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[0:05] Samantha Tuozzolo: Hi everyone, welcome to Survival Jobs, a podcast in collaboration with Broadway World and the Broadway Podcast Network.

[0:13] Jason A. Coombs: It never gets old, Jay.

[0:14] Samantha Tuozzolo: Here we are for Survival Jobs a podcast with my boy Jason A. Coombs.

[0:20] Jason A. Coombs: Jason, hi.

[0:22] Samantha Tuozzolo: Hi, Samantha Tuozzolo.

[0:24] Jason A. Coombs: How are you?

[0:27] Samantha Tuozzolo: We tired.

[0:28] Jason A. Coombs: We are tired.

[0:29] Samantha Tuozzolo: We're out here hustling.

[0:30] Jason A. Coombs: But we ready.

[0:31] Samantha Tuozzolo: We're out here hustling, doing the thing.

[0:34] Samantha Tuozzolo: Jason, I can't believe I haven't talked about this yet on our last couple of episodes.

[0:40] Samantha Tuozzolo: But I saw Masquerade, you know, which is the new immersive Phantom.

[0:45] Samantha Tuozzolo: And I just need to shout it from the rooftops that this was one of the most incredible theatrical experiences that I think I'll maybe ever have.

[0:57] Samantha Tuozzolo: I went in sort of blind, not knowing really anything, just knowing it was immersive and knowing it was Phantom.

[1:03] Jason A. Coombs: Right.

[1:05] Samantha Tuozzolo: Cow. I mean, I don't want to talk too much about it in case anybody's gonna go see it because I'm so grateful that I didn't really know much, and that I went in kind of blind because it made the experience that much more elevated and that much more surprising, and everything was just like wow, like wow, wow, wow, wow.

[1:26] Samantha Tuozzolo: It was so amazing. There's like six different phantoms, six different Christines, something crazy like that, and like I think something like the Rauls do three a night, and like a lot of the other characters that don't have as much going on, like triple up or double up, something like that.

[1:46] Samantha Tuozzolo: It is the set, the direction, the costumes, the talent, the way it was thought up, like ways you transition from scene to scene with the actors. Like, like like this this is a little spoiler so if you don't want to listen anymore don't but something that was so small but so cool this can't find another word right now like Christine gets a letter from the Phantom and she like handed it to me and was like read it like you're literally in the show with them it's just it's just brilliant wow that's so cool how long and like um I actually don't know I actually I actually was like so in it I have no clue maybe two hours and everybody's like dressed a little bit elevated in like cocktail attire and like black white or silver everybody gets a mask so we're all masked the whole time you really just feel a part of it and at the end you know there's all these different time slots and when you come out you come into this like big open bar area with everybody from all the other time slots so funny the night I went I had like known people that it's just a 10 out of 10 you guys and I believe it's a limited run and I believe it's like sold out a ton so wow if you're interested in this I would go get a ticket right now I want to go back I might have a different experience right every experience is probably a little different well there's different actors you know there's different Christines and different phantoms so I would love to go back but man I can't rave enough about this production, this piece.

[3:33] Jason A. Coombs: I love that.

[3:34] Samantha Tuozzolo: It's in like an old art studio.

[3:36] Jason A. Coombs: I have no idea where the what the building used to be, but it I just can't say enough.

[3:36] Samantha Tuozzolo: I just can't say enough.

[3:45] Jason A. Coombs: Oh, that's so exciting.

[3:46] Samantha Tuozzolo: Yeah, incredible.

[3:48] Jason A. Coombs: Incredible.

[3:50] Jason A. Coombs: You know what's crazy? I missed Sleep No More, which I was like, it's been in the city almost the whole time. I've been like, I don't know. I just missed it.

[3:55] Samantha Tuozzolo: So I I can't really compare it. I think in Sleep No More, you could like go into different rooms, right?

[4:03] Jason A. Coombs: And there's actors in there.

[4:05] Samantha Tuozzolo: This one, you're literally moving through the scenes, like the actors are moving with you.

[4:11] Jason A. Coombs: So like you're going through their world with them almost.

[4:14] Samantha Tuozzolo: Wow.

[4:14] Jason A. Coombs: Not almost exactly.

[4:16] Samantha Tuozzolo: Exactly.

[4:17] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah, it's so exciting.

[4:19] Samantha Tuozzolo: It was amazing.

[4:20] Jason A. Coombs: Oh my gosh. And while I'm talking about theater, real quick, I just want to give a shout out to one of our past guests, Morgan Anita Wood.

[4:28] Samantha Tuozzolo: I saw Hamilton last night on a whim. I haven't seen Hamilton in years.

[4:32] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah.

[4:33] Samantha Tuozzolo: Number one. Not that I forgot how absolutely iconic Hamilton is.

[4:39] Jason A. Coombs: Right.

[4:40] Samantha Tuozzolo: But I'm watching it and I'm like, Lin-Manuel Miranda's a genius. Andy Blankenbuehler is a genius. Tommy Kail is a fucking genius.

[4:49] Samantha Tuozzolo: But Morgan Anita Wood, who was featured in our BroadwayCon panel is Eliza. Holy shit, what a star.

[4:56] Jason A. Coombs: Whoa.

[4:59] Samantha Tuozzolo: What a star she is. I saw with my friend Ben who you know works in the theater, loves the theater. He keeps he kept being looking at me, being like, who is that?

[5:12] Jason A. Coombs: Oh yes.

[5:13] Samantha Tuozzolo: She's amazing.

[5:15] Jason A. Coombs: So y'all, Hamilton has still got its magic.

[5:18] Samantha Tuozzolo: And I'm done. I'm done with my theater raving.

[5:21] Jason A. Coombs: Hamilton.

[5:22] Samantha Tuozzolo: Channel 10.

[5:23] Jason A. Coombs: Hamilton.

[5:24] Samantha Tuozzolo: My theater raving is done. Thank you.

[5:26] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah, what's going on?

[5:28] Samantha Tuozzolo: Yeah, I'm just, you know, we're two weeks out from Bridgeport Film Fest on this side.

[5:33] Jason A. Coombs: Bridgeport.

[5:33] Samantha Tuozzolo: I uh I can never do it.

[5:35] Jason A. Coombs: Bridgeport Film Fest.

[5:37] Samantha Tuozzolo: That is crazy two weeks out.

[5:39] Jason A. Coombs: Wild.

[5:39] Samantha Tuozzolo: It's crazy. So, you know, we're showing over a hundred short films this year.

[5:44] Jason A. Coombs: Um, maybe 13.

[5:47] Samantha Tuozzolo: I've got to do we do the math. Um, but yeah, we know we do blocks, so we have like a female filmmaker block, black stories, LGBTQ. We have a really fun horror block, and we are doing the Connecticut premiere of this new horror feature film comedy called Queens of the Dead, which I actually saw at Tribeca Film Festival and worked it out to get it at BFF.

[6:10] Jason A. Coombs: So it's making its Connecticut premiere there.

[6:12] Samantha Tuozzolo: So yeah, this film Queens of the Dead is directed by Tina Romero and it has Cyan Jackson in it. Tony Award winner, Jaquel Spivey for Strange Loop. I think he won, I think he won that Tony for that.

[6:22] Jason A. Coombs: Incredible.

[6:23] Samantha Tuozzolo: Yeah, it has all these like Broadway people and it's a queer comedy. It's fun, it's a little spooky, not too spooky, but it's so cool that we're getting this film that's making it premiere at our festival that was at Tribeca that we went to that we covered. It's really about community at the end of the day, and you know, there's like all these themes about the queer community and how we kind of like don't always take care of each other and how we need to take care of each other more. So I just love the film. I think it's so beautiful, and I'm excited to share it with the Bridgeport Film Fest this year. So I hope people get their tickets. I hope you come take the train ride.

[6:57] Jason A. Coombs: Yes, it's gonna be a really awesome weekend.

[7:00] Samantha Tuozzolo: Yes, amazing. So let's talk about our guest today.

[7:04] Jason A. Coombs: Yep, Morgan.

[7:06] Samantha Tuozzolo: What? An icon, Morgan Bassichis.

[7:09] Jason A. Coombs: Now, Morgan, wait, you guys hear this episode. They are just phenomenal as an artist and an overall human.

[7:18] Jason A. Coombs: Um, but right now, Morgan is starring in a one-person show down at the SoHo Playhouse called Can I Be Frank? And it's getting rave reviews, and they are crushing it. And you gotta listen to this episode, and then you gotta run to the SoHo Playhouse. It's only playing through September.

[7:35] Samantha Tuozzolo: So you have a couple more weeks, I think maybe two more weeks. So the clock is ticking, y'all. Run to Soho.

[7:44] Jason A. Coombs: I really just love Morgan's energy, and you know, we're going through some shit in this world, and they're not afraid to speak up for it and speak out. So they are the right type of history, and I admire that so much. I can't wait to see the play too.

[7:56] Samantha Tuozzolo: I know we gotta go. Couple weeks ago. Y'all gotta go get your tickets. See you in Soho Jay.

[8:03] Jason A. Coombs: Uh, yeah, see you in Soho. Enjoy the episode, people.

[8:08] Morgan Bassichis: Good morning. Welcome to Survival Jobs, a podcast. We are so happy to have you.

[8:14] Samantha Tuozzolo: I'm so happy to be here. Thank you.

[8:18] Morgan Bassichis: It's like 10 a.m. It's like early for you know our teams.

[8:21] Samantha Tuozzolo: 10 a.m. is like a true 6 a.m.

[8:25] Morgan Bassichis: But congrats on your show. Can I Be Frank? The one-person show. It's getting so many amazing reviews.

[8:32] Samantha Tuozzolo: Uh, and it's playing through September at the SoHo Playhouse, and we cannot wait to come see you.

[8:38] Morgan Bassichis: I can't wait for people to see it. It's a fun it's it's a ride. It's definitely a ride.

[8:43] Morgan Bassichis: Yes, and how incredible it is to be doing the show on the 30th anniversary of Frank's you know passing. So so timely, so unpackable.

[8:52] Samantha Tuozzolo: Um, but first, before we get into the show, we'll talk about it lots lots. But we want to talk a little bit about survival jobs.

[8:58] Morgan Bassichis: Um, you had a memorable survival job when you were on your way up to becoming you know the artist you are today and it's kind of funny because I was listening to your performance at the library and you had a song where you're talking about fuck survival I want to see the whole thing so I'm just curious how that plays in.

[8:58] Morgan Bassichis: Oh I'm so glad you listened to that song. I listened to the whole thing it was fantastic so I just yeah I wanted to see how that plays into this as well you may be one of you may be one of like three people who who has listened to that so I very that my friend my friend the brilliant uh Ethan Philbrick and I um did a year where we improvised in different um queer kind of historical locations and that month that you listened to was in the lesbian herstory archives so I'm so happy you listened to it.

[9:46] Samantha Tuozzolo: Yeah it was fantastic I was also manant I'm like oh my god I'm so happy I listened to this last night oh my god you are you are very in the amongst a very small group of people who's ever listened to that so I appreciate it.

[9:46] Morgan Bassichis: Of course well I the job that comes to mind is working at a suicide hotline which is which is a real a real a real downer but that's but that was that was one of my my first jobs out out of college working at a suicide hotline and uh and and that was actually pretty cool because we got to go into um middle schools and talk about mental health with middle schoolers.

[10:21] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah so yeah so it actually was it was kind of an intense job but actually ended up being pretty inspiring actually that's the job that comes to mind right now.

[10:30] Morgan Bassichis: And so that was kind of amazing.

[10:30] Samantha Tuozzolo: Yeah, I mean, that's probably one of the most important, if not the most important job you sounds like you've had uh before becoming an artist.

[10:39] Morgan Bassichis: Wow, that's that's intense.

[10:40] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah, it's intense. But you know, sorry, you know what's like amazing about that is not to diss anybody else's survival jobs that have come onto this show, but you can make your survival job be something important.

[10:52] Morgan Bassichis: You don't have to be a waiter, you don't have to be a babysitter to survive and still pursue a career in the arts. And I think that's an important lesson, you know, for our listeners and and and for us to to know that you know just because you're an artist and you have this dream doesn't mean you're pigeon-holed into this survival job, like typical survival job.

[11:13] Morgan Bassichis: Well, the only reason why I got that job was because I knew my I had a friend Basha who was working there. So big thanks to Basha and to all of our friends who get us jobs different places.

[11:23] Jason A. Coombs: For me, there we go.

[11:25] Morgan Bassichis: There we go. Exactly.

[11:27] Jason A. Coombs: So big shout out to Basha.

[11:29] Morgan Bassichis: Thank you.

[11:30] Jason A. Coombs: Big shout out to Basha.

[11:31] Morgan Bassichis: Big shout out to Basha.

[11:32] Jason A. Coombs: Hey Basha.

[11:36] Jason A. Coombs: Uh, so you're such a multi-hyphenate artist from acting, you're a writer, musician, comedian, you're an activist. Like the list goes on and on and on. Can you share with us at what age you realized that you had this gift of storytelling? And what was the moment that made you say you wanted to be an artist, that you wanted to exist in this world?

[11:59] Morgan Bassichis: Oh, I have the illness of trying to make people laugh since I was very young. So, in answer to your question, I feel like it's just like I was born trying to be like, "Can I get, can you, will you laugh? Do you like me?" Um, and so I feel like that I've always been performing since I was a kid, and I was always in the school plays. And I feel like that is really where I got so much of the training is just like in school plays that I draw on, is like in comedy and in musicals, and just like, and also I think you learn a lot of activist skills in theater because you learn about how to build a group that cares about each other and takes care of each other ideally, um, and that comes together around a specific cause, a specific kind of moment. So, yeah, I think I've just always loved being in front of groups of people. I mean, it's an illness, but I have it.

[12:55] Jason A. Coombs: Wow, I love that. Um, Morgan, what I really enjoy—so I just meeting you for the first time today, but you know, I've been doing my research, scouring your social media and reading about you. And what I learned and what I appreciate about your journey so far is it doesn't seem like you sit around waiting for opportunities to come to you. You've been awarded a few grants and like residencies, which I feel like we haven't really talked about much with our other guests on the show. Can you talk a little bit about that, like, you know, the importance of seeking out those kinds of opportunities and residencies and grants as an artist and creator?

[12:55] Morgan Bassichis: Yes, yes. I mean, back to like Basha and all the Bashas of the world, I feel like the majority of things is just with friends. Like I feel like just making things with friends for friends is how all my projects begin, and definitely all my work has begun of just like, "Oh, this is a person who I love making this thing with," or "a person who I really want to make laugh," or "a person who I know has a space," kind of, you know? And then, yeah, I think it is important to get on the rejection wheel of applying to grants and residencies, 99 out of a hundred of which will result in rejection. But then it is really helpful because you start to articulate, you get a draft that you can use for the next time, and you don't have to start from square one each time.

Um, so I think, you know, there's tons of great residencies around the city, and I like going away and working on things too. So that's really special. In fact, the genesis of this project, Can I Be Frank?, happened in a residency in Long Island. So, you know, magical things can happen in residencies.

[14:45] Jason A. Coombs: Right, out of this town. The city is so overwhelming sometimes and just exhausting, and it's nice to escape and take that moment to really dive back into your artistic self. But you saying that your one-person show, Can I Be Frank?, was developed out of town leads into the next question of can you tell us a little bit about what inspired you to—and how this concept first took shape?

[15:17] Morgan Bassichis: Yes. Well, I didn't—I kind of found me. I didn't, I wasn't looking to do this. I sort of—and I tell this story in the show of I ended up meeting Frank's brother, and that's how I learned about him. And like so many artists who died of AIDS, people in our generation don't know about Frank. And so it was a name that I hadn't heard of. Um, and then it just kind of began this kind of journey, um, this kind of obsession, this kind of, um, of kind of communing with this artistic ancestor who was gone too soon because of AIDS, and um, like so many. And so then it's just been a kind of two-year process of getting to interview his friends and family and loved ones, exes, and then kind of immersing myself in his work and then trying to figure out with my amazing director Sam Pinkleton how to bring that to audiences now in a way that feels exciting and fresh and current. So it sort of found us, and we kind of answered it.

[16:30] Jason A. Coombs: I love that. And was it always planned to be a one-person show? Like when you performed, like when you were sitting down behind the keyboard or behind the notepad, what was that process like?

[16:40] Morgan Bassichis: I did think it would be a one-person show because he performed a lot. Mostly I perform alone, um, mostly just me at a mic. Sometimes I have a piano, and sometimes I do group performances, but I say that most of my practice is just me at a mic, and that was his practice too. So I kind of felt like, okay, this is gonna be a solo performance. And it's also about how much the love of solo, how that's sort of like the sick love that we all have of performing solo.

[17:10] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah. And it was at La Mama last year. That was like the first time it was in front of an audience?

[17:18] Morgan Bassichis: Yes, yes, yes, because that's where he performed in 1987. So I went to La Mama and said, "Can I perform this piece in the room where he made it, where he performed?" And so we sort of like communed with that space, and they were very good.

[17:34] Jason A. Coombs: I love that. I love that in general. I love our artistic and political ancestors and communing with them and remembering that we are not the first. We are so far from the first.

[17:45] Morgan Bassichis: Correct, correct.

[17:46] Jason A. Coombs: So we talked a little about Tony Award winner Sam Pinkleton. But can you tell us a little bit about your collaboration with Sam over the years and how you came to work together on this project?

[18:14] Morgan Bassichis: Yeah, I mean, he's such an angel, and I feel like we've really made every stitch of this project together. Um, and so I feel really fortunate and grateful. And we connected a little bit during the early part of the pandemic. He had found a book that I had made and then went to an exhibit that I done. So he was—he didn't know each other, and then he found some of the work I made, and then we kind of started a conversation. And then I was looking for a director for this show, and I asked our mutual friend John Early, "Do you have a suggestion of a director?" And John said, "Sam would be perfect," and Sam immediately was like, "Let's go," and has tons of his own connections to this historical period, to the late 80s and early 90s in the East Village, and also to how we think about AIDS and how we remember people we lost to AIDS.

And so it was a really amazing fit right off the bat. And he said this great thing early on where he was like, "It's great to have it about things that we care about, and first and foremost, make a really entertaining night of theater," and that was really helpful.

[19:23] Jason A. Coombs: First and foremost.

[19:25] Morgan Bassichis: I mean foremost, yeah. Make them laugh, babe.

[19:28] Jason A. Coombs: Hey, that's it.

[19:29] Morgan Bassichis: It really is. You gotta earn the gravity, you know what I mean? Like you gotta literally.

[19:35] Jason A. Coombs: Totally.

[19:43] Morgan Bassichis: Um, I guess speaking of the audiences and selling tickets, what do you hope audiences take away from the show? And what's been the most surprising thing? Because you've done it for—wait, since July, right? It's probably halfway through your run at this point.

[19:54] Morgan Bassichis: Yeah, yeah, it's crazy. I've never had a run like this. So I feel so amazing to get to do a show this many times. You learn so much about the show. I've never gotten to do this. Um, I think one thing is people who survived that period and who maybe knew Frank or didn't know Frank but maybe were like in that scene in the late 80s and early 90s in New York and lost so many people to HIV and AIDS. Like that's incredibly meaningful when they come and have their experience. And then I think for all of us right now, we're all grieving some kind of nightmare. I mean, we're living through a live stream genocide. We're witnessing horror after horror every single day in Gaza. We're witnessing just so much pain and suffering everywhere.

And um, and I think a lot of people feel kind of powerless because that's how they want us to feel. Um, and so I think it's really powerful to come together and to again, to learn that we are not the first people to navigate times of crisis and nightmare and apocalypse.

[21:08] Jason A. Coombs: That's so important.

[21:10] Morgan Bassichis: It is, and you know, I think that's such an important part about art is the escape, right? Which is why I feel like a lot of people become artists in the first place. So to continue to be able to provide an escape for people and for yourself is so important.

[21:27] Jason A. Coombs: Exactly. And an escape that helps us actually be more present with reality. You know what I mean? That like some—like another experience that actually helps us go back into reality and be like, we can be with how hard things are and how good things are at the same time.

[21:41] Morgan Bassichis: Right. Has there been anything in the audience response that surprised you over the past couple weeks?

[21:47] Morgan Bassichis: Um, I've just been really moved by people writing and saying what moved them. And um, and it always is—I always know I did a good job when people say, "My cheeks hurt," and when the body keeps the score, you know? People like, "My lip, my literal body hurts from them." Like, "Oh, that's my favorite kind of feedback because that's how you know that it works."

[22:12] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah.

[22:13] Morgan Bassichis: Right, right.

[22:14] Jason A. Coombs: So doing a one-person show is not an easy task. Back in my acting days, I did a one-woman show in college, and I feel like I blacked out the whole time. Like I don't even know.

[22:26] Morgan Bassichis: You're like not even knowing what you're doing, and then all of a sudden you're taking it back, and you're like, "Wait, what did I say?"

[22:32] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah, exactly.

[22:33] Morgan Bassichis: Yeah, what was that?

[22:34] Jason A. Coombs: So can you tell us what's been, I guess, the most challenging part of doing the one-person show, and what have you learned about yourself through the process? Because it is not easy.

[22:45] Morgan Bassichis: No, um, yeah, there are those moments I really relate to what you said where you're like, "Where am I right now? What's happening?" Um, I think, well, I mean, performing solo is such a—I think of it like kind of boot camp, like emotional boot camp too, because you're like, "Why did that joke land this night but not that night?"

[23:11] Morgan Bassichis: What why? You know, like and you're and you're trying to understand, is this something I did? Is it was just a vibe in the audience? And then my friend compared it to tennis of like you just like you you're the last match. I don't know anything about sports. So this isn't now this is me talking about something I'm totally ignorant of. But like you're you're like you you're like there's no like season. It's just like the the game that you're in, the match that you're in then. It doesn't like the the night before doesn't matter. You're just like you know, it's like okay, this sports metaphor is not working, but you get what I'm saying. Like it's all it's it's like last night doesn't matter, you're just like I'm just here. So which is also a kind of freeing, maybe even spiritual thing of like just show up to tonight and see how tonight goes, and then don't think about yesterday or tomorrow.

[24:00] Samantha Tuozzolo: Right, right. Oh well. I love that.

[24:01] Morgan Bassichis: Yeah, yeah. Thank you for sharing that. Um I think it's so important. And also thank you for for sharing um, you know, about Gaza and what's happening in the world because we're living through such scary times. And I always remind people like every, and I hate using this word is marginalized people, but like everyone who's a member of a marginalized group, you know, we are all our struggles are parallel to each other and we have to show up for each other. So um I thank you for saying that. And I guess I want to ask you, well, hope it doesn't sound like a stupid question, but no, what do you believe is the role?

[24:33] Morgan Bassichis: Oh, thank you. Thank you. But what do you believe is the role of an artist um in moments of these politically and socially charged times?

[24:41] Morgan Bassichis: Oh, that I mean, that is like that's the question. I feel like that I I so appreciate you posing it because I feel like that's our kind of constant unanswered question that we must ask ourselves. And it, I mean, the the person who comes to mind is Nina Simone, who of course asked herself, yeah, right. I mean, she's like that. Our job is to answer the call of our times, you know, like um, and and I may we do that, you know, may we answer the calls of our times and and not pretend that the crises that are here aren't happening, and there's so much and and especially around the oppression of Palestinians and Israel's kind of genocidal um assault, there's there's this weird gaslighting where we're we're being told to not talk about it, and um, and that somehow uh we're not supposed to say what we see, and and I think our job as artists is to say what we see, um, and from where we see it, you know, we don't see everything, but we see what we see from where we see it, um, and um, and that there's something freeing in that, you know, like there's something freeing of like just tell the truth, um, tell your truth. There's no like one truth, but tell the truth.

[26:02] Morgan Bassichis: Um, right, and and um however that manifests for you, and so um yeah, I feel like the job that I don't know if there's one single job of the artist, but I do feel like um we got we have to choose the truth over the seductions of what we think we might get by not telling the truth, like we have we kind of like it's at the end of the day when we put our head on the pillow when this all goes away, it's like we want to feel good with we want to feel right with our souls, we want to feel right with ourselves, and that's not just like did this fancy person like me, but it's like, did I did I did I say what was really on my heart? Did I really you know what I'm saying?

[26:48] Samantha Tuozzolo: Yeah, yeah, show up and tell the truth, right?

[26:51] Morgan Bassichis: Yeah, yeah. Right. Perfect.

[26:54] Samantha Tuozzolo: Yeah, and I guess I have a one more follow-up, if you don't mind.

[26:57] Morgan Bassichis: No, you no, and as someone and I guess just looking at your your social media and how do you how does someone who's so actively engaged in this uh this work, right? It's doing every day and and telling the truth every day. How how do you prevent burnout from that, right? Seeing these horrible images sometimes and and is you know, and it's just happening, it's just stuff happening in our country with undocumented folks, and yes, you know, our our government is just insane, yeah.

[27:24] Morgan Bassichis: Yes. So how do we prevent burnout from from happening? Because it's easy to just get into that, right? And just it's yeah, I'm apathetic to things.

[27:33] Morgan Bassichis: It's such a good question. And it comes back to the boshes of the world because like I feel like we we just don't do anything alone, you know, and um there's that amazing quote from Miriam Kaba, like black feminist abolitionist, um anti violence organizer who says, like, nothing worth doing is is done is done alone. Everything worth doing is done with other people. And so, like the way to prevent burnout is by remembering that we're that we're we're in this together. This is a this is a um a group marathon that we all are gonna, you know, we're all on together.

[28:09] Morgan Bassichis: And I I am so grateful to to have community and and family who is also committed um to to justice and to you know in particular for me i work a lot inside of jewish communities who are talking about how do we fight racism in our own community and develop solidarity with palestinians and um challenge some of the um islamophobia in our community and right and and the the ways the way the way that we do that and not burn out is by doing it together and by saying oh I need to take a break or I need to do this thing but we're all gonna it's it's bigger than any one of us and as soon as we think something is just about us we've lost the plot because we can't do we can't we one person is it's not there's no saviors there's no you know it's not there's no messiahs no one's coming to save us it's like we it's we are all we have so that's we all we have.

[28:09] Samantha Tuozzolo: Yeah, yeah that's becoming more and more real every day every single day yeah I feel like thank you Morgan for sharing that and I just want to give a big big shout out to Basha again oh my god literally Basha honestly we should call this episode Basha honestly yeah this episode is definitely called um so you you've had you you're such an amazing artist like we said at the top of this episode you do so so much you're so multi hyphen it can you please share with us what's been the most risky artistic endeavor you've taken and what you've learned from it?

[28:09] Morgan Bassichis: Oh wow well personally I just never thought I had a good enough voice to sing on stage. And so I think that was a risk. Like I gave myself I was like growing up, I was like, I'm the I I can I'm I can do I can act, but not say or something. And we have these narratives about ourselves about like what we can do and what we can't do, or something. And I I kind of gave myself a piece of homework many years ago where I was like, just try to sing in every performance. And then wouldn't you know it? The more you sing, the better your voice starts to sound.

[30:12] Morgan Bassichis: Um how do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice.

[30:18] Jason A. Coombs: Practice.

[30:19] Morgan Bassichis: That's how you get to Carnegie Hall. I was like, I have no idea. How do you get there?

[30:23] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah, exactly.

[30:23] Morgan Bassichis: How do you exactly were like tell us? Is there an email address? Practice. What do you email to get to Carnegie Hall? The more you practice, the better you get. So I mean, certainly, like I think because I have um, you know, like the political stuff. I've been out politically of like, you know, supporting Palestinian liberation. So that doesn't, that's that doesn't feel risky in the in the same way that maybe someone who's never talked about it might. But for me, like artistically, um trusting trusting my voice, you know, like my literal voice, um over time and trusting that um that if you feel called to do something, there's a good reason to do it. That that's felt felt pretty good.

[31:07] Samantha Tuozzolo: Yeah, yeah, and like losing the imposter syndrome and just leaning to your passion in your art is is I think key.

[31:14] Morgan Bassichis: Yes, yes, we all have that.

[31:16] Samantha Tuozzolo: Yeah, yeah. I'm surprised you didn't say it.

[31:19] Jason A. Coombs: Oh what was that, Jay?

[31:21] Morgan Bassichis: No, I was gonna make a stupid joke. I was gonna say, I'm surprised it wasn't performing in front of the naked men in the pool that you did.

[31:28] Morgan Bassichis: Oh my god, you did a really good deep dive. I had to. Journalists. Jay's like literally like you're like doing like you're like literally the most thorough person ever. You're referencing you're referencing a time I performed in Fire Island, which is my first time singing.

[31:45] Morgan Bassichis: It was my first time singing in front of people. And it was like all these like hot naked guys, and I was like, oh my god, what is happening here? What a like perfect place to have your first to break the fear.

[32:00] Samantha Tuozzolo: Yeah, to bring you into the seat of your insecurity and your imposter syndrome.

[32:07] Morgan Bassichis: Yeah, yeah. Um so Jason and I are also huge manifestors on this show. We always love to chat about big dreams we have and and dream roles or collaborations or anything that we want to do artistically that's on our vision board.

[32:23] Samantha Tuozzolo: So manifest something with us. Tell us, tell us what your dream role is, your dream show, your dream song to sing, whatever that means.

[32:36] Morgan Bassichis: Well, this is a really fun question.

[32:40] Samantha Tuozzolo: We love it.

[32:41] Morgan Bassichis: This is a really fun question. Well, I'm such a I'm such like a um candor and ebb girl. I'm just like, put me in cabaret, put me in Chicago, like please. Like that's like like that, just always it's always gonna be my answer to that question since I was a kid. I'm just like, give me Velma Kelly, give me the if anybody's listening, Morgan's available for Chicago.

[33:08] Jason A. Coombs: Morgan's available to Chicago people.

[33:10] Morgan Bassichis: I'm available. I'm available at September 14th. I'm available.

[33:13] Jason A. Coombs: Call Morgan, y'all.

[33:17] Morgan Bassichis: Yeah, I would love to be in a play. I would love to be in a play. What about you guys? What's your answer to this question?

[33:20] Samantha Tuozzolo: Oh.

[33:25] Jason A. Coombs: Ooh, I have a long list.

[33:26] Samantha Tuozzolo: Yeah, mine has changed through the years.

[33:29] Jason A. Coombs: So I I I've found you for asking us.

[33:33] Samantha Tuozzolo: I know. No one ever asked us these questions.

[33:37] Jason A. Coombs: I feel lucky in that I have found equal passion in hosting and um interviewing and live interviews as well as as I did with acting. And so I've taken a back seat from acting because I was getting tired. So I think like I just would love to continue to grow like the hosting of it all and the media corresponding of it all and the live interviews and that's it.

[34:04] Morgan Bassichis: Love it.

[34:05] Jason A. Coombs: May it be so I just want mad cash. I want cash in the bank. I want to be cash. I want to choking in cash.

[34:11] Morgan Bassichis: Yeah, I want like so much cash in the bank that I can't breathe.

[34:16] Jason A. Coombs: Drowning.

[34:17] Morgan Bassichis: I want to be like completely drowning in cash.

[34:21] Jason A. Coombs: Wow.

[34:21] Morgan Bassichis: Like they're like, there's no more room in the bank account.

[34:23] Jason A. Coombs: Like there's no like the bank account doesn't have more space.

[34:27] Morgan Bassichis: The limit does not exist.

[34:29] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah, who's that duck? They used to like dive into the the money, the like the screw.

[34:34] Morgan Bassichis: No, yes, mighty.

[34:36] Jason A. Coombs: Screwed. Right?

[34:43] Morgan Bassichis: I just wanna like um be clear that the cash in the bank is coming from things I've made and like art and like artistic things, not just because I have so much cash, but because of things I've created. It's not a lawsuit.

[34:55] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah, it's not it's it's if it is, then hey. And if it is.

[35:02] Jason A. Coombs: All right, all right. Jason, what about?

[35:05] Morgan Bassichis: I'm gonna say I would love to uh work with Jordan Peele. That's like um, yeah, I think that's on top of the list right now. As of today, it changes every day. But that's one of the things that's always in the top five is to collaborate with uh Mr. Peele. I love horror and I love his work. What a genius. Oh my god. I can't wait. I can't wait to see your collab.

[35:30] Jason A. Coombs: Thank you. Thank you. Um this is so fun. This is such a great great time with you, Morgan. And it goes by so fast, I can't believe it's been half an hour already. Um but we always end the episode with a really fun game or activity.

[35:42] Morgan Bassichis: Okay.

[35:42] Jason A. Coombs: Uh I hope they told you, uh, because our last guests had probably had no idea, and they were like, what the fuck? But um or not they did last guess. Not happy.

[35:55] Morgan Bassichis: Oh wow, I'm down. Uh whatever, whatever it is, I'm um I'm game. Um but we have one last question um before before before the fun game is. Um, just I guess just any advice for someone who may be stuck in a survival job who's like, you know, I want to be this artist, I want to do this, I want to do the thing, but I'm feeling trapped. You know, the world is crazy, I'm feeling trapped in my survival job. Is there some parting words you can give them? And get your notebooks out, y'all.

[36:19] Morgan Bassichis: Well, the thing I think is so important for performers is to perform. And that a lot of people who are trying to make performance, if you only do your thing like once a year, then you're gonna have all this pressure and be like, oh, it didn't go well, or it didn't feel just right. You just have to get up as many times as possible, and so you have to take every opportunity to perform. So if that's like five minutes doing something, you have to say yes. And if it's like a friend's birthday party, you know what I mean? Like it's like just say, you know, like, and I think just getting as many reps as possible on the mic doing whatever you do, that's the only way to get to know your work. You can't get to know it theoretically. You have to get to know it through performing. So I think that's my big the biggest advice I was given that I would pass on. Is like if you want to perform, you have to perform as much as possible, even if it's not the ideal circumstances.

[37:11] Jason A. Coombs: It's true. It's a it's a muscle. I think we talked about that recently too. It's like, you know, you gotta work the muscle.

[37:15] Morgan Bassichis: You have to, yeah. You also never know who's gonna be in a space.

[37:19] Jason A. Coombs: Absolutely. And then they invite you to the next thing, they invite you to their birthday party. You know, it's like it's like it's just like and then yeah, yeah. We just talked about this on uh another episode. It's like you do the thing that leads to the thing that leads to the thing, but you didn't know the first thing was gonna lead to the second thing was gonna lead to the third thing.

[37:34] Morgan Bassichis: Right. And you can't skip show up, you don't get to skip. Like yeah, you you just do the the gig that's right here.

[37:41] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah, that's so that I mean we're we're coming to Morgan's birthday party.

[37:45] Morgan Bassichis: Yes, exactly.

[37:47] Jason A. Coombs: Morgan, this uh has been so amazing. Thank you so much for joining us. Everybody needs to run, run, run and get your tickets to Can I Be Frank playing through September or the sound.

[38:02] Morgan Bassichis: 14th is when I is when I go to is when you're available.

[38:07] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah, all that jazz, baby. We'll be on Broadway in Chicago on September 14th.

[38:12] Morgan Bassichis: But 13th to see Can I Be Frank?

[38:15] Jason A. Coombs: Exactly, exactly. Thank you so much for sharing space with us. Like Jason said, we always love to end the show with a little game or a little activity. And Jay, I'll let you take it away.

[38:25] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah, so we're gonna do some more questions, right? We thought the interview was over, but we have rapid fire questions for you. And we're calling this frankly speaking, because you know it.

[38:37] Morgan Bassichis: I love it.

[38:38] Jason A. Coombs: Oh, see, it's all connected, all connected, right? Uh so I think there's 10 of them. So yeah, Samantha, you want to kick us up?

[38:45] Samantha Tuozzolo: Okay. Are you ready?

[38:46] Morgan Bassichis: I'm ready.

[38:48] Samantha Tuozzolo: Okay, Morgan. What was the last thing you googled?

[38:52] Morgan Bassichis: Oh, this was good. There was something good last night. Oh, um. It was something about like. Oh, I really I almost screenshotted it because I was gonna send it to Sam. It was like something it was like some like 3 a.m. Like, how late is too late to take a probiotic? It was like that kind of thing.

[39:16] Samantha Tuozzolo: Love it. Love it. Good.

[39:18] Jason A. Coombs: That's hilarious. Um, if you could master, if you could instantly master any skill, what would it be?

[39:28] Morgan Bassichis: Oh my god. Well, cooking. God, I would love to know how to cook well. I if I could just be like just be able to walk into a the people who are able to like walk into a kitchen and are just and not and just know how to do things. I oh it's like popping and receiving.

[39:43] Jason A. Coombs: Oh yeah.

[39:44] Morgan Bassichis: Oh yeah, just a little simple thing. How the fuck did you do that? Yeah, I would love that skill.

[39:48] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah, right. Okay, what is your go-to karaoke song?

[39:54] Morgan Bassichis: George Michael Kissing a Fool.

[39:57] Jason A. Coombs: Right.

[39:58] Morgan Bassichis: Oh love it. Our our father, our father who art in heaven, George Michael.

[40:04] Jason A. Coombs: Um, which celebrity would you want to play you in your biopic?

[40:09] Morgan Bassichis: Oh my god. Whoa. Whoa. That's a hard one, right? That's a really hard one.

[40:20] Morgan Bassichis: Oh my god. Um Jenny Slate. I'm gonna say Jenny Slate.

[40:31] Jason A. Coombs: Blitz. I'm going for Jenny Slate.

[40:34] Samantha Tuozzolo: I love that. I love that.

[40:36] Jason A. Coombs: Okay, if you could teleport to anywhere in the world right now, where would you go?

[40:43] Morgan Bassichis: Oh my god. Teleport to anywhere in the world. Um, this is so this is so I have the cheesiest answer. I have the it's the worst.

[41:04] Morgan Bassichis: Give it to me. It's the worst answer.

[41:05] Morgan Bassichis: It's the worst answer, which is that I I wouldn't want to go anywhere because I'm so happy to be to be in New York City right now doing this thing. I know that's so cheesy and horrible, but it's true. But other times I would love to teleport, but right now I can't. I I just I'm kind of crying. That just made me a little teary-eyed. It feels so good to be happy.

[41:27] Samantha Tuozzolo: Yeah, I'm very grateful to be to be right here doing this thing in our in our beautiful town.

[41:32] Morgan Bassichis: Oh, I love that.

[41:34] Samantha Tuozzolo: This is a this is a two-parter.

[41:36] Morgan Bassichis: Okay.

[41:36] Samantha Tuozzolo: Your favorite musician and your guilty pleasure musician.

[41:43] Morgan Bassichis: Jasmine Sullivan is my favorite vocalist.

[41:47] Jason A. Coombs: Okay, too.

[41:48] Morgan Bassichis: Uh yeah, no, exactly. Jasmine Sullivan is who I'm listening to before, during, and after. And then um you said guilty pleasure.

[41:56] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah, do you have a guilty pleasure musician or song?

[41:59] Morgan Bassichis: Well, recently I've also been playing the new Justin Bieber album on repeat. So I I don't know if that's a guilty pleasure, but it's definitely a pleasure.

[42:07] Jason A. Coombs: I love it. I love it.

[42:09] Samantha Tuozzolo: Okay. If you yourself were a weather forecast, what would you be?

[42:15] Morgan Bassichis: Oh my god. Wow, these are this is like therapy. Um why was the weather forecast? I think like right before like one of those, like right before it rains in the summertime where you're like, this is nice, but I know it's not gonna last. You know what I mean? Like I think like that kind of thing. Where it's like this is really great, but it's not gonna be, yeah. I'm like a it's a short-term thing. It's not a it's not a full day. You know what I mean? Just like smell it a nice half an hour, yeah.

[42:51] Jason A. Coombs: Right. Love it.

[42:53] Samantha Tuozzolo: Um what's one fashion trend that you secretly miss you?

[43:03] Morgan Bassichis: So I'm just so amazed because this the fashion of my of my youth is like like in the 90s. I'm like, wow, it's so it's like so wild to see people dressing how we dress in high school. Um actually um yeah, I um and the because then when we were in high school, we were dressing like like in like 70s kind of stuff, and people were like, why are you wearing that? So the 20 year cycle. Um yeah, I um I'm I'm grateful for some of the fashion trends that are gone. We wore some weird weird hats, I think.

[43:39] Samantha Tuozzolo: We love that.

[43:40] Jason A. Coombs: Okay.

[43:42] Samantha Tuozzolo: Who is your fictional best friend?

[43:45] Morgan Bassichis: Like you BFF in your head. Valerie Cherish from The Comeback.

[43:50] Jason A. Coombs: Oh love.

[43:52] Samantha Tuozzolo: Is that Lisa Kudra's character?

[43:53] Morgan Bassichis: That's Lisa Kudrow's character.

[43:55] Jason A. Coombs: Shout out, Lisa Kudrow.

[43:57] Morgan Bassichis: Lisa Kudrow in The Comeback. Our Perma Perma BFF Perma icon. Like absolutely if she joined started a cult and asked me to sacrifice everything, I would be there in a second.

[44:12] Jason A. Coombs: That's amazing.

[44:13] Samantha Tuozzolo: And last one. Why should people get tickets today to see Can I Be Frank? But in three words. Tell us.

[44:26] Morgan Bassichis: I'm doing the counting. You're doing the counting. Um let's be together.

[44:39] Jason A. Coombs: Boom. That's my three words. Let's be together. Come on down to Van Dam Street. Let's be together.

[44:45] Samantha Tuozzolo: Okay. Morgan, what an icon. This episode was so much fun. Thank you so much for joining us. Before we let you go, can you please let everybody listening know where they can keep up with you on social media? How to know what projects you have. Tell us.

[45:01] Morgan Bassichis: Yes. I am on an app called Instagram, which I don't know if people have heard of it.

[45:06] Samantha Tuozzolo: Never heard of it.

[45:07] Morgan Bassichis: Never heard of her. A local local women-owned app. Um my um Morgan kind of kind of Morgan. Morgan kind of's had a follow me. And then you can get tickets for the show at Can I Be Frank.nyc. And I can't wait for you all to see the show. And I this has been such a pleasure. I'm really grateful that you had me. Thank you.

[45:27] Jason A. Coombs: Yes, of course. And if y'all are listening because you're a Morgan fan and you don't follow us yet, give us a follow at Survival jobs pod on Instagram and TikTok. On Facebook at Survival Jobs A Podcast. Shoot us an email at survivaljobspod at gmail.com. How original. Follow my boy Jason at Jason A Coombs and follow me at Sammy Tots. And go see this play. And here's my confetti to end the day. Yay!

[45:56] Morgan Bassichis: Thank you, Morgan.

[45:57] Jason A. Coombs: Thank you so much.