TW: This episode does contain conversations about suicide and self harm.

Michael Kushner interviews Paola Lázaro about her role as Guadalupe in Broadway’s Dog Day Afternoon, her path from Puerto Rico through the Labyrinth Theater Company, and the mentorship and community that transformed her career and life.

They discuss how the show creates conversations about love, LGBTQ+ representation, and mental health, Paola’s return to writing, practical advice for artists on courage and showing up.

Paola Lázaro (Guadalupe) (she/her) is an actress and playwright from San Juan, Puerto Rico. She is best known for her role as Princess on “The Walking Dead,” earning an Imagen Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress, and is a Drama Desk Award nominee for To the Bone. She most recently stared in Netflix’s “Obliterated.” An award-winning playwright, she has received Drama League and Outer Critics Circle nominations, as well as the Steinberg Playwright Award. She was a Van Lier and Tow Foundation Playwright-in-Residence at The Public Theater and Atlantic Theater Company and a Sundance Institute Time Warner Storytelling Fellow. Additional film and television credits include “Lethal Weapon,” “Wu-Tang: An American Saga,” “SMILF,” “Patty’s Auto,” Black Bear, and Shelter.

For tickets, please visit: https://dogdayafternoon.com/

This podcast episode features Michael Kushner's interview with actress Kayli Carter about her Broadway debut in David Lindsay-Abair's Tony Nominated new play "The Balusters" at Manhattan Theatre Club. The conversation opens with Kushner praising the play's successful handling of sensitive topics through humor without moralizing, while Carter explains how the playwright allows audiences to examine their own reactions rather than telling them what to think.

Carter discusses her identity as a multi-hyphenate artist, sharing how writing makes her more vulnerable than acting. She explains the collaborative relationship between writers and actors, emphasizing how she brings line issues directly to playwrights when something doesn't feel authentic. Carter recounts working with Tom Hanks on a play at The Shed, where Hanks actively sought feedback from the cast, demonstrating the value of genuine artistic collaboration.

The conversation explores Carter's acting philosophy, particularly her rejection of manufactured emotional responses. She refuses to "ask for the laugh" or control audience reactions, preferring authentic emotional honesty over predetermined cues. Carter shares that she values feedback from fellow actors like Margaret Collin and Mary Louise Burke far more than critics or audiences, describing specific compliments that have meant the most to her career. She also reveals how reading David Lindsay-Abair's plays during a lonely period in high school—after winning competitive theater awards that alienated her peers—ultimately led to this Broadway opportunity.

Carter and Kushner discuss broader industry challenges, including the lack of meaningful feedback actors receive and the difficulty of maintaining confidence without external validation. They explore the importance of building authentic artistic communities, with Carter emphasizing how her SCAD students and NYU connections have sustained her career. The episode concludes with a passionate discussion about the lack of ensemble recognition at the Tony Awards, with Carter advocating for better acknowledgment of collaborative theatrical work.

Throughout the conversation, Carter demonstrates remarkable self-awareness about her craft while celebrating the ensemble nature of "The Balusters," particularly her deep admiration for her co-stars and artistic community.

Kayli Carter is a New York-based actor and writer whose previous notable credits include Emmy-nominated shows “Mrs. America” (FX), “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” (Amazon), “Godless” (Netflix), and the Focus Features film Let Him Go. She was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award in the Best Supporting Female category for her work in Tamara Jenkins’s Netflix feature Private Life. Her previous stage work includes Tom Hanks and James Glossman’s This World of Tomorrow, directed by Kenny Leon, Tracy Letts’s Mary Page Marlowe, directed by Lila Neugebauer, and On The Evolutionary Function of Shame. She originated the role of Flo in Mark Rylance’s Olivier Award-nominated comedy Nice Fish. She will be seen in the upcoming series “Vladimir” (20th Television, Netflix) opposite Rachel Weisz. Find Kayli on social media @kaylicarter

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