Advertise on podcast: James Elden's Playwright's Spotlight

Send us Fan Mail Jesi Bender is playwright, novelist, and poet from Upstate New York. She is the author of the novels Child of Light and The Book of the Last Word, and the poetry collection Dangerous Women. Her plays include Kinderkrankenhaus and Crux which recently played at The Tank in New York City. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Robin Gerber is a playwright and best selling author. Her first play, The Shot, was selected for the 2017 Ojai Playwright’s Conference and is currently being produced around the country starring Sharon Lawrence. She served as committee staff in the House of Representatives and as a lobbyist and political director for two major international unions.  For tickets to the West Coast Premiere of her play The Best Medicine running October 10th through November 15th at The Odyssey Theater in Los Angeles, visit - https://odysseytheatre.com/tickets/?eid=197477 Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Ben Steinfeld is a playwright, director, teacher, musician, and co-artistic director of Fiasco Theater. He wrote the family musical Twelve Kinds of Ice (book/music/lyrics) and the book for the new musical Diamond Alice and holds awards from L.A. Drama Critics’ Circle, Helen Hayes, and Lucille Lortel. He has an MFA from Brown/Trinity Rep and is a professor at Brown, NYU, and Middlebury College’s Brea and Loaf School of English, where he serves as director of the theatre program. Twelve Kinds of Ice opens at CTC in Minneapolis on October 13th through November 22nd on the Cargill Stage. For tickets, visit - https://childrenstheatre.org/whats-on/twelve-kinds-of-ice/#booklover  Twelve Kinds of Ice, Seattle (27 Jan - 13 Feb), visit - https://artelize.com/event/191236-twelve-kinds-of-ice For the video format of this episode, visit - https://youtu.be/LOZ5Uxid_9k Links to sites and resources mentioned in this episode -  Fiasco Theater - https://www.fiascotheater.com Trinity Rep - https://www.trinityrep.com Contacts and Social for Ben Steinfeld -  IG - @bsteinfeld1  Websites and socials for James Elden, Punk Monkey Productions and Playwright's Spotlight Punk Monkey Productions -  www.punkmonkeyproductions.com PLAY Noir - www.playnoir.com PLAY Noir Anthology – www.punkmonkeyproductions.com/contact.html James Elden - Twitter - @jameseldensauer IG - @alakardrake FB - fb.com/jameseldensauer Punk Monkey Productions and PLAY Noir -  Twitter - @punkmonkeyprods                   - @playnoirla  IG - @punkmonkeyprods        - @playnoir_la  FB - fb.com/playnoir         - fb.com/punkmonkeyproductions Playwright's Spotlight - Twitter - @wrightlightpod  IG - @playwrights_spotlight Playwriting services through Los Angeles Collegiate Playwrights Festival www.losangelescollegiateplaywrightsfestival.com/services.html Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Kevin Allen Jackson and Kristine Dickson are a playwright and producing power couple. Their immersive, audience-interactive murder-mystery play A Killer Night in Studio City opened September 15th and runs through October 31st at Vitello’s Restaurant in Studio City with Dinner, Drinks, and Deadly Secrets. For tickets to A Killer Night in Studio City, September 15 through October 31st, at Vitello's restaurant in Studio City, visit - https://www.akillernightlive.com/studiocity Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Douglas Goodhart is an actor, comedian, musician, influencer, cofounder and writer for the sketch group - Uncle Function, and playwright. He is also the frontman for the super-soul group Douglas and the Goodharts, and his Instagram account  @thedouglasg has over 55,000 subscribers.  For tickets to Master It! The Musical, The Class, The Hair at The Green Room 42 and Live Stream, September 18th at 7pm EDT, visit - https://thegreenroom42.venuetix.com/showdetails/peoPnwXxHxQvC74bHx3Z/S4LPsgibANhohQYw2LMw To watch the video format of this episode, visit - https://youtu.be/CEJUB1TNCQ4 Links to sites and resources mentioned in this episode - The Green Room 42 - https://thegreenroom42.venuetix.com Socials for Douglas Goodhart - Uncle Function - https://www.unclefunction.com Douglas and The Goodharts - https://open.spotify.com/artist/3XLQHv25ryS0j8nYUMGE7m IG - @thedouglasg Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/douglas.goodhart TikTok - @thedouglasg  YouTube -  @thedouglasg   Websites and socials for James Elden, Punk Monkey Productions and Playwright's Spotlight Punk Monkey Productions -  www.punkmonkeyproductions.com PLAY Noir - www.playnoir.com PLAY Noir Anthology – www.punkmonkeyproductions.com/contact.html James Elden - Twitter - @jameseldensauer IG - @alakardrake FB - fb.com/jameseldensauer Punk Monkey Productions and PLAY Noir -  Twitter - @punkmonkeyprods                   - @playnoirla  IG - @punkmonkeyprods        - @playnoir_la  FB - fb.com/playnoir         - fb.com/punkmonkeyproductions Playwright's Spotlight - Twitter - @wrightlightpod  IG - @playwrights_spotlight Playwriting services through Los Angeles Collegiate Playwrights Festival www.losangelescollegiateplaywrightsfestival.com/services.html Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Janine Nabers is a playwright, Emmy-nominated writer, show runner, and producer. She first made her mark as a playwright, becoming the first Black woman to win the Yale Drama Series Prize for her play Serial Black Face. Her plays have been produced across the United States and internationally. She is a graduate of the Lila Acheson Wallace Playwriting Fellowship at Juilliard. For tickets to The Peterson Show at the Echo Theatre in Los Angeles, visit - https://www.echotheatercompany.com To watch the video format of this episode, visit - https://youtu.be/DCmzaSwkVHQ Links of sites and resources mentioned in the episode -  Echo Theater Company - https://www.echotheatercompany.com Socials for Janine Nabers -  IG - @janinenabers Websites and socials for James Elden, Punk Monkey Productions and Playwright's Spotlight Punk Monkey Productions -  www.punkmonkeyproductions.com PLAY Noir - www.playnoir.com PLAY Noir Anthology – www.punkmonkeyproductions.com/contact.html James Elden - Twitter - @jameseldensauer IG - @alakardrake FB - fb.com/jameseldensauer Punk Monkey Productions and PLAY Noir -  Twitter - @punkmonkeyprods                   - @playnoirla  IG - @punkmonkeyprods        - @playnoir_la  FB - fb.com/playnoir         - fb.com/punkmonkeyproductions Playwright's Spotlight - Twitter - @wrightlightpod  IG - @playwrights_spotlight Playwriting services through Los Angeles Collegiate Playwrights Festival www.losangelescollegiateplaywrightsfestival.com/services.html Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Greg Banks is a playwright, actor, and director. For tickets to Pinocchio at the Children's Theatre Company in Minneapolis, visit - https://childrenstheatre.org/whats-on/pinocchio/#book Websites and socials for James Elden, Punk Monkey Productions and Playwright's Spotlight Punk Monkey Productions -  www.punkmonkeyproductions.com PLAY Noir - www.playnoir.com PLAY Noir Anthology – www.punkmonkeyproductions.com/contact.html James Elden - Twitter - @jameseldensauer IG - @alakardrake FB - fb.com/jameseldensauer Punk Monkey Productions and PLAY Noir -  Twitter - @punkmonkeyprods                   - @playnoirla  IG - @punkmonkeyprods        - @playnoir_la  FB - fb.com/playnoir         - fb.com/punkmonkeyproductions Playwright's Spotlight - Twitter - @wrightlightpod  IG - @playwrights_spotlight Playwriting services through Los Angeles Collegiate Playwrights Festival www.losangelescollegiateplaywrightsfestival.com/services.htmlFor tickets to Pinocchio at the Children's Theatre Company in Minneapolis, visit - https://childrenstheatre.org/whats-on/pinocchio/#book Websites and socials for James Elden, Punk Monkey Productions and Playwright's Spotlight Punk Monkey Productions -  www.punkmonkeyproductions.com PLAY Noir - www.playnoir.com PLAY Noir Anthology – www.punkmonkeyproductions.com/contact.html James Elden - Twitter - @jameseldensauer IG - @alakardrake FB - fb.com/jameseldensauer Punk Monkey Productions and PLAY Noir -  Twitter - @punkmonkeyprods                   - @playnoirla  IG - @punkmonkeyprods        - @playnoir_la  FB - fb.com/playnoir         - fb.com/punkmonkeyproductions Playwright's Spotlight - Twitter - @wrightlightpod  IG - @playwrights_spotlight Playwriting services through Los Angeles Collegiate Playwrights Festival www.losangelescollegiateplaywrightsfestival.com/services.html Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Keith Szarabajka is a playwright who on stage, in audio books, video games, film, radio and TV. Keith’s one act dark comedy, The Second Coming was produced at EST-LA's One Act Festival in 2018, and was subsequently made into a short film in 2020, which is currently garnering awards at film festivals around the world.  Keith conceived, co-wrote, co-directed and co-produced EST/LA’s space soap opera spoof, In Search of doG. From 2015-2022, Keith was Ensemble Studio Theatre / The Los Angeles Project’s co-artistic director overseeing the creation, development and production of new American plays. His most recent project SLAVA UKRAINI! (or Waiting for Elon), was a semi-finalist at the Eugene O’Neill National Playwrights Conference. For tickets to SLAVA UKRAINI! running at the Atwater Village Theater through August 31st (with a possible extension) visit -https://afewthoughtstheatercompany.org/ Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Cameron Scott has worked with Broadway’s top producers to create brand campaigns for well over 100 productions including 17 Tony Award-winning Best Plays, Best Musicals, and Best Revivals. He has recently turned to writing plays of his own. Since the fall of 2022, he has had plays produced from the coasts of California to Connecticut, among them a Best in Festival winner at Wilmington Drama League and the winning play from Delaware at ESTAFest 2023. He has had work published in multiple anthologies including an excerpt from his play Uphill which was published in The Best Men’s Stage Monologues 2023 by Smith & Kraus. His audio drama West PalmReaders appeared internationally on the Apple Podcasts Charts in 49 countries last summer, including multiple #1's in Drama and thirteen Top 10's in Drama, including in the USA. He has worked with professional and amateur theater companies alike such as Legacy Theatre in Connecticut, The Road Theatre Company in North Hollywood and Rhode Island Stage Ensemble. Other plays include Forty Years Kings; Happ’s Last Tape; and That Day is Coming, Everyday is Coming. To watch the video format of this episode, visit - https://youtu.be/e5uPPs0qm_Q Links to sites and resources mentioned in this episode -  The Road Theatre Annual Summer Playwrights Festival -https://roadtheatre.org/event/spf/ GI60 - http://gi60.blogspot.com/ New York City Playwrights - https://www.nycplaywrights.org/ Campfire Radio Theatre - https://campfireradiotheater.podbean.com/ Gather by the Ghost Light - https://www.gatherbytheghostlight.com/ New Jersey Web Festival - https://www.newjerseywebfest.com/ Websites and socials for James Elden, Punk Monkey Productions and Playwright's Spotlight Punk Monkey Productions -  www.punkmonkeyproductions.com PLAY Noir - www.playnoir.com PLAY Noir Anthology – www.punkmonkeyproductions.com/contact.html James Elden - Twitter - @jameseldensauer IG - @alakardrake FB - fb.com/jameseldensauer Punk Monkey Productions and PLAY Noir -  Twitter - @punkmonkeyprods                   - @playnoirla  IG - @punkmonkeyprods        - @playnoir_la  FB - fb.com/playnoir         - fb.com/punkmonkeyproductions Playwright's Spotlight - Twitter - @wrightlightpod  IG - @playwrights_spotlight Playwriting services through Los Angeles Collegiate Playwrights Festival www.losangelescollegiateplaywrightsfestival.com/services.html Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Drew Larimore a Brooklyn-based playwright, screenwriter and librettist who’s been produced in the U.S. and internationally. His plays have been developed and presented with Asolo Repertory’s Unplugged New Works Festival, The Barrow Group, Denizen Theatre’s New Play Development Series, ANDTheatre, Ensemble Studio Theatre and the Short & Sweet New Play Festival (Sydney & Melbourne). He’s been a finalist for the Heidman Award, Lark Playwrights’ Week and P73 Playwriting Fellowship. His play, SMITHTOWN was featured in River Styx’s 2025 “Posthuman” edition and his play UPSTATE, initially commissioned by Denizen Theatre was presented in the FIRST LOOK series at the Studios of Key West in 2024.  Drew made his Off-Broadway debut in 2012 at Walker Space with OUT OF ICELAND. Other plays include TOUCH and THE ANNIVERSARY which is published in Vintage Press’ anthology of new work, Shorter, Faster, Funnier.   Drew wrote the book and was co-lyricist for the musical The New Peggy as well as the book and co-lyrics for the satirical holiday show THE BESTEST OFFICE CHRISTMAS PARTY EVER Residencies include Djerassi, Key West Literary Seminar, Studios of Key West, Telluride Playwright’s Festival, Dairy Hollow, and Hawthornden Castle in Scotland. For tickets to The Cannibals of McGower County playing at TheaterWorks Hartford in Connecticut opening August 6th through August 30th, visit -https://theaterworkshartford.my.salesforce-sites.com/ticket/#/events/a0SUg000000ik0jMAA To watch the video format of this episode, visit - https://youtu.be/CTUSeDhrRXo Resources mentioned in this episode - TheaterWorks Hartford - https://twhartford.org Websites and socials for Drew Larimore -  www.drewlarimore.com Substack - https://drewlarimore.substack.com IG -  https://www.instagram.com/bklynobserved/ Websites and socials for James Elden, Punk Monkey Productions and Playwright's Spotlight Punk Monkey Productions -  www.punkmonkeyproductions.com PLAY Noir - www.playnoir.com PLAY Noir Anthology – www.punkmonkeyproductions.com/contact.html James Elden - Twitter - @jameseldensauer IG - @alakardrake FB - fb.com/jameseldensauer Punk Monkey Productions and PLAY Noir -  Twitter - @punkmonkeyprods                   - @playnoirla  IG - @punkmonkeyprods        - @playnoir_la  FB - fb.com/playnoir         - fb.com/punkmonkeyproductions Playwright's Spotlight - Twitter - @wrightlightpod  IG - @playwrights_spotlight Playwriting services through Los Angeles Collegiate Playwrights Festival www.losangelescollegiateplaywrightsfestival.com/services.html Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Ann Noble is a playwright/new media writer, director, teacher, and private coach. She trained at Northwestern University and at the British American Drama Academy via Yale School of Drama, and co-founded the Irish Theatre of Chicago (formally Seanachai). Plays include, Little Parts Hunts a Baby Daddy, A Bella Incarceration, 52 Pick Up, And Neither Have I Wings to Fly and 90262 Lynwood, Blue Like You. Her Play Dead Man played at the Hollywood Fringe and has an extension at Echo Theater Company at the Atwater Village Theater.  For tickets to Dead Man for July 28th and August 4th, visit - https://echotheatercompany.ludus.com/show_page.php?show_id=200537897 Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Brian S. Brijbag is an award-winning playwright, author, and actor whose work has been produced across New York City, Florida, and beyond.  His plays — among them Love, Lysol, and Other Delusions, On the Likelihood of Elephants, Fireflies & Fault Lines, and Funeral of god — are written in his signature Elegant Anarchy style and have been staged at festivals from the Players Theatre and Broadway Bound in NYC to Stage West and the Tampa Bay Theatre Festival. To watch the video format of this episode visit - https://youtu.be/FVic-udNa2Q For tickets for Funeral of god, July 30th through August 2nd with The Broadway Bound Theatre Fest at the AMT Theater in New York City visit -  https://broadwayboundtheatrefestival.ludus.com/index.php For tickets to One Seat Over with the 2026 New Works Festival at Stage West Playhouse in Spring Hill, Florida, visit -  https://events.ticketleap.com/events/stage-west-playhouse To purchase copies of books by Brian Brijbag, visit -  https://www.amazon.com/s?i=stripbooks&rh=p_27%3ABrian%2BS.%2BBrijbag&s=relevancerank&text=Brian+S.+Brijbag&ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1 Websites and socials for Brian Brijbag -  https://brianbrijbagauthor.com https://chaosandcraft.com/about/ IG - @brianbrijbag Twitter/X - @brianbrigbag TikTok - @brianbrijbag Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/brianbrijbag.bsky.social New Play Exchange - https://newplayexchange.org/users/99428/brian-brijbag Websites and socials for James Elden, Punk Monkey Productions and Playwright's Spotlight Punk Monkey Productions -  www.punkmonkeyproductions.com PLAY Noir - www.playnoir.com PLAY Noir Anthology – www.punkmonkeyproductions.com/contact.html James Elden - Twitter - @jameseldensauer IG - @alakardrake FB - fb.com/jameseldensauer Punk Monkey Productions and PLAY Noir -  Twitter - @punkmonkeyprods                   - @playnoirla  IG - @punkmonkeyprods        - @playnoir_la  FB - fb.com/playnoir         - fb.com/punkmonkeyproductions Playwright's Spotlight - Twitter - @wrightlightpod  IG - @playwrights_spotlight Playwriting services through Los Angeles Collegiate Playwrights Festival www.losangelescollegiateplaywrightsfestival.com/services.html Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Amanda Stamm is a playwright and actress. She is an alumnus of Atlantic Acting School, the Summer Program at Stella Adler, and has a BFA in Musical Theatre from Nebraska Wesleyan University. She a founding member of Bluebird Theatre Company and currently serves as Director of Finance. For tickets to Significant Contacts at The Maker's Space in Brooklyn, New York from July 13th through July 16th, visit - https://makersensemble.org/the-makers-space For links and resources mentioned in this episode - Blue Bird Theatre Co - https://www.bluebirdtheatre.org The Maker's Ensemble - https://makersensemble.org/home Website and socials for Amanda Stamm - https://www.amandamaestamm.com IG - @amandamaestamm   TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@amandastamm2 Websites and socials for James Elden, Punk Monkey Productions and Playwright's Spotlight Punk Monkey Productions -  www.punkmonkeyproductions.com PLAY Noir - www.playnoir.com PLAY Noir Anthology – www.punkmonkeyproductions.com/contact.html James Elden - Twitter - @jameseldensauer IG - @alakardrake FB - fb.com/jameseldensauer Punk Monkey Productions and PLAY Noir -  Twitter - @punkmonkeyprods                   - @playnoirla  IG - @punkmonkeyprods        - @playnoir_la  FB - fb.com/playnoir         - fb.com/punkmonkeyproductions Playwright's Spotlight - Twitter - @wrightlightpod  IG - @playwrights_spotlight Playwriting services through Los Angeles Collegiate Playwrights Festival www.losangelescollegiateplaywrightsfestival.com/services.html Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Erik Patterson dropped into Playwright's Spotlight before the opening of his upcoming play - F*****g Strangers. In this discussion, Erik shares his start into playwriting, what makes a bad play, the definition of "spectacle", achieving reversal, and pushing forward as a playwright. We also unpack developing ideas, using prompts, expectations from feedback, the disdain for "The Play That Goes Bad" series, what can be learned from student playwrights, the remedy for never-ending dialogue, and when it's time for a monologue. We wrap our talk up with trying new things, how to bring humor into serious situations, his steps after graduating, the benefits of volunteering and networking, avoiding coming off desperate, waiting for permission, and finessing one's work during rehearsals. Erik offers a lot of insightful information that playwrights from every level can take something from. Enjoy! For tickets to F*****g Strangers at The Echo Theater Company July 18th through August 24th, visit - https://echotheatercompany.ludus.com/show_page.php?show_id=200519152 For tickets to Faggots in Love at Theater of Note, visit - https://theatreofnote.ludus.com/show_page.php?show_id=200534559 Erik Patterson is an award-winning playwright and screenwriter whose plays One of the Nice Ones (Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Playwriting) and Handjob were previously produced by The Echo Theater Company. Patterson’s work has been produced/developed by such theaters as Playwrights' Arena, the LATC, The Actors' Gang, Naked Angels, Mark Taper Forum, Provincetown Theater Company, and New Group, and have been nominated for Ovation, Stage Raw, LA Weekly, and GLAAD Media awards.  To watch the video format of this episode, visit - https://youtu.be/7-XRfC0tuz8 Links to sites and resources mentioned in this episode - Echo Theater Company - https://www.echotheatercompany.com Theatre of Note - https://www.theatreofnote.com Actors' Gang - https://theactorsgang.com/ Socials for Erik Patterson - IG - @erikrosspatterson TikTok - @yourdailywritingprompt  YouTube -  @YourDailyWritingPrompt Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/erikpatterson?utm_source=search          Amazon -https://www.amazon.com/stores/Erik-Patterson/author/B09H561S9X?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1783401980&sr=8-1&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&ccs_id=45cc4248-c6e8-4f99-8415-9a8e48f0fd4e Websites and socials for James Elden, Punk Monkey Productions and Playwright's Spotlight Punk Monkey Productions -  www.punkmonkeyproductions.com PLAY Noir - www.playnoir.com PLAY Noir Anthology – www.punkmonkeyproductions.com/contact.html James Elden - Twitter - @jameseldensauer IG - @alakardrake FB - fb.com/jameseldensauer Punk Monkey Productions and PLAY Noir -  Twitter - @punkmonkeyprods                   - @playnoirla  IG - @punkmonkeyprods        - @playnoir_la  FB - fb.com/playnoir         - fb.com/punkmonkeyproductions Playwright's Spotlight - Twitter - @wrightlightpod  IG - @playwrights_spotlight Playwriting services through Los Angeles Collegiate Playwrights Festival www.losangelescollegiateplaywrightsfestival.com/services.html Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Playwright Marc Mantell stopped by Playwright's Spotlight after directing the production of Dr. Freud, I Presume written by recent Spotlight guest - Donna Scarantino. Marc's playwriting journey is nothing short of fascinating, and this discussion is unlike anything any past interview or any episode down the road. While I tried to unpack Marc's process, I was met with stories of a journey ill-remembered, as if the Muses were always at his beck and call and each play appeared on the page. We open with the history of his first play Nobody's Home from it Katherine Hepburn's letter in 1984 to its winning Best Play at the Road Theater in 2014. We delve into his journey into playwriting, how the age of his characters in Nobody's Home prevented future productions, his continual ability to "avoid" success, and what happens after a break in playwriting as well as pushing forward to "what's next". We talk about his success without Rae Allen, writing in an age without technology, writing musicals, his experience in Bogota, Columbia, how his playwriting influences his directing, and moving away from past projects. Marc is a charming personality and enigma whose story is captivating and well worth listening to. Enjoy! Marc Mantell is playwright, director, and screenwriter and holds a BFA in Theatre Arts from New York University. He has written lyrics and libretto for several musicals including “Quadroon” (music/lyrics: Joe Sample and Jonathan Brooke) which premiered in Houston, Texas, and “Por Siempre Navidad” (music: Maria Isabel Murillo) which played two consecutive seasons in Bogota, Columbia. His play "Nobody's Home" WINNER of the ROAD THEATRE COMPANY: BEST PLAY...SUMMER PLAYWRIGHT'S FESTIVAL 2014. Other plays include Apartments, Duck Dancing, Identical Twins From Baltimore, and Madly in Love. Links to sites and resources mentioned in this episode -  https://roadtheatre.org Contact information and socials for Marc Mantell - FB - https://www.facebook.com/marc.mantell Websites and socials for James Elden, Punk Monkey Productions and Playwright's Spotlight Punk Monkey Productions -  www.punkmonkeyproductions.com PLAY Noir - www.playnoir.com PLAY Noir Anthology – www.punkmonkeyproductions.com/contact.html James Elden - Twitter - @jameseldensauer IG - @alakardrake FB - fb.com/jameseldensauer Punk Monkey Productions and PLAY Noir -  Twitter - @punkmonkeyprods                   - @playnoirla  IG - @punkmonkeyprods        - @playnoir_la  FB - fb.com/playnoir         - fb.com/punkmonkeyproductions Playwright's Spotlight - Twitter - @wrightlightpod  IG - @playwrights_spotlight Playwriting services through Los Angeles Collegiate Playwrights Festival www.losangelescollegiateplaywrightsfestival.com/services.html Support the show