Had a wonderful chat meeting and diving into the mind of Grey Grant. Gotta love that alliteration. They're an alliteration Girlie. Enjoy.Grey Grant, a composer and performer, discusses their journey as a trans non-binary person and their passion for music and theater. They talk about how they chose their name and their experiences in the music and …

Katie was a blast to talk to! Love connecting with young new grads barreling into the business with blood, sweat, and tears. Enjoy.SummaryKatie discusses her background, including her name, living in Princeton, and her love for sleep. She talks about her recent acting projects and her work at Princeton University. The conversation then delves into …

Ivan Potter-Smith is back! we had the best conversation about Artificial Intelligence and the ways we think it will and has already effected art. GPT, Sora, free coloring books, 3d printing. It is all HERE! Enjoy.The conversation explores the impact of AI and 3D printing on the art industry. It discusses how AI is already replacing certain jobs in …

It is INTERNATIONAL WEEK on AtE! PART 2 All the way from the Windy City of India! Ojas Jain shares insight into the Bollywood scene in Mumbai as he walks us through his choice not to join the family business but instead to study and pursue filmmaking education in America. How does that happen and why is he not in Los Angeles? Find out and you know …

It is INTERNATIONAL WEEK on AtE! PART 1 Lighting majors unite! We covered the globe-trotting travels of Ms. Yuko Taniguchi from Japan across the sea, back, across the sea, AGAIN. The specific journey to lighting through a need for community and so much more. Enjoy.

Samantha in the house! Don't miss this great chat about the swing from Musical Theater to Opera to Editing! Enjoy. Samantha Richardson shares her background and experiences growing up in a fractured family. She discusses the dynamics of her parents' divorces and remarriages, as well as her relationship with her sister. Samantha reflects on the diff…

Grant West discusses his background and journey into the film industry. He talks about growing up in North Carolina, his passion for making videos with friends, and his decision to pursue film in college. Initially interested in producing, he later discovered a love for design and directing. Grant also shares his thoughts on the role of a director …

What a wonderful artist Ivan Potter-Smith is. Starting in the mountains of Asheville, we work our way to Winston-Salem where we find a quick chat with a visual artist that started passionate about comic books and landed painting scenes. Now he does all kinds of things and he feels great about that. Shouldn't we all. Enjoy.…

Great episode today with classical vocal major: Bonnie Blackwell. We talk about the freedom to be happy, Moravian church, different experiences with singing as an art form, pursuing confidence through your work and much more. Fun Fact: Bonnie is an actual ray of sunshine. Enjoy.

(better watched on YT/Spotify than listened to) This year Steven and Rob hit up some massive alumni events at Lincoln Center in New York and in Winston-Salem for the first ever UNCSA Homecoming! Follow these stories in this special holiday episode of At The Elephants! For Rob's full breakdown of Homecoming:https://youtu.be/RRhK2j4YV7UFor the Golden…

Aaron Hammersley is a wonderful fellow that has had quite a journey. More of this podcast became about bisexual representation than was planned but thats how things shake out sometimes. In this case, we have two Los Angelenos sharing their stories of awakening and transformation! Also about working your way towards your dream job in unexpected ways…

The happiest of New Years to you all! Please enjoy this holiday compilation compiled by Rob and Steven--and that's not even the best part! This is only part 1! Faith and Religion are often the roots for people who catapult into the intense study of art available at a conservatory like UNCSA. Sometimes we depart that faith and sometimes we embrace i…

You can go your own way! That is the resounding lesson in today's chat with the insightful and talented Drake Duffer (great name, come on!). You can find Drake's music all over the music platforms but you can find this chat right here about his life in Winston-Salem, NC before, during, and after UNCSA! Yes we got a townie on the show today and he's…

Mariah is from Long Island. Born and raised. Listening to her you would never know it--why that is, may surprise you. We get into the long journey that took her out of New York for school and what took her right back. Married, working, dancing--this was another great chat about learning and how people are different. NOT SO SIDE NOTE: If you can, go…

Russian live from Turkey! Roza and I had a wonderful chat over a not-so-wonderful internet connection that touched on the immigrant experience, the good places to play tennis, the magic of language and the right ways to educate (spoiler: there is no right way). Don't miss it!

The beautiful and talented Roxy Peykamian is on the show today talking about the lifelong aspiration of documentary filmmaking, the realization of the pausing of that dream AFTER achieving it for reasons that will surprise you, her Persian North Carolina roots, why she's being working in the wardrobe department and more. Don't miss it!…

Nicholas is an impressive fellow. I can say that confidently after chatting with him on this episode. Somehow we never met before but we had a wonderful chat about the path of the dancer, working with family, the love of music as a tool, and not to mention this dude has got mad hats. Like you don't even know. Don't miss it!…

The wonderful Trent Spivey is here everyone! Long Time Listener, First Time Caller (LTLFTC); we had the best conversation about the work he's doing now in VR. Specifically, helping to record immersive experience with terminal family remembers. Sounds like Black Mirror right? I thought so too. We get into it and so much more don't miss it!…

10 quick brilliant minutes from Marcus Bridgewater on how to help others help themselves and why greed prevails. FROM FULL EPISODE: "MARCUS BRIDGEWATER"

Very recent graduate Charlie Herndon in my living room to talk about how we're shaped by education and what that really means to each of us. We also talk about how Family Guy is still watchable and plenty more. Don't miss it!

Nine years and three deans apart in Drama Directing--today on AtE the lovely Marina from Brazil is here to dish on how things have changed in our shared major, the journey as an international student, the dreaded visa process and (my favorite) the sensibilities of Gen Z and the differences in language in culture looking at America from the outside-…

Kopp's back! We sat down in LA after our homecoming trip to talk about WHY he works on At The Elephants. We cover how Steven came on to the show earlier this year and the value he sees in the ongoing discussion. Why do people end up at UNCSA? Did it save your life or F you up or is it just college? These questions are interesting to both of us. Ste…

Shot AT THE ELEPHANTS WITH ROB MORRIS, this mini-episode contains some wonderful chats with Golden Pickles (50 years out) from (U)NCSA. David Parker, Joyce Actor & Margaret Holtz share their stories of how they ended up at this brand new thing called the North Carolina School of the Arts in the 1969 Summer of Love. David and Margaret shared that of…

UNCSA had its first ever homecoming! But there's no sports game right? What once was PICKLESTOCK is reinvented! What did it consist of? Who was there? How could it be better? All this and more this week on At The Elephants! Don't miss it! Stay tuned for chats with some Golden Pickles (50 years out) recorded AT THE ACTUAL ELEPHANTS! Are ya kidding m…

Finally got the band leader on the talk show as a guest after many years. For those that don't know, Daniel is the composer and performer of At The Elephants music (both intro and outro were borrowed from his album PUNK PHILOSOPHY). We get into the story of how the music got on the podcast and even better why it was written! What makes a musical so…

Johnny Reese is in the house and we had a wonderful chat about SC, growing up queer, growing up Christian and all sorts of other growing up. Don’t miss it!

The boys are back in the closet! Brandon is back At The Elephants continuing the deep dive with Rob about how two best friends have had such different journeys.

We got a double dancer! That's right HS and Undergrad for Sofia from Brazil. We got into the on-campus life of an international student and really dug into the experience of traveling to the states to do the art. Also a big fan of the "was this too much for you at that age" conversation. For Sophia, well you go watch and listen and she can tell you…

James Carey joins us LIVE (not really) from Capitol Hill! We got into his transition from management of stages to managing events in our nations diplomatic epicenter! Love takes us in all sorts of directions and Mr. Carey shows us that today on AT. THE. ELEPHANTS! Don't miss it.

I absolutely ADORE Sara Seger and so should you. Sara is one of the first pickles I met in my entire School of the Arts journey. OG. Listen to us catch up and talk RIOULT, the rare 4-year High School NCSA experience, dance as a lifetime career and so much more. Don't miss it!

Quick Rob-Only episode for you updating you on the State Of the Pod. Wanted to talk about bringing on Steven Kopp & Michael Johnson, breaking through 100 episodes, the future of the show, homecoming this year, what we are learning, the reoccurring themes of AtE and the gratitude for our listeners. Don't miss it!…

The one and only Brentwood Slim! Mr. Wayne Bennett is in the house or at least in a house and let me tell ya, this is a great episode. We talk drumming, hip-hop, being the only black man in his drama class, Jacksonville, and so much more. Don't miss it!

Michael Johnson, the newest addition to the At The Elephants team, is on the show this week to share his story. It is a good one: Oregon, the church, mom's motorcycle accident, drinking, not drinking, discipline and a frank conversation about the benefits and downfalls of conservatory intensity. Don't miss this one because it is good.…

*RECORDED BEFORE THE STRIKE OF SAG-AFTRA* Such a wonderful time getting to know the incomparable Ciera Payton! We got into it all: growing up in New Orleans in one of the most fascinating home dynamics, Wendy Williams, redirection, Maya Angelou, and the incredible organization Michael's Daughter. Don't miss it. https://cierapayton.com/…

Another ex-roommate and current genius: Graham Bowlin, that's right Bo Duggin himself is here to charm and amuse as always. We talk horror, film dreams, country song writing, novels, love, magic, and dirty bathrooms. Don't miss it!

What a wonderful time I had welcoming back Steve Coulter to At The Elephants! You may recognize the name from a few places. Steve joined us for the #BENT2020 series we did when his lovely daughter Emma directed him right before the pandemic. Emma returned to the podcast for a full length episode this year and now Steve is back and it does not disap…

After years of knowing him, I finally realized how much Sam reminds me of Jake Johnson. Once you know it, you will see Nick Miller's brother for this whole episode. Sorry to do that to you. Anyway, art man Sam Ogden is in a house this week talking Burning Man Turtle Art Cars (BMTACs), Army Wives, Outer Banks, Walking Dead and what to do if it all w…

The farm boy from Elsberry surrounds himself with plant life and chats with us about his own true blue Green Acres tale. The family goes from big city to very small town, to the big city once again. Why do we keep hearing this theme I wonder? Don't miss it, he is so handsome.

Jessica Moretti is delightful. We had a wonderful chat about the path through design and animation. Self discovery and the autism spectrum. I love getting to know people I barely met years ago. This is one of those and it is lovely. Don't miss it.Jessica is an Art Director and Set Designer out of Portland, Oregon with a passion for theatre, film, a…

Kacie Brown-Gagnon is on the show this week and you're in luck because she is absolutely lovely. We talk going to school while being older, being part of a very close class, letting go what you are supposed to be and so much more. Don't miss it! www.instagram.com/attheelephants www.instagram.com/robmorrisyowww.instagram.com/notcryptokaciebrown21…

Dev Ready is in the house and you aren't ready. No regrets on that pun by the way. We are over the place on this one but more than anything we see Dev's journey from walking to school to walking on stage doing comedy. It's quite the ride and we had a lot of laughs. Don't miss it!

Another stranger, another friend. So thrilled to share this chat with the great Briana Venskus-Vazquez (AGENTS OF SHEILD, THE WALKING DEAD, ACTRESSWITHAPODCAST) who spent more than her share of time in The Triad but only hit NCSA for high school. Then CalArts brought her to California and before you know it: she was a PA! We talk the humble beginni…

The great and wise MARCUS BRIDGEWATER joins us today to drop consistent knowledge and wisdom for 42 straight minutes. This is one of my favorite episodes of AtE EVER! I mean it. Not since Bob Francesconi do I remember such wisdom being so succinctly delivered. I had no idea what I was getting into. Don't miss it!Marcus Bridgewater is known for his …

Brandon is back and we are talking acting acting acting, but first: Bartending! What happens when you reach your dream and re-evaluate it? What happens when you get your shot and you oversold how ready you are? How about when you are sure that your shot has arrived and it turns out to be one of the worst things you've ever been a part of? Where doe…

City boy, playwright, actor, educator. The great Matthew Jellison joins us today for AtE and I ATE up this chance to catch up with my old buddy Jelli. We talk Hell's Kitchen roots and the path of one born to acting parents. How writing and acting have played off of each other and how all of that led to his work in education teach kids how to tell s…

Was lucky to get a quick chat with the brilliant Wesley Taylor (ROCK OF AGES, SUMMONING SYLVIA, ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING) and boy is this a great episode. We talked origins and the plucky certainty of hurtling towards your destiny vs the chaotic drifting that often leads talented minds to the same place. We talked about the ever fascinating mul…

The great and powerful NOAH REECE is with us this week and man, this dude is something else. Composer, Writer, Actor and now: game designer and software engineer!? He's built an app that is out now called Bandto (as in BandTogether). Think LinkedIn meets Pokemon Go. You can get it now on both the major app stores (Apple/Google), but you can get thi…

The great and beautiful Lauren Karaman is with us today folks! Wonderful to catch up and also get to know the actor/model/writer/producer/all around badass that is Lauren. She has the best smile on Earth and you get to see a lot of it here as we talk about how she ended up in NC and how time at school wasn’t always what she bargained for. Get ready…

What a delightful time was had getting to know Ms. Katharine Lucic (Elkington)! The vulnerability she shared with me about her journey to where she is now is not something taken lightly. Pregnant with her second child and focused on building a very new life, Katharine shared her before-school story that led her to NCSA and the eight-year stint of a…

What a ride this episode is. I had never met or spoken to Chloe, never heard her name or her story in the slightest before we recorded this episode. WOW am I glad that all changed and I hope you enjoy this incredible story which I assure is merely episode one of Chloe's tale. We follow her across the country dancing from Hudson Valley to Staten Isl…