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In this episode of Playwright's Spotlight, James interviews playwright Christopher Flowers. Chris discusses the accountability that comes with having a co-playwright and the benefits of being given good "clay." They also discuss storylines and subplots, writing and rewriting during the rehearsal process, networking, and finding inspiration from trinkets. We also discover that James has a beef with Dramatists Play Services.
Christopher Flowers is an actor, director, producer, playwright and co-founder of Big Sandwich Theatre Company. He is co-author of the two full-length plays Change the Station and All Inclusive. His third play, Sugar and Spies, with co-author Wade Bradford will have its world premiere at The Main Theatre in Newhall, California in April 2022.
Links for sites mentioned in this episode -
Big Sandwich Theatre Company - https://www.facebook.com/pg/bigsandwichtheatre
In this episode, James speaks to playwright Arthur M. Jolly about the five basic elements of drama and human relationships as well as the benefits of being a member of the New Play Exchange and his experience participating in The Last Frontier theatre conference in Valdez, AK. James loosens up about his pet peeve of using "perhaps" and maybe" in stage directions, and Arthur tells us why "we're all writers" and suggests "when in doubt, set the car on fire."
Arthur M. Jolly is a former stunt performer and coordinator as well as winner of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting for his screenplay The Free Republic of Bobistan. He has written over 70 plays including A Gulag Mouse, The Ithica Ladies Read Media, Long Joan Silver, How Blue is My Crocodile, and two collections of short plays - Guilty Moments andThin Lines. His plays have been produced across the U.S., Canada, Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa and South America. He has won the Joining Sword and Pen competition three times, the Todd McNerney National Playwriting Award, the Region IV David Mark Cohen Playwriting Award and was a finalist for the Woodward/Newman Drama Award. In 2016, 2017, and 2019, he was invited by Houston's Alley Theatre to participate in the inaugural Alley at Ucross Residency. He is a member of the WGA Caucus, The Alliance of Los Angeles Playwrights, and The Dramatists Guild. His recent play The Lady Demands Satisfaction is due to be published February 2022.
To watch the video version of this episode, follow the link below - https://youtu.be/Xz9UGSoqXeI
In this episode, James speaks with Executive Director for Creative Affairs and Membership of the Dramatists Guild - Emmanuel Wilson. They discuss the benefits and resources provided by the Guild as well as recommendations for protecting your work through copyright. They also cover reasons for joining the guild, being ready for Broadway, avoiding being taken advantage of, and the common pitfalls of the industry.
Emmanuel Wilson is a playwright. producer and lifelong resident of New York City. He founded the Blue Rose Stage Company at age 18, serving as its artistic director for six years. At TADA! Youth Theatre, he served as artistic associate and literary manager, commissioning and supporting new works. In 2003, he was selected as a New Generations Future Leader by Theater Communications Group. In 2017, he joined the staff of the Dramatists Guild where he serves as the Executive Director for Creative Affairs and Membership, where he's overseen the membership grow from 6,500 members to over 8,500 in just three years.
To watch the video format of this episode on YouTube, please follow the link below - https://youtu.be/GDe_gsAeDOM
Links for the Dramatists Guild and sites discussed in this episode -
Dramatists Guild - www.dramatistsguild.com
Playwright's Bill of Rights - https://www.dramatistsguild.com/rights
In this episode, I speak with Broadway playwright Nicky Silver about the joy of making something, finding success after 30, and the hindrances of trigger warnings. Nicky also shares his influences and his desire to be in the theatre. This is a deeply insightful and personal conversation teetering at times between heartbreak and hilarity. It was an honor to spend two hours with a man possessing charm and wit and who is so open and willing to share . I hope you enjoy this episode and encourage you to seek out Nicky Silver's work if you weren't familiar with him prior to this episode.
Nicky Silver is a Broadway playwright whose plays verge on absurdity and dark humor and feature subject matters some might find taboo. His plays include The Maiden's Prayer, Pterodactyls, Fat Men in Skirts, The Altruists, Raised in Captivity, Too Much Sun, and The Lyons - the latter two starring Linda Lavin and The Lyons landing him on Broadway. He currently resides in London where the stage reading of his current play The Einstein Letter was quite well received.
To watch the video version of this episode, click the link below - https://youtu.be/rzwYNe3BJLw
Websites and socials for James Elden, Punk Monkey Productions and Playwright's Spotlight
Punk Monkey Productions - www.punkmonkeyproductions.com
In this episode, I speak to playwright Laura King about the benefits of a dramaturge and taking the MFA path to becoming a playwright. We also discuss how to approach teen and young adult theatre, the elements of bravery and honesty when applied to playwriting, the pros and cons of directing your own work, and the importance of production versus publication. Laura is very insightful and offers a lot of resources that many playwrights will find quite useful. I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I enjoyed recording it.
Laura King is an award-winning playwright with an MFA from the Playwright's Lab at Hollins University and is an instructor of theatre in Georgia. Laura's plays are available at StageRights, YouthPLAYS, Polychoron Press, and the New Play Exchange. She is a member of the Dramatists Guild, Working Title Playwrights, and the Southeastern Theatre Conference.
To watch the video version of this episode, click the link below - https://youtu.be/yErhSDk6zGA
If there's a Playwright's Spotlight episode that encompasses all aspects of theatre that not only playwrights could benefit from but also actors, directors, and producer, this interview with Gregory Crafts is it. The amount of information Gregory offers is abundant and inspirational. We discuss bringing "the" human to dialogue, recognizing one's weaknesses, the dangers of not acquiring the rights to plays, ego in theatre and entitlement in playwriting, festivals, finding a tribe, how to successfully stream theatre, and the conflicts of interest while producing and performing within the confines of Actors Equity. It's a well-rounded episode that anyone involved in theatre will benefit from, so be sure to share it with your favorite thespian, playwright, director, or producer.
Gregory Crafts is a playwright, actor, producer, and director. He co-founded the non-profit Theatre-Unleashed and currently runs Studio/Stage in Koreatown in Los Angeles, California. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild and the Alliance of Los Angeles Playwrights. His plays include Friends Like These, Super Sidekick: The Musical, Three Can Keep a Secret, and (It's Been Sixty-Seven Years and We're) Still Waiting for Lefty.
The video version of this episode can viewed at - https://youtu.be/7dgAZQpEzHE
Links to sites and resources discussed in this episode -
Studio/Stage - https://www.thestagecrafts.com
Theatre Unleashed (Facebook until their new site is active) - https://www.facebook.com/TheatreUnleashed/
In this episode, I talk with Kimberly Faye Greenberg about developing, staging, and marketing a one-person biographical show around an historical celebrity figure - Fanny Brice. We also touch on adjusting a script from audience response, making a one-person show stand out, loopholes to stage musicals on a budget, vanity shows, and press kits to help promote your show. We had a great time catching up, and anyone considering a one-person show will benefit a lot from what Kimberly has to offer. I hope you enjoy this episode.
Kimberly Faye Greenberg is an actress, acting coach, graduate of University of California, Irvine, and playwright of her one-woman show - Fabulous Fanny: The Songs & Stories of Fanny Brice - that has been touring across the country for the past eight years and is accompanied by a Broadway cast album.
To watch the video format of this episode, visit the link below - https://youtu.be/JRzXNMiBEp8
In this episode, I speak to playwright Charles Robertson. We discuss writing a one-person show for someone else, self-producing, and the benefits of self-publishing. We also discuss how working in different positions in theatre can help with playwriting. It was my second time speaking with Charles as my audio in our first interview was absolutely horrendous. I hope you walk away with some insightful information from this episode.
Charles Robertson is a playwright and director based in Kinston, Ontario. He has written a number of plays for young people, including Pretty Pieces, Ghost of the Tree, and Til the Boys Come Home. His recent play Josiah Henson - From Slave to Savior, starring Cassel Miles, has been touring across Canada and the U.S.
To watch the video format of this interview, follow the link below.
Charles work can be found on Amazon in the link below - https://www.amazon.com/s?i=stripbooks&rh=p_27%3AMr+Charles+Robertson&s=relevancerank&text=Mr+Charles+Robertson&ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1
Websites and socials for James Elden, Punk Monkey Productions and Playwright's Spotlight
Punk Monkey Productions - www.punkmonkeyproductions.com
In this episode, I speak to musical theatre composer and lyricist Michael Gordon Shapiro. Michael's insight into the genre is expansive. We discuss the method and elements of a musical, what functions songs play, and the traps to avoid. We also delve into compensation, publishing, and finding opportunities in the realm of musical theatre. I very much enjoyed recording this episode and hope you find it as informative as I did.
Michael Shapiro is an active composer for musical theatre. His children's show Super Sidekick: The Musical is published by Samuel French/Concord Theatricals and has been performed in front of young audiences throughout the United States, including Off-Broadway in 2012. His family musicals Gideon and the Blundersnorp and The Bully Problem have won numerous awards and nominations, including (for Gideon) Best Musical at the 2021 Hollywood Fringe Festival. He is a graduate of the film-scoring program at USC and studied at the ASCAP Film Scoring Seminar.
The video version of this episode can be viewed in the link below - https://youtu.be/QoBeDINNw4w
Links to sites and resources discussed in this episode -
In this episode, I speak with playwright Joe Janes about the craft of sketch and stand-up comedy. We cover a lot of turf including academia in playwriting, character and the four basic human wants, improvisation and playwriting, the rules of sketch, lacking humor in sketch and whether sketches have to be funny. We also touch base finding opportunities and self-producing (a common theme lately), letting go of the reins, bad habits and the benefits of reading your work out loud. There's so much we cover in this episode, it might behoove you to listen to it multiple times, or at least take notes. I learned so much in this episode. I hope you walk away with so much more.
Joe Janes is an Emmy Award winning writer and teaches comedy writing and improvisation at The Second City and Columbia College in Chicago. He has published three books of his staged work - 365 Sketches,50 Plays, and Seven Deadly Plays. His full-length plays include Metaluna and the Science of the Mind Revue, A Hard Day's Journey Into Night, Our Christian Nation, The Incident, and Always Never. He served as the artistic director of Robot vs. Dinosaur which created the beach blanket musical - Attack At Bikini Werewolf Beach, Part 2.
To view the video version of this episode, please copy and paste the link below - https://youtu.be/0zjVXMTu-9Y
Links and resources mentioned in this episode -
Lulu self-publishing - https://www.lulu.com
https://www.writeshare.org
Websites and socials for James Elden, Punk Monkey Productions and Playwright's Spotlight
Punk Monkey Productions - www.punkmonkeyproductions.com
In this episode, I speak with playwright Steven Young to discuss the anatomy of a monologue, scene, 10 minute play, one-act play, three-act play and even touch on the more uncommon four-act structure. We also discuss the necessities of a scene and where to start them. We also discuss achieving production feats in playwriting, beginners' mistakes, good and bad writing habits and building a routine as well as what makes a good story, and whether or not you can teach subtext. This is an episode oozing with information and knowledge.
Steven Young is an actor, director, and playwright. His full-length plays include The King's Face, The Night We Bombed Lincoln Towing, The Soothsayer, The Wal*Martians, The Resurrectionists, Cheddar Heads, The Night Witches, and Obscenity. Steven also teaches playwriting at Texas Women's University.
To view the video format of this episode, visit the link below - https://youtu.be/NllMEOZAgJI
Links to site and resources mentioned in this episode -
Perfect 10 by Gary Garrison - https://www.amazon.com/Perfect-10-Writing-Producing-10-Minute/dp/0325003122
A More Perfect Ten by Gary Garrison - https://www.amazon.com/More-Perfect-Ten-Producing-Ten-Minute/dp/1585103276
In this episode, I speak to playwright Paul Braverman about developing your own local playwrights' guild, obstacles in playwriting, and how detailed one should go when writing stage directions. We also discuss the use of parentheticals, using long-form improve to write short plays and how it can also benefit full length pieces, the tricks of rereading pdf formats of your work, and the process of creating characters and developing plot. I learned a lot myself from this interview, and I hope you walk away with just as much if not more.
Paul Braverman is a Bay Area playwright whose plays have received dozens of readings and productions, both nationally and internationally. He has been a wildcard finalist three times at Short & Sweet in Sydney, Australia and is a past finalist for the Heideman Award. Paul's one-act play Sins Borne was presented at the Edinburgh Fringe and the Last Frontier Theatre Conference in Valdez, Alaska. Other plays include Captive Audition, Stuck in the Middle, The Alpha Bindleman, and the Frankie Payne noir trilogy. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild and is a co-founding member of the Pear Theatre Playwrights Guild.
To watch the video version of this interview, visit the link below - https://youtu.be/arkON7IEnA4
In this episode, I chat with playwright Brian Gene White about about the process of developing a play from start to world premiere using his recent piece Future Tripping as an example. We also discuss the accessibility of producing, the benefits of a technical director, gathering a "crew" and surrounding yourself with good people. Brian also informs me of the newest (or at least for me) crowdfunding platform for the arts - Fractured Atlas. As with all my episodes, I walk away with new information and insight. I hope you learn a thing or two as well.
Brian Gene White is a playwright, director, and actor based out of Los Angeles. He received his BFA at the conservatory at Webster University and is a company member at both the Great River Shakespeare Festival in Minnesota and the Ensemble Shakespeare Theatre in Pasadena, California. His play Future Tripping received its world premiere this year at the LOFT Ensemble in Los Angeles. His play Is Not That Strange? was a finalist in Screen Craft's 2020 stage play competition. Other plays included One Way Trip and Pilgrim.
To view the video format of this episode, follow the link below - https://youtu.be/rphRRJTBllg
Sites and resources mentioned in this episode -
Loft Ensemble - https://www.loftensemble.org
Great River Shakespeare Festival - https://www.grsf.org
Fractured Atlas - https://www.fracturedatlas.org
Better Lemons - https://www.better-lemons.com
Sargent Conservatory of Theatre Arts - https://www.webster.edu/conservatory/index.php
In this episode of Playwright's Spotlight, I speak to playwright Jonathan Cook about festivals, submission fees, and dealing with rejection. We also discuss the pathway to playwriting with no formal training and learning from reading bad material. Jonathan shares his experience with getting published and his extensive knowledge in creating and producing audio versions of plays as a podcast. Jonathan supplies a lot of great resources in this episode, all which can be found in the show notes. Be sure to take advantage of it all.
Jonathan Cook is a playwright, actor, and filmmaker based in Georgia. Many of his short plays have been produced in theaters around the world, and most notably, he was a semi-finalist in the 37th annual Samual French Off-Broadway Festival in New York with his post-apocalyptic play LOBSTER MAN. His play INSURGENTS was also a semi-finalist in the 2020 ScreenCraft Stage Play Contest. He is a five-time recipient of the Porter Fleming Literary Award in the playwriting category and some of his works have been published in anthologies by Smith & Kraus. He is also the host and producer of GATHER BY THE GHOSTLIGHT, a collection of plays adapted to an audio only format.
To view the video format of this episode, visit the link below - https://youtu.be/0MUIOE8QvVI
Links to sites and resources mentioned in this episode -
Short + Sweet Festival - https://shortandsweet.org
Playwright Stephen Kaplan stops by in person in the episode of Playwright's Spotlight. This discussion is about as well-rounded as it gets, touching on a plethora of aspects go playwriting, including - avoiding directing on the page and the minimal use of stage directions and action, common habits and the pitfalls of a beginning playwright as well as the playwright's toolbox, teaching subtext, and the structure of playwriting vs screenwriting. We also go into detail about Aristotle's Poetics, Deus ex Machina in theatre, rules in playwriting, editing as you write, and standing up for yourself in production. This is only a small amount of topics we discuss in this episode. It's definitely worth listening to the end. We hope you enjoy it.
Stephen Kaplan is an award-winning playwright with productions off-broadway and in regional theaters nationally. His productions include the world premieres of Tracy Jones at Williamston Theatre, Michigan and CenterStage, Rochester, and the world premiere of Branwell (and other Brontës): An Autobiography Edited by Charlotte Brontë at Loft Ensemble, Los Angeles. His play Tracy Jones is currently a finalist for B Street Theater's New Comedies Festival in Sacramento, CA, and was a finalist for the ScreenCraft Stage Play Contest and the Trustus Playwrights Festival. He is a 2021 Individual Artist Fellowship winner in playwriting from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. He earned his BFA from NYU – Playwrights Horizons Theatre School and his MFA from Point Park University. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild and serves as Northeastern Regional Representative on the DG National Council.
To view the video format of this episode, visit the link below - https://youtu.be/L6q3otHLbEM
Links to site and resources mentioned in this episode -
Had a wonderful time reconnecting with Dean Farell Bruggeman, discussing playwriting and launching a career without any formal training. We discuss overcoming the obstacles without an academic start, the necessities of a successful scene, achieving truth and following your heart, muses and self projection as well as inspiration and unearthing plays buried in the "underwear drawer." Dean's quite inspirational with lovely energy. A mistake I make within our talk is about a piece correctly titled "American Pie" written by Rebecca Katz. I mistakenly label it as a play without "story" while I intended to say "plot." It is a beautiful piece from the Los Angeles Collegiate Playwrights Festival Volume 1 that you can find a link to in our show notes. It's a wonderful example of a play based on characters and relationships, that you will also find woven within Dean's plays as well. We hope you enjoy the episode.
Dean Farell Bruggeman is a Los Angeles based playwright whose plays have been seen thought the city at - Theatre Unleashed, Group Repertory, The Knighsbridge, Company of Angels, The Hudson, Road Theatre Company, Actors Company, The Three of Clubs, and Eclectic Company Theatre. His play "Memory Grove" was a 2012 semifinalist for the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center's National Playwrights Conference and a 2013 finalist in the New Works @ The Works Playwriting Competition at Playhouse on the Square in Memphis. His other plays include - Only the Moon Howls, Pearson Design, Beautifully Broken Things, Hollywood Perfume, Untitled Perfusion #3, and The Blur. He is a graduate of the University of Florid and a longtime member of the Dramatists and Screen Actors Guild.
To view the video format of this episode, visit the link below - https://youtu.be/Xx8ORtFylJw
Links to sites and resources mentioned in this episode -
Lonny Chapman Theater - https://thegrouprep.com
The Road Theatre Company - https://roadtheatre.org
Contact information for Dean Farell Bruggeman - https://www.deanfarellbruggeman.com
Websites and socials for James Elden, Punk Monkey Productions and Playwright's Spotlight
Punk Monkey Productions - www.punkmonkeyproductions.com
The quirky and energetic playwright Nina Mansfield stopped by Playwright's Spotlight, and while she's far from high strung, I can't help but think the female characters she sticks in unusual situations are all a faction of her. It's hard to pinpoint the exact areas of playwriting we cover in this episode, because we cover so many subjects - teaching subtext, building backstory, timing, character development by letting them tell YOU who they are, the 10-minute structure, and revisiting old works that didn't work. We also touch on approaching premise, training later in one's career, and most importantly - having fun writing. Nina's energy comes off strong right from the start, so I hope it inspires and motivates you to hit the pages running. Enjoy the episode.
Nina Mansfield is a Connecticut based playwright, fiction writer, and educator. Her ten minute and one-act plays have had over 100 productions having been produced professionally, at colleges, community theaters and high schools as well as throughout the world. He work has appeared at a number of festivals, including - the New York International Fringe Festival, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the Boston Theatre Marathon, Vital Theatre's New Works Festival, 20% Theatre Twin Cities, the Six Women Playwriting Festival, Little Fish Theatre's Pick of the Vine Festival, and multiple 8-Minute Madness Festivals in New York. Nina's short plays have been anthologized in Smith and Kraus' The Best Ten-Minute Plays, the Boston Theater Marathon XI, 2009 Anthology, and YouthPlays' Middle Schoolin' It, amongst other publications. She is a member of the The Dramatists Guild, Mystery Writers of America, The Society for Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, and Sisters in Crime.
To view the video format of this episode, visit the link below - https://youtu.be/S3d5GCmw-mo
Links to sites and resources mentioned in this episode -
New Dramatists - https://newdramatists.org
Smith and Kraus - https://www.smithandkraus.com
Kennedy Center Playwriting - https://www.kennedy-center.org/education/opportunities-for-artists/pre-professional-artist-training/kcactf/kcplaywritingint/
In this episode of Playwright's Spotlight, I speak to the master of the 10-minute play - Mark Harvey Levine. With over 1900 productions of his work around the world, Mark offers a plethora of information when it comes this short-form content - from the challenges to the opportunities that come along with it. We discuss structure from exposition to the inciting incident to resolution. We also touch on comedy, plots, and struggles in playwriting and how to build one's confidence as well as payment vs production and his issue with submission fees. His tidbits on surprising your audience and being specific in the little details is also wonderful advice. As with past interviews, I learned something new. I hope you do the same. Enjoy.
Mark Harvey Levine has over 100 entries on New Play Exchange and has had over 1900 productions of his short plays nationally and internationally. His plays have won over 45 awards and been produced in more than ten languages. His work has been published in over two dozen anthologies by Applause, Smith & Kraus, Routledge, and Vintage. Full evenings of his ten-minute plays, such as "Cabfare For The Common Man," “Didn’t See That Coming,” and “A Very Special Holiday Special” have been shown around the world, including at the Edinburgh Fringe and in a multi-year tour of Brazil. A Spanish-language film of “The Kiss” (“El Beso”) premiered at Cannes and aired on HBO and DTV (Japan). Two of his plays were adapted for Brazilian television. Other plays include – The Interview, Save Hamlet, Oh, Tannenbaum, Scripted, and Making It Up as We Go Along. He has taught workshops sponsored by Cary Playwrights’ Forum and teaches playwriting at the Indiana Writer’s Center.
To view the video format of this episode, visit the link below - https://youtu.be/8epDLbmzC3s
Links to sites and resources mentioned in this episode -
Gi60 (Gone in 60) - The One Minute Theatre Festival - http://gi60.blogspot.com
Passionate and Inspirational, Steven Dietz visits Playwright's Spotlight to discuss the musicality of dialogue, kairos moments throughout a play, and what he calls The Living Play, in which he unpacks his technique of using motion, status, and time opposed to action and conflict. We also discuss taboo topics, writing out of uncertainty, overlapping dialogue, intricacy and layers, the mythology of playwriting as well as his time at Playwrights' Center and working with some of the greats. Probably one of the most educational discussions of the craft I've had so far. I hope you enjoy it.
Steven Diezt’s thirty-plus plays and adaptations have been seen at over one hundred regional theaters, as well as Off-Broadway and has International productions in over twenty countries. In 2019, he was once again named one of the 20 Most-Produced Playwrights in America by American Theatre Magazine. He was awarded the American Theatre Critics Association's Steinberg New Play Citation for his play Bloomsday; the Kennedy Center Fund for New American Plays Award for both –Fiction and Still Life with Iris; the PEN USA Award in Drama for Lonely Planet; and the Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for Sherlock Homes: The Final Adventure. Other plays include Becky's New Car, This Random World, Last of the Boys, Rancho Mirage, Shooting Star, Yankee Tavern, Inventing van Gogh, Private Eyes, Rocket Man, God's Country, and The Nina Variations. He taught in the MFA Playwriting and Directing program at UT/Austin for twelve years and currently serves as a Dramatists Guild "Traveling Master"—teaching workshops in playwriting, story-making, and collaboration across the U.S.
To view the video format of this episode, visit the link below - https://youtu.be/CnS8-gegiUc
Links to sites and resources mentioned in this episode -
Playwrights' Center - https://pwcenter.org
Broadway Licensing/Dramatists Play Services - https://www.dramatists.com
Concord Publishing/Samuel French - https://www.concordtheatricals.com
National New Play Network - https://nnpn.org
Websites and socials for James Elden, Punk Monkey Productions and Playwright's Spotlight
Punk Monkey Productions - www.punkmonkeyproductions.com
Welcome to Season 2, Episode 1. Author of The Playwright's Survival Guide and Perfect Ten and ten-minute playwright virtuoso, Gary Garrison swings by Playwright's Spotlight. In this discussion, we discuss progressing as a playwright, structuring a ten minute play, the differences between a sketch and a ten-minute play, and developing characters. We also touch on the necessity of artistic statements, what should be included in character descriptions as well as submission letters. And that's just the start. We cover a wide range of terrain that any playwright will find beneficial. As with each episode from Season 1, I hope you enjoy this conversation.
Gary Garrison served as the Executive Director of the Dramatists Guild of America for the past decade. Prior to his work at the Guild, he filled the posts of Artistic Director, Producer and full-time faculty member in the Goldberg Department of Dramatic Writing at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, where he produced more than 45 different festivals of new work, collaborating with hundreds of playwrights, directors and actors. He is on the Tony Administration Committee for the Tony Awards and the program director for the Summer Playwriting Intensive for the Kennedy Center. He is the author of the critically acclaimed The Playwright’s Survival Guide: Keeping the Drama in Your Work and Out of Your Life, Perfect Ten: Writing and Producing the Ten Minute Play, A More Perfect Ten, and two volumes of Monologues for Men by Men. His plays include Too Quick to Pick, Ties That Bind, Skirting the Issue, Caught Without Candy, Game On, Verticals and Horizontals, Padding The Wagon, Rug Store Cowboy, Oh Messiah Me, The Big Fat Naked Truth, Scream With Laughter, Smoothness With Cool,and When A Diva Dreams.
The video format of this episode can be watched at the link below - https://youtu.be/5tk2GYoug4M
Wow wow wow. This episode is chock full of information, education, and insight, I could've gone on for another hour and a half. Michael Wright shares so much information throughout our chat. The plethora of topics we cover is immense and his knowledge is never ending. His exercises, or as he calls them "etudes", will help any playwright or writer struggling or weak in any particular playwriting element from technique, character, plot, structure, collaboration, and writer's block. We also cover the "jobs" of the playwright, adding texture and layers, sensory elements in writing, creating solid dialogue, getting to know your characters, and making the audience a "partner." The information in this discussion is so extensive, any writer will benefit form the first minute to the last. Listen or watch, and then get to writing. I'm sure you'll be inspired.
To view the video format of this episode, visit the link below - https://youtu.be/KxVSWpVqyag
Links to sites and resources mentioned in this episode -
National Endowment for the Arts - arts.gov
Original Works Publishing - https://www.originalworksonline.com
Contact information, website, and socials for Michael Wright -
Fresh in the middle of her trip from New York for the West Coast Premiere of her new play Broken Story, playwright Cyndy A. Marion stopped by a Playwright's Spotlight for an in-house interview. In this episode, we discuss transitioning from director to playwright, learning structure, taking creative license when writing about real life events, honesty in marketing, and what makes theatrical staging. We also talk about complex sets and inspiring designers as well as adding action to dialogue, musicality in a monologue, writing surprises, repping yourself, and making the work. This discussion is a great resource for playwrights who may be considering a bicoastal production as well as the usual approach to the craft. I hope you enjoy this episode.
Cyndy A. Marion is the Producing Artistic Director of The White Horse Theater Company for which she recently directed the world-premiere production of her play YOU ARE PERFECT. She is a Board Member of The Players, Co-Founder of the Producers Circle and a member of the Stage Directors & Choreographers Society as well of the The Dramatists Guild. Her new play, BROKEN STORY, is currently running its West Coast Premiere at The Sherry theater in the North Hollywood Arts District.
To view the video format of this episode, visit the link below - https://youtu.be/64yZmoZuzh0
Links to sites and resources mentioned in this episode -
In this episode, Los Angeles based playwright Paul Surace swings by Playwright's Spotlight to talk about his upcoming compilation Hearing More Voices the followup to his first collection Hearing Voices. We discuss poignancy in playwriting, writing with intent, characters with a history vs characters that are strangers, and being directed as a playwright. We also touch on bad direction and pulling the plug on a production, creating your own opportunities, discipline while working a full time job, and perhaps finally cracking the mystery of how to write subtext. Paul's New York charm exudes in this conversation along with his decades of playwriting experience. I'm sure you'll walk away with a new perspective that will assist in your own playwriting. Be sure to let us know how it helped. Enjoy!
Paul Surace is a playwright, producer, actor, screenwriter, Walt Disney Company Fellowship winner, and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. He’s written over 30 short plays, some of which have been produced in New York City and Hollywood. His book of short plays Hearing Voices has received rave reviews, and he is currently working on another collection due to be released in 2023. His full length plays include Homecoming and NYC Nativity.
To view the video format of this episode, visit the link below - https://youtu.be/A0OIgilmkBg
Links to sites and resources mentioned in this episode -
It's always a treat when playwrights can record in house. This week local playwright Dagney Kerr stopped by to discuss her playwriting journey from college to relocating to Los Angeles as well as her process from workshops to worldwide productions. We also discuss letting go of your work and standing your ground. In addition, we tackle working with bad directors, adjusting your work, writing rhythmically and tactically, perfecting pieces before submitting them, self-representation and unauthorized productions, support and accountability in a writers group, finding one's voice and style as well as relatability in success. It's certainly a well rounded discussion that encompasses a wide range of topics I think all writers will benefit from. Enjoy!
Dagney Kerr is a Los Angeles-based writer and actor. Her play, Stay, won Best Play and the Sherman C Ward Jr. Award for Excellence in Playwriting at the Eastern States One Act Play Festival; Outstanding Play, Maryland One-Act Festival; Pick of the Vine, The Little Fish Theater in San Pedro; and Best Script, Best Play, and Audience Favorite awards in several other festivals around the country. Her play, "Dalton," was chosen for the ABC Discovers: New York Talent Showcase, INKFEST Playwright Festival in Hollywood, and an official selection of the Los Angeles International Short Film Festival. She recently received the Playwrights Initiative Award from Ivoryton Playhouse in CT for her play, Deanna and Paul. She has also written and starred in the critically-acclaimed one-woman shows, Deep Sea Dagney and Hitchhiking to Mars and is also the creator of the Christmas show, Holiday Fever, which ran in Los Angeles for ten sold-out seasons.
To view the video format of this episode, visit the link below - https://youtu.be/bHQr9ZJdrAg
Links to sites and resources mentioned in this episode -
In this episode of Playwright's Spotlight I speak to Los Angeles based playwright and actor Trey Nichols. In addition to playwriting, Trey runs a series of playwriting workshops throughout the year. Our conversation touches on various aspects of the craft including - learning through acting, one's inspirations, and playwriting classes as well as using the past for exposition versus achieving an objection. We also touch upon violence under language, the benefits of breathing space in a piece, the wounded villain vs the anti-hero, economics in playwriting, soul changing, struggles as a beginning playwright, one note scenes, workshops, reworking the same pages, creating art from life, and the controversy of politics preventing art. It's certainly a broad topic episode that's sure to be enlightening. Enjoy!
Trey Nichols is a playwright, actor, and script consultant based in Los Angeles, California. He is a longtime member of Moving Arts, an award-winning Los Angeles-based theatre dedicated to the development and production of new plays. For twelve years, he served as the theatre's Literary Director, moderating the company's Playreading Series and playing a vital role in the development of new plays. He has also served as a dramaturg for the the company's signature new play development program, MADLab. He is also a literary consultant for playwriting and screenwriting contests and fellowships. He is on board of the Alliance of Los Angeles Playwrights (ALAP) and produces the annual In Our Own Voices Playreading Series. His plays include Find Brother, A Lesson in Proper Bow-fluffing Technique, and The Meadows.
To view the video format of this episode, visit the link below - https://youtu.be/Y75LUunnPv4
Links to sites and resources mentioned in this episode -
Moving Arts & MADLab - www.movingarts.org
Alliance of Los Angeles Playwrights - https://www.laplaywrights.org
In this episode I have a inspirational conversation with playwright Barry Kornhauser about the commissioning and adapting plays from children's books, development, creative freedom and licensing, and breaking down and building a story around stage directions and minimal dialogue. We also discuss working with underprivileged as well as individuals with disabilities, writing for age appropriate casting, and relating to younger audiences in your work. In addition, we cover what can be learned about playwriting from the technical aspects of theatre, the opportunities in children's theatre, advice in that arena, and whether or not playwriting can be taught and if there is such thing as bad play when it comes to writing. There's a lot of subjective material in this episode that I'd love to hear where you all stand, so be sure to share your thoughts, and as always... Enjoy!!!
Barry Kornhauser’s have been commissioned and produced by Tony Award-winning stages such as the Children’s Theatre Company, La Jolla Playhouse, the Shakespeare Theatre and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. His honors include the Children’s Theatre Foundation of America’s Orlin Corey Medallion, Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Play, Bonderman Playwriting Prize, and three AATE Distinguished Play Awards. In 2017, he was named Artist of the Year from Pennsylvania Governor's Awards and his youth theatre program for teens living with disabilities and other life challenges was honored at the White House as one of the nation's top arts-education initiatives. He served for over 30 years as Playwright-In-Residence, TYA Director, and other positions at the National Historic Landmark - Fulton Theatre and currently works for the Millersville University Office of Visual & Performing Arts.
To view the video format of this episode, visit the link below - https://youtu.be/PJ_cYyderGQ
Links to sites and resources mentioned in this episode -
Children's Theatre Company (CTC) - https://childrenstheatre.org
Plays for New Audiences - https://playsfornewaudiences.org
Therapeutic Living Centers for the Blind - https://tlc4blind.org
Na Laga'at - https://aicf.org
National Endowments for the Arts - https://www.arts.gov/grants/grants-for-arts-projects/theater
What a wonderful and intoxicating exchange and perhaps a little serendipitous. I discovered John had started following the podcast and what followed was nothing short of a high energy conversation about the craft. In this episode with John Mabey, we discuss the romance and preciousness of playwriting as well as the psychology of the craft and the necessity of getting out of our own way. We also talk about the vulnerability of the playwright, trusting other playwrights, letting go of our work, expressing silences and beats, writing a play for production, getting commissioned, structure, success, revealing truth through character, and cliffhangers opposed to leaving your audience "confused." All said, it's another episode where I could have talked for hours. What was your favorite moment?
John Mabey is a writer and storyteller whose plays have been produced on stage in 7 countries and throughout the United States. Recent awards for full-length plays include the ‘2021 Panowski Playwriting Award,’ the ‘2022 Essential Theatre Playwriting Award,’ and the ‘2022 Getchell New Play Award.’ In 2021 and 2022 he also had plays published in Smith & Kraus’ 'Best 10-Minute Plays,' 'Best Women’s Monologues,' and 'Best Men’s Monologues.' In 2023, John will have multiple monologues published in a volume for gender minority characters as well. His plays include – A Complicated Hope, Misfits and Mustangs, B is for Bullshit, and Reflections of a Daydream.
To view the video format of this episode, visit the link below - https://youtu.be/ZIuXvquyi-w
Contact info and socials for John Mabey -
Website - www.mabeyplays.com
New Play Exchange - https://newplayexchange.org/users/40570/john-mabey
90 minutes of brilliant insight. The amount of real estate this episode with Matt Williams covers couldn't be covered in a set of Time Life books. Matt provides so much knowledge, it was hard to know when to stop and move on to the next question. In this chat we cover learning playwriting from dramaturgical books opposed to those focused on actual playwriting, driving action vs inciting incidents, achieving simplicity through elimination, embodying character through action, bad feedback and notes, the trap of directing your own work, and when to pull the plug when someone else is in the driver's seat. We also discuss how to make your play director proof, developing a writing routine, trusting actors and directors, putting vibrance on the page, the point of view character and the protagonist, beginning and ending a scene and so much more. I'd be hard-pressed to believe any playwright won't walk away with a treasure trove of goodness from what Matt brings to the table. As always, ENJOY!
Matt Williams has worked in theater, film and television as a writer, director, and producer. In pursuit of his passion to see children succeed, Williams recently formed the Laughing Angels Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping children around the world by creating stories that celebrate the human spirit. He also serves on the board at the Cherry Lane Theatre, a resident non-profit theatre founded by his wife, Angelina Fiordellisi. Playwriting credits include Fear, Actually, We’re F*cked, Bruce Lee Is Dead and I’m Not Feeling Too Good Either, Jason and the Nun, and Between Daylight and Boonville.
To view the video format of this episode, visit the link below - https://youtu.be/6xwnYokPgV0
Links to sites and resources mentioned in this episode -
Without a doubt the most important episode of Playwright's Spotlight to date. If in the past you've never made it through an episode in it's entirety, this is the one to sit through until the end. A story of diligence, perseverance, over coming adversity, Faye Widjaja tells the story of her high school drama club staging a production when it seemed the universe was against them. We discuss breaking down and writing a performance art piece, the timing and structure of a play set in real time, rehearsing and making the most out of the worst situations, and celebrating the old adage "necessity breeds creativity." Faye's is a story of inspiration and motivation fighting against all odds. I hope this episode makes you all remember why we fell in love with theatre in the first place and what keeps drawing us back. Enjoy!!!
Faye Widjaja is a writer, composer, director, designer, actress, and senior at Mission San Jose High School as well as the president of the school's student-run theatre program. Her play "A Lost Soul's Guide to Being Not Alive" received an Honorable Mention from the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, and her most recent piece "A Minor Inconvenience" received gold in the Student Written One-Act category at the Lenaea High School Theatre Festival in Sacramento, California.
To view the video format of this episode, visit the link below - https://youtu.be/zeWhuUfhCRU
Links to sites and resources mentioned in this episode -
Australian born and Canadian artist, Sunny Drake, stops by Playwright's Spotlight. In this episode, we discuss developing the artist within and how to grow as a playwright without formal training, how much involvement the playwright has at a table reading, the benefits of previews, rehearsing in repertory theatre and how to submit as well as breaking down and submitting to residencies. Within the latter, we talk about "good" vs "bad" retreats, matching your work to appropriate residencies in addition to building a case as to why one's work may be more appropriate that the contrary. We also discuss the genre of the radio play, absurdity in playwriting, teaching yourself growth, and the role of humility when it comes to criticism. Sunny is a charming playwright who brings a lot of new information to the Playwright's Spotlight and provides wonderful resources for playwrights of all levels.
Sunny Drake is a playwright, theatre creator, performer, and producer. His works have been translated into four languages and presented in over 60 cities across the world for a wide range of audiences. He was the first general manager of Propel Youth Arts (a youth arts development and advocacy group in Western Australia). Currently he is the Emerging Creators Unit director with, which is the world’s largest and longest running queer theater. Sunny was commissioned by the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres, Playwrights Guild of Canada and ATFC to write the 2019 World Theatre Day message for Canada. He was awarded the inaugural Johanna Metcalf Performing Arts Prize 2019 for having a significant impact on performing arts in Ontario, and was a finalist for the K. M. Hunter Theatre Award in 2018. He was awarded the Playwrights Guild of Canada national comedy award in 2021 for Every Little Nookie, which had its world premiere at the Stratford Festival in 2022. His comedy Men Express Their Feelings was described by the Calgary Herald as an "instant Canadian classic" in 2020.
To view the video format of this episode, visit the link below - https://youtu.be/je2TUS-OyPA
Links to sites and resources mentioned in this episode -
The Arctic Circle - Artist and Scientist Residency Program - https://thearcticcircle.org
Another insightful episode in the bag. This week playwright Roger Q Mason stops by and unpacks the queer perspective of playwriting discussing how performance compliments writing (and vice versa), embracing and pushing discomfort as well as thematic layering and poetic expressionism. We also delve into the definition of being a "jazz playwright", writing from the root, transferring curiosity to the page, the process of getting your work out, writing interior life, and how to find a mentor. This, of course, is just a smattering of what you'll find within this interview, so listen to its entirety, and I promise you'll take away something new in the craft of playwriting. Enjoy!
Roger Q. Mason is a playwright and screenwriter whose work investigates the intersection of history, memory, and identity. They holds an MFA in Writing from Northwestern University, MA in English from Middlebury College, and BA in English and Theatre from Princeton University and their plays have been seen on Broadway at Circle in the Square (Circle Reading Series); Off/Off-Off-Broadway at New York Theatre Workshop, New Group, American Theatre of Actors, Flea Theatre, and Access Theater. Their work has also been named finalist of the Geffen Playhouse Writers Room, BRIC Lab Residency, Lark Playwrights Week, and Screencraft Play Award, and their play The White Dress was semi-finalist for the 2018 Bay Area Playwrights Festival and the inaugural Shonda Rhimes Emerging Playwright Award.
To view the video format of this episode, visit the link below - https://youtu.be/nc17OB7akhg
Links to sites and resources mentioned in this episode -
Circle in the Square Theatre School - https://circlesquare.org
24 Hour Plays - https://24hourplays.org
Contact information for Roger Q. Mason -
IG - @rogerq.mason Twitter - @rogerqmason
Websites and socials for James Elden, Punk Monkey Productions and Playwright's Spotlight
Punk Monkey Productions - www.punkmonkeyproductions.com
Tony Award Winning Playwright Itamar Moses stopped by Playwright's Spotlight. Chock full of humorous moments, Itamar shares his experience adapting the cherished animated film An American Tale for the stage, children's ability to suspend disbelief, and avoiding dumbing down the material for a younger audience. We also discuss when it's time for a table read and recognizing when the pace is slowing down during the developmental process. In addition, we talk about the impact of Tony Kushner's Angels in America in Itamar's playwriting career, his journey through NYU and pathway to the Tony's, craft vs voice and ambition, how to make something work, and the importance of always getting the story right first. We close the conversation with getting commissioned and what it entails as well as the death of theatre. I hope you enjoy this latest episode with Itamar Moses.
Itamar Moses is the Tony-winning author of the full-length plays OUTRAGE, BACH AT LEIPZIG, CELEBRITY ROW, THE FOUR OF US, YELLOWJACKETS, BACK BACK BACK, COMPLETENESS, and THE WHISTLEBLOWER, the evening of short plays LOVE/STORIES (OR BUT YOU WILL GET USED TO IT), and the musicals NOBODY LOVES YOU (with Gaby Alter), FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE (with Michael Friedman), and THE BAND’S VISIT (with David Yazbek). His work has appeared on Broadway, Off-Broadway and elsewhere in New York, at regional theatres across the country and in Canada, Hong Kong, Israel, Venezuela, Turkey and Chile, and is published by Faber & Faber and Samuel French. He’s received new play commissions from The McCarter, Playwrights Horizons, Berkeley Rep, The Wilma Theater, South Coast Rep, Manhattan Theatre Club, Lincoln Center, and The Goodman. He holds an MFA in Dramatic Writing from NYU and has taught playwriting at Yale and NYU. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild and is a New York Theatre Workshop Usual Suspect.
To view the video format of this episode, visit the link below - https://youtu.be/XX_jOKvh3lg
Links to sites and resources mentioned in this episode -
Playwright Kathryn Keats visited Playwright's Spotlight to talk about her solo beat musical, The Hummingbird, and the tragic events that led her into going into hiding, coming out on the other side, and the development of the piece, and the catharsis of playwriting. We also discuss the importance of knowing your material, structure in performance art and what it looks like on the page, the difficulty in defining beat poetry, piecing together your play, adding missing elements, the wonderful world of writing and playing with its elements. She also shares how being an acting coach has helped her as a playwright by knowing a characters wants and drives, the need of a reaction if a character doesn't achieve it, and who deserves a seat at the table. A wonderful and uplifting story that sure to motivate all to share their stories. Enjoy!
Kathryn Keats is singer/songwriter and Drama Critics' Circle Award winning performance artist as well as an award winning Playwright , Composer and Lyricist (The Hummingbird, solo beat musical, Welthy Cade). Her beat musical -The Hummingbird, was in residency at Berkeley Repertory’s The Ground Floor in 2012 and commissioned by The Marsh Theatre in San Francisco in Oct 2021 and premiered in Oct 2021 as part of Marsh Festival of New Musical Voices.
To view the video format of this episode, visit the link below - https://youtu.be/9lOHX_vFbwY
Links to sites and resources mentioned in this episode -
Berkeley Rep - https://www.berkeleyrep.org
The Marsh - https://themarsh.org
The Ground Floor - https://www.berkeleyrep.org/the-ground-floor/
Contact information and socials for Kathryn Keats -
The charming Bob DeRosa swings by Playwright's Spotlight fresh off the relaunch of his play - Gifted. Bob shares his experiences with starting in sketch writing, its benefits in learning to write quickly and the basic rules of structure, writing dialogue that's easy vs dialogue that's bad, and stories as transformation machines for the character. We also touch upon the depth of playwriting, finding your community, the benefits and process of developmental workshops, recognizing failure and dealing with criticism, playing your audience's emotions, and the thrill of the setup and the payoff. It's a simple discussion engrained with nuggets of knowledge. It's hard to imagine you won't take away a gem or two. Enjoy!
Bob DeRosa is a Los Angeles based playwright who started his theatre-writing career in Orlando in the 90s when he cofounded the successful comedy troupe THEM, writing for several ongoing shows including Serial Killers, The Box, We The People, Fast & Loose, and Crime Scene. His play All The Best Killers Are Librarians was nominated for Best Comedy at the 2016 Hollywood Fringe Festival and his short play Rocket Sex was published in Volume 2 of The Collective: 10 Play Anthology. His play, Gifted received its world premiere at Sacred Fools in Jan 2020 and at LOFT in North Hollywood this past March. He also co-wrote the Audible Originals - Catchers and Video Palace, the first original podcast from SHUDDER.
To view the video format of this episode, visit the link below - https://youtu.be/bHr0mQxXKOI
Links to sites and resources mentioned in this episode -
Playwright and publisher Jonathan Dorf sits in the Playwright's Spotlight and shines a light on the publishing aspect of playwriting with his experience as co-founder of YouthPLAYS touching on some of the criteria they look for as publishers of plays for younger audiences. We also touch on what makes powerful writing, in-depth characters through the tension of opposites, and the difference between internal and external conflict. Jonathan shares his insight into handling exposition, emotional summarizing, the purpose and timing of monologues, how best to support playwrights, his opinion on submission fees, high context relationships, the worst sins in playwriting, and the importance of promoting your own work. There are a lot of interviews I say could have gone on for even longer, but I really feel my conversation with Jonathan could've gone on for three hours if not longer. It definitely deserves a follow up conversation and has motivated me to break out some past work. I hope you feel the same. Enjoy!
Jonathan Dorf is author of more than 40 published plays with over 2000 productions worldwide, including such titles as 4 A.M., Harry's Hotter at Twilight, Thank You for Flushing My Head in the Toilet, Dear Chuck and The Locker Next 2 Mine. He co-founded publisher YouthPLAYS and chairs the Alliance of Los Angeles Playwrights. He created the content for Playwriting101.com and taught playwriting through Screenwriters University for more than a decade. He has served as Visiting Associate Professor in the MFA Playwriting and Children's Lit programs at Hollins University, as United States Cultural Envoy to Barbados and has been a guest speaker at dozens of schools and festivals ranging from ITF and the EdTA annual conference to Singapore's Asian Festival of Children's Content. He holds a BA in Dramatic Writing and Literature from Harvard University, and an MFA in Playwriting from UCLA.
To view the video format of this episode, visit the link below - https://youtu.be/bTbwR1V9fy0
Links to sites and resources mentioned in this episode -
Vanessa Stewart graces this episode of Playwright's Spotlight. Taking a biopic musical approach to her playwriting, Vanessa features historical figures in most of her pieces, delving into depths of research and focusing on the minute nuances of their lives, starting off with the jazz couple Louis and Keely, and silent film legend Buster Keaton. In our discussion, her writing compulsion and choice of taking the musical route with these characters. We talk about how she sifts through information and, in turn, what to include, being an economic writer, expressing action vs projecting intent, how to write for specific actors, and the use of zodiac signs for character description. In addition, she shares three important rules for dialogue, assets and flaws of characters, specificity in humor, relenting to creative changes and fighting for important moments as well as what makes a good story It amazes me how much I learn from every episode of Playwright's Spotlight, and this one is no exception. I hope you enjoy it and discover as much insight as I did. Enjoy.
Vanessa Stewart is an actress, producer and playwright. She co-wrote Louis and Keely: Live at the Sahara with Jake Broder for Sacred Fools Theatre. In 2012, she wrote Stoneface for Sacred Fools winning the 2013 LA Weekly award for best production, and in 2019, her original musical about serial killer HH Holmes entitled Deadly with composer Ryan Johnson, premiered at Sacred Fools and later moving to Webster Conservatory for further development but premiered with a new revision online in December 2020 due to Covid restrictions on live performances.
To view the video format of this episode, visit the link below - https://youtu.be/tE_PezA-QvA
Links to sites and resources mentioned in this episode -
I always find something to learn in an episode of Playwright's Spotlight. However, Bernardo Cubria's insight to playwriting was nonstop. Every minute turned another corner of knowledge. His approach and insight to playwriting was intimidating that I'm not sure I could keep up - from a naivety to submitting plays that could lead to success to paying for opportunities to extracting knowledge from workshops. Bernardo shares his steps from completing the first draft, what consists of smart, intelligent feedback, Liz Lerman's critical approach to feedback, and hitting the flow state of creativity. We also tackle telling the best story, staying the course, how to approach rewrites, and the benefits of Clown School as well as "staying in the shit," not to mention compensation outside of money and what makes a brilliant director. It's only a small sample of topics that could have gone for much longer. As with playwriting, I encourage you to stay the course and listen to the entirety of this episode. You won't walk away empty handed, or headed, and will hopefully be a much better playwright by the episode's end. Either way, I hope you enjoy my conversation with Bernardo as much as I did. His energy and humor is contagious. Enjoy!!!
Bernardo Cubría is a Mexican playwright and screenwriter based in Los Angeles. He is the winner of the 2021 Smith Prize for Political Theatre. His play, The Play You Want won the 2020 BETC Generations Award and was also a finalist for the 2020 Ingenio Play Festival. His play The Giant Void in my Soul was nominated for Best Playwright at the 2018 Ovation Awards, Los Angeles Drama critics Circle Awards, and The Stage Raw Awards. His play Neighbors: A Fair Trade Agreement will be receiving it's world premier at INTAR in NYC in the fall of 2017. It was a Semi-Finalist for the O'Neil in 2017, and his play The Judgment of Fools has received three critically acclaimed production in NYC, LA, and Houston, TX. His play The Redhead is Coming was a part of F*ckfest at The Brick in NYC in 2015. He is a proud member of Ammo Theatre Company in LA.
To view the video format of this episode, visit the link below - https://youtu.be/ibY4478Fsb4
Links to sites and resources mentioned in this episode -
Crabs in a Bucket Play Info and Tickets - https://www.echotheatercompany.com/crabs-in-a-bucket/#:~:text=Crabs%20in%20a%20Bucket%20follows,who%20still%20live%20among%20them
Ammo Theatre - https://www.ammunitiontheatre.com
The O'neill's - https://www.theoneill.org/npc
Play Submission Helper - https://playsubmissionshelper.com/category/play-submissions/
LAByrinth Theatre Company - https://labtheater.org
We are back!!! Sorry for missing a week, folks. Had some audio issues with this episode and needed a little time to figure out the best approach. 99% of the audio glitches were on my end, and my guest offers some amazing insights that I didn't want to risk losing by reshooting the episode or losing context by editing out the question. All said, John Patrick Bray and I delve into some great topics and themes including - storytelling and playing with structure, the process of playwriting, the exercise of "negotiating over an object", and a different mindset when it comes to stage directions. We also discuss the concept of "great reckonings in small rooms", the struggle of dry spells and making playwriting a priority, subtext vs the obvious, and finding opportunities. We manage a tangent into the realm of movies and our feeling about Midsommer and Heritage that I find amusing. I hope you can forgive the technical difficulties and still mine through the knowledge within. I know it can be distracting, but I promise it'll be worth the it in the end. Thanks for you support and patience. Enjoy!
John Patrick Bray has written plays under grants from The National Endowment for the Arts and the Acadiana Center for the Arts in Louisiana, and has earned commissions from theatre companies and arts agencies around the country. He has been a Semifinalist for the O’Neill National Playwrights Conference, Semifinalist for the Ashland New Play Festival, Semifinalist for the Princess Grace Foundation Playwriting Award; a Finalist for the Kernodle Playwright Prize; and Winner of the Appalachian Festival of Plays and Playwrights. His plays and monologues are published with Applause Theatre and Cinema Books, Smith and Kraus, Original Works Publishing, Next Stage Press, JAC Publishing, and Heartland Plays. He served as a Dramatists Guild Atlanta Region Ambassador in 2019 and is the co-founder of Athens Playwrights' Workshop. He earned an MFA in Playwriting from The Actors Studio Drama School at The New School and PhD in Theatre from Louisiana State University. He teaches in the Department of Theatre and Film Studies at the University of Georgia.
To view the video format of this episode, visit the link below - https://youtu.be/X86fRpZxwao
Links to sites and resources mentioned in this episode -
Next Stage Press - www.nextstagepress.com
Acadiana Center for the Arts - https://acadianacenterforthearts.org
Skeleton Rep - http://www.skeletonrep.org
New Play Exchange - https://newplayexchange.org
Contact information and socials for John Patrick Bray -
Website - www.johnpatrickbray.com
Facebook - fb.com/jpbphd
Websites and socials for James Elden, Punk Monkey Productions and Playwright's Spotlight
Punk Monkey Productions - www.punkmonkeyproductions.com
What a fascinating discussion. Playwright Wendy Graf sat in the Playwright's Spotlight and shared her experiences throughout her career including the effects of Covid, plays vs screenplays and how the translation of the latter can to stop the action on stage, the "secret" of success in playwriting, the concept of small vs large markets, and how to approach requested rewrites as a beginning and established playwright. We also discuss the audience's response to controversial subject matter, good and realistic dialogue, the benefits of overwriting, and the future of theatre and how the current political climate is affecting it. Whether you agree or not, Wendy Graf gives amazing insight on the where theatre has evolved and how it may meet its demise. As with all episodes, I hope you listen with an open mind and walk away all the wiser and a better playwright in the end. Enjoy.
Wendy Graf is a multi-award winning, Los Angeles-based playwright whose plays have been produced nationally and Internationally. Her play EXIT WOUNDS was Gold Medalist for the Moss Hart and Kitty Carlisle New Play Initiative) and will be receiving its World Premiere at International City Theatre in Long Beach, CA. Her other plays include - UNEMPLOYED ELEPHANTS: A LOVE STORY, PLEASE DON’T ASK ABOUT BECKET, ALL AMERICAN GIRL, CLOSELY RELATED KEYS, and BEHIND THE GATES amongst many others.
To view the video format of this episode, visit the link below - https://youtu.be/652wKYF7wG8
Links to sites and resources mentioned in this episode -
Playwright Howard Skora stopped by Playwright's Spotlight, and what a fascinating interview he delivered. What I thought would be another insightful look into the craft of playwriting, turned into an unsuspecting history lesson about the psychologist Sigmund Freud and quite a few unknown stories about his life. Not only does Howie educate me about the all things Freud, we delve into the stakes in comedy and playing against opposites, taking creative license with historical characters and stories, the research that goes into said people and events and what gets sifted out, and whether or not he writes prior, during or post research as well as the need to collaborate. In addition, we touch on writing for specific actors, stage directions requiring specificity, the pros of self-producing, rewriting during rehearsals, and the struggles and success and starting in standup when it comes to playwriting. It's definitely an episode for the books, and I look forward to catching a performance of Freud on Cocaine.
Howard Skora is a Los Angeles based playwright whose play Damaged Furniture had a 6 month sold-out run in Los Angeles that garnered him a Best Play and Best Writer nominations for the 2019 Valley Theater Awards. His first play, Miserable with an Ocean View ran for 5 sold-out months and was the top-rated original comedy in Los Angeles on Bitter Lemons for its entire run with a 94% sweet rating. His most recent play Freud on Cocaine will premiere at the Whitefire Theatre in Sherman Oaks, CA September 8th, 2023.
To view the video format of this episode, visit the link below - https://youtu.be/lFdmcz_VyCY
Links to sites and resources mentioned in this episode -
The Diane Thomas Award - https://www.networkisa.org/contest/view/ucla-diane-thomas-award
The Actor's Gym - https://www.theactorsgymny.org/team
The Whitefire Theatre - https://www.whitefiretheatre.com
Hollywood Fringe - https://www.hollywoodfringe.org
Playwright Garry Michael Kluger stopped by to sit in the Playwright's Spotlight to talk about all things playwriting and also touched on its from film and television. Having been a three-time semi-finalist, we discuss the process of and when to submit for the O'neill's and whether it's ever okay to pay to submit your work. We also touch on how playwrights one has never met can serve as a mentor, conversation being spontaneous while dialogue being scripted, and how one's characters dictate the verbiage as well as the difference between humor and comedy, learning how to say no, dusting off old and incomplete work, writers having the final word, creating layered characters, the misconceptions of playwriting, and the process of editing. We unpack so much more that I can't list them all. Garry offers so much insight that I walked away with so much information. I hope you find the same for you.
Garry Michael Kluger has written 19 plays, 3 books, 2 TV pilots, several television series, and 12 documentaries and was a writing member of Theatre West; one of Los Angeles’ most prestigious theatre companies. Three of his plays have been semi-finalists for the prestigious O’Neill Playwright’s Conference. His play The Other Half, was a part of the 2014 Pittsburgh New Works Festival and WestFest at Theatre West in Los Angeles, and Top Ten at the Sterts Playwrights Festival in London. The Homecoming, was a finalist in the Warner International Playwrights Festival, the West Hollywood Gay and Lesbian Play Reading Festival, and winner of the Chaos Theory Play Festival in 2011. In 2010 his play Brotherhood won “The Audience Favorite” as a part of the Hollywood Fringe Festival at the Tre Stage. In 2009, he was honored to receive the prestigious Red Carpet Award from Women In Theatre for his contributions, as a playwright, to Los Angeles theatre.
To view the video format of this episode, visit - https://youtu.be/CFzEgdpHhes
Links to sites and resources mentioned in this episode -
The O'neill - https://www.theoneill.org/npc
The Pulitzer - https://www.pulitzer.org/
Theatre West - https://theatrewest.org
Tickets for Walking in Space - www.wis2023.com or - https://ci.ovationtix.com/35048/production/1171437
Contact information and socials for Garry Michael Kluger -
Playwright and parodist, Dean O'Carroll, sat in the Playwright's Spotlight this week. We discuss his origins as a playwright and the knowledge gained from a Bachelor's Degree in theatre to an MFA in playwriting and the differences from learning from lecture opposed to the practicalities of writing and the challenges he overcame including pushing through doubt. We touch on the process of writing farce and parody and the benefits of drawing from popular works, the risks of publishing before production, and whether or not it's possible to write a fool (actor) proof play. We also discuss publishers requesting changes, especially without permission, juggling and compartmentalizing multiple works, writing and collaborating for and with younger playwrights and opening doors, and how writing in other mediums benefits playwriting. Another wonderful and insightful learning experience. I hope you take something away from this episode.
Dean O’Carroll is a playwright and parodist originally from Amherst, Massachusetts. His parody plays Back to the 80s: A Risky, Goonie, Breakfasty Tale of Totally Tubular Time Travel; Star Stars: The Franchise Awakens; Marvelous Squad: A Super-Heroic Tale with Avengeance; The Humor Games, and the Sally Cotter trilogy are published by Playscripts and have been staged by schools and theatres around the world. His online play Greek Gods Under Quarantine is published by YouthPLAYS. He has also written material for “Weekend Update” on Saturday Night Live and several children’s books about DC Comics superheroes. He holds a BA in Drama from Vassar College and an MFA in Playwriting from Brandeis University. He was taught writing at Quinnipiac University, Simmons College, CUNY, Occidental College, and Widener University. To view the video format of this episode, visit the link below - https://youtu.be/yZ-7U65sy70
Links to sites and resources mentioned in this episode -
Another episode touching on aspects not featured in past episodes. Today playwright Anna Ouyang Moench sits in the Playwright's Spotlight and, thankfully, after botching her name twice, she was nice enough to stick around. In this interview, we discuss the benefits of writers groups, the pursuit of playwriting, and developing a play during rehearsal through a nontraditional writing approach. We also discuss the techniques of structure, working under time constraints and the the practicality and theatricality of producing, transferring from larger markets to smaller markets as well as building your network as you grow. We also talk about how playwriting helps in the arena of film and television, how to take notes and receive feedback and being mindful when receiving it, how to juggle life's responsibilities and finding discipline while writing, the mechanisms of a play, playing with the structure of timeline as well as obtaining theatrical and literary representation and so much more. Certainly a learning experience on my end which I hope you enjoy.
Anna Ouyang Moench is an award-winning playwright and screenwriter. Her plays have been produced across the country and include Mothers, Birds of North America, and Sin Eaters. She has been supported by fellowships and residencies from The Playwrights Realm, New York Foundation of the Arts, the Jerome Foundation, the Van Lier Foundation, Yaddo, the Tofte Lake Center, the Sewanee Writers Conference, and the Last Frontier Theatre Conference. Her awards include the Paul Stephen Lim Playwriting Award from the Kennedy Center, the Gerbode Special Award in the Arts, Boulder Ensemble Theater Company’s Generations Award, and East West Players’ 2042: See Change Award. She is an alum of UCSD’s Playwriting M.F.A. program, the Emerging Writers Group at the Public Theater, Youngblood at Ensemble Studio Theatre, the Jam at New Georges, and writers groups at East West Players and the Echo Theater Company.
To view the video format of this episode, visit - https://youtu.be/HbNX6N4sPaA
For tickets to Birds of North America if you're in the Los Angeles area, visit - https://odysseytheatre.com/whats-on/birds-of-north-america/
We've dug into the vaults of Playwright's Spotlight for this episode. Originally recorded on February 8th, 2023, I interviewed playwright Brynn Thayer a few weeks before the world premiere of Let Me In. Unfortunately due to a software update, the audio was unusable and the pod-recorder used for backup was not started on time. Brynn and I tried to find a time to rerecord but were unable to due to schedule conflicts, so I've decided to release the episode without the first six minutes, which I'm glad I decided to do. I think Brynn has encouraging advice and experience that she shares in this episode. We discuss her beginnings as a soap actress and its development toward her playwriting, how she was able to learn character from soaps, her pathway from a one-woman show, to a two-person short film series, and later a full length three-person play. We also touch upon the need of validation, writing from grief, hearing the truth, conflict in questions, wearing all the hats in a production as well as the flaws of a character and writing behavior. We had a lot of fun recording it and wish I would have released it sooner. I would still love to have Brynn in to discuss Let Me In after having experienced it. I hope it makes the rounds, because it's a wonderful piece.
Brynn Thayer has been working in the industry since the 1970s. She's been nominated for a Daytime Emmy and wrote and performed her one-woman show, The Eulogy, which the Los Angeles Times called "Sardonic, Funny and Accessible.” She directed, wrote and produced the Worst Day series of short films with her partner Shahaub Roudbari, which toured the festival circuit and won many awards. Her most recent play, Let Me In, played to sold out crowds at Theatre 68 in North Hollywood.
To view the video format of this episode, visit - https://youtu.be/W4hG9Rc-kZE
FINAL EPISODE OF SEASON 2! We made it another year. In this season ending episode, we spend time speaking with Richard Vetere. Richard reached out to me on Instagram and voiced interest in being on an episode of Playwright's Spotlight. After looking over his credentials, Richard certainly had insight to offer, and as always, I learned something new. In this episode, we discuss the evolution of grants, the current state and the fate of theatre, what makes a good director, what's necessary in stage directions, obtaining flow in playwriting, his personal process when it comes to the craft, structure, and finding inspiration and generating ideas. We also reflect upon the brilliance of Rod Serling's The Twilight Zone, whether Shakespeare was a real person, innovation as a young playwright, whether rewriting published work is possible, Equity as a union, maturing as a playwright, producing in smaller markets, and having creative control in playwriting. It was an absolute treat to talk with Richard, and I was enthralled to have him wrap up our second season of Playwright's Spotlight. See you in Season 3.
Richard Vetere is a playwright, novelist, poet and film and TV writer, actor, director and producer. He has over twenty plays published by Dramatic Publishing, Smith & Kraus and Applause Book and include Caravaggio, Gangster Apparel, Machiavelli, One Shot, One Kill and Bird Brain with production of the plays Off-Broadway in NYC, Chicago, Melbourne, Cyprus, Rome, Paris and London. He has received numerous grants for writing including a Mary Roberts Rinehart Grant for Playwriting and a Cultural Council Foundation for poetry and playwriting. He was a guest of the Chicago Humanities Theater Festival for his play Caravaggio. He has a Masters in Comparative English Literature from Columbia University and lectured at NYU in the master's program in playwriting and film writing and continues to lecture at Queens College.
To view the video format of this episode, visit - https://youtu.be/r5gxnIpnuuA
Links to sites mentioned in this episode -
Mary Robert Rinehart Grant - https://english.gmu.edu/awards/127
Cultural Council Foundation - https://www.americansforthearts.org
Season 3, Episode 1. - If someone told me how powerful of a conversation I'd have been in store for prior to sitting down with Stan Mayer, I'm not sure I would've believed them, nor could I have prepared myself for the conversation we would have, and certainly not from a playwriting perspective. What proceeds is an in-depth and personal insight into war and how it translates to the stage where most would place it in a cinematic medium. However, Stan breaks it down beautifully and makes a strong case why war stories belong on the stage, and how not only the playwright, but the community can heal from wounds that can still be decades old. We speak about honoring truth and how trust is an important commodity when it comes to collaboration, and how letting go can lead to getting out of your own way when it comes to ego. We also touch on the flourishing of discovery when sussing out the story over a long period of time through workshop, rehearsal, and play as well as at the importance of not diluting your co-author's voice and trusting your work in someone else's hands. It's a truly lovely conversation, and I can't thank Stan enough for sharing such a personal story and process with the Playwright's Spotlight community. I hope you enjoy this first episode of the new season.
Stan Mayer is an actor, playwright, and director. In a past life, he was a US Marine infantryman and Intelligence Officer in special operations, serving five tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. Plays include Odysseus at Temecula and the upcoming premiere Mama, Mama, Can’t You See with co-writer Cecelia Fairchild produced by Coin & Ghost Theatre Company at Studio/Stage in Los Angeles.
To view the video format of this episode, visit - https://youtu.be/ECmQGdWRpl0
For tickets to Mama, Mama, Can't You See if you're in the Los Angeles area, visit - https://www.showclix.com/event/mama-mama-2023
Links to sites mentioned in this episode -
Arts in the Armed Forces - https://bobwoodrufffoundation.org/bwfgrants/arts-in-the-armed-forces/
Coin & Ghost Theatre Company - https://coinandghost.org
We're back after a brief hiatus due to a guest cancelling, the holidays, and me feeling a bit under the weather, but our third season is still off with a bang. If there was a fascinating episode to drop after being away, this is IT. International playwright Ren Powell visited remotely with an aspect of playwriting and theatre I couldn't have been prepared for. We discuss going international, cultural differences, and the task of tackling translating from a cultural perspective as well as playwriting and also as an approach to learning a language. We touch upon Norwegian playwriting on the page and stage and their appeal to deconstructing theatrical works. Ren also speaks of her use of "erasure" in her adaptation of Shakespeare's King Lear and her advocacy of free speech against literary prosecution in the realm of human rights and human obligation. We also talk about new or obscure forms of theatre including pub theatre, pantos, and Norwegian variety/vaudeville style theatre (revits (sp?)) and Norwegian improv. I also chime in a bit (a lot) with my frustration of authority in academia. It truly is a fascinating conversation I hope you will enjoy.
My guest today is a poet, playwright and teaching artist born in Anaheim, California and currently based in Oslo, Norway. She has a Ph.D. in Creative Writing from Lancaster University in England, a BA in Theater Arts from Texas A&M University, and teaches at Vågen Upper Secondary School for the Visual and Performing Arts. Her work often juxtaposes mindsets with landscapes, culture with nature and often reflects on the themes of identity, place/displacement, mental disorders, human rights and obligations. Her plays include - Ripeness is All (An erasure/adaptation of King Lear), Light as Her Bones, and The Ant Farm.
To view the video format of this episode, visit - https://youtu.be/Tr_EPp7V7K8
Links mentioned in this episode -
dv8 theatre - https://dv8.co.uk
Forced Entertainment - https://www.forcedentertainment.com
PEN International and America - https://www.pen-international.org https://pen.org
The Muse - https://muse.jhu.edu
Websites and socials for Ren Powell - www.renpowell.com
New Play Exchange - https://newplayexchange.org/users/80012/ren-powell
Email - renpowell.writer@gmail.com
IG - madorphanwriter
Websites and socials for James Elden, PMP, and Playwright's Spotlight -
Punk Monkey Productions - www.punkmonkeyproductions.com
This was an absolute treat and a dream come true. Paul Greenberg from the sketch comedy troop The Vacant Lot honored me with ninety minutes of his time to come and talk shop. We discuss his pathway to success while performing onstage and then being cancelled in Canada as well as auditioning for SNL. We touch on what makes a good idea, how something always has to go wrong, and how a sketch must have a good ending. We also talk about the structure of sketch, the Canadien Dream, the history of Second City, doing your time and learning from the greats and how L.A. gets it wrong in the world of improv and sketch. Paul is chock full of knowledge and insight and shares his wisdom on how to be successful in the world of sketch comedy. I hope you have as much fun listening as I did recording this episode. Enjoy!
To view the video format of this episode, visit - https://youtu.be/XSAXIIUHYs4
Links mentioned in this episode -
The Brill Building - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brill_Building
In this episode of Playwright's Spotlight, long time friend and standup Henry Phillips stopped by to discuss another aspect of writing for the stage - Standup Comedy. Henry shares his origins into the craft and business of standup, his approach to comedy and knowing when you've got the right joke, the use of Twitter as a testing ground, and how to segue into the next joke. We also talk about voice vs character, the ideal length of a joke, having jokes stolen, testing material and drawing from life, dry spells and branding as well as confidence and commitment in performance. In addition, we touch on building up to being a headliner, relationships and invitations, comedic potential and when's too soon to joke about a topic. It was a lot of fun to learn to hear Henry's pathway to his success. I hope you enjoy it.
Henry Phillips is an actor, writer, musician and standup comic. He has played hundreds of cities across the country and around the world. He has recorded five comedy albums including On the Shoulders of Freaks, Number 2, Why Haven’t I Heard From You, L.A. Dreams, and Neither Here Nor There. He’s appeared in multiple episodes of Silicon Valley as well as Season Two, Episode 4 of Drunk History. He is the co-writer of both Punching the Clown and Punching Henry and stars in the hit web-series Henry’s Kitchen.
To view the video format of this episode, visit - https://youtu.be/7UI9zTfzt2U
Links mentioned in this episode -
Gengis Cohen - https://www.genghiscohen.com
The Improv - https://improv.com/hollywood/
Dr. Demento - https://www.drdemento.com
The Second Degree - https://www.imdb.com/video/vi2560076569
Donna Hoke sat in the Playwright's Spotlight to discuss her journey into playwriting. In this interview we touch on her involvement in the Official Playwrights of Facebook, her start as playwright from a journalism background and learning on the fly, working in a smaller market and "owning your home town" as well as building relationships and putting in the time. We also talk about being commissioned, finding that "flow," finding opportunities, playwriting struggles, the use of character backstories, using exercises as standalone pieces, the structure and trends of ten-minute plays, and what constitutes success. Again, Donna offers such great insight and resources, I think you'll find yourself with a plethora of information. Cheers.
Donna Hoke’s work has been seen in 48 states and on five continents. She has been nominated for the Primus, Blackburn, and Laura Pels prizes, and is a three-time winner of the Emanuel Fried Award for Outstanding New Play for SEEDS, SONS & LOVERS, and ONCE IN MY LIFETIME. She has also twice received Individual Artist Awards from the New York State Council on the Arts to develop HEARTS OF STONE and CANALSIDE. She has been serving the Dramatists Guild in various capacities since 2012, is an ensemble playwright at Road Less Traveled Productions, and is former moderator of the 13,500+-member Official Playwrights of Facebook Other plays include - BRILLIANT WORKS OF ART, ELEVATOR GIRL, SAFE, and TEACH.
To view the video format of this episode, visit - https://youtu.be/fnbkyVL4Sec
Links mentioned in this episode -
The Official Playwrights of Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/2351514659
Had the pleasure of chatting with playwright and son of actress Eileen Heckart (Bus Stop), Luke Yankee, about growing up in the world of Hollywood and his journey to be coming a playwright. It's a wonderful interview that touches on his relationships with not only the Hollywood greats but also the pioneers of the theatre (including Steven Schwartz, Beth Henley, David Lindsay-Abaire, and David Henry Hwang) and how they affected his growth as an artist and craft of playwriting. We touch on his delving into playwriting, winning The Stanley Award, his inspirations and writing style, receiving notes and getting bad feedback, knowing and breaking the rules of playwriting as well as the importance of script analysis and criticism. We also talk the benefits of making your work more personal, making characters sound different, learning from the Greeks and other classics, and what he views as the most important element of playwriting. Also, if you're a long time listener to the podcast, Luke may very well have ended the debate on whether or not it's worth studying playwriting in academia. Overall, Luke was is absolutely charming and delivers a plethora of knowledge about the craft. Enjoy!
Luke Yankee is a writer, director, producer, actor, and teacher. His play, "The Last Lifeboat" (published by Dramatists Play Service) has had more than 50 productions in North America and has won over 60 regional awards. His play, "Marilyn, Mom & Me" was the recipient of the Southwest Theatre Productions Sponsor's Award, the Moondance Stageplay Award, and the Writer's Digest Award for Best Play. His play, “Confessions of a Star Maker” was recently a finalist for the Screencraft stageplay competition and was chosen for the Last Frontier Theatre Conference. Other plays include "A Place at Forest Lawn", "The Man Who Killed The Cure" and "The Jesus Hickey".
To view the video format of this episode, visit - https://youtu.be/TCjWtRO1k9I
Links mentioned in this episode -
The Stanley Award - https://wagner.edu/performing-arts/stanley-drama/
International City Theatre - https://ictlongbeach.org
The Art of Writing for the Theatre - https://www.amazon.com/Art-Writing-Theatre-Introduction-Introductions/dp/1350155578
Play Submissions Helper - https://playsubmissionshelper.com
William Inge Theatre Festival - https://ingecenter.org/festival/
The O'Neills - https://www.theoneill.org
UC Riverside MFA Program - https://palmdesertmfa.ucr.edu
Catya McMullen stopped by Playwright's Spotlight during the run of her new play Arrowhead which runs through March 4, 2024. In this episode, we talk about surviving lockdowns as an artist, what makes a good writer, reflecting life on stage, stage plays as love letters. We also discuss what comes after the initial idea, writing from a personal place and putting away the constraints, laughing your way into a deeper conversation and, a new term from me, the New York City Hustle and the benefits of becoming more generous in your theatre community. In addition, Catya shares her editing technique of Scene Tetris, deciphering notes from prescriptive fixes, accountability and keeping motivated, and whether or not you can find any of her rapping/hip hop performances online. Another fun episode I hope you'll enjoy.
Catya McMullen is a playwright and comedian. Her short play, MISSED CONNECTION won the 37th Samuel French Off Off Broadway Short Play Festival. She is the author of the comedic hip hop musical LOCKED UP BITCHES and the plays GEORGIA MERTCHING IS DEAD, AGNES, EVERYTHING IS PROBABLY GOING TO BE OKAY, WE PRAY TO ELEPHANTS, ASSHOLES IN GAS STATIONS, RUBBER DUCKS AND SUNSETS, and THE COLLECTIVE. She is a proud alum of the Obie award winning EST/Youngblood and a company member of The Middle Voice Theater Company and was a finalist for the City Theater National Award for Short Playwriting and the Creator of the quarterly variety show WE ARE ANIMALS where she raps under her feminist hip hop alias “Chihuahua Fancy” and has received multiple commissions from the Sloan Foundation. She teaches sketch comedy and playwriting at The People’s Improv Theater. Her latest play Arrowhead opened February 9th and runs through March 4th, 2024 at Atwater Village Theater in Los Angeles.
To view the video format of this episode, visit - https://youtu.be/qIrJvOJn_Z4
Links mentioned in this episode -
Tickets to Arrowhead (Closing March 4, 2024) and IAMA Theatre Company - https://www.iamatheatre.com/plays-events/arrowhead
Sloan Foundation - https://sloan.org
The Flea Theatre - https://theflea.org
Dramatists Play Service (DPS) - https://www.dramatists.com
Websites and socials for Catya McCullen -
IG - @mccatya
Websites and socials for James Elden, PMP, and Playwright's Spotlight -
Punk Monkey Productions - www.punkmonkeyproductions.com
This week playwright Steve Fife sat in-studio in the Playwright's Spotlight. It was a reflective conversation of his experience in New York and on Broadway in the seventies, his dislike of eighties, and the joyous return in the nineties. We discuss rewriting and updating past works, getting back to theatre's roots, directing your own work (of course) and The Greats, the current acceptance of dark subject matter, and audience feedback at staged readings. We also touch on theatre in L.A., cast conflicts and obligations, Playwrights vs Directors interpretation, lessons from workshop participation vs running workshops as well as lessons as a literary manager which led into stories of David Ives and fame in the bubble of theatre and being a big fish in a small pond. Our conversation ends in writing natural dialogue. It's a fascinating conversation through a window of where theatre was and where it is now and Steve's connection with personas we've all come to know throughout our time in this wondrous arena. I'm sure you'll find something to connect with. Enjoy!
Steve Fife is an author, poet, and playwright and former reporter and literary manager. His plays SAVAGE WORLD, BREAK OF DAY and THIS IS NOT WHAT I ORDERED have been published by Samuel French/Concord Theatricals. Other plays include In The Mood, Sizzle Sizzle, Blue Kiss, The Kitchen Girl, Fun With Freud, Scattered Blossoms, Vincent in the Asylum, Van Gogh’s Zombie Movie, The Transformation Center, Bring Your Own and The Blessing. His adaptation of Sholem Asch’s God of Vengeance was produced Off-Broadway and The American Wife had its World Premiere at the Park Theatre in London. He was 2019-20 writer-in-residence at the Ark Theatre in North Hollywood. He has also penned book & lyrics for four musicals. He is a graduate the National Theatre Institute, Sarah Lawrence College and received his MFA from Columbia University’s School of the Arts.
To view the video format of this episode, visit - https://youtu.be/RZmBvAMPM3E
Joan of Arcadia's Becky Wahlstrom stopped by Playwright's Spotlight while in town from Nashville to help wrap up the rehearsal process for the premiere of her new play A Froggy Becomes. Becky discusses how she started out writing plays after a successful stint in Hollywood. We touch a bit on censorship from theaters, the pros and cons of writing for small budgets, and having a network circle and how it can help, the experience of coming into rehearsals late in the process, feedback in Nashville vs Chicago as well as the Nashville market and the benefits of second and third tier markets. Finally, we talk about writing layers and character transformation, prejudging the audience, evolving through experience and taking chances, and taking the time to write through each character's eyes. It's an energetic episode at its finest and Becky delivers. Enjoy.
Becky Wahlstrom attended the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art in England and has appeared on shows such as Star Trek: Enterprise, Grey’s Anatomy, Mad Men, NCIS, Judging Amy, and is best known for the supporting role of Grace Polk on the series Joan of Arcadia. She recently dipped her toe back into playwriting with the premiere of her play A Froggy Becomes at Open Fist Theatre in Los Angeles. For tickets to A Froggy Becomes through April 13th, visit - https://openfisttheatre.my.salesforce-sites.com/ticket#/
To view the video format of this episode, visit - https://youtu.be/ZGo5JVYll1M
Playwright Tira Palmquist sat in the Playwright's Spotlight while rehearsing her latest play The Body's Midnight. We had a wonderful conversation discussing the benefits of table work, entering the flow state and making discoveries later in the process, the role of the playwright in rehearsals, cutting characters, time between drafts, and the tool of "saving as." We also touch on the different development processes, rookie mistakes, teaching subtext and fixing your flaws, finding your voice, poetry in playwriting as well as her take on "pay to play" and finding opportunities. It was another interview full of insight that I hope can help take your playwriting to the next level. Enjoy!
TIRA PALMQUIST is a dramaturg, director and playwright known for plays that merge the personal, the political and the poetic. Her play, The Way North was developed at the 2018 Seven Devils Playwrights Conference and was a finalist for the 2018 O’Neill National Playwrights Conference. Other plays include: Two Degrees, Ten Mile Lake, Age of Bees, and This Floating World. She teaches creative writing at the Orange County School of the Arts, and has also taught at Wesleyan University and the University of California-Irvine. She’s back in town for a short spell for rehearsals of her play The Body’s Midnight which opens April 27th at the Boston Court Theater in Pasadena, CA.
For tickets to The Body's Midnight through May 26th - https://bostoncourtpasadena.org/events/thebodysmidnight/
To view the video format of this episode, visit - https://youtu.be/i4JBkve6CtA
Links mentioned in this episode -
Seven Devils New Play Foundry - https://www.sevendevils.org
Boston Court Pasadena - https://bostoncourtpasadena.org
Playwrights' Center - https://pwcenter.org
New Play Exchange - https://newplayexchange.org
Original Works Publishing - https://www.originalworksonline.com
Playwright Oliver Mayer joined us before the premiere of his new play Ghost Waltz. Oliver shares his experience writing operas, the medium's influence on his playwriting and the musicality of English as well as the intimacy of theatre and creative control, the after affects of "crashing into the wall. We also explore writing rituals, interruptions, reframing your story, breaking bad habits and the dangers of wit, where to start a scene and "when the mask falls," and wrap things up with dialogue and stage directions, the rules of twos and threes, the use of music, translating works, and saving (L.A.) theatre and nontraditional venues. It was certainly another page in the lesson books for me. I hope you walk away with something insightful. Enjoy.
Oliver Mayer is a playwright, poet, essayist and librettist, whose newest opera 3 Paderewskis, composed by Jenni Brandon, received its world premiere at Washington D.C.’s Kennedy Center in 2019. He is the author of more than 30 plays, from his ground-breaking Blade to the Heat to its long-awaited sequel - Members Only; he is currently at work on Ultimate Mix Tape, the third play in the Blade trilogy. Other produced plays include Blood Match and Yerma in the Desert (inspired by the plays of Federico Garcia Lorca), Fortune is a Woman, The Wallowa Project, Dias y Flores, Dark Matters, Young Valiant, Joy of the Desolate, The Sinner from Toledo, Laws of Sympathy and Ragged Time. He is developing new plays with The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts and the Getty Villa. He is a tenured professor and Associate Dean of Faculty at USC’s School of Dramatic Arts. The world premiere of his play Ghost Waltz opens at the Los Angeles Theater Center on May 4th and runs through June 6th.
For tickets to Ghost Waltz, visit - https://www.latinotheaterco.org/ghostwaltz
To view the video format of this episode, visit - https://youtu.be/hDj406wgr6g
Links mentioned in this episode -
Latino Theater Company - https://www.latinotheaterco.org
Live at the Met - https://www.metopera.org/season/radio/saturday-matinee-broadcasts/
Website and Socials for Oliver Mayer -
Website - www.olivermayer.com
USC - School of Dramatic Arts - https://dramaticarts.usc.edu/faculty-qa-oliver-mayer/
Websites and socials for James Elden, PMP, and Playwright's Spotlight -
Punk Monkey Productions - www.punkmonkeyproductions.com
Michelle Kholos Brooks sat in the Playwright's Spotlight for a wonderful conversation about her approach to the craft. We talked about the rehearsal process with the return of her play Hitler's Tasters in which we touch on writing transitions, the effects of Covid on this particular piece and the different renditions prior to publication as well as working with different casts. We also discuss inspiration to write historical events, playing in different markets, her trajectory into playwriting from journalism, overcoming struggles, writing exposition well, using and implementing prompts, editing, motivation, and detailing or suggesting stage directions. As always, it was a very insightful interview that I hope you will enjoy. Cheers!
Hitler's Tasters runs May 4th through June 3rd at Rogue Machine Theater. Tickets can be purchased at - https://roguemachine.ludus.com/index.php?show_id=200451592
Michelle Kholos Brooks is an award-winning playwright with productions staged internationally. Awards and distinctions include the Susan Glaspell Award for H*TLER’S TASTERS and the Riva Shiner Comedy Award for KALAMAZOO, co-written with Kelly Younger. ROOM 1214 was a finalist for The Ashland New Plays Festival, and her play HOSTAGE was a finalist for the Woodward/Newman Drama Award, The Fratti-Newman Political Play Contest, and a Showcase finalist for the National New Play Network. Other plays include War Words, Chair, and Project Fear (and All the Feels). She earned her BA from Emerson College and an MFA is Fiction from Otis College of Art and Design and she is Playwright-in-Residence at New York Rep.
For the video format of this episode, click - https://youtu.be/InlPEuB2b-0
David Johann Kim stopped by Playwright's Spotlight to discuss his two new simultaneous running plays and the process in which they were developed, their similarities surrounding the same historical event, and the collaborative process working with two different troupes and directors and his "overnight" success. We also discuss the value of workshops, recording notes opposed to writing them, fighting with structure, the Joint-Stock Method, discoveries from table work, writing rituals, and embracing rejection letters. It's a fascinating conversation about a unique situation. I hope you enjoy the talk.
David Johann Kim is an actor and playwright. His plays PANG SPA and TWO STOP were awarded the 2022 Los Angeles New Play Project Award and Grant. TWO STOP was recently workshopped at The Inkwell Theater and PANG SPA was a semifinalist for the 2018 O’Neill National Playwrights Conference, Ashland New Play Festival and Bay Area Playwrights Festival and the final round of Dennis and Victoria Ross Foundation Playwrights Program. He holds an MFA from UC San Diego and is a member of The Dramatists Guild, The Playwrights Union, EST/LA’s Playwrights Unit, Chalk Rep’s Writers group, Playwrights ThinkTank and cofounder of EST/LA’s Ignite Project.
To watch the video format of this episode, visit - https://youtu.be/N4oPK8ZBt5M
For tickets to both Two Stop (May 2 – June 9, 2024) and Pang Spa (May 16th - June 9th), visit - https://www.estlosangeles.org/two-stop-world-premiere
Links to resources mentioned in this episode -
Los Angeles New Play Project - https://lanpp.org
EST/LA (Ensemble Studio Theatre) - https://www.estlosangeles.org
Playwright Boni B. Alvarez stopped by Playwright's Spotlight during the run of his historic play Mix-Mix: The Filipino Adventures of a German Jewish Boy. In such, we discuss approaching historical figures and events and flashbacks on stage. We also discuss his approach to writing "in threads," being married to material, finding momentum, and addressing and giving feedback. We also explore Julliard, his start in playwriting, lessons in playwriting and having a style. We also touch on what is craft, finding an arc, and writing and finding a good antagonist. It's a fascinating episode that explore the evolvement of writing and revision, "taking every single note," making changes and change "requests," as well as content warnings. As always, I hope you walk away with some beautiful insight into the craft of playwriting. Now, sit back and get to work.
Boni B. Alvarez is a Los Angeles-based playwright-actor and faculty member at the USC School of Dramatic Arts. He has been a semifinalist for the O’Neill National Playwrights Conference and a Finalist for the PEN Center USA Literary Award, Bay Area Playwrights Festival, Aurora Theatre’s Global Age Project, and Clubbed Thumb’s Biennial Commission. He is currently in the Geffen Playhouse’s Writer’s Room and a Resident Playwright with New Dramatists. His plays include America Adjacent, Bloodletting, Fixed, Nicky, Dallas Non-Stop, Driven, The Debut of Georgia, Emmylu, and Refuge for a Purple Heart. He holds a BA from Sarah Lawrence College, an MFA (Acting) from A.R.T./MXAT Institute at Harvard University, and an MFA (Dramatic Writing) from USC. His play Mix-Mix: The Filipino Adventures of a German Jewish Boy opens May 18 and runs through June 16 at The Los Angeles Theatre Center.
For tickets to Mix-Mix: The Filipino Adventures of a German Jewish Boy visit - https://dola.com/events/2024/6/6/mix-mix-tickets
To watch the video format of this episode, visit - https://youtu.be/1UzeyRIgdtI
Links to resources mentioned in this episode - https://americanrepertorytheater.org
Website and Socials for Boni B. Alvarez - https://dramaticarts.usc.edu/boni-b-alvarez/
Websites and socials for James Elden, PMP, and Playwright's Spotlight -
Punk Monkey Productions - www.punkmonkeyproductions.com
PLAY Noir - www.playnoir.com
PLAY Noir Anthology – www.punkmonkeyproductions.com/contact.html
Barry M. Putt, Jr. beamed into the Playwright's Spotlight from New Jersey to discuss the medium of the audio drama, a throwback and homage to radio plays of the 30s and 40s. We breakdown the differences in elements of traditional playwriting vs the audio drama, i.e., setting up the scene, dialogue, sound effects, music, etc. We also talk about converting plays from stage to audio drama, the process of writing them as well as compensation and the opportunities in that market. We also touch on length, episodic vs feature, beats and silences in the medium, the hiring process for staff writers, popular genres, writing good suspense and character as well as establishing character flaws and adapting from other sources such as dime magazines. We wrap things up by touching on some of the traditional aspects of playwriting. Whether its audio dramas or traditional stage plays, Barry offers insight that I think you will find beneficial, and as always... Enjoy!
Barry M. Putt, Jr.'s plays have been performed in Canada, France, the UAE, and throughout the U.S and his comedy, “A Different Blend of Friendship” won the New Jersey Wordsmiths Award. Other plays include – Seafood Salad, The Grumbletonians, Inside Out, and Gutter Rat. He has also scripted more than 50 audio-drama productions for companies including Colonial Radio Theatre, Radio Theater Project, and Voices in the Wind Audio Theatre. His book on the craft of audio-drama writing entitled "Stories Told through Sound" is published by Applause Books. He is a member of the Witherspoon Circle, the Dramatists Guild, and the Authors Guild and has a degree in Dramatic Writing from NYU and in English Literature from Centenary University.
The video format of this episode can be viewed at - https://youtu.be/y2hIkY8sbTs
Links to resources mentioned in this episode -
Shoestring Radio Theatre - https://www.shoestring.org
Next Stage Press - https://www.nextstagepress.com
Voices in the Wind - https://www.voicesinthewind.ca
Richard Wade, U.S. Marshal - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/richard-wade-u-s-marshal/id1549613880
Website and Socials for Barry M. Putt, Jr. -
Website - https://www.barrymputtjr.com
FB - https://www.facebook.com/barry.m.putt IG - @barrymputtjr @puttbarry X - @bmputt
Websites and socials for James Elden, PMP, and Playwright's Spotlight -
Punk Monkey Productions - www.punkmonkeyproductions.com
PLAY Noir - www.playnoir.com
PLAY Noir Anthology – www.punkmonkeyproductions.com/contact.html
Recent Harvard-Westlake graduate Ian Kim swung by the studio to sit in the Playwright's Spotlight after the successful production of his second musical - Bakery of Love as part of HW's Playwright's Festival. We talk about making it look simple, the dangers of missing deadlines, musician collaboration and singer coordination as well as the meaning and benefits of safeties in a musical and writing for ranges. We also discuss transitioning from traditional playwriting to musicals and the process of the latter, commons songs types found in musicals, and terminology such as the bridge of a song. We wrap things up with trimming and cutting, cross-casting, changes during rehearsals, finding outside opportunities, and monetary prizes versus getting produced. Ian's a charming and talented musician with insight that will take him without doubt to a successful future. I hope you find inspiration from his interview. Enjoy!
Ian Kim playwright, actor, and filmmaker as well as a recent graduate of the prestigious Harvard-Westlake in North Hollywood, California. His musicals Unauthorized Aid and Bakery of Love were both selected for the school’s annual Playwright’s Festival, and the former was produced at the California Young Playwrights Contest in San Diego, California. He begins attending Harvard next fall with an undeclared major.
Click below to view the video format of this episode - https://youtu.be/20RJdGE8Nos
Links to resources mentioned in this episode -
MuseScore - https://musescore.org/en
Stephen Sondheim: Finishing the Hat - https://www.amazon.com/Finishing-Hat-Collected-1954-1981-Principles/dp/0679439072
The Blank Theatre's Young Playwright's Festival - https://www.theblank.com/ypf
California Young Playwrights Contest in San Diego - https://www.playwrightsproject.org/programs/contest/
Olivia Sawatzki came by Playwright's Spotlight after the West Coast Premiere of her play Being Alive (& other big jokes) at the Raven Playhouse in North Hollywood. We discuss seeing your work onstage, writing strategies, evolving as a playwright, being influenced and deconstructing playwrights' works, the process of revision, writing tricks and rituals as well as breaking habits. We also talk about confidence, finding motivation, character descriptions, detailed stage directions, and living an artists life. As an emerging playwright, Olivia has some wonderful information that any playwright at whatever stage in the career can benefit from. Enjoy!
Olivia Sawatzki is a Los Angeles-based playwright. Originally from Columbus, Ohio. She is an alumna of Ohio State University, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a BA in Theatre in 2020. She won the 2019 Gerald R. Black Prize for Recognition of Excellence in Playwriting. Her plays have been produced in Ohio and California and include Men of Might, LZRDGRL, Bleed Me Dry, and for sale, baby shoes. Most recently, her play Being Alive (& other big jokes) sold-out its West Coast Premiere run at in Los Angeles, CA, and she is a member of the Dramatists Guild.
To watch the video format of this episode, visit - https://youtu.be/MEG5VRKejqQ
Links to resources mentioned in this episode -
Stuart Rogers & Theatre Tribe - https://stuartrogersstudios.com/la-theatre/
Catherine Filloux dropped into the Playwright's Spotlight before the New York Premiere of her new play How to Eat an Orange. We spoke about her development and involvement in Theatre Without Borders and transitioning from an actor to playwright which would later push her into becoming a librettist for operas. She explained the structure of a libretto, the purpose of arias, developing characters and writing for range. We also touched on the dramatic question, theatrical perspectives, framing and shaping your play, and whether or not there is one thing that all playwrights should be doing. Catherine brings her knowledge and experience to this episode that I think everyone listening will walk away with something. Enjoy!
Catherine Filloux is an award-winning playwright who has been writing about human rights and social justice for over twenty-five years. Her plays have been produced around the U.S. and internationally. Filloux was honored with the 2019 Barry Lopez Visiting Writer in Ethics and Community Fellowship; the 2017 Otto René Castillo Award for Political Theatre and the 2015 Planet Activist Award due to her long career as an activist artist in the theater community. She received her M.F.A. at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts’ Dramatic Writing Program and is a co-founder of Theatre Without Borders as well as an alumna of New Dramatists. She has taught playwriting at many universities and colleges including Vassar College, Wesleyan University and Bennington College. Plays include White Savior, whatdoesfreemean?, Kidnap Road, and How to Eat an Orange.
To watch the video format of this episode, visit - https://youtu.be/VZZqwhmP_H8
Tom Jacobson swung into the Playwright's Spotlight in the midst of his coinciding plays The Bauhaus Project and Crevasse to discuss the correlation to both of the pieces and the subject matter of fascism and anti-Semitism in Nazi Germany. While discussing the historical influence of the Bauhaus, we explore previews and changes within coinciding pieces, writing trilogies and their process and presentation, standalones within trilogies, jumping timelines in historical works, balancing historic events and relationships, and taking creative license. We also discuss research, outlining, and when to start writing, breaking down structure, layering characters with and for the actor, table work and the role of the playwright, doubling and tripling up actors, writing complex sets with simplicity, stage magic on the play, and the benefits of academia as well as relationships and how they can help land productions. It's a wonderful conversation with a few technical hiccups that you might find entertaining, but you'll walk away with some education in history in addition to some insight in the craft of playwriting. As always... Enjoy!
Tom Jacobson has penned more than 50 plays and has had more than 100 productions of his works performed around the world. His play The Twentieth-Century Way premiered at The Theatre @ Boston Court and the New York International Fringe Festival garnering five Ovation Award nominations, four Los Angeles Drama Critics' Circle nominations, one GLAAD Award nomination, a Fringe Festival Award for Outstanding Production of a Play, a PEN Center Award for Drama and then moved Off Broadway to Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre. He has been a co-literary manager of The Theatre @ Boston Court, a founding member of Playwrights Ink, and a board member of Cornerstone Theater Company and The Theatre @ Boston Court. His most recent play The Bauhaus Project opened at the Atwater Village Theatre and will be running simultaneously with his play Crevasse at the The Victory Theatre here in the Los Angeles area. Both pieces focus on the relationship of art and artists to the rise of fascism, anti-Semitism in Nazi Germany.
For tickets for The Bauhaus Project and Crevasse through August 18th, 2024 - https://glamgical.com/the-bauhaus-project-and-crevasse/
For the video format of this episode, visit - https://youtu.be/sNg7rH8QzQE
Actor, director, producer, playwright, and artistic director since 1978 of the famous Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum, Ellen Geer stopped by to talk about the history of the Theatricum, growing up in a blacklisted family, and how playwriting helps heal societal wounds. Ellen shares her transition into playwriting, her approach to revising Shakespeare to the female characters' point of view and how it changes the story, the learning curve of a self-taught playwright, and the importance of ending a days work of writing on a high note. She also delves into the important lessons of playwriting, the use of technology, struggles and confidence, and her view of "gatekeepers" and staging your own work, especially when it could be considered a controversial piece. It's a charming conversation and the second episode where my camera shut down in the middle of the interview, so I apologize for the brief interruption. In the end, it was a pleasure to sit and share with an important and prominent influence in the Los Angeles theatrical community. Enjoy!
For tickets to the current running production of Wendy's Peter Pan at the Theatricum Botanicum, visit - https://www.todaytix.com/los-angeles/shows/41175-wendys-peter-pan
Ellen Geer is a playwright, actress, producer, and director and has been the artistic director of Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum since 1978, where she helped the theater develop from a Sunday afternoon workshop performing Shakespeare to a professional repertory theater company with a negotiated Actors Equity Contract. She has produced and directed well over 100 Theatricum productions, including plays by Shakespeare, Tennessee Williams, Chekhov and Thornton Wilder and many of her own plays and adaptations have been performed at Theatricum as well, including this season’s Wendy’s Peter Pan and last season’s Queen Margaret’s Version of Shakespeare’s War of the Roses; Trouble the Water; An Enemy of the People; TOM (adapted from the novel “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”); Merlin: The Untold Story; Dracula; A Dark Cloud Came; and Dory,A Musical Portrait.
To watch the video format of this episode, visit - https://youtu.be/F5nDOG__jr4
Website and Socials for Ellen Geer and Theatricum Botanicum -
Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum - https://theatricum.com
Theatricum's Socials -
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Theatricum IG - https://www.instagram.com/theatricum_botanicum/ X - @theatricum
Ellen Geer Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ellen.geer.3
Websites and socials for James Elden, PMP, and Playwright's Spotlight -
Punk Monkey Productions - www.punkmonkeyproductions.com
PLAY Noir - www.playnoir.com
PLAY Noir Anthology – www.punkmonkeyproductions.com/contact.html
If there was a formula that could tell you how to become a successful playwright, this episode is it. Nicholas Pilapil dropped into the Playwright's Spotlight for an insightful approach to becoming a working playwright. His approach to workshops lays out a pathway of motivation and accountability. We discuss confidence versus hubris, his approach to selecting playwrights for his workshop, the benefits of seeing theatre, telling the story, character description, set, and beats, as well as how to creating distinct voices. This was such a motivating chat that I believe lays out a foolproof way to becoming a working playwright. Let me know if you agree. Enjoy!
Nicholas Pilapil is an alum of The Writers’ Room at the Geffen Playhouse, IAMA Theatre Company’s Emerging Playwrights Lab, The Vagrancy Playwrights Group, and artEquity. His plays include The Bottoming Process and if all that You take from this is courage, then I’ve no regrets and was the winner of the Samuel French Off-Off Broadway Short Play Festival. His work has also been developed with Geffen Playhouse, Abingdon Theatre Company, Playwrights Foundation, American Stage, Ensemble Studio Theatre/LA, The Workshop Theater and Artists at Play.
For tickets for God Will Do the Rest playing through September 29th, visit - https://www.latinotheaterco.org/godwilldotherest
To watch the video format of this episode, visit - https://youtu.be/49Xf3MSTcmE
Links to resources mentioned in this episode -
Artists at Play - https://artistsatplay.org
Los Angeles Theatre Center - https://culture.lacity.gov/cultural-centers/los-angeles-theatre-center-latc/
Ben Edlin and Deborah Aquila came by the studio to sit in the Playwright's Spotlight before the World Premiere of the collaborative play -TH*IR*DS. In this interview, we discussed the long process of developing this play over the course of seven years, the changes made, the possibility of it becoming a pilot but returning the concept to the stage, their process and procedure, and breaking a story. We also touch obstacles in collaboration, Ben's need to "enter the cave", choosing words and punctuation, assembling the team, and the changes that occur during table work as well as the challenges of flipping from playwright to actor when cast in your own piece. It's a insightful discussion that gives both perspectives of a collaborating team. Enjoy.
BEN EDLIN is a playwright and actor who trained at Dartmouth College and The Aquila Studio in Los Angeles. He is also a founding member of THE THREE WEEKS NOTICE COLLECTIVE, with whom he recently premiered his play, “Conversations in Exile,” an original adaptation of Chekhov’s “Three Sisters.” His newest play, THIRDS opened September 6th and runs through September 29th at The Zephyr Theatre in Los Angeles.
DEBORAH AQUILA is casting director and is the mind behind the story of THIRDS. A graduate of NYU's TISCH SCHOOL of the ARTS and THE STELLA ADLER CONSERVATORY, she’s cast films including "THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION," "PRIMAL FEAR," "KISS THE GIRLS," and "LA LA LAND.” She is a proud member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, BAFTA, and the Casting Society of America (CSA) and has been nominated 18 times for the Artios Award by the CSA, winning for the features Red, My Week with Marilyn, CODA and La La Land.
For tickets to TH*IR*DS, playing through September 29th, 2024, visit - https://thirdstheplay.com/
To watch the video format of this episode, visit - https://youtu.be/06ioaeHchCY
Links to resources mentioned in this episode -
The Aquila Studio - https://www.theaquilastudio.com
Websites and socials for James Elden, PMP, and Playwright's Spotlight -
Punk Monkey Productions - www.punkmonkeyproductions.com
PLAY Noir - www.playnoir.com
PLAY Noir Anthology – www.punkmonkeyproductions.com/contact.html
Michi Barall streamed into Playwright's Spotlight this week days before her new play Drawing Lessons leaps into rehearsal at Children's Theatre Company. Conceptually complex, Michi shares the concept of translating a graphic novel for the stage, the concept of live drawing on stage and simultaneously performing, putting the concept on the page, the process of casting, and her struggles breaking down virtual art. We also discuss the impact of the New York and Minneapolis markets and organizations on the play and the changes from each as well as collaborating with multiple artists and the Deadline Draft. We touch on her journey from actor to playwright, the lessons from Greek playwrights, learning the rules and overcoming obstacles, the importance of Theatre History, and conquering Imposter Syndrome. It's a very educational episode that explores the possibilities of theatre and what can be achieved. As always, Enjoy!
Michi Barall is a New York City-based actor, playwright, and academic. Her dance-theatre piece, Rescue Me, was produced at the Ohio Theatre by Ma-Yi in 2010. Her music-theatre adaptation of Peer Gynt - Peer Gynt and The Norwegian Hapa Band, premiered in 2107 at the ART/NY Theatre. She holds degrees from Stanford University, NYU with an M.F.A. in Acting) and Columbia with a PhD in Theatre/English & Comparative Literature. She has taught at Columbia, NYU, and MIT and is currently on the faculty at Purchase College.
Drawing Lessons opens at Children's Theatre Company in Minneapolis, Minnesota October 8th through November 10th, 2024. For tickets, visit - https://childrenstheatre.org/whats-on/drawing-lessons/
To watch the video format of this episode, visit - https://youtu.be/w1gHrCcEN5M
Links to resources mentioned in this episode -
Children's Theatre Company - https://childrenstheatre.org
Websites and socials for James Elden, PMP, and Playwright's Spotlight -
Punk Monkey Productions - www.punkmonkeyproductions.com
PLAY Noir - www.playnoir.com
PLAY Noir Anthology – www.punkmonkeyproductions.com/contact.html
After high praise from Ellen Geer a few episodes, we were able to get Jennie Webb to sit in the Playwright's Spotlight and share her experiences as a playwright, dramaturg, and overseer of workshops. We explored her transition from acting into playwriting, her assistance in developing new works from "living voices", the benefits of asking questions, knowing the origin of a moment and earning it as pushing boundaries and whether or not there is a formula for playwriting. We also touch on her love of language, her process, submitting to outside markets especially oversees, defining success and accepting rejection, giving oneself parameters, and the benefits of going for a walk. Another episode chock of great advice and insight. We had a lot of fun. Enjoy.
Jennie Webb is an LA-based playwright and dramaturg having created and ran the new play development program, Seedlings, at Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum and co-creating EST/LA's Ignite Project. Her work includes “Yard Sale Signs,” “Smiling Cat Candy Heart,” "On Tuesday," "It's Not About Race," “Rebecca on the Bus,” “Brand New Script” and "Buying a House". National recognition include Finalist for O’Neill Playwrights Conference, Gulfshore Playhouse, and City Theatre Short Play Festival as well as Semi-Finalist for the O’Neill Playwrights Conference, PlayPenn, Athena Project, and Trustus Theatre Festival. She is the recipient of Max K. Lerner Playwriting Fellowships and a Women in Theatre Red Carpet Award and is a member of the Playwrights Union, EST/LA, Honor Roll!, Dramatists Guild. She is also co-founder of LA Female Playwrights Initiative.
For information for Jennie's reading of Wound Care on October 18th, visit - https://www.companyofangels.org/new-works-fest-rsvp-1
To watch the video format of this episode, visit - https://youtu.be/l0z5Yj3qqDg
Bonus episode between our usual schedule! In order to align our guest's upcoming shows with their interview, we're sneaking an additional episode during what would normally be a break. However, we skipped an week earlier in the season, so we hope this makes up for it.
Ethan Crystal and Garrett Poladian streamed in to the Playwright's Spotlight to talk about their world premiere musical Golem Owned a Tropical Smoothie, the first writing endeavor for the two. We talk about the origin of the idea and the dedication and steps to get it from concept to production. We also explore the key element for actors to creating a successful project to showcase their talent, and Ethan and Garrett make a strong argument on how to succeed. We delve into the two perspectives as playwrights vs characters, inserting meaning, the benefits of audience response, musical collaboration, and obsession and consistency. This is an episode about taking the leap and how to showcase your talent in a medium one may not be familiar with. Listen to end, because Ethan and Garrett share a perspective I have yet to hear in three seasons. Enjoy.
For tickets to Golem Owned a Tropical Smoothie playing through November 10th, visit - https://thetanknyc.org/calendar-1/2024/10/17/golem-owned-a-tropical-smoothie
Ethan Crystal is a singer, actor, writer, musician, and comedian as well as an award-winning vocal arranger, comedy writer, and composer. He is also the host of Ethan’s Open Mic, a variety open mic with a live band.
Garrett Poladian is a New York City based actor, writer, and ballerino having been a full-time company dancer from 2014-2016 with the ballet Pensacola, the only resident professional dance company in the area.
To watch the video format of this episode, visit - https://youtu.be/eMJLHD--HbQ
A MUST LISTEN! This in far from a dismissal of past guests and interviews. This is a personal and human conversation that is insightful and inspiring from struggle to achievement and perhaps a pathway to the later. June and I had a mishap in schedule that, had it not happened, I don't think we would have had the conversation that we came away with. Her background of going from lawyer to playwright is enough to inspire anyone question their passion into the arts to take the leap. We follow with the lessons of writing a disaster of a play and getting the craft wrong but, yet, finding the engine. We examine her process, need vs premise, skeletal biographies, working backwards to move forwards in terms of character backgrounds, the gentle form of interrogation by starting with love, exploring unknown markets, inspiring playwrights and (un)appreciating the classics, reading vs viewing a play, and compromise, sacrifice, and tradeoffs. It's a very philosophical episode that playwrights of all levels will walk away with something huge. Enjoy!
June Carryl is a playwright, actor and director. Her plays include LA BÊTE - A One Act which won the Encore! Producers Award, Spirit of the Fringe Award, and Orgasmico Most Orgasmic Writing Award in 2014, STONE ANGELS, BLOWFLY; MOURNING STORY, BABY TOES, SEDUCER, THE RINGS OF SATURN (The Living Room Series, Blank Theatre), GOD’S WIFE, and THE ART OF YES. She’s received commissions from the Magic and Visual Artists Theater in New York.
For tickets to The Girl Who Made the Milky Way, opening November 9th through November 17th at the Colony Theatre in Burbank with school matinees November 12th through the 22nd, visit - https://ci.ovationtix.com/35252/production/1206496
To watch the video format of this episode, visit - https://youtu.be/SaUzYm9Om7Y
Links to resources mentioned in this episode -
ACT - https://www.act-sf.org
Z Space Studio - http://www.zspace.org
Armenian Dramatic Arts Alliance - http://www.armeniandrama.org
Playwright and filmmaker Sharisse Zeroonian streamed into the Playwright's Spotlight this week. Forgive a few moments of choppy audio on my end, but Sharisse's audio is clear, and she gives some great insight into taking your fate as a creative into one's own hands. We discuss her evolution as a writer through academia, offending your audience, self-publishing, unconventional marketing, what influences character names, avoiding expository dialogue, and character wants and obstacles. We also delve into discovering plot holes, writing in the present not in the past, the Playwrights' Center as a resource, the Playwrights Bill of Rights, and producing your own Amazon Series. Sharisse is a testament on DIY playwriting and getting one's work into the world. Enjoy!
Sharisse Zeroonian is playwright and filmmaker. Her short play, “Glass Child” was featured in the 2024 10-Minute Play Festival at the Cannon Theater in Devens, MA, and will also be featured this month in the 2024 SOOP To Nuts Play Festival in Pelham, NY. Her short play, "Pomp and Circumstance", was read at the Equity Library Theater in Manhattan in October 2024, and her full-length stage play "One Plus One Is Two" was adapted into an Amazon Prime series in October 2020. She received her undergraduate degree from Boston University in 2018, and her MFA in Writing for Stage and Screen from Lesley University in 2024.
To watch the video format of this episode, visit - https://youtu.be/U1Osl2-tr4U
Before I get in to the breakdown of this episode, I have to correct a few things that are bit embarrassing for one hosting a playwriting podcast. 1) Black Comedy was written by Peter Schaefer (Black Comedy, Equis, Amadeus). 2) After "Matisse" is actually After Magritte and was indeed written by Tom Stoppard that was attributer to Black Comedy in this episode. I'm still trying to find the title of the one-act about the burning building. Update to come.
Playwright Nick Amatuzio beamed into Playwright's Spotlight after a last minute cancellation. Nick is a former PLAY Noir submitter who is long overdue for a chat. Four seasons in, we discuss the evolution of a play through editing, avoiding scams, monetary prizes vs production, shopping for publication, expanding on historical characters and cannon, when to edit, and what a character doesn't say. We also touch on setup vs response in comedy, struggles in playwriting, the benefits of simplicity, writing farce, and the effects of changing location. As all episodes land, there is always something new to learn no matter how novice or established a playwright may be. I promise you will walk away with some nugget of insight with this latest episode. Thanks for a great start to a fourth season. Enjoy!
Nick Amatuzio is a Smith Falls, Ontario based playwright, screenwriter, and author. His plays The American Way and Seein’ is Believin’ are both available at Off the Wall Plays, and his plays Before the Cut, Brush with the Law, Mick's Last Line & Melody's Last Line are available at Stage Write Plays.
To watch the video format of this episode, visit - https://youtu.be/qK91kRjP7f4
Links to resources mentioned in this episode -
Off the Wall Plays - https://offthewallplays.com
Stage-Write Plays - https://stage-write.com.au
Writer Beware - https://writerbeware.blog
Freefall Writing - https://freefallwriting.com
Website and Socials for Nick Amatuzio -
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/nick.amatuzio
Websites and socials for James Elden, PMP, and Playwright's Spotlight -
Punk Monkey Productions - www.punkmonkeyproductions.com
PLAY Noir - www.playnoir.com
PLAY Noir Anthology – www.punkmonkeyproductions.com/contact.html
This week I had the pleasure of having a fascinating conversation with Allison Gregory on this recent episode of Playwright's Spotlight and her approach of writing about historical and mythological characters and exploring outside their known stories. We delved into the philosophy of "when we are", letting the story find us, the power of the #2 pencil and writing longhand, stealing from the best, obtaining the rights to other's works and public domain. We also discuss commissioning adaptations, tried and true material, embracing constructs, and knowing the audience of children's theatre. It's a wonderful chat I hope everyone feels motivated and inspired by. Enjoy!
Allison Gregory’s work has been produced nationally and internationally for multigenerational audiences by a fusion of professional theaters, academic stages, and nontraditional spaces. She has received commissions and development from the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, the Kennedy Center, South Coast Repertory, Indiana Repertory Theatre, the Playwrights’ Center, the Skirball Foundation, Geva Theatre, Seattle Rep, ACT Theater, Orlando Shakes, the National New Play Network (NNPN), Hedgebrook, the New Harmony Project, and Banff Playwrights Lab. Her plays range from satires centering on underrepresented historical figures to contemporary interpretations of mythology, intimate dramas, and exuberant, innovative theatre for young people. Her plays are published by Dramatic Publishing, Playscripts, Concord Theatricals, Smith & Krauss, and Rain City Press and include – Not Medea, Junie B. Jones is Not a Crook, and Judy Moody & Stink: The Mad, Mad, Mad Treasure Hunt.
To watch the video format of this episode, visit - https://youtu.be/B9pW5OH7L14
Happy New Year! It's amazing how things come full circle. After having Steven Dietz' wife, Allison Gregory, on last episode, we were privileged enough to have Laura Annawyn Shamas on Playwright's Spotlight, who happened to work them both in Minneapolis at The Playwright's Center.
In this episode, Laura and I discuss a playwright's involvement in a piece, tech and costume "covers" (a term I just learned), "fourth" grade playwriting, inspirations, what makes a great director, and structure and staging. We also delve into approaching character and the symbology of names, virtual theatre vs live performance, surprising and caring about the audience, archetypes and character flaws, playing with structure, and developing and trusting a community of playwrights.
As always, it's an insightful episode that Laura shares her history and experience in the craft of playwriting. It's a wonderful conversation to motivate and inspire playwrights of every level to get to work. I hope you enjoy this episode of Playwright's Spotlight and, as always... keep writing.
Laura Annawyn Shamas (Playwright) is a 2023 winner of the Los Angeles New Play Project Award. Shamas has written over 40 plays, including Circular (published in 2024 by Next Stage Press), Portrait of a Nude, Lady-Like, Chasing Honey, The Other Shakespeare, Talking Leaves (winner, Garrard Best Play Award at Five Civilized Tribes Museum), and Amelia Lives (winner, Fringe First Award at Edinburgh Festival Fringe). Her short play, Seeds, won the Von Marie Atchley Award for Excellence in Playwriting from Native Voices. She worked as a dramaturge for Native Voices at the Autry for their Short Play Festivals from 2021-2023 and Festival of New Plays (2024). She graduated from UCLA with a B.A. in Theatre, the University of Colorado at Boulder with an M.A. in English/Creative Writing, and Pacifica Graduate Institute with an M.A. and Ph.D. in Mythological Studies. She is also on the American Theatre “List of Native Theatres and Theatremakers.” Her newest play Four Women in Red opens January 17th through February 23rd at the Victory Theatre Center in Burbank, CA.
To watch the video format of this episode, visit - https://youtu.be/Uiu91mKKG74
This interview is a long time coming. I am extremely grateful for Adam taking the time to come on to share his knowledge. I'm sure if time allotted, we could easily could've had a three hour conversation, and I promise we will do at least one more episode. In this talk, we discuss his decision to write a book about playwriting from a letter-writing perspective, common questions he is asked, marketing and approaching theaters, dealing with rejection, finding opportunities, and negotiating compensation. We also discuss applying to Julliard, structure, considering your audience, the Math of Playwriting, monologues as a marketing tool, how changing characteristics might affect approach, the strategy of revealing information, the traps of questions and answers in dialogue, and the benefits of (earned) reversals. Playwrights of any level will walk away with something from this conversation. I look forward to the next conversations with Adam, because I will walk away so much the wiser. Enjoy!
ADAM SZYMKOWICZ’s plays have been produced throughout the U.S., Canada, and around the world. He was the premiere Resident Playwright at The Chance Theater in Anaheim, CA and the first playwright to participate in Bloomington Playwrights Projects’ Square One Series. He has been to The Orchard Project and to JAW at Portland Center Stage, served twice as Playwright in Residence at the William Inge Center, and twice as a Dramatists Guild Fund’s Traveling Masters. Adam received a Playwright’s Diploma from The Juilliard School's Lila Acheson Wallace American Playwrights Program and an MFA from Columbia University where he was the Dean’s Fellow. Plays include - Deflowering Waldo, Pretty Theft, Food For Fish, Incendiary, Clown Bar, Rare Birds, Marian Old Fashioned Cold Fusion, The Parking Lot, The Night Children, When Jack Met Jill, and Heart of Snow. His monologue book, Small Explosions came out from Applause in early 2023. His playwriting book, Letters To A Young Playwright came out from Applause in fall of 2024.
He has interviewed 1100 playwrights on his blog.
To watch the video format of this episode, visit - https://youtu.be/4ZiQuC1g7-w
Before the World Premiere of her play, Georgia and the Butch, playwright Carolyn Gage streamed into the Playwright's Spotlight. As happens with most episodes lately we explore something new about the craft and delve into the documentary play, in this case the relationship between Georgia O'Keefe and Maria Chabot. We discuss framing and censorship, theatre critics, creative license. We also chat about her experience approaching musicals and adaptations, the purpose and rules of a song, her journey into playwriting, the lessons of structure from Bernard Gerbanier, satisfying your audience, the benefits of complex dialogue and resting your cards, and collaborating with your audience. Carolyn was also generous enough to offer anyone a free pdf of any work in her catalog if you mention this episode of Playwright's Spotlight. I hope you'll take her up on the opportunity. Enjoy!
Georgia and the Butch opens at The Tank in New York City on February 25th through March 12th. Tickets are available at https://thetanknyc.org/calendar-1/2025/2/25/georgia-and-the-butch.
Carolyn Gage is a playwright, performer, and director. She has written over eighty plays from full length to one-acts, musicals, adaptations and one-woman shows while specializing in non-traditional roles for women. In 2022, her play In McClintock’s Corn was National Runner-up for the Jane Chambers Award for Excellence in Feminist Playwriting, sponsored by the Women and Theatre Program of the Association for Theatre in Higher Education.
To watch the video format of this episode, visit - https://youtu.be/-wkhoWMD_kg
Links to resources mentioned in this episode -
Playwriting by Bernard Gerbanier - https://www.amazon.com/Playwriting-Write-Theater-Bernard-Grebanier/dp/0064634981
Websites and Socials for Carolyn Gage -
www.carolyngage.com
FB - https://www.facebook.com/carolyn.gage.3 Blue Sky - @carolyngage
Websites and socials for James Elden, PMP, and Playwright's Spotlight -
Punk Monkey Productions - www.punkmonkeyproductions.com
PLAY Noir - www.playnoir.com
PLAY Noir Anthology – www.punkmonkeyproductions.com/contact.html
This is a very important episode shining light onto a subject a lot of us don't realize our fellow creatives are struggling with and how it may affect their craft - disabilities. Peter Anthony Fields sat in the Playwright's Spotlight and shared his experience fighting Parkinson's and how his diagnosis changes his creative pursuit. We discuss not only the physical afflictions of the disease but also the mental symptoms, his transition from filmmaker to playwright, advice for other creatives whom might be trying to overcome a disease or disability and the tools to help them cope but, also, the gifts having a disability may offer. We talk about self publishing and promotion, facets of playwriting playwright's shouldn't burden themselves with, how minute direction can change a piece, and the ramifications of a character's action. It was certainly an insightful interview that I hope you take something away from to encourage other artists who might be holding themselves back from the creativity brewing inside.
Peter Anthony Fields has written numerous stage plays that have been read or performed in Ohio, Texas, Wisconsin, Missouri, and London, U.K. The self-published edition of his full-length stage play, That Guy, was awarded the top prize in the Performing Arts category of the 2020 Best Book Awards, sponsored by American Book Fest. The Invited, a whodunit mystery, was self-published in September of 2022 and is a 2024 Red Ribbon Award winner from The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. His 10 minute play, See, Invisible, was performed at the Columbus Black Theatre Festival in Columbus, Ohio also in 2022. His plays, About Michael, Monster, and The Parking Lot, are published and licensed by Lazy Bee Scripts. He has a BA in Theatre Studies from Kent State University and is a member of the Dramatists Guild.
To watch the video format of this episode, visit - https://youtu.be/Ds5QWyPxf44
The Wishing Shelf Book Awards - https://www.thewsa.co.uk
Amazon Self Publishing - https://kdp.amazon.com
Website and Socials for Peter Anthony Fields -
www.peteranthonyfields.com
Peter Anthony Fields' Amazon Page - https://www.amazon.com/stores/Peter-Anthony-Fields/author/B07SHJG5SG?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true
Audrey Cefaly streamed into the Playwright's Spotlight after I had the pleasure of seeing the production of her play Alabaster at The Fountain Theatre in Los Angles. This is first time I've had the opportunity to talk to the playwright after seeing their work. We discuss asking big questions, making changes throughout the play's evolution, how much design is on the page, knowing the rules of the card game, and refraining from hardwiring stage directions to allow creative freedom. We also delve into stripping the work down to its core, the use of hashtags, writing poetic dialogue, stillness in storytelling and other way finders, and the use of overlapping and dual dialogue. We wrap it up writing regional, the use of hypnotic language, the purpose of an artistic statements, and her toolbox of playwright vocabulary and "How to Playwright." It's a great conversation that went on for another thirty minutes after I stopped recording. Won't let that happen again. Enjoy, and be sure to go catch Alabaster at any of the theaters below.
Audrey Cefaly is an alumna of the Playwrights' Arena cohort at Arena Stage, a recipient of the Walter E. Dakin Fellowship from the Sewanee Writers Conference, and a Dramatist Guild Foundation Traveling Master. She is published by Concord Theatricals, Smith & Kraus, and Applause Books. Her plays have been produced by Cincinnati Playhouse, Florida Studio, Florida Rep, Gulfshore Playhouse, Signature Theatre, and many others. Her play Alabaster received an 11-city Rolling World Premiere, the largest in National New Play Network history and is now playing at The Fountain Theater in Los Angeles until March 30th.
For tickets to Alabaster at The Fountain Theatre in Los Angeles, CA - https://www.fountaintheatre.com/events/alabaster
For tickets to Alabaster in Grand Rapids, MI, through March 8, 2025 -https://actorstheatregrandrapids.org/programming/coming-soon/alabaster/
For tickets to Alabaster in Charolette, NC, through March 16 - https://charlottecultureguide.com/event/430227/alabaster-by-audrey-cefaly
To watch the video version of this interview, visit - https://youtu.be/pcJSzLrAk-I
Website and Socials for Audrey Cefaly -
www.audreycefaly.com
Substack - https://audreycefaly.substack.com
Bluesky - @audreycefaly
IG - @alcefaly
X - @alcefaly
Websites and socials for James Elden, PMP, and Playwright's Spotlight -
Punk Monkey Productions - www.punkmonkeyproductions.com
PLAY Noir - www.playnoir.com
PLAY Noir Anthology – www.punkmonkeyproductions.com/contact.html
Playwright Megan Gogerty streamed into the Playwright's Spotlight right before the opening of her one-woman show and reimagining of the story of Beowulf. It's a fascinating episode with tons of wisdom to take in, unpack, and apply. We discuss one-person adaptations and letting the play be itself, the importance of intuition, the use of two ideas that collide, and knowing what the question is. We delve into the structure of a one-person vs multi-actor piece, the structure of a one-person show, the audience as another character, smaller markets and selling widgets, who you vs who knows you, accessibility, gatekeeping, and asking for permission, and the role of the audience and making them ask questions. The more this podcast grow, the more every episode offers something new. Megan delivers. Enjoy. AND, if you're in the LA area be sure to catch the West Coast premiere of her production FEAST at The Count's Den through April 6th through the ticket link below -
Megan Gogerty is a playwright and comedian. Her solo show Lady Macbeth and her Pal, Megan played at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and won the Audience Pick of the Fringe at the Cincinnati Fringe Festival. Her play Bad Panda (Theatre Without Borders, Beijing; Iron Crow Theatre Co.; WordBRIDGE Boomerang Playwright honoree) is published by Original Works Publishing and was translated into Spanish for a five-month run at Del Teatro Milan in Mexico City. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution listed her solo show Hillary Clinton Got Me Pregnant in their yearly Top Ten Best Plays. Megan’s musical drama Love Jerry was produced in the New York Musical Theatre Festival where it won three Talkin’ Broadway Citations and four NYMF Excellence Awards including Excellence in Writing. She was a Playwright’s Center Jerome Fellow, A WordBRIDGE alum, and earned her MFA in Playwriting from the University of Texas at Austin. She currently teaches playwriting at the University of Iowa and is a regularly returning visiting-faculty for the Playwright’s Lab at Hollins University.
For tickets to FEAST through April 6th, 2025, visit - https://events.immersiveartcollective.org/events/immersiveartcollective/1511665
To watch the video format of this episode, visit - https://youtu.be/ZJBqlXMom-8
Links to resources mentioned in this episode -
Know Theatre of Cincinnati - https://www.knowtheatre.com
Walking Shadow Theatre Company - https://www.walkingshadow.org
Lenaea High School Theatre Festival - https://www.lenaea.org
Moving Arts - https://movingarts.org
Original Works Publishing - https://www.originalworksonline.com
New Play Exchange - http://newplayexchange.org
Website and Socials for Megan Gogerty -
Website - www.megangogerty.com
BlueSky - @megangogerty
TikTok - @megangogerty
Websites and socials for James Elden, PMP, and Playwright's Spotlight -
Punk Monkey Productions - www.punkmonkeyproductions.com
PLAY Noir - www.playnoir.com
PLAY Noir Anthology – www.punkmonkeyproductions.com/contact.html
Before the World Premiere of his very first play, Judson Jones streamed into the Playwright's Spotlight. We discussed his background in theatre, film, and television and his journey to writing his first play and any challenges he overcame. We dove into hitting the flow state, introducing new ideas, the appreciation of new works, storytelling through Post-It notes, working with deadlines, collaborating with designers and the benefits of simplicity and justification as well as eliminating and having an outside eye. We wrap with delving into devices vs dialogue, working with sensitive subject matter, writing out of order, and observing the loss of grace in society. It's a very heartwarming conversation. Enjoy!
His play Canaan Unremembered opened March 24th at the Court Square Theater in Long Island City, New York and runs through April 19th, 2025. For tickets, visit -https://www.theatreeast.org/canaan-unremembered
Judson Jones is a playwright and award-winning producer and director who has had the privilege of collaborating on the premieres of Tim Blake Nelson’s Eye Of God, Christopher Durang’s The Vietnamizaton of New Jersey, David Crawford’s Harvest, Bennett Windheim’s Normalcy, Megan O’Brien’s The Jungle Book, Daniel MacIvor’s The Soldier Dreams, and Devil and the Deep with Air Supply‘s Graham Russell. He serves on the Board of Directors for Texas Dramatists, is a member of Actors’ Equity and SAG/AFTRA, and an instructor at the Kanbar Institute of Film & Television, Tisch School of the Arts, NYU and the Stella Adler Studio of Acting.
To watch the video format of this episode, visit - https://youtu.be/IiK0f9MXhlE
British L.A.-based playwright Stephen Laughton came sat in-house in the Playwright's Spotlight before the West Coast Premiere of his play One Jewish Boy. In this interview, we discuss the differences in the London, New York, and Los Angeles markets, London gatekeepers and the draw of the London Fringe and its difference to the Edinburgh Fringe, taking advantage of Covid, and the responsibilities and how playwriting applies to the Astrophysics Team at the American Museum of Natural History. Mid conversation we accept a call from Stephen's director and give a live, on-air response. We follow it up with what makes a great hook and how that provides a good story, what British playwrights sound like, stealing from the best, and moving to L.A. to do theatre. Like most Brits, Stephen's a charmer and offers some great stories and insight. Enjoy!
For tickets to One Jewish Boy at the Atwater Village Theater in Los Angeles through April 28th, visit - https://echotheatercompany.ludus.com/index.php?show_id=200474485.
Stephen Laughton is an award-winning, critically acclaimed writer. He has work in various stages of development across film and theater in NYC, L.A., London, Cape Town, and Sydney. He has worked with major theaters and broadcasters including and is an associate artist in the Astrophysics team at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. Two major plays coming up in 2025 include: Giants, which explores the controversy that unfolded on the set of James Dean’s last film, set to open at the Sydney Opera House; and Velocity, which examines mental health in the LGBTQ+ community and is set to open at the Hayden Planetarium in New York City.
To watch the video format of this episode, visit - https://youtu.be/bSazK8h4ndk
Links to resources mentioned in this episode -
American Museum of Natural History - https://www.amnh.org
Nick Hern Books - https://www.nickhernbooks.co.uk
Website and Socials for Stephen Laughton -
https://www.adventuresinstenography.com
Websites and socials for James Elden, PMP, and Playwright's Spotlight -
Punk Monkey Productions - www.punkmonkeyproductions.com
PLAY Noir - www.playnoir.com
PLAY Noir Anthology – www.punkmonkeyproductions.com/contact.html
Actor, Director, Producer, Writer, and Host James Elden talks about his origins into the realm of live theatre and his path forward as well as his visions of the Playwrights' Spotlight.
For more information about James Elden and his production company, festivals, and playwriting services, please visit the following websites -
April Littlejohn is a playwright, producer, director and actor. Her productions of L.A. Horror Stories under her theatre company, Fuzzy Bottom, has won awards at the Valley Theatre Awards in North Hollywood, and her plays have been produced in Los Angeles, Valdez, Alaska and in other cities across the country.
In this episode, we discuss whether playwrights should produce their own work and where other opportunities for production can be found.
April's book Producing Theatre on Minimum Wage is in its second edition and can be found on Amazon at the link below as well as links to the other sites mentioned in this episode.
Producing Theatre on Minimum Wage - https://www.amazon.com/Producing-Theater-Minimum-April-Littlejohn/dp/1070181285
Playwright David-Matthew Barnes and I talk about character, names, collaboration, rejection and perseverance, and the business of playwriting - and that's just scratching the surface.
David-Matthew Barnes has been writing plays for over 25 years and has been produced internationally and featured in multiple publications.
You can find David-Matthews plays and novels at the link below -
To watch the video version of this episode, click or copy and paste the link below -
https://youtu.be/ZT_2zvsBj3c
For more information on PLAY Noir and Punk Monkey Productions or the Los Angeles Collegiate Playwrights Festival, click or copy and paste the appropriate link below.
PLAY Noir - www.playnoir.com Punk Monkey Productions - www.punkmonkeyproductions.com Los Angeles Collegiate Playwrights Festival - www.lacpfest.com
Playwright Daniel Guyton stops by to discuss competitions, publishing and dead bodies. In this episode, we also span the spectrum of playwriting including - compensation, dialogue, feedback and criticism, the future of remote productions, and the pitfalls of cinematic fashion in the playwriting medium.
Daniel Guyton has been a playwright for well over 20 years having won many awards, nationally and internationally, and also teaches playwriting at Georgia State University.
To view the video version of this podcast, please visit YouTube at the link below -
Websites and Social Media information for Daniel - www.danguyton.com Twitter - @dguyton21 IG - @dguyton21 FB - www.fb.com/daniel.guyton YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/DanielGuyton Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/Daniel-Guyton/e/B002I0OQJG?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1637968904&sr=8-1
Links to websites mentioned in the episode - The O'Neill (National Playwright's Conference) - www.theoneill.org NYC Playwrights - https://www.nycplaywrights.org Playwright Binge - https://groups.io/g/playwrightbinge New Play Exchange - https://newplayexchange.org Pioneer Drama Service - https://www.pioneerdrama.com
Websites and socials for James Elden, Punk Monkey Productions and Playwright's Spotlight
Jeff Pearce is a journalist, novelist, non-fiction, and erotica writer who later transitioned into playwriting. In this episode, we discuss how each form benefits the other in the creative world, the obstacles of both crafts to achieve longevity, and how life imitated art with the tragic shooting by Alec Baldwin on the set of Rust.
To watch the video format of this podcast visit - https://youtu.be/rn_yCHXCpf8
Links and websites mentioned in this episode –
Jeff Pearce - Twitter – @jeffpropulsion
Books by Jeff Pearce – https://www.amazon.com/Jeff-Pearce/e/B003Z9PW8Iref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1639386703&sr=8-1
Adam Hunter Howard is a playwright, mentor, guest director and dean at Harvard-Westlake Upper School in North Hollywood, California. We have worked together as costars in our the first two full-length plays produced by Punk Monkey Productions, Steven Dietz' Private Eyes and The Maiden Prayer by Nicky Silver, whose poster can be seen in the background of Adam's shots.
In this episode, we discuss working with young/beginning playwrights, structure, privilege, Aristotle's Poetics, success, joining the Playwright's Guild, practical effects versus implied effects and action, conflict and unveiling nuance through actors and layers.
Based on the amount of material covered and our personal history, this may be my favorite and most entertaining episode thus far. I hope you enjoy it.
To see the video format of this episode, please visit the link below - https://youtu.be/1phRfCeKuJ0
For other websites mentioned in this episode, please visit the following links below -
Hope Thompson is a graduate of the Canadian Film Centre's Feature Writing Program and UBC's Creative Writing MFA program. She writes for stage, film, and television and her work explores the queer experience through history and genre. She's written on two seasons of CBC's Baroness Von Sketch Show, teaches screenwriting and co-hosts the crime fiction reading series Noir @ The Bar.
In this episode of Playwright's Spotlight Hope and I discuss gender roles within genres, finding representation, if acting can help writing, creating conflict, and what's missing in modern theatre.
To watch the video version of this episode, please follow the link below - https://youtu.be/cxckvU7XDFo
Links discussed in this episode -
Noir @ The Bar - There is no official website for Noir @ the Bar. Each city has its own site or facebook page. To see if Noir at the Bar occurs in your city give a Google search. Was hoping they were linked together.
Submittable.com - The site is a bit confusing and misleading by not seeming to revolve around writers but rather social impact. I found an article that describes more of how it relates to writers HERE.
Buddies in Bad Times - https://buddiesinbadtimes.com
In this episode, James Elden talks to playwright Susan Goodell about learning from the rehearsal process, exercises in playwriting, trusting the process, finding opportunities on the net, being a resident playwright, getting published, and strategies on how to keep your work from being stolen in the modern era.
Susan Goodell is the author of the full length plays Heels Over Head and Hope Throws Her Heart Away and numerous one-acts all of which of played across the U.S. She's been commissioned by the Steppenwolf Theatre and was a Djerassi Resident Artist as well as resident writer at Rising Sun's Governor's Island Laboratorium for three summers. She was nominated for the Denver Drama Critic's Circle Award and made the Denver Post's 10-Best list. Her work has been included in the Best American Short Plays 2014-15, Best 10-Minute Plays 2016, 105 Five-Minute Plays for Performance and Study, PLAY Noir 2015 as well as PLAY Noir Anthology.
Play Submission Helper - https://playsubmissionshelper.com/blog/
Official Playwrights of Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/OfficialPlaywrights/about/
Best American Short Plays 2014-2015 - https://www.amazon.com/dp/1495046486/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_316RCFY01219SZ90J8F3
Best 10-Minute Plays 2016 - https://www.amazon.com/dp/1575259052/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_V1GS6ESY1ZSAKSY2194D
105 5-Minute Plays for Performance and Study - https://www.amazon.com/dp/1575259109/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_FV6KWJWQ1Q1CA1MF89C0 Websites and socials for James Elden, Punk Monkey Productions and Playwright's Spotlight
Punk Monkey Productions - www.punkmonkeyproductions.com
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