Welcome to a conversation hosted by Ilana Levine with the director, writer and stars of You Can Count on Me. Recorded live in NYC with guests Kenneth Lonergan, Laura Linney, Mark Ruffalo, Rory Culkin and J. Smith-Cameron.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jeremy Shamos was nominated for a Tony Award for his performance in the Pulitzer Prize winning play CLYBOURNE PARK, for which he also received Lucille Lortel Award and Drama League Award nominations. His other stage appearances include the Broadway productions of Steve Martin’s METEOR SHOWER, Michael Frayn’s NOISES OFF, Richard Greenberg’s THE ASSEMBLED PARTIES, and David Mamet’s GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS, as well as the off-Broadway productions of the original GUTENBERG! THE MUSICAL, IF I FORGET (Drama Desk Award nomination), ANIMALS OUT OF PAPER (Drama Desk Award nomination), THE QUALMS, THE COMPLETE WORKS OF SHAKESPEARE (ABRIDGED), DINNER WITH FRIENDS (Lucille Lortel Award), and ENGAGED, for which he received the Obie Award.

He appeared most recently on stage in Stephen Sondheim’s final musical HERE WE ARE. His work on film and television has provided the opportunity to collaborate on many acclaimed features, including MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM, BAD EDUCATION, THE BIG SICK, and BIRDMAN, and many prestigious series including THE HANDMAID’S TALE, BETTER CALL SAUL, SUCCESSION, DEAD RINGERS, NURSE JACKIE, and FOSSE/VERDON. For his recurring roles as part of the ensembles of both THE GILDED AGE and ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING, he earned SAG Award nominations for his work on both award winning series.

An MFA graduate of New York University, he resides with his family in Brooklyn.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Bernard Telsey graduated from New York University in 1981 with a degree in Theater Administration and Acting. Soon after, he co-founded MCC Theater with Robert LuPone. Simultaneously, Telsey began working at Meg Simon and Fran Kumin’s office as an assistant for six years, and then as a casting director at Risa Bramon & Billy Hopkins Casting.

He opened his own casting office in 1988. Since then, he, along with his staff of casting directors, associates, and assistants, have cast such Broadway shows as Rent, Wicked, Hamilton, Hairspray, In the Heights, The Color Purple. Recent productions include Days of Wine and Roses, Kimberly Akimbo, Into the Woods, Sweeney Todd, Parade, Some Like it Hot, and the upcoming Cabaret, The Notebook, Lempicka, and The Mother Play including countless national tours, Off-Broadway productions, and regional theater productions across the country.

Film credits include the upcoming film adaptation of Wicked, The Color Purple and Mean Girls: the Musical. Other films include Theater Camp, The Little Mermaid, Tik, Tik...Boom, Mary Poppins Returns, In the Heights, The Greatest Showman, Into the Woods, A Most Violent Year, Pieces of April, Margin Call, Sex and the City 1 & 2, Rachel Getting Married, Across the Universe.

Telsey’s current television projects include “And Just Like That”, “Only Murders in the Building”, “The Gilded Age” “Tracker” and “Death And Other Details”. Previous credits include “Schmigadoon”, “Fosse/Verdon”, “This Is Us”, “We Crashed” “Jesus Christ Superstar Live”, “Smash” and “The Big C”.

Telsey won an Emmy Award for casting the pilot of “Ugly Betty” and was nominated for “Only Murders in the Building”, “Fosse/Verdon,” “This Is Us,” “Grease! Live”, “Jesus Christ Superstar” and “The Big C.” He won an Independent Spirit Award for casting Margin Call and was the 2016 recipient of the Casting Society of America’s Hoyt Bowers Award for his contributions to the profession. His staff has cumulatively won over 20 Artios Awards for excellence in casting.

Telsey served as the New York Vice President of the Casting Society of America and sat on the Board of Governors for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He remains one of the Artistic Directors of MCC Theater with William Cantler.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Gordon Greenberg has directed on Broadway, Off-Broadway, in London’s West End, written for television and stage, and developed, directed and produced new works for arts institutions across America.

Current Directing/Writing projects include The Heart of Rock and Roll , which opens on Broadway at the James Earl Jones Theatre in April, 2024, following its record breaking run at The Old Globe, the hit Off-Broadway show Dracula, A Comedy of Terrors (Director & Co-Writer, with Steve Rosen, New World Stages & podcast starring John Stamos, Laura Benanti, & Annaleigh Ashford), a new musical about Picasso (directing & co-writing with Stephen Schwartz & Caridad Svich), the NBC television series Most Talkative (Co-Executive Producer/Writer, NBC, Blumhouse, Andy Cohen), Crime and Punishment, A Comedy (directing & co-writing with Steve Rosen) for the Old Globe, a London revival of The Baker’s Wife (Menier Choclate Factory, 2024), Single White Female (A.T.G.), The Wedding Banquet (Ang Lee, Hua Musicals, Taiwan), Ghost Tour, The Play, and the new comedy podcast series Rolling Calls starring Julie Halston & Richard Kind (co-writer, Steve Rosen). His acclaimed revival of Who’s Afraid of Virgina Woolf starring Calista Flockhart and Zachary Quinto at the Geffen Playhouse won the Los Angeles Drama Critics Award for Best Revival. Variety called it “Inspired”, the L.A. Times called it “Unerringly good…Qunto & Flockhart expose something infinitely fragile in Edward Albee’s shatterproof play”, Entertainment Weekly called it “A riveting production…brilliantly staged by Gordon Greenberg”, and the Wall Street Journal called it “Intriguing…Here, unusually, there is the suggestion that the oncoming dawn may truly presage a fragile new beginning.” 

Other directing work includes the revisal of Working (Drama Desk Award, adapted with Stephen Schwartz and Lin-Manuel Miranda), Jacques Brel…(Drama Desk, Drama League, Outer Critics Award noms), Terms of Endearment with Alfred Molina & Calista Flockhart (Geffen Playhouse for Greg Berlanti), the stage adaptation of Tangled (Disney), Johnny Baseball (Williamstown), Stars of David by Jeanine Tesori, Tom Kitt, Tony Kushner (Daryl Roth), Pirates! (created with Nell Benjamin, Huntington, Paper Mill, Goodspeed, MUNY), Band Geeks! (also co-writer, Goodspeed, NEA grant), The Baker’s Wife (Paper Mill, Goodspeed), 1776 (Paper Mill), Floyd Collins (Signature), the Klezmer-Rock reimagining of Isaac Bashevis Singer’s Yentl (Asolo Rep), Blue Sky Boys by Deborah Breevort (Capital Rep.), the professional premiere of Edges The Musical (Capital Rep.), the acclaimed reimagining of Jesus Christ, Superstar starring Billy Porter (Helen Hayes, St. Louis MUNY), the U.S. national tour of Guys & Dolls, Disney’s Believe, the Disney Fantasy Christening (with Neil Patrick Harris & Jerry Seinfeld), West Side Story (MUNY, Circle Award nom), Happy Days, A New Musical (Paper Mill, Goodspeed, U.S. National Tour), Vanities, A New Musical (Theatreworks Palo Alto - San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Award), We The People (Lucille Lortel Theatre & Paper Mill Playhouse), Rags (Roundabout, workshop), and the all-female workshop of Man of La Mancha (Mirvish, Toronto), Other writing work includes, for television, Herbie Rebooted for Disney, Emerald City Music Hall, an original movie musical for Nickelodeon Television and Scramble Band, an original movie musical for the Disney Channel, The Single Girls Guide (co-writer Tommy Newman) for Dallas Theatre Center, Ars Nova, Capital Rep, the podcast Theatre Camp (with Jonathan Marc Sherman) for Sirius XM, Killing Time (with Steve Rosen), an At Home Play Commission from The Old Globe, and the new book of Meet Me In St. Louis for the St. Louis MUNY's 100th Anniversary.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

ANN HARADA originated the role of Christmas Eve in Avenue Q on Broadway and in the West End. Other Broadway: Cinderella, Into the Woods, 9 to 5, M Butterfly, Seussical, Les Miserables. Selected Off-Broadway: Dear World, Fairycakes, Emojiland, Dropping Gumballs on Luke Wilson, Pacific Overtures, Brooklynite and Love, Loss, and What I Wore. Regionally: Babbitt (LaJolla Playhouse), The Closet (Williamstown), Matilda, Beauty and the Beast, & Mamma Mia (MUNY). Recent film: Jerry and Marge Go Large and Disenchanted. Add’l film: Sisters, Admission, and Hope Springs. She is one of the stars of the musical series Schmigadoon! (Apple TV+) Add’l TV: Gotham, Blue Bloods (recurring), Younger, Jim Gaffigan Show, The Good Wife, 30 Rock, House of Cards, Master of None, and Smash. Insta/Threads: @iamannharada, X:@annharada 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Daisy Prince’s directing work includes the Original Off-Broadway production of The Last Five Years and the Original Off-Broadway production of Songs for a New World, both by Jason Robert Brown; It's Only Life: The Songs of John Bucchino at Rubicon Theatre (Los Angeles Ovation Award and Independent Award, Best Direction) also at Theatre Row for SPF and American Songbook at Lincoln Center; Jessica Molaskey's Pentimento with John Pizzarelli, Christine Ebersole, and Frank McCourt at The 92 Street Y. Daisy's concert staging includes Jason Robert Brown and Stephen Sondheim at Town Hall 50th SubCulture Residency Concert June 2019, NYSF Public Theater, PUBLIC SINGS!, Jazz at Lincoln Center's American Songbook Lance Horne: First Things Last, Lyrics and Lyricists at 92nd St. Y, The Genius of Autism, Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall, and Tom Kitt: An Evening at Stella Del Mare at Joe's Pub. As a performer, Daisy's credits include Merrily We Roll Along (Meg, Original Broadway Cast), Follies in Concert (Young Phyllis, Lincoln Center); Pal Joey (Linda English, Encores! City Center), Michael John LaChiusa's The Petrified Prince (Elise, NYSF Public Theater), and featured performer with The New York Pops at Carnegie Hall. Her recordings include all the above and Grateful: The Songs of John Bucchino. In addition, she co-produced three plays with Bonnie Metzgar and Thalia Field as House Frau, inc. at BACA downtown. Daisy is a graduate of Brown University, has spent 20 years teaching as part of the New York City faculty of Syracuse University's The Tepper Semester, and is a proud member of the SDC.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Max Burkholder stars as the lead of Seth MacFarlane’s critically acclaimed series TED, a prequel to the hit film franchise. He plays the leading role of “John Bennet” (the younger version of Mark Wahlberg’s character from the films), a good-hearted teenager who is still in his awkward teenage phase. With Ted’s help, John hilariously navigates adolescence, dealing with everything from first dates to high school bullies. Premiering on January 11, 2024, Ted launched as Peacock’s most-watched original title ever through its first three days on the platform.

Burkholder is perhaps best known for his portrayal of “Max Braverman” in NBC’s long running award-winning series PARENTHOOD, from producers Jason Katims, Ron Howard and Brian Grazer. Here Max raised awareness while portraying a young boy with Asperger’s syndrome. After the second episode aired, Asperger’s was one of the most frequently searched terms on Google. He also played the lead role in Paramount TV’s WHEN THE STREET LIGHTS GO ON for DGA, Oscar, IDA, and Emmy-nominated director Brett Morgen. His notable recurring roles include HBO’s IN TREATMENT and BROTHERS AND SISTERS.

In film, Burkholder starred in Debra Eisenstadt’s hit Sundance comedy BLUSH opposite Wendy McLendon-Covey; and in the title role of BENJAMIN, alongside comedy veterans Rob Corddry, Kevin Pollak and Dave Foley. 

Burkholder began his career at a very young age in films including DADDY DAY CARE directed by Steve Carr, FRIENDS WITH MONEY directed by Nicole Holofcener, and a starring role in the Michael Bay-produced hit feature THE PURGE opposite Ethan Hawke and Lena Headey. 

In the world of voiceover, Burkholder has voiced characters on a number of hit series including Amazon Prime’s INVINCIBLE, FAMILY GUY, THE CLEVELAND SHOW, AMERICAN DAD and THE LAND BEFORE TIME.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Christopher Fitzgerald is an actor and singer known for his role as Boq in the musical Wicked, Igor in the musical Young Frankenstein, and Ogie Anhorn in the musical Waitress - he also starred on Broadway in Spamalot, Company, Act Of God and Amour. He earned Outer Critics Circle Award, Drama Desk Award, and Tony Award nominations for his performances in Waitress and Young Frankenstein and won the Drama Desk Award and Outer Critics Circle Award for his performance in Waitress.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Michael Cyril Creighton is currently seen as “Howard Morris" on Hulu’s "Only Murders in the Building” opposite Steve Martin, Martin Short & Selena Gomez. Other TV credits include the final season of "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel," "Dexter: New Blood,” “A League of Their Own,” "Dash & Lily," "High Maintenance," "Bob's Burgers,” "AJ & the Queen," "2 Broke Girls," "New Amsterdam," "Graves," "Blue Bloods," "Nurse Jackie," "Orange is the New Black," "30 Rock,” and more. Creighton played abuse survivor "Joe Crowley" in "Spotlight," the 2016 Academy Award Winner for Best Picture and won the Robert Altman Award at the Indie Spirit Awards as part of the film's ensemble. Other Film credits include Cord Jefferson's "American Fiction," Steven Spielberg's "The Post," "Game Night," "Paper Spiders," and "The Outside Story." On stage he has been seen in Sarah Ruhl’s Stage Kiss (Playwrights Horizons), Jordan Harrison’s The Amateurs (The Vineyard Theatre) and four World Premieres by The Debate Society (Cape Disappointment, You’re Welcome, Buddy Cop 2 and Blood Play.) He wrote, created and starred in the WGA Award winning web series "Jack in a Box”, which was inspired by working in a theatre box office for 12+ years.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Annie Parisse can be seen in the recently released feature GIVING BIRTH TO A BUTTERFLY as well as a leading role in the forthcoming feature THREE BIRTHDAYS along with ERIC LARUE, marking the directorial debut for Academy Award Nominee Michael Shannon. 

Parisse was seen on FX’s MRS AMERICA for FX and was a Series Lead on Netflix’s FRIENDS FROM COLLEGE created by Nick Stoller and Francesca Delbanco. Additional credits include the Hulu series, THE LOOMING TOWER opposite Jeff Daniels, THE FIRST opposite Sean Penn, as well as HBO’s original film PATERNO opposite Al Pacino. Annie also starred on the hit HBO Series, VINYL produced by Martin Scorsese and Mick Jagger. Her work includes, series regular roles on THE FOLLOWING for FOX opposite Kevin Bacon, LAW & ORDER, RUBICON for AMC and her incredible arc in the HBO mini series, THE PACIFIC for Steven Spielberg. Other notable television work includes HOUSE OF CARDS, THE BIG C, PERSON OF INTEREST and UNFORGETTABLE. 

Annie made her Broadway debut in the revival of Craig Lucas's PRELUDE TO A KISS directed by Daniel Sullivan and she starred in CLYBOURNE PARK, which won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Tony Award for Best Play. Off Broadway she starred as the title role in the Pulitzer Prize nominated BECKY SHAW garnering a Lortel Nomination for her performance. Additional credits include: LONG LOST at MTC, THE LAYOVER at 2nd Stage, Playwrights Horizons's ANTLIA PNEUMATICA, Shakespeare in the Park's ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL and MEASURE FOR MEASURE, THE INTERNATIONALIST (Drama Desk Nomination), MONSTER, and THE CREDEAUX CANVAS at Playwrights Horizons. 

Annie's feature work includes the independent feature WILD CANARIES (SXSW Grand Jury Nomination), AND SO IT GOES directed by Rob Reiner, PRICE CHECK, ONE FOR THE MONEY, MY OWN LOVE SONG with Rene Zellweger and Forest Whitaker, HOW TO LOSE A GUY IN 10 DAYS opposite Kate Hudson and MONSTER-IN-LAW with Jane Fonda and Jennifer Lopez. 

Parisse hails from Anchorage, Alaska and resides in New York.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices