SHIVAM PATEL
Shivam Patel: So it's so hard to
describe it that looking back at it,
but it's like being able to tell the
world that like, I'm, I'm here, right?
Yeah
Rodney Lee Rogers: Welcome
to the pure theater podcast.
I'm rodney lee rogers your host and
that was shivam patel Shivam patel
is a relatively new core member, but
he's already been in several of our
shows including melima's tale and just
recently at water He's joined pure
in another very exciting capacity But
I'll let him tell you about that one.
Really have enjoyed getting to know
Shivam, and I think you will do the same.
Here's this week's
conversation with Shivam Patel.
Shivam Patel: Ah,
I guess a little over a year now.
A
Rodney Lee Rogers: little over a year.
Yeah.
And then, what else are you doing
Shivam Patel: with us now?
I am also the education associate
Rodney Lee Rogers: here at Pure.
Which is incredibly exciting.
Yeah.
Our education program is kind of It's
really kind of cooking right now,
and a lot of that has to do with Mr.
Shiven over there.
Ah, stop it.
I just want to, you know, certainly
want to talk a little bit about the
education program, but I always like
to go back to your first experience.
What was your first Theatrical experience.
I love
Shivam Patel: the story.
Okay.
So my first theatrical experience
growing up here in the South,
like I never got into sports, but
all my friends were into sports.
And so elementary school during
recess, I just, it didn't click to me
because every time we were at recess,
they were playing football or they're
doing races or they're playing soccer.
And I was like, I don't
know any of these games.
And so I would pick up the ball and
they're like, please put the ball down.
And so there was a, there was
an opportunity during recess
where the music teacher.
Wanted people to come in because they
were doing like a like the teachers were
doing like a Cabaret showcase type thing
where they're singing a bunch of different
songs and they wanted the kids to play
like Different parts in it and I was
like, I don't really like recess anyway,
so I'll do it So I volunteered and I got
to play Puss in Boots while the teachers
were singing these boots of me for
walking around me Oh, that's hilarious.
And it was so much fun I was that was like
the star of the show like they were all
just like, you know singing around me and
I was just dancing and doing like little
Puss in Boots like Mannerisms and stuff.
And it was, it was, it was a great time.
What was that feeling like?
It was, it was new.
It was like this like new form of
expression that I never got as a child.
So like it was
so, it's so hard to describe
it that looking back at it, but
it's like being able to tell the
world that like, I'm, I'm here.
Right.
Yeah.
Rodney Lee Rogers: Do you,
do you, do you chase it?
Like, do you ever feel,
do you still feel that?
I guess that's the question.
Oh yeah.
Yeah.
Because there's that sense of
play and I have all the time.
And I think when you get kind of
For lack of a better word, more
professional, whatever you want to
call it, when you're doing it for
work or for a job, for a vocation,
but it's always kind of there in it.
Shivam Patel: Yeah.
Yeah.
Like I get that.
Like when, when you think about
it professionally, it's like
you get too heady about it, but
at the core of it, it's just
Rodney Lee Rogers: playing.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Which is so much fun.
Like we're back, we're doing
Shakespeare show, which is going around.
It's two high schools.
We're kind of introducing some really
interesting things, but it's so much fun.
Like you kind of drag in there,
but then once you start to
get going, it's so much fun.
Yeah.
At least for me, I'm not, I was gonna
say, where did you go from there?
But like, what, what's next?
Like, when did you, when did you start to
say, okay, I'm going to do this, do this.
So
Shivam Patel: that wasn't
like the time theater stuff.
That was like, like my first performance.
And so then in middle school, I
got in and me and my friends, we
wanted to do like the play there.
So we were like, okay, well,
we'll just do it together.
It's like a fun little thing to do.
And I did it.
I really enjoyed it.
I was.
You know, hamming it up in my part that
was a butler in some show, but then my
friends the year after just quit and
they were like, and this isn't for us.
We're going to do something else.
And I was like, well, I actually
had fun in it, so I'm going
to, I'm going to keep doing it.
So I did it the next year and
then my final year in middle
school, I did like the musical.
So that kind of led me into
musical theater in high school.
And then that's where it
kind of like snowballed
Rodney Lee Rogers: from there.
Yeah.
And this is always
interesting musical theater.
So do you think you, do you feel you're.
If, let's just put it this way, if
you could only do one, if you could
only do musical theater or dramatics,
rape theater, which would you do?
Shivam Patel: I think now in my career,
I would just do straight theater.
I, musical theater was like how I got in.
Like I was a choir boy
before I was a theater boy.
And so I, I pride myself on like
my, my singing capabilities and it's
something that I do want to keep.
Continuing, like I'm even looking for
voice lessons right now, but I think
now I'm more intrigued by just the plays
that are out there than the musicals.
Rodney Lee Rogers: And for those
listening, when we say straight
theater, that's actually a
term, uh, which means dramatic.
So you're in Atwater right now.
How's that going?
How's that?
How's that experience been?
It's been
Shivam Patel: fun.
It's been so fun.
It's such a crazy show.
And the fact that, like, we can
play around in this, like, fantasy
realm and post credits Death's like
purgatory and just make all these
weird choices and create these
weird characters is so much fun.
Rodney Lee Rogers: Back to the fun part.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Did you go to the college for theater?
Yes.
Did you graduate in theater?
Shivam Patel: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Yeah.
So I went to Winthrop University.
Oh,
Rodney Lee Rogers: I didn't know that.
Yeah.
How did I not know that?
I surely, no.
Well, I, I think that I
Shivam Patel: have
this, you're the street.
Same revelation with Sharon too.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I was like, I thought I told
you guys this, but yeah.
I went to Winthrop and I did theater
with a musical theater concentration.
After I did that, I kind of.
You know, worked around the East Coast,
did some touring stuff, did a lot of
children's theater, which is kind of how
I like segwayed my way into education.
And then I did grad school in London.
How was that?
That was the best time.
Yeah, it was so great.
It was a rigorous education.
I, I enjoyed my time there.
The theater there was just fantastic.
It was just, it
Rodney Lee Rogers: was great.
What do you find different?
Like, what do you find
different from that experience?
Then back here, not only from a
collegiate or a learning standpoint,
but just how they approach it.
Shivam Patel: I know that in London,
they also have the West 10 and it's
all, it's all about marketing and
revenue and all the business side of it.
But I felt like when I was
watching theater, it was more
attuned to what we were talking
about, like the play aspect of it.
I saw a lot more shows that
took more risks and that's
what I really enjoyed seeing.
Rodney Lee Rogers: How do they.
And, you know, I'm, I hate to like
show that I don't know this, but
like how commercial, like I know
on Broadway, it's very commercial
theater is very commercial.
And then you have, you know, throughout
the country, you have the not for profits,
you know, you have more of butcher in
this, but yeah, you know what I'm saying?
Like here you have the not for profit
theater system in the country, but
Broadway is very much about making money.
How do they do it there?
Do you know?
Shivam Patel: I probably don't have
that big of an insight on that.
I know
Rodney Lee Rogers: the National, like
I know the National is subsidized.
So they don't worry
about paying the bills.
But I wondered for some of those
West End theaters, is it, is it?
If you're listening out there
and you know, let me know.
Send me an email.
Shivam Patel: I assume
it would be the same
Rodney Lee Rogers: as Broadway.
Yeah, very similar.
The Broadway's so, it's
so calibrated by Finance.
Yeah.
Especially the musicals.
Like if you don't, you're not made,
they know to the day when this thing
stops making money and shut them down.
And I do know for the class at the
college, we always did this thing
called show business was great.
If you've never seen it as a documentary
out there, it's a great thing to see.
But the difference between kind of.
They're all gearing for that
certain percentage point.
And whereas at the National,
you know, they can take risks.
You, you look at War Horse,
you look at that, that piece.
It was workshop and workshop for years.
And then eventually made its
way to Broadway through what
had happened in London, so.
I always, we always think
of it as so much better.
Is that, was that, would you say that?
That would be my
Shivam Patel: opinion, yes.
Rodney Lee Rogers: There
you go, yeah, yeah, yeah.
They do have a rigor over there.
Then I'm sure you're going to find a
New York and Chicago and those kind of
places, but it does seem very intriguing.
So you're back over here.
You come back.
Come back.
And then you start moving around.
Yeah.
Where now your, your
family, where'd you grow up?
In
Shivam Patel: Rock Hill.
So in Rock Hill.
Yeah.
Just down the street from also somehow
Rodney Lee Rogers: didn't know that.
Yeah.
Family's still in Rock Hill.
Yeah.
I was right up the street.
So that's easy to go.
You know, I went to UNC Charlotte.
Long before you went to
Winthrop, but yeah, yeah, yeah.
So right up the street.
I know that area well.
How, you know, Rock Hill has
some interesting art in it.
You know,
Shivam Patel: yeah.
It's getting there.
Yeah.
When I was there, it was,
it was kind of dry, but now
it's, it's definitely booming.
It's one of those cities that's, you
know, starting to get more and more in it.
What's the first place
Rodney Lee Rogers: you took off to?
That you
Shivam Patel: went off
to after graduating.
Rodney Lee Rogers: No, no.
What was your first, like, what was
your first regional theater experience?
Shivam Patel: Yeah.
So that was Children's
Theater of Charlotte.
Oh yeah.
Who do,
Rodney Lee Rogers: who do you, did you
Shivam Patel: work with Jill Blady?
No, I worked, oh my
gosh, I should know this.
I did, I did.
Do you, did you know grace for president?
The play?
Yeah.
Okay.
There was like a world
premiere that we did there.
Rodney Lee Rogers: I guarantee you.
We know some of the same people.
Jill Blady worked there for a long
time, so, and I think still there.
So I guarantee you we're
going to have to explore that.
We'll see who it is.
How'd it go?
Shivam Patel: That was great.
Yeah.
Yeah.
It was wonderful.
It was one of those experiences that like.
Like doing world premieres, it's just
always, you get to mess around and
play with things and change things.
Cause it's an ever changing script.
So it's like, we've got to add
new bits and stuff here and there.
That's awesome.
Yeah.
Then where'd you go?
So I did that did a couple of touring
educational shows in North Carolina.
I worked at like temple theater, right?
Yeah.
And I, I acclaimed this next
gig to why I got into education.
So after I did that, I went to
Riverside theater in Florida and I did
an apprenticeship there for a year.
And, Because of my height, that's
the reason why people want to
hire me for Children's Theatre.
So I was like, okay, I keep getting these
Children's Theatre gigs, well that's fine,
but as long as I don't have to teach kids.
And then I got this gig, and I was
like, oh, it's such a good gig, but
now I have to teach kids, I have to
run workshops, I have to direct kids.
And for me, I was like, So
scared working with kids.
I was like, if I say one thing,
their whole life is ruined.
Rodney Lee Rogers: Oh, wow.
Like it was like, it's
very, it's very precious.
Exactly.
Shivam Patel: I was like, are you okay?
Like anytime they cry, I'd be
like, just go out in the hallway
and I'll come back in a second.
But then that gig was like, I had a lot
of great mentors there who helped me.
And it was like an apprenticeship.
So there were six of us.
We all supported each other.
It actually turned out really great.
There were some great kids
there that I worked with that
really helped my experience.
Rodney Lee Rogers: When you see,
like, do you ever see that little
bit of joy that you first experienced
in the kids that you teach?
Oh yeah.
Shivam Patel: All the time.
That's really it.
Yeah.
Yeah.
It was, I was directing like Willy Wonka.
And I, I taught some kids, like I did
like music and then I also directed
a scene and choreographed a scene.
And I could see like the kids
like being so excited every time
I like added a new thing here.
They're like, Oh my God.
Yes.
Oh, that's so much fun.
And then they were like, they
would just kept playing with it.
And I was like seeing them
develop the character.
I was like, Oh, this is a great,
they're there in that first
steps that I was back in the day.
Yeah.
Rodney Lee Rogers: That's fascinating.
Um, how much, cause then you're
in education now and then you went
on to, you know, you have a whole
life in a world that I don't know.
At all, mathematics and, like, P.
G.
on mathematics, um, just
even not understanding it.
So you're kind of
intertwined with education.
I
Shivam Patel: have a lot of hats.
Rodney Lee Rogers: Yeah, yeah, it's, it's,
it's always the way in theater, isn't it?
I mean, it's like, you always
got to do 12 different things.
How much passion do you have in teaching?
Shivam Patel: It's growing.
Yeah.
It's definitely a growing thing.
I've, and it's like different forms of it
too, like directing is a form of teaching.
Like I want to explore that as well.
Mentoring being, uh, I've, I've
done a little bit of like coaching
to some of my friends who are
starting to want to become actors.
So that's been like a new
fun avenue to explore.
Not afraid
Rodney Lee Rogers: of
ruining their lives anymore.
Oh yeah.
Their lives are way ruined
before I got in there.
Are these, are these friends in town or?
Yeah.
Shivam Patel: Yeah.
Yeah.
Very good.
Yeah.
One of my friends, he, he
came to Charleston a couple
of years ago and then, um.
I wanted to switch from
military to being an actor.
So I was like, you know what,
I'll, I'll help you out.
What
Rodney Lee Rogers: is, I mean, this
is again, showing my non knowledge,
but it's like we hunker down here
so much with getting shows done.
I'm not out there anymore with
this kind of, and I'm also
generationally getting old.
So it's like, it's like
person who's starting 30.
Yeah.
Well, let me tell you that that
seems old way, but I do think your
thirties, I think your thirties.
You know, I'm waxing philosophic
a little here a little bit, but I
think your 30s is when you really
are the age, or at least for me,
that you always thought you would be.
So the 30s is a great time.
Yeah.
It was for me.
Oh, thank God there's time.
Oh, there's, there's, well,
that's what you think.
Yeah.
I think when you think.
Or again, and it's not to put my
experience on everybody else, but
I always thought 27 was the age
you're going to make it by 27 and
you'll do I've done everything and
you're, you know, and I'll reach
Shivam Patel: all these goals by then.
Yeah, you're a
Rodney Lee Rogers: baby at 27 and
then the 30s were when it starts to
roam and that's kind of that's kind of
what I'm getting at is like as I have.
As I'm out of that, I'm not that
familiar with what's going on here in
Charleston anymore with that age group.
How is it?
It's,
Shivam Patel: I mean, I feel
like I'm not in tune with that
age group as much anymore.
I've always been like an old spirit.
Like, yeah, that's, I've literally
had professors tell me that.
It's, it's, it's It's weird.
It's different.
I don't, I don't really
have much to say about that.
Rodney Lee Rogers: So you wouldn't
really think there's a, there's
not a lot of folks out there.
Shivam Patel: Not here, I don't think.
Yeah.
It's like, what I've noticed
about with Charleston theater
is it's, it's a lot of circles.
Yeah.
And so every circle has like
their, their same group of
people that they're working with.
So like to get into the theater scene
here as like a 20 something, it's You
got to have a selling point now you have
to have some sort of like extra unique
thing besides being like a triple threat
puts you that gives you credibility.
Right?
Yeah,
Rodney Lee Rogers: because
there is so little opportunity.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I mean, here, I mean, it's the main
reason we started theater company is
like, you know, you want to do it.
And yeah, so that makes perfect sense.
I hope there is more outlets coming.
I hope there's more to do.
Yeah, certainly more training because
at the end of the day, it's like
you go to New York or Los Angeles.
I didn't, I didn't spend much time in
Chicago, but there's always somewhere
to go as far as getting around other
people and doing the work where
it doesn't seem as prevalent here.
So when you approach a role,
when you go after a role, certain
role, what's your process?
Shivam Patel: I'm fascinated
by the psychology.
So I like to tap into
like the subconscious.
Of the character.
So one thing that I like to do is journal.
I'll journal through the perspective
of the character for a little bit.
I kind of obviously do the, the main
research of like the background of
the character, read through the play.
What did the other
characters say about myself?
What do I say about myself and all
the groundwork, but then I also try to
like discover new things through just
like my own subconscious and my own.
My own experiences.
So like if I write something and I
figure out that this character has
something that's related to me I'll
dive into it a little bit further.
I just say it's like method or anything
But it's like you have to have your
own experiences to know how another
character feels to have that empathy
So right that's sort of my like go
like I you go to entry point and
Rodney Lee Rogers: you
were just down in Florida.
Yes What
Shivam Patel: were you doing down there?
I was in Disgraced at
American Stage Theater.
What was that experience like?
That was phenomenal.
It was one of the best
experiences I've had.
Sharifa, who was the director of
that production, she really, she,
she started right from the get go.
She got people that she knew that were
just kind souls and put them in a room.
And they were all phenomenal.
Just extremely talented group of people.
And we just got in there and it was, it
was exactly What we were just talking
about, it's just play from the start and
we were able to bounce off of each other.
There was no judgment in the room.
We felt we were safe because if you
don't know what disgrace is about,
there's a lot of heavy material in it.
So, tackling that is
not always an easy task.
So, when we got into the room, it was just
like We knew that we were getting into
this, you know, deep conversations and we
had each other's back from the beginning.
Tell me a little bit about the play.
The play is about a Muslim
lawyer during post 9 11.
And so he is working in
New York at a law firm.
And in order to climb the ranks
of that law firm, he pretends
to be Indian instead of Muslim.
And so the play basically, the majority
of the play takes over, goes over.
Like one night, one dinner party.
And it kind of unravels, like his
life sort of unravels in front of him.
And he struggles between his
identity versus his identity in
the Muslim community versus his
identity in like American society.
Rodney Lee Rogers: How did it, how the
Shivam Patel: audience received it?
Surprisingly, really well,
we were very worried about.
It's Florida.
It's Florida.
Rodney Lee Rogers: Yeah.
But that being said, it's like,
there's always, there's always, it's
always a lot better than it's always,
people are a lot more open generally.
And the people who come
Shivam Patel: to theater
are a lot more open.
Yes, exactly.
So we had a lot of talk backs with the
crowd and they were very open with it.
We had a few dicey audiences,
but nothing too crazy.
But they were, they were really
getting along with the material.
A lot of people wanted more of it,
which was, which was surprising.
That's something that
we weren't expecting.
They were like, we want
to know more stories like
Rodney Lee Rogers: this.
Yeah.
That's awesome.
Yeah.
That's really kind of the
power of theater right there.
Is there a favorite type of play for you?
Shivam Patel: This is
always a tough question.
Yeah.
The, and the reason why this is like the,
the sort of question of like, what is
your dream role or something like that?
Cause like, and this is something.
That I, I'm now realizing I
want to change growing up.
I never saw myself in things and I
never knew that was like an issue.
I never saw it as an issue.
Every time I tell people
that they're like, Oh my God,
well, that's, that's tragic.
And I'm like, it's just
the way things are.
And I'll be in the roles
that I need to be in.
And Oh God, I really want
to get this story right.
I think it's Denise Goff.
Who said this story, but she has this
like method where any time she goes
into an audition and she's auditioning
for a role to get rid of that anxiety,
she doesn't think about like, Oh,
I have to be perfect for this role.
She thinks about the characters in the
room and the character is searching
for the right person to play them.
So if you get it, that means the
character has deemed you worthy as
opposed to, you know, the director
thinking you're talented, but if
you don't get it, you still know
that the character is being served.
Properly by someone who the
character has found, right?
And so that's kind of like how I go
about auditions and finding things.
It's like, is this a character
is the character looking for me?
Yeah, that's awesome.
Rodney Lee Rogers: I love that.
So you're looking for the
characters that are looking for you.
That's great.
That's a great way to put it.
What's
Shivam Patel: next?
Well, hopefully I will continue working
as the education associate here and build
up my hours, which will be really nice.
I, I want to continue performing.
That's definitely a huge
thing that I still want to do.
I want to travel while doing it.
I think that's going to
be the best form of it.
Cause like, that's what kind
of what I did with Disgrace.
I got to travel and stay in
Florida for a couple of months.
So that was really nice.
Doing more contracts like
that would be really great.
Eventually, like, like I was, like how,
how I was saying earlier, I want to change
theater by adding more plays
that are, that tell of, that
tell a variety of stories, right?
Like the people in Florida who
were talking about, they need
to want more stories like this.
I want to, I want to write stories for
people like me who don't see themselves.
In this theater scene, right?
Rodney Lee Rogers: How
do you dig into that?
Shivam Patel: You tell me.
I have no idea.
We have these conversations of
like how to write shows and stuff.
Rodney Lee Rogers: It's such an,
I mean in, I think in generally
when you, you look into yourself.
You look into your own experiences.
You look into kind of mythological
like in culture, like whichever
whichever culture you're coming from
is to kind of go back into that.
And then you're looking for
current events, past and present.
Like, where are, where are events
that have happened in the world and
there's so many that there's so much
history people have never been exposed
to because there's a limited amount.
A, there's a limited amount of space
and then there's a limited amount
of people who've told those stories.
So there's a great deal, I
think, of research in it.
Do you have any personal, like, is there
anything, is there anything in your,
because I know everybody thinks, well,
I'm not very interesting and there's
nothing very, but is there any, is there
anything that Is there a, is there a
theme or a resonance in your own life that
Shivam Patel: This is so funny because
like, I literally had this conversation
with like Anna the other day about
like what we would write about.
And, and you say that, you know, a lot of
people don't think they're interesting.
I kind of think I am slightly interesting.
There you go.
Not in like a pompous way, but like,
I'm an Indian boy who grew up in
the South, got into musical theater.
Like that's not something
you see every day.
Right.
But I think the story that I would like
to kind of dive into further And this is
something that I picked up from Disgrace
as well as like this duality of identity
of these like first generation, not
immigrants, but the first generation
who are from immigrant families.
Cause like for me, that's something
that I've always wrestled with
is that I sometimes don't feel.
Indian enough for like my Indian
community, but I also don't feel like
I'm American or, you know, you know,
American enough to be in this society.
Cause I always miss
references here and there.
Cause I didn't grow up
watching all these movies.
So there's, there's this like
weird, and it's quote from.
I'm so bad with references today,
but like, it's like this Frankenstein
sort of mentality of like, I'm,
I'm a pieces of things, right?
I'm not this holistic person.
And so that's an interesting
story that I want
Rodney Lee Rogers: to tell.
I think it's, I think it's fascinating.
And I think.
It's universal.
I think what people don't think is that
there are very few people walking around
in the world who think they're holistic.
Yeah.
They think that they're, they're,
you know, that, Oh, everybody gets
me and everybody understands me.
And I'm so lucky to be me.
I mean, no, it's, it's rare.
And I think that the experiences of
different people is just awesome.
I mean, we learn and it's great.
And it's, it's so interesting.
Yeah.
Like you, like
Shivam Patel: you're
saying it's universal.
I, I liked the idea that.
Everyone can relate to it.
And so it brings these two different
groups together through this universal
idea that like, Oh, we don't belong,
but we belong in our belongin
Rodney Lee Rogers: In that feeling, you
know, it's, it's getting back to feeling.
And I think also that it's easier
to kind of dissect that feeling and
that energy when it's coming from a
story that is different from yours.
It looks different.
It's different, different.
I mean, I think that's what
science fiction is all about.
I mean, science fiction is all about
showing you something so different
that you can kind of dive into it
away and go, Oh, wait a minute.
Well, that's exciting.
Well, we're going to have
to work on something.
Let's do it.
Shivam Patel: Yeah.
Yeah.
I'm ready.
Rodney Lee Rogers: Now you
got a week left of Atwater.
Yes.
How, are you exhausted?
Are you like Where are
you in the kind of the
Shivam Patel: process like, I am
exhausted, exhausted . I don't
know if you come see the show.
Yeah.
The, the, the p the the person who
opens all the doors and moves all
the boxes and gets everything ready.
That's me.
That's me behind the stage.
That's
Rodney Lee Rogers: a great deal
of responsibility in that too.
Yeah.
Yeah, yeah.
Yeah.
So you're ready?
You're, you're kind of ready.
I'm, yeah.
I think it'll be a great sending off.
I think with all the plays it's like.
You get in the middle and it's rough,
you're kind of like, Ah, I've had enough.
And then it goes away and you go,
Ah, I wish I could bring that back.
I think Rep is the, I wish we
could do shows in Rep because
I just think it's the best.
It's like you do show maybe
once, twice a year, you know,
maybe once every five years.
But just being able to bring it
back and kind of how it grows.
I love, I love Rep.
What else?
Anything else?
It's a bad question from the interviewer.
Yeah, I love this because it's
like, I love all these because
it's like I, I get to know.
I'm not going to say you think you
know somebody, but you don't really
explore questions, you know, that
you want to, or that you kind of do.
I think that you're always
Shivam Patel: surprised.
Yeah, exactly.
And I think that's why
I enjoy theater so much.
It's like, yeah, just learn so
much about all varieties of people.
Yeah.
Well, that's
Rodney Lee Rogers: that lifelong learning.
Yeah.
Do you
Shivam Patel: consider
yourself a lifelong learner?
Oh yeah.
Yeah.
I always want to be learning something.
I think people who
Rodney Lee Rogers: like to educate.
Yeah.
Because it's like you're almost
kind of learning it again
through the people who get it.
It's back to that feeling.
That's
Shivam Patel: how I feel, Leah, whenever
I'm like doing my, my acting coaching.
It's like I, I'm learning more
about the things that I'm teaching.
Like it's because a lot of the
times, like what you do on stage
is just kind of second nature.
Like you don't take a second thought
about like exactly what you're doing, but
then you kind of dissect it and give it.
Give it to somebody else and
you're like, Oh, wait, that,
that is actually what I'm doing.
So I can see it a lot better
than this other person.
Yeah.
So
Rodney Lee Rogers: Anne Bogart
has that amazing quote, do
one, teach one, study one.
And I just think that's the best ratio.
And I think that for, especially for an
educator, because I do think not everybody
kind of gets that feeling from education,
you know, or, or being an educator.
And again, I have to, I have to
preface that because education, a
word just kind of makes me cringe.
It's like, I love the word educate
as to mean to bring out of, not to
put into, you know, like a lecturer,
but I think for the, that's the
perfect ratio for those folks.
Cause then you never.
You're always learning, you know,
no matter what you're doing, what is
the play that you would want to do?
Like, if I said tomorrow, I'm going to
put you in this play, what would it be?
Shivam Patel: I have a couple.
The one that like I, I always default
to is the seagull I check off.
I didn't, uh, undergrad, which,
which, which character Constantine.
Yeah.
So I would love to revise that
role or look back at that role and
see if I can add new stuff to it.
Another one that I've always been
interested in trying as a humans.
Oh, right.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Rodney Lee Rogers: I have
never seen the humans.
Really?
Never seen the humans.
Shivam Patel: I saw it in London.
And it was great.
Oh, and another one.
The wild duck.
Oh, right.
I have seen.
Yeah, it would be great.
Rodney Lee Rogers: Thanks
for joining us this week.
We'll be back in a couple of
weeks at the new year to start up
the pure theater podcast again.
Until then, be sure to subscribe, like,
or favorite, whatever you do these days.
And I hope you have a
wonderful and happy holidays.