Arts Educators Save the World

In this live podcast, Arts Educators Save the World podcast hosts Dr. Erica Halverson and Alek Lev will interview the actor Anjali Bhimani (Ms. Marvel, The Legend of Vox Machina, Overwatch, Apex Legends) in conversation with her mentee Owyn P Taylor about the role of arts learning in her success as a multi-hyphenate actor . Using stories from Bhimani’s career and her role in Owyn's development, this conversation will highlight how Bhimani draws upon her training as an actor to adapt her work across multiple forms of media, including television, film, Broadway, and gaming – and how her connection with Owyn inspired his unlikely but undeniable creative emergence.

In this live podcast, Arts Educators Save the World podcast hosts Dr. Erica Halverson and Alek Lev will interview Emmy Award–winning writer Joshua Pruett (Phineas and Ferb, Mystery Science Theater 3000, Doctor Who, The Last Comics on Earth) alongside his mentor, Emmy Award–winning head writer and co-producer Scott Peterson (Phineas and Ferb, The Last Kids on Earth) about the role of learning as an ingredient of artistic success. Using real stories, this conversation will showcase the invaluable impact of mentorship and continuous learning on creating and sustaining successful creative careers.

No “Bones” about it, this episode features the great Emily Deschanel, waxing nostalgic with high school pal and Arts Educators Save the World Executive Producer Jamie Salka and their high school drama teacher, the great Scott Weintraub! Scott is a true polymath, professional actor, teacher and director of students k-12, and responsible for mentoring Emily and many other household names to television and film success.

Revisiting another Oldie-But-Goodie this week while we're recording new episodes at the Comic Con Museum in San Diego!! More to come soon!! Our dear friend Craig Thomas, working at the highest levels of network television, is proof positive that mentorship doesn't end at graduation. Craig is the co-creator of CBS's smash sitcom HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, which received 30 Emmy Award nominations in its nine-season run. His prose has been published in The Iowa Review, The Boston Globe, The New Yorker, McSweeney’s, and the Weekly Humorist. In this episode, he joins us in conversation with Rob Greenberg, who, as a writer/producer on FRASIER, won three Emmys, and a Writers Guild Award. Rob was an executive producer for the pilot of HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, where he remained as consulting producer -- and mentor to Craig and co-creator Carter Bays -- for the show's first six years. At the time of this recording, he and his partner, Bob Fisher, are writing, directing and producing the second season of ANIMAL CONTROL for Fox.

The Zuckerman sisters have been partners-in-crime their whole lives. From the time they bought a secret TV to watch Twin Peaks without their parents knowing to their collaboration as showrunners of the Peacock hit show Poker Face, Lila and Nora Zuckerman are powerhouse women together and as solo acts. The hour we got to spend with them was pure delight - 10 out of 10, no notes!

We’re welcoming you back to new episodes with a bang! Lili-Ann Brown is one of the leaders of American regional theatre, directing all over the country from Chicago’s Goodman Theatre to the New York City Center Stages. We hosted an amazing conversation between emerging superstar director Nadia Guevara and Lili-Ann, two powerhouse women who explore everything from the crucial role of social capital in art-making to why making animal sounds is the secret to success. Cock-a-doodle-doo y’all!

One more from the vault! This one is producer Doug's favorite Season 1 episode. Bill Strickland is the founder of Manchester Craftmen’s Guild and Bidwell Corporation. He's also a MacArthur Fellow. Sharif Bey is an artist and professor, whose work is focused on the visual heritage of Africa, Oceana, and contemporary African American Culture. He's also the winner of The United States Artist fellowship. Bey got his start at Strickland’s Craftman’s Guild, and counts Strickland as one of his earlier and most influential mentors. These two master ceramicists join together for a wide-ranging discussion on the beauty of clay, the value of mentorship, and the power of art to “heal cancer of the human spirit.”

This week we're bringing back another episode from the vault for some of our new listeners! On this episode, we talk to an Emmy-award winning writer from “The Daily Show.” We talk to a writer from “How I Met Your Mother,” one from “Parks and Recreation,” one from “Veep,” and one from the deeply under appreciated “Bored to Death.” We also reconnect with a friend from our high school with the singing voice of an angel. And what do you know... It’s all the same person! We are thrilled to introduce you to the brilliant Rachel Axler, who has brought along her teacher from her days at Williams College, award-winning author, Jim Shepard.

Part 5 of our ongoing mini-series "Erica & Alek Chats," where our hosts take a deep dive into a specific aspect of arts learning-and-teaching from Erica's book, How the Arts Can Save Education.

On this episode we celebrate all things Midwest with Chicago-based actor and comedian Mizha Lee Overn and her mentor, Milwaukee Repretory Theatre’s Director of Training, Jeff Mosser. Mizha’s experiences at Milwaukee Rep launched her into a successful professional life as an actor – join us to hear how that happened and celebrate the power of the understudy/overstudy as a mentorship relationship that’s crucial for young artists!

One of our favorites from the archive... The incomparable Cecily Strong!! Fresh off her search for signs of intelligent life, soon to once again be live from New York, Cecily sits in conversation with Mary Lou Rosato, her CalArts acting teacher – the kind of acting teacher every artist dreams of having. As they talk sonnets, Lady Macbeth, and sketch comedy, you'll be very glad we started this conversation with her at our party.

Ever wonder how musicians who don’t go to music school learn to play? Professor of video games and informatics Kurt Squire gives us the gift of his mentor, the greatest living harmonica player Mickey Raphael and their virtual mentorship relationship. You will not want to miss hearing how Mickey has played with everyone from Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson to U2 and Snoop Dogg, and how he has taught everyone from our friend Kurt to greats like Paul Simon and Bob Dylan! For real!

Music director, composer, and virtuoso pianist Dan Lipton has performed at the White House, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, on Live with Kelly Ripa, The Today Show, PBS Great Performances, Late Show with David Letterman, and with major symphony orchestras across the country. He has also been in my life since we were 13. He even wrote the music to this podcast. So the thrill of hearing him talk with his musical mentor, Gena Raps is an episode you won’t want to miss. And the Easter egg? We've got archival audio of a high-school-age Dan Lipton playing Rhapsody in Blue! It's the best!

We launched this podcast in Season One with a conversation between Lin-Manuel Miranda, Robert Lopez, and Ms. Barbara Ames, who was not only their mentor (and elementary school music teacher), but Erica's as well. We now end Season Two with Bradley Whitford, whose mentor (and university theater professor) was, in fact, Alek's as well. Bradley Whitford is, of course, a three-time Emmy Award-winner actor, known for his work on THE WEST WING, TRANSPARENT, and now, as the enigmatic Commander Joseph Lawrence on THE HANDMAID'S TALE. As Brad explains, he's "now at the age when his mentors are no longer... mentoring." So we are thrilled to have with us Paul Milisch, the producing director of theater at Madison East High School, where a certain Mr. Whitford was a student years ago. Without further ado, enjoy this fantastic conversation about acting, directing, mentorship, and arts education--and we confront Brad's fundamenal question about students' access to the arts: "Are we expanding opportunity, or are we preserving privilege?" Follow Bradley: X: @bradleywhitford IG: @bradleywhitford

We are honored to have Chelsea Devantez in conversation with her "comedy mom", The Second City's Anne Libera, who is also the Director of Comedy Studies for the Theater Department at Columbia College Chicago. Chelsea is an Emmy-nominated TV writer, comedian, and filmmaker. She’s written on Peacock’s Girls5Eva, ABC’s Not Dead Yet, and was the Head Writer on The Problem with Jon Stewart on Apple TV+. She hosts the hit independent podcast Glamorous Trash with Chelsea Devantez covering celebrity memoirs, pop culture and all things Glamorous Trash. Anne Libera is the Director of Comedy Studies for The Second City and is an Associate Professor who coordinates the degree in Comedy Writing and Performance at Columbia College Chicago. She is a resident director for The Second City. Her book, Funnier: A Theory of Comedy with Practical Applications, will be published by Northwestern University press, who also published her first book, The Second City Almanac of Improvisation. For more on Chelsea: Get her book: https://www.chelsearosedevantez.com/the-book URL: ⁠www.chelsearosedevantez.com⁠ ⁠IG: @chelseadevantez⁠ Learn about Anne: URL: www.comedystudies.com IG: @anne.libera

Let the Storm Rage on, because You'll Be Back! It's Part 2 of our conversation with Robert Lopez, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and their elementary school music teacher, Barbara Ames, where they discuss composition, performance, and reminisce about their school's auditorium... the room where it happened.

In this bonus episode, Erica talks with our good friend, writer Daniel Pollack-Pelzner about the myriad wonderful stories he encountered—ALL of them inspiring and ON POINT—while researching his new biography Lin-Manuel Miranda: The Education of an Artist (Simon & Schuster). EXTRA! EXTRA! Listen all about it... in this bonus episode where Erica talks with friend of the pod and author Daniel Pollack-Pelzner about his new book, Lin-Manuel Miranda: The Education of an Artist. You will love the myriad wonderful stories he encountered - ALL of them inspiring and ON POINT - and focused on teaching and learning with the mind, the body, and the heart.

In this episode... Wait for It... then Let it Go. Lin-Manuel Miranda (HAMILTON, ENCANTO) and Robert Lopez (FROZEN, BOOK OF MORMON) together in their first ever joint interview, sit down with their shared elementary school music teacher, Barbara Ames. The trio discuss Barbara's dedication to instilling a love of music and the arts in all her students, and we hear stories about (and long-lost audio clips from) Lin and Bobby's early work on the elementary school stage.

To round out the summer and mosey back into the school year over the next few weeks, we'll be revisiting a few of our favorites episodes from prior seasons. For any new listeners, be sure to check out our back catalogue -- we've got some DOOZIES!! In this episode, Broadway's reigning Tony-award winner for Best Actor, Jonathan Groff (Merrily We Roll Along, oh yeah, and Frozen, oh yeah, and Hamilton), and his elementary school music teacher, Linda Tough, talk about music-making, education, and their shared passion for "I Love Lucy."