Special Guest Elisabeth Vincentelli on The Art of Writing a Less-Than-Positive Review
One of the most annoying canards out there is that critics relish writing pans.Wrong!A pan is a pain for everybody, and it certainly is not fun to write. Elisabeth recently had to do it for Caitlin Saylor Stephens’s new play “Five Models in Ruin, 1981,” which is playing through June 1 at Lincoln Center Theater, as part of the LCT3 incubator. So Peter decided to interview his own co-host to see how she tackled the show for The New York Times. We do read excerpts of the review on the podcast but here’s a gift link so you can follow along as we engage in some text analysis. 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
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50:53
Do playwrights ever get to write their own happy endings? Ask Kimberly Belflower, author of the critical Broadway hit, "John Proctor is the Villain."
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
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40:54
Jeffrey Seller is the producer behind blockbusters like "Hamilton." Broadway, he says, desperately needs another one.
Jeffrey Seller has produced quite a few of musicals, including two mega-hits that were both hugely influential and hugely successful at the box office: “Rent” and “Hamilton.” Naturally, we had to ask him: What makes a good producer?Seller dropped by the podcast to talk about his new memoir, “Theater Kid,” in which he takes us from his childhood near Detroit to his early years in New York, when he worked in the office of the producers Barry and Fran Weissler, and on to his fateful meetings with Jonathan Larson and Lin-Manuel Miranda.He had quite a few thoughts about the state of Broadway, and in particular what’s happening with musicals. Even if you haven’t seen his shows — but if you listen to his podcast, chances are that you have — Seller will make you ponder where the industry’s at these days.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
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50:54
Listen as "Maybe Happy Ending" stars Darren Criss and Helen J Shen discuss their melodic musical about robots, fireflies and love on a hard drive.
“Maybe Happy Ending’ is the Broadway hit that nobody really saw coming. On this episode we welcome its stars, Helen J Shen and Darren Criss, who was just nominated for a Tony Award in this role. Darren and Helen portray a pair of HelperBots who have been cast out by their owners and end up living in a robot retirement community. What happens to them is, well, the stuff of the classic story of boybot meets girlbot.The show premiered in Seoul, South Korea, in 2016. Its unlikely premise was brought to fruition by Will Aronson (music, lyrics and book) and Hue Park (lyrics and book). The Broadway version has been mounted at the Belasco Theatre by director Michael Arden, with a cast that also includes Marcus Choi and Dez Duron.Criss you probably know: He made his name in “Glee” and went on to credits in very different Broadway shows, replacing Daniel Radcliffe in “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” and appearing in a revival of David Mamet’s “American Buffalo” alongside Sam Rockwell. He won a Golden Globe and an Emmy for his portrayal of Andrew Cunanan “American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace.” As for Shen: she is making her Broadway debut, but eagle-eyed Elisabeth had spotted her in the Off Broadway musicals “Teeth” and “The Lonely Few.”Both were the kind of guests we can only dream of, so tune in!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
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59:07
Meet Kate Valk: the great stage actress you may not know. And you certainly need to.
Kate Valk joined the Wooster Group in 1979 and never looked back. We think she’s one of America’s greatest actresses, but because she’s spent her entire career with the experimental New York company, even hardcore theatergoers may not have seen her work on stage or onscreen. Fellow Woosters like Willem Dafoe (former) or Scott Shepherd (current) are easy to find because they work pretty much everywhere but Valk’s IMDB page is practically nonexistent and she’s never been on Broadway — when Elisabeth checked IBDB, the answer was“Did you mean Kate Hall? Nate Sack? Grace Falk?”Kate joined us for a free-spirited conversation in which she talked, among other things, about the Wooster Group’s idiosyncratic approach, why she’s never strayed from the company, turning to directing and her delight in educational projects. Of course she also talked about the company’s latest show, “Nayatt School Redux” (check out Ben Brantley’s terrific piece about it in the New York Times).Oh, and in August you can check out a Wooster show in a New York venue other than the company’s own Performing Garage when Eric Berryman performs “Get Your Ass in the Water and Swim Like Me” (which Valk directed) at Joe’s Pub. 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
A theatre podcast hosted by critics Peter Marks (Washington Post) and Elisabeth Vincentelli (contributor to the New York Times). Featuring guest interviews, show discussion and more. marksvincentelli.substack.com
Ireland