Peeking Behind the Curtain

The festival! The festival! It's almost here! Come join Connor as he chats with the writer of this season's Don and Bell: Harris Singer! A BPPF veteran, Harris is a man if many talents. Listen in as the two discuss his new play and his life as an artist.

Play Synopsis
Don and Bell are having a bit of a crisis, or at least one of them thinks it's a crisis and the other simply exists as crisis. It's Marriage Story meets slacker comedies from the 2000's. It's your relationship on LSD. It's your dads love story but post-modern. It's trash, but it's our trash. Have fun contemplating your choices, but maybe that's the issue. Stop contemplating and just jump, right? At least that's what Bell thinks.

The Artist
Harris Singer is (usually) a New York City (but currently Atlanta) based actor, playwright, designer, poet, and model. Born in Georgia, he moved to New York City to study and was at New York University Tisch School of the Arts, where he pursued drama at the Playwrights Horizons Theatre Studio. He recently went farming across America to learn about sustainable living. He currently is in the process of spontaneous combustion, but also trying to start a community farm for the houseless community in Atlanta, write a poetry collection about escaping family in all its forms, and maybe, just maybe, getting some acting and playwriting in there as well. You can find his most recent visual work, an animation called Ground Orange, as well as a continuous project “monologue a week”, on his YouTube channel. Harris is often in pursuit of inspiration and friends, so feel free to contact him through his Instagram @wacky.inflatablefanman, his Twitter @wackyfanman, or his email [email protected].

Come join Connor as he chats with the creative minds behind Tilly Birdbones: Leah Plante-Wiener and Mary Cecilia Walker. That's right, Mary will be on the other side of the table this episode. Listen to the trio chat about what it takes to take a heavily physical play and make it a success on zoom.

Play Synopsis
Tilly Birdbones is the story of a girl turning into a bird. Tilly Birdbones is about carving out your own place in the world, the mess that is loving and being loved and letting go, and learning what it means to truly belong. Tilly Birdbones is a fairy tale for adults who seek warmth and wonder in their everyday lives. Tilly Birdbones is a call to hold your loved ones a little bit closer and a little bit tighter. Tilly Birdbones is whatever you may find within it.

The Writer
Originally from Montreal, Canada, Leah Plante-Wiener (she/her) is a junior in NYU’s dramatic
writing program. She is beyond overjoyed to be produced for a second time by the Broke People; her play Marguerite and the Girls was featured as part of the Fall 2020 one-act festival. In her spare time, she enjoys being Broke People’s marketing director and spending an absurd amount of time of Instagram to fulfill her role, observing the pigeons in Washington Square Park—whom she would like to thank for their role in the creation of Tilly Birdbones—and hatching various plans to secure an American green card. (For legal reasons, that last bit is a joke.)

This week's episode is nothing but laughter as Mary and Connor are joined on the podcast by the creative minds behind one of this season's full lengths, Rocket Play! The writer is a familiar voice to fans of the podcast, Broke People Co-President, Emma Baxter, and the director none other than the multi-talented Ava Moore.

Play Synopsis
Rocket Play is a witty and thought-provoking dark comedy, set in a spaceship about to launch to the Moon.  An anxious group of rookie astronauts sits strapped-in and waiting for liftoff. Amidst their downtime chatter, they become suspicious about holes in their training and begin to reconsider their mission.

The Artists

The Writer
Emma Quinlan Baxter (she/her) is a senior at NYU studying Dramatic Writing with minors in Comedy and Irish Studies. She writes for theatre, film, and TV and also writes and performs comedy in various forms. She is one of Broke People Play Festival's Co-Presidents and also writes and directs for the festival. She also recently joined NYU sketch/variety comedy team Friends with Dads and is a member of Invisible Disco Productions's Writers' Collective. In addition, she was part of the Paula Vogel Mentors Project, through which her work was produced by Found Theater Co in Philadelphia. She has interned for Saturday Night Live, Big Beach, producer Jenna Segal, documentary researcher Sheila Maniar, and Writers Theatre of New Jersey. And she loves dogs a freakish amount.

The Director

Ava Moore is a junior at NYU, studying Drama at Stella Adler. From London, she has always harbored a deep love for all things theater, and is delighted to be directing her first show. Rocket Play is a witty and thought-provoking dark comedy, set in a spaceship about to launch to the Moon. 

Come join in on the fun as Mary and Connor chat with the creative team of There Are No Diving Pools in Hell: Aliza Cosgrove, Akshita Bawa, and Aryan Bhattacharjee! They chat about working as a team and delve into the complexities of working on a play centered on trauma and healing.

Play Synopsis
There Are No Diving Pools in Hell is a play exploring sisterhood, maternal influence, and healing. Centered around half-sisters Thea and Brie, the play follows the recovery of the two in both physical and emotional extremes as they unpack their childhoods together, having both been raised by an overbearing mother who pressured them in their respective careers and hobbies. 

The Artists

The Directors
Akshita Bawa is an MPS candidate at ITP, Tisch School of Arts. From New Delhi, India and, currently living in Brooklyn, NYC, she has successfully completed her undergraduate degree in Bachelors of Fashion Technology from the National Institute of Fashion Technology, New Delhi followed by an intensive 8 week-filmmaking program at the New York Film Academy, Battery Park, NYC. She is passionate about filmmaking and over the years has made a couple of her own short films as well as collaborated with various fellow artists and production houses. Currently, she is exploring the realm of journalism and interactive filmmaking as well as directing her first play with Broke People Play Festival. 

Aryan Bhattacharjee is an undergraduate freshman pursuing a major in Performance Studies at Tisch. He is excited by the prospect of giving a voice to little-known but profoundly human stories and hopes to meet the unique, slightly quirky minds who want to do the same. 

Mary is chatting with the crew from Coffee Shop Werewolf today! The writer is none other than hr co-host Connor McKenna and the director is Jillian Roche. It's a rollercoaster of a conversation, so make sure to strap in!

Play Synopsis
Coffee Shop Werewolf follows the fresh-out-of-college Eloise as she starts working her first job at a cafe near her hometown. After hearing her co-workers joking that their boss is a werewolf, Eloise takes this idea and runs with it by writing a mystery novel based on the idea that her boss, Roman, is in fact a monster. Unfortunately, her coworkers find the book she wrote about them and decide to have a little fun: by making her think everything she wrote was true and blurring the line between reality and fantasy.

The Artists

The Writer
Connor McKenna (He/him/his) is a current junior at NYU Tisch studying dramatic writing and linguistics. He is an aspiring playwright and dramaturg, as well as one of the Co-Presidents of Broke People Play Festival. Previous works with Broke People include The Irish Play (Director) and What Can I Help You With? (Playwright).

The  Director
Jillian Roche is a sophomore film & television student at Tisch. Outside of school, she is a Co-Head of the Photo/Video department of the Fusion Film Festival, a member of After School Improv, and a Writer/Performer for Free Beer Sketch Comedy. She hopes to one day write and produce for children's television.

Come join Connor as he talks to the creative team of Promise of Tomorrows: Charlotte Nash and PBHTH's very own Mary Cecilia Walker! They delve into the nuances of mental health and taking agency in our bodies and our places in the world. 

Play Synopsis
Two sister souls try to find their place in a world that isn't built for them. 

The Artists

The Writer
Mary Cecilia Walker is a multi-hyphenate artist based in NYC. Having been born and raised in the island community of Barbados, Mary enjoys traveling and making new connections. Currently training at NYU Tisch Drama, she hopes to one day carve a place for herself in the entertainment industry, in whatever form that might take. Her work through Broke People has kept her busy but invigorated. She loves what she does, and she thanks those who have helped her shape her craft and herself. 

The Director
Charlotte Nash currently studies Performance Studies at NYU Tisch and is an integral part of the Broke People family. Having grown up in the UAE, Charlotte enjoys learning and experiencing different cultures and their art forms. She loves working on new projects with new collaborators and is always up for a lively discussion into the finer details of theatre and what it means. 

Come join Mary as she chats with the brilliant minds behind this season's One Act Festival finale,  Zoom You, Sònia Victoria Werner, and Ariana Montoya. Follow them as they explore what it means to have agency as a female artist and how the state of the world influenced the creation of this play!

Play Synopsis
Zoom You leverages the platform to examine post-isolation connection through a choose-your-own-adventure interactive VR experience, putting the lives and fates of the Zoom Humans (Zoomans) in the audience's hands.

The Artists

The Writer
Sònia Victoria Werner, or Vikki for short, is a multilingual actress, playwright, singer, producer, and filmmaker studying at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting (NYU Tisch Drama). Vikki strives to embody growth, purpose, and humanity in her life, hoping to discover meaningful answers to previously unanswered questions through art. She’d love to thank Mary (and Connor) for having her on the podcast once again (!), Ariana and the wonderful cast for bringing her work to life in the most inspiring ways, and her family for their love and support. Instagram: @svikki.w

The Director
Ariana Montoya is a first-year at Tisch Drama, studying at Playwrights Horizons Theatre School. Ariana is incredibly excited and honored to be making her directorial debut with Broke People through her work on Zoom You!
 

This week, we've got the creative team of Blood Back, Priya Ele Rinkus, and Ian Janowsky, on the podcast! Listen to us chat about this riveting play and learn more about the inspirations behind Priya and Ian. There's also some talk about Halo and some fanfiction?? Tune in for a laugh! 

Play Synopsis
Blood Back is a play that explores the events of a party through two later police interviews.

The Artists

The Writer
Priya is a current freshman in the Dramatic Writing program at NYU. She is from New Jersey but loves the city, as well as movies and live music. This is her first time as part of Broke People.

The Director
Ian Janowsky (he/him) is a sophomore actor, musician, and director studying at NYU Tisch Drama. When he isn't working on a project, he enjoys consuming all the media there is on the planet and staring at blank essay docs that he hasn't turned in yet. He's probably doing that right now, not writing an essay. Or maybe watching a movie! Or both at the same time.

We've got a special introductory guest this week! Tune in to find out who and then hop straight into the engaging chat Mary has with the writer and director of this season's one-act, Speed Date; or, come here often?, Anike Sonuga and Kyra L Moskowitz. They dig into the rehearsal process, working with great actors, and taking up space as artists. 

Play Synopsis

Speed Sate (or, come here often?) is a play about two people (maybe even soulmates, one might say) who keep meeting each other in different lifetimes but can't seem to stay together. Wonder why that is.

The Writer
Anike is a second year in Tisch Drama at Playwrights Horizons Theatre School. While Anike has acted in a Broke People Play before (the searcher is Lost), this is her first play being put on for the festival. Very excited about the spring festival!!

The Director
Kyra Moskowitz (she/her) is an actor-writer-director, currently finishing up her BFA in Drama at NYU Tisch. She began studying with Atlantic Acting Studio, where she played Friar Lawrence in Romeo & Juliet, before heading to Berlin to complete the NYU Actor Training Program there. She has written and directed two short films, entitled The Type, and Shrink, She Said, Shrink Again, about fatphobia and eating disorders. While acting is her first love, writing and directing have become equally fulfilling opportunities for her, and she is extremely grateful to have the opportunity to direct Speed Date. or, come here often? with such talented people.

The Spring Festival is fast coming upon us! For the first time, Broke People is going behind the curtain *wink wink* to talk to the creative teams behind the plays of this season's festival.
Starting us off is the writer and director of the one-act play Getting It Over With,  Josh Ewing and Avery Wood! Tune in to hear them chat about what the rehearsal process has been like so far and what this play means to them.