LarryJean Powell — Infinite Artist. Cultural Architect. South Central Griot.

LarryJean Powell (theirs) is a true infini-hyphenate: actor, writer, director, and creator. Born and raised in South Central LA. They’ve premiered new work in powerhouse plays like The Christians, The Legend of Georgia McBride, Father Comes Home From the Wars, and While I Yet Live, carving out a lane where art, activism, and legacy meet.

On screen, you’ve seen them as Rick James in MGM+’s Hotel Cocaine, in White Men Can’t Jump, and on BET+’s The Ms. Pat Show. Their digital series The Gaze earned two Daytime Emmy nominations, and their debut feature Mother’s Milk: A Film Quilt took home a Special Jury Prize at the Seattle International Film Festival.

An award-winning creator across stage and screen, LarryJean keeps the roots deep and the vision wide, shaping the next wave as a lecturer at USC, a writer on The Ms. Pat Show, and a director for works like Pipeline by Dominique Morisseau.

Catch their work at larryjean.com

Follow the vibe: @thepowelloflove

@OutsideInThtr and @the_frogs_podcast_

Credits:

A production of Outside In Theatre in Highland Park, Los Angeles

Created by Alex Ubokudom & Tobie Windham

Edited by Brianna Seamster

Recorded & Mixed by Arlo Sanders

Theme Song by Arlo Sanders

Produced by Brianna Seamster & Jessica Hanna

Executive Produced by The Frogs & Outside In Theatre

Recorded at Outside In Theatre

Jerrie Johnson: Art, Audacity, Heart, and HARLEM

Jerrie Johnson (she/they) is the kind of artist who doesn’t just take up space, they reshape it. You probably know them as Tye from Amazon Prime’s Harlem, where their bold, magnetic energy became an instant standout. Jerrie also pulled up in Survival of the Thickest on Netflix, Good Trouble on Hulu, and the indie film Mother’s Milk. A Penn State alum with a BA in Performance Studies and an MFA from the American Conservatory Theater, Jerrie brings both fire and finesse to every room they enter.

Off screen, they’re just as powerful. Poet, performer, and wellness advocate. Their solo show in San Francisco with SFBATCO got all the flowers, and during quarantine, they became a published poet. But beyond the work, Jerrie is building something bigger. A vision rooted in access, healing, and community. They’re currently manifesting a retreat farm where artists can reset, create, and be cared for. It’s giving purpose, it’s giving legacy, and it’s giving joy.

Follow Jerrie on IG: @theejerriejohnson

@the_frogs_podcast_ | @OutsideInThtr

Credits

A production of Outside In Theatre in Highland Park, Los Angeles

Created by Alex Ubokudom and Tobie Windham

Edited by Brianna Seamster

Recorded and Mixed by Arlo Sanders

Theme Song by Arlo Sanders

Produced by Brianna Seamster and Jessica Hanna

Executive Produced by The Frogs and Outside In Theatre

Recorded at Outside In Theatre

Sophina Brown: Creating Space and the New Black Theatre Movement

Sophina Brown is a force on stage, on screen, and in the community. After graduating from the University of Michigan’s BFA Theatre program and making her Broadway debut in The Lion King, she moved to LA to break into TV but never stopped fighting for the theater. Inspired by August Wilson’s The Ground on Which I Stand, Sophina began producing Black theatre in Los Angeles, determined to create space, equity, and opportunity for Black artists and audiences. In 2020, she founded Support Black Theatre, a nonprofit that has secured over $1.3 million for Black theaters, partnered with nearly 200 Black businesses, served more than 20,000 community members, and earned a prestigious Lilly Award for its impact.

In this episode, we chop it up about building legacy, creating access, and staying rooted in purpose. From national tours to network TV (Shark, Numb3rs, Twenties, Kindred), to starring in Bosch: Legacy (dropping March 2025), Sophina’s career is proof that the hustle doesn’t stop but the mission always leads.

Whether she’s acting, producing, or organizing, Sophina is showing what it means to lead with love and strategy and to make sure Black theatre not only survives but thrives.

Support Black Theatre

Website: supportblacktheatre.org

IG: @SupportBlackTheatre

@the_frogs_podcast_ | @OutsideInThtr

Credits

📍 A production of Outside In Theatre in Highland Park, Los Angeles

🎭 Created by Alex Ubokudom and Tobie Windham

🎧 Edited by Brianna Seamster

🎚 Recorded and Mixed by Arlo Sanders

🎵 Theme Song by Arlo Sanders

🎬 Produced by Brianna Seamster and Jessica Hanna

🎙 Executive Produced by The Frogs and Outside In Theatre