101 Stage Adaptations

Patrick Gabridge came highly recommended because of his Playwright Marketing Binge, which he leads twice a year with many other playwrights as a way to get their name and work seen & potentially produced. He was kind enough to stop by the show & tell us about that & also how he created a niche genre and production opportunities with his company, Plays in Place.    (And some behind-the-...

When Melissa got the chance to interview Rachel Lynett, there was so much she wanted to talk about, mainly Rachel's recent foray into self-publishing and their ambitious Shakespeare Project. They touched on so many topics, but the through line was really the many ways Rachel took matters back into their own hands.  In this episode, we discuss: Why Rachel started to self-publish their work and...

Melissa reflects on December's guests and reviews past theatre wishes. Are any of you a Secret Santa? Resources Mentioned The Steadfast Tin Solider Joe Landry Rachel Feeny-Williams ARTemis Arts Being Seen by Richard Gustin Connect with host Melissa Schmitz ***Sign up for the 101 Stage Adaptations Newsletter *** 101 Stage Adaptations Follow the Podcast on Facebook & Instagram Read Melissa&...

In our first interview with a guest from "across the pond," it's only fitting that the play in question is from one of the most famous and most adapted stories to come out of England. The delightful Rachel Feeny-Williams is here to talk about her adaptation of A Christmas Carol , except this one has a female Scrooge and no official title. In this episode, we discuss: Why this play i...

Melissa sets the record straight on how It's a Wonderful Life is actually her favorite film of all time, and the delightful Joe Landry reveals how he adapted this perennial holiday classic into a radio play. In this episode, we discuss: How Joe was able to adapt this beloved classic into a successful stage play, with a twist! How Joe became the "A Live Radio Play" guy and why he lov...

'Tis the season for holiday shows! The Steadfast Tin Soldier by Mary Zimmerman is not only an instant Christmas classic, it's also one of the top theatre experiences of Melissa's life. Find out how this short, yet full play has won her heart and how Mary Zimmerman brought this Hans Christian Andersen story to life . . . without using any dialog. This is not just an interview, it&apo...

Host Melissa Schmitz chimes in with how the podcast is going so far, what she's grateful for right now, and the next big name guest on 101 Stage Adaptations.  Resources Mentioned Artemis Arts Wisdom Anthology Page to Stage: The Craft of Adaptation by Vincent Murphy Connect with host Melissa Schmitz ***Sign up for the 101 Stage Adaptations Newsletter *** 101 Stage Adaptations Follow the Podcas...

Kent Nicholson from Broadway Licensing stops by the show to discuss how plays get published and how to create more publishable plays. In this episode, we discuss: How the publishing process works How Broadway Licensing is now a content-creating entity the IMPOSSIBLE QUESTION of how to create a produceable and publishable play his involvement in the development process of A Strange Loop by Michael...

TEENAGE DICK by Mike Lew has been a favorite play of Melissa's ever since she swiped it from her roommate's Dramatist Play Service subscription box. Luckily, it's also an adaptation, so that enabled her to invite Mike to come on the show and discuss this excellent and provocatively-titled play and also to indulge in a moderate amount of fangirling.  In this episode, we discuss: How...

The incomparable Nan Barnett graces the podcast this week with her wisdom, storytelling, and the amazing work happening at National New Play Network (NNPN) and the behemoth that is New Play Exchange (NPX). In this episode, we discuss: Her various roles in 24 seasons at Florida Stage and how she built her career there Why she considers herself a "connector" What NNPN & NPX are and who...

KIRBY: The Musical  is a brand new musical by Richard Gustin, based on a 2021 novel by Iris Iglarsh. It is a heart-warming ghost story and a tale of friendship, loss, and family secrets. Richard drops in to tell us how it's going in these early stages of development.  In this episode, we discuss: The origin and adaptation process of KIRBY Richard's work as an actor/director/playwright an...

With Noir Hamlet , John Minigan managed to turn Hamlet into a short, fun comedy, and he stopped by the show to tell us how he did it.  In this episode, we discuss: How Noir was the perfect genre to adapt Shakespeare's most famous play and why John has three versions of this script the many Easter eggs hidden in the script of Noir Hamlet   to what John attributes his Edinburgh Fringe success T...

In this episode, which is hopefully the first of many, we talk about how a strong  director's concept of a well-known play can breathe new life into it and reveal themes and aspects of the play that were previously unnoticed or unexplored. And how you can even do this without changing a single word of the script. We're calling this "When the Production is the Adaptation." We&ap...

Melissa catches up with Dr. Yining Lin, her friend from grad school, who at the time was basically the unofficial resident dramaturg of the department. For her PhD, she studied Western influences on jingju (frequently known in the West as Beijing Opera) and the adaptations created in that artform. In this episode, we discuss: What dramaturgy is, and what it isn't An overview of jingju and Yin...

In this episode, we discuss: How panhandling as a teen directly led Vincent to his career in theatre  His book, Page to Stage: The Craft of Adaptation , and the six building blocks of a great adaptation or any play, really  The playwright exchange program he wishes would have a second life And more! Ahem, listen for all those name drops - they hit hard! All About Our Guest For over four decades, V...

In this episode, we discuss: Terms used when discussing adaptations: copyright, underlying rights, and public domain.  Why and when does an adaptation writer need to acquire the rights to an original work and when do they not?  How can we find out if something is in the public domain? Can rights holders renew their copyright to delay or prevent it from going into the public domain?   And more! All...

So why 101 stage adaptations? Join our host, Melissa Schmitz, as she shares why she started this podcast. She will share exactly who this show is for, what her vision is for future episodes, and even how to get in touch with her to share your play adaptation with her and her audience. Follow the show to get notified every time a new episode is released. In this episode, we discuss: Why I started t...

In this episode, we discuss: What it’s like to adapt a beloved novel for the stage, especially when the author is still alive  Questions from Melissa’s professor Mark Branner, who directed The Giver at UH Mānoa  When a playwright should solve design problems How Eric got a gig writing for Disney Theme Parks!  And more! About Our Guest Eric Coble was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, and raised on the N...

Connect with host Melissa Schmitz ***Sign up for the 101 Stage Adaptations Newsletter *** 101 Stage Adaptations Follow the Podcast on Facebook & Instagram Read Melissa's plays on New Play Exchange Connect with Melissa on LinkedIn Ways to support the show: - Buy Me a Coffee - Tell us your thoughts in our Listener Survey! - Give a 5-Star rating - Write a glowing review on Apple Podcasts - S...