How We Role: A Podcast for Actors by Casting Networks

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Curtain up on movie musicals! Writer-Director Dave Solomon, whose work has spanned Disney's live action Beauty and the Beast movie to Broadway's Elf musical, joins host and actor Robert Peterpaul to discuss breaking into the wondrous genre, and what he's learned from titans like Dolly Parton and Wicked's Jon M. Chu. 5, 6, 7, 8...
This special episode covers:
• How to carve out your own path and trust where it leads
• Shifting performances for the stage versus the screen
• Locking into tone without forcing “big” choices
• Choosing an audition song that fits the project and fits you
• What directors look for in collaborators
• Technical skills for movie musicals from lip syncing to CGI
• Working with legends like Dolly Parton and on the new Crazy Rich Asians musical
• Creating original work in an oversaturated content landscape  and more!

DAVE SOLOMON is a New York City-based writer and director for theatre and film. He’s been Associate Director to Scott Ellis, Joe Mantello, and Bill Condon on sixteen Broadway productions, including Elf, Side Show, Tootsie, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, 9 to 5, Curtains, and Assassins. In film, he worked as assistant to Oscar-winner Bill Condon on Mr. Holmes and Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, and as Associate Director to Scott Ellis on A Christmas Story Live.

Solomon recently directed and contributed additional book material for the new musical Already Perfect in London and staged a concert reading of The Rink for Classic Stage Company with John Kander, Jessie Mueller, Beth Leavel, and Santino Fontana. He’s directed national tours of Elf and Tootsie, the Japanese premiere of Tootsie, and is developing the new musical Pump Up the Volume.

His film work includes Brenda & Billy (and the Pothos Plant), starring Santino Fontana and Sarah Stiles, which premiered at Tribeca, and the award-winning Photo Op, featured in over 25 festivals including Palm Springs ShortFest and Outfest.

A Vassar College graduate, Solomon has also taught and served as guest artist at numerous acting studios and institutions.
www.dave-solomon.com
This is - How We Role. Discover fresh casting calls at castingnetworks.com.

Follow Host, Actor and Producer Robert Peterpaul (Amazon's Sitting in Bars with Cake, The Art of Kindness podcast) on Instagram @robpeterpaul and learn more at robertpeterpaul.com.

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What's the best way for actors to work with casting? Casting Director and CGA President Thea McLeod joins How We Role to share practical advice on enhancing this collaboration in a digital age. Thea and host Robert Peterpaul talk mindset, self-tapes, notes, and the small professional choices that make you memorable for the right reasons.
Thea McLeod is one of Australia’s most respected casting directors, widely recognised for her extraordinary eye for talent across mediums. 
For more than fourteen years, Thea served as casting director of the long-running and beloved soap opera Neighbours, helping to launch and nurture generations of performers from Margot Robbie to Liam Hemsworth.
In recent years, Thea has expanded her creative reach into producing, working on the Netflix original Measure For Measure, starring Hugo Weaving, which received multiple AACTA recognitions and widespread critical praise. Thea is currently casting Guy Pearce's highly anticipated supernatural thriller Poor Boy in addition to other ventures.
A tireless advocate for her profession, Thea is in her fourth year as President of the Casting Guild of Australia. She is also the founder of the AACTA Young Stars initiative, helping create real pathways between emerging talent and world-leading casting directors.
Together, Thea and I explore the ins and outs of the the actor-casting director dynamic. She graces us with a treasure trove of wisdom from specific self tape tips to how to really take an acting note. Be sure to share this one with an actor friend!
This episode is a treasure trove of creative wisdom, covering:
• How creatives can thrive with a community-driven mindset.
• Tips for protecting your mental health in an unstable business.
• How to make strong acting choices while staying true to the script and tone.
• Little self-tape upgrades that make a big difference
• Why receiving notes is a good thing and how you can really take them in.
• Understanding talent negotiations and timelines.
• On-set etiquette: punctuality, preparation, and respect for every department
• When social media matters and how it can function as a marketing tool, plus much more.
This is - How We Role. Discover fresh casting calls at castingnetworks.com.

Follow Host, Actor and Producer Robert Peterpaul (Amazon's Sitting in Bars with Cake, The Art of Kindness podcast) on Instagram @robpeterpaul and learn more at robertpeterpaul.com.

Follow Casting Networks on social media for casting news, interviews and more:
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How do you become a lead on a major network series? NBC Stumble star Jenn Lyon* joins host Robert Peterpaul to unpack what being number one on the call sheet and leading a cast with joy really means.
This episode focuses on how actors can work their way up, covering:
How making bold (and even odd) audition choices can lead to booking.
Learning from incredible #1's like Julianne Moore (on Sirens), Timothy Olyphant (on Justified), and Niecy Nash (on Claws).
Technical aspects of shooting a mockumentary style show like Stumble.
How to create a warm and inviting environment for guest stars and the crew on set.
Tangible tips on the craft of acting from self tapes to comedic beats and much more!
*Jenn Lyon is an award-winning actress who stars in the leading role of Courteney Potter in the hit NBC comedy series STUMBLE opposite Taran Killam. Likely best known for the role of Jennifer Husser in the hit TNT series CLAWS (opposite Niecy Nash), additional credits include the role of Chloe (opposite Julianne Moore) in Netflix’s limited series SIRENS, the villainous (and fan favorite) witch, Esther Finch, in Netflix’s DEAD BOY DETECTIVES, Paramount+ series HAPPY FACE (starring Dennis Quaid and Annaleigh Ashford), ELSBETH (starring Carrie Preston) as well as Linda on Hulu’s ENGLISH TEACHER (for which she garnered critical acclaim and Emmy buzz). You also may recognize her as Lindsey from JUSTIFIED or you might know her as the lady taking too long in front of you at any local grocery store. As a classically trained theatre actress, she has worked extensively on and off-Broadway. Broadway credits include Tom Stoppard’s 11-time Tony award winning THE COAST OF UTOPIA as well as Larry David’s FISH IN THE DARK. 
This is - How We Role. Discover fresh casting calls at castingnetworks.com.

Follow Host, Actor and Producer Robert Peterpaul (Amazon's Sitting in Bars with Cake, The Art of Kindness podcast) on Instagram @robpeterpaul and learn more at robertpeterpaul.com.

Follow Casting Networks on social media for casting news, interviews and more:
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How can actors collaborate with costume designers to fully bring a character to life and ground them in humanity onscreen? Hamnet’s Oscar-nominated Costume Designer Malgosia Turzanska* answers this question and many more, alongside host and actor Robert Peterpaul, in How We Role's insightful season 2 premiere. 
This special episode explores:
• Vital lessons that actors can learn from costume designers.
• What actors should have prepared for costume fittings.
• Hidden design details in Malgosia's work (from Hamnet to Stranger Things) that anchor performers.
• The ways texture and weight influence performances, from breath to movement.
• Why authentic compliments matter in the entertainment industry and much more.

*Malgosia Turzanska was born and raised in Krakow, Poland. She has a BFA in Costume Design from DAMU in Prague, Czech Republic and an MFA in Costume Design from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. Her design credits include Season 1 of Stranger Things and the A24 horror films X and Pearl starring Mia Goth, which inspired many a Halloween costume over the past couple years. She had a rousing 2026 awards season, designing Clint Bentley’s Train Dreams and a film adaptation of the book Hamnet directed by Chloé Zhao and starring Paul Mescal as William Shakespeare and Jessie Buckley as Agnes. Among other accolades, Hamnet earned 8 Academy Award nominations, marking her first Oscar nod.
This is - How We Role. Discover fresh casting calls at castingnetworks.com.

Follow Host, Actor and Producer Robert Peterpaul (Amazon's Sitting in Bars with Cake, The Art of Kindness podcast) on Instagram @robpeterpaul and learn more at robertpeterpaul.com.

Follow Casting Networks on social media for casting news, interviews and more:
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How We Role: A Podcast for Actors by Casting Networks is thrilled to announce that we're returning with brand new episodes, to inspire and empower creatives everywhere. In the meantime, please enjoy this re-release featuring acting advice from Scandal star Tony Goldwyn.
Tony Goldwyn (One Battle After Another, Hacks, Ghost, Scandal, and Oppenheimer) joins How We Role to share his journey from struggling with anxiety to finding authentic presence in his work. The actor, producer and director offers multi-perspectives on an actor's journey, giving insights into the benefits of embracing uncertainty and how digging deeper can set you free.
Goldwyn is an actor, director and producer. His latest feature directing project, Ezra, with Bobby Cannavale and Robert DeNiro, was released by Bleecker Street Films. Goldwyn made his feature directorial debut with A Walk on the Moon. The film premiered at Sundance and received a National Board of Review Award for Excellence in Independent Filmmaking. Other feature directing credits: Conviction, starring Hilary Swank and Sam Rockwell which was awarded the Freedom of Expression honor from the National Board of Review; The Last Kiss and Someone Like You.  His many acting credits include Oscar-winning Oppenheimer, ABC's Scandal and the cult-classic Ghost.
Goldwyn’s New York theater credits include Tony and Olivier Award-winner The Inheritance, directed by Stephen Daldry; Ivo van Hove’s Network with Bryan Cranston; the Broadway revival of Promises, Promises; Holiday at Circle in the Square; The Water’s Edge and Spike Heels at Second Stage Theater; The Dying Gaul at the Vineyard Theater; The Sum of Us at the Cherry Lane Theatre, for which he won an Obie Award and Digby at Manhattan Theatre Club.

This is - How We Role. Discover fresh casting calls at castingnetworks.com.

Follow Host, Actor and Producer Robert Peterpaul (Amazon's Sitting in Bars with Cake, The Art of Kindness podcast) on Instagram @robpeterpaul and learn more at robertpeterpaul.com.

Follow Casting Networks on social media for casting news, interviews and more:
Instagram
Threads
Facebook
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