Beckett’s Babies

By Beckett’s Babies

A podcast by two friends who met at Iowa Playwrights Workshop. Join hosts Sam Collier and Sarah Cho as they try to figure out playwriting 📇

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136. TOPIC: Working With/As a Dramaturg

Beckett’s BabiesApr 18, 2022

00:00

52:09

161. INTERVIEW: Sarah Johnson

Hello listeners! On this episode, we are so excited to bring on a fellow colleague from our days at Iowa, SARAH JOHNSON! Sarah Johnson is Assistant Professor of Dramaturgy and Head of the M.F.A. Dramaturgy program at Indiana University Bloomington. She researches and writes about intercultural theatre, new play development, and dramaturgy for applied theatre. In her creative work, she works professionally as a dramaturg with theatre companies across the country. Sarah Johnson is Assistant Professor of Dramaturgy and Head of the M.F.A. Dramaturgy program at Indiana University Bloomington. Her research focuses on intercultural theatre, new play development, and dramaturgical methodologies. Her writing has been featured in Asian Theatre Journal, Theatre Topics, and multiple edited volumes. She works professionally as a dramaturg with theatre companies across the country. She was a casebook writer for Broadway's Allegiance. In regional theatre, she has provided dramaturgical support for productions with Outpost Repertory Theatre (as Resident Dramaturg), Timeline Theatre, Portland Stage, Colorado Shakespeare Festival, Athena Arts Project, National Women’s Theatre Festival, and several playwriting clients. She serves as the Performance Review Editor for PARtake: The Journal for Performance as Research. Before her time at Indiana University Bloomington, she was the Assistant Professor of Dramaturgy and Head of Playwriting at Texas Tech University and Executive Director and Resident Dramaturg of the WildWind Performance Lab. https://theatre.indiana.edu/about/faculty/johnson-sarah.html GLISTEN Cho - Zebra Gel Pen .07mm Sam - Standard Time Sarah - Coach Bob Knights’ passing and Chair sale in his honor ________________________ Please support Beckett's Babies by reviewing, sharing an episode with your friends, or follow us on Instagram or Threads: @beckettsbabies

And as always, we would love to hear from you!

Send us your questions or thoughts on playwriting, and we might discuss it in our next episode. Email: contact@beckettsbabies.com

For more info, visit our website: ⁠www.beckettsbabies.com⁠ Theme Music: "Live Like the Kids" by Samuel Johnson, Laura Robertson, Luke O'Dea (APRA)

Dec 05, 202353:43

160. INTERVIEW: Sherry Kramer

Hello listeners! On this episode of BB, we have the one and only SHERRY KRAMER on the show! Sherry Kramer is a playwright and professor who has been writing plays for 50 years and teaching playwriting for 40. Her book about meaning making in timebound art, Writing for Stage and Screen: Creating a Perception Shift in the Audience, was published this summer by Methuen Publishing. In this episode, Sherry shares her knowledge on writing and we know you will want to save this episode to revisit for your playwriting journey! We can't wait for you to listen!

Sherry Kramer’s plays have been produced here and abroad and include David’s RedHaired Death, When Something Wonderful Ends, The Wall of Water, and Three Quarter Inches of Sky. Her work is centered in the personal as political, and often speaks to the power of class and money and philanthropy: The Bay of Fundy, How Water Behaves; the power of a conservative press to distort and sway a people and a country: The Ruling Passion; the power of the beauty myth: A Thing of Beauty; and the power of anti-Semitism: Ivanhoe, MO. Her awards include the Weissberger, a National McKnight, The Jane Chambers Award, an NEA, and a NYFA. She taught regularly in the MFA programs of The Michener Center for Writers, UT Austin, the Iowa Playwrights’ Workshop, where she has served as head of the workshop, and currently teaches playwriting at Bennington College. She was the first national member of New Dramatists. Her book Writing for Stage and Screen: Creating a Perception Shift in the Audience was published by Bloomsbury in July, 2023.
To learn more about Sherry's work, be sure to check out her website at sherrykramer.net

GLISTEN
Cho - My baby is teething! Help!
Sam - Haunted cornfield
Sherry - Israel / Gaza conflict

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Please support Beckett's Babies by reviewing, sharing an episode with your friends, or follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @beckettsbabies
And as always, we would love to hear from you! Send us your questions or thoughts on playwriting, and we might discuss it in our next episode. Email: contact@beckettsbabies.com
For more info, visit our website: ⁠www.beckettsbabies.com⁠
Theme Music: "Live Like the Kids" by Samuel Johnson, Laura Robertson, Luke O'Dea (APRA)

Nov 20, 202301:07:26

Hello listeners! This week on the show, we have the one and only director REBECCA WEAR! Rebecca is a freelance director and dramaturg with a focus on new play development, as well as an assistant professor in performance, play, and design.

To learn more about Rebecca, be sure to check out her website at https://www.rebeccawear.com/

GLISTEN

Cho - Amazon Prime TV show "Invincible"

Sam - Movie "Swimmers" on Netflix

Rebecca - Pear Tree

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Please support Beckett's Babies by reviewing, sharing an episode with your friends, or follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @beckettsbabies

And as always, we would love to hear from you! Send us your questions or thoughts on playwriting, and we might discuss it in our next episode. Email: contact@beckettsbabies.com

For more info, visit our website: ⁠www.beckettsbabies.com⁠

Theme Music: "Live Like the Kids" by Samuel Johnson, Laura Robertson, Luke O'Dea (APRA)

________________________

Please support Beckett's Babies by reviewing, sharing an episode with your friends, or follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @beckettsbabies

And as always, we would love to hear from you! Send us your questions or thoughts on playwriting, and we might discuss it in our next episode. Email: contact@beckettsbabies.com

For more info, visit our website: ⁠www.beckettsbabies.com⁠

Theme Music: "Live Like the Kids" by Samuel Johnson, Laura Robertson, Luke O'Dea (APRA)

Nov 06, 202301:03:34

158. INTERVIEW: Greg Geffrard

Hello listeners! This week on the show, we had GREG GEFFRARD on the show! This is a JUICY one with so much pearl of wisdom. Greg is here to make sure your sexy sustainable. PLEASE ENJOY!

Greg Geffrard is an educator, Intimacy professional, culture worker, actor, poet, and facilitator. He cultivates sustainable artistic spaces of exploration by sharing consent-based trauma-informed advocacy tools. He is an Associate Faculty member with Theatrical Intimacy Education. As an Intimacy Professional, he has worked on 62+ productions ranging from theatre and opera to building policies with arts institutions as an Intimacy Consultant. He is the Associate Artist Director of the Gainesville Theatre Alliance and Head of the BFA Acting program at Brenau University.

Shows currently in production:

Sanctuary City at Steppenwolf Theatre (Chicago)
The Nacirema Society at Goodman Theatre (Chicago)
The Band’s Visit at TheatreSqaured (Arkansas)
Tambo & Bones (Chicago)

GLISTEN

Cho - Sedona, AZ

Sam - old home videos

Greg - bandwidth / what does singularly focus version look like

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Please support Beckett's Babies by reviewing, sharing an episode with your friends, or follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @beckettsbabies

And as always, we would love to hear from you! Send us your questions or thoughts on playwriting, and we might discuss it in our next episode. Email: contact@beckettsbabies.com

For more info, visit our website: ⁠www.beckettsbabies.com⁠

Theme Music: "Live Like the Kids" by Samuel Johnson, Laura Robertson, Luke O'Dea (APRA)

________________________

Please support Beckett's Babies by reviewing, sharing an episode with your friends, or follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @beckettsbabies

And as always, we would love to hear from you! Send us your questions or thoughts on playwriting, and we might discuss it in our next episode. Email: contact@beckettsbabies.com

For more info, visit our website: ⁠www.beckettsbabies.com⁠

Theme Music: "Live Like the Kids" by Samuel Johnson, Laura Robertson, Luke O'Dea (APRA)

Oct 24, 202301:06:18

157. INTERVIEW: David Hanzal

Hello listeners! This week on the show, we had the one and only David Hanzal on the show! David is a Minneapolis-based director, puppeteer, and teaching artist. We first met David in our first year of graduate school in Iowa. We had an amazing time speaking with David and catching up! There's so much pearls of wisdom packed in this episode. PLEASE ENJOY!

David Hanzal (they/he) is a Minneapolis-based director, puppeteer, and teaching artist. They were the Artistic Director of Collective Unconscious Performance from 2014-2020. Previously, their stage direction and design has received awards from the Kennedy Center American College Theatre National Festival and the University of Iowa. They completed their Master of Fine Arts in Theatre Directing at the University of Iowa, where they regularly developed and directed premieres of new plays and devised work with writers from the nationally recognized Iowa Playwrights’ Workshop. David has also trained with Anne Bogart and the SITI Company, Kari Margolis and the Margolis Brown Adaptors Company, Czech master puppeteer Miroslav Trejtnar, the Wesley Balk Opera/Music-Theatre Institute, and the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival.

To learn more about David, check out his work on:

https://davidhanzaltheatre.carbonmade.com/

Instagram: @lavender_scented_nostalgia

GLISTEN

Cho - Olivia Rodrigo’s GUTS

Sam - bears

David - Save the Cat book, Once upon a Disney podcast

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Please support Beckett's Babies by reviewing, sharing an episode with your friends, or follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @beckettsbabies

And as always, we would love to hear from you! Send us your questions or thoughts on playwriting, and we might discuss it in our next episode. Email: contact@beckettsbabies.com

For more info, visit our website: ⁠www.beckettsbabies.com⁠

Theme Music: "Live Like the Kids" by Samuel Johnson, Laura Robertson, Luke O'Dea (APRA)

________________________

Please support Beckett's Babies by reviewing, sharing an episode with your friends, or follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @beckettsbabies

And as always, we would love to hear from you! Send us your questions or thoughts on playwriting, and we might discuss it in our next episode. Email: contact@beckettsbabies.com

For more info, visit our website: ⁠www.beckettsbabies.com⁠

Theme Music: "Live Like the Kids" by Samuel Johnson, Laura Robertson, Luke O'Dea (APRA)

Oct 11, 202301:14:25

156. INTERVIEW: Wai Yim

Hello listeners! We here at BB love a good WOO-WOO sesh especially as we're approaching the Halloween season so we are fortunate to have actor, director, choreographer, playwright, and workaholic witch WAI YIM join us this week. We get into talking about this path into theater and TAROT CARDS. Oh, this is a juicy one folks. ENJOY!

Wai Yim is basically a workaholic. He's an actor/ director/ choreographer/ playwright. He is one of those "multi-hyphenate artists". He is the managing director of Token Theatre in Chicago, an Asian-American Theatre Company. He is also a witch.

Instagram: @whyyim

GLISTEN

Cho: GHOSTS??

Sam: "Saving Time Discovering a Life Beyond the Clock" by Jenny Odell

Wai: Childhood

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Please support Beckett's Babies by reviewing, sharing an episode with your friends, or follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @beckettsbabies

And as always, we would love to hear from you! Send us your questions or thoughts on playwriting, and we might discuss it in our next episode. Email: contact@beckettsbabies.com

For more info, visit our website: ⁠www.beckettsbabies.com⁠

Theme Music: "Live Like the Kids" by Samuel Johnson, Laura Robertson, Luke O'Dea (APRA)

________________________

Please support Beckett's Babies by reviewing, sharing an episode with your friends, or follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @beckettsbabies

And as always, we would love to hear from you! Send us your questions or thoughts on playwriting, and we might discuss it in our next episode. Email: contact@beckettsbabies.com

For more info, visit our website: ⁠www.beckettsbabies.com⁠

Theme Music: "Live Like the Kids" by Samuel Johnson, Laura Robertson, Luke O'Dea (APRA)

Sep 25, 202301:28:51

155. INTERVIEW: Alex Casillas

Hello listeners! We were so fortunate to have designer ALEX CASILLAS join us on the show! We had such an incredible time chatting with Alex about her life and experience as a designer as well as thinking about representation in the creative teams. Enjoy!!!

Alex Casillas, a native of Houston, TX, is a professional scenic and lighting designer holding a dual MFA from The University of Iowa. Previously, Alex has designed scenery for The Revolutionists (Strawdog Theatre), Mas Cara (The Vortex) Sonia, Vanya, Masha and Spike, Seven Spots on the Sun, and Braided Sorrow (University of Iowa) and has created a conceptual design for December (Alley Theatre: All New Festival). Also a professional lighting designer, Alex has worked on Secret Things (1st Stage Theatre), Cabaret, The Crucible(Parallel 45), and Peter and the Starcatcher, The Addams Family and The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Festival 56). A dramaturgy-focused designer specializing in new work, Alex brings special focus to script analysis and structure to assist playwrights, directors and devisers truly realize their vision. She has a passion for educating young designers and theatre artists from marginalized communities and hopes to one day see true representation both on and off the stage.

Website: http://www.acdesigns.space/

Instagram: @acasdesigns

To Learn More about Design, here are Alex's Top Book recommendations!

Unmasking Theatre Design by Lynne Porter
The Magic of Light by Jean Rosenthal and Lael Wertenbaker
Backstage Handbook by Paul Douglas Carter
Technical Theatre for Non-Technical People by Drew Campbell
Bonus: White Sight: Visual Politics and Practices of Whiteness by Nicholas Mirzoeff

GLISTEN

Cho: Monologue Joke Writing Challenge / LaughtHER Collective

Sam: Film "Patrick and The Whale"

Alex: Dungeons and Dragqueens

EPISODE CORRECTION:

Please note that in the podcast, Alex mentioned Jennifer Tipton had a book when it was equally prolific female lighting pioneer Jean Rosenthal who wrote a book.

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Please support Beckett's Babies by reviewing, sharing an episode with your friends, or follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @beckettsbabies

And as always, we would love to hear from you! Send us your questions or thoughts on playwriting, and we might discuss it in our next episode. Email: contact@beckettsbabies.com

For more info, visit our website: ⁠www.beckettsbabies.com⁠

Theme Music: "Live Like the Kids" by Samuel Johnson, Laura Robertson, Luke O'Dea (APRA)

________________________

Please support Beckett's Babies by reviewing, sharing an episode with your friends, or follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @beckettsbabies

And as always, we would love to hear from you! Send us your questions or thoughts on playwriting, and we might discuss it in our next episode. Email: contact@beckettsbabies.com

For more info, visit our website: ⁠www.beckettsbabies.com⁠

Theme Music: "Live Like the Kids" by Samuel Johnson, Laura Robertson, Luke O'Dea (APRA)

Sep 11, 202301:16:29

154. TOPIC: Let's Get Unstuck with Our Plays

Hello, listeners! In today’s episode, we attempt to get 'unstuck' ourselves with scenes from plays we wrote. We read, discuss, and ask questions about the scenes we're stuck on. Do we get unstuck with our work? You'll have to listen to find out!

GLISTENS

Sam - Ellen McLaughlin in King Lear at CSF
Cho - a dream within a dream

____________________________________________

Please support Beckett's Babies by reviewing, sharing an episode with your friends or
follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter: @beckettsbabies
And as always, we would love to hear from you!
Send us your questions or thoughts on playwriting and we might discuss it in our next episode.
Email: contact@beckettsbabies.com
For more info, visit our website: www.beckettsbabies.com
Theme Music: "Live Like the Kids" by Samuel Johnson, Laura Robertson, Luke O'Dea (APRA)

Aug 28, 202343:14

153. INTERVIEW: Charly Evon Simpson

Hello listeners! We were so fortunate to have CHARLY EVON SIMPSON join us on the show! We had such an incredible time chatting with Charly about writing and life as playwright and TV writer. We hope you enjoy!!!

Charly Evon Simpson is a playwright, TV writer, and teacher based in Brooklyn. Her plays include Behind the Sheet, sandblasted, Jump, form of a girl unknown, it’s not a trip it’s a journey, and more. Her work has been seen and/or developed with Vineyard Theatre, WP Theater, Ensemble Studio Theatre, The Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, Round House Theatre, PlayMakers Repertory Company, Salt Lake Acting Company, and others. She is a recipient of the Vineyard Theatre’s Paula Vogel Playwriting Award and the Dramatists Guild’s Lanford Wilson Award. She is currently a resident of New Dramatists. In TV, she has worked on shows for Showtime, HBO, and Netflix including American Rust and Industry. Charly has a BA from Brown University, a master’s in Women’s Studies from University of Oxford, New College, and her MFA in Playwriting from Hunter College. www.charlyevonsimpson.com

GLISTENS:

Cho - "How to Sell a Haunted House" by Grady Hendrix
Sam - cherries
Charly - "Yellowface" by R. F. Kuang

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Please support Beckett's Babies by reviewing, sharing an episode with your friends, or follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @beckettsbabies

And as always, we would love to hear from you! Send us your questions or thoughts on playwriting, and we might discuss it in our next episode. Email: contact@beckettsbabies.com

For more info, visit our website: ⁠www.beckettsbabies.com⁠

Theme Music: "Live Like the Kids" by Samuel Johnson, Laura Robertson, Luke O'Dea (APRA)

Aug 15, 202301:11:48

152. PLAY: Burning Vision by Marie Clements

Every month, we pick a play to discuss, and for this week's episode, we read "Burning Vision" by Marie Clements. We discuss what we noticed, what we liked, and questions that came up while reading the play. SPOILER ALERT: There are going to be some spoiler alerts! We highly recommend you read the play before listening to this episode!

Glistens:

Sam: River documentary

Cho: in-person open mic

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Please support Beckett's Babies by reviewing, sharing an episode with your friends or follow us on Instagram @beckettsbabies! And as always, we would love to hear from you!
Send us your questions or thoughts on playwriting and we might discuss it in our next episode.
Email: contact@beckettsbabies.com
For more info, visit our website: www.beckettsbabies.com
Theme Music: "Live Like the Kids" by Samuel Johnson, Laura Robertson, Luke O'Dea (APRA)

Jul 24, 202343:31

151. INTERVIEW: Jihye Kim

Hello listeners! This week’s guest joining us on the show is JIHYE KIM! We had such an incredible time having Jihye on the show. She is so insightful!!! We hope you enjoy her brilliant mind!

Jihye is a freelance dramaturg and a deviser based in L.A and Seoul. Her interest and specialty lie in new play development, ensemble-devising, site-specific immersive works, and literary translation (Korean to English). Jihye has worked for Great Plains Theatre Common’s New Play Conference in 2022 and 2023 and Philadelphia Asian Performing Artists Playwrights Project in 2022, UCSB’s Launch Pad in 2019, DMV Q Fest 4.0 in 2021, and Clay & Water in 2022. She is a current season researcher at Doosan Art Center in Seoul. In 2021-2022, Dogs or Cats; Augmented Body, the experimental puppet show she co-developed with Chicago-based puppet artist Jaerin Son has performed in Steppenwolf and Links Hall Chicago. In addition to her dramaturgy work, she enjoys teaching devising and solo performance workshop for non-professional performers.

GLISTENS:

Cho - TV show 1883
Sam - My Octopus Teacher
Jihye - discovering the joy of a morning run

________________________

Please support Beckett's Babies by reviewing, sharing an episode with your friends, or follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @beckettsbabies

And as always, we would love to hear from you! Send us your questions or thoughts on playwriting, and we might discuss it in our next episode. Email: contact@beckettsbabies.com

For more info, visit our website: ⁠www.beckettsbabies.com⁠

Theme Music: "Live Like the Kids" by Samuel Johnson, Laura Robertson, Luke O'Dea (APRA)

Jul 03, 202301:21:01

150. PLAY: Why Marry? by Jesse Lynch Williams

Every month, we pick a play to discuss, and for this week's episode we read "Why Marry?" by Jesse Lynch Williams. We discuss what we noticed, what we liked, and questions that came up while reading the play. SPOILER ALERT: There are going to be some spoiler alerts! We highly recommend you read the play before listening to this episode!

Glistens:

Cho: Los Angeles public library card

Sam: Best Town Buntport Theater

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Jun 20, 202344:41

149. WE ARE BACK FOR SEASON 5, BABIES!

Hello, listeners!

We officially started Kindergarten and we're a little nervous after taking a long break! In this episode, we share a few life updates. One of us had a baby so you better tune in to find out WHO. And we all want to know... will their baby go into the life of theater?!

GLISTENS:

Cho: trying out commonplace book / using Wit & Delight journal notebook

Sam: Nightwalking podcast Bianca Giaever and Terry Tempest Williams

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Please support Beckett's Babies by reviewing, sharing an episode with your friends
or follow us on Instagram @beckettsbabies
And as always, we would love to hear from you!
Send us your questions or thoughts on playwriting and we might discuss it in our next episode.
Email: contact@beckettsbabies.com
For more info, visit our website: www.beckettsbabies.com
Theme Music: "Live Like the Kids" by Samuel Johnson, Laura Robertson, Luke O'Dea (APRA)

Jun 05, 202344:16

148. SEASON FINALE: when babies become toddlers... 4 years, baby.

THAT'S A WRAP FOR SEASON 4! Thank you all so much for tuning in every week and hear us chat about all things playwriting. We loved every single one of our guests on this season so even if they're not mentioned, we suggest you going back and give it a listen!

Thank you again for another incredible season. Wishing everyone a happy and safe holiday season... See you next year!

GLISTENS

Cho - Random stuff
Collier - Someone should write a play about this by Charlotte T. Martin

____________________________________________

Please support Beckett's Babies by reviewing, sharing an episode with your friends
or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter: @beckettsbabies
And as always, we would love to hear from you!
Send us your questions or thoughts on playwriting and we might discuss it in our next episode.
Email: contact@beckettsbabies.com
For more info, visit our website: www.beckettsbabies.com
Theme Music: "Live Like the Kids" by Samuel Johnson, Laura Robertson, Luke O'Dea (APRA)

Oct 24, 202244:17

147. TOPIC: Location in Plays

Hello, listeners! In today’s episode we get into a discussion about all things locations! Location in plays, writing location into a play, and whether or not location informs the play. We read the following plays inspired by places we lived or currently living to help us get into the discussion.

Plays we read:

Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 by Anna Deavere Smith
Almost, Maine by John Cariani
Leaving Iowa by Tim Clue and Spike Manton

GLISTENS

Sam - 24 hour play festival
Cho - Hocus Pocus & Hocus Pocus 2

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Oct 03, 202255:12

146. PLAY: Native Gardens by Karen Zacarias

Every month, we pick a play to discuss, and for this week's episode we read "Native Gardens" by Karen Zacarias. We discuss what we noticed, what we liked, and questions that came up while reading the play. SPOILER ALERT: There are going to be some spoiler alerts! We highly recommend you read the play before listening to this episode!

Glistens:

Sam - chokecherries
Cho - Youtube channel "Korean Englishman"

____________________________________________

Please support Beckett's Babies by reviewing, sharing an episode with your friends or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter: @beckettsbabies And as always, we would love to hear from you!
Send us your questions or thoughts on playwriting and we might discuss it in our next episode.
Email: contact@beckettsbabies.com
For more info, visit our website: www.beckettsbabies.com
Theme Music: "Live Like the Kids" by Samuel Johnson, Laura Robertson, Luke O'Dea (APRA)

Sep 19, 202238:46

145. We took a very short hiatus and now we're back...!!!

Hey listeners! We had a very busy summer! It's been awhile since we last recorded so we're checking in!

GLISTENS

Sarah: Pregnant & Michigan
Sam: Bear Poop

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Sep 05, 202244:53

144. TOPIC: New Play Development

Hello, listeners! In today’s episode we get into a discussion about new play development! Sarah attended the Great Plains Theatre Conference this past year and had an incredible time! We share our thoughts about attending New Play Development and Conferences. We hope you enjoy this discussion!

GLISTENS

Sam: chili lime rolled tortilla chips
Sarah: Cheeseburger Wrap from TJ’s

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Aug 15, 202236:10

143. SPECIAL TOPIC: Intimacy Design & Training with Dr. Kate Busselle

Hello listeners! Get ready to LEARN something today! We're super stoked to have Dr. Kate Busselle joining us to discuss Intimacy Design and Training in Theatre. This was such an insightful discussion. We know you will learn a thing or two!

Dr. Kate Busselle is Founder of Heartland Intimacy Design & Training, which offers academic, accessible, and affordable intimacy training entirely online through self-paced asynchronous modules. She is also Assistant Professor of Movement and Stage Combat at the University of Oklahoma and is an Actor Combatant with the Society of American Fight Directors. As a researcher, Kate is invested in not only providing the tools of staging intimacy, but providing context as to how and why theatrical intimacy, nudity, and sexual violence needs to be staged. Most recently, she served as the Conference Intimacy Consultant for the Great Plains Theatre Commons Playlab.

To learn more about Dr. Kate and her work, be sure to check her out on social media!

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/heartlandintimacydesign
Instagram: @heartlandintimacydesign, @drdangerouswoman
Twitter: @Heartland_ID, @drkatebusselle
Website: heartlandintimacydesign.com

________________________

Please support Beckett's Babies by reviewing, sharing an episode with your friends, or follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @beckettsbabies

And as always, we would love to hear from you! Send us your questions or thoughts on playwriting, and we might discuss it in our next episode. Email: contact@beckettsbabies.com

For more info, visit our website: www.beckettsbabies.com

Theme Music: "Live Like the Kids" by Samuel Johnson, Laura Robertson, Luke O'Dea (APRA)

Aug 01, 202258:14

142. INTERVIEW: G. Flores

Hello listeners! This week’s guest joining us on the show is G.FLORES! We first met Lupe at Iowa Playwrights Workshop. We're so excited to have him on the show to share his playwriting journey and all his thoughts on playwriting. This was such an enlightening conversation and we hope you enjoy!

Guadalupe Flores has worked in communications and public relations in the non-profit sphere for over two decades, with a primary focus in the arts, higher education, higher education policy and election policy. Some of his creative achievements include “The Coyote Stratagem,” published in Applause Books’ “The Best American Short Plays 2010-2011,” the 2012 Kennedy Center’s Ken Ludwig Scholarship, and was a finalist for the 2012 Arizona Theater Company’s National Latino Playwriting award. Flores has an adult son who is (fortunately) smarter and better looking than he was at that age. He holds a BA in English and theatre arts from the University of the Incarnate Word, an MA in playwriting from Texas State University, and an MFA in playwriting from the University of Iowa.

To learn more about Lupe and his work:

Twitter: @theliterateGeek (The Bad Hombre Your Parents Warned You About)

GLISTENS:

Cho - Stranger Things Season 4
Sam - The Overstory by Richard Powers
Lupe - Album "Last & First Me" by Johann Johannsson

________________________

Please support Beckett's Babies by reviewing, sharing an episode with your friends, or follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @beckettsbabies

And as always, we would love to hear from you! Send us your questions or thoughts on playwriting, and we might discuss it in our next episode. Email: contact@beckettsbabies.com

For more info, visit our website: www.beckettsbabies.com

Theme Music: "Live Like the Kids" by Samuel Johnson, Laura Robertson, Luke O'Dea (APRA)

Jul 18, 202201:03:08

141. INTERVIEW: Steven Strafford

Hello listeners! This week’s guest on the show is STEVEN STRAFFORD! Sarah first met Steven at the Great Plains Theatre Conference where they bonded over playwriting and new plays. We're so excited to have him on the show!!!

Steven Strafford is a playwright and actor, Brooklyn-born and New Jersey-raised. His acting credits include Spamalot directed by Mike Nichols, Wonderful Town directed by Mary Zimmerman. He's been on TV, in commercials, and a movie or two. As a writer, his plays include the one man show, Methtacular! along with The Match Game, Mona Quimby: Age 38, Greater Illinois, The Model Congressman, and Small Jokes About Monsters which will be published and licensed by Broadway Licensing this fall. He lives in Athens, Ohio with his husband and ludicrously adorable foster son.

To learn more about Steven and his work:
Website: https://stevenstrafford.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/StevenStrafford

GLISTENS:

Cho - Great Plains Theatre Conference
Sam - Duolingo
Steven - Steven's Musical Theater students and co-teaching Musical Theater class with his husband!

________________________

Please support Beckett's Babies by reviewing, sharing an episode with your friends, or follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @beckettsbabies

And as always, we would love to hear from you! Send us your questions or thoughts on playwriting, and we might discuss it in our next episode. Email: contact@beckettsbabies.com

For more info, visit our website: www.beckettsbabies.com

Theme Music: "Live Like the Kids" by Samuel Johnson, Laura Robertson, Luke O'Dea (APRA)

Jul 04, 202257:33

140. TOPIC: History of Musicals

Hello, listeners! In today’s episode we discuss the history of Musicals! Sam taught a class all about musicals so we figured let's see what Sam learned and bring it to Beckett's Babies! We share our general thoughts on musicals, preconceptions, misconceptions, and so much more. We hope you enjoy!

GLISTENS

Cho - Sarah Ruhl “Letters from Max”
Sam - Meow Wolf

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Jun 20, 202253:35

139. INTERVIEW: Chris Leyva Returns!

Hello listeners! This week’s guest on the show is CHRIS LEYVA! Chris Leyva was one of our first guests on the show. He returns to share with us what he's been up since we last talked to him and what the pandemic has taught him when it comes to playwriting.

Chris uses humor and whimsy to ask larger questions about our humanity. His plays take place in heightened worlds and are grounded by authentic characters. He is a playwright and director based in Columbus, OH. Chris was awarded an Ohio Arts Council Individual Excellence Award and his plays have been commissioned and developed by the Contemporary American Theatre Company, CLIMB Theatre, MadLab Theatre, Alliance Theatre, Curtain Players New Play Initiative, Great Plains Theatre Conference, and the Columbus School for Girls, among others. He received an M.F.A. from the Playwrights Workshop at The University of Iowa, a B.A. in Directing from Coe College, and is a member of the Dramatists Guild.

GLISTENS:

Cho - Chip N' Dale Rescue Rangers
Sam - Snow in Boulder, CO
Chris - "Flung Out of Space" by Grace Ellis

________________________

Please support Beckett's Babies by reviewing, sharing an episode with your friends, or follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @beckettsbabies

And as always, we would love to hear from you! Send us your questions or thoughts on playwriting, and we might discuss it in our next episode. Email: contact@beckettsbabies.com

For more info, visit our website: www.beckettsbabies.com

Theme Music: "Live Like the Kids" by Samuel Johnson, Laura Robertson, Luke O'Dea (APRA)

Jun 06, 202201:11:02

138. PLAY: David’s RedHaired Death by Sherry Kramer

Every month, we pick a play to discuss, and for this week's episode we read "David's Redhaired Death" by SHERRY KRAMER. We discuss what we noticed, what we liked, and questions that came up while reading the play. SPOILER ALERT: There are going to be some spoiler alerts! We highly recommend you read the play before listening to this episode!

Glistens:

Sam - Lost and Found by Kathryn Schulz
Cho - 33 JESUS YEAR

____________________________________________

Please support Beckett's Babies by reviewing, sharing an episode with your friends or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter: @beckettsbabies And as always, we would love to hear from you!
Send us your questions or thoughts on playwriting and we might discuss it in our next episode.
Email: contact@beckettsbabies.com
For more info, visit our website: www.beckettsbabies.com
Theme Music: "Live Like the Kids" by Samuel Johnson, Laura Robertson, Luke O'Dea (APRA)

May 16, 202234:55

137. INTERVIEW: Darcy Parker Bruce

Hello listeners! This week’s guest on the show is DARCY PARKER BRUCE! Darcy is a playwright, theater activist, and coffee enthusiast. We were so excited to have Darcy on the show and had a great time chatting. We know you will enjoy this interview too!

Darcy Parker Bruce is a playwright and educator from New Haven, CT, and a graduate of the MFA Playwriting program at Smith College. In the summer they join the Sewanee Writers’ Conference as part of their staff. Darcy was the recipient of a 2017 Tennessee Williams Scholarship through the Sewanee Writers' Conference, a 2019 LAMBDA Literary Fellowship, and was granted ATHE's 2018 Judith Royer Award For Excellence in Theater for their play SOLDIER POET. They are currently working on several projects including commissions from Chester Theatre Company and Acadiana Repertory Theater, and a cycle of plays investigating the relationship between small towns, queers, and American Glory. Their play Always Plenty of Light at the Starlight All Night Diner can now be purchased through Broadway Play Publishing and their play The Place That Made You, the second play in the Piedmont Cycle, is forthcoming from the same press.

To learn more about Darcy and their work, be sure to visit their New Play Exchange!
https://newplayexchange.org/users/2734/darcy-parker-bruce

GLISTENS:

Cho - Maid by Stephanie Land
Sam - Thawing Web by Amy Hoagland
Darcy - US Coast Guard was looking into replacing people on battleships with robots

________________________

Please support Beckett's Babies by reviewing, sharing an episode with your friends, or follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @beckettsbabies

And as always, we would love to hear from you! Send us your questions or thoughts on playwriting, and we might discuss it in our next episode. Email: contact@beckettsbabies.com

For more info, visit our website: www.beckettsbabies.com

Theme Music: "Live Like the Kids" by Samuel Johnson, Laura Robertson, Luke O'Dea (APRA)

May 02, 202240:18

136. TOPIC: Working With/As a Dramaturg

Hello, listeners! In today’s episode we discuss the topic of working with a Dramaturg! Sam also shares her experience working as one as well! We get into discussing what's helpful and what's not helpful when working with a dramaturg. Check it out!

Article Mentioned:

GLISTENS

Cho - Pachinko on AppleTV
Sam - Dinosaur National Monument

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Apr 18, 202252:09

135. INTERVIEW: Shannon TL Kearns

Hello listeners! This week’s guest on the show is SHANNON TL KEARNS! A former fundamentalist who became the first openly transgender man ordained to the Old Catholic priesthood, Shannon TL Kearns believes in the transformative power of story. As an ordained priest, a playwright, a theologian, and a writer all of his work revolves around making meaning through story.

Shannon TL Kearns was a recipient of the Playwrights’ Center Jerome Fellowship in 20/21, a playwright in residence at the Inge House in 2021, a Lambda Literary Fellow for 2019, and a Finnovation Fellow for 2019/2020. Shannon’s plays include Body+Blood, in a stand of dying trees, Line of Sight, Twisted Deaths, The Resistance of My Skin, and Who Has Eyes To See. His television pilots include The Family Unit, Transformed, and Freedom, Kansas. He and his plays have been: a finalist for the Equity Library Theatre of Chicago’s Reading Series, 2019 TransLab, and American Stages 2019 New Play Festival, semi-finalist for the New Works series at Garry Marshall Theatre. He was a semi-finalist for SPACE on Ryder farm in 2020.

Shannon is an ordained priest in the Old Catholic Church and a theologian. He’s the co-founder of QueerTheology.com which has reached more than a million people all over the world. He will soon be publishing his first book with Eerdman’s.

To learn more about Shannon and his work, be sure to visit his website and on social media:
https://www.shannontlkearns.com
https://twitter.com/shannontlkearns
https://www.instagram.com/shannontlkearns/

GLISTENS:

Cho - The Slap heard around the world.
Sam - Aurora Fox theater production of Hurricane Diane by Madeline George
Shannon - The band "Yes You Are" and their album "Here's to the Great Unknowns".

________________________

Please support Beckett's Babies by reviewing, sharing an episode with your friends, or follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @beckettsbabies

And as always, we would love to hear from you! Send us your questions or thoughts on playwriting, and we might discuss it in our next episode. Email: contact@beckettsbabies.com

For more info, visit our website: www.beckettsbabies.com

Theme Music: "Live Like the Kids" by Samuel Johnson, Laura Robertson, Luke O'Dea (APRA)

Apr 04, 202247:04

134. INTERVIEW: Ben Stasny

Hello listeners! This week’s guest on the show is BEN STASNY! Ben is a second-year graduate student at CU Boulder. Ben's research is centered around queer theory, eco-criticism and performance studies. How can theatre act as a space for ethical action on queer and climate justice?

Ben served as the Artistic Director for the opening fall show The Climate Cabaret--an evening of short plays about the climate crisis. We partnered with Climate Change Theatre Action out of New York City to bring this project to life.

Ben worked with his/bevs advisor, Dr. Beth Osnes, this summer on an interspecies arts/science partnership between humans and barn swallows. They were led by a group of courageous youth which culminated in a film and public performance titled Side by Side.

Ben was a recipient of the Hazel Barnes Flat which brought bev to London, UK in November. While there, Ben led workshops on climate comedy with a local arts/science organization, Your Canal Boat CIC.

Ben served as the Artistic Director for the 6th Annual New Plays Festival at CU Boulder in Spring 2021.

Ben graduated with a BFA in Acting from Minnesota State University, Mankato. Ben lived and worked as a professional actor for several years in New York City. New York credits include: Off-Broadway: Harry in When Harry Met Nancy (New York New Works Festival), Voice of Mayor Humdinger in Paw Patrol (Event Box). Other credits: The Narrator in The Soldier's Tale (Boulder Philharmonic), The Genie in Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular (Disney Cruise Line), Lumiere in Beauty and the Beast, Pirelli in Sweeney Todd, Henry Etches in Titanic (Arizona Broadway Theatre), Zach in A Chorus Line, Ernst Ludwig in Cabaret, Fred in A Christmas Carol (The Palace Theatre), Father in Ragtime (Interlakes Summer Theatre) Ernst Ludwig in Cabaret (Sierra Repertory Theatre), The Cat in the Hat in Seussical the Musical (Highland Summer Theatre). Touring Theatre: Punchin in A Commedia Cinderella (Sierra Repertory Theatre, Northern California), Shaggy in Scooby-Doo and the Mystery of the Pyramid, Maddie in Care Bears (Event Box in Saudi Arabia).

Ben is filled with more questions than answers these days...which feels just about right for grad school.

To learn more about Ben and his/bevs work, be sure to check out his/bevs instagram!

https://www.instagram.com/snackfishbenji/

GLISTENS:

Cho - AppleTV Show "Severance"
Sam - Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson
Ben - Rupaul's Drag Race and RuPaul's Drag Race: UK vs the World

________________________

Please support Beckett's Babies by reviewing, sharing an episode with your friends, or follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @beckettsbabies

And as always, we would love to hear from you! Send us your questions or thoughts on playwriting, and we might discuss it in our next episode. Email: contact@beckettsbabies.com

For more info, visit our website: www.beckettsbabies.com

Theme Music: "Live Like the Kids" by Samuel Johnson, Laura Robertson, Luke O'Dea (APRA)

Mar 21, 202248:26

133. INTERVIEW: Margot Connolly

Hello listeners! This week’s guest on the show is MARGOT CONNOLLY! Margot Connolly is a playwright originally from Pleasantville, NY. Her plays include Belfast Kind (Winner, JPP's Jewish Playwriting Contest, Patty Abramson Prize Finalist), Quiz Out (Princess Grace Finalist, 2019 Kilroy’s Honorable Mention), The Twitch (Princess Grace Finalist), and Tough.

Her work has been produced and developed through Williamstown Theatre Festival, the Playwrights Center, the Drama League, the Jewish Plays Project, Repertory St. Louis, the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Primary Stages and The Juilliard School, among others. She has an EST/Sloan commission, was a 2010-2011 Core Apprentice at the Playwrights Center and has been a finalist for the Jerome Fellowship, the Emerald Prize, and the Princess Grace Award. She received her BA from Bennington College and her MFA from the University of Iowa’s Playwrights Workshop. She is a recent graduate of the Lila Acheson Wallace American Playwrights’ Program at Juilliard.

To learn more about Margot and her work, be sure to check out her website: https://writemargotwrite.weebly.com/about.html
New Play Exchange: https://newplayexchange.org/users/3182/margot-connolly

GLISTENS:

Cho - Pachinko
Sam - 13 Ukrainian guards on Snake Island
Margot - Ukraine

________________________

Please support Beckett's Babies by reviewing, sharing an episode with your friends, or follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @beckettsbabies

And as always, we would love to hear from you! Send us your questions or thoughts on playwriting, and we might discuss it in our next episode. Email: contact@beckettsbabies.com

For more info, visit our website: www.beckettsbabies.com

Theme Music: "Live Like the Kids" by Samuel Johnson, Laura Robertson, Luke O'Dea (APRA)

Mar 07, 202201:01:30

132. INTERVIEW: Scott Bradley

Hello listeners! This week’s guest on the show is SCOTT BRADLEY! Scott Bradley is a writer and theatre artist best known for Chicago’s long-running "cult" musicals Alien Queen, Carpenters Halloween, and We Three Lizas. His solo show Packing premiered in Chicago in 2019 and streamed to national audiences in 2020. He's hard at work right now on an immersive rock opera about the birth of gay leather culture.

To learn more about Scott and his work, be sure to check out his website: https://www.scottbradleyink.com

GLISTENS:

Cho - Joke writing
Sam - Sweet Tooth
Scott - Composer, Midori Hirano

________________________

Please support Beckett's Babies by reviewing, sharing an episode with your friends, or follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @beckettsbabies
And as always, we would love to hear from you!
Send us your questions or thoughts on playwriting, and we might discuss it in our next episode.
Email: contact@beckettsbabies.com
For more info, visit our website: www.beckettsbabies.com
Theme Music: "Live Like the Kids" by Samuel Johnson, Laura Robertson, Luke O'Dea (APRA)

Feb 21, 202201:04:39

131. We're Back! SEASON 4!!! Let's goooo!

Hello, Listeners! We are back for Season 4! Did you miss us??? Just admit it. You missed us!

In this episode, we check-in and share some quick show updates! Apologies in advance if our show sounds like one big QVC channel. We're just excited to share what we discovered! And, if you've been following our show, we have been doing our show every week and we share about how we're going change things up on how we release our episodes. Thanks for listening!

GLISTENS:

Cho - Shower Filter
Sam - left social media

____________________________________________

Please support Beckett's Babies by reviewing, sharing an episode with your friends
or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter: @beckettsbabies
And as always, we would love to hear from you!
Send us your questions or thoughts on playwriting and we might discuss it in our next episode.
Email: contact@beckettsbabies.com
For more info, visit our website: www.beckettsbabies.com
Theme Music: "Live Like the Kids" by Samuel Johnson, Laura Robertson, Luke O'Dea (APRA)

Feb 07, 202241:07

130. SEASON FINALE: First the Worst, Second the Best...Third the Nerd?

THAT'S A WRAP FOR SEASON 3! Thank you all so much for tuning in every week and hear us chat about all things playwriting. We appreciate you and your support! In this episode, we highlight just a FEW of our favorite episodes of this season. We loved every single one of our guests on this season so even if they're not mentioned here, we suggest you going back and give it a listen!

Thank you again for another incredible season. Wishing everyone a happy and safe holiday season... See you next year!

After three seasons of Beckett’s Babies…
Total Number of Episodes: 130
Total Number of Guests: 47
Total Number of Plays read: 39
Total Number of Glistens: 294
Total Number of Listens: 16,417

GLISTENS

Cho - ROAD TRIP!!! / Getting Married / Joanna Gaines
Collier - golden gate canyon state park / Moving to Colorado / Grad School

INTERVIEWS:

INTERVIEW WITH CARIDAD SVICH:
https://anchor.fm/beckettsbabies/episodes/117--INTERVIEW-Caridad-Svich-e15u705
INTERVIEW WITH PEPPUR CHAMBERS:
https://anchor.fm/beckettsbabies/episodes/114--INTERVIEW-Peppur-Chambers-e15amc8
INTERVIEW WITH BRIAN JAMES POLACK:
https://anchor.fm/beckettsbabies/episodes/100--INTERVIEW-Brian-James-Polak-HAPPY-100TH-EPISODE-evmkp7
INTERVIEW WITH DANIEL OLIVAS:
https://anchor.fm/beckettsbabies/episodes/94--INTERVIEW-Daniel-Olivas-esj5ok

TOPICS:

GHOSTS WITH HEATHER KELLEY:
https://anchor.fm/beckettsbabies/episodes/126--TOPIC-Ghosts-in-Theaters-and-the-Stories-We-Tell----w-Special-Guest-Heather-Kelley-e198doi
WHAT MAKES A MONOLOGUE GOOD WITH SHAUN LEISHER:
https://anchor.fm/beckettsbabies/episodes/112--TOPIC-What-Makes-a-Monologue-Good-w-Returning-Special-Guest-Shaun-Leisher-e14k5js

PLAYS:

HURRICANE DIANE BY MADELEINE GEORGE
https://anchor.fm/beckettsbabies/episodes/128--PLAY-Hurricane-Diane-by-Madeleine-George-e19u4ri
BUREAUCRAZY BY KATE DANLEY
https://anchor.fm/beckettsbabies/episodes/113--PLAY-BureauCRAZY-by-Kate-Danley-e14uvid
36 VIEWS BY NAOMI IIZUKA
https://anchor.fm/beckettsbabies/episodes/105--PLAY-36-Views-by-Naomi-Iizuka-e11qr3b

____________________________________________

Please support Beckett's Babies by reviewing, sharing an episode with your friends
or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter: @beckettsbabies
And as always, we would love to hear from you!
Send us your questions or thoughts on playwriting and we might discuss it in our next episode.
Email: contact@beckettsbabies.com
For more info, visit our website: www.beckettsbabies.com
Theme Music: "Live Like the Kids" by Samuel Johnson, Laura Robertson, Luke O'Dea (APRA)

Nov 22, 202138:35

129. TOPIC: Dreams

Hello, listeners! In today’s episode we discuss the topic of DREAMS. We share some recent dreams we’ve had, share some play ideas based on our dreams, and share our thought son why we might add dreams to our storytelling. What do they evoke? Hope you enjoy the conversation!

Article Mentioned:

Did Covid Change How We Dream? by Brooke Jarvis
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/03/magazine/pandemic-dreams.html

GLISTENS

Cho - Discovery + / The Lost Kitchen
Sam - ASTR

Special thanks to our sponsor Play Submissions Helper!
https://playsubmissionshelper.com
Use coupon code BECKETTSBABIES to receive 90% off the first month!

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Nov 15, 202141:00

128. PLAY: Hurricane Diane by Madeleine George

Every month, we pick a play or two to discuss, and for this week's episode we read "Hurricane Diane" by Madeleine George. We discuss what we noticed, what we liked, and questions that came up while reading the play. SPOILER ALERT: There are going to be some spoiler alerts! We highly recommend you read the play before listening to this episode!

Glistens:

Cho - my niece was born!! 12:33pm November 1st. (We already did her birth chart lolol) Rising - Capricorn, Sun - Scorpio, Moon - Virgo
Sam - Kaidan - 7 ghost stories from around the world

Special thanks to our sponsor Play Submissions Helper!
https://playsubmissionshelper.com
Use coupon code BECKETTSBABIES to receive 90% off the first month!

____________________________________________

Please support Beckett's Babies by reviewing, sharing an episode with your friends or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter: @beckettsbabies And as always, we would love to hear from you!
Send us your questions or thoughts on playwriting and we might discuss it in our next episode.
Email: contact@beckettsbabies.com
For more info, visit our website: www.beckettsbabies.com
Theme Music: "Live Like the Kids" by Samuel Johnson, Laura Robertson, Luke O'Dea (APRA)

Nov 08, 202132:05

127. TOPIC: Act and Scene Breaks

Hello, listeners! In this week's episode, we discuss the Scene and Act Breaks. What’s going on between the scenes? Between the Act breaks? What would justify the time jumps? Let's dig in!

GLISTENS

Cho: London Writers Salon

Sam: STAINS by Sarah Cho

Special thanks to our sponsor Play Submissions Helper!
https://playsubmissionshelper.com
Use coupon code BECKETTSBABIES to receive 90% off the first month!

____________________________________________

Nov 01, 202138:30

126. TOPIC: Ghosts in Theaters and the Stories We Tell... w/ Special Guest Heather Kelley!

Hey listeners! Halloween is just around the corner and we decided to bring on a guest who can share some spooky stories with us! This week’s guest on the show is HEATHER KELLEY!

Heather Kelley (she/her) is an actor, educator, and theatre administrator currently enrolled in CU Boulder’s PhD program in Theatre & Performance Studies. A former company member of the New York Neo-Futurists and Mad Dog Theatre Company, Heather performed with South Brooklyn Shakespeare for many seasons, and served as Director of Audience Services for Premiere Stages, the Equity theatre in residence at Kean University, for seven years. She is the recipient of a 2019 State of New Jersey Senate & General Assembly Citation commending her work with Plainfield Senior Citizens Services as an actor and teaching artist, and received a 2019 New Jersey Theatre Alliance Award of Excellence honoring her contributions to professional, non-profit theatre throughout the state. A lover of all things scary, Heather's current research centers on dark tourism, haunted attractions, mediumship as performance, and depictions of the supernatural on stage and on screen.

If YOU have theater ghost stories you'd like to share, go to the link below!
https://www.colorado.edu/theatredance/heather-kelley

GLISTENS:

Cho - The Simpsons Treehouse Horror
Sam - My Haircut
Erin - Tik Tok's Pug Noodles "Bones or No Bones Day"

Special thanks to our sponsor Play Submissions Helper! https://playsubmissionshelper.com
Use coupon code BECKETTSBABIES to receive 90% off the first month!

________________________

Oct 25, 202152:26

125. PLAYWRIGHT: María Irene Fornés

We return to our Playwright Series where we look at a single playwright and their large body of work. In this episode, we discuss the life and work of María Irene Fornés. We read the three plays: FEFU AND HER FRIENDS (1977) (Awarded an Obie for Playwriting), MUD (1983) (Awarded an Obie for Playwriting and Direction), and LETTERS FROM CUBA (2000) to share our thoughts on María Irene Fornés' craft in playwriting. We hope you will check these plays out and listen to our conversation!

GLISTENS:

CHO - Stand-up comedy

SAM - Aspen Trees

_____________________________________________

Please support Beckett's Babies by reviewing, sharing an episode with your friend!

And as always, we would love to hear from you!

Send us your questions or thoughts on playwriting and we might discuss it in our next episode.

Email: contact@beckettsbabies.com

For more info, visit our website: www.beckettsbabies.com

Theme Music: "Live Like the Kids" by Samuel Johnson, Laura Robertson, Luke O'Dea (APRA)

Oct 18, 202153:18

124. TOPIC: Play Ideas from Childhood Writings...

Hello, listeners! In this week's episode, we share writings from our childhood to help us generate ideas for possible play or story ideas. Is this a recipe of a disaster? Probably! Enjoy!

GLISTENS

Cho - SQUID GAME
Sam - London Fog

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Oct 11, 202142:26

123. PLAY: Heroes of the Fourth Turning by Will Arbery

Every month, we pick a play or two to discuss, and this week's episode is a play called "Heroe's of the Fourth Turning" by Will Arbery. The play was recommended to us from one of our listeners and recurring guest of the podcast, Shaun Leisher! Shaun pointed out that lots of guests have mentioned this play, so we decided it was time to read it for ourselves! We discuss what we noticed, what we liked, and questions that came up while reading the play. SPOILER ALERT: There are going to be some spoiler alerts! We highly recommend you read the play before listening to this episode!

About the Play:

It’s a “scrupulously hewn drama centering on four alumni of a conservative Catholic college who confront themselves and each other, clashing over theology, politics and personal responsibility. It’s nearing midnight in Wyoming, where four young conservatives have gathered at a backyard after-party. They’ve returned home to toast their mentor Gina, newly inducted as president of a tiny Catholic college. But as their reunion spirals into spiritual chaos and clashing generational politics, it becomes less a celebration than a vicious fight to be understood. On a chilly night in the middle of America, Will Arbery’s haunting play offers grace and disarming clarity, speaking to the heart of a country at war with itself.

-- From Playwrights Horizons' website

About the Playwright:

Will Arbery is a playwright, TV/film writer, and filmmaker from Texas + Wyoming + seven sisters. Other plays include: Plano, Evanston Salt Costs Climbing, Corsicana (development at Playwrights Horizons & Ojai Playwrights Conference) // Wheelchair (3 Hole Press) // You Hateful Things (development at The Public, SPACE on Ryder Farm, and NYTW Dartmouth Residency). He's currently under commission from Audible, MTC, and Playwrights Horizons. Will Arbery is currently developing TV series with A24/HBO, as well as Littlefield Co./Touchstone. Film projects with BBC Films/A24, Animal Kingdom, and Sight Unseen. Consultant on "Succession" (HBO).

Glistens:

Cho - my new play Stains!! October 9th, 6pm PST. Moving Arts Theater. Tickets are now live.
Sam - The New American Gothic dance performance on a FARM (Claire Kendall Creative Projects)

____________________________________________

Please support Beckett's Babies by reviewing, sharing an episode with
your friends or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter: @beckettsbabies
And as always, we would love to hear from you!
Send us your questions or thoughts on playwriting and we might discuss it in our next episode.
Email: contact@beckettsbabies.com
For more info, visit our website: www.beckettsbabies.com
Theme Music: "Live Like the Kids" by Samuel Johnson, Laura Robertson, Luke O'Dea (APRA)

Oct 04, 202140:18

122. TOPIC: What Makes a Good Character?

Hello, listeners! In this week's episode, we’ll be discussing the topic of character. Are there characters that stand out to you? Why do certain characters stand out? Listen to us attempt to answer: What Makes A Good Character?

GLISTENS

Sam: Climate Cabaret
Cho: Y The Last Man on FX

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Sep 27, 202139:10

121. PLAYWRIGHT: Suzan-Lori Parks

We return to our Playwright Series where we look at a single playwright and their large body of work. In this episode, we discuss the life and work of SUZAN-LORI PARKS. We read the three plays: Venus (1996), Topdog/Underdog (2002 Pulitzer Prize Winner), and Father Comes Home From The Wars (Parts 1, 2 & 3) (2015) to share our thoughts on Suzan-Lori Park's craft in playwriting. We hope you will check these plays out and listen to our conversation!

SUZAN-LORI PARKS

Venus (1996)
Topdog / Underdog (2002 Pulitzer Prize Winner)
Father Comes Home From The Wars (Parts 1, 2 & 3) (2015)

GLISTENS:

CHO - Chip and Joanna
SAM - peaches

_____________________________________________

Please support Beckett's Babies by reviewing, sharing an episode with your friend!

And as always, we would love to hear from you!

Send us your questions or thoughts on playwriting and we might discuss it in our next episode.

Email: contact@beckettsbabies.com

For more info, visit our website: www.beckettsbabies.com

Theme Music: "Live Like the Kids" by Samuel Johnson, Laura Robertson, Luke O'Dea (APRA)

Sep 20, 202101:03:19

120. We Answer Listener's Questions (Hello, Alexis!)

In today's episode, we answer questions from one of you, our listener! We answer question about finding stability after college, what to do to get started, how to stay creative and so much more. We hope you enjoy it! As always, we love getting questions from our listener's so... keep 'em coming!

Thank you for tuning in. We appreciate you all.

Glistens:
Cho: Moving Arts Theatre / Reading of my new play STAINS on October 9th, 6pm PST via Zoom. More info coming soon!
Sam: baby elephant in burkina faso

____________________________________________

Please support Beckett's Babies by reviewing, sharing an episode with your friends
or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter: @beckettsbabies
And as always, we would love to hear from you!
Send us your questions or thoughts on playwriting and we might discuss it in our next episode.
Email: contact@beckettsbabies.com
For more info, visit our website: www.beckettsbabies.com
Theme Music: "Live Like the Kids" by Samuel Johnson, Laura Robertson, Luke O'Dea (APRA)

Sep 13, 202148:05

119. PLAY: The Two Kids That Blow Shit Up by Carla Ching

Every month, we pick a play or two to discuss, and this week's episode is a play called "The Two Kids That Blow Shit" by Carla Ching. We discuss what we noticed, what we liked, and questions that came up while reading the play. SPOILER ALERT: There are going to be some spoiler alerts! We highly recommend you read the play before listening to this episode!

About the Play:

Here’s what the play’s about which you can read on New Play Exchange:

”As kids, Max and Diana meet on their parents’ date, then are kicked out of the house so their parents can get it on. They are forced to play together even though they aren’t really that fond of each other. Through over two decades of their parents’ tumultuous relationship of getting together, breaking up, getting married and then divorced, Max and Diana are perpetually forced together and become the most unlikely of friends. They see each other through their own marriages and divorces, rehabs and spin-outs, career rejiggerings and epic life fails. But when they actually fall into each other, will they lose the only family they’ve ever known? A play about falling in and out of love with your best friend.”

About the Playwright:

An LA native, Carla Ching’s other plays include Revenge Porn or the Story of a Body, Nomad Motel, Fast Company, and The Sugar House at the Edge of the Wilderness. Just to name a few-- her full-length plays have been produced or workshopped by Artists at Play, Berkeley Rep’s Ground Floor, Center Theater Group, The Lark Play Development Center, Ma-Yi Theatre Company, The National New Play Network Showcase of New Plays, and The O’Neill Playwrights Conference. She is a member of New Dramatists and founding member of The Kilroys. Carla wrote on USA’s Graceland, AMC’s Fear the Walking Dead, Amazon’s I Love Dick, Apple’s Home Before Dark and the forthcoming Mr. and Mrs. Smith co-created by Francesca Sloane, Phoebe Waller Bridge and Donald Glover. She is currently developing a new project with Netflix.

Glistens:

Cho - Took a trip to Michigan. Met Nik’s extended family. Mosquito bites all over my face… cool.
Sam - Walden by Amy Berryman at Theatreworks Hartford

____________________________________________

Please support Beckett's Babies by reviewing, sharing an episode with
your friends or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter: @beckettsbabies
And as always, we would love to hear from you!
Send us your questions or thoughts on playwriting and we might discuss it in our next episode.
Email: contact@beckettsbabies.com
For more info, visit our website: www.beckettsbabies.com
Theme Music: "Live Like the Kids" by Samuel Johnson, Laura Robertson, Luke O'Dea (APRA)

Sep 06, 202139:36

118. INTERVIEW: Erin Mallon

Hello listeners! This week’s guest on the show is ERIN MALLON! Erin Mallon is a playwright, author, and narrator of over 550 audiobooks with a special affinity for the romance genre. She is a six-time Earphones Award Winner and a five-time Audie Award Nominee. Her audio play These Walls Can Talk is a 2021 Independent Audiobook Award Winner for Humor. Her play The Net Will Appear is now available on Audible.com as an audio drama co-starring Matilda Lawler (Disney Plus’ Flora & Ulysses, Broadway’s The Ferryman). Erin’s other full-length plays include: Good Riddance, Soft Animals, Hand Me Down, Stunning Displays of Prowess, and Skin Hungry.

To learn more about Erin and her work, check out the links below!
Twitter: https://twitter.com/erinmallon
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mallonerin/
Website: https://www.erinmallon.com/

GLISTENS:

Cho - TV show Friends
Sam - Sushi burrito
Erin - Tik Tok

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Aug 30, 202149:03

117. INTERVIEW: Caridad Svich

Hello listeners! This week’s guest on the show is CARIDAD SVICH! Caridad Svich received a 2012 OBIE for Lifetime Achievement. Her work as a playwright, translator, lyricist, and essayist has been seen in print, live and digital stages at across the US and abroad. Key plays in her extensive repertoire include 12 Ophelias, Iphigenia Crash Land Falls on the Neon Shell That Once Was Her Heart, Red Bike, and The House of the Spirits. Upcoming theatrical premieres in 2021 include The Book of Magdalene and Theatre: a love story.

To learn more about Caridad and her work, check out the links below!

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Csvich
Websites: https://caridadsvich.com/

GLISTENS:

Cho - food processor / writing jokes
Sam - compost collection
Caridad - Kae Tempest’s play “Paradise”

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Aug 23, 202101:01:23

116. TOPIC: Unpaid Theater Internships (Part 2)

Hello, listeners! This week's episode is a two-part episode! In the first part, we share some exciting life updates (Spoiler alert: One of us relocated to a NEW STATE) and we get into the topic of unpaid, or low-wage, theater internships, and why we think it's unethical. If you haven't listened to the first part, be sure to check out last week's episode! We hope you enjoy it!

GLISTENS

Sam - Taylor Mac’s bio
Cho - Lester Holt’s instagram

____________________________________________

Please support Beckett's Babies by reviewing, sharing an episode with your friends
or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter: @beckettsbabies
And as always, we would love to hear from you!
Send us your questions or thoughts on playwriting and we might discuss it in our next future episode.
Email: contact@beckettsbabies.com
For more info, visit our website: www.beckettsbabies.com

Theme Music: "Live Like the Kids" by Samuel Johnson, Laura Robertson, Luke O'Dea (APRA)

Aug 16, 202134:02

115. TOPIC: Life Updates + Unpaid Theater Internships (Part 1)

GLISTENS

Cho - Libby App
Sam - Pollinators Altar in the Boulder public library (Aspen Institute)

____________________________________________

Please support Beckett's Babies by reviewing, sharing an episode with your friends
or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter: @beckettsbabies
And as always, we would love to hear from you!
Send us your questions or thoughts on playwriting and we might discuss it in our next future episode.
Email: contact@beckettsbabies.com
For more info, visit our website: www.beckettsbabies.com

Theme Music: "Live Like the Kids" by Samuel Johnson, Laura Robertson, Luke O'Dea (APRA)

Aug 09, 202131:35

114. INTERVIEW: Peppur Chambers

Hello listeners! This week’s guest on the show is PEPPUR CHAMBERS! PEPPUR CHAMBERS is an international writer, producer, and educator. A member of Circle X Emerging Playwrights Group, Moving Arts MADLab, and Antaeus Playwrights Lab, she uses her voice to scream, shout or sing about women’s issues, social justice and love. She has been commissioned for LA's Lower Depth Theatre Ensemble and you can catch her radio play, End of the Line, about human trafficking in Antaeus Theatre Company’s The Zip Code Plays Season Two.

To learn more about Peppur, check out the links below!

Instagram: @peppurthehotone
Twitter: @peppurthehotone
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/peppur
Websites: www.penandpeppur.com / www.brownbetties.com

GLISTENS:

Sarah: Sudoku
Sam: Toddy Pond Farm Dinner!
Peppur: Cleaning the kitchen, moving to Phoenix, and a very special box of pens :')

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Aug 02, 202157:51

113. PLAY: BureauCRAZY by Kate Danley

Every month, we pick a play or two to discuss, and this week's episode is a play called "BureauCRAZY" by Kate Danley. We discuss what we noticed, what we liked, and questions that came up while reading the play. Note: There are some spoiler alerts! We highly recommend you read the play before listening to this episode!

About the Play:

Grace and Amy, two outrageous admins stuck in a soul-sucking job, are just slogging their way through the work week. But when their supervisor chokes, everything goes awry and begins a domino-effect of destruction. 9-to-5 meets One Man, Two Guvnors in this quick-witted, sidesplitting farce.

About the Playwright:

Kate Danley is a USA TODAY Bestselling author and thirty-year veteran of stage and screen and one of the original co-founders of the Seattle Playwrights Salon.

Glistens:

Sarah - no-screen sunday and peaches and cream pie
Sam - Arcadia by Lauren Groff

____________________________________________

Please support Beckett's Babies by reviewing, sharing an episode with
your friends or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter: @beckettsbabies
And as always, we would love to hear from you!
Send us your questions or thoughts on playwriting and we might discuss it in our next episode.
Email: contact@beckettsbabies.com
For more info, visit our website: www.beckettsbabies.com
Theme Music: "Live Like the Kids" by Samuel Johnson, Laura Robertson, Luke O'Dea (APRA)

Jul 26, 202139:38

112. TOPIC: What Makes a Monologue Good w/ Returning Special Guest Shaun Leisher!

Hello, listeners! In this week’s episode, we discuss the topic of what makes a monologue good with a very special returning guest--- a philadelphia-based dramaturg, producer, and arts education advocate-- Shaun Leisher!!! Did you know he reads one or two plays a day and has recommended 752 plays on New Play Exchange? Incredible! We are so happy to have Shaun back on our show and talk about all things theater and monologues.

To learn more about Shaun's monologue finding service, be sure to check out his website!
https://www.shaunleisher.com/

GLISTENS

Cho: Geffen playhouse Someone Else's House
Sam: Moving to Boulder!!!
Shaun: Went to the movies, Alex Lin!, coffee shops

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Theme Music: "Live Like the Kids" by Samuel Johnson, Laura Robertson, Luke O'Dea (APRA)

Jul 19, 202147:55

Beckett’s Babies

By Beckett’s Babies

Available on

136. TOPIC: Working With/As a Dramaturg

Beckett’s BabiesApr 18, 2022

161. INTERVIEW: Sarah Johnson

160. INTERVIEW: Sherry Kramer

159. INTERVIEW: Rebecca Wear

158. INTERVIEW: Greg Geffrard

157. INTERVIEW: David Hanzal

156. INTERVIEW: Wai Yim

155. INTERVIEW: Alex Casillas

154. TOPIC: Let's Get Unstuck with Our Plays

153. INTERVIEW: Charly Evon Simpson

152. PLAY: Burning Vision by Marie Clements

151. INTERVIEW: Jihye Kim

150. PLAY: Why Marry? by Jesse Lynch Williams

149. WE ARE BACK FOR SEASON 5, BABIES!

148. SEASON FINALE: when babies become toddlers... 4 years, baby.

147. TOPIC: Location in Plays

146. PLAY: Native Gardens by Karen Zacarias

145. We took a very short hiatus and now we're back...!!!

144. TOPIC: New Play Development

143. SPECIAL TOPIC: Intimacy Design & Training with Dr. Kate Busselle

142. INTERVIEW: G. Flores

141. INTERVIEW: Steven Strafford

140. TOPIC: History of Musicals

139. INTERVIEW: Chris Leyva Returns!

138. PLAY: David’s RedHaired Death by Sherry Kramer

137. INTERVIEW: Darcy Parker Bruce

136. TOPIC: Working With/As a Dramaturg

135. INTERVIEW: Shannon TL Kearns

134. INTERVIEW: Ben Stasny

133. INTERVIEW: Margot Connolly

132. INTERVIEW: Scott Bradley

131. We're Back! SEASON 4!!! Let's goooo!

130. SEASON FINALE: First the Worst, Second the Best...Third the Nerd?

129. TOPIC: Dreams

128. PLAY: Hurricane Diane by Madeleine George

127. TOPIC: Act and Scene Breaks

126. TOPIC: Ghosts in Theaters and the Stories We Tell... w/ Special Guest Heather Kelley!

125. PLAYWRIGHT: María Irene Fornés

124. TOPIC: Play Ideas from Childhood Writings...

123. PLAY: Heroes of the Fourth Turning by Will Arbery

122. TOPIC: What Makes a Good Character?

121. PLAYWRIGHT: Suzan-Lori Parks

120. We Answer Listener's Questions (Hello, Alexis!)

119. PLAY: The Two Kids That Blow Shit Up by Carla Ching

118. INTERVIEW: Erin Mallon

117. INTERVIEW: Caridad Svich

116. TOPIC: Unpaid Theater Internships (Part 2)

115. TOPIC: Life Updates + Unpaid Theater Internships (Part 1)

114. INTERVIEW: Peppur Chambers

113. PLAY: BureauCRAZY by Kate Danley

112. TOPIC: What Makes a Monologue Good w/ Returning Special Guest Shaun Leisher!