Part of your broadway world podcast (S3 EP5)|Self love with Stephanie Lexis of B’way Body positivity

[00:00:48] and welcome to today's episode of the Part of your broadway world podcast. I'm your host Haley and today we are talking to Stephanie Lexis who is the creator of Bway Body Positivity and she's going to talk to us a little bit about that and she's going to talk to us about her masterclass and

[00:01:18] her Facebook group she started so let us welcome her in. Hi how are you? I'm good how are you? All right. Okay thank you for agreeing to come on the podcast. I came into your live and that's how we met. Yes. Yes yes yes. So tell me a little bit about about your TikTok because your TikTok was I've been looking at your TikTok and it's

[00:01:48] very fascinating. It's like the name and everything. Thank you. Yeah so well Broadway Body Positivity Project itself started about five and a half years ago in January of 2019. And I created it in response to all of the fat phobia,

[00:02:11] um, um, um, racism and all other forms of, uh, discrimination and shaming towards actors, uh, various body types and identities in the entertainment industry. Um, I first started on Facebook and then Instagram and then I finally joined TikTok like three years later, um, or two to two, three years later. And yeah, it's definitely taken on a life of its own beyond what I had originally intended.

[00:02:39] Because this was, um, it was originally just supposed to be created to amplify, um, um, a photo and music video shoot that I was doing for plus size ingenues. Um, and then it ended up becoming an actual business where I do audition coaching and masterclasses and lecture and advocacy, um, um, and like kind of serve as a liaison sometimes, uh, between industry professionals and the actors.

[00:03:10] Right, right. Cause when I first came across your profile and everything and I saw, saw the, saw the, saw the, I was looking at about, about this project, I was just like, that's really interesting. Like I, I've, I never would have thought, you know, that would be something, you know, as a problem. I, and I, I never thought about it because, you know, it's theater. So it's like, I never, I never, it never really gave me a sense of what I was doing.

[00:03:39] I never, I never thought of, I never thought of, I never thought of, like, oh, crap. Like, yeah, there are problems with, within the industry for plus size women and men.

[00:03:50] Yeah. And then all the other intersecting issues, um, you know, with, um, like, you know, ableism, racism, um, transphobia, all those other things.

[00:04:00] Yeah. Yeah. And I think that too is like, you know, why some people like, cause there's just so many issues as a whole.

[00:04:11] They can't, they, they can only like focus on like one at a time and they just freaking about all the others.

[00:04:18] You know what I mean?

[00:04:20] Yeah. Um, no, I totally understand. And I, I have to admit though, I'm not an expert on everything that I advocate for.

[00:04:29] Um, I would say that most of the things I do talk about are size related, but I've been trying to like bring in more voices, um, in other communities that I do not have, in which I do not have lived experience.

[00:04:39] Right. Um, so tell me about a little bit more about your masterclasses and everything.

[00:04:46] Yeah. So I started doing masterclasses last year. Um, the first one I did was at BroadwayCon with, uh, my friend Marcus Alexander, who was a voice professor and also a performer.

[00:04:59] And we, we didn't have a fancy title. It was just called body positive audition masterclass.

[00:05:04] And we had, you know, it was a small masterclass, but it was nice. Um, and we just, we did what you would traditionally just do in a masterclass, uh, you know, focusing on acting through song.

[00:05:14] Um, but we did it through the, the lens of body liberation, you know, we'll often see, you know, especially for those of us in larger bodies.

[00:05:24] Um, sometimes we have a tendency to minimize our, our physical appearance, um, or we are too hyper-focused on how we look, even though as actors, it shouldn't, we shouldn't be focusing on those things.

[00:05:34] So it's not about us. It's about what we want. And I use like exercises that I know some DBT skills, um, really help, uh, these performers get out of their shell.

[00:05:45] And then Marcus, uh, focused on, um, like also on like, um, bodies being out of alignment because we're trying to minimize the way we look.

[00:05:54] And they, they had, um, they had some great exercises to help like align the body, release attention.

[00:06:03] And then in, um, October of last year, I did a lecture and masterclass by myself for NYSTA, which is the New York Singing Teachers Association.

[00:06:15] And my lecture was called Body Liberation in the Voice Studio.

[00:06:20] Um, and then the, it was just like, just like BroadwayCon, I did a very similar masterclass.

[00:06:25] And that was really great because I, I really saw breakthroughs with the two performers I worked with.

[00:06:31] Um, it was, and it was just the tiny little changes, um, just undoing, um, habit, bad habits that we created in order to see, to make ourselves look more palatable.

[00:06:43] And I think I remember too, uh, Marcus was in your, uh, TikTok Live too.

[00:06:50] Yeah.

[00:06:50] A couple days, a couple days ago?

[00:06:52] They were, yeah.

[00:06:53] Yep, yep.

[00:06:54] And I remember, I was like, you know, when your course is ready, um, you, you got, you both should come back and interview with me because I'd love to know more about that.

[00:07:09] Yeah.

[00:07:09] So it's kind of like what we did at BroadwayCon, but including a lecture.

[00:07:14] So it's like a combination of what the two things that I did, the one I did with Marcus and the one that I did solo.

[00:07:19] But basically the lecture will, will be talking about like how the body, how we put our body out of alignment, um, as fat performers.

[00:07:27] Um, and how, how can we realign ourselves?

[00:07:32] Um, we're going to talk about like ways to build confidence, uh, both using DBT and, um, just other ideas that we have both come up with.

[00:07:41] And then the, and then the masterclass will be, um, again, a bit about applying to things we talked about in the lecture.

[00:07:52] In the masterclass.

[00:07:53] And then the way we're doing it is, I think we're trying to keep it like no more than five people singing.

[00:07:59] I think we're charging about $60 for participants and then like 25 for people who want to observe.

[00:08:07] And then for those who want to observe, they are all guaranteed to ask like at least like two questions.

[00:08:14] We're not going to, the performers, because the performers are getting all this special attention.

[00:08:19] We're, um, we're going to reserve the questions for the people who observe.

[00:08:23] So that's like more worth their money.

[00:08:24] And then, um, and then we're hoping to do like a scholarship, like a, a partial scholarship for like one participant.

[00:08:32] And then like maybe a full scholarship and a partial scholarship for like two participants, two, um, observers.

[00:08:40] And what else were we thinking about that one?

[00:08:43] Um, and we're also, there's no audition requirements, uh, for it.

[00:08:48] We're just, if you want to participate, you can participate first come first serve.

[00:08:51] And we're also thinking that if there's enough demand that we might do it, like maybe on a weekly basis.

[00:08:59] And that leads to the next question is like, how long is your masterclass for?

[00:09:03] Like how many weeks?

[00:09:05] Um, it really just depends on, um, demand.

[00:09:10] A lot of people have expressed interest, um, but you know, interest and commitment are two different things.

[00:09:17] So, you know, I'll, I guess first I'd have to, we just have to do it once and then see if we have people on a wait list and then we can figure it out.

[00:09:25] All right.

[00:09:26] All right.

[00:09:27] Okay.

[00:09:28] So, and then my next final couple of questions is then leading into Broadway itself.

[00:09:39] Um, what is your favorite show?

[00:09:42] Oh gosh.

[00:09:43] I, oh, it's, I, you know, I was lucky to perform in them and that might be why I'm biased, but it's Ragtime and Into the Woods.

[00:09:51] Ooh, I love Into the Woods.

[00:09:53] Yes.

[00:09:54] It's, it's very dear, very dear to my heart.

[00:09:58] And it's like, it's like one of those shows where I know I can play five characters in it.

[00:10:03] If, you know, give the opportunity.

[00:10:05] But I also think Sondheim kind of lends itself well to, um, versatility.

[00:10:10] Like, I, like, same with Sweeney Todd.

[00:10:12] Like, I could see myself playing multiple roles.

[00:10:13] I could see other people playing multiple roles for both of those shows or company or whatever.

[00:10:17] So.

[00:10:18] Yeah, definitely.

[00:10:20] I think that's why his legacy endorsed so much.

[00:10:22] Mm-hmm.

[00:10:24] I'm more, I'm partial to Jack a Little Pill and, um, Phantom of the Opera myself.

[00:10:30] Like, I love Phantom of the Opera just because that was my first show.

[00:10:35] But also, like, I feel like Andrew Lloyd Webber's a genius.

[00:10:40] Mm-hmm.

[00:10:41] In some of his shows.

[00:10:43] I say some of his shows, Bad Cinderella was a nightmare, but, you know.

[00:10:47] I'm really looking forward to Sunset Boulevard.

[00:10:50] Oh, yeah.

[00:10:51] I'm really, I love, um, I love Nicole Scherzinger.

[00:10:55] And I, I, so, as a kid, like, my grandmother had, like, uh, oh my god, it sounds ancient,

[00:11:02] but a cassette of, like, the best ALW songs.

[00:11:05] And yet, like, like, like you, Phantom of the Opera is near and dear to my heart.

[00:11:08] But I was also very drawn to Sunset Boulevard.

[00:11:11] And I think Nicole's just gonna do great.

[00:11:12] It's gonna be, like, a really fresh take.

[00:11:14] Mm-hmm.

[00:11:15] I'm really looking forward to it.

[00:11:16] Yeah.

[00:11:17] Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[00:11:17] Like, I just, I, in my personal opinion, Bad Cinderella was just kinda, not, not that great.

[00:11:28] You know, I didn't really get to see it.

[00:11:30] And, um, but it looked like those performers, they were, they were doing, like, they were performing their hearts out.

[00:11:36] And I always feel bad when it, like, a show closes so soon.

[00:11:39] Yeah.

[00:11:40] Especially, just knowing how, because it's not even just the performers.

[00:11:42] It's, you know, it's front of house.

[00:11:44] It's, you know, the stage managers, the stage hands.

[00:11:46] And, um, you know.

[00:11:51] Well, I mean, I just read this morning that, like, the, the, the Who's Tommy?

[00:11:57] Yeah.

[00:11:57] Is closing.

[00:11:59] And I'm like, but that, didn't that just open?

[00:12:03] It didn't.

[00:12:03] When did it open?

[00:12:04] I don't know.

[00:12:05] I don't know.

[00:12:06] I feel like it just opened.

[00:12:08] I feel like it, it feels like it just opened, but I don't know.

[00:12:12] Yeah, you know, that's a show I've wanted to get to know better.

[00:12:15] I mean, I've always known about it, but I've never actually, like, seen it.

[00:12:18] I'm, yeah, that sucks.

[00:12:19] Again, because it, people working, you know, so hard, just.

[00:12:22] And Lempika, that closed.

[00:12:25] Yeah.

[00:12:25] That closed.

[00:12:26] That closed prematurely.

[00:12:28] That was a shame.

[00:12:29] I really wanted to see that, too.

[00:12:32] Um, and I, I just, I don't know.

[00:12:34] I wish there was a way that, you know, I think one of the issues is that, um, a lot of people

[00:12:38] can't afford tickets and, you know, you know how, I don't know how tourism is throughout

[00:12:45] the year.

[00:12:46] Um, but, you know, I'm sure they're like, they're, they're more drier seasons and, you

[00:12:53] know, especially like in the winter, I think it might be a little bit more dry, like January,

[00:12:56] February.

[00:12:57] So it's just so unpredictable.

[00:12:58] It really is a big gamble.

[00:13:00] Theater.

[00:13:00] Yeah.

[00:13:02] Yeah.

[00:13:02] Yeah.

[00:13:04] I mean, I know that they probably couldn't do this because they have a whole bunch of

[00:13:09] actors to pay and like every, like, and even like the stagehand to pay and everything, but

[00:13:15] maybe to make it more affordable, like to, to make it more accessible for people, make shows

[00:13:20] more affordable.

[00:13:22] Yeah.

[00:13:23] I mean, I don't know how, I don't know what kind of budgets they're working against.

[00:13:26] And I imagine, I don't see, I don't, I'm not an expert on this, but, um, I, if there

[00:13:31] was a way to reduce operation costs where, where it's safe, you know?

[00:13:35] Yeah.

[00:13:36] That'd be great.

[00:13:37] But I, I would not, I don't have the answer for that, unfortunately.

[00:13:39] No, no, no.

[00:13:42] I would have to interview one of them and that's probably never going to happen.

[00:13:47] You never know.

[00:13:49] You never know, but yeah, I know.

[00:13:52] You'd be surprised.

[00:13:53] You'd be very surprised.

[00:13:54] Sometimes you just have to, you just have to go for it.

[00:13:57] Even just.

[00:13:58] Yeah.

[00:13:59] And I kind of like, you know, I kind of like, I, I was shooting my shot and I scored.

[00:14:06] So sometimes you just have to ask.

[00:14:08] Yeah.

[00:14:09] Um, I don't think, uh, like, cause we just, we just like two days ago celebrated our one

[00:14:15] year anniversary of this podcast.

[00:14:18] So thank you.

[00:14:20] Um, so I'm not, I don't think I'm at that level just yet, but I'm going to get there

[00:14:26] eventually.

[00:14:27] You have to start somewhere.

[00:14:28] Yeah.

[00:14:29] You know, I was in a very, when I, when I, let me see, it was my one year anniversary

[00:14:34] for Broadway Bopo, like right before COVID started.

[00:14:38] I still, and I'm in a far different place now than I was back then.

[00:14:42] So, um, just keep, keep doing what you do.

[00:14:46] Challenge yourself.

[00:14:48] Um, just reach out to people.

[00:14:50] Um, you never know.

[00:14:51] Yeah.

[00:14:54] So then you had mentioned earlier that you were in Into the Woods and other, in Ragtime,

[00:15:01] you said?

[00:15:01] Yeah, correct.

[00:15:02] Uh, what other shows have you been, if you can remember?

[00:15:07] Yeah.

[00:15:08] I was in Carousel.

[00:15:10] I was in The Wizard of Oz.

[00:15:13] That was like my sort of professional theater debut.

[00:15:15] Um, I, in high school, I did Guys and Dolls and Footloose.

[00:15:22] Um, I was in, I was in a, I was in a play, uh, called Rappaccini's Daughter based off of

[00:15:29] the book or the play.

[00:15:30] I don't remember a while ago.

[00:15:32] So, and, uh, what else?

[00:15:34] Just to warn you, I don't know if my power's gonna go out because I just, oh, they're,

[00:15:40] okay, it's very windy out there.

[00:15:41] All right.

[00:15:42] Okay.

[00:15:42] We may lose connection.

[00:15:44] Just to warn you.

[00:15:45] I just heard something.

[00:15:46] Oh my God.

[00:15:48] It's been bad.

[00:15:49] I don't know.

[00:15:49] Where are you based?

[00:15:50] I'm in Michigan.

[00:15:52] Okay.

[00:15:52] I'm in New Jersey and we've been having like a heat wave.

[00:15:55] Yeah.

[00:15:55] And I'm so sorry.

[00:15:56] Like, are you editing this?

[00:15:58] Because I, like, I literally heard.

[00:16:00] Yeah, I edited this.

[00:16:02] Oh, oh, like a garbage, like the garbage thing, like, uh, toppled over.

[00:16:07] But either way.

[00:16:07] So, yeah.

[00:16:08] So that's great.

[00:16:09] Oh my God.

[00:16:10] We've been having crazy weather and I, I just, I can't change it as wide.

[00:16:14] But, um, but other shows I've done.

[00:16:16] Okay.

[00:16:16] Okay.

[00:16:16] One second.

[00:16:17] All right.

[00:16:17] Um, I was, I did a lot of opera growing up.

[00:16:19] Yep.

[00:16:20] Actually not a lot.

[00:16:21] I did some opera growing up.

[00:16:22] I was involved in a local opera company.

[00:16:23] We did, uh, excuse my German pronunciation, but their Freischutz, which is the free shooter.

[00:16:29] It's actually a pretty good opera.

[00:16:30] And then I was in, uh, Hansel and Gretel.

[00:16:33] Both of those were done in English.

[00:16:34] Uh, and what else did I, what else was I in growing up?

[00:16:41] Cause I haven't really done shows since college because I, just a lot of things happened personally.

[00:16:46] And I wanted to focus on other creative ventures.

[00:16:50] Um, I was in a music video in 2018 and there is a connection to Broadway with that one actually.

[00:16:55] So in 2018, I was in my brightest diamonds music video.

[00:17:02] It's me on the dance floor.

[00:17:03] And my brightest diamond is, uh, the name of the musical act for Shara Nova.

[00:17:07] And she was just in Illinois.

[00:17:10] Um, so her last, her last performance was on the Tony Awards this year.

[00:17:15] That's what I was wondering.

[00:17:16] Cause I was like, uh, they announced it.

[00:17:21] They announced Illinois as a winner.

[00:17:24] Didn't they?

[00:17:25] Did, did she win?

[00:17:26] Did she win or did no?

[00:17:29] No, no, no, it's, it's, it's an ensemble cast.

[00:17:33] So I don't think they were giving awards for like acting for that, but, um, Justin Peck won for best choreography for Illinois.

[00:17:41] Okay.

[00:17:42] But, uh, so, uh, Shara Nova, um, she, she has performed with Supion Stevens in throughout her musical career.

[00:17:51] And, and as you may know, Illinois is, is an album by Supion Stevens.

[00:17:55] So they, they go way back.

[00:17:56] Yeah.

[00:17:57] That's actually how I learned about her.

[00:18:00] Um, because, uh, I was, I was a fan of Supion Stevens in college, still am.

[00:18:05] But, um, um, I actually had, I met her at that night, at night, at a nice event, not the one where I was doing the lecture.

[00:18:13] It was, it was for my bus where I was participating and I saw her and I was like, that's my brightest diamond.

[00:18:19] And yeah, now she, and she was just on, made her Broadway debut this year.

[00:18:22] So.

[00:18:23] Um, man, that's another milestone of mine with this podcast.

[00:18:28] Wow.

[00:18:29] Like, do, going to the Tonys and covering that.

[00:18:32] Yeah.

[00:18:33] Yeah.

[00:18:34] Yeah, no, definitely.

[00:18:34] Like, go for it.

[00:18:36] I mean, like I said, you, you, you miss, what is the, how does the phrase go?

[00:18:39] You miss all the shots that you.

[00:18:41] That you don't take.

[00:18:42] Don't take.

[00:18:43] Exactly.

[00:18:44] Really.

[00:18:44] I mean, you know.

[00:18:46] What's the worst they're going to do?

[00:18:47] Just, just say no, right?

[00:18:49] Just say no.

[00:18:50] They're not going to be like, they're not going to shun you.

[00:18:52] Like, how dare you send me an email?

[00:18:54] You know.

[00:18:56] Oh my goodness.

[00:18:58] That's the case for those people you want to work with.

[00:19:00] Yeah.

[00:19:01] Yeah.

[00:19:02] Oh.

[00:19:03] Um.

[00:19:06] Well, then speaking of the Tonys, so I assume that you watched it then.

[00:19:11] Yes.

[00:19:12] I watched it with my grandmother.

[00:19:14] We usually watch, we've been watching it almost every year since I was like in middle

[00:19:20] school or high school.

[00:19:22] And my grandfather before he died, you know, was also, would also watch it with us.

[00:19:26] And, um, it's, it's in my, it's funny is my grandmother was saying like, she was like,

[00:19:33] she's like, Stephanie, I don't, I don't know about the shows this year.

[00:19:36] And so I had to explain to her a lot of them, but she was, she recognized some people from

[00:19:41] like her time.

[00:19:43] And.

[00:19:43] I, I personally think that Ariana DeBose kills it every single year that shows.

[00:19:50] I think she's so talented.

[00:19:52] I think she's really great.

[00:19:53] And I, you may have, might've seen the post where I was defending her because, you know,

[00:19:57] she was.

[00:19:58] Yep.

[00:19:58] Out of breath.

[00:20:00] Yep.

[00:20:00] You know.

[00:20:02] You know, if, if someone who is so seasoned as her, um, and, you know, and as someone who

[00:20:07] has what is what people consider a dancer's body could also be out of breath.

[00:20:11] And then, um, there's no reason for people to discriminate against fat people when they're

[00:20:16] out of breath after a workout.

[00:20:19] Um, we also don't know if, if she has certain health conditions, um, that affect her breathing,

[00:20:26] you know?

[00:20:26] So I thought it actually started a really great discussion on social media about the way we

[00:20:31] perceive people's bodies and their health.

[00:20:35] So.

[00:20:37] And I don't know how you perceive this, but like cabaret when they performed, I felt a little

[00:20:43] uncomfortable.

[00:20:44] And a lot, apparently a lot of people are telling me you're supposed to feel that way.

[00:20:50] So I, I, um, so, you know, I do a lot of content creation on like Facebook and TikTok.

[00:20:56] Like I'm part of their, like their meta bonus program, the TikTok creativity.

[00:21:00] Those were probably some of my best performing posts in quite some time.

[00:21:04] Um, and I was, there was a lot of discourse, a lot of people who disagreed with one another,

[00:21:10] people who were arguing in the comments, but like, um, I thought I, to me, that reminds

[00:21:16] me why theater is so important because it gets us talking, it's a stinking, challenging

[00:21:20] ourselves.

[00:21:21] You know, I was, you know, I had not even read, I still have to read through like these comments,

[00:21:26] but, um, it, I think it really depends on your approach because I, you know, there's

[00:21:34] just so many, you know, there's so many different ways to look at it.

[00:21:37] Some people were saying he was being directed to be like a marionette, uh, who, um, you know,

[00:21:44] I don't know if, I don't know if it was to be like a marionette by the third Reich.

[00:21:47] I don't know exactly if that's what they meant or not, but like that, that sense was really

[00:21:52] interesting, especially because he does form the shape of a swastika when he dances, which

[00:21:58] every time I see the photo of it haunts me.

[00:22:01] Um, at the same time, like, you know, I'm, I'm a humongous fan of Alan Cumming.

[00:22:07] Um, like, you know, my mom, my mom and I, we, we just adore Alan Cumming.

[00:22:12] And I think Alan maybe took a more like more sensual, sexy approach.

[00:22:17] Um, because that is, I mean, it is the Kit Kat club.

[00:22:21] It's, it's supposed to take you, it's supposed to be a place where you ignore the evil realities

[00:22:26] of the world.

[00:22:27] Um, so, and I understand, I think both interpretations are really valid.

[00:22:31] I'm going to be completely honest.

[00:22:32] I haven't seen Cabaret since like in like millions of years.

[00:22:36] Um, so I don't remember everything.

[00:22:38] I only know fragments of it, so I, I'm not the best to talk about it, but I, I think the

[00:22:43] point of doing a revival is to, to do it differently than how it was done before, especially in the

[00:22:48] context of the world you're living in.

[00:22:51] I think whenever you make a revival, you have to ask yourself why now?

[00:22:54] And obviously I think it's safe to say why it's important that it's happening now.

[00:22:59] Um, you know, some people were saying like, it shouldn't be foreshadowing so soon.

[00:23:04] It shouldn't be so gloomy.

[00:23:05] I, I actually had said, I think maybe COVID in some way, um, may have influenced this production

[00:23:13] possibly, uh, because, um, you know, the idea that like gloom and doom is around the

[00:23:21] corner.

[00:23:22] Um, you could also say it about, again, about the atrocities that are like happening in

[00:23:28] the middle East, you know, it's like, you know, it's, you know, I, I, I like the show,

[00:23:34] even though I haven't seen the show in forever, I do like that it's supposed to challenge us.

[00:23:38] I don't know.

[00:23:38] I mean, I don't know if it is challenging people.

[00:23:40] I'm not sure.

[00:23:41] Um, some people were saying like, you know, it's kind of like ironic that they were performing

[00:23:46] on the Tony Awards, um, where people weren't like, you know, people weren't speaking up,

[00:23:55] um, about real world events right now.

[00:23:59] Um, so that's definitely something I'd like to, I'd like to learn more about this particular

[00:24:04] production.

[00:24:05] Yeah.

[00:24:06] Um, I just thought it was a little, like, Eddie Redmond is scary.

[00:24:14] He's scary in this.

[00:24:15] There was definitely an uncanny valley.

[00:24:18] And I think a lot of it has the makeup.

[00:24:20] Like, it looks like, cause I was like looking at pictures of him, cause I know what he looks

[00:24:24] like, but then looking at that, and I think maybe they put like some type of like, it, this

[00:24:29] is what it looks like to like my naked eye.

[00:24:31] It kind of looks like they like made like a, like a, like a, like a thin silicone, like foundation

[00:24:38] or something to like, like this sheen.

[00:24:43] Um, um, but yeah.

[00:24:45] I mean, you know, honestly though, Joel Grey's MC is also kind of creepy to me.

[00:24:51] Like I was actually, like, I thought, let me go look back at the, the movie production.

[00:24:55] Honestly, I, he seemed like a scary ventriloquist man.

[00:24:59] Like, like, like he was the puppet.

[00:25:00] Like, cause he would like bug his eyes out and like smile.

[00:25:04] And it's, it's a different kind of creepy.

[00:25:08] Um, I just thought it was really creepy of them to have, have Eddie Redman with the close

[00:25:13] up.

[00:25:13] That's the, my thing.

[00:25:15] It's just like, why the close up?

[00:25:17] I think, you know, I think they, I wonder if that was intentional or not.

[00:25:22] I mean, of course they're trying to give you all the best angles.

[00:25:26] Um, it's, it's interesting when you, I mean, it's, I think it's an art to, to make live

[00:25:31] theater play to a, to a camera.

[00:25:34] Um, I think it's automatically always going to be overwhelming.

[00:25:37] Um, you know, um, but I think maybe they intentionally did that because they wanted to spark discussion

[00:25:42] online.

[00:25:44] You know?

[00:25:44] Yeah.

[00:25:45] Yeah.

[00:25:45] Cause, no, cause a lot of people wrote about it.

[00:25:48] Um, um, some were kind of funny.

[00:25:51] I'm not going to lie.

[00:25:52] Like he's going to eat your soul.

[00:25:54] I hope, and I hope Eddie, like, and I'm sure a lot of it was from direction, not his own

[00:25:58] personal choices.

[00:25:59] I imagine.

[00:26:00] And I don't actually, I don't know.

[00:26:01] I don't want to assume, but I love, I like that it sparked discussion.

[00:26:05] Can I tell you something though?

[00:26:07] As soon as you said that, I was like, that's exactly what I was thinking.

[00:26:11] You're going to eat my soul.

[00:26:12] That's exactly what I was thinking.

[00:26:13] Yeah.

[00:26:15] I, and I expect that people are still talking about it.

[00:26:18] You know, I think also says a lot.

[00:26:21] So.

[00:26:22] I kept talking about it.

[00:26:23] I kept talking about it.

[00:26:24] I was like, this was weird.

[00:26:25] This made me uncomfortable.

[00:26:26] I'm, I'm, this is forever burned in my brain.

[00:26:28] I don't want it to be burned in my brain, but it is burned in my brain.

[00:26:32] Yeah.

[00:26:32] I mean, I do think we are living in very dystopian times right now.

[00:26:38] Um, and you know, and I think again, post COVID we're not, we're not even truly post COVID.

[00:26:42] There's still people getting COVID.

[00:26:44] Um, you know, everyone wear your masks, you know, protect yourself, um, and protect others.

[00:26:49] Um, yeah.

[00:26:50] And I think that it just, and then like, oh, and then with like the 2024 election coming

[00:26:55] up, I just, and it's the same people who, and I don't know if they're going to bring

[00:26:59] positive change.

[00:27:01] I can say for one, for sure is not, um, you know, and.

[00:27:04] I'm worried about both of them to be honest.

[00:27:08] Same.

[00:27:10] Same.

[00:27:10] It's, it's, we, we need like fresh new voices.

[00:27:14] Yep.

[00:27:15] Sure.

[00:27:16] Um, and I'm not saying that to be like ageist or anything.

[00:27:19] I think we need, we just need new ideas.

[00:27:22] Um, we need people's new ideas, people who are genuinely concerned for the younger generations.

[00:27:28] Um, but I think like considering like all of these things, um, they really make for a

[00:27:34] really dystopian.

[00:27:35] And then AI.

[00:27:36] Oh, that's another one.

[00:27:37] That just made me think of something with the rise of AI.

[00:27:40] I mean, I mean, real, I mean, AI has like just been like multiplying exponentially.

[00:27:47] It's frightening.

[00:27:49] And honestly, Eddie Redman kind of had like that AI look.

[00:27:52] That's right.

[00:27:53] That's what I was thinking.

[00:27:55] I was like, I know that look somewhere.

[00:27:58] Cause like when you see AI art, it usually looks like, oh, yeah.

[00:28:02] Like, you know, and so, um, that's actually really interesting to think about because,

[00:28:08] you know, and also AI can, you know, there's AI news, AI articles, um, and they can deceive

[00:28:16] and lie and look real.

[00:28:18] Like how uncanny valley can make you think something is real, even if it's not like a robot.

[00:28:22] Because he didn't even look real.

[00:28:24] He looked fake.

[00:28:25] He didn't even look like a real person.

[00:28:27] I'm like, yeah, that that's what was so scary to me about it.

[00:28:30] It was like.

[00:28:31] Yeah.

[00:28:32] Uh, he looked like a humanoid robot and like a monster that was sentient, you know, but,

[00:28:39] um, but like.

[00:28:40] Eddie Redman's going to take over the world.

[00:28:42] Yeah.

[00:28:43] Well, I was like thinking like, even, but like with now that I'm thinking about AI, that

[00:28:47] kind of like makes more sense to me now.

[00:28:50] Yeah.

[00:28:50] Uh, and cause yeah, and AI will spread misinformation and, and it's creepy.

[00:28:56] Okay.

[00:28:57] Cause I know the thing with like meta and stuff, like it's, uh, um, they're using AI.

[00:29:04] So they're gonna use it.

[00:29:04] Like AI is going to start like studying our pictures and stuff.

[00:29:07] And that's terrifying.

[00:29:10] Yeah.

[00:29:12] Illinois made me cry though.

[00:29:13] That performance made me cry.

[00:29:15] That was gorgeous.

[00:29:16] I, I love Stephen Stevens's music and the dancers.

[00:29:21] Oh, they just took me.

[00:29:22] They swept me away.

[00:29:23] I was beautiful with the music they were making.

[00:29:27] I, I wanted to get comps to see that, but I, they were like, they were kind of strict

[00:29:31] with their comps for it.

[00:29:32] I think because.

[00:29:34] But oh, I want to see.

[00:29:36] I didn't expect to cry at just movements, but like I cry.

[00:29:42] Yeah.

[00:29:42] It's beautiful.

[00:29:43] It really is.

[00:29:43] Yeah.

[00:29:43] And the actor who plays the main character, I think Henry kind of looks like Sufjan Stevens.

[00:29:50] I don't know if that was intentional or not, but I thought that was interesting.

[00:29:56] Um, well, thank you for coming on.

[00:30:00] Of course.

[00:30:01] So before we head off, how about you tell everyone where they can find your, all of your courses?

[00:30:10] Yeah.

[00:30:11] So, um, my social media, it's Broadway Bopo everywhere.

[00:30:14] So Broadway B O P as in Peter.

[00:30:18] Oh, so Bopo short for body positive or body positivity.

[00:30:22] Um, and, uh, Facebook, TikTok, um, Twitter.

[00:30:28] I still call it Twitter.

[00:30:29] Um, threads, Instagram, YouTube.

[00:30:34] Am I missing any social media platforms?

[00:30:38] I don't, I don't use Tumblr.

[00:30:40] I don't use.

[00:30:42] I don't know.

[00:30:43] I'm trying to think.

[00:30:43] I think that's, I think that's it.

[00:30:45] Um, uh, but on Facebook, um, I am offering, I, so I, you can, you can subscribe to my Facebook

[00:30:53] page and I have this deal that for nine 99, $9.99 cents.

[00:30:58] Um, you'll be part of a private group where you could share any self tapes, any practice

[00:31:08] you're doing.

[00:31:08] And I, as an audition coach, I will give you feedback on it.

[00:31:12] Um, and it's unlimited.

[00:31:13] You could send me as much stuff as you want now and I will do my darndest to get back

[00:31:17] to all of it.

[00:31:19] Um, so if you're like trying to, if you're having a hard time picking between takes for

[00:31:24] a self tape, you know, if you're working on a monologue, you just want to see what you

[00:31:28] could do better or like, or, or a song, um, same with songwriting.

[00:31:32] I also do feedback on songwriting cause I'm a songwriter.

[00:31:35] Um, just let me just, just a joint.

[00:31:38] And I can't wait to get to know y'all.

[00:31:41] Thank you again for coming on Stephanie.

[00:31:43] It was so lovely to have you.

[00:31:45] Oh, thank you for having me.

[00:31:46] And thank you guys for tuning in and we will see you guys next time.

[00:31:50] Bye guys.

[00:31:51] Woo hoo.