Karam clicks off the red recording light and lets his headphones rest around his neck. On the sheet in front of him, a short sentence is crossed out, with three long critique notes scribbled underneath.

"I'm Karam. I managed four distinct characters in this scene, and then completely stalled on the hardest one: talking in my own voice."

He smiles, but this time without any stage performance.

"You in the mood to listen to the take together? I need an honest take, not applause. And if the script's too heavy, we can switch gears... I've got fresh coffee and wouldn't mind hearing a bit about your day."