Make Your Show: The Creators Make Your Show Podcast

Tony Award winning actor Joanna Gleason has been entertaining viewers with her stage, film and television work for decades. When she decided to create more balance with her work and her life, she took on what she came to think of as her "miracle" - "The Grotto", a feature film that she wrote and directed. The journey her film took from inspiration to production is as inspiring as Joanna herself. Outside of her work, she heeds the mantra of her father, delights in spending time with family and reminds us that forks in the road can lead us to an unexpected journey.

In the first episode of season two of "Make Your Show: The Creators", we sat down with actor/writer/producer Sebastian LaCause. Sebastian got his start in the business as a Broadway dancer. Wanting to expand his opportunities and flex other creative muscles, he created the wildly popular indie series "Hustling", which found a huge audience for its three seasons and won him numerous Indie Series Awards. These days, Sebastian is still making film but his intentions have changed, as has his approach to storytelling.

Make Your Show: Story Evolution is a series focused on how to potentially develop existing stage works into on-screen stories. In our second episode, writer Holli Harm's short play "Make John Patrick Shanley Go Home" is read by actors Ilana Gabrielle, Kim Reed and Abigail Gampel, followed by a discussion with Make Your Show's Jason Cicci and John Cramer.

Make Your Show: Story Evolution is a series focused on how to potentially develop existing stage works into on-screen stories. In our first episode, writer Jennifer Peterman's monologue "Babe" is read by veteran TV and film actor Tony Head, followed by a discussion with Make Your Show's Jason Cicci and John Cramer.

In our fifth episode of "Make Your Show: The Creators", we sat down with Nick Psinakis. Nick is an actor, writer and director from Long Island, NY. After graduating from The University of Delaware with a major in Visual Arts, Nick attended the conservatory acting program at the William Esper Studio in New York City where he studied the highly recognized work of Sanford Meisner and studied under William Esper, Joel Rooks and Terry Knickerbocker.

     
Nick, along with his writing partner Kevin Ignatius, formed Four Eighteen Films, a production company committed to conceptualizing and developing low-cost, high quality, independently produced films and television. “Four Eighteen” stems from the birthday they both share, April 18th.  Despite talking almost every day, it took them over three years to realize this. 

   

In 2011, they wrote, acted and produced the short film The Adoption Agency in conjunction with FunnyOrDie starring Rex Lee ("Entourage", "Young & Hungry").  In addition to garnering much attention on the website, the film opened the 2011 LA Comedy Shorts Film Festival, won the 2011 Christopher Wetzel Award for Independent Comedy and was an Official Selection for the 2011 Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in both Chicago and Montreal respectively.



Since then Four Eighteen Films has produced countless music videos, short films and pilot presentations. Their most recent feature film, "My Best Friend’s Famous", is currently available to stream on Amazon Prime, iTunes, Google Play and Tubi TV.

In our fourth episode of "Make Your Show: The Creators", we sat down with actor/writer/director Tracey B. Wilson, whose dynamic spirit is truly inspiring. Even though she has worn multiple creative hats, she strives to do more, offering her some surprising opportunities. Her philosophy about making art and how to navigate the entertainment industry truly blends her need to create and the greater philanthropic reasons behind her ambition.