Onstage/Offstage Theatre Podcast

#205: Robert J. LeBlanc

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 00:02:00 -0600

Robert is an award-winning playwright, actor, voice actor, and artist as well as the producer, head writer, host, improviser, and designer of the comedy ensemble, Balderdash Academy. He is also the owner and lead writer of the interactive mystery-comedy company Sleuths Mystery Entertainment.

Facebook / New Play Exchange / Balderdash Academy

Sleuths Mystery Entertainment

#204: Gwydion Suilebhan

Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:03:00 -0600

American playwright, essayist, cultural critic, and arts advocate who serves as executive director of the PEN/Faulkner Foundation as well as the Project Director of the New Play Exchange for the National New Play Network

#203: Rachel Rubin Ladutke

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 06:02:11 -0600

Playwright, Director, Teacher, Mom, Ally. Her zoom podcast “States of Play” which serves as a place for playrights to hear their work out loud—sometimes for the first time--is now in its fifth year and still going strong. She's a lifelong theatre professional and strong advocate for local community theatres and especially theatre for younger audiences.

Website | States of Play | Facebook

X | New Play Exchange | Halifax Theatre for Young People

#202: Alexandra Meda

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 05:35:35 -0600

Alexandra Meda is a nationally recognized cultural strategist, artistic director, and transformation architect working at the intersection of ensemble-based praxis, systemic change, and collective restoration. With a foundation in devised theater, stage direction, and an expansive practice that spans strategy, facilitation, and immersive experience design, she guides institutions through moments of reckoning, realignment, and radical reimagining.

#201: Dr. Kate Busselle

Fri, 01 May 2026 00:01:00 -0600

Kate Busselle is the founder of Heartland Intimacy Design & Training, an intimacy training company which offers academic, accessible, and affordable intimacy training entirely online. She is also Assistant Professor of Movement and Stage Combat at the University of Oklahoma. It's a it like making stage intimacy and illustrating combat safe for all performers? Let's find out!

Kate's Website / Heartland Intimacy / Facebook

Instagram / Instagram - Heartland Intimacy

#200! Rachel Feeny-Williams

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 00:01:00 -0600

We welcome back a longtime friend and colleague and one of the hardest working theatre professionals, Rachel Feeny-Williams. Rachel's a playwright of no mean ability and a startling fecundity, the mastermind behind one of the first mid-covid zoom theatre gatherings, the Literary and Discourse Society, and now single-handedly produces Theatrical Shenanigans, a podcast that produces short audio plays and panel discussions which is now in its millionth year with how many episodes...?

RFW Website / Theatrical Shenanigans / Facebook

Instagram / YouTube / New Play Exchange

#199: Creative Pathways

Sun, 01 Mar 2026 00:09:00 -0600

Eve Kerrigan and Ana Bess Moyer Bell are part of a team comprised of artists, social workers, language translators, and organizers from Creative Pathways, a program that teaches English as a second language to refugees and newly arrived Americans using theatre. They employ the tools of nonfiction and documentary theatre specifically to help English learners develop their voices literally and figuratively.

Genesis Center / Eve's website / Ana - LinkedIn

Eve - Facebook

#198: John Minigan

Sun, 01 Feb 2026 00:01:00 -0600

Ep. 198, February 2026. John Minigan is an award-winning playwright and a former high school teacher whose work Breaking the Shakespeare Code was recently presented by Gather by the Ghostlight at the Aiken Community Theatre in Aiken, South Carolina, and Le Chat Noir in Augusta, Georgia. One of his other works, Out of the Scorpions Nest will have just received a reading at The Barley Sheaf Players Annual Benefit Show: The Refinery in Lionville PA.

www.johnminigan.com / Facebook / Instagram / Bluesky
New Play Exchange

#197: Joe Swenson/Broken Arts Entertainment

Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:02:00 -0600

Joe Swenson is probably one of the busiest people in internet theatre. A playwright/producer/author and owner/president (including film producer/writer/director) at Broken Arts Entertainment.

Broken Arts Entertainment | Joe's website | Facebook | New Play Exchange |

#196: Jesus Granados

Mon, 01 Dec 2025 00:02:00 -0600

This month our guest is Jesus Granados, a high school coordinator, and english teacher at Complejo Educativo Santa Lucía in Santiago de Puriscal in the canton of San José in Costa Rica. Jesus is also an actor, director, and experienced theatre professional.

#195: Dave Osmundsen

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 00:06:00 -0600

Dave Osmundsen is autistic playwright / dramaturg / actor whose article “Finding Autistic Theatre Artists Is a Challenge (If You Make It a Challenge)” appeared in Howlround this past February. It's a terrific article and I wholly recommend reading it because it will definitely broaden your knowledge base around autism. In the article Dave addresses several questions of how the theatre world could include, accommodate, and better understand autistic theatre artists while also allowing those accommodations to enhance and strengthen not just the needs of autistic theatre artists but the needs of everyone involved in the theatre company.

Facebook | New Play Exchange

#194: Robert Weibezahl "Doughnut Disturb"

Mon, 01 Sep 2025 00:02:00 -0600

Robert Weibazahl is a playwright and a teacher whose play "Doughnut Disturb" is the third of our 2025 Diversity/Equity/Inclusion series.

Robert's website | Facebook | New Play Exchange | Bluesky

#193: Nick Maynard: "Things You See in the Rain"

Fri, 01 Aug 2025 06:44:15 -0600

Nick Maynard is a playwright from the UK who's worked professionally within the performing arts industry for a number of years, both commercially and academically, creating and facilitating over 300 different stage shows as writer, director or producer. His play “Things You See in the Rain” is the second of our 2025 Diversity/Equity/Inclusion-themed plays.

Nick's website | X/Twitter

#192: Cris Eli Blak

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 00:02:00 -0600

Cris Eli Blak is an emerging proud Black playwright and screenwriter whose work has been performed and produced around the world, from Off-Broadway; across the United States; on university stages; as well as in London, Australia, Ireland, and Canada.
He is the winner of the first Black Broadway Men Playwriting Intiative, the winner of the 2024 Charles M. Getchell New Play Award, and the first place winner of Atlanta Shakespeare Company's inaugural Muse of Fire BIPOC Playwriting Fesitval.
His short play, “Impact Turn,” was an immediate standout in the tidal wave of submissions for our 2025 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion plays.

Cris's Website | Facebook | Instagram

#191: Laura Shamas / Harriette Feliz

Sun, 01 Jun 2025 00:01:00 -0600

Our guests are playwright Laura Shamas and multidisciplinary artist Harriette Feliz, who are here to talk about Laura's play “Four Women in Red” which recently finished a run at the Victory Theatre in Burbank, CA. Harriette is one of the four cast members. “Four Women in Red” addresses the ongoing epidemic of violence against Native American women. Some of the material in this podcast may be unsettling to some audience members.

"Four Women in Red" review

Dept. of Interior - Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples

Dept. of Interior - Not Invisible Act Commission

#190: Philip Middleton Williams

Thu, 01 May 2025 00:02:00 -0600

Philip Middleton WIlliams has been produced around the world and published in many anthologies and seven of his plays by Next Stage Press. He has an MFA in playwriting from the University of Minnesota and a PhD in playwriting and dramatic criticism from the University of Colorado-Boulder. He also serves on the national advisory board of the William Inge Theatre Festival and the board of directors of the Midwest Dramatists Center.

Philip's website / Facebook / New Play Exchange

#189: Diane Quinn and Bill Fuller - Unseen Theatre

Tue, 01 Apr 2025 06:59:29 -0600

This month's guests are Diane Quinn and Bill Fuller, co-founders and driving force behind Unseen Theatre, an audio podcast showcasing (unproduced), original plays, featuring---something very much after my own heart---strong female protagonists, performed by SAG-AFTRA actors. Diane is Artistic Director/Co-Producer, and also has been an actor and playwright for Unseen Theatre, (and is additionally the podcast's marketing director). Bill, her Co-Producer, audio engineers every sonic second, composes and arranges the podcast's original music,(and handles web design, graphics) and is also a playwright.

Unseen Theatre website
Bill's website

To LISTEN to A Romance in the Air: https://tinyurl.com/43rbxmaw

To VOTE for A Romance in the Air

For the Full Festival listening for all the productions heard at the UK International Audio Drama Festival

#188: Svetlana Arestova

Sat, 01 Mar 2025 00:01:00 -0600

Svetlana Arestova is a literary translator and professor of translation at HSE University in Moscow, Russia. Her list of accomplishments is extensive, including translations of books by Andrew Sean Greer, Daniel Mason and Elizabeth Strout. We talk about the intricacies of translating not just words, but intent, meaning, and finding ways to make the differences of two linguistic cultures meet, especially for rthe genre of theatre, where the words—or is it the story?--are paramount.

Find her on Facebook!

#translation #playwriting #theatre #russian #svetlanaarestova

#187: Scott C. Sickles

Sat, 01 Feb 2025 00:01:00 -0600

Scott is an LGBTQ/neurodivergent/biracial Korean American writer. He has received five consecutive Writers Guild of America Awards for the daytime serial General Hospital, and numerous Emmy Award nominations. For over thirty years, his plays have been performed in New York City, his native Pittsburgh, across the United States, as well as internationally in Canada, Australia, the UK, Hungary, Singapore, Indonesia, Lebanon, and Dubai. His "Second World Trilogy," a speculative alt-history political/environmental love story, consists of three full-length plays spanning nearly 50 years. In addition, his sequence of short plays, "Playing on the Periphery," which tells the story of four LGBTQ+ third-graders, was previously presented as a concert reading by Reading Theatre Project, deep in red Pennsylvania. Monologues and scenes from the piece have been performed in “Don’t Say Gay” Florida.

Scott's website / Instagram / New Play Exchange

#186: Gene Kato

Wed, 01 Jan 2025 00:03:00 -0600

Gene Kato is the mastermind behind Next Stage Press, an online boutique publishing house that has grown exponentially over the past few years. Gene has singlehandedly created a showroom for hundreds of playwrights to market their creative opuses. A lively, fun interview with lots to talk about!

NPX / X / Facebook / Genekato.com

#genekato #publishing #playwriting #theatre #nextstagepress

#185: Play reading - Joey - Donald Loftus

Sun, 01 Dec 2024 00:02:00 -0600

Donald Loftus is a playwright/lyricist whose work has been performed around the globe and is one of the masterminds behind the online play reading group New York Pages. He's has written the book and lyrics to several musicals (Abbey Victoria, Pollyanna, ‘Round Duffy Square, and Illusion), and his one-acts have been presented in over 100 play festivals around the country. Donald's play “Joey” is the last of our 2024 Missing Home series.

DonaldLoftus.com / New Play Exchange

Facebook / Playwright's Center

#184: Play reading - Melting the Ice - JB Alexander

Fri, 01 Nov 2024 00:01:00 -0600

JB Alexander is a playwright, an actor, and sometimes he directs. This month we present his exceptional play “Melting the Ice,” a face-off between an ICE officer and a lawyer who won't take no for an answer. This is the third in our 2024 "Missing Home” series.

#jbalexander #playwriting #theatre #ice #detention #separatedfamily #refugees #immigration

#183: Play reading - "Where Do We Go?" / Raymond Alvin

Tue, 15 Oct 2024 00:02:00 -0600

Danny's on the run and hiding out from a guy who should never have been crossed. Good thing he's got his best friend Charlie with him. Featuring Sean Kimber as Danny and George Sapio as Charlie. Plus, we have a very down-to-Earth talk with the playwright, Raymond Alvin. Come join us!

Raymond's Facebook page

#182: Play reading - Shakespeare Lives! - Mark Harvey Levine

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 00:01:00 -0600

Mark is well known throughout the theatre world, having had over 2100 productions of his short plays everywhere from Bangalore to Bucharest and from Seoul to Sao Paulo. His plays have won over 45 awards, been produced in more than ten languages and have been published in over two dozen anthologies. His comedy “Shakespeare Lives!” is one of our two selections for our scary-themed October slots.

#markharveylevine #shakespeare #williamshakespeare #playwriting #shakespearelives

MarkHarveyLevine.com / NPX / Facebook / Instagram

#181: Gregg T. Daniel

Sun, 01 Sep 2024 00:01:00 -0600

Gregg T. Daniel is an actor, director, and educator who is currently midway through the mammoth journey of directing all of August Wilson's American Century Cycle, ten plays that reflect the African-American experience in the United States. This October he'll present Wilson's Pulitzer prize winning “The Piano Lesson.” We also chat about his extensive 30+ year career on stage, television, movies, and teaching at USC.

IMDB | Facebook | Lower Depth Theatre Co. | Instagram | Wikipedia

#180: Play Reading - "Silver Linings" by Alicia Ana Hernandez-Roulet

Thu, 01 Aug 2024 00:01:00 -0600

#180! "Silver Linings" is the next play in our 2024 "Missing Home" series. Alicia Ana Hernandez-Roulet is the playwright and we have a marvelous conversation with her about the play, her work, the importance of family, and (of course) chicharrones!

Alicia's NPX page

#179: Play reading: Decisions, Decision/Chloe Riederich

Mon, 01 Jul 2024 01:02:00 -0600

Chloe Riederich is a playwright, director, and theatre practitioner, whose play "Decisions, Decisions," a sensitive, humorous comedy, is the first of our 2024 "Missing Home" plays. Catch our production and a way-fun interview with Chloe themselves!

Chloe's Homepage | Facebook

#178: Natives of the Apocalypse

Sat, 01 Jun 2024 07:30:00 -0600

Isaiah St. Cyr, Enoch Chapman, and Montana Miller are three of the members of the Native American theatre company Natives of the Apocalypse. In the summer of 2023, this Santa Fe troupe produced an indigenized version of Lyle Kessler's "Orphans." Being one of the very few Native American theatre groups in the U.S., NOTA now embarks on a five-year plan to not only bring theatre to native Americans but enable more indigenous folks to embrace theatre as a way of preserving their heritages through storytelling.

NOTA Home page

#177: Lily Janiak

Wed, 01 May 2024 00:01:00 -0600

Lily is a theatre critic for the San Francisco Chronicle. I came across an article she wrote back in October of 2023 entitled “What responsibility do critics bear when a theater company closes?” I was struck that anyone, let alone a theatre critic, would voice that out loud. But it's a legitimate question, especially after Covid-19 ravaged the theatre scene worldwide.

#176: Marci J. Duncan & Kerry Sandell - "Dissonance"

Mon, 01 Apr 2024 00:05:00 -0600

Florida-based playwrights/actors/producers of the challenging hit play, "Dissonance," which begs the question, "Can a Black woman and a White woman--who have been friends for 20 years--have an honest, open conversation about race?" #theatre,#race,#friendship,#privilege,#dissonance, #equality, #blacklivesmatter, #racism, #whitefragility, #thisisamerica, #systemicracism, #blm, #america, #socialjustice

Dissonance The Play

#175: Dionne Lea

Fri, 01 Mar 2024 01:01:00 -0600

Dionne Lea is a Broadway World award nominated actor, singer, producer. She does improv, variety shows, theater, commercials, television, voice-over, film and is currently bringing her show "The Way It Is...Now," an evening of stories and musical numbers, around the united states to enthusiastic audiences. We have a great chat about so many different things--come tune us in!

IMDB | Dionne Lea | Podcast: The Way I Am Now

#174: Ekaterina Wagner

Thu, 01 Feb 2024 07:10:37 -0600

Ekaterina Wagner is a playwright, art critic, and editor based in Moscow, Russia. Her articles appeared in Robb Report, ELLE and other media outlets in Russia, Ukraine, and India. She worked as an editor and deputy editor-in-chief of several international publications in Russia, including ELLE Decoration, Harper’s Bazaar Art, and The Art Newspaper. She is currently a deputy editor-in-chief of Art Focus Now, an English-language website on contemporary art in Russia and its neighboring countries.

#173 Playzoomers

Mon, 01 Jan 2024 01:01:00 -0600

Welcome to 2024! Jan Carpman and Mary Ann Nichols Hubbard are the movers and shakers behind Playzoomers, an online theatre company founded in 2020. They present 20 live online plays per year on Zoom - from full-length plays to multiple short plays – featuring professional theatre artists. As of this broadcast they will have produced and aired over 100 plays.

Playzoomers | Instagram

#172: Anne Flammang

Fri, 01 Dec 2023 01:01:00 -0600

Anne is a true gift to the theatre community. Since 2015 she's run The Depot, a production company featuring Zoom play readings. We talk about teaching, her life in theatre, her writing, and the Coast Guard!

https://www.thedepot.space

#theatre #drama #teaching #writer #thedepot #coastguard #zoom

#171: Kelly McBurnette-Andronicos

Wed, 01 Nov 2023 09:38:00 -0600

Kelly is a playwright whose work explores various cultures and belief systems. Her full-length plays are about, as she says, women and events you’ve likely never heard of. She goes on to say that she's lived in a few different places, and enjoys getting to know a place through its often obscure history. She has at least one play for every region she's lived in.

New Play Exchange | Facebook

#170: Play reading - Nothing to Declare /Michael Burgan

Sun, 01 Oct 2023 10:44:00 -0600

This month our guest is Michael Burgan, a playwright, novelist, and professional writer with over 250 published books. (We will explain that impressive number!) His short play, "Nothing to Declare," is our October '23 play selection. And we talk with Michael about his other work, including textbooks and “Celebrating Survival,” an evening of staged readings of short plays about cancer, benefitting the Cancer Foundation for New Mexico.

#169: Play Reading - Yours / Christine Benvenuto

Fri, 01 Sep 2023 01:00:00 -0600

In the waiting room of a DNA testing laboratory, Oliver and Larry meet to hear results of their DNA tests. Plus an interview with Christine Benvenuto.

#168: Sophie Vudakin

Tue, 01 Aug 2023 00:01:00 -0600

is a playwright and junior in high school from Houston, Texas. I had the privilege of reading her play Tell Us Your Story (A Tale of Family Lost and Found) not long ago. Tell Us Your Story describes what it's like for one young woman when she discovers that her birth mother has been looking for her. Sophie is also a theatre enthusiast and has been learning all of what it takes to make the magic happen.

#167: Play Reading - For the Record / FJ Hartland

Sat, 01 Jul 2023 00:01:00 -0600

FJ Hartland is a playwright, director, and professional actor whose plays have won awards too numerous to mention. His play "For the Record," the next selection in our 2023 theme of Exploration, is a story of two people finding a way to connect and reach an understanding. Join us for a great conversation after the play!

#166: Play reading - Birthday Boat / Michele Markarian

Thu, 01 Jun 2023 13:50:00 -0600

Playwright / reading. When is a gift worth twice as much? When it includes your partner and helps you conquer a phobia.

Facebook / Twitter / Unborn Children of America / Heuer Publications

#165: Midge Guerrera

Sat, 27 May 2023 11:01:34 -0600

Midge Guerrera is a playwright, blogger, travel consultant, memoirist, university education planner, arts management/public relations and much more. Our talk this month is chock full of stories, anecdotes, and inspiration.

midgeguerrera.com / New Play Exchange / Facebook / Cars, Castles, Cows, and Chaos / Nonna's Mulberry Tree

#164: Claude Jackson, Jr

Sat, 01 Apr 2023 11:01:00 -0600

Playwright, public defender. Claude Jackson's play “Cashed Out” recently had its world premiere at the San Francisco Playhouse. The play deals with Rocky, a mother and an accountant, who has a gambling addiction.

Gila River Indian Community / BroadwayWorld article

#163: Patrick Gabridge

Wed, 01 Mar 2023 10:53:00 -0600

Playwright, producer, novelist. Patrick Gabridge is a busy man; he writes site-specific plays, historical novels, and runs the PlaywrightBinge, an online group for playwrights to share information and support.

Website / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / New Play Exchange / Plays in Place

#162: Claire Lebowitz King

Wed, 01 Feb 2023 14:26:00 -0600

Claire Lebowitz King's play "Outside the Gates", about two mothers, one Iranian, the other American, appeared at the '22 Edinburgh Fringe. An indomitable activist, Claire has also written other insightful social works as well as being a co-founder of Occupy Broadway.

Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / TikTok / Wired / DC Theatre Arts / IMDB

#161: Sarah Shourd

Sun, 01 Jan 2023 16:00:00 -0600

Happy New Year, all! We bring you a thrilling talk with playwright Sarah Shourd. Her play "The Box," about prisoners in solitary confinement, toured the US and Europe and was so impactful, it helped changed laws in California.

www.sarahshourd.com / The Box / Of Two Minds / End of Isolation Tour

Mother Jones: How We Survived Two Years of Hell As Hostages in Tehran

#160: Theresa Fisher

Thu, 01 Dec 2022 16:04:00 -0600

Producer--New Plays for Young Audiences Associate Professor, Bronx Community College.

Facebook / New Plays For Young Audiences

Twitter: @NYUEdTheatre / Instagram: @nyuedtheatre

#159: Play Reading - Jokers in the Pack / Tony Vale

Tue, 01 Nov 2022 16:20:00 -0600

Play reading: "Jokers in the Pack"--an inside look at what dogs really talk about while we sip our soy lattes. And a lovely convo with Tony about writing and community activism!

#158: Play reading - Letting Go / by Deirdre Girard

Sat, 01 Oct 2022 16:25:00 -0600

Playwright, teacher. We read Dierdre's play, "Letting Go, our final "Pets" play, and talk about commissions and wooooo...horror-themed plays!

New Play Exchange

#157: Lisa Villamil

Thu, 01 Sep 2022 16:31:00 -0600

Playwright/Actor/Director. We have a smashing conversation with Lisa Villamil about her play "Sirens," getting started in writing, producing work, and making it in today's theatre world!

New Play Exchange

#156: Play reading - Death of Gingerbread / Rand Higbee

Mon, 01 Aug 2022 06:28:00 -0600

Playwright Rand Higbee joins us for the first of our 2022 plays based on "Pets."

Facebook / New Play Exchange

#155: Mike Sockol

Fri, 01 Jul 2022 06:36:00 -0600

Playwright, Actor, Storyteller, Journalist, Community Activist. Mike Sockol and I talk about many things: arts in education, journalism, play critique, his play "In Danger of Falling in Love," and his fight against cancer.

#154: Naked Angels

Wed, 01 Jun 2022 06:40:00 -0600

Playwrights, actors, producers. Joshua Fardon, Patricia Mario, and Connie Kuntz are the driving forces behind Naked Angels (Chicago branch) which hosts Tuesdays@9, a forum for reading new works.

www.nakedangels.com / Facebook / Instagram

#153: Katie Hartman

Sun, 01 May 2022 06:45:00 -0600

Theatre Maker!/Playwright/Actor/Musician. Katie Hartman is many things: a playwright, actor, singer, musician. Her career has taken her around the world (as one-half of The Coldharts) with such macabre works as Edgar Allan and the Unrepentant Necrophile (a musical). Now she's taken the production reins of the Cincinnati Fringe.

The Coldharts / Facebook / Twitter: @cincyfringe / Instagram @cincyfringe / Instagram @katiehartmankatiehartman / Instagram @thecoldharts

#152: Debbie Lamedman

Fri, 01 Apr 2022 06:55:00 -0600

Playwright/Editor/Teaching Artist. Debbie is the editor for Smith and Kraus's books: Best 10-Minute Plays of 2021, Best Women's Monologues 2021, Best Men's Monologues 2021. She also writes plays for young adults!

www.debbielamedman.com / New Play Exchange

#151: KJ Sanchez

Tue, 01 Mar 2022 07:02:00 -0600

Theatre maker/director/producer/documentary maker/
Asst. professor/Head of M.F.A. Directing - Univ. Texas @ Austin.

KJ uses interviews and historical research to glean material for her plays, which cover a multitude of engrossing subjects.

Howlround article / Univ. of Texas/Austin / American Records

#150: John Mabey

Tue, 01 Feb 2022 07:07:00 -0600

Playwright, Mental Health Counselor. John's having a remarkable year as a playwright--winner of the 2021 Panowski Award!

Website / Instagram / Twitter

#149: Rachel Feeny-Williams

Sat, 01 Jan 2022 07:20:00 -0600

Playwright, Internet group host. An unstoppable playwright and host of the Internet theatre group Literary and Discourse Society.

Literary and Discourse Society / #literarydiscoursesociety, #rachelfeenywilliams

#148: Jacquelyn Reingold / Cheryl Davis

Wed, 01 Dec 2021 07:24:00 -0600

The Honor Roll/Playwrights/Activists/Arts Leaders. "She Persisted" Monologues by/for Women Over 40. The Honor Roll moves ever forward with a new collection of monologues written by and for women over 40.

The Honor Roll / Website - The Honor Roll

#womenover40,#thehonorroll,#womenplaywrights,#activists,#underrepresented,#lucywang,#cherylldavis,#yvetteheyliger,#ageism

#147: Robyn Dickinson / Jeff Dunne

Mon, 01 Nov 2021 07:29:00 -0600

Masterminds behind the Facebook group "Caravan Productions". In The Time of Covid, theatre takes to the Interwebs with ingenuity and gusto. Dickinson and Dunne provide a welcoming group for playwrights and actors.

Caravan Productions / #caravanproductions

#146: Play reading: The Fugitive / Ken Levine

Fri, 01 Oct 2021 10:48:00 -0600

Playwright, screenwriter, podcast host, baseball play-by-play announcer. The fifth of our plays featuring roles for women over 40. Plus an interview with the playwright!

Facebook / Website / New Play Exchange /

PODCAST: HollywoodandLevine

#145: Play Reading - "Turtle House"

Wed, 01 Sep 2021 16:16:00 -0600

The fourth of our plays featuring roles for women over 40.

#144: Play reading: Missing / Robin Pond

Sun, 01 Aug 2021 11:11:00 -0600

Playwright, linguist. The third of our plays featuring roles for women over 40. Plus an interview with the playwright.

Eldridge Plays - Robin Pond

#robinpond,#linguistics,#eldridgeplays

#143: Play Reading - Invisible Foe / Michele A. Miller

Thu, 01 Jul 2021 11:16:00 -0600

Playwright, non-profit consultant, archeologist. The second of our plays featuring roles for women over 40. Plus an interview with the playwright.

New Play Exchange

#micheleamiller,#nonprofit,#archeology,#playwriting

#142: Ilasiea Gray

Tue, 01 Jun 2021 11:22:00 -0600

Actress. Teaching artist. Children's theatre director. Ilasiea Gray talks about the joys of teaching children's theatre, advocating for parity and equality, and her experiences as a black actress in a mostly white profession.

#ilasieagray,#acting,#teaching,#childrenstheatre,#racism

#141: Play reading - Free Hugs / Debra Kaufman

Sat, 01 May 2021 11:31:00 -0600

Playwright, poet. The first in our 2021 series of play readings featuring roles for women over 50. Can two sisters find a way past social prejudices and traumatic past experiences?

https://www.debrakaufman.info/

#debrakaufman,#playwriting,#poetry,#freehugs

#140: Royal Shirée

Thu, 01 Apr 2021 15:49:00 -0600

Playwright, Director, Performer, Political Advocate, Edutainer.

Royal Shiree's new work is "Lamentations"; a powerful work that addresses America's tragic history of racism. Incorporating movement pieces as well as narrative, "Lamentations" illustrates the immoral societal and religious basis of racism in the United States while reaching for a new form of historical education centered in hearing the voices of those heretofore suppressed.

New Play Exchange
Resident Playwright/Board member at Hamner Theatre
#royalshiree,#playwriting,#racism,#caregiving

#139: Women of the Honor Roll

Mon, 01 Mar 2021 06:34:00 -0600

Arts Leaders, Activists, Playwrights, Educators. The Honor Roll is an all over-40 female-identifying organization whose purpose is to increase their rightful inclusion in all areas of theatre.

#womenover40,#thehonorroll,#womenplaywrights,#activists,#underrepresented,#lucywang,#cherylldavis,#yvetteheyliger,#ageism

#138: Michael J. Bobbit

Mon, 01 Feb 2021 06:38:00 -0600

Arts Leader, Playwright, Antiracist Arts Advocate. We discuss inclusion and parity of boards in white-run theatre, the evolution of BIPOC voices in our arts, and the recognition and eradication of racist practices in American theatre.

#michaelbobbitt,#newrepertorytheatre,#inclusion,#parity,#racism,#bipoc,#boards,#newadventure

#137: Janice Rabian

Fri, 01 Jan 2021 06:44:00 -0600

Costume Designer, storyteller. She conducted a research survey of a number of theatres and asked them specifics on how Covid-19 had affected their professions. Janice learned more than she expected.

#janicerabian,#costumedesign,#covid19

#136: Chanel Bragg

Tue, 01 Dec 2020 06:51:00 -0600

Associate Artistic Director, Actor. Chanel Bragg is a powerhouse in theatre; her diversity work puts her at the top of her game, and earns her a co-artistic directorship at Arizona Theatre.

#diversity,#edi,#arizonatheatre,#covid19

#135: Play reading: Threatened Panda Fights Back / Rex McGregor

Sun, 01 Nov 2020 07:25:00 -0600

Playwright. When an image change is called for, power structures in the world of wildlife politics start to crumble.

#comedy,#panda,#dodo,#zoo

#134: Kelvin Dinkins / Al Heartley

Thu, 01 Oct 2020 07:28:00 -0600

After George Floyd was murdered, many theatres decided it was finally time to announce that Black Lives Matter. Our guests' article in Howlround discussed this and the continual low numbers of black artists in theatre management.

Howlround article: "We Don’t Want Your Statements, American Theatre, or, The Solidarity We Actually Needed "

#equity,#diversity,#inclusion,#blacktheatre,#BIPOC,#blacklivesmatter,#race

#133: Play reading - The Tinkerbell Situation / Marc Paykuss

Tue, 01 Sep 2020 07:33:00 -0600

Playwright. The guinea pig got lost again and found its way into the clothes dryer. Now how does Mom tell her daughter?

#darkcomedy,#guineapig,#motherdaughter

#132: Play reading - Choices / James McLindon

Sat, 01 Aug 2020 11:17:00 -0600

The terms of this loan seem just a wee bit too easy. What's the catch? Plus an interview with James McLindon.

www.jamesmclindon.com / New Play Exchange /
#darkcomedy, #studentloans, #payoff

#131: Play reading - White Dress / Laura Shamas

Wed, 01 Jul 2020 14:01:00 -0600

Playwright, writer (stage, screen, prose, non-fiction), theater artist. All Ben needs are a few pictures of a bench, but there's an obstacle: A runaway bride in need of assistance! Plus an interview with the playwright!

#130: Play Reading - ”Curse Of the Bambino” / A.J. Sage

Mon, 01 Jun 2020 16:17:00 -0600

Playwright, artistic director, actor. Carl "comes out" to his father, Paul, who, while stunned, endeavors to understand how something like this could happen.

#baseball,#yankees,#redsox,#lgbt

#129: Marshall Botvinick

Fri, 01 May 2020 16:24:00 -0600

Theatre educator, Playwright, Dramaturg. Who's writing the plays these days? And whose stories are they telling? Marshall talks about his statistical research into 80 LORT and NNPN productions during the 2019-2020 season.

https://howlround.com/commons/marshall-botvinick

#marshallbotvinick,#theatrestatistics

#128: Anna Moench

Wed, 01 Apr 2020 16:33:00 -0600

Playwright, screenwriter. Anna's plays include “Man of God (Interact Theatre, Philadelphia), and “Mothers,” which was (Playwrights Realm). We talk about the seamy underside of modern life; the male gaze, electronic prying eyes, book adaptations, and biking across the United States.

https://annamoench.com/

#127: Vivian Lermond

Sun, 01 Mar 2020 16:39:00 -0600

Playwright/Artistic Director/Actor/Script Analysis. This month we highlight playwright Vivian Lermond, who, aside from writing her own works and teaching playwriting, is also a script analysis specialist who evaluates script pitches and screenplay submissions. Funky talk about crafting scripts!

#126: Isabella Madrigal

Sat, 01 Feb 2020 16:47:00 -0600

Playwright/Director/Producer/Actor. A very special episode indeed. We speak with Isabelle Madrigal, whose play "Menil and Her Heart" deals with the subject of indigenous women who have been murdered or have gone missing. Isabella, a member of the Cahuilla nation, wrote, directed, produced (each for the first time), and acted in the production.

Desert Sun article

#125 Abraham Johnson

Wed, 01 Jan 2020 16:52:00 -0600

Playwright. We have some great talk with playwright Abraham Johnson about caring for queer playwrights, the Lambda Emerging LGBTQ Retreat, and among other things, the Paula Vogel Bake-Off.

abewritesplays.com / New Play Exchange

#124: Tonia Sina

Sun, 01 Dec 2019 16:58:00 -0600

Executive Director, Intimacy Directors International. We discuss the touchy situations of handling intimacy on stage. With safety, dignity, and protection as the standards, we find out how sensitive choreography and personal regard are established and maintained.

https://www.teamidi.org/

#intimacydirectors,#safetyonstage,#theatre,#rehearsal,#choreography

#123: Rose Burnett Bonczek

Fri, 01 Nov 2019 17:03:00 -0600

Director/Teacher. We have a joyous talk about teaching, students, creating moments in the classroom and on stage and also the Gi60 Festival, where one-minute plays from around the world are performed.

https://www.roseburnettbonczek.com/

#122 Hannah Benitez

Tue, 01 Oct 2019 17:09:00 -0600

Playwright/Actor/Musician. Hannah Benitez talks about her *two* plays in development, whitewashing in theatre, cultural identity, and much more.

hannahbenitezwriter.com / www.hannahbenitez.com

#121: Martin Dockery

Sun, 01 Sep 2019 17:13:00 -0600

Storyteller/Playwright/Performer. Master storyteller and performance artist Martin Dockery talks about solo performing around the world, developing new material from life experience and the imagination.

martindockery.com

#soloperforming,#monologues,#storytelling,#martindockery

#120: Dominique Kelley

Thu, 01 Aug 2019 17:20:00 -0600

Choreographer. Choreography! Dominique and I chat about all the things it takes to make those wonderful terpsichorean stage moments happen, working with name players, and the joys of moving your body to whatever music you have on hand.

www.domkelley.com / instagram.com/domkelley/

#choreography,#dominiquekelley,#dance,#percussion,#musicals

#119: Cristina D’Almeida

Mon, 01 Jul 2019 17:25:00 -0600

Stage manager. Cristina talks about how critical the position is, what it takes to be an effective and efficient member of a theatrical production, and how she preps and gets the job done.

Blog writing / #stagemanaging,#blogger

#118: Peggy Carey

Sat, 01 Jun 2019 17:34:00 -0600

Stage manager/production director/actor. We talk about the life of a production assistant (she was Production Director of the Ithaca Fringe Festival and now works for the Public Theatre). She's one of the people who does what it takes to make putting on a show--in her case, show after show after show--possible.

#117: Camilla Schade

Mon, 15 Apr 2019 18:15:00 -0600

Playwright/Director/Actor/Teacher. Camilla Schade is one of those people who was born to do theatre. She writes, performs, directs, teaches, and is one of the loveliest persons on the planet. We talk about her new show, "Bones", coping with cancer and using the experience for creative purposes, and being able to out-fart a high school class.

#116: Mark Pritchard

Mon, 01 Apr 2019 18:20:00 -0600

Dramaturg. This month we reach clear around the world to beautiful Melbourne and delve deep into all things dramaturgical with dramaturg Mark Pritchard. Before we ever get to see the curtain rise, there's so much work that goes into the text.

http://www.markpritchardmakestheatre.com / dramaturgyxcuration.com / https://malthousetheatre.com.au

#115: Michael Burgos

Fri, 01 Mar 2019 18:29:00 -0600

Playwright/Solo performer. Having one play take you around the world for four years is pretty neat. Michael Burgos' hit play, "The Eulogy" has done just that.

http://www.theeulogyplay.com

#114: S.P. Monahan

Fri, 01 Feb 2019 18:34:00 -0600

Playwright/actor. We talk about whether cisgender playwrights can or should include transgender characters in their work and, if so, how to do so and do justice to the trans community?

Website / "Dear Cisgender Writer"

#113: Travis Russ / Anthony Dvarskas / Life Jacket Theatre

Tue, 01 Jan 2019 18:38:00 -0600

Documentary theatre producers. Life Jacket Theatre's Travis Russ and Anthony Dvarskas talk about creating and producing documentary theatre and their last production, "America Is Hard To See," about a rural American community for sex offenders buried deep in Florida's sugarcane fields.

http://www.lifejackettheatre.org

#112: Jamie MacPherson

Sat, 01 Dec 2018 18:44:00 -0600

Fight choreographer/trainer. We talk with fight trainer/choreographer Jamie MacPherson and find out all about working with young theatre artists, especially in today's apprehensive world when it comes to confrontational physical training. It's a lot more work than you might think. (Or maybe you might.)

https://www.jamiemacpherson.com

#theatre,#fightchoreography

#111: Diana Burbano

Thu, 01 Nov 2018 18:51:00 -0600

Playwright/actor/teaching artist. L.A. playwright/actor/teaching artist DianaBurbano! We talk LatinX playwrights, Latina characterization, and why women don't submit their work as much as men.

http://dianaburbano.com

#110: Solomon Weisbard

Mon, 01 Oct 2018 18:57:00 -0600

Lighting designer. He's spending his days lighting open-air amphitheatres in Italy. It's not as grueling as it sounds. But it is a labor of love, and Solomon paints his sets beautifully.

www.solweisbard.com/

#lightingdesign,#theatretech

#109: Christine Barclay

Sat, 01 Sep 2018 19:02:00 -0600

Educator/producer/director. Her students were rehearsing at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School when the shooter began his spree. This is how a teacher and her students begin to make sense out of the days that follow.

barclayperformingarts.com

#108: Phaedra Scott

Wed, 01 Aug 2018 19:19:00 -0600

Director/dramaturg/writer/journalist. We get into some deep talk about the art and intricacies of dramaturgy, racial and gender parity in current American theatre, and producing new plays by new voices.

www.phaedrascott.com / www.blacktheatrecommons.org

#107: Dierdre Kinahan

Sun, 01 Jul 2018 19:24:00 -0600

Playwright. We talk about women in irish theatre, self producing, her early works, writing technique and the dynamics of economical language. We also spoke about making audiences think, about the politics of life that characters carry with them and how playwrights underscore large issues with singular humanities.

#irishplaywright,#femaleplaywright

#106: Holly L. Derr

Fri, 01 Jun 2018 06:33:00 -0600

Playwright/director/professor of theater. #Metoo. Talking about incidents that happen in the theatre world, how to out them, prevent them, and eliminate them.

https://hollyderr.com/

http://howlround.com/authors/holly-derr

http://howlround.com/metoo-power-complicity-and-collective-responsibility

http://anniefinch.com/some-things-ive-been-ashamed-to-share-about-being-a-woman-writer-until-now/

https://monicacatherine.com/2018/03/28/a-case-study-of-how-the-machinery-of-enablement-works-in-american-theatre/

https://www.americantheatre.org/2017/12/06/unmuffling-a-culture-of-silence/

http://www.theaterjones.com/ntx/features/20171202133546/2017-12-05/Lee-Trull-Accused-of-Misconduct

https://www.facebook.com/monicabyrne13/posts/10103923958502528

#105: Elana Gartner / Rebecca Burton

Tue, 01 May 2018 06:45:00 -0600

Advocates for Gender Parity in Theatre. It's all about gender parity (or disparity, really) in theatre. What are the stats and how do we level the playing field?

www.elanagartner.com

www.womenplaywrights.org

elanagartner.com/links/genderparity.html

howlround.com/a-brief-history-of-the-gender-parity-movement-in-theatre

howlround.com/gender-parity-in-canadian-theatre

lafpi.com/2015/07/dramatists-guild-national-conference-writechange-the-count/

#genderparity,#elanagartner,#rebeccaburton

#103: David Hanson

Thu, 01 Mar 2018 06:50:00 -0600

Playwright/Artistic Director/Producer...and one of the founders of the Midwest Dramatists Center, which just produced its first annual Midwest Dramatists Conference. He's also a novelist of somewhat special subjects!

#102: George Simon

Thu, 01 Feb 2018 06:54:00 -0600

NYC producer, George talks about their experiences creating the Midtown Festival and dealing with one of the biggest theatre communities in the world.

#101: Valerie Hager

Mon, 01 Jan 2018 06:58:00 -0600

Playwright. She writes and performs her one-woman show, "Naked in Alaska," about her life experience as a dancer in Anchorage.

#99: Play reading - Hole to China / A.J. Sage

Fri, 01 Dec 2017 07:17:00 -0600

Digging a Hole. To China.

#98: Sadie Bowman / Ricky Coates

Wed, 01 Nov 2017 07:21:00 -0600

Playwrights, educators. Theatre for grammar and high schoolers (yes, and adults, too!) with scientific content. Sadie and Ricky make Tesla, Marie Curie, and Sir Isaac Newton not just mirthful, but musical!

www.matheatre.com

#97: ”Resist” Play Reading - War Pig / Naomi Westerman

Tue, 24 Oct 2017 07:26:00 -0600

Playwright. One must always speak out. Even if the audience isn't friendly.

naomiwesterman.com

#96: ”Resist” Play Reading - The Art of Stopping / Thomas J. Misuraca

Wed, 18 Oct 2017 07:30:00 -0600

Playwright. No telling when you'll reach your limit.

#95: ”Resist” Play Reading - The Ark / Matthew Weaver

Sun, 01 Oct 2017 07:35:00 -0600

Playwright. And *you* thought packing for a trip was a hassle!

Website

#94: Gwydion Suilebhan

Fri, 01 Sep 2017 07:42:00 -0600

Playwright/ (Then) Dir. Brand and Marketing, Wooly Mammoth Theatre, Project Director for the New Play Exchange.

#93: Jeremy Webb / Jessica Hanna

Tue, 01 Aug 2017 07:46:00 -0600

Directors/actors. Two directors talk about selecting one play from a pot of over 800. Then taking that winning play and producing it at opposite ends of the United States.

Jeremy Webb on IMDB

Jessica Hanna - Facebook

Bootleg Theatre

Hope and Optimism Foundation (Stage)

#92: Amy Oestreicher

Sat, 01 Jul 2017 07:50:00 -0600

Playwright/performer/motivational speaker. It's a given that life's detours frequently spur creativity. Amy Oestreicher's detours have been more severe than many. So she's taking them on the road with her.

Note: Ms. Oestreicher passed away in 2021. An obituary can be found here.

amyoes.com / TedX – YouTube

#91: Jonathan Dorf

Thu, 01 Jun 2017 07:58:00 -0600

Playwright/teacher. Jonathan is a playwright, screenwriter, teacher, and knows the business of getting one's creative work to the audiences. Knows all, and is willing to tell all!

jonathandorf.com

#90: Michole Biancosino

Mon, 01 May 2017 08:02:00 -0600

Playwright/producer. Talk about a busy person! Running a theatre company in NYC; workshopping new plays; Project Y, and the Women in Theatre Festival.

micholebiancosino.com

projectytheatre.org/

#89: E-hui Woo

Sat, 01 Apr 2017 08:59:00 -0600

Lighting designer/electrician. We talk about the different ways to light a show, find its visual mood, accent the director's vision and playwright's purpose--all without getting zapped!

e-hui.info

#88: Zakiyyah Alexander / The Kilroy Awards

Wed, 01 Mar 2017 09:03:00 -0600

Playwright/screenwriter. The Kilroys are an organization of female Los Angeles area playwrights who recognize and award theatres across the country for promoting and producing female playwrights.

thekilroys.org

#kilroys,#kilroyawards,#playwright,#screeenwriter,#ZakiyyahAlexander

#87: Pete Rush

Wed, 01 Feb 2017 09:15:00 -0600

Actor/director/designer. Set design, proper costuming technique, installation art, directing. Pete does it all.

peterush.com

#peterush,#setdesign,#costumedesign,#acting

#86: Howard Sherman

Sun, 01 Jan 2017 09:19:00 -0600

Arts administrator/producer, theatre advocate. Arts Integrity, diverse casting, changing sociopolitics, Sweeney Todd for high schoolers, and a guy dressed in tiny blue shorts walking around Times Square.

hesherman.com / Twitter

#85: Seasonal Play Reading; Never Wear a Dead Man’s Shoes / Judd Lear Silverman

Tue, 20 Dec 2016 09:30:00 -0600

Playwright/Educator. Seasonal play reading 2016 #3: Second-hand shoes bring first-hand trouble. A clever comedy by JL Silverman.

Website

#84: Seasonal Play Reading - Drive Buy / James C. Ferguson

Tue, 06 Dec 2016 09:37:00 -0600

Buying a house is taxing enough without Mom's more-than-friendly input. A hilarious family comedy!

Website

#83: Seasonal Play Reading - New Year’s Eve / David MacGregor

Thu, 01 Dec 2016 09:40:00 -0600

David MacGregor's "New Year's Eve" takes us to a bittersweet and funny annual event at a assisted living facility. One hard-working, well-meaning aide (Sylvie Yntema) meets one really cranky patient (Milo Bohack). And an interview with the playwright.

Interview: character development

#82: Lauren Singerman / Dano Madden

Tue, 01 Nov 2016 15:42:00 -0600

Playwright/teacher; actor/producer/teacher/voice coach. This month's Onstage/Offstage guests Lauren Singerman and Dano Madden talk about their new web series, "Precious Cargo"! And you thought tutoring was easy? We also discuss producing, directing one's own work, and voice coaching. Its a fun one--tune in!

danomadden.com / laurensingerman.com / preciouscargowebseries.com

#81: Sylvia Milo / Jody Christopherson / ”The Other Mozart”

Sat, 01 Oct 2016 15:46:00 -0600

Playwright/producer, actors. Turns out Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart had a sister who was an outstanding and well-known talent at the harpsichord and, from the sparse evidence, an able composer as well. Sylvia Milo found this historical omission an unforgivable lapse and decided to let audiences know all about Maria Anna "Nannerl" Mozart. She wrote "The Other Mozart," which stars herself and Jody Christopherson (as well as other actors in rep).

theothermozart.com / sylviamilo.com / jodychristopherson.wixsite.com

#80: Sam Buggeln

Thu, 01 Sep 2016 09:25:00 -0600

Artistic director, producer. Sam's been around: New York City, Portland Stage, Ithaca, NY. We talk about starting up a new theatre company, building a whole new space to go with it, theatre from non-U.S. sources, the fun and intericacies of translations, and much more.

thecherry.org / buggeln.net

#79: Play Reading: This Particular Crevasse / Rex McGregor

Mon, 15 Aug 2016 16:07:00 -0600

A short play about taking a leap of faith by New Zealander Rex McGregor.

Website

#78: Play Reading: Catatonic / Nedra Pezola Roberts

Mon, 01 Aug 2016 16:22:00 -0600

Playwright. We read Atlanta playwright Nedra Pezold Roberts' play "Catatonic," and talk playwright shop with the author.

Website

#77: Earl Hughes

Fri, 01 Jul 2016 06:47:00 -0600

Producer, teacher. Producer extraordinaire Earl Hughes has been working shows on Off-Broadway, taking Shirley MacLaine and Ann-Margret around the world and discusses what it's like to bring a show to Vegas. Think you have what it takes to be a world-class stage manager? Find out here!

#76: Allen Clark / Underground Episodes

Wed, 01 Jun 2016 06:52:00 -0600

"Underground Episodes" is a series of performance pieces about urban African-American life as it crosses paths on the Philadelphia subway. e talk with the author, Allen Clark (and one of the many performers, Kylia Brooke) about the genesis, interpretation, and style of the show as well as how the performers find their way to each character.

Facebook

#75: Flower City Vaudeville

Sun, 01 May 2016 06:54:00 -0600

Vaudeville Extraordinaire! Vaudeville is alive and thriving in western New York State! Ted Baumhauer, Rich Hughson, and Ward Hartenstein talk about keeping physical comedy fresh and surprising, and how working together utilizes all three of their various strengths.

Website

#vaudeville,#flowercityvaudeville,#syracuseny

#74: Susie Monagan

Tue, 01 Mar 2016 06:58:00 -0600

Supervisor of Audience Services, Department of Theatre Arts, Ithaca College (Former). How to revitalize a comatose economy with the arts, get experience and education in theatre arts management, and how much we love Ireland!

#73: Michelle T. Johnson

Mon, 01 Feb 2016 07:07:00 -0600

Playwright/Lawyer/Journalist. She's the author of a fact-based play about the 1998 Kansas City explosion that killed six firefighters. And an outspoken expert, multi-book author, and columnist on diversity.

Website

#72: Daniel Guyton

Fri, 01 Jan 2016 07:12:00 -0600

Playwright/Teacher. Much-produced playwright Daniel Guyton talks about working the submission system, his writing process, and teaching a whole new generation of theatre enthusiasts.

Website

#71: Play Reading - Should Old Acquaintance / David Nicholson

Tue, 15 Dec 2015 07:16:00 -0600

A call from a past changes everything. A short play by David Nicholson and an interview where we discuss the art of play translating.

#70: Play Reading - Timeshare / Judy Klass

Tue, 01 Dec 2015 07:33:00 -0600

Playwright/Country music singer/songwriter. Breakups are bad enough, but who gets the bar? A short play by Judy Klass and an interview where we discuss playwriting, country music, and Latin American politics.

Website

#69: David Guaspari

Sun, 01 Nov 2015 07:52:00 -0600

Playwright, Earth's funniest mathematician. Creating plays with logic and math, and standardizing submission procedures.

Website

#68: Bella Poynton

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 13:32:00 -0600

Playwright. Sci-fi, Roving Readings, Popes who may not have existed, feminism, and my favorite fiction book.

#67: Play Reading - Donny’s Diner / Shirley King

Tue, 01 Sep 2015 13:35:00 -0600

Playwright. Elvis, snickerdoodles, starvation, logarithms. Oh, and a breakup.

#66: Play Reading - In a Trembling Hand / Steven Korbar

Sat, 01 Aug 2015 13:38:00 -0600

Playwright. Just when you thought you'd left high school behind you.

#65: Kendra Augustin / Patricia Cardona Roca

Wed, 15 Jul 2015 13:45:00 -0600

Producers - Leela Festival, NYC. Producers of one of New York City's newest play festivals - a festival that ignores casting to type and concentrates on matching the best actor to the emotional content of the parts regardless of age, gender, sexual orientation, or size.

#64: Gina Scanlon

Wed, 01 Jul 2015 13:48:00 -0600

Playwright/screenwriter/producer. Imagine heading up a theatre group that creates and sponsors 365 plays about notable women. Every YEAR. Gina Scanlon and her partner in crime Jess Eisenberg (not interviewed here) have done exactly that.

#63: Tyler M. Perry

Mon, 01 Jun 2015 13:52:00 -0600

Lighting/Scenery Designer. A glimpse inside the tech world of a lighting and scenery designer. Tyler talks about creating the physically visual world of plays and some of the newest technical software (Read: the fun stuff!).

#62: Jen Waldman / Josh Friedman

Tue, 26 May 2015 14:16:00 -0600

Artistic Director/Managing Director, Hangar Theatre. Jen Waldman, Artistic Director, and Josh Friedman, Managing Director of Ithaca, NY's Hangar Theatre, in the first part of a two-part interview, discuss play selection, working with young theatre students, marketing, and the makeup of current audiences (Hint: It's not solely for older folks).

#hangartheatre

www.hangartheatre.org

#61: Katherine Koller

Tue, 12 May 2015 14:21:00 -0600

Playwright. Award-winning Canadian playwright Katherine Koller writes about important social issues including mining, healthcare, and the police civilian relationship.

#60: The Coldharts

Sat, 25 Apr 2015 15:41:00 -0600

Playwrights/composers/actors. Playwrights, composers, actors, Katie Hartmann and Nick Ryan have concocted musical plays combining humor, horror, history, and catchy tunes.

www.thecoldharts.com

#thecoldharts,#macabre,#edgarallanpoe,#edgarallan

#59: Scott O’Brien

Tue, 14 Apr 2015 15:56:00 -0600

Sound designer/composer. Composer and sound designer, Scott O'Brien finds his theatrical challenges in "solving problems" with his musical creations, including how to score a shark.

#58: Dennis Dore

Tue, 24 Mar 2015 16:00:00 -0600

Actor/producer/director. Dennis Dore tackles the 100-year anniversary of The Spoon River Anthology.

#57: Dusty Wilson

Tue, 10 Mar 2015 16:03:00 -0600

Playwright and Official Playwrights of Facebook guru, Dusty, in addition to creating his own theatrical works, provides generous assistance to his fellow creative types with monthly lists of submission opportunities.

#56: Tim Gleason

Tue, 24 Feb 2015 16:04:00 -0600

Artistic director of Binghamton, NY's Know Theater Tim Gleason talks about maintaining a community-based theater, Tennessee Williams, and keeping alive the spirits of adventure and experimental works.

#55: Play Reading - Jane’s Second Date / Katherine Koller

Sun, 15 Feb 2015 16:09:00 -0600

Two single people trapped in a speed dating cafe. What to do??

#54: Play Reading - You Haven’t Changed a Bit / Donna Hoke

Tue, 10 Feb 2015 17:19:00 -0600

Playwright, Dramatists Guild representative, cruciverbalist.

#53: Craig MacDonald

Tue, 27 Jan 2015 17:15:00 -0600

Teacher/actor/director Craig MacDonald discusses his new scene study class, script analysis, Meisner technique, and what it takes to get into character.

#48: Donna Hoke

Tue, 09 Dec 2014 06:19:00 -0600

Playwright, Dramatists Guild representative, and cruciverbalist Donna Hoke talks about her work, reviews, the process of writing, and how crossword puzzles are made.

#47: Civic Ensemble

Fri, 14 Nov 2014 06:45:00 -0600

The Civic Ensemble specializes in community based plays, works in which interviews or story circles are held, voices are heard, and plays are constructed from what's culled. We talked with Sarah Chalmers Simmons and Godfrey Simmons about this particular process.

#46: Ithaca Shakespeare Co.

Tue, 04 Nov 2014 06:48:00 -0600

We talk with director Amina Omari, assistant director Paige Anderson and actors Judith Andrew and Camilla Schade about what it was like literally stepping into a traditional man's role. (And what it was like having weapons and committing murders onstage!)

#45: Play reading - Zombified / Arthur M. Jolly

Sun, 28 Sep 2014 06:58:00 -0600

The second of our 2014 Halloween play readings, OSOS presents Arthur M. Jolly's “Zombified.”

#44: Play Reading - House Rules / Diana Lee Woody

Tue, 23 Sep 2014 07:00:00 -0600

Our first 2014 Halloween play reading, OSOS presents Diana Lee Woody's “House Rules.”

#43: Sue Perlgut

Wed, 10 Sep 2014 07:02:00 -0600

In the 1960s Sue Perlgut had been part of a troupe called It's All Right to be Woman Theatre, which daringly told the stories of women across America, and included lesbianism, a subject that had rarely been talked about in public before.

#42: Lindsay Price

Tue, 09 Sep 2014 07:05:00 -0600

Playwright/dramaturg/teacher. Lindsay Price has written dozens of plays for middle school and high school students. She also teaches and has her own publishing company.

#41: Craig Pospisil

Wed, 27 Aug 2014 07:07:00 -0600

Playwright/film producer. We talked about his new film, January, which was an adaptation of a section of a play he'd written some time back, called Months On End. OSOS wanted to know what changes may have had to have been made in order to bring the story from one medium to another.

#40: Rachel Lampert

Tue, 12 Aug 2014 07:09:00 -0600

Ithaca, NY's Kitchen Theatre artistic director discusses play selection, keeping a theatre filled, and the balancing act of writing her own plays and keeping the Kitchen Theatre image.

#39: Bostin Christopher

Tue, 22 Jul 2014 07:12:00 -0600

Actor/director/producer. Film vs theatre; working at Perseverance Theatre in Juneau, Alaska; play development.

#38: Homecoming Players

Mon, 07 Jul 2014 07:14:00 -0600

Who moves across the country to start a theatre group? Rachel Hockett and Arthur Bicknell do.

#37: Qurrat Ann Kadwani

Tue, 24 Jun 2014 07:16:00 -0600

Playwright/solo performer. Qurrat Ann Kadwani's off-Broadway show, “They Call Me Q,” about being Indian and growing up in the Bronx, ran 7 months.

#36: Lucy Wang

Thu, 05 Jun 2014 07:21:00 -0600

Playwright/solo performer/standup/comedy writer. From Wall Street to Gracie Mansion to L.A.'s standup stages, Lucy Wang talks about crafting comedy.

#35: Wendy Dann

Thu, 22 May 2014 07:16:00 -0600

Associate professor Wendy Dann discusses developing the play “Sammy and Me,” and her newest work, “The Liberator.”

#34: Michael Burnham

Thu, 08 May 2014 07:27:00 -0600

Actor/playwright. Cincinnati Fringe staple and Ithaca Fringe award winner Michael Burnham discusses his one-person show, “Warriors and Other Victims.”

#33: Norm Johnson

Thu, 10 Apr 2014 07:29:00 -0600

Director/professor. The accent is on history as we talk with Ithaca College's Associate professor Norm Johnson about directing Arthur Miller's “The Crucible.”

#32: Spring Play Readings!

Thu, 03 Apr 2014 07:32:00 -0600

Spring plays! "Seasons" by Milo Bohack, and "The Butterfly and the Elephant" by Elena Naskova.

#31: John DiFusco

Thu, 20 Mar 2014 07:38:00 -0600

Playwright/actor. OSOS talks with John DiFusco about his solo work, poetry, and his classic play, “Tracers.”

#30: Deborah Magid

Mon, 03 Mar 2014 07:40:00 -0600

Playwright. Deborah Magid talks about her plays, living in the theatre Mecca that is Cleveland, OH, opera adventures, and auditions in New York City.

#29: Neil LaBute

Thu, 20 Feb 2014 07:44:00 -0600

Playwright/screenwriter. Neil Labute talks about his play, “In a Forest Dark and Deep,” his creative process, and the ways in which he shapes his characters.

#28: Michael Milligan

Thu, 06 Feb 2014 07:46:00 -0600

Playwright/solo performer. Michael Milligan talks about his one-person show, “Mercy Killers”, about health care (the difficulty in getting it); how it was conceived and the responses he's had so far.

#25: Seasonal play - The 9:02 to Soulmateville / Donna Stuccio

Thu, 26 Dec 2013 08:00:00 -0600

Donna Stuccio's play “The 9:02 to Soulmateville” and an interview with the playwright.

#24: Seasonal plays - The Ghost of Christmas Present Imperfect / James Reynolds

Thu, 19 Dec 2013 08:38:00 -0600

James Reynold's play “The Ghost of Christmas Present Imperfect” and an interview with the playwright.

#23 Seasonal plays - Frosty / Ellen Davis Sullivan

Thu, 12 Dec 2013 08:40:00 -0600

Ellen Davis Sullivan's play “Frosty” and an interview with the playwright.

#22: Seasonal plays - Mary Steelsmith, Erik Johnke

Fri, 22 Nov 2013 08:42:00 -0600

We hear plays from and interviews with Erik Johnke (“If I Had a Hammer”) and Mary Steelsmith (“Outsourcing Christmas”).

#21: Angela Gant

Mon, 11 Nov 2013 08:44:00 -0600

Angela Gant discusses her play, “The Body of Eva Peron,” and more of her offbeat work.

#20: John Patrick Bray

Fri, 01 Nov 2013 12:58:00 -0600

Playwright, educator. John Patrick Bray talks about getting ahead in the playwriting game.

#19: Saviana Stanescu

Thu, 24 Oct 2013 13:06:00 -0600

Playwright/director/teacher. OSOS talks with Saviana about her playwriting, writing and teaching in America with Romanian history behind her.

#17: Cynthia Henderson

Thu, 10 Oct 2013 13:10:00 -0600

Teacher, director, actor. Associate professor Cynthia Henderson discusses directing Anna Deveare Smith's “Fires in the Mirror,” the history of the New York City riots the play is based on, and helping to make past history relevant for college students.

#18: Karl Gregory

Tue, 01 Oct 2013 13:08:00 -0600

Actor. Karl joins OSOS to talk about acting in Micheal Perlman's play “From White Plains,” which deals with the long-term effects of bullying.

#16: Anne Marie Cummings

Wed, 25 Sep 2013 13:12:00 -0600

Producer, playwright, actor. Artistic Director of the Readers Theatre of Ithaca, Anne Marie Cummings discusses her company's staged readings, the rehearsal process, working with playwright Neil Labute, and educating people about how to prevent bullying.

#15: Marthe Hoffman

Thu, 05 Sep 2013 13:14:00 -0600

Scenic designer, designer of home furnishings. At last we hear from the techie side of theatre! Marthe talks about creating scenic designs and how to do them green!

#14: Siouxsie Easter

Thu, 22 Aug 2013 13:17:00 -0600

Professor, teacher, director, actor, installation artist. Siouxsie and I wax prolific about teaching in a college theatre program, directing for “all the senses,” and creating artistic installations.

#13: Joey Steinhagen

Thu, 08 Aug 2013 13:19:00 -0600

Artistic Director: Running to Places, director, actor. Running to Places is a community theatre company that produces musicals and works with with teens and pre-teens.

#12: Play Reading - Extra / AJ Sage

Thu, 11 Jul 2013 13:21:00 -0600

Playwright, actor, director. We read the short play, “Extra!,” talk about its creation, writing as an homage, and figuring out how long the play should be.

#11: Aoise Stratford

Thu, 27 Jun 2013 13:24:00 -0600

Playwright/Dramatists Guild rep. Aoise and I talk about playwriting, marketing oneself, the Dramatists Guild and a host of other subjects.

#10: Play reading - Up Late / Ross Haarstad

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 13:29:00 -0600

Playwright/producer/director. Our first reading of a a short play; playwright/director Ross Haarstad talks about the play's genesis.

#9: Dawson Moore

Thu, 23 May 2013 13:31:00 -0600

Playwright/producer/actor. Dawson regales us with tales of his first plays, organizing and running the Last Frontier Theatre Conference, and writing a play about gun control (while living in Alaska).

#8: Civic Ensemble

Thu, 09 May 2013 13:33:00 -0600

Sarah K. Chalmers and Jennifer Herzog talk about "Parent Stories," a theatrical work devised from dozens of interviews with community members about the joys and hell of parenting.

#7: Arlitia Jones

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 13:36:00 -0600

Playwright/poet. We discuss playwriting, producing a brand new work, the Alaska theatre scene, and Arlitia reads some of her poetry.

#6: Judd Lear Silverman

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 13:38:00 -0600

Judd Lear Silverman talks about his affinity for the works of Tennessee Williams, teaching theatre, and becoming a playwright.

#5: Holly Adams

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 13:40:00 -0600

Clowning, Masks, and Voice work. Jack of all theatrical trades Holly Adams talks about the technique and basis of clowning, mask conception and construction, and being the voice of recorded books.

#4: Daniel Damiano

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 13:42:00 -0600

Playwriting and Dog Whisperers. Playwright/actor Daniel Damiano talks about his writing and his play "Day of the Dog."

#3: Actors Workshop of Ithaca

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 13:44:00 -0600

Teaching Meisner, producing "Love, Loss, and What I Wore." Eliza Van Cort and Katie Spallone of the Actors Workshop of Ithaca discuss teaching the Meisner technique and producing Nora Ephron's "Love, Loss, and What I Wore."

#2: Ithaca Shakespeare Company

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 13:46:00 -0600

Artistic Director Steve Ponton and actor Michael Donato, who plays Shylock in the 2013 production of "The Merchant of Venice," discuss the difficulties and political ramifications of portraying such a controversial character.

#1: Arthur Bicknell

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 13:48:00 -0600

Renowned Broadway playwright. Arthur regales us with stories of his experiences on Broadway, including his early playwriting and the legendary “Moose Murders.”