Tampa Bay Arts Passport Podcast

The Courage to Stay Curious

What happens when love doesn’t arrive fully formed — but shows up anyway?
In this episode of Tampa Bay Arts Passport, Avery Anderson sits down with actor and arts advocate Samantha Marti Parisi to talk about The Pink Unicorn, a one-woman play being performed not on a stage — but in living rooms, backyards, and community spaces across Tampa Bay.
Parisi plays Tricia Lee, a conservative Texas mother grappling with her child’s coming-out as genderqueer. The story isn’t neat. It doesn’t preach. And that’s exactly the point.
The conversation ranges from:
Why curiosity matters more than certainty
What it’s like to carry an entire story alone onstage
How unconventional spaces can unlock deeper connection
And why some of the most important stories are still being quietly overlooked
This is an episode about motherhood, memory, theater without a safety net — and what it means to stay open when the world asks you to shut down.

Telling the Truth, Together

As Powerstories closes its 25th anniversary season, Artistic Director Clareann Despain  returns to the Tampa Bay Arts Passport podcast for a rare, reflective conversation about where the work has been—and where it’s headed next.
In this episode, Clareann and Avery talk about why women’s stories still need defending, how theatre can offer light in dark times, and what it means to make art for the greater good. Clareann shares her personal journey into leadership, a preview of Power Stories’ 2026 season, and why connection—not just ticket sales—is the true measure of impact.
It’s a conversation about collaboration over competition, joy over burnout, and the quiet power of showing up in the same room to listen.
A fitting close to 2025—and an invitation into what comes next.

Building an Arts Ecosystem (Not a Spotlight)

Arts communities don’t sustain themselves. People do.
In this episode of The Arts Passport Podcast, Michele Smith—Executive Director of the Tampa Arts Alliance—joins us for a wide-ranging conversation about leadership, infrastructure, and the often invisible work that keeps creative ecosystems alive.
Michele reflects on her unconventional journey into arts administration, from international trade and crisis logistics to community-centered cultural leadership. Along the way, she unpacks how the Tampa Arts Alliance emerged through years of relationship-building, listening, and collaboration—rather than top-down planning.
This episode explores:
Tampa’s evolving arts identity
The reality of building an arts organization from scratch
How grief, resilience, and joy shape leadership
Why physical space matters in a digital age
What’s possible when a city stops trying to be “the next” anything
Thoughtful, grounded, and deeply human, this conversation offers a rare look at what it truly takes to support the arts—not just onstage, but in the spaces in between.

From Apprentice to Director: John Perez on Building Arts Access

John Perez, the new Director of Education at American Stage, joins Avery for a candid conversation about how arts education actually moves in Tampa Bay—beyond the stage lights and into classrooms.
We cover:
John’s full-circle path from apprentice to Director of Education
What American Stage Education offers (adult + youth classes, outreach, matinees)
Write On, the playwriting program inside Pinellas County schools
The School Tour tradition—and why it matters that some kids see professional theatre for the first time this way (this year’s tour: “Polka Dots: The Cool Kids Musical”)
Why teaching artists being working local artists strengthens the whole community
Theatre as training for being a human (the real curriculum)
Plus: quick Book Club updates—January off, February: Florida + Botanical Gardens, and March: all-female Julius Caesar at The Studio@620 (book TBD).

Helen French: Reimagining St. Pete Arts

When dancer, educator, and arts advocate Helen French stepped into the role of Executive Director of the St. Pete Arts Alliance on August 1, she didn’t just inherit 16 programs, a citywide mural festival, and a three-person staff — she inherited a community in flux.
In this candid conversation, French pulls back the curtain on her first 70 days on the job — from the stress and gratitude (“I have more good days than bad days… I’m a mother of two”) to the deep, structural questions she’s asking about what St. Pete’s arts ecosystem needs now.
She talks about her Juilliard-bound ninth-grade spreadsheets, her early exposure to arts administration in New York, the founding of Beacon, and the creative muscle artists bring to leadership roles. Most importantly, she names the voids she sees — and how the Arts Alliance might fill them.
It’s a conversation about vision, advocacy, and the messy, beautiful work of building an arts city that actually supports the artists who live here.

Hilary Frambes on Chalk Art, Murals, and the Power of a Creative Community

Tampa Bay’s chalk art and mural scene isn’t just vibrant — it’s a full-blown creative ecosystem. And artist Hilary Frambes sits right at the center of it.
In this episode of the Tampa Bay Arts Passport Podcast, Hilary shares what it really means to make art in public: the planning, the pressure, the weather apps, and the pure joy of creating something while strangers watch it come to life. From chalk festivals to large-scale murals, she walks through the evolution of her career, the power of collaboration, and the resilience artists need right now.
We talk about:• Why chalk art feels like a performance in real time• Tampa Bay’s uniquely supportive (and sun-drenched) public art culture• What it took to hand-paint our new Arts Passport “Tampa Tales and Tails” merch piece• How one offhand comment from a teacher almost derailed her career• The grind and the beauty of working outside — wind, rain, scaffolding, and all• Why her one-word hope for the arts in Tampa Bay is resilience• The loss of her five Sarasota sidewalk art pieces — and what comes next
Hilary also shares the artists who inspire her (hello, Georgia O’Keeffe), the value of creative community, and why supporting public art matters more than ever.
Explore Hilary’s Arts Passport merch collaboration:Hand-painted prints, totes, tees, and more featuring her “Tampa Chicken” artwork.
Follow Tampa Bay Arts Passport for more conversations, behind-the-scenes stories, and the artists shaping our region.

“I Knew I Had the Sauce”: Lil Trini Kid’s Tampa Story

What does it look like to build a music career from the ground up in the middle of Tampa’s nightlife? In this episode of the Arts Passport Podcast, underground artist and entertainer Lil Trini Kid breaks down the real grind behind his rising music career — from dropping freestyles that caught fire online to navigating late-night club shifts, digital rollouts, and the art of “having the sauce.”
We talk about everything:• how he creates songs in 30 minutes,• moving from Korea to Utah (“the curry of America?”),• being queer and thriving in Florida’s club scene,• why Tampa is the place he finally feels at home,• manifesting comfort, community, and a career built on authenticity,• his new single “Waist So Slim,” and the artists who shaped him (Ariana, Nicki, Uzi, Beyoncé, Ice Spice — obviously).
It’s a conversation about creativity, reinvention, and what it means to chase visibility on your own terms — with jokes, chaos, and a whole lot of vibe.
Listen, follow, subscribe, and go stream Lil Trini Kid on all platforms.

Quitting Safe: How Jenna Jane Walked Away From Journalism To Build A Life In Theater

This episode is about the moment you stop asking permission to be an artist.
Playwright, actor, and voice actor Jenna Jane talks about walking away from full-time journalism, surviving in Florida as a working artist, and refusing to play roles that sexualize or stereotype young women. “I made a commitment to myself… I was no longer going to play any roles that perpetuate stereotypes or involve my clothes falling off.” That decision meant less stage work — and also, a new path.
We get into:– That “it’s here” moment when an idea hits and everything else has to stop– How her sci-fi play Bionic has evolved from a one-act to a full-length built for real-world production– Why new work doesn’t get produced (and why “new work doesn’t sell” is usually just bad marketing)– What theaters owe actors and audiences when it comes to safety, access, and not pre-casting the same five friends– Why she left a “safe” field after her position was eliminated and said, “Why not do what I love?”
We also talk burnout, redefining success, and the radical, stubborn act of choosing joy in a politically hostile moment.
Follow Jenna Jane to catch upcoming staged readings of Bionic and her newest work across Tampa Bay — and sometimes internationally.
Programming notes:– November Book Club: Night + guided tour at the Florida Holocaust Museum– December Book Club: My Broken Language + Latin History for Morons at Stageworks
Tampa Bay Arts Passport: local arts journalism, but with teeth.Like, follow, subscribe, and go see new work in your city.

Cadillac Crew, Collaboration, and the Cost of Courage

When state arts funding collapses and women’s stories keep getting erased, what do artists do? They make more art.In this episode, Erica Sutherlin (The Studio@620) and Clareann Despain (Powerstories Theatre) join host Avery Anderson to talk about their co-production of Cadillac Crew, the power of small organizations, and why artists will always show up—no matter what Florida politics throws at them.

Sustainability, Not Stardust: Ross Egan, Managing Director of Asolo Repertory Theatre

Nonprofit theater isn’t a vibes-only economy. Aoslo Rep managing director Ross Egan joins Avery for a candid dive into money, models, and why “the mission is the heart, but the model is the engine.” From Chicago storefronts to Sarasota’s mainstage, this episode unpacks sustainability, salaries, and why a $5 gift from every audience member could change the game.