Thriving Artists: The Daily Joyride with Robyn Cohen

How To Succeed In Showbiz When No One’s Hiring with Creatives Carrie Freedle & Lauren Smerkanich

• Robyn Cohen • Episode 9

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Are you wondering how to transform creative blocks into breakthroughs? Curious about the secret to thriving collaborations in the arts? Looking for inspiration to fuel your next creative project? Join Robyn Cohen on The Daily Joyride as she dives deep into the world of Hollywood screenwriter Carrie Freedle and playwright Lauren Smerkanich. Discover the cosmic tale of how these two visionaries met on a Hollywood picket line and transformed their fortuitous encounter into a groundbreaking new stage play. With humor, intelligence, and boundless creativity, Carrie and Lauren share their journey from a serendipitous moment of connection to a theatrical masterpiece. Get a behind-the-scenes look at their innovative writing process, the joys of collaboration, overcoming impostor syndrome, and the bravery it takes to bet on yourself as an Artist. This is a must-listen episode filled with profound insights, delightful storytelling, and practical advice for every aspiring creator. Plus! Don't miss out on Robyn’s free introductory Acting Class happening April 1st @ 6pm pt online. The class will teach you to carry yourself with abounding confidence and unprecedented joy and power.

Connect with Carrie Freedle:

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/carriefreedle/?hl=en

Carrie Freedle Interview: 

Carrie's Voyage LA Article

Connect with Lauren Smerkanich:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lsmerk86/?hl=en

Lauren's Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/lauren.smerkanich

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https://mailchi.mp/cohenactingstudio/free-gift-to-freedom

🔔 Plus! Set Your Alarms & Mark Your Calendars!

You’re Invited To A FREE Introductory Acting Class on TUESDAY, APRIL 1st @ 6 PM PT (online).

- To get the zoom link, Email:

robyn@cohenactingstudio.com

- Or contact Robyn at the Studio:

www.cohenactingstudio.com 

🎭 Then! Our next round of Acting Classes begins TUESDAY, APRIL 8th @ 6 PM PT for 6 weeks: (online & in-person)

Class Dates:

  • 4/8, 4/15, 4/22, 4/29 (online)
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✅ If this episode resonated with you, feel free to share it with a friend and we’d love it if you could leave a review! 💕It helps so much to expand this circle of awesomeness!

Time Stamps:

08:20 The Creative Collaboration Begins

30:39 The Writing Process and Collaboration

37:39 Developing the Play

39:04 The Importance of Creative Community

51:23 Taking Risks and Betting on Yourself

Have a Q? I’m here for it!

Email: robyn@cohenactingstudio.com

Robyn Cohen:

Hello there, amazing creators. Welcome back. I'm Robyn Cohen. And I'm curious. Have you ever felt like You've had a creative urge that was somehow blocked Or squelched by external circumstances? ever wondered how some managed to turn challenges into creative gold, Or what it takes to craft art that resonates deeply. Are you open to the inspiration that's going to fuel your creative fire? Well, we're about to address these burning questions in this week's episode. We're taking the joyride adventure into the minds of Hollywood screenwriter, Carrie Freedle, and powerhouse playwright, Lauren Smerkanich. This phenomenal duo being interviewed at the same time met on a picket line in Hollywood during the strike. When everything was shut down. Can you imagine this? When no one was hiring, when everyone was out of work, they turned a seemingly, a definitely rather grim situation into a vibrant collaboration and a canvas of opportunity. in their panoply of picket line conversations. They embarked on a creative odyssey that birthed a brilliant new stage play That is already taking the arts and crafts industry by storm. So, as their phenom tale unfolds, let it serve as a real reminder of what's possible When we take hands with fellow collaborators and align with our purpose. Toward that end. I'll never leave you hanging. I'm offering a free open house, free for all, in every sense, introductory acting class where you can get on your feet in the Zoom room and meet your talent while fueling your unique creative spark. The class will be happening online Tuesday, April 1st, April Fool's Day at 6 p. m. Pacific, but it's no joke. It's actually your free ticket to what I promise will be an incredibly rewarding exploration of your innate abilities and talents. The week after that, on The Creative Horizon Ahead, our six week acting workshop begins, both online and in person, starting Tuesday, April 8th at 6 p. m. Pacific, combining the best of online flexibility with live theater magic in West L. A. Just email me at Robyn, Robyn is with a y,@cohenactingstudio.com Or visit the website at www.cohenactingstudio.Com Cause it's gonna be a blast! As will what you're about to hear inside of Carrie and Lauren's inspiring story. So without further ado, let's dive in. Fantastic. Well, hello, hello, and welcome back to the daily joy ride. today it's a special kind of a day. This is the first time I've had the joy and honor and privilege of having two incredible creative sprites on the podcast at the same time. So it's going to be the three of us, some kind of magical triumvirate in the making. Carrie Freedle and Lauren Smerkanich. These two powerhouse storytellers. Each with a unique artistic voice have really captured audiences with their thought provoking narratives and meaningful contributions to the entertainment world. Carrie Freedle's journey began in Oklahoma, where her love, no, just kidding. No, But tell me about

Carrie:

it. I mean, yeah,

Robyn Cohen:

This was AI. AI thinks that you are from Oklahoma.

Carrie:

We can't trust the robots. Yeah,

Robyn Cohen:

because

Carrie:

I'm from

Robyn Cohen:

Tennessee. Which I knew because we just talked about that. We're Southern girls. AI. Listen, AI has gotten it right pretty much up to this point. But Now we know. We I've never asked

Carrie:

AI about myself, so I don't know what you have on me.

Robyn Cohen:

AI has you born in a small town in Oklahoma. It's not true. Fake news. Fake news. This is amazing. No, keep going. I want to hear what else it says. This is fascinating. This is what the robot said. Okay. Carrie initially set out to make her mark in the world of production, landing her first job as a production assistant. True? Um, I don't know. On set experiences, coupled with her innate passion for storytelling, propelled her into the world of screenwriting. Possibly? I

Carrie:

mean, that sounds generic.

Robyn Cohen:

Generic. This part's true. Because I know it to be true. Okay, Carrie studied at the acclaimed Playhouse West in Los Angeles where she sharpened her craft her impressive credits include the hit Netflix film Afterlife of the Party. That's true. Such a delightful title. Um, as well as Hallmark Channel favourites like My Secret Valentine and Winter Love Story. Yes. Yes. Carrie's ability to blend heartfelt emotion with engaging narratives has established her as a standout screenwriter and now a playwright in Hollywood. I thought the second half, I thought they nailed it on the second half. I don't know who they're talking about from Oklahoma. Fascinating. I'm now excited to see how Lauren Smirkanich's is. Are you a graduate of NYU, Lauren?

Lauren:

I am a graduate of NYU. Yes. Well, I got

Robyn Cohen:

one thing right. Okay. Okay. So Lauren Smirkanich is a graduate of NYU's prestigious Tisch School of the Arts, and she brings her own unique lens to the world of theater, films and television. With a deep understanding of character development and narrative structure, Lauren has carved out an impressive career as a writer and director. Her works have earned critical acclaim, including The Dignity Circle, which debuted through the Central Works Writer's Workshop, and Gigi Inherits Four Mink Coats. Ah, what a fantabulous title. Thank you. Which was a semi finalist in the Austin Film Festival Playwriting Competition. Her play, Halloween, earned a coveted spot as one of the top 30 playwrights in the Samuel French Off Off Broadway Festival. First of all, Lauren's commitment to exploring vulnerability and community and resilience through her writing continues to resonate with audiences across the mediums. Together, Carrie and Lauren exemplify the power of collaboration and a passion for storytelling that bridges the worlds of film, television, and theater. Their individual accomplishments are totally inspiring and amazing, as well as their ability to blend. their talents and perspectives which makes them such an exciting duo to watch. So buckle up everyone because this joyride is about to take us deep into their creative processes, some personal journeys and collaborative projects of two phenomenal artists. So let's dive in and start to explore how Carrie and Lauren came to be as this dynamic duo and how they're shaping the landscape of storytelling with their ingenuity. And they're huge. Arts. Welcome

Carrie:

to the show, Carrie and Lauren.

Lauren:

Thank you.

Carrie:

I feel like we're playing two truths and a lie. Yes.

Robyn Cohen:

Yes. For those listening, she's talking about how AI recognized half the of Carrie Freedle in terms of some of your professional accomplishments and some of the things you've done in film and television. But they started her out in a small town in Oklahoma and talked about how she was a PA on a set. Well,

Carrie:

I did start as a PA. Yes. You did. So that part

Robyn Cohen:

is true. But I think

Carrie:

I've only driven through Oklahoma.

Lauren:

Two truths and a lie. Wouldn't it be crazy if I were from Oklahoma? I'm actually the one. I'm not. I'm not. It would be crazy if they just switched us. It would

Robyn Cohen:

be, I like, sort of alarming the way the are talking about us. It's fascinating. And that's, that's such a wonderful reminder. you know, we've always heard don't believe, you know, anything you read. We've heard that, but this is sort of a different level, Well, I think it

Carrie:

is interesting that it, is coming up on a podcast where you're talking to creatives about the creative process, because it is, Something that's on top of our mind as far as work we've done in the past, we're rooted in the future, if we're going to be replaced, etc. And I think it's a very interesting example of that, you know, in real time.

Robyn Cohen:

Yeah. Hey, we need, in real time, human beings that know how to tell the truth about where they're from and what they've done. And can do all that much more accurately than a robot who hasn't had the privilege of meeting you yet. So, you know, it's so interesting because you were talking about, Playhouse West and you from NYU and you're collaborating for the first time on a play, on a play. You're writing a play together. You have written a play together that is iterating as we speak. It's already had performances and showings and it is in the process of iterating and will probably continue to do so until it's on Broadway and touring internationally. But I'm so curious like how you found each other and how you knew that you were meant to drill down back to the ancient art form that started, you know, sitting around the campfires or, you know, in the Greek theaters, live theater, live theater. I mean, if you can't tell I love, I love, I mean, it's not a secret. I'm a fan. I'm a fan of the live performing arts and, like you both have been doing it since the dawn of time. But I, I haven't ever worked with, in television, I worked with the Russo brothers. So I've done TV where people are co directing and co leading the ship. But I haven't yet had the opportunity to work with Two playwrights, two female playwrights on a play that I'm working on that said, at the moment, I am performing in Heidi Schreck's play. Heidi Schreck wrote What the Constitution Means to Me, and she's also a television writer. And so, I feel that I am working with a writer who is both the writer and the performer in the play. So it feels like I'm working with two different people because I'm playing her, but she also wrote the thing. But other than that meta experience, it's so cool what you're doing. And how did you figure out how to do this? And can you share a little bit about the project itself to all of our avid listeners? Whoever wants to start. We were neighbors

Carrie:

in Oklahoma. Right. Yeah. So, yeah. Fake news. the University of Oklahoma.

Robyn Cohen:

I'm so sorry. On behalf, on of AI Everywhere, Don't apologize for AI. need to No, to be a better fact checker. I'm going to be a better fact checker, thanks to you, And you can count on me, next time we do our next podcast together, it's happening, it's happening, after the play premieres and it's going to Broadway, we're going to do another podcast, you can count on me to get it all right, regardless of what the robots say. much rather have this. No, I am enraged. How dare they? That's actually how I really feel. Like, how dare they? How dare I? But I'm gonna give it up and get on with What were we talking about? Your play, your magic, and the way that you're collaborating to sort of the roots, the roots of arts and crafts, live, stage, theater, that shared, live, communion, collaborative experience that, you're in the middle of right now together. How's that going? And how did that happen after you graduated from not the University of Oklahoma?

Lauren:

well, we, I mean, we met on the strike lines last year, during, uh, the WGA writer's strike, and that was just really, like, a beautiful moment of, of kismet, I feel. and, we just spent a lot of that summer walking around under the sun, fighting for collective bargaining rights.

Robyn Cohen:

God bless you. God bless you.

Lauren:

Chatting and getting to know one another. And, you know, this is kind of a cliche, but I think it's also true. It's really hard to make adult friendships. And I was just very grateful to kind of meet somebody out of the blue who I felt we had a lot of common interests and we had a lot of, common artistic pursuits in that, we were both. interested in, in continuing our ambitions in the same line. And, we kind of like, we're doing that dance you do, you know, when you go on a first writer date where you're like, well, would you ever want to maybe, I don't know, maybe write on something together. And we were like passing books back and forth and every once in a while, one of us would say something that we were interested in. And then, the subject of the play that we're That was in operation from 1956 to 1973 called WHER, and Carrie had heard a podcast about it, so she passed me the podcast, and, while almost everything Carrie had passed me was interesting and fascinating, this was really sparky. It felt like, ooh, I, I write primarily for the theater. I'm mostly a playwright. And, it was just one of those things. It's this kind of ineffable feeling where you're like, that's a play. That's a play. I can feel it. And I don't see all the parts yet and I don't know how they all come together, but I'm like, I can see the stage and I can see people in their costumes and I can see where I would want it to go. So I, I was very excited. And I texted her back and I was like, let's, let's get coffee. so that's kind of a bullet point. I don't know what else am I missing? There was much more to it. Yeah.

Carrie:

I mean, yeah, that's it. We, you know, we, met cute on the picket line as you do. And, you know, And on the picket line, there's a

Robyn Cohen:

title, there's a title for the

Carrie:

picket line, the picket line. And this was actually, I mean, asking Lauren, if she wanted to do this as a play was very scary for me. I've never written a play before I come from, you know, the film side, film nerd, very much that side. And, you know, this was a story that I'd fallen in love with. And I heard the podcast. I think during the pandemic, I'm hitting all those like cultural moments in our recent history. Um, during the pandemic, it was a podcast that I had heard in WHER was the first all female radio station during the time when Lauren said, and it was in Memphis, Tennessee. And as we established earlier, I'm from Tennessee. And it really listening to, it was a really beautiful podcast, the kitchen sisters. Um, it was from, I think, like 20 years ago, they had these interviews where they were talking to, they were called the jockettes, which were the female DJs on the station. And women did every part of the process. They did ad copy. They were the DJs. They were engineers. I'm listening to these women speak and they sounded like my grandmothers and they sounded like, you know, these incredible strong women that I grew up around in the South. And during the pandemic, that was a very comforting thing to hear because, you know, we're all separated from family, one another. And then as a storyteller, I was really intrigued. Because I had never heard of this all female radio station, and it was down the road from where I grew up. I asked my mom. She had never heard of it. And so that story stayed with me. And then when Lauren and I were going back and forth passing books and ideas and things like that, we knew we wanted to collaborate. We weren't sure in what medium. I sent her the podcast with this very pleading, like, would you maybe want to be patient enough to work with somebody who's never written a play before? Um, so it was this incredible thing because she said yes, because it did feel like, it did feel like that was the best, even though I never worked in that medium as a writer, and I have as a performer, that felt like the best way to tell the story. And I'm so thankful that she, the professional in this world, thought that as well. Yeah.

Robyn Cohen:

And, and I love what you shared, just like passing stories finding the idea for a play I remember there used to be a Sam French bookstore, right. That was on Sunset and one that was in Studio City. And we'd be at, Playhouse West. I was there for like a decade and we would. We couldn't afford to, like, buy plays, so we would just go and sit in the aisles of Sam French or Dramatists and read play after play after play after play and just look for scenes. You know, we were looking for a scene partner and something to put up in class. And the education in just, reading plays You know, I teach acting, it's, it's funny, I teach theater in Hollywood, which really isn't, I should probably go to New York if I'm going to teach theater, but I stay here because I keep seeing how actors grow in the hands of great writers, because it's the great writers, like y'all, that Tell actors what they need to do and where and how they need to develop themselves in order to tell your stories. And so I'm giving them Teresa Rebeck and, Shanley and they're developing themselves and their grit and their craft. And soon I would love to give them, you know, your play to work on you know, but because it's where they can really meet their talent. It's where they can really join the writer. I tell my actors all the time, like, if you want to, if you want to really do something meaningful in this business, fall in love with writers. Because that's the marriage, that's the symbiosis, and it's such a beautiful, when it is a healthy one, it's such a beautiful symbiosis, because we need each other, in like a not codependent, needy way, but we need each other, That was advice given to me by one of my teachers, Larry Moss, and so whenever I'm with writers, I just want to like stop the car and say, like, I'm in awe of writers. I have a, I have, yeah, just the deepest reverence for what you do. And, reading plays like I used to, and so many, and I still, I read them I read plays all the time. reading a play a week, like, has changed my whole life, reading plays all the time. It's funny because I wish I read more. I wish I was like you and actually read books I'm always reading, make believe, imaginary, stories, but I I learn about humanity. I learn about, like you're saying, like these women that did this amazing thing at this radio station when no one was doing it. no one said it was possible. And they're like, yeah. You don't know about me. You know what I mean? Like, you don't know about me.

Carrie:

Right. And that's what, I don't want to speak for Lauren, but that was one of the things that drew me to the story. Was one we had never, I had never heard this before and what these women were able to accomplish, you know, together, there wasn't a template for it. There was no, nothing else like this. And these were women who came from all different walks of life. Some did come from radio in some way, shape, or form. Some had nothing to do with it. And, it was just a really. Great. I mean, it's a radio station, so their voice literally got to be heard, but it was a great way for women at this time in the mid fifties up to the early seventies to really get their voice out. And then what was going on, you know, in Memphis during that time in the country, in the world at that time was also very impactful. So we, you know, have tried to, and we're still in the process of doing it, take the You know, this small little bubble, these women who are in the radio station, how their, how they're affecting one another in that world, while there is a bigger world happening outside the radio station. And we want I don't know about you all, but for me, you know, the historical stories that I really click to the most is when there is a personal element or a social element and it taking almost a small nugget, you know, And that helps me understand what's happening on a bigger scale. and that was something I was drawn to with this story.

Lauren:

Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I think that's, where are we, I, I feel like Carrie does this too. I think she and I have spoken about this, that like, you're hoping that you're a sponge for the stories that go across your brain and across your desk. and you're like, oh, that's, oh, that's got a nugget in it. That's got a little detail. that's got something I can latch onto. And to build on a few of the things that Carrie was talking about. We did, I think, spend a lot of time talking about our moms and our grandmothers while we were forming the characters. And, something that my mother in law had said to me recently was, I didn't know there were any jobs available to me other than teacher or nurse. I thought it was teacher, nurse, or mom. So something that we were thinking about a lot in this, this small world that reflects the bigger world is how women react, how women react, interact with one another and interact with the concept of Having a job of being good at something of succeeding and just even embracing the idea of ambition. I think men take ambition for granted. I think they know that it's their birthright. I'm allowed to be ambitious, but I think that it's more of a journey for women. And we were so excited to kind of take this little world and use these people that we created to demonstrate that. So yeah, it's always taking the little grains and blowing them up into a bigger theme. and to speak to what you were talking about Robyn, I mean, I think you do have the luxury of doing that in theater. We almost never leave the single set that we've created. So we have the time to write deep, you know, and that's really indulgent for writers. And that's really indulgent for actors. It's a gift to be able to do that.

Carrie:

And that was something, you know, For me coming from film and television. well, first I wanted to add that this is inspired by those women. So we're not doing, it's not a documentary it's our interpretation. We're creating our own radio station. That's inspired by these women. and going through this process and with Lauren's beautiful patience and guidance with me, it was really cool to step into the world of playwriting and just. focus on the women and the characters. And as Lauren said, we have one location, so let's go deep. And that's different than how I normally approach stories, when I'm working on a feature film script. because with that, I'm writing a feature film, I'm writing a script with the music in mind, the locations in mind, the editing, you know, I'm seeing this whole giant picture and it was hard at first for me to just sit back and relax and just focus on these women and not the whole picture. And then once I felt comfortable enough to do that. It did open up this whole new way to tell stories that's just as vast as if, we're writing an epic, a three hour epic for Scorsese or something like that, you know?

Robyn Cohen:

Yeah. Well, you know, Shakespeare, King Lear, it is epic. Plays are born out of the grandiose, the largeness of the epic. theater is, larger than life, because it's actually life alive right in front of you. so, want to go back a little bit, Carrie, and also because I do want to know where you came from and where you did your training and how you got, how you got into this business, because the robots certainly have no idea. but, um, for both of you, like. You're a, you're a, like a gem, right? you're a rare, precious thing, you're not a thing, but you're, it's for women to be, in this business, just the statistics and, we all know how many female directors and writers there are compared to, to male, um, for people listening, a lot of students and arts and crafts kinds of people, many of whom are women. But for the men too, how do we get over? How did you get over? I'm just going to call it, we can call it spinach, but I'm going to call it imposter syndrome. Let's say, given that our grandmothers didn't even think anything like that was possible, like. Given that not too long ago, like what you're doing, it didn't even occur as a possibility. So take us back. Like, how did you get the gumption and what can you share with our listeners about how you can generate creativity on your terms? as much as possible in the machines that already exist, whether that's in the playwriting world or in the Hollywood world. But how do we become the one in a million that's able to, transcend the statistics and the numbers and the odds are, yeah, women aren't going to have that kind of, like our mothers and grandmothers said, you know, that birthright. So if it wasn't in grain for you, or maybe it was, but I'd love to hear about how you mustered up all the creative courage to do what you're doing.

Lauren:

well, I don't know. I don't know if I would be interested to hear from you too. I don't know if imposter syndrome ever goes away. but I think it's, flipping that internal switch and realizing that it shouldn't be a hindrance. It should be a motivator. and that's the same with anxiety or any fear based emotion the other side of that as excitement. And the other side is like, if you, I can do it. and I think. Look, I'd be lying if I said that I don't think I'll, I will struggle with that until I put my pen down for the last time, you know, I close the laptop for the last time. But I think it's because of the women in my life that I have the gumption to keep going. My grandmother's, I mean, neither went to college. The idea that I'm making a living as an artist would baffle them. I think they'd be so thrilled and excited by it. But I think they, would be, I mean, one of my grandparents didn't even speak English. So I don't think that like this would even have crossed their minds. So for them, I'm doing it for them. And I think they'd be thrilled by it. And I think that in addition to that, the number of women that I've met who are both. who have been mentors for me, not as many, more men than women have been mentors, which we need to change. but the number of compatriots I have and associates and friends who are so active and hardworking and ambitious in the creative community and to our women, uh, you build your network. That's how you, I don't think anybody is the one in a million that gets through there. The one in a million that got through with the, a million other people behind them. So I, it's just sharpen your nails, latch onto the women who support you and don't ever, ever let them go. I ya for both personal and creative reasons, I think.

Carrie:

Yeah. I agree with that. it's interesting. Like So I grew up in Tennessee on a farm. so I grew up in a very male environment, you know, it was my grandmother, my mom, myself, and then it's all men. It's weird. I grew up on one hand knowing, okay, women did certain jobs. Men did other jobs as far as. The home you know, my grandmother was waking up in the morning and making a full breakfast for all the farmers and going out and working in the field and then coming back and making lunch and going back and working in the field and then coming back and making dinner, so I saw, okay, my grandmother is doing two jobs in two places. My grandfather is doing one, but I also saw this woman who was doing everything.

Lauren:

Yeah.

Carrie:

So I never, I didn't grow up in an environment where I was told you couldn't do something because you're female. I actually was told, well, you have to do even more because you're female. And that's my interpretation of what I grew up around. So as far as. your question of, what gives us the courage or the gumption to do this? I don't know any better. I don't know how not to do it. I think, like Lauren, I don't think. that making a living in a creative field was ever something anyone contemplated because that's just not one of the life goals you choose, when you're not growing up in an entertainment dominant world. I mean, yes, I was outside of Nashville, but I can't sing a lick. So there's no way I was going into country music. I'm completely tone deaf. so I think being in a creative field, Would be a surprise to my grandmothers, but I think being in a storytelling field would not, because I did grow up, in the South, working in the tobacco patch and listening to my grandfather and all the other old men. They may have been like 40, but they just seem like they were old men, you know, and like overalls and cigarettes. And they're just telling stories, it's a very, you know, Oral tradition that I grew up around. So it's a very storytelling tradition. and to me, that's how you communicate is by telling stories. And, so that part's natural. I think with any person who pursues anything in the arts, I think the people that love them are probably terrified for them because it is such an, scary, unstable. And it's also it's not a tangible world. You know, it's not like if you do this job, you get this job and you're moving up a ladder. It's not very, it's always moving. And that ladder is really shaky. but I will say, like, I come from a very supportive environment to let me pursue this cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs thing. and, and like Lauren says, you, make friends, you bond, you hold onto the people around you that, you connect with and, Hopefully, like in this case, try to make something really awesome.

Robyn Cohen:

Yeah, yeah. and clearly, there's a tie that binds you together, I can see, forever. And there's a, glue in this and working on this play and this production. That's, you know, it's so, it's so beautiful that you, found each other on the picket line. And what has it been like? I mean, and Lauren, you've been writing plays, but what's it like to write a play, as you said, like, this is about depth and like, I know, you know, when we're working on plays as actors, it's about slowing down. It's literally about slowing everything down because it's our job, to bring a world to people and that requires to bring a whole world to people requires something. It's, you know, there's a cat. He's also never come on to the podcast. There's Joffy, it's a new, it's a new world. Can you say hello? but uh, what is that like to be collaborating as writers for the theater in something that is just, it's a constant, I mean, I imagine the tie that binds you to is, quite profound. Just given that, in this medium, There is so much, really, really, there's, oh my gosh. There's an animal. There's a wasp. Oh my goodness. Hi. Hi handsome. Hi buddy. This has never happened. This has never happened. This has never happened. Do you know what I mean? I was hoping that something mystical would happen today and this is it. But like to be combining in like this deep, rich, soulful pool of vibrations to create this piece. What's that like to work together on a play? Lay to create a play. Ah, I'm enthralled. Can you tell? I am. I am. So is the cat. We're going crazy over this. We have a cat audience. What has this been like? How are you doing it? Um,

Lauren:

well, I've never co written a play before. So this is my first time collaborating, on a play. And, I'll try to answer this question succinctly. when I'm writing, I usually just start writing. I basically know what I'm interested in but I write to find the characters. I write to find the plot. and that means that a lot of notebooks are filled before I know where I'm going. So, bringing that to a screenwriter and just being like, No, it'll be okay. Let's just write. I felt like I was just the world's worst teacher. I was like, this is awful. I'm not giving you anything to hang your hat on. This is very, very scary. but, literally every playwriting class I've ever taken from college to, you know, the, class I took with a friend two years ago was like, you write to find. And, so that's what we did. And Carrie was so trusting and just went with me, on this crazy Willy Wonka journey. but Yeah, I think it's been like any collaboration, I think the challenge is you have to be really self diagnostic about your own work and about other people's, but you also have to be really generous. and generosity is like second nature to Carrie. So I wasn't worried about that at all. But yeah. you have to be really honest about your own work, and what you think is working in it, and what isn't working in it, and you have to be, feel safe enough to say that about the other persons. and so, marry that with working in a medium that you might not be comfortable in, and there's a lot of vulnerability there, but I was just so grateful and impressed with everything that Carrie and I batted about and the from ideas to pages. I would look forward to going over and working with her all the time. So there's a lot that's like, scary. I think, I don't know if, she felt this way, but, you know, there can always be monsters on the edge of the map. And I think we kind of just figured out how to navigate them in real time as best we could. Yeah.

Robyn Cohen:

Like the Goonies, the Goonies adventure. Yeah.

Lauren:

Yeah. Yeah.

Carrie:

Yeah. I mean, speaking of generosity, that's, with, with her talent and her time and her point of view, because I feel like I was showing up almost like blindfolded just like, okay, push me over the edge because she's very patient because a majority, I would say something and go, can we do that? Is that possible? I'm probably way off, you know, because I felt like I had been in a student position, which I loved. But also, a student position who is a writer. Just a writer to another medium. Medium. You have your

Lauren:

own point of view, you have your own expertise. you have your own gut instincts. So it wasn't, student teacher so much as, I don't know, what's it like? it's just two different Combining processes. Yeah, combining

Carrie:

Right, exactly. and so it was actually really fun because Lauren is very patient and very intelligent and incredible writer, and so. There was an immediate trust and respect. So, I think, we felt safe to kind of experiment and figure out how to write together. Because I think in any process when you're, collaborating with someone, there is that dance to figure out how you collaborate, no matter what it is. And then you add it in a process where Lauren is very bravely working with someone who had never worked with her. written in this medium before. and so a lot of it was us doing that dance to just figure out, okay, how do we communicate, with one another. And then I think once we fell into that, it really opened up the door to just play and daydream. And, no one knows, no one knew we were writing this. We're not being commissioned to do it. So it was just for, it is still just for us. And there's a freedom to that. and at least I needed that freedom to find it as we go, as Lauren was saying, cause that's not normally my process because that's just not the process of, screenplays. So it was really this beautiful experience for us just to get together and. Daydream and play. and I think we did a pat, we, or we still do, we have more ideas. Almost, there were so many ideas. It's like, Oh gosh, how do we get them all on the page? Because we love these women so much and we love this world so much. we just want to get it all in there.

Robyn Cohen:

Oh, it's such a relief to hear that. whether you're an actor or a writer, whatever medium you're in. The way I can feel, it's like, It vibrates with the truth of how much you both, like, loved this project into life. Like, you loved it into life, rather than, as you said, no one's telling, there's no deadline, like, it was this sort of magical, playpen, sandbox. And I think that's such a profound lesson and way to do it. And as actors and artists, we have to remember to remember that it is a love story. It wants to be a love story with what we're creating. We don't want to grind this thing into the ground to get it out there. It's about like loving it as you do, like your hearts. I can just feel like you're loving the experience, your partner, the thing of itself, these women. it's a love story that ultimately, materializes in the physical world. and I do want to hear how it's actually materialized, like, I'm gonna write 10 pages about what this scene might be about and then send it to you? Like, what did that actually look like? Just in the everyday, in the practical sense, like act one, the scene one, Would you just write a scene and be like, here, what do you think of this? And then Carrie, you'd write, what if we added this? Did you just sort of pass notes in class back and forth? You know, kind of thing.

Lauren:

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, And, again, this is a little granular, but like, what I tend to do when I'm writing by myself is, you know, you have the idea, you have that flash of like, oh, I think this could be a play, and, to be completely frank, I'm not a particularly experimental playwright. Like a lot of my plays You could break it down into a three act screenplay and story structure. I just tend towards that, so I will map it. I won't outline it. I'll map it. And I'll be like, you know, Act 1, these are the questions that need to be answered, which will set us up for Act 2, which are the questions that need to be answered. So Carrie and I kind of started there. Again, I don't know how terrified she was by those rambling emails she got from me, but, I was excited. I want to read them. I

Robyn Cohen:

want to read them. I want to put them in the show notes.

Carrie:

In

Robyn Cohen:

those

Carrie:

emails. No, it very exciting to get it because that is the thing, you know, when you collaborate with someone, you hope they're as excited as you are. And, and to the point where I'm like, Oh shoot, Lauren's more excited than me. I just sent an amazing long email too.

Robyn Cohen:

it's so incredible. What a beautiful example of like, When you look back on the things that went well in life, you were kind of in a good place. Like I can just feel like this is such a yummy place. And so of course so tell me, where has it been? And where is it going? And, What do you want to do with it? Cause I mean, it's been born, but it's a baby. It's a relative, it's a relative baby. It's a baby.

Lauren:

Talk to me about your baby,

Robyn Cohen:

talk to me about your baby and where she's been. And what is she up to? And all those things. We

Lauren:

have, we have a draft and we, developed it, with a theater company up in Berkeley, Central Works. They are the ones that premiered my play last year as well. and they just have this great program, where eight or so writers meet on Zoom. every Saturday, and, share pages. It's a good old fashioned writer's workshop. And, they really, really incubate a really diverse group of writers. And it's just, you make of it what you want. You know, you can bring in the same ten pages over and over again. You can try to crank out more pages, whatever. So we developed it with them. And we had a reading at the end of the session. learned a lot. and we, I think we were in this really, uh, It's a little scary because you're like, I want it to be done and I want lights to be on it and actors to be cast in it. Sure. Of course, that would be great. But like we were in this, I think a really great position where we ended the workshop and we were like, Oh, we know where we want to go next. so we will be spending the next couple of months, I think, revising and continuing to write out the next draft and we hope to continue to, develop it with Central Works if they'll have us and if not, we're going to be submitting it all over Los Angeles to various, again, incubators, which is the where I know the best theater communities in Los Angeles to be. You know, this is like just, just playwrights in conversation with one another and you meet people and you meet directors and you meet actors and that's how you get a production. So we're going to do that thing where we simultaneously write and hope to network at the same time.

Robyn Cohen:

Yes. And so it's iterating as we speak And it sounds like what a lovely community where you're meeting and in the trenches with other collaborators and that kind of support. I think a creative community is as you mentioned earlier, it can be a linchpin for whether you keep going in this business or not, because it's too hard alone and I think, so many of us has bought We've really bought into or we've been fed these lies of scarcity and separation And so it's always so lovely to, you know, meet women who are like, yeah, that's bogus. that's been shoved down our throats to get us to buy things that'll make us feel like we belong. And that'll make us feel like we can fit in. It can be a vicious. cycle with that. I talk to a lot of artists that feel desperately, like desperately alone as writers. have you ever had that experience and do you enjoy the fact that, it takes some real time, with just you and you? and you find that it can become like too much just you and you in the world of being a writer or, as you've said, you do have networks of people and you're constantly in conversation with other amazing creatives. how have you found that balance?

Carrie:

I don't think you ever have enough time for anything. You know, um, I like the combination of just going off and daydreaming alone. and then, Working with someone else. you know, in my non playwriting work, I work solo. Sometimes I'll work with a partner, but I like having the balance. And I think that was one thing, that Lauren and I both really like, because we would go off separately and work and we would trade pages. We would sit down together and talk things out and then go separately and work and then come together and work. So we tried to balance both of those things to give ourselves, the safety, the freedom, the creativity to. Go down our own personal imagination, rabbit hole solo, and then send each other these long emails going, okay, it was the middle of the night and I just had this crazy idea, what if, and it was really exciting, because there was that trust that we didn't have to sit in front of each other across from each other. Run every line by each other the whole time. so when we did come together, it's like we were both, you know, both bringing something that our crazy brains dreamt up to the table and sometimes we did it and then that's where the beauty of sitting across from each other came from is we would, you know, it's like, I've got nothing. And then we would just start working through things together and you would watch that magic happen. So I think the combination of the two. is really, to me, very inspiring.

Robyn Cohen:

Yeah. Very winning. I'm curious what works of art have had the greatest impact on you.

Lauren:

Oh, wow. Oh no. Oh no. Um, you're, cause

Robyn Cohen:

you're, both of you are like bursting with creativity and it's magical. I'm wondering like, where were you fed? Where did you go to the fountain first?

Carrie:

It's so funny. You asked that and then I go Blake and then Talladega Nights popped in my head. I don't think that's, I don't, that's, it's so good. It's a great

Lauren:

movie.

Carrie:

It's so good. you know, again, like going back to how we grew up, I did grow up in a storytelling environment. I also grew up in a house where there's books everywhere. And, I'm very much a book and movie person. That's how, what I fell in love with, but also just going off in the woods and telling stories with my friends. So I've always, I've always been a big reader. And, and I remember like as a kid, I think like fourth grade. I like hand wrote out a book, I'm doing air quotes, hand wrote out a book in Illustrator that and stapled it and sold it to my classmates. and so I was a published grade. an amazing future published author in fourth

Robyn Cohen:

grade. Hello.

Carrie:

So, I mean, the suckers, I don't know why, I would have given it to them for free, whatever. Um, no, so to get entrepreneurship,

Robyn Cohen:

it's fantastic. And so inspiring. I didn't

Carrie:

save any of that money, but I think my earliest, inspiration, it came from books and it came from film. It came from music. everything from classical music to the music my parents grew up on, to the music I discovered. even though neither one of my parents work in the arts, I came from a very, you know, literature, cinema, music loving house. So those were my first.

Lauren:

Yeah, the same. We were all big readers in my house. I do think that if you want to be a writer, you've got to be a reader first. of anything, read everything. and, I credit, being interested in theater with, to my mom. she took my brother and I did a lot of theater when we were probably too young to understand it. she loved Where, what city was

Robyn Cohen:

this?

Lauren:

I grew up in Philadelphia, but we were far from New York. So we would go to see shows in New York and then, cool. I I mean, I'm going to completely acknowledge that not everybody. I am very privileged and lucky that my dad did a lot of, work in London. So we would all go to London and I saw a lot here in the West End when I was like young. So cool. And I mean, It should be accessible to thousands more people, but I got this opportunity, and I felt very lucky about it, and you know, my mom loved, the, ceremony of it, like, you go, and the lights go dim, and you treat yourself to a little treat at intermission, and I fell in love with the ceremony of it, too, because it feels special that this, what's happening tonight, They're going to do it again tomorrow night, but it's not going to be the same thing as it was tonight. And there's something that's so, so magical about that. And I was exposed to it when I was really young. And the story that I always tell when I'm like, Oh, this is magic. we were lucky to see Macbeth at the, the old globe. Oh, I did too.

Robyn Cohen:

I did 25 years after you saw it. I mean, I saw it recently, but, but, and you know what? It is affordable by the way, the groundlings you can, for those listening, you can for a few pennies, be a groundling. You're going to have to stand up and watch a three and a half hour show, but it's going to be the best theater experience you've ever had. And you can go and stand up and be a groundling and watch currently like that.

Carrie:

Things, you know, especially in the summer and things like that. Yes, yes, absolutely. But it is, it is hard. There's

Lauren:

a hard, there's a big barrier to entry to theatre. I think it's really inaccessible to a lot of people financially. And it's also very inaccessible. I think a lot of people are intimidated by it or don't know. And that's why I think it's important to expose people. kids to it when they're young and to have a part of education. Anyway, I won't go down that route, but, next episode, next episode, next podcast. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, of the arts and education,

Robyn Cohen:

but It's coming.

Lauren:

I saw Macbeth and The only, scenic design element was this giant slab it looked like a marble slab that was hanging down from the rafters and it was their banquet hall. It was, the Twisted Sisters. Brewed their cauldron on it, and when, Lady Macbeth does her out out, um, her dub dub spot Out dub spot

Robyn Cohen:

out. Yes.

Lauren:

She walked back and forth on it, and basically it turned into a giant, it almost boated back and forth. It went back and forth, and back and forth, and she Having, her mental break and it just, this, the scenic design mimicked what was go, the turmoil that was going on in her brain. I didn't know that at the time, I can look back at that now. But I remember thinking, this is magic, like, I don't understand what's going on, but I'm affected by it. And, you know, you're always hoping to, like Aaron Sorkin always says all he's hoping to write is elevated schlock. And that's true. You're just hoping to make somebody feel something. You're just hoping. Shakespeare too.

Robyn Cohen:

Shakespeare too. He was like, how am I going to do this with the witches? It'll be elevated schlock. Schlock. He does

Lauren:

Yeah, that's kind of right, Elevated Schlock, which I love. I mean, it's all just the most basic stories, but they're there to move us. And they do, and they work again and again and again. So, yeah. Ah.

Carrie:

It's funny, you just made me think of this. I'd forgotten about this, but, it was so interesting. My dad, he loved, he loves, To Kill a Mockingbird. And we would do every year, we would, as a family, everybody would read the book. We would watch the movie and then in downtown Nashville, you know, we live just outside of the city in downtown Nashville. There was, oh, it seemed like every year there was some production of Till Mockingbird, and this was a family thing that we did. Multiple years in a row, either with, you know, that book, but, there were a couple of others we did as well, where we'd read the book, we would talk about it, we'd watch the movie, and if there was a live production, we would do And it was such an interesting, now that I, I forgotten about that. And so in my brain, the film nerd brain, I'm like, Oh, these three things are related. Like I never saw them separate. you know, it was just cool to me that you've got this one story that can exist in multiple mediums. And, and that was a really fun family thing that we did.

Robyn Cohen:

We also

Carrie:

watched a lot of James Bond, but that was different. Oh, of course.

Robyn Cohen:

Of course. Speaking of James Bond and Shakespeare. If could walk a mile in someone's shoes for a day, living or no longer alive, you could walk a mile in someone's shoes. Who might that be?

Lauren:

they have to be, in the arts or? Okay.

Robyn Cohen:

Anybody, anyone could be a public figure. It could be someone that we've never heard of. Yeah, it could be someone that you're related to in your family.

Lauren:

Julia Child. Oh, the whole All of her?

Carrie:

or just. Like the spy and the food or everything? I

Lauren:

don't know. I, yeah, I would want to walk all of it. I'm fascinated by her work during the war. I'm fascinated by her meeting Paul. I love everything she did in France. I love everything she did when she came back to Boston. I'm a giant Julia Child. Oh! I just, I love her.

Robyn Cohen:

And if time and money were no object, would you do a piece about, would you write about her? Is there a play

Lauren:

coming down the pipeline? I think I would love that. I mean, she's been, there's good movies and good television have already been done about Julia. Sure. But I mean,

Robyn Cohen:

not so much in live theater. Have we seen her? That is

Lauren:

true. Well, thank you for the idea.

Robyn Cohen:

2025! Looking strong. That's podcast number three. That's so cool. How about you, Carrie? If you could walk a while in someone's shoes, anyone for a day or so. I'm going to. Who would

Carrie:

it be? Mine would be Martha Gellhorn, and I'm looking off to the side because I have a quote by her, up in my house. And, so Martha Gellhorn, for those who don't know, she was a war journalist, Spanish Civil War, World War II, she was the, I think the first, I know she was the first female journalist, she may have been the first, journalist period that was on the beaches of Normandy during D Day. And then she walked and went all through World War II, and then was in every preceding war and skirmish until her death. but this quote that she has, is all I wanted to do was go everywhere and see everything and sometimes write about it. And I just love that, you know, she was also married to Hemingway, which, you know, a lot of I heard of him once I heard of that guy, but a lot of people try to say, Oh, she was one of Hemingway's wives. But to me, she was this, really interesting, strong, independent woman in a time where, you know, she was young and. She goes to Spain and wants to report on, you know, on what's happening. That's, that was her contribution. And, she had to, even with. getting to Normandy, she had to sneak her way onto a boat because, women weren't supposed to be there. So, so yeah, so Lauren is Julia and me as Martha would have passed each other because it's the same time period. We probably would have walked by each other in France being like, Hey, how's it going? What's up? You know, or something. I'm a croissant. Yeah.

Robyn Cohen:

In the world of playwriting, you could put them together in a conversation. That's what you can do in the world of arts and crafts and theater in particular. Okay, well, now you've inspired another question. What's the biggest risk that you've ever taken? I mean, these women that you're talking about, wow, you powerhouse, spiritually, rooted, creative entrepreneurs since the fourth grade and beyond, what's the biggest risk you've ever taken?

Carrie:

well, riding a bicycle in downtown. Paris was terrifying. So That was scary. I also got hit by a car. Oh, no, sorry. I'm okay. I'm okay You look she looks fantastic

Robyn Cohen:

for those who are just listening and can't see these beautiful glowing They're like literally beaming with just creative joy and fun Friendship. And it's just like, and they're like, it's like glowing. So for those listening in, check out the YouTube channel as well, but continue. So okay. That sounds pretty like risky business. That is risky business.

Carrie:

Um, oh gosh, that's a hard question. I don't think about what I do in that way. Do you Lauren? I love that. Yeah. You just do it. Maybe it was writing this play.

Lauren:

Maybe it was writing this play. I don't know. Maybe. Maybe. I think it was, this is like, I have nothing. I'm, I'm very not brave. I spend a lot of time in my room looking at my laptop. I, I'm probably coming to LA. I don't know. I think that was the biggest. It's definitely the point in my life where my life took the biggest fork, you know? and, I didn't think it would pay off and I'm glad I'm here, I guess. I'm just really glad I'm here. And if you have students that are like, this is a hard place to live, it is. But find your people and it becomes a little less scary. So, yeah, I'd come to LA. Yeah, and

Robyn Cohen:

worth it. Like, and by the way, regarding saying I'm not courageous the courage to do that, I just have to acknowledge that for you and for everyone else who is like stepping outside of wherever they came from to do something that nobody before them in their family or lineage has done before. I just, I am so admiring of that.

Carrie:

I think, you know, off of what Lauren said, I think anytime that you, are betting on yourself, it's really scary and really brave. And as creatives, you know, a majority of the time, it's just you betting on yourself because people aren't looking for us, we're having to go tell them we're here, you know, whether you're a writer or an actor, a musician, you know, so you're gambling on yourself every single day. So. I don't know.

Robyn Cohen:

the courage, but it's also the generosity because if we don't, if we don't drum up the courage, it's not courage if you're not afraid. Right. We all know that. It's not courage if you're not scared but that we do it. if you don't do it, they're robbed. The world would be robbed of this play. They'd be robbed of the storytelling. You know what I mean? Like, it's a highway robbery. If we don't, on some level. Do you know? So God bless you for, you know, being a guiding light and a North Star for people that are like, well, no one wants to see. Yes, they do. The world needs all of it. I mean, the world needs, more light, and and whenever we're shining that light, whether it's in theater or film or television or on stage or writing books, it's a real gift and it's really so needed you know, in the world. And, I love that people hearing this are like, oh yeah, These women, these artists, they, like me, like them listening in, like, yeah, they're scared too. just to move to Los Angeles, I too, I slept on a towel, I didn't know anyone, I was sleeping on this towel from Bed Bath Beyond for a while. But, it really is, like, you know, but the contribution that you are, is really, It moves me deeply. And I want to know, I want to know where people can find you in the world. Also, how they can come along for the ride of this play somehow, or if there's a place they could follow it, or if it has a page or something, or where they can, you know, Just find you a website. where people can, you know, they're not going to stop. This is, hey, people out there, we're not, this is a gentle, lovely way to just get in touch with some amazing powerhouse creatives, but where can people get in touch with you or find you?

Lauren:

well, I think we're both recluses, but, um, I am in our living rooms. Yeah. Um, my sweat pants. Exactly. My Instagram handle is at lsmerk86. L S M E R K 86. I really only post about plays that I've seen or plays that I'm in or plays that I'm doing or and I think that the theater community in LA is actually very, very inclusive and lovely. So if you have any questions about that, I'm also happy to, you know, go ahead and DM me. That's fine. and in terms of this play, we're definitely. Keeping our baby close to, close to the vest right now and we're so grateful to have the opportunity to talk about it here. but once we feel like it's a little bit more ready to see the light of the world, we will be shouting it from the rooftops and we promise that. So we will let you know. We will email you. We

Carrie:

cannot wait.

Lauren:

Yeah. Yeah.

Carrie:

We cannot wait to just, uh. This is your first

Robyn Cohen:

interview. This is going to be your first of lots It is. You guys heard it here. It really

Carrie:

is. This is our first interview about the play. It's our first interview as a writing team. Yeah. Very exciting. We're going

Robyn Cohen:

all the way. This whole adventure ride. How about you, Carrie? How can we follow you along this beautiful creative path? I am the

Carrie:

worst ever on social media. but I am on Instagram. It's my first and last name. And I never post anything because I'm lazy.

Robyn Cohen:

It's not true. I love what these people, they're coming up with these character descriptions that like would never be in the breakdown. You know how actors get a breakdown of the character? They have some wild character breakdowns of themselves. No, I mean, I mean,

Carrie:

You may see me shuffling around at a coffee shop, like, getting hopped up on caffeine so I could, you know.

Robyn Cohen:

but I do really appreciate you even just sharing where people could ask you a question because I do think that, that arts and crafts is alive and well in you and so many other people and they want some more intel They want to be able to ask questions, or they're just starting out. But I think people that are in this for the reasons we talked about, you just love the thing and you've just got to do it. And, have it go from your imagination to the physical world. I think They want to connect with other artists, like minded people like that. So thank you. And, um, and this was an amazing part one of a series. Thank you guys. Also, we had an amazing dance party. They introduced me to some really sweet jams. So thank you for that as well. And um, I'll share in the show notes where you all can find them. but Lauren and Keri. Wow. This is such a dynamic duo. Thank you. This is such a treat. I do. Thank you. I feel that she's making for those listening. She's making the heart. I don't know. heart with my fingers. don't know.

Lauren:

Gen Z has a cool way to do it. I'm doing the old school millennial way. I don't know. Your heart. There's different ways.

Carrie:

This is how. Out of touch I am. There's different ways to heart. Evidently.

Lauren:

I only know what I occasionally see when someone else shows me a TikTok. Not a TikTok, but from a millennial.

Carrie:

Same, I'm like, I'm not on any of it. I'm on Instagram. DM

Robyn Cohen:

I just want to like live in this zoom room forever, making heart emojis. Thank you guys so much. I really appreciate it. This is such a joy. you're such a gift. It's really an honor to be with you. And I'm so glad. Yeah, I'm so glad I know you now and now I get to know you forever because I'm going to be in touch and be like, when are we doing episode two? So,

Lauren:

love it.

Robyn Cohen:

Yeah, I love it too. so much. Thank you for wanting to talk to us. Virtual

Carrie:

hugs. Virtual

Robyn Cohen:

hugs. Feels

Carrie:

good. Did we hug the right way too or is there different ways to hug now? It was perfection.

Robyn Cohen:

Mastery. Again, in the DMs, let us know how to

Carrie:

hug.

Robyn Cohen:

love this. This podcast is taking a whole new direction. We're going to learn all sorts of tips and tricks of the trade for making it in showbiz. What's a good, what's a Hollywood hug for you? What's a heart? What's a heart? What is a heart? Well, I have certainly, I feel like you just walked me back home to myself today. Thank you. And my heart. So thank you both so much. Thank you. Till time. next time. Thank you both so much. Bye, Well, that was so delightful, so nourishing. These women, man, these women, man, wow, they are doing something that's like never been done before. they're writing a play together and I can see how it's gonna change the face of things that they're doing it and I can really just feel it. Feel how they have loved this creative partnership into the world and they've loved this new play that they've co written into life a play for the stage together to boss Hollywood writers got together on a picket line. Well, you heard the story, but if that doesn't float your boat and I can just see it, We're going to be there. Those listening in will follow this journey. I'm going to put in the show notes where you can, stay in touch with them. And, I'm already there. We're at opening night and we're standing ovations. And I just love the takeaway of like, we don't have to grind ourselves into the ground. To make our stuff, we can literally be pulled by a vision and just the enjoyment of the process and love our creations into the world, rather than, having it be this experience of trying to get it right and perfect and this grind and this hustle culture, you know, I think It's a, it's a process whereby we can just really be enjoying the thought, like they are, of this play that they created together. And they're enjoying that process so much that it's like they're just loving it from their mind's eye, from their imaginations. Into the physical world and I'm gonna be there opening night standing O's watching them on the red carpet When they go to New York Broadway West End and beyond So I think that's such a wonderful reminder that it's called a play not a drag Isn't it? A screenplay. teleplay. It's called a play, So, something to always, keep in your back pocket that, we can go back to and touch down to the cornerstone of why we did it in the beginning anyway. You know, keep getting in touch with, as they did. They were sharing, like, who their greatest influences were and keep Bringing our inspirations and the people that light us up into our processes so that it's just baked in with the goodness and the inspiration and the loving of the doing of the thing in and of itself for no other reason, not to try to please people or not to try to get people's approval, but just because you love doing it so much, so much the thing in and of itself. All right, well, this has been a glorious joyride. I feel like I've been on a roller coaster, I can't wait to see you next time. Stay hydrated, don't text and drive, you know, all the things, all the things. Okay, muah! Till then, bye! Well, Thank you so much. for joining us on this captivating adventure with the amazing Carrie and Lauren. What an exhilarating example of what's possible when we put ourselves out there with passion and love for what we do. their resilience and resourcefulness turned a huge industry setback into a vibrant work of art. let's keep this thriving creative energy alive and kickin If something resonated for you in today's episode, I invite you to share it with a friend. Email it to a buddy, text it to a colleague, a bestie, anyone you think could benefit from a shot of inspirational energy. and feel free to leave a review because that's how we can expand this circle of awesomeness. Next, don't forget to email me at Robyn@CohenActingStudio.Com or visit the website at www.cohenactingstudio.com It's all in the show notes. and join my free introductory acting class. It's happening online Tuesday, April 1st at 6 p. m. Pacific, and you'll want to be there because it's just what you need to catapult yourself to the next level of your artistry then our next six week acting workshop begins April 8th on Zoom and includes live sessions in West LA. also, if you're up for a personalized journey, our exclusive one on one sessions are perfect for diving even deeper. It all works. And either way, let's carve out your creative path in collaboration with one another. as we've seen so beautifully with Lauren and Carrie, we rise together. So here's to it. And here's to you. May every creative happiness and artistic fulfillment be yours. Till next time on the Daily Joyride. Mwah! See you soon.