Everything Theater Podcast

Bentia and Ellen had the privilege of seeing the opening night of "The Last American Newspaper" at Capital Repertory Theatre. They discuss the powerful new play, working on brand new works, and taking notes from directors. They also chat about all the exciting upcoming shows and events in the Capital Region!

"Showcase: A Rehearsal Musical" is kickstarting Carpe Diem Theater's New Works program. Kevin Renn and Erin J. Reifler have written this new musical focusing on theater students fitting in one last rehearsal before their big college senior showcase in NYC. We talk to Kevin Renn (book and lyrics) about writing the musical, workshopping the piece, and putting it on its feet at Carpe Diem.

The Table Read Co. is a New York based one-year old nonprofit dedicated to empowering emerging theatre voices and creating opportunities for new plays and musicals to grow. We talk to the founder, Kristen Eliza Brock, who produces table and staged readings, creates spaces for feedback and collaboration, and works to network emerging writers, actors, and theatrical creatives.

In the Capital Region, a handful of people truly embody our show title - "Everything Theater." Laura Darling is one of those people. Actor, director, playwright, lighting designer, costumer... you name it, Laura has done it. And done it well! We talk to Laura about balancing theater with a non-theater career, supporting the tech needs in the Capital Region, developing new work, and working on her current project, the "Scottish Play" (if you know, you know).

You may not recognize his name, but Buddy Bradley was an artistic genius whose talent reshaped Broadway musicals, the West End, jazz dance, and classical ballet, creating a new language of movement that endures today. American dance history has long overlooked Black performers and choreographers, but Buddy Bradley taught white stars such as Eleanor Powell, Ruby Keeler, and Adele Astaire and influenced every major choreographer who followed, including George Balanchine, Frederick Ashton, Agnes de Mille, Jerome Robbins, and Bob Fosse. We speak to Maureen Footer who wrote "Feel the Floor: Restoring the Life and Legacy of Jazz Choreographer Buddy Bradley" to shine light on this incredible choreographer. https://maureenfooter.net/about/books/feel-the-floor-restoring-the-life-and-legacy-of-jazz-choreographer-buddy-bradley/ Find the book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Feel-Floor-Restoring-Choreographer-Bradley/dp/0807045241

"Unreconciled" is based on the true story of an adolescent actor cast as Jesus in a school play directed by a parish priest. The story chronicles a survivor's journey as he confronts his past, navigates a victims' reparations program set up by the Catholic Church, and discovers the courage to use his voice. We chat with writer and performer, Jay Sefton, about developing the piece, telling his real story onstage, and the therapeutic nature of theater. https://www.unreconciledtheplay.com/

Lauren A. Marchand is the 2023 Jimmy Awards winner who is currently playing Kat in "Mystic Pizza" at Capital Repertory Theatre. We chat with Lauren about her high school experience leading up to her Jimmy Awards win, what she's been up to since high school, and what to expect in the film turned musical, "Mystic Pizza."

On April 2, 2016, a 37-year-old mother of three, Lisa, died needlessly in a jail cell. She was a pretrial detainee who had not been convicted of any crime. In her final hours, she pleaded for help, but her cries were ignored. She was denied basic medical care, and her life was taken from her children, her family, her community, and her sister, Elizabeth Ostler. Elizabeth joins us to talk about her play "SisterPlay," which tells Lisa's story. The play will premiere in New York City in September 2026.

There is an exciting summer season of new plays at the Great Barrington Public Theater, featuring intimate human stories with global implications. The summer starts with "Fragments" by Jim Petosa which focuses on the AIDS pandemic in the 1980s, followed by "iBoss" by Thomas Kee which explores the use of AI, and ends with "Yellow 2.0 Wallpaper 2020" by Jennifer Maisel based on Charlotte Perkins Gilman's 1892 short story "The Yellow Wallpaper." We chat with co-artistic directors Jim Frangione and Judy Braha about the season and working with new plays.

www.greatbarringtonpublictheater.org

The Tony awards are coming up, and we have our predictions! NYC actor, writer, producer, and casting director Helene Galek joins us to discuss this past Broadway season. Is the hilarious Broadway spoof "Schmigadoon!" the fun show the voters want right now? Will the brave reimagining of "Cats" win out over the beloved "Ragtime" revival? Is "Death of a Salesman" a shoo-in? We'll find out on June 7th!