Send us a text 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 res...
Mar 21, 2023•1 hr 30 min•Season 2Ep. 11
Send us a text 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...
Mar 07, 2023•48 min•Season 2Ep. 10
Send us a text 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 fe...
Feb 21, 2023•1 hr 28 min•Season 2Ep. 9
Send us a text 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 ...
Feb 07, 2023•1 hr 31 min•Season 2Ep. 8
Send us a text 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 b...
Jan 23, 2023•1 hr 31 min•Season 2Ep. 7
Send us a text 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 ...
Jan 10, 2023•1 hr 26 min•Season 2Ep. 6
Send us a text 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...
Dec 27, 2022•1 hr 34 min•Season 2Ep. 5
Send us a text 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...
Dec 13, 2022•1 hr 25 min•Season 2Ep. 4
Send us a text 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 t...
Nov 29, 2022•1 hr 26 min•Season 2Ep. 3
Send us a text 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. ...
Nov 15, 2022•1 hr 37 min•Season 2Ep. 2
Send us a text 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. A...
Nov 01, 2022•1 hr 14 min•Season 2Ep. 1
Send us a text 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 g...
Oct 18, 2022•1 hr 32 min•Season 1Ep. 26
Send us a text 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 ...
Oct 04, 2022•1 hr 34 min•Season 1Ep. 25
Send us a text 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 revisi...
Sep 20, 2022•1 hr 30 min•Season 1Ep. 24
Send us a text 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 cor...
Sep 06, 2022•1 hr 21 min•Season 1Ep. 23
Send us a text 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 Aristotl...
Aug 23, 2022•1 hr 42 min•Season 1Ep. 22
Send us a text 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 s...
Aug 08, 2022•1 hr 30 min•Season 1Ep. 21
Send us a text 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...
Jul 26, 2022•1 hr 28 min•Season 1Ep. 20
Send us a text 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, a...
Jul 12, 2022•1 hr 26 min•Season 1Ep. 19
Send us a text 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...
Jun 28, 2022•1 hr 18 min•Season 1Ep. 18
Send us a text 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. The...
Jun 14, 2022•1 hr 31 min•Season 1Ep. 17
Send us a text 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 theat...
May 31, 2022•1 hr 31 min•Season 1Ep. 16
Send us a text 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 base...
May 17, 2022•1 hr 19 min•Season 1Ep. 15
Send us a text 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 ha...
May 03, 2022•1 hr 14 min•Season 1Ep. 14
Send us a text 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, ...
Apr 19, 2022•2 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 13
Send us a text 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 e...
Apr 05, 2022•1 hr 17 min•Season 1Ep. 12
Send us a text 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 an...
Mar 22, 2022•2 hr 6 min•Season 1Ep. 11
Send us a text 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...
Mar 08, 2022•1 hr 27 min•Season 1Ep. 10
Send us a text 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 for...
Feb 22, 2022•1 hr 31 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Send us a text 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, playw...
Feb 08, 2022•1 hr 19 min•Season 1Ep. 8
