Gus Bottazzi trained at NYU and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, walked away from acting for 30 years, then came back through a Facebook audition notice. Now he directs and runs Connecticut's longest running community theatre.

This one is for the theater lovers, actors, the directors, and anyone who's ever stood backstage with their heart pounding.

Inside this episode:
His actor's-director philosophy: your instinct first, his vision second
The Lawrence Olivier line that explains why anyone gets on stage at all
What changes the day you go from acting to directing
The night a set piece broke mid scene and the whole cast improvised live
The speech he gives the cast after a crowd goes cold
Why a 68 seat black box beats a giant theatre for raw energy every time

If you've ever done community theater, this conversation will feel like home.

Theatre is alive. It's loud. It's messy. And it might be sitting right down the street from you.

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#newtown #newtownct #connecticut #theatre #acting #directorspotlight #community #talkshow #podcast

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Mario owns 150 bottles of tequila. He's certified. He doesn't even drink most of them.

His favorite? Casa Noble. Same tequila brand backed by Carlos Santana.

Come taste it yourself at his next tequila tasting.
📍 Mexcla, South Main Street, Newtown

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Mario from Mexcla Restaurant in Newtown takes us for a wild ride through tacos, tequila, and the secret behind his famous guacamole. Spoiler: it's not lime juice. He guards that recipe so close that customers literally buy the secret juice off him just to try and recreate it at home.

We talk Birria tacos people beg for even when they're off the menu. We talk tequila education from a certified expert who owns 150 bottles he doesn't even drink. We talk the upcoming tequila tasting, a future speakeasy bar upstairs, and two state trophies for best tacos in Connecticut.

Mario opened this spot 16 months ago and some of his customers go back 27 years. That's not a restaurant. That's a family.

Watch the full conversation and find out why people drive across town for Birria that’s not on the menu…

Mexcla Restaurant is on South Main Street in Newtown.

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What if the town you live in had stories you never knew? In Episode 9 of Newtown on the Air, we talked with Ben Cruson, Newtown's Town Historian, to dig up the wild, heartbreaking, and hilarious stories hiding behind the landmarks you pass every day.

You'll hear about a 1820 Main Street that smelled like horses, a UFO sighting that turned out to be a prank kite, 5,000 French soldiers camped in a town of just 3,000, a widower who ran down railroad tracks after his wife's casket caught fire, and the gossip that haunted one of Newtown's most generous women.

Whether you're a lifelong Newtown resident or just love a great story, this episode will change how you see the place around you.

Subscribe so you never miss a story.

#Newtown #LocalHistory #NewtownCT #ConnecticutHistory #NewtownOnTheAir #history #connecticut

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Unaffiliated voters are the largest—and most powerful—group in town. The question is: will they show up?

Ahead of the May 26 caucus, this conversation cuts right to what’s at stake—clean water, open space, strong schools—and why so many are rallying behind Michelle Embree Ku, a proven advocate who’s been showing up for Newtown when it matters most.

If you’ve been watching from the sidelines, this is your moment to get in the game.

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#NewtownCT #NewtownOnTheAir #Conservation #MapleCraftFoods #CivicPride #LocalLeaders #NewtownCommunity #news #media #podcast #talkshow #localnews

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Dave Ackert is a doer.

In Episode 8 of Newtown on the Air, we talk with one of Newtown's most engaged citizens — conservationist, entrepreneur, activist, and neighbor. Dave talks about what it really means to show up for your community, and why he keeps doing it even when it's hard, inconvenient, and unpopular.

We cover it all — the fight to save Castle Hill, the decade-long battle that protected 6 Commerce Road forever, why Newtown's single source aquifer is at risk, how Maple Craft Foods grew out of a backyard pool and a neighborhood maple tree, and why unaffiliated voters are the silent majority that can change everything.

This is a conversation about civic pride, community action, and what happens when one person refuses to sit on the sidelines.


How One Newtown Activist Is Protecting Land, Building Community, and Driving Change

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