Cringe, Courage & The Chosen with Noah James | PLAYDATE #1

We're putting on the very special version with my friends Mr. Cringe and Changol Tu Banana. On this week's episode of Play-Date, I get to play with Noah James. There's always like been a little bit of a scream inside, you know? We're talking Broadway auditions. And the choreographer was like, "Noah, keep up, noah, noah, keep up." And I barely made it through. Profound insights. Stocking gets tough. What he's learned from playing Andrew in prime videos The Chosen. As you treat the least of me, so you treat me, that is a sort of revolutionary idea. Some yumminess for the soul. Sometimes you gotta show up and play, excuse my language, like the best fucking game that you can when there's no hope. And we're getting cringy with puppets. And then he looks in between the halls. You can't see him up here. You have to look down because they're all young children. They're all really little. And Noah is 18. I'm so excited you're here. Welcome to Play-Date. Oh my god, this is the pilot! Oh hi! Oh, let me some more this. My name is Lodena Martinez. And welcome to the first ever episode of Play-Date. I have the coolest person with me on my Play-Date little day. His name is Noah James and I'm gonna read you his bio and you're just gonna deal with it. Noah James is an LA based actor originally from Tempe. Tempe. Tempe. It's always a point of contention. Okay, Tempe. I already saw that. His film and TV credits include Andrew in prime videos The Chosen. SWAT, Shameless, I Carly, California Christmas City Lights, Danger Force, Party With Me, and Game Shakers. How dare you not have Gilmore Girls? It is such an honor. Thank you so much for having me. I feel cozy already. We have this little buddy here with us. This is what key. This like could not be better. I love you. I love you. I am so happy you're here. I wrote you a love letter and I painted you a little watercolor. Wait, I'm shocked right now. I love you. No, I'm gonna read it. It's about to get corny because I love you so much. Love bomb. Dude. No, no, no, no, no. Ever since I met you, like 17 years ago at Tish, I've thought you are one of the coolest humans to be around. I've always been so delighted by you and your infectious energy. My only memory of that Shakespeare class is you quoting Shakespeare as Al Pacino and the fact that the teacher had panic attacks in the highway. We shared a cab, but that's a story for another time. It's been such a joy witnessing your career flourish from afar. Watching you flash that super smile on stage for thousands of people, it's so crazy perfect that I love it. You are so down to play and you have such a big heart. This is when I first told you about this show. Before any of this existed, you jumped in so quick saying, "I love this idea. If you need anyone or want to shoot a sizzle, I'm down." No questions asked just enthusiastic support. It meant so much to me. It lit a fire in there in my butt to go for it to make it happen. It would make me feel like I could do it now that people will show up for me and support me. Or I will never forget it. Just like I will never forget that be that as it may. You are fun. You are smart. You are a true artist and a genius actor. Jesus is lucky to have you. Regardless of how much time we spend around each other, you are my people. I love you. I love you. That is so like that is so. I don't even know what to say to that. That was so lovely. And you know, I will say, like you're someone that when I met you for the first time in New York, you brought a warmth and an openness that I feel like a lot of people in college. That's something that kind of goes away kind of quickly. Because it can be a scary environment. Especially in art school or someplace like Tish, where we were, there's like a competitiveness or there's a weird, there's a weird already like making sure the resources are there for each other when it really shouldn't be like that. And you just always were so welcoming and warm. It always just felt like I could be myself with you always. Always. Like I never forgot that. And I did feel like that was rare even then. That you really just exist in the world so openly. And you encounter everyone kind of like purely in the moment. You know, you're like right there with us. So just thank you. That was so lovely. Hi, I love you very much. Let me I'm putting this towards the end of the river. The river, um, you were a you're a Nintendo Pokemon. Yeah, tell me. Yeah, I was in fourth grade when it started to like pick up. And it was something that Nintendo Pokemon came out. It was with the things. I'm not sure what that is. Those that's those those that's those the things that came in the is that a Mexican thing? I'm not sure. It's like a oh, I'm sorry. Continue. No, it was the Pokemon generally were like cards and then the video game. And it was just something that I don't know. Like I eat like when I would I'd pretend to be sick in like sixth or seventh grade. And I would just like be at home. Or if I was like I need a day, I would just be home like playing Pokemon. They would give you a day. Well, my if I was like I'm sick. Oh, and then I'd just be like on my game boy at home. There is something about it. I don't know that that I just even to this day like I've played every major Pokemon game when it comes out like still I just play it. There's something so I don't know like it is it does connect me to my childhood. Yes, of course. In a way and there's something really beautiful about the adventure. You're you're a kid which kind of makes no sense in the world. But you're like this little kid who just sets off on this grand adventure and you find these like little you know animals basically. Yeah, they join you on your team. And then you like train them up and you have to take care of them. You know, and I don't know. I just always love the idea of seeing all these different like every area has its own kind of theme you know, and so you're like traveling to no, it's lovely. And then you go and it's like, oh, this is like the water area or like the desert area, the forest area. And then it just leaves all these grand adventures. And of course there's like the evil team in every game like team rocket from a show that you're like fighting against as a kid. I just love it. Yeah, so this day still playing. You really convinced me. I love, I mean Mario was like, okay, but the game boy, they're totally. But I can't, I can't find that anywhere anymore. Listen, after this, I've got you. Oh, yeah, they, oh, oh, then the new like switch and they have all of that. You can play, yeah, they have like all the old Mario games that you can play. And then they have the new ones obviously, but they've got all the stuff. Oh, okay, let me tell you to make this happen in here. I had to like strip a whole existing dining room with Chad all my books. So anyway, now I have a media stand and I have a cool TV. So there you go. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I'm like a single woman with my dog. See, sounds like a fun night for me. Yes, I'm also curious what is happening here. Not with the dog who looks very lovely and tranquil with the playing. We're very excited. We're going to bet all our money. No, have you ever played speed? Yes, I have. That's what we're going to play. We're on a speed. We'll start kindly. Okay, gentle, gentle, and then less. Okay, one, two, three. I'll see that. I can tell I just won that moment. I just lost that moment. Okay, that was probably coming before the fall. Um, um, wow. Are you able to stand still? What's going on? Yeah, I have nothing to do. No, wow. Okay. Oh, what? That's crazy. That is crazy. Good game. Thank you. Wait, that was. That was really good. Yeah, I'm really proud of you. Do you know how to do the thing? I love doing the thing. Like shuffle? Yeah. Yes, I do. Oh, that was really yummy. No, I was going to ask you about this picture. Were you, there's a fish and you're screaming? - You already messed it up. - Can? No, we're just seeing how many left. - Okay, yeah. - How many left? Oh. - No. - I'm gonna say, I'm gonna do this. I'm gonna get myself more, but answer that question first. - Oh yeah, I don't know, but what I like about this photo is that-- - There's a dead fish and you don't remember what happened? - No, but I remember the scream. - No, I just remember having a scream in me always. That's sort of been there since I was a kid. Like I do feel like that is representational of me. - I love this. - It's just like, and even letting it out, it doesn't like escape me. It's just like, it needs to come out every once in a while, but it's always there. - Do you feel-- - Like a pilot light that you turn, you know? - Yeah. - It's just like there. And it's funny seeing that me as a kid because-- (laughing) - Yeah, I'm like, mm-hmm, I know. - I've seen two moments of you, similar age. - How old were you ish? - I don't know. - What about the video where you're like, bleh! - That I think I'm probably, yeah, maybe seven. I would guess. - Yeah. - And this might be four, but yeah, there's like a, there's like an energy of volcanic in some way, it must. - But what other delicious thing? - Yeah, I think-- - And you can really, you, your voice is volcanic. Are you kidding me? I feel like he's gonna have to do so much work for me to sound that's powerful. I can do it, I've trained. - You have-- - It takes, uh-huh. - It's not just there. But for me too, like it wasn't, there was, in school, it helped a lot. - Which one? - And why you? - Yeah, like-- - Bella Adler? - No, Myzner. I was in Myzner, which I loved, but it was, it was like, I had a sense that my entire voice was just, like coming straight through my nose. That's like, so when I got to school, it was like, let's see if maybe there are other places that my voice can resonate through. - Wow. - I wish I had been less obsessed with musicals because all I wanted was, I was like, don't teach me this, if it's not gonna get me on Broadway. - Yeah. - And I kept, they taught us to speak when you go, mm-hmm, there, to speak there, if you wanna career musical theater. - That's tough. - No, no, no, I can't believe that life. I mean, I wanna be on Broadway. But like, for a few months. - Yeah. - And like-- - Really hard. Like when I was in school, right after graduating, one of the things that took me to LA, was right after graduating, I was up for Jersey boys for like six months. - For Frankie? - Yeah, for Frankie. - You can do the falsetto? - Yeah, but that was what I brought to the table and the other stuff. I was like, this is a problem. Like they'd give me all the other songs and I'd be like, dude, I can't sing that. Like I can't take my eyes off of you. - Yeah. - There's no falsetto in that song. He's just like belting at a, you know, whatever. - I love it. - Yeah, and like an A over and over and over again. And I'd be like, I can't sing that. And so they'd hear in the auditions the falsetto. - It's so exciting to play. - And they'd be like, that's it. - Yeah. - But I'd be like, they're gonna find out. And they did find out. And I would-- - They have to find out. - They have to. And the whole time I was like felt like, you know when people have imposter syndrome? - Yeah. - But I was like, no, it's not imposter syndrome. Like it's real. - They're going to find out. And it's not that, it's like, no, you've got it. I was like, I don't. They're very particular about their Frankie Valley. So it was like a three-day audition. They called it Frankie Camp. And it was like-- - I wanna go to Frankie Camp. - It was like nine Frankie valleys. Once it got to that point. So there was like an audition, maybe a callback, then the Frankie Valley Camp, three-day audition. And I was like, dude, they were gonna find out at Frankie Camp. (laughing) So we start and they have all nine of us. I hope I'm remembering this correctly. I think this is at Pearl Studios in New York. They've got all nine of us. And they just start four seasons music, you know, all the four-part harmony. Yeah, four-part harmony. So they were like, learn all the four parts and just be good with being able to switch harmonies. They just wanted to test your musicality first. So they get all of us and we start and they're like, bass one, bass two, ten or one, ten or two, and go. Nine of us, they're singing and he's walking, the music director's walking around listening to everyone and he's like, all right, go back to go ten or two. So he's switching us like on the moment. And you have to be able to find your harmony and not get messed up by the people behind. But I was always, that wasn't a problem for me. I always felt like with music, the quality of my voice was a problem for me. I was singing was hard, just to belt and stuff was, I was always like-- - Their belt must be like out of this world. - It's not. - It must be. - It's not, but I always just like, but the musicality, I was like, okay. So I, the harmonies, at the end of that all, they cut two guys. So it's kind of like intense. It was like-- - That's intense. - The iconic kind of what you think of at a Broadway audition where they had the headshots, the resumes then they look, look, look, put it in a pile, put it in a pile and then it was like, these two people gone. - I wish they recorded so many more of those camps. It was also a Madonna camp. - See, I would love to see that, that'd be cool. - Yeah, the Madonna camp. - This was interesting, 'cause it's all like semi-italians. People who were Italian passing guys who were like, my height, you know, and two guys, and one of the guys I remember, he was like, dude, I was gonna get cut at this part. He was like, I was hoping this part would come later, 'cause like, I can't, my harmonies and so they cut 'em. Then they're like, let's go to dancing. I'm like, okay, dancing is not a big dancing show, right? But they did like some jazz splits, whatever. And I'm like, pretty good at moving. I'm like, okay, and I was like, I'm gonna die. - Oh my God. - And it was like, five, six, seven, two, five. It took five minutes to teach us. And then they're like, go, go, go. And they're watching us and I was like, I'm struggling. And I wasn't used to struggling with dance. I'm like, there was a dude there from the West Side story tour that they flew in for like two days of the thing. And he was just like, and the choreographer was like, Noah, keep up, Noah, Noah, keep up. And I barely made it through. They cut maybe two more guys. And I was like, I'm shocked, I'm still here. - This is like Juilliard for Frankie Van. - It was a very short amount of time. - In one weekend. - And then the rest of us were all like eating and they were like, I hope it goes. Then they do the acting. - Were you like, I want this so much? - No, I was like, it's only a matter of time. Before I'm embarrassed. 'Cause I was just like, how, you know, it's this exciting, but I also was like, this is tough. And they get to the acting. They bring us in one by one. The other stuff we're doing like in front of each other. It was like, never in auditions are you like auditioning in front of the people is so odd. This we were like dancing in front of each other, which maybe on Broadway musicals, like-- - Yeah, dancing yes. - Yeah, right, right, it makes sense. - Singing now. - But the singing stuff. So they do the acting. We do two scenes. And the guy was like, that, yeah, great. All right, see ya, like there was not a lot of time. Not that they didn't want it to be good, but they just spent more time on the other things. - Yeah, yeah. - Made us with the next thing, the singing. And I'm like, oh no, there's three songs. - Which one, which one? - Okay, it's, it's, walk like a man. - Walk like a man. - Can't take my eyes off of you. Which is just killer. Which is if people don't know watching, that's like the song that Heath Ledger sings in 10 Things I Hate About You, you know, and, you know. So it was that, and then it was this jazzy song. I think called I'm in the mood for love that he sings at the club before he gets famous, but it's very, it's really difficult sort of falsetto into nod and hard musically. So I was like, okay, so we get into the room, and at this point, they say to me, this is the third day, they say, don't come to the audition, unless you're prepared to move to Vegas on Thursday. - It was for the Vegas show? - Yeah, it was like Vegas thing. Well, and they just run in it. So they're like, let's find a Frankie. Where do we need them? National tour, Broadway, Vegas. So they're going. And then this one, yeah, there's literally like, where do we need to send them? And they were like, don't come in unless you're ready to move on, oh, move on Tuesday, and it was Thursday. And I was like, dude, what? So I go in. - What an insane thing that they asked to me. - I know. And I was like, I'm not ready for that. Yeah, I'm like, okay, well, I'm gonna show up, but also like, I'm not ready to do that. So I go in, nine people behind the table, Des Mackenoff, the casting directors, the choreographer, Bob Gaudillo, the original four seasons member who wrote the music. So I'm like, this is crazy. Fresh out of school. I walk in in the whole time. I'm like, they're gonna find out. - That was your first audition. - That was like my first big audition out of school. - Wow. - I go in, I go up to the piano player, and they're all waiting. And that, the energy, like, you really, it's hard to describe. Like you see it on TV shows and movies. Well, when you walk into that room and there's nine people waiting behind a table and they're like I'm getting hot. Come on in you walk in you're like Hello, how's it going? You're like can't even find you're on and then they're like we're ready for it I go to the hamplain and I'm like Can we start with walk like a man like trying to say it so they can't hear it Can we start with walk like a man and he's like we start with can't take my eyes off of you and I'm like I was like you understand I'm gonna like crack if we do walk off can't take my eyes off you Let's do walk like a man and like ease me in. He's like no People crack if we start with walk like a man. We're starting with can't take my eyes off of you It's your audition. I know and they're they're like all kind of waiting and I'm I'm just like Okay And they start and it goes, you know And I kind of got I kind of got what they were going for like they want they don't want A lot they want you to just like be very simple and just direct and like they're almost like for the camera Like the microphones there and they're not they don't want you to be like doing anything They're just like boom right into the audience And so I start and it's down the octave and I just start and I'm like Cruining because down the octave for some people might be low For me, I was like oh, this is comfortable when it goes up. I'm like in trouble So I start to accruing and I see all of them all mine. They like look up from their papers and they're like That's it like the look is like That's it And I'm sis-cruining But then it they go And I was like And she just doesn't come out and I see them. I see them go No, literally like that they go Like down down it takes them all the way down to the table you just treat them and they go way Well, hold on the music director's like hold on they want you to succeed start over start over and I'm like dude It's not gonna happen, but I try go again, and it's it's maybe a little better, but not really and it's not there And I lost it right there, but I don't they didn't even have to go on to the next they do walk like a man Sounds great But it doesn't matter because they know that's the hardest song. Yeah, and if you can't do that Eight shows a week whatever they do. Yeah, it's gonna be a problem until I went home I ordered an entire Papa John's pizza and just was like that was it We're talking about Broadway or Vegas or the natural like it's got to be so Just there for you where we're not like worried It's not like you know in high school where you like let's see if it happens or even in college sometimes There's like a let's see if it happens quality yeah on Broadway. They're like it has to happen Go home and come back in a year or two years three years like we got to know Yeah, that if we were to shake you awake at 4 a.m. And punch you in the face and be like sing you know That you just like have it. And that was never there for me. It has to be but if you get there then it's the work of keeping it there No matter what but then after that I moved to LA like it was it was there was a sense of That was a lot and I knew the whole time That it really wasn't the place for me and that is not fun because it was months and there were other Auditions for like I audition for spring awakening the musical at the time and we do stuff. Did you just get an agent dry out of college? No, it was something like I really didn't the only thing was I have no idea that's auditions That was the only it was only musicals and I was like guys That's not my path I promise but for some reason I think maybe I played guitar and there's there's that you know what they like you know what it is What is it they like in musicals or they think they like At least for guys. Yeah, it's really different. It's different for women. Yeah, yeah They like the guy that doesn't seem like he's gonna be in a musical But at the end of the day, they're like you have to be able to do what musical theater people do Like they don't take you if you can't yeah, I have a question. Yeah, will you play heads up with me? I would love that We're gonna do act it out. I can I can sit act. Are you ready for sit acting? Oh, if I'm yeah It's happening am I I'm just acting it out. Yeah Running sprinting tired so exhausted sweaty Prespiration perspiring oh breathing Expand it's at your thorax is that a team. I'm gonna pass it. I'm gonna pass it past it Oh rowing canoeing Basketballing typing piano type the type the type typewriter Yeah, it's using a typewriter. Oh, okay. Oh drumming. Are you a drummer? No, okay Hey Hi, five. Yeah, okay Look at the teeth Oh, we're driving stick shift. Yep Oh the lawn more Are you jumping but it's ski jumping. I was like how do I do it sitting Hold on let me sit act ski jumping Basically that was lovely. What was the first one was oh marathon I was trying to do the placard. Yeah Oh, breathing I love that you like that I get to replay the tragedy of my When you're ready attacked it out and my when you're ready. I just yeah So excited Pop it pop it. You're on ventrilo quest Opening a window Oh Diving figure skating figure skating Jim gymnast using my legs to split. Yes Oh, a juffling cards dealing cards. Yeah, wow. Oh I'm creating a meal for you. Oh smelling the laundry laundry I'm vomiting. Yeah I'll court in Oh a toss by glass. So tell us go. Yeah Directing traffic oh So I'm appointing ballet ballet dance jazz dance my feet point What was it? I feel I feel I was like the shoe but I love shoes That was pretty good. That's not just the pressure. Oh my god It's time for a dare Love it. We're both gonna do it. Okay You pick it. I dare you or no, this is my dad to do it. Oh, oh and we both do it. Yeah We're a silly hat for the next 20 minutes That's an easy dare That I mean that one is good. Um can I have the the the roses? I'm gonna take the rope. Yes I'm gonna cheat because I want to Oh, it's right here actually it wasn't a big cheat. Okay We're about to go you and I on a little puppet adventure. I believe in being cringe. I believe like great Cringing hard so in that spirit This is mr. cringe, okay? Yes, hi mr. Noah So mr. cringe what he's gonna do is he's gonna share a cringe if this is a cringe off That's the dare we're gonna take turns telling a cringe story From our from our past any embarrassing moment. Yeah, he's gonna tell us this story I'm excited. Um, are you ready? Yeah, which one you're gonna say? Oh Okay, okay So when miss Luna and I was a teenager she was deeply in love with a pop star named Juan Yes, yes, yes, she still loves you by the way. Hey, sorry and All she wanted was to meet him in person. She cried herself to sleep every night. She left him so much Once she caught his sweaty towel and she kept it for like years But then there was this competition a radio competition And whichever school made the most calls would uh what is would come sing at their school and so Lorena She's like a movie. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, it's a very good movie So she went around her school had thousands of students She asked the principal for permission and she went around and she campaigned She begged everyone. Please, please called ex annoying. They said the boom the dress Um, an important detail is that Lorena was a very good student, okay? She took it very seriously. Right. But the winner was going to be announced right before her biology final. And sadly, Liseo de Monterey was second place. But she knew where he was. She knew where he would be standing. Hold for dog. My friend. Sorry, okay. Yeah, yeah. So, so she decides to. Like, she threw away my test. Yeah, she throws away her test. And obviously, she fails. And she goes out and her friends left without her. And she is a mess on the floor. And then a very kind girl named Paulina came like an angel and said, "Lorde, I will take you." She like hooked her legs. And they went straight to Motolina. Is the Tutto Motolina. The other school. The other school. Yes, yes, yes. It was very far away. It's also a smaller school. How could they win? Yeah, yeah, yeah. And so. Something nefarious happens for them to get all the votes. Exactly. And so she gets here and she can hear him playing in the ether like she's in his space. And she decides that she's going to stop his van with her body. So, yes, yes. So she goes to the like car exit of the school. And she sees the van turn on. And she doesn't know what to do. The gate starts to open and she just like puts her body in front of the van. And then in all the commotion she hears, "O la catalcomoestán." And everyone starts screaming and she looks over. And she starts getting dizzy and she starts seeing all gray and she's crying and crying and she can hear her friends being, "Wanness! Lorde loves you!" And thankfully, her friends guided him to her because she couldn't move. She was frozen. And she just wanted to let him know how much he left him, but she couldn't speak. So she just was like, "WOW!" And he was like, "Soldered!" And Juan was just like, like, like that. And he took care of her. He hugged her. Yeah, he was very nice about it. Yeah, he was a good guy. And she just cried. There's pictures of this. I'm going to show them to you. Yeah. And then they stalked him to his hotel so she could take a breather. And then in the hotel, she was able to save Juan as the animal. Yeah, it was pretty crazy. I have to tell you. That's only the stalking part. The stalking gets tough, but you know, he encountered you with grace is what I love about that. That was a big moment for me. That's kind of inspiring, because he, like, a lot of people would be like, "Yo, get out of the way." I do not need this girl, but he was like, "I know." He was like, "I got you." And you see in the pictures, I'm just like, "I'm pissed." And he's like, "Just not letting go of me." I love that. It's so sweet. Yes. Yeah. There were a lot of moments in that story where I could, "Okay, it's about to go south." And you know it did, but you're saved by him. I'm saved by him. Very movie-like. It made me feel like I could do anything. Yeah. To me, meaning Juan is was like, for my teenage self, it's just like the craziest dream. And for him to like touch me, I was just like, "I need to know. You need to send me like your favorite performance of his or something." Yeah, please. Yeah, yeah, we will. Send me stuff so I can like, I need to get, you know, familiarize myself. He's good. I was obsessed. I would like listen to his like metal music he did back in the day. Oh, oh. Yeah, no. He's cool. You're taking Mr. Cranch. This isn't my favorite. How do I operate his? You have to put your hand in sight. There's a puppet. Yeah. And there's there's a little strip. You find me out. Yeah. Yeah. Wow. Kiss to you. We're just walking down here. Drinking the water. Okay. So. So. What would you like to mean? It's the Pokemon. The Pokemon. Yeah, the Pokemon. Okay. So you all know by now that Noah still plays Pokemon. Yes. He's old. Not bad. He might be too old to play. But. Yeah, exactly. He was 18. 18. Okay. Still too old. Maybe. And the new Pokemon game just came out. And. And he was going to go to a tournament. A Pokemon tournament. You can do tournament. Game stop. Let me help you with your hat. No, your hat's falling. Thanks, man. Your hat's looking good now. So. This is hard on your wrist. Isn't it Noah? It is. It is. So. You might have to switch to my other hand soon. So. So Noah went to this tournament. And when he was 18, he sold helio phones at the Mesa Mall. That was like falling apart even back then. So he sold phones. And he left. He told them he had to pick up his grandma from the airport. But he didn't. It was a tournament. 45 minutes away. So Noah showed up in his work outfit, which was Noah, your hat. Okay. I know. But it's a dare. No, I've been dare. He's been dared. Oh, yeah, you're looking a little. Okay. So he goes to the game stop to play. And he shows up. And he's looking around. He's like walking through the halls, looking around. Where is everyone? Who's playing in this tournament? He's looking where? Okay. He goes up to sign up. And he looks at the list. Everyone's names look like they've been written in cram. Okay. Well, Noah just goes. He says, well, I don't know. Now, let me sign on up. So he signs up. Can't see him up here. And Noah is 18 in a work outfit with a tie. He's wearing a tie. Okay. So Noah is waiting. And one by one, they call up. They say, Amy versus Kenneth and about an eight-year-old and a nine-year-old would come up and they play each other. And Noah's like, oh, God, what have I done? And then finally they say, Noah versus Charles. And so Noah, he walks up to the TV, plugs in his thing, and then he's like, where's Charles? And then he hears from behind him. He hears, come on, Charles. And a woman is walking her tiny child up to the TV. And then Noah says, oh, how old is Charles? And she looks at Noah and she says, he's three years old. Oh, Noah says, oh, he's three? Oh, he's three. Okay. So Noah plugs in. And if you know anything about Pokemon, Charles's team consists of three siducks, just three of the same Pokemon, three ducks. Noah sends out an electric lion Pokemon, and he just murders the first one. And then he goes murder the second one, and then goes murder the third one. Charles doesn't even know what's happening. He's like, when do I play? He doesn't know, you didn't get the chance. Noah took the chance for you to play. You didn't get to even hit any buttons. Your guys are dead. And the mom is like, okay, well, come on back, Charles. I guess we're out of the tournament. And the other parents are like, what the hell is wrong with this guy in the suit? What? He just killed all of his three-year-olds Pokemon. And Noah kind of hangs his head, and he walks back. And then finally, he's like, I got to get out of here. I can't just keep killing all these kids Pokemon. And then the guy running the whole tournament, he goes, he goes, hey man, you know, you'd obviously win. But if you want to go, I'll just give you the prize. And Noah said, no, no, no, just keep it. Just give it to some kid. And Noah left. And you know, Charles would now be like 21 years old. And I, Charles. Charles, if you're out there, - Noah! Apologizes! - It's true, it's true. Noah says I'm sorry. - Wow! - Not that. - Yeah. - Oh my God. - Thank you, Mr. Crinch. - That was. - You did a lovely job. - That was thrilling. Okay, yes. - My wrist. - Oh my God. - That's hard. - If we're only just begun with a puppet, so there's a puppet right in each, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's a puppet ray. - This is Mr. Kool and Mr. Crinch. - This is Mr. Crinch. - I don't know, that's Changoutubana. (laughing) ♪ Welcome to the Port Theater ♪ ♪ Ladies and gentlemen ♪ ♪ I am proud to present a ♪ ♪ A very special rendition of the typist ♪ ♪ By Sham Bitterman ♪ ♪ Running at the Hudson Theater ♪ ♪ Until March 9th ♪ ♪ Generally when they're putting on this show ♪ ♪ It's with human beings ♪ ♪ But we're putting on the very special version ♪ ♪ With my friends Mr. Crinch and ♪ - Changoutubana. - Changoutubana. Let's set the stage. What's happening is, it's Greenwich Village, 1961, the writer has spent the last five years writing a painful autobiographical fiction and he is convinced that he will be the next great American novelist. But, he has lots of problems (laughing) and also he needs someone to help him type up his manuscript. Enter the typist, up those, up those. And here we go. (audience applauding) - Yeah, Changoutubana's as the writer. - And Mr. Crinch as the typist. - Hmm. So, Mr. Crinch, ever type before? - Of course, naturally. Or I wouldn't have applied. - Of course, yes, quickly. - Very. - How? - What? - Quickly. - Approximately 80 words per minute. - I can do 120 on a good day, but not correctly. - Correct, it's count. (laughing) - True, true. - Oh, I should let you know. This job requires more than just a typing. - Yes, I was assuming punctuation, grammar, syntax, perhaps slight editing. - God forbid, no. The grammar, punctuation, and syntax are all perfect. And as to the editing, huh? Well, I prefer it if you keep your opinions to yourself. - Of course. - What I need, what I require, is for you to be my. For you to be my mistress for the duration of the assignment. - I'm sorry? - I want us to be lovers. - Oh. - But only for as long as the job lasts. Do you currently have a boyfriend? - No. - Then I take it, this shouldn't be an issue. - I apologize for taking up your time, but no, absolutely not. And I'd like to add, no, never mind, no. - Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. I was joking. (laughing) Of course I was joking. - I don't think you were. - I was, I was. Trust me, promise me. - Sit, sit, please. Sit. (gagging) Drink. Well, that was a test. A test, you pass with flying colors, believe me. The last thing I need in my life with everything happening is for some starry eyed acolyte to get it into her head that I'm a sad, pathetic creature looking for love. No. - Time to go. - Yes? - Do you want to have a party? - Of course. - No. - No. (upbeat music) (cheering) (laughing) - That was so fun. - That was amazing. That made all my dreams come through color. My God, this, this music is really fun, right? - Thank you. - I love it. - No, it's fun. I had like a lot, and I also take like inspiration from Dungeons and Dragons. It's called Run the Dungeon. And then I do like this one. I'm going to do this. This one is called Survival Check. So that kind of vibe each song in these four was like a different, almost like boss battle in a game that I envisioned. - Wow. - And then I was like, okay, you have to like get through each one. - That is so cool. - Yeah, and it's just things that I, and then I have for like this EP's four songs. And like for those four, I probably had 12 that I wrote. But then didn't, you know, put out or anything. I just put out the ones that I'm like, okay, I got to the end of it. And I feel like this is somewhat goes together. And yeah, I just have so much fun. - Um, I think that is so fun. We're going to do a craft. - Great. - We're going to do a little painting. And we're going to go into the chosen friend. - Okay, let's do it. - I'm excited. Ah, I don't know why I'm painting. - I should let you know. - Yeah. - I'm, my talents do not extend to painting. (laughing) - I don't know. - I don't know what will arrive here on this canvas. - I think it can be an abstract. - Oh, I would love to do something. - Oh yeah. - Great. - And I would love to talk to you about this little show. You are in a show about Jesus Christ. - I am. - You sort of guided me to it, to the first episode I ever saw. And it was season two, episode three. - Okay, yeah. - Um. - It's one of my favorite episodes. Let it make sense. - It's so good. - I had never really thought about the experience of her birthing the Messiah. You know, like, and it was just a very magical first time watching the chosen moment. - So I think what has been, what has fascinated me about the show and like something that I wasn't quite familiar with, at least even thematically, if you would say, within Christianity, which I think is so, so valuable. - Yeah. - Is this idea when he says, you know, excuse me for paraphrasing, 'cause I am paraphrasing, but when he says, you know, as you treat the least of me, so you treat me, or so you have, as you have treated least of me, so you've treated me, that is a sort of revolutionary idea, right? - Yeah. - That he is putting himself with whose society would designate as the lowest of the low. And he is saying that that is where I am. If you, how you treat, those people is how you treat me. And it's same in this story where Mary is talking about the birth of Jesus. - Yeah. - All of us as disciples, and this happens to us throughout the show, we kind of keep forgetting, or we think, well, he's the Messiah, so he must have arrived, and it was like, ♪ Why, you know, like in the softies ♪ - But what she's really saying is, like, he arrived as a human. - As a human, as a crying baby, in this manger, and that's a story. - It's hopeless. - Yes, and that, that I think when we generally, we have sort of put, what we put up, what we sort of position up, above ourselves, our things that we take away, we strip away humanity from those things. - Yeah. - Even think about how we would treat a earthly king, or know, we're like, they are an image of a thing. It actually becomes non-three-dimensional, it becomes two-dimensional. - Yeah. - And the story of Jesus really is reversing that. - Yeah. - And it's saying that it's a holy, it's a whole. - Human having. - Being, yes, it's not an image of a thing, and that, I think, is revolutionary in its way. - You have a good Jesus, let me see. - Oh, yeah, Jonathan Rumi is fantastic. - Without a good Jesus. - No, it's impossible. - That, I think, is what the chosen does so well. I think that's what I, as a viewer, you know, really enjoy is that it brings these people um, to life in a way on screen that feels like grounded. Like you can feel the street they walk in and the food that they eat. And it's not about blurring it and putting it in sepia tones and saying like, "I have a rot." You know, it's not that. It's actually like, "Okay, what would it feel like to really be 2000 years ago?" So you know what I love about the show is that it talks about faith, period. Like your relationship with the divine, there was a line in that episode that said that you don't, you can't learn your way closer to God. Something like, no amount of knowledge will get you closer to God. And I kind of love that, but it's not about like studying and learning because I think he's telling Matthew. And I just, that was one of the first lines of that episode. And I was like, "Ah, dropping the button." - Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. - You know, have you learned anything from Andrew? Like, is there anything about Andrew and you're like, "Yeah." - What? - Well, oh man. It's honestly, I can't even, the funny thing about it is like, "It's been now seven years of my life, almost eight years, seven and a half years." And like, it like transcends the character and the screen. - Yeah. - It's not like not just the script and the scenes and what makes it on the film. It's like my experience of playing the part will never leave me. - No. - And so if I were to try to sum it up something that I learned, I would say like, you know, I would say surrender, I would say even what it's like to just grow up and what it's like to leave what's not serving you behind, there was a lot of Andrew really trying to be better than he feels. You know, and even in that scene around the campfire, I have that, that, that mini speech where I say like, I don't feel like one of the heroes of our people's history. Like, that doesn't make any sense to me. I don't, I don't feel like I'm a great man. I'm just trying to do my best, but I look at myself almost like from the outside and I'm like, what is this life that I'm leading? But what I love about Andrew is no matter what, he will give all of himself. If Andrew is the one who brings up the boy who has the five loaves and two fish at the feeding of the 5,000. So who is the one when there are 5,000 people who will not be able to make it home because they're starving now? Because they've been sitting there listening to Jesus preach and it's like, isn't it kind of useless to bring up in that moment five loaves and two fish? Except it's not, and that's the lesson of the thing, is that even if it seems like embarrassingly low, that amount to, to try to help the situation, he's like, I'm going to do everything that I can. - To hell. - And I love that. - No, I love that. - There's something like, to me, I think that's so needed and kind of, it's funny actually, it reminds me of something so maybe kind of silly. But I'm an Arizona cardinals fan, okay, it's a tough life for us cardinals fans. We've had a tough go things for a while, and my wife, Norma, was asking, they were playing a game and she was like, are they still like, in contention to make the playoffs? I was like, no, they were eliminated, you know, like a few games ago. And she was like, they still make them play, like, wait, they still make them play, it is a fair question, but I'm like, you know what? Yes, and there is no hope to continue on in the playoffs, but sometimes you show up to the game, and what are you playing for? You play for yourself, you play for the people, like your fans, you play for us. You play for the fact that in life, so often, like, you're not making it to the next thing, and then what? Like, if you are just going to quit at that moment, it's like not worth it. We know this, like, intrinsically, but it is something that we have to act out in our lives, in our sports. It's why it's like, you got to be a fan, even when they're having the worst season of all time, because it's like, do you not recognize that in your own life? We all go through that. We all have those periods, and it's like, sometimes you got to show up and play, excuse my language, like the best fucking game that you can when there's no hope. Yeah. And some people are like, it kind of is pointless, and you're like, that is the point. Yes. Come on. So my god, my eyes teared and everything. No, I love the concept of, like, do your part as best you can show up for people in whatever way you can, even if you think your $5 is too little. However you can make someone's day, just do it, whatever makes me emotional, because I feel like if we all just did that a little bit. Because I think also the show is very much like, just love, just please love each other. And that's it. You know when someone is acting out of love, and it is an unbelievably positive force in this world. And that's something that I love. I'm just going to shout out the creator of the show, and the whole production, but Dallas Jenkins and his wife Amanda Jenkins and their whole family, like that's something that, I mean, they walk the walk. And like I see it in life, and something that scared me again when I talk about like when I was a kid, you know, going to like a congregation, I always felt like, then you hear the stories of people who sort of manipulate that kind of situation. And that I think pushes people away, because they connect that as if that is the religion and it's not. Human beings will do that with anything, and it has to be removed from the thing itself. And the thing itself is really beautiful, and people really walk the walk like Dallas and his wife. It's so inspiring. It's so inspiring to me, like every day that I'm with them, it's something that I really try to take into my life. Like, what is it to truly walk the walk and try to take care of those around you and yourself and the world? I mean, it's really like, yeah, I think it's just a very positive, valuable thing. And it's so good to hear. I mean, of course it is. You can feel that love in the show. Yeah, I hope so. I really hope so. Yeah, yeah, it's stunning. No, this is like the best. This is the best conversation. I love it. Here's what we're going to do. We're going to show each other our art, and then the way we close the show is very exciting. Okay. I have this grimoire. It's a magical book. Coming in the middle of the middle of the middle of the middle. Great. And what you are going to do is write a little promise or a letter or a remit. Whatever you want to say to that dude, and then if you're so kind, you will share it with us. And sign it with a handful of paint. Love it. But first we're going to, we're going to, I say let's put this on the ground. Okay. And we're going to show each other what we did. Okay. Wait, at the same time? I think so. Yeah. Well, do you want to do one in one? It's a very vulnerable moment. I know. It's almost like, it's like, you know, when you're really like seeing someone, you're like, "Here I am." This is what we made when we talked about God and Jesus. I know. It's actually, I bear some description, I think, mine. But let's, let's do it. No, two. Okay. One, two, three. Wow! My yours is crazy! What is that? I made, I made like a scorpion. I see, I see. Like an abstract. This is its tail coming down. Yeah. And it's a clause up here. Yes, because actually, I didn't set out to make a scorpion. Scorpions, I like really despised for something. Me too. I'm very afraid of that. There's something really frightening about scorpions and growing up in Arizona, it's almost like representational. Monster. Great. I mean, like, stranger things like that. Yeah, yeah, okay. And it's very scorpion-y. Yeah, this is, I just was like, let me paint a scorpion, but try to make it something that I enjoy. I really enjoy that. And so there it is, it's like the monster of the desert. Yours is a legit, like, William Turner sunset here. Oh, William Turner. That you've done. No, how dare you. But thank you. I've never worked with this before, and once I did this, I was like, oh, we're here. We're locked in. Wow. Thank you. It's pretty neat. That's gorgeous. I love you. You have even put the reflections of the gorgeous- I've tried. Sunrise or sunset sunset? I think it's a set. Yeah. In the water. I love it. No, you are a crazy town. I mean, obviously, you did this, so it's like, you know. This was a joy. But there we go. I'm happy with this. This is much better than anything I've ever- It might be simple, but it's- It's perfect. It's mine. I'm very- Oh. I promise to always keep the light alive. The light of adventure, play, love, creation, and the passion for life along with it. I promise to show up for myself and for my loved ones and move through the world with that healthy scream always brewing, integrated, and ready to holler at the things that need it. I promise to make you proud and give you countless things to be excited about. That's beautiful. Yeah, get it, get it in. Yeah, enjoy every moment. And then you press. Can I do it even over the wash? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yay! Thank you so much. That's so nice. Thank you for it. What a gift you've given me. What have we done here? Oh, you are my Drew. Seriously, like what a gift. You. Thank you so much. I love you. Thank you. You guys, welcome to Play Day. Look what we've done. I love you. Bye.