#40 - Alex Wyse: "Oh, the Humanity!"

“I don’t feel good about myself in the day unless I’m making
something.” This inspiring and hysterical episode is just two gay,
Jewish boys kibbitzing about our trajectories in the theatre while
breaking down stereotypes and expectations. If you’re a fan of the
hit web series Indoor Boys, breaking heteronormitve barriers,
selling projects, and… The Hindenburg… then this episode is for
you.  Alex Wyse is an accomplished actor in tv/film and
Broadway who not only performs, but his hyphens also include
writer, director, and producer. From his earliest memories of being
an aspiring child magician, he realized he too can also write a
song, write plays, and create. After a college experience that was
less than favorable, he began to write on his own work out of
necessity. Like many multi-hyphenates, Alex also ran into the
statement many people tell us - which is, “You have to pick one
thing.” Together, Michael and Alex break down the idea of why
picking one art form is outdated and, quite frankly, not helpful.
The world today is more receptive to the multi-hyphenate than ever
before, but people do still believe artists have to be stuck in the
binary. How can your art defy genre and expectations?  Alex
and writing/directing partner Wes Taylor have also struck gold.
Together, they wrote an Emmy Nominated character in their webseries
Indoor Boys, which Michael produced. Telling stories that influence
change, no matter how big or small, is what Alex is about. Through
whatever his hyphen, Alex wants to give space to people to tell the
stories they are meant to tell. This episode was recorded on the
day a straight actor was nominated for a Golden Globe for
portraying a gay man, which infuriates Alex and goes against what
Alex stands for. Alex says, “The way I can be a social advocate is
through my writing.” Alex Wyse is an actor, writer, director, and
producer. He co-created the digital series “Indoor Boys,” which was
nominated for an Emmy Award, won twelve Indie Series Awards, and
was acquired by Here TV. He has been seen on Broadway
in Waitress, Spring Awakening, Lysistrata Jones, on
Tour in Wicked, off Broadway in Ride the
Cyclone, Bare, and Triassic Parq, and regionally at
Hartford Stage, Deaf West, Paper Mill Playhouse, Cleveland Play
House, Maltz Jupiter Theatre, Huntington Theatre Company, and more.
He’s been seen on TV in “Iron Fist,” “Masters of Sex,” “NCIS: LA,”
“The Bold and the Beautiful,” “Modern Family,” “Agent X,” “Bad
Judge,” “A to Z,” “Switched at Birth,” and “Bored to Death,” and on
film in X/Y and Dating My Mother. He
co-produced What the Constitution Means to Me on Broadway
and on Tour. BFA: Boston University. In the segment You Got A
Question? Michael features a question from Heather A., who asks if
her daughter should go to college for theatre and what is the
difference between a BA and a BFA? Connect with Michael:
@themichaelkushner (IG and TikTok)
@dearmultihyphenate (IG) www.michaelkushneronline.com Produced
by Alan Seales and the Broadway Podcast Network.
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