The irrepressible, outrageous, talented, generous, and at 82 still sexy and still acting, Ed Asner. Best known for his portrayal of the curmudgeonly Lou Grant, a role he created on the Mary Tyler Moore show and reprised in his own show called only Lou Grant; Ed won seven Emmy Awards for performing, more than any other male actor, and is the only actor to win an Emmy for his work in both a sitcom and a Drama series – for playing the same role. A famously outspoken rebel, who was always courageously true his beliefs, and often paid a heavy price for his courage, Ed Asner is still poster child for true north. Spontaneous, open, guile-less, with Ed – what you see is what there is, and that is terrific. Listen to this funny, interesting man talk about his life and his work, his dogged commitment to being the best he can be and his dedication to bettering the lives of those less fortunate than himself.

Playwright Leah Napolin is a multi talented, thoughtful and courageous woman who was singing, dancing, drawing and reciting the poetry and stories she’d written was by the time she was 4 or 5. In college she was bitten by the “acting bug” and discovered her interest in writing plays. Still she was to teach music in Venezuela (until the revolution closed the school), get married, have children and lead a “bourgeois life,” before getting her chance to become the writer she always was. Her friend Robert Kalfin who’d started The Chelsea Theatre Center in Brooklyn suggested that she read Isaac Bashevis Singer’s Yentl the Yeshiva Boy.. And after being “thunderstruck,” Leah found away to dramatize the folk tale. The production was very successful but she didn’t reap much of the financial benefit because of the roadblocks put up by Barbara Streisand (listen to that interesting story). Finally she was able to hold on to the copy write for her work and the play has found many homes most recently having finished a successful run at the Asolo Repertory Theater in Sarasota Florida (in which Hilary Clemens -see above- played the role of Yentl). Listen to Leah talk about her journey towards finding her voice as a playwright and a person.

Hillary Clemens is one of the lucky ones. Born into a family that loved the arts, Hillary was acting out her favorite stories with her siblings and cousins by the time she was four. She began acting classes at seven and was a working actress performing with Kansas City Rep by the time she was eleven. The only break she’s taken from acting was her first year in college when she decided not to audition for any productions in order to see if she “missed it.” She did, she dived back in and has been working ever since. Currently Hillary is playing three very different characters in three of the six shows running in repertory at the Asolo Repertory Theater in Sarasota; see pictures of her in her widely diverse roles below.

Emmy Award winning, Peabody Award winning, Tony Nominated playwright, screenwriter, lyricist Sherman Yellen thought he was going to be a painter. An asthmatic child he spent a lot of time in bed drawing and listening to his mothers stories about her life and the lives of her extended family; stories like the one about Cousin Ida the whore of Minsk. Sherman absorbed it all. He attended the High School of Music and Art certain he would be a fine artist but he had very high standards for his work and believed that although a “natural artist” and a “fine draftsman” he would never ” break the barrier” and become a fine artist. He began to write stories, not surprisingly about his family, and discovered what he really is – a writer. Hear the story of his introduction to writing for TV (a play he wrote with Peter Stone who would go on to write many movies including Charade and the Musical 1776 and which starred an outrageous scene stealing Jack Lord who went on to star in Hawaii five-0. Listen to Sherman talk about the way he experiences the act of writing, the “losing of oneself,” and hear a songs from Blackbird – the story of Josephine Baker, a musical for which he wrote both book and lyrics, and which is the West Coast Black Theater Troupe’s current production.

Jared Walker began his show business career as The Glum Bunny in a 3rd grade class production. He always loved to sing and make music and the Glum Bunny showed him how much he loved being on stage. But singing and acting were not enough for the talented and flexible Jared; he went on to become a director, lighting designer, and costumer. If you can do it in the theater Jared can do it. Currently he is directing a production of The Full Monty, a play he knows well as having played one of the roles himself, for the Players Theater which opens on April 22nd.

At seven, Louise Stinespring played the pregnant Virgin Mary in the 2nd grade Christmas play. Exuberantly improvising her part, she rushed around the stage desperately looking for a place to lie down and have her baby (listen to her re-enactment by clicking on interview at the top of this post). After the play Louise’s mother reported that one of the other mothers had said that “Louise had talent.” Apparently that mother was right as Louise was accepted to sturdy at the prestigious Neighborhood Playhouse with the iconic Sanford Meisner and one of the few asked to return for the second year. It has not been an easy path for Louise but she is not only a talented actress, director and teacher, she is a resourceful, passionate woman who has faced every disappointment and obstacle and found a way to survive, take care of her family and stay in the theater. Today she teaches acting and directs plays in Sarasota FL her “mini Manhattan home” at the unconventional Home Resource Contemporary Furniture space and the Players Theater where her production of ‘Night Mother’ opens on 4/19. Listen to Louise’s story, laugh out loud at her stint as the “Funny Bunny in a production which toured The Playboy Clubs, and be inspired.

When he was just three years old Noah Racey’s Dad gave him a snare drum and was stunned to hear, within the first week, his infant drummer playing an entire John Phillip Souza album. Discovering a place to put his excessive energy and deriving a feeling of belonging and pride at being allowed – by age six – to play with his father’s drum circle, Noah put his foot on the path that would define his life; a life that has grown to include tap dancing, acting, and the creation of his own company of triple threat performers, all in the service of storytelling.

Noah has danced in or choreographed for Fine and Dandy, Curtains with David Hyde Pierce, Busker Alley, Where’s Charley?, Babes in Arms, Do Re Mi, Never Gonna Dance, Thoroughly Modern Millie, The Baby and Johnny Project, and Look Ma, I’m Dancin’!, among others. In 2012 he will appear in 1776 at the Asolo Repertory Theater in Sarasota as well as debuting his original dance creation “Pulse” which will directed by Jeff Calhoun.

But perhaps the thing that most defines Noah Racey is his love of his life, his passion for his work, his spontaneity and his exuberance. Listen to the roller coaster ride of joy and fun that is Noah Racey, and watch his tap dancing magic.

Actor, Director, Singer, Writer, Producer Corey Brunish, says that he became all that he is in defiance of those who actively discouraged him. This is a remarkable story of a man who refused to listen when others told him who he could or could not be. A soft-spoken, gentle man Corey exudes a quiet strength that says I will decide who I am and what I can do and his life is the proof of that pudding. Listen to his remarkable journey, hear songs from one of his many CD’s and also a cut from the cast album of  Bonnie and Clyde The Musical which he produced.

Family stories say that at the age of 2 or 3 little Graham Dechter would sing along with the records his parents played or the music his film arranger Dad was composing. “It just came naturally” he says. It was not that he thought of becoming a musician, it was that he always was a musician. And he discovered his own way to make music. His first piano teacher objected when ­­five year old Graham refused to bring in the Bach piece he was asked to learn and instead brought in a John Williams film score – Raiders of the Lost Ark. So Graham changed teachers. And although he learned piano and violin it wasn’t until he picked up the guitar – “just to fool around with,” that he discovered his instrument. Listen to Graham talk about the way he learned to play by ear and the unique way he found to play the guitar which is “not how any other guitar player plays” and of course listen to a cut from his CD where he is backed by jazz greats John Clayton on bass, Jeff Hamilton on Drums and Tamir Handelmen on piano.

To get little Kelly Woodland “out from under foot,” her mom sent her off to visit her cousins. Those cousins were putting on a play and so six year old Kelly made her acting debut as Mustard Seed in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. She says it wasn’t hard because she thought “everyone talked like that.” And of course she was “bitten” by the theater bug. After years of playing Louisa, Kelly decided she was actually a director and got a degree in directing. She must have been right because Noises Off which she is directing for the Players Theater in Sarasota is the 98th play that she’s directed. Listen to Kelly describe her philosophy of directing as well as explain why you’d want to see Noises Off which opens on March 22nd.