Polly Adams

Where are you from and where do you reside now?
I grew up in Ohio and I’ve been living in New York City since I came here to get my MFA in acting from Columbia.

What is your artistic discipline?
I’m an actor.

When did you become a Member?
Curt Dempster saw my work at  the Dartmouth Summer Repertory  Theatre in 1971 and asked me to become a founding member of EST… one of the greatest artistic gifts of my life. I thank you forever Curt!

What is one of your favorite EST Memories?
So many wonderful memories… The very first day we entered the theater… painting the walls with a full length cast on my leg and crutches ….because I’d been run down by a cab while riding my motorcycle…

The weekly gatherings of about 20 or 30 of us original members……performing the work of our extraordinary writers…

So many excellent plays , staged readings, workshops …with such generous, talented, intelligent ,supportive actors,  playwrights  and directors…an amazing community that I was .. and am…beyond thrilled to be a part of.

What is influencing or inspiring your artistry right now?
One of the many plays that I absolutely loved doing was The Short Changed Review…  with an incredible director, playwright, and cast… one of the many times where I felt like we became such a close and loving family that it was heartbreaking to close(as it always is when you’re doing work with wonderful people and it comes to an end). But  I got more work immediately, because the director Alan Schneider came to see it and  cast me on the spot in Elie Weisel’s only Broadway play, “ Zalmen or The Madness of God,”

I’ve always loved theater … (I used to do plays all by myself in  my backyard in Cleveland .. starting before kindergarten… with maple tree seedlings.. for hours). ….and I continue to see as much theater as I can. So great plays with wonderful actors. are  as thrilling to me as they were when I was five and saw my very first play, Harvey. I never watched much TV (although I was fortunate enough to do  quite a bit of television and film work in my career.) But in the last several years, I have also been inspired by  some incredible acting  and productions in many cable ( mostly)  TV series.

Who are your artistic influences?
I went to Stanford as an undergraduate, and again was unbelievably fortunate that the Ford Foundation paid 20 Actor’s  Studio actors and directors to work with us for three years. I always loved acting, but felt  that because it was so much fun , I should really be doing something important…. until  I saw the Actor’s Studio’s brilliant and moving production of The Cherry Orchard. It was seriously one of those life-changing moments… I felt like I had been hit by a truck and could barely breathe. …It was so extraordinary…. And from that moment on, I realized there was nothing more important to me than being an actor in the theater.

Plus, my first acting teacher, Glenn Cannon (from The Actor’s  Studio) really believed in me and valued my work and taught me so much… Which might be the most important  support any beginning actor could ever have ….to give them to the courage to continue in this profession. I am of course, forever indebted to  Glenn.

What was the best play/film/TV you watched recently?
Best play/film/TV… Really impossible to say because I’ve seen so much great work… But this year I particularly loved Purpose and the Australian series Offspring.

What advice do you have for emerging theatermakers that you wish you knew?
As I keep saying, I think I was just extremely fortunate right from the beginning of my career.  I was lucky enough, and I would of course advise everyone to work with ….(as much as possible,) …serious, kind, intelligent, supportive, generous, talented fellow artists. And I have done hundreds and hundreds of staged readings, workshops , participated in writers groups… all for free…. All of which were so valuable and contributed to my growth and career as an artist. So first of all, I would say work as much as possible with great people… even  if it’s unpaid. If you can make your living in this business, that would be fantastic, but if not,  earn money elsewhere, so you can  continue as an artist.

 I was fortunate enough to do a lot of theater,  television and film work, commercial/industrial, and voiceover work, most of which I thoroughly loved and also of course paid the bills.

But I do believe it’s so so much harder for actors to make a living in this business today, than it was when I came along. I didn’t have to do this… but today I think it’s imperative that you produce your own work …connect with as many people as possible who have your values… and are  supportive!! and get yourself out there as much as possible. We used to say an actor is someone who just doesn’t give up, and I believe that’s still true.

Also, I recommend getting involved in your unions. I have been on local and national boards and negotiating committees… for at least 25 years…mainly because I wanted to give back… I could never have been an actor without my unions. But of course, as they say, you can’t give it away… I made so many connections through my many years of union service that  it also actually furthered my career in numerous ways .

So I can’t stress strongly enough how important our unions are for our profession… And if you have any time at all… sign up for a committee …volunteer… Get involved in in any way if at all possible.You will not only help your  union , but yourself.

Sadly, since I’ve been an activist my whole life, and I’m urging fellow artists to get involved in our unions… I must also add that we have come to a devastating time in our country … so I will also urge you to get involved in trying to save our democracy.

What are you working on now?
These days, I am still acting in zoom plays, staged readings, voice overs and numerous workshops as a member of the Actors  Center… and I am active in six union committees and am on the Central Labor Council…… 

but I am also spending as much time as possible participating in every resistance march… making phone calls …writing postcards …sending letters, etc.  If you want to know how to get involved in small or large ways, I really recommend signing up for  free emails  from Robert Hubbell, Jessica Craven Chop Wood, and Heather Cox Richardson.

These are brilliant people who are informing us realistically about the  extraordinary danger we are in today… with  a Republican House , Senate, Presidency and a right wing leaning Supreme Court. But they also very helpful and hopeful… Robert Hubbell is especially inspiring… Letting us know that we will eventually prevail .. but the only way to save our democracy is with US…the people!! Every action we take will help and make a difference. The only way we can lose is if we do nothing.. so I urge you to not only get involved …but grab every person you know and get them involved too.

How can people connect with you?
I can be reached by text only at 917-674-7648. Finally, I have to express my extraordinary gratitude to Graeme Gillis and Estefania Fadul… co-artistic directors of EST and RJ Tolan, artistic director of Youngblood. They are doing a SUPERB job working their tuchus’s off to allow this fabulous theater to continue to not only survive, but  also thrive.

J. Holtham

Where are you from and where do you reside now?
I’m a native New Yorker; born in Brooklyn, raised up in Jersey. I never lived more than 90 minutes from Manhattan until I moved to Los Angeles, my current home.

What is your artistic discipline?
I’m a writer. I’ve written plays, TV and film scripts, podcasts, essay and articles and comic books.

When did you become a Member?
I first came to E.S.T. as an intern right after I graduated from college. I joined Youngblood in 1997, worked on the EST/Sloan Project from 2000-2005. I think I officially became a member in 2003? Some things are lost to the haze of memory.

What is one of your favorite EST Memories?
The very first time Youngblood did Asking for Trouble. It was the fall of 2001, right after 9/11. We were all hurting, all scared and grieving. But a whole lot of folks came together and created something funny and touching and just plain wild. It was a ridiculous thing to do. But it healed a lot of us.

What is influencing or inspiring your artistry right now?
Right now, I’m trying to navigate these chaotic times as an artist, looking for the balance between trying to make the world a better place in a material way and trying to connect as many people as possible with my work.

Who are your artistic influences?
I’ve been influenced by so many artists, so many works of art, so many collaborators and friends, it feels reductive to try to make any kind of list. Right now, I’m just looking for things that have the ring of truth to them.

What was the best play/film/TV you watched recently?
Hands down, it’s Ryan Coogler’s Sinners. That rewired my brain in so many ways.

What advice do you have for emerging theatermakers that you wish you knew?
There’s no value in playing it safe. Never. In any way. Risk it all, put it all out there, do what scares you. Do it right now.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on some spec horror features.

How can people connect with you?
The best place is on Instagram: @jholtham

Garrett M. Brown

Where are you from and where do you reside now?I was born in Battle Creek, Michigan, grew up in Darien, Connecticut, went to college in Massachusetts, lived in NYC from 1972 until 1991 when I then moved to Los Angeles; lived in LA until 2008, when we moved to Long Beach, California where we currently reside.

What is your artistic discipline?
I began as a painter/artist before I really made a professional life as an actor and eventually playwright; I continue to paint, act when the call comes, and the writing continues with plays, stories, poems, and my recently published hybrid memoir, Tin Sea

When did you become a Member?
Pretty sure it was 1983. 

What is one of your favorite EST Memories?
The 1991 Marathon of One Acts, working on Randy Noojin’s You Can’t Trust the Male with Lynn Ritchie, directed by Melodie Somers; a romantic comedy, about a Polish mailman who falls for this lovely woman in his evening English as a Second Language class; we’d done it as a staged reading in the OctoberfEST—Bill Wise saw it and loved it and Curt Dempster, the prime mover of EST for so many years and the final arbiter, not so much. But Bill, in the juried meetings to select the Marathon plays, kept fighting and lobbying for the piece—and finally, Curt relented, which was such a surprise and triumph—as well, it turns out, when it debuted in the Marathon and was very well received. 

It’s also a fond memory because it coincided with my leaving NYC for Los Angeles: in 1990, after driving cross-country to be in LA for what was then known as “pilot season”, I booked a supporting role on a pilot called “Sisters”, came back to New York, was called to return to shoot five more episodes, returned to NYC, and while working on “You Can’t Trust the Male”, I made the decision to move to LA in hopes of more paying work; as the Marathon finished its run, I got the call that NBC had picked up “Sisters” for 13 more episodes—a happy/sad event: so happy to be moving to LA with a job in hand (oh so rare) and sad, because it was one of the last times I worked on stage at EST. 

What is influencing or inspiring your artistry right now?

I juggle among books I’m reading and re-reading and then friends who are doing the work, day in, day out…I just finished reading Larry McMurtrey’s 802 page delicious epic, Lonesome Dove, and I marveled at the ease with which he entered the mind/heart/soul of one character after another, so gently, so fluently; I re-read every autumn Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast—which I highly recommend to every young artist/writer—it’s such a romantic book about Paris, but also such an elegiac tale not only of love and loss, but about the daily fidelity of creating, with Hemingway, the writing. 

In terms of friends, Robert Pokorny, who lives here in Long Beach, is a very gifted painter who is just now being recognized. We met at Trader Joe’s 15 years ago, he’d worked there for about 18 years until three years ago, he broke through and now only returns to TJ to buy groceries and see friends before returning to his studio to paint. A real homage to what I call the “artist’s faith”—on stage, it’s “the actor’s faith” – but that leap we must take and keep showing up and believing in one’s passion and commitment. 

Another friend, is the actor/writer Graham Sibley; we worked together on his first TV show, Boston Public—I played a pedophile priest (!) and he was my assistant—and ever since, I’ve watched, like Robert, his steadfast commitment to the work, the love of process, and the balancing act of wanting a family and wanting a career, both of which he struggled for and now has. We’ve since worked on plays together, back and forth among our respective projects; we continue to check in almost every week, his friendship and work ethic a constant inspiration.

Who are your artistic influences?

The painter Fairfield Porter, who was also a gifted writer: I met him my junior year at Amherst College and he became my mentor; Holly Prado, she became my writing mentor after I’d moved to Los Angeles, a gifted poet and brilliant, wise and gentle counselor of writers; the acting influences are so many but two teachers really lit up the dark for me, an Actors Studio alumnus, John Costopoulos, and the fervent seer of actors, Larry Moss; also, I must add a wonderful character actor, who I met now and then at  an Adult Children of Alcoholics meeting in NYC who helped me when I was grappling with what I’d call “artistic envy”, which seems inevitable in our fame heavy/compare and despair culture. He helped me see and advised, “Take joy in the excellence of others.” It’s a mantra that has stayed with me and helped lo these many years, especially as I’d work with a whole array of gifted actors, all of us seemingly equals, until suddenly Paul Rudd, Chris Pine, George Clooney, Kevin Bacon, John Turturro, on and on, their careers would suddenly take off—and I’d watch and marvel and yes, here comes that “spoiling envy” until my friend’s maxim would kick in, “Take joy in the excellence of others”, which continues to remind me, we all have such different journeys—and how grateful I am for the one I’ve had/am having (!). And with that mantra, I can continue to wish them well. And do.

What was the best play/film/TV you watched recently?

A bunch but two that stand out: one just debuted on Netflix, in four episodes, called Adolescence, co-created (and acted in) by Stephen Graham; and a call-back in these painfully challenging times, Aaron Sorkin’s The Newsroom on Max—please, just watch that opening pilot episode when Jeff Daniels’ character calls out America, its flaws, yes, and its great and worthy and even realized aspirations—it continues to move me and inspire.

What advice do you have for emerging theater-makers that you wish you knew?

I didn’t go to grad school, like a Juilliard or a Yale Drama or a Carnegie Mellon, where I hear tell that there, it’s not just the learning but it’s meeting many who will help you along the way once graduated. Is that true? Perhaps. Probably. But, too late. Instead, my painting and writing were such solitary crafts and the acting so excited me: it was so collegial and welcoming and I just auditioned like crazy, storefront theaters, school auditoriums, church basements, small living-room apartments, anywhere, everywhere, just dig in and explore, learn from everybody and LOVE the journey, don’t worry about results or getting ahead—the passion and love are the through line, still are. Where is your true enthusiasm and joy? Not unlike Joseph Campbell’s “Follow your bliss”. But it’s true—because there are so many ups, so many downs, and slownesses and failures—but then there’s Sam Becket’s, Fail. Fail better… and, I can’t go on, I’ll go on. And this one from Gandhi, which often helps, “Whatever you do will seem insignificant but it’s very important that you do it.”  And let time be slow and shield you and give you time to grow in your craft. Don’t rush it. Fame is a horrible short cut that no longer let’s you be a fly on the wall. Awards, too, suddenly pull you into expectation and demand. Let go of that cultural cry and find your very own wonderful rhythms and know that, not being known KNOWN, lets you be known in your community and gives you the time to create what you really love, at your own pace. And what was critical for me: finding my community, which was EST – and its gift as a member was that I could call the theater, if it was available that afternoon, the 2nd floor, the 6th floor, I could come to the theater, alone, with friends, and work for a couple of hours at the theater, on a real live wonderful stage, and do my work—and as a member, to have that space for free? What a gift, let alone the great gaggle of fellow artists, communing, sharing, inspiring. God Bless EST!

What are you working on now?
Just finished writing another short play called The Palace at 4am (the title stolen from an Alberto Giacometti sculpture); working on some short haiku-like poems inspired by Basho’s The Narrow Road to the Far North; I go into the studio to paint every Saturday, if possible, working on a series of acrylics on cardboard (pizza box covers, in fact, as Saturday nights, Marie and I have Movie Night and we order pizza, those leftover covers!), called The Pizza Box paintings; and, trying to find my way into the next book after Tin Sea, which is called Cities in Autumn, about my backpacking through Europe with my then college sweetheart, the autumn of 1972.  

How can people connect with you?
My email is garrettmbrown8@gmail.com; I’m on Facebook as Garrett M. Brown; and on Instagram at garrettmbrown8. 

Anne O'Sullivan

Where are you from and where do you reside now?
I was born in Ireland, immigrated to NY with my mother and sister at 5 yrs old.  I reside in NY, with a 3 year stay in LA. 


What is your artistic discipline?
I’m an actor.


When did you become a Member?
I became a member at the age of 28–invited by Curt Dempster, I’m 73 now.

What is one of your favorite EST Memories?
One favorite memory—there are many—the work on MamaDrama led by wonderful Abigail Zealey Bess, one of my favorite directors.


What is influencing or inspiring your artistry right now?

I am inspired every day by life, by my Buddhist practice, by the great people who work for social justice, by the great need for story telling.  My artistic influences are all the great actors I’ve worked with around the country, but especially at EST in my youth here, I was awed by the brilliance of so many people I got to work with, who encouraged me to never give up!


Who are your artistic influences?
What was the best play/film/TV you watched recently?
The Cherry Orchard at St. Anne’s in B’klyn—astonishing!


What advice do you have for emerging theatermakers that you wish you knew?

Never Give Up!


What are you working on now?
I am heading to TheatreWorks Hartford to do my third production of Jose Rivera’s great play Your Name Means Dream, he wrote the role of Aislin for me! Ain’t I blessed!


How can people connect with you?
People can connect with me by email: annieoftheland@gmail.com. Or visit my website!
www.annemosullivan.com

Bobby Moreno


Bobby Moreno

Where are you from and where do you reside now?
I'm originally from Austin, TX and Elmont, NY. The first of many dualities about me. Another is that I’m currently bi-coastal. NY and LA. 

What is your artistic discipline?
I’m an actor and an emcee/producer. 


When did you become a Member?
I came in with a wave of like 40 youngish folks right around 2008. I did a show called Okay by Taylor Mac with an incredible cast of young actors in the marathon. Then I stayed on to work on the next series, in which someone turned into a tree in a Jose Rivera play and the late Michael Feingold (critic from the Voice) also had a show. Then after doing Asking for Trouble was asked to join as a member.

What is one of your favorite EST Memories?
So so so so so so so many. I refuse to pick one…

Billy Carden’s surprise birthday where we told the story of his life in plays. 

The final dress of Year of the Rooster where we fought by dipping our fists in buckets of blood and punching. The cleanup at intermission took 45 minutes. So we cut the blood. 

Laying on the floor in the dark singing coyotes by Don Edwards next to Scott Sowers and yelping into the warm, sticky night. 

Brian Quijada’s mom picking his brother Marvin in their beatbox battle at Last Call.

Being up in the balcony with about 800 people chanting Steve Boyer’s name when he won his Obie for Hand to God.

Being at the stage door chanting Shawn Randall’s name when he made his Broadway debut in Between Crazy and Riverside

A good old fashioned clap-out. If you know, you know. 

The US Open debut show where I’m pretty sure Jeff Beihl sang a Cage the Elephant song. 

Diana Oh playing a song called “I wanna be in the US Open” and then joining the band that night. 

Damn I love that place. 



What is influencing or inspiring your artistry right now?
Death. Babies. Middle age. I'm really into Chekov. 


Who are your artistic influences?
Kendrick. Leguizamo. Bogosian. Andre 3000. Bowie. 


What was the best play/film/TV you watched recently?
Just saw Paul Sparks in Grangeville. Damn. I want to see that dude in everything forever. 


What advice do you have for emerging theatermakers that you wish you knew?
People pleasing is the death of art. There’s so much luck and timing in who “makes it”. Stay true to yourself and your path will reveal itself. It may not be what you want, but more than likely, it's what you need. 

What are you working on now?
I spent the last 5 years in the woods of Westchester developing a project around an alter ego, Ol’ Bob. Its turned into a full length hip-hop album about fatherhood, addiction, love and loss. I just released the first single, Kintsugi, last week. I’m also developing it into a solo show that I performed for the first time at EST recently. 

How can people connect with you?
olbobhasbars.com

Cori Thomas

Where are you from and where do you reside now? 
First generation American Citizen to a Brazilian mother and Liberian father. Presently tri-coastal NY, California, Portugal with Portugal as base.

What is your artistic discipline? 
Playwright.

When did you become a Member?
Don’t completely remember but I think approx 2003.

What is one of your favorite EST Memories?
First ever ever reading in Going to The River Festival

What is influencing or inspiring your artistry right now?
I have been doing a lot of advocacy and work in prisons, particularly San Quentin. I am proudest of being the co-founder and be co-director of The San Quentin Film Festival. First ever anywhere on earth in a prison. Planning the second one now. 

Who are your artistic influences?
So many- August Wilson, Athol Fugard, Zora Neale Hurston.

What was the best play/film/TV you watched recently?
Sing Sing.

What advice do you have for emerging theatermakers that you wish you knew?
Things happen usually when you least expect it. Also let go of expectations. And you never know who someone is or will become, so be nice to everyone.

What are you working on now? 
Many projects, TV, film, theater

How can people connect with you?
On Instagram @corithomas29. Or email works: corithyme@gmail.com