Every other week, the editors of American Theatre curate a free-ranging discussion about the lively arts in our Offscript podcast.
This week, editors Diep Tran, Russell Dembin, and Allison Considine discuss theatre for young audiences and their first experiences at the theatre.
Plus, editor-in-chief Rob Weinert-Kendt sits down with two giants of the TYA field: David Saar, founding artistic director of Childsplay, and Linda Hartzell, artistic director of Seattle Children’s Theatre. Both directors are retiring this season after roughly 40 and 30 years, respectively; here they discuss career highlights and how the field has grown during their tenure.
Download the episode here. Subscribe via iTunes or RSS.
This week’s recommendations:
- For anyone who loves strong female characters and stories of financial woes: The Way West by Mona Mansour, running through April 3 at Labyrinth Theater Company in New York City.
- Speaking of strong female characters, if you’re into transformative female performances set to bluegrass music, check out Bright Star, the new musical currently on Broadway by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell.
- Another strong female character is assayed in Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, currently streaming on HBO Go and HBO Now. With Audra McDonald and Lonnie Price, the film is based on the 2014 Broadway production of Lanie Robertson’s play, about Billie Holiday’s last live performance.
