Don't Talk to Strangers Podcast

In this episode of DT2S, I talk with friend and playwright Rachel Bykowski. We discuss her recent success with several of her plays getting readings and productions around the US, feminism in art, her process for writing, and how she undertook the #100submissions attempt. Rachel and I became friends in graduate school at OU where she wowed us with her talent and her love of shoes. In fact, my 2yo is obsessed with shoes and I can't help but give a nod to Rach. We also talk a lot about her use of #NewPlayExchange and what playwrights she follows like Rachel Bublitz, Chloe Hung, and Diana Burbano. You can find Rachel and many of her plays on New Play Exchange. You may follow her on the Twitter at @RachB713 And you can visit her site at RachelBykowskiPlays.com You can follow me at @TylerWhidden Music by Roger Hoover

For this episode, I talk with Cleveland playwright David Hansen. We discuss a lot of Shakespeare, directing, the New Play Exchange, toy porn, advice for playwrights, and how we're not savvy enough to be YouTube Famous. I will be directing David's new play "The Way I Danced With You" opening March 21, 2019 at Ensemble Theatre in Cleveland. You can follow David Hansen on the Twitter at @dhansenx You can follow me at @tylerwhidden Music by Roger Hoover   @theRogerHoover

We're back! I sit down with Cleveland/NYC actor Jeffrey Grover about a million years ago. The day before he came over, Jeffrey just closed his run as Roy Cohn in Ensemble Theatre's productions of both parts of "Angels in America." He's been in a lot of great productions here in Cleveland as well as roles in several big-budget films, and I try to talk him into giving fewer fucks. We talk hocking paper products, finding work as an actor, and working with Amy Schumer on "I Feel Pretty" and Don Cheadle on "Miles Ahead." Also, I encourage two squirrels to kill themselves in my garage. Here is a link to the scene from "Miles Ahead" that Jeffrey talks about. You can follow Jeffrey on Twitter at @Masonhead2014 You can follow me at @TylerWhidden Music by Roger Hoover

For the Season Two premier of #DT2S, I snuck into a bathroom in Michigan (sans microphone) to speak with my good friend and playwright Catherine Weingarten. Cat's new play, A Roller Rink Temptation, closes this weekend at the WOW Cafe with The Dare Tactic Theatre Company in NYC. Schmancy. Tickets at http://thedaretactic.org/ Cat and I talk about her process of writing her plays, growing up in a "Jew-friendly" part of Philadelphia, her campaign to get Facebook to drop the "fat" emotion, and adapting Boccaccio's The Decameron. You can follow Cat on the Twitter at @SarahKaneissexy You can follow me at @TylerWhidden Music by Roger Hoover

In the Season One finale of DT2S, I talk with Cleveland actor David Vegh about how he grew up as Kevin Bacon in Footloose, the one book I would like to have on a deserted island & why, working with Tom Hanks and that guy from Cheers on Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan, and how he nearly Wile E. Coyoted himself out of appearing in House. David has been on stage with Ensemble Theatre a few times here in Cleveland and now teaches at Case Western University. He's directing the upcoming production of Sarah Ruhl's In the Next Room, or the Vibrator Play for Case opening November 10th. @tylerwhidden