LET ME ASCERTAIN YOU / Podcast Series
Crime, Part IV
Extraordinary crime is the specialty of this interviewee, who has seen it all in 35 years as a practicing forensic psychologist. He is also a professor of criminal psychology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Tony-nominee Maria Dizzia performs this interview for our podcast this week, discussing topics such as sexual murders, crime scene behaviors, and the implications of this work in the court room. This interview was conducted for Crime, USA, a new play by our Associate Artist Alix Lambert, who also interviewed FBI agents, gang members, pawn shop owners, and more.
This episode contains material that is not appropriate for children of 18 years or younger.
LISTEN / DOWNLOAD / SUBSCRIBE / COMMENT
Published February 15, 2012A Pretty Filthy Podcast, Part V
Ever played porn charades? This week's podcast episode, back in adult entertainment, features a recording of a live game of porn charades in which one of our intrepid audience members was acting out a porn title and the cast members of the live evening at Joe's Pub were trying to guess. To get a visual sense of what was going on, here are some photos of the action. Plus this week, we have Aysan Celik as an adult entertainment performer and parent, Brandon Miller as male talent Bill Margold, and Michael Friedman singing his song "We Were Giants." This material is crafted from interviews with real people for the new musical Pretty Filthy, by Bess Wohl and Michael Friedman.
This episode contains material that is not appropriate for children of 18 years or younger.
LISTEN / DOWNLOAD / SUBSCRIBE / COMMENT
Published February 8, 2012Adult Entertainment 101: A Pretty Filthy Podcast, Part IV
Revealing some of the tricks of the trade and behind-the-scenes stories, this week's episode is back to our investigation about the adult entertainment industry. Associate Artist Alix Lambert performs an interview with adult entertainment performer Tabitha Stevens who discusses plastic surgery; Mia Barron plays an anonymous female talent; and Andrew Kober sings "Squirting 101" by Michael Friedman, a new song about female ejaculation from an interview with Axel Braun about his revolutionary techniques. This material is from interviews conducted by Civilians artists with adult entertainment performers, directors, agents, and more in the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles and Las Vegas for Pretty Filthy, a new musical by Bess Wohl and Michael Friedman.
This episode contains material that is not appropriate for children of 18 years or younger.
LISTEN / DOWNLOAD / SUBSCRIBE / COMMENT
Published February 1, 2012Crime, Part III
A lawyer from the Department of Justice who specializes in organized crime cases discusses how he got into his field and some of the schemes he has come up against in the courtroom. He also talks about the reasons that people cooperate with the American legal system and the relationship between cooperation and culture. This interview is performed by Brandon Miller, and was recorded at Joe's Pub. Associate Artist Alix Lambert conducting this interview for her play Crime: USA, which is crafted from interviews with gang members, pawn shop owners, FBI agents, and more.
LISTEN / DOWNLOAD / SUBSCRIBE / COMMENT
Published January 25, 2012A Pretty Filthy Episode, Part III
True Blood's Sam Trammell portrays adult entertainment super-star Evan Stone; legendary performer Ginger Lynn introduces the monologue from our interview with her, performed by actress Kathryn Hahn (Hung, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days); and Rutina Wesley (True Blood) and Peter Porte perform the song "Applesauce" from Pretty Filthy by Michael Friedman and Bess Wohl. This material is from interviews conducted by Civilians artists with adult entertainment performers, directors, agents, and more in the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. This performance was recorded at Center Theatre Group's Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City.
This episode contains material that is not appropriate for children of 18 years or younger.
LISTEN / DOWNLOAD / SUBSCRIBE / COMMENT
Published January 18, 2012Atlantic Yards, Part III
This week's episode is from our interviews about Atlantic Yards, the complicated and controversial development in Brooklyn at the site where the new Barclay's stadium is currently being constructed. We hear from some of the key players on both sides of the fight, passionately discussing topics like gentrification, what makes a neighborhood, change, affordable housing, and more. This week features Jennifer R. Morris playing a member of Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn; Heather Alicia Simms as Bertha Lewis, the head of ACORN; and Joaquin Torres as Saul Zarzana, a union member who supports the project; and Joaquin Torres leading the cast in "The Neighborhood Song" by Michael Friedman.
LISTEN / DOWNLOAD / SUBSCRIBE / COMMENT
Published January 11, 2012Crime, Part II
Ever wonder what it's like to be in the FBI? This week features performances of interviews with two retired FBI agents conducted by our Associate Artist, Alix Lambert, for her play Crime: USA. The agents talk about how they entered their line of work, being a female agent, the mafia, what their jobs are like on a day-to-day basis, plus other stories and observations about serving on the force. The episode is performed by Maria Dizzia and Matthew Maher, and was recorded at Joe's Pub. The interviews were conducted as part of Alix Lambert's investigation into crime in America, which has included interviews with gang members, pawn shop owners, FBI agents, and more.
LISTEN / DOWNLOAD / SUBSCRIBE / COMMENT
Published January 4, 2012A Pretty Filthy Episode, Part II
Back in the world of adult entertainment, we have another episode crafted from our interviews with professionals in the San Fernando Valley and Las Vegas. This week features Sam Shelton as a female performer, Steven Weber as male talent Jack Lawrence, and Michael Friedman singing his song "These Girls," which is from an interview with an adult entertainment agent. This performance was recorded at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Los Angeles.
LISTEN / DOWNLOAD / SUBSCRIBE / COMMENT
Published December 28, 2011Atlantic Yards, Part II
We're back home in Brooklyn this week with our investigation into Atlantic Yards, which is the largest development project in Brooklyn's history where the new Nets basketball stadium is currently being built. Atlantic Yards is also subject of our show In the Footprint, which will be at the Annenberg Center in Philadelphia in a few weeks! Billy Eugene Jones plays a homeowner who lived in the footprint talking about the process of negotiating with Forest City Ratner (the developer). Marsha Stephanie Blake plays City Council Member Letitia James, an Atlantic Yards opponant. Sam Breslin Wright plays Brooklyn Borough President, Marty Markowitz, and Billy Eugene Jones returns to sing "The Circle Song" by Michael Friedman. Enjoy!
LISTEN / DOWNLOAD / SUBSCRIBE / COMMENT
Published December 21, 2011Crime, Part I
This next episode features the performance of an interview conducted for Crime, USA: a new play exploring issues related to crime in America. The project illuminates the voices of lawyers, FBI agents, criminals, gang members, pawn shop owners, and more. This week, actor Frank Harts plays Antonio, a former gang member, who talks about about his first fight when he was in first grade, the first time he carried a gun, his experiences as a gang member, and his life outside the gang. This project is helmed by our Associate Artist Alix Lambert, who conducted interviews, wrote, and directed the piece performed at Joe's Pub last year.
This episode contains some language and content that may not be appropriate for children under the age of 18.
LISTEN / DOWNLOAD / SUBSCRIBE / COMMENT
Published December 14, 2011Occupy Wall Street, Part III
This week's podcast episode closes out our three-part series about Occupy Wall Street. This episode features Emily Ackerman as Michele Kelley, an experienced activist; Billy Eugene Jones and Jordan Mahome as Omar Omes and Michael Curtis, two teamsters; and a group of young protesters played by Matt Dellapina, Kelly McCreary, Dan Domingues, and Matt Stadelmann. Michael Friedman then leads the cast in a sing-along of "Dump the Bosses Off Your Back" by John Brill, written in 1911 (also performed at Occupy Broadway last week). Click here for more about the live performance, and read about the project in The Faster Times, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal.
LISTEN / DOWNLOAD / SUBSCRIBE / COMMENT
Published December 7, 2011
Occupy Wall Street, Part II
This week, we are back at Zuccotti Park with the protesters of Occupy Wall Street. This episode, crafted from interviews our artists conducted with the demonstrators last month, features Greg McFadden as Richard O’Mara, a member of the Tea Party; Emily Rossell as Maddy Enlow, a young woman; Dan Domingues and Colleen Werthmann as Chris Carter and Lily Johnston, who are on OWS’s medical team; and Michael Friedman singing his song, "The Signs." He composed the music and wrote the lyrics from signs that he saw and a few things he overheard in the Park. Click here for more about the live performance, and read about the project in The Faster Times, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal.
LISTEN / DOWNLOAD / SUBSCRIBE / COMMENT
Published November 30, 2011
Occupy Wall Street, Part I
Last month, our artists were down at Zuccotti Park conducting interviews with the demonstrators. They talked about what it was like to participate in the first few weeks of this historic movement and their reasons for protesting. This episode features Matt Stadelmann as Robert Grote who was on the Brooklyn Bridge during the mass arrests; Matt Dellapina as Buddy Bolton, an out-of-work animator; Alix Lambert at Charlotte Souza, a college-aged protester; Jordan Mahome as Preach of Occupy the Hood; and Kelly McCreary singing "I Have Not Slept" by Michael Friedman. Click here for more about the live performance, and read about the project in The Faster Times, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal.
LISTEN / DOWNLOAD / SUBSCRIBE / COMMENT
Published November 23, 2011
A Pretty Filthy Episode
A team of Civilians' artists conducted interviews with performers, directors, agents, producers, and more in Las Vegas and the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles. This episode features performances of interviews with several adult entertainment stars discussing the do's, don'ts, and won'ts of shaping a career, how they got into the business, and more. Mia Barron plays Katie Graham, Emily Swallow plays another female performer, Paul Provenza and Bess Wohl play one of porn's on and off-screen leading couples, and finally Emily Swallow sings "Beautiful" by Michael Friedman. These interviews are the inspiration for our new fictional musical Pretty Filthy, book by Bess Wohl, music by Michael Friedman. The material in this podcast was recorded in a live performance at Center Theatre Group's Kirk Douglas Theatre.
This episode contains sexually explicit material and is not appropriate for children under the age of 18.
LISTEN / DOWNLOAD / SUBSCRIBE / COMMENT
Published November 16, 2011Episode 1: Atlantic Yards
We are launching our podcast series with some material very dear to us. This episode is about the largest development project in Brooklyn's history at the site where the new Brooklyn Nets (formerly the New Jersey Nets) stadium is being built. Our artists started collecting interviews in 2008, and we have been talking to residents long-term and new, local business owners, activists, community leaders, and politicians about how these changes are affecting this area of Brooklyn.
LISTEN / DOWNLOAD / SUBSCRIBE / COMMENT
Featuring: Aysan Celik as a blogger, Colleen Werthmann as activist Patti Hagan, White People written by Michael Friedman and performed by Marsha Stephanie Blake, A scene at Levels Barbershop performed by Billy Eugene Jones and Marsha Stephanie Blake, and The Four Brooklyns written and performed by Michael Friedman
Published November 9, 2011Let Me Ascertain You: The Podcast is a weekly podcast series of performances crafted from interviews with real people about current and controversial topics, including Occupy Wall Street, Atlantic Yards, the adult entertainment industry, Evangelical Christianity, and more. The podcast and cabarets illuminate surprising, unusual, funny, and thought-provoking stories collected from interviews with a wide range of different people. The series includes songs and scenes from past plays and current projects, plus sneak peaks at works in development. All material is taken from the live performances, many at of which are at Joe's Pub in New York.
