In this two-part season finale, Tori and Mabelle talk with the extraordinary Steven Dietz about his 40+ years in the theater. He shares how his 11 years of directing workshops and readings of new plays served as his grad school, teaching him how the theater works in space. He shares tactics and tools of the craft, including his idea of plays as alive (The Living Play), the importance of inviting scrutiny, why inspiration is a con, how victories can be complicated, and his strategies for talkbacks ..read more

In this two-part season finale, Tori and Mabelle talk with the extraordinary Steven Dietz about his 40+ years in the theater. He shares how his 11 years of directing workshops and readings of new plays served as his grad school, teaching him how the theater works in space. He shares tactics and tools of the craft, including his idea of plays as alive (The Living Play), the importance of inviting scrutiny, why inspiration is a con, how victories can be complicated, and his strategies for talkbacks ..read more

Tori and Mabelle talk with accomplished storyteller Hansol Jung about her jump from politics to theater. She shares her trajectory from translating plays into Korean, to an MFA in Musical Theater Directing (at Penn State), and then to another MFA in Playwriting (Yale School of Drama).  She also shares about her experience collaborating on “Wolf Play” in the midst of the pandemic, and how it changed her artistic process. Other topics include Hansol’s new collaborative theater group (the Pack), reimagining collaboration, and The Kilroys ..read more

Tori and Mabelle talk with multihyphenate Brian Quijada about how a production of “Cabaret” showed him the power of political theater and set him on his theatrical journey. He shares his artist’s mission and goes in depth on the inspiration and development of “Where Did We Sit on the Bus?,” “Kid Prince and Pablo,” “Somewhere Over the Border,” and his new work, “Mexodus.” Find out why Brian never takes anything for granted, why he doesn’t ask permission to create, the magic of starting with something you know, and why we say "all roads lead to Brian Quijada ..read more

Tori and Mabelle talk with award-winning playwright and screenwriter, Anna Ouyang Moench, about grad school, motherhood, and her incredible catalog of plays. Anna shares about juggling life as an MFA Playwriting student at UCSD with teaching assistant work and parenting a newborn. The episode includes in-depth discussions of Anna’s plays “Mothers,” “Man of God,” “Birds of North America,” and her most recent play “Your Local Theater Presents: A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens, Again ..read more

Tori and Mabelle talk with playwright, director, and educator, Ramón Esquivel, about his path into theater through teaching, including the development of his first play at 30 years old. Other topics include Ramón’s quest to introduce young people to all aspects of theater, his revision strategy, key ways that theaters can uplift local playwrights, and practical tips he shares with his students ..read more

Tori and Mabelle talk with accomplished theater artist, June Carryl, about her transition from law to theater and beyond. June shares the turning point into playwriting with Paula Vogel and how she got bit by the acting bug. June discusses why words are crucial, how theatrical stories inspire change, and the joy of working with young audiences ..read more

Tori and Mabelle talk with James Vásquez, Resident Artist of The Old Globe Theatre, about trading in his baseball glove for tap shoes at 12 years old. He talks about how his father deeply influenced his love of both the arts and baseball, and he shares his full circle moments from childhood to director at The Old Globe. He reveals why he loves being told “no,” why the tech process is his favorite part of directing, and his belief that artists should also be activists ..read more

Tori and Mabelle talk with Hope Villanueva about her launch into theater as a stage manager to her stint touring with the circus and beyond. Hope shares her strategies for balancing her various gigs–from writing, grad school, stage managing, dramaturgy, and her third season as the Literary Manager at Bay Street Theatre. Other topics include vomit drafts, toggling between stage and screen, and receiving feedback ..read more

Tori and Mabelle talk with Larissa FastHorse about her path from ballet to the Children’s Theatre Company of Minneapolis to “The Thanksgiving Play” on Broadway. Larissa shares the details of her heart work with Indigenous communities and her radical inclusion process. Other topics include the Lakota Way, Indigenous Direction, writing for multigenerational audiences, and Larissa’s upcoming productions of “Peter Pan” and “For the People ..read more