James Elden's Playwright's Spotlight

James Elden's Playwright's Spotlight

James Elden

Episodes 117
Avg. Duration 1h 19m
Activity Highly Active
Since Oct 2021
Latest Episode Feb 2026

Outreach Signals

Features Guests

Publishing Details

Schedule
Every 2 Weeks
Format
Episodic
Consistency
60%
Hosting
feeds.buzzsprout.com

About This Podcast

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.

Podcasting 2.0 Features

funding

Explore Statistics

Recent Episodes

S5E12 Site-Specific Plays, The Secret Sauce, and Opening Doors to Success - Playwright's Spotlight with Patrick Gabridge

Feb 24, 2026 1h 13m

Send a textI 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 been in…

S5E11 Pansters and Plotters, Establishing Suspense Through Language, and the Secret of the First 25 Pages - Playwright's Spotlight with Travis Williams

Feb 10, 2026 59m

Send a textFan, 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 origin…

S5E10 Rings of Connection, Center the Work, and Building Trust and Sharing the Why - Playwright's Spotlight with Adrienne Torf and Raymond O. Caldwell

Jan 27, 2026 1h 14m

Send a textPlaywright, 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, stopped by…

S5E9 Awards, AI, Adjusting for Casting, and Always Maybe - Playwright's Spotlight with Catherine Butterfield

Jan 13, 2026 59m

Send a textAfter 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 were…

S5E8 Gatekeepers, Pushing the Line, Independent vs Mainstream, and the Limitations of Specificity - Playwright's Spotlight with Isaac Laskin

Dec 09, 2025 51m

Send a textIn 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 dispels…

S5E7 Defining Weird, Living in the Creative "World", and Letting Go of Creative Control - Playwright's Spotlight with Clara Rodriguez

Nov 25, 2025 50m

Send a textPlaywright 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 at…

S5E6 Writing the Absurd, Doubting Your Talent, and Recognizing Gifts and Weaknesses - Playwright's Spotlight with James Merolla

Nov 18, 2025 1h 11m

Send a textPlaywright 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 eventually…

S5E5 Narrative, Reversals, Mapping the Journey, and Running Away with the Circus - Playwright's Spotlight with Dietrich Smith

Nov 04, 2025 1h 24m

Send a textDietrich 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 manager…

S5E4 Inspirational Feedback, Weight-Bearing Walls, and Recognizing and Overcoming Imposter Syndrome - Playwright's Spotlight with Sofia Streisand

Oct 28, 2025 1h 1m

Send a textSofia 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. In…

S5E3 Applied Theatre, Writing Bilingual, and Dramaturgical Playwriting - Playwright's Spotlight with Ankita Raturi

Oct 21, 2025 1h 21m

Send a textAnkita 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

Oct 14, 2025 1h 3m

Send a textPlaywright 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

Oct 07, 2025 1h 10m

Send a textSEASON5, 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 special…

S4E26 Community, Distractions, and Writing Characters You Don't See on Stage - Playwright's Spotlight with Israel López Reyes

Sep 30, 2025 1h 3m

Send a textIsrael 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…

S4E25 Film to Stage, Naturalism to Realism, and Finding Courage to Write - Playwright's Spotlight with David Kohner Zuckerman

Sep 16, 2025 58m

Send a textFilmmaker turned playwright, David Kohner Zuckerman, dropped into Playwright's Spotlight to talk about the World Premiere of his play Parallel Process. In this interview, we talk unpack…

S4E24 Implementing Twists, Writing Red Herrings, and Keeping Your Audience Engaged - Playwright's Spotlight with Stuart Brown

Sep 05, 2025 1h 2m

Send a textPlaywright Stuart Brown streamed into Playwright's Spotlight for a second time after technical difficulties with sound, but I hope delved a little deeper this time around. We discuss the…

S4E23 The Musicality of Dialogue, the Magic of Writing, the Doorway Effect, and the Trick of Eliminating Parenthiticals - Playwright's Spotlight with Lawrence Connolly

Aug 19, 2025 1h 14m

Send a textPlaywright. Screenplay Writer, and Novelist Lawrence C. Connolly streamed into Playwright's Spotlight and, as always, we touched base on many topics not covered in previous episodes. It…

S4E22 The Business of Playwriting, Laying Breadcrumbs, and Dramatic Truth and the Math of Human Emotion - Playwright's Spotlight with Angelica Cheri

Aug 06, 2025 1h 6m

Send a textAngelica Cheri swung by Playwright's Spotlight after leaving the rehearsals of her Broadway play Wanted only to jump into the rehearsals for the West Coast Premiere of her play Burta…

S4E21 Episode 100! Jersey Boys, an Egg Timer, Stage Effects, and Organizing Principles - Playwright's Spotlight with Rick Elice

Jul 22, 2025 1h 14m

Send a textEpisode 100! Thanks for supporting us on this journey. We would love to hear how this podcast may have helped you with your creative endeavors.To celebrate this milestone, Rick Elice of…

S4E20 Magical Realism and Heightened Language, Punctuation as Sheet Music, and Locking Opposite Characters in a Room - Playwright's Spotlight with Ashley Griffin

Jul 15, 2025 1h 8m

Send a textPlaywright and performer, Ashley Griffin, swung by the studio to sit in the Playwright's Spotlight before her West Coast Premiere of her Off-Broadway play The Opposite of Love. It's a…

S4E19 Artistic Visas, Defining Success, and Networking to Find Opportunities - Playwright's Spotlight with Joel Trinidad

Jul 01, 2025 57m

Send a textI invited Joel Trinidad onto the Playwright's Spotlight after reading about his journey. He streamed in while on tour for his acting performance of Romeo and Juliet as part of a fringe…

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does James Elden's Playwright's Spotlight have?

James Elden's Playwright's Spotlight has published 117 episodes since October 2021, covering topics in Arts, Education.

Is James Elden's Playwright's Spotlight still active?

James Elden's Playwright's Spotlight is currently highly active with new episodes every 2 weeks. Average episode length is 1h 19m.

Similar Podcasts