Meet Spencer Cohen

We were lucky to catch up with Spencer Cohen recently and have shared our conversation below.

Spencer, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.

Well, that really began when I was growing up, performing on stage in musicals and plays. My parents saw that at a young age I had an animated personality. They thought it would be a good idea for me to go to theater camp to further develop my interest in performing. And that’s how it all began! I was in a variety of summer camp productions over the course of 10 years.

Along the way, I became involved with my town’s community theater, where I performed in shows such as Peter Pan, A Christmas Carol, Disney’s High School Musical 2, Grease, and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.

I was also fortunate to perform in a number of school productions. In middle school, I got to portray Winthrop in The Music Man and Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls. And in high school, I got to perform in lots of musicals and plays, my favorite being Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, in which I portrayed Cogsworth (the clock).

In college, I studied theatre, which is when I really got the chance to develop my craft. I took a number of acting and performance-related courses and grew not only as a performer, but as a person.

By acting on stage in front of large audiences and pursuing my love for performing, I was able to develop my confidence and self-esteem, which also allowed me to explore my interests outside of acting, including puppetry and music.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

As an actor, I’ve appeared in various short films, including Kane Films’ The Reptilian Man From Planet X. Additionally, I have worked as a background extra on a variety of projects such as Boardwalk Empire, Gossip Girl, Succession, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, and Mr. Robot.

In addition to acting, I’ve been involved with puppetry for over a decade now. I currently work as a puppeteer for Lucky Duck Puppets, where I perform puppet shows throughout the New York Tri-State area and beyond. I have also worked with other groups such as NYC’s Puppet Shakespeare Players, Puppet Showplace Theater, The Josh and Tamra Show, Paper Heart Puppets, and Bronxville Sprouts. My puppetry has been featured on PBS NewsHour and in the Connecticut Post.

I have a number of original puppet characters, my favorite being Burger the Monster. I began performing Burger back in college. Starting in 2017, I began performing with the Puppet Shakespeare Players, which is when I got to puppeteer Burger in our group’s Off-Off-Broadway productions of Puppet Macbeth, Puppet Romeo & Juliet, Puppet Hamlet, and Puppet Julius Caesar. With Burger, I joined TikTok (@burgerthemonster) in March 2020, where “we” have gained over 10.5K followers, with two of my videos going viral. My content has garnered attention from brands and celebrities including WWE and Singer-Songwriter Melissa Etheridge.

In addition to Burger, I am the puppeteer and co-creator of Geartrude the Robot for Building Wings’ ReadtopiaGO. What’s nice about working on ReadtopiaGO is that I also have the opportunity to write and compose the songs that Geartrude and her puppet pals sing, all while educating kids through the power of puppetry and music!

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

The ability to adapt, which I learned thanks to two people: my father and my buddy Shane. On one’s journey, life will throw a lot of curve balls. Therefore, it’s important to be able to adapt in any situation when unexpected occurrences may arise.

My sense of humor has significantly impacted my journey. I like to make people laugh, whether it be on stage, on camera, or when I’m hanging with my friends and family.

Music would be an area of knowledge that has definitely impacted my journey. I have always loved to sing, which was a skill that benefited me back when I did musical theater. Then when I was 14, I started to learn to play the guitar, which led to me playing many tunes, from Paul Simon’s “Mother and Child Reunion” to Kermit the Frog’s “Rainbow Connection.” I began performing at local open mic nights, concerts, and venues, and writing my own music.

But the greatest gift that music has brought me? Many of the people that I am close with. In high school, I was fortunate to take Music Theory and AP Music Theory, which is when I became friends with my pal Tim, who I’m still very close with. I got to perform at open mics with my buddy Zak, a talented pianist and guitarist. And one of my fondest memories was performing Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” with my brother Ryan on trombone. Most recently, my buddy Conor and I formed our band JUICE, in which we’ve been writing and performing some energetic tunes, as well as some of our favorite covers.

My advice for anyone starting out on their journey? Find your happiness. Once you are happy, you can then focus on developing your knowledge and skills.

What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?

This is a two-part answer (sorry not sorry). At a very young age, my mom and dad introduced me to Sesame Street and Warner Bros. cartoons, which have had a significant impact on my sense of humor and overall work as a performing artist.

Additionally, my parents taught me the importance of love and kindness, which is one of the greatest gifts anyone has ever given me.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Jessy Dunn and her amazing team (main photo)

Suggest a Story: BoldJourney is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems,
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Leadership Development
Empathy Unlocked: Understanding how to Develop Emotional Intelligence

“Empathy is the starting point for creating a community and taking action. It’s the impetus

Productivity
Where do you get your work ethic from?

We’ve all heard the phrase “work hard, play hard,” but where does our work ethic

Productivity
Boosting Productivity Through Self-Care

When you have a never-ending to-do list it can feel irresponsible to engage in self-care,