Performers & Creators Lab – Details, episodes & analysis

Angie Krass was rejected by the musical theatre world but figured out how to make a space for herself in comedy and storytelling while relentlessly loving animals and people along the way! 

In this delightful conversation we talk about:

• How comedy changes you as a person
• Differences between storytelling and comedy
• The time she bombed in front of a crowd of lesbians

And so much more!!

See Angie live this Thursday, August 15th, 2024 at The Story Edge in Oakland - Click here for tickets and information>>

About Today's Guest, Angie Krass
The Mississippi Madam of Mayhem, Angie Krass has never been one to play by the rules or live life by the norms. Hailed by the San Francisco Chronicle for her one woman show Sex, Biscuits, Jesus and Me as "Superior Southern Fried Comedy."  She has performed for Boston'sWomen in Comedy Festival, the Oakland Comedy Festival and the 2022 Seattle International Comedy Competition.Representing Oakland California, this Mississippi native serves up superior Southern fried comedy with a rainbow twist. Follow her on Instagram @angiekrass

About Your Host, Holly Shaw
Before becoming a comedian, Holly Shaw spent a lifetime on stage, T.V. and film as an actor, professional dancer and later as a speaker, coach and hypnotherapist. She's authored two books: the Amazon bestseller, The Creative Formula, as well as  Making Art In the Middle of Madness and she was a regular teacher at SAG/AFTRA's conservatories in San Francisco as well as Los Angeles. Her podcast, Performers & Creators Lab, was named One of the Most Outstanding Podcasts of 2019 by Databird Research. Through all of her offerings she has helped thousands of performing artists, some of them Emmy Award winning and Grammy nominated, overcome stage fright, impostor syndrome, and creative blocks so that they can create the work they were born to make and become undeniably magnetic performers.  To learn more about Holly's work as a coach please visit www.performersandcreatorslab.com To learn more about her life as a joke teller please visit hollyshawcomedy.com

About the Composer: Dan Cantrell is an Emmy award winning composer and multi-instrumentalist known for his innovative film scoring approach, and his virtuosic abilities on the accordion, piano and musical saw. “Hauntingly beautiful…quirky and energetic” says the San Francisco Bay Guardian.  His extensive scoring catalogue spans a wide range of emotion and style. Dan’s compositions for film and television have earned him numerous awards including an Emmy Award for KQED’s Home-Front,a Golden Gate award for the soundtrack to the documentary Divided Loyalties, and an Annie nomination for his work on three seasons of Cartoon Network’s the Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack. Visit bellowhead.com

Today's podcast interview is with the one and only, Diane Amos! Comedian, actor and storyteller she weaves through the turning points of her long career as a performer with her infectious joy and sparkling attitude.  Don't miss this opportunity to catch a little bit of her wonder and love of the game of show business.

In the Bay Area?  You can see Diane live at The Story Edge, this coming Thursday, June 20th at Sláinte Irish Pub & Restaurant in Oakland 7pm - Get tickets now>>

About Today's Guest
Diane Amos is an actor (Patch Adams), stand-up comedian and storyteller who came up in the improv world along such greats as Robin Williams and is now well-known as the “Pine-Sol Lady” in commercials and as a spokesperson. You can follow her on instagram @dianeamosofficial

About Your Host, Holly Shaw
Before becoming a comedian, Holly Shaw spent a lifetime on stage, T.V. and film as an actor, professional dancer and later as a speaker, coach and hypnotherapist. She's authored two books: the Amazon bestseller, The Creative Formula, as well as  Making Art In the Middle of Madness and she was a regular teacher at SAG/AFTRA's conservatories in San Francisco as well as Los Angeles. Her podcast, Performers & Creators Lab, was named One of the Most Outstanding Podcasts of 2019 by Databird Research. Through all of her offerings she has helped thousands of performing artists, some of them Emmy Award winning and Grammy nominated, overcome stage fright, impostor syndrome, and creative blocks so that they can create the work they were born to make and become undeniably magnetic performers.  To learn more about Holly's work as a coach please visit www.performersandcreatorslab.com To learn more about her life as a joke teller please visit hollyshawcomedy.com

Get ready for some real talk about intuition! The most common question I get asked when I do my "relationship auras" comedy bit is "Are you really an intuitive?" and my answer is always, "yes, and so are you!"  So I decided to dive a little deeper into this topic and explore intuition and how to get more of it. 

Episode Highlights:

• My psychic bit and how I came to develop that
• The best place to start when honing your intuition
• My own journey from being a confused empath to a becoming a confident receiver
• An exercise you can start using right away
• Creativity and its relationship to intuition

And BONUS, I share other free resources you can use to start playing with your intuition today!

About Your Host, Holly Shaw
Before becoming a comedian, Holly Shaw spent a lifetime on stage, T.V. and film as an actor, professional dancer and later as a speaker, coach and hypnotherapist. She's authored two books: the Amazon bestseller, The Creative Formula, as well as  Making Art In the Middle of Madness and she was a regular teacher at SAG/AFTRA's conservatories in San Francisco as well as Los Angeles. Her podcast, Performers & Creators Lab, was named One of the Most Outstanding Podcasts of 2019 by Databird Research. Through all of her offerings she has helped thousands of performing artists, some of them Emmy Award winning and Grammy nominated, overcome stage fright, impostor syndrome, and creative blocks so that they can create the work they were born to make and become undeniably magnetic performers.  To learn more, please visit www.performersandcreatorslab.com

About the Composer: Dan Cantrell is an Emmy award winning composer and multi-instrumentalist known for his innovative film scoring approach, and his virtuosic abilities on the accordion, piano and musical saw. “Hauntingly beautiful…quirky and energetic” says the San Francisco Bay Guardian.  His extensive scoring catalogue spans a wide range of emotion and style. Dan’s compositions for film and television have earned him numerous awards including an Emmy Award for KQED’s Home-Front,a Golden Gate award for the soundtrack to the documentary Divided Loyalties, and an Annie nomination for his work on three seasons of Cartoon Network’s the Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack. Visit bellowhead.com

It’s a neat little paradox we live in as artists, isn’t it? Our job is to stay focused on creating solely from our vision, and yet, we can’t help it . . . sometimes we have to look up to see if anyone else is paying attention. Srini Rao, the host and founder of The Unmistakable Creative Podcast, has a lot of great wisdom on this topic as someone who has interviewed over 700 highly creative people and who just published his latest book, “Audience of One: Reclaiming Creativity for Its Own Sake.”  Srini talks about finding validation in your work, surfing as a creative practice, dating as a self-proclaimed B-List Celebrity and answers the question, “Which should take precedence: morning sex or your writing habit?”

Click here to learn more about the Performers & Creators Lab >>

About Your Host, Holly Shaw

Holly Shaw, CHT  is a performance coach, creativity researcher and stand up comedian.  Growing up in Indianapolis, IN she convinced her parents she needed to go to Chicago to get her own agent when she was 14 years old and has spent a lifetime in film, T.V. and on professional stages all over the world as an actor, dancer, and director.

Now she shares her passion for the problems that artists face as a Creativity Coach and a Certified Hypnotherapist and has helped hundreds of artists, from Emmy award winning and Grammy nominated artists to world class choreographers overcome their anxiety, stage fright, impostor syndrome, and creative blocks so that they can create original work and totally kill it onstage again and again without feeling like they're selling out or losing their sanity.

In 2016, Shaw wrote and released her book, The Creative Formula: Compose, Choreograph, and Capture Your Masterpiece  which has become an Amazon bestseller.  In 2018 she launched the Performers & Creators Lab podcast which was named one of 2019's most outstanding podcasts by Databird Research. She teaches regularly at the SAG/AFTRA offices in L.A. and SF and runs creative laboratory workshops like the Comedy Lab Open Mic once a month at Monaghan's on the Hill in Oakland. Follow her on Instagram @hollyshawspritely

In this interview taken live at Digital Hollywood, Holly is in the hot seat for once, being interviewed by VoiceAmerica's own Lori H. Schwartz, host of the Techcat Radio Show, as we get a look at the woman behind The Women In Hollywood: Warriors from Within Series, Holly Shaw.  In this cheeky fun interview, they chat about hypnosis, mind altering substances, and hatred for certain specific foods.

Holly Shaw, CHT  is a performance coach, creativity researcher and stand up comedian.  Growing up in Indianapolis, IN she convinced her parents she needed to go to Chicago to get her own agent when she was 14 years old and has spent a lifetime in film, T.V. and on professional stages all over the world as an actor, dancer, and director.

Now she shares her passion for the problems that artists face as a Creativity Coach and a Certified Hypnotherapist and has helped hundreds of artists, from Emmy award winning and Grammy nominated artists to world class choreographers overcome their anxiety, stage fright, impostor syndrome, and creative blocks so that they can create original work and totally kill it onstage again and again without feeling like they're selling out or losing their sanity.

In 2016, Shaw wrote and released her book, The Creative Formula: Compose, Choreograph, and Capture Your Masterpiece  which has become an Amazon bestseller.  In 2018 she launched the Performers & Creators Lab podcast which was named one of 2019's most outstanding podcasts by Databird Research. She teaches regularly at the SAG/AFTRA offices in L.A. and SF and runs creative laboratory workshops like the Comedy Lab Open Mic once a month at Monaghan's on the Hill in Oakland. Follow her on Instagram @hollyshawspritely

Isn't it great when you find those people you truly love working with? Join us as we talk with veteran actor and founder of Casting About, Blair Hickey, as we discuss what casting directors really want, how to find your actor's type, what it means to be a unique storyteller and more! If you are feeling a little dis-empowered, like you're just waiting to be "picked" then this episode will shift how you look at your career, casting, collaboration and help you discover: what kind of storyteller are you?

Find out more about Performers & Creators Lab >>

Blair Hickey has been a working actor for over twenty years. He graduated with a degree in Theatre Arts from Brown University, started his career in New York working on stage and with recurring roles on daytime soaps. Since moving to Los Angeles, Blair’s worked primarily in television, appearing in such shows as NCIS:LA, TOUCH, HARRY'S LAW, HEROES, MEDIUM, HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, GHOST WHISPERER, ALLY MCBEAL, THE PRACTICE and CHICAGO HOPE. In 2004, Blair co-created CastingAbout, the online casting and production guide. In 2009, CastingAbout was acquired by Breakdown Services, where Blair continues to serve as a developer and consultant. Blair is also a proud husband, a daddy of two beautiful girls, and a die-hard Philadelphia Eagles fan. Learn more at http://www.castingabout.com

Holly Shaw, CHT  is a performance coach, creativity researcher and stand up comedian.  Growing up in Indianapolis, IN she convinced her parents she needed to go to Chicago to get her own agent when she was 14 years old and has spent a lifetime in film, T.V. and on professional stages all over the world as an actor, dancer, and director.

Now she shares her passion for the problems that artists face as a Creativity Coach and a Certified Hypnotherapist and has helped hundreds of artists, from Emmy award winning and Grammy nominated artists to world class choreographers overcome their anxiety, stage fright, impostor syndrome, and creative blocks so that they can create original work and totally kill it onstage again and again without feeling like they're selling out or losing their sanity.

In 2016, Shaw wrote and released her book, The Creative Formula: Compose, Choreograph, and Capture Your Masterpiece  which has become an Amazon bestseller.  In 2018 she launched the Performers & Creators Lab podcast which was named one of 2019's most outstanding podcasts by Databird Research. She teaches regularly at the SAG/AFTRA offices in L.A. and SF and runs creative laboratory workshops like the Comedy Lab Open Mic once a month at Monaghan's on the Hill in Oakland. Follow her on Instagram @hollyshawspritely

Heidi-Marie Ferren is a singer/actress, writer/spokesperson who has played Wonder Woman on HBO’s hit T.V. show “Bored to Death” and also served our Armed Forces across the globe as Miss USO. I caught up with her at Digital Hollywood where we talked about her latest project involving female driven content called, “Woman Enough,” and stories from her service as Miss USO. Heidi models how to show up in service yet also how to be brave and break the rules.


Find out more about Performers & Creators Lab >>

Heidi-Marie Ferren is an actress, vocalist, and writer who originally hails from California, Arkansas, and Texas. For the past four years she has served our service members as Miss USO, performing and speaking across the globe as an ambassador and steward of gratitude. She has performed and lectured in over 700 venues including performances at CitiField, Nassau Coliseum, Madison Square Garden and Dick Clark’s ‘New Year’s Rockin’ Eve’ Nivea Stage in Times Square.

 As a country, jazz and gospel recording artist, Heidi’s credits include performances with Patti LaBelle, Lee Greenwood and Tony Orlando.

 Most recently Heidi has had a recurring role on ABC’s hit comedy, ‘American Housewife’ starring Katy Mixon and the lead female role of Sophie in JKic’s award winning short film, The Talk, which is currently playing at festivals worldwide.  She has had the honor of working with the incredible Gary Marshall in one of his last films and working alongside one of her mentors, Ted Danson, playing Wonder Woman on HBO’s hit T.V. show “Bored to Death”.  

 On stage, she has played leading roles in Shakespeare and Shaw across the globe with some of the world’s most renowned Directors. Some of her favorite roles include: Candace in the world premiere of ‘Dogshow;’ Frances Abbott in ‘In the Belly of the Beast,’ directed by Adrian Hall; Lena in Misalliance, directed by Ethan McSweeny; Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing; the Marquise in Successful Strategies, directed by Carl Forsman and Helena/Puck/Flute in the Award-winning PBS broadcast of Shakespeare’s, ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream.’

​

To learn more, please visit www.heidimarieferren.net

Holly Shaw, CHT  is a performance coach, creativity researcher and stand up comedian.  Growing up in Indianapolis, IN she convinced her parents she needed to go to Chicago to get her own agent when she was 14 years old and has spent a lifetime in film, T.V. and on professional stages all over the world as an actor, dancer, and director.

Now she shares her passion for the problems that artists face as a Creativity Coach and a Certified Hypnotherapist and has helped hundreds of artists, from Emmy award winning and Grammy nominated artists to world class choreographers overcome their anxiety, stage fright, impostor syndrome, and creative blocks so that they can create original work and totally kill it onstage again and again without feeling like they're selling out or losing their sanity.

In 2016, Shaw wrote and released her book, The Creative Formula: Compose, Choreograph, and Capture Your Masterpiece  which has become an Amazon bestseller.  In 2018 she launched the Performers & Creators Lab podcast which was named one of 2019's most outstanding podcasts by Databird Research. She teaches regularly at the SAG/AFTRA offices in L.A. and SF and runs creative laboratory workshops like the Comedy Lab Open Mic once a month at Monaghan's on the Hill in Oakland. Follow her on Instagram @hollyshawspritely

Not sure if your social media posting and promoting is actually doing you any good?  Listen to this episode where Holly is joined by digital marketing expert and independent artist, Suzanne Yada also known as Little Spiral as she explains what you might be doing wrong, effective methods for attracting your audience with social media, email lists and more. You’ll get the down low on effective FB strategies, and fresh creative ideas for inviting your ideal audience in and minimizing your time at the computer so you can make more art instead.  We also dive into the paradox of the day job artist and why it’s ok to have a side gig.

Find out more about Performers & Creators Lab >>

As a digital marketing strategist, Suzanne Yada has brought clients big and small into profitability with tools like Facebook advertising and email marketing. As singer-songwriter @ Little Spiral @, she mixes her indie pop, classical, blues and electronic influences with her background in poetry, media and the internet to create clever little piano pop songs for the digital age. Find out more at www.yadacreative.com


About Your Host, Holly Shaw

Holly Shaw, CHT  is a performance coach, creativity researcher and stand up comedian.  Growing up in Indianapolis, IN she convinced her parents she needed to go to Chicago to get her own agent when she was 14 years old and has spent a lifetime in film, T.V. and on professional stages all over the world as an actor, dancer, and director.

Now she shares her passion for the problems that artists face as a Creativity Coach and a Certified Hypnotherapist and has helped hundreds of artists, from Emmy award winning and Grammy nominated artists to world class choreographers overcome their anxiety, stage fright, impostor syndrome, and creative blocks so that they can create original work and totally kill it onstage again and again without feeling like they're selling out or losing their sanity.

In 2016, Shaw wrote and released her book, The Creative Formula: Compose, Choreograph, and Capture Your Masterpiece  which has become an Amazon bestseller.  In 2018 she launched the Performers & Creators Lab podcast which was named one of 2019's most outstanding podcasts by Databird Research. She teaches regularly at the SAG/AFTRA offices in L.A. and SF and runs creative laboratory workshops like the Comedy Lab Open Mic once a month at Monaghan's on the Hill in Oakland. Follow her on Instagram @hollyshawspritely

Tania Z, actress, filmmaker and self-proclaimed "glamazon," talks about her work advocating for legalization of medical marijuana for military veterans, her film that’s part of the LACMA archive, and how she loves presenting stories with an alternate viewpoint in this episode of the Women In Hollywood: Warriors from Within series. Look for a new episode every Sunday as the Performers & Creators Lab Podcast shares these captivating short profiles of women change makers making Hollywood great here and now.

Find out more about Performers & Creators Lab >>

Tania Zee is a SAG-AFTRA guild actor and Film & TV Creator from NYC, currently residing in LA.  She is a 6 foot tall, U.S. Army Veteran, doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.), and former model who proudly holds the trifecta of beauty, brains, and brawn. 

Tania stars on television, film, digital, and in network television pilots.  Her dedication & work ethic floods into the realms of writing, producing, and directing across genres, on various platforms; that includes the internationally distributed feature film, The Internship Games, as well as television options, two films created for the Los Angeles County Museum of Arts (LACMA) archives, and other projects at various stages of development.

Learn more here: www.imdb.me/taniazee 

FB/IG/Tweet @iamtaniazee 

Holly Shaw, CHT  is a performance coach, creativity researcher and stand up comedian.  Growing up in Indianapolis, IN she convinced her parents she needed to go to Chicago to get her own agent when she was 14 years old and has spent a lifetime in film, T.V. and on professional stages all over the world as an actor, dancer, and director.

Now she shares her passion for the problems that artists face as a Creativity Coach and a Certified Hypnotherapist and has helped hundreds of artists, from Emmy award winning and Grammy nominated artists to world class choreographers overcome their anxiety, stage fright, impostor syndrome, and creative blocks so that they can create original work and totally kill it onstage again and again without feeling like they're selling out or losing their sanity.

In 2016, Shaw wrote and released her book, The Creative Formula: Compose, Choreograph, and Capture Your Masterpiece  which has become an Amazon bestseller.  In 2018 she launched the Performers & Creators Lab podcast which was named one of 2019's most outstanding podcasts by Databird Research. She teaches regularly at the SAG/AFTRA offices in L.A. and SF and runs creative laboratory workshops like the Comedy Lab Open Mic once a month at Monaghan's on the Hill in Oakland. Follow her on Instagram @hollyshawspritely

Taking criticism isn’t always easy and people don’t always have your best intentions in mind when they give it. In this episode, we dish about this with guest and feedback veteran, Jade Raybin. Listen and learn about the best ways to give critiques and how to receive them, how to discern the note within the note, the importance of guarding your creative fire from unsolicited comments, creative suffering, the body’s role in creativity, unlocking your personal motivators and more in this fun chat with brilliant award winning screenwriter, playwright, and choreographer, Jade Raybin. 

Find out more about Performers & Creators Lab >>


Jade Raybin was raised by artistic criminals, so of course she writes about people getting away with wild schemes and pushing the edge - for better or worse. She writes about social experiments, where a “what if?” comes true and comeuppance is delivered through magical or sociological means. Whether she's writing a heist movie, a love story, a period drama, or a revenge thriller, love, magic, and the absurd abound.

Her film writing credits include JW Marriott's action comedy Two Bellman (SoH), Over the Moon (distributed by Shorts Int.) 3 Sisters (beats antique.)

As a playwright, credits include: Low Hanging Fruit & America’s Next New Anchor (Drama Mamas), 14 Times in Two Weeks (EPI), Blindspot (T-4), I Dream Reality & Operation Cool (CTE), and Superhero Academy, a self-esteem building activity book for kids.

 She holds an MFA in Experimental Theater with a concentration in Performance Activism. Her pilot, The Golden Cage, placed as top ten finalist in a UCLA'a writing competition.

 For more info, please visit www.JadeRaybin.com

About Your Host, Holly Shaw

Holly Shaw, CHT  is a performance coach, creativity researcher and stand up comedian.  Growing up in Indianapolis, IN she convinced her parents she needed to go to Chicago to get her own agent when she was 14 years old and has spent a lifetime in film, T.V. and on professional stages all over the world as an actor, dancer, and director.

Now she shares her passion for the problems that artists face as a Creativity Coach and a Certified Hypnotherapist and has helped hundreds of artists, from Emmy award winning and Grammy nominated artists to world class choreographers overcome their anxiety, stage fright, impostor syndrome, and creative blocks so that they can create original work and totally kill it onstage again and again without feeling like they're selling out or losing their sanity.

In 2016, Shaw wrote and released her book, The Creative Formula: Compose, Choreograph, and Capture Your Masterpiece  which has become an Amazon bestseller.  In 2018 she launched the Performers & Creators Lab podcast which was named one of 2019's most outstanding podcasts by Databird Research. She teaches regularly at the SAG/AFTRA offices in L.A. and SF and runs creative laboratory workshops like the Comedy Lab Open Mic once a month at Monaghan's on the Hill in Oakland. Follow her on Instagram @hollyshawspritely