Best George Sapio Podcasts (2025)

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#196: Jesus Granados 34:34

Play Pause

23d ago34:34

34:34

This month our guest is Jesus Granados, a high school coordinator, and english teacher at Complejo Educativo Santa Lucía in Santiago de Puriscal in the canton of San José in Costa Rica. Jesus is also an actor, director, and experienced theatre professional.By George Sapio

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#195: Dave Osmundsen 33:14

3M ago33:14

33:14

Dave Osmundsen is autistic playwright / dramaturg / actor whose article “Finding Autistic Theatre Artists Is a Challenge (If You Make It a Challenge)” appeared in Howlround this past February. It's a terrific article and I wholly recommend reading it because it will definitely broaden your knowledge base around autism. In the article Dave addresses…

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#194: Robert Weibezahl "Doughnut Disturb" 28:09

4M ago28:09

28:09

Robert Weibazahl is a playwright and a teacher whose play "Doughnut Disturb" is the third of our 2025 Diversity/Equity/Inclusion series. Robert's website | Facebook | New Play Exchange | BlueskyBy George Sapio

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#193: Nick Maynard: "Things You See in the Rain" 34:46

5M ago34:46

34:46

Nick Maynard is a playwright from the UK who's worked professionally within the performing arts industry for a number of years, both commercially and academically, creating and facilitating over 300 different stage shows as writer, director or producer. His play “Things You See in the Rain” is the second of our 2025 Diversity/Equity/Inclusion-theme…

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#192: Cris Eli Blak 35:37

6M ago35:37

35:37

Cris Eli Blak is an emerging proud Black playwright and screenwriter whose work has been performed and produced around the world, from Off-Broadway; across the United States; on university stages; as well as in London, Australia, Ireland, and Canada. He is the winner of the first Black Broadway Men Playwriting Intiative, the winner of the 2024 Char…

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#191: Laura Shamas / Harriette Feliz 50:27

7M ago50:27

50:27

Our guests are playwright Laura Shamas and multidisciplinary artist Harriette Feliz, who are here to talk about Laura's play “Four Women in Red” which recently finished a run at the Victory Theatre in Burbank, CA. Harriette is one of the four cast members. “Four Women in Red” addresses the ongoing epidemic of violence against Native American women.…

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#190: Philip Middleton Williams 58:39

8M ago58:39

58:39

Philip Middleton WIlliams has been produced around the world and published in many anthologies and seven of his plays by Next Stage Press. He has an MFA in playwriting from the University of Minnesota and a PhD in playwriting and dramatic criticism from the University of Colorado-Boulder. He also serves on the national advisory board of the William…

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#189: Diane Quinn and Bill Fuller - Unseen Theatre 35:05

9M ago35:05

35:05

This month's guests are Diane Quinn and Bill Fuller, co-founders and driving force behind Unseen Theatre, an audio podcast showcasing (unproduced), original plays, featuring---something very much after my own heart---strong female protagonists, performed by SAG-AFTRA actors. Diane is Artistic Director/Co-Producer, and also has been an actor and pla…

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#188: Svetlana Arestova 27:46

10M ago27:46

27:46

Svetlana Arestova is a literary translator and professor of translation at HSE University in Moscow, Russia. Her list of accomplishments is extensive, including translations of books by Andrew Sean Greer, Daniel Mason and Elizabeth Strout. We talk about the intricacies of translating not just words, but intent, meaning, and finding ways to make the…

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#187: Scott C. Sickles 52:06

11M ago52:06

52:06

Scott is an LGBTQ/neurodivergent/biracial Korean American writer. He has received five consecutive Writers Guild of America Awards for the daytime serial General Hospital, and numerous Emmy Award nominations. For over thirty years, his plays have been performed in New York City, his native Pittsburgh, across the United States, as well as internatio…

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#186: Gene Kato 40:02

12M ago40:02

40:02

Gene Kato is the mastermind behind Next Stage Press, an online boutique publishing house that has grown exponentially over the past few years. Gene has singlehandedly created a showroom for hundreds of playwrights to market their creative opuses. A lively, fun interview with lots to talk about! NPX / X / Facebook / Genekato.com #genekato #publishin…

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#185: Play reading - Joey - Donald Loftus 39:56

1y ago39:56

39:56

Donald Loftus is a playwright/lyricist whose work has been performed around the globe and is one of the masterminds behind the online play reading group New York Pages. He's has written the book and lyrics to several musicals (Abbey Victoria, Pollyanna, ‘Round Duffy Square, and Illusion), and his one-acts have been presented in over 100 play festiv…

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#184: Play reading - Melting the Ice - JB Alexander 36:16

1y ago36:16

36:16

JB Alexander is a playwright, an actor, and sometimes he directs. This month we present his exceptional play “Melting the Ice,” a face-off between an ICE officer and a lawyer who won't take no for an answer. This is the third in our 2024 "Missing Home” series. #jbalexander #playwriting #theatre #ice #detention #separatedfamily #refugees #immigratio…

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#183: Play reading - "Where Do We Go?" / Raymond Alvin 24:29

1y ago24:29

24:29

Danny's on the run and hiding out from a guy who should never have been crossed. Good thing he's got his best friend Charlie with him. Featuring Sean Kimber as Danny and George Sapio as Charlie. Plus, we have a very down-to-Earth talk with the playwright, Raymond Alvin. Come join us! Raymond's Facebook page…

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#182: Play reading - Shakespeare Lives! - Mark Harvey Levine 29:35

1y ago29:35

29:35

Mark is well known throughout the theatre world, having had over 2100 productions of his short plays everywhere from Bangalore to Bucharest and from Seoul to Sao Paulo. His plays have won over 45 awards, been produced in more than ten languages and have been published in over two dozen anthologies. His comedy “Shakespeare Lives!” is one of our two …

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#181: Gregg T. Daniel 37:38

1+ y ago37:38

37:38

Gregg T. Daniel is an actor, director, and educator who is currently midway through the mammoth journey of directing all of August Wilson's American Century Cycle, ten plays that reflect the African-American experience in the United States. This October he'll present Wilson's Pulitzer prize winning “The Piano Lesson.” We also chat about his extensi…

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#180: Play Reading - "Silver Linings" by Alicia Ana Hernandez-Roulet 29:24

1+ y ago29:24

29:24

#180! "Silver Linings" is the next play in our 2024 "Missing Home" series. Alicia Ana Hernandez-Roulet is the playwright and we have a marvelous conversation with her about the play, her work, the importance of family, and (of course) chicharrones! Alicia's NPX pageBy George Sapio

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#179: Play reading: Decisions, Decision/Chloe Riederich 31:17

1+ y ago31:17

31:17

Chloe Riederich is a playwright, director, and theatre practitioner, whose play "Decisions, Decisions," a sensitive, humorous comedy, is the first of our 2024 "Missing Home" plays. Catch our production and a way-fun interview with Chloe themselves! Chloe's Homepage | FacebookBy George Sapio

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#178: Natives of the Apocalypse 45:08

1+ y ago45:08

45:08

Isaiah St. Cyr, Enoch Chapman, and Montana Miller are three of the members of the Native American theatre company Natives of the Apocalypse. In the summer of 2023, this Santa Fe troupe produced an indigenized version of Lyle Kessler's "Orphans." Being one of the very few Native American theatre groups in the U.S., NOTA now embarks on a five-year pl…

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#177: Lily Janiak 38:13

1+ y ago38:13

38:13

Lily is a theatre critic for the San Francisco Chronicle. I came across an article she wrote back in October of 2023 entitled “What responsibility do critics bear when a theater company closes?” I was struck that anyone, let alone a theatre critic, would voice that out loud. But it's a legitimate question, especially after Covid-19 ravaged the thea…

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#176: Marci J. Duncan & Kerry Sandell - "Dissonance" 36:40

1+ y ago36:40

36:40

Florida-based playwrights/actors/producers of the challenging hit play, "Dissonance," which begs the question, "Can a Black woman and a White woman--who have been friends for 20 years--have an honest, open conversation about race?" #theatre,#race,#friendship,#privilege,#dissonance, #equality, #blacklivesmatter, #racism, #whitefragility, #thisisamer…

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#175: Dionne Lea 34:39

2y ago34:39

34:39

Dionne Lea is a Broadway World award nominated actor, singer, producer. She does improv, variety shows, theater, commercials, television, voice-over, film and is currently bringing her show "The Way It Is...Now," an evening of stories and musical numbers, around the united states to enthusiastic audiences. We have a great chat about so many differe…

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#174: Ekaterina Wagner 44:44

2y ago44:44

44:44

Ekaterina Wagner is a playwright, art critic, and editor based in Moscow, Russia. Her articles appeared in Robb Report, ELLE and other media outlets in Russia, Ukraine, and India. She worked as an editor and deputy editor-in-chief of several international publications in Russia, including ELLE Decoration, Harper’s Bazaar Art, and The Art Newspaper.…

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#173 Playzoomers 49:35

2y ago49:35

49:35

Welcome to 2024! Jan Carpman and Mary Ann Nichols Hubbard are the movers and shakers behind Playzoomers, an online theatre company founded in 2020. They present 20 live online plays per year on Zoom - from full-length plays to multiple short plays – featuring professional theatre artists. As of this broadcast they will have produced and aired over …

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#172: Anne Flammang 58:16

2y ago58:16

58:16

Anne is a true gift to the theatre community. Since 2015 she's run The Depot, a production company featuring Zoom play readings. We talk about teaching, her life in theatre, her writing, and the Coast Guard! https://www.thedepot.space #theatre #drama #teaching #writer #thedepot #coastguard #zoomBy George Sapio

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#171: Kelly McBurnette-Andronicos 40:00

2y ago40:00

40:00

Kelly is a playwright whose work explores various cultures and belief systems. Her full-length plays are about, as she says, women and events you’ve likely never heard of. She goes on to say that she's lived in a few different places, and enjoys getting to know a place through its often obscure history. She has at least one play for every region sh…

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#170: Play reading - Nothing to Declare /Michael Burgan 34:09

2y ago34:09

34:09

This month our guest is Michael Burgan, a playwright, novelist, and professional writer with over 250 published books. (We will explain that impressive number!) His short play, "Nothing to Declare," is our October '23 play selection. And we talk with Michael about his other work, including textbooks and “Celebrating Survival,” an evening of staged …

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#169: Play Reading - Yours / Christine Benvenuto 39:59

2+ y ago39:59

39:59

In the waiting room of a DNA testing laboratory, Oliver and Larry meet to hear results of their DNA tests. Plus an interview with Christine Benvenuto.By George Sapio

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#168: Sophie Vudakin 27:25

2+ y ago27:25

27:25

is a playwright and junior in high school from Houston, Texas. I had the privilege of reading her play Tell Us Your Story (A Tale of Family Lost and Found) not long ago. Tell Us Your Story describes what it's like for one young woman when she discovers that her birth mother has been looking for her. Sophie is also a theatre enthusiast and has been …

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#167: Play Reading - For the Record / FJ Hartland 32:39

2+ y ago32:39

32:39

FJ Hartland is a playwright, director, and professional actor whose plays have won awards too numerous to mention. His play "For the Record," the next selection in our 2023 theme of Exploration, is a story of two people finding a way to connect and reach an understanding. Join us for a great conversation after the play!…

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#166: Play reading - Birthday Boat / Michele Markarian 29:26

2+ y ago29:26

29:26

Playwright / reading. When is a gift worth twice as much? When it includes your partner and helps you conquer a phobia. Facebook / Twitter / Unborn Children of America / Heuer PublicationsBy George Sapio

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#165: Midge Guerrera 51:55

2+ y ago51:55

51:55

Midge Guerrera is a playwright, blogger, travel consultant, memoirist, university education planner, arts management/public relations and much more. Our talk this month is chock full of stories, anecdotes, and inspiration. midgeguerrera.com / New Play Exchange / Facebook / Cars, Castles, Cows, and Chaos / Nonna's Mulberry Tree…

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#164: Claude Jackson, Jr 49:27

2+ y ago49:27

49:27

Playwright, public defender. Claude Jackson's play “Cashed Out” recently had its world premiere at the San Francisco Playhouse. The play deals with Rocky, a mother and an accountant, who has a gambling addiction. Gila River Indian Community / BroadwayWorld articleBy sapiogeorge

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#163: Patrick Gabridge 44:49

3y ago44:49

44:49

Playwright, producer, novelist. Patrick Gabridge is a busy man; he writes site-specific plays, historical novels, and runs the PlaywrightBinge, an online group for playwrights to share information and support. Website / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / New Play Exchange / Plays in PlaceBy sapiogeorge

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#162: Claire Lebowitz King 38:35

3y ago38:35

38:35

Claire Lebowitz King's play "Outside the Gates", about two mothers, one Iranian, the other American, appeared at the '22 Edinburgh Fringe. An indomitable activist, Claire has also written other insightful social works as well as being a co-founder of Occupy Broadway. Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / TikTok / Wired / DC Theatre Arts / IMDB…

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#161: Sarah Shourd 48:56

3y ago48:56

48:56

Happy New Year, all! We bring you a thrilling talk with playwright Sarah Shourd. Her play "The Box," about prisoners in solitary confinement, toured the US and Europe and was so impactful, it helped changed laws in California. www.sarahshourd.com / The Box / Of Two Minds / End of Isolation Tour Mother Jones: How We Survived Two Years of Hell As Hos…

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#160: Theresa Fisher 43:50

3y ago43:50

43:50

Producer--New Plays for Young Audiences Associate Professor, Bronx Community College. Facebook / New Plays For Young Audiences Twitter: @NYUEdTheatre / Instagram: @nyuedtheatreBy sapiogeorge

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#159: Play Reading - Jokers in the Pack / Tony Vale 50:36

3y ago50:36

50:36

Play reading: "Jokers in the Pack"--an inside look at what dogs really talk about while we sip our soy lattes. And a lovely convo with Tony about writing and community activism!By sapiogeorge

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#158: Play reading - Letting Go / by Deirdre Girard 45:16

3y ago45:16

45:16

Playwright, teacher. We read Dierdre's play, "Letting Go, our final "Pets" play, and talk about commissions and wooooo...horror-themed plays! New Play ExchangeBy sapiogeorge

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#157: Lisa Villamil 35:16

3+ y ago35:16

35:16

Playwright/Actor/Director. We have a smashing conversation with Lisa Villamil about her play "Sirens," getting started in writing, producing work, and making it in today's theatre world! New Play ExchangeBy sapiogeorge

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#156: Play reading - Death of Gingerbread / Rand Higbee 30:00

3+ y ago30:00

30:00

Playwright Rand Higbee joins us for the first of our 2022 plays based on "Pets." Facebook / New Play ExchangeBy sapiogeorge

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#155: Mike Sockol 47:07

3+ y ago47:07

47:07

Playwright, Actor, Storyteller, Journalist, Community Activist. Mike Sockol and I talk about many things: arts in education, journalism, play critique, his play "In Danger of Falling in Love," and his fight against cancer.By sapiogeorge

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#154: Naked Angels 1:00:01

3+ y ago1:00:01

1:00:01

Playwrights, actors, producers. Joshua Fardon, Patricia Mario, and Connie Kuntz are the driving forces behind Naked Angels (Chicago branch) which hosts Tuesdays@9, a forum for reading new works. www.nakedangels.com / Facebook / InstagramBy sapiogeorge

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#153: Katie Hartman 40:46

3+ y ago40:46

40:46

Theatre Maker!/Playwright/Actor/Musician. Katie Hartman is many things: a playwright, actor, singer, musician. Her career has taken her around the world (as one-half of The Coldharts) with such macabre works as Edgar Allan and the Unrepentant Necrophile (a musical). Now she's taken the production reins of the Cincinnati Fringe. The Coldharts / Face…

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#152: Debbie Lamedman 54:05

3+ y ago54:05

54:05

Playwright/Editor/Teaching Artist. Debbie is the editor for Smith and Kraus's books: Best 10-Minute Plays of 2021, Best Women's Monologues 2021, Best Men's Monologues 2021. She also writes plays for young adults! www.debbielamedman.com / New Play ExchangeBy sapiogeorge

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#151: KJ Sanchez 50:23

4y ago50:23

50:23

Theatre maker/director/producer/documentary maker/ Asst. professor/Head of M.F.A. Directing - Univ. Texas @ Austin. KJ uses interviews and historical research to glean material for her plays, which cover a multitude of engrossing subjects. Howlround article / Univ. of Texas/Austin / American RecordsBy sapiogeorge

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#150: John Mabey 53:49

4y ago53:49

53:49

Playwright, Mental Health Counselor. John's having a remarkable year as a playwright--winner of the 2021 Panowski Award! Website / Instagram / TwitterBy sapiogeorge

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#149: Rachel Feeny-Williams 37:03

4y ago37:03

37:03

Playwright, Internet group host. An unstoppable playwright and host of the Internet theatre group Literary and Discourse Society. Literary and Discourse Society / #literarydiscoursesociety, #rachelfeenywilliamsBy sapiogeorge

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#148: Jacquelyn Reingold / Cheryl Davis 42:24

4y ago42:24

42:24

The Honor Roll/Playwrights/Activists/Arts Leaders. "She Persisted" Monologues by/for Women Over 40. The Honor Roll moves ever forward with a new collection of monologues written by and for women over 40. The Honor Roll / Website - The Honor Roll #womenover40,#thehonorroll,#womenplaywrights,#activists,#underrepresented,#lucywang,#cherylldavis,#yvett…

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#147: Robyn Dickinson / Jeff Dunne 51:34

4y ago51:34

51:34

Masterminds behind the Facebook group "Caravan Productions". In The Time of Covid, theatre takes to the Interwebs with ingenuity and gusto. Dickinson and Dunne provide a welcoming group for playwrights and actors. Caravan Productions / #caravanproductionsBy sapiogeorge