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Two weeks before the opening of her latest piece in the Bellevue Escapades, Donna Scarantino took the time to come sit in the Playwright's Spotlight. We discuss the origins of the Bellevue series and its evolution over the years, her involvement and eventual takeover of Theatre Americana and how playwrights can submit their work, or how actors can become involved in the theatre company. We delve into her growth as a playwright, having a director change your ending, removing oneself from the performance when in one's own piece, her approach to comedy and what farce looks like on the page, leaning too much on exposition, learning to build the scene, and the use of unnecessary language. We wrap things up with Theatre Americana's expectations for submissions, the concept of a play being only as good as its actors, discipline in writing and the first steps after an idea is hatched, playing with structure, the benefits of table reads, and Donna's refraining to submitting to outside entities. It's a lovely conversation that includes a not-so-well known historic opportunity that playwrights may not be aware of. I hope to hear that many of you decided to submit to Theatre Americana after listening to this episode. Enjoy!

For tickets to Dr. Freud, I Presume June 5th through June 7th at the Pasadena New Thought Center, visit - https://tickets.evvnt.com/events/dr-freud-i-presume-6-7-2026

Donna Scarantino is a playwright, director, costumer, and set designer with over 25 years of experience in the theatre. In 1992, she formed Show of Support Theater Company, Prescott AZ and in 2008 took ownership of Theatre Americana one of California’s oldest independent production companies, established in 1935 to present original plays by American playwrights, expanding and evolving over the years to combine old traditions with new ones. She has written 10 plays in the Bellevue Escapades, and her play Dr. Freud, I Presume is the ninth sequel in the series.

To watch the video format of this episode, visit - https://youtu.be/oP72ajfBTtI

Links to sites and resources mentioned in this episode - 

Theatre Americana - https://theatreamericana.com

New Play Exchange - https://newplayexchange.org/get-started

To submit a play to Theatre Americana, email Donna Scarantino at - [email protected]

Socials for Donna Scarantino and Theatre Americana -

FB - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009227001624
IG - https://www.instagram.com/scarantinodonna/

Theatre Americana - 

FB - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100066419812534
IG - https://www.instagram.com/theatreamericana/

Websites and socials for James Elden, Punk Monkey Productions and Playwright's Spotlight

Punk Monkey Productions - 
www.punkmonkeyproductions.com

PLAY Noir -
www.playnoir.com

PLAY Noir Anthology –
www.punkmonkeyproductions.com/contact.html

James Elden -
Twitter - @jameseldensauer
IG - @alakardrake
FB - fb.com/jameseldensauer


Punk Monkey Productions and PLAY Noir - 
Twitter - @punkmonkeyprods
                  - @playnoirla 
IG - @punkmonkeyprods
       - @playnoir_la 

FB - fb.com/playnoir
        - fb.com/punkmonkeyproductions


Playwright's Spotlight -
Twitter - @wrightlightpod 
IG - @playwrights_spotlight


Playwriting services through Los Angeles Collegiate Playwrights Festival
www.losangelescollegiateplaywrightsfestival.com/services.html

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Playwright William A. Smith streamed into Playwright's Spotlight to talk about the recent release of his app The Playwright's Desk and its features to assist in the management of the playwriting business. It's a fascinating resource that will help playwrights of all levels looking to track their submissions as well as streamline the process. We also discuss his other apps The Literary Desk, designed for theatre companies, and The Drama Desk, designed for drama teachers in the K-12 education system. We delve into the journey of his playwriting and how it evolved while building a theatre company from the ground up, taking leaps, and wearing many hats. We discuss the lessons in under and overwriting as a novice, overcoming a gap in playwriting and writing disappointing ending, and the point he began submitting his work to outside entities. We discuss the importance of building a support system, unnecessary requests when submitting, finding opportunities, and working with long time collaborators. This is a very heartwarming, inspirational, and motivating conversation, and Bill's charm shines through the entire interview. Enjoy.

William A. Smith is an award-winning American playwright whose work spans, comedy, drama, musicals, political theatre, and intimate character studies. An alumnus of American Academy of Dramatic Arts, he brings over forty years of professional experience as a writer, actor, director, and producer. He recently created apps and platforms for dramatists of all sorts, including The Playwright’s Desk, The Literary Desk, and The Drama Desk. Plays include A Room Without Windows, The Regulars, The Divide, Layover, Layunder, Lie Down and Weep, The Last Table Diner, The Cabinet, and Lox and Loaded.

To watch the video format of this episode, visit - https://youtu.be/3v-Av3Sn8ac

Links to sites and resources mentioned in this episode -

The Playwright's Desk - https://theplaywrightsdesk.com

The Literary Desk - https://theliterarydesk.com

The Drama Desk - https://thedramadesk.com

Play Submissions Helper - https://playsubmissionshelper.com

New Play Exchange - https://newplayexchange.org/get-started

Smith and Kraus - https://smithandkraus.com

Website and Socials for William A Smith and his apps -

www.williamasmithplaywright.com
FB - https://www.facebook.com/WASmithPlaywright
IG - @WASmithPlaywright

The Playwright's Desk - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61579411259265
The Drama Desk - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61574286990671

Websites and socials for James Elden, Punk Monkey Productions and Playwright's Spotlight

Punk Monkey Productions - 
www.punkmonkeyproductions.com

PLAY Noir -
www.playnoir.com

PLAY Noir Anthology –
www.punkmonkeyproductions.com/contact.html

James Elden -
Twitter - @jameseldensauer
IG - @alakardrake
FB - fb.com/jameseldensauer

Punk Monkey Productions and PLAY Noir - 
Twitter - @punkmonkeyprods
                  - @playnoirla 
IG - @punkmonkeyprods
       - @playnoir_la 

FB - fb.com/playnoir
        - fb.com/punkmonkeyproductions

Playwright's Spotlight -
Twitter - @wrightlightpod 
IG - @playwrights_spotlight

Playwriting services through Los Angeles Collegiate Playwrights Festival
www.losangelescollegiateplaywrightsfestival.com/services.html

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Playwright and screenwriter Paul Webb streamed onto Playwright's Spotlight all the way from outside London just a week away rehearsal were about to end for his play Warsaw. Paul is a charming Brit with a background in writing that makes everything sound so easy. That's not to say we don't discuss obstacles and struggles, especially considering entering playwriting at a late stage in life. In a addition, we discuss his shift from poetry into playwriting and being self-taught, drawing from History and his development of The Four Knights in Knaresborough and the following evolution of his play Warsaw and its struggles. We also breakdown the balance and transformation of different stages of life, making characters sound natural, having control of your work (or lack there of) in the mediums of film and television vs stage, being in a completely different country during the rehearsal process, and whether or not there are any secrets to rewrites. Paul's is an inspirational and motivating story for any one hesitant to take any leap into the realm of creativity. Enjoy!

Paul Webb wrote his first play, Four Knights in Knaresborough, at the age of 50. It was produced in London, had a national tour and drew the attention of the film industry. He was subsequently commissioned by Stephen Spielberg, Michael Mann and Ridley Scott, working closely with all three over a number of years. He wrote Selma, the 2014 film about the voting rights campaign in Alabama, led by Dr Martin Luther King. Shortly after, Paul turned once again to the theater. His play Hold On! premiered at the St. Louis Black Rep in January 2024. Paul recently completed Six Easy Steps, an intimate history of the marriage between Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt and the defining influence of their confidante, Louis Howe. Paul is currently working on a play about the epochal summit meeting between Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev in Iceland in 1986.

For tickets for his play Warsaw playing May 1st through May 17th at the International City Theatre in Long Beach, CA, visit - https://internationalcitytheatre.csstix.com/event-details.php?e=841

To watch the video format of this episode, visit - https://youtu.be/doV2ng0uwME

Links to sites and resources mentioned in this episode - 

Theatrical Rights Worldwide - https://www.theatricalrights.com

Websites and socials for James Elden, Punk Monkey Productions and Playwright's Spotlight

Punk Monkey Productions - 
www.punkmonkeyproductions.com

PLAY Noir -
www.playnoir.com

PLAY Noir Anthology –
www.punkmonkeyproductions.com/contact.html

James Elden -
Twitter - @jameseldensauer
IG - @alakardrake
FB - fb.com/jameseldensauer


Punk Monkey Productions and PLAY Noir - 
Twitter - @punkmonkeyprods
                  - @playnoirla 
IG - @punkmonkeyprods
       - @playnoir_la 

FB - fb.com/playnoir
        - fb.com/punkmonkeyproductions


Playwright's Spotlight -
Twitter - @wrightlightpod 
IG - @playwrights_spotlight


Playwriting services through Los Angeles Collegiate Playwrights Festival
www.losangelescollegiateplaywrightsfestival.com/services.html

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Apologies for the delayed show notes. Had a few hiccups. Evelina Fernandez took time away from rehearsals to slip into the Playwright's Spotlight. We opened with discussing the founding of the Latino Theatre Company and her journey of learning structure, acting out voices, and writing an ongoing six hour story within a trilogy. We unpacked writing stories out of order and how it may effect the other acts and knowing the end ahead of time. We also dove into creating one's own opportunities, the concept of "dirty" drafts, what to look for from feedback, and not worrying about structure but playing with it. We unpack our conversation with writing true characters, overwriting and possibly conflicting with the director, and removing yourself from your work. As always, it's another insightful conversation that playwrights of all levels can take something away from. Enjoy!

Her play The Storyteller of East Los Angeles opened April 18th and runs through May 17th at the Los Angeles Theatre Center in downtown Los Angeles. For tickets, visit - https://www.latinotheaterco.org/thestoryteller?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22653111487&gbraid=0AAAAA_8uSDFXIMCJTZ296JeY_M_9NUKEm&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIgNH_us6AlAMV9SRECB383gVSEAAYASAAEgIB4fD_BwE

Evelina Fernández is a founding member of Latino Theater Company, where she is currently both associate artistic director and resident playwright. She is the recipient of two Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards, for her plays A Mexican Trilogy and The Mother of Henry. Her plays Solitude, Dementia, Hope (Part II of A Mexican Trilogy) and The Mother of Henry were all “Critic’s Picks” in the Los Angeles Times, and her holiday pageant play, La Virgen de Guadalupe, Dios Inantzin was featured in both the Los Angeles Times and The New York Times. She is the recipient of a GLAAD Media Award and multiple Ovation nominations. Her most recent play, Blow Away the Clouds, will be part of South Coast Repertory’s Pacific Playwrights Festival in May 2026. She adapted her play A Mexican Trilogy for television with Imagine Entertainment and worked on Amazon’s recent hit series, Cross.

Her play The Storyteller of East LA opened April 18th and runs through May 17th at The Los Angeles Theatre Center in downtown Los Angeles.

For the video format of this episode, visit - https://youtu.be/dL4NbVo70vI

Links to sites and resources mentioned in this episode -

Concord Publishing - https://www.concordtheatricals.com/

New Play Exchange - https://newplayexchange.org

Website and Socials for Evelina Fernandez - 

www.evelinafernandezl.com

IG - @evelinafern   

Websites and socials for James Elden, Punk Monkey Productions and Playwright's Spotlight

Punk Monkey Productions - 
www.punkmonkeyproductions.com

PLAY Noir -
www.playnoir.com

PLAY Noir Anthology –
www.punkmonkeyproductions.com/contact.html

James Elden -
Twitter - @jameseldensauer
IG - @alakardrake
FB - fb.com/jameseldensauer

Punk Monkey Productions and PLAY Noir - 
Twitter - @punkmonkeyprods
                  - @playnoirla 
IG - @punkmonkeyprods
       - @playnoir_la 

FB - fb.com/playnoir
        - fb.com/punkmonkeyproductions

Playwright's Spotlight -
Twitter - @wrightlightpod 
IG - @playwrights_spotlight

Playwriting services through Los Angeles Collegiate Playwrights Festival
www.losangelescollegiateplaywrightsfestival.com/services.html

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Olivia Dufault took time to sit under the Playwright's Spotlight before the opening of her latest play - "For Want of a Horse." In this discussion, we unpack her introduction and journey into playwriting, learning from past influencers, learning through evolution and gaining focus yet learning from lack of collaboration. We explore her path of starting new work, entering the flow state and giving characters what they want, her impetus of learning structure and the lessons of overwriting, writing in "crazy spaces" and achieving the suspension of disbelief. We delve into the influence and tapping into Greek tragedies, the concept of "Tends to Be" structures vs unconventional approaches, motivation through music as well as keeping outlandish characters real. We wrap things up sharing her experience finding fellowship opportunities and the benefits of them being in-person, the time for being comfortable to share, creating your own group, and building your own community. These are only a few topics amongst others that playwrights of all levels will benefit from. Enjoy!

For Want of a Horse opens at the Echo Theater Company in Atwater Village in Los Angeles on April 18 thru May 24. For tickets, visit - https://echotheatercompany.ludus.com/index.php

Olivia Dufault is a playwright, screenwriter and comic book writer. Her plays include Year of the Rooster and The Tomb of King Tot, both named “Critic’s Pick” by The New York Times, and The Messenger. Her plays have been performed at the Ensemble Studio Theatre/Youngblood, the Flea Theatre, the Marin Theatre, the 52nd Street Project, the Theater for the New City, UpStart Theater, and the Stray Dog Theater, among others. In addition to the Venturous Playwrights Fellowship, she is the recipient of a Playwrights of New York Fellowship, a Sloan Commission, the David Colicchio Emerging Playwright Award, the Lipkin Playwriting Award, and three Harle Adair Damann Playwriting Awards. 

To watch the video format of this episode, click - https://youtu.be/iI_QnnUkB0s

Links to sites and resources mentioned in this episode - 

The Pony Playwriting Contest - https://www.equusippe.com

Youngblood Theatre - https://www.ensemblestudiotheatre.org/youngblood

Echo Theater Company - https://www.echotheatercompany.com

Socials for Olivia Dufault -

IG - @livdufault

Websites and socials for James Elden, Punk Monkey Productions and Playwright's Spotlight

Punk Monkey Productions - 
www.punkmonkeyproductions.com

PLAY Noir -
www.playnoir.com

PLAY Noir Anthology –
www.punkmonkeyproductions.com/contact.html

James Elden -
Twitter - @jameseldensauer
IG - @alakardrake
FB - fb.com/jameseldensauer

Punk Monkey Productions and PLAY Noir - 
Twitter - @punkmonkeyprods
                  - @playnoirla 
IG - @punkmonkeyprods
       - @playnoir_la 

FB - fb.com/playnoir
        - fb.com/punkmonkeyproductions

Playwright's Spotlight -
Twitter - @wrightlightpod 
IG - @playwrights_spotlight

Playwriting services through Los Angeles Collegiate Playwrights Festival
www.losangelescollegiateplaywrightsfestival.com/services.html

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Gabriel Rivas Gómez dropped into the Playwright's Spotlight a week before the opening of his latest play Level Up! We discussed his origin story falling into playwriting, his journey into finding his voice and telling a story, and the lessons of agitating a nerve. We also dove into overcoming obstacles and elemental struggles, the need to overwrite and cutting scenes, character driven vs plot driven pieces as well as lies vs truths and how to reveal the latter. We unpack writing and passing off the "impossible", looking vs feeling real, the "Top Ten List" approach, and other tricks for a playwright's toolbox, the artist vs editor's mindset, "fixing" a blank page, journeys and arcs and how to achieve them, the benefits of smart actors, overcoming the urge to compete, and how design may affect changes to the script. Gabriel offers a wealth of insight that every playwright can absorb and apply right away. I hope you find his experience useful. Enjoy!

For tickets to Level Up!, please visit - https://www.latinotheaterco.org/levelup

Gabriel Rivas Gómez received his M.F.A. in Dramatic Writing from USC in 2007, where he was mentored by Oliver Mayer, Velina Hasu Houston, and Luis Alfaro. His plays, including Chasing Monsters, Circus Ugly, Swarm Cell and Scar Tissue have been produced in various Los Angeles theaters. Scar Tissue was subsequently published in “The Best American Short Plays of 2010-2011.” He developed his play, Carnivores, as an inaugural member of the Latino Theatre Alliance Writer’s Circle. He is tenured faculty at Glendale Community College.

To watch the video format of this episode, visit - https://youtu.be/_GeAXFS_TVA

Links to sites and resources mentioned in this episode -

Latinos Alliance/Writers Circle - https://howlround.com/latino-theater-alliancelos-angeles-writers-circle

New Play Exchange - https://newplayexchange.org/get-started

Websites and socials for James Elden, Punk Monkey Productions and Playwright's Spotlight

Punk Monkey Productions - 
www.punkmonkeyproductions.com

PLAY Noir -
www.playnoir.com

PLAY Noir Anthology –
www.punkmonkeyproductions.com/contact.html

James Elden -
Twitter - @jameseldensauer
IG - @alakardrake
FB - fb.com/jameseldensauer

Punk Monkey Productions and PLAY Noir - 
Twitter - @punkmonkeyprods
                  - @playnoirla 
IG - @punkmonkeyprods
       - @playnoir_la 

FB - fb.com/playnoir
        - fb.com/punkmonkeyproductions

Playwright's Spotlight -
Twitter - @wrightlightpod 
IG - @playwrights_spotlight

Playwriting services through Los Angeles Collegiate Playwrights Festival
www.losangelescollegiateplaywrightsfestival.com/services.html

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

After an enthusiastic recommendation from former guest, Cameron Scott, Andy Batt streamed into a late night EDT interview of Playwright's Spotlight, and, as always, what an insightful and inspirational conversation it was. In this interview, we discuss the origins and evolution of Andy's own playwriting and how it influenced the development of the MadLab theatre company and venue. We breakdown MadLab's themes and schedule, premises and rhythms as well as the market of Columbus, Ohio. We also  discuss the the draw of original works, submission requirements, mistakes, details, process, and rejections, the importance of format (or lack there of) in addition to physical and dramatic action. We wrap our conversation with criticisms or love of the classics and absurdists, simplicity vs complexity, and advice for taking that "leap".

Andy Batt started in theatre in 1997 with no experience, training, and have never even thought about 
doing a play before, and after a couple years of the acting bug, his best friend and mentor brought him over to MadLab, a non-profit organization where they started producing original work together. Now, almost 30 years later, he has done almost every job there is to do in theatre - from acting, directing, and playwriting.  In 2009, he was able to shepherd MadLab through the process of buying its own space in downtown Columbus, OH. Each year they produce five to seven original productions including "Theatre Roulette", the longest-running shorts festival in Ohio.

For tickets to MadLab's 2026 Theatre Roulette season visit - https://ci.ovationtix.com/35811

To view the video format of this episode, visit the link below - https://youtu.be/g65kmGtSrI0

Links to sites and resources mentioned in this episode - 

MadLab - https://www.madlab.net/index.html

Lenaea High School Theatre Festival - https://www.lenaea.org/

Play Submissions Helper - https://playsubmissionshelper.com/

Websites and socials for Andy Batt and MadLab Theatre -

www.madlab.net

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/andy.batt.18
IG - https://www.instagram.com/andypbatt/

Websites and socials for James Elden, Punk Monkey Productions and Playwright's Spotlight

Punk Monkey Productions - 
www.punkmonkeyproductions.com

PLAY Noir -
www.playnoir.com

PLAY Noir Anthology –
www.punkmonkeyproductions.com/contact.html

James Elden -
Twitter - @jameseldensauer
IG - @alakardrake
FB - fb.com/jameseldensauer


Punk Monkey Productions and PLAY Noir - 
Twitter - @punkmonkeyprods
                  - @playnoirla 
IG - @punkmonkeyprods
       - @playnoir_la 

FB - fb.com/playnoir
        - fb.com/punkmonkeyproductions


Playwright's Spotlight -
Twitter - @wrightlightpod 
IG - @playwrights_spotlight


Playwriting services through Los Angeles Collegiate Playwrights Festival
www.losangelescollegiateplaywrightsfestival.com/services.html

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

I stumbled upon Patrick Gabridge on the World Wide Web, and he was kind enough to come on to the Playwright's Spotlight after reaching out to him. If there was a playwright who has been in the spotlight who might have a pathway to success, it would be Patrick Gabridge. With a non-traditional approach to writing, Patrick focuses on site-specific plays that are staged in non-traditional stages. Before we delve into this, we speak about marketing and his networking group - Playwright Submission Binge - and how the market has dwindled and changed over the years and how it has affected non-equity theatre. We discuss his development of Plays in Places and its historical accuracy and use of creative license, how it's opened doors to success, the Secret Sauce, and pitching to non-traditional venues. We also breakdown approaching Youth Plays as an older playwright, writing competition plays, what constitutes high drama and whether or not there is a formula. We wrap things up with achieving exposition in a 10-minute play, experiencing poor productions of one's work, advice for finding/developing a writers group, and networking with playwrights. This is a fascinating conversation that should present any playwright with phenomenal opportunities. I'd love to how things transpire if anyone listening takes this path. Enjoy!

Patrick Gabridge is a playwright whose work includes Blood on the Snow, Chore Monkeys, Lab Rats, Distant Neighbors, Fire on Earth, Flight, Constant State of Panic, Pieces of Whitey, Blinders, and Reading the Mind of God, which have been staged in theaters across the country. His plays can found in  Playscripts, Brooklyn Publishers, Heuer, Smith & Kraus and various“Best of” anthologies.
He assisted is creating Boston’s Rhombus Playwrights writers’ group, the Chameleon Stage theatre company in Denver, the Bare Bones Theatre company in New York, the publication Market InSight… for Playwrights, and the on-line Playwrights’ Submission Binge. He’s also a member of the Dramatists Guild,  StageSource, and a board member of the Theatre Community Benevolent Fund.  In 2013, he co-founded the New England New Play Alliance and still serves as its coordinator.

To view the video format of this episode, visit the link below - https://youtu.be/wkpI3jR_Or0

Links to sites and resources mentioned in this episode -

Playwright Marketing Binge - https://groups.io/g/playwrightbinge

Seven Devils New Play Foundry - https://www.sevendevils.org

Mid America Theatre Conference - https://matc.us

The O'Neill - https://www.theoneill.org

Plays in Place - http://playsinplace.com

Brooklyn Publishers - https://www.brookpub.com

Heuer Publishing - https://www.hitplays.com

Socials for Patrick Gabridge and Plays in Place -

FB - https://www.facebook.com/patrickgabridge
IG/Threads - @patrickgabridge
YouTube -  ⁨@pgabridge⁩  

FB - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558727695681
IG/Threads - @plays_in_place

Websites and socials for James Elden, Punk Monkey Productions and Playwright's Spotlight

Punk Monkey Productions - 
www.punkmonkeyproductions.com

PLAY Noir -
www.playnoir.com

PLAY Noir Anthology –
www.punkmonkeyproductions.com/contact.html

James Elden -
Twitter - @jameseldensauer
IG - @alakardrake
FB - fb.com/jameseldensauer

Punk Monkey Productions and PLAY Noir - 
Twitter - @punkmonkeyprods
                  - @playnoirla 
IG - @punkmonkeyprods
       - @playnoir_la 

FB - fb.com/playnoir
        - fb.com/punkmonkeyproductions

Playwright's Spotlight -
Twitter - @wrightlightpod 
IG - @playwrights_spotlight

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Fan, Follower, and Fellow Playwright Travis Williams, dropped into the Playwright's Spotlight after a random and serendipitous meetup in public. In this conversation, we discuss his origin into playwriting and the possibilities of being a "living" playwright and a playwright's success, his lessons from living in Chicago and learning the order of character, narrative, and theme, and playing with timelines. We also delve into directing and performing your own work as well as active and practical sets and props, the evolution of his play To Each Their Own while in Chicago and the accessibility of the Windy City's market. We compare the midwest market to L.A., the influence of Stephen King on Travis' writing and the horror genre, the secrets of suspense in playwriting, keeping stasis, and using language to heighten suspense. We wrap things up stage directions in the horror genre, the implementation of stage directions and foley in other mediums in the horror genre, the use of playwriting in other mediums, the recycling of devices, ensuring a good ending lands, and the secret of revisiting the first 25 pages. It's an encapsulating discussion that won't disappoint. Enjoy!

Travis Williams is a playwright, radio dramatist, screenwriter, and actor. He is a five time finalist and 2016 winner of WildClaw Theatre’s Deathscribe - The International Festival of Horror Radio Plays, with his plays The Wall, Strange Weather, Back in Baby's Arms, The Quake (2016 Winner), and Creatures of Circumstance. His play Chicago Collage was a winning script at Fire-Works: Gun Control Short Play Competition, through Manhattan Theatre Works. His commissioned piece: Circle Be Unbroken inspired by Mavis Staples, premiered in Theatre Seven of Chicago production Unwilling and Hostile Instruments.

Links to sites and resources mentioned in this episode -

Chicago Dramatists - https://www.chicagodramatists.org

Art Crush L.A. - https://www.artcrush.la

Strawdog Theatre Company - https://www.strawdog.org

Dayton Playhouse - https://www.daytonplayhouse.com

The Road Theatre Company - https://roadtheatre.org

Atwater Village Theatre - http://www.atwatervillagetheatre.org

WildClaw Theatre Company - http://www.wildclawtheatre.com

Gather by the Ghostlight - https://www.gatherbytheghostlight.com

Website and socials for Travis Williams -

www.traviswilliams.info

IG - @travisdmw

Websites and socials for James Elden, Punk Monkey Productions and Playwright's Spotlight

Punk Monkey Productions - 
www.punkmonkeyproductions.com

PLAY Noir -
www.playnoir.com

PLAY Noir Anthology –
www.punkmonkeyproductions.com/contact.html

James Elden -
Twitter - @jameseldensauer
IG - @alakardrake
FB - fb.com/jameseldensauer


Punk Monkey Productions and PLAY Noir - 
Twitter - @punkmonkeyprods
                  - @playnoirla 
IG - @punkmonkeyprods
       - @playnoir_la 

FB - fb.com/playnoir
        - fb.com/punkmonkeyproductions


Playwright's Spotlight -
Twitter - @wrightlightpod 
IG - @playwrights_spotlight


Playwriting services through Los Angeles Collegiate Playwrights Festival
www.losangelescollegiateplaywrightsfestival.com/services.html

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Playwright, pianist, and composer along with her collaborator Raymond O. Caldwell who is a director, producer, and artistic director of The Fountain Theatre in Los Angeles, CA, stopped by the studio to discuss their latest project - Poetry for the People: The June Jordan Experience. While our conversation did have a few technical setbacks, we were able to get back on track about their budding relationship, Adrienne's personal and collaborative relationship with June, building the team that would encapsulate the life and poetry of June as well as her importance to society and her concept of the "rings of connection." We unpack the process of combining conflicting visions in collaboration, the importance of trust and sharing a vision, and centering on the work. We also discuss introducing new elements durning the last few weeks of rehearsal, the evolution of different iterations, surprise revelations, unconventional storytelling, creating a through line from unconnected sources, and the secret to smooth transitions. It's wonderful back-and-forth that becomes a little silly at the end, but the whole conversation is insightful and entertaining. Enjoy!

For tickets to Poetry for the People at the Fountain Theatre in Los Angeles from January 27th through March 29th, visit - https://www.fountaintheatre.com/events/poetry-for-the-people

Adrienne Torf, is a playwright, pianist, and composer. In 2022, Adrienne co-devised the theater piece Poetry for the People: The June Jordan Experience with Raymond O. Caldwell at Theater Alliance in Washington DC. The show was awarded the 2023 Helen Hayes Theater Washington Award for Outstanding New Play or Musical Adaptation and enjoyed a second run in 2024. It is slated to run at the Fountain Theatre in Los Angeles in early 2026.Also set for production in 2026 is For Women Serving Time, an extended poem/opera for which she composed the score, with text by Fatemeh Keshavarz, produced by IN Series Opera in Washington, DC. Her community-collaboration performance piece The Awesome Difficult Work of Love, which was produced in Madison WI (2008), San Francisco (2012) and Sedona, AZ (2022), and will be produced in Flint, MI in Spring, 2026.

Raymond O. Caldwell has written and adapted new works for Theater Alliance and the Kennedy Center, including Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks from the book by 2024 MacArthur recipient Jason Reynolds. Prior to joining the Fountain Theatre he was the artistic director at Theater Alliance for six seasons where he directed, developed, and produced. He expanded the company’s digital footprint during the pandemic, developing, directing, and producing new works from emerging local artists.

Links to sites and resources mentioned in this episode -

www.fountaintheatre.com

Socials for Adrienne Torf and Raymond O. Caldwell -

www.adriennetorf.com
IG - @adriennetorf 
FB - https://www.facebook.com/adriennetorf

www.raymondocaldwell.com
IG - @raymondocaldwell
FB -  https://www.facebook.com/raymondocaldwell

Websites and socials for James Elden, Punk Monkey Production,s and Playwright's Spotlight -

Punk Monkey Productions - 
www.punkmonkeyproductions.com

PLAY Noir -
www.playnoir.com

PLAY Noir Anthology –
www.punkmonkeyproductions.com/contact.html

James Elden -
Twitter - @jameseldensauer
IG - @alakardrake
FB - fb.com/jameseldensauer

Punk Monkey Productions and PLAY Noir - 

Twitter - @punkmonkeyprods
                  - @playnoirla 
IG - @punkmonkeyprods
       - @playnoir_la 

Playwright's Spotlight -
Twitter - @wrightlightpod 
IG - @playwrights_spotlight

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