Twice a month on the Token Theatre Friends video series and podcast, theatre critics (and theatre besties) Jose Solís and Diep Tran bring a POC perspective to the performing arts.
This week the Friends went on a road trip to the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival to speak to Britney Simpson, one of the stars of Into the Woods, the company’s first musical. Simpson is among the rare woman of color to play the Baker’s Wife, and she shared her insights on playing the character as a Black woman. She also talked about originating the role of Mopsa in the Oregon Shakespeare Festival production of Head Over Heels, and the path that led her to become an actor.
The audio of the interview is also available on the podcast, where the Friends review three shows currently playing in New York City:
Sea Wall/A Life by Simon Stephens and Nick Payne at the Hudson Theatre through Sept. 29 ($69-$339). Tom Sturridge and Jake Gyllenhaal star in two monologues about grief and fatherhood.
Bat Out of Hell by Jim Steinman at New York City Center through Sept. 8 ($45-$225). Four decades in the making, this musical uses the songs of Steinman and Meat Loaf for a post-apocalyptic retelling of Peter Pan. It’s batshit, in a good way.
Download the episode here.
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