It’s About GD Time Show
Local Artist Kate Carson-Groner and the “Dead Man’s Cell Phone”
Stepping into the spotlight, I found my pulse racing with the familiar thrill of live performance—an exhilaration I thought I'd forgotten during my time away from the stage. It's a roller coaster of emotion that director Kate Carson-Groner knows all too well, as she brings her own brand of magic to "Dead Man's Cell Phone", captivating audiences with each ring.
This week, our auditory stage is graced with tales from the trenches of theater, from the highs of a successful opening night to the nerve-wracking moments before the curtain rises. We share the vibrant backstage stories, laugh over the resume-padding antics of actors, and delve into the importance of active listening—both for us hosts and thespians alike.
Chicago's Second City is more than just a comedy club; it's a forge for sharpening the wits of many comedic legends. We take you back to the chilly streets that gave rise to such iconic laughter, exploring how the grind of improv can polish any actor's resume. Then, we shift to the quieter, yet no less intense, world of theater collaboration with insights from the multifaceted Kate Carson-Groner. Join us as we discuss the delicate dance of bringing a low-budget theater project to life, the nuances of audience engagement, and our shared excitement for the creative journeys that lie ahead.
Our episode wraps on a lighthearted note with a candid chat about the peculiarities of life—like that of neighborly disputes that could rival any theater drama. We also sneak a peek behind the curtains at the Spirit Gum Theater Company's latest production, teasing you with just enough to whet your appetite without spoiling the show. So gather 'round, dear listeners, for an episode filled with the richness of live theater, collaborative creativity, and the kind of laughter that stitches our community together. L'chaim to the arts, and until next time, may your days be filled with the joy of an encore!
Stepping into the spotlight, I found my pulse racing with the familiar thrill of live performance—an exhilaration I thought I'd forgotten during my time away from the stage. It's a roller coaster of emotion that director Kate Carson-Groner knows all too well, as she brings her own brand of magic to "Dead Man's Cell Phone", captivating audiences with each ring.
This week, our auditory stage is graced with tales from the trenches of theater, from the highs of a successful opening night to the nerve-wracking moments before the curtain rises. We share the vibrant backstage stories, laugh over the resume-padding antics of actors, and delve into the importance of active listening—both for us hosts and thespians alike.
Chicago's Second City is more than just a comedy club; it's a forge for sharpening the wits of many comedic legends. We take you back to the chilly streets that gave rise to such iconic laughter, exploring how the grind of improv can polish any actor's resume. Then, we shift to the quieter, yet no less intense, world of theater collaboration with insights from the multifaceted Kate Carson-Groner. Join us as we discuss the delicate dance of bringing a low-budget theater project to life, the nuances of audience engagement, and our shared excitement for the creative journeys that lie ahead.
Our episode wraps on a lighthearted note with a candid chat about the peculiarities of life—like that of neighborly disputes that could rival any theater drama. We also sneak a peek behind the curtains at the Spirit Gum Theater Company's latest production, teasing you with just enough to whet your appetite without spoiling the show. So gather 'round, dear listeners, for an episode filled with the richness of live theater, collaborative creativity, and the kind of laughter that stitches our community together. L'chaim to the arts, and until next time, may your days be filled with the joy of an encore!
You about ready?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm ready brother, let's do it.
Speaker 1:That was weak. Oh yeah, hey everybody, it is Tuesday, april 9th. Sorry, we took a little break. I got a little busy. What's up, gc? What's happening? My man, I'm living the dream. Ow, did you have a good week? I did. I'm living the dream.
Speaker 2:Ow, did you have a good week? I did. I had a great week.
Speaker 1:Well, did you have a good two weeks, because I've been gone.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I know your ass been. You know like what, fuck me.
Speaker 1:Yeah, basically oh okay, I totally get that I told you it was going on. Absolutely so, you're going to ask me what was going on, so I can tell everybody.
Speaker 2:I was, I was getting to it, but you know, hey, listen, my guy is in a play, I am, he is in a play. And look, if you have not seen David on stage, do yourself a favor and you'll be.
Speaker 1:And stay away.
Speaker 2:Nah man my guy can act.
Speaker 1:You know he's pretty good. Well, some people argue with you, but I will say this it's been five. I say that a lot. I will say this what?
Speaker 2:the hell is up with that. I don't know. I gotta stop it. Are you using the word broads and gals?
Speaker 1:I will say this I will say this there's a lot of S's in that. I have been away for five years from the stage because of the pandemic and then I got a little physical thing going on, took a while to recover from. It has been a blast. I forgot You've been doing so many jobs since I quit. Oh, stop it already. Yeah, you've been busy me. I was just sitting here and this is a. It's a small show here in town and uh, but it's. It's been a lot of fun.
Speaker 2:So I thought for today it would be great to get the director from the show on and listen that that is a big deal to get a director to come, you know, talk about the show especially when she's got kids, and I called her last night. I know, hey, can I get you on the show?
Speaker 1:really I would love to have her in person. She agreed to do it, but for today we just wanted to kind of pump the show. We had our first weekend last weekend, right. So before I get her on I'll just say that, uh, yeah, I'm in spirit gum theater's dead man cell phone by sarah rule, and uh, it started last weekend. But we have this one weekend coming up. I'll remind you at the end of the podcast april 12th through the 14th, that's this friday, saturday and sunday. We have eight o'clock at the milton road center sunday as well sunday as well two o'clock.
Speaker 2:We have 8 o'clock at the Milton Rhodes Center, Sunday as well. Sunday as well 2 o'clock.
Speaker 1:Good deal 8 o'clock on Friday, 8 o'clock Saturday.
Speaker 2:And when is it? On Matinee?
Speaker 1:Matinee on Sunday, 2 o'clock. Please get your tickets. So do you want to go ahead and get her on? Yeah, let's get her. I don't. We have her the director of my show again at spirit gum theater's dead man's cell phone. Her name? Well no, I'm actually not going to say that yet. I'm going to say she is from elkin beautiful to chicago. I forget where she went to school. We're going to have her tell us that. Uh, she is very good in improv, she, she's a singer, fabulous singer.
Speaker 1:What Fabulous actress. Her parents own the Reeves Theater in Elkin. Oh, still, yes, oh.
Speaker 2:I love that place.
Speaker 1:Yeah, she got my attention big time with a well, I wouldn't call it a web series, but it's on the web now on YouTube Little tiny short episodes called Fun Employed. I watched it. I was addicted. I had to work with this woman, so I would like to give a big welcome to my now friend and director, kate Carson Groner. Nice, hello, hi.
Speaker 3:Thank you, Kate. Thanks for having me.
Speaker 1:Yes, Sorry was that too long of an intro? Yes, it was.
Speaker 3:No, I mean, you can go on about me all you want.
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, that's the whole reason we got you on here and we will get you in person because you are fun, love talking to you, but you know, I really appreciate you bailing us out because you know, bailing us out, just yeah, I just wanted to talk to somebody in person. We love the interviews, they're just our favorite thing to do.
Speaker 2:Yes, it is, it actually is.
Speaker 3:Happy to be here.
Speaker 1:All right.
Speaker 3:We're not here, happy to be somewhere on the phone. Where did you?
Speaker 1:go to college. I know you studied acting and singing for a while.
Speaker 3:Where did you go to?
Speaker 1:college again. I went to SCAD, Savannah College of Art and Design. Oh, yeah, oh yeah, that's kind of prestigious.
Speaker 3:It kind of is yeah, it's not known for theater, or at least it wasn't when I was there but that also gave us a lot of freedom to kind of make our own stuff. Like I directed a show in college, acted in in people's independent projects, you can act in the film projects. So they have a BFA, it's kind of a conservatory, but they don't have the strictness of a conservatory. So you know, I have mixed feelings about a lot of the sort of administrative side of SCAD and that kind of thing, but I really really had a great time there with my, my instructors and my fellow students. So it was it was definitely an overall good experience it's kind of like um, is it?
Speaker 1:it's not like the equivalent of school of the arts, but it's pretty close right or north carolina I mean.
Speaker 3:So scat is is huge, but mainly in like visual arts and computer digital arts um that's so right kind of yeah, instead of just being performing, they are all arts. So it's like I had animation major friends. We had like computer digital um, like effects, sequencing friends. I mean they just have all that stuff. So the theater was kind of analog for a lot of um, a lot of the students there, but uh, they have fiber arts. I mean it's just, it's really cool, it's a very inspiring place.
Speaker 1:Did you say fiber arts or cyber?
Speaker 2:fiber fiber what does that mean?
Speaker 3:that's like. So if you've ever seen like sculptures in an art museum that are made of like felt, or it also means like textile design, so it can kind of run the gamut of very busy yes, like literally fibers I, I, you know what.
Speaker 1:There's a name for everything like I. Yeah, I would just call it a sculpture, you know right?
Speaker 3:but also they design like say uh, you know textiles for furniture and stuff like that and so it kind of has a lot of crossover, because you, there's an interior design group and so you know, a fiber artist might work with the interior designers one day and then they might work with the fashion designers the next day, and then they might just make a cool sculpture another day.
Speaker 3:So yeah, that was the one. I was always like man, I don't know anything about it, but like if I, if I did have that kind of magic, that looks like a really fun place to be. You wanted to do that. Yeah, I mean kind of, but I didn't want to spend any more time.
Speaker 1:I was going to be an illustration minor and then it was just like so much time. Oh yeah, I forgot to say that the girl can draw too. What the girl, the woman I know right the artist. The artist can draw no, she can't. She drew everybody in the show a thank you card, every single person. So I got my own personalized, like they weren't all the same thing. And all of us were like what you made this? Like I didn't do anything special for anybody. I was like, of course you didn't.
Speaker 3:I used to do pet portraits as a side project.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I could see that I have a friend who does that too. Side project so I could say, yeah, I could see that, that I have a friend who does that too. That seems to be a very fashionable thing to do about your dog or your cat, your loved one their animals.
Speaker 3:Yeah, the problem is I'm a perfectionist, so then it just it would take so long, and then it was like I'm not getting paid enough to spend this much energy on this did anybody send their?
Speaker 1:did anybody send it back? It's like that doesn't look like Rex.
Speaker 3:I had one lady the one time I just took a commission from a stranger. She wrote back and she's like this doesn't look like my dog and I sent her back the picture that she had sent me. She's like well, that picture doesn't look like my dog and I'm like okay.
Speaker 2:What kind of shit is that Like? What Ain't no refund?
Speaker 1:coming.
Speaker 2:I think we've discovered the problem here. That's an owner problem. Well, yeah, you stare at it until it does.
Speaker 1:Seriously, we're not giving you the money back. Exactly, I said you went to Chicago, so what took you to Chicago?
Speaker 3:Basically it was either New York, la or Chicago, and I had some friends in Chicago and New York was very expensive and la was um, I just don't like driving enough to live in la um, and I don't like the desert. I don't know, I'm just, I'm a, I'm an east coaster. It's cold midwest was midwest was close enough, so so where did you live? In chicago I was in the proper I. I was in 606. So not in the suburbs. People say they live in Chicago and they don't.
Speaker 2:So you were in the loop.
Speaker 3:No, I was not in the loop. I was in a neighborhood called Buena Park, which is technically part of Uptown, so I was off the red line.
Speaker 2:Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, I love Chicago.
Speaker 3:Me too. Did you hang out in cabrini green? Well, you know what's funny is, cabrini green is like a freaking apple store now. So, oh, it is. Uh, oh, yeah. No, that whole area is totally. That's near where steppenwolf was, and it was always interesting because, like, steppenwolf was right on the corner and then it was like cabrini green and now it's like shopping centers oh, cabrini green is gone I think so yeah what it was a gradual process but, yes, that whole area has been really built up yeah, that's an area in chicago that you know.
Speaker 2:You passed by and it was like the hood. I don't know anything about chicago.
Speaker 1:I've been to chicago I think twice what to chicago? Yeah, but I mean I went to the burbs, yeah, I mean I had an aunt that lived there in in chicago. Okay, yeah, but I mean it was like the burbs. I just remember being it was too cold for me to be there coming off it, yes, and I was from minnesota at the time. I mean, I was living in minnesota, minneapolis, okay, but going down to chicago it the temperature was higher, yes, but the wind oh, come on Lake Michigan.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's like a test.
Speaker 3:If you think you have a warm sweater or a warm coat, you just have to like. Go outside in Chicago in January. See, it wasn't warm enough.
Speaker 1:You have to like somebody get me the plastic bags yeah, plastic bags underneath your wool sweater yeah, we used to visit someone that lived on division in lasalle and uh, that second city. Oh yeah, yeah second city is right down there which, yeah, it's like north and lasalle, but I mean very close and second city, is, is pretty famous. Am I right on? That's the improv, it is. That's completely famous.
Speaker 3:Yes, yes, but they so the two sort of most established ones. Second city was improv into sketch comedy, so if you go see a show at second city, most of the shows are well.
Speaker 3:I guess it's probably different now because it's been a while, but but their sort of flagship show is a scripted show that's based on improvisation gotcha, and so it was kind of cool because they would open these shows, but then they then they go into process, and so when you see a show during the process time, maybe half the material is what they'd already established in the previous show and then half is like being worked on live in front of audiences. So it's kind of improvised. They're taking notes, they're reworking stuff and then they'll kind of come up Once enough material has been generated, they'll come up with a new review.
Speaker 2:Um, okay, that's awesome, you were there, improv, yeah and then I always like the improv, improv, like just for improv sake del close style, um oh hell, what kate famous?
Speaker 3:yeah, exactly here I will let you on a pet peeve. There are a lot of people who go take classes at Second City Like tons and tons and tons of people, and most of them never make a stage. And then people will be like, yeah, I was at Second City and I'm like, no, I will say I took classes at Second City. I will say that I was on one Second City Paid team but it was like the third stage, it was like the least no I team, but it was like the third stage, it was like the least.
Speaker 1:No, you know, that's what I would do. I would actually if I just took a class there, I'd be like, yeah, fuck yeah, I'm second, I'm padding that resume.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I don't need to do your work, drives me crazy, oh man, I mean, come on, they graduate like a hundred people every year from these, no, no, on my first resume for acting, I put down horseback riding okay, I rode one horse when I was like eight and it was almost dead at the time right, they would put me on an old paint somebody was holding on to the reins practically yeah, and I said I'm a horseback rider because I figured, if I ever got a job that needed a horseback rider, I go get lessons exactly and listen.
Speaker 3:Let me tell you something I heard oh yeah, we all lie we all lie.
Speaker 2:Well, let me tell you something. If I was a graduate of second city, I would be real ignorant with it. I mean, I would be. You couldn't tell me nothing. You can kiss my ass on both it's a very prestigious place. It is the people that come from second city.
Speaker 1:Look who I get to work with yeah, who kate oh yeah, I mean who we have on the show just uh yeah, I mean we, we, we really um stress, active listening here on this show we absolutely stress it and I'm the one running the board.
Speaker 1:Hey, so you also. So, okay, so this is what happens, right? So I, this dead man cell phone thing, yeah, this thing, this play. I had forgotten all about the auditions. I was kind of busy, and I get from one of the producers that the head of the theater Her name is Sarah Jenkins Give a quick shout out to john fur, michael ackerman, sarah jenkins they are the ones who run the theater oh, they're great. Yeah, we'll give them a little shout here oh yeah so sarah says they are spirit gum theater company.
Speaker 1:Uh, they bring you shows that you don't see anywhere else, um, and they're very I could never do anything with them because they're so smart.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you know, I just couldn't do it. I mean, I know I couldn't, I know.
Speaker 1:You absolutely could. I could not, I think anybody that has just done this show with me would be like, yeah, yeah, you could do it, because if David can do it, anybody can.
Speaker 3:I can barely do it. Yeah, I forget something.
Speaker 2:Self-deprecating David it I can barely do it. Yeah, I forget something. Come on, let's talk about it. No, he's not lying. He's not lying.
Speaker 1:I mean, he's not he's not, I forget something every day, but what happened was a Sarah Jenkins shouted out to me on a Saturday or something and said hey, david, we had auditions. Maybe it was earlier, I don't know, but she said we had auditions and I was just wondering if you wanted to audition this show. They start a little later, so it'd be good for you because we know you don't like to come early. Yada, yada, yada. And I was like, oh, don't come early, david.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I was like oh yeah, I was like, well, I I know I should finish phrases Whoa yeah. She's good like that she said that's what she said, type of person, that's why we get along. And so, yeah, I didn't know, because I just it's been so long since I've done a show and I was nervous, haven't even done an audition. And then my girlfriend's dog, you remember Rossi, he was in the hospital. We took him to the emergency vet. So I'm stressed out like beyond the max
Speaker 1:sure, but what happened was I was like who's even directing this thing? Because I just want to know. You know, sometimes you just want to know who you're going to work with you don't get to pick the actors. But you want to, yeah, you want to know the director it's not worth it.
Speaker 1:Half the time it's not no, sometimes it's really not and that's not. You know. I don't want any past director listening to me start wondering if I'm talking about them. I'm just saying you know, been with a lot of people. But I go on the web, I look her name up and she I got to her imdb page I know we all have one yeah she actually had a web series on there.
Speaker 1:So I'm like well, let me, let me just click on this. I clicked on like season I don't remember what it was, it's either season two or season three was the first episode I catch, right, I was hooked. It was funny, it was smart. I mean it was the dumb kind of smart right, like it had dumb topics, but they were hilarious, very. I guess you'd say what kate?
Speaker 3:now they're kind of dated some of the jokes a little bit maybe if we're, but they're funny. Well, the reason it's very, it's very specific to our age, which was we had graduated in 2007 from college and then it was the great recession, you know. So it was like. It was like welcome to the world. Just kidding no one's working and have fun in chicago. So we've got a very like specific, but it was so hilarious it is so hilarious.
Speaker 1:I told her right, well, when I'm when, I find well, we'll get to that in a second. So I see the show I watch. They're only eight like five to eight minutes per episode, okay. So it's really easy to watch, which I love about it like you don't have to dedicate your life to it and they're really good at telling a very quick story in the five to eight minutes. There's no wasted time on this show. It's professionally shot. Her husband did it. She helped write a lot of the episodes, she directed a lot of the episodes and she was in them and I see her on on the screen. She was funny as hell. Funny as hell like I.
Speaker 1:I can't tell you how immediately I saw her, I was like that's it, I'm doing it. I'm doing the show. This girl gets humor, I would you know, in the show is a comedy, but it's a dark comedy, right? If you don't know, kate, and I talked about this, um, if and kate, I'll let you chime in if you don't understand comedy, if you read a dark comedy and don't understand comedy, if you read a dark comedy and don't understand comedy, you will read it as a drama and it will flop, so easy to slip into it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I think that's what I loved about it that you are going. I mean, I'm sure there are jokes that we've missed or something like that, but I am working on this monologue my part, so while I go and audition, I had to send her a video audition.
Speaker 2:I'm like they're never gonna pick me. I wouldn't even show up in person.
Speaker 3:I was being a diva, oh you did a video audition, he wrote the most succinct like email. I mean it was. I was just like, hey, you know, I don't know this person at all. All I know is that they recommended they were like he'd be perfect for this role, this role spoiler alert is a bit of an asshole, so part of me is like oh, okay what's going on with this like?
Speaker 2:is this guy?
Speaker 3:going to be kind of an asshole yes and so you know I get in touch with him and I'm like okay, do you want to audition? He's like, yes, I'll get you a video. Then, like days go by yes, I wrote another one and then he was like yes, I want to, I'll send you one tonight. Then you were a little more like okay, yeah, I want to do this after that point. Yeah.
Speaker 1:I think when you had sent me that first one, I was like, yeah, I'll get the video. We were going through all the hell with Rossi, like he was really bad, and I just kept forgetting, and it would get to be like midnight and I wasn't do the audition. So what she didn't tell you is that last email she sent. She's like okay, dude, if you want this, I need it by like 7 o'clock tonight or whatever you said You're like I need it tonight.
Speaker 1:Good, for you she did I mean, yeah, we needed to let people know she did. And all of a sudden it was like the bells go off in my head. I'm like, oh shit. So I just set up the computer. I just opened up the computer, I printed off the script because it's a long ass monologue. I printed off the script, set it in front of me like towards the computer, because I ain't no way I'm going to be able to memorize this. And I did it.
Speaker 1:And I didn't even think I did a good job. I did one take and I am thankful that you saw through my bullshit and you cast me because this couldn't have been a better role or a better person for me to spend, you know, five years away to come back, this was the best thing that I could have asked for, by far.
Speaker 3:I mean that you're doing a great job. I auditions for me are not like is the person, person perfect? It's like, can I see them saying these lines convincingly and do they seem like someone you want to work with? So I got the audition, I got his audition in and then I was like I texted John Furr and I was like, oh damn it, he's perfect. And then I was like, all right, john, tell me the truth, because I haven't been in a room with this person and energy is very important to me.
Speaker 1:You know, a single person can ruin everything energy and so I was just like yes, I know he, he did the best read like am I, is it?
Speaker 3:is he good to work with? And everybody john and sarah and everybody's like oh my gosh, he's so nice. He just reads like that when he wants to, but he is not an asshole like trust us no, no, it's great that he wants to do it. No, no, don't say it come on, and then I learned that you are an asshole. But you're my kind of ass yeah, I.
Speaker 1:It's funny because everybody says you're a dick, but you're a fun dick, that's.
Speaker 2:That's like the thing see you, you see you get things like that. So you know, for schmucks like me I would never get a call saying hey look, you know you have.
Speaker 1:I actually can think of one I actually can think of one, stop it. But I'm saying that that brooke davis brooke davis calls you, so don't even act like you've never been called.
Speaker 2:That was an argument we had before, but it goes to show the talent level that you have. Oh, and that's what I was gonna say. Say, well, that was nice.
Speaker 3:I mean, I was trying to give you a compliment asshole.
Speaker 2:But let me ask you something, kate. Yeah, do you prefer being on stage or directing?
Speaker 3:oh, it's so hard, I okay. So in college I was, uh, I had a director. He was actually a grad student director and he called me a thinking actor and said it as like an insult, because I guess at the time I asked too many questions and had too many of my own personal ideas about what characters should do, um, and and I was never rude about it. But I think probably now looking back, I probably wasted rehearsal time without realizing it, just kind of being in my own head. So at the time I was like, well, that's stupid, everybody should be a thinking actor. Like come on, and I think over time you know, you're not a teenager anymore and you learn like, okay, there's a time and a place.
Speaker 3:But I've always had very strong opinions about shows. I've always been a really visual person. I love visual arts as well and so, like when I see a production, you know I picture, oh, how how could I have made this look cooler? I've always been kind of a theater critic director at heart as well. So I would say, would say honestly, if it's a great show or a great directing experience, whichever one is more fun for that specific convergence of people and script and opportunity, I'll take either one. I love both, but if I have like a tiny part in a play I don't care about. I would much rather be directing, even if the play is kind of all over the place, a tiny part.
Speaker 2:I don't care, I can see that.
Speaker 3:You know, sometimes you do a play for politics, right? Sometimes you're like, okay, I'm new to this place, I need to audition for this play. Or this is a really great company. I should do this thing. It's not my favorite play, it's not my favorite role, but it's's like, this is a good political strategic move for me. But then if something else comes along and you're like, oh, I wish I'd done that instead, I'd have so much more freedom or so much more fun right, right.
Speaker 1:Well, what made you pick this one, this show?
Speaker 3:well, I did not pick the play but, I had been bothering them about directing and, um, and I just kind of, you know, know I, Sarah, I actually went to governor's school in North Carolina with Sarah's younger brother, Gordon Jenkins, um, you know, long time ago. And so somehow their mom, Gordon's mom, had like reconnected with me on Facebook, probably through Gordon at some point. Facebook didn't exist when we knew each other. But um, then through her she saw that I was moving to North Carolina and she was like my daughter lives in Winston. So she kind of got us together and Sarah and I at least chatted I can't remember if we got coffee or if we just kind of chatted on the phone, Um, but so we had been in in talks and I had said like I'm interested in directing.
Speaker 3:You know, it's harder for me to commit my time cause I have kids, you know. So I, we just kind of talked about it, Cause that's another thing is like if I'm going to be in a, in a show, and it's a smaller part, and I'm going to be spending all this time away from my kids, that's a harder sell for me now. But if I have more to do and more to say and more of my voice gets heard, then I'm more likely to want to do it.
Speaker 2:Let me ask you a quick question. Are you originally from Elkin?
Speaker 3:I am. I was born in Elkin, North Carolina.
Speaker 1:I know she doesn't sound like it right.
Speaker 2:No, not at all, trust me. I've been up there. I did some work up there in that part of the country, in mount airy and andy. Oh yeah I, I grew up going to the andy griffin playhouse, yeah I look, listen, I did a play there and I do you know um brack lewellen oh, I love brack lewellen yes he directed me listen, I am what show was it, what show was it and what year, because we may have been in the same show.
Speaker 2:Oh, yeah, oh no, I'm, I'm old as hell. It was driving, miss daisy, and okay, all right. And jane tucker, uh, bracklewell, and um well, brack wasn't in it, uh, he was. Uh well, bragg wasn't in it, uh, he was. Uh, john. Uh, adams was the one that directed that, but the andy griffin playhouse is amazing place to perform.
Speaker 3:Wait, john adams. John adams who also wrote like a. He wrote like a civil war, musical right I was in that he's like a filmmaker. What okay? Yeah, I know, john yeah, I was did, and tommy jackson and all yeah, tomm, yeah, tommy wrote the music for it.
Speaker 1:Tommy's such a great guy.
Speaker 2:He is. He's an amazing guy.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I did some work, so that was actually after I was there, believe it or not.
Speaker 2:Oh really.
Speaker 3:I did stuff there when I was like a teenager. Oh my gosh, what are you 12?
Speaker 1:No man, she has been. Well, she looks very young, she's 12. She does look very young, because I looks very young.
Speaker 2:She's 12.
Speaker 1:She does look very young because I was very. I won't tell anybody your age, but she's younger than I am.
Speaker 3:I don't care.
Speaker 1:Well, you're a lot younger than I am, but when you see her she doesn't look old at all she's 12. So I thought, oh, this kid, Nah man. Her humor is right on par with mine, I probably step over the line. A little bit On my humor.
Speaker 3:Sometimes you just like to take risks.
Speaker 1:I do take risks, frame it positively, but I love it when people Like there's just silence After I say something that happens a lot with me Cause that's what assholes do. Well, yeah, but even, even, like Kate.
Speaker 2:Like I'll make a choice. What are we talking about? I'll make a choice. The silence of the assholes, yeah, what?
Speaker 3:are we talking?
Speaker 1:about the silence of the assholes. I'll make a choice in the show.
Speaker 2:Oh, you're talking about doing the show, David.
Speaker 1:Well, yeah, when I was doing the show with her, I'll make choices. She's like yeah, David, I think that's too far. Yeah, you know what? I just don't know if we should go that far.
Speaker 3:I'm like okay, fair enough, tell me, david, which joke from your monologue is not landing that I said I don't know if we should have this joke in here, and then I let you keep it.
Speaker 1:Is it when I speak Mandarin?
Speaker 3:No, no, the really huge, oh you're racist too.
Speaker 1:Oh no, but I cut it. See, I'm not using the hand gesture anymore, I'm just saying knuckles.
Speaker 3:You did the full hand gesture.
Speaker 1:No, I put my hands down toward my yeah, toward my yeah, because I'm trying to make it work and I just can't make it work. But you know what I'm, you know we got three days left.
Speaker 3:I mean I'd love my, you can try it friday. You can try a full out on friday, we'll see what happens, I think. I think the show is too sophisticated for that joke. Wait a second. I think that's why it's not landing.
Speaker 1:Wait a second, we have a.
Speaker 2:Kate said it's not landing.
Speaker 1:Well, she's not wrong, she's not wrong. I have tried it like three different ways three different deliveries.
Speaker 2:And no Slight. And no, no but you know what I think? No, raggedy and no raggedy.
Speaker 1:I think that people are just so. They're like Stunned at this amazing Daniel Day-Lewis type acting. They don't know that they should be laughing yet. Oh shit, because this guy is so immersed. They're like hey this guy might be A bad guy. Look at him. He's got that giant head on small Shoulders like I just can't look away.
Speaker 3:Who is this bobblehead come to life? Who is?
Speaker 1:this live bobblehead yeah.
Speaker 2:Can I get some Pez out of?
Speaker 1:his throat Because it looks like a Pez dispenser.
Speaker 2:Okay, well, let me ask you a question, david. When you tried it in the opening right, you guys just did it. How did you feel? You tried it in the opening right, you guys just did it. How did?
Speaker 3:you feel he tried it at like either final dress or the night before final dress?
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 3:Right, and so the crew and the cast thought it was really funny.
Speaker 1:Well, but I was doing it a different way. My hand is in a different position for that.
Speaker 3:I've changed it down just now.
Speaker 1:Well don't ruin it for me, because I'm going to see it. I'm not.
Speaker 3:That's why I'm not saying it. Okay, sorry, my husband just asked me a question so I completely spaced for a second. But yeah, the cast and crew thought it was really funny and I just went I don't know if that's the right tone for this monologue in the notes and everybody was like no, you gotta keep it. It was so funny and I was like, alright, I'm gonna let you keep it, but we're just gonna make a slight adjustment A slight adjustment.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we changed it to. I set it a little slower and didn't do the hand gesture Right, and it's not. It's not because we changed it, it's because I just, you know, I've tried it three different ways. I just don't think that I'm getting the timing right. Or people understand what I'm doing. They're just not laughing at it, which is okay. It's a dark comedy. They might be laughing on the inside.
Speaker 2:Maybe because the shit ain't funny.
Speaker 1:You know what that could be true. You know what I'm not.
Speaker 3:Well, there's more. There's like so much funnier stuff you don't have to go for like it's a dick joke basically.
Speaker 1:There it is. Of course, it is a great dick joke though, because well the way, anyway, I'm not going to get into it.
Speaker 2:Because, without being able to see it, because you're going to take he takes dick jokes to another level.
Speaker 1:I'm just saying without being able to see it. I can't describe why. Before it worked, Because I thought it worked before because I wasn't actually making a dick joke, but I'd let, you was sure. Now I'm trying to actually make a dick joke without making the landing. Yeah, because and it's my delivery like I've actually stood in front of the mirror trying to make it work and then I'm like ah that doesn't work, you know. But it's okay, it's on me, it's on me, it's on the direct here's a thing too.
Speaker 1:I want to say this to any actors who obviously aren't listening. Hopefully you're listening, but I will say this like when a director gives you parameters, it is your job to figure out how to do it, because I have heard a lot of people say like I don't like it when a director tells me what to do or gives me constraints well, you've been a director, so you know I have, I have you know, and I had push.
Speaker 1:But I would say one thing I love about working with Kate is that she does give me parameters, but we hit like I have this. I mean this monologue dude is giant. It's like an eight minute, 10 minute monologue, depending on how fast, I move which I'm trying to move through it faster, yeah.
Speaker 1:It's like six, six pages, five pages, I think it's four and a half, but it just feels like a river just that won't stop and so we had to work on it. Like she was very gracious she brought me in, we did the monologue work. I would have questions, Like there are ways that I wanted to do it, but she gives me parameters, but then I work within those parameters. She tells me what works what doesn't work, but some.
Speaker 2:but she gives me parameters, but then I work within those parameters.
Speaker 1:She tells me what works, but it doesn't work. But some people, you know they, they really don't want limitations. And I'll say that it's been great to work with her because she does give me limits, but she works with me. How to get there right? You know, like I try one thing, she's like no, no, yeah. And then something she's like yeah, keep doing that. That's what I loved and it's been a joy to work with somebody who, I guess what I'm trying to say is she. Like we both started, kate, am I wrong? We both saw this character a little differently in the monologue in the beginning, because I was doing like a new york accent, trying to make him kind of sinister, oh, but with a slight comedic tone. Oh, that didn't work. We decided he wasn't from new york. The whole cast would have to sound like from, and I'm not even sure my accent was very good.
Speaker 3:I was kind of like trying to do a new york accent well, it was my first time but this guy seems like a new york kind of guy, like for sure I don't think. I don't think that was a problem, it was more just like is this a decision we want to right make that affects the whole cast right?
Speaker 1:but then, you know, he was a little more sinister in the beginning. Then both of us started thinking like hey, let's change this. You know, like maybe this is his redemption story where he's trying to get some redemption. So we try it that way. But then Kate starts saying okay, yeah, he can have the redemption. Sorry, I'm going to paraphrase you, if that's okay.
Speaker 3:No, that's fine.
Speaker 1:She's like you can have the redemption part of the story. That's fine. She's like you can have the redemption part of the story. That's fine.
Speaker 3:But I want you to have these moments where you freak out, where this just really bothers you.
Speaker 1:Oh shit, and it turned into.
Speaker 3:He's like he's a little OCD, this character, oh.
Speaker 1:And I'll tell you one thing that people have given me feedback People, lie to you all the time People already, oh yeah.
Speaker 3:Well, just people who've seen the show, not you, obviously, right? I haven't seen shit yet. I'm going, I'm going. Are you really?
Speaker 2:that's fantastic I'll meet you in person then. Yeah, I'll be there sunday. Okay, great, with a nasty hangover.
Speaker 1:He's a gentleman, but I would just say people have seen the jekyll and hyde part of the character. They they have responded to the fact like they'll show the fact, like wow, you know, it's a really complex character, um more so than when I began what I'll say, absolutely and that's you know.
Speaker 3:Honestly, it's been fun collaborating on this character because I feel, like I.
Speaker 3:I, as a director, want actors who want to collaborate. What I don't want is people who are either 100 set in their ways from the start, that they're like this is what it is and I'm not willing to even consider other possibilities, or people who won't make any choices and want to be told everything to do, and somewhere in the middle is like the sweet spot where you can be like what do you think about this? And somebody can be honest with you and trust you enough to say, like well, I don't know and we can say, okay, why don't we try it like this? If it doesn't work, we'll try it a different way. We're on this path together. We're not nobody's abandoning anybody and nobody's trying to show anybody up Like. This is not a competition between director and actor. It's like how can we all work together to tell this story in the most interesting, innovative and fun way for everybody?
Speaker 2:Here's the thing that is so perfect that you said that because acting is, you need to feel it and be in the moment. You can't just rehearse. And you know, I don't know what I'm saying is. Is that free flow? Just let yourself go and do it. That's what I've learned in my short career and you know, when you work in the parameters of a director and you let yourself go, you know that to me, that's the perfect thing is it not.
Speaker 1:Am I making this up? No, I think that's just. She's been so good with that. Like she doesn't ever stifle right the creativity, she'll just redirect it where some people will tell you?
Speaker 2:yeah, let it go and just and be in the moment.
Speaker 1:Although she has gotten really good at being more honest. I think in the beginning you were treating me with kid gloves Cause you didn't know if I was going to freak out. Which is good, that's good.
Speaker 3:I mean that's part of the process, right? If you haven't worked with somebody, kind of it's like let's all test everybody's boundaries a bit Like what do they respond well to? Do they like praise better? Do they like criticism?
Speaker 1:better.
Speaker 3:Do they like conversation better, you know? And so it's like balancing these seven different unique relationships.
Speaker 2:I'm including the stage manager in that.
Speaker 1:But I mean it really is. Which one am I? You're in a relationship with all of them.
Speaker 2:No, you like. Which one am I in a relationship with all of them? Which one do I need criticism?
Speaker 3:oh, I do, he does. You want to dig in and digest it? You want to stop and start? You don't care about, like the flow. There are some actors in the show and there's no criticism about this. This is like everybody has a different process, but some people if I I know that if I stop them mid-scene it's going to derail everything and they won't be able to get it back. So it's like okay, if we're working with them.
Speaker 3:We're going to wait until the end of the scene or the end of this beat, and then we're going to say, okay, how did that feel, how did that work, do you feel? You know, because sometimes too I'll give a blocking thing and it's like I can just tell that it doesn't feel right to them. You know, it's like why am I getting up here? Why did she tell me to cross over here? And so then you can be like hey, that felt weird, did that feel weird to you? And if you've built that trust, then the actor can say, yes, that did feel weird to me. Then it's like great, how do we fix this? Let's, what do you? What is your impulse? What do you feel like you should do? And then we go through that, and if that doesn't work, we try something else. But there's no judgment and there's no shame. It's just trying to kind of figure it all out together.
Speaker 2:Well, here's the thing. So basically, what you're saying is that you won't say David, that was shit.
Speaker 3:I mean, not only was that shit that, was that? Fly shit that in the middle of the summer. Shit, no, she's nice. Well, here's the thing too is.
Speaker 1:David is a type of actor who knows when it's shit, so like he'll do something and he'll just fucking look at me like yeah, that was bad.
Speaker 3:And I'll be like yeah, that's fine, let's do something different.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I am the most in like in the moment.
Speaker 3:I'm okay, but the second I say something that's shit, I'll stop. Oh, and he knows it. Yeah, we'll both laugh. Now it's not even. It's like we don't even have to say anything now. We're just like, yeah, yeah, let's just laugh and shake our heads.
Speaker 1:Well, she's coming to every show. She's not like the directors that leave on friday. She's. She's been to every show, which shocked me. Yeah, and I told her. I was like, look, I like notes every night.
Speaker 2:Am I a stalker?
Speaker 1:no, I just, I love it because I don't ever like the process to end. I same, I, yeah, I want it to keep going. I don't want to ever feel like, okay, it's set now. Now, this is how I do the part, because it doesn't always work. You're not always ready by opening night, which you know. I mean, it's the nature of especially doing community theater, because you got a day job and she's been there every night and look, every night has been like a rehearsal for me, because I I'm still exploring the character. This character could be simple, but I've made him a little more complex. I'm not saying that I'm daniel day lewis, I'm just saying that I didn't, and you want again, I didn't, I didn't want to make them one note, and so, yeah, there are moments where I like something changes. It's not always intentional, sometimes it's just the audience, the feel you're, you're doing something.
Speaker 2:You in the moment.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I tried something new and it falls flat. It doesn't mean that it was a joke. Sometimes it's a straight line and I just know that was wrong.
Speaker 3:Am I? First it's like line, and I just know that was wrong. And my first like oh, that that didn't hit the way I wanted it to, that didn't affect people. Yeah, the way that I intended.
Speaker 1:I know I didn't say it right and my first thought is oh, kate caught that as well like. I know that she heard it, I know that she's getting and she's gonna be like why did he do?
Speaker 3:that I tried to tell you no no, what I will do is, if you say, hey, I tried this thing, did you think it worked? Then I have an opportunity to be honest. But I have not.
Speaker 2:I have not given any.
Speaker 3:I have not given any acting notes since opening. I have bitten my tongue. I have just you know one time. I just told our stage manager I was like this person didn't stand in their light. Like this person didn't stand in their light. Can you just give them that note please?
Speaker 1:But it's not an acting note See, she's great like that.
Speaker 2:She's noticing it, but here's the thing you got to think about, david, when you're going through all these things that you were talking about. Yeah, these decisions. Yeah, kate is a Second City actor.
Speaker 1:Well, look, I don't think that I've ever not talking about you. Know you, you, you she's like oh, okay, look, since I saw her show I mean, she knows it, because I made her embarrassed when I first met her, because I finally just went I couldn't even waited like you waited, like a week and a half I was like I did.
Speaker 3:I don't know if this guy even thinks, I'm okay, I wanted to work with you alone.
Speaker 1:You gotta give me credit. I embarrassed you in front of the stage manager. The stage manager was the only one left yeah but I didn't do it in front of the whole cast, because I thought that would be weird.
Speaker 2:That's true, because then, I just sound like that guy. You wasn't creepy, you wasn't creepy. Well, I didn't want to.
Speaker 1:I didn't want to compliment her and make her think I was just trying to butter her up like, oh, treat me, I'm, you know, like this, the brown nose like oh, I watched.
Speaker 3:I watched your show and I didn't want to creep you out.
Speaker 1:But when I finally got, a chance. I'm like look, this is why I chose to do this show.
Speaker 3:Oh shit, you were Like that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's rare that I have ever gotten the opportunity to watch a director's work before. I had to work with the director, right, and in this case, that's why I chose this show and I am a, a um, I, I want to say it actually kind of reinvigorated. I've wanted to get back into acting and singing. I'm not singing, but anyway I've wanted to get back into acting a little. Well, I make it up and sometimes I mean well one line and I make it kind of intentionally bad.
Speaker 1:Um, so let's not call it singing, but I wanted to get back into acting for five years. But you know, like I said this, this has reinvigorated me like I thought I wanted to get back into acting for five years. But you know, like I said this, this has reinvigorated me like I thought I wanted to get back, but there was a part of me that's like oh, is it that fun to act? It's more fun to sing this made it soul-crushing yeah this, this acting, yeah, oh all of it
Speaker 1:this became this process. Working with you specifically has been fantastic. That's why I wanted to have you on the show. Because, look, she has come back here. She's starting to do more work here, Kate, if my predictions are correct. I think of myself as a little bit of an oracle. I am an empath Sometimes.
Speaker 3:I have psychic.
Speaker 1:I'm not always correct, but I really do think that within the next few years, people are going to know the name Kay Carson Groener.
Speaker 2:I don't think it's going to take that long. We've been here what 30 minutes, and I'm a fan already.
Speaker 3:I'm a fan.
Speaker 1:Hire a brother.
Speaker 2:Nobody wants to work with me anymore.
Speaker 3:This is my first show. You didn't come to auditions. Come on now.
Speaker 1:That's because he was like that's a white show, I don't want to do a white show.
Speaker 2:That's exactly what I said. Oh my gosh, it's a cultural thing.
Speaker 3:It doesn't have to be a white show.
Speaker 1:It really was. You could have been the dead man.
Speaker 2:It would have been fine, did he have lines?
Speaker 1:Well, I just told you Active listening, I have a monologue and I have a big scene.
Speaker 2:I didn't know that was your character's name.
Speaker 1:Oh, I didn't say I'm playing the dead man. That's why they called me they said who can play a dead man? David Joy.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, david Anthony Joy, he's perfect A dead pan man, that's To work with you.
Speaker 1:I can't wait to do the rest of this show and get more of your notes. I think I have another question for you, because I know you got the kids, yeah.
Speaker 3:I know you got to go. Sorry, we're just talking.
Speaker 1:We're just talking, we're just going. Let me ask you a quick question. This is mandatory, okay, do you want me to? Well, I'll give you a choice. I got two questions, questions. I'll let you, uh, pick one one, did you? Have any challenges with the script or material or two. Why should people come to this show?
Speaker 3:oh well, you know, I think I think maybe I can answer both in the same in the same answer that would be awesome.
Speaker 1:I told you she's down.
Speaker 3:So, yeah, this play is weird. That's a word we say a lot when we're rehearsing. It's kind of in this kind of absurdist but realistic world. It's about technology and so, you know, I think one of the challenges for this script especially has been when you're doing a low budget community theater project, like you know, you can have these dreams of all this tech and all these sets and lights and and really make this kind of digital awesome, like I was. Like when we first met, I was like, oh, maybe we can have an app that like works, and so you get a, you get a little reminder during the show. You know, I was, I had big, big dreams.
Speaker 3:But then it's also like, you know, we don't have a budget and that's okay, right, and so I think one of the things that's been really fun and one of the things I love about theater is like how to tell the story with the limited resources. Um, so I would say you know, people should come and see this weird sort of dark comedy. Uh, because we do a lot with very little and it's minimalist, but it evokes a lot of feeling, I hope, I think, and it has gotten lots of big laughs but also a lot of people kind of. There's a lot of those sort of head nodding moments where you're like, oh yeah, that really made me think about that, um. So yeah, I think it's it's weird and it's fun and it's quirky, and we also make a really pretty show with a you know very sort of found object. Low budget resources I'll second that.
Speaker 1:I'll second that. I think that I look forward it's a very weird show. I had a hard the first time I read the script. I was like what?
Speaker 3:and I read it the second time.
Speaker 1:the second time I'm like okay, I'm starting to get the humor.
Speaker 3:And we still don't have it all figured out. I think the playwright intended for people to not have it all figured out. Well, if she had to rewrite it several times then I'm sure that that's what she thought?
Speaker 1:Yeah, but I think you've done an excellent job directing and I'm not just saying that because people are listening. Oh sure you are, Well no.
Speaker 3:No, he told me in person. I have to admit. Oh, he did, of course he did 100%. It's been super great working with you two. I actually feel like I'm I feel like it was destined to be, and I'm glad you came out of retirement and I feel like we will work together many times in the future. I feel like we will work together many times in the future.
Speaker 1:I think so, I think so. I can't wait. We're already cooking up some projects somewhere on the side. And we have to make sure that GC, when he comes, sits on the front row, I think.
Speaker 3:Ooh, yeah, front row Love to have him on the front row Stage left side. Oh yeah, you got to get him front row stage left, yeah.
Speaker 1:You got to have a good view, man, don't say no.
Speaker 3:Don't say no, that's rude, it's not like Gallagher.
Speaker 1:You're not getting the watermelon on your face. Yeah, see, there we go. That's Gallagher, that's not racist.
Speaker 2:That wasn't racist. That's that bullshit. No, that's that bullshit. Right there. I didn't say fried chicken and watermelon, I said watermelon. See what you can't?
Speaker 3:help him though. Yeah See, look, Even Kate does. Dave is just going to come in like the Kool-Aid man.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I know right. Even Kate's like oh no you.
Speaker 1:Kate does that all the time. She's like David. No, yeah, no, because I'm used to joking around, you know. Hey, I do have to watch myself around the. You know, I don't want to let you go, but I know there's other things to do in life.
Speaker 3:What is next for?
Speaker 1:you? What do you have coming up? Because we all want to see you, we all want to meet you.
Speaker 3:Yes, well, doing this show has been great at sort of invigorating me to get going again. It can get easy to be quiet and stay home. So, um, I'm gonna, I'm in talks with some of um my former improv cast mates here and um also some little theater folks and a friend of mine who's a pianist and band director, and so I'm cooking up a kind of late night variety show thing. Um that would incorporate improv music interviews with local people, um and try to get that going, and I'm also going to teach some music improv workshops coming up soon.
Speaker 1:So that is awesome. That is hey. Is there somewhere where there where people can follow you, I mean on your website? Do you update the website with things like this?
Speaker 3:Yeah, I try to. Yes, I'm worse at my website. Facebook is better. I have like a page that's just Kate Carson Groner, my name, on.
Speaker 1:Facebook.
Speaker 3:And I'm better at updating that, but I'm trying to be better at updating my website as well. Well, yeah.
Speaker 1:So go look up Kate Carson Groner if you want to take her improv classes that are coming up and and maybe work with her. I highly recommend it. If you are an actor singer in winston-salem triad, that can get to her. I'm telling you you will have a great experience. She is a great person as well as a great director she sounds like super talented. As well, she can sing.
Speaker 3:I watched her on youtube she was singing uh, some stevie nicks if you happen to like, um, I don't know music and weed, um, that's what I love this woman.
Speaker 3:I love this woman there's a, there's a 420 festival on 420 at um uh, wise man brewing the tap room oh yeah, not the one that's downtown, but the one that's a little further out. I think it's from one to five and I'll be singing an amy winehouse song and singing back up on some stuff fantastic. I love amy it'll be fun so yeah that is, that is awesome that is awesome. I love it. Should be a good time well, hey, thanks I.
Speaker 1:I know you gotta go. I know you got the kids there's stuff to do. What song are you gonna sing by Amy? Amy is my girl.
Speaker 3:Oh, I know.
Speaker 2:Amy is my girl. I know my wife is listening to this. She's like, oh shit, you and that English drug addict. It's not a full on.
Speaker 3:There's only one Amy Winehouse song in the show as far as I know, but which one do you think I'm singing If it's a 420 festival all about weed?
Speaker 2:all the music is weed based.
Speaker 3:Oh, rehab I thought it was gonna be rehab. No, it's addicted and I have not actually heard this song before I was gonna do it, but it is literally like you've got to get the green man. Yeah, it's very, it's like jazzy, but about we like it.
Speaker 1:We like it Can't wait. Everybody go to Wise man, not the one in town, but the one a little farther out. 420 from 1 to 5. To see, kate, was that good enough? Active listening, I think so.
Speaker 3:I think I got it.
Speaker 2:Kate, thank you for being on our show today, please before you go.
Speaker 1:Can I get your um, what, what? Can I get a promise that you come back on the show in person? We can interview you a little more in depth about other things absolutely that would be great, we'd love to hear from you again, uh, hey, I'll see you on friday okay, so thanks again and, kate, I will meet you on sunday if you're there yes, I'm looking forward to it
Speaker 3:yeah, I have to be there sunday, because it's strike day, we have to take everything down as soon as the show's done.
Speaker 2:So that's that bullshit.
Speaker 3:That's bullshit all right, the life on the stage tell your husband thank you for loaning yes, thank your family for letting you do this, for letting you be with these two chocolate yeah, he definitely has control over my schedule.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and tell the kids hi I will all right, talk to you soon, okay, bye. Bye, all right. So that was our interview with kate man, that was awesome that was awesome. She is such a great person. You are gonna love working with her and I know that you will someday.
Speaker 2:I know that, I know, I'm pretty sure you will. I know you're like hey, I'm equity, now I'm, I'm done, I'm done.
Speaker 1:You don't know that. She's not gonna be in an equity show, dude, she's. She's that good oh she might be directing you in a, in an equity show. So you better talk nice yeah, talk nice, yeah. So before I stop with that, let me go ahead and give a shout out again to Spear Gum Theater, april 12th through the 14th.
Speaker 1:We have Dead Man's Cell Phone by Sarah Rule, Starring Anne Breitbach as Jean Brian Kilpatrick as Dwight, Teresa Prevett as Mrs Gottlieb, Janelle Boyd as Hermia, and then we have Sarah Mayne Trisson as the Mistress Stranger, and this is again at Mountcastle Forum, Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts. Okay, Now that I got that dirty business out of the way, let's go ahead and do it. You know what time it is, that dog shits.
Speaker 1:The audience knew. The audience knew before I even said it. That time they just started clapping as soon as I said you know what it's time for. Okay, give it to me.
Speaker 2:What is it? Hey, listen, I'll make this really quick, david.
Speaker 1:Tell me this is a problem. I know it is Always is Every time.
Speaker 2:No, I'm telling you Look, look, look, look, look. You know, I'm rebuilding my house because a tree smashed into a house Scary story. Yeah, yes, we have to tell that sometime, but our house was split in two by two 100-foot oak trees, so we're in the process of rebuilding our house, okay.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:When you're rebuilding your house. Survey has come out and put your property yeah, they serve so we have a neighbor man, Let me tell you something.
Speaker 1:Oh no, this is the demon Karen.
Speaker 2:Hey, yes, and what's happening now? I know Sarah and I watch too much ID channel, so what we do is we watch a show called Fear Thy Neighbor.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Right, yes, and this is a show that we are obsessed with. So, and now we have become very paranoid by watching this show, but I am telling you, david, yeah, this neighbor of ours never opens the blinds maybe they're just very private.
Speaker 2:We lived in a house for five years and she never said hello. Okay, when the trees hit our house, she went and mowed her grass as if we weren't there, and we were standing there in the only clothes we owned and everyone else in the neighborhood were like oh my god, can we help you? Let me give you some money, let me put you up. She mowed her grass and she ignored us maybe it wasn't an accident that's what I'm talking.
Speaker 1:See, maybe with me, maybe she was sitting in her house one day and she's like you know what, I want him dead, I want his family dead, I want his house burnt to the ground. And she went out and she you made that tree fall on your house you think so?
Speaker 2:no, I've been sick. Well, why are you fucking with me like that?
Speaker 1:Well, what do you want me to say? I mean, how big is this? Woman that she can push down some giant trees.
Speaker 2:Do you think she? Did you think she?
Speaker 1:watered them. Watered them until they fell down.
Speaker 2:Okay, but my question is how high? No, no, no, no, no, okay. So when the survey recently came out, she's taking up our stakes now come on.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes, she want them to make a mistake or something. No, she's she's mowing our lawn and she thinks is her property oh, because I think there was an old law or something like if you took care of land for a certain amount of time, like if you were the one to mow the lawn, if you were like on your property, is this some bullshit? I well, I'm not saying it was an actual law, but there was an old belief, at least.
Speaker 1:Because I remember hearing this okay so if there's a lawyer listening, you can call in sometime. But because now I know how to do that on this board. But if you were to take, like say, my property line, like I'm always taking care of a strip of grass, right, that's right on the edge and we've always believed it's mine because I've maintained it for so long. It becomes mine now. I don't know if that's actually true, but that's an old belief.
Speaker 1:So she's probably mowing the lawn, thinking if I mow the lawn this far over and it looks like my property, I can claim it as mine but she wasn't doing that before the trees fell on our house.
Speaker 2:No, she didn't give a shit before that. She wouldn't even maintain her yard.
Speaker 1:It was like weeds and daisies and armadillos in it and shit she had armadillos in her yard. What Armadillos those are in Texas.
Speaker 2:Okay, but it looked like one.
Speaker 1:What A possum.
Speaker 2:No, it looked like an armadillo.
Speaker 1:We can talk about your possum fear later. A different day. A different day? Yeah, no, a different day.
Speaker 2:Well, you got to bring the old shit up.
Speaker 3:Anyway, so what?
Speaker 2:I'm saying is is she's taking up these stakes D thinking that that's not our property anymore?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean, I think that she's trying to steal your property is what I think.
Speaker 2:Okay, what if I were to put up a fence and say I want a fence? Would I have to write her a letter?
Speaker 1:saying I'm sure she complained is she is she white?
Speaker 2:you better know she is. I live in old sherwood is her name karen?
Speaker 1:uh it's close. Why? Why did you move to old sherwood if you know you were?
Speaker 2:because I didn't know someone would try to kill me when I moved in, sarah and I moved in. Now our other neighbors are amazing. They are lovely people and and they were like they're seeing our house. You know the earth movers and the bobcats and all that they're seeing. They're like, wow, you're moving back, what's up?
Speaker 1:g she's like. You know what she said. She said I want him dead, I want his family, and oh yes, she deniered you.
Speaker 2:And then look, and then you know what my contractor said. My contractor said you know what we're going to do when you rebuild your house. We're putting cameras on four, all four corners well, emotion lights I want to see.
Speaker 1:I want to see the video when you catch her in the middle of the night just standing in the corner of your yard just staring.
Speaker 2:Think she's going to do that. My question is anyone who doesn't open their shades in the summertime? Oh, I don't.
Speaker 1:My question is yes.
Speaker 2:How do you have to be not to let a drop of sunshine in your damn house? How high, how high do you have to be?
Speaker 1:Well, I live in a townhouse and I'm a very private person, so I don't open my shades. What does?
Speaker 2:sunlight have to do. Vitamin D.
Speaker 1:Everybody needs some vitamin.
Speaker 2:D, and I'm not talking about the sexual count, but I have my shades down.
Speaker 1:It lets light through, so it's illuminated, but I don't want anybody seeing my house.
Speaker 2:Why is that? What do you have to hide?
Speaker 1:Because I live in a townhouse complex, man, my neighbors are nosy, you don't know. You want to talk about a Karen. Karen lives right across from me, oh, I know. Karen watches me at all times and by the way you're black. Exactly, she's watching you.
Speaker 2:She wants to know if you'm rich, she sees you.
Speaker 1:I'm glad you admitted that finally.
Speaker 2:So now I know who's going to fund the show I'm just saying, I'm just saying I get what you're saying.
Speaker 1:It sounds like she's a little crazy.
Speaker 2:All right.
Speaker 1:And that she, like it, makes you uncomfortable. If somebody doesn't come say hi after you almost died, doesn't say hey, are you okay? I heard the crash and they just mow their lawn yeah, and I would be like, are you a little like? Are you deaf? Are you blind? Are you angry, right possessed? Are you karen? Yes, it doesn't necessarily go in that order. I might skip to Karen pretty quickly.
Speaker 2:You just jump right to.
Speaker 1:Karen, just jump right to Karen.
Speaker 2:Okay, so what is that? So you're saying all of that, yeah, do you think it's going to be an issue in the future? I mean, how high? No, like you have to be high.
Speaker 1:Do you? Need to like get a bunker you need to build a bunker, they're building the house.
Speaker 2:Man, go ahead and get the backhoe in there and give you a little bunker. Well, we have a basement and the basement is going to be.
Speaker 1:Can you get a bunker below the basement? Damn, that's a tool, well you know we're getting to that day and age when nuclear war is no longer. You wanted to live until you're 100.
Speaker 3:Oh 20.
Speaker 1:So you might need to get that bunker Because things are getting heated around the world, so go ahead.
Speaker 2:While you got the time, just go ahead and get a backhoe in there. What did me and Sarah ever do to her?
Speaker 1:I don't know. Look, you know what I think it is, what it is. You're black. Do you want to be honest?
Speaker 2:It's not.
Speaker 1:You're in Old Troy.
Speaker 2:Here's the saving grace, she has not spoken to the people the people across the street or my neighbors on either side of the.
Speaker 1:She doesn't speak to them well, maybe it's because of the beast, maybe it's because she saw you driving the beast, maybe it has nothing to do with your color, my car yeah it's your beast. The beast. It looks like an old cop car it is. That's the point you wait, this dude drives an old ford ltd. Yes, that was a cop car.
Speaker 1:Yes, that is me that was given to me, well, sold to me, given falling apart it's not the beast is great, dude it still doesn't have heat does, it still doesn't have heat, say no, it doesn't.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I don't need heat. I do. That's cool, that car was sold to me.
Speaker 1:That car has not had heat for 10 years.
Speaker 2:It has not. You're right. That's sold to me by Will Blackwell. Do not edit this out, because he said I listened to your damn show and you.
Speaker 1:Well, it's got the loudest damn horn I've ever heard. I hate it.
Speaker 2:It used to honk at me when I was walking by. Can I tell a story?
Speaker 1:oh, when you used to honk at me, yeah, no, when we had that you remember when we were at the theater, yeah and oh, I remember you made me piss my pants. You peed, you peed.
Speaker 2:I didn't actually pee, but I felt like I was no. You told me you peed.
Speaker 1:Well, I probably said that like you made me piss my pants, but but it was quite alarming. I will say like that sound is not normal coming from a car.
Speaker 2:That's a normal sound coming from a ship at sea. It's a train horn, and listen. And I told you to stand in front of it. I said, dave, stand right there. You did it, I know I was walking by.
Speaker 1:No, you had not alerted me, you were in the car and you hit it. Oh, I did yeah, because I heard it before at work. You'd show me at work what it did. But when I was walking in the theater, I didn't even know you were there. I'm walking by, you hit the horn. I was like holy, what the mother.
Speaker 2:You heard, yeah, yeah. Yeah, because it's scary man so you think that's why You're probably pulling in the neighborhood in the car, and I'm assuming that's the theme song for San Francisco. Okay, all right, that's where you go, oh.
Speaker 1:Elizabeth Such a racist.
Speaker 2:Why is that racist?
Speaker 1:Tell me, why is that?
Speaker 2:racist. We both love the show. I love that show. Yeah, exactly. So why is it racist? We both love the show, I love that show yeah exactly, so why is it racist? Don't be saying it might have been offensive.
Speaker 1:Maybe the delicate part of you is offensive, but it was not racist, that's right.
Speaker 2:You know what? I forgot who I was talking to. Now we're sitting there talking about how high could this woman be not to open up her windows and cut a tree down.
Speaker 1:You woman be not to open up her windows and and to cut a tree down. You think she cut the tree down. I don't know. It's suspicious. I would have a pi look into her, check out her bank.
Speaker 2:That's what the fuck I'm talking. See if she brought a chance recently my man there you go. That's what we see, if a water bill went up.
Speaker 1:Why? Was that well, if you water the ground long enough, she could run a hose to the to the tree.
Speaker 2:let it run for a couple weeks Down into the ground to the roots, yeah, and then I don't know if this actually happened.
Speaker 1:Don't waste your time, just go on living man, l'chaim, l'chaim.
Speaker 2:By the way, Passover's coming out.
Speaker 1:And I will have my lamb ready.
Speaker 2:Yes, sir.
Speaker 1:Yes, I already had lamb.
Speaker 2:Well, thank you for that, sir, for listening to me. And I'm telling you guys, watch yourselves, watch your neighbors, watch your neighbors.
Speaker 1:Oh wait, no Wrong thing, and that was that I can't stop it once it starts. That was that dumb shit. Yeah, give it up for GC, give it up for him.
Speaker 2:Give, yeah, give it up for GC.
Speaker 1:Give it up for him. Give it up for him. Thank you, I appreciate that yeah, all right. Everybody shut up, shut up, we're done.
Speaker 2:Hey, that was a great show, awesome show. Kate, you are awesome.
Speaker 1:You were awesome. We loved having you on the show. I hope everybody comes to Dead Man's Cell Phone this weekend. Spear Gum Theater Company. It is worth your time. It's about two hours With a 15 minute intermission. Yeah, I'm only in the second act. Well, I'm in the first act You're ruining it.
Speaker 1:No, no, no, no, that doesn't ruin it, I'm just letting my fans know, letting my fans don't leave, don't leave. I didn't want you to take off, I didn't want you to take off. So anyway, you ready to take it out? Yes, sir, let's do it. Baby, all right? Hey, everybody, stay safe until we talk to you again.
Speaker 2:God bless yourselves and be good to each other. See you real soon, l'chaim.
Speaker 1:L'chaim. I feel like I'm saying that wrong. Am I saying that wrong? You are oh, whoops, sorry.
Speaker 2:Sorry, you can't stop this, you can't oh you can't stop this. No, you can't clock this oh, watch yourself, is that creepy? That was creepy as hell that was some creepy shit.