Episode 4 - Maddi Albregts
Maddi Albregts
This podcast is brought to you by MAD Company, a nonprofit theater company based out of New York City.
James Hale
Hello and welcome back to another episode of One Hale of a Conversation. My name is James Hale. I am the executive director of MAD Company and your host for this and I hope all future episodes of this podcast. With me in the studio today is the wonderful actor, writer, creative, voiceover artist and all around great human being. Maddi Albregts. Welcome, Maddi.
Maddi Albregts
Hello, James.
James
How are you?
Maddi
I'm doing well. Thanks for having me.
James Hale
You're welcome.
Helena
I'm going to make you redo it.
James
I might record another one.
Lauren
It's terrifying.
Helena
And then left, left it behind, retired
James
And we're back for that exciting interruption. What next season will hold? My name is James Hale.
James
So we're just going to dive right in here. And I'm wondering if you could just in your own words, like chart your journey from leaving to go to your undergrad to LAMDA to here. What, in your words, did that look like?
Maddi
So starting… starting undergrad, I had gone to a performing arts high school in Las Vegas, so we were kind of in the thick of it with theater from the start. And I knew pretty early on that I wanted to continue theater. I think I had one blip when I wasn't getting cast in high school, where I thought maybe, maybe I'll do costumes. Maybe I'm meant to do costumes, which is a wonderful thing. And I loved doing it, but not as much as I like acting. And it kind of got on the acting train again and I was like, okay, this is this is what I found.
James
Your thing.
Maddi
Yes. And so that led me to Montclair State University, which is where I went for my undergrad degree. I got my BFA in musical theater…
James
Ahhh the BFA.
Maddi
The BFA… with a minor in business and a minor in German
James
Two minors.
Maddi
Yeah, to minors.
James
I didn’t know you could do that.
Maddi
You can. I don't know if I would recommend it. It was, it was quite daunting on top of the already pretty close to a conservatory-esque musical theater program. But yeah. So I made the leap from the West Coast to the East Coast. They were kind of an up and coming musical theater school. A lot of people recently were coming out of there and doing well in the musical theater sphere. They also offered me in-state tuition in school and a scholarship on top of that. So it was kind of hard to say no to that.
James
Yeah that’s a good deal. Okay.
Maddi
Yeah. So that's also why I felt I wanted to make the most of my degrees and get some in business in German as well. Also, I felt very strongly about having a well-rounded education and experiences. I think that just helps you as an actor. And then the Road to LAMDA was kind of a whacky one. I think I stumbled upon the Fulbright for LAMDA. I was not really interested at all in going to grad school. I never thought I would. I always thought, okay, if I go to grad school, I'll probably work in the fields and then go back at a later date, which a lot of our classmates did. And then I found this Fulbright information I have no, I can't. I can't remember how I stumbled upon it.
James
Somehow. It somehow came into your life.
Maddi
It came into my life. And I started looking at it. And I remember getting out of bed. It was the middle of like not the middle of the night, but I was in bed. I remember getting out of bed and walking into my living room where my roommate was sitting watching TV. And I looked at her and I said, I think I'm going to apply for this Fulbright for grad school. And she looked at me and she said, Do you want to go to grad school? And I thought, I maybe, I don't know, I might as well try. And so then that started the process of the Fulbright for me, which was quite the process. I think a couple other… obviously our roommate and our flatmate in London ended up getting the Fulbright. Spoiler alert. I didn't get the Fulbright
James
Yeah, that was one of those things. I got to LAMDA and then realized that, Oh, I could. There's a Fulbright scholarship where they pay for it. I wish I had known that.
Maddi
Yeah. I mean, I had the information and still didn't get it, but I, yeah, it was quite this long process. It was I think a good process to go through. I had to do all these interviews and get all of these recommendations and send in all these video auditions. And so I then found out before my audition for LAMDA that I didn't get the Fulbright. They, they. Yeah, I think it was the second round or so where they ended up calling me after an interview and they said thank you so much but you're out of the running. Yeah, but no, not for you. And I thought about it and I thought about the price and I said, You know, well, an undergrad, I had so many scholarships, I did all that stuff. Is it worth it? It's only a year if I even get it. And that was the other thing. I was like, I might as well just audition and go forward. It'll be a good experience regardless. And I ended up also tacking on another grad program that was in the UK where I thought, okay, maybe I'll just try for two schools.
James
Was this RADA or Central?
Maddi
No it was. Why am I blanking?
James
One of the lesser schools.
Maddi
Still a great school, but and I feel so…
James
We’ll edit in the name later.
Maddi
We’ll add in the name right here. It’s Bristol Old Vic Theatre School you fool. I'll have to. I'll have to voice over that and then I'll. I'll. I'll just.
James
Oh that school.
Maddi
Yes, that school of. I love that school I guess, but so I ended up auditioning for them as well as LAMDA and I went into my audition. Rodney was there. Yeah. And I did my audition and I remember him asking about like finances and stuff. I was also, I think, the second person in the US to audition for LAMDA that year. Oh yeah, he told me. He said, You are the second person we have seen in the United States. You won't be hearing from us for a couple of months regardless. Yeah. And I, I was like…
James
I might have been the last one to audition for them. It was the very last date they had. And I was like later in the day.
Maddi
It was the first date they had and I was second, I guess. So I yeah, I was one of the first people and he did all the standard questions and stuff. Yeah. Then I kind of just forgot about it and thought, okay, well if that's the thing, that's the thing. He said, it would be a while before I heard. So sure, if I don't get it, it was no skin off my back because I didn't even really not care to go. That makes it sound so blasé. It wasn't that at all. It just was not. It was something that I thought I could do later down the line. But it wasn't.
James
It wasn’t now or never.
Maddi
No, I wanted to. Yes, Yes, exactly. So I kind of. Yeah, went back. I finished up school and then one day I got a call and Rodney was on the line and he said, Madison, I have just finished unpacking. I have opened up my notebook and your name was the first one there. So I wanted to call… and I'm sure this man tells this to everybody or something, but I remember I was shaking and I thought he was calling to give me, like a recall audition. I didn't realize…
James
Right, we want to see you again or something
Maddi
Exactly, exactly. I didn't realize he was offering me a place in the school until he said, I'll see you in September. And I thought, What? You'll see me in September. And then actually, a funny story is I ended up not. I ended up missing the date to send in my first deposit. And I remember freaking out and I was so upset and I was with my mom and I thought, Oh, I blew it. I blew it. I can't believe I blew it. And then they were like, whatever.
James
Right, probably didn’t bother to check their email.
Maddi
Yeah. They didn't care. And then I yeah, And then I kind of thought, okay, we're going to London. And it was interesting because I remember when I got there, I kind of had this thought of, What am I doing? Why am I doing this? I'm… the second I got comfortable with something. I mean, I immediately uprooted my life and I came here. I don't know anybody. I don't know the people I'm living with. I have like three bags and myself and a three floor walkup. And I just yeah, was very I kind of had that thought. I've had that thought very often in my life. I tend to uproot myself from everything I'm comfortable with, like when I went to undergrad and then I studied and worked in Germany for a summer. So I remember having the same thought when I got there of, and I was working on a farm too, and they picked me up in, like a bike with a cart on the back and said, Hop in the car. And I remember thinking, What am I doing? What is happening? What am I doing? And I kind of had that thought in London. And then after the first week of classes, I remember thinking, Why did I come back to school? I don't want to be doing school, like what am I doing? And then the second week I was like, This is the greatest thing I've ever done in my life. This is this is going to be so bad. And…
James
Yeah the beginning of… of London was so weird.
Maddi
Yeah, it was.
James
I was scared to talk to anyone. And like, I, I remember going in and I was like, it was jet lagged or whatever, but it took me like three days. I, like, didn't want anyone to like, peg me as an American, I think. Yeah. So I would walk ahead and try to speak as little as possible. Yeah. I didn't want them to know like… Foreigner or whatever. It was a very weird experience. Yeah. And then, you know, after four days, I needed to buy groceries, so I was like okay.
Maddi
Well, I remember getting a lot of people would ask if I was from Canada, a lot people would ask if I was from. I think I got Australia a couple of times and I just kept thinking, what are you think, what? No, really. But then it kind of happened to me too, where I wasn't used to the accents until probably a month in. Where then I could decipher, Oh, this is from this region and this is this as opposed to just, this is an overall accent I'm hearing.
James
Right. Just different.
Maddi
I wonder if people were. Yeah. People are just like this is different English. This must be-
James
Right. Where are the three places speak different English.
Maddi
So and so. Yeah. So it was definitely a little… also fun fact for the people on the podcast that me and James lived together in London
James
We did live together. Maddi holding, holding it together. Maddi came to London and then lived with three men she didn't know. Yes, which was wonderful because at least two of those three guys were great. And then but, you know, brave choice.
Maddi
It was a brave choice. And people asked my parents that a lot, and I never thought it was weird. I had one.
James
I never thought it was weird.
Maddi
I had one moment when I found out how much younger I was then the three of you, that I kind of had a moment of, Oh.
James
Living in a house of 30 year old men.
Maddi
And I was like 22.
James
Took you under our wing. I think so.
Maddi
Sure.
James
Yeah, that's what happened. Okay, So you you come to you come to London, you're at LAMDA for a graduate program that maybe you sort of fell into a little. How did you end up here in New York?
Maddi
So I… New York was always kind of the end game for me. I've always been more attached to the live theater, I think. And I think that to me always meant New York. I was never really interested in L.A. I think I went to L.A. once or twice and I remember going in probably high school and all my friends were so excited and they kept saying, Oh, this is where I meant to be. This is where I meant to be. I love it here. And I remember thinking, Oh, no, no, I certainly am not feeling that in any capacity. And I remember going to New York and kind of having the feeling of, Oh, this is cool. I like this. This is better. This feels better than that. And I think being so close to it in undergrad, I just it was kind of the trajectory that I thought, you know, if I don't go to London, I'm just going to move to the city and I'm just going to put my feet to pavement and try and make it. Yeah. And then also there was the fact that I had a long term partner here. And so I thought, okay, I will- they're from New Jersey, so we'll stay on the East Coast.
James
They go
Maddi
Yeah. And so that kind of there were there were several things, but for the most part it was just, yeah, that's the next-
James
It was always part of the plan.
Maddi
Yeah, I'm just going to go back there and I'm going to do live theater and that's what I'm going to do and I'm going to like it.
James
Excellent.
Maddi
And I do.
James
And, here you are. And we like it. Great. So we've got you coming from Vegas through this BFA program to LAMDA eventually here in New York, where you are a part of what I keep hearing is one of the most exciting new theater companies in the world.
Maddi
I've heard about at least five times
James
I keep hearing that. Along the way you made this switch into voiceover acting that you’ve been doing a lot of recently. I'm curious like, how did that happen? Why did that happen? Was that a conscious choice or just something that sort of you fell into?
Maddi
I think a little bit of all of that. I think it's so funny looking back now, because I remember thinking, because once we graduated, we graduated straight into the pandemic. So coming back, there weren't really live theater opportunities. And I kept thinking, I don't know what I want to do for work. I don't know what will sit with me the best and what I will feel best in. And I kind of wanted flexibility because I have some health issues and that kind of worried me of having to stick to a very strict schedule and then possibly not being able to do that. And so I kind of thought, okay, what can I do from home? And I have some friends who do voiceover. I have a friend who is- she's very big in the voiceover world. And it's so funny thinking like, Oh yeah, I'll just do that because that's not how that works. And she worked very hard to get to where she is. She's incredible. But I think I kind of had that thought of, Oh, this will be an easy way to make money. This is just something I can do. Sure.
James
The side hustle.
Maddi
Yes. And I very much realize now that's not the case. And I'm still very much I feel, clawing my way up in that business. But I, yeah, I just kind of sort of started doing freelance stuff. And I started- we were living in my partner's parents, like basement. Yeah, Yeah, kind of. And we were- I would go in a closet, I would go into this closet and put up pillows and a blanket over the door, and I would use a rock band microphone. Yeah, I know. And we had some music stuff, so we had like an old interface and I just use my laptop and I just started and I just started and I remember doing voice over for- I just put together kind of a shoddy reel and I had a teacher from undergrad who'd done voiceover, and so she was very kind to give me some tips of, okay, this is how you should approach like a reel, a commercial, reae, something like that. This is yeah, just kind of start doing that and I had begun these thoughts in London of, oh, maybe this will be a side job. And so coming back I was like, okay, yeah, let me implement this.
James
Sure, some investigation.
Maddi
Yeah, yeah. And so I talked to some people and I was like, Yeah, that's fine. I'm yeah, I have no training in this and it'll be great. And I, yeah, it was a lot of stumbling around and a lot of people coming back and saying, Hey, can you essentially be better, Can you be more exciting, Can you be more this and that? And then there are some people who are like, Yeah, great, we love it. Perfect. And then I would do- I started with a lot of educational content. I- a lot of business modules a lot of VR, a lot of meditation is kind of where I started. I still do a lot of that to this day. Yeah, I'm on a bunch of meditation apps.
James
So if you're recognizing this voice…
Maddi
So if you're recognizing this voice, actually it's not really this voice, it's it's kind of like this voice. We're going to take a deep breath and let it go. Yeah, it's kind of like.-
James
Wow, yeah, it's like somewhere between flight attendant and surgeon.
Maddi
Yeah, it's. It's peaceful. Okay.
James
It’s peaceful damn it.
Maddi
It's calming.
James
It’s relaxing.
Maddi
Yeah. So I did that. And then recently, about a year ago, I started jumping into kind of the character world of, like video games and animation and that kind of- audio dramas. I do a lot of audio dramas and I still very much feel very new in that. I've had a couple bigger things that I felt really good about at the time, but now I'm kind of to the point where I'm like, Oh, okay, I kind of want to go bigger, I kind of want to do more. But I think that's just the nature of the business side.
James
You know, you always want more.
Maddi
Yeah, exactly. And I feel I think, I think it will come. It just has been, but it definitely was not something that was so easy. It wasn't always easy money and it's kind of… Yeah, it's kind of difficult in the way of you're always- it's the same with acting where you're always auditioning, you're always applying for jobs. You never know if you're going to have the security.
James
Right. So with that sort of balancing these two different facets of more or less the same work, do you feel like you found balance in attempting to do voiceover auditions and theatrical auditions? Are you more focused on one than the other? Are you hoping to be more focused on one than the other and are not?
Maddi
Yeah, I think I go through stages, almost periods of, okay, I'm really going to put it all into voiceover. And when I started doing kind of character stuff, I was really focused in on that, almost to the point to- I'm still sending in some live theater auditions and such, but I kind of got cast in a show and I- it was kind of almost jarring of, Oh, I yes, I do love theater. Yes. Okay. I do musicals. Yes. This is another thing I do. I've been so entrenched in the voiceover world and I do it all from home. So it was really almost isolating that I then all of a sudden was back into the theater game.
James
Right, out in the world.
Maddi
Yeah. And I think now I found more of a balance. It's, it's, it can be challenging sometimes because I kind of want to do all of it all day, every day of, Oh, let me do voiceover auditions. And then after that, I'll do these auditions, and then after that I'll stream. Or then after that I'll do this and this and this. And I want to do it all every single day. And then I kind of burn myself out. So I'm trying to pick days where I think, okay, I'm going to do voiceover auditions Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Or I'm going to do this job on Thursday.
James
Workload management
Maddi
Yes. So, or, this week I'm going to focus on live theater auditions or going to focus on these callbacks. And so it kind of it kind of adjusts. But I think now I have a better grasp. When we were doing- when I am performing in shows, it's a little harder to even it out. But I'm still to the point where the shows I'm doing are shorter runs. So I haven't had to plan for like a long term schedule.
James
There hasn't there hasn't been a drastic shift in your long term schedule.
Maddi
Yes.
James
That makes sense. I mean constant evolution sounds like just sort of the smart way to go.
Maddi
The name of the game.
James
Right, that's what we do. So we just touched on this briefly, but last season you made your off-Broadway premiere in Pinkalicious. Which I did not get to go see. I was very upset about that. Heard great things about it, you know, fun, fun, entertaining childrens show. I'm curious. So this was, I believe, your first, like, professional theatrical experience in New York City?
Maddi
Yes. I had done a outdoor production of 12th Night. The year before with a wonderful company. But this was the first musical I'd done professionally. This was my first, obviously my off-Broadway debut. That kind of- my first tour, because we took it. We took it on tour. Yeah. So that it felt like the first girthy project.
James
First big thing. So I guess I'm curious, like moving from your undergraduate experience, you know, everyone always does summer shows. We were at LAMDA for a long time. Were there any big differences between all of these sort of, for lack of a better word, amateur productions and scholastic productions to then move into like this is a fully fledged professional off-Broadway touring production. What were the differences there? What were the difficulties of making that shift, if any?
Maddi
Yeah, it was. It's interesting because the show, it's a family show, so it doesn't have the craziest budgets. I think I've done some college shows that had bigger budgets than this show, which is fine, and it needed to be small because we had to take it on the road and it was only a five person cast. And I do have to say I loved, loved, loved the cast I was with. I'm still friends with them to this day. I enjoy them all. They're all immensely talented. They're all performing and doing amazing things. So that was that kind of- there was a shift, definitely, when we had our first rehearsal and it was a music rehearsal and everyone came in and just blew the roof off. It just, everyone was so good. And I remember going home that night and studying the music and the harmonies for 4 hours because I felt behind and I didn't want to feel behind going into these rehearsals. And I remember coming back and everyone being like, What are you talking about? It was our first rehearsal. It's fine. Like, it's okay, we'll get there. We have five weeks. Like it's not a big deal. It's a 50 minute show. It's- it's a packed 50 minute show. I will say it's pretty much going nonstop our time. Yeah. And I have to say, it's- it is a family show. But I loved the music. It had a nice little message. It wasn't it wasn't grating. I will-l I will preface that. But yeah, so I think that was definitely a difference. But also just reminding myself that, okay, this is work and this is a lot of work. And I think sometimes people can feel like, Oh, it's really glamorous life you're living, Wow, you're off-Broadway. And I'm like, Yeah, I have the you have the title of it, but
James
Right on paper it looks great
Maddi
On paper. But like, yeah, sometimes the things weren't always the easiest. I have to- the touring houses that we went to were so beautiful and the one we were in, in New York, I mean, New York theaters are wonderful, but they tend to be older and they tend to not have a ton of space, especially off-Broadway. So I think we kind of all went from this cramped area to then being on these huge stages to these
James
The regional stages.
Maddi
Yeah the regional stages. And I mean, they're catering to us, for us and like catering to us and doing all this stuff, right? And you're like, Oh, wow.
James
When New York talent comes out of town. Love it.
Maddi
Oh, I am an actor
James
Thespian.
Maddi
Yes, exactly. Silly things like that. So there was the difference in I kept thinking and I went to school with very talented people as well. It's not to say that they didn't rise up to that caliber, but it just kind of was this feeling of- I would go through feelings of, Oh, this is really hard and this isn't what I expected to then also being on the train the morning of our opening day and being like, I'm opening a show off-Broadway and yeah, it's a family show, but that doesn't make it-
James
Doesn't matter.
Maddi
It doesn't matter. Like I will be off-Broadway and this is what I thought about and I'm doing what I wanted to do. And I think that was really important to me.
James
Wow, that's beautiful.
Maddi
I know- not. I know it's a beautiful experience.
James
Wow. Okay, So I'm curious and I'm wondering off of my script a little bit here. So you went from this BFA program at Montclair to a heavy, heavy classical conservatory, master's degree at LAMDA. You come back to New York City and eventually your first, like I will say, bigger professional job is very much musical theater to the quintessential. Right? Yeah. So I'm curious, thinking about LAMDA, like doing a year of this conservatory training, this classical training. Do you feel like that still informs some of the work that you do on, like, a straight musical theater project or a modern project or anything like that?
Maddi
Yeah, absolutely. And that was something I really thought about and it was something I talked to another one of my cast members about where we would discuss, you know, it's a children's show and some of the lines are silly and some of the songs are hokey and all these things, but it was so important to me and to us that we gave the same amount of attention to these characters that I would a classical character or Macbeth or any of those other characters I played in grad school because I think it was not only important to me as an actor, but it was important because the kids are still an audience. They are still want in. Yeah, maybe they're not thinking about that, but kids can smell B.S. They can see BS and like, yeah, maybe they just want to come for the pink and the- the showy numbers and things like that. But you still want to perform well for them. And so many parents came up to us and said, This is my child's first show. This is the first theater they're ever seeing. And so, of course, we want to do well for that. And yeah, I think as an actor, I think it is almost better because you are really stretching yourself. And I think there's like a part of like, I'm not going to take this too seriously, but also I do want to give it the respect it deserves and also take care of my body. And it was a lot of grueling days and a lot of moving sets and moving things and driving in cars for long distances.
James
You were working as your own sort of…
Maddi
Yeah. Yeah. Basically, we would do it all…
James
Your own roadies, you’re own crew.
Maddi
Yeah. Yeah. I think- I think learning that in school and just being able to care for myself and doing I mean we used Besfort’s vocal warm ups. Yeah.
James
Did you really?
Maddi
Oh yeah. Because they were so succinctly recorded. That we would just be like can we, can we play Besfort. And I was like yeah, sure.
James
Wow, Besfort.
Maddi
I know. Yeah I know. It was very sort of-
James
Love that man. Besfort was one of our- actually one of our few singing teachers at LAMDA. Wonderful, lovely man.
Maddi
Yeah, I think that definitely it was interesting going back to a musical show because I was so entrenched in the classics and then I did this and I had to remind myself, Oh yeah, you are a musical theater actor.
James
Yeah, I actually, I find myself kind of having that same reaction all the time. Like I think of myself as a Shakespearean actor or a stage actor, but I remember sometimes that, Oh yeah, my background is in music. Yeah. And I very much like a singer and actor. And it's a- it's actually, it is a different like mindset you have to be in, especially regarding auditions. I think the difference between like a straight play audition and a musical for your audition are crazy to me and it's not a casual thing for me to like switch back and forth between those brains.
Maddi
Yeah, I had to kind of get to the point where And you are a very talented singer.
James
Oh, thank you.
Maddi
Yes, but I had to get to the point when people would ask, Oh, do you sing or do you do this? And instead of kind of going, Oh, well, yeah, know, I do. I very truthfully and honestly say, yes, I'm a singer, I sing and I am good at it. And I like to do it and I enjoy it. But it's trite and people are like, Yeah, that's great that you feel comfortable saying that. And it's like, Yeah, I should I Yeah, that's, that's important.
James
False modesty has no place here.
Maddi
Yeah, exactly. And I think it's important to me to remember that is something I love and that is something I do. And I think that totally has space in classical theater.
James
Absolutely.
Maddi
But yeah, I sometimes have to remind myself, Oh yeah, you can do
James
I have these other skills
Maddi
Yeah, you can do these other things.
James
I love that. Excellent. So MAD Company. Let's dive in. What in your words, what is your position with MAD Company and what does that mean?
Maddi
My position in Mad Company. So I'm on the board of directors. I am a co-vice president.
James
Co-vice president.
Maddi
Co-vice president with one Helena Mueller. An excellent human being. I also am the marketing director, so I head all of our marketing. We did all, all the design, all of it, baby. And then, yeah, I do some other little things. As of last night, I am our head of accessibility.
James
Oh yes. Our board meeting literally last night.
Maddi
Yeah. So, yeah, yeah. I think I wear a lot of hats. I'm a- Oh, what's that thing? I'm a founding member.
James
Yeah, Founding member. Yes, that’s what we call it.
Maddi
Had to find it. As if we didn't, yeah, create this. Yes. That is what I do.
James
That's what you do. Excellent. So I'm curious. And again, I want to just sort of hear in your words, like, I don't like how I've written this question, so let me rephrase it on the fly. Why did you get involved with MAD Company? What did you think it was going to be- so I wrote down What was your motivation to join the company and the board? Like what- what was it to you when we started it and what is it now and how has it sort of changed?
Maddi
I think I remember us discussing it in school, kind of this far off idea. Oh, we're going to do our own thing and this is what we're going to be called. And yeah, we're just- we're going to make our own theater. And I also really remember this thing that Chris Bert told me, and I had had a particularly bad day health wise with my brain stuff, and I was very upset and I very much felt as- I was questioning where I fit in a professional theatrical space and if that would be maintainable with my health. And I remember Chris Bert, I have no idea if he remembers telling me this, but I remember him looking at me and saying, You will be an actor, you will be a professional actor. I don't care if we have to create our own company, our own productions, our own performances, but you will be a professional actor because that is what you're meant to do. And I remember, Oh, it is still so- it's- it's so heavy in a beautiful way to me, and it resonates with me still to this day. And so I think when we started talking about creating this company, I thought, Yes, this is it. This is us doing the work and this is us creating stuff for ourselves. And I really love our class. I felt closer to you all in a year than I felt with many people I met for many years. I, I, I think that's also kind of the nature of the program. We're with each other upwards of 12 hours a day, every day, doing really intense emotional work together. And I yeah, I think when we came and we started having talks and it's so funny to see where we started of, yeah, we just want to put on a show. We just want to like we're just going to throw on a little, a little ditty and put up a little play and it's going to be fun and like we'll get to perform. And then, I mean, I think this is why I love you all so much too, is we are very much balls to the walls kind of people.
James
Yeah. We tend to take an idea and run with it.
Maddi
Yes. And boy did we run, we ran and we are still running and our feet are bleeding and bleeding.
James
We're making it though. That's-
Maddi
We are. So yeah, I think once everyone started getting more serious too, I think I hopped on that right away. I wasn't super in the beginning. I think it was you, the three. You and Lauren were really- and Mick. Yeah, were really heading it. And then I would pop into calls and stuff and I would miss some things and which was fine. I just kind of was busy at the time
James
I mean for months, well you had your tour, A. But also for months we didn't really know what we were doing.
Maddi
Yeah, we were just kind of, Oh, we can do a show in October and do it with no money and it'll be fine.
James
It'll be great.
Maddi
And then when we started getting more serious, I have a- I have a particular set of skills.
James
Thank you, Liam. Yes.
Maddi
Yeah. And so I just hopped on the- that creation and then I think just started rolling with it more and more and more as a snowball does a mountain, down a mountain.
James
Yeah. As it happens. Yeah. So yeah I know. Like it does feel like it just sort of happened. It just grew into this thing. Yeah, but like, what Chris told you is that's a beautiful thing to have someone like, just give to you. What a- what a gift from that man.
Maddi
Yeah. If it and it really felt like it. And so I would- I always felt very connected to Chris because of that.
James
Yeah.
Maddi
I wonder if he knows. He's going to listen and be like, what, I don't. I said that?
James
Was that me?
Maddi
I'm pretty sure. I feel like I remember.
James
We'll say it's him.
Maddi
Yeah, we'll say it's him, but no, that was, that was huge for me. And I mean, and then everyone showed it. That's the thing is he said it and then everyone backed it by constantly supporting me, by constantly being there for me, by never making me feel like I was less or that I couldn't. Or I remember when we were doing a performance of Macbeth and I was having a particularly hard day, and I was really worried about forgetting my lines and everyone, all of those women there with me said, No, we're going to make it happen. We will have a script on stage. If you mess up a line, just look to me. I will bring you the script. No one in the audience is going to care. You will act your face off and if you can't, go off, someone will take the role we don't, like, We will be there to lift you up and be there for you. And I never, I had I had groups. People support me in undergrad and I had people here and there and like not to discount the people in my life who helped me get to where I was. But it always felt like a collective and I never felt like people thought less of me or were annoyed that I was missing things or thought, Oh, well, she doesn't have to do this, and that's annoying, or I'm annoyed that she's sick all the time or things like that. So I really felt like Chris said it and then everyone backed it up.
James
Right and it was manifested.
Maddi
Yeah. And that's why I felt, okay, I can come into this and I will have the support and I will have a voice and I will have people listen and say, Yeah, no, you're right. Cool. We're not going to do that. Or Yeah, make it easy for you. Yeah, easy in the way. Like easier.
James
Easier, right. Accommodation.
Maddi
Accommodations. Exactly.
James
Yeah. No. And I think that is part of the reason I was so attracted to this journey that we've started is just the even tiniest modicum of control over what we're doing. Yeah, it comes with an incredible amount of work and a lot of headaches that you don't have as just an actor walking in and into and out of auditions and rehearsal rooms. But for my, my mind and I don't know how you feel about this, like I am absolutely willing to have those headaches and do all that work to be able to say we have a little bit of control over our creative future, not necessarily the success or failure of that future, but at least like the work we will be doing, We can decide even just a fraction of…
Maddi
Yeah, and I think be proud of that work as well. And that's the thing is going in with all of you. I knew I wouldn't be doing it alone. I think oftentimes in my- I tend to be a bit- I hesitate to say controlling has a negative connotation with that word, but I tend to be protective of the work I do, and I want to make sure it's done.
James
Precious with it.
Maddi
Precious yeah, I want to make sure it's done at a high, high quality. I want to make sure the work I'm doing and presenting is good. And so I tend to do a lot of it and I tend to want to hold it close to me. But I feel with you all, I know you will also do the work and I feel I can hand it to you and know that it will be safe in your hands because you care just as much about this company as I do. It's not only me trying to pick teeth of, come on like, let's. Let's do this. Let's do this. It's all of us being like, okay, I'm going to do this and I'm going to do this. And sometimes I think we get a little lost in it and it becomes-
James
Sure it doesn’t all go well.
Maddi
I know, but I- knowing that other people are just as excited and passionate about it as I am, I think is huge. And yeah, and to have those opportunities and to know- that's the other thing when we were going to Romeo and Juliet is just knowing that people are going to be good, like people are like, I really think you're all supremely talented and I trust you. And I trusted the creative team to put on a good show. So I knew, yeah, I knew we would be bringing good work and so it was important to me that we were always showing well, to back up our good work. I think so, yeah.
James
Yeah. I always come back to like, I think the- our two really fundamental strengths as a company are one, just that there are more than a handful of us who are super motivated. I mean, you know, a dozen of us here in New York who all really want this to happen, which is a lot of hands, which is excellent, because if it was two people, three people, it would never get done. And the our other strength is the fact that we all know each other so well and went to such good training, not even individually, but as a group. We all speak more or less the same language theatrically, creatively. And that I think is invaluable. In as far as putting up work or having things be shown. So are there avenues or directions, areas that MAD Company is not currently sort of moving into creatively that you would like to see us head towards in the future?
Maddi
I- I think about a lot of things. I really like the idea of us being open to all kinds of art and artists and just being a champion for so many different kinds of art, and that really excites me. I think my voiceover self is interested and maybe- obviously I'm very excited about us producing this podcast. But also-
James
One Hale of a Conversation.
Maddi
One Hale of a Conversation. Yeah. So I think that is exciting. I would love to maybe dip into like audio drama territory, Me and Keara were talking about how sometimes we look for audio books or audio versions of Shakespeare plays. And unless you pay for the fancy audio version, you kind of get not the greatest read for free. And so we were thinking about toying with the idea of creating quality recordings of Shakespeare plays that are free for the public to be able to listen to, because I think that's important to have, and I think everyone should be able to listen to Shakespeare in a great way, not saying, Oh, where we are in the way that we can do, we're so good. No, not that at all. But just having access to quality things without having to pay. So I think that kind of is interesting to me, that discussion, I don't know. I think, yeah, there's I like the idea of merging different kinds of art. I've already kind of tried to do that a little bit with working with local artists and small businesses and things in the marketing sphere. Our poster was designed and hand-drawn by an incredible artist named Mads Schubert, and they, I think, did a great job. And I remember people at first it was a little, I don't know, I think people were like, Oh, this is an interesting poster for Romeo and Juliet
James
It's strong.
Maddi
Yes, They were like, This is very strong. And I was so I really stood behind, no, it's good. It's- it's interesting. It's art. I think people are going to be drawn to it. And I think in the end people were. Yeah, I hope I got a lot of good feedback on it, but I think that collaboration is important to me of, okay, let's do a show and let's have a gallery in conjunction with it and let's do that. So we kind of have this multimedia
James
Blurring the line between media.
Maddi
Blurring. Yeah, and I think that's so cool to be able to support all these different spheres and I know that we're just now starting to get into I mean, if- we're- I called this a fledgling company the other night
James
Fledgling. I like that word.
Maddi
Yeah. So I obviously we still have so many places to go but I think yeah, those are always kind of the, the tip of my brain and-
James
Yeah thinking of the brain as a spear.
Maddi
Yes, exactly. Your brain isn't cone shaped?
James
Cone brain.
Maddi
Right. Yeah. So I think maybe maybe that I don't, I, I think there's so much we're getting into education stuff which I think is really exciting. I- I'm excited for what we have I think we are moving in that direction and I'm always to hear and experience new things that people want to do and that feels exciting as well of, Oh yeah, I didn't even think we could do that. Let's do that.
James
Yeah, staying open for, for other possibilities.
Maddi
Yeah, exactly.
James
Thinking about- so obviously we're first and foremost like a theater company. Are there any productions that you’re hoping to see included in either next season or a future season?
Maddi
Oh, I don't know.
James
Yes you do look at that face.
Maddi
I, I, I mean, I'm always, I'm always drawn to Shakespeare, which is good. Which is nice because we do a lot of it. I don't really have a play that I specifically want to do. I have characters that I would love to come back to and-
James
Like what?
Maddi
I would love to play Henry the Sixth again. I loved that role, would love to properly play that role again. So that, that is interesting to me. I don't- there's not really one because I feel with all Shakespeare, I'm happy to do any and every Shakespeare because then I just get to learn more about it. I don't think I've read Romeo and Juliet since I was in high school until we read it again and then we didn't even finish- this is going to make me look bad. We didn't finish reading it in the initial read through and I hadn’t fully read through it by the time we were in a couple of rehearsals.
James
Oops hot take.
Maddi
Hot take. So when Paris- spoiler alert- dies, I literally, we were in rehearsal and it said Paris dies and I went, oh what?
James
It was such good acting.
Maddi
I had forgot that that happened. And we were like, Oh, well, yeah, he doesn't die in the movie. And I was like, Well, I've never seen the movie. I don't know.
James
Yeah, yeah. Well he’s not really in the movie.
Maddi
Exactly. So like, any chance I get to experience Shakespeare, old or new, is very exciting to me. So I truly it could be anything and I will get a new experience. It's the same with contemporary stuff. I am so- sometimes I feel like sometimes I feel like a bad actor. Let's get into that.
James
Oh all right. Let’s get into that.
Maddi
Because I don't really consume media in that way. I don't watch a lot of movies. I don't watch a lot of TV. I occasionally see shows on Broadway or around. I sometimes tend to be a little bit of a hermit in my house, a little bit. I'm getting better this year. I it was a goal of mine to to get out more and see friends more and see shows. But yeah, I tend to kind of get into my own little bubble. And so mainly what I do for entertainment is read books, not even plays in some- sometimes. Sometimes I feel everyone knows what's on Broadway or like what the latest show is and who the latest actors are. And I just don't. I'm not really in that world, which I think is- I think has pros and cons to me as an actor. I think pros in the way that I truly feel like the work I'm doing is my work. Not that I think we can take from other people and learn and grow and become an amalgamation of ourselves and the people we look up to. But I, I like to watch people, like real life people. I mean actors are real life people, but like they're playing a role. But I and I like to watch it in the way that I'm like, Oh, this is really interesting. I think it's because every time I watch movie or TV, I am working. I start thinking, Ooh, what are they doing? How would I do that? Ooh, let me look at what they're feeling right now. And I would love to see their reaction to this. And how would I take on that reaction and how would I say that-
James
Right, I want to be in the rehearsal room with them.
Maddi
Yes. Oh, yeah, that would be so great. And so sometimes I'm like, I just need to shut my brain off. And really the only thing I can do for that is read a book or watch sub anime.
James
Hey. Okay.
Maddi
Because even if I watch dubbed animes or dubbed cartoons, I'm thinking-
James
It’s voiceover.
Maddi
Voiceover. Yes. And so with my subs it's all in Japanese or. Yeah. Reading where it just.
James
I don't know. I don't feel like that's a bad thing for an actor. There is a fundamental difference between the work an actor does on stage, on camera, behind the microphone and the work an actor does to create those opportunities for themselves, i.e. the industry. You know, it does not. Jackson Pollock would not be a better painter if he knew the names of all the studio or gallery owners in New York. That's not his job. It would help a burgeoning Jackson to know those people to get his work shown. But it has nothing to do with him being an actor or an artist himself. I feel that way about actors, too. There are people who know everything that's going on in the industry in New York and L.A. Lots of people who know about New York, L.A. and Chicago like you can be really knowledgeable about the industry. And in fact, you should be on a certain level. But it doesn't make you in and of itself a better actor. It might make you a more hirable actor, which is very much a worthy goal. But it's not going to improve your work.
Maddi
It’s very much. Oh, you have to market yourself. You have to be on social media, you have to be doing this. You have to- while tiktok's the huge thing right now. So like start making videos or start doing this, which people do when they do, it's incredible. And people get discovered because of that and people become more popular because of that. And I think it's helped launch a lot of people's careers. I struggle with that as a person who doesn't really like that stuff personally, for myself, and I think I also struggle with- it's going to sound so pretentious. I struggle with inauthenticity. But I just don't- I would never, ever want to be friends or build a community with people just for the sake of bettering my chances as an actor or propelling myself forward. I never want to just build relationships because I'm thinking about my future and that, you know-
James
I want to exploit them.
Maddi
Exactly. And I really struggle with that, even with my friends now who are successful, who I've been friends with for a while, I struggle asking them for things or questions because I never, ever want them to feel as if I'm only using them, which is silly. And a lot of them are like, Madd, Maddi, come on. No, you’re our friend. We've been friends for so long, so that- that's always interesting to me. But I do also have to remind myself that you can still build communities and you can still be a part of this community. It just doesn't have to feel fake to you. You can. Yeah. And so I think part of me is I know that it might take me longer to get to where I want to be and maybe I won't see the success I want to see until I'm older because I didn't build the connections as quickly as some people. But I think that will maintain my sense of self and maintain my own brain capacity with- with that. So…
James
Yeah, and you have to do what you have to do. You know, lots of people have been very successful by putting things on social media or self-creating that type of work, being active. There’s also lots- many, many more people who have done that exact same thing and not been successful. That's- someone told me, I'm forgetting this is but I think it was one of the speakers who came and talked to us as we were graduating. Like, no one actually knows how to succeed in this industry. Literally no one knows that. It's a combination of luck and some techniques to improve your chances and knowing the right people. But what works for some doesn't work for others. So there is no one way that you must do these things. I would argue there are some common things that you should do. You should- you should have a resume. You should, you know, go to auditions, but maybe not. Maybe. Maybe there's someone out there who never went to an audition and never printed a resume and started a career some other way. I don't. I don't know. So, yeah, I'm not sold on the- you, you have to be on social media. You have to be super knowledgeable about all these people. I'm also, I would not say the most successful actor in the world, so maybe because I'm not doing those things, I'm not successful, I don't know. And it has yet to be proven otherwise.
Maddi
Yeah, that's not a dig to people who do that.
James
No, not at all.
Maddi
It's almost something I wish I could do. But I am I every time I try and do it, my gut is like, No, don't. Imposter.
James
Right. This is not you. Yeah. I think that has to be. You have to go with what feels good. Because Otherwise you just won't do it.
Maddi
Yeah. And that's the thing is I never want to learn or grow to resent this thing that I love and although it's work and it's hard, I, I never want to get to the point of this isn't there's not even a sliver of fun or this is- I'm just doing this because I think I have to as opposed to I'm doing this because I think it's right and-
James
Right. Because I want to do it because it gives me some sort of fulfillment. Yeah.
Maddi
Yeah. Exactly.
James
Absolutely. So we have a little bit more time here. I've got some, like kind of one off extra time questions. If you just want to either make up an answer to or really think about either way is fine.
Maddi
Sure.
James
First up, are there any- you mentioned to Henry the six. Do you have any dream roles that you hope to play at some point in your life?
Maddi
Henry The six, I think, is my top. I love him. I love that character I did from the second I started playing him. I- it was so funny
James
So in Margaret was when you-
Maddi
In Margaret was when I discovered him. Yes. And we- I remember people were just shit, are we loved to cuss.
James
I've been swearing a lot.
Maddi
Okay. It just dawned on me. A lot of people would give him shit for being like a cuckold and being like a crybaby-
James
He’s not the most traditionally masculine character.
Maddi
That's why I like him. No, but I just like, felt and I felt so deeply protective and so deeply attached to this- which is funny because he's also a deeply religious character and I have no standing- I have no religious affiliation. And, but it was such an interesting thing to explore, and I really, really loved doing that. And I would love to do it again because that was the first role I played at LAMDA. Yeah, and I would love to be able to play him again and play him in like all the parts and play him throughout his entire-
James
The full- the full evolution of him.
Maddi
So that's definitely one of them. I'm always really weirdly drawn to, kind of, the emotional male characters in Shakespeare. So Henry, Romeo was a big one, I think Hamlet, all of those I think Macbeth too falls into that category. These big heavy hitter guys that I love to play and who I think have, like this emotional vulnerability to their detriment or to their benefit. So I think those are always, I'm always drawn to those kind of, I guess are those all tragic?
James
They are all tragic…
Maddi
Soft, soft male, soft, soft male boys. And I love LAMDA for giving me that confidence to play any and every role in just-
James
Yeah absolutely
Maddi
Obviously within reason. I'm not going to play like Old characters or Othello.
James
Well… yeah alright.
Maddi
Yeah, but for the most. But other than that. Other than. I mean, age is something I can grow into. It's really only…
James
One notable exception
Maddi
One exception. But Yeah. That, that ability to look at any character and go, oh I could play that. I'm going to play that. I want to play that.
James
I could bring truth to that.
Maddi
Yeah, Why? Why not? Why can't I play this role?
James
That's so cool. There's- I talked to so many of our cohort who are, were just so changed by Margaret of Anjou, you know, and I think I don't know. I think in my head it's a combination of A it's an amazing play that Rodney sort of pieced together from Shakespeare's texts. I also think maybe it was like such a formative time for all of us. It was like three months into us at LAMDA. We were finally getting our feet under us. It was the first real, like, meaty work we got to sink our teeth into with some of these new skills. But everyone I've talked to on- like the four people I've talked to on this podcast and even outside, our other cohort, like are so changed, like they all want to go back and do either Margaret again or the character they play again. I would love to play Buckingham again. From Richard the Third.
Maddi
Yeah. And it's it's so funny because it was truly the first time where I thought and I had a lot of pearls of wisdom within it to where- I remember doing a voice rehearsal with it and I was speaking through the line and I kind of messed up and I went, Oh, okay, sorry, wait, I'm going to take it back. And I remember it was- it was Robert-
James
Robert Price, yeah.
Maddi
And Robert saying why are you apologizing? Why are you drawing attention to the mistake? Just go back and pick it up and start again. Like stay in the work. He was like, Do you think Meryl Streep comes in and makes a mistake and wants to make it a joke and all about her? No, she stays true to the- And I remember being so terrified wide eyed, going, okay, yeah, that's fine.
James
Good man, though.
Maddi
And so, yeah, so I that really shaped me. Also, just the way of why wouldn't you just go for it every time in rehearsal and like, obviously take care of yourself and things like that. But why wouldn't you?
James
Why wouldn't you do it the best that you possibly can?
Maddi
Yeah. It's not like, Oh, I'm going to save this up for a performance, I'm going to save it up for this. And so I, I would and it kind of was a breakthrough for me. And I remember Rodney, our director, pulling me aside and saying, Yes, you've got it now, you've done it, you found it. And I remember thinking, Oh, yes, I've done it. I found it. And it was also one of the first instances of true, I think, almost praise for my acting. I remember being in a rehearsal and I remember doing my scene, finishing it up, and everyone kind of was like, Oh, she's going for it. And I remember Rodney saying, There, that's a real actor, that's real acting. And I remember thinking, Yes, I can do that. That's- I'm a real actor. That is real acting. And I think it was so- it was so important for me to hear not to blow smoke up my ass or whatever, but just as like a young person being like, yes, I can do hard things. I can play complex characters and play them well. And so that was huge, like three months into this program. And then I think it shaped the way I played characters till the end too.
James
Absolutely.
Maddi
Yeah.
James
As well it should.
Maddi
Next short question. As I go into a long tirade.
James
No that that was beautiful. Rodney's advice to you- like Rodney and Chris’s advice, are now sort of bouncing back and forth in my head. Or not advice, but they're, yeah, they're words. They're words to you. They're, they're beautiful moments to have. So we've touched on you're an actor, you write, you're a voiceover artist on your resume. It says one of your special skills is sewing, which I love. What other creative outlets do you have, if any, that we haven't touched on?
Maddi
Yeah, I love- I mean, I love to sing. I love music. I loved- I did a lot of watercolor painting for a while, and I love watercolor painting.
James
I didn't know that. Or did I know that?
Maddi
I don't- no I paint, I watercolor. I watercolored portrait of Max for a show, remember?
James
Yeah. Okay. Yes. I don't know that I knew it was watercolor, but I do remember you. You painting something.
Maddi
Yeah. So I did watercolors, and I did that for a couple of years. And then I kind of did that thing where I tried to monetize it, and then it kind of I fell off. And I think only recently have I been wanting the desire to go back and just do it for me. So I love that. I love reading, which I guess isn’t really creative, but it feels creative to me because in my mind I'm creating movies in my mind constantly. So in my head I'm like-
James
Yeah we’ll give it to you
Maddi
Okay, thanks. I also I, I think you're going to say this is also not a creative thing, but I will argue that it is. Me and my partner recently started Rock climbing and it very much- I am feeling like it is a creative sport because it is constantly solving puzzles, it's becoming creative on the route you want to take. And I was watching- I don't look graceful doing it, but I was watching someone go across a wall. They were just doing laps around this bouldering wall and it was like watching a dance. The move, the fluidity, the movement. And I thought, wow, this actually kind of is a beautiful dance you're having with yourself in the way that you're moving, in the way that you… And that's the thing is I will go for a problem on a wall and just, like, push my way through it and then I get to the top and it's great. And then the next time I'll come back and I'll do it again and it'll be like, a little nicer. And then the next time I'll try something different where I put my leg back and I kind of go up a different way and then it kind of feels like this dance of, okay how can I get up easier and with more ease and not be so tense?
James
Wow. So I would in my head, rock climbing is getting up a wall. And then, with a fall coming back down.
Maddi
Yeah, no, it's puzzles.
James
It's puzzles.
Maddi
Love puzzles.
James
We do, yeah. We love puzzles. So I guess I would. And this is a much larger discussion we're not going to have right now, but I guess I would say like, it is certainly creative in the way that I think any sport has creative elements. I wouldn't call it like, a creative pursuit necessarily so much as an athletic pursuit.
Maddi
Yeah, no.
James
But- but I like that answer.
Maddi
Yeah, I know, but it's trying to think of things. I do so many creative things that I was like, what is beyond?
James
I have so many things.
Maddi
I so many things I do. Oh, it's my voice and my body, my body, my art, my- my mind.
James
Yeah. So last question, and I ask this to everybody. If you weren't an actor/creative, what would you be?
Maddi
Oh, I think about this all the time. I think about myself in different lives, and I see videos of things that I'm like, Oh, I would do that. I would absolutely be doing that in another life. I really loved baking when I was growing up. I did a lot of baking. I did a lot of cake decorating. It was like a really integral part of like three formative years for me. So I think in one timeline I am a baker. I've recently- was watching a lot of videos about archeology, and I- part of me was like, that's really cool, that is really interesting and I think would be a really interesting thing to do. I also really love nature. I really love animals. Maybe something in conservation that would be important to me or something. I- it's funny, I went to- I was in Montana this summer with my family. We were, my- my dad had a work thing. And so we all were like, let's just all go on vacation. Why don't we all- because we all live- my parents are in Vegas still. I'm in New Jersey, my brother is in Arizona, so we all live apart from each other. And so every once in a while we try. And when not only Christmas, like Christmas is sometimes the only time you see my family, but we- so we all went to Montana and I think we were like zip lining or something. And I just had the thought of why am I not anything in nature? Why am I doing this career and how do I live?
James
I'm a hermit inside.
Maddi
Yeah, I know. And when we got back, we implemented what we- what we have dubbed Adventure Fridays. And Adventure Fridays can happen on any day of the week, but that's always called Adventure Fridays and it's something of, Oh, okay, we're going to go on a hike or we're going to go to a park or we're going to-
James
This is back in Jersey.
Maddi
Go to the botanical gardens. This is back in Jersey. Because I came back from Montana thinking I need to be in nature. What am I doing?
James
And I'm in New Jersey.
Maddi
And I'm in New Jersey, which has a lot of beautiful areas.
James
It does. I joke about Jersey, but it's nice. Sorry, Jersey people.
Maddi
But so we’re like, okay, we're just going to go on a walk today if we can't get anywhere, just realizing the importance of nature. So I think maybe I would do something. Yeah, in nature. I also, like I go through periods of, Oh, that's really cool. I would love to work in like, deep sea sciences and like all sorts of just random…
James
But other than the baking thing, it sounds like science or something.
Maddi
And yeah, I was really, yeah, I loved math growing up. Or maybe something with languages. I loved learning German. Like I would love to. I don't know. It's like I sometimes I- people was like, Oh, well, if you're an actor acting, you have to know that you couldn't do anything else. And I'm like, I feel like I could do other things, but I choose-
James
Yeah, kind of fuck you?
Maddi
I think the fact that I continue to choose to do acting is the important part. It’s the part-
James
Yeah, that to me is way more important than I'm incapable to doing anything else.
Maddi
Yeah. And you think they mean it in like, you have to be. So you have to love it because it's really hard and it's really discouraging a lot of the time. Yeah, but yeah so often I'm like,
James
Oh, I don't know about that.
Maddi
I think I could do, do other things. Not, I mean, I would have to go to school in like, of course, but I also I'm getting to the point in my life, I'm like, Oh, I still have like hopefully a lot of my life left, like you can just do. I felt that way with a lot of our- or several of our classmates who were older at LAMDA, who now this is their second career.
James
This is their second career or third career.
Maddi
And they are really successful in it. I think about Lorna and…
James
Absolutely killing it.
Maddi
Absolutely killing it on the West End was a lawyer beforehand. Yeah. So I think the possibilities are endless. But I will, I will continue with acting because I get to be all those things as an actor.
James
That's a great answer. Yeah, you can do all of it.
Maddi
I get to do all of this and that's what I come back to.
James
That's what you come back to. That's beautiful. Well, thank you so much, Maddi Albregts, for joining us here today on One Hale of a Conversation.
Maddi
Thank you. James Hale.
James
In case no one's picking up on that.
Maddi
In case no one picked up on that.
James
And I'd like to thank everyone for listening. This has been me, James Hale, on One Hale of a Conversation with Maddi Albregts. Please join us again and have a wonderful rest of your day. Bye bye.
Maddi Albregts
Thanks for listening. To learn more about any of the creatives who spoke in this episode, check out their social media links in the episode description.
