Partial View Podcast: Recent Episodes
Partial View Podcast
Partial View Podcast deep dives on the issues impacting the theatre industry in NYC and across the country. Be part of the conversation as we discuss our questions, frustrations, and ideas for how we can all leave The American Theatre better than we found it.
Good night, good luck, and we’ll see you next year! This week, Alex and Danielle shout out their favorite shows of 2023 and review some of the major theatre industry news stories of the year. From The Light in the Piazza to Patti LuPone’s new roommate, there was no shortage of hot topics to cover!
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Find us:
Danielle: Twitter | Instagram
Alex: Twitter | Instagram
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Find Partial View:
Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook
And, if you love what you're hearing and want to support us, head over to our Patreon at www.patreon.com/partialviewpod.
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Music by Scott Buckley – www.scottbuckley.com.au
If you were on the internet at all in the second half of 2020, you probably heard about the Ratatouille musical on TikTok. Before that was the Grocery Store Musical, and after came the Bridgerton musical, but TikTok and musical theatre were entwined well before the pandemic! We talked to Dr. Trevor Boffone, whose research, writing, and of course TikTok videos, make him THE expert to dive deep into the relationship between the theatre industry and TikTok.
- 03:45 - What we’re enjoying lately: Golden Bachelor, Broad City rewatch, Jane the Virgin
- 11:10 - Topic introduction: The Supermarket Musical, Ratatouille, Bridgerton
- 15:40 - Pre-TikTok musical theatre trends on other apps
- 25:55 - Discussion of the development of the Ratatouille musical
- 51:01 - Discussion of Bridgerton in relation to Ratatouille
- 01:04:45 - What would be necessary to continue developing musicals starting on TikTok?
Trevor Boffone went viral in 2019 and hasn't looked back. His work using TikTok and Instagram with his students has been featured on Good Morning America, ABC News, Inside Edition, and Access Hollywood, among numerous national media platforms. His work as a social media expert has been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post, LA Times, Forbes, The Atlantic, and NPR. Trevor has published two books on social media and popular culture, and has two forthcoming books exploring theatre marketing on social media.
@dr_boffone on Instagram | @trevorboffone on Twitter | Trevor's Website
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Find us:
Danielle: Instagram
Alex: Instagram
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Find Partial View:
Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook
And, if you love what you're hearing and want to support us, head over to our Patreon at www.patreon.com/partialviewpod.
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Music by Scott Buckley – www.scottbuckley.com.au
Today, actress and activist James Rose joins the pod to talk about undergraduate college theatre programs! Inspired by their video responding to Playbill's Top 10 list of the most represented colleges on Broadway, Alex, Danielle, and James dig into what these programs actually teach, the ways that BFA programs and the actual industry mirror and influence each other, and the process of rediscovering your own individual artistry after graduation.
- 02:40 - Things we're enjoying
- 11:45 - Why Danielle and Alex were interested in discussing BFA programs, a clip from James' video that inspired this episode, and some additional background.
- 14:45 - Discussing the idea of being "marketable" as an actor.
- 27:40 - The ways that typecasting is racist, fatphobic, etc. and how college programs reinforce those types.
- 42:22 - The idea that "if you can see yourself doing anything else, go do that thing" as taught to BFA students.
- 49:41 - Acting vs. music training, and the pros and cons of having working professionals teach instead of those with training as educators.
- 58:24 - Reasons to not go to a BFA program and why it's ridiculous to expect teenagers to choose their entire life path when they're 17.
- 01:02:53 - Viewing theatre training as transferrable skills and how to incorporate skills and interests outside of acting/theatre.
- 01:23:52 - The problem of teaching students to use their personal emotional trauma to access emotion when acting.
- 01:30:40 - If you had a child in your life who wanted to do a BFA program, would you let them?
References and Links
- Playbill's "The Big 10" Article
- James' Video
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Read James' bio here.
@jamesissmiling on Instagram | James's Website
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Find us:
Danielle: Twitter | Instagram
Alex: Twitter | Instagram
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Find Partial View:
Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook
And, if you love what you're hearing and want to support us, head over to our Patreon at www.patreon.com/partialviewpod.
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Music by Scott Buckley – www.scottbuckley.com.au
Happy 20th Birthday to Wicked! On this Wonderful episode, Alex and Danielle have a Swankified time chatting with playwright Alexis Scheer (it's good to see her, isn't it?) about how this ever-Popular musical has changed theatre For Good. They get into topics like female-female friendships in media, the political and witchy themes of the show, its influence on theatremakers of a millennial age, and all that good Shiz. And of course, we answer the age-old (read: twenty-year-old) question: would you play Elphaba or G(a)linda?
- 03:21 - What we've been enjoying
- 07:44 - Background and history of Wicked, and each of our personal histories with the show.
- 21:00 - Discussion of why Wicked holds up so well and why it still elicits such strong emotional responses from people.
- 31:30 - The singularity of Wicked as a show that represents a close female friendship and being unable to find other examples from musical theatre history.
- 41:05 - How Wicked and contemporary playwrights put a positive spin on tropes about witches, including Alexis' play Our Dear Dead Drug Lord.
- 47:40 - Sharing who each of our formative childhood witches were.
- 53:20 - Final thoughts on how Wicked has influenced Alexis' work and how the show is distinctly of a post-9/11 time.
- 56:00 - Discussion of the politics of Wicked and how it influenced our own views.
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Alexis Scheer is a playwright and TV writer from Miami, Florida. Her breakout play was the Off Broadway hit OUR DEAR DEAD DRUG LORD (WP Theater/Second Stage: NYT Critics Pick, John Gassner Award; LTC Carnaval of New Latinx Work; Kilroy’s List), and she recently made her Broadway debut adapting the book for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s BAD CINDERELLA. Her other plays include LAUGHS IN SPANISH (Kennedy Center’s Harold & Mimi Steinberg Award) and CHRISTINA (Roe Green Award; O’Neill Finalist). Her work has been developed at the Kennedy Center, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, McCarter Theatre Center, Boston Playwrights’ Theatre, and more. Alexis is currently under commission by Second Stage, MTC, Miami New Drama, and Seaview. Television: “Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin” (HBO Max), and projects developed for HBO Max and Salma Hayek’s Ventanarosa.
Alexis's Website
@alexisscheer on Twitter
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References and Links
- "One Short Day" at the 2003 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
- Kristin Chenoweth performing "My New Philosophy" at the 1999 Tony Awards
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Find us:
Danielle: Twitter | Instagram
Alex: Twitter | Instagram
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Find Partial View:
Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook
And, if you love what you're hearing and want to support us, head over to our Patreon at www.patreon.com/partialviewpod.
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Music by Scott Buckley – www.scottbuckley.com.au
We're thrilled to welcome the incredible Michael Kushner to the podcast to dive deep into being a theatre multihyphenate! They talk about the history of multi-hyphenating, the four questions to ask yourself to determine if your side hustle is actually a hyphen, and why everything you do needs to cross-pollinate.
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Michael Kushner
Michael Kushner is NYC’s leading multi-hyphenate & the Executive Producer of the EMMY Nominated series Indoor Boys. In true multi-hyphenate form, his book How to Be a Multi-Hyphenate in the Theatre Business: Conversations, Advice, and Tips from Dear Multi-Hyphenate was released in 2023. He served as the Director of Programming for The Green Room 42 & is the owner of Michael Kushner Photography. He is the creator of The Dressing Room Project, where he photographs actors prepping for their roles on & off Broadway. Michael has photographed Hillary Clinton, Dame Julie Andrews, Patti LuPone, & thousands upon thousands of theatre, TV & film artists. Ithaca College BFA in Musical Theatre, Founding member of Musical Theatre Factory. Exec Producer of XaveMePlease (Created by Wesley Taylor, Frameline 43 Festival Finalist). Podcast: Dear Multi-Hyphenate with Broadway Podcast Network. Michael teaches theatre business at NYU. Michael is also a performer & a member of AEA.
@themichaelkushner on Instagram
Michael's Website
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References and Links
- Buy How to Be a Multi-Hyphenate in the Theatre Business: Conversations, Advice, and Tips from “Dear Multi-Hyphenate”
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Find us:
Danielle: Twitter | Instagram
Alex: Twitter | Instagram
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Find Partial View:
Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook
And, if you love what you're hearing and want to support us, head over to our Patreon at www.patreon.com/partialviewpod.
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Music by Scott Buckley – www.scottbuckley.com.au
Partial View goes international with discussion of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and its relationship to American theatre! Guest Rho Chung joins us to talk about their experiences working on the festival and as an arts critic for The Skinny, while Danielle shares her preconceived notions about the festival and how they stack up to the actual experience. Have you been to EdFringe before? Let us know!
References and Links
- Playbill Goes Fringe
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Rho Chung is an Edinburgh-based theatre writer and maker, having studied and worked previously in New York. They are currently finishing up their doctoral dissertation on Shakespeare, gender, and violence. As a theatre person, they have worked most recently with Some Kind of Theatre and The Show Must Go Online. Rho currently edits the theatre section of The Skinny, one of Scotland's largest arts and culture magazines. They also act as director of communications for Strut Safe, a UK-wide, volunteer-run support line for anyone walking alone at night.
@rho.chung on Instagram
@rhochung on Twitter
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Find us:
Danielle: Twitter | Instagram
Alex: Twitter | Instagram
•
Find Partial View:
Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook
And, if you love what you're hearing and want to support us, head over to our Patreon at www.patreon.com/partialviewpod.
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Music by Scott Buckley – www.scottbuckley.com.au
From The New York Times to Playbill to Vulture, the media has been sounding the alarm for months about the theatre industry being in crisis. But Alex, Danielle, and their guest Lauren Halvorsen think the systemic issues that led us here were problems long before anyone was publishing articles about it. Listen in as they break down and respond to The Discourse!
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Lauren Halvorsen is a dramaturg and writer based in Washington, DC. She has dramaturged over 40 new, contemporary, and classic plays and held artistic and literary positions at the Alley Theatre, City Theatre Company, WordBRIDGE Playwrights Laboratory, The O'Neill, The Wilma Theater, and Studio Theatre, where she was the Associate Literary Director for nine years. Lauren writes Nothing for the Group, a weekly newsletter about the American theatre. She is currently working on projects for Theatre Washington, Woolly Mammoth, Baltimore Center Stage, Repertory Theater of St. Louis, and Long Wharf Theater.
@halvorsen on Twitter
@nothingforthegroup on Instagram
Lauren's Website
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Find us:
Danielle: Twitter | Instagram
Alex: Twitter | Instagram
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Find Partial View:
Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook
And, if you love what you're hearing and want to support us, head over to our Patreon at www.patreon.com/partialviewpod.
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Music by Scott Buckley – www.scottbuckley.com.au
Alex and Danielle went to BroadwayCon, and they have things to say! Hear about the programming, the theatre community, and how BroadwayCon compares to other cons Alex has attended. In short, they had a great time!
Music by Scott Buckley – www.scottbuckley.com.au
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Find us:
Danielle: Twitter | Instagram
Alex: Twitter | Instagram
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Find Partial View:
Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook
And, if you love what you're hearing and want to support us, head over to our Patreon at www.patreon.com/partialviewpod.
The first of a new episode series where Alex and Danielle share highlights from the shows they saw in the last 3 months! This installment features some of the shows they saw leading up to the Tony Awards: Endgame (Irish Rep), Bad Cinderella (Broadway), Regretfully, So the Birds Are (Playwrights Horizons), Oliver! (NY City Center Encores), & Juliet (Broadway), Grey House (Broadway), Just for Us (Broadway), and The Light in the Piazza (NY City Center Encores).
Show notes can be found on our Patreon.
Music by Scott Buckley – www.scottbuckley.com.au
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Find us:
Danielle: Twitter | Instagram
Alex: Twitter | Instagram
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Find Partial View:
Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook
And, if you love what you're hearing and want to support us, head over to our Patreon at www.patreon.com/partialviewpod.
Why don't we see more horror, sci-fi, or fantasy theatre? We talked to dramaturg, theatrical experience designer, and all-around cool person Andrew Agress about the perceived and real challenges of producing genre works on stage. We also get into it about the new horror play Grey House on Broadway! Don't worry though—there won't be any jump scares in this episode.
Music by Scott Buckley – www.scottbuckley.com.au
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Find us:
Danielle: Twitter | Instagram
Alex: Twitter | Instagram
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Find Partial View:
Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook
And, if you love what you're hearing and want to support us, head over to our Patreon at www.patreon.com/partialviewpod.
With the ongoing WGA strike and the possibility of a SAG-AFTRA strike looming, we thought now would be a great moment to discuss entertainment industry unions! Victoria Pollack and C. Quintana join Alex and Danielle to discuss their experiences as members of the WGA, AEA, the Dramatists Guild (not a union!), how big a threat AI really is, and so much more. This episode covers a lot of ground, and yet barely scratches the surface. Support the WGA strike by joining a picket line near you!
Music by Scott Buckley – www.scottbuckley.com.au
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Victoria Pollack: Website | Instagram | Twitter
C. Quintana: Website | Instagram | Facebook
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Find us:
Danielle: Twitter | Instagram
Alex: Twitter | Instagram
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Find Partial View:
Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook
And, if you love what you're hearing and want to support us, head over to our Patreon at www.patreon.com/partialviewpod.
In today's episode, Alex and Danielle get to gush to guest Zach Raffio about how much they love his satire website, The Broadway Beat! They discuss Zach's philosophy and ethical considerations in satire, share some of their favorite past Broadway Beat headlines, and answer the following questions: What makes actor Brian D'Arcy James the perfect uncontroversial satire subject? Does poking fun at David Mamet count as punching up? And how niche is too niche?
Music by Scott Buckley – www.scottbuckley.com.au
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Zach Raffio is a writer/comedian and the founder/editor-in-chief of theatre-centric satire site The Broadway Beat. He is a contributor to satire sites The Hard Times and Hard Drive, and co-hosts the free monthly variety show Crucible the first Thursday of every month at Bushwick’s Pine Box Rock Shop.
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Broadway Beat:
Website | Instagram | TikTok | Twitter | Facebook
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Find us:
Danielle: Twitter | Instagram
Alex: Twitter | Instagram
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Find Partial View:
Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook
And, if you love what you're hearing and want to support us, head over to our Patreon at www.patreon.com/partialviewpod.
Tune in to Alex and Danielle reacting to The New York Times' Jesse Green and Maya Phillips article breaking down who they think should win vs. will win in each Tony Awards category! Support us on Patreon to access the full hour-long bonus episode about the Tonys, as well as other awards season bonus content and future Patreon exclusives!
Music by Scott Buckley – www.scottbuckley.com.au
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Find us:
Danielle: Twitter, Instagram
Alex: Twitter, Instagram
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Find Partial View:
Instagram: @partialviewpod
Twitter: @partialviewpod
Facebook: @partialviewpod
Gender is a social construct, and so are awards categories! We talked to non-binary actor Ezra Tozian about their advocacy work to make the Helen Hayes Awards gender-inclusive, why changing gender-segregated acting categories is important, and why we even care about awards in the first place. Ezra, Alex, and Danielle also talk about what else they'd like to see change in theatre awards.
Music by Scott Buckley – www.scottbuckley.com.au
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Ezra Tozian (they/them) is a non-binary actor who specializes in new works, absurdism, and classical adaptions. They are a vocal advocate for trans and non-binary community members, accountability in rehearsal and performance spaces, and Covid safety in an industry that continues to sacrifice disabled people for money and convenience. They have appeared with theatres such as The Kennedy Center, Long Wharf Theatre, and, most recently, Round House Theatre for their National Capital New Play Festival. In 2019, they were instrumental in the push to make the categories of the Helen Hayes Awards gender inclusive and succeeded in time to award two non-binary actors performance awards in 2020!
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Find us:
Danielle: Twitter, Instagram
Alex: Twitter, Instagram
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Find Partial View:
Instagram: @partialviewpod
Twitter: @partialviewpod
Facebook: @partialviewpod
And, if you love what you're hearing and want to support us, head over to our Patreon at www.patreon.com/partialviewpod.
It's awards szn, y'all! Enjoy Alex and Danielle getting into it about the Drama Desk Awards in this teaser of our latest Patreon-exclusive bonus episode!
Remember: Now through JUNE 11 ONLY, join our Patreon at any tier (starting at $5/month) to access ALL of our awards season bonus content. After the Tonys, bonus content access will start at $8.
Music by Scott Buckley – www.scottbuckley.com.au
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Find us:
Danielle: Twitter, Instagram
Alex: Twitter, Instagram
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Find Partial View:
Instagram: @partialviewpod
Twitter: @partialviewpod
Facebook: @partialviewpod
Content Warning: This episode contains references to physical and sexual assault.
We welcomed intimacy and fight director Cha Ramos onto the pod to talk about the growing discipline and how the theatre industry has been adapting to it! Our discussion includes potential union membership for intimacy professionals, how all rehearsal rooms are just full of human people playing make believe, and how Cha once accidentally talked herself out of a job.
Music by Scott Buckley – www.scottbuckley.com.au
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Cha Ramos is a multidisciplinary theater artist with a metric montón of books, swords, and altars in her NYC apartment. Cha works as an intimacy and fight director, dramaturg, playwright, performer, and instructor. More info at www.CallMeCha.com.
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Find us:
Danielle: Twitter, Instagram
Alex: Twitter, Instagram
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Find Partial View:
Instagram: @partialviewpod
Twitter: @partialviewpod
Facebook: @partialviewpod
And, if you love what you're hearing and want to support us, head over to our Patreon at www.patreon.com/partialviewpod.
It's been a few months, but... we're back!
Join our Patreon at any level before June 11 and access our bonus awards season episodes!
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Find us:
Danielle: Twitter, Instagram
Alex: Twitter, Instagram
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Find Partial View:
Instagram: @partialviewpod
Twitter: @partialviewpod
Facebook: @partialviewpod
And, if you love what you're hearing and want to support us, head over to our Patreon at www.patreon.com/partialviewpod.
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Music by Scott Buckley – www.scottbuckley.com.au
It's time for a holiday-themed episode! Alex and Danielle welcomed father-son acting duo Bruce and Charlie Cromer to the pod to talk about their decades-long history of performing in A Christmas Carol together. They share different perspectives on why theatres continue to stage this story year after year, whether "The American Theatre" even exists, and perhaps most importantly, why pay for therapy when you can have three ghosts haunt you for free instead?
Find show notes and episode transcript at www.partialviewpod.com.
Music by Scott Buckley – www.scottbuckley.com.au
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Find us:
Danielle: Twitter, Instagram
Alex: Twitter, Instagram
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Find Partial View:
Instagram: @partialviewpod
Twitter: @partialviewpod
Facebook: @partialviewpod
And, if you love what you're hearing and want to support us, head over to our Patreon at www.patreon.com/partialviewpod.
Bootlegs. Slime tutorials. Illegal recordings. Whatever you call them, they're everywhere, and the discourse is toxic. In this episode, Alex and Danielle welcome friends Dara Epstein and Leah Holstein to try to bring some nuance back into the conversation.
Find show notes and episode transcript at www.partialviewpod.com.
Music by Scott Buckley – www.scottbuckley.com.au
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Find our guests:
Dara Epstein: Twitter, Instagram
Leah Holstein: Twitter
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Find us:
Danielle: Twitter, Instagram
Alex: Twitter, Instagram
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Find Partial View:
Instagram: @partialviewpod
Twitter: @partialviewpod
Facebook: @partialviewpod
And, if you love what you're hearing and want to support us, head over to our Patreon at www.patreon.com/partialviewpod.
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DISCLAIMER: Recording and selling bootlegs is illegal. We are not advocating for or encouraging the recording, trading, or selling of bootlegs. We are not lawyers and none of this constitutes legal advice.
We're back for round two! Danielle and Alex welcome director, dramaturg, and producer Kate Moore Heaney to the pod to chat about the changing relationship between New York theatre and regional theatre. They consider the realities of new play development, whether theatres have a responsibility to serve their communities, and (unfortunately) the money behind it all.
Find show notes and episode transcript at www.partialviewpod.com.
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Where to find Kate:
Website: www.katemooreheaney.com
Instagram: @katemooreheaney
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Where to find Danielle:
Twitter: @danielle_feder
Instagram: @danielle.feder
Where to find Alex:
Twitter: @AlexandraDLey
Instagram: @AlexandraDLey
Where to find Partial View:
Instagram: @partialviewpod
Twitter: @partialviewpod
Facebook: @partialviewpod
And, if you love what you're hearing and want to support us, head over to our Patreon at www.patreon.com/partialviewpod.
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Music by Scott Buckley – www.scottbuckley.com.au
It’s the first episode! Danielle and Alex talk to Todd Brian Backus and Percival Hornak about their experience with exploitative and toxic work cultures in theatre. They cover things like so-called “quiet quitting,” salary transparency, and mentorship—and whether the theatre industry is delivering on its COVID-era promises of change.
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View show notes and episode transcript at www.partialviewpod.com.
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Todd Brian Backus is a new works director, dramaturg, and illustrator based in Portland Maine. You can find him on Twitter at @TBBackus.
Percival Hornak is a dramaturg and playwright pursuing an MFA at UMass Amherst. Check out his website at percivalhornak.com, and find him on Twitter @techxni.
Todd and Percy are co-producers of the Dungeons and Drama Nerds podcast, a podcast at the intersection of tabletop role-playing games and theatre. You can learn more about them on Twitter or Instagram @DNDramaNerds.
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If you love what you're hearing and want to support us, head over to our Patreon at www.patreon.com/partialviewpod.
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Music by Scott Buckley – www.scottbuckley.com.au
Welcome to Partial View, where Danielle and Alex will do deep dives on the issues impacting the theatre industry in NYC and across the country. Be part of the conversation as we discuss our questions, frustrations, and ideas for how we can all leave The American Theatre better than we found it. Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Patreon @PartialViewPod.