Token Theatre Friends

In this episode, Jose speaks with recording artist/actor Mia Pinero. Pinero is currently starring in Dipika Guha's Yoga Play at PlayMakers Repertory in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The actor speaks about what draws her to the characters she plays.

Later this spring, Pinero will release her first solo album. Growing Up is a collection of songs that showcase Pinero's eclectic tastes and interests. From Childish Gambino, to Sondheim, and John Mayer, Pinero's melodious voice takes the listener on a journey from her childhood to today.

She explained how she came up with a setlist that fulfilled her needs while paying tribute to the people she loves the most. Pinero will celebrate the album's release by doing a special performance at Feinstein's/54 Below.

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In this episode, Jose speaks with playwright Jonathan Payne and director Martin Boross about Addressless. In the digital experience, attendees play a game where they learn about the many causes/consequences of housing insecurity.

Boross first staged the show in his native Hungary, where he leads the revolutionary troupe STEREO AKT. Payne joined the project in its transfer to the United States, the two collaborated transatlantically via Zoom and share what that experience was like. 

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In this episode, Jose speaks with playwright Martín Bondone and dramaturg Carlos Armesto about Odd Man Out. The site-specific/international co-production takes place in complete darkness, audience members are blindfolded and experience the story of Alberto, a blind artist traveling to Argentina. 

Armesto and Bondone talk about their backgrounds and how they found their way into making theater, as well as the importance of creating works that defy expectations of what a play should be like. 

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In this episode, Jose speaks to world renowned soprano Laquita Mitchell. This month she stars in On Site Opera's Lesson Plan, an adaptation of Georg Philipp Telemann's Der Schulmeister which takes place on Zoom.

During the pandemic, in addition to performing, Mitchell has hosted a series of conversations with artists and thinkers she admires, which in addition to being a delight, are often enlightening. Mitchell spoke about what she's learned, seen, and heard during the last two years, and briefly touched on upcoming projects.

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In this episode, Jose speaks to playwright Mike Lew and actor Gregg Mozgala about Teenage Dick. The high-school-set play is a hilarious adaptation of Richard III in which Mozgala plays the title Dick, a young man who exacts revenge on those who have bullied and mocked him for his cerebral palsy.

Lew and Mozgala talk about returning to the stage, how they found humor in one of the Bard's darkest plays, and what it means to be a working parent in theater.

This production of Teenage Dick is a co-production between Woolly Mammoth Theatre Co., Huntington Theatre Co., and The Pasadena Playhouse (where it will be streaming from Feb. 1 - 17)

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In this episode Jose speaks to playwright Jocelyn Bioh and director Saheem Ali, who star in the documentary "Reopening Night" (available on HBOMax from Dec. 20). The film by Rudy Valdez follows the talented troupe led by Bioh and Ali who brought back Shakespeare in the Park following the Covid-19 theater shutdown.

Bioh and Ali look back at their thrilling summer and reflect on how their artistry has been informed by the pandemic and share their wishes for theater in 2022.

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In this episode, Jose speaks to actor Ilda Mason, who is making her big screen debut in Steven Spielberg's sumptuous retelling of West Side Story. Mason talks about how she ended up starring in four different versions of the beloved musical, as well as her upbringing in Panamá.

Mason is also an artist in residence at Abingdon Theater Company and spoke about the joy she feels when she is collaborating with other artists.

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In this episode, Jose speaks to the creative minds behind "Black Feminist Video Game." In the play, Jonas, a biracial teenager with autism, learns about feminism through a classic video game. Playwright Darrel Alejandro Holnes talks about discovering a safe space in gaming. Director Victoria Collado explains how the digital world lent itself to an immersive theatrical experience.

"Black Feminist Video Game" is a production by The Civilians, with a rolling digital premiere at 59E59, Center Theatre Group, and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.

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In this episode, Brittani and Alexi review Shadow/Land at the Public Theater. The show explores the relationship between a mother and daughter who are forced to stay in New Orleans as Hurricane Katrina engulfs the city. Both Brittani and Alexi agree that the piece is part play, part poem as they recite their favorite lines. The poetic language clearly outlined the systemic barriers that put black people's lives at risk during Hurricane Katrina. You can listen to the play for free here.

The friends also reviewed 'A' (What The Black Girl Found While Searching For God) by Taji Senior. The show follows the protagonist's intimate and vulnerable journey towards understanding her identity as a black woman. The play is the latest episode released by The Parsnip Ship and can found here.

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In this episode, Alexi and Murtada talk about the March on Broadway organized by the Actor’s Equity Association. They discuss the need for systemic reform to prevent future manifestations of abusive behavior within the theatre industry. Both hope that this reckoning is just the beginning of an industry-wide effort towards transformational change.

The friends also review the film Limbo directed by Ben Sharrock and the play Honduras written by Sara Farrington. Both pieces portray the experiences of immigrants and asylum seekers leaving their homeland and establishing their lives in new countries. Limbo takes a whimsical approach that Murtada likens to Waiting for Godot, whereas Honduras tells the stories of 3 Honduran mothers in very much the same style as Anna Deveare Smith’s one-woman show Fires in the Mirror. Limbo opens in theatres April 30th and Honduras will be available to stream May 3rd-8th.

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