On this episode of Do It Again But Better, Jess chats to actor, theatre maker, educator, improv pro and hair chameleon, John Marc Desengano. Not too long off their season of Rhinoceros at fortyfivedownstairs, Jess gets all the juice from ex-castmate and ex-celebrant John Marc as he shares his incredible Hamilton audition stories, relives his heartthrob roles as Jacob Coote and Big Youth One, and discusses the amazing work coming out of Western Edge Youth Arts (of which he is the co-CEO and co-Artistic Director). This episode is not only packed with audition stories, but plenty of sage advice from a national treasure who's also a lil bit of an adrenaline junkie.

John Marc Desengano graduated from The University of Ballarat in 2008 and has worked consistently as an actor since. His passion for young people led him to a Masters in Primary Teaching from the University of Melbourne, and work for leading Youth Theatre companies such as St. Martin’s and Polyglot Theatre. John Marc’s work with young people has now seen him become the co-CEO/co-Artistic Director of Western Edge, a company he adores and has worked with for several years. He also facilitates workshops and teaches at Federation University, VCA, and multiple schools across Melbourne. John Marc’s stage credits include; Looking for Alibrandi, The Yellow Wave, The Bachelor S17 E05, Survival, Enlightenment (Green Room Award winning Ensemble 2021), A Midnight Visit, and many more. His television credits include; Fisk, Back in Very Small Business, Aunty Donna’s Coffee Cafe, Lie With Me, and others. John Marc is a proud company member of Impro Melbourne and Soothplayers: Completely Improvised Shakespeare.

You can find John Marc on Instagram at @johnmarcismyfirstname or on the Western Edge website here.

You can find your host, Jess Stanley, on Instagram at @jstanny or at www.jessicastanleyactor.com

You can check out Jess's theatre company, Spinning Plates Co. at @spinningplatesco or at www.spinningplatesco.com

You can follow the Do It Again But Better podcast at @doitagainbutbetter

This podcast was created, recorded and edited on the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation. Always was, always will be.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of Do It Again But Better, Jess chats to actor, dancer, theatre maker, film producer and burlesque/cabaret/drag artist extraordinaire, Shamita Siva. Bonding over the theatre-making skills they respectively picked up back in the day at Monash University, Sham shares some performance triumphs and disasters, like the time they accidentally turned up blue at an audition, the time they forgot about their Zoom audition during a hot girl Covid walk so did it crouching by the side of the road, and the time they tried to summon Sour Patch Kids through their mirror.

Shamita Siva is a multi-faceted performer with a background in dance. She holds a BA Performing arts, and is an alum of Stella Adler AoA LA. Shamita's talent shines on stage and screen. Theatre highlights include “Nosferatu," (Malthouse), and "Mara Korper" (Citizen Theatre), and multiple feature films including "FOE”, “La Famiglia, and “Thunder”; an upcoming boxing indie feature. Shamita also stars in Single Out (S3 and S4), and is a series regular on Stan/ CW show “Good Cop, Bad Cop” as Officer Sarika Ray.

Her award-winning dance film “Twin Flame” premiered in 2024, and continues to tour the festival circuit.

You can currently catch Sham in Good Cop Bad Cop on @stanaustralia.

You can find Sham on Instagram at @anfractuous or online at shamitasiva.com. You can see what their company, Shadow Goose Entertainment, is up to over at shadow-goose.com.

You can find your host, Jess Stanley, on Instagram at @jstanny or at www.jessicastanleyactor.com

You can check out Jess's theatre company, Spinning Plates Co. at @spinningplatesco or at www.spinningplatesco.com

You can follow the Do It Again But Better podcast at @doitagainbutbetter

This podcast was created, recorded and edited on the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation. Always was, always will be.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the first episode of Do It Again But Better for 2025, Jess chats to actor, acting coach, lecturer, improv-er, and owner of boutique acting studio Joy Studio, Emily Joy. An absolute wealth of knowledge on all things audition-related, Em shares some tales of her own experiences, including her very first audition as inspired by Britney Spears, how she came to eat apples on-screen for Human Error, and the journey that had everyone feelin' Fisky more than once.

Emily Joy (she/her) is a stage and screen actor. She recently played the role of Detective Constable Maia Kirsner across all six episodes of 'Human Error', a new crime drama streaming on Nine Now and Stan produced by Roadshow Rough Diamond. Emily also appears as Ally Pastecki in seasons 2 and 3 of the hit comedy 'Fisk' on ABC and Netflix. Emily originated the role of Jared in the play 'Trophy Boys' which enjoyed sold out seasons and five star reviews. Emily is also the owner of Joy Studio - a boutique acting studio based in Naarm. She helps actors book more work across Australia, the UK and the US.

You can currently catch Emily in Human Error on @9now + @stanaustralia or book in for a coaching session with her at Joy Studio. Follow @improvconspiracy to find out when she's next performing with the gang.

You can find Em on Instagram at @em_joyable and Joy Studio at @joystudioacting

You can find your host, Jess Stanley, on Instagram at @jstanny or at www.jessicastanleyactor.com

You can check out Jess's theatre company, Spinning Plates Co. at @spinningplatesco or at www.spinningplatesco.com

You can follow the Do It Again But Better podcast at @doitagainbutbetter

This podcast was created, recorded and edited on the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation. Always was, always will be.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.