James Elden's Playwright's Spotlight
78 episodes - English - Latest episode: 1 day ago - ★★★★★ - 10 ratingsPlaywright Spotlight features a new playwright every episode to discuss the tools of the trade and solutions to the obstacles we face as writers in hopes of making us all better and more successful playwrights.
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Episodes
Technology, the Dangers of Missing Deadlines, and Making Musicals Look Simple - Playwright's Spotlight with Ian Kim
June 25, 2024 13:00 - 1 hour - 45.5 MBSend us a Text Message. 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 t...
Set Up, Adaptation, Compensation, and Writing Good Suspense - Playwright's Spotlight with Barry M. Putt, Jr.
June 11, 2024 13:00 - 1 hour - 52 MBSend us a Text Message. 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...
Writing in Threads, Finding Momentum, and "Bad Pages Are No Pages" - Playwright's Spotlight with Boni B. Alvarez
May 29, 2024 06:00 - 1 hour - 59.7 MBSend us a Text Message. 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....
Developmental Struggles, Embracing Rejection, and "Overnight" Success - Playwright's Spotlight with David Johann Kim
May 14, 2024 13:00 - 1 hour - 51.9 MBSend us a Text Message. 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 Transitions, Cracking the Story, and "Wait! What?" Moments - Playwright's Spotlight with Michelle Kholos Brooks
April 30, 2024 13:00 - 1 hour - 57.4 MBSend us a Text Message. 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 ...
Wit, Interruptions, and Reframing Your Story - Playwright's Spotlight with Oliver Mayer
April 16, 2024 13:00 - 1 hour - 59.6 MBPlaywright 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 dialo...
Opera, Wit, Interruptions, and Reframing Your Story - Playwright's Spotlight with Oliver Mayer
April 16, 2024 13:00 - 1 hour - 59.6 MBSend us a Text Message. 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 ...
Opening Up the Text, Playfulness in Language, and "Saving As." - Playwright's Spotlight with Tira Palmquist
April 02, 2024 13:00 - 1 hour - 54.3 MBSend us a Text Message. 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 f...
Etiquette, Letting Go of Perfection, and Writing From a Slice of Life - Playwright's Spotlight with Becky Wahlstrom
March 19, 2024 13:00 - 1 hour - 52.7 MBSend us a Text Message. 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 pr...
Writing Natural Dialogue, Getting Back to Our Roots, and Why Theatre? - Playwright's Spotlight with Steve Fife
March 05, 2024 08:00 - 1 hour - 76.5 MBSend us a Text Message. 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...
Playwright's Spotlight with Catya McMullen
February 21, 2024 08:00 - 1 hour - 51.6 MBCatya 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...
Reflecting Life on Stage, The New York City Hustle, and Putting Away the Constraints - Playwright's Spotlight with Catya McMullen
February 21, 2024 08:00 - 1 hour - 51.6 MBSend us a Text Message. 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 Cit...
Purging Emotions, Deus Ex Machina, and Making the Case to Study Playwriting in Academia - Playwright's Spotlight with Luke Yankee
February 06, 2024 14:00 - 1 hour - 57.9 MBSend us a Text Message. 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 pla...
Putting in the Time, Owning Your Home Town, and a Path to Success - Playwright's Spotlight with Donna Hoke
January 23, 2024 14:00 - 1 hour - 58.5 MBSend us a Text Message. 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,...
Playwright's Spotlight with Donna Hoke
January 23, 2024 14:00 - 1 hour - 58.5 MBDonna 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 bac...
Segues, Dry Spells, & Branding, Confidence & Commitment, and What's Too Soon? - Playwright's Spotlight with Henry Phillips
January 09, 2024 08:00 - 1 hour - 65.9 MBSend us a Text Message. 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...
Sweating the Joke, Surprising Your Audience, and Fighting For Your Convictions - Playwright's Spotlight with Paul Greenberg
December 26, 2023 14:00 - 1 hour - 58.8 MBSend us a Text Message. 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 Canadi...
Translation, Culture, and Non-Traditional Theatre - An American Playwright in Norway - Playwright's Spotlight with Ren Powell
December 11, 2023 14:00 - 1 hour - 63.4 MBSend us a Text Message. 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 p...
Truth and Trust, Compromise in Collaboration, and the Healing Process of Playwriting - Playwright's Spotlight with Stan Mayer
November 14, 2023 14:00 - 1 hour - 62.4 MBSend us a Text Message. 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 be...
Truth and Trust, Compromise in Collaboration, and the Healing Process of Playwriting - Spotlight with Stan Mayer
November 14, 2023 14:00 - 1 hour - 62.4 MBSeason 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 str...
Playwright's Spotlight with Richard Vetere
October 31, 2023 13:00 - 1 hour - 65.8 MBFINAL 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 ...
Writing From Experience, the Music of Language, and the Fate of Theatre - Playwright's Spotlight with Richard Vetere
October 31, 2023 13:00 - 1 hour - 65.8 MBSend us a Text Message. 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 direc...
Writing From Experience, the Music Language, and the Fate of Theatre - Playwright's Spotlight with Richard Vetere
October 31, 2023 13:00 - 1 hour - 65.8 MBFINAL 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 ...
Writing From Grief, Hearing the Truth, and the Need for Validation - Playwright's Spotlight with Brynn Thayer
October 12, 2023 13:00 - 1 hour - 54.8 MBSend us a Text Message. 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 f...
Playwright's Spotlight with Anna Ouyang Moench
October 03, 2023 13:00 - 1 hour - 54 MBAnother 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 ...
Playwriting Mechanics, Playing with Timelines, and Obtaining Representation - Playwright's Spotlight with Anna Ouyang Moench
October 03, 2023 13:00 - 1 hour - 54 MBSend us a Text Message. 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 ...
Parody, Writing the Fool Proof Play, and Writing for Young Performers and Audiences - Playwright's Spotlight with Dean O'Carroll
September 19, 2023 13:00 - 1 hour - 67.6 MBSend us a Text Message. 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 risk...
Plagiarizing Yourself, Writing Layered Characters, and Making Scripted Dialogue Sound Spontaneous - Playwright's Spotlight with Garry Michael Kluger
September 05, 2023 13:00 - 1 hour - 62.9 MBSend us a Text Message. 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 on...
Collaboration and Control, Freud on Cocaine, and Getting Your Play Realized - Playwright's Spotlight with Howard Skora
August 22, 2023 13:00 - 1 hour - 54.5 MBSend us a Text Message. 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 hist...
Moving Forward, Developing Relationships, and Writing a la Mode - Playwright's Spotlight with Wendy Graf
August 08, 2023 13:00 - 1 hour - 61.6 MBSend us a Text Message. 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 controv...
Storytelling, Playing with Structure, and the Pipe Burst of Playwriting - Playwright's Spotlight with John Patrick Bray
July 25, 2023 13:00 - 1 hour - 67 MBSend us a Text Message. 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 pro...
Hitting the Flow State, Locking Yourself Away, and Staying in the Sh*t - Playwright's Spotlight with Bernardo Cubria
June 27, 2023 07:00 - 1 hour - 60.9 MBSend us a Text Message. 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, wha...
Assets and Flaws, Zodiac Signs, and Being an Economic Writer - Playwright's Spotlight with Vanessa Sterwart
June 13, 2023 13:00 - 1 hour - 58.5 MBSend us a Text Message. 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 sh...
Handling Exposition, Arming Your Characters, and the Tension of Opposites - Playwright's Spotlight with Jonathan Dorf
May 30, 2023 13:00 - 1 hour - 71.7 MBSend us a Text Message. 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 handl...
Setups and Payoffs, First Draft Dialogue, and Letting Go of Logistics - Playwright's Spotlight with Bob DeRosa
May 16, 2023 13:00 - 1 hour - 60.5 MBSend us a Text Message. 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, ...
Going into Hiding, the Catharsis of Playwriting, and Playing with Fundamentals - Playwright's Spotlight with Kathryn Keats
May 02, 2023 13:00 - 1 hour - 53.8 MBSend us a Text Message. 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...
Playwright's Spotlight with Kathryn Keats
May 02, 2023 13:00 - 1 hour - 53.8 MBPlaywright 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 ...
Adaptation, the Death of Theatre, and Always Get the Story Right First - Playwright's Spotlight with Itamar Moses
April 18, 2023 13:00 - 1 hour - 58.8 MBSend us a Text Message. 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 ...
Narrative Pacing, Pushing Discomfort, and Being a Jazz Playwright - Playwright's Spotlight with Roger Q. Mason
April 04, 2023 13:00 - 1 hour - 59 MBSend us a Text Message. 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, an...
Repertory, Residencies, and the Benefits of Previews - Playwright's Spotlight with Sunny Drake
March 21, 2023 13:00 - 1 hour - 62.2 MBSend us a Text Message. 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 a...
Diligence, Perseverance, and Overcoming Adversity - Playwright's Spotlight with Faye Widjaja
March 07, 2023 14:00 - 48 minutes - 33.2 MBSend us a Text Message. 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...
Discovery, Deliberation, Decision, and Driving Action - Playwright's Spotlight with Matt Williams
February 21, 2023 17:00 - 1 hour - 60.5 MBSend us a Text Message. 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 ...
Psychology, Vulnerability, and the Romance of Playwriting - Playwright's Spotlight with John Mabey
February 07, 2023 17:00 - 1 hour - 62.4 MBSend us a Text Message. 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 playwright...
Adaptation, Development, and Breaking Down the Story - Playwright's Spotlight with Barry Kornhauser
January 23, 2023 17:00 - 1 hour - 62.3 MBSend us a Text Message. 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 co...
Workshops, Styles, Tropes, and Politics Preventing Art - Playwright's Spotlight with Trey Nichols
January 10, 2023 17:00 - 1 hour - 59.1 MBSend us a Text Message. 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 br...
Rhythm, Dance, Space in Beats, and Being a Lazy Writer - Playwright's Spotlight with Dagney Kerr
December 27, 2022 17:00 - 1 hour - 64.5 MBSend us a Text Message. 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-...
Twists, Turns, Intent, and Creating Your Own Opportunities - Playwright's Spotlight with Paul Surace
December 13, 2022 06:00 - 1 hour - 58.7 MBSend us a Text Message. 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 w...
Action in Dialogue, Inspiring Designers, and the Seeds of Conflict - Playwright's Spotlight with Cyndy A. Marion
November 29, 2022 12:00 - 1 hour - 59.3 MBSend us a Text Message. 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 a...
Etudes, Texture, and Driving a Different Route - Playwright's Spotlight with Michael Wright
November 15, 2022 17:00 - 1 hour - 66.8 MBSend us a Text Message. 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 wr...
Artistic Statements, Achieving Dimension, and the Great Elevator Play - Playwright's Spotlight with Gary Garrison
November 01, 2022 16:00 - 1 hour - 50.6 MBSend us a Text Message. 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 submiss...