When comedian Adam Ray (BFA ’05) started his popular podcast About Last Night in 2012, the podcasting format was still relatively uncharted territory.
As anyone with a Spotify account knows, that period didn’t last long. Podcasting has exploded as a medium, giving listeners a chance to enjoy intimate conversations and well-structured narratives on any topic they can imagine. Ray notes that these days, it feels like everyone has a podcast.
“Even back then [in 2012] it felt a little saturated. Now I think even my stepdad has a podcast,” he joked.
Podcasting has become a popular format for reaching a wide audience of listeners and alumni of the USC School of Dramatic Arts are leading the way in the field. Many alumni use the format to supplement artistic and performance careers, opening doors to meeting new people, reaching new audiences and developing their skill sets.
Others have focused on the podcasting format as the perfect medium for engaging in the craft of storytelling.
One such alumnus is playwright and podcaster Brian James Polak (MFA Dramatic Writing ’14). His podcast The Subtext began in Los Angeles when Polak and fellow USC alumna Dani Oliver (BA English and Theatre ’06) wanted to interview other playwrights for the Los Angeles Stage Alliance.
When Polak moved to Chicago in 2018, he relaunched The Subtext under the auspices of American Theatre Magazine. Although he considered himself technologically illiterate at the time, Polak took a chance and got a boost from an unexpected source.
“I reached out via email to Marc Maron, who runs WTF, one of the longest-running, most famous podcasts in the world,” Polak laughed. “I wrote: ‘Dear Marc, I’m starting a podcast. Can you tell me what recording equipment you use on the road?’”
Though he had no previous relationship with Maron, he must have caught the comedian on a good day. Maron responded within five minutes, listing all the recording equipment he used for his road podcasts. Polak bought the equipment and learned how to use it, paving the way for the last six years of The Subtext’s episodes.
“A lot of the barriers are psychological barriers,” Polak said. “As far as equipment is concerned, you don’t need anything. Everyone walks around with these cell phones in their pockets. You literally only need this to create a podcast. That and a little bit of pluck.”
In his years of producing The Subtext, Polak has had the opportunity to interview luminaries such as Wallace Shawn, David Henry Hwang and many more. Although Polak sometimes struggled with motivation — he is, after all, a busy, active playwright — it is feedback from the community that has kept him going.
Polak recalls a life-changing conversation he had while interviewing legendary playwright Paula Vogel for the podcast.
“I mentioned to her how I struggled over the years and why,” Polak said. “Paula said that the podcast is a service to our community, and that when I’m not actively working on a play or a production, I’m still creating. I’m creating something of value to folks. It means something to them.
“That hit me,” he said. “I’d never really thought of it that way. I’d always thought of it as my project. I never thought about our community. And that’s become a touchstone for me.”
Polak is not the only USC alum who sees podcasting as a way to do good for the world. Rebecca Mellinger (BA ’17) graduated from SDA and began working alongside Professor Zachary Steel for the USC Comic+Care Program. Eager to make a difference, she found her way to working with Paris Hilton as Head of Impact for Hilton’s media company 11:11 Media. Along the way, Mellinger found podcasting as a way to make a positive impact. She served as co-host for Hilton’s podcast Trapped in Treatment, a docu-style podcast series that investigates abusive behavior in the “troubled teen” industry, in 2022.
“To me, podcasts provide a platform for diverse voices and perspectives, making it easier for individuals to share their stories and ideas with a global audience,” Mellinger said. “Podcasts are highly accessible, allowing people to consume content on their own schedules, making it a convenient medium for both creators and listeners.”
Comic Adam Ray, whose successful career in stand-up comedy helped pave the way to roles portraying Vince McMahon in NBC’s Young Rock and Jay Leno on Hulu’s Pam & Tommy, along with a new Netflix special, began About Last Night with fellow USC alumnus and comedian Brad Williams (’07). The idea was originally to capture the strange and unique experiences that two touring comedians face on the road. Ray, who continued the podcast solo after Williams’ departure, has found podcasting to be a perfect complement to his performing career.
“Coming out of SDA, at least for me, being an actor wasn’t enough,” Ray said, referencing his career as an agile multihyphenate. “The more well versed you are and the more weapons you have at your disposal, the better you set yourself up for having opportunities. I think all anyone in the entertainment business wants is opportunities.”
Ray says that putting out About Last Night over the last decade has opened doors and allowed him to meet and interact with people he might never have the chance to otherwise.
“I’ve gotten a myriad of gigs just from podcasting alone,” Ray says. “Just being comfortable on the mic and being in settings where you can meet people that you might not have otherwise. There are so many benefits to it.”
Ray switches between solo comedy performance episodes and hosting guests, including fellow SDA alumnus Patrick J. Adams (BFA ’04), who now hosts his own podcast, Sandra Bullock, Neil Patrick Harris, Dana Carvey and many others. He has found that his training at SDA, along with his comfort on a microphone and natural curiosity for people, has been key to his success in the podcasting arena.
The impact of another standout Trojan podcaster was highlighted under tragic circumstances. Brad Bradley (BFA ’95), whose podcast Broadway’s Backbone highlighted the stories of the people who specialize in ensemble parts on the Great White Way, sadly passed away after a courageous struggle with cancer. The final episode of Broadway’s Backbone flipped the script and featured an interview with Bradley himself, while the show was guest hosted by friend and fellow Broadway actor Juliet Fischer. In the episode, Bradley reflected on his life and work as a performer and podcaster, including his time studying at the USC School of Dramatic Arts.
“I’m really happy [that I went to USC],” Bradley said. “It made me a better actor, and it made me a better researcher.”
In the opening moments of the podcast, Bradley reflected on his time speaking with the people working in the ensembles of Broadway shows — the people he routinely called “the hardest working people on the boards.”
“When it comes down to it, just one piece of glitter — all the people who want to become a star — you get a handful of glitter, and that makes up an ensemble,” Bradley said.
“You take that handful of glitter… you are part of something beautiful.”
The final episodes of his podcast highlighted his incredible impact and reach. Bradley’s passion for spotlighting the people working in Broadway ensembles reverberated throughout the theatre community in the wake of his untimely death.
Ray, Mellinger and Polak all encouraged young Trojans thinking about their future careers in the arts and entertainment industry to consider adding podcasting as another arrow in their quivers. Understanding this as a huge area of potential for student success, the School of Dramatic Arts has begun offering new courses aimed at teaching students how to create their own podcasts. The popular “Creating the Hit Podcast,” taught by Sim Sarna, teaches students fundamental skills for producing, performing on and monetizing their own podcasts in multiple genres. In addition, the university now offers a multidisciplinary podcasting minor, thanks to a collaboration between SDA, the School of Cinematic Arts and the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, which gives students a well-rounded skill set in narrative, production and marketing — all skills fundamental to creating a successful podcast.
“When I was at USC, I never thought I’d be doing a podcast,” Polak said. “But part of my development as a playwright and an artist involved learning how to talk, finding my voice, discovering my personality: who am I, what do I talk about, and how do I talk about it? That has become invaluable to me as a podcaster, because it’s all about me using my voice, in a literal and metaphorical way.”
Mellinger agrees.
“I hope students today recognize the incredible potential for creativity and impact that podcasting offers,” Mellinger said. “There are so many ways to use your artistic talents outside of physical performing. I didn’t always see or understand the other opportunities while I was a student and I think it is vitally important that students explore all of the different career types while they have the support SDA offers.”
This article appeared in the 2024-25 issue of Callboard magazine. Read more stories from the issue online.