Each month on The Subtext, Brian speaks with a playwright about life, writing, and whatever itches we are scratching.

This week Brian talks to Marin Ireland, an accomplished theatre actor whose deeply personal first play, Pre-Existing Condition, was recently staged Off-Broadway. They discuss how she overcame her discomfort in claiming the title of playwright; the ups and downs of establishing an acting career, from the bill-paying day jobs to the crushing impact of negative criticism; and the unique vulnerability she felt about receiving feedback and audience responses to her first play.

Ireland has been nominated for multiple Drama Desk, Lucille Lortel, Outer Critic, and Broadway League Awards, as well as for a Tony for her role in Neil LaBute’s Reasons to Be Pretty. Notable stage credits include Blasted at Soho Rep, Summer & Smoke at Classic Stage Company, and last year’s acclaimed loft staging of Uncle Vanya. Film appearances include work with Taylor Sheridan (Hell or High Water, Martin Scorsese (The Irishman), and Matt Ross (28 Hotel Rooms), and her TV work includes the Amazon series Sneaky Pete, the FX series Y: The Last Man, and the Netflix series The Umbrella Academy. She’ll next be seen starring in Ridley Scott’s series Sinking Spring for Apple TV+ and the feature The Boogeyman.

This episode can also be found here.

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