Soundstage

Bonus! YOU CAN'T HIDE FROM YOURSELF by Erin Courtney Apr 18, 2024

A darkly comedic fable of violently lonely doppelgängers who mind-meld and are brought together through cookies, rats, and their cosmic connection to an exterminator.

Written by Erin Courtney

Produced and directed by Kate Bergstrom

Written for Crystal Finn and Lucy Taylor and Todd Almond as the Exterminator.

Sound Designer and Additional Music Works by Michael Costagliola

Associate Produced and Stage Managed by Calvin Anderson

With music by Todd Almond

Bonus! FREEDOM, FREEDOM, FREEDOM, ET CETERA by Dave Harris Jun 14, 2023

A panel of Black thinkers (a Broadway playwright, a spoken word poet, a Columbia professor, and an activist) try to define Freedom in the year ???? in this dark comedy about ancestors and artists.

Written by Dave Harris

Directed by Taylor Reynolds

Sound Design by Ben Scheff

Sound Editing by Dylan Carrow

Production Stage Manager -- Hanako Rodriguez

CAST:

Walter Mixon Riley -- JEROME PRESTON BATES

LaToya Beasley -- BRITTANY BRADFORD

Jake Dillers / Sponsors / Announcer -- YONATAN GEBEYEHU

Jones Joseph -- DAVE HARRIS

Jerome Barker Thomas -- BEETHOVEN ODEN

Season 2 of Soundstage was made possible with the generous support of the Scherman Foundation’s Katharine S. and Axel G. Rosin Fund and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Playwrights Horizons is supported in part by public funds from the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature, and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. In addition, Playwrights Horizons receives major support from the Howard Gilman Foundation, the J. L. Greene Arts Access Fund in The New York Community Trust, and The Shubert Foundation.

Bonus! VAPOR TRAIL by Ken Urban Sep 20, 2022

This week we're so happy to bring you a full length audio play written, directed, and produced by our friends and frequent collaborators Ken Urban, Dan Kluger, and Knud Adams. It premiered at the 2022 Tribeca Festival as part of their Audio Storytelling program, and we're so pleased to be able to re-release and amplify it here for you, our Soundstage audience! Enjoy!

At a chance meeting at the farmers market, two strangers find a connection rooted in their own unspeakable tragedies. The evening they spend together becomes an encounter they can’t forget.

Written by Ken Urban
Directed by Knud Adams
Audio Produced and Mixed by Daniel Kluger

Starring Maulik Pancholy and April Matthis

Recorded by Noel Nichols

Edited by Noel Nichols and Christian Frederickson
Foley by Daniela Hart
Additional Sound Design by Christian Frederickson

Produced by John Albert Harris

Original Music by Daniel Kluger and Occurrence
To listen to the music from Vapor Trail, the soundtrack is available here: https://occurrencemusic.ffm.to/vaportrail

VAPOR TRAIL premiered at the 2022 Tribeca Festival as part of their Audio Storytelling program and it was developed at the Playwrights’ Center in Minneapolis, MN during the 2020-21 season. VAPOR TRAIL was made possible thanks to the support of the d'Arbeloff Fund, the DeFlorez Fund and the SHASS Research Fund from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

THE MARRIAGE OF EARTH AND SKY by Agnes Borinsky Aug 30, 2022

The farmer wants the shepherd. The shepherd wants God. The playwright isn't quite sure what she wants. A play about grief and desire and the mess that is the theater.

Written by Agnes Borinsky
Directed by Brooke O'Harra
Sound Design by Nick Auer

CAST:

Loretta -- JANICE AMAYA
Leah / Bruce -- JESS BARBAGALLO
Bonita -- AGNES BORINSKY
Vinie -- VINIE BURROWS
Martha -- ANNIE FANG
Adam -- ADAM GREENFIELD
Mary -- MARY NEUFELD
Bettina -- BRYNA TURNER

Flautist -- Isabel Lepanto Gleicher

HIS CHEST IS ONLY SKELETON by Julia Izumi Aug 24, 2022

A little meditation on what it is to carry what we can and can't control, and the crossroads of being and belonging.

Written by Julia Izumi
Directed by Sarah Cameron Hughes
Sound Design by Fan Zhang

Rocks -- JESS BARBAGALLO
Someone -- JORGE CORDOVA
Grandchild -- MIDORI FRANCIS
She -- HARUNA LEE
He -- RONALD PEET
Mother -- SAORI TSUKADA

(THERE'S) NO TIME FOR COMEDY / LOOPS by David Greenspan Aug 16, 2022

Two audio plays -- an old radio comedy of anxiety in the modern world, and a soliloquy of lost love -- sprung from the mind of this singular and iconic playwright.

Written by David Greenspan
Directed by Ken Rus Schmoll
Sound Design by Leah Gelpe

(There's) No Time for Comedy Cast:
Sidney - EVANDER DUCK JR.
Henry Flower - DAVID GREENSPAN
Darlene - BETH GRIFFIN
Mona - LISA KRON
Donald - PACO TOLSON

Loops Cast:
Player - DAVID GREENSPAN

LAST WORDS OF UNCLE DIRT by Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig Aug 09, 2022

An abandoned limestone statue chronicles centuries of adventures through and beyond the Chinese diaspora. Written by Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig Directed by Michael Roth CAST: Uncle Dirt - KOK-HWA LIE Music Composition/Arrangements/Sound Design/Editing by Michael Roth Final Sound Mix and Mastering by Jessica Paz

PROGRAM B: RAPID IMMERSION by Sheila Callaghan Aug 02, 2022

Congratulations for choosing Program B! Our goal is to challenge and elevate you. It won't be easy, but transformation is possible! If you trust the process.

Written by Sheila Callaghan
Directed, Designed, and Edited by Alex Barron
Original music by Surrija
CAST: Rashan – FRANCIS BENHAMOU
Chatty Stranger – SHEILA CALLAGHAN
Whispering Man – MATTHEW J. HARRIS
Additional voices – BRANDT ADAMS, KAILEE AYYAR, ALEX BARRON, ALISON KOCH, NGOFEEN MPUTUBWELE, J.J. SUELTO, MAGGIE THOMPSON, NYSELI VEGA
Learn more at phnyc.org/soundstage or text PHNYC to 44-321.

Soundstage: Season 2 Intro Jul 26, 2022

It's official: We'll be back for more! Playwrights Horizons has commissioned an additional roster of playwrights to be part of Soundstage Season 2 including Agnes Borinsky, Sheila Callaghan, Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig, David Greenspan, Dave Harris, Julia Izumi, and Kit Yan & Melissa Li. We'll see you next week!

In Process with Will Arbery, on Corsicana Jun 14, 2022

Playwrights Horizons Associate Artistic Director Natasha Sinha interviews Pulitzer Prize finalist playwright Will Arbery about his new play, Corsicana, how these characters are and are not like those in Heroes of the Fourth Turning, the minefield that is language, his complicated relationship to theatrical musicals and Hilary Duff, and how his sister inspired him to become a playwright.

The MS Phoenix Rising | Episode 6: "The Welcome Aboard Show" Mar 16, 2021

Showtime! Mere hours into their journey, Terrence is broadcasting live from the MS Phoenix Rising. A new show is center stage as Terrence interviews the front office cast members, even grabbing a short interview with Co-Captains Rigor Johnson and Moranis Jackson, all leading up to THE cultural event of the decade. But what should be a standout win in the history of Dane Cruising has potential to become a greater horror than any imagined by Ionesco.

The MS Phoenix Rising | Episode 5: "Après moi, le déluge" Mar 16, 2021

All aboard! Valerie invites radio host Terrence Standish to cruise. Sasha and Ted have actually read the play The Chairs and are tasked with telling the team how it really ends. PR consultant Cyd McCormick offers crucial counsel. Coral speaks up – but only one thing’s for certain, no one can snorkel their way out of this mess.

The MS Phoenix Rising | Episode 4: "Herd Enlightenment" Mar 16, 2021

Could the relaunch be the most successful event since the Fyre Festival? The voyage has sold out and, as egos ride high, plans are made to convert restaurants into guest rooms. The Dane Cruising team bonds over dreams of onboard karaoke, and visionary director Angela's artistic choices rattle her assistant Coral.

The MS Phoenix Rising | Episode 3: "Yes, Ted" Mar 16, 2021

The entire team has an epic call with Angela and assistant Coral DeMornay where budget cuts and clarity around the production's vision are top priorities. CEO of Dane Cruising Valerie Dane reveals the VIP list, but there’s trouble on the horizon as Financial Assistant Ted Rickles sinks into an existential crisis and the Ionesco Estate attempts contact.

The MS Phoenix Rising | Episode 2: "Timid and Aggressive" Mar 16, 2021

It's time for the "Field of Dreams Strategy." Audience Development Director Gregory Limon and Finance Director Rupert Lake teach Marketing Assistant Sasha Heron this hot campaign idea... and the influencers take the bait. This episode offers a peek into the personal lives of Marsha and Angela (hint: more pleasure than business) while PR head Jackie Bowers receives a shocking phone call that could change everything.

The MS Phoenix Rising | Episode 1: "We Need A Show" Mar 16, 2021

Has everybody dialed in? Eying the end of the cruise industry’s shutdown, Marketing Director Marsha DeBois brings the Dane Cruising team avant garde theater director Angela Hove’s production of The Chairs to headline the relaunch. Approval in place, the front office bangs out next steps, oblivious of the complicated journey ahead.

Introducing: The MS Phoenix Rising Mar 16, 2021

Surprise! We're back! It's our pleasure to be dropping a 6-part podcast miniseries THE MS PHOENIX RISING, created by writer Trish Harnetiaux and director Katie Brook. Check out this introduction from Playwrights Horizons Artistic Director Adam Greenfield as well as an interview with Trish and Katie, then go ahead and binge the whole thing!

Music Credit: Cradle Rock by Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue).

THE EDGE OF NIGHT by Kirsten Childs Jul 07, 2020

Telling stories is how we keep memories alive, and THE EDGE OF NIGHT reimagines a favorite family story as musical theater: Mrs. Annie Brown is determined not to miss her favorite soap opera but has to grapple head-on with segregation in the 1950’s south in order to succeed in her quest.

BOY FACTORY by Milo Cramer Jun 23, 2020

Somewhere between Google Image searches for pornography, family dynamics, college roommates, and low-wage jobs, BOY FACTORY is Milo Cramer’s funny and heartfelt monologue tracking a young man’s search for self-acceptance.

Soundstage Recommends... Jun 11, 2020

This week, we are pausing our normal release schedule to recommend some some fiction and non-fiction podcasts by BIPOC producers, writers, directors, reporters, and hosts. Check out soundstagepodcast.org for links to everything mentioned here and we invite you (please!) to email and tweet us about other shows and episodes and makers you love.

NIGHTNIGHT by Lucas Hnath May 28, 2020

An astronaut goes to space. He can’t sleep. He can’t tell anyone. He can’t go home. He’s lonely. He doesn’t want to leave. He’s in trouble. NIGHTNIGHT takes the audience into mission control and into outer space to overhear ordinary workplace conflict in an extraordinary environment.

Interview: Heather Christian May 23, 2020

Heather Christian (writer, composer, and performer of Soundstage Episode 1: PRIME, A Practical Breviary) talks about what's inspiring to her about breviary masses, why she loves being in the studio - as well as the theater - and what creative life has been like for her since theaters have been shuttered by COVID-19.

OUTTAKES by Qui Nguyen May 14, 2020

A son keeps trying to get his charming (if frustrating) immigrant parents to tell him a true war story from their lives in Vietnam to help him write a new play. Imagined as edited found interview tapes, Outtakes is both funny and heartfelt, drawn from the playwright's real-life experiences.

Next Week on Soundstage... May 07, 2020

It's our off week, but we wanted to say hello anyway! Our next full episode, Qui Nguyen's OUTTAKES drops next week, May 14th. Stay well and see you soon!

PLAY FOR ANY TWO PEOPLE by Jordan Harrison: Orientation Apr 30, 2020

Listen to this track first! A masterful feat of timing and sound design, our third episode of Soundstage lets you and a fellow listener become actors in a head-trippy psychological drama. Your apartment becomes the stage, and your listening companion a mysterious stranger. Are they there to help or hurt you? Press play.

PLAY FOR ANY TWO PEOPLE: Person 1 Apr 30, 2020

The first thing you have to know about this podcast, is that you can’t listen to it alone. You need a partner. If you haven't yet, go back and listen to the introduction track that should be just above this in your Soundstage feed - there's important instructions there.
You and your partner will be listening to two different, but simultaneous tracks. One of you should pick Person 1 and the other should pick Person 2. When you’re ready to begin, both you and your partner will press Play at exactly the same time. (You could even do a countdown: Three, two, one and go.) See you on the other side...

PLAY FOR ANY TWO PEOPLE: Person 2 Apr 30, 2020

The first thing you have to know about this podcast, is that you can’t listen to it alone. You need a partner. If you haven't yet, go back and listen to the introduction track that should be just above this in your Soundstage feed - there's important instructions there.
You and your partner will be listening to two different, but simultaneous tracks. One of you should pick Person 1 and the other should pick Person 2. When you’re ready to begin, both you and your partner will press Play at exactly the same time. (You could even do a countdown: Three, two, one and go.) See you on the other side...

Next Week on Soundstage... Apr 24, 2020

If you haven't listened to Episodes 1 & 2 yet, now's your chance to catch up! Soundstage is moving to an every-other-week publishing schedule, but we're here on our off-week to give you a preview of Jordan Harrison's upcoming release because this one will be more than just a little different...

GATHER by Robert O'Hara Apr 16, 2020

Using the high-stakes drama of a spy thriller format, GATHER is a suspenseful and hilarious tale of a series of mysterious disappearances.
GATHER was written and directed by Robert O'Hara. Visit soundstagepodcast.org for complete episode credits.
Soundstage is a production of Playwrights Horizons. Follow us at @phnyc for more! If you like what you hear and want to support the Soundstage program, we hope you will consider making a donation. To support us, text SOUNDSTAGE20 to 44-321.

PRIME: A Practical Breviary by Heather Christian Apr 09, 2020

Inspired by breviary masses performed by cloistered monks, PRIME employs modern language and rich, contemporary musical arrangements to reimagine what a modern prayer for a Tuesday morning at 6AM might sound like.
PRIME: A PRACTICAL BREVIARY was written and composed by Heather Christian. Visit soundstagepodcast.org for complete episode credits.
Soundstage is a production of Playwrights Horizons. If you like what you hear and want to support the Soundstage program, we hope you will consider making a donation. To support us, text SOUNDSTAGE20 to 44-321.

Introducing: Soundstage Apr 02, 2020

Over a year in the making, a new, original series of portable stories from Playwrights Horizons.

Heather Raffo, Iraqi Women in Diaspora Dec 19, 2018

Playwright and performer Heather Raffo gathers a multi-generational, multi-religious, multi-national group of women to discuss the themes and ideas of her play NOURA. Participating in the conversation were author and sociologist Zahra Ali, architect Hiba Hadid, author and dentist Cynthia Kaplan Shamash, and filmmaker and Executive Director of The Abraham Path Initiative Anisa Mehdi.

Craig Lucas, I Was Most Alive With You and Beyond Oct 15, 2018

In this in-depth conversation between playwright Craig Lucas and Associate Artistic Director Adam Greenfield, discover the big ideas that inspired Craig's play I Was Most Alive With You as well as a lifetime of crafting intimate theater.

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The farmer wants the shepherd. The shepherd wants God. The playwright isn't quite sure what she wants. A play about grief and desire and the mess that is the theater.

A little meditation on what it is to carry what we can and can't control, and the crossroads of being and belonging.

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