Dwayne Washington Left the Industry Twice But "La Boheme" Kept Bringing Him Back

"Acting is behaving truthfully under imaginary circumstances.” This is how renowned acting teacher Sanford Meisner defined what it means to be an actor. This principle helps performers build empathy with our characters and forge meaningful connections onstage. But as our guest today reveals, this approach can also be a powerful guide for navigating life offstage. Dwayne Washington, with the help of the prestigious Juilliard School, mastered the craft of acting and singing, but life itself has been one of his greatest teachers. From his time as a retail manager to his work as a high school teacher, Dwayne has grown in unexpected ways. We talk about his time in London as well as his current role in a new Off-Broadway production, That Parenting Musical. And while the personal growth he’s experienced over the years may not always be visible, he has certainly gained a depth and perspective that now enrich his performances as well. Hear the full performance by Simon Estes and Grace Bumbry of "Amonasro" from Aida. ---------- Subscribe to get early and ad-free access to full conversations with guests, including bonus auditions stories. Donate to WINMI and support podcast production with a one-time or ongoing contribution. If you'd like to support WINMI but have limited funds to do so, then contact me directly for reduced-price or even free access to the bonus content. Follow WINMI: Website | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube Why I’ll Never Make It is an award-winning, Top Theater Podcast with actor and singer Patrick Oliver Jones and is a production of WINMI Media. Theme music created by Patrick Oliver Jones, and background music is by John Bartmann (used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices