The Shotgun Players Podcast: Recent Episodes
Shotgun Players
Y'all have been coming to see us for nearly 30 years, so we're figuring out ways to come see YOU!
Subscribe to listen to scenes, interviews, and even full-length play readings, wherever you are.
Please consider a donation - if we can't sell tickets, we can't make money, and your support would mean the world to us during this unprecedented crisis. Visit https://www.shotgunplayers.org for more information.
Shotgun Players is a company of artists determined to create bold, relevant, affordable theatre that inspires and challenges audience and artist alike to re-examine our lives, our community, and the ever-changing world around us.
Patrick Dooley talks to playwright Adam Bock and director Mary Ann Rodgers about childhood theatre companies, writing process, and Shotgun's upcoming production of Bock's play A Small Fire.
Leigh Rondon-Davis talks to Babes in Ho-lland playwright Deneen Reynolds-Knott about Riot Grrrl, starting college, and the Black experience in predominately white environments.
Deneen's "Babes" playlist!
Check out Shoebox Picnic Road Side at Alabama Shakes if you're in Montgomery!
Leigh Rondon-Davis talks about spectacle, spite, and HGTV with Dream Hou$e playwright Eliana Pipes and director Karina Gutiérrez.
Music:
Welcome to the Show" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Join Tony Award-winning creator of 'Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812' creator Dave Malloy in conversation with co-directors Patrick Dooley and Erin Mei-Ling Stuart as they discuss the genesis of the musical and Malloy's start in theatre.
More cool stuff:
Dave's website: http://davemalloy.com/
Erin's website: https://www.erinmstuart.com/
Music is "Shack" by Dave Malloy from Beardo at the Shotgun Players
Let’s Talk About Theatre will feature interviews with playwrights and other contributing artists of past and future shows. The interviews will be focused on shows from our upcoming 30th Anniversary Season as well as conversations about past programming. The program will be offered as a video series and an audio podcast.
'The Cassandra Sessions: Recording This World' creators Beth Wilmurt and Jake Rodriguez appear live with Shotgun Players founding artistic director Patrick Dooley on June 17, 2021 at 5pm PST.
Cassandra—that mythic figure from Greek legend, cursed with prophecies that nobody believes—knows she is soon to die. She locks herself in a studio to record an album of songs entitled This World, hoping to leave a time capsule of truths about the state of the world that might one day be heard. How to tell the truth in a way that compels people not only to listen and sing along, but to make the changes they haven’t? Featuring songs by Berkeley native, Malvina Reynolds, 'The Cassandra Sessions: Recording This World' is a new theater piece about making meaning of the world by making music about it.
Let’s Talk About Theatre will feature interviews with playwrights and other contributing artists of past and future shows. The interviews will be focused on shows from our upcoming 30th Anniversary Season as well as conversations about past programming. Tune in on YouTube or listen to the audio version right here!
'My H8 Letter to the Gr8 American Theatre' playwright Diana Oh appears live with director Mina Morita and TBA director-in-residence Leigh Rondon-Davis, recorded on June 10, 2021.
A brutally candid, painful, and bitingly funny play about transparency, honesty, and repairing centuries of damage done in the American theatre industry. Oh’s play embraces the power of naming and celebrates truth on a journey toward building a balanced relationship that is no longer oppressive, silencing, and damaging.
Music is You Make Your Money Now, written and performed by Diana Oh and Matt Park!
Hanah talks with Celeste Martore, set designer of Kill Move Paradiseand The Niceties, about the architecture and set design, what makes an oppressive space, and figuring out how to design in the wild world of Zoom.
Don't miss our live digital production of The Niceties,this weekend only! Tickets are pay-what-you-can and available here.
To see Celeste's design for Kill Move Paradise, and her other work, check out celestemartore.com.
For some examples of International Style, i.e. not what Celeste is going for, here's some wikipedia for you all.
To support Shotgun, and our ability to keep paying artists in quarantine, visit www.shotgunplayers.org and click "Donate!"
Intro music by Dave Malloy, davemalloy.com
Outro music by Misner & Smith, misnerandsmith.com
Hanah talks with Brooke Jennings, designer of Arcadia, Vinegar Tom, Henry V, and assistant on Iron Shoes. Learn about helping actors find characters, why you should be kind to costume shop managers, how to make a fake pregnancy belly, and that one time Brooke threw together a whole Regency gown in 48 hours.
To see some of Brooke's work at Shotgun, visit our show pages below:
Iron Shoes (assisting designer Alina Bokovikova)
Arcadia
Vinegar Tom
To support Shotgun, and our ability to keep paying artists in quarantine, visit www.shotgunplayers.org and click "Donate!"
Intro music by Dave Malloy, davemalloy.com
Outro music by Misner & Smith, misnerandsmith.com
Hanah talks with Ray Oppenheimer about lighting at the Ashby Stage, from The Coast of Utopia to the 2016 Season in Rep. Listen through the end for a meditation on the ethereal nature of light and sound and hot tips for getting the best lighting for your next Zoom call.
We talk about a lot of shows and gear in this episode! Click here to see photos.
If you haven't heard the The Claim yet, check it out here!
And don't miss our panel discussion about black immigration experiences, inspired by The Claim, on YouTube here.
To support Shotgun, and our ability to keep paying artists in quarantine, visit www.shotgunplayers.org and click "Donate!"
Intro music by Dave Malloy, davemalloy.com
Outro music by Misner & Smith, misnerandsmith.com
Hanah talks with Sara Witsch (The Claim) and Elton Bradman (Kill Move Paradise) about their recent experiences designing radio plays in quarantine, missing their in-person theater collaborators, and their attempts to compose in harmony with the Ashby Stage air conditioner.
If you haven't heard the The Claim yet, check it out here!
For more of Elton's work, visit eltonsounds.com and Bass Magazine.
For more of Sara's work, visit Sound Play Media.
Also check out Sara's recommendation of Unseen, an audio comic with a blind heroine, for blind (and sighted) audiences.
To support Shotgun, and our ability to keep paying artists in quarantine, visit www.shotgunplayers.org and click "Donate!"
Intro music by Dave Malloy, davemalloy.com
Outro music by Misner & Smith, misnerandsmith.com
We are proud to present this workshop audio performance of The Claim by Tim Cowbury, directed by Rebecca Novick.
A bold, imaginative response to the stories of African refugees seeking asylum in the UK, The Claim asks what happens when your life is at stake and all you have to save it are your words.
While the theater is closed, we are continuing to pay artists to create online content like this and making it all free or pay-what-you-can to the public. We need your support to make it happen! Please click here to donate.
For the best audio experience, we recommend listening with headphones.
CastSerge: Kenny Scott
A: Soren Santos
B: Oluchi Nwokocha
Production Team:Playwright: Tim Cowbury
Director: Rebecca Novick
Sound Designer: Sara Witsch
Dialect Coach: Nancy Carlin
Sound Effects from the Soundly Database
We're planning a live interactive event on June 20 at 5pm to further discuss the issues surrounding the play. To learn more, follow Shotgun Players on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Hanah talks Beth Wilmurt and Mark Jackson about what we carry forward from the past into the future, trying to stay in the present, and how theater may present more opportunities than basketball.
To watch the video that inspired this podcast, check out Remember Theatre?It's not required for listening, but it is pretty damn charming.
The full-length version of Mark and Beth's production of Kill the Debbie Downers!is also still available here!
Please support Shotgun Players during our 2-week Sassafras fundraiser right now! Proceeds go to the "Shotgun stimulus" fund for our 2020 artists affected by the shutdown, and the folks creating online theater for you all to enjoy.
Click here for Sassafras or visit www.shotgunplayers.org!
Intro music by Dave Malloy, davemalloy.com
Outro music by Misner & Smith, misnerandsmith.com
Hanah talks with Kenny Toll and Megan Trout about water slides, backflips, buckets, and even acting in Shotgun Players' 2015 production of Eurydice.
For pics from onstage and off, click here.
Please support Shotgun Players during our 2-week Sassafras fundraiser right now! Proceeds go to artists creating work on our online platforms until we can get back to the Ashby Stage! Visit shotgunplayers.org and click the Sassafras banner.
Intro music by Dave Malloy, davemalloy.com
Outro music by Misner & Smith, misnerandsmith.com
Hanah talks with Leigh Rondon-Davis about the joys and challenges of doing a million theater jobs, how they got started at Shotgun Players, and one particular night when all the lights went out at the Ashby Stage.
For pics, including some never-before-seen from the 2016 "flashlight performance" of Caught, click here.
Intro music by Dave Malloy, davemalloy.com
Outro music by Misner & Smith, misnerandsmith.com
To support Shotgun Players, visit shotgunplayers.org and click "Donate."
Hanah talks with Heather Kelly-Laws and Nikita Kadam - the Stage Management team from our 2016 Hamlet and many other shows - about the joys of a difficult show, and how some very adept actors saved the day every time.
For pics and videos from onstage and off, click here.
For the charts that guided the Hamlets (And Ghosts and Gertrudes), click below:
Actors' Progress
Character Breakdown
Scene-Timing Sheet
Intro music by Dave Malloy, davemalloy.com
Outro music by Misner & Smith, misnerandsmith.com
To support Shotgun Players, visit shotgunplayers.org and click "Donate."
This week, Hanah is talking with Devon LaBelle about beets and bleach and consulting medical professionals - all part of producing blood effects on stage. Plus - find out exactly how the wedding turned bloody during our 2017 production of Black Rider.
For pics and videos related to the podcast, click here. (Warning: contains graphic images of stage blood.)
Finally, as promised, the beet-blood recipe:
- 1/4 cup powdered beets
- 2 Tablespoons xanthan gum
- 2 Quarts water
Intro music by Dave Malloy, davemalloy.com
Outro music by Misner & Smith, misnerandsmith.com
To support Shotgun Players, visit shotgunplayers.org and click "donate."
We are so pleased to offer The Big Picture by Madeleine George (Watson Intelligence, Precious Little) for this week's episode of The Shotgun Players Podcast. This workplace comedy/tragedy explores the relationship one man has to himself, his human resources manager, humanity, and a very unlucky raccoon. Featuring Joe Estlack (Bonnie and Clyde, Woyzeck, Blasted) and Adam Niemann (Henry V, Arcadia)
Dale - Joe Estlack
Paul - Adam Niemann
Music is Neverland by Onycs
Intro music by Dave Malloy, davemalloy.com
Outro music by Misner & Smith, misnerandsmith.com
Director of Production Hanah Zahner-Isenberg interviews scenic designer Randy Wong-Westbrooke about their approach to design, with special focus on The Flick,including where all those darn chairs came from.
Click here to see behind-the-scenes photos from The Flick at Shotgun Players, as well as another of Randy's designs, The Daughters at SF Playhouse.
To support our work, visit shotgunplayers.org and click "donate"!
You can also send ideas and feedback to podcast@shotgunplayers.org.
Editing by Hanah Zahner-Isenberg
Music Credits:
- Intro - Dave Malloy, from Beowulf with Shotgun/Banana Bag and Bodice, http://davemalloy.com/
- Outro - Misner & Smith, Poor Player, https://misnerandsmith.com/
Join us for our first full play in a Podcast!
Adam Bock’s meticulously crafted script follows Emily Bridges, a woman used to running all the things — from her construction business to her family — until she suddenly and mysteriously starts losing her physical senses. As her world changes, her relationships shift in poignant and revelatory ways.
Big thanks to Adam for giving us permission to produce his beautiful work.
Cast:
Michelle Talgarow as Emily Bridges
Don Wood as John Bridges
Sharon Shao as Jenny Bridges
Chris Ginesi as Billy Fontaine
Directed by Patrick Dooley
Sound Design and Editing by Sara Witsch and Hanah Zahner-Isenberg
Music Credits:
- Intro - Dave Malloy, from Beowulf with Shotgun/Banana Bag and Bodice, http://davemalloy.com/
- Wedding Jams - Kevin McLeod, Shades of Spring & Backbay Lounge
- Outro - Misner & Smith, Poor Player, https://misnerandsmith.com/
Hear the actors from our production of Henry V in Act 4: Scene 1 and 3, and Act 5, Scene 2.
Subscribe and listen next Wednesday for a brand new play, A Small Fire by Adam Bock.
Performers(specific to this episode)
Gabby Battista - Henry VJustin DuPuis - Erpingham
Steven Hess - Pistol, Alice
Adam Niemann - Gower, Salisbury, Katherine
William Oliver III - Williams, Westmoreland
Kevin Rebultan - Gloucester
Sharon Shao - Fluellen
Erin Mei-Ling Stuart - Bates, Exeter
Margherita Ventura - Court, Bedford
For the full cast/crew of the production, click here to visit our Henry V page.
Special thanks to Lana Palmer for drums, and Dave Malloy for intro/outro music from our production of Beowulf with Banana Bag & Bodice.
Hear the actors from our production of Henry V in Act 3: Scene 1-2, Scene 4, and Scene 6.
Subscribe and lookout on Friday for one more Henry-cast!
Performers(specific to this episode)
Gabby Battista - Henry VJustin Dupuis - Nym
Steven Hess - Pistol, AliceAdam Niemann - Katherine, Gower
Kevin Rebultan - Bardolph
Sharon Shao - Boy, Fluellen
For the full cast/crew of the production, click here to visit our Henry V page.
Special thanks to Lana Palmer for drums, and Dave Malloy for intro/outro music from our production of Beowulf with Banana Bag & Bodice.
For the first time, hear the actors from our production of Henry V in Chorus 1, Act 1 Scene 2, and Act 2 Scene 1.
Stay tuned this Wednesday and Friday for more!
Performers(roles specific to this episode)
Gabby Battista - Chorus, Henry VJustin Dupuis - Chorus, Bishop of Ely, Nym
Steven Hess - Chorus, Bishop of Canterbury, Pistol
Justin Howard - Chorus, MontjoyAdam Niemann - ChorusWilliam Oliver III - Chorus
Kevin Rebultan - Chorus, Bardolph
Sharon Shao - Chorus, Boy
Erin Mei-Ling Stuart - Chorus, Exeter
Margherita Ventura - Chorus, Hostess Quickly
For the full cast/crew of the production, click here to visit our Henry V page.
Special thanks to Lana Palmer for drums, and Dave Malloy for intro/outro music from our production of Beowulf with Banana Bag & Bodice.
Artistic Director Patrick Dooley shares updates and plans for how we'll use this podcast and other online mediums to keep bringing you the art and artists you love.
To support Shotgun Players, please visit shotgunplayers.org and click Donate.
Thanks to Dave Malloy for the use of music from our production of Beowulf with Banana Bag & Bodice.