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

EPISODE · Jan 13, 2026 · 59 MIN

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

from James Elden's Playwright's Spotlight · host James Elden

Send us Fan MailAfter an excruciating knee-tweak, Catherine Butterfield streamed into the Playwright's Spotlight being laid up on the couch. Proof that playwrights will go above and beyond, so we were unable to do the originally planned in-person interview. In this episode, we breakdown layering stories in the same location throughout different eras, when it's time to share and direct one's work, and "stumbling" upon commissions and opportunities. We also delve into New York being a musical theatre bastion, the effect of AI on creativity, receiving, achieving, and the benefits of awards, and seeking out competitions. We dive into major city and smaller markets, the pros and cons of Equity Theatre, never locking decisions down, multiple drafts and plot twists, and adjusting for casting. If there are layers in playwriting, there are definitely layers to this interview. Enjoy!Catherine Butterfield is a playwright, screenwriter, and director. Her play Joined at the Head won the George E. Oppenheimer/New York Newsday Award for outstanding play by a first-time playwright. She has also received the Kennedy Center-American Express award for outstanding promise as a playwright; the Kaufman & Hart Award for best new American comedy for her play The Sleeper; and the Davie Award for best new play in regional theater for Life in the Trees.  Her play Top of the World was a semi-finalist in the 2018 Eugene O'Neill playwriting competition and has been optioned for production in New York. Other plays include Electra, Revisited, include Life Expectancy, It Has to Be You, The Sleeper, Where the Truth Lies, Snowing at Delphi and Life in the Trees published by Dramatists Play Service, Samuel French and Playscripts, Inc.Her play Brownstone opens January 24th and runs through February 28th at the Atwater Village Theater in Los Angeles, CA. For tickets, visit - https://openfisttheatre.my.salesforce-sites.com/ticket#/events/calendarWebsite and Socials for Catherine Butterfield -www.catherinebutterfield.comIG - @catherine.butterfieldFB - https://www.facebook.com/catherine.butterfield.129Bluesky - @cbutterfield.bsky.socialWebsites and socials for James Elden, Punk Monkey Productions and Playwright's SpotlightPunk Monkey Productions - www.punkmonkeyproductions.comPLAY Noir -www.playnoir.comPLAY Noir Anthology –www.punkmonkeyproductions.com/contact.htmlJames Elden -Twitter - @jameseldensauerIG - @alakardrakeFB - fb.com/jameseldensauerPunk Monkey Productions and PLAY Noir - Twitter - @punkmonkeyprods                  - @playnoirla IG - @punkmonkeyprods       - @playnoir_la FB - fb.com/playnoir        - fb.com/punkmonkeyproductionsPlaywright's Spotlight -Twitter - @wrightlightpod IG - @playwrights_spotlightPlaywriting services through Los Angeles Collegiate Playwrights Festivalwww.losangelescollegiateplaywrightsfestival.com/services.htmlSupport the show

NOW PLAYING

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

0:00 59:41

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

Infinitely Precious James Henry Everyone is infinitely precious and unconditionally loved for the gift they already are. Through affirmation and practice, each of us can begin to live from a place of recognizing our own preciousness and its extension in to everyone and everything else. Scar(r)ed For Life pjwrench A nostalgic, banter-full and analytical delve into all the TV shows, movies, games, books, and other media that scared (and scarred!) us s***less when we were children in the 90s. Ranging from the infamous to the obscure, from The Wizard of Oz to The Demon Headmaster, from Tomb Raider to fairytales, we’ve offer up 2 classic pieces of entertainment to reminisce and wax lyrical. Enjoy! Deep True Crimes (S.H) S. Harlowe True Crime, Mystery, and a little bit of history thrown in. This is a community for people who are drawn to the darker side of things, who aren't afraid to hear honest opinions about difficult matters. Chef’s Recipe Spotlight Chef Jessica Anne Formicola A short daily podcast featuring easy, approachable recipes for every home cook. Chef Jessica Anne Formicola of the Emmy-nominated Show Plate It!, cookbook author and Le Cordon Bleu Certified recipe developer, shares why the recipe is important to her and tips and tricks for preparing it. She follows her 5 S philosophy of using salt, spices, sauces, substitutions and the sense to create restaurant quality dishes in a home kitchen. See her work in Parade Magazine, Better Homes & Gardens, Mashed, tasting Table and The Daily Meal Food + Travel and more! Additionally, she is a mom and wife residing in Baltimore, Maryland where she is passionate about supporting the local food community.
URL copied to clipboard!