Bonus: Actor Chat with Claudio and Leilany

MUSIC: "INTERVIEW WHO?”

MICHAEL
Hey there, I’m Michael Aquino.

DANIA
And this is Dania Ramos.

MICHAEL
And we’ve got a fun bonus for you today. This is a Timestorm Actor Chat with Leilany Figueroa and Claudio Venancio.

DANIA
They play Alexa and Beni in the show. And they are both charming, fun, and super talented. We hope you enjoy this brief chat with them.

MICHAEL
Thank you Claudio and Leilany for chatting with us.

CLAUDIO
Thank you, of course.

LEILANY
Hi! Yes, thank you for having us.

CLAUDIO
Yeah, definitely.

MICHAEL
Ok. So, Timestorm falls into a few different kinds of genres of storytelling. As a time-traveling series it’s got some sci-fi and some fantasy, in there. We think everyone out there would like to hear about some fantasy or sci-fi stories that you like. Tell me, do any come to mind. Some that you really like?

LEILANY
Fantasy-wise, I really, really like fairy tales. I hope that’s not a generic answer.

CLAUDIO
Never.

LEILANY
But I really do. Fairy tales are short, they’re simple, they’re sweet. And you hear them growing up. It’s a really big part in building your imagination. My favorite is Rapunzel for anybody out there who has a favorite an it happens to be Rapunzel. Sci-fi-wise, I really like Star Wars. I am a geek. Me and my brother —

CLAUDIO
Amen.

LEILANY
— we watched the movies all the time. I have to watch Rise of Skywalker. I’m excited!

CLAUDIO
Oh my gosh! You said Star Wars. You’re, like, picking my brain right now.

LEILANY
See! Connected.

CLAUDIO
I just started…not just started. I just binged all of The Mandalorian and it’s so good. The writing is amazing. Jon Favreau you are a genius. Marvel — anything Marvel.

LEILANY
Yes! Marvel.

CLAUDIO
Anything superhero. Listen I am Beni. That’s me. I don’t have to play anything. That’s me.

SFX: SWOOSH

DANIA
Now, Season one deals a lot with education. And while the twins are, you know, traveling back in time, they meet several teachers who have this great impact on their student’s lives. Is there a teacher who had a big impact on your life?

LEILANY
Ooo! This is a good one. So, I had - back in middle school I had a teacher named Ms. Haug. I went to Saint Michael’s School in Newark, New Jersey. Before I had her as a teacher, she was my coach for cross-country and track. Which I started when I was about in third grade —

CLAUDIO
Yes.

LEILANY
— and I continued all the way until I graduated in eighth. But in the classroom and out, that woman taught me so much about perseverance and hard work. Dedication and, I think, above all is, pushing yourself further than you ever thought you could -

CLAUDIO
Yes.

LEILANY
Because when you do that you find out so many amazing things about yourself. The things you can endure and the success that you can have when you do so. So when it came to relays for track, when I had to pass the little baton, sticky, shiny thing to my teammate, it taught me a lot about teamwork and having trust in people. And to give them that trust fully. So you can succeed and reach a common goal. So she taught me a lot about that - in the classroom and out. And she was so sweet! She has such a kind spirit to her. It was very pure and genuine. I loved it.

DANIA
Great. Claudio, how about you?

CLAUDIO
Oh my gosh. So I was never…I never thought of myself as an intelligent person until I met Theresa Cho. She was my script analysis and theatre history teacher. And in her classes, I would have to write, like, ten-page research papers, and like…she was very, very much about the academic side of theatre. Not just teaching you theatre but teaching you how to be a good student. She would always be encouraging as to my writing and my ideas when it came to plays. But, like, she would take your ideas and she would nurture them because everyone’s imagination is different -

LEILANY
Oh, yes.

CLAUDIO
And you don’t know how your ideas and your imagination can impact someone else until you explore it.

LEILANY
Ooo! Yes!

CLAUDIO
And also Melissa Firlit, who was an incredible director I worked with. She’s the type of person that will never be content with the work you’re putting out. Not because she doesn’t care. It’s because she cares deeply. And because she wants to push you to be the best version of yourself. She will never be content with it because she knows that you can do so much more. She can see that potential in you. She’ll draw it out. And…and honestly, I can cry when talking about these two very strong women who have shaped who I am today.

LEILANY
See? Pushing yourself… (cross talk) …to your limits.

CLAUDIO
And my mother. I love my mother.

LEILANY
And my mom. Shout out to your mom! And dad. And brother.

SFX: SWOOSH

MICHAEL
Alright, so there is so much food mentioned on the show. Several meals are eaten. And you may not know Timestorm is recorded in a studio that’s inside our home. You know, that means that the cast often ends up hanging out and eating a meal during a break or after a recording session. So food is important in the Timestorm universe. Leilany, let’s start with you. What food do you really like?

LEILANY
Pistachios!

CLAUDIO
Yes!

LEILANY
I love pistachios. They’re so good. Every time I come, there’s always a bowl ready because everybody here knows that I just need mine. I need mine to be able to work properly.

CLAUDIO and LEILANY laugh.

LEILANY
But I love pistachios. They’re so good. They’re a healthy snack — nice and salty. It’s just a really good snack.

CLAUDIO
Nice and salty!

LEILANY
But if we’re talking about, like, something that I can have as a meal…I really like pasta. I’m a nerd — I’m a geek for pasta. It’s really good.

CLAUDIO
Love it.

LEILANY
Pasta and pistachios.

CLAUDIO
Pasta and pistachios. High five.

CLAUDIO and LEILANY high five.

CLAUDIO
Bam.

MICHAEL
Claudio…you?

CLAUDIO
Okay. Everything. I love food. So there’s a Peruvian dish called ají de gallina. And it’s literally shredded chicken in this, like, yellow pepper paste sauce.

LEILANY
Stop my mouth is watering!

CLAUDIO
And then, like, you serve it over rice with a hard-boiled egg. And just the most incredible thing ever. And it’s the first dish I ever learned how to cook.

LEILANY
Wow.

CLAUDIO
And…ugh…I love it!

LEILANY
He’s a cook!

CLAUDIO
Everywhere I go I try to make it for people because they need to know what it’s like. It’s so good.

LEILANY
Yes. Oh, that’s awesome.

DANIA
Oh, that sounds delicious, Claudio. Maybe you can cook it for the cast one day?

CLAUDIO
I mean…listen, I got you.

MICHAEL
Yeah, I’d like to taste that.

SFX: SWOOSH

DANIA
So, we love working with both of you on this show. And I think that you make Alexa and Beni’s adventures so real because of your…your commitment to these roles.

MICHAEL
Yep.

DANIA
And I’d love for you to share a little bit about your experience playing the leading roles on this series. And what it means to tell a story about, you know, a couple of kids from Newark who get to travel in time and witness their culture’s history?

CLAUDIO
Every time I come into this studio, I always feel welcome, and I always feel like I’m part of a family. I just…I love this feeling of inclusion and —

LEILANY
Yes.

CLAUDIO
— the work that we’re doing. You know this is a very fun way to learn history.

LEILANY
Right.

CLAUDIO
When I was learning history, I was reading it off a textbook, and I was like, “None of these characters or people seem alive to me.”

LEILANY
Yeah.

CLAUDIO
But with this audio drama and with the subject matter we’re working on — we’re making these people alive. With imagination and I just love it.

LEILANY
I agree. I’m Puerto Rican, and so I didn’t even know as much about my own history as I have now that we’ve, you know, finished a season, and we’re jumping head first into another one. So it has been a beautiful experience of, like, self-discovery…of past discovery, too. To do it in such a warm, welcoming environment with, you know, a great, great story that we want to tell and we want to get across - it’s really, really a blessing. And honestly, it’s all thanks to you, you girls and guys, and everything you guys are really—

CLAUDIO
Thank you for embracing it.

LEILANY
Yes.

CLAUDIO
And thank you for using your imagination.

LEILANY
And for loving these characters as much as we do—

CLAUDIO
Yes.

LEILANY
—because it’s a passion for us. And we have such an amazing time, you know, telling this story. And we are, like, so happy and excited that you guys enjoy it as much as we do. It really…it really is such a fun thing—

CLAUDIO
Yes .

LEILANY
—to have that connection. So shout out to you guys listening to this right now.

CLAUDIO
Yes. And give us a shout-out! I mean—

LEILANY
Claps for you!

CLAUDIO
Listen…

CLAUDIO and LEILANY laugh.

MUSIC: "INTERVIEW WHO?”

CLAUDIO
We always welcome interactions. So—

LEILANY
Yes! So, yeah, talk to us.

CLAUDIO
Feel free to reach out to Cocotazo Media. And just, like, any questions—

LEILANY
Cocotazo Media!

CLAUDIO
Ay!

LEILANY
Woo!

DANIA
And if you want to reach out to us, you can send an email to cocotazomedia at gmail dot com. And you can also find us on Twitter, and Instagram, and Facebook. We’d love to hear from you. Thank you both for taking the time to chat with us.

MICHAEL
Yes, thank you both.

LEILANY
Yeah, of course! Bye.

CLAUDIO
Yeah, no problem at all.

CLAUDIO and LEILANY
See ya in the Timestorm!

CLAUDIO
Did we just say that at the same time?

LEILANY
Yeah, really cool.

CLAUDIO
I can’t.

LEILANY
Really cool.

MUSIC: “IN THE TIMESTORM” INSTRUMENTAL.

MICHAEL
We hope you enjoyed this actor chat with Leilany and Claudio.

DANIA
Audio engineering, sound design, and original music were by Michael Aquino.

MICHAEL
What?!

DANIA
Do you want to hear your voice featured on Timestorm? Season two is coming this spring and we’re seeking listener share-outs.

MICHAEL
To learn more about how to submit a voice recording that might be featured on an episode, please visit Timestorm Series dot com.

DANIA
Timestorm is produced by Cocotazo Media with support from PRX and the Google Podcasts creator program. If you enjoy the show, please tell two friends about it and then ask your parents to subscribe to Timestorm on Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, or the Kids Listen app. Transcripts and resources are available at Timestorm Series dot com.

Timestorm is recorded and produced in Essex County, New Jersey, which is situated on the traditional territory of the Leni Lenape people.

As always —

DANIA and MICHAEL
— thanks for listening.

ATABEY
Witness. Find. Remember.