Live Chat with Chad Reisser

Whit's wiping down the counter, Connie's mopping the floor, and the kids are sipping on their milkshakes. If you want to talk about Adventures in Odyssey the radio drama, this is the spot to do just that!
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Bren
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Live Chat with Chad Reisser

Post by Bren »

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I am happy to annouce the first live chat of our term. It will happen on Tuesday, March 1st at 8 PM CST, and will feature Chad Reisser. Chad has played mutiple characters over the years on Adventures in Odyssey. Craig Moorhead, Chas Wentworth, Digger Digwillow, a young Tom Riley, and the ever popular Monty Whittaker-Dowd.

The chat will take place in our dedicated IRC chat channel, #bchat. For roughly an hour you will get to ask your questions of Chad concering his time on AIO as well as what he's up to now.

Time Zone Conversion:
Pacific: 6 PM
Mountain: 7 PM
Central: 8 PM
Eastern: 9 PM

We ask that when you join that you are respectful of Chad's time and don't bombard him with questions all at once. We realize this time might not be ideal for everyone. So, if you have a question you would like to submit, you can post it below. Most importantly, enjoy yourself.

We look forward to seeing you Tuesday, March 1st at 8 PM CST.
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Post by Catspaw »

This is great! Thank you for planning something special, Bren.

I hope to join but I'm not totally sure if it will work out.

The question I have is what his reaction was when he was called years later to reprise his role as Monty.
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Post by snubs »

Fun! I hope a lot of people get to come!
snubs is not dumb as he really is very smart. — Bmuntz
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Post by Bren »

snubs wrote: Fri Feb 25, 2022 11:03 pm Fun! I hope a lot of people get to come!
I just hope it turns out as good as your events.
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Post by Bob »

I hope y'all have been letting your friends know about this! It's not every day you get to meet with the voice of Billy Barton, Phil McFarland, Mac McCorby, and Tom Riley (Matter of Obedience) ;) .

With 30+ years of involvement with the program, I'm sure Mr. Reisser's got a lot of anecdotes packed away that he can relate. With time constraints we're not likely to do more than scratch the surface of that, but I expect an exciting and informative event.
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Post by bookworm »

It's starting!
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Post by Bren »

I think it went really well. We hope to have a transcript up soon for those who missed it.
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Post by bookworm »

It was really cool! This was the first of these AiO actor chats that I was able to attend. :)
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Post by Bob »

Here is the official raw transcript! An edited version in more of a Q&A format should also arrive shortly, as seen in the AIOWiki interview section.
20:37 Chad joined #bchat
20:37 <J>: Good evening!
20:37 <Chad>: Howdy!
20:37 l joined #bchat
20:38 <Bren>: Hello Chad. How was dinner?
20:38 <Chad>: It was delicious and served quickly.
20:38 <Chad>: Which is why I'm here early. :)
20:39 <Bren>: Awesome
20:39 <J>: I can get served last and be finished first. My mother's said she suspects that food bores me.
20:40 <Chad>: It's Awana night at church, so my wife typically takes our younger 3 kids out to dinner ahead of time, so I met them at our favorite local Mexican restaurant. It's very close to the church, so now I'm back here in my office / studio hanging out with y'all.
20:40 <Bren>: I kinda wanted you to have a chance to meet @J before we got formal anyway
20:40 <Chad>: Hi J!
20:40 <Bren>: he is my co leader on the forum for 4 months
20:41 <Chad>: Right on.
20:41 <J>: It's always a pleasure to meet a real AIO worker. Bren is used to talking to celebrities, and we've seen Katie Leigh drop into the other channel a few times, but I'm not quite past being starstruck.
20:41 <Chad>: Oh heavens. :)
20:42 <J>: We have a few minutes to warm up, before the event's scheduled to start. Hopefully we'll get a few more visitors, but if not, this is still a good group for a discussion.
20:42 <Chad>: No sweat. I'm flex with whatever and whomever.
20:42 <Chad>: I'll just sorta follow your lead(s).
20:42 <Chad>: I assume you moderate the dialog in some fashion?
20:43 <J>: It isn't closely moderated right now, although we can change that if we need to. Most of these events have been good so far, in terms of content.
20:43 <J>: The main trouble I can see is people gushing or trying to ask you too many questions at once, and we have an opening statement to try to encourage them to take turns.
20:43 <Chad>: Cool.
20:44 <Bren>: No need to do anything with the op powers I just gave you. I just want you to stand out from everyone when folks trickle in
20:44 <Chad>: I will wield my newfound powers responsibly.
20:44 <J>: Bren may have already told you, but the format we figured we'd use after we start is to go down the list; everybody should have the chance to ask one question, and maybe there can be a little free discussion for each one.
20:45 <Chad>: (what are my powers?)
20:45 <Chad>: :)
20:45 <Chad>: Sounds good J.
20:45 <Bren>: To an extent I think this event might be pretty relaxed
20:45 <J>: If we go through quickly enough, we might have a second round. If not, then there can be some free time at the end, before winding down.
20:45 <J>: Technically, you can kick or ban people. If you want to try it out and there's an appropriate occasion, feel free. ;) But we can take care of that, and we're not expecting trouble, anyway.
20:46 <Chad>: Nah, I'm just messing around. Everyone needs to know that I have an absurd / dry sense of humor. My wife is constantly chiding me. "People don't get you!"
20:47 <Bren>: I have a dad with the same problem...
20:47 <J>: Is it a problem?
20:48 <Chad>: A good rule of thumb with me is..... if it sounds ridiculous, it's probably on purpose.
20:48 Brownie joined #bchat
20:48 <Bren>: Good evening @Brownie
20:48 <bookworm>: Are you a baseball fan Chad?
20:48 <bookworm>: I just pulled up your Twitter
20:48 <Chad>: Bookworm, I am indeed.
20:48 <bookworm>: I identify with your most recent Tweet ;)
20:48 <bookworm>: https://twitter.com/ChadReisser/status/ ... 2754124800
20:49 <Chad>: Having been born and raised in the Los Angeles area, I am a lifelong Dodgers fan. Very sad about the lockout right now.
20:49 <bookworm>: yes it's very disappointing
20:49 <J>: They're having a lockout again?
20:49 <J>: (That shows what I know about MLB...)
20:49 <bookworm>: yes, deadline to agree to something was this morning
20:49 <bookworm>: games are being cancelled now :(
20:49 <Chad>: The owners and players are in a contract showdown.
20:49 <Chad>: They officially cancelled the first two series of the season.
20:50 <Chad>: Whatever. Figure it out.
20:50 <bookworm>: yeah :x
20:51 <J>: I'd say I'm not sure what the logic is behind having lockouts so often... but I ran a mock 'sports league' once that effectively ended up getting locked out, so I guess I'd be a hypocrite.
20:51 <J>: I suppose it helps that everyone in MLB has a ton of money. If they lose some for a little while, apparently they don't notice.
20:52 <Chad>: I dunno. I think the players are up in arms about the way the league treats younger players. The owners do some goofy things in terms of how they keep young players under contract. Granted, I think the league minimum pay is something like $625,000 a year sooooo......
20:52 baysimp joined #bchat
20:52 <Chad>: Anyways... AIO stuff.
20:53 <J>: We can have a few off-topic questions. Besides, it's good to practice talking about sports in case someone asks you about Mac McCorby. ;)
20:53 <J>: I've listened to most episodes, but I didn't realize how many of those one-shot characters you played until I looked at your AIOWiki page.
20:54 <Bren>: We have about 5 mins or so before we officially start
20:54 <Bren>: Which gives a little more time for folks to trickle in
20:54 <Chad>: Which character was Mac McCorby? I can almost guarantee y'all are gonna know more about my history on AIO than I remember. :)
20:54 <J>: In "Easy Money", he's the guy that runs the gambling ring.
20:54 <J>: "Some days you get your soul puréed and served to you in a melancholy milkshake."
20:54 <Chad>: Riiiiiight.
20:55 <Chad>: AIO started in 1987, so I was 11, which means I've been doing this for 34 years off and on.
20:56 <J>: I think most of us grew up listening to you (and the others).
20:56 <J>: We had album #2 in cassettes, and you had a bunch of episodes in that one. Maybe we'll get to talk about some of those in a couple of minutes.
20:56 <Chad>: You mentioned the one-off thing. It was like that for years. All through college and the years after it I was much more of a one and done kinda thing when it came to characters.
20:58 <Chad>: I wonder if anyone here has heard the interviews I did when they brought Monty back? I remember talking a bit about my strange relationship with AIO. Unlike basically everyone else on the show, I am not a voice actor. AIO is the ONLY voice acting I do. I am a full-time musician. Granted, I have done vocal sessions for music basically all my life, but AIO is the only acting gig I do.
20:58 <Bren>: Your first episode aired in March of 1987
20:58 <Chad>: Sounds right.
20:59 <Bren>: which was for Family Portraits, prior to AIO
20:59 <J>: It seems like they had a lot more 'homegrown' talent in the early days, like the kids and friends of the production team, but have moved on to using mostly professionals since then.
20:59 <Chad>: Exactly.
20:59 <J>: I think the closest thing to a non-pro who is a regular today was Shona Kennedy (now Rodman), who won a contest to get on the show.
20:59 <Chad>: Well, I mean... Hal, Will, and Katie (and others) were always serious voice actors.
21:00 <baysimp>: Right. But none of the kid actors were big actors.
21:00 <Chad>: But many of the kid actors (myself included) were pulled from Calvary Community Church in Westlake Village, CA. Paul was the drama director there for years, so when he was hired to do AIO he brought people he knew into the booth.
21:01 <J>: Did you ever meet the Bolte girls? I don't recall if you had any roles in any of their episodes.
21:01 Guest907 joined #bchat
21:01 <Chad>: Sure! The Bolte's were at Calvary.
21:01 <Chad>: I grew up mostly with Sage.
21:02 <Guest907>: This is so cool 👀
21:02 <J>: (Hey there, Guest!)
21:02 <Chad>: :)
21:02 <Bren>: Hello @Guest907
21:02 <J>: I guess we're at the starting time. The transition happened seamlessly. ;)
21:03 Guest907 is now known as Kotlclvr13
21:03 <Chad>: I'll stop yapping and wait for questions.
21:03 <Bren>: Thank you all for joining us for the first Live Chat of our term on thetoo.com. We are so glad you came. Before we officially get into our chat with Chad, there are a couple ground rules. In an effort to keep things running smoothly and not bombard Chad with questions, we will go down the list of each member. When you are called upon, you can ask your question. We will allow for some discussion of Chad's answers. But, let's try to keep it brief so everyone gets a turn.
21:03 <Kotlclvr13>: Nice
21:05 <J>: I guess let's get started! In alphabetical order, I believe the first person would be baysimp.
21:05 <baysimp>: Yay, me!
21:05 <Chad>: Whaddup!
21:05 <Bren>: Thank you so much for joining us tonight @Chad we greatly appreciate you making time in your busy schedule to join us
21:05 KODY105 joined #bchat
21:05 <Chad>: You're welcome.
21:06 snubs is now known as Rose
21:07 <baysimp>: In "The Imagination Station, Revisited," you played John Mark, after playing Digger Digger Digwillow in the original "The Imagination Station." What was that like?
21:07 <Chad>: Well, the Digger shows I remember with great clarity.
21:07 <Chad>: When was the "Revisited" episode recorded?
21:08 <Chad>: As I mentioned, I have been doing these recordings for so long they get fuzzy in my memory.
21:08 <J>: It was aired in '08, so probably sometime in '07.
21:09 <Chad>: @baysimp, I hate to have a disappointing answer, but the truth is I don't really have a specific memory of getting back into the Imagination Station story.
21:10 <baysimp>: That's okay, I understand. It's a privilege just to talk to you!
21:10 <Chad>: As always, with AIO, especially when they brought Monty back, my personal feeling is always something like, "Gosh it's so funny that there are folks all over the world for whom these stories are so meaningful."
21:10 <Chad>: Not funny in a bad way
21:11 <Chad>: Just like... marveling at the power of the power of artistic storytelling and good writing.
21:11 <Chad>: How you make something and release it, and then it has its own life. People hear it, internalize it, and it becomes part of their story.
21:11 <Chad>: Does that make sense?
21:11 <Bren>: Since @baysimp brought it up, I hadn't really thought about it, but you acted opposite all 3 Whit actors
21:11 <Chad>: I guess so!
21:12 <bookworm>: wow
21:12 <Kotlclvr13>: Whoa, true
21:12 <baysimp>: wow
21:12 <Chad>: Obviously I remember Hal as a young kid, as he would do some of his most famous voices for us inbetween takes or on breaks.
21:13 <J>: Everything I've ever heard about him is that he was a blast to work with.
21:13 <Chad>: But baysimp I will tell you that I totally remember the Digger Digwillow recording sessions. They were way more exhausting than normal. I was like, "Acting is tiring!"
21:14 <Bren>: not to horn in on everyone else, but this leads into my question. What was working with Hal, and even Walker like? There are never enough stories about those days
21:14 <Chad>: I think with Digger, even as a kid, I was like... "They're telling the passion week story. We'd better do this right."
21:14 Mel joined #bchat
21:14 <Chad>: Well, I mean... it was really fun.
21:15 <Chad>: As I've mentioned, I am NOT a voice actor. I am a musician who happened to know Paul McCusker as a kid (and had acted in musicals he directed) and for some reason they keep inviting me back to record.
21:15 <Chad>: So, you may notice I don't really do voices. When I record, I basically am myself.
21:16 <Chad>: I may try and put some kind of affectation appropriate for the character, but when you were in the room with guys like Hal, who could just like... become a different person with his voice.
21:16 <Chad>: It was truly magical to behold.
21:16 <J>: Even so, it took me a long time to notice that some of the kids you played had the same voice!
21:17 <Chad>: I mean... I dunno. I guess I could have gone into acting (voice or on stage or camera) but it never really was my thing.
21:17 <Rose>: baha, I always enjoyed picking out your characters. In the early days, every other episode was a new character. xD
21:17 <Chad>: But I love storytelling and emotion and the flow of words on the page, so I guess I do ok in that world.
21:17 <J>: We're up to bookworm now. If anyone doesn't have a question, or is inactive, we'll move on to the next person in line, to keep things moving smoothly.
21:17 <bookworm>: My question was already answered. :) (How you got involved in AiO when you weren't a voice actor)
21:18 <Chad>: Dumb luck.
21:18 Mel quit
21:18 <J>: How about you, Brownie?
21:18 <J>: She's been away a bit, so she might not be on now.
21:18 <Chad>: My whole career has been much like Forrest Gump. I work hard at what I do, and I get lucky and meet interesting people who have ideas about how I might work with them in some capacity.
21:19 <Chad>: Well, and I think God makes divine appointments.
21:19 <baysimp>: He sure does.
21:19 <Chad>: Luck isn't really a thing. It's about preparation and setting your intent, and then being in the places where creative people hang out.
21:20 <Chad>: @bookworm you have any other questions?
21:20 <bookworm>: Not at the moment :)
21:20 <J>: All righty. If KODY105, Kotlclvr, or l have any questions, now'd be a good time for that.
21:20 <Kotlclvr13>: May I ask one?
21:21 <Chad>: Hit me.
21:21 <baysimp>: you already did. ;)
21:21 <Kotlclvr13>: I just gotta say, this is really cool! This is the closest I’ve ever come to meeting anyone associated with Odyssey lol. I guess my question would be, did/do you ever listen to episodes you were in? I know I don’t like to hear my singing played back to me and was wondering if it’s similar for you 😅
21:22 <Chad>: When I was a kid I definitely listened to them back. It took quite some time for them to be edited, adding sound FX, music, etc. But they'd send us the cassettes (and then CDs) of the episodes we worked on.
21:22 <Chad>: I listened back to some of the Green Ring Conspiracy episodes. It was like... "What DO I sound like?"
21:23 <Chad>: If I were trying to be a full-time voice actor, I would def listen to everything and dissect it.
21:23 <Chad>: I listen back to every singing / writing gig I work on endlessly
21:24 <Chad>: It's a CRITICAL part of refining your artistic process.
21:24 <Kotlclvr13>: I should probably work on that aspect then 😂
21:24 <Kotlclvr13>: I don’t like hearing my voice lolll
21:24 <Chad>: How old are you, if I may ask?
21:24 <Kotlclvr13>: 18
21:24 <Bren>: I always hate hearing my voice back as well
21:25 <Bren>: Especially when I was podcasting years back
21:25 <Chad>: That's the lame part about being young. It's hard to feel secure in yourself and be self-critical.
21:25 <Chad>: I totally get it.
21:25 <Kotlclvr13>: ya definitely lol
21:25 <Chad>: That's one nice thing about being older. There are good and bad things about each age and stage, but I much prefer being in my 40s and knowing FOR SURE what I'm good at and bad at and being ok with it.
21:26 <Kotlclvr13>: Haha true
21:26 <Kotlclvr13>: the world is changing so quickly too it’s hard to know which direction to go
21:26 <Chad>: Creatively?
21:26 <Kotlclvr13>: ya
21:26 <Chad>: Or just in general?
21:26 <Kotlclvr13>: well both kinda idk lol
21:26 <Bren>: @KODY105 @l do either of you have a question for Chad?
21:26 <J>: They may both be away; it looks like Nini is too.
21:27 <J>: L did reply to me, so we might hear from her in a minute, though.
21:27 <Chad>: Creatively, you have to go where A: You're passionate enough for the long haul, and B: People are affirming that you have exceptional gifting.
21:27 <Kotlclvr13>: that’s really good
21:27 <Chad>: That is, if it's something you're trying to do professionally.
21:27 <Kotlclvr13>: in that case, I may be close then 😊
21:27 <Chad>: If it's a hobby, just follow your passion and let it bless you.
21:28 <Chad>: But if it's professional, you have to listen to people giving you feedback, and your mom and dad don't count (although they're great.)
21:28 <Kotlclvr13>: haha truuee
21:28 <Kotlclvr13>: I’m sometimes hesitant about starting out in the arts professionally
21:29 <Chad>: If you're trying to do something creatively as a profession, at some point a complete stranger needs to stop, and listen to you, look you in the eye and say "you have something special happening."
21:29 <Kotlclvr13>: Wow, ya definitely
21:30 <Chad>: Being a creative professional is not easy, but it is doable. The trick is being good at what you're doing, have the right attitude and professional mindset, and not being a slave to emotion.
21:30 <Kotlclvr13>: Hmm that’s good advice
21:30 <Chad>: Creative professionals STIR emotions, but the world of creativity is crazy, so if you can't control your emotions you're going to burn out.
21:31 <l>: My question kinda ties into this conversation of the arts in general. I know you mentioned being in music as a career. How do you push yourself to create new things and how do you know that what you are creating musically is expressing what you want it to?
21:31 <Chad>: Oh boy. Can of worms: Opened!
21:31 <Chad>: Ok, so over my career, I've done a bunch of different things. I have been a pro singer since I was a kid, and I still sing professionally on film / TV gigs.
21:32 <Chad>: If you saw Spiderman: No Way Home, you heard me singing in the choir.
21:32 <Kotlclvr13>: really??
21:32 <Chad>: Yup! I was in the choir session last October.
21:32 <Rose>: wow cool! hahaha
21:32 <Kotlclvr13>: that’s so cool!!
21:33 <Chad>: I started writing music in college, as well as learning digital music production. I wrote all kinds of things, pop songs, vocal arrangements, orchestral stuff.
21:33 <Chad>: Some was for my own fun, some was for assignments.
21:34 <Bren>: I took piano lessons for a few years but never really perfected it. I know only a couple chords
21:34 <Chad>: After college (like 1999-2005) I sang with my wife and another couple we knew trying to create original Christian vocal music like Avalon. Bought my first round of studio gear.
21:34 <Chad>: After we got married, I took a worship leading job at a local church, and I still lead worship (I share a job with my wife at our church).
21:34 <Kotlclvr13>: Aww that’s sweet
21:35 <l>: Indeed
21:35 <Chad>: I kept creating pop songs through about 2013, singing with my wife. Right around then I started getting hired by corporate and media friends to create original music for their projects.
21:36 <Kotlclvr13>: like, lots of lyric writing?
21:36 Kalynn joined #bchat
21:36 <Chad>: So, for about the last 10 years, when it comes to music I'm writing or creating, it's mostly instrumental underscore. Done a couple of indie movies, lots of large scale live events, etc.
21:36 Kalynn quit
21:36 <Chad>: I wrote a BUNCH of lyricsback in the day, but I haven't done that for some time. I miss it.
21:36 <Kotlclvr13>: I always find it hard to come up with lyrics 👀
21:36 <Kotlclvr13>: not that I try very much lol
21:37 <Chad>: My music (and overall artistic) career, has always been driven by the fact that I'm a husband and dad (we have 4 kids) and we live in Southern California which is expensive. I have to hustle hustle hustle, so I shift my attention to whatever kind of work is providing excellent income.
21:37 <Chad>: So, to answer the original question...
21:38 <Chad>: I totally believe in process and refinement as you grow as an artist. Repetition is critical and key.
21:38 <l>: I have family in SoCal so I am definitely familiar with the high cost of living down there :P
21:38 Lstorer joined #bchat
21:39 <Chad>: So like... I've led worship at something like 2,700 worship services. I don't count, but when I multiply years + weekends + number of worship services, its somewhere like 2,700 or more.
21:39 FiloFoyle joined #bchat
21:40 <Chad>: So, obviously with that many under my belt, I almost don't have to ask questions like, "Is it good? Was it a good Sunday?" I can tell as it's happening. Not because I'm so special or smart, but just because I've done it so many times my mind is free to evaluate in real time.
21:40 FiloFoyle quit
21:40 <Chad>: Same with writing music. I've written SO MANY CUES. I have some favorites, and I have some that are half-baked because of a fast deadline.
21:41 <Chad>: So in terms of pushing myself, its more like... just sheer volume of the work over the years tends to create that kind of refinement and improvement.
21:41 <Chad>: I feel like we're on a rabbit trail.
21:41 <Chad>: Wanna have someone ask a question?
21:41 <J>: How about you, Rose?
21:43 <l>: Thanks for the response! The concept of repetition is hard because that means having to start and know that you're not always going to be happy with what you create, but I guess that's just how you get to the point of knowing what is good.
21:43 <Bren>: I think you helped @Kotlclvr13 on this trail. Plus, it fits with my relaxed feel for this particular chat session
21:43 Bonnie joined #bchat
21:43 <Rose>: I have no question other than, did you enjoy playing the bullies? :p
21:43 <Kotlclvr13>: loll 😂
21:43 <Chad>: Hah! Yeah I was typecast for awhile there!
21:43 <Rose>: xD
21:43 <Chad>: I was like, "What do I have a punchable voice?"
21:43 <Kotlclvr13>: 😂
21:44 <Rose>: You were so good at it, haha
21:44 <Kotlclvr13>: Is there a certain character that you liked playing? Or really resonated with?
21:44 <Chad>: I mean... I definitely have an outside voice.
21:44 Bonnie quit
21:44 Bonnie joined #bchat
21:45 <Bonnie>: Hello
21:45 <J>: Aloha, Bonnie!
21:45 <Chad>: True story: I work for a guy whos a HUGE music producer in TV and film. He said I was the loudest singer he'd ever heard in his life, and he's produced Kelly Clarkson and Celine Dion. I was like, "I mean... I can sing softer."
21:45 Lstorer quit
21:45 <Kotlclvr13>: Whoooaaa 😂
21:45 <baysimp>: xD
21:45 <Chad>: Kotlclvr13 I loved doing the episode about the dude who ended up writing and reading the poem.
21:45 <Chad>: I can't remember the character name...
21:46 <Chad>: It's like right on the tip of my tongue.
21:46 <Chad>: But I'm blanking.
21:46 <Bonnie>: Wait so I can't remember. Who do you play in AIO?
21:46 <J>: I think that's Leslie, in the episode where the gangs are at the retreat center.
21:46 <J>: Mr. Reisser is best known for playing Monty Whittaker.
21:46 <J>: But he also has played many minor characters, like Billy Barton or a young Tom Riley.
21:46 <Bonnie>: Ohhhhh ok now I remember
21:46 <Chad>: I remember that session really specifically, because when it came time to do the poem, my musical training really carried that scene. I can't remember if it was Paul or Phil but they were like... "OK we didn't know if that was actually gonna work but you really sold it."
21:46 <Chad>: YES. Leslie.
21:47 <Kotlclvr13>: That was such a moving scene
21:47 <Chad>: So, I just really like it when my specific skillset has a place to do good work.
21:47 <Rose>: haha wow. that's awesome.
21:47 <Kotlclvr13>: I think I first heard you as Chaz Wentworth 😂
21:47 <J>: I think we're past the organized Q&A phase, and the clock is winding down, so it's a good time to officially open the discussion up.
21:48 <Bonnie>: Yes Chaz Wentworth is hilarious
21:48 <Kotlclvr13>: he’a great 😂
21:48 <Chad>: Which episode is that?
21:48 <Kotlclvr13>: Camp what a nut
21:48 <Bonnie>: Don't worry, little boss- Marco
21:48 <Chad>: That's a really early episode right?
21:48 <J>: Very.
21:48 <Kotlclvr13>: album 2 is THE most nostalgic album for me lol
21:48 <Bonnie>: Yep
21:48 <Kotlclvr13>: yepp
21:48 <Bonnie>: 2nd album
21:48 <J>: In that one, you play a *rich* bully.
21:48 <Kotlclvr13>: like, ‘88
21:49 <Bren>: He also played Craig Moorhead in The Life of The Party
21:49 <Bren>: episode 2 of AIO
21:49 <Bren>: which aired on the radio today
21:49 <J>: Your character ends up getting sprayed by a skunk.
21:49 <Chad>: NOOOOO
21:49 <Chad>: I get sprayed by a skunk?
21:50 <Kotlclvr13>: yaa 😂
21:50 <Chad>: I feel personally attacked.
21:50 <J>: I'm afraid so. You deserved it, though.
21:50 <J>: If that helps satisfy your sense of justice. ;)
21:50 <Bonnie>: Haha yes he did
21:50 <Chad>: No joke, we have a skunk nemesis in our neighborhood.
21:50 <Kotlclvr13>: Chaz tried to get revenge on Marco but it backfired on him 😂
21:50 <Bonnie>: That episode always makes me laugh
21:51 <Chad>: Good grief, I recorded that 34 years ago.
21:51 <Kotlclvr13>: wowww that’s crazyyy
21:51 <J>: Do you still keep in touch with many of the actors or actresses from back in the day?
21:51 <Rose>: Some of the episodes I've listened to the most are the ones with Monty.
21:52 <Chad>: J no I don't really. :/
21:52 Ritz joined #bchat
21:52 <Kotlclvr13>: was there any kid actor that you were especially close to while doing Odyssey?
21:52 <J>: It's natural that people drift apart somewhat over time, with their lives and responsibilities diverging. It's a little sad, though. You never know, when you're with a group, when it's going to be the last time you're all going to be together.
21:53 <Chad>: Well, I'd say Sage Bolte was the kid I knew the best.
21:53 <Bonnie>: The actor who plays Janna, Monty's mom was in a more recent episode
21:53 <Bonnie>: Not very recent though
21:53 <Kotlclvr13>: that’s cool! Is she similar to Robyn at all?
21:53 <baysimp>: Were you ever around for any Will Ryan ukulele sessions in the studio?
21:53 <Chad>: He would just play!
21:53 <Chad>: Inbetween takes or on breaks.
21:53 <Chad>: He was a goofball, for sure.
21:53 <Chad>: IN a lovely way.
21:54 <Rose>: Oh that would have been so fun.
21:54 <J>: I think they said that Sage and Erin's sessions didn't require a lot of acting when they were together.
21:54 <J>: I wouldn't be surprised if the characters were similar to their personalities.
21:54 <Kotlclvr13>: yaa I love that 😂
21:54 <Kotlclvr13>: me and my sister are totally Robyn and Melanie lolll
21:55 <Chad>: Recording sessions are not always easy spaces to make friends and lounge about.
21:55 <Chad>: The clock is always ticking.
21:55 <Chad>: And someone is paying for the time.
21:55 CATEIN joined #bchat
21:56 <Rose>: Hello, Catein. :)
21:56 <J>: That's a good note to indicate that it's time to wind down on the questions; we don't want Chad paying for our time. ;)
21:56 <Chad>: Although I do have funny memories, back when the recording studio was actually AT the Focus headquarters in Pomona, we'd take a break as a cast and crew and go to the cafeteria and have a lunch break.
21:56 <Chad>: You're fine.
21:56 <Chad>: I'm not watching the clock.
21:56 <Chad>: This spot in my day is kind of a dead zone.
21:57 <Chad>: My boys are at Awana. My wife is home putting our youngest daughter to sleep.
21:57 <Chad>: I'll bail in a little bit.
21:57 <J>: That's cool; we just didn't want to pressure you, if you had to leave on time.
21:57 <Chad>: I appreciate the consideration.
21:57 <Chad>: Don't worry, I'm assertive. I'll go if I need to go.
21:57 <baysimp>: How old are your kids?
21:57 <Bren>: Just so long as we aren't taking away from family time. I know it's brief with all your current projects
21:58 <Chad>: They're spread out! I have a daughter who's 18 and a freshman at Pepperdine, my older son is 16, my younger son is almost 11, and my youngest is 2.
21:58 <Chad>: She was... *ahem* unexpected.
21:58 <Bonnie>: Oh wow. I'm 18 too
21:58 <Kotlclvr13>: Sameee
21:58 <Bren>: I for one appreciate you giving us your time
21:58 <J>: I think this question is obligatory for any actor or actress who has kids; have they listened to any of the episodes that you were in?
21:59 <Chad>: Yes, my 10 year old son found an old box of AIO stuff and would listen through it.
21:59 <Kotlclvr13>: that’s so cute
21:59 <l>: This might be another kinda loaded question so if it's too much to answer right now no worries. Both in your work as a worship leader and acting on AIO (but probably more the former), you're trying to lead people closer to God. How do you make sure be drawn closer to Him in the process?
21:59 <Chad>: l That is a very thoughtful question.
21:59 <Kotlclvr13>: did you tell them that it’s you on there?
22:00 <Chad>: Kotlclvr13 yes he got a kick out of it.
22:00 <Kotlclvr13>: that’s so cute 😂
22:00 <Rose>: I'm sure it's neat having your childhood voice be preserved in a show like Odyssey.
22:00 <Chad>: @ l
22:00 <Chad>: I would just say that my general philosophy on my Christian walk is the same as my approach to getting better at your artistic craft. Keep showing up.
22:00 <Chad>: Don't relent.
22:01 <Chad>: Question, refine, question again, refine again. Rinse and repeat.
22:01 <l>: I'm currently planning to go more into dance and specifically using dance as a form of worship/to bring people to God so I'm kinda trying to figure out how to perform as in excel in my task, but then also still know where my place in it is.
22:01 <Bonnie>: You know, I only recently discovered that I can actually talk to Odyssey actors online. I totally would have done it sooner if I could have 😢
22:01 <Chad>: Hah!
22:01 <l>: So that's why I have such loaded questions :P
22:02 <l>: I really appreciate your answers thank you!
22:02 <Kotlclvr13>: Wait where do you talk to Odyssey actors? lolll I’m so behind 😂
22:02 <Chad>: l Well, I think it's important to relieve yourself of the idea that you are gonna change the world or impact the kingdom with your art.
22:03 <Chad>: Kingdom impact / world change belongs to The Holy Spirit.
22:03 Eugene joined #bchat
22:03 <Bonnie>: Facebook or email are good ways
22:03 <Kotlclvr13>: Ahhh ok cool
22:03 <Chad>: God directs the path, IMO.
22:03 <Chad>: Not to suggest you should divorce your art from your faith.
22:03 <Chad>: I just think people really overthink it.
22:04 <l>: Right, that makes sense. Art is a powerful tool, but the power in it ultimately comes from God.
22:04 <Rose>: I agree.
22:04 <Chad>: Focus on you, your work, your excellence, etc. But understand that God is observing, and that God has a plan for how to deploy your art. When preparation meets opportunity, you'll know.
22:05 <Bonnie>: So what was your most recent Odyssey episode, Chad?
22:05 <Chad>: But like... I see a lot of Church / Christian folks putting WAAAAY too much weight onto themselves to make their art out to be some kind of game changing thing.
22:06 <Chad>: Bonnie I think it was The Long End episodes.
22:06 AREM joined #bchat
22:06 <AREM>: How old is Whit?
22:07 <Bren>: That is correct
22:07 <Chad>: So it's been a minute since I've done one.
22:07 <Bonnie>: Ohhhh ok yes I have the album those are in
22:07 <baysimp>: 65, right?
22:07 <J>: We have all kinds of complicated calculations we can use to answer that, AREM. But the AIO team's stance is that he is ageless.
22:08 <Kotlclvr13>: Using my brother’s young whit books, I’m pretty sure he’s 98 lol
22:08 <Bonnie>: Isn't Arem an Odyssey thing? Wasn't that the name Mitch used to talk online?
22:08 <CATEIN>: yes
22:08 <Kotlclvr13>: Yaa
22:08 <J>: Does anyone else have any questions for Chad?
22:08 <Bren>: The Long End first aired in 2019
22:09 <Chad>: I have no idea how Covid affected their production schedule.
22:09 <Rose>: I don't imagine current Odyssey in 2022. But that's just me.
22:09 <Bonnie>: Same. It's seems like early 2000s if anything
22:09 <Kotlclvr13>: is there something you wish you could do differently as far as acting on Odyssey in general?
22:09 <Chad>: It's literally like... a call or email comes in "Hey Chad! Are you around on such and such a day?" And if I don't have something I can't move, I do the gig!
22:10 <Rose>: That's awesome
22:10 <Rose>: haha
22:10 <Bonnie>: Oh sounds cool
22:10 <CATEIN>: Chad What is your favourite episode you recorded with Hal Smith?
22:11 <Chad>: Kotlclvr13 I mean... I hold onto everything AIO related really loosely. I'm always happy to do it, but it's almost like when an old friend comes to town. It's instantly familiar, but it's like they don't live in town anymore, you know?
22:11 <Bonnie>: So Chad, weren't you also Digger Digwillow?
22:11 <J>: (Be sure to slow down a bit, y'all. He can only answer one or maybe two questions at a time.)
22:11 <J>: (And yes, he was.)
22:12 <Chad>: For some reason, I have a memory of doing "Whit's Flop" back in the day.
22:12 <Chad>: I think that was the first time I was like, "Oh jeez you were like Elmer Fudd and Winnie the Pooh."
22:12 <Chad>: He was telling Mel Blanc stories, if my memory serves.
22:13 <Kotlclvr13>: Haha that woulda been so cool 😄
22:13 <Rose>: Were you ever nervous as a kid to act with the pros?
22:13 <Chad>: No... I always felt like if I wasn't doing it right they wouldn't call me back.
22:13 <Chad>: I would just really key into the directors. If they were happy, I knew it was ok.
22:14 <Rose>: =D
22:14 <Chad>: Plus, I was getting paid to skip school, soooooo
22:14 <Bren>: From what we've been told, they recorded 2 episodes a day
22:14 <Rose>: Hahaha, even better!
22:14 <Kotlclvr13>: I love that 😂
22:14 <Chad>: Bren that sounds right.
22:14 <baysimp>: I'd go for that!
22:14 <Bren>: You played Ralph in Whit's Flop
22:14 <Chad>: I think so.
22:15 <Rose>: Ralph started your career as a bully. xD
22:15 <Bren>: and Craig in The Life of the Party
22:15 <Bren>: so you were there basically the whole day
22:16 <J>: What was it like acting with D.J. Harner? She played Monty's mother, and y'all had some pretty intense 'discussions'.
22:16 <Bonnie>: I didn't realize he was that many characters
22:16 <Chad>: Hmmm... TBH I don't remember.
22:16 <Kotlclvr13>: If you don’t mind my asking, since you’ve been around since the beginning of Odyssey, how did the deaths of the actors affect you? I know how they’ve affected me and I’ve never even met them. Sorry if that’s too personal
22:16 <baysimp>: aiowiki says he played 29
22:17 <Bonnie>: Oh that's a good question. I am wondering the same
22:17 <Chad>: I mean, I feel it emotionally at some level. I wouldn't see them all that often so I didn't feel that immediate loss.
22:17 <Chad>: I remember thinking Hal seemed very elderly to me as a kid.
22:17 <Chad>: He seemed older than my Grandpa.
22:18 <J>: He may have been. Google says he was 77 when he passed.
22:18 <J>: That was back in '94.
22:18 <KODY105>: Wow, 77 sounds younger and younger these days.
22:18 <Chad>: I mean, when you're 11 everyone seems elderly.
22:19 <Kotlclvr13>: Sometimes it seems silly that I found Odyssey actors’ deaths so emotional 🥲
22:19 <KODY105>: Here I thought Hal Smith had died at a ripe old age.
22:19 <baysimp>: I don't think it's silly.
22:19 <Bren>: It's really like losing legends
22:19 <Chad>: If anything, when Will died, the first person I really thought of was Katie. I don't know either of them well, but when I was there I could tell they had a deep friendship.
22:20 <Kotlclvr13>: Me too
22:20 <Bonnie>: Me too
22:20 <Chad>: I think it's very emotional when a creative person dies who's meant a lot to you.
22:20 <Kotlclvr13>: I can’t imagine what she’d be going through
22:20 l quit
22:20 <Chad>: I think I should probably get going here pretty soon.
22:20 <Bren>: it's a generation of actors who won't come back around
22:20 <Kotlclvr13>: ya, it feels like losing a friend I’ve known my whole life 🥲
22:20 <Chad>: Any last questions? Points of discussion?
22:20 <Bonnie>: Same, my family is about to eat a late dinner. It's 9:20 here
22:21 <J>: @ Chad - We appreciate you taking the extra time (on top of the time you had already committed).
22:21 <Kotlclvr13>: It’s 10:21 here lol
22:21 <baysimp>: 10:21 here
22:21 <Chad>: You're all welcome. :)
22:21 <Kotlclvr13>: Yes, thanks so much, this was so cool!!
22:21 <Chad>: I'm so glad AIO has meant what it's meant for all of you.
22:21 <baysimp>: Thank you so much!
22:21 <Rose>: It's been fun!
22:21 <Chad>: Sure!
22:21 <Bonnie>: Yes thank you! This was very interesting
22:21 <Chad>: God bless you all.
22:22 <J>: I wanted to let you know that I appreciated the discussion. It would have been easy for this to be stilted and scripted, but you let it flow naturally.
22:22 <Chad>: I like talking to people.
22:22 <Bonnie>: Same
22:22 AREM quit
22:22 Chad quit
22:22 CATEIN quit
22:22 <J>: Well, thank all of you for coming on here. We hope to have more live chats in the future, so stay tuned for more information about those!
22:22 <Kotlclvr13>: That was so cool!
22:22 AREM joined #bchat
22:23 <Kotlclvr13>: thanks for organizing that, guys!
22:23 <J>: As you probably know by now, we represent the Town of Odyssey forum (at thetoo.com). If you like these kinds of discussions, you can drop onto the main IRC server channel at #aio any time.
22:23 <J>: We can't promise it will always be as busy as it is now, but it's been a great place for general and AIO-related discussion in the past, as our regulars can attest.
22:24 <Kotlclvr13>: well I’d better go now but thanks again to everyone that helped organize this 😊
22:24 <Bonnie>: Ok bye!
22:24 <J>: Thanks again for making this event a part of your lives. We hope to put up a full transcript soon for anyone who may have missed earlier parts of it. Let God work in your lives, take care of yourselves, and we hope to see you again soon!
22:24 Kotlclvr13 quit
22:24 <Bren>: Thank you all for coming
We'd like to thank Mr. Reisser for making the time for us, bookworm for his assistance in logging the chat, and snubs (along with others, including Audio Theatre Central) for their help in promoting the event. snubs even made a lovely custom banner for it, which is objectively nicer than ours. Note the use of the official ToO colours!
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Thanks to all of our guests for their participation in the event. We hope to run at least one more similar event during our term, so keep watching for further information on that!
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Bren
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I hope those who were able to make it had a good time.
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