Hot Seat: Media Monday S2:E46 | Something Wicked, Ripcord, Autism, Robojango & Utica Royalties
This week’s Hot Seat: Media Monday brings together theater, technology, community, talent and deeply personal stories—all connected by creativity and self-expression.
Photojournalist and AI Content Producer Jim Hale and I begin the show at Something Wicked, a two-day festival celebrating music, art, individuality and community.
Organizers Taylor and Josh explain how the festival gives local performers and artists a stage while creating a welcoming place for people from different backgrounds, genres and walks of life.
Tattoo artists, piercers, face painters and vendors discuss how their work allows people to express their individuality. Sisters Jennifer and Jessica Lawrence of Ophelia’s Looking Glass share an empowering musical message about refusing to feel ashamed of who you are.
The festival even includes a lighter side, with balloon artist Silly Sam creating a green dinosaur for me and a young attendee named Eli proudly showing off his skull face paint.
Something Wicked demonstrates how music and art can bring people together while giving them the freedom to celebrate their originality.
Next, Suzanne Rodio, Denise Morganti and Gaetano Fornino join me to discuss DramaSphere’s production of David Lindsay-Abaire’s Ripcord.
The comedy centers on Abby and Marilyn, two very different women sharing a room in a senior living facility. Abby wants to be left alone, while Marilyn refuses to be pushed away. Their clash grows into an escalating series of pranks and challenges.
Beneath the comedy, Ripcord explores friendship, vulnerability, aging and the importance of remaining open to new people and experiences.
Rodio and Morganti discuss how their longtime friendship contributes to their onstage chemistry. Morganti also shares how she moved to Las Vegas, entered an unfamiliar theater community and successfully began a new chapter in her acting career.
Fornino plays Scotty, the younger employee caught between Abby and Marilyn. He explains how working with an intergenerational cast and performing in a nonmusical play helped him grow as an actor.
The conversation asks a larger question: We often talk about aging as a time when life becomes smaller—but does Ripcord challenge that idea?
The cast’s answer is clear: growing older is unavoidable, but becoming closed off from life is not.
DramaSphere will present Ripcord at Grace Church, 6 Elizabeth Street in Utica. Performances are Friday, August 14, and Saturday, August 15, at 7 p.m., with a Sunday matinee August 16 at 2 p.m.
Tickets are $20 and are available through DramaSphere’s Facebook and Instagram pages, at the door or online at dramasphere.ludus.com.
In the second segment, autistic brothers Justin and Ryan and their mother, Christine, share a personal conversation about their very different experiences with autism.
Justin discusses social anxiety, sensory overload, difficulty processing conversations and the effort required to navigate crowds and unfamiliar environments. He describes social interaction as something that can drain his energy and explains how earbuds, audiobooks and familiar routines help him manage stressful situations.
Ryan’s experiences and support needs are very different. He talks about his fear of medical tables that move unexpectedly and the anxiety caused by large spaces. He also shares the happiness he finds in music, especially songs from the 1970s and ’80s.
Christine discusses raising three autistic sons and the importance of patience, education, advocacy and listening when an autistic person explains what they need.
Their conversation shows why there is no single way that autism looks or feels. Every autistic person has an individual combination of strengths, challenges, communication styles, sensory experiences and support needs.
In the final segment, returning guests James Nason and Hawa Peters come together for an unexpected but fascinating conversation about creativity, resilience and helping young people discover what they can do.
Nason, the creator of Robojango, discusses discipline, perseverance, philosophy and the experiences that helped his children develop independence. He explains why young people need opportunities to explore many different interests before discovering the activity or talent that inspires them.
Peters, the founder and executive director of Utica Royalties, connects those ideas to her organization’s work. She explains how young people who initially believe they have no talent often discover abilities in music, dance, visual art, design, business and other areas once someone gives them encouragement and a platform.
Peters also previews the Utica Royalties Talent Show, where I will serve as one of the judges.
The competition is open to performers of all ages and forms of talent. The winner will receive $250 and an opportunity to perform with Utica Royalties at the New York State Fair.
The Utica Royalties Talent Show will take place Sunday, August 16, from 5–7 p.m. at 730 Broadway in Utica.
The conversation also previews the upcoming Royal Roots and Rhythms Festival, a celebration of culture and community featuring performers, food, vendors and traditions representing the many backgrounds found throughout the Mohawk Valley.
From a festival built around individuality to a play about refusing to withdraw from life, a family explaining the many different realities of autism and two community creators helping young people find their abilities, this episode celebrates what can happen when people are encouraged to express themselves.
WATCH AND LISTEN TO THE FULL SHOW
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WATCH THE FEATURE STORIES
Something Wicked:
A Conversation About Autism:
