American Theatre is proud to be the venue for Theatrical Mustang, an independently produced podcast from actor-writer-activist Woodzick. Each month they’ll bring listeners interviews with unbridled talent and cultural trailblazers from across the country.

This month, they speak to Mykai Eastman, a director and playwright currently based in Denver, Colorado. Mykai dedicates his career to giving a voice to the voiceless. With a B.A in Theatre, and an M.A in Professional Communication, Mykai takes a multi-disciplinary approach to theatre that pushes the boundaries of what is expected onstage. With the goal of expanding the American theatre audience, Mykai is currently working on publishing a new dramatic theory that combines theatre and film practices for producers to implement in their artistic practices.

The conversation covers EDI work in the field, directorial philosophy, and what theatre can learn from how films engage their audiences.

More info about Mykai can be found at his website: Mykaieastman.com

Mykai is performing in Vintage Theatre’s production of Sophisticated Ladies, which runs Jan. 27 to March 5. He also serves on the Vintage Theatre board of directors. Mykai will be assistant directing The Color Purple at Denver Center for the Arts. He also will be assistant directing Memphis at Town Hall Arts Center later this spring. Mykai serves as the EDI facilitator for the Glimmerglass Festival.

Listeners may wish to learn more about Dr. Melanie Greene and Narrative Persuasion Theory, which Mykai references in the interview.

You can also listen to the episode here.

The Theatrical Mustang podcast is edited by CJ Higgins (they/them). Music by The Morgens using Citizen DJ Project, Library of Congress, National Jukebox.

This podcast is dedicated to the memory of Barton Cole, who coined the phrase “Theatrical Mustang.”

You can listen to episodes 1-138 of the Theatrical Mustang Podcast here. You can email us at theatricalmustang@gmail.com or send a tweet to @TheatricalM.