Welcome Rochester Opera House Sound Engineer, Nick Donlin, as he breaks his silence from behind the "ROH & RPAC On Air" podcast recording board. Nick and Sam chat about the inner workings of sound tech at Rochester Opera House and discuss what challenges arise for the variety of productions we produce at ROH. Contracted with ROH since reopening after COVID, Nick is in charge of mixing, designing, and staging the sound not just for our theater productions, but also rock shows and rentals. Nick shares how professionalism is key to keeping authenticity for each performance, how to adapt on the fly during productions, and how simple wardrobe choices or set layouts can make all the difference behind the mic.

Guests: Chris Bradley & Eloise Ellis

Eloise tells us how reprising her role as Ariel in ROH’s production of Disney’s The Little Mermaid is just what she needs this summer to help reclaim her passions for theatre. Chris is excited and ready to perform as Ursula, a role he’s eyed since 6th grade. Our guests chat about just singing songs versus putting passion and heart behind the music and where these efforts make the difference for the performance. They talk about making genuine connections to their roles and how this keeps repeat productions interesting.

Guest: Grady Savage

Grady Savage joins Sam Bennett to talk shop about stage managing. Stage managers run all aspects of the performance from before the start of rehearsals until strike. We hear how she keeps things in order, on time, and how she brings the show back to order after technical malfunctions and missed cues. Starring in theatre since the early age of 8, Grady started working the technical side of theatre in her teens and throughout her college years. Her main focus is making sure everyone is safe and has a great time!