The StageLync Podcast

Ep.84: Ryan Saab: Executive Vice President of Talent & Creative Casting for RWS Global - “Believe that you can push forward, even if it is messy” (Audio)

Ryan Saab, Executive Vice President of Talent & Creative Casting for RWS Global, oversees recruitment for all live entertainment experiences within the company’s dynamic portfolio of large-scale entertainment operations. Ryan has nearly two decades of expertise in entertainment operations, casting, and creative development. His profound understanding of assembling incredible internal and external teams is evident in his extensive network of relationships, including celebrity talent, managers, publicists, trade organizations and talent agencies within the industry.
Under the RWS Global umbrella, Ryan orchestrated the formation of ARC, a global theatrical and commercial casting powerhouse, contributing to over 1,000 notable films, television and commercial projects, more than 150 Broadway productions, and various national and international touring shows. ARC’s impressive roster includes major corporations such as Apple and Netflix, acclaimed Broadway and National tour productions like Othello, Life of Pi, Chicago the Musical, and Disney’s The Lion King, and iconic entertainment brands including the Radio City Rockettes.In his role at RWS Global, Ryan spearheads the entertainment operations, talent casting, creative development, and brand strategy for an extensive portfolio of live event experiences, spanning Broadway and cruise line productions, corporate events, as well as immersive installations and pop-ups across 150 venues. Notably, Ryan manages over 100 productions and turn-key entertainment operations for many of the world’s leading cruise lines, including Holland America Line, Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, Cunard, Marella Cruises, Azamara Cruises, P+O Cruises and MSC Cruises. His leadership has been instrumental in successfully assembling and managing a robust internal entertainment team that manages over 8,000 singers, dancers, actors, musicians, technicians, creative team members, producers, and designers for all projects within the RWS Group with annual operating and developmental budgets exceeding $75M.
Prior to joining RWS Global, Ryan served as the Head of Casting for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. As a key member of the Executive Producing Team, he played a pivotal role in the operations of existing shows and the full-scale execution of new productions, including a Broadway portfolio of shows. Ryan's dedication and exceptional contributions were formally recognized when he received Royal Caribbean's coveted 'Employee of the Year' award in 2018, a testament to his excellence in the cruise entertainment industry.
 
“ATTENTION SPOTIFY LISTENERS: IF you want to WATCH this with VIDEO, you can also subscribe to our video version:
https://open.spotify.com/show/5e9KnBRZdjUTXTvCe6Nrqm?si=6639537c61044396”
@stagelync
The StageLync Podcast is a branch of our larger StageLync Community. Come visit us at www.stagelync.com
 
Credits for the StageLync Podcast
Hosts: Anna RobbEditor: Rose Anne FermocilMusic: Jeremy WilliDesign: Em HoltProduction Coordinator: Roselle BernardoProducers: Anna Robb and Andrea Honis

Ep.84: Ryan Saab: Executive Vice President of Talent & Creative Casting for RWS Global - “Believe that you can push forward, even if it is messy” (Video)

Ryan Saab, Executive Vice President of Talent & Creative Casting for RWS Global, oversees recruitment for all live entertainment experiences within the company’s dynamic portfolio of large-scale entertainment operations. Ryan has nearly two decades of expertise in entertainment operations, casting, and creative development. His profound understanding of assembling incredible internal and external teams is evident in his extensive network of relationships, including celebrity talent, managers, publicists, trade organizations and talent agencies within the industry.
Under the RWS Global umbrella, Ryan orchestrated the formation of ARC, a global theatrical and commercial casting powerhouse, contributing to over 1,000 notable films, television and commercial projects, more than 150 Broadway productions, and various national and international touring shows. ARC’s impressive roster includes major corporations such as Apple and Netflix, acclaimed Broadway and National tour productions like Othello, Life of Pi, Chicago the Musical, and Disney’s The Lion King, and iconic entertainment brands including the Radio City Rockettes.In his role at RWS Global, Ryan spearheads the entertainment operations, talent casting, creative development, and brand strategy for an extensive portfolio of live event experiences, spanning Broadway and cruise line productions, corporate events, as well as immersive installations and pop-ups across 150 venues. Notably, Ryan manages over 100 productions and turn-key entertainment operations for many of the world’s leading cruise lines, including Holland America Line, Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, Cunard, Marella Cruises, Azamara Cruises, P+O Cruises and MSC Cruises. His leadership has been instrumental in successfully assembling and managing a robust internal entertainment team that manages over 8,000 singers, dancers, actors, musicians, technicians, creative team members, producers, and designers for all projects within the RWS Group with annual operating and developmental budgets exceeding $75M.
Prior to joining RWS Global, Ryan served as the Head of Casting for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. As a key member of the Executive Producing Team, he played a pivotal role in the operations of existing shows and the full-scale execution of new productions, including a Broadway portfolio of shows. Ryan's dedication and exceptional contributions were formally recognized when he received Royal Caribbean's coveted 'Employee of the Year' award in 2018, a testament to his excellence in the cruise entertainment industry.
 
@stagelync
The StageLync Podcast is a branch of our larger StageLync Community. Come visit us at www.stagelync.com
 
Credits for the StageLync Podcast
Hosts: Anna RobbEditor: Rose Anne FermocilMusic: Jeremy WilliDesign: Em HoltProduction Coordinator: Roselle BernardoProducers: Anna Robb and Andrea Honis

Ep.83: Tekya “Abramz” Abraham: Ugandan Hip-hop artist, Educator, Coach, & Mentor - “Some mistakes turn out to be way more beautiful than the stuff I’m teaching” (Audio)

Tekya “Abramz” Abraham is a Ugandan creative facilitator, veteran Hip Hop artist, B-boy (breakdancer),  and educator who uses his talents, skills, and influence to drive personal and community  transformation. He is one half of Uganda’s veteran Hiphop duo, Sylvester & Abramz, and the founder  and director of Breakdance Project Uganda, a voluntary non-profit organization promoting education,  empowerment, and social change through dance, creative expression and life skills training. Featured in  the award-winning documentary Bouncing Cats, Abramz works globally as a performer, teacher, facilitator and mentor committed to growth, leadership, wellness, critical thinking, and community  building. www.abramztekya.com
 
“ATTENTION SPOTIFY LISTENERS: IF you want to WATCH this with VIDEO, you can also subscribe to our video version:
https://open.spotify.com/show/5e9KnBRZdjUTXTvCe6Nrqm?si=6639537c61044396”
@stagelync
The StageLync Podcast is a branch of our larger StageLync Community. Come visit us at www.stagelync.com
 
Credits for the StageLync Podcast
Hosts: Anna RobbEditor: Rose Anne FermocilMusic: Jeremy WilliDesign: Em HoltProduction Coordinator: Roselle BernardoProducers: Anna Robb and Andrea Honis

Ep.83: Tekya “Abramz” Abraham: Ugandan Hip-hop artist, Educator, Coach, & Mentor - “Some mistakes turn out to be way more beautiful than the stuff I’m teaching” (Video)

Tekya “Abramz” Abraham is a Ugandan creative facilitator, veteran Hip Hop artist, B-boy (breakdancer),  and educator who uses his talents, skills, and influence to drive personal and community  transformation. He is one half of Uganda’s veteran Hiphop duo, Sylvester & Abramz, and the founder  and director of Breakdance Project Uganda, a voluntary non-profit organization promoting education,  empowerment, and social change through dance, creative expression and life skills training. Featured in  the award-winning documentary Bouncing Cats, Abramz works globally as a performer, teacher, facilitator and mentor committed to growth, leadership, wellness, critical thinking, and community  building. www.abramztekya.com
 
@stagelync
The StageLync Podcast is a branch of our larger StageLync Community. Come visit us at www.stagelync.com
 
Credits for the StageLync Podcast
Hosts: Anna RobbEditor: Rose Anne FermocilMusic: Jeremy WilliDesign: Em HoltProduction Coordinator: Roselle BernardoProducers: Anna Robb and Andrea Honis

Ep.82: Dr Dorita Hannah: Independent Academic, Interdisciplinary Designer - “I think of the space as a co-player” (Audio)

Dr Dorita Hannah is an independent academic and trans-disciplinary designer based in Aotearoa / New Zealand whose expertise lies in shaping contemporary cultural environments: particularly theatre architecture, public space and urban scenography. She has published on Performance Design and Event-Space with her latest co-authored book Perform_Design_Act coming out in the new year. Hannah’s ‘critical spatial practice’ involves devising and directing exhibitions, installations, performances, feasts, symposia and workshops. These have gained design awards and been regularly published and internationally exhibited.  Her current research engages with decolonial theories and ‘performative spacing’ to acknowledge diverse communities and challenge familiar Western models of public architecture. https://doritahannah.academia.edu    
 
 
“ATTENTION SPOTIFY LISTENERS: IF you want to WATCH this with VIDEO, you can also subscribe to our video version:
https://open.spotify.com/show/5e9KnBRZdjUTXTvCe6Nrqm?si=6639537c61044396”
@stagelync
The StageLync Podcast is a branch of our larger StageLync Community. Come visit us at www.stagelync.com
 
Credits for the StageLync Podcast
Hosts: Anna RobbEditor: Rose Anne FermocilMusic: Jeremy WilliDesign: Em HoltProduction Coordinator: Roselle BernardoProducers: Anna Robb and Andrea Honis
 

Ep.82: Dr Dorita Hannah: Independent Academic, Interdisciplinary Designer - “I think of the space as a co-player” (Video)

Dr Dorita Hannah is an independent academic and trans-disciplinary designer based in Aotearoa / New Zealand whose expertise lies in shaping contemporary cultural environments: particularly theatre architecture, public space and urban scenography. She has published on Performance Design and Event-Space with her latest co-authored book Perform_Design_Act coming out in the new year. Hannah’s ‘critical spatial practice’ involves devising and directing exhibitions, installations, performances, feasts, symposia and workshops. These have gained design awards and been regularly published and internationally exhibited.  Her current research engages with decolonial theories and ‘performative spacing’ to acknowledge diverse communities and challenge familiar Western models of public architecture. https://doritahannah.academia.edu    
 
@stagelync
The StageLync Podcast is a branch of our larger StageLync Community. Come visit us at www.stagelync.com
 
Credits for the StageLync Podcast
Hosts: Anna RobbEditor: Rose Anne FermocilMusic: Jeremy WilliDesign: Em HoltProduction Coordinator: Roselle BernardoProducers: Anna Robb and Andrea Honis

Ep.81: Roger Melvin: Director and Stage Manager - “How we do a thing is just as important as what we do” (Audio)

Roger Melvin is a versatile Director and Stage Manager who began his journey in the film industry in 2006 as an Assistant Director. Over the years he has steadily worked his way up to the Director's chair as well as the lead stage manager for Dancing With The Stars and American Idol. This unique blend of experience has shaped him into a creative leader capable of delivering captivating and cohesive productions across a wide range of mediums.
 
“ATTENTION SPOTIFY LISTENERS: IF you want to WATCH this with VIDEO, you can also subscribe to our video version:
https://open.spotify.com/show/5e9KnBRZdjUTXTvCe6Nrqm?si=6639537c61044396”
@stagelync
The StageLync Podcast is a branch of our larger StageLync Community. Come visit us at www.stagelync.com
 
Credits for the StageLync Podcast
Hosts: Anna RobbEditor: Rose Anne FermocilMusic: Jeremy WilliDesign: Em HoltProduction Coordinator: Roselle BernardoProducers: Anna Robb and Andrea Honis
 

Ep.81: Roger Melvin: Director and Stage Manager - “How we do a thing is just as important as what we do” (Video)

Roger Melvin is a versatile Director and Stage Manager who began his journey in the film industry in 2006 as an Assistant Director. Over the years he has steadily worked his way up to the Director's chair as well as the lead stage manager for Dancing With The Stars and American Idol. This unique blend of experience has shaped him into a creative leader capable of delivering captivating and cohesive productions across a wide range of mediums.
 
@stagelync
The StageLync Podcast is a branch of our larger StageLync Community. Come visit us at www.stagelync.com
 
Credits for the StageLync Podcast
Hosts: Anna RobbEditor: Rose Anne FermocilMusic: Jeremy WilliDesign: Em HoltProduction Coordinator: Roselle BernardoProducers: Anna Robb and Andrea Honis

Ep.80: Tammy Honesty: Associate Professor of Scenic Design - “The generosity and kindness in the industry is just so special” (Audio)

Tamara L Honesty is an Associate Professor of Scenic Design at West Virginia University’s School of Theatre & Dance. Her work has been featured in the World Stage Design digital gallery, the USA-USITT Prague Quadrennial Gallery Exhibit (alongside her students’ work), and USITT. Her notable scenic designs include An Evening with Groucho for Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park (broadcast on PBS), Merchant of Venice at Cleveland Play House, and the world premieres of This is Tom Jones! and Family Ties at the Human Race Theatre Company. In 2022, she designed the set for the Off-Broadway world premiere of The Memory Exam at 59E59 Theatres with Oberon Theatre Ensemble.
Tammy currently serves as Treasurer for the United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT) and is a proud member of USA Local 829 as a scenic designer.
In 2019, she led a Kent State student team painting a nearly full-scale, 3D-printed replica of Pio Fedi’s Liberty of Poetry, exhibited at the Ellis Island National Immigration Museum. Tammy also co-authored The Fake Food Cookbook: Props You Can’t Eat for Theatre, Film, and TV. Her second book, The Fake Food Cookbook Volume 2: Props You Can Eat for Theatre, Film and TV, is now available.
 
 
“ATTENTION SPOTIFY LISTENERS: IF you want to WATCH this with VIDEO, you can also subscribe to our video version:
https://open.spotify.com/show/5e9KnBRZdjUTXTvCe6Nrqm?si=6639537c61044396”
@stagelync
The StageLync Podcast is a branch of our larger StageLync Community. Come visit us at www.stagelync.com
 
Credits for the StageLync Podcast
Hosts: Anna RobbEditor: Rose Anne FermocilMusic: Jeremy WilliDesign: Em HoltProduction Coordinator: Roselle BernardoProducers: Anna Robb and Andrea Honis

Ep.80: Tammy Honesty: Associate Professor of Scenic Design - “The generosity and kindness in the industry is just so special” (Video)

Tamara L Honesty is an Associate Professor of Scenic Design at West Virginia University’s School of Theatre & Dance. Her work has been featured in the World Stage Design digital gallery, the USA-USITT Prague Quadrennial Gallery Exhibit (alongside her students’ work), and USITT. Her notable scenic designs include An Evening with Groucho for Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park (broadcast on PBS), Merchant of Venice at Cleveland Play House, and the world premieres of This is Tom Jones! and Family Ties at the Human Race Theatre Company. In 2022, she designed the set for the Off-Broadway world premiere of The Memory Exam at 59E59 Theatres with Oberon Theatre Ensemble.
Tammy currently serves as Treasurer for the United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT) and is a proud member of USA Local 829 as a scenic designer.
In 2019, she led a Kent State student team painting a nearly full-scale, 3D-printed replica of Pio Fedi’s Liberty of Poetry, exhibited at the Ellis Island National Immigration Museum. Tammy also co-authored The Fake Food Cookbook: Props You Can’t Eat for Theatre, Film, and TV. Her second book, The Fake Food Cookbook Volume 2: Props You Can Eat for Theatre, Film and TV, is now available.
 
 
@stagelync
The StageLync Podcast is a branch of our larger StageLync Community. Come visit us at www.stagelync.com
 
Credits for the StageLync Podcast
Hosts: Anna RobbEditor: Rose Anne FermocilMusic: Jeremy WilliDesign: Em HoltProduction Coordinator: Roselle BernardoProducers: Anna Robb and Andrea Honis