Defining Talent: A Podcast

S1E26 - Defining Talent With Montgomery King

((FANFARE OF TRUMPETS)) Today's guest on Defining Talent is the dynamo of a multi-hyphenate artist, Montgomery King. Montgomery just finished their second year of the MFA in Television, Film, and Theatre/Writing Option program at Cal State LA, and in addition to the scripts and writing projects they've been working on, they also appeared onstage in Something Rotten and Macbeth. Throughout their life, they have always been invested and interested in working in many creative areas and exploring the intersections of narratives as well as the intersections of mediums. You can learn more about Montgomery and previous episodes/guests at www.definingtalentpod.com [https://www.definingtalentpod.com]

S1E25 - Defining Talent With Olive Lalli

S1E25 - Defining Talent's guest is Olive Lalli, a powerhouse vocalist and actor who is currently finishing her Bachelor's in Theatre Arts/Performance Option at Cal State LA. On today's episode, Olive talks about growing up in a creative family and the benefits of arts access at home and support for pursuing a life in the arts; Laura and Olive dig in to their mutual love of RuPaul's Drag Race and the importance of representation and access; the two of them indulge in fits of laughter and cackling - and in between cackles, the connection between talent, love, and vulnerability is explored.

S1, E24 - Defining Talent With Andrew Lyndon Knighton

Andrew Lyndon Knighton is today's guest: tenured professor of English at Cal State LA (and current Associate Chair of the Department of English), an appreciator of jazz and solitude and public transit and opportunities for reflection, someone who embraces the analog in our increasingly digital world, and a tremendously insightful - and delightfully sardonic - human being. If nothing else, you have to listen to this entire podcast so that you can get to one of the latter segments of the episode, in which Andrew and Laura discuss "The Melville People." You can find out more information about Andrew and previous episodes and guests at www.definingtalentpod.com

S1, E23 - Defining Talent With Rocelyn Islas

Is talent just another word for love? The relationship between love and talent gets scrutinized on today's episode, when Laura is joined by one of the humans she loves most, Rocelyn Islas. A lover of love and Snoopy, Rocelyn is the Administrative Support Coordinator for the Department of English at Cal State LA, and she is currently in her first semester of the Master's of Public Administration (MPA) program at Cal State LA. She and Laura became besties when Rocelyn was hired in 2021 as the joint Admin Support Assistant for Theatre and Music, and they've been cackling together ever since. SO thrilled to have Rocelyn on the pod!! You can learn more about Rocelyn and previous episodes at www.definingtalentpod.com

S1, E22 - Defining Talent With Henry Alexander

On today's episode, guest Henry Alexander discusses the value of adversity and being a lifelong learner, as well as the importance of putting in the work. Henry is currently in his second year of the MFA in Television, Film, and Theatre/Content Creation program at Cal State LA, and he was cast in a major role in the 2022 production of "Keely and Du" that Laura directed. Henry is an incredibly well-rounded artist whose experience surpasses his years, and it was a joy to have him on the podcast. For more info about Henry and previous episodes, visit the podcast website at www.definingtalentpod.com