Skip to content
Dear Multi-hyphenate podcast artwork

PODCAST · arts

Dear Multi-hyphenate

by Michael Kushner

Are you a combination of actor, director, producer, designer, or anything else? Congratulations, you’re a multi-hyphenate! A multi-hyphenate is an artist who has multiple proficiencies that cross pollinate to help flourish professional capabilities. Dear Multi-hyphenate explores the full potential of artists in show business who have taken the paths less traveled. Are you unsure how to stay creative and garner income during the pandemic? Are you sitting on a project and you have no idea how to get started? What if others have cornered you into thinking that you are just an actor, or just a director, or just a producer? Let go of the rules and take agency of your full potential! Listen to me and my guests, the leaders of the multi-hyphenation station, as we dissect the mentality and possibilities about artistic agency.”Michael is the glue that holds the Broadway community together.” - Tony Award Winner Alice Ripley (Next to Normal)

Publisher-supplied feed metadata · PodParley refreshed Oct 17, 2026 · Source feed

Episodes

  1. S4; EP. 4 -- Paola Lázaro: Dog Day Afternoon

    TW: This episode does contain conversations about suicide and self harm. Michael Kushner interviews Paola Lázaro about her role as Guadalupe in Broadway’s Dog Day Afternoon, her path from Puerto Rico through the Labyrinth Theater Company, and the mentorship and community that transformed her…

    more
  2. S4; EP. 3 -- Kayli Carter: The Balusters (Truth Over Applause)

    This podcast episode features Michael Kushner's interview with actress Kayli Carter about her Broadway debut in David Lindsay-Abair's Tony Nominated new play "The Balusters" at Manhattan Theatre Club. The conversation opens with Kushner praising the play's successful handling of sensitive topics...

  3. S4; EP. 2 -- Jonathan Tolins & Remy Germinario: Buyer & Cellar

    Host Michael Kushner sits down with playwright and showrunner Jonathan Tolins and actor Remy Germinario to explore life as a multi‑hyphenate in the arts — writing, producing, directing, and performing. They discuss Tolins’ hit one‑person play Buyer & Cellar, its Barbara Streisand inspirations…

    more
  4. S4; EP. 1 -- Liz Lerman: Critical Response Process®

    “It’s not a given that you will be applauded for what you are doing.” - Liz Lerman Welcome to the first episode of Dear Multi-Hyphenate, Season Four! Let's dive in with an amazing episode featuring the brilliant Liz Lerman! In this episode we discuss movement, creative tools, choreography and...

  5. S3; EP 9 -- Shaina Taub: Facing a Dying Nation

    “I think one of the reasons I wanted to be a multi-hyphenate and wear all the hats in SUFFS was to hopefully, if I could, inspire others to show, specially young women,that’s an avenue available to us as well… and the multi-hyphenate male artist is sort of a moniker that goes unquestioned.” On…

    more
  6. S3; EP 8 -- J.W. Crump: Pitching a Project

    “You know – when you have multiple mini successes in a row, just how affirming that can be. And how for me, personally, it spills into the rest of my day, the rest of the week – there’s a part of me that wishes that career successes didn’t affect my mood that much, but it’s absolutely true that…

    more
  7. S3; EP 7 -- Spencer Liff: Why Can’t It Be Me?

    “You have to say yes to everything. You have to put yourself in every room you can. It's not learning from one person, it’s going to learn from as many people as possible. Noone is going to hand it to you on a silver platter.” In this episode we discuss… Making his Broadway debut at 10 years old....

  8. S3; EP 6 -- David Henry Hwang: Yellow Face

    “The advice that I would give myself now is not that different than what I believed was true 30 or 40 years ago, which is the thing that makes you different… the thing that makes you unique, idiosyncratic, weird… that is your superpower as a writer. Maybe as a human being, but particularly as an...

  9. S3; EP 5 -- Lindsey Ferrentino: The Fear of 13

    Where does a playwright start from? Would a playwright identify as a multi-hyphenate if they span genre, style, and medium of writing? How does a playwright break into both Broadway and the West End? Lindsey Ferrentino is one of our contemporary prolific voices in playwriting and she’s full of...

  10. S3; EP 4 -- Cameron Monaghan & Natalie Rebenkoff: Great Work Survives

    Many people go to college for theatre so one can become an educated actor. Through technique and tools, this will help the actor sustain a healthy and rich career. But what are students getting in terms of theatre business? My NYU student, Natalie Rebenkoff, graduated and took off with flying...

  11. S3; EP 3 -- Hannah Solow: Oh, Mary!

    Hannah Solow is probably one of the funniest people on the planet. She creates hysterical characters on social media, is a stand up comic, and musical theatre performer. In this very funny episode, we dive into specific social media practices, grabbing control of your career, how getting cast in...

  12. S3; EP 2 -- Michael Cyril Creighton: Only Multi-Hyphenates in the Building

    Who is absolutely loving HULU’s Only Murders in the Building? I am! On this episode of Dear Multi-Hyphenate, we have the loveable Michael Cyril Creighton who plays Howard Morris on Only Murders in the Building on HULU. We discuss how Michael was compelled to create his own work and how it created…

    more
  13. S3; EP 1 -- Lea Delaria: The Gay Agenda

    Welcome back to Dear Multi-Hyphenate! It is Season Two and let’s kick it off with superstar multi-hyphenate Lea Delaria. In this episode we discuss all about how and when to identify as a certain type of artist, unheard stories of working with Lea’s idols, hysterical and inspiring stories about...

  14. #103 - Adam DeCarlo: Post Pandemic Practices

    “I love self tapes in the post pandemic world.” Why? Why does Adam love self tapes when so many other actors don’t? How can we embrace them? In fact, how can we embrace and adapt post-pandemic practices into our lives? Let’s face it – the industry looks different. So, we have to shift. And Adam...

  15. #102 - Jodi Carter: Taxes and Financial Mentality

    “What ever jobs you have on your path to where you're trying to get to to your vision all matter. And the fact that we call these things a side hustle or we talk about ‘the unwanted jobs' and all of those types of descriptions… it's not empowering people.” -- Jodi Carter When it comes to being an...

  16. #101 - Scott Barnhardt: The Worth of a College Degree

    “If I were king of the mountain and I got to say how all arts education was – I would actually say the idea of being curiously creative is key; testing out all the ideas and options.” – Scott Barnhardt This is a wildly fun and informative podcast for artists of all ages – especially those looking...

  17. #100B - Rob Madge: I Find the Industry Hysterical

    “Collaboration is the most crucial thing you can do. Even if you are writing a solo show for yourself, for your family’s story, show it to somebody – share it with somebody.” - Rob Madge Rob Madge is about to open their solo play on Broadway – so how did it go from home videos to fringe to West…

    more
  18. #100A - Busy Philipps: Point of View

    “The greatest success for actors comes … when they sort of let go of the idea that there's something that they need to be and they relax into the idea that who they are is the gift and they just need to bring that to the work.” - Busy Philipps Happy 100th episode of Dear Multi-Hyphenate! We are...

  19. #99 - Jordan Kai Burnett: It’s Okay to Love It

    “If I had just focused on this one thing, I wouldn’t have gotten the opportunity to experience the life that I’ve had, which has been pretty sick.” -- Jordan Kai Burnett In this episode we discuss… Agism in the industry Is there a French Woods and Stage Door competition? Humping dogs! Are we ever...

  20. #98 - Hope Boykin: We Can Be Grateful and Frustrated at the Same Time

    “I don’t give you a trophy for showing up. I don’t applaud a bird for flying or a fish for swimming. You chose to be here and so you got to eat a little sand from the sandbox because it builds up your immunity.” In this episode we discuss… What do you do when you start to become a leader? What...

  21. #97 - Frances Ruffelle & Norman Bowman: Frankie & Beausy Perfect the Cabaret

    “It’s really, really important for them to see cabaret, go and see other people… go and see who’s good, go and see who’s bad, go and see what they want to portray because what I have noticed in the past, a lot of young people do a cabaret and you say, “What have you seen, what inspired you?” And…

    more
  22. #96 - Jai Rodriguez: A Thousand Sweet Kisses

    “Trail blazers very rarely get to reap the benefits of the very trail they helped blaze.” This conversation with Jai Rodriguez is a perfect conversation when it comes to being a multi-hyphenate. What happens if we get pigeon holed into one thing? Jai had a tough time breaking out of what people...

  23. #95 - Sarah Looper: Building A Wine Community

    “It’s fascinating how other people, because they don’t feel comfortable with the changes you’re making, feel more comfortable if you are just one thing.” - Sarah Looper, Episode 95 of Dear Multi-Hyphenate If Sarah Looper is anything – she’s herself… but it took a second to get there. After...

  24. #94 - Shivani Desai: Don’t Overpitch Yourself

    “At its core, fundamentally being a multi-hyphenate is, to me, about exploration and not limiting yourself to one particular thing just because your natural strengths lie in that one particular thing.” -- Shivani Desai In this episode, we discuss… The importance of keeping hobbies separate from…

    more
  25. #93 - Jamie Forshaw: Producing with Passion at Madison Wells Live

    “The minute we think we know everything, or do everything… we become irrelevant.” – Jamie Forshaw What happens when we stop learning? What happens when we stop exploring? That’s what makes Jamie Forshaw’s artistry as a producer with Madison Wells Live extremely personal and special – he doesn’t...

  26. #92 - BroadwayCon 2023 LIVE!

    “For anybody that’s struggling or does not believe in themselves, you just have to keep going because one day it will happen and it will be the most glorious thing of your whole lives. So, never stop. Never stop.” – Marla Mindelle It’s BroadwayCon 2023! This special episode is filmed live in…

    more
  27. #91 - Alex Donnelly: A Numbers Guy

    “Be as specific as humanly possible. Don’t tell someone that you want to be a trader. Tell them that you want to be the oil and gas exploration, large cap, single name, U.S. equity derivatives trader because then, the one time a year that position comes up, people remember…” In this episode we...

  28. #90 - Lydia-Renee Darling: Breaking Out of the Scarcity Mindset

    “If you’re branching into the U.K. market post Brexit, it’s going to be a nightmare and I don’t say that to dissuade you, just to remind you that what I did was very specific.” - Lydia-Renee Darling In this episode we discuss: Pandemic panic! Grad panic! What are the main differences and...

  29. #89 - Renrick Palmer: Way Your Way to Success

    “It’s the people who hang in there the longest who get to reap the benefits.” Sometimes multi-hyphenating in the theatre includes hyphens we didn’t know could affect each other. This amazing episode includes insight from actor – Veteran – writer Renrick Palmer. In this episode, we also discuss…...

  30. #88 - Giles Terera: Hamilton & Me

    “The only thing you can control is what you take into [the audition], I always like to think, like the work that you’ve done – and as you say – who you are. You can control that, you can work on that. Often we put that to the side and go, what do they want to see? What do they want to hear? What…

    more
  31. #87 - Jonathan Estabrooks: Creating a Production Business

    “I am living my best life. Honestly, the multi-hyphenate life, for me, is the best life. I can wake up and I am never bored. I am engaged and driven to work on different things.” Jonathan Estabrooks went to Juilliard for opera, but just like many of us, turned his other interests into…

    more
  32. #86 - Billy Porter: Leaning into Your Authenticity

    “Well, I’m first generation post Civil Rights movement. I came out in 1985, right in the middle of the AIDS crisis. And we went straight to the front lines to fight for our lives. It was Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS and The Actor’s Fund that taught an entire generation how to activate. I…

    more
  33. #85 - Judy Gold: Yes, I Can Say That!

    “In this business, in this show-fucking-business, you have to reinvent yourself so many times. The attention span is zero and you have to also realize that most people who hire actors or any kind of performer or artist, will remember you from the first time they saw you. That will stick in their...

  34. #84 - Derek McLane & Eila Mell: Designing Broadway

    Tony and Emmy Winning Production Designer Derek McLane and Eila Mell have come together to create the new hit book Designing Broadway, available wherever books are sold! This episode is incredible for all artists – especially theatre designers who are beginning to explore their multi-hyphenate...

  35. #83 - Michael Minarik: Cheap Happiness or Lofty Suffering?

    What if training to be on Broadway didn’t cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars? What if it didn’t come with some of the toxic environments students often experience when studying for their BFA? What if students can train intensively in a safer and more equitable space? That’s where Michael...

  36. #82 - Ilana Levine: My Jewish Goddess

    Ilana Levine has got a lot of stories. I mean, a lot of stories. From Mel Brooks to Edie Falco to Michael Mayer, Ilana’s career path is a testament to who she is: an incredible talent and a brilliant human being. This incredible informative episode tackles so much about networking, identity, and...

  37. #81 - LaQuet Sharnell Pringle: Geared Up: Awake and Aware

    Broadway’s LaQuet Sharnell Pringle (they/them/she/her) is an absolute powerhouse. Here’s some of the incredible topics we cover: Making friends in our 30s Preparing for relationships to close after the closing of a show. Craving ensemble and family. What is the purpose of a multi-hyphenate? Why...

  38. #80 - Stephen Adly Guirgis: Sometimes You Don’t Find a Way Through

    “I’m aspiring, even at 57 now, to try to be more free.” What’s in this episode? What is a multi-hyphenate to Mr. Guirgis? How writing made him respect other writer’s writing. Why do people think multi-hyphenates aren’t a thing? Scene work with Daphne Rubin-Vega “I can’t believe in myself 100%…

    more
  39. #79 - Douglas Lyons: Making Money in the Theatre

    “Broadway is like going to the NBA. But do you really want to play basketball everyday? That’s different – waking up and wanting to play ball is different than waking up and wanting to go Broadway. I’ve met regional actors in Seattle and Minneapolis who have full lives and they work year round…

    more
  40. #78 - Carson Kressley: ’Saying Yes’

    “I think that multi-hyphenates, and I’m flattered to be included in that bracket, they’re just creatives. It’s like you have a drivers license but some days you drive a truck, and some days you drive a car, and some days you drive a forklift, or whatever – the vehicle changes but I think they...

  41. #77 - Ken Davenport: Producing 101

    “I believe the world is a better place if there is more theatre in it. There is only more theatre in it if there are more people making it. So, I do everything I can to help inspire, educate people to make more theatre. Does that mean I can produce every show? Unfortunately not.” What’s in this...

  42. #76 - Sarah Jones: Sell/Buy/Date

    Tony-winning writer and performer, Sarah Jones, is making her directorial debut when her new film Sell/Buy/Date which Cinedigm will be releasing in theaters in LA on October 14th, NYC on October 21st, and streaming in November on Amazon Prime. The wide release announcement exclusive is out with...

  43. #75 - é boylan: The Catalyst for Gathering

    “There is something that I think gets in my way, or has gotten in my way in the past when thinking about the multi-hyphenate,” says é boylan. “And I think it’s the hyphen. It’s the idea why I like I’m a non binary human that doesn’t like to hyphenate the non and the binary because that’s another...

  44. #74 - Ari Axelrod: Jewish Identities in Show Business

    This episode is special. I mean… really special. Ari Axelrod is an artist and I’ve seen him in action, growing throughout the years. The episode is sort of broken down into three parts. What crafts a great cabaret? Our views on the multi-hyphenate. And Jewish identities in showbusiness, which is…

    more
  45. #73 - Carl Moellenberg: The Path to Survival

    “All of a sudden,” says Moellenberg. “While I was sitting there, I literally heard for about 15 - 20 minutes a deep, male voice, which I assumed was a higher being, telling me that I had a long life to live. It was going to be very productive and my purpose was to help create beauty in the world....

  46. #72 - Carol Burnett & Eila Mell: The Majestic is Fit for a Prince

    #themajesticisfitforaprince When Carol Burnett wants something done, it's gotta get done. That's why fashion writer and producer Eila Mell joined forces with Burnett to start the campaign The Majestic is Fit for a Prince, getting the Broadway, television, and film industries to rally behind the...

  47. #71 - Greg Carruthers of EveryBODY On Stage: Fatphobia in the Theatre Industry

    “People are dying from your fatphobia and that’s wild. We are so hung up on the way theatre has looked forever that we can’t change our perspective enough to literally save people’s lives.” TW: Discussion of eating disorders. I found Greg on TikTok. Greg is the founder of EveryBODY on Stage…

    more
  48. #70 - Charles Busch: Too Gay for the Industry

    “I’ve been blessed with a somewhat pragmatic view, and I had a good sense of who I was and what I had to offer.” Charles Busch has been around a while… and in the meantime. He is one of the first self-producers and self-advocates in the industry. Since he was eleven, he was writing three act…

    more
  49. #69 - Robbie Rozelle: Broadway Adjacent: Sopranos Need Jokes

    “You have to choose yourself and other people will choose you.” – Robbie Rozelle on what he learned from the late Jan Maxwell. There’s a lot of musical theatre references in this episode, folks. Proceed with caution! Robbie Rozelle is a beloved performer, director, writer, graphic designer, and...

  50. #68 - LIVE @ BroadwayCon 2022: John Cariani, Kaisha Huguley, Michael Kushner, Jennifer Ashley Tepper, and Jen Waldman

    This amazing episode features an incredible live panel from BroadwayCon 2022, featuring some of the leading multi-hyphenates in the Broadway, television, and film communities. Topics include process and product, boundaries, and so much more. John Cariani – Broadway: Caroline, or Change; The…

    more

Type above to search every episode's transcript for a word or phrase. Matches are scoped to this podcast.

Searching…

We're indexing this podcast's transcripts for the first time — this can take a minute or two. We'll show results as soon as they're ready.

No matches for "" in this podcast's transcripts.

Showing of matches

No topics indexed yet for this podcast.

Loading reviews...

ABOUT THIS SHOW

Are you a combination of actor, director, producer, designer, or anything else? Congratulations, you’re a multi-hyphenate! A multi-hyphenate is an artist who has multiple proficiencies that cross pollinate to help flourish professional capabilities. Dear Multi-hyphenate explores the full potential of artists in show business who have taken the paths less traveled. Are you unsure how to stay creative and garner income during the pandemic? Are you sitting on a project and you have no idea how to get started? What if others have cornered you into thinking that you are just an actor, or just a director, or just a producer? Let go of the rules and take agency of your full potential! Listen to me and my guests, the leaders of the multi-hyphenation station, as we dissect the mentality and possibilities about artistic agency.”Michael is the glue that holds the Broadway community together.” - Tony Award Winner Alice Ripley (Next to Normal)

HOSTED BY

Michael Kushner

CATEGORIES

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Dear Multi-hyphenate have?

Dear Multi-hyphenate currently has 100 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.

What is Dear Multi-hyphenate about?

Are you a combination of actor, director, producer, designer, or anything else? Congratulations, you’re a multi-hyphenate! A multi-hyphenate is an artist who has multiple proficiencies that cross pollinate to help flourish professional capabilities. Dear Multi-hyphenate explores the full potential...

How often does Dear Multi-hyphenate release new episodes?

Dear Multi-hyphenate has 100 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.

Where can I listen to Dear Multi-hyphenate?

You can listen to Dear Multi-hyphenate 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 Dear Multi-hyphenate?

Dear Multi-hyphenate is created and hosted by Michael Kushner.
URL copied to clipboard!