James Elden's Playwright's Spotlight cover art

All Episodes

James Elden's Playwright's Spotlight — 132 episodes

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1

Finding the Arc, Unconventional Stage Directions, and Successful Marketing and Pitches - Playwright's Spotlight with Cameron Scott (Part 2 - In Person)

2

Writing to be Produced, Pulling Back and Going Too Far, and The Revolving Dessert Tray - Playwright's Spotlight with Drew Larimore

3

Do It To Be Good, Echo and Rhyme, and the David Inside the Statue - Playwright's Spotlight with Ann Noble

4

High Floors, Slips, and Theatre of the Absurd - Playwright's Spotlight with Brian Brijbag

5

Hiding Secrets, Embracing Overwriting, Submission Hoops, and the End of Art(?) - Playwright's Spotlight with Amanda Stamm

6

Defining Spectacle, Writing More to Get Better, and Bringing Humor to Serious Situations - Playwright's Spotlight with Erik Patterson

7

Katherine Hepburn, Avoiding Success, and the Fascinating Story of a Playwriting Actor - Playwright's Spotlight with Marc Mantell

8

Immersive Theatre, Trust, Chaos, and Catching the Vibe - Playwright's Spotlight with Hank Jacobs

9

Building the Scene, Leaning on Exposition, and 99 Years of Theatre Americana - Playwright's Spotlight with Donna Scarantino

10

Taking Leaps, Wearing Many Hats, and the Development of The Playwright's Desk App - Playwright's Spotlight with William Smith

11

Making Characters Sound Natural, Having Control of One's Work, and Beginning a Career in Playwriting Later in Life - Playwright's Spotlight with Paul Webb

12

"Dirty" Drafts, Creating Opportunities, and Knowing the End - Playwright's Spotlight with Evelina Fernandez

13

"Tends to be" Structures, Crazy Spaces, and Giving Characters What They Want - Playwright's Spotlight with Olivia Dufault

14

Agitating a Nerve, the Need to Overwrite, and Writing the "Impossible" - Playwright's Spotlight with Gabriel Rivas Gómez

15

"Pale for Weariness", Balancing Life vs Art, and Why Today's the Day -Playwright's Spotlight with Andy Batt

16

Site-Specific Plays, The Secret Sauce, and Opening Doors to Success - Playwright's Spotlight with Patrick Gabridge

17

Pansters and Plotters, Establishing Suspense Through Language, and the Secret of the First 25 Pages - Playwright's Spotlight with Travis Williams

18

Rings of Connection, Center the Work, and Building Trust and Sharing the Why - Playwright's Spotlight with Adrienne Torf and Raymond O. Caldwell

19

Awards, AI, Adjusting for Casting, and Always Maybe - Playwright's Spotlight with Catherine Butterfield

20

Gatekeepers, Pushing the Line, Independent vs Mainstream, and the Limitations of Specificity - Playwright's Spotlight with Isaac Laskin

21

Defining Weird, Living in the Creative "World", and Letting Go of Creative Control - Playwright's Spotlight with Clara Rodriguez

22

Writing the Absurd, Doubting Your Talent, and Recognizing Gifts and Weaknesses - Playwright's Spotlight with James Merolla

23

Narrative, Reversals, Mapping the Journey, and Running Away with the Circus - Playwright's Spotlight with Dietrich Smith

24

Inspirational Feedback, Weight-Bearing Walls, and Recognizing and Overcoming Imposter Syndrome - Playwright's Spotlight with Sofia Streisand

25

Applied Theatre, Writing Bilingual, and Dramaturgical Playwriting - Playwright's Spotlight with Ankita Raturi

26

Writing Theatrically, Working on the Puzzle, and the Ecosystem of Theatre - Playwright's Spotlight with Crystal Skillman

27

Formulas and Slow Burners, the Process of Radio Dramas, and Making Mystery Interesting - Playwright's Spotlight with John Ballentine

28

Community, Distractions, and Writing Characters You Don't See on Stage - Playwright's Spotlight with Israel López Reyes

29

Film to Stage, Naturalism to Realism, and Finding Courage to Write - Playwright's Spotlight with David Kohner Zuckerman

30

Implementing Twists, Writing Red Herrings, and Keeping Your Audience Engaged - Playwright's Spotlight with Stuart Brown

31

The Musicality of Dialogue, the Magic of Writing, the Doorway Effect, and the Trick of Eliminating Parenthiticals - Playwright's Spotlight with Lawrence Connolly

32

The Business of Playwriting, Laying Breadcrumbs, and Dramatic Truth and the Math of Human Emotion - Playwright's Spotlight with Angelica Cheri

33

Episode 100! Jersey Boys, an Egg Timer, Stage Effects, and Organizing Principles - Playwright's Spotlight with Rick Elice

34

Magical Realism and Heightened Language, Punctuation as Sheet Music, and Locking Opposite Characters in a Room - Playwright's Spotlight with Ashley Griffin

35

Artistic Visas, Defining Success, and Networking to Find Opportunities - Playwright's Spotlight with Joel Trinidad

36

Plays as Living Things, Staging in Unconventional Locations, and the Definition of Being a Writer - Playwright's Spotlight with Cameron Scott

37

Writing a Play in Real Time, Necessity Breeding Creativity, and Journey to the Hollywood Fringe - Playwright's Spotlight with Faye Widjaja and Sohani Sawant

38

Adaptations, Archetypes, Writing Whimsy, and A Quantum Fantasia - Playwright's Spotlight with John Farmanesh-Bocca

39

Rhythm in Dialogue, Playing with Different Structures, and the Flaws of Rewriting on Stage - Playwright's Spotlight with Brad McEntire

40

Vomit, Unwritten Dialogue, Hip Hop Theatre, and the Delusions of Learning the Craft - Playwright's Spotlight with Rickerby Hinds

41

Painting a Room, Masterclasses vs Academia, and the Perils of Liking Your Own Writing - Playwright's Spotlight with June Thomson Morris

42

Voices, Overwriting, Stage Directions in Dialogue, and Infusing Your Writing with Heart - Playwright's Spotlight with Lisa Rosenbaum and Ronda Spinak

43

London, N.Y., and L.A. Markets, Great Hooks and Good Stories, and Stealing from the Greats - Playwright's Spotlight with Stephen Laughton

44

Deadlines, Storytelling Through Post-Its, and Working with Sensitive Subject Matter - Playwright's Spotlight with Judson Jones

45

Two Ideas That Collide, Having a Wise, Magical Woman, and Selling Widgets and Building a Market - Playwright's Spotlight with Megan Gogerty

46

Hypnotic Language, the Rules of the Card Game, and Asking Big Questions - Playwright's Spotlight with Audrey Cefaly

47

Overcoming Disability, the Benefits of Distractions, and the Ramifications of a Character's Actions - Playwright's Spotlight with Peter Anthony Fields

48

Collaborating with Your Characters, Resting Your Cards, and the Structure of Bernard Gerbanier - Playwright's Spotlight with Carolyn Gage

49

Julliard, Monologues as a Marketing Tool, and the Math of Playwriting - Playwright's Spotlight with Adam Szymkowicz

50

Capturing the Audience, Archetypes & Character Flaws, and Being Done When You're Dead - Playwright's Spotlight with Laura Annawyn Shamas

51

Stealing from the Best, Letting the Story Find You, and the Approach of "When Are We?" - Playwright's Spotlight with Allison Gregory

52

Prize Money vs Publication, Avoiding Scams, and the Effects of Changing Location - Playwright's Spotlight with Nick Amatuzio

53

Self Publishing, Offending Your Audience, Unconventional Marketing, and One Truth a Day - Playwright's Spotlight with Sharisse Zeroonian

54

From Lawyer to Playwright, Finding the Engine, and Working Backwards to Move Forward - Playwright's Spotlight with June Carryl

55

Taking the Leap, Intention, and the Play is the Thing - Playwright's Spotlight with Ethan Crystal and Garrett Poladian

56

Living Voices, Loving Language, Pushing Boundaries, and Earning the Moment - Playwright's Spotlight with Jennie Webb

57

Overcoming Imposter Syndrome, the Deadline Draft, and Learning from Classic Greek Playwrights - Playwright's Spotlight with Michi Barall

58

Developing Premise, Breaking a Story, and Assembling the Team - Playwright's Spotlight with Ben Edlin and Deborah Aquila

59

Lying and Hiding, Writing Distinct Voices, and An Actual Formula to Success - Playwright's Spotlight with Nicholas Pilapil

60

Confidence, Gatekeepers, Theatricum Botanicum, and Life on the Blacklist - Playwright's Spotlight with Ellen Geer

61

Cliffhangers, Stage Magic, Relationships and Landing Productions - Playwright's Spotlight with Tom Jacobson

62

Dramatic Questions, Shaping Your Play, and What Every Playwright Should Be Doing - Playwright's Spotlight with Catherine Filloux

63

Libraries, Confidence, the Process of Revision, and Saving Your Darlings - Playwright's Spotlight with Olivia Sawatzki

64

Technology, the Dangers of Missing Deadlines, and Making Musicals Look Simple - Playwright's Spotlight with Ian Kim

65

Set Up, Adaptation, Compensation, and Writing Good Suspense - Playwright's Spotlight with Barry M. Putt, Jr.

66

Writing in Threads, Finding Momentum, and "Bad Pages Are No Pages" - Playwright's Spotlight with Boni B. Alvarez

67

Developmental Struggles, Embracing Rejection, and "Overnight" Success - Playwright's Spotlight with David Johann Kim

68

Writing Transitions, Cracking the Story, and "Wait! What?" Moments - Playwright's Spotlight with Michelle Kholos Brooks

69

Opera, Wit, Interruptions, and Reframing Your Story - Playwright's Spotlight with Oliver Mayer

70

Opening Up the Text, Playfulness in Language, and "Saving As." - Playwright's Spotlight with Tira Palmquist

71

Etiquette, Letting Go of Perfection, and Writing From a Slice of Life - Playwright's Spotlight with Becky Wahlstrom

72

Writing Natural Dialogue, Getting Back to Our Roots, and Why Theatre? - Playwright's Spotlight with Steve Fife

73

Reflecting Life on Stage, The New York City Hustle, and Putting Away the Constraints - Playwright's Spotlight with Catya McMullen

74

Purging Emotions, Deus Ex Machina, and Making the Case to Study Playwriting in Academia - Playwright's Spotlight with Luke Yankee

75

Putting in the Time, Owning Your Home Town, and a Path to Success - Playwright's Spotlight with Donna Hoke

76

Segues, Dry Spells, & Branding, Confidence & Commitment, and What's Too Soon? - Playwright's Spotlight with Henry Phillips

77

Sweating the Joke, Surprising Your Audience, and Fighting For Your Convictions - Playwright's Spotlight with Paul Greenberg

78

Translation, Culture, and Non-Traditional Theatre - An American Playwright in Norway - Playwright's Spotlight with Ren Powell

79

Truth and Trust, Compromise in Collaboration, and the Healing Process of Playwriting - Playwright's Spotlight with Stan Mayer

80

Writing From Experience, the Music of Language, and the Fate of Theatre - Playwright's Spotlight with Richard Vetere

81

Writing From Grief, Hearing the Truth, and the Need for Validation - Playwright's Spotlight with Brynn Thayer

82

Playwriting Mechanics, Playing with Timelines, and Obtaining Representation - Playwright's Spotlight with Anna Ouyang Moench

83

Parody, Writing the Fool Proof Play, and Writing for Young Performers and Audiences - Playwright's Spotlight with Dean O'Carroll

84

Plagiarizing Yourself, Writing Layered Characters, and Making Scripted Dialogue Sound Spontaneous - Playwright's Spotlight with Garry Michael Kluger

85

Collaboration and Control, Freud on Cocaine, and Getting Your Play Realized - Playwright's Spotlight with Howard Skora

86

Moving Forward, Developing Relationships, and Writing a la Mode - Playwright's Spotlight with Wendy Graf

87

Storytelling, Playing with Structure, and the Pipe Burst of Playwriting - Playwright's Spotlight with John Patrick Bray

88

Hitting the Flow State, Locking Yourself Away, and Staying in the Sh*t - Playwright's Spotlight with Bernardo Cubria

89

Assets and Flaws, Zodiac Signs, and Being an Economic Writer - Playwright's Spotlight with Vanessa Sterwart

90

Handling Exposition, Arming Your Characters, and the Tension of Opposites - Playwright's Spotlight with Jonathan Dorf

91

Setups and Payoffs, First Draft Dialogue, and Letting Go of Logistics - Playwright's Spotlight with Bob DeRosa

92

Going into Hiding, the Catharsis of Playwriting, and Playing with Fundamentals - Playwright's Spotlight with Kathryn Keats

93

Adaptation, the Death of Theatre, and Always Get the Story Right First - Playwright's Spotlight with Itamar Moses

94

Narrative Pacing, Pushing Discomfort, and Being a Jazz Playwright - Playwright's Spotlight with Roger Q. Mason

95

Repertory, Residencies, and the Benefits of Previews - Playwright's Spotlight with Sunny Drake

96

Diligence, Perseverance, and Overcoming Adversity - Playwright's Spotlight with Faye Widjaja

97

Discovery, Deliberation, Decision, and Driving Action - Playwright's Spotlight with Matt Williams

98

Psychology, Vulnerability, and the Romance of Playwriting - Playwright's Spotlight with John Mabey

99

Adaptation, Development, and Breaking Down the Story - Playwright's Spotlight with Barry Kornhauser

100

Workshops, Styles, Tropes, and Politics Preventing Art - Playwright's Spotlight with Trey Nichols

101

Rhythm, Dance, Space in Beats, and Being a Lazy Writer - Playwright's Spotlight with Dagney Kerr

102

Twists, Turns, Intent, and Creating Your Own Opportunities - Playwright's Spotlight with Paul Surace

103

Action in Dialogue, Inspiring Designers, and the Seeds of Conflict - Playwright's Spotlight with Cyndy A. Marion

104

Etudes, Texture, and Driving a Different Route - Playwright's Spotlight with Michael Wright

105

Artistic Statements, Achieving Dimension, and the Great Elevator Play - Playwright's Spotlight with Gary Garrison

106

Playwright's Spotlight with Steven Dietz

107

Playwright's Spotlight with Mark Harvey Levine

108

Playwright's Spotlight with Nina Mansfield

109

Playwright's Spotlight with Dean Farell Bruggeman

110

Playwright's Spotlight with Stephen Kaplan

111

Playwright's Spotlight with Jonathan Cook

112

Playwright's Spotlight with Brian Gene White

113

Playwright's Spotlight with Paul Braverman

114

Playwright's Spotlight with Steven Young

115

Playwright's Spotlight with Joe Janes

116

Playwright's Spotlight with Michael Gordon Shapiro

117

Playwright's Spotlight with Charles Robertson

118

Playwright's Spotlight with Kimberly Faye Greenberg

119

Playwright's Spotlight with Gregory Crafts

120

Playwright's Spotlight with Laura King

121

Playwright's Spotlight with Nicky Silver

122

Playwright's Spotlight with Dramatists Guild's Emmanuel Wilson

123

Playwright's Spotlight with Arthur M. Jolly

124

Playwright's Spotlight with Christopher Flowers

125

Playwright's Spotlight featuring Susan Goodell

126

Playwright's Spotlight featuring Hope Thompson

127

Playwright's Spotlight featuring Adam Hunter Howard

128

Playwright's Spotlight featuring Jeff Pearce

129

Playwright's Spotlight featuring Daniel Guyton

130

Playwright's Spotlight featuring David-Matthew Barnes

131

Playwright's Spotlight featuring April Littlejohn

132

Playwright's Spotlight Introductory Episode