Thesis on Joan

Victor I. Cazares, a non-binary Poz Queer Indigenous Mexican Artist, sits down with Harrow and Meghan to talk about the premiere of their show american (tele)visions, opening the New York Theatre Workshop season. We discuss the villains of capitalism and the art and politics that inspired the play, the incredible team that has brought the multi-media world of American (Tele)Visions to the stage, queers and the multi-verse, and a demand for messy realities on stage. Victor also discusses their role as a teacher and mentor of young playwrights, the sinister nature of linear storytelling, and a call for more Brown and Black Latine folx in theatre. We reveal to Victor how creepy stalker we can get with twitter feeds, we choose violence in our Queering the Canon, and discuss who gets to be our storytellers (spoiler: one is Tony Soprano). Victor I. Cazares: Instagram | Twitter  American (Tele)Visions Learn More & Get Tickets Queer Culture Recs: The Sopranos Other Links: Papa Was a Rodeo by The Magnetic Fields PENAmerica Dreaming Out Loud Queer Gives: RAICES- The Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education & Legal Services Learn More Support Episode Credits: Edited by Meghan Dixon Thesis on Joan: Follow Thesis on Joan on Instagram & Twitter  Leave us a voicemail at (845) 445-9251‬ Email us at thesisonjoan at gmail dot com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Founding Artistic Director of the Breaking the Binary Theatre Festival (BTB), George Strus, joins us as we kick off the second half of Season 3! Hear from George about BTB, a communal, new play development hub for trans, nonbinary, two-spirit plus actors, directors, writers, dramaturgs, and stage managers, created by members of that community. Geroge discusses how BTB was inspired and created within a year, the incredible artists involved (including many past Thesis on Joan guests), what developmental choices they’re most proud of, the urgency and necessity of this kind of work, and the future of BTB. Hosts Harrow and Meghan check in after their summer hiatus to chat about Meghan’s honeymoon and Harrow’s name change! A full transcription of this episode is available here Action of the Ep Sign up to volunteer with a local organization! SAGE New York Civil Liberties Union American Indian Community House Theatre of the Oppressed NYC George Strus: Instagram | Twitter  Breaking the Binary Theatre Festival: Instagram | Twitter  Tickets on sale Monday, September 26th October 10-16th at Theatre Row TRANS WORLD by Ty Defoe, Director Dominique Rider, Dramaturg Josephine Kearns TWITCH by Liliana Padilla, Director Jack Ferver, Dramaturg Desiree (Des) Mitton HIDE AND HIDE by Roger Q. Mason, Director é boylan, Dramaturg Gaven Trinidad WORK HARD HAVE FUN MAKE HISTORY by Ruth Tang, Director Kedian Keohan, Dramaturg Lewis Fender NANA by Aziza Barnes, Director Rad Pereira, Dramaturg Al Parker THELMA AND LOUISE AND THE TIME MACHINE by Mara Vélez Meléndez, Director Sivan Battat AN EVENING OF COMMISSIONED MONOLOGUES, Director L Morgan Lee, Dramaturg George Strus Pride Plays Queer Culture Recs: RuPaul’s Drag Race  International Spin-Offs Queen of the Universe Monét X Change The Real Housewives Beyoncé’s Renaissance Rina Sawayama Demi Lovato’s Holy Fvck Queer Gives: Breaking the Binary Theatre Festival Black Trans Liberation Trans Entertainment Guild The Okra Project Legacy Episode Credits: Edited by Harrow Sansom Thesis on Joan: Follow Thesis on Joan on Instagram & Twitter  Leave us a voicemail at (845) 445-9251‬ Email us at thesisonjoan at gmail dot com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The incomparable Qween Jean, costume designer and activist, sits down with Harrow and Meghan to talk activism, theatre design, and hopes for the future of queer liberation. We discuss designing for revivals versus new work, what makes a good collaborative relationship, not living with the rules, and creating freedom for the stories of BIPOC artists to be told without relying on adjacency to whiteness. In a relevant and prophetic conversation, Qween Jean breaks down the wars we are facing today that we can’t ignore, the direction towards real equitable change, the need to uproot and reimagine failing systems, multiple ways to support Black Trans folx, and the way for everyone to have the chance to rise.  Check the show notes to find out more about Lavender Men by Roger Q. Mason playing this Summer at Skylight Theatre in LA and streaming. Qween Jean: Website | Instagram Episode Mentions Lavender Men by Roger Q. Mason soft at MCC Stonewall Protests Bridges4Life GLITS Black Trans Travel Fund For the Gworls Black Trans Femmes Artist Collective Queer Culture Recs: Queer Cook Outs! Queer Gives: Black Trans Liberation Black Trans Liberation Kitchen Episode Credits: Edited by Meghan Dixon Thesis on Joan: Follow Thesis on Joan on Instagram & Twitter  Leave us a voicemail at (845) 445-9251‬ Email us at thesisonjoan at gmail dot com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to a Tony Award reaction episode with hosts Meghan and Harrow! Hear about the highlights and shocks of the evening, their love of Ariana DeBose and Ruthie Ann Miles, the queer kiss you might have missed, the stress and joy for A Strange Loop, and lots of ideas for a new recurring section of the ceremony. They also discuss how it’s actively becoming impossible to watch the Tonys, what was overdone, the show they really want to see now, what they’ll pass on, and the honorary CoPros of a previous Tony Award winner. Finally, thoughts on Harrow's experience of a Korean production of Hadestown, Meghan revisiting A Strange Loop, and shoutouts to upcoming events and shows this summer! A full transcription of this episode is available through this link. References: Hadestown at the Dream Theater in Busan, Korea Closed June 5, 2022 A Strange Loop  On sale through October 30th at the Lyceum Theatre Fat Ham  Now through July 17th at The Public Theatre Six  On sale through January 8, 2023 at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre BroadwayCon July 8 - 10th at the Manhattan Center + New Yorker Hotel Dreaming the Queer Future: TGNC Representation & Playwrights in the American Theatre HOT! Festival  July 2022 at Dixon Place 2022 Tony Award Nominations and Winners Watch now on Paramount Plus Dear Evan Hansen Best Musical win photo and video Action of the Ep/Queer Gives: Katelyn Jetelina - Your Local Epidemiologist Firearms: What you can do right now Swiss Cheese method for reducing firearm deaths in the US Everytown Support Fund Sign up to volunteer in your community with Everytown Support Fund  Donate to Everytown Support Fund here Episode Credits: Edited by Harrow Sansom Thesis on Joan: Follow Thesis on Joan on Instagram & Twitter  Leave us a voicemail at (845) 445-9251‬ Email us at thesisonjoan at gmail dot com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy Pride! Join Harrow and Meghan for a super queer round-up of everything we’ve seen recently and are excited to see this month. Beware - spoilers abound! We talk about the genius of Paula Vogel and the revival of How I Learned to Drive. We attempt to manifest a queer dating conversation between Ryan Haddad and Michael R. Jackson and share our love of fat protagonists as we talk about A Strange Loop. Harrow has thoughts on The Minutes and we both try to unpack our experience at Which Way to the Stage. As queer psychics, we predict the transfer of Into the Woods and The ThanksGiving Play (we promise we recorded this weeks ago), dream cast and queer Into the Woods, and welcome Milky White into the queer canon. We also shout-out upcoming shows in June we’re excited to check out and our current queer culture recommendations. Shows Discussed: How I Learned to Drive Now in performance at the Friedman Theatre on Broadway Closing June 12th A Strange Loop Now in performance at the Lyceum Theatre on Broadway Tickets on Sale through October 16th Which Way to the Stage Performances ended June 5th at MCC Into the Woods Broadway Transfer begins June 28th at the St. James Theatre Performances June 28th-August 21st Upcoming Shows: Fat Ham Through July 3rd at the Public Theatre FRIGID New York Queerly Fest Various performances throughout June soft Through June 26th at MCC Theatre Criminal Queerness Festival June 22nd-26th at Lincoln Center Action of the Ep/Queer Gives:  NYCLU SRG Campaign SRG Fact Sheet Social Media Toolkit  Sign the petition Queer Culture Recs: Gentleman Jack Man About Town: The Story of Murray Hall from The Gilded Gentlemen Podcast Episode Credits: Edited by Meghan Dixon Thesis on Joan: Follow Thesis on Joan on Instagram & Twitter  Leave us a voicemail at (845) 445-9251‬ Email us at thesisonjoan at gmail dot com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hosts chat with two-time Tony nominated playwright, composer, and lyricist, Michael R. Jackson, creator of the Pulitzer Prize winning musical A Strange Loop which is up for 11 Tony awards! They discuss how A Strange Loop developed into an all Black queer and trans cast that manifested themselves to Broadway, how choreographer Raja Feather Kelly turns up the volume on people, queering religiosity, and the ongoing beef with the cast and a certain actor. Jackson also gets into what he hopes audiences are thinking about when seeing the show, what it feels like to now be a gatekeeper, the horror musical he’s currently working on, and advice for the next generation of artists.  A full transcription of this episode is available through this link. Michael R Jackson: Website | Instagram | Twitter  A Strange Loop on Broadway The Patti Murin “Beef” Creator References Troy Anthony C.A. Johnson Thesis on Joan episode with C.A. Keelay Gipson  Queer Culture Recs: Murder, She Wrote Queer Gives: Musical Theatre Factory Episode Credits: Edited by Harrow Sansom Thesis on Joan: Follow Thesis on Joan on Instagram & Twitter  Leave us a voicemail at (845) 445-9251‬ Email us at thesisonjoan at gmail dot com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are thrilled to welcome the legendary Paula Vogel as our first guest on Season Three! We talk about the revival of How I Learned to Drive currently making its Broadway debut at Manhattan Theatre Club’s Friedman Theatre as well as other highlights from Paula’s incredible career. We talk gender collision, theater-viewing as obligation, the inspiring next generation of playwrights and theatermakers, subverting dangerous myths about queers through theater, reinventing Paula’s theatrical catalogue, how Harrow followed in Paula’s footsteps, and increasing access to plays by BIPOC and queer writers through the virtual archive Bard at the Gate. Additionally, Paula gives us a ton of ways to support queer youth in Texas and Florida and wants your ideas on how else to create safe spaces. Stay tuned after the credits for very special surprise guests. Paula Vogel: Website | Twitter  Paula Vogel’s Reading List Bard at the Gate Dr. Anne Fausto-Sterling’s Writing Charlie Francis Chan Jr.’s Exotic Oriental Murder Mystery by Lloyd Suh Unmerciful Good Fortune by Eddie Sanchez The Drag by Mae West Philip Kan Gotanda Naomi Iizuka The Country Wife by William Wycherly Do a Paula Vogel Bake-Off! Queer Culture Recs: Cheryl Wheeler- Music / Concert Dates Bush Tetras - Snakes Crawl / You Taste Like the Tropics Queer Gives: Donate to Bard at the Gate Gay Pride Orlando - October 15, 2022 Equality Florida TENT- Transgender Education Network of Texas Episode Credits: Edited by Meghan Dixon Thesis on Joan: Follow Thesis on Joan on Instagram & Twitter  Leave us a voicemail at (845) 445-9251‬ Email us at thesisonjoan at gmail dot com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hosts Meghan and Harrow kick off season three of Thesis on Joan and share how they’re queering up the format this year! They discuss shows they saw during the hiatus, including Wolf Play by Hansol Jung at Soho Rep, Company on Broadway, and a deep dive on Suffs by Shaina Taub at The Public. Also, get a sneak peek of all the shows they have booked and want to see so you can join in on the conversation.  A full transcription of this episode is available through this link. Shows We Saw Ring of Keys: Queering the Canon Concert Series at Joe's Pub Wolf Play at Soho Rep.  Company at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre Suffs at The Public Shows We Want to See Seven Sins by Company XIV KPOP at Circle in the Square Theatre  Justin Vivian Bond: Oh Mary, It’s Spring! At Joe’s Pub Taylor Mac and Matt Ray: Songs from the Bark of Millions at Joe’s Pub Shows We Are Going To See for colored girls who have considered suicide/ when the rainbow is enuf at the Booth Theatre Strange Loop at the Lyceum Theatre How I Learned to Drive at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre Funny Girl at the August Wilson Theatre  Action of the Ep & Queer Gives: ACLU Pledge: Support Trans Youth Now Donate to Thrive Youth Center in San Antonio Texas Queer Culture Recs: Astrid and Lily Save the World - free on NBC! Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson Razorblade Tears by S. A. Cosby Episode Credits: Edited by Harrow Sansom Thesis on Joan: Follow Thesis on Joan on Instagram & Twitter  Leave us a voicemail at (845) 445-9251‬ Email us at thesisonjoan at gmail dot com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Legendary advocate, organizer and storyteller Cecilia Gentili joins us for the final episode of Season Two! We talk about her autobiographical show The Knife Cuts Both Ways and finding beauty in your story when the world wants to “reduce you to a ball of trauma.” She shares the joy of being a part of Pose (her first ever audition!) and some behind the scene stories from late night filming with Janet Mock. We talk more about her work being a resource and voice for the community in issues of gender equity through Transgender Equity Consulting and Cecilia closes us out with a call to action for all queer artists, reminding them of their power to shape the future. Harrow & Meghan talk queering the holidays and some work they’ve seen featuring previous guests: National Queer Theater’s LUCIÉRNAGAS written by Javier Rivera DeBruin and IS THIS A ROOM featuring Becca Blackwell. For our action of the ep, find out the many ways that you can get involved with The Center’s statewide advocacy coalition, RiseOut, The People’s Platform. Thesis on Joan will return for Season Three in Spring 2022! A full transcription of this episode is available through this link. Action of the Ep:  RiseOut, The People’s Platform Contact Your Reps Volunteer with the Action Team Join the Mobile Advocacy Network Check Out Advocacy Bootcamp Cecilia Gentili: Instagram | Twitter  Transgender Equity Consulting Queer Culture Recs: Dangerous Liaisons  Queer Gives: Solutions Not Punishment Brave Space Alliance St. James Infirmary Episode Credits: Edited by Meghan Dixon Thesis on Joan: Follow Thesis on Joan on Instagram & Twitter  Leave us a voicemail at (845) 445-9251‬ Email us at thesisonjoan at gmail dot com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week’s guests, ayla xuân chi sullivan, Nick Hadikwa Mwaluko, and Roger Q. Mason come from the inaugural New Vision Fellowship for Black trans and gender non-conforming playwrights, a partnership with the National Queer Theatre and Dramatist Guild! As the Fellowship co-founder/lead mentor, Roger shares the genesis of the program, the need for work, mentorship, time, space, and the opportunity to just be. Fellows Nick and ayla discuss their plays in development, having a space where they can be their fullest selves, learning from each other non-hierarchically, and decolonizing the process of professional work. The trio also gets into trans identity as spiritual identity, theatre as a ritual, assumptions about what Black, queer, trans joy looks like, and the gift and journey of preparing the road for the next generation. Hosts Harrow and Meghan discuss how the last year and a half have affected their relationships to theatre, Kristina Wong, Sweatshop Overlord, and signing up for free bystander, conflict de-escalation, harassment response, and resilience training with Hollaback! You can find a full transcript of this episode here. Action of the Ep:  Sign up for a free Hollaback! Training! Hollaback!’s mission is to end harassment in all its forms by transforming the culture that perpetuates hate and harassment. They carry out this mission by building the power of everyday people to create safe and welcoming environments for all. The free trainings include bystander intervention, conflict de-escalation, responding to and preventing harassment, and resilience.  GUESTS:  New Visions Fellowship: Instagram ayla xuân chi sullivan: Website | Instagram | Twitter  Nick Hadikwa Mwaluko: New Play Exchange | Instagram | Twitter  Roger Q. Mason: Website | Instagram | Twitter Afrofuturism with Carnegie Hall  Queer Gives: Diamond Stylz: Marsha’s Plate Podcast | Black Trans Women, Inc FIERCE NYC National Queer Theatre - with a comment for the New Visions Fellowship! Episode Credits: Edited by Harrow Sansom Thesis on Joan: Follow Thesis on Joan on Instagram & Twitter  Leave us a voicemail at (845) 445-9251‬ Email us at thesisonjoan at gmail dot com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices