Cocoon After Dark

Lights, Courage, Action: Lee Rose's Directorial Odyssey

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2522279/fan_mail/new] Lights, Courage, Action: Lee Rose's Directorial Odyssey Lee Rose: In-the-Face Storytelling, The Truth About Jane, and Refusing to Disappear Host Quincy interviews writer-director-producer Lee Rose about her career and approach to storytelling, highlighting The Truth About Jane as a project that enabled parent-child conversations and drew intense reactions, including death threats, a White House screening, and a fight to dedicate the film to Matthew Shepard. Rose traces her path from theater and production work to writing and producing TV movies, learning ruthless editing from Stockard Channing, and making her directorial debut with The Color of Courage, a civil-rights story she pushed to greenlight with Linda Hamilton’s support. She discusses being raised by a Black housekeeper, sexism in directing versus being gay, the shrinking pipeline for new diverse directors post-COVID/strikes, and advice to persist through shorts, grants, festivals, and DGA mentoring. Rose also reflects on coming out later in life, separating work from news, and currently writing a novel about generations of women and slavery. 00:00 A Rebel Builds Her Own Table 01:08 Welcome to Cocoon After Dark 01:25 Rapid Fire and The Truth About Jane 02:52 From Theater to TV Sets 04:06 Learning to Let Words Go 07:19 Becoming a Ruthless Editor 09:14 Directorial Debut The Color of Courage 13:56 Raised by Johnny and Identity 15:18 Women Gay and Power on Set 17:01 Who Gets Hired Now 19:29 Advice for New Directors 21:24 When Representation Catches Up 24:46 Writing for Everyone Strong Leads 26:39 Origins Late Bloomer Lessons 29:23 Chores and Tough Love 30:39 Truth About Jane Fallout 33:07 Culture Backlash Today 34:18 Staying Focused Creatively 35:28 Mentoring Women Filmmakers 36:38 Two Ideas at Once 37:59 Coming Out at 38 41:21 Parents and Upbringing 47:37 Exes and Adulthood 49:52 Martinis and Quitting Smoking 51:09 Cruise and Farewell Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2522279/support] https://linktr.ee/CocoonAfterDark

Intersections of Voice and Identity: Discovering Jen Cheng

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2522279/fan_mail/new] Intersections of Voice and Identity: Discovering Jen Cheng Host Quincy interviews Jen Cheng, poet laureate of West Hollywood, about voice, identity, community, and showing up authentically. After rapid-fire questions, Jen reads her poem “10,000 Butterflies,” written in 2023 for a Grand Performances opportunity, tracing family survival, war, displacement, and queer safety across Hong Kong, China, and Buenos Aires. Jen discusses her pronouns (“she/ke”) and how Cantonese lacks binary gendered pronouns, then explains Cantonese vs. Mandarin and efforts to suppress Cantonese. She describes writing in English while incorporating Cantonese pronunciation, teaching workshops through the West Hollywood Library and WeHo Arts Pride, and moderating a March 29 event with the Mazer Lesbian Archives honoring Eloise Klein Healy. Jen shares coping tools (listening to Maya Angelou and James Baldwin), performance-anxiety techniques, a short rainbow meditation, and closes by reading “Still I Stand,” plus where to find her classes and links. 00:00 Meet Jen Cheng 01:10 Rapid Fire Warmup 01:59 Poem 10000 Butterflies 06:56 Pronouns and Language 08:23 Cantonese vs Mandarin 10:48 Writing and Roots 14:07 Identity Shapes Art 17:14 Creative Breakthroughs 20:30 Finding Your Voice 23:37 Poet Laureate Life 27:33 Teaching and Queer Joy 31:46 Stage Fright Tools 35:50 Stress and PTSD Tools 36:40 Grandma Confidence Story 39:15 Grief and Spirit Guide 39:53 Visibility on National Stage 43:55 Coming Out and Pride 47:27 Proudest Personal Growth 50:00 Guided Rainbow Meditation 54:30 Chakras and Creativity Blocks 57:59 Courage Creativity Belonging 59:11 Closing Poem and Where to Find Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2522279/support] https://linktr.ee/CocoonAfterDark

Olivia and Kelly-and their age gap relationship

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What If I Die Tonight?--Love, Legacy and Queer Power

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2522279/fan_mail/new] In a solo episode of Cocoon After Dark, Quincy Tessaverne argues that many queer people build beautiful lives yet could lose everything in a crisis because the system defaults to bloodline, not love, when paperwork is missing or outdated. She urges listeners to structure “queer wealth” with intention: review beneficiary designations yearly, title property correctly, and create written co-ownership agreements.Quincy explains how powers of attorney, medical proxies, and advance directives decide who can manage money, speak to doctors, and honor end-of-life wishes—otherwise next of kin may overrule partners and chosen family. The episode also explores queer caregiving pressures with aging parents, the need for boundaries and paid support, and planning for one’s own care. Finally, it covers chosen-family inheritance, living trusts to avoid probate, and directing wealth to partners, friends, pets, or LGBTQ+ causes as a lasting act of authorship. For in-home support use queer owned Sheridan Care. [https://www.sheridancare.com/] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2522279/support] https://linktr.ee/CocoonAfterDark

Part 2- Dr. Lorri Sulpizio-Chemistry, Conflict and Control- The Truth About Lesbian Relationships

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2522279/fan_mail/new] In part two of her interview with coach Dr. Lorri Sulpizio, Quincy and Lorri discuss “growing up” in relationships by slowing down, prioritizing self-understanding over labels, and avoiding measuring love by speed rather than safety. They explore midlife women leaving long heterosexual marriages for relationships with women, the intensity of lesbian relationships, outness mismatches, and how fear and attachment wounds can drive conflict, red-flag blindness, and choosing partners who soothe old pain. Lorri describes her couples and one-on-one coaching approach, emphasizing emotional regulation, psychological safety, advocacy, conflict repair, and practical tactics like talking side-by-side or on walks. The episode also includes a first sponsor spot for Sheridan In-Home Care, an LGBT-founded provider serving Greater LA and the Coachella Valley, and ends with reflections on representation, Instagram-based lesbian relationship content, and modeling healthy relationships for kids. 00:00 Part Two Setup 01:26 Sponsor Break 02:22 Media Queerbait Talk 03:47 Midlife Coming Out 06:20 Labels Versus Self 07:37 Coaching And Outness 10:31 Outness Conflict Repair 14:18 Relationship Lessons 16:20 Spotting Red Flags 19:19 Repair Without Shame 20:59 Attachment Wounds 27:37 Excitement Versus Safety 28:52 Premarital Skills Gap 31:11 Childhood Patterns Repeat 32:34 Couples Coaching Method 36:06 Modeling For Kids 38:07 Repair After Hurt 38:28 Blending Families Later 40:29 Intentional Role Blending 42:35 Family Meetings Not Balance 48:59 Holding Without Control 52:49 Side By Side Conflict 55:39 Hiking And Connection 59:12 Devices And Disconnection 01:01:05 Instagram And Representation 01:07:18 Final Reflections And Thanks Find Lorri here: https://www.lorrisulpizio.com/ https://www.instagram.com/lorrisulpizio/ Sheridan In-Home Care: https://www.sheridancare.com/ 310.204.1187 https://www.instagram.com/sheridancare/ Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2522279/support] https://linktr.ee/CocoonAfterDark