Marks & Vincentelli: A Theatre Podcast

A run at London’s Royal Court Theatre, followed by a transfer to the West End, followed by Broadway: not bad for your first play! That is exactly what happened to Mark Rosenblatt, the author of “Giant” and our guest on this episode. Mark spoke to us from London about his play, which explores Roald Dahl’s antisemitism; the action takes place not long after Dahl came under fire for his review of a 1983 book about Israel’s attack on Beirut the previous year. A commanding John Lithgow, often terrifying as Dahl, makes a meal of the role. Mark talked to us about his years working in theater (usually as a director); what prompted him to turn to playwriting; the inspiration behind “Giant” and how he navigates the perils of writing about antisemitism these days. It’s a bracing conversation, and often funny — as is the play, which makes you laugh one second and shudder the next. Thanks to Christian Huygen for our theme music. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit marksvincentelli.substack.com/subscribe

It seems hard to believe that Gina Gionfriddo is just making her Broadway debut now. And she does it with a comedy, “Becky Shaw,” that premiered at Second Stage back in 2009. Not only that, but the show marks this terrific playwright’s return to NYC theater after 10 years writing for TV — the “Law & Order” universe has been good to her, as it’s been for many actors. On the podcast, Gina’s candid about what kept her away for so long: the need for a steady paycheck so she could raise her kid, for one, but also the weight of the crushing reviews that greeted her play “Can You Forgive Her?” in 2017.Well, we’re glad to have Gina back, and that she found the time to drop by our virtual studio to talk about all that stuff and a lot more — including her upcoming stage adaptation of a novel starring a very, very famous serial killer. Also: if you’ve seen her plays, which include “Rapture, Blister, Burn” as well, you know that Gionfriddo has a wicked sense of humor. Listen to this episode and you’ll see she’s not saving it for the stage. Thanks to Christian Huygen for our theme music. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit marksvincentelli.substack.com/subscribe

There’s a reason “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” has been a hit since its premiere in 2005: Rachel Sheinkin and William Finn’s musical is incredibly funny and sneakily poignant — and the songs are simply great. Now the show is back in New York in a fab production — Elisabeth gave it a critic’s pick in the Times — that includes Lilli Cooper and Jason Kravits as Rona Lisa Peretti and Vice Principal Douglas Panch, two adults who steer the contest but also the show: One of their responsibilities is to make the guest spellers who are selected from the audience at every performance stay on track, and leave at the right moment. Lilli and Jason came on the podcast to talk about their experience in the musical — don’t miss the part about them spotting showboaters and wannabe performers almost instantly, then plotting to get rid of them! They also talk about some of their other roles: Lilli’s credits include David Yazbek’s “Tootsie” (Tony nom!) and the Encores! “Titanic” with dad Chuck and brother Eddie; and Peter waxed poetic about seeing Jason in many plays in D.C area theaters.Tune in — this is a particularly funny episode! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit marksvincentelli.substack.com/subscribe

One of the things we enjoy doing on this podcast is talking to people fighting the good fight around the country. Now, you might have heard that there’s some turmoil in the Washington, D.C. arts scene — understatement of the year! It started with the sabotage of the Kennedy Center by the Trump administration, and now another institution is crumbling: the Washington Post recently decided it didn’t need critics or an arts editorial staff, and slashed that desk. Those who were swept away included theater critic Naveen Kumar and theater editor Zachary Pincus-Roth.So what happens when the local legacy newspaper stops covering the local theater? In this episode we talk to Nicole Hertvik and Eric Colchamiro, who are editor in chief and board chair, respectively, of DC Theater Arts — which now finds itself propelled to the forefront of theater coverage in the DMV (DC-Maryland-Virginia) area.Tune in as we discuss where local companies stand, the challenges and rewards of covering D.C. in the Trump era, and of course that Lesbian “Othello” everybody — OK, just Richard Grenell of the Kennedy Center — is talking about.Some reading:Nicole Hertvik’s live report from the Kennedy Center Honors.Her reaction to the Kennedy Center closing and the WaPo layoffs.And you can connect with their socials here:instagramfacebook This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit marksvincentelli.substack.com/subscribe

With Broadway recovering from its holidays binge and rehearsing for its next batch of shows, January on New York City stages means one thing: festivals! These days the dominant one is Under the Radar, which has overcome many odds to celebrate its 21st season with its biggest slate yet. We’re delighted to welcome founder Mark Russell, now the fest’s director (with co-creative directors Meropi Peponides and Kaneza Schaal).Russell leads us through UTR’s ups and downs, its challenges and triumphs, the fest’s embarrassing inaugural name, and how the NYC avant and experimental scene has changed over the decades. It’s a story of survival in a tough environment that keeps getting tougher: less money, changing venues, logistical issues (often having to do with visas).And lest you think this is just a boon for NYC audiences: UTR overlaps with the annual conference by the Association of Presenting Arts Professionals (APAP) and a lot of programmers use the opportunity to check out shows that may eventually appear at stages around the country. Check it out: Elisabeth picked a few shows from this year’s selection for the NY Times (gift link).Thanks to Christian Huygen for our theme music. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit marksvincentelli.substack.com/subscribe

The musical “Revolution(s),” which recently concluded its premiere run at the Goodman Theater, in Chicago, comes with an impressive and à propos pedigree. The score was pulled from the songbook of Tom Morello, best known as the guitarist for Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave and many other projects. The book is by Zayd Ayers Dohrn, a playwright who carries quite the legacy: His parents, Bill Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn, were leaders of the far-left Weather Underground in the early 1970s. It is not a coincidence that the musical is about two generations of radical activists: a couple we see in 1989 and their two sons, whom we meet in 2016. In this episode, Dohrn, who is the director of the MFA program in Writing for Screen and Stage at Northwestern University, talks about the inspiration for the show, what it was like to do this particular story in Chicago when the city was facing militarized federal forces, and how he approaches political theater.Some sources:Elisabeth’s interview with Tom Morello (gift link).Zayd’s award-winning podcast series about his family, the Weather Underground and the Black Panthers: “Mother Country Radicals” — Elisabeth says it's basically an audio thriller.Thanks to Christian Huygen for our theme music. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit marksvincentelli.substack.com/subscribe

If you saw “The Band’s Visit” in New York, you remember Ari’el Stachel, who played Haled, the musician obsessed with Chet Baker — a big highlight was his jazzy “Song About Love,” one of David Yazbek’s loveliest numbers.Stachel is back with his own show, the autobiographical solo play “Other,” and he dropped by our (remote) studio to talk about it. We’re happy to report that he didn’t sweat, a reference you’ll understand when you listen to the episode.We also gave some recommendations — and they’re not all in New York! Peter was very excited by the return of Heather Christian’s “Oratorio for Living Things,” which is at the Signature Theater on W. 42nd St until Nov. 6.Elisabeth came back from a quick trip to Chicago, where she reported on “Paranormal Activity,” a horror play by Felix Barrett and Levi Holloway (at Chicago Shakes until Nov. 2), and “Revolution(s),” a musical featuring music by the Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello (at the Goodman until Nov. 16). Did you ever think you’d see a mention of Morello here? Neither did we.Oh, she also loved David Cale’s new show, “Blue Cowboy” (at the Bushwick Starr until Nov. 8). This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit marksvincentelli.substack.com/subscribe

Whitney White is a busy director, and we couldn’t be happier about it — we’ve been following her career for several years now, and it’s always exciting to see what she’ll come up with next.You can see her production of the new musical “Saturday Church” (which Elisabeth wrote about for The New York Times) at New York Theater Workshop until Oct. 24. And on Oct. 8, she’s starting previews for the Broadway run of the Bess Wohl play “Liberation” (which was at the Laura Pels Theater a few months ago).Whitney talked to us about both of those shows, but also went back to growing up in Chicago with a mom who made sure her daughter had a broad, inquisitive mind — turns out that studying political science is not a bad way to start a career in theater — and her days working as an actress (oh, the shows she’s been in!). We also touched on some key productions in her career, like Aleshea Harris’s “What to Send Up When It Goes Down” and Jocelyn Bioh’s “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding,” as well as her own “Macbeth in Stride,” which is part of a larger Shakespeare-themed project.Thanks to Christian Huygen for our theme music. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit marksvincentelli.substack.com/subscribe

RADA is a world-famous institution that has trained the likes of Vivien Leigh, Ralph Fiennes, Anthony Hopkins, Glenda Jackson, Alan Rickman and Roger Moore. Now you can add Peter Marks to the list. In August, Peter — as you may recall, a former theater critic — embarked on a daunting adventure: He enrolled in RADA’s five-week Shakespeare intensive program! He tells us about living out his acting dreams in London. His fellow Swan (listen to the episode for the explanation) Caitlin Wilson joined us for the occasion as well. Memorizing lines, getting used to iambic pentameter, inhabiting Shylock, King Lear and Bottom — Peter jumped through many hoops during what he called a life-changing experience.You won’t be able to see that but trust us: Elisabeth’s mouth was agape in disbelief the entire time. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit marksvincentelli.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, multi-hyphenate theater man Jeremy McCarter talked to us about his new project: a six-part audio adaptation of “Hamlet” he wrote and directed for his own Make-Believe Association (you’ll find links to listen on your favorite platform on the company’s site).McCarter’s adaptation streamlines Shakespeare’s play and places the listener inside the Prince of Denmark’s head — which is why you really want to listen on headphones, thanks to the superb sound design from Mikhail Fiksel, who won a Tony Award for his work on “Dana H.” in 2022. The cast is a stellar mix of New York and Chicago actors, including Daniel Kyri as Hamlet, Jacob Ming-Trent as Polonius, Sharon Washington as Gertrude and John Douglas Thompson as Claudius/Ghost.But wait: yes, you have heard of Jeremy McCarter — he wrote the best-selling book “Hamilton: The Revolution” with Lin-Manuel Miranda! And before founding Make-Believe Association, he worked at the Public Theater, where he created and ran the Public Forum series. (Readers of New York magazine may also remember him as the critic who replaced John Simon in 2005.)This is an enlightening episode about the art of adaptation, most particularly in an aural medium. Don’t take our word for it, though: check it out!Thanks to Christian Huygen for our theme music. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit marksvincentelli.substack.com/subscribe

On this episode, Jonathan Groff talks to us about his new Broadway show, “Just in Time,” in which he guides the audience through his own love for Bobby Darin and, of course, Darin’s life. It’s an explosive performance from an actor we thought we knew — after all, Groff is no stranger to the stage, from “Spring Awakening” to “Hamilton” to his Tony-winning turn as Franklin Shepard in the revival of “Merrily We Roll Along.” (Peter and Elisabeth are also fans of Groff’s miniseries “Mindhunter” so of course they begged for a new season.)It’s a rollicking episode with tons of great stories about growing up in a Mennonite community in Pennsylvania and falling into YouTube rabbit holes. As Elisabeth likes to say: Who among us…? This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit marksvincentelli.substack.com/subscribe

For this episode we had the pleasure of talking to Kimberly Belflower, a young playwright who’s making quite a splash with her Broadway debut, “John Proctor Is the Villain” — yes, that John Proctor, from “The Crucible.” It just got seven Tony nominations, including for best play and for best leading actress in a play (for Sadie Sink — yes, that Sadie Sink, from the Netflix series “Stranger Things”). Despite what the title may suggest, the new show isn’t a spoof of Arthur Miller’s play, which is usually interpreted as an allegory about the McCarthy era. Belflower’s story is set in a Georgia high school where students read the text through the prism of what’s been happening, darkly, to some of them. Their charismatic English teacher, played by Gabriel Ebert, has a key role.We had a bracing conversation with Belflower about the early years of the MeToo movement, how she developed the play and worked with director Danya Taymor — and her surprising connection to our last guest, Jeffrey Seller!Thanks to Christian Huygen for our theme music. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit marksvincentelli.substack.com/subscribe