American Theatre Offscript

By American Theatre magazineArts

American Theatre Offscript episodes

June 05 Pam MacKinnon on ACT, Isaac Butler on the NEA
ACT's outgoing artistic director talks about the joys and challenges of an artistic home, and an author/critic explains how yesterday's culture wars paved the way for today's.
52 min
May 15 Lisa Sanaye Dring Builds Mind Palaces
The playwright and director from Hawaii and Nevada discusses ‘Death Play,’ ‘Sumo,’ yearning, loneliness, and the wisdom of accepting loss.
1 hr 23 min
May 02 The Bridge: Milwaukee Rep
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, 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 fifth episode features Corinna Schulenburg, Co-Lead of TCG's Research Programs, in conversation with Chad Bauman, the Ellen & Joe Checota Executive Director of Milwaukee Repertory Theate. From their website: "Milwaukee Rep ignites positive change in the cultural, social, and economic vitality of its community by creating world-class theater experiences that entertain, provoke, and inspire meaningful dialogue among an audience representative of Milwaukee’s rich diversity."

This episode was originally recorded on April 16, 2026. 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
May 01 Cedric the Entertainer Finds His Song, 'The Lost Boys' Raise the Stakes
The comic actor talks about his role in August Wilson's 'Joe Turner's Come and Gone,' director Michael Arden and designer Dane Laffrey talk vampire musicals, and Gemma Wilson gives us the Seattle 411.
1 hr 11 min
April 24 The Bridge: Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company
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, 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 fourth episode features Corinna Schulenburg, Co-Lead of TCG's Research Programs, in conversation with Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company from Washington, DC. From their website: "Woolly Mammoth produces courageous and invigorating new work to radically redefine theatre as a catalyst for an equitable, creative, and engaged society."

In this episode, you'll hear from Kimberly E. Douglas (managing director), Kristen B. Jackson (associate artistic director, director of connectivity), and Josh Feldman (former director of marketing).

This episode was originally recorded on August 21, 2025. The Bridge is supported by the Wallace Foundation.
50 min
April 10 Patrick Gabridge Plays in Place
The playwright and founding artistic director of a site-specific theatre discusses going from studying computer science at MIT to honing in on his artistry.
1 hr 19 min
April 03 Criticism as Theatre, and Willem Dafoe’s Visceral Venice
This month Willem Dafoe tells us about his programming for the Venice Teatro Biennale, and critics Helen Shaw and Emily Nussbaum compare notes on their new posts
1 hr 5 min
April 02 The Bridge: TheatreSquared
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, 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 third episode features Corinna Schulenburg, Co-Lead of TCG's Research Programs, in conversation with TheatreSquared from Fayetteville, AR. From their website: "TheatreSquared’s signature offering of bold new plays in an intimate setting has driven its growth to become the state’s largest theatre, welcoming more than 80,000 community members to 350 performances and events each year. The company is Northwest Arkansas’s professional nonprofit theatre, offering a unique audience experience of immersive, professional productions in an intimate setting."

In this episode, you'll hear from Shannon A. Jones (executive director), Robert Ford (artistic director), and Andrea Newby (director of marketing & communications).

This episode was originally recorded on August 12, 2025.
46 min
March 19The Bridge: Florida Studio 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, 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 second episode features Corinna Schulenburg, Co-Lead of TCG's Research Programs, in conversation with Florida Studio Theatre from Sarasota, FL. Florida Studio Theatre holds the following mission:
To make theatre affordable and accessible to as many people as possible.
To present theatre that challenges with as much gusto as it entertains.
To create a public forum for the issues of our day that will foster positive change in our community and beyond.
To operate within and for the public trust.
In this episode, you'll hear from Richard Hopkins (producing artistic director, CEO), and Rebecca Hopkins (managing director).
This episode was originally recorded on June 26, 2025.
51 min
March 13 Sophie McIntosh: Good Apples and Aspirations
The playwright, originally from Wisconsin, discusses her company, influences, exposure therapy, and the challenge of being an 'emerging' artist
1 hr 22 min