Forge Theater Labs

Episode 1.14 Forge Theater Labs Designer Spotlight: R.I.S.E. Record Date: Tuesday, June 16th, 2026 Air Date: ‍ ‍Tuesday, July 7th, 2026 Hosted by Joshua N Hsu Postproduction by Sam Rapaport Featuring Szu-Feng Chen, Naoko Skala, and Miso Wei SYNOPSIS Host Joshua N Hsu hosts the three founders of R.I.S.E., a dedicated community for Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander professionals and studen...

Episode 1.13 Forge Theater Labs Director's Roundtable: Death by Transitions Record Date: Monday, June 8th, 2026 Air Date: ‍ ‍Tuesday, June 23, 2026 Hosted by Joshua N Hsu Postproduction by Sam Rapaport Featuring Nathan Gregory, Michael Dix Thomas, and Sally Wood.

Episode 1.12 Forge Theater Labs Company Showcase: Good Theater Record Date: Tuesday, June 9th, 2026 Air Date: ‍ ‍Tuesday, June 23rd, 2026 Hosted by Joshua N Hsu Postproduction by Sam Rapaport Featuring Brian P. Allen and Gusta Johnson SYNOPSIS Host Joshua N Hsu hosts Artistic Director Brian P. Allen and Executive Director Gusta Johnson of Good Theater to explore how they’ve sustained themselves si...

Episode 1.11 Forge Theater Labs Proucer's Roundtable : The Spirit of Fringe Record Date: Tuesday, June 2nd, 2026 Air Date: ‍ ‍Tuesday, June 16th, 2026 Hosted by Joshua N Hsu Postproduction by Sam Rapaport Featuring Xela Batchelder, Chris DeFillip, Tara McDonough, and Lois Neville SYNOPSIS Host Joshua N Hsu hosts organizers and former/current artists of Fringe Festivals across the United States...

Episode 1.10 FORGE THEATER LABS LIVE: “To Boldly Go” Record Date: Wednesday, May 20th, 2026 Air Date: ‍ ‍Tuesday, June 2nd, 2026 Recorded live at University of Southern Maine Southworth Planetarium Written by John Patrick Bray Directed Grace Kellar-Long Sound Design by Cory Macgowan Postproduction by Cory Macgowan and Sam Rapaport Featuring Paul Fidalgo, Joshua N Hsu, Sarabell Wrigley, and Maya Wi...

Episode 1.9 Director Showcase: Laura Karlin Record Date: Tuesday, May 5th, 2026 Air Date: ‍ ‍Tuesday, May 19th, 2026 Hosted by Joshua N Hsu Edited by Sam Rapaport Featuring Laura Karlin SYNOPSIS Host Joshua N Hsu and Director, Choreographer, and Movement Activist Laura Karlin discuss storytelling through movement, the balance of art and parenthood, the lessons learned from founding and leading Inv...

Episode 1.8 COMPANY SHOWCASE: PENOBSCOT THEATRE COMPANY Record Date: Friday, May 1st, 2026 Air Date: ‍ ‍Tuesday, May 12th, 2026 Hosted by Joshua N Hsu Edited by Sam Rapaport Featuring Jen Shepard SYNOPSIS Host Joshua N Hsu and Artistic Director Jen Shepard discuss transitioning from an Executive Director role to an Artistic Director role, the place of regional theater in the ever-changing theatric...

Episode 1.7 COMPANY SHOWCASE: MAD HORSE THEATRE COMPANY Record Date: Tuesday, April 16th, 2026 Air Date: ‍ ‍Tuesday, May 5th, 2026 Hosted by Joshua N Hsu Edited by Sam Rapaport Featuring Allison McCall SYNOPSIS Host Joshua N Hsu and Director/Actor/Artistic Director Allison McCall explore how to maintain the traditions, tread new paths, create a spirit of mentorship, and build consensus at Mad Hors...

Episode 1.6 FORGE THEATER LABS LIVE: “PLAY DATES” Record Date: Monday, March 16th, 2026 Air Date: ‍ ‍Tuesday, April 14th, 2026 Recorded live at Argenta Brewing Company, Portland, Maine Presented in Partnership with Maine Playwrights Festival Written by Dr. Janna Segal Sound Design by Cory Macgowan Edited by Sam Rapaport Hosted by Liz Carlson and Joshua N Hsu Featuring Todd Brian Bachus, Dr. Beka B...

Episode 1.5 Dramaturg Spotlight: Afrikah Selah Record Date: Tuesday, February 24th, 2026 Air Date: ‍ ‍Monday, March 30th, 2026 Hosted by Joshua N Hsu Featuring Afrikah Selah SYNOPSIS Host Joshua N Hsu and Dramaturg/Critic/Director Afrikah Selah (they/them) talk about who gets to discuss art, what critical frameworks we’re bound to, and what it means to critique responsibly in a moment shaped by sp...

Episode 1.4 Director Showcase: Nelson T. Eusebio III Record Date: Thursday, February 12th, 2026 Air Date: ‍ ‍Monday, March 23rd, 2026 Hosted by Joshua N Hsu Featuring Nelson T. Eusebio III SYNOPSIS Host Joshua N Hsu and Director Nelson T. Eusebio III discuss the power and responsibilities directors have in casting and the use cases for and dangers of merit-based casting.

Episode 1.3 Company Showcase: Portland Theater Festival Record Date: Tuesday, February 10th, 2026 Air Date: ‍ ‍Thursday, March 19th, 2026 Hosted by Joshua N Hsu Featuring Dave Register Post production by Sam Rapaport SYNOPSIS Host Joshua N Hsu and Director/Actor/Artistic Director Dave Register discuss lessons learned after 5 years with Portland Theater Festival and how to build artistic leadership...

Episode 1.2 Forge Theater Labs Designer's Roundtable: Design-or-Bust Big Love by Charles Mee Record Date: Tuesday, February 3rd, 2026 Air Date: ‍ ‍Tuesday, March 10th, 2026 Hosted by Joshua N HsuPost Production by Sam RapaportFeaturing Sage Bartlett, Chris DeFillip, Anna Halloran, Kimmarie McCrann, Cory Macgowan SYNOPSIS We ask a crackpot team of directors and designers minutes to design Big L...

Episode 1.1 “THE WILL TO ADAPT” Record Date: Monday, February 16th, 2026 Air Date: Tuesday, March 3rd, 2026 Recorded live at Novel Book Bar and Club, Portland, Maine. Written by Megan Tripaldi Directed by Sararose Willey Sound Design/Live Engineering by Cory Macgowan Post Production by Sam Rapaport Featuring Caroline Chung, Joshua N Hsu, and Megan Tripladi SYNOPSIS Host Joshua N Hsu and guest host...

Episode 0.10 “GUEST ARTIST COMPILATION” Record Date: Various Air Date: Monday, October 13th, 2025 Hosted by Sam Rapaport SYNOPSIS : On each of our live shows, we invite local Maine storytellers, musicians, and artists to share their work with us. At the end of each season, we compile their work here. Featuring Amanda Eaton, Sam Fin Cutler, Parker Hough, Ryan Higgins, Cory Melancon, Tara McDonough,...

SYNOPSIS: Maya and Josh meet Aristotle and explore the inescapability of Aristotelian notions of plot and of Kevin Bacon movies. Record Date: Sunday, April 13th, 2025 Air Date: Monday, October 13th, 2025 Brought to you in part by The Circular Series Recorded live at Cassidy Point, Portland, Maine. Written by Joshua N Hsu, Rachel Price Cooper, and Maya Williams Featuring Joshua Hsu, Maya Williams,...

SYNOPSIS: Doc Brown arrives from the past to our dystopian future to bring Maya and Josh back to Ancient Greece to speak to the basis for Aristophanes’ Lysistrata, Lysimacha, and how to use theater for the greater good in these “unprecedented times.” The regime tries to take over our podcast and our ad breaks with AI Josh. Record Date: Sunday, April 26th, 2025 Air Date: Monday, October 13th, 2025...

SYNOPSIS: We throw down with Plato and Sidney to see what constitutes “Dangerous Art” and the effects of the stories we tell. Maybe one of us is a Cylon after all. Record Date: Sunday, April 27th, 2025 Air Date: Monday, October 13th, 2025 Brought to you in part by The Circular Series Recorded Live at Cassidy Point, Portland, Maine. Written by Andrew J. Henkes Featuring Joshua Hsu, Maya Williams, S...

SYNOPSIS : Josh speaks to Counter/Current: Collective, Belfast ME’s newest theater company, about how they're finding ways to bring immersive theater to Maine, how they choose their shows, and their experience building a theater that’s rooted in community. About Counter/Current: Collective: John and Courtney have been partners in life, art, and business for over 20 years, and recently founded...

SYNOPSIS: Maya and Josh speak to Jasmine Joshua (they/them) about their groundbreaking work with Reboot Theatre Company in Seattle, WA, their journey developing their new musical Here and Their , and how they go about choosing their next project About Jasmine Joshua Jasmine Joshua (they/them) is the founder and Artistic Director of Reboot Theatre Company, a queer and trans-focused company in Seatt...

SYNOPSIS: Josh speaks to Leland Faulkner, a former artistic director and former co-owner of Celebration Barn Theater in Maine, about his experience with experimentation and how to sustain the spirit of experimentation after all these years. About Leland Faulkner Leland Faulkner is an acclaimed performing artist with over thirty years of experience in theater and film. A master of visual storytelli...

SYNOPSIS: A crackpot team of director and designers has ONLY 90 minutes to design Life is a Dream by Pedro Calderón de la Barca. Can they make it?! See what they came up with by visiting forgetheaterlabs.com Record Date: Wednesday, June 5th, 2025 Air Date: Monday, October 13th, 2025 Hosted by Joshua Hsu and Sam Rapaport Featuring Liz Carlson, Christopher Sousa Wynn, and Elisha Griego © 2025 Forge...

SYNOPSIS: Chelsea Sutton, interim artistic director at Rogue Artist Ensemble, and Josh explore how Rogue Artists Ensemble brings to life their hypertheatrical pieces with design at its inception. We explore how she and the Rogues approach the "Why Now" test to ensure their work stays relevant. About Chelsea Sutton Chelsea Sutton (she/her) is an LA-based writer and director. She’s a PEN A...

SYNOPSIS: Josh asks a team of dramaturgs and playwrights: how do we continue to build upon the roles dramaturgs have in established and new works? How can they better integrate with our teams? How do we nurture the next generation of dramaturgs? Record Date: Tuesday, June 11th, 2025 Air Date: Monday, October 13th, 2025 Hosted by Joshua Hsu Featuring John Patrick Bray, Andrew J. Henkes, Alicia Tyce...

Learn more about Forge Theater Labs as we get ready to launch all of our episodes for our pilot season this October 2025!