In this conversation with improv artist and commercial airline pilot Laura McGhee (she/her), we talk about staying calm under pressure, the power of resilience, and how bringing a little humor to the table can save lives. In addition to being a proud alumna of The Second City Theater Toronto, Laura has an Honors Bachelor of Arts Degree from The University of Western Ontario. In Canada, Laura has written and performed on CBC RADIO and at the Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal. In 2002, Laura became the first person ever to script an entire show for The Second City. It was called Students Rule and toured public and secondary schools across Canada. She has also written and performed in 8 shows of her own. Her one-act play, entitled Joyride, won the Special Merit Award in the 7th Annual National Playwriting Competition. It has been performed in Vancouver, Orlando and Chicago. Another international credit for Laura was an all-female stage version of Reservoir Dogs entitled, Reservoir Bitches. Reservoir Bitches premiered in Toronto and then played at the DR2 Theater in New York City. Reservoir Bitches received a Canadian Comedy Award Nomination for Best Play and has since been produced by theater companies in Halifax and Minneapolis. Laura’s television writing credits include the 2001 Canadian Comedy Awards – which aired on THE COMEDY NETWORK and CTV. She was nominated for a Gemini Award for this project. She has also written for the show, Eleven Cameras, which was developed by the CBC. And her screenplay, Breadwinners, made it through to the quarter-finals – out of thousands of entries - in the Scriptapalooza Writing Competition here in the U.S. She has also appeared in Canadian and American television commercials, on numerous shows for THE COMEDY NETWORK and CTV as well as the critically-acclaimed SHOWTIME film, Common Ground, with Brittany Murphy. Several years ago, Laura decided to begin a second career in aviation. She took some time away from entertainment to train to become a pilot. Laura became an Instrument and Multi-Engine-Rated Commercial Pilot as well as a Certified Flight Instructor. This past year, she acquired her Airline Transport Pilot certification and is type-rated in an Embraer 175 and presently flies for United ExpressJet Airlines. In Los Angeles, Laura was accepted into the PlayGround –LA Writers Pool at the Zephyr Theater for their 2015/2016 season. Her play, A-Types, premiered at The Second City Hollywood the next year. Laura has also taught and directed improv and sketch comedy at The Second City Hollywood for the past 5 years. And she created and hosts a monthly improv show there called HIT Show – Historical Improv Theater. Laura’s latest creative endeavor is an amalgamation of her two loves – writing and flying. She has a Web series about her flying experiences as a flight instructor, entitled Lady Pilot – www.lady-pilot.com … “We’re not lady pilots. We’re just pilots”.   Host: Emily Stamets

Dr. Kate Browne (she/her) helps changemakers learn to love the spotlight. She is a speaker coach and personal brand expert with a background in theatre education and writing pedagogy. Kate holds a PhD in autobiographical rhetoric (or, how people write and speak about themselves) and her writing about body image and popular culture has appeared in Runner's World, Refinery29, FabUPlus, and Girls Gone Strong. Kate is also the lead speaker coach for TEDxNormal, a communication workshop facilitator and a singer. Follow Kate on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at @drkatebrowne Host: Emily Stamets (she/her) @theemilystamets

In this episode, I talk about Theatre for Young Audiences as a profession, how working at Payless Show Source can change your life, and the value of authentic kindness with Lynne Childress.    Lynne Streeter Childress (she/her) is a playwright, actor, teaching artist, singer, director, and the founder and artistic director of Building Better People Productions, a professional theater company based in Annapolis, MD, that does shows for young audiences all based in themes of kindness, respect and the things that make us all better people. Her show, “We Got It!: A Show About Empathy”, is among several of BBPP’s shows that are currently traveling to schools in Maryland and surrounding areas. This is her 25th year in professional theater, with much of that experience in theater for young audiences.  This includes performing at the Kennedy Center, Arena Stage and Adventure Theater, and teaching for institutions like the Folger Shakespeare Library. Through all those experiences, Lynne has seen firsthand how theater can communicate the most important things in the clearest and most interesting of ways, especially to young people. Lynne lives in Annapolis, MD with her husband and son.   Host: Emily Stamets

Personalized money, the value of flexibility, and how to pursue your artistic dreams and the lifestyle you want (it's possible!). Rhianna Basore (she/her) is an award-winning actress, director, and writer.  She has been performing professionally for over 20 years in in stage, film, and TV, both here in the US and abroad.  Her work as a content creator and director/producer includes CRAPSHOOT! (scheduled to headline the 2020 Marfa Fringe and will be featured at the Reykjavik Fringe in July).  Her love of the creative life and its pursuits has sparked a passion for helping artists build financial stability.  She believes that better creative work comes from a healthy relationship to money.  Her background managing small nonprofit organizations creates a unique but flexible point of view that helps creatives ebb and flow with the tide of today’s gig economy.   Www.Rhiannabasore.Com Www.Selftrustfund.Com   Host: Emily Stamets

In this episode, I speak with Margaret Dilloway (she/her) about using improv to work through social anxiety, the connections between performing and novel-writing, and the value of YES, AND. Margaret Dilloway is the author of 8 novels for adults and children, including the American Library Award-winning MOMOTARO: XANDER AND THE LOST ISLAND OF MONSTERS and THE CARE AND HANDLING OF ROSES WITH THORNS. She writes in the genres of contemporary and historical women’s fiction; middle grade fantasy; and middle grade contemporary.  Descended from samurai and coal miners, Dilloway incorporates themes about the intersections of race, class, and culture within families and communities, as well as invisible disabilities. In her spare time, Dilloway loves performing long-form improv, hiking, baking, and trying to achieve a pull-up. She lives in San Diego with her family.   www.margaretdilloway.com  https://www.facebook.com/margaretdillowayauthor/   Host: Emily Stamets Original Music: Jaclyn S. O'Connor Graphics: Tiffany Spence

Why is that you can start a project with tons of excitement and energy, but then you get halfway and UGGGHHHH it's suddenly so much harder??? Join me in this session of the Green Room where we chat about why that happens, and wtf to do about it.   Join future Green Room sessions live: emilystamets.com/greenroom   Host: Emily Stamets (she/her) Original music: Jaclyn S. O'Connor (she/her) Graphics: Tiffany Spense (she/her)

I chat about seeking creative routine, being a "rehearsal-forward designer", and balancing light and dark with Isabella Byrd (she/her).   Isabella is a lighting designer based in Brooklyn, New York. She was recently awarded an Obie for her design of Light Shining in Buckinghamshire at New York Theatre Workshop. (Check out the current / news page for the latest highlights.) Her design collaborations have been presented in New York City and regionally across the United States.  With a special interest in developing new works, her process pivots/activates/blooms around design dramaturgy, musical movement, and color composition. Her work favors architectural impulses and shadow play. Isabella was a Design Editor and creative producer at Chance Magazine.  Aside from curating content for the magazine, she was invited to lead a symposium and seminar at the 2015 Prague Quadrennial, exploring the fertile encounter of photography, theatrical design, and thought artifacts. Isabella was the Creative Producer for 13Playwright's archival website www.13p.org. In 2012, the Obie Award-winning downtown collective completed their producing mission and 'imploded' into the interactive time capsule. Isabella is a proud member of USA-829, and interested in expanding her creative interactions to redefine the theatrical bubble. Do not hesitate: say hello.   https://www.isabellabyrd.design/ https://www.instagram.com/isabelllaa/   Host: Emily Stamets (she/her, @theemilystamets) Original music: Jaclyn S. O'Connor Graphics: Tiffany Spence

Amanda Hibschman (she/her, @amandathedietition) is an award winning San Diego based Registered Dietitian Nutritionist who is passionate about making food FUN! From cooking in clients homes, to developing menus, to teaching culinary techniques, to working with clients 1:1 to develop a healthy relationship with food. Amanda loves helping others find peace with food through mindful and intuitive eating techniques and provides weight neutral medical nutrition therapy for various conditions, including diabetes, renal disease, eating disorders, and gastrointestinal disorders. Amanda works with Athletes and Artists fuel themselves to reach peak performance while loving and honoring their bodies. When Amanda is not in the kitchen or the office, she enjoys singing, dancing, and acting. Amanda regularly performs throughout San Diego with Encore Vocal Ensemble and is an accomplished marathoner who runs with the Potterhead Running Club (a Harry Potter themed virtual running club).   Host: Emily Stamets (she/her, @theemilystamets) Original Music: Jaclyn S. O'Connor Graphics: Tiffany Spence

You know you're ready to play big, but you keep holding yourself back. If you have thoughts like, "I can't talk about my accomplishments or no one will like me," "If I try, I'll fail and that would be the worst possible thing to happen to any human being ever," or, "Don't get too big for your britches, self!" then you might be suffering from Toxic Humility.   The Green Room is free! It's my gift to our amazing creative community. To see the schedule and learn how to join, visit EmilyStamets.com/GreenRoom

Emily Rollie (she/her,@emilyrollie) is a passionate artist-scholar and freelance yogi-director, Emily Rollie (she/her/hers) is an assistant professor at Central Washington University, where she teaches theatre pedagogy, dramatic literature, theatre history, directing, acting, women's and gender studies, and yoga. Her primary research areas are directing, feminist theory and performance, Canadian theatre, and the relationship between mindfulness, yoga, and creativity. In addition to her scholarly and teaching endeavors, Emily also is a freelance theatre director and an associate member of the SDC (Stage Directors and Choreographers Society), for which she also serves as the associate book review editor of the SDC Journal Peer-Reviewed Section. Emily is also a registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and maintains a regular home practice in the Ashtanga yoga method. She teaches a variety of yoga classes in several local studios as well as travels around the country leading workshops on yoga and creativity for artists.   Host: Emily Stamets (she/her, @theemilystamets) Original Music: Jaclyn S. O'Connor Graphics: Tiffany Spence