The Distance Between Identity and Opinion w/ S. Asher Gelman

On the latest episode of "Authenticated," Kate asks director, choreographer, playwright, producer, and Artistic Director of Midnight Theatricals, S. Asher Gelman what happens when a playwright refuses to give audiences a clear singular opinion on a multidimensional debate topic? Together, in conversation, they get into the details of his process to develop works that present audiences with different facets of a topic to form an opinion for themselves, not as a collective audience, but as individual witnesses to the same presented work. Asher, the writer and director of Afterglow, Scarlet Dreams, and The Zionist: A Family Storm, offers insight behind the co-building of his theatre company Midnight Theatricals with his partner Stefano Milici, how he's designed his playwriting process around self delegated deadlines that turn into creative midnight writing sessions, and how a decade living in Tel Aviv gave him what he calls a "superpower" for separating the American experience from the human one. Through this episode, the topic of polyamory peppers examples of hyper commitment and the dimensions of relationships the physical world doesn't always showcase, thoughts of why discomfort is a muscle we're losing are shared, the particular grief that comes with having to barter for empathy and what ignites the creative impetus to make art that generates conversation. It is a wonderful discussion, devoid of judgement, meant for listeners desiring an hour to reflect on and re-examine what it means to listen, to hear and to have conversations with people holding opposing opinions. Show Notes:S. Asher Gelman Website: https://www.sashergelman.comS. Asher Gelman Insta: @dancingasherKate McLeod WebsiteAuthenticated All Access