This episode contains discussion of sexual abuse and misconduct perpetrated by a person in a position of power. Listener discretion is advised.
___________________________________________________
Jay Reum sits in with two old pals, Todd Kramer and actorΒ Mark Cirillo, for a raw, unfiltered conversation about their shared university experience as young theatre students in the early 1990s.
This is not a nostalgic trip down memory lane. It's a bold, honest reckoning with the good, the bad, and the deeply uncomfortable truths of an era when power imbalances were rarely questioned, boundaries were poorly defined, and harmful behaviour was often ignored or normalised.
Together, Todd, Mark, and Jay lay themselves bare β revisiting formative years shaped by ambition, confusion, silence, and survival. They speak candidly about misconduct, complicity, and the long shadow those experiences can cast over a life and career, while also reflecting on growth, accountability, and the importance of finally telling the truth.
This is a difficult but necessary episode β one rooted in vulnerability, responsibility, and the belief that speaking openly is part of how the industry (and the people in it) move forward.
Brace yourselves.
00:00 β Content advisory & setting intentions
04:30 β Reuniting with Mark Cirillo
09:10 β Theatre school in the early '90s
15:40 β Power dynamics and unchecked authority
22:30 β What was normalised back then
29:10 β Silence, fear, and survival
36:00 β The long-term impact of early experiences
43:20 β Complicity, guilt, and hindsight
50:10 β Why it took so long to speak
56:40 β Accountability and responsibility
01:03:30 β How the industry has changed (and hasn't)
01:10:20 β Speaking truth without spectacle
01:17:00 β Healing, perspective, and growth
01:23:30 β Why these conversations matter
01:29:40 β Final reflections & closing
How do we reckon with the past without rewriting it? What responsibility do artists have to speak up β even decades later? If you're able, join the conversation with care, respect, and honesty.
Wet Hot American Summer
How to Survive the Zombie Apocalypse
Those Who Can't
Walk of Shame
Grey's Anatomy
Bullets
Will & Grace
How I Met Your Mother
Greek
Masters of Sex
π§ Podcast & more: https://offstageacting.com/podcast
πΈ Instagram: https://instagram.com/offstageacting
β X: https://x.com/OffstageActing
π Facebook: https://facebook.com/offstageacting
π₯ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@offstageacting
π Todd's Linktree: https://linktr.ee/toddkramer
π Jay's Linktree: https://linktr.ee/jayreum
#acting #actingpodcast #actor #actors #actorslife #TheatreTraining #IndustryTruths #SpeakingOut #Accountability #MarkCirillo #ToddKramer #JayReum #OffstageActing