Pulling the Rug Out with Michael Broussard

Actor, activist, musician, and artist Michael Broussard joined me back in 2021 to talk about his one-man show, Ask a Sex Abuse Survivor, and what he’s learned about destigmatizing trauma abuse through art. A few months ago, he mentioned to me that he’s been focusing on pulling the rug out from under himself artistically. He’s back today to talk about just what that means and how it’s actually been influencing his work all along, and his upcoming game show project. We talk about game shows over the years, improv skills—that ability to accept and adapt in the moment—as integral to art and to life, how we are each an experiential filter for creativity, the importance of creativity as self-care, and more.  Get tickets for Michael's game show here. If you'd like to be a contestant, send 3 interesting things about yourself to [email protected]    Read this week's post: Mucking about in the creek, here. Listen to Michael's earlier episode here. Episode breakdown: 00:00 Introduction 01:11 Embracing surprises in performance adds excitement. 05:15 Creativity is influenced by internal and external factors. 10:32 Panelist embraces chaos, hosts semi-controlled game shows. 15:51 Influences shape individuality and creative process uniquely. 27:09 Repetition in performance can lead to boredom. 33:02 Understanding the challenge of listening and relating. 34:21 Benefits of good listening. 41:20 Improvisation and humor on the Match Game. 45:55 Zoom shows make audience feel ownership, enjoyment. 52:29 We're trained to be passive, but need agency. 57:40 Denying ourselves what we love limits life. 01:04:50 Art is subjective; worth exploring and learning. 01:07:29 Story inspired by Disney; teacher encouragement.   Check out the full show notes (now including transcripts!!) at fycuriosity.com, and connect with me and fellow creatives on Substack. Please leave a review for this episode—it’s really easy and will only take a minute, and it really helps me reach new listeners. Thanks! If you enjoyed our conversation, I hope you’ll share it with a friend. Want more? Here are handy playlists with all my previous interviews with guests in theatre.