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

On this episode Brian travels to the northern tip of Manhattan to speak with Kimber Lee, whose plays include Untitled F*ck M*ss S**gon Play, to the yellow house, tokyo fish story (South Coast Rep, TheatreWorks/Silicon Valley, Old Globe Theater), brownsville song (b-side for tray) (Humana Festival, LCT3/Lincoln Center, Long Wharf Theatre, Philadelphia Theatre Company, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Moxie Theatre, Shotgun Players), and different words for the same thing directed by Neel Keller (Center Theatre Group/Kirk Douglas Theatre). Kimber moved to New York City shortly after completing graduate school at the University of Texas at Austin. There she connected with The Lark, which supported her for many years as a PONY Fellow, giving her space to develop new work and build a foundation in the city.

Indeed, Brian first met Kimber at The Lark’s Playwright Retreat in the summer of 2014, which she recalls now as one of the busiest and stressful periods of her career so far. Then and in the years that followed, Kimber felt overwhelmed and unable to navigate her work at a time when she felt obligated to finish new plays. 

Kimber and Brian talk about ideas and process, even more than usual on a typical episode of The Subtext, culminating in Brian sharing one of the most inspiring moments he experienced in the theatre: It was during a production of Kimber’s play different words for the same thing, directed by Neel Keller for the Kirk Douglas/CTG in L.A. Kimber shares how that memorable moment came to be. 

This episode can also be found here.

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