This week we talk with Ambe J. Williams, a portrait and commercial photographer, director, and actor on sabbatical. We discuss the skills she relied on during her journey through the actor-to-photographer pipeline, the courageous cocktails that led to her film directorial debut, and the music videos that inspire her (when put on the spot).…

This week we chat with The Theater Offensive’s executive director, Giselle Byrd. We dive into how liberation and community has always been at the center of her artistic philosophy—from her leadership beginnings in college as President of 3rd Act to building momentum as a talent manager to crafting her vision as the first Black trans woman leading a…

This week we talk with writer, educator, and art critic Ricky Tucker. He is the author of And The Category Is…: Inside New York’s Vogue, House and Ballroom Community, for which he was a 2023 Lambda Literary Award Finalist in Nonfiction. We explore the idea of social versus stage performance, misconceptions of art criticism, and how the sacred space…

This week we chat with actor, dancer, producer, creative director, and wellness enthusiast Leroy Church. The Chita Rivera and Antonyo Award winner shares his story, starting with his church dance beginnings at age 13 all the way to his current expansion into producing and creative directing, like he did with the renowned Dreamgirls production on Cl…

This week we welcome Tony winner Nikki M. James! We discuss the beautiful breadth of Black women she has played in her career—from The Book of Mormon’s Nabulungi (which earned her a 2011 Tony Award) to The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin’s Viveca to real-life investigative journalist Ida B. Wells in Suffs, her current role that earned he…

This week we talk with the inaugural recipient of Vineyard Theatre’s Colman Domingo Award and the inaugural recipient of the John Singleton Screenwriter Award, playwright and screenwriter York Walker. We talk about the Disney kid to Broadway fan pipeline, his artistic philosophy as a playwright, and what he learned from working on his first profess…

This week we talk with Brooklyn McLain, the co-founder and COO of the first Black-owned Broadway merchandise company, “merch.” We chat about the musical that made him a self-described “theatre enthusiast,” why merchandising is so important to a show’s branding, and what it was like introducing the first durag to Broadway.…

This week we chat with Thaïs Bass-Moore, who both as a kid and a theatremaker has done “everything and anything!” She is an actor, director, writer, mommy, wifey, Co-Founder and Director of University of Texas’ Fearless Leadership Institute, and author of A Syllabus for Black Women: 110 Life Lessons for Sistahs in College. We dive into the moment t…

Welcome to Everyday Woodworking, Episode 38. Join us as we talk about Discovering Lumber Imperfections, the Radial Arm Saw, and How To Assemble a College Dorm SOS Kit! Grab your tools and let’s get started...THIS is Everyday Woodworking! FYI this podcast is available for streaming wherever you love to listen. We happen to dig Spotify which can be f…

This week, we talk with Broadway Inspirational Voices’ Artistic Director Allen René Louis, who also works as a music director, arranger, composer, lyricist, vocalist, instrumentalist, vocalist, actor, creative director, and producer. We dive into how his Haitian roots influence his musical approach, why he embraces imposter syndrome, and the artist…

Welcome to Everyday Woodworking, Episode 37. Join us as we talk about Measuring Odd Widths, Cell Phones In the Shop, and our Oak Veneer Refinishing Project Part 2 Grab your tools and let’s get started...THIS is Everyday Woodworking! ----- Thank you for joining us! For more about Everyday Woodworking or our parent company, Apple Valley Farm, please …

This week we welcome playwright, screenwriter, and former President of the Library Club, C.A. Johnson! We chat about the differences between collaboration for theatre versus television, how capitalism influences theatremaking, and what it was like seeing her play All The Natalie Portmans go from page to stage.…

Welcome to Everyday Woodworking, Episode 36. Join us as we talk about Mechanical Pencils, Oak Veneer Refinishing Prep and Home Depot Wood Labels. Grab your tools and let’s get started...THIS is Everyday Woodworking! ----- Thank you for joining us! For more about Everyday Woodworking or our parent company, Apple Valley Farm, please visit us online a…

This week we chat with Nate Shelton, a self-described “general theatre person.” He’s worn many hats in the theatre space—from actor to company manager to TKTS employee to Actors’ Equity Association Contractual Business Representative. Throughout all of them, his joy and enthusiasm for the theatre has never wavered. We dive into how he joined the th…

Welcome (BACK!) to Everyday Woodworking, Episode 35. Our first new episode in over a year! Join us as we talk about Sticky Drawers, Impact Drivers and Spar Urethane. With an all-new format and a whole new set of projects, reviews and insights...THIS is Everyday Woodworking! ----- As mentioned in this episode here are a few helpful links to a couple…

You’re gonna hear her roar! This week, we chat with Maya Boyd, the current star of &Juliet on Broadway! We discuss her experience of training in Russian ballet as a kid, how auditions helped her musical theater imposter syndrome, and what it was like making her Broadway debut in Merrily We Roll Along while she was still a senior at the University o…

Happy 10th anniversary, Holler If Ya Hear Me! A decade ago, today, a musical featuring a score from one of history's most influential rappers, Tupac Shakur, opened at Broadway's Palace Theatre and we are celebrating with a special episode. Though the production only lasted 17 previews and 38 performances, it impacted the Broadway landscape through …

Get stretching because this week we are going behind the scenes of America’s most famous kicklines! Formerly a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader and a Radio City Rockette, dancer Jacie Scott knows a thing or two about high-kicks. We dive into the similarities and differences of the two groups—from auditions to misconceptions to her experience as a Black w…

And I say, “Hey! What a wonderful kind of day!” as we chat with actor, cosplayer, and content creator Lillian Hope! We talk about why she got into cosplay content creation, why the Millennial generation is so nostalgic, and why Black Nerds Matter.

This week, we talk with Kelundra Smith about the many writing hats she wears as a culture and theater critic, playwright, arts and culture journalist, and Managing Editor of American Theatre Magazine. We dive into what inspired her to write The Wash and Younger (a prequel to Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun), how her Southern perspective in…

The 2024 WNBA season tipped off just last week, and we are celebrating with Criscia Long! She is the Senior Director of Entertainment for NBA’s Brooklyn Nets, the Long Island Nets, and WNBA’s New York Liberty. We dive into how she embraces commercial and concert dance, what she learned during her time as a pro NBA dancer, and what it was like orche…

We are BACK IN THE HABIT, y’all! After three years away, we are kicking off season six with a catch-up episode. We highlight some of the incredible accomplishments of some podcast alums, as well as hear from four previous guests about how their lives have changed since their podcast episode aired. We chat with Marc J. Franklin (Episode 12), Vincent…

Happy 30th Anniversary to Beauty and the Beast! 30 years ago today, Disney’s first musical premiered on Broadway and we are celebrating with a special episode. In honor of the milestone, we chatted with three Black actors who have played Belle: Briana Brooks from ZACH Theatre’s 2018 production (Austin, TX), Jade Jones from Olney Theatre Center’s 20…

After a long hiatus, we are BACK for a special holiday episode! We take you inside the creation of Sugar Hill: The Ellington/Strayhorn Nutcracker, the jazz-steeped reimagining of the classic ballet that runs at Chicago's Auditorium Theatre this month. We talk with producers Ron Simons and Valencia Yearwood, conductor and pianist Harold O'Neal, and …

The idea of milling my own lumber has always been a romantic idea. But it's just so expensive to own your own saw mill! But if you could do some back yard lumber milling for say, $200-300…now we're talking. And that’s exactly what were going to talk about today. The Alaskan Chainsaw Mill! *** Hey, don't forget to check out the Show Notes over at ww…

What a thrill to finally share this interview with the amazing Roy Underhill of The Woodwright's Shop! Having been a lifelong fan of the show on PBS, you can imagine the excitement around here when we got the thumbs up for this show. Join us as we chat with Roy and talk about his TV show, The Woodwright's School and his philosophy on woodworking wi…

Everyday Woodworking Know Yourself S3 Ep1

Today, we’re looking at…Benchtop Planers! I’m going to really kick the hornet’s nest and look as objectively as I can at some of the most popular “lunchbox” style planers on the market. It’s going to be fun though. So grab a cold one and join us as we do our Benchtop Planer Comparison…right here on Everyday Woodworking. Today’s Contenders include: …

This week, we’ve got my Q&A with Phil Huber and Chris Fitch, hosts of the PBS television series, The Woodsmith Shop. To say I left this conversation with some new information would definitely be an understatement. It was fun. It was educational. And frankly, it really inspired me in my work ethic and the way I approach not just my business, but the…

If you’re a woodworker and you sell your work, then this episode is for you. Let’s get out our Google crystal ball and take a look at "Woodworking Projects That Sell". You'll get about 25 gagillion search results, all promising you a guaranteed look at a list of sure-fire money makers that will practically have customers throwing money at you! Well…

If you search Amazon for “Woodworking” books, you’ll get over 60,000 results! But what if you had to whittle that list down to just a few Essential Woodworking Books? That’s what we’re up to today...right here, on Everyday Woodworking.

One of the most common questions we get asked is some variation of “How did you learn to do this?” So today, we'll look at eight great ways to learn or improve woodworking skills, right here on Everyday Woodworking.

Our PPL topic today is about the strange but warm & fuzzy reappearance of Blue's Clues host Steve Burns. What is up with that? Join us here as we chat it out in the Parent Pickup Line today, right here on Everyday Woodworking.

Most woodworkers have only a minimal setup for heat or AC in their workspace. Join us today as we explore affordable options for heating and cooling the small shop. Right here on Season 2 of Everyday Woodworking!

We are back in the parent pick up line with another short episode for you. Today we’re talking about MDF in the shop. Do you love it? Do you hate it? I’ll tell you what I know about this pretty amazing woodworking product.

Thoughts are random and wandering here in the parent pick up line. Join me for a little pick up line schooling!

Welcome to our Small Business Brainstorming episode! Today we're talking about why I have the crazy idea that we do NOT want to grow our woodworking business. Join us for all the juicy details right here, on Everyday Woodworking!

Every small shop woodworker has a tool or tools that they just can’t live without. And that’s what we’re looking at today. So join us to find out more…right here, on Everyday Woodworking.

As we celebrate Father’s Day, we’re going to take a brief look at my Top Ten Favorite TV Fathers! Will your favorites make the cut? You never can tell…unless you hang out with us right here, on Everyday Woodworking.

For the season five finale of call and response, we celebrate FREEDOM. In a time where fear and scarcity feel wide-spread, how can we claim freedom, abundance, and liberation for ourselves? We talk with five artist-creators about what artistic freedom means to them. Hear from actor and multidimensional storyteller Ja'Michael De'Shawn, director Mira…

For season 5's penultimate episode, we talk with artivist Britton Smith, who you’ve seen on Broadway in Be More Chill, Shuffle Along, and After Midnight, about how he learned to embrace his authentic self, what he’s learned from his work with Broadway Advocacy Coalition, and why he started his funk liberation band, Britton & The Sting.…

It seems like every year, when vacation time rolls around, we are just mentally ready to do anything other than work. But it’s so hard! And that’s what I wanted to talk with you about this week. 10 Tips For Enjoying Your Vacation. So comin’ at you live, from the beach…join us right here, on Everyday Woodworking.…

We are so hype, so thrilled, and so excited that call and response podcast has hit of 100 episodes! To celebrate the milestone, we’re looking back at the previous 99 episodes, highlighting and reliving some of the best moments—the joy, the tears, and the thought-provoking conversations on what it means to exist at the intersection of Blackness and …

This week, Everyday Woodworking is tackling more of your favorite Woodworking Myths. Join us as we take a look at some common myths, folklore and shop stories and see what is fact and what is fiction. From pocketholes and heartpine, to wood splitting and tape measure tricks. Well see you…right here, on Everyday Woodworking.…

We talk with Gerald Caesar, soon to be seen in the Dear Evan Hansen movie adaptation, about making his Broadway debut in A Bronx Tale, performing with Choir Boy on the Tony Awards, and navigating social media pressures and nuances.

If you’re like me, then you’ve got a dad or a grandfather that was just larger than life. He was or is your hero. And chances are, there’s a shop, full of the smells of things that have been built or worked on, little jars of screws and nails, scraps of things that might get used “some day”, and a whole bunch of tools that you just can’t buy anymor…

We talk with Tony winner Tonya Pinkins about what she learned from starring in Caroline, or Change, why she initially didn’t want to move to New York City, and how she grew from her experience as the writer-director-star of the award-winning socio-political horror film Red Pill.

This week’s show covers a subject that I get asked about all the time. And that is…How you can make the leap from hobbyist to business owner, as a woodworker. And it seems like a daunting task, but it really isn’t. However, it’s not something I think you should take lightly. And with that in mind, I want to talk a little about how we did it, and th…

We chat with Ain’t Too Proud star Jawan M. Jackson about how his support system encouraged him to pursue music, what his journey to New York City was like, and why he is committed to giving back.

What are the absolute essential tools that you need in your shop? Could we possibly narrow a list down to just five absolutely essential tools that every woodworker must have in their shop!? Let’s poke the bear and see what we can stir up. ;)