Madelyn Chapman, Jesse Castellanos, Michelle Feza Kuchuk, Fernando Mateo, Jr., Haneen Arafat Murphy, Maria Peyramaure, & Yasmin Ranz-Lind of “Lost Sock Laundry”

UP Theater Company presents LOST SOCK LAUNDRY, written by Ivan Faute, directed by Madelyn ChapmanListen in as the director of Lost Sock Laundry, Madelyn Chapman, along with the full cast—Jesse Castellanos, Michelle Feza Kuchuk, Fernando Mateo, Jr., Haneen Arafat Murphy, Maria Peyramaure, & Yasmin Ranz-Lind—discuss variations on the immigrant experience, finding the political in the quotidian, theatre in/of/for the community, laundry jokes, cast bonding, actual lost socks, and the freedom to play.

“…it’s a very human play. It’s looking at the day-to-day life of folks who are struggling with different aspects of the immigrant experience…The sort of ordinary heroism that is in the play…people just do that in life, and it’s not sung very much, the ways that people stand up for each other.”

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Dorothea Gloria, Joe Staton, Natasha Jain, Francesca Bolam, Kevin Rios, Jandel Camilo, Mila Besson, Nicholas Bompart, and Pablo Gatto of The Immigrant Short Play Festival

RiffRaff NYC presents Immigrants in New York at The Court Square TheaterListen in as Dorothea Gloria, Joe Staton, Natasha Jain, Francesca Bolam, Kevin Rios, Jandel Camilo, Mila Besson, Nicholas Bompart, and Pablo Gatto of RiffRaff NYC‘s Immigrants in New York short play festival discuss mother-daughter relationships, unpacking baggage, why clowns, the superpowers bestowed by costumes, personifying statues, and wearing masks over masks.

“…I wanted to show their lives, their dreams, their feelings…for me, it was important to show these professions, also…sometimes we take for granted, there are people who do it for passion, and some of them, they do it because they need to bring in money…”

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Nancy Ma, Kim Wuan, David Lee Huynh, & Vin Kridakorn of “Warrior Sisters of Wu”

Pan Asian Repertory Theatre presents Warrior Sisters of Wu, written by Damon Chua, directed by Jeff LiuListen in as Warrior Sisters of Wu performers Nancy Ma, Kim Wuan, David Lee Huynh, & Vin Kridakorn discuss navigating and connecting times and traditions, how conflicts can grow relationships and solve problems, respect and love for the audience, the changing moment when you discover your character’s love for another, fighting as conversation, grounding your role in the personal, and the permission to be anything and everything.

“…a great deal of love should be able to hold conflict…”

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Marc Castle, Mark Finley, & Dani Marcus of “Deadly Stages”

Emerging Artists Theatre, in association with No Anita No Productions, presents DEADLY STAGES, written by Marc Castle and Mark Finley, directed by Mark Finley, at Theatre RowListen in Deadly Stages co-authors Mark Finley (who directs) and Marc Castle (who portrays the glamorous Veronica Traymore), along with fellow performer Dani Marcus (Phoebe/Connie), discuss love of old movies, where reality meets camp, red herrings, writing like directors, pulling in new company members, pre-determined tracks, and finally getting a chance to collaborate.

“…I love when theatre doesn’t apologize for itself…”

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Eliza Palter, Paul Rochford, Thammie Laine Quách, Eli Wassertzug, & Ana Prí of “Antigone”

New Relic Theatre presents ANTIGONE, written by Sophocles, adapted and directed by Eliza Palter, featuring composition by Paul RochfordListen in as the adapter/director of New Relic Theatre’s production of Sophocles, Eliza Palter, along with composer Paul Rochford and performers Thammie Laine Quách, Eli Wassertzug, & Ana Prí, discuss Swedish pop musical inspiration, creating otherworldly characters, deep research, discovering levity, and moving Antigone to Viking culture.

“I think there is something so beautiful about making theatre for young people, and showing them that centuries and centuries and centuries ago, humans were just as vivid and complex, queer, complicated, as shameful as we are now. And bringing, especially young audiences, into the theater, and see the sweat on people from times of yore, see them struggle, see them be embarrassed, see them grapple with big ideas…”

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Elijah Guo, Dylin Taylor, Marsha Yuan, Misako Yamagishi, & Anthony Naranjo of “Tourist Trap”

The 2024 Chain Theatre One-Act Festival presents TOURIST TRAP, written by Elijah Guo, directed by Dylin TaylorListen in as Tourist Trap writer Elijah Guo, director Dylin Taylor, and performers Marsha Yuan, Misako Yamagishi, & Anthony Naranjo discuss the absurdity of unbelonging, the universality of beans, the authority of tour/play guides, and where physical space meets the ephemeral.

“…we spoke about the idea of how definitions of ‘Asian-ness,’ we didn’t necessary relate to them, or like, resonate with them. But we still identified as Asians, and we’re seen as Asians…so it’s, creating work that we do resonate with, that is Asian. And I don’t know that it’s us trying to be different, we’re trying to expand…”
“I know what it is: we’re Asian. It’s not a non-Asian writing about Asian. So it’s not, like, [insert stereotypical music here]—you don’t hear that in the background. It’s real life stories, real personalities…”

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Andrew Agress, Theo McKenna, Becky Ho, and Stephanie Litchfield of “The Fantastical Fellowship: Final Quest for the Crisis Crystal XXVII!”

FRIGID New York presents "The Fantastical Fellowship: Final Quest for the Crisis Crystal XXVII!" written by Andrew Agress, directed by Phoebe Brooks, at Under St. Mark'sListen in as The Fantastical Fellowship: Final Quest for the Crisis Crystal XXVII!
playwright Andrew Agress, along with performers Theo McKenna, Becky Ho, & Stephanie Litchfield, discuss full-double-cringe, inspiration from COVID boredom, alternate endings, “pleasant hell,” rolling with the (sometimes literal) punches, and where theatre & video games meet.

“…that cross-section of theatre-people discovering games, game-people discovering theatre…”

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Andrew Cortes, of the Stage Whisper Podcast

The Stage Whisper podcast, hosted by Andrew Cortes & Hope BirdListen in as Andrew Cortes, co-host of the Stage Whisper podcast, discusses the origins of the podcast, grumpy stage doorers vs. spontaneous intermission conversations, finding the positives, forging your own thoughts, making something unique, and why no one should have Broadway-blinders on.

“Our goal is to create a more inclusive, diverse, accepting, and educated theatre community and audience.”
“To that, I can only say, hell yeah.”
“Yeah! Now more than ever, I think those are just all so important. And we want to do what we can to uplift and amplify theatre artists’ voices, especially those of the off and off-off-Broadway community…”

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Cezar Williams & Danielle Covington of The Fire This Time Festival

FRIGID New York presents the 2024 Fire This Time Festival, directed by Cezar Williams, at The Wild ProjectListen in as The Fire This Time Artistic Director & the plays’ director Cezar Williams, along with producer & performer Danielle Covington, discuss highlighting the small moments, finding compassion, developing playwrights, and what’s new this time with The Fire This Time.

“I always say that The Fire This Time Festival feels like a family reunion, and it feels like we just added a ton of new people to the family…”

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Anya-Violette Zhang, Elena Lozonschi, Amy Hart Nguyễn, Lairce Dias, Joe Staton, Roslind Finlay, & Frank Pagliaro of “The Cherry Orchard: A Multilingual Adaptation”

The Cherry Orchard: A Multilingual Adaptation at Under St Marks Theater, written by Anton Chekhov, directed by Frank PagliaroListen in as The Cherry Orchard: A Multilingual Adaptation performers Elena Lozonschi, Anya-Violette Zhang, Amy Hart Nguyễn, Lairce Dias, Joe Staton, along with assistant director/performer Roslind Finlay & director Frank Pagliaro, discuss finding home, creating a multilingual version of a classic text, “a common language,” missing the merge onto the highway, and the importance of listening.

“It’s all about listening. When you listen, you can understand. […] It’s not about the words…”

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