This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:00] Indira Gibson Wilson: That glint in your eyes can mean only one thing. I'm doing costume design. Ladies and gentlemen, we invite your apprehensive listening. How would you define the term breakthrough for yourself? When you read these stories about overnight successes, there's a lot of sweat equity that's gone into doing this work. I say, as long as you have breath in your body, there's never an age when you're supposed to do anything. So you don't know when things might show up in your life. So be patient with yourself. Be willing to do the work and to put in the time because you know the payoff will come. I feel very gratified and very satisfied that for all of the trials, all the challenges, you know, the setbacks, the questioning of myself. Okay, do I really want to do this? And being clear. You're coming in loud and clear. And my answer is yes. I'm doing costume design.

[0:56] Blaine Teamer: Welcome to the Afro Existential Podcast, a podcast and audio play in one. I am one of your hosts, Indira Wilson.

[1:01] Blaine Teamer: And I'm Blaine Teamer. This season we'll be presenting a brand new audio play entitled Pandora's Trunk. Anything else? And a new interview series entitled The Breakthrough From Vision to Fruition. In this series, we hear from people who took a great idea and made it a reality. We want to know how they did it and how they got over the obstacles along the way. We hope that it helps and inspires you to make your great idea a reality.

[1:43] Indira Gibson Wilson: Anything else? It's who's that baby's daddy day on the Alex Winter Show.

[1:50] Blaine Teamer: I was afraid of that. It's Alex Winter. But before we go to commercial, here is a sneak peek of our next audio play, Pandora's Trunk. Pandora Washington is on a quest to find her birth mother. In this scene, she meets Sister Rosemary, who tries to explain to Pandora how she was seduced by the new minister of the first and last most faithful harvest and grains every church. We shall begin now. Matthew 15:11 says, it's not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth. This defiles a person. Matthew 15:11.

[2:36] Indira Gibson Wilson: That would do say. He ain't lying. He ain't lied because that's what it do say. Then Pandora girlfriend. He didn't like it, did he? He wanted me to taste his fruit. He wanted me to taste his fruit. Let me say it one more time. He wanted me to taste his fruit. It was a strange fruit. Was it a mango or a tangelo? Was it like no mango or no tangelo? As far as I know. Look, I did go. I said it was a strange fruit. And I like it. Was it like a kumquat or a papaya? Or a persimmon? And what? Like a kumquat? Was it not? And I would be a liar if I said it was like a fig. But oh me and oh my god. And can I get an amen? If it weren't like no. The kind of fruit you wanna have any night in the afternoon as a snack and we'll be right back after a brief commercial break.

[4:04] Indira Gibson Wilson: Every day I struggle with Karen. I don't wanna have to struggle with my hair. Get me an improved Afroexistential sheen shampoo and reconditioner. Oh it goes deep into your roots and uncovers the natural beauty that's been there all the time. Yeah. Every day I live the struggle. I don't wanna have to struggle with my hair. And for added protection on those Karen days, then there's Afro Existential Sheen Super Holding Hair Spray. A protein-based hairspray that holds your hair back, but won't hold you back. I don't even have to take my earrings off. I hate to think where I'd be without it. Afro Existential sheen shampoo, reconditioner, and relaxer. Get it today, your roots will thank you. And that's no lie. Oh, that's when you thank your lucky stars for Gloco.

[5:08] Blaine Teamer: Hello, and welcome back to the Afro Existential Podcast. I am your host today, Blaine Teamer.

[5:15] Blaine Teamer: Oh, you're surprising. We're always the best. So back in March of 2017, I saw a stage production of Kemp Powers' One Night in Miami at our small theater called the Rogue Theater in Los Angeles. The staging, the casting, the performances, the script, the direction, and the costumes. Everything I thought was just really aspirational in regards to what small theaters can really do. I went through the program under assistant costume designer was a name that I recognized. BENITA ELLIOT. But I didn't know that she had started studying costume design when we kicked off this series. Benita was actually the first person that we interviewed. So at this point, she was about four years into her journey of fulfilling her dream of becoming a costume designer. So we started off the conversation talking about that production of One Night in Miami.

[6:22] Blaine Teamer: The first thing that I saw that you had done was One Night in Miami, which I saw.

[6:46] BENITA ELLIOT: It's period. That's all I knew is the assistant designer works hand in hand with the designer. So I was charged with things like doing shopping and finding some of the looks and finding some of the period pieces for her. She designed the show, but I did have a hand in helping her find the pieces for that wonderful and amazing cast of people. And I tell you, I just got such a kick out of that production. And then to see it transform for screen, it's gonna be one of my all-time favorite experiences. The clothing was beautiful, the choices, the fit, the staging, the acting, everything that was such a memorable show to see. I was so in anticipation to see the film version of it. It was definitely an example of where the costumes played such a big part in bringing you into the time period.

The film gets to sort of fill that out a little bit more, but like when you came to that theater, you really felt like you were in the room with those people. And the costumes really told a wonderful story for that.

[7:54] BENITA ELLIOT: Yes. We shopped around LA. We went to some of the little stores that we go to to try to find some of these period pieces, and it becomes this mad dash to try to find clothing that's period appropriate in terms of the fabrics that were popular then, the palettes that were popular then, the way the clothes were worn then. You know, it's funny when we're dressing characters or actors, I should say, a lot of them think of the fit and the way that they wear their clothes as how they wear it out of their personal closets. But we have to remind them, you know, when you look at men, for example, who dressed in the 60s, it's very different from the way that men wear clothing now, in terms of belting.

It's more of a structured look. So you really have to have a mind and a temperament for detail. Takes a lot of patience. I think people see costumes as fashion. I see a lot of that merging of those two worlds, whereas costumes really tell stories about who people are. You know, we refer to building their closets. You know, you create a closet, and within that closet is a history of that person. You know, and what do I mean by history? Well, you're talking about socioeconomic backgrounds, upbringing, aspirational goals, and things of that nature. So contained within that closet that we are creating are so many subtle details that tell you who these people are, who they are in the world, who they see themselves as.

[9:30] BENITA ELLIOT: I think that the general public might look at costumes as I like it, I don't like it, why they wear that, that's a funny look. But I think oftentimes there's a conflation of costumes and fashion. The costume designer reads that script through and through. We make notes, and you just start making marginal notes and you start envisioning how you're gonna go about translating what's on the written page. Ultimately, the director has final word. We present options, you know. You always you don't come with a single idea, you come with multiple ideas, and then you build, well, you narrow down from that, I should say. Our actors also have input. They are the people that embody the character, you know, they too are creating a character.

It really most certainly is a hundred percent about a collaboration. And the idea is to successfully weave together all of these components and deliver the goods, you know, bring it to screen, bring it to stage, complete. So a lot of the memories that we have of these actors, really, because that's who we're looking at ultimately, are the representation of these successful collaborations a lot of times, right? The most iconic memorable looks include a costume. I want to know a little bit more, if you could speak a little bit more about the process. So you said you get the script and you break the script down. And then can you sort of tell us like what happens in order from the time that you get the script to the time that the thing gets shot or performed, like the steps that it takes.

[11:17] BENITA ELLIOT: My work has largely been in theater. So theater is a lot more hands-on and literally it's live. So there are a lot of times where you're still working on costumes for your shows, but in terms of the process overall, you read the script once straight through just to have an idea, get the gist of the story. Then you go back again, and you could read a script many times to really extract the details because again, within that script are descriptions, their scenes, their timelines. And so, and I'm glad that you use the word breakdown because that is what's involved. We have to break down a script. So you break it down scene by scene, you break it down act by act, and you're making notes, you know, you're building note sheets and character sheets and lists, and then you're thinking about where you're gonna source, whether or not you have to make a costume.

[12:26] BENITA ELLIOT: We call that building in costume vernacular opposed to sewing, or you might pull from a costume shop, something for your character. So there are a lot of different ways that people are dressed for their characters. And so that would be building, that would be shopping, that would be pulling. Sometimes the actor might bring his own clothing. We call that the actor's own. So, you know, there are four places that you typically would source what somebody ends up wearing for a performance. Once you've broken everything down and created your character sheets, then do you present to the producers and the director or the writers like a costume design presentation of some sort? You would meet with your director, you show them your ideas, you show them what your ideas and your concepts are, and you get your yes-nos.

And then you go back and you just sort of do the repeat. It's sort of like watch and repeat, watch and repeat until you really build the look that will be the approved look. You have your fittings, of course, that's a part of the process where your actors come in, they try on the looks that you're pulling for them. We oftentimes take pictures. Sometimes if the director isn't directly accessible, we talk a lot through email, you know, or text. So you would send these looks to the directors so they could see the actor in them and just start to really create the world that these people are going to be conveying on screen or on stage. And then you're also dealing with your production designers because your palette isn't just limited to what they're wearing, but it's also the environment, as you mentioned, right?

It's the environment, it's a stage. So what does that look like? Is it day? Is it night? You know, what is the interior look like? What are the people in those scenes look like? What are they wearing? So, you know, it's never just a singular component. There's so many layers involved. So when I say you have to be really on it, and then you know what else? You have to keep incredible notes. We build Bibles, that's the book, you know, where you've got your looks, you've got your visual references, you've got your script as a reference. So there are many, many, many stages that lead up to what people ultimately see as the show, you know, again, whether on stage, on television, or on screen.

[14:59] BENITA ELLIOT: When someone is interested and they get their first gig, what can they be expecting to do? I think people think about the glamour of it. The glamour is the least important aspect. It's sort of a non-factor for the work because there's so much behind the scenes. You're talking about history, understanding history, understanding periods. I mean, that's really the baseline. Understanding fabric, textiles, these are all so important in terms of work that I'm pursuing now. It's actually as assistant costume designer because you work yourself up the ladder for larger projects, but you have to know what fabrics are, what the hand of the fabric is, what kind of noise fabric makes. Let's say you're dealing with television in particular where people are mic'd, right?

The sound of a crunchy fabric might be beautiful, but guess what? That ain't gonna happen. Taffeta is allowed fabric, for example. So it happened that I studied sewing in high school, and I got a job at a popular, like the top fabric store in my early years, and to this day I still remember textiles from then, and I'm still building on it. So knowing what woolens are, knowing what cottons, knowing what synthetics are, knowing your weaves, what those weaves mean, you know, a loose weave versus a tight woven something. What are filaments? What are natural fibers? Blaine and Indira, when I tell you it's a lot of work, it's a lot of work, but I absolutely love it. And I could literally do it all day long and around the clock, you know, because there's always something that I'm learning and getting excited about.

[16:54] BENITA ELLIOT: So you're pursuing television movies, or are you pursuing more theater? The truth is theater doesn't really pay you well. So I mean, it's no secret, anybody that does theater knows this. So I'm actually pursuing work in film now, and yeah, so I actually got accepted into like an emerging or talent development program that's created by the academy. It's called Academy Gold. So out of I think we were told 58 or 6800 people applied to be selected in the five disciplines, you know, cinematography, production, design, sound, editing, and this year they added in costumes. Well, there were six people chosen, and I was one of six. We were paired with an academy member as our mentor. The Oscar award-winning costume designer, Mark Bridges, is my mentor.

I'm still going, really? You know, we were asked who we would like to mentor us. So, you know, they're like, okay, give us a list of three. So you do, and then they want to know, well, why do you want? What is it about this person? What do you want out of? I mean, it was really a rigorous process. And it made you think, why? Who, why, and what do you want to get out of it? And what are you bringing to it? What do you expect out of this experience? What do you expect out of your mentors? So we are getting to know each other. So I'm very happy. I'm really, really grateful. He just did the costumes for the Phantom Thread. That movie had me in tears. Believable. You know, and the details, you know, talking to Mark about, oh my gosh, and that top you got for so and so and this character, which you know, there's those are the details that you remember. Like, where did you find that? You know, and then to hear the backstories, of course, those are always fun.

[19:00] BENITA ELLIOT: Months before I decided to apply, we were at one of the summits that the academy puts on for students interested in careers in film. And I'm sitting up in this audience, and I'm probably as old as the people up on stage talking about their storied careers. Hannah B. Claire was up on that stage, okay, talking about her work as the production designer for Black Panther. How about that? How about that? And then hearing her talk about her living on somebody's couch, literally, when she got the call to do this work. So you just never know where you're gonna be and how you pull it together, right? Regardless of what's happening in the background that people don't know anything about, and you decide I'm gonna do my best work right now.

I'm gonna show them that I'm ready for this. And look at what she did, she won the Oscar, you know. So hearing her tell that story of being homeless, okay, it fills you with an appreciation for what people really put in, the sacrifices and that thing within us that says, you know what, no matter what it takes, you know. My analogy right now, it's sort of like sometimes you feel like you're in the middle of the Mojave with an empty tank, and you gotta figure out how you're gonna get out of that Mojave, right? It takes something extra. I'm just gonna say that. It takes something extra to stick to it, but the rewards are there, it's very, very gratifying.

[20:35] BENITA ELLIOT: What would be a takeaway from your mentor that would be helpful for other people? For anyone interested in this work, be curious, just in general, you know, somebody that's got a curiosity about them will not wait until they're assigned to do something or given a task or a list. You just automatically want to know. And so in that way, it's helpful because when we speak about things, he can make a reference to something and I'll know what he's talking about, or I can make a reference to something, and I, you know, there's no need to flesh it out and explain. Oh, this, for example, I was talking to him about my father having his trip to Bountiful experience, or in his trip to Bountiful years. Well, I make a lot of movie and song references, by the way.

And so no need for the sh like you can use that shorthand because we know what we're talking about. Right. So that's just something that really comes in handy when you're doing this work because nobody's got a time really when you're in the midst of a project to fill you in on the history of things, if you will, or the internet of things. So it just helps to have those referential points and understand. So the other thing, he always says to me, cream rises to the top. He always says that. So I would say to people wanting to do this work, be patient with yourself in the process and the time that it takes to actualize the dream. You never know. I mean, for me, I start it late, if you will, you know, people like to put things on timelines for aging, but I say as long as you have breath in your body, there's never an age when you're supposed to do anything.

So you don't know when things might show up in your life, right? So be patient with yourself, be willing to do the work and to put in the time because the dividends will come, you know, the payoff will come. I feel very gratified and very satisfied that for all of the trials, all the challenges, you know, the setbacks, the questioning of myself, okay, do I really want to do this? And being clear that my answer is yes, I do want to do this and be willing to make the sacrifices that are required.

[23:10] BENITA ELLIOT: When I say it's not glamorous, it's not glamorous. So you have to find the reward within yourself to know that the path that you've chosen is satisfying in and of itself. If you do it to come in it to make money right off the bat, well, that's a personal choice, but you may or may not have the outcomes that you might be expecting. So a lot of times people bail out. They decide it's not for me because the money doesn't present itself right off the top. You know, when you read these stories about overnight successes, there's a lot of sweat equity that's gone into doing this work. A whole lot of blood and sweat equity. So I'm really in it for the long haul. I really truly love this work. I've learned so much. I would have never imagined. I'm doing costume design. I came to LA to visit. I was living in New York.

[24:08] BENITA ELLIOT: What did you do before you began this pursuit? So photography's in my background. I was doing editorial work and I finally decided, okay, I'm ready for the big time, I'm ready to go to New York. And I went there, and as fate would have it, within five months of moving there, 9-11 occurred. So, you know, that was an eye-opener to say the least. I topped it out for two and a half years after that event took place. There was, I was still living through the trauma of it. I mean, having witnessed that event.

[24:45] BENITA ELLIOT: And I had a sister, my oldest sister was here in LA. And I said, Well, can I come out there to breathe and decompress? And she said, Yeah. So I said, Well, can I stay for two months? Because I knew that that drive across country was going to be a drive. And I didn't want to turn around in 30 days and drive back to New York. So she said, Yeah. So my plan was two months in LA to just put my feet up, you know, relax, re-center myself and go back. And guess what? I did what a lot of people do. I stayed. So I thank her for saying, bring your ass out here.

[25:24] Blaine Teamer: Yeah. And when you moved when you came out here, did you have the intent of continuing your photography, or had you already begun to think I'd like to make this transition into costume design?

[25:36] BENITA ELLIOT: I came here with skills that were solid that supported me back east. And for whatever reasons, I just couldn't get work out here. I mean, we're talking, I've got executive level admin skills. Of course, I've got creative skills. I was doing graphic design and photography, had clients able to build identities, able to shoot editorial. I just couldn't get the work. I mean, it wasn't like I didn't try. I just wouldn't get hired. And so, you know, you never know how things are unfolding for you, the why the things are happening. So with those challenges, you know, I have free time, and then I ended up going back to school.

[26:19] Blaine Teamer: So there you have it. And also you went back to school for costume design?

[26:22] BENITA ELLIOT: Yes, indeed. You know, I just say those unwelcoming doors actually led me to this path.

[26:31] Blaine Teamer: And how many years was the program that you ran it's it's called the Theatre Academy and it's actually housed on the campus of LACC. So the City College on Vermont. And it's a two-year certificate program. There are three disciplines. There's the technical program which are the people that build sets and paint sets and that kind of thing. There's costume design and there's an acting program there. So every semester we do two main stage productions and then interspersed in between the main stages we do student directed projects.

[27:08] BENITA ELLIOT: So all of the departments work collaboratively putting on shows all year long.

[27:15] Blaine Teamer: Since leaving school, what has the journey looked like since then?

[27:15] BENITA ELLIOT: I've had teachers and mentors at school who've introduced me to other designers, friends circulate your name. It's an active process of putting yourself out there, letting people know that you're available. So I've been lucky to meet some amazing designers who have brought me in to help them on their productions who refer me to jobs and projects. In addition to doing design work I've also gotten a lot of work as wardrobe supervisor. I don't know if that's something that you're familiar with but the wardrobe supervisor basically makes sure that the costumes are clean, make sure they're all available where they're supposed to be. Uh we do repairs, we do alterations. We're in a be we're in a television space in the commercial space, you know, and so it's a lot of work to be had and a lot of it is wardrobe supervision.

[28:15] Blaine Teamer: What what's your dream? What's like your dream job, I should say?

[28:19] BENITA ELLIOT: One of my little dreams is doing like sketch comedy because I think I grew up watching hilarious sketch comedy. So the silliness of it all and how you just build these hyperbolic characters to clothing. You know, there's some iconic memories that if I were to mention them you you probably would start laughing. You know, think about Carol Burnett throwing up watching you can still pull that up online and it's still hilarious. The curtain with the wind sketch and the curtain rod and the you know the whole thing.

[28:54] Blaine Teamer: Yeah no I'm I'm totally with you.

[28:56] BENITA ELLIOT: Yeah. You just pulled that visual right out of my mind. So that's one once upon a time in Hollywood. You know the work of Ariana Phillips. When you look at the work of you know Matt Max the last one with that was incredible.

[29:14] Blaine Teamer: That was incredible.

[29:16] BENITA ELLIOT: Yes. That yeah so there's just a lot of stuff and it just gives me such an appreciation for the work as RuPaul once said to me from your lips right to God's ears.

[29:30] Blaine Teamer: I agree.

[29:32] BENITA ELLIOT: And yeah, you know I want to see this journey myself. It's unfolding it's growing I believe in it. I think a lot of what happens for us is result of what we think will happen for us. And I'm not giving up on this dream. This is it. You know what I'm saying? This is like a dream come true. So I want to make the most of it. I want to really thrive and succeed in doing this work. I absolutely adore it. And I can't think of any aspect about it that bores me. So now I'm just looking for more opportunities to do more of it. And I believe they're coming my way.

[30:12] Blaine Teamer: So shall they all and we'll be right back after a brief commercial break.

[30:19] Alistair Justin Black: Hello, I'm Alistair Justin Black from Theatre in the Black. Playwright Blaine Teamer began writing deadweight in 2016. You finished it nearly four months later. The writing of the perfect line in a great play, or the making of a line of fine fancy wines. Takes time. Perfect example is Afro X's new and improved bougie bouger. A red wine with notes of tang, green apple, tropical punch, black cherry, and invisible grape. It's a fancy wine for those fancy moments. What was true nearly four months ago is true today. It's five o'clock somewhere. Take life one sip at a time.

[31:14] Alex Wenta: Watch what you say.

[31:15] Alistair Justin Black: It's Alex Wenta.

[31:21] Alex Wenta: Watch what you say.

[31:23] Alistair Justin Black: It's Alex Wenta.

[31:25] Alex Wenta: Uh-huh.

[31:27] Alistair Justin Black: I want something interesting.

[31:30] Alex Wenta: It's who's that baby's DADDY Day on the Alex Winter Show.

[31:36] Alistair Justin Black: Hello, everyone! On today's show, we are looking at sibling rivalry. Welcome, Colt.

[31:43] Colt: Colt says his fiance Brittany cheated on him with her stepfather Gunner. Now he doesn't know if little Magnum is his baby.

[31:57] Alistair Justin Black: But wait, that's not all. Brittany's stepfather just happens to be Colt's twin brother Gunner. Let's meet Colt's fiance. Please give a warm welcome to Brittany.

[32:12] Brittany: Who's that baby's daddy? Who's that baby's daddy? Y'all don't know me. Not even know me. Y'all, be quiet. It's a damn lie, Alex. He was spreading fake news. It's fake news. He knows he's that baby's daddy.

[32:35] Alex Wenta: Alex!

[32:36] Brittany: Alex!

[32:37] Alex Wenta: Yes!

[32:38] Brittany: Please let her speak.

[32:42] Alex Wenta: Go ahead.

[32:43] Brittany: Alex, he's spreading fake news, and he needs to build a huge wall around his lies so he can keep his lives away from my border because they are foreign to me and my baby.

[32:55] Alex Wenta: Okay!

[32:56] Brittany: That baby don't look nothing like me. Look at his ears! Look at his nose. He look like my brother Gunner.

[33:02] Alex Wenta: Your twin brother Gunner? Don't twins tend to look alike?

[33:08] Brittany: Don't he sound stupid, Alex? Y'all! Ain't he stupid? Him and his brother, they twins!

[33:18] Alex Wenta: Colt, why do you think he would sleep with his stepdaughter, your fiancee, and his future sister in law?

[33:26] Colt: Even as kids, he was always jealous of me, Alex. Always.

[33:31] Alistair Justin Black: If little baby Magnum is your son or nephew, I hope you two can work it out. Because either way, you are family.

[33:42] Alistair Justin Black: Here. Other results. Tell the truth and shame the devil. When it comes to three-month-old baby Magnum.

[33:52] Alistair Justin Black: I guess you are shooting blanks, Colt, because you are not that baby's father.

[33:59] Alex Wenta: Oh god!

[34:04] Alistair Justin Black: And we'll be right back after a brief commercial break.

[34:12] Alistair Justin Black: Hello. It's Alistair Justin Black from Theatre in the Black. I just finished reading the audacious and hilarious novel entitled Shady by Blaine Teamer. And I'm trying to decide now where to place it in my vast collection of books. You see, it has deception and psychological tension and all the evil of a classic thriller. So on the one hand, it reminds me of the southern Gothic style of a young Dennis Lehane. But it also has the urban ice. What are you going to do downtown? It's shady. It's part Walter Mosley and part Agatha Christie mystery novel. But in Zoo, who done it is more like a who done did it now. Jade. Spinning a tale of deceit, sex, humor, and race, Teamer brings us to the story of a southern town called Jade.

Well, evil is not easier to get rid of. What a strange place. Jade. Evil Baguettes. Gold Jade. Evil and violence are the only two who measures the toll in the power. It makes it easier to do about my spedotype. Well, what do we do now? Go today, Amazon, or wherever you order books online.

[35:46] Alistair Justin Black: Okay, we are back in five, four, three, two, one.

[35:51] Alex Wenta: Who's that daddy?

[35:53] Alistair Justin Black: It's who's that baby's daddy day on the Alex Winter Show.

[35:58] Alistair Justin Black: Welcome back. Please welcome Brady.

[36:01] Brady: Brady says his wife Georgina has consistently acted in bad faith over the course of their marriage. And now he wonders if his son Oliver is actually his biological son.

[36:13] Alistair Justin Black: Brady, after 25 years. Why are you questioning if Oliver is yours?

[36:21] Brady: I love my wife. I've done everything I could to keep her in the lifestyle that she thinks she deserves, but it's never enough.

[36:28] Alistair Justin Black: I want to say.

[36:30] Brady: I can't say it.

[36:32] Alistair Justin Black: You can't say what?

[36:37] Brady: My wife is two faced and both faces lie like the devil since day one.

[36:37] Alistair Justin Black: No!

[36:37] Brady: Since day one!

[36:44] Alistair Justin Black: Really? Where did you meet and how did she lie?

[36:48] Brady: I met her at the Snooty Fox Motor Lodge on Western in 41st.

[36:51] Alistair Justin Black: The Snooty Fox. For those of you not from Los Angeles, the Snooty Fox is a type of hotel establishment where you can rent by the hour.

[36:59] Brady: Two two.

[37:00] Alistair Justin Black: Hey. Beep beep. If you get my 70s reference.

[37:11] Blaine Teamer: I had just opened my very first video store across the street, and over at the Snooty Fox, they were shooting a music video for this rapper called Gerardo.

[37:18] Indira Gibson Wilson: You mean Rico Suave?

[37:20] Blaine Teamer: He was huge.

[37:22] Indira Gibson Wilson: That's what she said.

[37:26] Blaine Teamer: I let them use my parking lot for crap services. So I'm behind the counter. And the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen walked in.

[37:30] Blaine Teamer: Georgina.

[37:35] Indira Gibson Wilson: Hell no, Georgina was behind her.

[37:38] Blaine Teamer: The beautiful girl was a regular at the Snooty Fox. Georgina came to the county and wanted a box of Nile Laters.

[37:43] Indira Gibson Wilson: I used to love Nile Later.

[37:45] Blaine Teamer: My favorite was Black Cherry.

[37:46] Indira Gibson Wilson: Black Cherry.

[37:47] Blaine Teamer: That was the name of the girl from the Snooty Fox, but she was meeting a client.

[37:51] Indira Gibson Wilson: Don't look at me.

[37:59] Blaine Teamer: Well then what happened?

[38:01] Indira Gibson Wilson: I chatted Georgina up instead, and I gave her the Nile Laters, but in retrospect, now I wish I would have told her later because Georgina had this long, sad story about how she just got replaced with the director's girlfriend, and now they just wanted her to shimmy in the background.

[38:15] Blaine Teamer: She said she had danced in a firebird or something, and she was real proud of that.

[38:19] Indira Gibson Wilson: I thought she was dancing in a Pontiac Firebird, but she said it was some ballet.

[38:23] Blaine Teamer: So the Firebird was asked to do the funky chicken at the Snooty Fox.

[38:33] Indira Gibson Wilson: After we started dating, I found out she was hired as an extra from the start.

[38:37] Blaine Teamer: Sounds like she was extra from the start.

[38:44] Indira Gibson Wilson: Okay. Let's bring out Georgina to hear her side of the story.

[38:55] Blaine Teamer: Georgina. America wants to know. Are you a firebird or a funky chicken?

[39:04] Georgina: He knows that I danced the lead in Stravinsky's firebird.

[39:10] Georgina: And he knows he's my baby daddy. I mean, he knows he's the father of our child.

[39:16] Georgina: I was a virgin when we met.

[39:18] Blaine Teamer: A virgin of what?

[39:20] Georgina: At the Snooty Fox.

[39:21] Georgina: Yes, I was a professional dancer. He's just doing all this to humiliate me and drag me down to the gutter with him.

[39:31] Georgina: You see, when we met, I lived with my parents in Hancock Park. That's where I was raised. My father was a very well-known architect.

[39:41] Georgina: When my parents passed away, I inherited the estate. Once we were married, he gambled us into debt, and we lost the house my father designed, and it was tragic.

[39:55] Georgina: And then he moved us just south of Wilshire.

[40:05] Blaine Teamer: Hello!

[40:09] Georgina: I was once a prima ballerina.

[40:12] Blaine Teamer: You're actually the much older sister of famed premier ballerina, Helen Summer, right?

[40:20] Georgina: Uh, not that much older, Alex, but yes, we are sisters. And it is true that with my ballet training, I was asked to dance for many artists' videos, and legendary Ecuadorian American rapper, actor, and singer Gerardo was among them.

[40:40] Blaine Teamer: Ooh, what was the song?

[40:42] Georgina: Huh?

[40:43] Blaine Teamer: The what?

[40:44] Georgina: What was the name of the song used in the video at the Snooty Fox?

[40:50] Georgina: Oh, it was so long ago. I can't remember the name.

[40:53] Georgina: It was called Make That Backdoor Booty Doo, but his label never released it because it was so whack.

[40:58] Blaine Teamer: So it sounds like backdoor booty-doo laid a great big duty at the Snooty Box.

[41:05] Indira Gibson Wilson: Don't look at me.

[41:09] Blaine Teamer: But seriously, regardless of the outcome, I hope you two can work it out. Because this is the only family baby Oliver has known.

[41:18] Indira Gibson Wilson: Are you ready? Here are the results. When it comes to little Oliver, you are that baby's daddy.

[41:31] Georgina: I'm sorry.

[41:31] Blaine Teamer: I'm sorry.

[41:32] Georgina: I was wrong.

[41:33] Blaine Teamer: I'm sorry.

[41:34] Georgina: I told you.

[41:35] Blaine Teamer: You took me through all this.

[41:37] Georgina: I told you.

[41:39] Blaine Teamer: I am so sorry. I always forget to put these reading glasses on. Oh, here we go.

[41:45] Blaine Teamer: It says, You are not that baby daddy.

[41:51] Georgina: I knew it.

[41:53] Blaine Teamer: And we'll be right back. After a brief commercial break.

[42:01] Indira Gibson Wilson: I'm a baby. Whoever that a mine falls on the radio and no one is around to hear it, does the mime make a sound?

[42:16] Indira Gibson Wilson: Does it even matter? Mimes are like podcasters. If a podcaster podcasts and no one subscribes to the podcast.

[42:25] Indira Gibson Wilson: Was anyone listening? Does it even matter?

[42:29] Indira Gibson Wilson: No. Because like mimes on the radio. No one cares until they are no longer there.

[42:38] Indira Gibson Wilson: But you can change that. Just one click can make all the difference. You can give a voice to those who have had no voice before.

[42:49] Indira Gibson Wilson: Click subscribe and let them know that you hear them. Let them know that you care.

[42:58] Indira Gibson Wilson: Podcasters are like mimes, and a mime is a terrible thing to waste.

[43:08] Blaine Teamer: We are so glad you joined us for another episode of the Afro-Existential Podcast. A special thank you to our guest, BENITA ELLIOT, who's that baby's daddy day is an excerpt from our first audio play production entitled DEAD WAIT.

[43:24] Blaine Teamer: And you can scroll down to listen to Act One and Act Two in its entirety. And a round of applause to the amazing cast, which included KK Middlebrooks, Sean Carter Peterson, Frederick Sparks, Lachey Tomlinson, and Indira Wilson.

[43:40] Blaine Teamer: If you've enjoyed the podcast, please click subscribe. Anything else? Write a review. Share the podcast. Anything else? Visit us at AfroEXPodcast.com.

[43:51] Blaine Teamer: Or email us your thoughts at the Afro Existential Podcast at gmail.com. Anything else? I don't like to be disturbed.

[44:00] Blaine Teamer: Thank you for joining us. Have a great year on purpose. And we will leave you with another sneak peek from our next audio play, Pandora's trunk.

[44:11] Blaine Teamer: I was afraid of that. And this musical number, Pandora is pretty sure that the legendary R&B diva Solange, played by my co-host Indira Wilson, is her birth mother.

[44:22] Blaine Teamer: And she believes that Solange was secretly explaining the reason that she abandoned Pandora as a baby via the hit song and disco anthem Missunderstood.

[44:34] Blaine Teamer: From the album Ghetto Life T’Ain’t No Joke. With music and lyrics by yours truly, and sung by the one and only Indira Wilson.

[44:44] Blaine Teamer: If anyone is listening, Dark Child, Babyface, Beyonce, we know you're a fan of the Afro-Existential podcast, because you're our ruler, you're our leader.

[44:52] Blaine Teamer: Yeah, you're a viceroy. Of Afroexistentialism. You are the guiding light. Sometimes you need a hook to change a heart.

[45:03] Blaine Teamer: And give it to him, Blaine. Get down.

[45:08] Blaine Teamer: Um be misunderstood. I thought success, money, and fame. Was the name of a game, but it was all a misunderstanding.

[45:21] Blaine Teamer: But I am demanding. Honey, it's not regular to me. Honey, take a look at me. Ghetto life ain't no joke. Give me my coat.

[45:48] Blaine Teamer: I was born black and broke. And then one day I got uh oak. Mama picked the cotton just to make ends meet.

[46:03] Blaine Teamer: I was talking on the corner just for kicking on him. I didn't want to have to do. My mama did it too. A little diva in training. Don't dare get it twisted.

[46:22] Blaine Teamer: When I'm gone, I won't miss it. Misunderstood. I learned from the very bed. I to work to impress. I did what I had to do. Misunderstood.

[46:40] Blaine Teamer: Hey, my grandma did it too. Nobody like it. He said he would take me away from his mess. He put me on the stage, and I'd be a success.

[47:03] Blaine Teamer: I did what I had to do. Ooh. My dad did him too. Oh Lord, I must have been crazy. I don't know nothing about babies.

[47:14] Blaine Teamer: I had to focus on escaping. The ghetto life of being hated. The ghetto ain't no jackstood. No disunderstood.

[47:31] Blaine Teamer: They'll kick you when you'll throw up I was blind with a beach condition. Don't nobody like it.

[48:03] Blaine Teamer: No, no, your daddy ain't obvious. No. I said your daddy was white. I said your tattoo was white. Hey, hi, hi. I know.

[48:33] Blaine Teamer: No. Your daddy Jeffrey dummer. I said your daddy was white. I said your daddy was white. It's white girl. Don't nobody like it.

[49:06] Blaine Teamer: Don't need it, don't need it. Don't nobody like it. Come on, don't need it, don't need it, come on it. Be em poor, don't nobody like it.