EPISODE 369- VINEYARD FOLK

Vineyard Folk

by Tamara Weiss & Amanda Benchley-

The true soul of Martha’s Vineyard, captured through the eyes of the talented artists and artisans who live there.
                
Vineyard Folk leads us on an intimate journey into the lives and inspirational places of some of the many talented artists who have always made up the larger community of Martha’s Vineyard. The island, located just seven miles off the coast of Cape Cod, has a long history as geographic muse: Lillian Hellman and William Styron wrote overlooking the Vineyard Haven harbor, and Thomas Hart Benton—whose influence is still felt in island painters today—depicted the stone walls and winding roads of what is known as “up-island” more than a hundred years ago. 
                 
Now, a new generation continues to build on these creative legacies, inspired by the island’s ever-changing light, endless beaches, historic towns, and rolling fields. Vineyard Folk features painters, potters, poets, musicians, and actors, among many others, and the unique ways they work, live, and play. 
                  
Above all, Vineyard Folk is a love letter to a remarkable island community. With personal interviews and candid photography, it is a collage of creativity, resilience, and hope. We celebrate these artists captured at this golden moment of time that may not last forever.

On this episode you will meet some of the artists featured in the book- Brooke Adams, Brad Silberling, Michael Johnson, Juli Vanderhoop, Elizabeth Ceceil and author Tamara Weiss.

EPISODE 368- THE UKELADIES

Laurie David is an award winning  producer and activist. For over a decade she has been dedicated to raising awareness and making real change to environmental issues. She is the executive producer of the Academy Award winning documentary film, An Inconvenient Truth and other socially relevant docs including Fed Up. Biggest Little Farm, Mayor Pete and  the Social Dilemma.

She is also the author of -The Family Dinner- Great Ways To Connect With Your Kids One Meal At A Time, The Down To Earth Guide To Global Warming and Imagine It-  A handbook for a happier planet.

Kate Taylor recorded her first album , Sister Kate, in 1971. Her second album KATE TAYLOR was produced by her brother James Taylor in 1976.She has since released many records , raised a family and continues to write original songs and  perform  them all over the world.

Judy Belushi Pisano met her first husband John Belushi while still in high school. She was instrumental in his career while forging her own path in the entertainment industry. Judy worked with both the National Lampoon Magazine and the National Lampoon radio hour. She is an author and her books include -TheMom Book, Samurai Widow and Belushi . As a designer Judy created The Blues Brothers logo and record album covers and partnered with Dan Akroyd to create the House Of Blues  music and restaurant franchise. She continues to develop movies and shows based on The Blues Brothers and  over the years she has played music with some of the most well known rock stars on the planet.

Joanne Ashe is the  visionary founder of Journeys In Film- a nonprofit organization focused on leveraging the educational power of film to engage students with pressing global issues of critical concern. Journeys in Film develops curriculum and teaching materials centered on impactful films and has reached thousands of students with its classroom discussions that encourages students to think critically about the worlds most important challenges.

EPISODE 367- JOSE LLANA

Jose Llana returns to Broadway in the highly anticipated production of David Byrne & Fat Boy Slim’s Here Lies Love, for which he earned a Lucille Lortel Award nomination for creating the role of “Marcos” at the Public Theatre. He most recently starred as The King Of Siam in Lincoln Center Theater’s Tony Award Winning revival of The King & I on Broadway, the US National Tour and the UK Tour. Previous Broadway credits include Chip Tolentino in William Finn’s The 25th Annual Putnam Country Spelling Bee (Drama Desk Award, dir. James Lapine), El Gato in Wonderland, Wang Ta in David Henry Hwang’s adaptation of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Flower Drum Song, Angel in RENT (dir. Michael Greif), Jessie-Lee in Streetcorner Symphony and his debut as Lun Tha in the 1996 Revival of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s The King & I opposite Donna Murphy and Lou Diamond Phillips. Off-Broadway appearances include Adam in Falling For Eve (York), Gabey in On the Town (dir. George C. Wolfe, Delacorte) and Adam Guettel’s Saturn Returns (dir. Tina Landau, Public Theater). Regional appearances include Bill Sikes in Oliver! (Papermill), Guillaume in Cameron Mackintosh’s Martin Guerre (Guthrie Theater), Tin Man in Ballad of Little Jo (Steppenwolf Theater, dir. Tina Landau, Jefferson Nomination - Best Supporting Actor) and Candide in Candide (Prince Theater, Barrymore Nomination - Best Actor). TV/Film appearances include HBO’s Sex and the City opposite Margaret Cho and Hitch with Will Smith. Appearing on numerous cast albums Jose is also a best-selling recording artist on the VIVA Philippines label.  He has made two appearances with American Songbook in 2019 and 2015 which led to the release of his second solo CD, Altitude in the spring of 2016.

EPISODE 366- PAUL RUDNICK & JOEL THURM

PAUL RUDNICK-

Paul Rudnick is a novelist, playwright, essayist and screenwriter, whom the New York Times has called, “one of our pre-eminent humorists.” His plays have been produced both on and off Broadway and around the world, and include I HATE HAMLET, JEFFREY, THE MOST FABULOUS STORY EVER TOLD, VALHALLA, REGRETS ONLY, and THE NEW CENTURY. He has won an Obie Award, two Outer Critics Circle Awards and the John Gassner Playwrighting Award, and two of his short plays have been included in STANDING ON CEREMONY: THE GAY MARRIAGE PLAYS. His novels include SOCIAL DISEASE and I’LL TAKE IT, both from Knopf and PLAYING THE PALACE from Berkley. He’s a regular contributor to The New Yorker and his articles and essays have also appeared in The New York Times, Esquire, Vogue and Vanity Fair. HarperCollins has published both Mr. Rudnick’s Collected Plays and a group of essays entitled I SHUDDER. His essays have also been included in the New Yorker anthologies FIERCE PAJAMAS and DISQUIET, PLEASE.Mr. Rudnick is rumored to be quite close to Premiere magazine’s film critic Libby Gelman-Waxner, whose collected columns were published by St. Martins under the title IF YOU ASK ME. Ms. Gelman-Waxner has also reviewed in the pages of Entertainment Weekly, and the column now appears every few weeks on The New Yorker website.Mr. Rudnick’s screenplays include IN & OUT, SISTER ACT, the screen adaptation of JEFFREY, and ADDAMS FAMILY VALUES. His Young Adult novels, entitled GORGEOUS and IT’S ALL YOUR FAULT, have been published by Scholastic.Mr. Rudnick has appeared on the Today show, Real Time with Bill Maher, Conan O’Brien, A Prairie Home Companion, and Fresh Air, among other programs. Mr. Rudnick’s new play, Guilty Pleasure, will be directed by Christopher Ashley and produced at the LaJolla Playhouse. On September 12, 2020, HBO began airing Coastal Elites, written by Mr. Rudnick, directed by Jay Roach, and starring Bette Midler, Dan Levy, Issa Rae, Sarah Paulson and Kaitlyn Dever. He’s currently writing a screenplay called EX-HUSBANDS, based on an original idea by Billy Eichner, for Amazon. His new novel, FARRELL COVINGTON AND THE LIMITS OF STYLE, will be publshed in June of 2023 by Simon&Schuster

.JOEL THURM-

From his humble beginnings growing up on his grandfather's dairy farm in New York, JOEL THURM became one of the most admired, powerful, and accomplished casting directors in Hollywood, Early on, Thurm's instincts proved beyond reproach when he recognized John Travolta as much more than a teen idol, casting him in the TV movie THE BOY IN THE PLASTIC BUBBLE. It was during his years as Vice President of Talent and Casting for both Paramount Television and NBC that he discovered the remarkable Phoenix family, from which River and Joaquin became A-list movie stars. With his insider's knowledge, irreverent style, and biting wit, Thurm tells the stories of his key involvement in such iconic movies and shows as GREASE, AIRPLANE!, THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW, CHEERS, TAXI, THE LOVE BOAT, FANTASY ISLAND, STARSKY & HUTCH, CHARLIE'S ANGELS, THE GOLDEN GIRLS, KNIGHT RIDER, THE COSBY SHOW, HILL STREET BLUES and many, many more. SEX, DRUGS, AND PILOT SEASON is the ultimate backstage pass to the boardrooms of Manhattan and the executive suites of Hollywood where show-business history was made.

EPISODE 365 - LIANA HUNT

Liana Hunt is a New York City based actor, singer and dancer who has appeared on Broadway, National Tours, regionally, on television and in films. 

Originally from Vermont, Liana received her BFA from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and graduated with honors a semester early to star as Sophie on the National Tour of Mamma Mia!. After touring the country with the show, Liana was brought to Broadway, making her Broadway debut as Sophie in Mamma Mia! at the age of 23. Liana also starred on Broadway as Katherine Plumber in Disney’s Newsies.

She has returned to Broadway this summer in Back to the Future Musical that is adapted for the stage by the movie’s creators Bob Gale (Back to the Future trilogy) and Robert Zemeckis (Forrest Gump) and is directed by the Tony Award-winning John Rando.  She stars in the production as ‘Lorraine McFly’.

Liana has performed on stages all across the country. Some of her favorite National Tour credits include the role of Nessarose in Wicked and Margo in Steve Martin and Edie Brickell’s Bright Star. Favorite regional credits include creating the role of Jessie Randolph in Clint Black’s new musical, Looking for Christmas, at The Old Globe, the St. Louis MUNY’s centennial production of Meet Me in St. Louis (Rose), and Noel Coward’s Private Lives at the Riverside Theatre (Sybil). 

Liana has studied Improv with UCB and is a part of the sketch comedy show SHIZ: Broadway Meets Sketch Comedy, which has had runs at UCB in Hell’s Kitchen and Improv Asylum, produced by National Lampoon. 

Liana also teaches musical theatre masterclasses to kids of all ages and coaches.

EPISODE 364- ALFRED UHRY & MAX CHERNIN

Max Chernin

Broadway: Parade, Bright Star, Sunday In The Park with George. NYC: Brooklynite (Vineyard), Golden Apple (Encores!) Regional: Passing Through (Goodspeed), Daddy Long Legs (Theatre Raleigh), Elf (Pioneer). Television: “Dickinson,” “Blacklist.” CCM Alum. @maxcherns.

Alfred Uhry is distinguished as the only American playwrights to have won a Pulitzer Prize, an Academy Award, and two Tony Awards. A 1958 graduate of Brown University, he began his professional career as a lyric writer under contract to the late Frank Loesser. He made his Broadway debut in 1968 with Here’s Where I Belong, which ran for one night. He had better luck with The Robber Bridegroom in 1976, which won him his first Tony nomination. He followed that with five recreated musicals at the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, Connecticut. His first play was Driving Miss Daisy, which began life at the 74-seat upstairs theatre at Playwrights Horizons in 1987 and went on to run for three years and won the Pulitzer Prize in 1988. The film version, starring Morgan Freeman and Jessica Tandy, won the Academy Award for Best Picture of 1989 and gained Uhry his own Oscar for Best Screenplay. His next two Broadway outings won him Tony Awards: The Last Night of Ballyhoo (Best Play of 1997) and Parade (Best Book of a Musical 1999). In 2014, he was inducted into both the Theatre Hall of Fame and the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame.

EPISODE 363- SALMA QARNAIN & MAHIRA KAKAR - LIFE OF PI

Salma Qarnain is a versatile Pakistani American actor, thrilled to be making her Broadway debut in the adaptation of one of her favorite books, Life of Pi. She is a two-time Helen Hayes Award recipient, an AUDELCO nominee, and an award-winning theater and film producer. She has performed across major networks (ABC, NBC, CBS, HBO, HBO Max, Hulu, Showtime), regionally, Off-Broadway, and Off-West End. Most recently, she produced the 2023 Oscar-qualified short film, Silent Partner (19 festivals / 4 Oscar qualifiers; 8 awards / nominations) and Speak Up Brotha!, which is premiering at the Oscar-qualifying Cleveland International Film Festival. Selected credits: Bars and Measures (Off-Broadway); Acquittal (Off-Broadway); Rain + Zoe Save the World (Off-West End); “That Damn Michael Che” (RECUR, HBO Max); “FBI” (CBS); “The Blacklist” (NBC); “Law & Order: SVU” (NBC); “For Life” (ABC). Graduate of Stanford, MIT, Harvard Business School. Proud member of SAG•AFTRA, AEA, Equity. Thank you to Roderick, Gary, Lolita, Max, Finn, Duncan, Benton, Patrick, A.R.T, and Annette for getting me here. Love you, X! For my sisters Ayesha, Sonia, and Zehra and my parents Qarnain and Rashida in the stars. IG: @salma.qarnain; salmaqarnain.com

MAHIRA KAKAR- Broadway Life Of Pi

Off-Broadway: 7 Minutes, Waterwell; Here We Are, Theater for One; Addressless, Rattlestick; Opus, Primary Stages; Harper Regan, Atlantic; Romeo and Juliet, Public Theater; The Winter’s Tale, TFANA; When January Feels Like Summer, EST; Henry VI, NAATCO; Arturo Ui, Classic Stage Company; Ms. Witherspoon, Playwrights Horizons; Clive, The New Group. Regional: Life of Pi, A.R.T.; Skylight, McCarter Theatre; Rafta Rafta, Old Globe; Our Town, OSF; Monsoon Wedding, Berkeley Rep; Bedroom Farce, Huntington Theater Company; Inana, Denver Center; The Crucible, Cleveland Playhouse; Five Mile Lake, McCarter Theatre; Comedy of Errors, Hartford Stage, Jesus in India, Magic Theater. Film/TV: “A Suitable Boy” (series lead), “Manifest” (recurring), “New Amsterdam,” “Blue Bloods,” “The Blacklist,” “Louie,” “Odd Mom Out,” “Sweet Refuge,” “Bite Me,” Hank and Asha (Napa Valley Film Festival Best Actress, Wild Rose Festival Best Actress, Slamdance Audience winner, Bronze Lens winner), “Law & Order,” “Orange Is the New Black.” Training: Juilliard, SITI, Harold Guskin; B.A. Jadavpur University. mahirakakkar.com

EPISODE 362- MICAELA DIAMOND

Micaela Diamond starred as Lucille Frank in the Tony Award winning revival of Parade in 2023. She made her Broadway debut as ‘Babe’ – the youngest Cher – in The Cher Show. She recently appeared in both The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical and Leanord Bernstein’s opera Mass at the Kennedy Center, Williamstown Theatre Festival’s Row, and Ethan Coen’s A Play Is A Poem in Los Angeles. Television and film: NBC’s “Jesus Christ Superstar Live,” Peggy in Tick, Tick… The Gilded Age and Up Here. She was nominated for a Tony Award in 2023 for her role in Parade.

EPISODE 361 - CAMELOT CAST LIVE FROM BRYANT PARK

DAKIN MATTHEWS (Merlyn/Pellinore in Camelot and Lincoln Center). LCT: Henry IV (Drama Desk Award). Broadway: To Kill a Mockingbird, The Iceman Cometh, Waitress, The Audience, Rocky, The Best Man, A Man for All Seasons. New York: Shakespeare in the Park, The Bridge Project at BAM, Playwrights Horizons, City Center Encores!, The Acting Company. Over 200 regional productions. Recent film credits include True Grit, Lincoln, Bridge of Spies and Zero Charisma. Over 250 television credits including “The King of Queens,” “Desperate Housewives” and “Gilmore Girls.”  Former Artistic Director of three professional companies, an award-winning playwright and translator, an Emeritus Professor of English and a Shakespeare scholar.

ANDREW BURNAP ( King Arthur in Camelot at Lincoln Center) won the 2021 Tony Award for Best Lead Actor in a Play for his performance in Matthew Lopez’s The Inheritance, directed by Stephen Daldry, after a successful run at the Young Vic in London and a transfer to the West End. Additional theater credits include the titular role in the West Coast premiere of Matthew Lopez’s The Legend of Georgia McBride (Geffen Playhouse, director Mike Donahue), Nicky Silver’s This Day Forward (Vineyard Theatre, director Mark Brokaw) and Troilus in Troilus and Cressida (The Public, director Daniel Sullivan). TV and Film credits include the upcoming The Front Room (A24) and Disney’s live-action Snow White; as well as “Under the Banner of Heaven” (Hulu); “WeCrashed” (AppleTV+); The Chaperone (director Michael Engler); and Spare Room. Andrew graduated from the Yale School of Drama.

EPISODE 360- KATEY SAGAL

Katey Sagal has entertained audiences in a variety of dramatic and comedic roles throughout her notable career. Her television credits include “Sons of Anarchy” (Golden Globe Award), “Superior Donuts,” “8 Simple Rules,” and “Married…With Children.” She has also appeared in feature films including “Bleed for This,” “Pitch Perfect 2” and “The Good Mother.” An accomplished singer, Katey has released the CDs “Well” and “Room” and performs with her band The Reluctant Apostles. Her first book, “Grace Notes: My Recollections,” was published in 2017 by Simon and Schuster. Katey can currently be seen on “The Conners” on ABC and starred in the title role of the ABC series “Rebel.” 

EPISODE 359- GAVIN CREEL

Gavin Creel received a Tony Award® for his performance as Cornelius Hackl in HELLO, DOLLY! starring Bette Midler. After making his Broadway debut originating the role of Jimmy Smith in THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE, for which he received his first Tony Award® nomination, Creel went on to star in the Broadway productions of HAIR (Tony Award® nomination), LA CAGE AUX FOLLES, SHE LOVES ME, THE BOOK OF MORMON, and WAITRESS. Creel was among the star-studded cast of New York City Center Encores! critically acclaimed production of INTO THE WOODS starring as Wolf/Cinderella’s Prince. The celebrated production transferred to Broadway where Creel reprised his role as Wolf/Cinderella’s Prince opposite Sara Bareilles, Brian d’Arcy James, Joshua Henry, Julia Lester and Patina Miller.

Gavin received an Olivier Award for his portrayal of Elder Price in the London Production of THE BOOK OF MORMON and also appeared on the West End in MARY POPPINS, HAIR, and WAITRESS.

This fall, Gavin brings WALK ON THROUGH: Confessions of a Museum Novice to Off-Broadway’s MCC Theater for a limited run. In his theatrical songwriting debut, Gavin takes us on an intimate, relatable journey of discovery and transformation through the lens of the art at The Met Museum that captured his imagination.

On television, Creel recently performed a solo PBS concert special with “Stars on Stage",” starred as Troy in Ryan Murphy’s anthology series “American Horror Stories” and played Bill alongside Julie Andrews in “Eloise at the Plaza” and “Eloise at Christmasttime.”

As a songwriter, Creel is currently writing an original musical piece entitled WALK ON THROUGH, based on the collections at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The musical has been selected for the Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center’s 2022 National Musical Theatre Conference and the concert meets musical was highlighted in The Day. He has released three original albums: GoodTimeNation, Quiet (which landed on Billboard’s “Top Heat Seekers”), Get Out, and his single “Noise” raised money and awareness for marriage equality. Creel was a co-founder of Broadway Impact, the first and only grassroots organization to mobilize the nationwide theater community in support of marriage equality.

A native of Findlay, Ohio, Gavin is a proud graduate of University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre and Dance and a 2022 Fellow at the Hermitage Artist Retreat. 

EPISODE 358 - ALFRED UHRY

ALFRED UHRY (Book) is a graduate of Brown University. He is the only American playwright to have won a Pulitzer Prize (Driv- ing Miss Daisy), an Academy Award (Driving Miss Daisy) and two Tony Awards (The Last Night of Ballyhoo and Parade). In 2014 he was inducted into both the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame and the Theater Hall of Fame. He is the proud father of four daughters and the proud grandfather of six granddaughters and two grandsons. He lives in New York.

EPISODE 357 - Jesse Mueller & Javier Muñoz

Javier Muñoz -

Javier Muñoz is an actor and activist whose impressive body of work spans theater, film and television. He is best known for starring and co-creating the role of "Alexander Hamilton'' in the hit musical HAMILTON on Broadway for two years after Lin-Manuel Miranda departed the show (and was his alternate prior to that).  He got his break starring as “Usnavi” in IN THE HEIGHTS on Broadway, also created by Miranda.

Javier starred in the dark comedy indie feature, MONUMENTS, opposite David Sullivan & Marguerite Moreau, the indie feature LOVE RECONSIDERED and stars in THREE MONTHS, opposite Troy Sivan and Judy Greer, on Paramount+.  He voices a lead character in the Disney Jr. animated series, Eureka! Other TV credits include recurring role on Shadowhunters, Blindspot and Full Frontal with Samantha Bee. Javier is also an outspoken activist for LGBTQ+ rights, a Global Ambassador for (RED), which fights to end HIV/AIDS, and supporter of GMHC.

JESSIE MUELLER is a Tony and Grammy Award-winning actress and singer.  She was last seen on Broadway in Tracy Lett’s The Minutes.  Other recent credits include the Kennedy Center’s Guys & Dolls, The Music Man, Julie Jordan in the Broadway revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel (Tony & Grammy nominations, Drama Desk Award), originating the roles of both Jenna in Waitress (Tony, DD & Grammy noms) and Carole King in Beautiful-The Carole King Musical (Tony, Grammy & DD Awards.) Concert appearances include Carnegie Hall, Chicago’s Lyric Opera, and Jazz at Lincoln Center.  Film and Television: Steven Spielberg’s The Post, Madam Secretary, Blue Bloods, Hulu’s Candy, and Lifetime’s Patsy & Loretta.  She can be heard as part of the kooky cast of Netflix’ Centaurworld and Wondery’s Melon’s House Party. New studio recordings include My Heart Says Go and Diary of A Wimpy Kid, The Musical. She is an Arts Education champion for groups such as Rosie’s Theatre Kids (rosiestheaterkids.org) and a long-time supporter of The Entertainment Community Fund (entertainmentcommunity.org) & Broadway Cares Equity Fights Aids (broadwaycares.org).

EPISODE 356 - ALEX BRIGHTMAN

Alex Brightman is a two-time Tony-nominated actor for his performances in Beetlejuice the Musical and School of Rock. Other Broadway credits include Matilda, Big Fish, & Glory Days. Most recently, Alex was seen on stage in Lewberger's The Wizard of Friendship as Ketih's Dad. You can also hear him on the upcoming cast recording of The Wizard of Friendship as Flim Flam the Sausage Man. Alex can be seen on the current (and final) season of The Blacklist on NBC as forensic analyst Herbie Hambright. Other TV credits include Law & Order: SVU, Documentary Now!, The Good Fight, Blue Bloods, and Important Things w/ Demetri Martin. Alex is the voice of Pugsley/Temeluchus on the acclaimed Netflix animated series Dead End: Paranormal Park. Other cartoon credits include Helluva Boss, Teen Titans Go!, and the upcoming Scooby Doo and the Haunted High Rise. As a writer, Alex has developed series with NBC, Universal Studios, 20th Century, and Warner Brothers. He is currently developing Cleaners, an animated musical comedy, with his writing partner (and Spamalot cast mate) Nik Walker, and Singular, a New York romantic comedy, with 20th Century Studios. Alex’s play, Everything Is Fine, recently received a developmental reading/workshop at Manhattan Theatre Club (directed by Cynthia Nixon), and is expected to have its world premiere in 2024. Alex lives in New York City and has a dog named Kevin.

EPISODE 355 - YOUNG PLAYWRIGHTS UKRAINE

In the fall and winter of 2021/2022 Laura Cahill taught screenwriting to 8 young acting students from Kyiv on Zoom in English. Their last class was February 6th, 2022. The war started 18 dayslater. Most of the students fled their homes.

Laura reunited with her students and started teaching them playwriting.

On May 1st, she started teaching a second playwriting class that had been advertised on a aTelegram channel for art programs for Ukrainian Youth. It was supposed to last four weeks.

Most of those students were still in Ukraine, but some had fled.The May class went so well, they decided to keep going, so on June 1st, the two classes came together and formed Young Playwrights Ukraine.

On July 24th, six months after the war started, they had a reading of 18 short works withprofessional actors on Zoom for an audience. The cast included noted actors David Morse,Cara Buono, Ann Dowd, Kevin Corrigan, Misha Brooks, Bridgette Lundy-Paine, Ivanna Sakhno,Stefanie Lavie Owens, Oona Laurence and others.

The plays were subsequently produced by Orion Theater in Stockholm Sweden, directed byLars Rudolfsson, who had been in the audience on July 24th. The plays opened on March 20th,2023, to outstanding reviews and ran for 30 performances. Laura and ten of the playwrights metin person for the first time in Sweden for the opening night. The collection is soon to be published by Smith&Kraus

Young Playwrights Ukraine continues to meet every Saturday and Sunday to write. They’recurrently working with professional mentors including Theresa Rebeck, Peter Hedges,Jacquelyn Reingold, Kate Robin, Alexis Scheer, as well as Will Arbery, Stephen Belber, ErinCressida Wilson, Keith Bunin, Jessica Goldberg and Suzanne Heathecoate on a collection often minute plays that tell their stories of living with war.

Aside from the mentors, they have special talks with professional artists like filmmaker MaryHarron, TV creator Michelle King, Juilliard professor Kathleen McNenny, casting director RobDecina, Playwright/TV writer Aurin Squire and others.

Writers and directors offering help with this project include Warren Leight, Matthew Carnahan,Mark Brokaw, Paul McCrane, Whitney White, Lila Neubauer and more.

The Young Playwrights Ukraine Festival of Ten Minute Plays is set for August 20th,2023 on Zoom.

EPISODE 354 - THE FEARS

Steven Soderbergh (Producer) is a writer, director, producer, cinematographer, and editor. He most recently directed this year’s Magic Mike’s Last Dance, as well as the forthcoming HBO Max limited series “Full Circle.” He earned the Academy Award in 2000 for directing Traffic, the same year he was nominated for Erin Brockovich; and an Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for his 2013 HBO film “Behind the Candelabra.” Soderbergh earlier received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay for sex, lies, and videotape, his feature film directorial debut. That film also won the Palme d’Or at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival. Soderbergh has also worked as a theatrical director, creating and directing the play Tot Mom at the Sydney Theatre Company in December 2009; as well as directing the world premiere of Scott Z. Burns’ play The Library at New York’s Public Theater in April 2014.

Emma Sheanshang (Playwright) is a playwright and screenwriter from New York City. Her first play, Every Girl Gets Her Man, was performed at the Soho Playhouse. Greetings from Tim Buckley, a film she co-wrote with director Dan Algrant, starring Penn Badgley and Imogen Poots, premiered at the Toronto Film Festival. 

Dan Algrant (Director) is a film director and writer. His films include Greetings from Tim Buckley (Focus World/Tribeca), which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, Naked in New York (Fine Line Features) and People I Know starring Al Pacino (Miramax Films). Dan has also directed HBO’s Emmy winning “Sex and the City” and award-winning short films including Some Film Chopping Wood. He directed the documentary Anything for Jazz about piano legend Jaki Byard, executive produced How to Grow a Band about prodigy mandolinist Chris Thile and the Punch Brothers and acted in Steven Soderbergh’s The Girlfriend Experience and Let Them All Talk with Meryl Streep, Candace Bergen and Lucas Hedges. Current directing projects include the film Little Rootie Tootie, executive produced by Whoopi Goldberg; and Cathedrals, a documentary spanning nearly fifty years of the lives of two young men living in the Cathedral Housing projects in Boston, MA.  

EPISODE 353 - MIRIAM SILVERMAN

Miriam Silverman’s Broadway credits include The Sign In Sidney Brustein’s Window and Junk. Other theater credits include - A Delicate Ship at The Playwrights Realm, Everything You Touch at Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre, You Got Older at Page 73, The Hour of All Things and Finks at Ensemble Studio Theatre (Drama Desk Award nomination for Outstanding Actress), Septimus and Clarissa at Ripe Time, The Witch of Edmonton at Red Bull Theater, Hamlet at The Public Theater/NYSF and Bone Portraits at Walkerspace at Soho Repertory Theatre. Regional credits include The Moors at Yale Repertory Theatre; The Dog in The Manger (Helen Hayes Award nomination), Measure for Measure, All’s Well That Ends Well, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, As You Like It and the world premiere of David Ives’s The Liar at Shakespeare Theatre Company, where she is an affiliated artist; Extremities and Moonchildren  at the Berkshire Theatre Festival; Peer Gynt at the Guthrie Theater; Awake and Sing! at Arena Stage, As You Like it  at the Folger Theatre and numerous productions with Trinity Repertory Theatre. Film and Television credits include Breaking, Bad Education, Fleishman Is In Trouble, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisle, Dead Ringers, Elementary, Pan Am, Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Better Days Ahead.

She received her BA and MFA from Brown University and is a recipient of the 2011 TCG Fox Foundation Fellowship. 

EPISODE 352 - JULIAN LERNER

The talented Julian Lerner is quickly becoming a star to watch on not only on the stage, but the big screen. Lerner will next be seen starring as ‘The Artful Dodger’ in New York City Center’s production of Lionel Bart’s “Oliver!” The show also stars Lilli Cooper, Raúl Esparza, Tam Mutu, Benjamin Pajak, and Mary Testa.Lerner can currently be seen in ABC’s hit reboot “The Wonder Years.” Lerner plays ‘Brad Hitman,’ lead character Dean’s (Elisha Williams) best friend, a smart, good-natured kid with a sense of humor. He’s described by Adult Dean as “the Pee Wee Reese to my Jackie Robinson. That is, if Pee Wee Reese were Jewish and Jackie Robinson couldn’t catch a fly ball.” Set in the same era as the original, the series is a family comedy-drama that looks at how the Williamses, a Black middle-class family in Montgomery, AL, in the turbulent late 1960s made sure it was the Wonder Years for them too. The second season is set to premiere on June 14, 2023.  In 2022, Lerner completed production on “Boys of Summer,” a fantasy-adventure film directed by David Henrie. The film, which is set in the summer of 1997, follows a trio of best friends (Lerner, Mason Thames, and Abby James Witherspoon) who team up with a retired detective (Mel Gibson) to confront a supernatural entity that has recently moved to Martha’s Vineyard. 

Early in 2021, Lerner starred in Netflix’s hit film “Yes Day” opposite Jennifer Garner, Edgar Ramirez, and Jenna Ortega. Based on the novel of the same name, “Yes Day” follows Allison (Garner) and Carlos (Ramirez) who decide to give their kids a "yes day", where for 24 hours, the children make the rules. Lerner plays their son ‘Nando,’ a fun, energetic kid who is slightly nerdy and has a love of science. The film was the streaming giant’s second-biggest Kids & Family release – it was watched in nearly 53 million homes. 

For the past three years, Lerner has played ‘Lucas’ in the animated series “Alma’s Way” for PBS.  Written by Sonia Manzano, Maria from “Sesame Street,” the show is inspired by her childhood growing up in the Bronx. ‘Lucas’ is one of ‘Alma’s’ best friends and is an aspiring pop singer.  Lerner can also currently be heard playing the 12-year-old version of Brian Cox in “From Now,” a podcast series available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. The podcast also stars Richard Madden, Erin Moriarty, David Dastmalchian, and more. 

On the silver screen, Lerner has been seen in Netflix’s “Pottersville” where he starred opposite Michael, Shannon, Judy Greer, Ron Perlman, Christina Hendricks, and more. He was also featured in Netflix’s animated adaptation of the best-selling video game “Dragon Quest.” 

On the stage, he starred in the out-of-town trial for a new Broadway show in Fall 2019 called “Last Days of Summer” as well as touring the country in the National Broadway Tour of Les Misérables. 

Lerner currently resides in New York. 

EPISODE 351 - JULIA MAYORGA

Julia Mayorga was born in Los Angeles, Ca. She attended the Terry Knickerbocker studio in New York to study acting. During her first year attending the Knickerbocker conservatory she booked a series regular role on the show AMERICAN RUST. She is currently shooting season 2 of the show. Mayorga can also be seen in RARE OBJECTS starring opposite Katie Holmes. 

EPISODE 350- NaTasha Yvette Williams & Kevin Del Aguila

NaTasha Yvette Williams Broadway: Tina, The Tina Turner Musical (Zelma), Chicken and Biscuits (Brianna), Waitress ( Becky), Chicago (Mama Morton) A Night With Janis Joplin( Aretha, Joplinaire)  The Gershwin's Porgy and Bess (Mariah) The Color Purple (Sofia). Selected TV/Film Credits:  “Partner Track” (Nella) ,  “Run the World  ( Aunt Grace), “Harlem  ( Rebecca), “FBI ( Mrs. Adamu) “New Amsterdam”(Esther) ,“The Good Fight”.  Some movies: The Historical Thriller ALICE (Ruth) on Prime video and  Disney’s BETTER Nate than Never (Principal), Follow insta @Natashayvettewillliams . Proud Black Theatre United and  Actor’s Equity Member.

Kevin Del Aguila has been part of the original Broadway companies of Frozen (as Oaken), Peter and the Starcatcher (as Smee), and Rocky (as everybody in Philadelphia). He’s performed in a myriad of off-Broadway shows including Peter and the Starcatcher (NYTW/New World Stages), Love’s Labour’s Lost (The Public/Shakespeare in the Park), Jacques Brel (NYC revival), God Bless You Mr. Rosewater (Encores), and A Christmas Carol (TheaterworksUSA). His television guest appearances include “Peg + Cat,” “Law & Order: SVU,” “Deadbeat,” and children everywhere have heard his voice as a Troll in the Disney blockbuster movie “Frozen.” In his spare time, Kevin is a multi-Emmy-winning TV writer, lyricist for stage & screen (Lortel, Drama Desk, and Emmy noms), and book-writer of the hit comedy Altar Boyz (Outer Critics Circle Award), which made history as one of the longest running off-Broadway musicals ever. Kevin’s other stage adaptations include musical versions of the Dreamworks movie Madagascar and the smash book series Diary of a Wimpy Kid. www.kevindelaguila.com