James Elden's Playwright's Spotlight
James Elden
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Playwright Spotlight features a new playwright every episode to discuss the tools of the trade and solutions to the obstacles we face as writers in hopes of making us all better and more successful playwrights.
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Recent Episodes
S5E19 Building the Scene, Leaning on Exposition, and 99 Years of Theatre Americana - Playwright's Spotlight with Donna Scarantino
Send us Fan MailTwo weeks before the opening of her latest piece in the Bellevue Escapades, Donna Scarantino took the time to come sit in the Playwright's Spotlight. We discuss the origins of the…
S5E18 Taking Leaps, Wearing Many Hats, and the Development of The Playwright's Desk App - Playwright's Spotlight with William Smith
Send us Fan MailPlaywright William A. Smith streamed into Playwright's Spotlight to talk about the recent release of his app The Playwright's Desk and its features to assist in the management of the…
S5E17 Making Characters Sound Natural, Having Control of One's Work, and Beginning a Career in Playwriting Later in Life - Playwright's Spotlight with Paul Webb
Send us Fan MailPlaywright and screenwriter Paul Webb streamed onto Playwright's Spotlight all the way from outside London just a week away rehearsal were about to end for his play Warsaw. Paul is a…
S5E16 "Dirty" Drafts, Creating Opportunities, and Knowing the End - Playwright's Spotlight with Evelina Fernandez
Send us Fan MailApologies for the delayed show notes. Had a few hiccups. Evelina Fernandez took time away from rehearsals to slip into the Playwright's Spotlight. We opened with discussing the…
S5E15 "Tends to be" Structures, Crazy Spaces, and Giving Characters What They Want - Playwright's Spotlight with Olivia Dufault
Send us Fan MailOlivia Dufault took time to sit under the Playwright's Spotlight before the opening of her latest play - "For Want of a Horse." In this discussion, we unpack her introduction and…
S5E14 Agitating a Nerve, the Need to Overwrite, and Writing the "Impossible" - Playwright's Spotlight with Gabriel Rivas Gómez
Send us Fan MailGabriel Rivas Gómez dropped into the Playwright's Spotlight a week before the opening of his latest play Level Up! We discussed his origin story falling into playwriting, his journey…
S5E13 "Pale for Weariness", Balancing Life vs Art, and Why Today's the Day -Playwright's Spotlight with Andy Batt
Send us Fan MailAfter an enthusiastic recommendation from former guest, Cameron Scott, Andy Batt streamed into a late night EDT interview of Playwright's Spotlight, and, as always, what an insightful…
S5E12 Site-Specific Plays, The Secret Sauce, and Opening Doors to Success - Playwright's Spotlight with Patrick Gabridge
Send us Fan MailI stumbled upon Patrick Gabridge on the World Wide Web, and he was kind enough to come on to the Playwright's Spotlight after reaching out to him. If there was a playwright who has…
S5E11 Pansters and Plotters, Establishing Suspense Through Language, and the Secret of the First 25 Pages - Playwright's Spotlight with Travis Williams
Send us Fan MailFan, Follower, and Fellow Playwright Travis Williams, dropped into the Playwright's Spotlight after a random and serendipitous meetup in public. In this conversation, we discuss his…
S5E10 Rings of Connection, Center the Work, and Building Trust and Sharing the Why - Playwright's Spotlight with Adrienne Torf and Raymond O. Caldwell
Send us Fan MailPlaywright, pianist, and composer along with her collaborator Raymond O. Caldwell who is a director, producer, and artistic director of The Fountain Theatre in Los Angeles, CA,…
S5E9 Awards, AI, Adjusting for Casting, and Always Maybe - Playwright's Spotlight with Catherine Butterfield
Send us Fan MailAfter an excruciating knee-tweak, Catherine Butterfield streamed into the Playwright's Spotlight being laid up on the couch. Proof that playwrights will go above and beyond, so we…
S5E8 Gatekeepers, Pushing the Line, Independent vs Mainstream, and the Limitations of Specificity - Playwright's Spotlight with Isaac Laskin
Send us Fan MailIn this episode, musical theatre playwright Isaac Laskin stopped by Playwright's Spotlight to talk about the the development and evolution of his hit L.A. musical Hey, Morgan. He…
S5E7 Defining Weird, Living in the Creative "World", and Letting Go of Creative Control - Playwright's Spotlight with Clara Rodriguez
Send us Fan MailPlaywright Clara Rodriguez jumped into the Playwright's Spotlight in the midst of the run of her latest play - Pointy Scissors. In this discussion, we delve into the theatre company…
S5E6 Writing the Absurd, Doubting Your Talent, and Recognizing Gifts and Weaknesses - Playwright's Spotlight with James Merolla
Send us Fan MailPlaywright James Merolla streamed onto Playwright's Spotlight. We had an engaging and honest conversation about his background as a director and a theatre reviewer and how that…
S5E5 Narrative, Reversals, Mapping the Journey, and Running Away with the Circus - Playwright's Spotlight with Dietrich Smith
Send us Fan MailDietrich Smith jumped into the Playwright's Spotlight after the opening of his World Premiere adaptation of Franz Kafka's novel Amerika. We explore his background as the literary…
S5E4 Inspirational Feedback, Weight-Bearing Walls, and Recognizing and Overcoming Imposter Syndrome - Playwright's Spotlight with Sofia Streisand
Send us Fan MailSofia Streisand dropped into Playwright's Spotlight to discuss the U.S. premiere of her play Bluebeard's Castle (that I misspoke as Blackbeard's) November 1st through November 23rd.…
S5E3 Applied Theatre, Writing Bilingual, and Dramaturgical Playwriting - Playwright's Spotlight with Ankita Raturi
Send us Fan MailAnkita Raturi basked under the Playwright's Spotlight for the World Premiere of her play Neha & Neel. In this discussion we break down the concept of applied theatre and being a…
S5E2 Writing Theatrically, Working on the Puzzle, and the Ecosystem of Theatre - Playwright's Spotlight with Crystal Skillman
Send us Fan MailPlaywright Crystal Skillman beamed into the Playwright's Spotlight from Indianapolis for the run of her World Premiere play The Rocket Men. We discuss how one becomes a 4-time NYT's…
S5E1 Formulas and Slow Burners, the Process of Radio Dramas, and Making Mystery Interesting - Playwright's Spotlight with John Ballentine
Send us Fan MailSEASON5, EPISODE 1!!! Wow. Hard to believe. This is an episode recorded months ago saved for this very occasion. Kudos to Cameron Scott for connecting me to John. This is a very…
S4E26 Community, Distractions, and Writing Characters You Don't See on Stage - Playwright's Spotlight with Israel López Reyes
Send us Fan MailIsrael López Reyes swung by the studio before the opening of his recent commission to discuss his background leading up to it and his success as an Angeleno playwright. We discuss his…
Frequently Asked Questions
James Elden's Playwright's Spotlight has published 124 episodes since October 2021, covering topics in Arts, Education.
James Elden's Playwright's Spotlight is currently highly active with new episodes every 2 weeks. Average episode length is 1h 18m.
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