@AshleeLEspinosaEmail us at: team@AshleeEspinosa.com

In this episode of Breaking the Fourth Wall, Ashlee and Tim interview JoJo Siu and Sarah Timm about their thoughts on the current state of musical theatre through the lens of a costume designer. We also talk about their successful podcast The Costume Plot.Join us on Clubhouse for our weekly podcast encore event with JoJo and Sarah on Thursday at 4pm PT.JoJo Siu graduated from UCIrvine with her M.F.A. in Costume Design. She hails from Philadelphia, and has been working as a designer for film, opera, theatre and dance both nationally and internationally for over 10 years. She has worked with the Philadelphia Fringe Festival, the Santa Fe Opera, South Coast Repertory, Fullerton College, Chapman University, Backhaus Dance, OC Shakespeare Festival, Sierra Madre Playhouse, and Singapore Repertory Theatre, among many others. She is a huge advocate for Asian diversity within theatre, and loves when diversity and design can come together on the stage to represent storytelling. She loves theatre and film that is inspired by  folklore and magic--a storytelling tradition that is inherent to her own Chinese heritage and history. She’s participated in the (CAATA) Consortium of Asian American Theatres and Artists, is a member of USITT, and has designed for several world premieres, including The Trial of Dedan Kimathi, The Madres, and W.A.S.P. Her repertoire includes Midsummer Night’s Dream, As You Like It, Othello, and Twelfth Night, Importance of Being Earnest, Toys in the Attic, The Caucasian Chalk Circle, Evita, Spring Awakening, Eurydice, Waiting for Godot, Never the Sinner, and Blood Wedding. Sarah Timm is a costume designer and cutter/draper working in professional theatre in Orange County. She works primarily at South Coast Repertory and Fullerton College, and has twice competed in the Her Universe Fashion Show at San Diego Comic Con.Follow Jojo on and Sarah's podcast entitled The Costume Plot on Instagram and their Podcast  website.Websites:AshleeEspinosa.comTimEspinosa.comInstagram:@ashleelynnespinosa@timespinosaofficialYoutube:Ashlee EspinosaTim EspinosaTwitter:@AshleeLEspinosaEmail us at: team@AshleeEspinosa.com

In this episode of Breaking the Fourth Wall, Ashlee (she/her) and Tim (he/him) discuss the problematic nature of, what is considered to be, the Golden Age of musical theatre.Reflecting on the term “Golden Age” in 2021What is the Golden Age?Why have we put so much emphasis on it?What are the problematic concepts with these musicals?How do we approach these musicals now?Plus, as always, your favorite weekly puzzler is included!Join us on Clubhouse this week on Thursday, April 1 at 5pm PT for a post show conversation.Click here to join the eventpodcast websiteNew episodes every Monday morning.Websites:AshleeEspinosa.comTimEspinosa.comInstagram:@ashleelynnespinosa@timespinosaofficialYoutube:Ashlee EspinosaTim EspinosaTwitter:@AshleeLEspinosaEmail us at: team@AshleeEspinosa.com

In this episode of Breaking the Fourth Wall, Ashlee (she/her) and Tim (he/him) interview Gwendolyn Walker (she/her) about her thoughts on the current state of musical theatre.Join us on Clubhouse for our weekly podcast encore event with Gwen.Gwendolyn Walker is an Assistant Professor of Voice and Alexander Technique in Penn State’s BFA Musical Theatre program. She is also a graduate of the Contemporary Alexander School and is a certified Alexander Technique teacher. Her unique approach to training young artists from a somatic perspective as well as from a contemporary commercial vocal perspective has made her a sought-after guest artist and private teacher around the world. Prior to coming to Penn State, she was the Coordinator of the Voice Department at the Conservatory of Performing Arts at Point Park University in Pittsburgh. Gwen’s areas of research all relate back to reducing mental and physical anxiety for today’s artists. A passionate antiracist and activist, her most recent articles and presentations have been about tools for educators to address the current mental health crisis on college campuses, training transgender and gender non-binary humans, and how to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in the voice studio and in the greater theatre industry. Gwen is an Equity Actress who has performed in National Tours, major regional houses, and off-Broadway. She maintains an active Voice and Alexander Technique Studio in New York City and her students can be seen in most shows on Broadway today.Follow Gwen on Instagram, Facebook and her website.podcast websiteNew episodes every Monday morning.Websites:AshleeEspinosa.comTimEspinosa.comInstagram:@ashleelynnespinosa@timespinosaofficialYoutube:Ashlee EspinosaTim EspinosaTwitter:@AshleeLEspinosaEmail us at: team@AshleeEspinosa.com

In this episode of Breaking the Fourth Wall, Ashlee (she/her) and Tim (he/him) discuss their lessons learned in both the educational and professional arena of musical theatre during 2020 and the early part of 2021. Will academia change course?How have we evolved as artists? Are we optimistic about the future of the craft? What actions are + can we continue to take as a community to make change happen?We share our personal lessons learned that will shape our teaching and artistic decisions moving forward with the hope that the more we talk about this change the more others will join.Podcast Encore Event in Clubhousepodcast websiteNew episodes every Monday morning.Websites:AshleeEspinosa.comTimEspinosa.comInstagram:@ashleelynnespinosa@timespinosaofficialYoutube:Ashlee EspinosaTim EspinosaTwitter:@AshleeLEspinosaEmail us at: team@AshleeEspinosa.com

Ashlee (she/her) and Tim (he/him)  introduce Season 2 of their podcast, Breaking the Fourth Wall. Podcast Encore Event in ClubhouseNew episodes every Monday morning.Websites:AshleeEspinosa.comTimEspinosa.comInstagram:@ashleelynnespinosa@timespinosaofficialYoutube:Ashlee EspinosaTim EspinosaTwitter:@AshleeLEspinosaEmail us at: team@AshleeEspinosa.com

In this episode of Breaking the Fourth Wall, Tim and Ashlee Espinosa discuss the upcoming Broadway revival of 1776 directed by Diane Paulus with a focus on inclusive casting. How do we continue the movement of casting folx in a more inclusive and supportive way just like Diane is doing right now? This is the final episode of Season 1. We will be taking a break and seeing everyone back again in July with a new season that is going to include interviews of folx in the musical theatre industry that are making positive change with their work, their voice and their actions. Visit our podcast website for a transcription of this episode and all previous episodes of Breaking the Fourth Wall.Visit our online homes:AshleeEspinosa.comTimEspinosa.comInstagram:@ashleelynnespinosa@timespinosaofficialTwitter:@AshleeLEspinosa@TheTimEspinosaYoutube:Ashlee EspinosaTim EspinosaEmail us at: team@AshleeEspinosa.com

In this episode of Breaking the Fourth Wall, Tim and Ashlee Espinosa discuss their favorite resources right now for creative outlets in quarantine isolation to further their creative outlets. The topic this week is focused on online teaching and how we can use distance education to continue to grow and learn as artists and educators. We share the tools we have found helpful when teaching online class and also coaching or consulting online for theatre and music theatre artists and students. Visit our podcast website for a transcription of this episode and all previous episodes of Breaking the Fourth Wall.Visit our online homes:AshleeEspinosa.comTimEspinosa.comInstagram:@ashleelynnespinosa@timespinosaofficialTwitter:@AshleeLEspinosa@TheTimEspinosaYoutube:Ashlee EspinosaTim EspinosaEmail us at: team@AshleeEspinosa.com