American Theatre Offscript

This episode of OffScript features an interview with James McNeel, managing director of Contemporary American Theatre Festival in West Virginia. He was in town/New York City for the Off-Broadway premiere of CATF's "Uncanny Valley," by Thomas Gibbons. Assistant editor Diep Tran talks with him about new plays and robots. Also, the editors of AMERICAN THEATRE discuss succession of Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago, and Suzy and Diep get into a heated debate over a "Jacuzzi." Come on in, the water's warm!

"It's the bitch of living." Except not really. In this episode of Offscript, we talk to arts reporter Linda Buchwald about "Spring Awakening" at Deaf West Theatre, which uses deaf actors and sign language to add a new dimension to the Duncan Sheik/Steven Sater musical about teenage desires in 19th-century Germany. Plus our editors argue over gender parity and the politics of representation.

Let's Durang it up! In this revamp of AMERICAN THEATRE's Offscript podcast, we talk to Christopher Durang, whose play "Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike" is the most-produced play of the 2014-15 season.

AMERICAN THEATRE looks back on the 38th annual Humana Festival of New American Plays, which featured new plays by Kimber Lee, Lucas Hnath and Branden Jacobs-Jenkins. AMERICAN THEATRE's senior editor Rob Weinert-Kendt sat down over Skype for a podcast conversation with two theatre critics: Erin Keane—arts reporter and theatre critic from Louisville’s NPR station WFPL—and Bill Hirschman, editor and critic of Florida Theater On Stage. They discussed the festival’s offerings, if art for art's sake is a good idea and the critic's obligation to the playwright.

Episode 9 of OffScript celebrates the 30th birthday of the magazine, and features AMERICAN THEATRE editor-in-chief Jim O'Quinn and publisher Terry Nemeth, who have been with the magazine since its birth in 1984. They reminisce with senior editor Eliza Bent about early mishaps, their favorite articles and the future of the magazine.

Episode 8 of Offscript features journalist and critic Helen Shaw, who discusses the surfeit of experimental theatre festivals that have popped up in New York City in January. Senior editor Eliza Bent talks to Shaw about what to see when you have five festivals to choose from, how to combat theatre-going fatigue, and the value of playing hooky and dressing warmly.