THE MAN IN RED by Arian Moayed

In this holiday dazzler written, directed and produced by Arian Moayed (“Succession,” Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, The Humans), Santa keeps a closer eye on the naughty and nice lists than we think, especially during "unprecedented times." But maybe Mrs. Claus, the hardworking team at the North Pole, and one melancholy little girl might keep the man in the red suit from singing the blues.

THE MAN IN RED, our first musical, features music by Butch Phelps (Heavy Pour, Play Sounds) and performances by Brian Cox (“Succession,” Broadway’s The Great Society), Jayne Houdyshell (“Only Murders in the Building,” The Humans, Little Women), Phylicia Rashad (A Raisin in the Sun, “David Makes Man,” “The Cosby Show”), Brandon Dirden (All the Way, The Piano Lesson), Javier Muñoz (Hamilton, In the Heights), Lily Santiago (“La Brea,” Measure for Measure, A Doll’s House, Part 2), Cecilia Suárez, Sue Jean Kim (Office Hour, “The Blacklist,” Cop Show), Brendan Donaldson (The Complete and Condensed Stage Directions of Eugene O'Neill, vol. 1, Prophecy), Rodney Gardiner (The Persians, The Last Year in the Life of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King), and Lauren Sharpe (Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind, The Complete and Condensed Stage Directions of Eugene O'Neill, Boardwalk Empire).

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HEDGEHOG YEARS by Lily Akerman

"Any words spoken by hedgehogs in this play are in translation. Please note that all translations are betrayals..."

Emmy winner Carol Kane (The Princess Bride, Hester Street, "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt") and Tony nominee Jeremy Shamos ("Better Call Saul," Clybourne Park) star in Lily Akerman's Hedgehog Years, the second place winner of Playing on Air's 2018 James Stevenson Prize. When he was five, Theo (Shamos) met his best friend: an excitable hedgehog (Kane) who loves leftovers and longs to go to summer camp. Now, sifting through his memories, Theo must try to make sense of the days when he ran away from home and started living like an animal. Mischievous and heartbreaking, Hedgehog Years is an adventure for anyone who's ever ached to return to childhood. After the play, Tony winner and director Judith Ivey joins the cast, Akerman, and host Claudia Catania to discuss imagination and animal instincts. 

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HATE BABY by Gracie Gardner

Content advisory: this episode contains themes that may not be appropriate for younger listeners. 

Sigrid has a new little bundle of joy, and she's worried that he might be... evil. Today, she's tagging out: this baby is her neighbor Darla's problem now. Just in time for Mother's Day, Gracie Gardner's HATE BABY, the winner of Playing on Air's 2018 James Stevenson Prize for Comedic Short Plays, delves into the often-gross, ever-changing world of new parenthood. HATE BABY features Emily Bergl (Broadway's The Ferryman, PoA's Evening at Anaheim), OBIE winner April Matthis (Elevator Repair Service, PoA's Wanting North), and Tony nominee Steven Boyer (Hand to God, PoA's An Upset). After the play, the artists join host Claudia Catania and director Claudia Weill for an onstage interview. 

HATE BABY was recorded live at the 52nd Street Project in New York City.

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Inside Voice by Kate Robin

Playground tantrums. Modern angst. Hungarian dance festivals. In Kate Robin's Inside Voice, dive into the secret lives of parents. Directed by Rebecca Taichman (Tony Award winner for Broadway's Indecent, Lincoln Center Theater, La Jolla Playhouse, Yale Repertory Theater, McCarter Theater), the cast features Patch Darragh (Broadway's Our Town, "Weeds," "The Path," Sully) and the playwright herself ("One Mississippi," "The Affair," "Six Feet Under"). After the play, the artists and host Claudia Catania discuss showrunners, women on TV, and the role of fear in theater.

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If We're Using A Surrogate, How Come I'm The One With Morning Sickness? by Marco Pennette

Presents are wrapped, carols are playing - and the department store Santa is asking some awkward questions. In the comedy IF WE’RE USING A SURROGATE, HOW COME I’M THE ONE WITH MORNING SICKNESS?  by Marco Pennette (“Ugly Betty” and “Desperate Housewives”), a gay dad rants and reminisces about having a baby.  Performed by Oscar-winning screenwriter and actor Celeste Lecesne (co-founder of The Trevor Project), the episode includes a behind-the-scenes artist interview moderated by our host and the play’s director, Claudia Catania.

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Mother's Day Special: REPORT ON MOTHERHOOD by Beth Henley

For a grammar school assignment, a granddaughter interviews her great-grandma on motherhood. She gets more than she bargained for. Way more. The illustrious Lois Smith (Lady Bird, Marjorie Prime, “True Blood,” The Nice Guys)  plays great-grandmother to her real life granddaughter, Eliana Saxe-Smith. Written by the inimitable Beth Henley (Pulitzer Prize for Crimes of the Heart), stay tuned after the REPORT ON MOTHERHOOD performance for a conversation moderated by the play’s director, host Claudia Catania.

Download on iTunes, Podbay, Player FM, subscribe to our RSS feed, search ‘Playing on Air’ in your favorite podcasting app – or stream below! [11 Minutes 48 Seconds]