EPISODE · Apr 24, 2026 · 1H 16M
#5 Miles Square Theater - 23 Years of Defying the Odds
from The Friday Sponge · host Jack Payne
Most arts organizations with their funding model would have closed by year five. Mile Square Theater just hit year 23.This week, we sit down with Elizabeth DiCandillo and Chris Cragin-Day — two leaders who could have taken the corporate path and didn’t. Instead, they built something Hoboken didn’t know it needed: an award-winning theater running on operational brilliance, deep community roots, and a stubborn refusal to quit.But this conversation goes beyond the stage. Elizabeth makes a case that the loneliness epidemic and the collapse of real relationships didn’t start with social media — it accelerated the moment we convinced ourselves a Zoom call was a substitute for showing up. She argues that the antidote isn’t an app. It’s a room full of people watching something they can’t rewind.If you’ve ever wondered what 23 years in the trenches of live performance teaches you about leadership, community, and human connection — this one’s for you. Real stories. Real business. Every Friday.Company Websites: https://www.milesquaretheatre.org/Instagram: @milesquaretheaterTikTok: @milesquaretheater
What this episode covers
Most arts organizations with their funding model would have closed by year five. Mile Square Theater just hit year 23.This week, we sit down with Elizabeth DiCandillo and Chris Cragin-Day — two leaders who could have taken the corporate path and didn’t. Instead, they built something Hoboken didn’t know it needed: an award-winning theater running on operational brilliance, deep community roots, and a stubborn refusal to quit.But this conversation goes beyond the stage. Elizabeth makes a case that the loneliness epidemic and the collapse of real relationships didn’t start with social media — it accelerated the moment we convinced ourselves a Zoom call was a substitute for showing up. She argues that the antidote isn’t an app. It’s a room full of people watching something they can’t rewind.If you’ve ever wondered what 23 years in the trenches of live performance teaches you about leadership, community, and human connection — this one’s for you. Real stories. Real business. Every Friday.Company Websites: https://www.milesquaretheatre.org/Instagram: @milesquaretheaterTikTok: @milesquaretheater
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#5 Miles Square Theater - 23 Years of Defying the Odds
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