Thesis on Joan

Mei Ann Teo, theatre, film maker, and Associate Artistic Director of New Work at Oregon Shakespeare Festival, stops by the podcast to give Harrow and Meghan a master class in civically minded art, church skits as artistic awakenings, queer plays written by “straight” identifying teens, liberation as a way to subvert the grand narrative and the life changing moment that set them on the path to being a devised theater creator. She shares more about the unique way that Oregon Shakespeare Festival @OSFashland is approaching the artistic director role and how we need to all come to terms with our addiction to producing Shakespeare. Most importantly they blow our mind by teasing the queer camp Little Shop of Horrors of our dreams that we’re unapologetically thirsty for. Meghan and Harrow talk about the New York Times article “As Broadway Returns, Shows Rethink and Restage Depictions of Race” and share some upcoming work from previous guests. You can find a full transcript of this episode here. Article Discussed As Broadway Returns, Shows Rethink and Restage Depictions of Race Action of the Ep:  Check out our previous guests’ creative projects! Luciernagas with National Queer Theater at the 14th St. Y November 11-30th - written by prior guest Javier Rivera DeBruin Chicken and Biscuits on Broadway through January 2, 2022- sound design by prior guest Twi McCallum “Wait, Is This a Date?” - new podcast hosted by prior guest Drew Gregory August Wilson’s Seven Guitars at Arena Stage in DC November 26-December 26th featuring prior guest Lady Dane Figueroa Edidi as Ruby Mirrors by prior guest Azure D. Osborne-Lee premiering virtually on November 10, 2021 Maybe Burke in Maybzgiving: A Queernucopia at 54 Below November 23, 2021 Mei Ann Teo: Website | Instagram  Oregon Shakespeare Festival Web Site Queer Culture Recs: Eye to Eye: Portraits of Lesbians by JEB Queer | Art | Film Screenings at the IFC Queer Gives: The Jean Moye Dark Fund - Learn More & Donate 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 Miss Hazel Jade, director, dramaturg, playwright, librettist, literary consultant, and investor for Broadway and the West End! Miss Hazel shares her current focus to decenter Broadway, return to grassroots nonprofit regional theatre, and inspire the next generation of theatre-makers. She highlights the legal issues with investing in American theatre, her love of creating theatre for the West End and UK, and why we need to dissolve the Broadway League. She also shares how one of her many upcoming projects, The Regulars: A Folk Musical, will give us the queer and trans creative team, cast, and bar of our dreams. Harrow and Meghan discuss the 2021 Tony Awards and some action steps to help end solitary confinement and reduce the incarcerated population in New York City and State. You can view a transcript of this episode here. Action of the Ep:  New York Campaign for Alternatives to Isolated Confinement (CAIC) #HALTsolitary Campaign - Humane Alternative to Long-Term Solitary Confinement Act  Phone to Action Tool to Email, Tweet, & Call City Council Speaker Corey Johnson to urge him and the city council to truly end solitary confinement in New York City VOCAL-NY - working to end mass incarceration by ending discriminatory and abusive policing practices, reducing the number of people incarcerated, and removing barriers to jobs, housing & voting for people with conviction histories Miss Hazel Jade: Website | Instagram | Twitter  The Regulars: A Folk Musical Website | Instagram Queer Culture Recs: The L Word Gossip Girl Ridley Jones Queer Gives: The Trevor Project - Donate 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

Today we sit down with playwright, aerialist, and mother of three dogs, Queerean Nina Ki! We discuss the extra labor that goes into submitting as an artist of color, acting in your own plays (because you’re the only person who knows Korean), writing horror (Asian style), finding inspiration from unlikely sources on Netflix, queering deeply upsetting Korean folk tales, integrating aerial work into musicals, looking for Queerean representation in media, and Harrow has their bi-annual podcast Buffy fan moment with Nina.  We also discuss our thoughts ahead of the Tony Awards, our return to Broadway seeing Wicked the musical and how you can help raise awareness for missing LGBTQ+ and BIPOC individuals. You can view a transcript of this episode here. Action of the Ep:  Action & Awareness for Queer and BIPOC Missing Persons Further Reading Why Cases of Missing Trans Individuals are Rarely Solved Media Bias in Missing Persons Cases Not our Native Daughters Trans Doe Task Force MMI People Who Are Missing Nina Ki: Website | Instagram Soft Jade, A Radio Play - Yale Summer Cabaret IAMA Theater - Broken English Queens Theater - Broken English, Primary Colors, One Small Step Queer Culture Recs: The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo Monstress by Marjorie Liu The Half of It - Netflix Queer Gives: Venmo - @FCFilms Instagram - @DecolonizeAcupuncture 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 & Harrow chat with Twi McCallum (she/they/he), the first woman of color sound designer of a Broadway show! Hear how Twi came to work on their Broadway debut, Chicken & Biscuits (previews begin TOMORROW, September 23, 2021), the history of women and POC sound designers on Broadway (not many), how things have changed since Twi published an open letter to the theatre community last year, and her concerns for the future. They also share their love of designing musicals, how she manifested more musical projects, the difference between sound designers and composers, thoughts on virtual theatre, and his dream role in film production. Harrow and Meghan also check-in about their upcoming trip to a Broadway show and some ways to fight for reproductive justice. You can find a transcript of this episode here. Action of the Ep:  Tell your members of Congress to support the Women’s Health Protection Act  Sign petition from Planned Parenthood Twi McCallum: Website Open Letter to the Theatre Community on Hiring Black Designers and Creatives Chicken & Biscuits - Circle In The Square Theatre It Came From Outer Space - Chicago Shakespeare Theater Queer Culture Recs: Pose Queer Gives: Qween Jean: Website | Instagram | Black Trans Liberation | Venmo - @Miss_Jean Donja R. Love: Instagram | Twitter | Write It Out! - Donate 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’re back with the hilarious and insightful actor and playwright Ryan J. Haddad to kick-off the second half of Season Two! Ryan’s show Hi, Are You Single? was a pandemic, digital theater high point for us - we go into the backstory and creation of this piece and what it was like to tell stories about connections during COVID. Ryan also (maybe accidentally?) announces his next show coming in 2022, Dark Disabled Stories. We also discuss radical accessibility, exploring ableism in Dark Disabled Stories, the lack of true depictions of disabled stories, the sinister nature of tearjerkers, frozen custard and other Northeast Ohio hotspots, and an upcoming opportunity to go on a date with Ryan. Meghan and Harrow also encourage you to go out and patronize your queer spaces! Cheers, queers! You can find a transcript of this episode here. Action of the Ep:  Eat, drink and be queer at your local Queer hangs! Lesbian Bar Project Alibi Lounge Ryan J. Haddad: Website | Instagram | Twitter  Woolly Mammoth 2021-2022 Season Queer Culture Recs: Megan Stalter at New York Comedy Festival Megan Stalter: Twitter Otherworld - Harrow's Columbus pick! Queer Gives: Follow Imani Barbarin: @crutches_and_spice Imani Barbarin Patreon 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

Wrap up Pride month with playwright and impact producer, Javier Rivera DeBruin, and hosts Meghan and Harrow! Javi discusses how queerness, magical realism/fantasy/scifi in theatre allows a unique opportunity for anything to happen, the dynamics of family in their writing and in the theatre community, and why theatre is the Grey Gardens of the arts. Learn what Javi does as an Impact Producer for documentaries like DISCLOSURE and TRANS IN TRUMPLAND, practices that theatre could adapt from documentaries, and the rewards of contributing to the counter narratives to the recent attacks against trans youth. Harrow and Meghan also discuss upcoming shows in July and how you can support the Equality Act!   Upcoming Shows:  Trans Moses at Ars Nova - Created & Performed by Christian Luu   Brother, Brother at NYTW - by Aleshea Harris, directed by Shayok Misha Chowdhury Action of the Ep:  Call and email your Senators to support the Equality Act Javier Rivera DeBruin: Website | Instagram | Twitter  Parsnip Ship Radio Roots Writers’ Group DISCLOSURE TRANS IN TRUMPLAND Queer Culture Recs: Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas  Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender Queer Gives: Third Wave Fund - DONATE Sex Worker Giving Circle 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 You can find a full transcript of this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Celebrate Pride with National Queer Theater’s Criminal Queerness Festival! Hosts are joined by director, playwright, actor, teaching artist and National Queer Theater (NQT) Artistic Director Adam Odsess-Rubin and playwright, dramaturg and Co-Producer of the Criminal Queerness Festival Adam A. El-Sayigh. In addition to the trio of shows for this year’s Criminal Queerness Festival we talk about fighting for queer liberation through art, queerness as a political act, a producing theater’s responsibility to artists, the many incredible programs offered by NQT, and the trials and tribulations of producing outdoor theater. Meghan and Harrow talk about their dream pride celebrations (it’s not in June), pride celebrations happening this month, the work of Communities United for Police Reform and the MaYi Theater’s production of ONCE UPON A (KOREAN) TIME by Daniel K. Isaac and directed by Ralph B. Peña.  ONCE UPON A (KOREAN) TIME: Show Information National Queer Theater: Web Site Get Tickets for the Criminal Queerness Festival THIS IS NOT A MEMORIZED SCRIPT, THIS IS A WELL-REHEARSED STORY By Dima Mikhayel Matta, Directed by Em Weinstein < > By Victor I. Cazares, Directed by Borna Barzin LAYALINA By Martin Yousif Zebari, Directed by Sivan Battat NQT Programs  Adam A. El-Sayigh Web Site Instagram (for charcuterie gold) Twitter Adam Odsess-Ruben Instagram Action of the Ep Communities United for Police Reform Take Action: Budget Justice Dyke March New Marshal Training Information June 12th-13th - Haircut Fundraiser at Hairrari Queer Liberation March Queer Culture Rec: Genera+ion Veneno It’s a Sin The Circle (Season 2) Queer Gives: National Queer Theater - Donate 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, hosts chat with filmmaker, theatremaker, and writer Drew Gregory! Drew shares about the short she made in quarantine, “The First Time”, reminisces about directing immersive theatre immediately after coming out, and giving young people the trans representation in media she did not have. As a writer for Autostraddle, Drew discusses the freedom of writing for queer indie media, finding the one second of queerness in the In The Heights trailer, and assigns us the best kind of homework, to watch her queer media recommendations. Hosts Harrow and Meghan discuss more thoughts on the return of in-person theatre and Chonburi International Hotel and Butterfly Club written by and featuring Shakina Nayfack and directed by Laura Savia on Audible. Show Discussion: Chonburi International Hotel and Butterfly Club written by and featuring Shakina Nayfack, directed by Laura Savia, produced in collaboration with Williamstown Theatre Festival Narrated by: Shakina Nayfack, Kate Bornstein, Annie Golden, Telly Leung, Jason Tam, Bianca Leigh, Ivory Aquino, Pooya Mohseni, Samy Figaredo, Angelica Ross, Liz Lark Brown, Ita Segev, Dana Aliya Levinson Action of the Ep:  Upcoming NYC voting dates Saturday, June 12, 2021 - early Voting begins  Tuesday, June 15, 2021 - absentee ballots must be requested  Tuesday, June 22, 2021 - primary election  Tuesday, November 2, 2021 - general election NYC Registered Voter Search Find Your Pollsite and View a Sample Ballot for Democratic Primary elections! Research candidates for Mayor, City Council, District Attorney, Cit Comptroller, Borough President, and more! Learn about the new Ranked Choice Voting Gothamist 2021 Voter Guide Theater in Asylum’s 2021 Voter Guide Drew Gregory: Instagram | Twitter | Autostraddle “The First Time” - short from Drew Gregory “This Is an Essay About Penises” “The Poet’s Choice” - essay about Portrait of a Lady on Fire  “From “Calamity Jane” to “The Prom”: A History of Queer Women in Movie Musicals” Holy Camp! The 200 Best Lesbian, Bisexual & Queer Movies Of All Time House of Hummingbird Alice Junior The Watermelon Woman Mommy is Coming Eva & Candela Second Star on the Right “Sundance 2021: “4 Feet High” Is a Monumental Work of Queer Disabled Media” Queer Gives: Trans Justice Funding Project - Donate! 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 You can find a full transcript of this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The multi-talented Dionne McClain-Freeney is a musical theatre septuple threat - pianist, composer, lyricist, choral and musical director, arranger, singer and teaching artist. Join Meghan & Harrow as they sit down with Dionne to discuss her many roles in the theater world, musical theater as a medium rather than a genre, the importance of “working it out” in a collaboration, genre-fluidity, love song lyrics that make her swoon, uplifting the next generation of musical theater creators, redefining success in theater, faith and spirituality as a queer person, the beauty in the mundane lives of queers, and our shared enduring love of Anybodys. Meghan and Harrow also discuss the LAST GASP WFH, written and performed by Peggy Shaw and Lois Weaver of Split Britches and presented by La Mama and shout out Rock Steady farm. Dionne McClain-Freeney:  Instagram Twitter Maestra Music Profile Into the World - from THIS ONE GIRL’S STORY  Last Gasp WFH - Split Britches Through May 31, 2021 Streaming  Action of the Ep Rock Steady Farm - Web Site Black Farmers United - Web Site Queer Culture Rec: Soul Summit- Instagram Queer Gives: Mizz June The Audre Lorde Project 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 A full transcript of this episode is available here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Thesis on Joan’s first duo interview, musical theatre writing team Melissa Li (she/her) and Kit Yan (they/she/he) check in with hosts about the recent rise in anti-Asian violence, how they’ve grown as creative partners over a decade, and what our responsibility is to our elders even when they’re part of the problem. Kit and Melissa also discuss how they healed their friendship through writing the musical Interstate, met the community they now write for while touring to 32 states, and what to do when casting directors tell you they can’t find someone for a role. Get your athletic wear ready for their next musical, Miss Step, with an entirely trans lead cast telling the story of the boring and remarkable life of a trans person, the importance of queer joy, and living our best lives. Hosts Harrow and Meghan discuss nonbinary erasure and ciswashing of Jagged Little Pill and their thoughts on the Ars Nova Vision Residency of The Women, created by L Morgan Lee and Raja Feather Kelly. Content Warning: 18:18 - 19:10 Mention of sexual assault, rape, death One Step Forward, Two Steps Back: Broadway’s Jagged Little Journey Toward Nonbinary Inclusion by Christian Lewis Show Discussion: Ars Nova Vision Residency of The Women  Created by L Morgan Lee & Raja Feather Kelly Featuring works by Kirsten Childs, Dane Figueroa Edidi, Donnetta Lavinia Grays, Christine Toy Johnson, Bianca Leigh, Carmen LoBue, & Nia Witherspoon Directed by Raja Feather Kelly Featuring Dane Figueroa Edidi, Kim Exum, Jordan Ho, Lacretta, L Morgan Lee, Ronald Peet, Aneesh Sheth Action of the Ep:  March on Broadway: @randomblackgirllll, @50milerunforjusticeprotest, @papimagic March on Broadway Demands Melissa Li and Kit Yan:  Melissa Li: Website | Instagram | Twitter Kit Yan: Website | Instagram | Twitter Interstate website Queer Culture Rec: Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters Queer Gives: East West Players - Donate here No Place For Hate • EWP responds to rising anti-Asian violence 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 A full transcript of this episode can be found here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices