Branching out from her CMA roots, Audrey Schnell walks us through her theatrical directorial debut of the classic American play, “It Pays to Advertise”. From funny moments in rehearsal, to overcoming the struggles of rehearsing without a set, Audrey gives us a peek backstage at what it was like to make this year's Torrey Theater play happen.

Drama, romance, and good clean humor. “It Pays to Advertise” tells the story of a young man that sets out to prove to his father anything can be sold if you advertise it properly—even if it doesn’t exist. Problems arise when his advertisements are more successful than he ever could have imagined, but he has nothing to deliver.

Showings April 4-5. For more details and to get your tickets, click this link.

Biola Backstage is back again for Season 3! Executive producer and host Hope Li talks to Biola Snyder School students Emma Broyles, Jonny Harmon ‘24 and Po Yin Sham about how in the world their award-winning film “A Lovely Ending” had its beginnings. Hear about certain actors’ casting rizz, Easter eggs, a tangent on Emma’s wedding cake goals and why we need to hug our moms more.

• (02:15) - Finding a lovely name
• (04:43) - Beginnings of the ending
• (10:15) - A lovely co-director
• (14:40) - Writing (and finishing) a lovely script
• (19:41) - Also, Emma and Po are roommates
• (26:41) - The lovely actors, and calling Dibs
• (40:04) - A love for musicals (and people) makes for a lovely film
• (54:50) - Locations, locations, locations ... Shout out BeReal!
• (01:02:35) - Easter eggs, tea and a wedding cake request
• (01:11:01) - Emma's mom and mothers' sacrificial love
• (01:16:17) - Therapy and the stress of making a lovely film
• (01:22:58) - Post-production: a lovely ending to "A Lovely Ending"
• (01:26:29) - Final remarks

About “A Lovely Ending”

“A Lovely Ending” is a film from Biola’s Snyder School of Cinema Media Arts that took almost two years to make, with almost 130 cast and crew members. It premiered at Biola University’s newly-renovated Ethel Lee Auditorium on Sept. 20, 2024. Watch the trailer here, and follow the film’s Instagram @alovelyending.musical as it continues on its award-winning journey. The official soundtrack to the film is available on Spotify and all the other music streaming platforms.

To watch the trailers of the films we mentioned in the episode, head to Jonny’s Linktree. For more of his work, follow him on Instagram @harmonmedia. Catch Emma’s recent scribblings on her Substack and her Instagram @emma_of_everywhere, and find Po cooking mushrooms, crocheting and on her Instagram @poyinsham.

Thank you for listening to this episode of Biola Backstage! If you are interested in learning more about the people we interviewed or have ideas for future guests, please email us at torchradio@biola.edu or DM us on Instagram @kbr_torch_radio.

Dr. Matt Hall joins us on this episode of Biola Backstage. We ask him questions about his education, his teaching career, his relationship with the Spanish language and culture alongside discussing some other intriguing topics.

About Dr. Matt Hall
Dr. Hall grew up in Spain as a missionary kid before coming to America. He comes from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary where he has been an associate professor of church history, vice president for academic services, the dean of Boyce College and the provost and senior vice president of academic administration.
Dr. Hall on the Directory
Dr. Hall's LinkedIn