Hey Playwright

Tori and Mabelle talk with audition coach Jeffrey Ingman about his company, Audition Revelation, as well as his work as director of the La Jolla Playhouse Young Performers’ Conservatory and the MCITStudio. Other topics include Jeffrey’s approach to text and the musicality of plays; how speed skating relates to the arts; and the moments when theater approaches divinity.

In the Season 4 premiere, Tori and Mabelle talk with award-winning writer, educator and activist Marsha Norman about her career, the importance of women writing about women, her work as an educator, and the architecture of a play. Other topics discussed include conjuring the Writing Spirit, setting a 2-year deadline to finish a play, pastafarians, writing from rage, and her upcoming book about how to write a musical.

In this bonus episode, it's script club time! Tori and Mabelle talk with Brian James Polak, producer and host of American Theatre magazine’s The Subtext podcast, about the evolution of his play, “Here Rests the Heart.” Other topics discussed include the freedom to explore as a playwright, the importance of using your voice, and seeking a positive impact in your community.

In the Season 3 finale, Tori and Mabelle recap a busy time of year and then talk with Herbert Siguenza about his journey from visual artist to theatre-maker; the importance of excavating the past to understand the present; and his play development process, including his approach to adaptations.

Tori and Mabelle talk with Ashleigh Akilah Rucker & Samantha Miller, two of the inaugural grantees of the 2021 ReImagine: New Plays in TYA program.

Tori and Mabelle talk with Jacquelyn Reingold, Jennifer Maisel and Laura Rohrman, three Honor Roll! playwrights featured in “She Persisted: Thirty Ten-Minute Plays by Women over Forty.”

Tori and Mabelle talk with Ahmed Kenyatta Dents about his goal as Director of Venue Experience at the San Diego Repertory Theatre; justice and representation in theatre; breaking down the rotten wood of old structures; and the quantum possibility of multiple yous.

Tori and Mabelle talk with the legendary José Cruz González who shares how he came to playwriting out of necessity; the importance of inviting yourself to come back to the playwriting table; and why children make the best dramaturgs.

Tori and Mabelle talk with Donna Hoke about her journey as a gig writer into playwriting; embracing and owning your hometown; the value of development workshops; and the art of documenting submissions.

Tori and Mabelle talk with Lucy Wang about her leap from Wall Street trader to playwright; ageism and sexism in American theatre; the revolutionary effect of laughter; and the parallels of playwriting and baseball.