Episodes

  • ACTING OUT: How a Prison Theatre Workshop Broke Free with Richard Hoehler

    ACTING OUT: How a Prison Theatre Workshop Broke Free with Richard Hoehler
    Jul 26 2026
    In this episode, we sit down with Richard Hoehler to discuss his book Acting Out: How a Prison Theatre Workshop Broke Free. He shares stories from decades of leading theatre workshops with incarcerated men, mounting full productions, and creating transformative spaces for expression, connection, and growth. The episode also features a live performance by members of the Acting Out company. Richard Hoehler is an award-winning playwright and educator whose work has run Off-Broadway, regionally, and abroad. He founded Acting Out, teaches at HB Studio and Stella Adler, and has led theatre workshops in prisons for over 30 years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 1 min
  • Between the Lines with Eric Simonson

    Between the Lines with Eric Simonson
    Jul 25 2026
    In this episode, we sit down with Eric Simonson to discuss his memoir Between the Lines: Steppenwolf's Seagull and A Reluctant Actor's Journey Back to the Stage. The book chronicles Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s bold return from the Covid-19 shutdown with a $43 million new theater and a fresh adaptation of The Seagull. For Simonson—an acclaimed writer, director, and longtime Steppenwolf ensemble member—it meant stepping back onstage after 33 years away. Part diary and part history of the Chicago Theatre Renaissance, the memoir takes us behind the scenes of this landmark production while tracing Simonson’s personal battle with stage fright, self-doubt, and rediscovery of the joy of acting. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    52 mins
  • Omeed's Tapestries with Barry M Putt Jr, Robert Liebowitz, and Asal Abasian

    Omeed's Tapestries with Barry M Putt Jr, Robert Liebowitz, and Asal Abasian
    Jul 5 2026
    Barry M. Putt, Jr. is a playwright and screenwriter whose work centers on identity, resilience, and human connection. His plays and scripts, produced both nationally and internationally, often amplify marginalized voices and explore urgent social themes. Joining the conversation are director Robert Liebowitz, who has helmed more than 100 productions over the course of his career, and cultural consultant Asal Abasian, an Iran-born writer, journalist, and queer feminist activist whose work focuses on exile, gender, and resistance. Omeed’s Tapestries follows an Iranian shopkeeper and his partner as they prepare to flee their homeland in hopes of living openly as a same-sex couple. When a devout neighbor uncovers their secret, their future is suddenly threatened. Inspired by extensive firsthand accounts and research, the play examines love, fear, and survival under oppression, while highlighting the universal human desire for freedom and dignity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    47 mins
  • Acting is Your Business: How to Take Charge of your Creative Career

    Acting is Your Business: How to Take Charge of your Creative Career
    Jul 5 2026
    Emmy- and Artios-nominated casting director Wendy S. Kurtzman joins us to discuss her book, Acting is Your Business: How to Take Charge of Your Creative Career. With over 35 years of experience in film, television, and theater, Wendy shares actionable strategies to help actors take control of their careers, position themselves as CEOs of their own creative businesses, and build lasting professional relationships. This episode offers practical insights into navigating the entertainment industry, from connecting with working professionals worldwide to leveraging tools, worksheets, and insider advice for emerging and seasoned actors alike. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    57 mins
  • This is Not a Dream: Young Playwrights Ukraine- With Laura Cahill

    This is Not a Dream: Young Playwrights Ukraine- With Laura Cahill
    Jul 5 2026
    In this episode, we explore This is Not a Dream, a collection of nine ten-minute plays by emerging Ukrainian playwrights capturing stories of connection, resilience, and hope during war. From a soldier reconnecting with his daughter to a young woman navigating life amid conflict, these plays reveal the human cost and courage of everyday lives. We speak with contributors Karina Syrota, Taya Fedorenko, Uliana Klimchuk, and Laura Cahill, founder of Young Playwrights Ukraine, about creating theatre under extraordinary circumstances, mentoring young writers, and sharing Ukrainian voices with the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    59 mins
  • A Celebration of Zelda Fichandler- With Todd London and Mary B. Robinson

    A Celebration of Zelda Fichandler- With Todd London and Mary B. Robinson
    Jul 4 2026
    In this episode, we explore the legacy of Zelda Fichandler through The Long Revolution: Sixty Years on the Frontlines of a New American Theater and To Repair the World: Zelda Fichandler and the Transformation of American Theater by Mary B. Robinson. The conversation delves into Fichandler’s pioneering work founding Arena Stage, her role in the regional theater movement, and her decades-long impact as an educator at NYU’s Graduate Acting Program. Joining the discussion are theater historian and advocate Todd London, and biographer Mary B. Robinson, offering insights into Fichandler’s visionary leadership, her collaborations with artists, and her enduring influence on American theater. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 22 mins
  • Contemporary Black Theatre and Performance- With Khalid Y. Long, Aviva Neff, and Xavier Moses

    Contemporary Black Theatre and Performance- With Khalid Y. Long, Aviva Neff, and Xavier Moses
    Jul 4 2026
    Khalid Y. Long, Associate Dean of Research and Creative Endeavors in the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts at Howard University, is a scholar, dramaturg, and author of August Wilson in Context. Aviva Neff, Assistant Professor of Theatre at Denison University, is a director, intimacy coordinator, and scholar whose work explores devised theatre, pedagogy, and equitable rehearsal practices. Their book, Contemporary Black Theatre and Performance: Acts of Rebellion, Activism, and Solidarity, examines how Black artists and activists use performance to engage questions of identity, history, and social change. Featuring essays and conversations with leading scholars and theatre-makers, the collection explores topics such as Black queer identity in playwriting, antiracist pedagogy, and contemporary works by artists including Lynn Nottage and Tarell Alvin McCraney. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 14 mins
  • There’s No Murder Like Show Murder with Matthew Greene and Geneva Carr

    There’s No Murder Like Show Murder with Matthew Greene and Geneva Carr
    Jul 3 2026
    Join us for a live podcast recording, talkback, and book signing with playwright and novelist Matthew Greene as he discusses his debut novel, There's No Murder Like Show Murder. Set in the charming Eastbrook Playhouse, the story follows costume shop head Tasha Weaver as she navigates backstage drama, a theater star’s shocking murder, and the challenge of saving her beloved theater from financial ruin—all while trying to catch the killer. Matthew Greene brings a wealth of theater experience to the story, with plays developed and performed from coast to coast, including Thousand Pines, Good Standing, and Gregorian. His insider perspective infuses this cozy yet thrilling murder mystery with authenticity, humor, and heart. Moderator: Geneva Carr, Tony-nominated Broadway and television actress known for Hand to God and CBS’s Bull, leads the conversation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    37 mins