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Are You Famous, Yet?

by Jake and Laura Scruggs

It's “That Guy… Who Was in That Thing” meets “The Nerdist Podcast” but with people even less well known! Sure it's fun to interview the crazy famous and ask them about the difficult years, but that's been done and they won't return our calls. Memories are plastic - we're getting the real dirt from people still crawling through it. Laura Force Scruggs is the playwright and Jake Scruggs is the technical guy who listens to a lot of “This American Life” and thinks that qualifies him to interview people.

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Episodes

  1. The Truth and the End - Episode 236

    We discuss our low numbers and cost/benefit ratio. Download numbers are revealed. Laura and Jake talk about stopping regular production of the podcast. As is fitting, the sound would not work (curse you dongles) so we are using a MacPro mic and it sounds as bad as you'd expect. See...

  2. Lauren Sowa of Form & Pressure Films - Episode 235

    Bryn W Packard and Nilsa Reyna join us from New York City, update us on their lives, and introduce us to Lauren Sowa. Lauren Sowa is an actor and independent filmmaker. In 2016, she co-founded Form & Pressure Films to tell stories that inspire and provoke thought, while encouraging diversity and...

  3. Cabaret on the Lake September 14th, 2018 - Episode 234

    This week's episode is the audio of the Friday September 14th, 2018 Three Cat Theater's Cabaret on the Lake hosted by Rob Dorn and produced by Laura Force-Scruggs. The performers were: Judy Parker (Storyteller), Matthew Lee Amyx (Storyteller), Danii Gallegos (Comedian), Bob Lawrence...

  4. Daniela Thome's Journey to "Not For Sale" - episode 233

    Daniela Thome is an actor, and recently writer, who has traveled from New York city for just a few months to be a part of the play "Not For Sale" which just recently opened and is Jeff Recommended. She's acted in Fru Mary, The Surprise , The Addicts, Elvira, One Minute Play Festival, Patience,...

  5. David A. Holcombe and "Blacksite: The Musical!" - Episode 232

    David Holcombe returns for his 3rd appearance and updates us about projects that were just a gleam in his eye when we last talked... For instance: The 3 part "Anthropology Anthology" is now finished and plans are in the works to release it as a single unit. A big part of the discussion is about...

  6. Thom Britton and Jonathan Pritchard Play with the Dead - Episode 231

    Thom Britton and Jonathan Pritchard join us to discuss "The Seance" which is best described by this quote from their recent press release: A 'spook-house' show for the smart set; The Seance is an original stage show that recreates an authentic Victorian-era seance. We will investigate the history...

  7. Wisps of Ash w/ Greg Ledger - Episode 20

    Classic episode from Apr 7, 2014 This week Laura brings Greg Ledger, storyteller and fellow podcaster! Greg's Podcast: A Dear School 0:01:30 Say hello to Greg! 0:02:20 Obamacare may be working for Bryn shortly 0:02:50 Nilsa already has Obamacare… because she's more organized than Bryn 0:06:00...

  8. "Wicked, Immoral, Utterly Bad!" with Pete Blatchford - Episode 230

    Pete Blatchford has been an actor for 35 years. He has performed in Chicago, New York and Edinburgh. He has acted with Yippie Fest, On the Spot, Three Cat and many other Chicago theatre companies. Pete is an ensemble member of On the Spot theatre company. He wrote the book, "Wicked, Immoral,...

  9. Baltimore Here We Come - Episode 229

    Super quick update about a new showing of "Uncle Fun: You're the One" (https://unclefunyouretheone.com) with some very interesting women at the American Visionary Art Museum (http://www.avam.org) in Baltimore. The show is September 23rd, 2018, is a benefit for the museum, and costs 100 smackers....

  10. Musicals, Death, Sports, and Food - Episode 19 remastered

    01:12 - The Benefactor returns. Matt Shuemaker is Bryn's high school friend and our first repeat guest (back from the 6th episode)! 02:18 - Yet another person comes in from out of town and paints the town red. A discussion of Rocky - the musical ensues. 05:22 - Guess which members of our crew…

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  11. Maureen Smith and Daniel Johanson of Scapi Magazine - Episode 228

    03:12 - When did Maureen and Daniel know they wanted to sing? 06:04 - Origin story of and what is Scapi? 10:19 - Advice on promotion, especially on social media. 10:55 - Ashley Ray: https://www.facebook.com/arayhay 13:04 - Scapi's podcast: https://scapimag.com/category/podcasts/scapi-radio/ 22:38…

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  12. Father and son with Walter J. Packard - Episode 18 remastered

    This week we welcome Dr. Walter J. Packard (Bryn's Dad) to the podcast for a heart-to-heart. Twitter: @WJPACK2 0:00:30 Bryn introduces "the big guns" 0:02:25 Nilsa's Dad… 0:03:00 Is Bryn famous, yet? No… not yet. 0:04:25 "Kinky Boots" with Dad and Broadway's survival. 0:09:00 "12 Years A Slave"...

  13. July 13th, 2018 "Cabaret on the Lake" - Episode 227

    This episode is a recording of the July 13th, 2018 Three Cat Theater Productions' "Cabaret on the Lake" performed at the Berger Park Cultural Center, sponsored by this very podcast, and hosted by its own Laura and Jake Scruggs. Video of the event is at: https://youtu.be/dhsijBYDU9E T'was a hot...

  14. Naked and Fearless with Janie Martinez - Episode 17 remastered

    We interview Nilsa's childhood friend and "Sextra" from the movie "Shortbus" Janie Martinez http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2554808/ @MartinezJanie 01:44 "Can anyone truly know Janie Martinez?" No. 03:34 How Nilsa and Janie met 06:15 And almost destroyed their high school 12:30 Chicago suburbanites...

  15. The Good in the Bad - Episode 16 Remastered

    This week we welcome Shawn Wickens and Gavin Starr Kendall: founders of The Bad Theatre Fest and Bad Film Fest Gavin Starr Kendall: @TheStarrKendall Shawn Wickens: @shwickens 0:02:00 Our guests are the founders of "The Bad Film Fest" www.badfilmfest.com 0:02:39 Starr hails from Texas, which he…

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  16. Short Update on our Last 5 or 6 Things - Episode 226

    Jake and Laura sit down for an quick chat about Laura's new job at Chicago Trolley & Double Decker Co. - http://chicagotrolley.com, recent film premiere, cabaret, and fairy training events. Follow us on Twitter or Facebook Intro Music: "Are You Famous, Yet?" - Laura Scruggs. Outro Music: "AYFY 1"…

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  17. Uncle Fun: You're the One premiere Q&A&Performances - Episode 225

    02:37 - 2PM Q&A session begins 26:25 - Gentleman John Battles start paying 39:53 - Captain Ambivalent performs 52:11 - Gentleman John Battles spills some water and plays a bit more. 56:36 - 7PM Q&A session begins Video of all this is on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ALQ6knI-o3o 1000 thanks to Chicago...

  18. June 8th Three Cat Cabaret on the Lake - Episode 224

    This episode was recorded live at the fabulous Berger Park Mansion on June 8th, 2018. Curator/Creative producer Laura Scruggs made it all happen and Jake Scruggs hosted and told some comedy jokes. If you like what you hear, the show is presented the 2nd Friday of every month except January. Video...

  19. Steve Presser: Merchant of Happiness Remastered - Episode 66

    http://bigfunbigfun.com 03:27 - Steve has the largest piece of Whoops fake vomit. If it were any bigger, there would be a failure in the physics of creating the product. 05:12 - The first time Steve walked into Goodies, it changed his whole life and career path. 08:55 - We discuss Ted Frankel,...

  20. Surreal Cupcake Comedian Martin Felshman - Episode 223

    Martin Felshman is a freelance baker who has been doing stand up for the last 7 years. His proudest comedy accomplishment was when he was invited to Wizard-con 2015 in Madison Wisconsin where he got to tell jokes while wearing a very pretty dress. He is a co-producer of the Cupcake Comedy Cabaret...

  21. Fairy 101 at the WasteShed w/ Laura Scruggs - Episode 222

    Laura and Jake discuss Laura's new fairy workshop at the WasteShed (Saturday June 30th 3-5pm) after they catch up on some "Uncle Fun: You're the One" premiere news and events. Laura is excited to teach 7-13 year olds about the ways of the faerie and Jake is excited to see some of the larger bags…

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  22. Tales of Awesome Heaviness Part 2: The Relativity of Failure - Episode 15

    First: Sorry about the sound quality on this one. Second: This the second of two episodes where the hosts talk about failures. 0:02:00 Jake's turn to pour his heart out. 0:02:15 "I was bored in school and developed NO study habits" 0:05:00 Let the begging begin. 0:06:40 Failing at relativity...

  23. Laura's New Documentary Subject - Episode 221

    We are back after a week off and Laura has just gotten off a plane from seeing the last ever "Spoutwood Fairie Festival" http://www.spoutwood.org/fairie-festival/2018-may-day-fairie-festival/ where she interviewed many and got lots of footage for her next documentary project. She also went to see…

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  24. Chels Harvey talks social media, podcasting, and writing - Episode 220

    We talked about social media, Chels' writing, podcast, Sell Me A Pup; and graphic novel, Dead Weight with Brooklyn-based illustrator and "Lenny Letter" contributor Danie Drankwalter. http://chelsnotchelsea.com https://www.machineculture.com/chels-harvey/ Sell Me A Pup podcast...

  25. Tales of Awesome Heaviness Part 1 - Episode 14 remastered

    Originally released Feb 24, 2014. The first of two episodes where the hosts talk about failures. 0:01:40 - Josh Force (http://forcedesignhouse.com/) is the graphic designer behind Laura's impending website. Note from the future Laura's website is done and here: https://lauraforcescruggs.com/ Jake...

  26. Uncle Fun Documentary is Done! - Episode 219

    Links to tickets for world premiere screenings of "Uncle Fun: You're The One" at Chicago Filmmakers: 2 pm showing http://chicagofilmmakers.org/screenings/2673 7 pm http://chicagofilmmakers.org/screenings/2674 Facebook event pages for Chicago Filmmakers' screenings: 2 pm...

  27. Jenn Mello: Following Different Avenues - Episode 13 remastered

    Originally released Feb 17, 2014. 0:00:52 Jenn Mello founder of the first networking event Bryn attended in NY 0:01:50 "Nat Geo" and other mysterious abbreviations and acronyms 0:03:50 A mysterious text to Jake from Nilsa 0:09:20 Film Interchange and the origins of it's founder...

  28. A Lifetime of Music with Jon Spiegel and Some Storytelling - Episode 218

    00:38 - Presenting: Jon Spiegel! https://www.facebook.com/jonspiegel 02:20 - Someone wants to make a movie of Jon's life! 03:07 - Ten x 9, http://www.tenx9.com 05:39 - How Jon is famous. 10:23 - Jon's favorite gigs and other musicians he's met. 18:40 - How Jon got involved with music. 26:36 - An...

  29. The Condition of Femme - Episode 217

    Recorded at the Pride Arts Center on "The Condition of Femme" set minutes after their 3/16/2018 performance. 00:35 - Presenting: the playwright, director, producer, sound designer & several cast members of Circle Theatre's "The Condition of Femme." www.circletheatrechicago.org 00:58 - Inspiration...

  30. Rosina and Ryan Snow, Jazz, Song, and the Law - Episode 216

    Ryan Snow hails from Stanford, California and has his B.A. in Politics and his B.M. in Jazz Studies from Oberlin College and Conservatory of Music. He is a former member of Sister Sparrow and The Dirty Birds and was a professional trombonist based in Brooklyn from 2005 to 2014 and is now pursuing...

  31. Dan Taube All Together and Remastered - Episode 12

    Originally recorded late March 2014 02:13 - Introducing Dan and a glimpse into his history with our group 04:00 - Dan and Nilsa and The Women 07:38 - "…it started when I was 11, 12 years old…" 10:45 - Encounters with soon-to-be-famous campers 14:28 - The Notorious C.T.S. 19:25 - Dan goes method...

  32. Jake, Laura, Ladie M, Uncle Fun, and Stand Up Comedy - Episode 215

    In this episode Jake and Laura talk about last night's showing of her Uncle Fun documentary to "The Benefactor" and "The Benefactor Jr" (see http://areyoufamousyet.libsyn.com/the-benefactors-identical-twin-episode-55) and some lessons learned. Then they discuss two recent readings of Laura's play...

  33. Drugs, Richard J. Miller, The Facts, and Society - Episode 214

    00:38 - Presenting Richard J. Miller: richardjmiller.org 01:16 - How we met Richard and his relationship to previous podcast guest, Lauren Miller. 02:01 - How Richard got into his field. 04:24 - Story of Richard attempting to mix up his own drug. 09:11 - Proliferation of various drugs from...

  34. Amy Crider, Self Producing, Leda, and Metadata - Episode 213

    amycrider.com 02:18 - "Leda." ledaplay.com 06:37 - Oedipus. 08:05 - Prophecy and fate. 10:04 - Thoughts on what it was like to self-produce "Leda." 15:29 - Lines Bek improvised! 18:06 - Would Amy self-produce again and breakdown of expenses for "Leda." 22:02 - Some of Jake and Laura's...

  35. Andrea Prestinario: The Intersection of Preparation and Opportunity - Episode 11

    Audio Note: Bryn used a decent microphone and recorded the episode on his computer. I used the built in MacBook Pro mic and so this is one of the few episodes where the New York side sounds much better than the Chicago recording. Guest: Andrea Prestinario http://andreaprestinario.com/ and…

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  36. Corson Barnard: Straight out of College - Episode 212

    02:30 - The story of how our guest's first name became Corson 05:00 - The movie "Ladybird" felt very familiar. 08:00 - University of Chicago's pre-orientation program and how it helped Croson transition from rural small town to a big crazy city. 10:31 - The value of seeing shows you don't like....

  37. The Almost Tweet Redux - Episode 2 Remastered

    A trip back to Nov 25, 2013 with a bit of audio magic to make it all a wee bit more listenable. Orignial notes: Until 3:15 Bryn's mic is misplaced and his voice is quiet - sorry. Robot Voice is discussed and observed. Laura Scruggs is generally a delight but also plays the piano while singing a...

  38. Laura, Jake, 2017, and Beyond - Episode 211

    Laura and Jake discuss the previous year (2017) and their hopes for 2018. Intro Music: "Are You Famous, Yet?" - Laura Scruggs. Outro Music: "AYFY 1" - Christopher Kriz

  39. Episode 1 Remastered

    Happy New Year, loyal listeners. On this Jan 1st 2018, we take a trip back to our very first episode released Nov 17, 2013. Full disclosure: I poured myself a stiff drink before the start of the show and the start was delayed. I made the mistake of continuing to drink while waiting what turned…

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  40. Dolores Diaz, Wendy Schmidt, Lisa Scott, and Laura Scruggs Write a Holiday Show - Episode 210

    00:45 - Presenting: Dolores Diaz, Wendy Schmidt, Lisa Scott and Laura Scruggs, playwrights of Three Cat's Holiday Radio Show. All female playwrights, actors and even stage manager. http://threecatproductions.com/201718-three-cat-season/the-holiday-radio-show 02:05 - Main concept of each short…

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  41. Interruptions the Remix - Episode 3.5

    0:00-7:05 The perils of wireless in a city where the signals never sleep 09:10 - Laura arrives and we discuss the new song 15:16 - The interruptions of a scrambling actor 19:16 - Dealing with powerlessness 22:20 A discussion of being "Equity," AKA in the Actors Union, vs. Non-Equity. 30:14 - USPS...

  42. The Cast of Three Cat's Holiday Radio Show - Episode 209

    00:46 - Devri Chism, Rachel Livingston, Lauren Miller, Beverly Munro, and Steph Vondell are the cast of this show that they just finished performing and will start again in about an hour. 01:41 - What is "Three Cat's Holiday Radio Show"? 02:59 - Letters from the audience. 07:54 - Favorite…

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  43. Perpetuum Bruce Lee - Episode 6

    Re-release of the classic episode 6 from Dec 23, 2013. Our sound was a bit off back in those days (mac standard microphones recorded through FaceTime) so please do forgive us. 00:34 Nilsa, Bryn's girlfriend who is also an actress, joins the podcast 01:05 The guests keep coming! Matt Shuemaker,...

  44. The Courtesan and the Cabin Boy - Episode 208

    01:58 - Origin story of group and name: "Courtesan and the Cabin Boy" https://www.facebook.com/courtesancabinboy/ 03:25 - International Cosplay Corps https://www.facebook.com/InternationalCosplayCorps/ 07:58- How they developed the name of the group. 13:12 - Colonel Quick Stitch....

  45. RUFY 207 - "Avenge Our Blood" w/ David Finney and Bec Willett

    03:37 - "Avenge Our Blood:" inspiration. http://threecatproductions.com/201718-three-cat-season/avenge-our-blood 08:08 - How David and Bec found each other and how they made "Avenge Our Blood" a one person show. 11:12 - How does David Finney relate to this play/is he religious? 13:00 - As a...

  46. Changes with Jake and Laura - Episode 206

    Jake and Laura Scruggs talk about: Laura's new Job working with the mentally disabled. Moving to Logan Square. Selling their Rogers Park Condo and losing 10k on the deal. Living next to their niece. Trying to be more happy. Laura's documentary, full length play, 10 minute holiday play, monthly...

  47. We're Holding Out for a Hero: Captain Ambivalent - Episode 33

    06:34 - Origin of "Captain Ambivalent" 09:41 - "Precious" a song about "Lord of the Rings"'s Gollum in the style of country 15:05 - Almost all of Captain Ambivalent's music is up on SoundClound as free samples 23:09 - How Captain Ambivalent's costume & persona came about 28:09 -Video of Cafe...

  48. Amy Crider is About to Re-read All of Proust - Episode 205

    02:21 - Debate about the pronunciation and the basis of 'Leda,' Amy's play. www.ledaplay.com 06:31 - Julia Swift. 08:16 - Reading in Ann Arbor, Michigan. http://www.a2ct.org/shows/the-play-s-the-thing-2015 09:40 - Director Pat Henderson! 11:31 - All ticket proceeds will go to the charity, Mercy...

  49. Tony Mendoza Has Wanted to Make Movies Since "La Bamba" - Episode 204

    01:33 - "Stuffing the Turkey." Workshop a version in 2014. Coming again next year. https://www.meetup.com/Chicago-Film-Lover-Exchange/events/172385132/ 05:29 - Tony's theatre experience. Illinois Theater Center http://www.ilthctr.org 07:11 - Studying play writing at Milliken...

  50. The Q Brothers' Burgeoning Empire - Episode 125

    Apologies for the "blow outs" and the "thumps" - it was a great interview with a few recording issues. 01:55 - How the Q Brothers started writing and performing hip hop using Shakespeare as the source text. 07:50 - GQ on how he got involved with "Drumline." http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0303933/...

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ABOUT THIS SHOW

It's “That Guy… Who Was in That Thing” meets “The Nerdist Podcast” but with people even less well known! Sure it's fun to interview the crazy famous and ask them about the difficult years, but that's been done and they won't return our calls. Memories are plastic - we're getting the real dirt from people still crawling through it. Laura Force Scruggs is the playwright and Jake Scruggs is the technical guy who listens to a lot of “This American Life” and thinks that qualifies him to interview people.

HOSTED BY

Jake and Laura Scruggs

Produced by Jake Scruggs

CATEGORIES

arts

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Are You Famous, Yet? have?

Are You Famous, Yet? currently has 100 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.

What is Are You Famous, Yet? about?

It's “That Guy… Who Was in That Thing” meets “The Nerdist Podcast” but with people even less well known! Sure it's fun to interview the crazy famous and ask them about the difficult years, but that's been done and they won't return our calls. Memories are plastic - we're getting the real dirt from...

How often does Are You Famous, Yet? release new episodes?

Are You Famous, Yet? has 100 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.

Where can I listen to Are You Famous, Yet??

You can listen to Are You Famous, Yet? on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.

Who hosts Are You Famous, Yet??

Are You Famous, Yet? is created and hosted by Jake and Laura Scruggs.
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