American Theatre Offscript

By American Theatre magazineArts

American Theatre Offscript episodes

October 09 Winter Miller Willed Theatre Into Her Existence
This month Brian talks to the 13Playwrights founding member about her journey from journalism to acting to playwriting, her definition of success, and how Lucy Thurber’s support helped her overcome imposter syndrome.
1 hr 30 min
October 01 The Bridge: Alliance Theatre
The Bridge: Building Toward re(New)ed Theatre Audiences is a new special series hosted by AT Offscript. Produced with support from the Wallace Foundation, the series debuted on March 6, 2026, exploring how theatres are innovating to engage and sustain audiences amid the shifting realities of the field.
Amid the “polycrises” of the present moment, TCG’s most recent Theatre Facts report revealed an unexpected ray of hope: In contrast to pandemic-driven declines in overall attendance and ticket revenue, subscriptions and other loyalty models have shown renewed resilience. The Bridge will take listeners inside theatres that are bucking the decades-long trend of subscription decline, offering both visionary questions and practical strategies for audience engagement.

Our seventh episode features Corinna Schulenburg, Co-Lead of TCG's Research Programs, in conversation with Christopher Moses, the Jennings Hertz Artistic Director for the Alliance Theatre. Their vision from their website: "The Alliance Theatre will lead the national field by deeply engaging with its local community, modeling radical inclusion and catalytic experience on our stage, in our classrooms, and throughout Atlanta."

Show notes:
An Experimental Evaluation of Multiple Arts Field Trips, by NEA Research Labs

The Bridge is supported by the Wallace Foundation, and grounded in their research report, "In Search of the Magic Bullet: Results from the Building Audiences for Sustainability Initiative."
43 min
September 18 Offscript Top 10: Kimberly Belflower & Branden Jacobs-Jenkins Play Well With Others
On this annual special episode, we announce the Top 10 Most-Produced Plays and Top 20 Most-Produced Playwrights of the coming season, and are joined by 2 of the latter for a wide-ranging conversation
46 min
September 14 Adrienne Dawes Had to Tell Her Own Story
This month Brian talks to the playwright of 'You Are Pretty,' 'Am I White,' and 'Teen Dad' about growing up as a mixed-race adoptee in Texas and finding her voice as a Chicago sketch performer
1 hr 30 min
September 10 José Rivera: Mystery, Awe, and the Long Apprenticeship
This month Brian talks to the prolific playwright and screenwriter about religion, working-class heroes, and how he learned he's not an actor from Tom Hanks
1 hr 15 min
August 07 Joseph Haj's Big Swings at the Guthrie
What has he learned after leading Minneapolis's flagship theatre for the last 11 years, and what's next? Plus: a Pittsburgh check-in with Sharon Eberson
58 min
July 30 The Bridge: Out of Hand Theater
The Bridge: Building Toward re(New)ed Theatre Audiences is a new special series hosted by AT Offscript. Produced with support from the Wallace Foundation, the series debuted on March 6, 2026, exploring how theatres are innovating to engage and sustain audiences amid the shifting realities of the field.
Amid the “polycrises” of the present moment, TCG’s most recent Theatre Facts report revealed an unexpected ray of hope: In contrast to pandemic-driven declines in overall attendance and ticket revenue, subscriptions and other loyalty models have shown renewed resilience. The Bridge will take listeners inside theatres that are bucking the decades-long trend of subscription decline, offering both visionary questions and practical strategies for audience engagement.

Our sixth episode features Corinna Schulenburg, Co-Lead of TCG's Research Programs, in conversation with Ariel Fristoe, founder and artistic director of Out of Hand Theater. From their website: "Out of Hand works at the intersection of art, social impact, and civic engagement. We help create a more just world through programs that combine theater and film with information and conversation."

The Bridge is supported by the Wallace Foundation, and grounded in their research report, "In Search of the Magic Bullet: Results from the Building Audiences for Sustainability Initiative."
45 min
July 10 Dave Osmundsen Doesn't Do Inspiration
This month Brian talks to the author of 'Light Switch' and 'Berrywild' about autism, mentorship, and learning to live alongside cringe
1 hr 24 min
July 03 Live From Puerto Rico: A Look Into Theatre's Mirror
In a conversation recorded at the TCG Conference in San Juan in June, writer Miranda Purcell is joined by Puerto Rican theatremakers Sylvia Bofill and Georgina Borri
54 min
June 12 Andrea Stolowitz: I Am My Own Home
This month Brian talks to the peripatetic playwright about her craft, her sensibility, and why she's been yelled at by Jews in theatre lobbies
1 hr 28 min