James Elden's Playwright's Spotlight
Playwright Spotlight features a new playwright every episode to discuss the tools of the trade and solutions to the obstacles we face as writers in hopes of making us all better and more successful playwrights.
Episodes
76 episodes
Overcoming Imposter Syndrome, the Deadline Draft, and Learning from Classic Greek Playwrights - Playwright's Spotlight with Michi Barall
Michi Barall streamed into Playwright's Spotlight this week days before her new play Drawing Lessons leaps into rehearsal at Children's Theatre Company. Conceptually complex, Michi shares the concept of translating a graphic novel for the stage...
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Season 3
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Episode 23
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1:19:28
Developing Premise, Breaking a Story, and Assembling the Team - Playwright's Spotlight with Ben Edlin and Deborah Aquila
Ben Edlin and Deborah Aquila came by the studio to sit in the Playwright's Spotlight before the World Premiere of the collaborative play -TH*IR*DS. In this interview, we discussed the long process of developing this play over the course of seve...
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Season 3
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Episode 22
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58:44
Lying and Hiding, Writing Distinct Voices, and An Actual Formula to Success - Playwright's Spotlight with Nicholas Pilapil
If there was a formula that could tell you how to become a successful playwright, this episode is it. Nicholas Pilapil dropped into the Playwright's Spotlight for an insightful approach to becoming a working playwright. His approach to workshop...
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Season 3
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Episode 21
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1:20:28
Confidence, Gatekeepers, Theatricum Botanicum, and Life on the Blacklist - Playwright's Spotlight with Ellen Geer
Actor, director, producer, playwright, and artistic director since 1978 of the famous Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum, Ellen Geer stopped by to talk about the history of the Theatricum, growing up in a blacklisted family, and how playwriting hel...
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Season 3
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Episode 20
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1:17:12
Cliffhangers, Stage Magic, Relationships and Landing Productions - Playwright's Spotlight with Tom Jacobson
Tom Jacobson swung into the Playwright's Spotlight in the midst of his coinciding plays The Bauhaus Project and Crevasse to discuss the correlation to both of the pieces and the subject matter of fascism and anti-Semitism in Nazi Germany. While...
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Season 3
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Episode 19
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1:29:08
Dramatic Questions, Shaping Your Play, and What Every Playwright Should Be Doing - Playwright's Spotlight with Catherine Filloux
Catherine Filloux dropped into the Playwright's Spotlight before the New York Premiere of her new play How to Eat an Orange. We spoke about her development and involvement in Theatre Without Borders and transitioning from an actor to playwright...
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Season 3
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Episode 18
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1:21:04
Libraries, Confidence, the Process of Revision, and Saving Your Darlings - Playwright's Spotlight with Olivia Sawatzki
Olivia Sawatzki came by Playwright's Spotlight after the West Coast Premiere of her play Being Alive (& other big jokes) at the Raven Playhouse in North Hollywood.We discuss seeing your work onstage, writing strategies, evolvin...
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Season 3
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Episode 17
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1:25:38
Technology, the Dangers of Missing Deadlines, and Making Musicals Look Simple - Playwright's Spotlight with Ian Kim
Recent Harvard-Westlake graduate Ian Kim swung by the studio to sit in the Playwright's Spotlight after the successful production of his second musical - Bakery of Love as part of HW's Playwright's Festival. We talk about making it look simple,...
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Season 3
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Episode 16
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1:06:07
Set Up, Adaptation, Compensation, and Writing Good Suspense - Playwright's Spotlight with Barry M. Putt, Jr.
Barry M. Putt, Jr. beamed into the Playwright's Spotlight from New Jersey to discuss the medium of the audio drama, a throwback and homage to radio plays of the 30s and 40s. We breakdown the differences in elements of traditional playwriting vs...
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Season 3
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Episode 15
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1:15:36
Writing in Threads, Finding Momentum, and "Bad Pages Are No Pages" - Playwright's Spotlight with Boni B. Alvarez
Playwright Boni B. Alvarez stopped by Playwright's Spotlight during the run of his historic play Mix-Mix: The Filipino Adventures of a German Jewish Boy. In such, we discuss approaching historical figures and events and flashbac...
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Season 3
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Episode 14
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1:26:51
Developmental Struggles, Embracing Rejection, and "Overnight" Success - Playwright's Spotlight with David Johann Kim
David Johann Kim stopped by Playwright's Spotlight to discuss his two new simultaneous running plays and the process in which they were developed, their similarities surrounding the same historical event, and the collaborative process working w...
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Season 3
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Episode 13
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1:15:32
Writing Transitions, Cracking the Story, and "Wait! What?" Moments - Playwright's Spotlight with Michelle Kholos Brooks
Michelle Kholos Brooks sat in the Playwright's Spotlight for a wonderful conversation about her approach to the craft. We talked about the rehearsal process with the return of her play Hitler's Tasters in which we touch on writing transitions, ...
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Season 3
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Episode 12
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1:23:32
Opera, Wit, Interruptions, and Reframing Your Story - Playwright's Spotlight with Oliver Mayer
Playwright Oliver Mayer joined us before the premiere of his new play Ghost Waltz. Oliver shares his experience writing operas, the medium's influence on his playwriting and the musicality of English as well as the intimacy of theatre and creat...
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Season 3
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Episode 11
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1:26:44
Opening Up the Text, Playfulness in Language, and "Saving As." - Playwright's Spotlight with Tira Palmquist
Playwright Tira Palmquist sat in the Playwright's Spotlight while rehearsing her latest play The Body's Midnight. We had a wonderful conversation discussing the benefits of table work, entering the flow state and making discoveries later in the...
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Season 3
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Episode 10
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1:19:03
Etiquette, Letting Go of Perfection, and Writing From a Slice of Life - Playwright's Spotlight with Becky Wahlstrom
Joan of Arcadia's Becky Wahlstrom stopped by Playwright's Spotlight while in town from Nashville to help wrap up the rehearsal process for the premiere of her new play A Froggy Becomes. Becky discusses how she started out writing plays after a ...
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Season 3
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Episode 9
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1:16:42
Writing Natural Dialogue, Getting Back to Our Roots, and Why Theatre? - Playwright's Spotlight with Steve Fife
This week playwright Steve Fife sat in-studio in the Playwright's Spotlight. It was a reflective conversation of his experience in New York and on Broadway in the seventies, his dislike of eighties, and the joyous return in the nineties. We dis...
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Season 3
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Episode 8
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1:51:20
Reflecting Life on Stage, The New York City Hustle, and Putting Away the Constraints - Playwright's Spotlight with Catya McMullen
Catya McMullen stopped by Playwright's Spotlight during the run of her new play Arrowhead which runs through March 4, 2024. In this episode, we talk about surviving lockdowns as an artist, what makes a good writer, reflecting life on stage, sta...
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Season 3
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Episode 7
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1:15:02
Purging Emotions, Deus Ex Machina, and Making the Case to Study Playwriting in Academia - Playwright's Spotlight with Luke Yankee
Had the pleasure of chatting with playwright and son of actress Eileen Heckart (Bus Stop), Luke Yankee, about growing up in the world of Hollywood and his journey to be coming a playwright. It's a wonderful interview that touches on his relatio...
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Season 3
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Episode 6
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1:24:14
Putting in the Time, Owning Your Home Town, and a Path to Success - Playwright's Spotlight with Donna Hoke
Donna Hoke sat in the Playwright's Spotlight to discuss her journey into playwriting. In this interview we touch on her involvement in the Official Playwrights of Facebook, her start as playwright from a journalism background and learning on th...
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Season 3
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Episode 5
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1:25:04
Segues, Dry Spells, & Branding, Confidence & Commitment, and What's Too Soon? - Playwright's Spotlight with Henry Phillips
In this episode of Playwright's Spotlight, long time friend and standup Henry Phillips stopped by to discuss another aspect of writing for the stage - Standup Comedy. Henry shares his origins into the craft and business of standup, his approach...
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Season 3
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Episode 4
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1:35:52
Sweating the Joke, Surprising Your Audience, and Fighting For Your Convictions - Playwright's Spotlight with Paul Greenberg
This was an absolute treat and a dream come true. Paul Greenberg from the sketch comedy troop The Vacant Lot honored me with ninety minutes of his time to come and talk shop. We discuss his pathway to success while performing onstage and then b...
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Season 3
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Episode 3
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1:25:36
Translation, Culture, and Non-Traditional Theatre - An American Playwright in Norway - Playwright's Spotlight with Ren Powell
We're back after a brief hiatus due to a guest cancelling, the holidays, and me feeling a bit under the weather, but our third season is still off with a bang. If there was a fascinating episode to drop after being away, this is IT. Internation...
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Season 3
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Episode 2
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1:32:14
Truth and Trust, Compromise in Collaboration, and the Healing Process of Playwriting - Playwright's Spotlight with Stan Mayer
Season 3, Episode 1. - If someone told me how powerful of a conversation I'd have been in store for prior to sitting down with Stan Mayer, I'm not sure I would've believed them, nor could I have prepared myself for the conversation we would hav...
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Season 3
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Episode 1
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1:30:45
Writing From Experience, the Music of Language, and the Fate of Theatre - Playwright's Spotlight with Richard Vetere
FINAL EPISODE OF SEASON 2! We made it another year. In this season ending episode, we spend time speaking with Richard Vetere. Richard reached out to me on Instagram and voiced interest in being on an episode of Playwright's Spotlight. After lo...
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Season 2
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Episode 26
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1:35:47
Writing From Grief, Hearing the Truth, and the Need for Validation - Playwright's Spotlight with Brynn Thayer
We've dug into the vaults of Playwright's Spotlight for this episode. Originally recorded on February 8th, 2023, I interviewed playwright Brynn Thayer a few weeks before the world premiere of Let Me In. Unfortunately due to a software update, t...
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Season 2
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Episode 25
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1:19:48