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PODCAST

The Drama Book Show!

The Drama Book Show! & Broadway Podcast Network

Welcome to The Drama Book Show! Join hosts David Rigano, Mark-Eugene Garcia, and Dylan Glick- seasoned playwrights and close friends, as they engage in interviews with a diverse array of guests spanning from Broadway to Off-Broadway and beyond. Recording before a live audience at the Drama Book Shop, each week features a theater expert delving into realms both on and off the stage. Follow @dramabookshowpodcast on instagram, check Eventbrite for events, and join our lively audience at the book

arts performing arts

All Episodes

61:53

Working Together in Theatre- With Joel Veenstra

The Drama Book Show! ·

2026/09/16

In this episode, we explore Working Together in Theatre: Collaboration and Leadership with Joel Veenstra, Chair of the Drama Department at UC Irvine and a specialist in stage management, improvisation, and collaborative production. Building on the work of acclaimed theatre educator and director Robert Cohen, this new edition examines what it takes to create great theatre together. From playwrights and directors to actors, designers, stage managers, dramaturgs, and crews, we look at how

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60:25

Sex, Drugs, and Pilot Season: Confessions of a...

The Drama Book Show! ·

2026/09/15

In this episode, acclaimed casting director Joel Thurm shares stories from his remarkable career in Hollywood, chronicled in Sex, Drugs, and Pilot Season. From discovering John Travolta and the Phoenix family to shaping iconic TV shows like Cheers, Taxi, The Love Boat, and The Golden Girls, Thurm offers a witty and irreverent insider’s view of the entertainment industry. He also recounts his work on classic films including Grease, Airplane!, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, giving listeners a

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48:31

A Conversation With Julie Gilbert about Giant Love

The Drama Book Show! ·

2026/09/14

In this episode, we talk with Julie Gilbert about her new book Giant Love, which explores the life and legacy of trailblazing novelist and playwright Edna Ferber. Ferber, a Pulitzer Prize winner, wrote Giant in 1952—a controversial bestseller that sparked outrage in Texas but went on to inspire George Stevens’ Academy Award-winning epic starring Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, and James Dean. Gilbert takes us inside the making of both the novel and the film, from Ferber’s battles with Stevens to the

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42:00

My Excellency — With Jonathan Cohen & Gy Mirano

The Drama Book Show! ·

2026/08/09

In this episode, we explore My Excellency with presenter and reader Jonathan Cohen, an award-winning poet, translator, essayist, and scholar of inter-American literature, whose work has focused extensively on bringing Spanish-language literature to English-speaking audiences. Cohen is the editor of My Excellency, his edition of William Carlos Williams’s translation of the Puerto Rican play, published by Swan Isle Press in 2025. Joining him is actress, voice-over artist, producer, and arts advocate

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54:51

Acting Professionally: The Essential Guide for the Actor

The Drama Book Show! ·

2026/08/08

Join us for a live podcast recording, talkback, and signing with renowned casting director James Calleri, as he discusses the 9th edition of Acting Professionally: The Essential Guide for the Actor. This updated edition reflects the changing landscape of the acting world, including the impacts of BLM, #MeToo, and the Covid-19 pandemic, while providing practical advice for navigating auditions, representation, and opportunities across stage, screen, and digital platforms.With decades of experience

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45:16

The Hang- With Taylor Mac and Shayok Misha Chowdhury

The Drama Book Show! ·

2026/08/07

In this episode, Taylor Mac joins us to discuss their latest musical-theatrical work, created with composer Matt Ray and set in ancient Athens on the eve of Socrates’ execution. Sentenced to death for “corrupting the youth,” Socrates spends his final hours debating virtue, singing, dancing, and communing with friends, while Plato attempts to record the events. Blending philosophy, history, and theatrical playfulness, the piece celebrates what cannot be written down: the joyous, essential experience

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59:46

Eleanor and Alice- A Conversation With Ellen Abrams

The Drama Book Show! ·

2026/08/06

In this episode, we talk with playwright Ellen Abrams, whose work has been produced Off-Broadway at Urban Stages and whose plays have been published by Smith & Kraus and Next Stage Press. Her extensive body of work includes Spark of Life, Closing Time, Lizzie Borden Gets Engaged, Hamlet Investigations, Inc., Giving, and many others, spanning comedy, history, and stories inspired by real people and events. We dive into her play Eleanor and Alice, which brings together two of the most influential

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50:10

From The Back Of The House: Memoir of a Broadway...

The Drama Book Show! ·

2026/08/05

Step behind the curtain with Broadway theatre manager Dan Landon in this episode, talkback, as he discusses his memoir From the Back of the House. Spanning four decades and more than 50 shows, Landon shares backstage stories and encounters with Broadway legends, Hollywood icons, and even U.S. Presidents, offering a vivid portrait of an unforgettable era in theatre history. Joining him is Tony Award-winning actress Priscilla Lopez, who brings her own Broadway insights and moderates a lively

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59:13

"I am a woman, I am an artist": A League of...

The Drama Book Show! ·

2026/08/04

Join us for a special conversation presented in partnership with the League of Professional Theatre Women, celebrating the work of five acclaimed theatre artists and authors. Featured guests include playwright Jenny Lyn Bader, playwright and educator Michael angel Johnson, Broadway performer, director, and League President Lynnie Godfrey, theatre historian Alexis Greene, and producer and arts leader Patricia Di Benedetto Snyder. Together they'll discuss their latest books: The Whole Megillah, a

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43:24

Wiesenthal- A Conversation with Tom Dugan and Mel...

The Drama Book Show! ·

2026/08/03

Join us for a live podcast recording, talkback, and signing with acclaimed playwright and actor Tom Dugan, as he discusses Wiesenthal: The Life of a Nazi Hunter. This riveting one-person play chronicles the extraordinary life of Simon Wiesenthal, who survived Hitler’s SS and dedicated his life to bringing Nazi war criminals to justice. Drawing on decades of meticulous research and theatrical expertise, Dugan shares the stories, humor, and courage behind Wiesenthal’s remarkable journey, offering

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60:54

ACTING OUT: How a Prison Theatre Workshop Broke Free...

The Drama Book Show! ·

2026/07/26

In this episode, we sit down with Richard Hoehler to discuss his book Acting Out: How a Prison Theatre Workshop Broke Free. He shares stories from decades of leading theatre workshops with incarcerated men, mounting full productions, and creating transformative spaces for expression, connection, and growth. The episode also features a live performance by members of the Acting Out company.Richard Hoehler is an award-winning playwright and educator whose work has run Off-Broadway, regionally, and

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51:35

Between the Lines with Eric Simonson

The Drama Book Show! ·

2026/07/25

In this episode, we sit down with Eric Simonson to discuss his memoir Between the Lines: Steppenwolf's Seagull and A Reluctant Actor's Journey Back to the Stage. The book chronicles Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s bold return from the Covid-19 shutdown with a $43 million new theater and a fresh adaptation of The Seagull. For Simonson—an acclaimed writer, director, and longtime Steppenwolf ensemble member—it meant stepping back onstage after 33 years away. Part diary and part history of the Chicago

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47:24

Omeed's Tapestries with Barry M Putt Jr, Robert...

The Drama Book Show! ·

2026/07/05

Barry M. Putt, Jr. is a playwright and screenwriter whose work centers on identity, resilience, and human connection. His plays and scripts, produced both nationally and internationally, often amplify marginalized voices and explore urgent social themes. Joining the conversation are director Robert Liebowitz, who has helmed more than 100 productions over the course of his career, and cultural consultant Asal Abasian, an Iran-born writer, journalist, and queer feminist activist whose work focuses on

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56:36

Acting is Your Business: How to Take Charge of your...

The Drama Book Show! ·

2026/07/05

Emmy- and Artios-nominated casting director Wendy S. Kurtzman joins us to discuss her book, Acting is Your Business: How to Take Charge of Your Creative Career. With over 35 years of experience in film, television, and theater, Wendy shares actionable strategies to help actors take control of their careers, position themselves as CEOs of their own creative businesses, and build lasting professional relationships. This episode offers practical insights into navigating the entertainment industry,

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58:33

This is Not a Dream: Young Playwrights Ukraine- With...

The Drama Book Show! ·

2026/07/05

In this episode, we explore This is Not a Dream, a collection of nine ten-minute plays by emerging Ukrainian playwrights capturing stories of connection, resilience, and hope during war. From a soldier reconnecting with his daughter to a young woman navigating life amid conflict, these plays reveal the human cost and courage of everyday lives. We speak with contributors Karina Syrota, Taya Fedorenko, Uliana Klimchuk, and Laura Cahill, founder of Young Playwrights Ukraine, about creating theatre

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82:29

A Celebration of Zelda Fichandler- With Todd London...

The Drama Book Show! ·

2026/07/04

In this episode, we explore the legacy of Zelda Fichandler through The Long Revolution: Sixty Years on the Frontlines of a New American Theater and To Repair the World: Zelda Fichandler and the Transformation of American Theater by Mary B. Robinson. The conversation delves into Fichandler’s pioneering work founding Arena Stage, her role in the regional theater movement, and her decades-long impact as an educator at NYU’s Graduate Acting Program. Joining the discussion are theater historian and

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74:25

Contemporary Black Theatre and Performance- With...

The Drama Book Show! ·

2026/07/04

Khalid Y. Long, Associate Dean of Research and Creative Endeavors in the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts at Howard University, is a scholar, dramaturg, and author of August Wilson in Context. Aviva Neff, Assistant Professor of Theatre at Denison University, is a director, intimacy coordinator, and scholar whose work explores devised theatre, pedagogy, and equitable rehearsal practices. Their book, Contemporary Black Theatre and Performance: Acts of Rebellion, Activism, and

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37:12

There’s No Murder Like Show Murder with Matthew...

The Drama Book Show! ·

2026/07/03

Join us for a live podcast recording, talkback, and book signing with playwright and novelist Matthew Greene as he discusses his debut novel, There's No Murder Like Show Murder. Set in the charming Eastbrook Playhouse, the story follows costume shop head Tasha Weaver as she navigates backstage drama, a theater star’s shocking murder, and the challenge of saving her beloved theater from financial ruin—all while trying to catch the killer. Matthew Greene brings a wealth of theater experience to the

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70:27

What We Deserve - With David Rigano and Catie Carlisle

The Drama Book Show! ·

2026/06/04

For our 100th Episode, award-winning playwright and director David Rigano joins us to discuss his play What We Deserve. Rigano's work includes the award-winning musical You Heard It Here, as well as We Were Wild, Get the Duchess, and Awaken: A Sleeping Beauty Musical, written with his longtime collaborator and brother, Paul Rigano. He also co-created the long-running Ides of March Extravaganza and co-wrote The Holy Cows of Credence South Dakota with Mark-Eugene Garcia. The conversation will be

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61:15

Nothing is Impossible for Migdalia Cruz... or You

The Drama Book Show! ·

2026/06/02

In this episode, legendary playwright Migdalia Cruz discusses her new anthology The Impossible Plays, which features three previously unpublished works alongside reflections from theater luminaries Virginia Grise, Todd London, and David Henry Hwang. The conversation explores Cruz’s provocative, essential plays, her creative process, and her insights for emerging playwrights seeking to build a career in the theater.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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138 results

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