Hear what Dr. Alisa Hurwitz (Dr. Drama) has to say about Jewish representation onstage, musicals and mental health, and faith. Also in this episode, hear what COME FROM AWAY's Kevin Tuerff has to say about paying it forward.

A Conversation with Blues from an Alabama Sky's Valerie Curtis-Newton

Based inside the beltline in Raleigh, North Carolina, Lauren Van Hemert is an award-winning podcaster who has been covering regional theater for over three years. She has been called a "pioneer" for her community-based approach to cultural arts reporting and candid conversations about diversity and inclusion in the theater industry. Her guests have included Tony Award-winners, Broadway veterans, international recording artists, and television icons, including Eric Woodall, Lauren Kennedy, Robert Hartwell, Karen Ziemba, and Ed Asner. Van Hemert is a member of the American Theatre Critics Association, Society for Professional Journalists, and the Broadway Makers Alliance.