The Variety Pack Podcast

Learn how to master performance art and connect with modern audiences in this conversation with Gabe Cole-Brant and Chanel Sampson.Host Chloe Baldwin sits down with guests Gabe Cole-Brant and Chanel Sampson to discuss the evolving landscape of performance art. This episode explores the practical challenges artists face when trying to capture the attention of a distracted, modern audience. By analyzing current industry trends, the discussion offers actionable insights for creators looking to refine their stage presence.Whether you are a seasoned performer or just starting out, understanding how to build a lasting connection with your viewers is essential. We break down the techniques used to maintain engagement throughout a show and discuss why authentic delivery remains the most effective tool in any artistic toolkit. If you want to improve your live craft, these strategies provide a clear path forward.Subscribe for weekly podcast breakdowns, and let us know in the comments which aspect of performance you struggle with most.

What are the essentials of preparing a space for awe? When do you choose to control and let go? How do you tackle the biggest project you've ever done? ...and how does that apply to tupperware bins?April Jennifer Choi is a 24-time Guinness World Record holder in whips and circus arts. She is also an aerospace engineer for NASA. Her highest expertise is in the physics of whip performance and the science of stage craft. She is a fire performer, chains aerialist, magician, musician, and her international television and stage performances have mesmerized audiences worldwide. You might also know her and her wife as the flaming lesbians who went viral for their wedding photos in which they are literally on fire.Trigg Watson blends an incredible mix of theatrical storytelling, technology, and human connection into modern magic. He's originally from Australia, started out in Texas producing many of his own shows, and from there has gone on to be an internationally performing magician who's been seen on TedX, Masters of Illusion, Penn & Teller's Fool Us, Masters of Illusion, and The Magic Castle.

What does it mean for art to truly matter?In this episode, we dive deep into one of the most important questions facing artists today: how can creative work make a real impact in a world overflowing with noise, complexity, and crisis, both personal and collective?Joining us are two extraordinary guests whose careers sit at the intersection of art and healing.Kate Smith is a Chicago-based multidisciplinary artist with over a decade of experience as a professional actor and opera singer. She's the creator of One Woman Hamlet, a solo show featuring a full cast of puppets exploring themes of mental health, and now runs Mythos Lens, a fantasy portrait photography experience that helps clients discover and embody their deeper selves through character and story.David Roston, better known as Esmeralda the Puppet, an iconic figure in the Los Angeles puppet scene, is also a guitarist and vocalist with the band Shahari.What makes this conversation especially fascinating: both guests bring a public health lens to their creative work. David holds a master's in public health, and Kate is a trauma-informed yoga teacher and somatic healer.This is a conversation about getting attention and deserving it, about healing yourself, healing your audience, and why art still matters.🎧 Subscribe for more conversations at the intersection of creativity, culture, and healing.Kate Smith @mythoslens David Roston @esmereldathepuppet @shaherimusic @djcaesarsalad

In this second episode, host Chloe Baldwin (“Christian Rock”) sits down with two fellow drag artists, Viv Gould (“Watson Side”) and Kyle Cragle (“Scarlett Business”). We cover everything from finding artistic practices you have to grow into to the relationship between “drag” and “clown” to what audiences expect in different cities.Guests: Viv Gould @watson.side on Instagram Kyle Cragle @scarlettbusiness on Instagram This episode is sponsored by Silver Lining Coffee - silverliningcoffee.comWatt's.side grinch video from Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/DSiPStFj0Lu/