101 Stage Adaptations

Acclaimed writer of stage and screen Jeffrey Hatcher stops by to discuss his adaptation of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Melissa recounts the spooky experience she had after seeing the show .  In this episode, we discuss: How he was commissioned to adapt one of the most-adapted stories of all time Why he thinks adaptors should bring something new to the story Why Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde still intri...

This week Melissa welcomes fellow theatre marketer Julie Nemitz to the show to talk about how playwrights can initiate & improve their marketing strategy. In this episode, we discuss: Why having an online presence is essential for getting your plays produced What a content strategy is and looks like for playwrights Social media 101 for playwrights What NOT to do with your photos on Facebook Re...

Today we are celebrating one year of the 101 Stage Adaptations Podcast! Thank you to every single listener and guest who have helped make this first year possible! This episode includes a ton of gratitude and a few highlights from the first year and first 39 episodes, all of which were Melissa's favorite.  Connect with host Melissa Schmitz ***Sign up for the 101 Stage Adaptations Newsletter *...

Inspired by a post in a playwriting group on Facebook, Melissa replays part of her previous conversation with Nan Barnett when they cover New Play Exchange (NPX). In this episode, we discuss: What NPX is and how this program got started Who it's for and how to use it (Hint: anyone who writes plays and reads plays!)  What playwrights can expect from putting their work on NPX  How to optimize y...

September is for marketing! Melissa reveals 5 hot tips playwrights can use in their personal marketing.  In this episode, we discuss: What a headshot is and is not  What to do when you can't afford new headshots or a website How to add value to your playwriting community And more! Resources Mentioned New Play Exchange aka NPX Dramatists Guild   Connect with host Melissa Schmitz ***Sign up for...

September is one day away, and that means it's time once again for the Playwright Submission Binge! Melissa chats with playwright and producer Patrick Gabridge about this twice annual event where playwrights gather in an online community to share submission opportunities with each other and support one another during the intense month of marketing. This interview is part of a larger conversat...

Emmanuel Wilson continues his conversation with Melissa. ( Listen to Part 1 here .) This is a gold mine of advice for theatre administrators and artists. Find your notebook and get ready to take notes! In this episode, we discuss: What the current writers strike can teach playwrights about their own work Emmanuel's ideas on how to save theatre - Yes, we're going there! What theatres get...

Melissa Schmitz is joined by the one and only Emmanuel Wilson from the Dramatists Guild in a two-episode conversation. Emmanuel drops so much wisdom around theatre and advocacy for playwrights and theatremakers. Take notes, and enjoy the background sounds of Times Square.    In this episode, we discuss: The play that transformed him and gave him clarity on his career in theatre Why the Dramatists...

Melissa was thrilled to chat with Karen Zacarías about her world premiere adaptation of Shane , based on the novel by Jack Schaefer, which is now playing (in August 2023) at the Guthrie Theater.   In this episode, we discuss: How this co-commission and co-production came to be The challenges of adapting a Western for the stage Creating a more complete and accurate picture of the American West Beac...

Special drop from Theatrical Shenanigans podcast hosted by Rachel Feeny-Williams.  Theatrical Shenanigans brings you the second episode of "The Panel Presents." Four amazing panelists John Patrick Bray, Jacquelyn Priskorn, Tony Vale & Melissa Schmitz, led by Rachel Feeny-Williams discuss topical questions relating to the world of theatre! Tune in to all of other Theatrical Shenanigan...

Melissa reveals 5 resources playwrights need to know to make their job easier and more fun. These resources include both paid products and free opportunities. In this episode, we discuss: The Dramatists Guild Regional Playwriting Hubs Melissa's preferred writing software How to find submission opportunities   And more! Resources Mentioned Dramatists Guild End of Play.® with Lily Dwoskin &...

Melissa breaks down one of the best perks about being a Dramatists Guild member: the free theatre tickets you can get through the Playwrights Welcome program.  In this episode, we discuss: What the Playwrights Welcome program is and how it works What theatres are currently participating How to add your theatre to the list And more! Resources Mentioned Playwrights Welcome Join the Playwrights Welco...

Achievement unlocked! In this shorty episode, Melissa reveals the major milestone the pocast has passed and offers many thanks to all the listeners to helped make it possible. She even names a few. In this episode, we discuss: passing the 2,500 download mark! what countries people are tuning in from the top cities with the most listeners   And more! Resources Mentioned Buzzsprout Global Stats Conn...

This week Melissa talks with fellow Wisconsinite Michael Cotey about World Premiere Wisconsin, a first-of-its-kind state-wide festival of new plays and musicals.  *The festival currently runs through June 2023, but stay tuned for more on this great project.  In this episode, we discuss:  What World Premiere Wisconsin is and how it started Where Wisconsin stands in terms of state funding for the ar...

Melissa is back with a brief solo episode about what's coming up and other shows she's guested on recently, plus your favorite episodes so far and a special request! Your Top 5 Podcast Episodes! Play Club with Amy Wheeler and Paul Kruse (Ep. 25) THE STEADFAST TIN SOLDIER by Mary Zimmerman (Ep. 13) Chicago Theatre Week 2023 (Ep. 19) Playwright Marketing with Patrick Gabridge (Ep. 18) Nati...

National Playwriting Month is complete, and End of Play.® 2023 is in the books. Melissa breaks down how the experience was for her, and some key things she learned about herself and her own playwriting process.  In this episode, we discuss: How Melissa began the project with a major facepalm moment Her biggest game-changer when it comes to research How Melissa made the most of the multiple silent...

Nan Barnett returns! We are thrilled to have her back because there was so much more to talk about after the last conversation. This time Nan reveals more about her personal story and some of the sacrifices she's made for her work. In this episode, we discuss: What NNPN is focused on in terms of equity and diversity Post-pandemic trends she's seeing in the theatre industry What 24 season...

Shakespeare's birthday is coming up, and this week Melissa talks to Oregon Shakespeare Festival's former Director of New Play Development Lue Douthit about the giant playwriting project known as Play On Shakespeare. Grab a Mounds bar and learn how she helped usher the Bard into the 21st Century.  In this episode, we discuss: What Play On Shakespeare is and does and how the project came t...

Amy Wheeler and Paul Kruse, the masterminds behind Play Club, stop by to talk about this new project (prepare for some major name drops) and which of them hails from Melissa's hometown. In this episode, we discuss: What Play Club is, how it works, and why they started it The education initiatives Play Club has begun and will expand upon Why Amy knows literally everyone in the theatre communit...

Eric Coble is back to answer all the playwriting & adaptation questions that Melissa wanted to ask in Episode 1. (If you haven't listened to that one yet, go check it out!) In this episode, we discuss: How Hollywood can put an already-written stage adaptation on hold indefinitely If a playwright really needs to live in New York to get work and make a living Eric's mountain metaphor a...

National Playwriting Month is approaching, and that means it's time for End of Play.®, the Dramatists Guild's annual month-long writing challenge for Playwrights, Composers, Lyricists, and Librettists. Guild staff members Lily Dwoskin and Jordan Stovall stop by to tell us about their work at the Guild and all things End of Play.®. In this episode, we discuss: What End of Play.® is and wh...

This week Melissa is joined by her brilliant friend Alex Mallory to talk about her original translation and adaptation of Frank Wedekind's German play, Spring Awakening, which she also produced as an MFA Directing student.  In this episode, we discuss: Why Alex decided to write this adaptation for her MFA Directing Lab (when she really didn't have to) What was missing from other English...

The enchanting Kate Scelsa stops by the podcast to talk about her hilarious parody adaptation titled Everyone's Fine With Virginia Woolf . In this episode, we discuss: How her play was a love letter to Albee's classic, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf and that it was also written bespoke for actors at Elevator Repair Service Just how much Kate is obsessed with WAOVW, particularly the...

Melissa reconnects with playwright Deborah Zoe Laufer. They first met when Melissa interviewed her about her play, Be Here Now . Now we be here again to talk about one of Deb's (apparently many) stage adaptations, The Three Sisters of Weehawken , based of course on Chekhov's Three Sisters .  In this episode, we discuss: Why Deborah set her adaptation in New Jersey Which of Chekhov's...

In this episode, we discuss: What Chicago Theatre Week is Ways to save money on a big theatre trip What plays Melissa saw and the experiences she had What she might do differently next time to see even MOAR theatre at a better price And more! Resources Mentioned Chicago Theatre Week League of Chicago Theatres Choose Chicago Hot Tix Goldstar TodayTix Broadway in Chicago Deals Remy Bumppo Theatre Co...