With support from HumanitiesDC, local theater veterans Elizabeth Bruce and Robert Michael Oliver have launched a “Theatre in Community” series of audio interviews with DC-area theatermakers from the 1970s to about 2019.
A project of Bruce and Oliver’s “Creativists in Dialogue: A Podcast Embracing the Creative Life,” this interview series features in-depth conversations about the history, challenges, and innovations of the local theater landscape. Interviews explore how the collective, collaborative art of theater is infectious, encouraging creativity not only among its practitioners but also among all those who experience it.
Each new audio interview posts online at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, and the transcript of each interview posts online at 11:00 a.m. the following Sunday. A glossary of theater terms and names mentioned in the conversation is included in the initial post. All interviews remain available online indefinitely. Listeners are invited to subscribe (free or paid) at https://Creativists.Substack.com.
Interviews published to date (which range from 40-60 minutes) include discussions with such local theatermakers as:
- Robert Michael Oliver, Ph.D., Introduction to the Theatre in Community project and author of “National Theatre or Public Theatre: The Theatrical Landscape of Washington, DC, circa 1970 to 1990” – The Theatre in Community Project (substack.com)
- Ari Roth, Former Artistic Director of Theater J, Mosaic Theater, and current Co-Producer of Voices Festival Productions – The Theatre in Community Project: a Conversation with Ari Roth, Part 1 (substack.com) + The Theatre in Community Podcast: a Conversation with Ari Roth, Part 2 (substack.com)
- Clayton LeBouef, stage, television, and film actor and playwright – The Theatre in Community Podcast: a Conversation with Clayton LeBouef, Part 1 (substack.com) + A Theatre in Community Podcast: a Conversation with Clayton LeBouef, Part 2 (substack.com)
- Thom Workman, former leader at Everyday Theatre, City at Peace, and The Theatre Lab’s Life Stories Project – A Theatre in Community Podcast: a Conversation with Thom Workman (substack.com)
- B. Stanley, Founder of Theatre du Jour and former Executive Director of DC Arts Space – A Theatre in Community Podcast: a Repost of our Conversation with B. Stanley. (substack.com)
Interviews to be published soon include those with:
- Karen L.B. Evans, playwright, tech entrepreneur, and Founder of the Black Women Playwrights’ Group.
- Joy Zinoman, Founder and former Artistic Director of Studio Theatre and the Studio Acting Conservatory.
- Lynnie Raybuck, Co-Founder of Smallbeer Theatre, actress, director, puppet maker, costume designer, and veteran theatermaker at Back Alley Theater and many others.
- Regie Cabico, performance poet, solo performer, and Co-Founder of the Cabaret Series La Ti Do Productions.
- Roberta Gasbarre, Artistic Director of Washington Revels, former Director of Discovery Theatre, former member of Living Stage Theatre Company, and collaborator at many other stages.
- Laura Giannarelli, Bill Largess, and Ann Norton, Co-Founders of Washington Stage Guild.
- Nucky Walder and Marcela Ferlito, Co-Founder (Nucky), actors, educators, and producers of Teatro de La Luna.
Previous interviews to be re-posted soon include those with:
- Molly Smith, Artistic Director of Arena Stage for 25 years
- Quique Avilés & Hilary Binder-Avilés, performance poet/solo performer, co-founder of LatiNegro Theatre Collective, Soul y Sol, Teatro Nuestro, and Paso Nuevo–GALA Hispanic Theatre’s youth theatre program (Quique) and producers and collaborators on documentary films (both)
- Joy Jones, playwright, author, educator, and motivational
- Laura Zam, solo performer, screenplay writer, and educator
Creativists in Dialogue: A Podcast Embracing the Creative Life is supported in part by the DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities. The Theatre in Community series is supported in part by a grant from the Community Culture & Heritage Program of HumanitiesDC. In addition to Bruce and Oliver, the podcast’s production team includes Audio Engineer Elliot Lanes, Social Media Manager Erinn Dumas of Dumas83, and Transcription Editor Morgan Musselman. Logo Design is by Kimberly C. Gaines of sondai expressions creative.
The Theatre in Community Podcast Series will continue through March 2024, with all interviews and transcripts available online indefinitely. For more information, please visit https://Creativists.Substack.com or contact Elizabeth Bruce at [email protected] or [email protected]. For more information about Bruce or Oliver, please visit https://elizabethbrucedc.com or https://Rmichaeloliver.com.
