Playwright Spotlight: A.A. Brenner

Christophe Desorbay: Management Assistant at Daryl Roth Productions, Dancer & Disability Inclusion and Accessibility Awareness Consultant

Christophe Desorbay wears several theatrical hats, from working in Daryl Roth's producing and general management offices to being an auditioning performer and dancer. He is also passionate about disability inclusion and is committed to bringing greater accessibility to the performing arts industry at large through the various hats he wears. You can follow some of the many ideas he has surrounding these topics on his Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/cdesherbert/?hl=en], where you can also contact him.

Playwright Spotlight: A.A. Brenner

A very special Playwright Spotlight with writer A.A. Brenner! A.A. (They/Them) and I went to college together (but didn’t really know each other). They are currently finishing up their MFA from Columbia University School of the Arts. You should definitely go check out their website [https://www.aabrenner.com/] to learn more, but some info pulled from it below: "Their plays have been produced or commissioned by La Jolla Playhouse, National Disability Theatre, CO/LAB Theatre Group, Shakespeare Theatre Company (Fellows Consortium), Three Muses Theatre Company, Young Playwrights Inc., The Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts, Columbia University, and The Hangar Theatre Lab Company; their play for all audiences, EMILY DRIVER'S GREAT RACE THROUGH TIME AND SPACE (co-written by Gregg Mozgala), was featured on the 2020 Kilroys List [https://thekilroys.org/list-2020/]. Additionally, A.A. was a Finalist for the 2020-22 Apothetae & Lark Playwriting Fellowship [https://www.americantheatre.org/2020/12/22/drewcella-davis-named-2020-22-apothetae-and-lark-playwriting-fellow/], and is one of the inaugural recipients of the Jody Falco and Jeffrey Steinman Award. Most recently, A.A. was named a Finalist for the London-based Platform Presents 2021 Playwright's Prize [https://www.platformpresents.com/] and the 2021 Columbia@Roundabout New Play Reading Series [https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Winners-of-ColumbiaRoundabouts-2021-New-Play-Reading-Series-Announced-20010101], and has been a writer-in-residence at New York Stage and Film's 2021 Summer Season [https://www.playbill.com/article/billy-porters-sanctuary-will-stream-as-part-of-new-york-stage-and-film-lineup] and The Lark's Beyond the Binary [https://www.larktheatre.org/what-we-do/our-initiatives/beyond-binary/] initiative for trans and nonbinary writers." On this episode, A.A. and I discuss their writing process, their thoughts on graduate school for writers, and the importance of one’s own identity when creating stories.

Todd Fisher: Greensboro Fringe Festival Director & Creative Greensboro Performing Arts Coordinator

Today, the pod goes to North Carolina to speak with Todd Fisher! You can learn more by checking out http://www.creativegreensboro.com/ [http://www.creativegreensboro.com/].  According to Todd, he is a theater artist, husband, beer brewer and, if it’s your birthday, singer. Todd is a a graduate of UNCG Theater and Dance, trainee of the SITI Company and member of the John Gamble Dance Theater. He currently serves as the director of the Greensboro Fringe Festival, and the Creative Greensboro Performing Arts Coordinator, specializing in new works for the stage. This episode gives insight into what's been going on in the theatre scene in North Carolina, and what is expected to happen next.

Playwright Spotlight: Dwayne Yancey

This week the podcast is highlighting playwright, Dwayne Yancey [//dwayneyancey.com.]! Dwayne is based in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. He has been produced in 47 states, 6 provinces, and 17 countries. On this episode, Dwayne and I talk about how he manages to be so prolific, how he's tailoring his writing for the current moment, and what he anticipates RE demand for new plays in the upcoming season.  You can learn more by checking out his website, dwayneyancey.com. [//dwayneyancey.com.]

Joe Hanrahan: Co-Founder and Artistic Director of The Midnight Company

Today the pod goes to St. Louis to speak with Joe Hanrahan of The Midnight Company [https://midnightcompany.com/index.html]! Joe has had a long and dynamic career as not only the Co-Founder/Artistic Director of The Midnight Company, but also as a director and actor himself. If you want to learn more, check out his bio [https://www.midnightcompany.com/site/JoeHanrahan.html] on The Midnight Company's website -- he has a number of upcoming shows! We talk about what it was like to produce a show during the height of COVID, the pros and cons of Zoom vs. in-person performance (especially as the shift back to in-person takes hold), and what he hopes is next.