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Blissful Spinster

Blissful Spinster

De : Cris Graves
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 Welcome to Blissful Spinster, a podcast where I’ll explore my place in the world as a happy single woman in her 50s, and how that intersects with my journey as I hustle to get my first narrative feature film, ALONE GIRL off the ground as a writer/director.2022 Cris Graves Art Divertissement et arts du spectacle Sciences sociales
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    Épisodes
    • Jennifer Clymer - Actor, Director, Producer & Improviser (Part of Podcasthon)

      Jennifer Clymer - Actor, Director, Producer & Improviser (Part of Podcasthon)
      Apr 10 2025

      This episode’s guest is, actor, director, producer, improviser, and all-around wonderful human, Jennifer Clymer.

      Jen’s journey is a rich tapestry of creativity, resilience, and community building. From founding Chicago’s Playground Improv Theater to producing and directing both indie darlings and major studio projects (Spider-Man, Charlie’s Angels), Jen brings heart and hustle to everything she does.

      We talk about her early days in Chicago’s theater scene, how she pivoted into producing, and the powerful work she does now at the Motion Picture & Television Fund (MPTF)—where she helps care for aging and retired members of the entertainment industry. 💛

      This episode is also part of @podcasthon, a global initiative spotlighting charitable organizations—and we’re honored to shine a light on the MPTF and the artists it supports.

      Whether you’re a filmmaker, a caregiver, a lover of community, or just someone trying to live your next act with purpose—this episode is for you.

      Chapters:

      00:00 – Intro: Who is Jennifer Clymer?

      02:04 – Reconnecting after the pandemic & intro to MPTF

      07:10 – Jen’s early creative roots and first steps into improv

      10:00 – Building community through The Playground in Chicago

      16:00 – How improv shaped her storytelling and career

      20:00 – Stage vs. screen: vintage vibes and fast fashion

      22:30 – Moving to LA & falling in love with Stanley Kramer films

      25:00 – Producing Timecode & working behind the scenes

      29:00 – Directing with heart: Be Prepared to Stop

      31:00 – Jen’s full circle moment with MPTF & Stanley Kramer

      34:00 – From pen pals to LA: a surprise support network

      39:40 – What the Motion Picture Television Fund actually does

      45:30 – Supporting Thelma & MPTF’s approach to aging with agency

      50:30 – Cris shares her journey with Alone Girl

      52:27 – Jen’s advice on failure, timing, and creative boldness

      55:26 – On being single, creating joy, and finding your “next act”

      1:00:00 – Shout-outs, creative chaos, and living blissfully

      Jen’s Bio:

      Jennifer Clymer is an award-winning actor who loves singing and being on stage and has since childhood. She performs around Los Angeles with the Harvard Yardbirds a capella group.

      She is a founding member of The Playground Improv Theater in Chicago and was proud to perform in multiple productions and stages in her career there.

      Her time in Los Angeles has included being in front of and behind the camera in film and television.

      Through the pandemic, Jennifer used her improv background to create and host a live, interactive variety show for residents of the MPTF retirement community to keep them engaged and informed. Also she has created and hosts the annual MPTF Instant Film Festival and has been honored to serve as the executive producer for fundraisers and telethons benefiting MPTF.

      She is a director/producer who has work on Studio productions, such as Spiderman, Joe Dirt, Adaptation, Charlie’s Angles and independent films - Be Prepared to Stop, Showfolk and Thelma.

      Connect with Jen on Instagram

      To learn more about MPTF head to their website

      To learn more about Podcasthon check out their website

      Links & Love

      If your ears like what they’re snacking on, follow, rate, and drop a review—it helps others find the show too.

      Want to support the show or get access to extra content—like behind-the-scenes journals, guest deep dives, and updates on getting Alone Girl made?

      Check out my Substack: The Blissful Spinster. Just $5/month supports this DIY labor of love and gets you a peek behind the scenes (when I find the time to write, lol).

      Find me and the pod on Instagram, Pinterest, and at blissfulspinster.com—where you can also find some pretty cool merch, if you’re into that sort of thing.

      Thanks for being on this journey with me—and until next time, go find your happy.💚
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      1 h et 2 min
    • Roxana Ortega - Actor, Writer, Voiceover Artist & Improvisor

      Roxana Ortega - Actor, Writer, Voiceover Artist & Improvisor
      Apr 10 2025
      This episode’s guest is actor, writer, voiceover artist, and unapologetic improv nerd, Roxana Ortega.Roxana is one of those rare artists whose vulnerability, honesty, and humor hit you all at once – and leave a lasting impression. If her voice sounds familiar, it might be because she’s voiced everything from the passionate Frida Casagrande on The Casagrandes to characters in Call of Duty, Final Fantasy, and Monsters at Work. She’s narrated Pulitzer Prize-winning novels, voiced countless animated characters, and is a master of voice matching (yes, she’s dubbed for Penelope Cruz and Salma Hayek).In our conversation, Roxana takes us through the unexpected path that led her to acting – from growing up in an academic household where creativity wasn’t considered a “real” career, to having a life-changing epiphany while teaching English in Spain. We talk about the internal battle between playing it safe and going after what you truly want—and what it really means to decide to be an artist.We go deep into the power of improv as both a performance tool and a life philosophy, how failure can be a gift, and why community-building and representation matter now more than ever. Roxana shares how she uses her voice – literally and figuratively – to make space for underrepresented stories, and how she’s continued to evolve as a writer, performer, and director.Whether you’re someone who thrives on stage or someone working up the courage to take the leap, Roxana’s journey will remind you that embracing risk, staying curious, and being fiercely yourself is always worth it.Episode Chapters 00:00 – Welcome + Introduction02:00 – Names, Language, and Laughter04:00 – Academic Roots & Artistic Restlessness07:55 – The Epiphany in Spain13:49 – “I Decided to Be an Actor”16:00 – Improv, Joy, and Redefining Failure21:45 – Performing, Directing, and Creating Her Own Work32:00 – Representation, Identity, and Making Space40:00 – The Tapestry of Humanity49:30 – Amazing Race Nerd Out50:50 – Blissful Spinster & Making Art on Your Own Terms54:35 – Final Words of Wisdom55:14 – What’s Next for Roxana58:00 – Wrap-Up & Thank YouRoxana’s Bio:Roxana Ortega is an American actor, writer, and voiceover artist who is known for voicing the ever-emotional Frida Casagrande on Nickelodeon’s Emmy award-winning and Imagen award-winning cartoon The Casagrandes, a spinoff of the acclaimed series The Loud House.On-camera, she recently starred opposite Danny Trejo, Reno Wilson, and a cast of legends including Garrett Morris, Barry Bostwick, and James Hong in the Universal feature Grand-Daddy Day Care. Other film credits include The Flight Before Christmas opposite Mayim Bialik, Miss Congeniality 2 opposite Sandra Bullock, and Larry Crowne opposite Tom Hanks. Her TV guest-star credits include New Girl, Shonda Rhimes’ For The People, The League, Rules of Engagement, NCIS, and the Peabody award-winning satire American Vandal.Behind the mic, she has voiced countless characters in TV, films, trailers, commercials, and some of the biggest video game franchises around, including Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Final Fantasy, Halo, and Ghost Recon: Wildlands. A two-time AudioFile Earphones Award winner, she has narrated the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel A Visit from the Goon Squad, the National Book Award finalist Sabrina & Corina, and the New York Times’s non-fiction best seller Random Family to name just a few. In addition, her mimicking skills have led her to voice-match the likes of Penelope Cruz, Salma Hayek, and Jennifer Tilly.Born in Los Angeles and raised in Fullerton, CA, Roxana is of mixed Peruvian and Mexican descent. She graduated from U.C. Berkeley Phi Beta Kappa with a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies, then spent a year teaching English in Madrid, Spain. It was there, while she was elaborately acting out English vocabulary to her students, that she realized she wanted to pursue a career in acting. She returned to the Bay Area and immersed herself in theatre and improvisation, then made her way to Los Angeles where she continued her improv and acting training and began writing and performing sketch comedy.Roxana is an alumna of the CBS Diversity Sketch Comedy Showcase, Upright Citizen’s Brigade, and the Groundlings Sunday Company. She has written and produced her own shorts and performed storytelling all over Los Angeles, including at The Moth GrandSLAM.She is also the creator and co-host of the live storytelling show Minority Retorts, which spotlights stories from the under-represented, and The Risking Space, a podcast about art and risk. Connect with Roxana on: InstagramLearn more about Latina’s Act Up on: InstagramCheck out The Groundlings on: Instagram Links & LoveIf your ears like what they’re snacking on, follow, rate, and drop a review—it helps others find the show too.Want to support the show or get access to extra content—like behind-the-scenes journals, guest ...
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      1 h
    • Blissful Spinster Relaunch Trailer

      Blissful Spinster Relaunch Trailer
      Apr 8 2025

      Welcome to the Relaunch of Blissful Spinster! 🎙️🐈‍⬛

      After a long pause (thank you, menopause, ADHD, and burnout!), Blissful Spinster is officially back—and I couldn’t be more excited to share this next chapter with you.

      In this short trailer, I talk about what pulled me away from the mic, what brought me back, and what you can expect in the new season.

      Here’s a snack bite of what’s coming to your ears in upcoming episodes:

      — Conversations with indie filmmakers like Annapurna Sriram (Fucktoys, SXSW winner), Josh Margolin (Thelma, Sundance darling), Sav Rogers (Chasing Chasing Amy), and Nico Casavecchia (Boarder Hopper).

      — Vintage episodes with creative powerhouses like DP Lawrence Sher (The Hangover, Joker, Dan in Real Life), producer Julie Ansell (Spanglish, Edge of Seventeen, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret), and more.

      — And a few surprises—including voices from my unexpected and welcome new adventure in accidental organizing and conversations around activism, truth-telling, and creating art in a noisy world.

      Whether you’re here for the filmmaking, the unfiltered honesty, the creative inspiration, or the spinster pride, you’re in the right place.

      🎧 Hit play and treat your ears to a Spinster snack.

      📝 If your ears like what they’re snacking on, follow, rate, and drop a review. It helps others find the show too.

      💌 And if you’d like to support my work or get access to extra content—like behind-the-scenes journals, deep dives on my guests, and updates on all things life, accidental organizing, and of course, getting Alone Girl made—check out my brand new Substack, The Blissful Spinster.

      For just $5 a month, you’ll get all of that and more… when I find the time to create it, lol!

      Seriously though—this show is a DIY labor of love, and your support helps keep it going.

      You can also find me and Blissful Spinster on Instagram, Pinterest, and at blissfulspinster.com, where you can also find some pretty cool merch… if you’re into that sort of thing!

      Thanks for being on this journey with me—and until next time, go find your happy.

      Links & Love

      If your ears like what they’re snacking on, follow, rate, and drop a review—it helps others find the show too.

      Want to support the show or get access to extra content—like behind-the-scenes journals, guest deep dives, and updates on getting Alone Girl made?

      Check out my Substack: The Blissful Spinster. Just $5/month supports this DIY labor of love and gets you a peek behind the scenes (when I find the time to write, lol).

      Find me and the pod on Instagram, Pinterest, and at blissfulspinster.com—where you can also find some pretty cool merch, if you’re into that sort of thing.

      Thanks for being on this journey with me—and until next time, go find your happy.💚
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      3 min
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