ACT LIKE A MOTHER

Katie and Melanie
  • 5.0 (30)
  • Performing Arts
  • Updated Weekly

Working actors and mothers Katie MacNichol and Melanie Lora talk with fellow actor moms about balancing career, creativity and parenting. While no two stories are the same, what these women have in common is an ever-deepening relationship to their craft and a profound commitment to raising their kids in a way that feels true to them. Not just for actor moms, this podcast is for creatives parents of all ilks, and anyone wondering what it's like to be an artist and raise a family.

  1. May 26

    Betsy Aidem Has Arrived

    Betsy Aidem is fresh off a hugely successful Broadway run in the Pulitzer Prize -winning play Liberation  when she joins Katie and Melanie in this vibrant conversation. She tells of the windfall of work that’s come her way since turning 60, and the years that came before when she balanced a career on the stage while raising her son as a single mom, during which time she often felt everyone had an intact family except her.  Betsy speaks openly about the challenge of parenting through a divorce, how she turned down jobs so she wouldn’t miss bedtime, and how her now-grown son became enamored of the world of artists—and is one himself.  Fueled by an insatiable curiosity, Betsy thoroughly researches her roles through reading and traveling, and in between jobs, that same curiosity keeps her busy and inspired, whether she’s taking an art class, perfecting her chef skills or seeing the world. Melanie and Katie also get to hear more about Liberation, the play that has taken the theatre world (and the world at large) by storm. Since this interview was recorded, Liberation has been nominated for 5 Tony awards, the script has been published, and productions are scheduled in multiple theatres. Betsy shares her experience playing the famous nude scene for 8000 people a week, the impact of performing this play during tense political times in the country, and the gifts this play offered both to the actors and the audiences.   Betsy Aidem is a testament to what happens when you choose positivity over bitterness, and a shining example of what tenacity, relentless commitment to craft, and a genuine love of the art form of acting can lead to. More on Betsy @liberationbway https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/11/03/betsy-aidem-working-woman

    50 min

  2. May 8

    A Special Mother's Day Episode

    Season 4 opens with a pair of conversations very near and dear to our hosts’ hearts. In this episode, Melanie and Katie speak with their own mothers, Francie Lora and Loreen MacNichol, about what it’s like to recognize that your young child is destined to be an actor;  and the unwavering support both women continue to give to their girls as they remain committed to a sometimes fickle, sometimes fulfilling business. Vibrant, creative and still happily devoted to their own work, Francie and Loreen tell stories of their own lives, their relationship to the arts and reflect on the challenges and joys of mothering for many years. Both share a curiosity and drive that keeps them open and engaged with the world.  Katie and Melanie learned some things about each other as well, and discovered  commonalities in their stories they wouldn’t have known if their moms hadn’t spoken them. This is a 2-part episode, with Melanie’s conversation first and Katie’s after that, and listeners should tune into both, as Francie and Loreen are warm, funny, astute women with tremendous wisdom to impart. They have been listening to Act Like a Mother since Day 1, and having them on the show is a true Mothers’ Day gift.

    51 min

  3. Mar 9

    Celeste Arias on Ball Gowns, Baby and The Big Bang

    Brand new mama Celeste Arias never could have imagined the expansion she would feel after giving birth to her son - universes of love and enchantment - keeping her afloat during swells of anxiety and extreme fatigue. After her agent dropped her and a frigid NY winter loomed, a fortuitous audition led not only to an escape to warm weather for her young family, but to a juicy role and an opportunity to reclaim her artistic self after the birth of her baby boy. Celeste shares in real time what it’s like to do an out of town gig with a 6 month old and spouse along for the ride: from sleep training an infant in artist housing, to summoning the creative spark in rehearsals, to pumping, pumping and more pumping. Celeste knew that when she stepped into rehearsals to play Thea Elvstead in Hedda Gabler at The Old Globe Theatre, she would meet the challenge from where she was: emotionally raw, deeply fatigued and with more love in her heart than ever before.  More on Celeste: @celestenarias www.theoldglobe.org www.theactorscenter.org www.thealready.org

    1 hr

  4. Feb 9

    Cindy Cheung Saw The Signs

    Award winning actor Cindy Cheung blames a hot pink flyer stuck to a UCLA campus wall for causing her 180-degree turn away from applied mathematics and towards an acting career. From her days in LA discovering the power of theatre and the importance of representation on stage, to turning down a job helping to build B1 bombers so she could do an acting intensive, to struggling to feel authentic and inspired as a young actor in NY, to the time she quit the business altogether and what ultimately brought her back, Cindy's stories are laced with heart and humor.  She shares the thrill of deciding to have a child with her novelist husband and how they are raising a well-adjusted son who can handle work- related separations and be thoroughly himself. Cindy is a tireless advocate working for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and as a member of the Asian American Performers Action Coalition, she has created noticeable change in the industry and put her math skills to good use. She tells Melanie and Katie about all the fun she’s having in rehearsals for the premier of MEAT SUIT at Second Stage and why Bouffon clowning may just be the absolute best way to express the literal “shit show of motherhood.” More on Cindy: 2st.com aapacnyc.org edlinforpresident.com

    1 hr

  5. Jan 23

    April Matthis Will Show You Something Amazing

    After she was told by someone in the business that she could either have a career or a family, award winning actor April Matthis made it her mission to show the world that it was possible to do both. With intense dedication to her vocation (she went to an audition 2 days after giving birth) and to her child (she nursed him for 22 months), April has created her beautiful career and family with unwavering integrity. April shares the frustrations of fighting for fair wages and the pleasures of being a longtime company member of the groundbreaking experimental theatre collective Elevator Repair Service, where she learned how esteemable it is to ask for what you need and be valued for who you are. Passionately in love with New York, this Texarkana girl has no interest in suburbs or minivans, and she walks Melanie and Katie through what it’s been like raising her son in the city as her career grew from tiny downtown theatres to Broadway and from short films to her recent riveting guest spot on Netflix’s number one show and why these days, she tries to choose roles that allow her to hug her teenage son goodnight instead of checking in on FaceTime from afar. April talks about her latest project, the world premiere of The Dinosaurs at Playwrights Horizons , the mystery and excitement of working on a new character with an incredible cast, and how sometimes holding something back as a performer makes the audience lean in all the more. More on April: @aprilmatthis Elevator Repair Service https://www.elevator.org/ Amadi Comes Home (short film) https://filmshortage.com/dailyshortpicks/amadi-comes-home/ The Dinosaurs - Playwrights Horizons https://www.playwrightshorizons.org/shows/production-history/2020s/2526/dinosaurs?gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23350765141&gbraid=0AAAAAoXIt7pV9ei1T82c8LXGDHxuVsyZA Take Me Home - Sundance Film Festival 2026 https://festival.sundance.org/program/film/6932fa301a55353c2091ae2b

    56 min

  6. 12/22/2025

    Shinah Hey Wants More Of This

    As an in-demand Twin Cities actor, singer, dancer and comedienne, Shinah Hey went from one job to the next with barely a break in between. When she was offered a role she’d played 10 years before, she knew she’d hit a creative ceiling. Ready to be seen not as the girl she was when she got started but as the woman she’d become—a seasoned performer, wife and mother of 2—Shinah did her research to find a new home base. She was looking for a place she could pursue fulfilling acting work and where her five-year-old daughter could have access to services that support her autism and Bryant-Li-Bhoj syndrome. That place turned out to be Southern California. Shinah shares her journey to becoming a mom through both IVF and adoption, how her love for acting motivates all areas of her life and keeps her self-taping auditions after the kids go to bed, how she and her actor husband do the work/life juggle and why she’s a better mom when she’s working.  More on Shinah: @shinahhey https://www.imdb.com/title/tt37355440/?ref_=nm_flmg_job_1_accord_1_unrel_cdt_t_1 Bryant-Li-Bhoj Syndrome https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPHQc7oPdgc Fertility Resources https://resolve.org https://www.fertilityclinicarizona.com Adoption https://adoptioncouncil.org

    1 hr

  7. 12/08/2025

    Kelly Lester Is A Mother Of Invention

    Kelly Lester is someone who shakes things up on a regular basis without even meaning to. While taking some time off from acting to raise a vibrant family, Kelly started not one but two super successful businesses. She then discovered, during one of her daughters’ performances, that her own creative fires were burning stronger than ever.  Kelly entered back into acting a little older, a little wiser, and a lot more confident and castable. And when working in LA was no longer fulfilling, she and her actor husband set up shop in NYC a stone’s throw from Broadway to grab hold of a long-held dream.  Kelly’s story is one of ingenuity and the step-by-step processes that lead to great things; it’s one of family—from her actor parents to her 3 daughters, all thriving in the business; and it’s one of jumping in with both feet without looking back. Kelly shares stories of parenting wins, how she’s moving through the acting business at this point in her life, and why an actual person at Amazon picked up the phone and called her. More on Kelly: https://www.kellylester.com @kellylesternyc The YouTube channel! (scroll down for lunchbox videos!) https://www.youtube.com/@lesterworld

    57 min

  8. 11/24/2025

    Katie MacNichol Feels Grateful and Faithful

    NOTE BEFORE: In this episode we mention suicide ideation and drug use which may be sensitive subjects for some.

 Act Like A Mother creator and co-host Katie MacNichol takes her turn in the interview seat to share her beautiful, funny and deeply moving story of acting and mothering. She describes her early days in NYC - on Broadway one day and back to waiting tables the next - her meet-cute moment with her actor husband, and how they raised their two kids while working on stage and on the road. Katie speaks honestly with Melanie about the creative ways she managed to weather not only the ups and downs of a fickle business and financial strain but also the pain, fear and confusion she faced during her teenage son’s struggle with addiction. She shines light on what that experience taught her about her role as a mom and her relationship to her career, and she reveals how this podcast is the direct result of the gifts that come when we’re willing to tell the truth about how life is. More about Katie: https://katiemacnichol.com @katiemacnichol https://backyardrenaissance.com https://www.theoldglobe.org

    1h 1m
See All (31)

Trailer

5
out of 5
30 Ratings

About

Working actors and mothers Katie MacNichol and Melanie Lora talk with fellow actor moms about balancing career, creativity and parenting. While no two stories are the same, what these women have in common is an ever-deepening relationship to their craft and a profound commitment to raising their kids in a way that feels true to them. Not just for actor moms, this podcast is for creatives parents of all ilks, and anyone wondering what it's like to be an artist and raise a family.

Information

  • Creator
    Katie and Melanie
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    31
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Katie and Melanie
  • Show Website
    ACT LIKE A MOTHER

You Might Also Like