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[00:00:05] All right y'all, hey it's me Dani Baby. I'm at Denver Community Media with the glorious
[00:00:13] Jenna. We're going to hold a little conversation we've never met in the flesh before so we're here
[00:00:18] right now getting ready to tune in and actively listen to what the brilliance of this human has to
[00:00:25] let us in on but right before that to prepare for active listening we're going to go ahead and
[00:00:30] stem it out for a minute you know just let the body move and any sound you want to make here we go.
[00:00:46] Thank you Jenna thank you so much for sitting in this chair with me today again just meeting you
[00:00:53] five minutes ago. Yeah so I would like to know really what brought you to wanting to sit in this chair
[00:01:01] today? Yes that's a good question. I think I think meeting strangers is very fascinating
[00:01:12] I think it's often scary and when you do scary things like good outcomes happen. This is true
[00:01:19] I appreciate that coming in with your earnest honest heart space I can feel it. I can feel that
[00:01:26] so I was connected to you because of Leslie over at our Vata Art Center and well it
[00:01:35] I think I mistitled that our Vata Center for Humanities and yeah for the arts and human.
[00:01:41] Okay thank you. Our Vata Center is we mean the biz. Oh yeah perfect. I just didn't want to
[00:01:47] misidentify that you know and speaking of identifiers you are what are your pronouns?
[00:01:54] I was like she they perfect and I am they them so I appreciate that. Any old way okay so connected to
[00:02:02] you from Leslie at the our Vata Center and I guess what I want to dive into because I've been fan
[00:02:08] human ever since I sat at the opening day but you had a big part of noises off. Can you talk
[00:02:16] about that for a second? Yes okay so it noises off I play poppy the stage manager and for those who
[00:02:24] don't know what noises off is about it's like acting theater company and act one is all about
[00:02:30] the rehearsal process act two is the backstage view of doing the show and then act three is the
[00:02:38] front stage view of doing the show as chaos ensues and whatnot and so as a stage manager my job is to
[00:02:44] kind of keep the machine going and and keep making sure that everyone's taking care of that props
[00:02:51] star where there's supposed to be and so in a farce I have a lot to do yeah for sure it's been really
[00:02:58] fun. Yeah so when I got to sit in there and watch it seriously one of my favorite plays I say this
[00:03:06] every single time I see a play but to see just like you know the stage moving the way that it did
[00:03:11] and how you know the beginning chaos was like a little bit there and then the secondary chaos and
[00:03:16] then the ending was just everything but your character in particular being someone that had to
[00:03:22] control or ease in the chaos is there any representation as to why you were drawn to that character
[00:03:29] that you were like I would love to be this character because it feels like something maybe I
[00:03:33] go through is there any type of I never thought of it that way but honestly like there are a lot
[00:03:40] of some already between me and my character and just like the trying to keep it all together while
[00:03:46] the world is burning yeah definitely can relate to as Jenna a human yeah but always like having
[00:03:54] a smile on your face and just like trying to handle everything even though sometimes it does
[00:04:00] become out of your control and there's like that that release and that like surrender to the world
[00:04:07] but yeah I think that my character does her best as well to hold it all in until they cannot
[00:04:15] I appreciate it because when I was witnessing it you know just you on the stage as the character portion
[00:04:23] a lot of times just still in the society sense that we're sitting in you know where there's
[00:04:28] a lot of male domination in certain things and to see you facilitate within the chaos that
[00:04:33] ensued because of the male characterships going on I thought was a really good representation
[00:04:40] of like how you just said you know showing up smile on my face everything's fine let me control
[00:04:45] everything but at the same token I'm still a person do you even see me do you hear me and um
[00:04:51] I think that's probably relatable for a lot of folks you know uh-huh I'd like to say for
[00:04:57] uterus owners both the owners that have to hold it together in so many instances and so does that
[00:05:05] does that feel like the character sometimes for you or just real life at times for
[00:05:09] for you um I think I think there's always an underlying feeling like that um I
[00:05:18] I think also there's like power in um
[00:05:24] in that how do I say this I feel like there's like power in also kind of being the still person and
[00:05:31] like kind of working behind the scenes which is very much what poppy does um the character that I play
[00:05:37] um and so I think that's also really fun to play with and um even though she may see some
[00:05:46] submissive she's still calling the shots absolutely yeah absolutely it's like that whole
[00:05:51] circumnavigating in other persons wisdom because you see you have the zoom out you're seeing more of
[00:05:57] the picture than they are exactly such a brilliant play and um what
[00:06:05] even though that you were a character on this specific set have you participated in anything else
[00:06:11] outside of just that within the Arvada Center yeah so um last year I've about a year a year ago exactly
[00:06:20] um to this day uh I was in a musical called Damien Gis okay um which I was I was playing
[00:06:27] a much a much more um outgoing character I say she was such a broad in the sense that she
[00:06:37] spoke her mind she was a journalist and she was always after that inside school yeah so that
[00:06:42] was a really fun character to play um uh before that I did a show a few years back called bus stop
[00:06:50] okay um we're it took place in the 50s and it was just all these like different characters coming
[00:06:55] into this like bus stop cafe okay which was really fun and I was kind of just going through
[00:07:01] like and having different conversations with each of these very different people so that
[00:07:05] was really cool and then I actually booked one my very first like professional gigs at the
[00:07:10] Arvada Center when I was 18 okay um and that was a musical called Miss I Gone okay wow so you've
[00:07:17] been at it for a few minutes yeah okay yeah I've been I've been acting for since I was a kid okay so
[00:07:23] speaking of childhood um what would your young self say to the self that's sitting here right now
[00:07:30] um what would my young self say to me right now um I think I think it'd probably be a little bit
[00:07:40] freaked out but I'm sorry I love it that's how I feel they might leave me free I mean if I were to like
[00:07:46] if as a younger self see my older self I'd be like are we messing with the time space continual
[00:07:51] what we're doing yeah it's a problem i think they wouldn't necessarily believe
[00:08:04] that I went on this path okay yeah because I went to an art school and I went to
[00:08:09] college for the arts but like I never really um was like casting anything even though
[00:08:15] I was like my focus was theater and music and everything I just didn't I wasn't given those
[00:08:22] opportunities so I always had to seek them out myself right okay um so the fact that I've been
[00:08:27] working as like a full-time artist full-time actor um it has honestly kind of felt like a miracle
[00:08:35] and like kind of amazing since I there were so many times in my journey where I was like I'm no one
[00:08:43] gets me no one knows where to put me um and so yeah I think I think my younger self would be really
[00:08:52] interested and I think if I had to say something my younger self is just like just keep doing what
[00:08:56] you're doing and and don't try to keep fitting into people's definition of who you are right just
[00:09:05] like to find who you are because that's um that's the journey and then like lean into that more
[00:09:11] because that's that's what's gonna get you to where you are and also get you to be happy
[00:09:19] right okay to be in your joy yeah on your joy space exactly so as a young person um is it safe to
[00:09:25] say that you kind of enjoyed like cause playing another person or you know like another identity at
[00:09:33] times while you were trying to figure out what it is that you wanted to do I wouldn't say that
[00:09:40] I enjoyed causing or whatever I think it really is the the medium that really excited me of like
[00:09:50] how do we tell a story that isn't just on the page how do we physicalize it how do we then use
[00:09:55] that to connect to people okay I think that's always been what's really interesting to me and even
[00:10:01] when I was like having doubts about whether acting was for me I still wanted to be involved in this
[00:10:08] like form of storytelling and question so I was like maybe I want to direct maybe I want to
[00:10:13] do all the research to tell the story be a dramaturg or maybe I need to be a stage manager
[00:10:19] in real life and so I I've always like just wanted to tell the story it was never about playing
[00:10:25] different parts for me okay I love that okay so it's more of the like you just said the storytelling
[00:10:31] but you get to take on that whole character and deliver that message like what vernacular do you use
[00:10:38] like you know like is it the young version of yourself you know the teenage version or where you're
[00:10:44] at now or is it like a whole different person that is sitting in the you know audience that you're
[00:10:50] trying to tell the story to how do who are you telling a story to when you take on a character
[00:10:55] who I think it depends on the story okay because like different things are for different people
[00:11:00] right um it sparks different conversations which I think is one of the beautiful things about storytelling
[00:11:07] like whether it's on film or stage um with noises off in particular I think it is for everyone who
[00:11:16] because we're going through such heavy stuff these days and so the the message of like what is
[00:11:21] laughter and like can I laugh at this can I laugh at them can I laugh at myself joy see myself in
[00:11:26] these characters right I think is really lovely but versus like another show where it's like oh
[00:11:31] maybe the message is specifically um to examine race or to examine queer culture or to examine whatever
[00:11:40] like and then so then then you're trying to reach out to more specific people in the audience right
[00:11:47] through also learning about yourself in that experience right important right yeah every single one
[00:11:54] of those characters up there there was a relatability on every level for me and I think that the beautiful
[00:12:00] thing was kind of allowing the chaos to be seen and it stirred something up in me just the
[00:12:08] connectivity because a lot of times um there's plays that I've been to where there's like such a
[00:12:13] reflective moment and it's just like a sweeps the audience in a silence and this one was like
[00:12:18] nobody could stop laughing tears were pouring down my face I could not stop laughing
[00:12:24] in your character uh particularly um in the second act and how you were trying to like
[00:12:31] micromanage everyone's emotions but still be aware that you had some too oh that was so brilliant
[00:12:36] and you just did a fantastic job so sitting with you today as Jenna I feel like I really don't
[00:12:44] obviously I don't know you but I feel like I'm getting to visit all these different mediums in
[00:12:48] which you exist so it's really really brilliant thank you so much for sitting with me um so to
[00:12:54] speak to that uh can I put can I just ask what drew you to our vata art center in general to start part
[00:13:03] taking in your maybe career there or yeah I think I think um when I auditioned for them at the
[00:13:11] like back in 2008 it was really just because they were doing a show that I wanted to be a part of
[00:13:15] okay um and then once I got to work there I I really just fell in love with that environment
[00:13:22] mm-hmm they drew so many like outside classes and it felt like really like an arts pub
[00:13:28] okay right and so they do dance classes they have galleries that change consistently and
[00:13:33] there's so much going on there and they really are just bringing in the community into that space
[00:13:39] and I think that's super super exciting and then since then I've just always had such wonderful
[00:13:44] experiences with like the design team the crew um everyone like the box office is always so super
[00:13:52] helpful oh like some of the best people are at that box office and like so I think
[00:13:58] going in day and day out has always been like a good vibe yeah um and so that's why I continually
[00:14:06] try to book jobs there yeah it's a good place to work yeah absolutely is there any other like
[00:14:14] locations or plays or activities that you're part of within the city that you would like to talk about
[00:14:20] um yeah I'm I kind of work all over thankfully okay um as a full-time artist you
[00:14:27] think you have that no mad life style sometimes um I've been really lucky to work at places like
[00:14:34] Miner's Ali performing arts center okay which is brand new they just moved into a new building as well
[00:14:40] and they're trying to also create a place for the community in golden okay um been heard of that
[00:14:45] yeah thank you yeah it's great um careers theaters a place I've used to work um which actually right
[00:14:52] now they're trying to do a whole thing where they're trying to raise money um because right now it's
[00:14:56] just like a hard time for for theater and they aren't so um if anyone listening has money to give
[00:15:03] please look up curious theater their um motto is no guts no story okay and I think that's really
[00:15:10] yeah that it is they've put on so many interesting plays that really provoke that which I have
[00:15:15] appreciated um the Denver Center is always great specifically off center okay um which is like
[00:15:22] their little side theater company which they focus on like immersive works and then I was
[00:15:29] lucky enough to work their lots okay um most recently I did um theater of the mind with David
[00:15:36] Byrne from talking head so it was really really awesome what a wonderful experience so
[00:15:42] there are the few communities that I really really enjoy and right now after this project
[00:15:47] I'll be going on to do a show in Carvindale which is super exciting okay you are in that no matter
[00:15:54] the way I love it but I love how everything that you're saying ties to community so they're
[00:16:00] I guess within that community itself is that something that you like really like to have a
[00:16:07] lining with your moral compass when you're working with a company or is it like you know I know we're
[00:16:12] all kind of like in a struggle space so we have to accept things maybe we don't want to do but
[00:16:17] typically it sounds like your focus is you know inclusivity in community and just you know
[00:16:22] that sounds like it's your moral compass yes and it is um I grew up in Denver okay and so
[00:16:31] I know a lot of these people that I'm working with very well and um so it does start to feel like
[00:16:39] a family right um and so it's like how do how does our family reach out to your family then
[00:16:45] like how do we bring in new people to join our big family and like it little things like that I
[00:16:50] think are important and and you do feel the sense of home in each different theater space
[00:16:56] and it's like also being led into their home right is like okay how do I honor your space and
[00:17:03] and I and I think it's um I think it's good I think this one makes theater so much different than
[00:17:08] like film it's like because you're constantly connecting to strangers or people that you've known for
[00:17:14] a long time and and working through a common goal and so yeah community is really important I
[00:17:20] agree with you on that um that's a big reason why I've been so drawn to the Arvada Center for
[00:17:26] like the last year and a half um it's just the sense of community that like the more regular you
[00:17:31] become going there like the more that they're like oh gosh like it's you again amazing how are
[00:17:37] you you know um so that's definitely like why I love supporting there I keep sending folks there
[00:17:43] just like Denver Community Media where we're sitting today that's allowing us to have this connectivity
[00:17:48] um but within community it's uh and you just brought up a point about film and how the
[00:17:54] you know I think that they're we're all witnessing within the industry the entertainment industry
[00:17:59] in general a big shift right now um and I think obviously through COVID too we all kind of went
[00:18:05] back to our screens you know and so we were watching a lot of you know the stars and stuff and now
[00:18:10] that shifting again we're starting to see how important the arts are to each community and I hope so
[00:18:17] I it's absolutely existing because uh to be honest I had only ever been to like one like a half
[00:18:23] of play when I was a kid I wasn't exposed to that I grew up in the sticks and so coming into this
[00:18:29] realm I'm like whoa if I would have had that representation at my age as a young person I don't think
[00:18:34] I would have so heavily relied on you know going into my teen years and my young adulthood looking
[00:18:41] to like movie stars if you will because that's all that I really had in my vernacular you know the
[00:18:46] entertainment industry that way versus knowing that there's a community community of entertainers
[00:18:51] and people that uh you know produce thought provoking things that really allow us to sit in like
[00:18:58] a healing space with ourselves right and so for me to witness what you all do has been healing
[00:19:06] absolutely curing my you know seasonal depression because you're in an interactive room
[00:19:12] with folks and you're feeling the abundance of joy you know just like elevating
[00:19:17] whereas you go to a theater like everybody's quiet don't make a sound don't peep and like I like
[00:19:21] interaction is a neurodivergent person it's very essential for me and so what would you like as
[00:19:29] you know as someone that's in these types of arts what's on your heart to let folks know that maybe
[00:19:35] don't have this representation and maybe they're just tuning in and they're hearing something like wow
[00:19:40] that exists what would you like someone to know about you know the community and what it's
[00:19:45] like to support your arts directly in your community hmm well I think the the thing that makes
[00:19:52] art so special is that I think there's this like a misconceived notion that art is very private
[00:20:03] and it's not like you could make art as a painter you can make art as a dancer you can make
[00:20:10] art as a musician actor but it really is the conversation it's what that piece does and the conversation
[00:20:19] that the outside person has with it right so if you're at a concert like you could sing all these
[00:20:24] songs they can make you feel good but it really comes down to like the people that are listening
[00:20:30] to this music what does that make them feel then it starts a conversation art starts conversations
[00:20:35] and like sometimes it's not easy to talk about hard things it's not easy to talk about good things
[00:20:40] like but that's why it's such a beautiful medium where it can just act as a vessel absolutely and
[00:20:49] and I think people forget that like art needs community art promotes conversation art
[00:20:57] is a catalyst for for connection absolutely and I and I think it doesn't have to always just be
[00:21:04] like this is my art and this could be whatever like you it's made to be shared
[00:21:10] and so therefore it needs people to also play an active role in that media you know
[00:21:17] and I agree absolutely and I think a lot of people don't realize that because we're because it could
[00:21:25] feel like very um solo mm-hmm whether you're like scrolling on your phone or whatever but you're
[00:21:32] still like making an active choice so um to have a comment in your brain or whatever but
[00:21:37] so what does that mean when you feel like just sure in a more live setting right right no I
[00:21:44] know absolutely no no no no no no it's absolutely especially for my brain because anytime I go into
[00:21:52] you know if I go into a like a theater where we're gonna watch a movie yeah it's all be quiet you
[00:21:58] can barely like it's just whispers but then you get into like a play environment and the theatrics
[00:22:03] and it's just like everybody is they're supporting someone you know which just makes the joy so much
[00:22:10] more abundant or the message you know or the thought provoking invoking of all the things
[00:22:16] and so I totally know what you mean when I walk into our vatisenter and I am like oh my gosh all
[00:22:21] these folks brought this together and then the awareness is let's all sit with what this art
[00:22:27] form is and how does it resonate with with each of us and so then I love when there's an
[00:22:32] intermission it gives us all a second to like you know move for a second stem it out then come back
[00:22:37] to that conversation that is being had in front of us that we get to interact with yeah and it's
[00:22:42] good because you feel each other's energy too um whether that's laughter and like laughter is super
[00:22:47] infectious and like that's great or whether you're watching like a drop like a drama and you can
[00:22:53] feel like the weight that people are are experiencing next to you and like that's really beautiful too
[00:23:01] to like oh man that just hit us all yeah like at this time and we don't have to process that with
[00:23:08] people next to us like what do you do with those feelings and right because I don't know I think
[00:23:14] it's really special oh god you're just like like you get it I get it now you need to go and watch a
[00:23:21] play okay that's all I got to say um so within this whole conversation which I've so very grateful
[00:23:27] that you're sitting here like I'm just fan-humaning even more I don't need to deal with myself
[00:23:31] I don't know how to act right but within that within the you know I asked you what would your younger
[00:23:39] self say to your older self and now that you're sitting here and you just had this beautiful way
[00:23:44] of explaining what plays and these art forms do and also speaking to the space that it doesn't have
[00:23:49] to be this like secret in this like you know kept to myself I'm gonna sidetrack for two seconds
[00:23:55] and we'll come back to that but I had never been privy to be in spaces like our vatisenter so I had no
[00:24:03] representation of what that looked like and then the older I got I just thought oh like I'm not
[00:24:07] gonna enter that's an art gallery or it's a play it's like for the rich you know and it's privy to
[00:24:13] you know there's not price inclusion I can't go it's too expensive and but that is not what our
[00:24:19] vatisenter is at all and just like you sitting here in this chair today just like taking the time
[00:24:26] to have a conversation outside of the character but relating to the character it just is allowing me
[00:24:31] to see that it's okay that I get to observe that world and be part of it and so like everyone
[00:24:37] to be a part of it yeah thank you so because of the impact that you have already had on me and
[00:24:43] you're not aware of it because like I'm gonna leave here like library screaming all day because I'm
[00:24:49] so excited about this conversation and just that you took time again outside of like okay I witnessed
[00:24:55] you here and now you made time to be here making it real and like tangible like oh my goodness like
[00:25:01] we're human and we can have these conversations what would yourself as you are right now say
[00:25:08] to your baby self now yeah I would I think it'd just be a conversation of like keep going
[00:25:17] keep trusting in yourself I think I honestly I could probably still learn more from my younger self
[00:25:22] and just like remember what it was to like have that child like curiosity and passion
[00:25:29] um and to not let the world completely make me so jaded you know I still learning from my younger
[00:25:36] self I don't know if I have much wisdom to bestow on them but I think they are still teaching me
[00:25:42] every day um but I yeah so I would just I would just want to sit with my younger self and kind of just
[00:25:52] go back and forth then talk about what we both know and like what I can remember and
[00:25:58] um yeah I don't know if that no absence the question but that's the most brilliant answer I've heard
[00:26:06] is like I'm still learning from my younger self and like kind of get back to that person yeah
[00:26:11] and that curiosity and wonder is so essential because we are stripped of that you know when we
[00:26:16] and that's part of our autonomy as a young person and then we're stripped of it and we begin to
[00:26:21] believe you know this is the direction and you have such a focal point in goals which is great but
[00:26:26] we miss out on watching and witnessing ourselves grow and we don't take enough time in the
[00:26:34] like the speed down and slow up if you will to just be like oh my gosh that that young person
[00:26:39] like I'm going back in time and my younger self is actually parenting my now so you know
[00:26:46] so I get it this has just been an absolutely brilliant conversation where can we like if we wanted
[00:26:55] to come and observe the art that you are in right now being noises off um when can we witness
[00:27:01] that with you um so if you go to the airvada center website or go and see the very nice box
[00:27:08] of this people at the airvada center and we have shows running Wednesday through Sunday okay
[00:27:14] have two shows on Wednesdays and two shows on Saturdays and we end the week with a Sunday matinee
[00:27:21] um yeah we're running a lot of shows um we close May 5th though okay so it's coming up please
[00:27:28] come watch our show it's gonna be so much fun okay amazing so you took time out of your busy
[00:27:33] schedule today to sit with me and I just want to give you some honor where it's due I barely know
[00:27:39] you but you have a very ethereal energy I see your earnest heart everything that you shared
[00:27:45] made me like helped me understand I'm right where I need to be you were a beautiful like
[00:27:52] reflection of that today so thank you yeah thank you really appreciate this moment with you
[00:27:58] right now so just want to again give some honor to our vada art center to Denver community media
[00:28:09] for allowing us to be in this studio today and I want to give some honor to Jenna and their younger
[00:28:16] cell you know because they came in and taught us a lot and if you just tune in and listen to what
[00:28:21] they are speaking to it's really the community base community to finding that family ship
[00:28:28] and then just kind of like existing in a way knowing that your curiosity and your wonder in the
[00:28:34] world is okay to have and to keep pursuing these things because we don't like we can set goals and
[00:28:40] believe that we're gonna be where we think we're gonna be and then look back and be like well
[00:28:45] if I didn't take a pause there I may not be where I am today so thank you for taking time
[00:28:52] and pausing with me today to just like tune in it's really really beautiful so y'all I'm never
[00:28:59] coming from a place of like oh we're out here trying to encourage folks we're just telling stories
[00:29:03] you know so if this pique your curiosity again all of the links will be in this podcast and if
[00:29:11] you would like to reach out to Jenna you can always go ahead and send me a message and I will relay
[00:29:18] that you know because Jenna be busy alright so with all of that being said not here to again sit in
[00:29:26] a toxic spiritual way and say I hope you're feeling encouraged today I just really hope that
[00:29:32] this brought forward and produced more joy for you to live in abundance with and if not then
[00:29:39] you can go ahead and move along but with all that being said do you have any last words Jenna
[00:29:46] for our listeners today um I just say your voice matters and conversation may be difficult
[00:29:57] but it's necessary for us to move forward and thank you for listening there we go all right y'all
[00:30:06] and just remember to continue creating earnestly in love we'll talk soon bye thank you for listening
[00:30:12] to this episode if you or your company are looking to jump into the podcast world now is the time
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