Creative Actors Lab

Send us a text

Medium Sophia Gardeen must examine her life choices with the help of Charles Dickens, Bob the Atheist ghost, and the spirits of two hip grandmothers on an especially haunted Christmas Eve. 

Includes the voice talents of:
Kelley Cody-Grimm as Sophia Gardeen and Little Sophia
Benja Petty at Bob the Atheist Ghost
Max Grimm as Charlies Dickens, Cal Gardeen and a Demon
Kim Hart as Laura Gardeen, Nana and Nicki's Mother
Damita Parks as Etta and Announcer 
Eion McCrary as Jess 
Irene Naranjo as MeMa and...

Send us a text

Join us as ghosthunter Jack Bronson gets some divine intervention on Christmas Eve from Em, an angel who needs to help Jack so she can get back into the good graces of her "boss" with the help of Keith, the ghost. 

We have a wonderful cast of voice actors, including: 
Mezi Mulugeta as Em 
Dean Atkinson as Jack Bronson
Brandon Winget as Keith the Ghost 
Shiyla Gantt as Jack's Mom, Angela
Justin Deen as Jack's Father, Ted Bronson
Chiron Broderick as Dave
Liz Ireland as J...

Send us a text

A special rendition of the classic holiday story and editorial written by New York Sun's Francis P. Church for an editorial on September 21, 1897.  The voice talent includes Carlos Tovar, Blerta Xhelili, Estella Love-Rice, and Kelley Cody-Grimm. This is a collaboration between OTC Productions and Creative Actors Lab.

For more on Creative Actors Lab, check our website, www.creativeactorslab.com. You can always find us at our Instagram page, @creative_actors_lab, Facebook page, @CreativeActorsLab, Linked-In - Creative Actors Lab, and YouTube Channel - @CreativeActorsLab . If you would like to support our w...

Send us a text

Nero and Malaria hatch a plan to deal with Larry Linberg and his photo development store after a shocking discovery. Manson and Esther befriend Saffronia and her brother Nelson after the Mayor's son and daughter bully them.  The Demonis also face heightened scrutiny from their nosey neighbor. 

Warning: Adult Themes and Content

Directed, Written, and Edited by Danielle Grimm

Produced by Danielle Grimm and Kelley Cody-Grimm

With the voice talents of:

Darrell Snedeger as Nero Demoni

Katelin Chesna as Malaria Demoni

...

Send us a text

After going on the run after a botched murder, the Demoni family settles into the simple small town of Simpleton, a perfect vision of 1960s suburban utopia–or so it seems! As they learn more about the unsavory characters in town, they know that they have their work cut out for them, which includes cutting down those who exploit the innocent.  

Warning: Adult Themes and Content

Directed, Written, and Edited by Danielle Grimm

Produced by Danielle Grimm and Kelley Cody-Grimm

With the voice talents of:

<...

Send us a text

In this episode, Kelley discusses what you need to do in a slate and do it correctly for an audition. A slate is a basic introduction before you submit your sides or monologue to a casting director or agent. It helps them see who you are before you delve into your character. Mostly, they want to see that you are easy to work with.  Here is some of the essential information you need to include, but check with the specifications in the email or casting instructions to make sure you're including the correct i...

Send us a text

In this episode, Kelley discusses the fine art of pitch decks for authors, screenwriters, and filmmakers. She looks at the basic structure of about 12 to 15 slides that can be in Google Slides or PowerPoint which includes:

Cover ArtLoglineComps - other works that you can compare it to. Character Descriptions - only for your to 6 to 7 charactersSynopsis of the plot - one page or slide.The inspiration for the projectThe Tone - what visuals to use. The marketing potential - Who is your audience? About the author/screenwriter/or production crew (director or wri...

Send us a text

In this episode, Max talks about how he left art school to pursue acting and how much he learned in the process. At one point, he was in the best and worst productions he'd ever been in.  He's looking back at his history to plan for the future which is a great exercise for anyone, no matter your age.  

For more on Creative Actors Lab, check our website, www.creativeactorslab.com. You can always find us at our Instagram page, @creative_actors_lab, Facebook page, @CreativeActorsLab, Linked-In - Creative Actors Lab, an...

Send us a text

This week, Kelley talks about using AI to help you cut down on your writing time, whether it's helping you write a synopsis based on your Save the Cat Beat sheet, crafting a logline, or doing research for your pitch deck. What AI doesn't do well is writing comedy, and we discuss that, too. 

Here are some of the AI resources that Kelley talks about:

Claude AI is good for doing literary research and asking about characters or authors or creating loglines, but not comedy.ChatGPT is good for creating S...

Send us a text

This week, Max and Kelley talk about their creative journey through writing, with Max's being mostly in poetry and writing a blog for a year and Kelley's journey with writing scripts, short stories, and novels.  Max also talks about a time in the early 90s when a short film that he wrote and produced called The Red and the Black was banned in New Zealand.  Kelley talks about learning from Table Reads for her work and those of others like Brandon Winget. She also talks about how reading pilot scripts and first drafts of...

Send us a text

This week, Kelley and Max discuss the documentary series Quiet on the Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV  from the perspective of acting coaches and people who have also faced sexual assault. They discuss how important it is to listen to your gut instinct and how their experiences have helped them help others.  Please note that this episode discusses sexual assault. 

It's not an easy topic, but it needs to be discussed because toxic and manipulative people exist beyond TV and movie sets. Max and Kelley talk about how they ide...

Send us a text

Max and Kelley discuss the importance of creativity and how it affects your brain when you do or try something new. They also discuss some of the scientific findings and a podcast by Dr. David Eagleman called The Inner Cosmos.  Max also talks about different problem-solving approaches, such as the SWOT analysis, Business War Games, and Brain Storming and Brain Writing. We also discuss how important it is to seek out new adventures and skills and how your brain lights up like fireworks on the Fourth of July when it is challenged by s...

Send us a text

Join Max and Kelley as they discuss why someone like Max might need to step away from acting for a few decades. In the interim, he found a new love of writing poetry, cooking as a chef, and expanding his painting ability.  Kelley talks about leaving an improv company after some bad experiences and finding the love of her life (spoiler alert - it's Max). 

Thanks and have a great week. 

For more on Creative Actors Lab, check our website, www.creativeactorslab.com. You can always find us at our...

Send us a text

This week, Kelley and Max explore how to act like a private detective when you're creating or playing a character. They explore the process of researching a character's motivation by pretending that you were hired to follow the character around. They delve into various aspects, such as how the character would cross the street, how they would perform household chores, or how they would get ready for work.

Kelley and Max also discuss a play they did for Florida International University (FIU) called Mad Forest by Caryl Churchill. The play revolves...

Send us a text

This week, Max and Kelley discuss the importance of meditating and reflecting on your art and what creativity you can accomplish. We discuss different meditation techniques, including Yoga Nidra it is considered sleep yoga, non-sleep deep rest,, and it's meant to reset your nervous system.

If you want to check out some of the practitioners, here are a few that Max suggests:
Ayla Nova - Yoga Nidra - here is a link to a YouTube intro video.
Ally Boothroyd - here is a link to a 10-minute YouTube video.<...

Send us a text

This week, Kelley and Max look at the person who has influenced Kelley's acting journey the most: Viola Spolin.  Viola Spolin was an actress, educator, director, author, and the creator of theater games, a system of actor training that uses games she devised to teach the formal rules of the Theater organically. Her groundbreaking book Improvisation for the Theater transformed American theater and revolutionized how acting is taught. Here is a link to the website. Her son, Paul Sills, founded the legendary Second City improv group.

Kelley uses many of her m...

Send us a text

Join Max and Kelley as we look at iconic character descriptions in screenplays from Rick Blaine in Casablanca to Annie Wilkes in Misery to Apollo Creed in Rocky and Rose Maxson in Fences, and many other characters in between. We discuss the impact these characters had in their films and why writing good descriptions is vital for both the actor and the writer.  You get to hear the actual description as it was in the script and how an actor would interpret that character. 

For more on Creative Actors La...

Send us a text

Max and Kelley discuss the importance of Set Etiquette whether you're on stage or on a TV or Movie set. They use personal examples of the do's and dont's such as:

Do be kind and show good manners. Don't ask for a selfie with a lead. Do be on time. Don't try to manifest by telling a lead you will be their co-star one day. (Yes, we saw that happen)

We also talk about how being professional and nice to the Assistant Directors and Production Assistants might land you in a sce...

Send us a text

This week, Max and Kelley interview fellow podcaster and the person who gave us great advice on starting our own show, Hersh from HERshyt Show. She's a retired combat veteran and also a FEMA hero who helps people and families get the help they need during a disaster.  One huge suggestion, keep an inventory of what you have in your home and put special documents in safe place, either a fire proof box or safe deposit box or have big receipts scanned and kept in the cloud. She gives great advice on handling t...

Send us a text

Max is flying solo in this episode as he talks about doing something he's always wanted to do - voice-over work.  He'll take you through his journey and even cold read a few scripts from Edge Studio, which specializes in voice-overs and has a library of over 6,500 free voice-over commercial scripts, narration, and animation. It's a great place to practice your voice-over skills.  Here's the link to the Edge Studio script library so you can try it out for yourself. 

For more on Creative Actors Lab, check our website, www.creativeactorslab.com...

Send us a text

This week, Kelley and Max interview their student, Brandon Winget and talk about the acting and writing process. Brandon recently played Keith the Ghost on When a Bell Rings as well as also doing work with Brett Newton of LA Reels for a short film as well. We also put Brandon in the Hot seat and ask him probing question like his favorite sandwich, favorite action movie and we learn more about the love of his life, his wife, Jessie who he met in high school. 

Join us as we learn m...

Send us a text

Kelley is flying solo this week and talks about how to make a resolution to allow yourself to be more creative and not block ideas that might some when you're working on another project. It's those creative detours that can often produce amazing results because you didn't plan them.  We're also looking at having guests on to discuss their creative process and how they get to where they're going. 

For more on Creative Actors Lab, check our website, www.creativeactorslab.com. You can always find us at our Instagram page, @creative_ac...

Send us a text

A ghost hunter whose life seems to be in decline learns what the world would be like without him with the help of a fallen angel and a ghost on a fateful Christmas Eve.  

We have a wonderful cast of voice actors, including: 
Mezi Mulugeta as Em 
Dean Atkinson as Jack Bronson
Brandon Winget as Keith the Ghost 
Shiyla Gantt as Jack's Mom, Angela
Justin Deen as Jack's Father, Ted Bronson
Chiron Broderick as Dave
Liz Ireland as Jack's Grandmother, Nana
Tammi Latela as M...

Send us a text

This week's special guest is Queen Evi who talks about a wide range of subjects from first loves, how to govern, and favorite sandwiches.  She talks about her kingdom and how to teach her daughters how to stand in their power. 

It's also a good way to explore any characters by asking them questions and then answering as that character. The questions include: 

Who was your first love?Favorite foods as a child. What do you regret? How would you like to be remembered? 

It helps you deep dive into y...

Send us a text

Max and Kelley discuss a long-lost performance piece Max wrote over twenty-five years ago when we first moved to Atlanta.  The piece examines our inner voice and how important it is to give grace to ourselves even if things are not going as well as we hoped.  He found it recently and wanted to perform it for our podcast audience for the first time.

We also talked about our history of doing radio theater, including for a public radio station, WLRN  in Miami, where we performed on the Pandamonium Midnight Uprising in...

Send us a text

In this episode, Max and Kelley discuss the importance of having consent from your acting partner before doing a romantic scene or a fight sequence. Too often actors might feel pushed into doing something that they are not comfortable in doing. If you don't  have the experience to see if something doesn't pass the smell test, it can be daunting and you can be told you're not being a team player or helping the project.
Max takes a few examples on his own career as caustionary tells. We discuss the importance of a...

Send us a text

Join Max and Kelley as they explore different interpretations of a monologue from the catalog of The Screenwriter's Grimm. Max offers to coach Kelley on different interpretations of Hey There, Neighbor, in which Detective Angela Johnson confronts her neighbor Kurt, who has been abusing his wife and family. She convinces the wife, Gail, to leave with the children to a safe house and is there to tell Kurt that his family has left him and is safe from his violence. 

We explore how many interpretations there might be with this piece a...

Send us a text

Join Max and Kelley as we coach on a Shakespearean Sonnet 116 entitled Let Me Not to the Marriage of True Minds.  Max is launching a series of The Bard's work on TikTok and would like to work on some sonnets. We look at the poem from different vantage points: as a sermon, a proposal, with different emotions, and from the POV of a wolf. This sonnet was the favorite of acting legend Laurence Olivier. 

For an actor, it's essential to understand Shakespeare even if you don't plan to perform it. Breaking do...

Send us a text

Join Max and Kelley as we discuss more ghost experiences with Paranormal Investigator and fellow actor Dean Atkinson.  They first met Dean while doing coaching for Acting Out Studios (now 541 Productions) and learned about his fascination with ghosts and otherworldly experiences.  Dean talks about how his wife has been so supportive and even purchased some of his paranormal equipment. We also discussed a few of his acting jobs and working with Nightshift Paranormal Events.  We discuss scary ghost experiences, life, death, power outages, and what makes a good sandwich.

If you wan...

Send us a text

Max and Kelley talk about their experiences with ghosts in a Miami theater, Underground Atlanta, and seeing holiday lights at a park in Tallahassee, where we actually got photo evidence two years in a row of a ghost with a tri-corner hat and his friends. What we learned from those experiences is that respecting the spirits is crucial, and when you do, they will often leave you alone and maybe jump in for a photo op.

If you'd like to read about the ghosts we mention, this link to Kelley's blog...

Send us a text

Join Kelley and Max as we explore a few well-known and not-so-well-known acting superstitions.  We explore what they are and offer logical explanations for why they came to be and include:

Whistling backstage Ghost lightsNo blue costumes on stageNo mirrors on stageBad dress rehearsalsNo peacock feathers 

We also discuss the origin of wishing someone luck by telling them to "break a leg" and how that came into our modern lexicon. Finally, we address the Scottish Play (Macbeth), how it has an unlucky and sometimes deadly history, and how to combat the cur...

Send us a text

In this episode, Max and Kelley welcome their special guest, Amber Grimm, a fellow writer and one of the sweetest people on the planet. We discuss her children's book, Polly the Polite Possum, and the importance of manners in a world that seems to value rudeness.

We explore how being kind helps you feel better and that sometimes rude people might have issues we're unaware of. As teachers, we've had our share of challenging students, and Max shares one poignant story of a young man named Bobby, who he describes as...

Send us a text

Max and Kelley discuss the importance of taking care of yourself mentally, whether you're an actor or a creative dealing with rejection (creatives do get a lot of rejection) or someone in the business sphere. We talk about our experiences dealing with people and places that were less than kind and how important it is to reach out if you are feeling down or depressed. We also talk about anxiety, whether you're on stage or on the job.  Practicing self-love is essential, and stepping back if you feel anxious or overwhelmed. 

If...

Send us a text

In this episode, Max and Kelley explore the world of auditions, the ups and downs, and how it's changed from being in person to doing demo reels. We also look at some of the not-great experiences we've both had. We talk about our own mistakes auditioning and how to beware of scams, i.e., if someone wants you to audition at their home or apartment, don't put yourself in that position and ask to audition at their office during business hours. We also talk about Jenna Fisher's experience from her book, The Actor's...

Send us a text

This week, Max and Kelley discuss three books that have helped shape their lives as creatives and actors.  The first is An Acrobat of the Heart by Stephan Wangh, a physical approach to acting.  This is a link to Stephan Wangh's website, which includes more on his most recent projects. The second is Games for Actors and Non-Actors by Augusto Boal, which includes more games about acting and the origins of the Theater of Oppressed.  This is a website that goes into more detail about Augusto and his methods.  Lastly, Kelley reads from a bo...

Send us a text

In this episode, Kelley and Max discuss one of the most famous true crimes that took place in a  theater: the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. We discuss the infamous John Wilkes Booth and his world renowned brother Edwin who were both actors. In fact, the brothers actually did a benefit performance of Julius Caesar to put a statue of Shakespeare in Central Park which is still there today.  We also learn more about John's plot to kill the president and how in a twist of fate, Edwin Booth saved Robert Lincoln on a train pl...

Send us a text

In this week's episode, Kelley and Max  look at more tools in the creativity toolbox including the use of  Lateral thinking which is a manner of solving problems  using an indirect and creative approach  via reasoning  that is not immediately obvious. It involves ideas that may not be obtainable using only traditional step-by-step logic.  The term was first used in 1967 by Maltese psychologist Edward de Bono  in his book The Use of Lateral Thinking. 

We also discuss the Six Thinking Hats which is a tool that allows you to c...

Send us a text

In this week's episode, Max and Kelley look at different techniques of using creativity for problem solving from using randomization like bibliomancy (opening a random text and pointing to a word or sentence for inspiration) to techniques use by Carl Jung and Salvadore Dali for dream interpretation.  Max explains the difference between intuition and intellect and that in problem solving you can't use the same mentality that created the problem to solve it.  The creative prompt for this week is open a book and point to a word or sentence and see what so...

Send us a text

In this episode, Max and Kelley look at Commedia dell'arte stock characters and how an Italian improvisational art form from the 1600s still influences what we watch today, from sitcoms like The Office, Friends, and Brooklyn 99 to cartoons like Sponge Bob Squarepants to shows like Succession.  We also look at how Commedia was the first theatrical art that allowed women to perform and that it was used as a form of political protest against Napolean.  Its influence is seen in Shakespeare and the silent movie era.  

For more on Creative Actors Lab...