Becoming Wilkinson

In Matt Irby's own words:
When the pandemic hit, I was working a corporate job in Seattle and was given the opportunity to work from home and live where I pleased. My first thought? Palm Springs! I moved here in late 2020, made a great group of friends and started doing "game nights" every week.
As game nights went on and the group got larger, it became a true source of happiness and connection in an otherwise chaotic work life I had.
Then it hit me!
If I could feel this great connecting with new and old friends playing games, aren’t there others out there wanting the same thing? I was sitting at my desk in another corporate drone meeting, and it came to me: “Play”. I wanted a cool hangout spot that I could go to and meet new people that centered around games. Then more came to my mind... why not extend it and have a café in the morning where people can work from and grab some food throughout the day, then flip it to a lounge in the evening with fun board games, outdoor games, pool tables, darts, etc. with a different selection of beer and wine?
Play was officially born and opened in September 2023.
I love sharing my passion with you and making a lot of new friends along the way! See you at Play!
Matt Irby
web site: https://www.playloungeps.com
Matt's email: [email protected]
Photo: Copyright Wilkinson/2024
Opening and closing music courtesy the very talented Zakhar Valaha via Pixabay.
To contact Wilkinson- email him at [email protected]

IN ANGELA'S OWN WORDS:

I was in the 3rd grade at an elementary school in rural Oregon, when my teacher Mrs. Peterson gave me the lead role of Little Red Riding Hood in the school play to help me overcome my paralyzing shyness. It worked. If she saw me now, she’d ask me to stand down and let someone else take a turn.
Following my 9-year-old acting debut, I auditioned for a nearby musical theatre company with my mom & brother. They were both cast in the chorus of ‘The Music Man,’ and I was asked to stay off-stage and run the spotlight. My lack of singing ability stalled my career as quickly as it started.
The acting bug didn’t strike again until a modeling gig for a cheerleading uniform company helped me land an agent in Portland. From there came a handful of commercials and lots of dinner theatre.
I didn’t exactly sprint out of the gate, but I did count my blessings early with a fun role in a Robin Williams movie and a guest-star role on ER, ...oooh, maybe I’ll meet Clooney!
Then there was a big writer’s strike. It went on so long my agency shut down and I was, as they say on set, ‘back to one.’ (Disclosure-I was and am in full support of my fellow union workers!)
Waiting for the phone to ring sucks, so I took matters into my own hands and produced a staged play at a small black box theatre. Surely, if I spent all my hard-earned waitressing dollars on theatrical rights, stage rentals, and hard-to-find props, I’d be discovered.
When that didn’t work, I decided to by a camcorder and take a film class at the community college. I wrote a short film about the perils of being a struggling actress and managed to convince some friends to help me make it. My mom was even in town and worked as a free cinematographer.
The countless short films and web series may not have been seen by Spielberg, but they sure were a blast. And learning about every stage of production and every job on set paid off in ways I’m still benefitting from. Both in working knowledge & connections.
I won best comedy writing awards, best comedy actress awards, and best indie film awards. I got to play all three Kartrashian sisters, Elizabeth Taylor and even dropped my first single complete with a music video. If only auto-tune had been around for that early musical audition!
The skills behind the scenes have helped me find a ‘day job’ that allows me to share my talents with the local non-profit, Alzheimer’s Los Angeles, where I develop and create edutainment that raises awareness and makes a difference in people’s lives. Some of the scripted works have received multiple boundary-breaking and innovation awards.
Along my journey I met the uber-talented Laura Lee Bahr, who wrote and directed a feature for me to produce and star in alongside the cutest dog in the world, who happens to be mine. It was truly an art-imitating-life story about an actress, moonlighting as a dog-walker who must save an adorable Maltese from some crazy Hollywood characters. We overcame the typical odds of an indie film and secured both national and worldwide distribution. #humblebrag
I’ve schmoozed as a TV Academy member, performed my set on famous comedy stages and finally got to go to the Emmys.
I should probably add some more celebrity name dropping and list the high-profile credits, but this bio has gotten a little too long so you will have to click on the resume button on my website if you want to see those.
I’m grateful to be able to pursue the things I love and build fabulous relationships along the way. While I may not have my series regular role...YET, I’m certainly living my dream.
More info and to contact Angela: http://www.angelalandis.com
Photo credit: Danette Mitchell
Music courtesy Zakhar Valaha/Pixabay.
To contact Wilkinson- [email protected]

Mel discusses in background and early life in this first episode.
MEL ENGLAND has starred on Screen and Stage, Off-Broadway, internationally and across the USA, since his debut at age 10 in CYRANO DE BERGERAC, directed by British Actor/Director Anton Rogers at the Dallas Theatre Center. He's played Brad in the play ELECTRICITY for audiences around the country, from New York, Los Angeles, Palm Springs, to Minneapolis, where he won Best Actor in a Tour from Lavender Magazine.
On film, he starred in the title role of RON AND LAURA TAKE BACK AMERICA for which he won a Best Acting Ensemble award (IIFC) and two Best Actor nominations (NYCIFF & IndieFest). The film, which he co-wrote and co-directed with co-star Janice Markham, earned 13 other wins and nominations, including Best Comedy & Best Director, co-starred Golden Globe Best Actress Nominee Irene Bedard and Jim J. Bullock, and can be seen on Amazon Prime. He stars in the feature BEST DAY EVER, Winner Best LGBT Film (IndieFest) also on Amazon, and appears alongside Academy Award Best Actress Nominee and Golden Globe Winner Sally Kirkland in ARCHAEOLOGY OF A WOMAN. He recently signed to star with Kirkland in the upcoming feature film LOVE ANONYMOUS.
Other film roles include Mr. Ghoulden in the hilarious dark comedy feature PERSONA AU GRATIN, Winner Best Comedy (IndieFest USA) and co-starring alongside horror film star Sid Haig in the indie hit LITTLE BIG TOP (released worldwide on Netflix & Amazon). He also starred in the dark comedy PERSONA AU GRATIN (Best Comedy, IndieFest), and as a minister confronted with his own crisis of faith in HIGHLIGHTS (Best Drama Nominee, Moviefone Film Festival). Most recently, he can be seen in the feature FROM ZERO TO I LOVE YOU, and in the TV movie FAME AT DEADLY COST on Lifetime and internationally on Canal.
On Stage, England's solo show SWIMMING WITH THE POLAR BEARS directed by Jill Andre, premiered Off-Broadway at the Lynn Redgrave Theatre, as part of a benefit for The Climate Project, featuring posters of the show signed by former Vice President Al Gore, and then toured world-wide, to the 2009 UN SUMMIT ON CLIMATE CHANGE in Copenhagen, LA, and the National Mall in Washington DC for the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day. Other Off-Broadway credits include HECUBA, MARRIAGE with the Pearl Theatre Company.
England has been a proud part of many notable "original" New York productions, including THE RING OF DEATH by Off-Broadway legend H.M. Koutoukas, director Chris Sanderson's MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM in Washington Square, HONEYSUCKLES (developed for TV by FOX), SEA MONKEYS at Playwrights Horizons by Tony Nominee Chad Beguelin (THE PROM), FREDDY at LA’s Fountain Theatre, and KING OF CONNECTICUT with Phillip Seymour Hoffman.
England studied with legendary acting teachers Stella Adler and Terry Schreiber, attended NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, trained with internationally acclaimed director Agousto Boal, with members of the Royal Shakespeare Company at the British American Theatre Institute, and is a graduate of Dallas' High School for the Performing and Visual Arts with Karon Cogdill & Jane Farris, and in the beginning at the children’s theatre program the Dallas Theatre Center, under the direction of Synthia Rogers.
For Mel's full bio and other information, please go to: http://www.MelEngland.com

Photo: Copyright Wilkinson/2023
Opening and closing music courtesy the very talented Zakhar Valaha via Pixabay.
To contact Wilkinson- email him at [email protected]

Adam Ross is a writer, a three-time Moth StorySLAM winner, and a three-time Moth GrandSLAM performer. His stories have been featured on The Moth Podcast and the Bawdy Storytelling Podcast. He has performed at curated storytelling shows in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Palm Springs, Chicago and New York City, including Strong Words, GatherNYC, OUTspoken, This Much is True, Talk Therapy, Bawdy Storytelling, and Better Luck Next Time.
Adam has been writing both fiction and nonfiction stories since he and his nerdy friends started ditching recess in the 4th grade to create short plays and home movies. He is currently producing a short film dramatization of his shocking “Since We’re Being Honest” story.

https://adamross.me/
http://Twitter.com/adamross
http://Instagram.com/adam.ross.stories
Photo: Copyright Wilkinson/2022
Opening and closing music courtesy the very talented Zakhar Valaha via Pixabay.
To contact Wilkinson- email him at [email protected]

Chapter One: The Law of Attraction.
I've learned that "Where focus goes- energy flows"! What we choose to throw out into the Universe is what comes back to us. I share some of the rather profound experiences I've had in this area. So many of my friends are amazed at what I seem to create or attract into my life. I've learned that "Where focus goes- energy flows"! What we choose to put out into the Universe is what comes back to us. That means if we expect good, it will come to us. But if we dwell on the negative or constantly worry about what "might" happen in the future, those negative things come prancing back into our lives. It took me a very long time to grasp this concept but it's very real. I give you some concrete, amazing examples from my life on how this has worked.
Chapter Two: My Energy Work Journey.
I've had quite a few "Whoa" moments the last few years! It took a lot to change from a pretty close-minded guy in ministry to opening up to what also might be true in the Universe! When I was in the church in my "former life", I never would have considered even the possibility of exploring energy work. To me, in my narrow definition of the world and reality, it was all "devil stuff" and to be avoided at all costs. But then one day a friend in Seattle gifted me a session with her energy gal via a phone call. At first I resisted but then I said yes after doing some open-minded research. The session with the gal was interesting, but we weren't quite on the same page. But that experience opened the door to another reality. I've been seeing my energy guy (Mark Hollenstein) on a weekly basis for about five years now. Things have really changed and my mind, heart and understanding have expanded by leaps and bounds. There's been a few "shocking" moments, for sure. Here's a bit of the story...
Chapter Three: Let's Talk About Love.
What does real love look like? How does it play out in our lives? Does the religious right even know what love is? Here are a few thoughts on this topic. Love is a term that's thrown around lightly. We love chocolate sundaes. We love our jobs, our kids, our partners and our pets. The Christian Right has their ideas on what love is. Things get messy. But what does real love look like? How does it play out in our lives? Here are a few of my thoughts on this topic.
Chapter Four: Remembering my little sister Sunday (She used to say, "My name is Sunday- just like the day of the week")!
I didn't have a lot of regrets in my life. But a thought haunted me for many, many years. "What was so important that I had to get on the plane that day"? In the period 2000-2003, I lost my two sisters, my nephew, both of my parents and a friend. I reflect on part of this story...
Opening and closing music courtesy the very talented Zakhar Valaha via Pixabay.
Image credits:
Model: Andrew Delta.
Photographer: Wilkinson (Copyright Wilkinson/2022)
Found art location: The Ruins in N. desert Hot Springs, CA.
Abandoned desert buildings with various graffiti artists' work.
"Love" created by graffiti artist "Crew".
To contact Wilkinson- email him at [email protected]