Hey Playwright

Tori and Mabelle talk with Christian St. Croix, an emerging talent in the theatre world who is no stranger to theatre-making. Christian shares his theatrical journey, the evolution of his play, “Monsters of the American Cinema,” and the importance of tenacity and hope.

In the Season 3 kickoff, Tori and Mabelle host Love 5: The Tennis Plays festival celebrating the work of eight playwrights from around the world who submitted their 5-minute masterpieces to the tennis-inspired Hey Playwright short play festival.

Do you have a five-minute tennis play or have you been itching to write one? On this mini episode, we put out the call. Deadline is approaching quickly so act fast! Plays are due August 27, 2021 at 11:59 PM PT.

Tori and Mabelle talk with playwright Steven Oberman about playing multiple roles as playwright/actor/director and producer in his one-man show, Blurred at the Edges, about the life of Dr. John Langdon Down.

In this mini episode, traveling Tori and Mabelle talk with Stephanie Kauffman, owner of Mose Mary and Me, a boutique custom & pop culture prayer candle company in New Orleans, LA. We even offer up a prayer... candle writing prompt.

In the Season 2 finale, Tori and Mabelle talk with Idris Goodwin about his life as an art-maker. He shares his journey from Detroit to Chicago and beyond and how all of the places shaped his life’s work and play. Along the way, he drops knowledge around freestyle cyphers, finding your tribe, expanding narratives, the empowerment of educators and students, as well as how the teacher acts as DJ, fos...

Tori and Mabelle talk with Jacole about her roles as La Jolla Playhouse’s Director of Arts Engagement and In-House Casting, as well as her directorial hat for the POP (Performance Outreach Program) world-premiere of Idris Goodwin’s play, " Pick Me Last" . Jacole shares her  “yes, and-edness” approach to life; her mission statement as a theatremaker; LJP’s artist-driven approach and their shif...

Tori and Mabelle talk with Josh about his development of “Dear ONE: Love & Longing in Mid-Century Queer America.” He shares the sacred duty of oral history storytelling, including transparency and honor, focusing on a theme, and preserving the voice of the subject. Other subjects include: the importance of a playwright’s mission statement, artistic generosity, and Josh’s continued drive to upl...

Tori and Mabelle talk with powerhouse playwright, teaching artist and Southern California Dramatists Guild Rep, Diana Burbano, about her punk rock musical play, Fabulous Monsters . Other topics include music as an entry point to character development, ageism and sexism in the music industry, Latinas in the punk movement, and joy and anarchy.

Tori and Mabelle talk with the fantastically prolific and lovely human, playwright Gina Femia. Gina discusses the evolution of her play, For the Love of (or, the Roller Derby Play ). Gina reveals insights into her writing process, the importance of workshopping and rewriting, and starting from a place of love.

Tori and Mabelle talk with playwright, librettist, screenwriter and educator, Kristoffer Diaz. Kristoffer discusses various works including his Pulitzer-prize finalist play, The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity, Football Football Football and Going Left , as well as his adaption of RENT for Fox and writing for Netflix's GLOW . Other topics include the democratization of theatre, the importance of...

Tori and Mabelle talk with playwright and educator, Guillermo Reyes, about his play, “That Day in Tucson,” which centers on Daniel Hernandez Jr., the young man credited with saving congresswoman Gabby Giffords’s life when a man opened fire on a crowd hitting 19 people and killing six. Guillermo reveals the challenges and triumphs of dramatizing a real-life event and discusses his upcoming streamin...

Tori and Mabelle talk with educator and TYA playwright, Starry Krueger, about the Imaginary Theater Company, her pivot to teaching and producing online theatre, and the importance of art as a tool for catharsis and empathy.

It's a two-for-one episode! In the spirit of the 2021 Plays By Young Writers Festival, Tori and Mabelle talk with Jordan Marie Finley, two-time winner of Playwrights Project’s annual California Young Playwrights Contest. Jordan shares her journey into playwriting and the inspiration for her plays, as well as how a twitter post led to front row tix to Elton John; her most liked tiktok featuring a W...

Tori and Mabelle talk with Cygnet Theatre’s Associate Artistic Director, accomplished theatre-maker and all-around beautiful human being, Robby Lutfy. Robby shares his approach to reading plays through multiple judgement-free reads using his *vomit writing* free-writes to lift the rocks created by the playwright. Robby discusses wrestling with his own artistic mission statement by taking the theat...

Tori and Mabelle host the V-Minute Valentines festival celebrating the work of nine playwrights from around the world who submitted their 5-minute masterpieces to the Valentine-inspired Hey Playwright short play festival.

Tori and Mabelle talk with triple threat actress, playwright and teaching artist, Aleta Barthell. Aleta reveals how she connects historical moments with current events through magical realism in her plays Window of Shame (Finalist, 2020 National Playwrights Conference, O’Neill Theater Center; Finalist, HUMANITAS/CTG Playwriting Prize), Walking Down the Corn , and Night Witches: Flight Into Fantasy...

Tori and Mabelle talk with the multi-talented powerhouse, Colette Freedman. Colette shares her journey from her first 10-minute play to internationally produced playwright, and the value of writing with passion and the intention to get your work out in the world (and off of the computer!). She also drops advice that led to her successful career as an award-winning novelist, teaching artist and scr...

Season 2 is here! Tori and Mabelle dive into Season 2 with a check-in of their 90-Day Play experiment, shoes as the dangling carrot for finishing pages, favorite love stories, AND an invitation to submit to the next Hey Playwright contest, V-Minute Valentines!

Tori and Mabelle round out their 12-episode season with a cornucopia of topics including: upcoming writing projects; the joy of smooth writing utensils; dislodging constipated gel pens; a seasonal asking for a friend; and an invitation to journey with them on their “The 90-Day Play” adventure inspired by Linda Walsh Jenkins’s book. This week’s writing prompt invites you to peek back at the past (f...

Tori and Mabelle talk with one of their artist idols: Sarah Greenman. A storyteller, visual artist and Woo-woo catalyst, Sarah discusses the evolution of her Creative Alchemy Oracle Deck, playwriting, motherhood and the importance of choosing this life every day. Her upcoming projects, as well as her acclaimed play, Leni , based on the life of Leni Riefenstahl, are also discussed. Sarah offers two...

Tori and Mabelle talk with theatremaker, film aficionado and podcaster, Tom Steward. Tom digs into the details of dissecting film sequels, starting with dialogue to create compelling stories, holding onto your writing drafts AND the importance of self-advocating. He also shares which horror movie he’d choose to be trapped in. He gives a potentially haunting (but not necessarily) prompt to jumpstar...

Tori and Mabelle host the Five-Minute Frights festival celebrating the work of eight playwrights from around the world who submitted their short plays to the first Hey Playwright short play festival.

Tori and Mabelle talk with Penguin Random House inspirational speaker and creative disruptor, Tania Katan. Tania shares insights about the two Cs of creativity, her life as a best-selling author and Curator of Shenanigans, and how she found her “in” as a public speaker. Tori and Mabelle receive new job titles: Motivational Grader and Storytelling Reporter. Tania drops two writing prompts, includin...

Tori and Mabelle drop helpful tips on prepping for contest submissions (hint: Don’t be like Johnny Smartypants), including resources for finding opportunities. Everyone’s a winner with a  contest-inspired writing prompt.