Scene in Boston

Hosts Laura Amico and Lisa Thalhamer step inside the process of writing new plays—how stories move from idea to page to stage, and what it takes to build something that doesn't yet exist. They talk with Boston playwrights about shaping characters, navigating collaboration, and developing work in real time, as scripts evolve through workshops, rehearsals, and conversation with artists and audiences. The discussion opens up the often-invisible work behind new theater: revision, risk, and the challenge of writing something that feels urgent and alive. Along the way, Laura and Lisa connect these conversations to the broader landscape of new work in Boston, exploring how plays are developed across institutions and what it means to create theater that speaks to this moment—and to the audiences it hopes to reach. Also Mentioned: Lifted, as part of the Ufot Family Cycle The Outsiders Beauty and the Beast Charlotte's Web Little Women Pride and Prejudice The Odyssey The Moderate When Playwrights Kill Black Swan Weighting the Weight The Secret Sharer  

In this episode of Scene in Boston, hosts Laura Amico and Lisa Thalhamer sit down with award-winning actor and educator Kadahj Bennett ahead of his role as Caesar Wilkes in August Wilson's Gem of the Ocean, produced this spring by Actors Shakespeare Project. The episode is a deep dive into why Wilson's work feels urgently alive right now, and what happens when theater meets the community it's speaking to. Kadahj — who chairs the theater department at Boston Arts Academy and has performed at the Huntington, Speakeasy Stage, and ART — unpacks the themes that make Gem of the Ocean feel startlingly present today: wealth disparity, extrajudicial violence, the meaning of freedom, and the ways women are the backbone of their communities and yet still pushed to the margins. The conversation also explores the structure of Wilson's ten-play American Century Cycle, the show-by-show excitement audiences felt when those plays were first being released, and why Aunt Esther — one of Wilson's most mythic characters — makes her first chronological appearance here.  

In this episode of Scene in Boston, hosts Laura Amico and Lisa Thalhamer take a step back from individual productions to explore a bigger question: what's happening in our brains when we sit in an audience—and how do we get better at it? The episode features neuroscientist Antonia Hamilton, who studies social cognition and communication. She explains how watching live performance activates the parts of our brains responsible for reading emotion, intention, and behavior—and why those skills aren't passive, but learned. Theater, she argues, becomes a kind of training ground for attention and empathy, helping us practice how we understand other people. The conversation looks at how audiences interpret what's happening onstage—from facial expressions and tone of voice to pauses and physical movement—and how those signals build meaning in real time. Along the way, Laura and Lisa reflect on their own experiences as theatergoers, and how learning to "read" a performance can deepen the experience of being in the room. The hosts also discuss recent and upcoming productions in Boston, including shows with short runs that highlight both the richness and the challenges of keeping up with the city's theater scene. From experimental solo performances to new plays and returning productions, the episode offers a snapshot of what's on stage now—and why it's worth paying attention. Mentioned in this episode and on stage now/soon: Angry, Raucous and Shamelessly Gorgeous Lyric Stage Company of Boston Running March 20 – April 12, 2026 Charlotte's Web Wheelock Family Theater Running April 3-26 The Outsiders Broadway in Boston Running March 31-April12 The Antiquities SpeakEasy Stage Running March 6-28 Breaking the Code Central Square Theater April 2-26 Also Mentioned: The Things Around Us ArtsEmerson (now available as a recorded album) Dead as a DodoArtsEmerson Library Lion Calderwood Pavillion  

How does our idea of immigration change when it's not a journey with a clear destination, but a life spent learning who you are in the space between two homes? In this episode of Scene in Boston, a Boston theatre podcast, hosts Laura Amico and Lisa Thalhamer step into the world of playwright Mfoniso Udofia's Ufot Family Cycle, a nine-play epic tracing one Nigerian American family across 100 years, continents, and generations. Guest Kevin Becerra of The Huntington Theatre Company reveals how these plays shimmer with easter eggs, bilingual Ibibio–English storytelling, and deeply human characters that feel like someone you know. Along the way, they spotlight the new workshop production Lifted, the broader Ufot Family Cycle running across multiple Boston theaters, and touch on what's next in Boston theatre, from Broadway in Boston titles like Maybe Happy Ending and Death Becomes Her to upcoming work at the Huntington and ArtsEmerson—all part of the citywide collaboration bringing this cycle to stages and neighborhoods across Greater Boston.

Why are stories from ancient Greece having a moment in Boston theater? In this episode of Scene in Boston, hosts Laura Amico and Lisa Thalhamer explore a surge of productions inspired by Greek mythology and classical drama appearing across the city this season. Through conversations with two leading directors, the episode examines how these centuries-old stories continue to speak powerfully to contemporary audiences. Christine Hamel, director of Boston University's upcoming production of Medea, discusses how Greek tragedy connects personal stories to larger historical and political crises — themes that feel especially urgent today. Her production highlights questions of xenophobia, belonging, and societal responsibility, revealing how ancient texts mirror modern American debates. The episode also features Courtney O'Connor, producing artistic director at Lyric Stage, whose production of Penelope reimagines The Odyssey through the voice of Odysseus's long-waiting wife. Blending live music, intimate staging, and contemporary storytelling, the show transforms an epic tale into a deeply personal exploration of love, patience, and resilience. Together, these conversations reveal why Greek theater remains accessible, emotionally immediate, and surprisingly welcoming — even for audiences who may feel intimidated by classical titles. The hosts also highlight upcoming shows across Boston and invite listeners to engage with the city's thriving theater community. Mentioned in this episode are: Featured in interviews Penelope — Lyric Stage Company of Boston A modern musical retelling of The Odyssey from Penelope's perspective Running Feb 6 – Mar 1, 2026 at Lyric Stage Boston. Medea — Boston University School of Theatre Euripides tragedy directed by Christine Hamill Running Apr 9 – Apr 12, 2026 at BU's Studio ONE. Greek-inspired plays discussed The Oresteia — Boston University School of Theatre Adaptation of Aeschylus's epic trilogy Running Apr 17 – Apr 26, 2026 as part of BU's season. Hadestown — Touring/Broadway in Boston (Emerson Colonial Theatre) Modern mythic musical inspired by Orpheus and Eurydice Showing Feb 26 – Mar 1, 2026 in Boston. Oedipus El Rey — Huntington Theatre Company Luis Alfaro's reimagining of Oedipus Rex* Running May 7 – Jun 7, 2026 at Huntington. Other highlights We Had a World — Huntington Theatre Company New play by Joshua Harmon Running Feb 12 – Mar 15, 2026 at Huntington. Kinky Boots — Broadway in Boston (Citizens Bank Opera House) Tony-winning musical Running Feb 17 – Feb 22, 2026 in Boston Gem of the Ocean — Actor's Shakespeare Project August Wilson's epic drama exploring history, memory, and spiritual reckoning Running April 24 – May 17, 2026 Swept Away — SpeakEasy Stage Company Folk musical featuring the music of The Avett Brothers Running May 8 – June 7, 2026 Angry, Raucous, and Shamelessly Gorgeous — Lyric Stage Company of Boston Pearl Cleage's comedy about art, activism, and intergenerational mentorship Running March 27 – April 26, 2026 Something Rotten! — Lyric Stage Company of Boston A musical comedy about playwrights competing with Shakespeare Running May 29 – June 28, 2026

In this premiere episode, Scene in Boston hosts Laura Amico and Lisa Thalhamer dive into how Boston's stages are grappling with trauma in the age of the internet — as content, as labor, and as identity. They start with the world-premiere workshop of Girl Crime, a sharp, funny, and unsettling satire of true crime podcasts and influencer culture, before turning their focus to Job, the psychological thriller now playing at SpeakEasy Stage. Laura and Lisa talk with Job actors Josephine Moshiri Elwood and Dennis Trainor Jr. about building complicated, sometimes unsettling characters, performing in intense proximity to the audience, and what makes Boston audiences special. Along the way, they connect Job to The Moderate, opening at Central Square Theater, and to a broader season of shows exploring who carries the weight of what we watch, share, and consume online. Mentioned are: Girl Crime (Boston Center for the Arts / BCA Plaza) Job (SpeakEasy Stage Company) The Moderate (Central Square Theater) Weighting the Wait (Open Theatre Project) Wonder (American Repertory Theater) Penelope (Lyric Stage) The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Boston Center for the Arts) The Antiquities (SpeakEasy Stage) Gem of the Ocean (Actors Shakespeare Project)

In this introductory episode, Scene in Boston hosts Laura Amico and Lisa Thalhamer warm up the feed by previewing the kinds of connections Scene in Boston will explore across the season.  Laura and Lisa tease upcoming conversations about theater and online life (Job and The Moderate), ambitious long-form storytelling like the Ufot Family Cycle, and Boston's fascination with retelling epic myths—from Penelope to Hadestown to Oedipus El Rey.  Scene in Boston is about orientation, connection, and making Boston's remarkable theater scene feel accessible, alive, and worth talking about.