The Frogs

THE FROGS LIVE: Juneteenth Juke Joint Hosts Alex Ubokudom and Tobie Windham brought the juke joint spirit to life for this special Juneteenth edition of THE FROGS LIVE, recorded before a live audience at Outside In Theatre that centered on community, artistry, and the radical act of gathering. Joining them were two of contemporary theatre’s most vital voices: Michael Oloyede and Jamila Webb. The c...

Simon Rich: SNL, AI, and the rebirth of the live event  The Frogs sit down with Thurber Prize & Emmy-winning writer Simon Rich for a wide-ranging conversation about comedy, writing rooms, theatre, and what it means to tell stories in the age of AI. From writing on Saturday Night Live to creating Man Seeking Woman and Miracle Workers , adapting work for Broadway, and exploring absurdity, satire...

Robert Wisdom: Presence is the Work Robert Wisdom will next be seen in The Terminal List: Dark Wolf opposite Chris Pratt and Taylor Kitsch, and in Netflix’s Trinity alongside Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Richard Madden, and Marcia Gay Harden. He appeared in HBO’s Barry opposite Bill Hader and in Apple TV+‘s Black Bird . On the film side, he’s worked with Denzel Washington on A Journal for Jordan and appeared...

Angelica Chéri: Writing the Future Angelica Chéri: playwright, musical theatre writer, screenwriter, poet. Named by Variety as one of Broadway’s Top Ten Stars to Watch in 2025, Angelica is one of the most exciting voices shaping the future of theatre and musical storytelling. You may know her work from the Prophet’s Cycle Trilogy- The Seeds of Abraham , The Sting of White Roses , and Crowndation:...

Johnny Ray Gill: In Every Form It’s Black History Month, and we’re sitting down with a friend of the pod, Johnny Ray Gill, who is a magnificent actor and storyteller. Season two of Cross dropped February 11th on Prime, and Johnny Ray as Bobby Trey is layered, dangerous, and deeply human. You can feel the weight of history underneath his performance. Johnny doesn’t just play characters. He builds i...

Kacie Rogers: No Permission Required Kacie Rogers- actor, writer, producer, and community builder. This is a conversation rooted in theatre, process, and legacy. A two-time NAACP Award winner trained at AMDA, Kacie has worked with many of Los Angeles’ vital theatre companies, including The Robey Theatre Co., IAMA, The Fountain Theatre, Outside In Theatre, Skylight Theatre, A Noise Within, and the...

Adrianna Mitchell - The Holiday’s with a Crutch  We welcome Adrianna Mitchell to The Frogs podcast, currently starring opposite Tracy Morgan and Kecia Lewis in Crutch on Paramount+. Adrianna talks about craft, discipline, Spelman, and the body of work she’s been building. We get into process: how grit, presence, and being ready to move from drama to comedy when moment needs it. We also talk about...

Biko Eisen-Martin: Table 17 and The Bay Area Season Two rolls on with Biko Eisen-Martin, the force at the center of the Geffen Playhouse’s West Coast Premiere of Table 17. Biko sits with The Frogs to break down what it means to carry a story this raw. We dive into the emotional architecture behind playing Dallas, both in the new Geffen production and in the original MCC Off-Broadway run. We also l...

Roger Guenveur Smith: In Honor of Jean-Michel Basquiat & The One-Man Revolution Season Two keeps jumping with one of American theater’s greatest storytellers, Roger Guenveur Smith: actor, writer, director, and one-man cultural force. From his iconic collaborations with Spike Lee (Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X, Get on the Bus) to his Obie Award–winning solo shows (A Huey P. Newton Story), Roger...

Tarell McCraney & André Holland: Brotherly Love in the Theater — Friendship, Authenticity & Keith Sweat Season 2 of The Frogs begins with two artists whose work continues to shape culture. Tarell Alvin McCraney is the Artistic Director of the Geffen Playhouse, guiding the artistic vision for its stages. An award-winning writer, producer, and educator, he is best known for The Brother/Siste...

The Frogs Live-  Episode 10- The Theatre Is Ours Location: Outside In Theatre, Los Angeles Recorded Live: May 24, 2025 A night of theater, culture, and vibe: recorded live with a studio audience under the lights of Outside In Theatre. This special episode features a live performance and deep conversation with the creators and stars behind Red for Revolution, an award-winning audio drama centering...

Andrea Patterson is a powerhouse on stage and screen, blending raw storytelling with undeniable craft. A graduate of Purchase College’s Acting Conservatory, she’s brought unforgettable performances to some of the most respected theaters in the country. Her portrayal of Helen in Memnon at the Getty Villa, produced with the Classical Theatre of Harlem, redefined the myth, bringing depth and fire to...

LarryJean Powell — Infinite Artist. Cultural Architect. South Central Griot. LarryJean Powell (theirs) is a true infini-hyphenate: actor, writer, director, and creator. Born and raised in South Central LA. They’ve premiered new work in powerhouse plays like The Christians , The Legend of Georgia McBride, Father Comes Home From the Wars , and While I Yet Live , carving out a lane where art, activis...

Jerrie Johnson: Art, Audacity, Heart, and HARLEM Jerrie Johnson (she/they) is the kind of artist who doesn’t just take up space, they reshape it. You probably know them as Tye from Amazon Prime’s Harlem , where their bold, magnetic energy became an instant standout. Jerrie also pulled up in Survival of the Thickest on Netflix, Good Trouble on Hulu, and the indie film Mother’s Milk . A Penn State a...

Sophina Brown: Creating Space and the New Black Theatre Movement  Sophina Brown is a force on stage, on screen, and in the community. After graduating from the University of Michigan’s BFA Theatre program and making her Broadway debut in The Lion King, she moved to LA to break into TV but never stopped fighting for the theater. Inspired by August Wilson’s The Ground on Which I Stand, Sophina began...

Daisuke Tsuji: The Art of Being a Clown Daisuke Tsuji is more than an actor, he’s a beautiful spirit, a dedicated artist, and a true practitioner of craft. He’s a clown, not the red-nose, ha-ha kind, though we learn he knows a bit about that as well, but the kind that sees the world for what it is and meets it with curiosity, vulnerability, and play. Whether on stage, in motion capture, or in the...

Hamish Linklater: The Ghosts of Theatre, Batman, Nickel Boys & the Lakers Hamish Linklater is a powerhouse: actor, writer, director, producer, and a master of storytelling across every medium. Right now, he’s commanding the stage in Ghosts at Lincoln Center, voicing Batman in the new animated Batman series, and starring in Nickel Boys , which just snagged an Academy Award nomination for Best P...

Stacy Amma Osei-Kuffour – The Magical, Unrestrained, Comedic mind of Stacy Amma Stacy Osei-Kuffour is a powerhouse TV writer and playwright redefining modern storytelling. With credits like Hulu’s THE BEAR (which just earned her a WGA for Best Comedy), Apple’s THE MORNING SHOW, HBO’s RUN (from Vicky Jones and Phoebe Waller-Bridge), Amazon’s THE POWER, HBO’s WATCHMEN (earning her another WGA for Be...

Baltimore-born, NYC-based, and always in conversation with the past, Eric Berryman is an artist whose work is guided by a simple but profound question: Would Grandma dig this? Eric grew up steeped in the stories and wisdom of his grandparents, and that influence echoes through every role he takes on. Whether he’s resurrecting the oral traditions of Black storytelling, reimagining history on stage,...

Will Power: The Man, The Myth, The Theater Legend  Let’s talk about the powerhouse that is Will Power, an internationally acclaimed playwright, performer, lyricist, and educator. This man’s work has graced stages from Lincoln Center to the Sydney Opera House, and everywhere in between, including venues in Asia, Africa, Europe, and all across North America. You name it, he’s been there! But here’s...