Wanting North by Tanya Barfield

The 1840s South. In the thick plantation air, two enslaved sisters spin a poetry of escape. Today’s the day: Field Girl is making her run for freedom. Inspired by oral histories of slavery and resistance, the short play Wanting North by Tanya Barfield (“The Americans,” HBO’s “Here and Now”) features Obie winner April Matthis and Rebecca Frank.  After the episode, stay tuned for a behind-the-scenes discussion with Barfield, director Melissa Crespo, the cast, and 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! [20 Minutes 05 Seconds]

Hate the Loser Inside by Jon Kern

In Jon Kern's short comedy Hate the Loser Inside, a college football coach is tackling a local television commercial and fumbling more than his team ever did - until he finally scores. Kern has written for "The Simpsons" and “Son of Zorn, and his plays include Modern Terrorism, or They Who Want to Kill Us and How We Learn to Love Them.  Director R.J. Tolan heads EST's Youngblood program and co-directed the off-Broadway revival of Godspell. 

The cast features off-Broadway and regional favorite Brad Bellamy (Dallas Theater Center, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Denver Theater Center), seen onscreen in “30 Rock" and “Law & Order: SVU.” Graeme Gillis, the co-Artistic Director of Youngblood, is a member of The Actor’s Studio and Ensemble Studio Theater.  After the play, host Claudia Catania talks shop with the whole creative team. 

Download on iTunes, Podbay, Player FM, subscribe to our RSS feed, search ‘Playing on Air’ in your favorite podcasting app – or stream below! [19 Minutes 01 Seconds]

Hear Timothée Chalamet (Beautiful Boy) and Caitlin FitzGerald (Masters of Sex) in the Theater Podcast of Your Dreams

In Tennessee by John Patrick Shanley (Doubt, Outside Mullingar), a small-town, wannabe musician seeks an escape plan from the town's resident psychic. The audio play stars Oscar nominee Timothée Chalamet (our audio production of Misadventure, Beautiful Boy, Call Me By Your Name, Lady Bird, Interstellar, and Shanley's Prodigal Son on Broadway) and Caitlin FitzGerald (Libby Masters on "Masters of Sex," It's Complicated). 

A behind-the-scenes conversation with playwright/director John Patrick Shanley, Caitlin FitzGerald, Timothée Chalamet, and host Claudia Catania follows the play. Tennessee was recorded and co-presented in front of a live audience at The Jerome L. Greene Performance Space at New York Public Radio.

To listen on iTunes and subscribe: CLICK HERE

Download on Podbay, Player FM, subscribe to our RSS feed, search ‘Playing on Air’ in your favorite podcasting app – or stream below! [24 Minutes 18 Seconds]

Sure Thing by David Ives

A meet-cute in a coffeeshop contains multitudes, in this entertaining, experimental short, now a classic, from David Ives (Venus in Fur). It is from his collection of shorts called IT'S ALL IN THE TIMING and it couldn't be more about how everything in life is indeed all in the timing. But it takes you to another dimension first. Fun.

Sure Thing features comic pros Carson Elrod and Liv Rooth. Directed by Tony winner John Rando. Original music by Tom Kochan. There is an interview with David Ives moderated by PoA's Claudia Catania, following the play.

Download on iTunes, Podbay, Player FM, subscribe to our RSS feed, search ‘Playing on Air’ in your favorite podcasting app – or stream below! [15 Minutes 01 Seconds]

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.

Download on iTunes, Podbay, Player FM, subscribe to our RSS feed, search ‘Playing on Air’ in your favorite podcasting app – or stream below! [13 Minutes 37 Seconds]

Nick Bacon by Stephen Lang

For Veterans Day, Memorial Day or any day, NICK BACON is a powerful tribute to military valor, written and performed by stage and screen star Stephen Lang (Colonel Quaritch in Avatar). In this excerpt from his full-length play Beyond Glory, Stephen portrays Nick Bacon, a Vietnam veteran and recipient of the Medal Of Honor. Listen as the soldier recounts, in his own words, the incident that earned him America’s highest military honor for valor beyond the call of duty. Based on Larry Smith’s book of the same title, the segment is followed by conversation between Mr. Lang and Playing on Air's 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! [18 Minutes 00 Seconds]

HAPPY by Alan Zweibel

In Happy by Alan Zweibel (“SNL,” Curb Your Enthusiasm,” 700 Sundays with Billy Crystal) a baseball fan (Scott Adsit of “30 Rock” and “Veep”) makes a pilgrimage to the home of a former baseball star who is now a janitor in Delray Beach, Florida (Frankie Faison of “The Wire”) and asks him to sign a very special ball. After a fair amount of humor and misunderstanding, the power of baseball to bond fathers, sons and men emerges. Directed by Fred Berner (Executive Producer/Director, "Law & Order"). Stay tuned after the performance for a conversation with the artists moderated by 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! [33 Minutes 30 Seconds]

WAKING UP by Cori Thomas

In recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness month, please listen to Waking Up, an insightful short by Cori Thomas. It juxtaposes the experiences of an American urbanite’s and an African villager’s struggle with breast cancer. Although the details from diagnosis to ultimate triumph are vastly different, their stories underscore the universality of the human spirit. It features Lynnette Freeman and Amy Staats. A conversation between the play’s director, host Claudia Catania, and playwright Cori Thomas follows the play.

Download on iTunes, Podbay, Player FM, subscribe to our RSS feed, search ‘Playing on Air’ in your favorite podcasting app – or stream below! [18 Minutes 12 Seconds]

TASHA WALKS by Kim Merrill

In the comic TASHA WALKS by Kim Merrill, a young man (Steven Boyer, Tony nominee for Hand to God) returns dejected from his bomb of a vacation with his fiancee who has called the wedding off, to find his neighbor (4 time Academy Award nominee Marsha Mason) has lost his fiancee’s cherished cat. Directed by Brian Mertes and recorded live at BRIC Arts Media House in Downtown Brooklyn. Stay tuned after the performance for a conversation with the artists moderated by 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! [16 Minutes 32 Seconds]

GETTING IN by Frank Gilroy

In GETTING IN, the autobiographical play by Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winner Frank Gilroy (The Subject Was Roses), a scrappy GI gleefully recalls how he went from truancy, almost flunking out of high school, and the trenches of WWII to Dartmouth College courtesy of the GI Bill that changed his life.  

GETTING IN is a short play with a long cast of eleven talented actors - David Beach, Kim Bendheim, Matthew Cowles, Caroline Gilroy, Michael Godere, Carter Hudson, Lillian Laserson, Thomas Lyons, David Margulies, Fiana Toibin and Jack Wetherall! The play’s director, Claudia Catania, joins playwright Frank Gilroy for a lively conversation after the play.

Download on iTunes, Podbay, Player FM, subscribe to our RSS feed, search ‘Playing on Air’ in your favorite podcasting app – or stream below! [32 Minutes 56 Seconds]