Token Theatre Friends

The Friends recorded on June 7. This week is a very special episode because there's not one, but TWO, podcast episodes. In the planning for this week, Diep and Jose realized that they had too much content and they didn't want to cut any of it. So this week will be a two-parter. Part one is an interview with George Salazar and part two will be a discussion of Hamilton on Disney+. George Salazar is the beloved actor behind Be More Chill on Broadway. He also starred in a buzzy revival of Little Shop of Horrors in 2019, opposite MJ Rodriguez. Salazar has been doing a lot during his COVID: he sang in a Pride virtual concert in June and hosted his own weekly talk show (which he's currently revamping and planning on bringing back). He came onto the podcast to talk about the upcoming Night of a Thousand Judys concert and his late-in-life love for Judy Garland. Plus, Salazar also talks about why he criticized the Tony Awards on Twitter. Here are links to things that Friends talked about in this episode. Night of a Thousand Judys Sundays on the Couch with George George Salazar's tweet thread about the Tony Awards George Salazar and MJ Rodriguez perform "Suddenly Seymour" on the James Corden Show Diep's essay about Little Shop of Horrors (that Salazar read and loved) Adopt a State with Vote Save America (Salazar has adopted Florida) Salazar's Instagram account where he posts a lot of stories Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/tokentheatrefriends?fan_landing=true) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Friends recorded on June 29. They open the show by talking about Zoom plays, what's been working about them, what hasn't been working, and things they've seen on Zoom that they love. Then they talk about two shows they've seen. First, To My Distant Love from On Site Opera, an opera done over the telephone (remember those?). Then they talk about a play they watched on BroadwayHD: Pipeline by Dominique Morisseau, about a Black mother who is worried about how her son is doing in school, and how the play really benefited from multiple viewings. This week's guest is Taylor Reynolds, who is one of the artistic leaders of the Obie-winning Movement Theatre Company in New York City. She talks about how the company was created (to provide opportunities for young artists of color) and what they're doing now: giving love to designers who are out of work, and don't have Zoom plays to keep them creative. Reynolds is also a director, whose work on Plano by Will Arbury blew both of the Friends' minds when it played Off-Off Broadway last year. She also talks about how she wraps her head around super-weird theater. Here are links to things that Friends talked about in this episode. To My Distant Love from On Site Opera Pipelineby Dominique Morisseau Hit Play from the New York Neo-Futurists Diana Oh’s My H8 Letter To The Gr8 American Theatre Tartuffe from Moliere in the Park Sing Street's Facebook concert Desire: A Sankofa Dreamby Maria Bauman-Morales Token Theatre Friends's interview with Mirirai Sithole The Movement Theatre Company's 1Move Program Planoby Will Arbury What to Send Up When It Goes Downby Aleshea Harris Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/tokentheatrefriends?fan_landing=true) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Friends recorded on June 23 where they discussed the news that Broadway will not be back until January 2021 (at least). They also went into a deep dive on 2666 by Seth Bockley and Robert Falls—a five-hour play adaptation of the Roberto Bolaño novel, that is currently available to stream for free at the Goodman Theatre's website.  Then they hop on a Zoom call with Raúl Esparza, where Jose manages to hide his excitement and act like a professional. The four-time Tony nominee has been doing a lot of virtual theatrical experiences, including hosting the Stephen Sondheim birthday special, Take Me to the World, and doing a monologue from his kitchen. Esparza talks about getting type-casted and how he hopes the theater of the future will be cheaper. This weekend, he will be doing a live reading of the comedy Tartuffe, produced by Molière in the Park. Here are links to things that Friends talked about in this episode. 2666 at the Goodman Theatre The Guardian: "Barcelona opera reopens with performance for more than 2000 potted plants" Kotaku: "Pokémon Plush Toys Gather To Watch Korean Baseball" Broadway News: "Broadway shows expected to remain closed through early January" Tartuffe from Moliere in the Park Seared by Theresa Rebeck at MCC Theater. Raúl Esparza doing a 24-Hour Play monologue Take Me to the World: Stephen Sondheim's 90th Birthday Celebration Lindsay Mendez's Tony Awards acceptance speech Mixed Blessings at the Coconut Grove Playhouse Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/tokentheatrefriends?fan_landing=true) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Friends sat down and recorded over Skype on June 14 and talked about "We See You White American Theatre," an open letter that got more than 50,000 signatures (including from a bunch of celebrities) and what can be done to solve racism in the American theater. Then they whistle a happy tune and discuss The King and I. They watched a video of the 2015 Broadway revival and talk about how it's problematic but they love it anyway, and how they would improve The King and I. #YourFavesAreProblematic Their guest this episode is actor April Matthis, who was the star of the play Toni Stone by Lydia Diamond, and who's been up for every acting award in New York City for her performance. This Obie-winning star has also been in Gatz by Elevator Repair Service, and she called in to discuss Playing on Air, a theater podcast where she acted in short plays by Dominique Morisseau and Ngozi Anyanwu, and trying to create theater in the time of COVID-19.. Here are links to things that Friends talked about in this episode. The We See You White American Theatre letter. Washington Post: "When black people are in pain, white people join book clubs." Montana Levi Blanco's Instagram video about racism in the theater. Rachel Chavkin's apology to Montana Levi Blanco. Diep's article about the American musical's obsession with Asians. Playing on Air: website/iTunes Night Vision by Dominique Morisseau: website/iTunes G.O.A.T. by Ngozu Anyanwu: website/iTunes The Skin of Our Teeth at Paper Chairs Theatre Company. Ronald Peet doing the 24-Hour Plays. April Matthis doing the 24-Hour Plays. 2666 by Roberto Bolaño at the Goodman Theatre. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/tokentheatrefriends?fan_landing=true) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Friends sat down and recorded over Skype on June 8. They discuss the recent discovery that Broadway theater owners the Nederlanders gave over $150,000 to the 2016 Trump presidential campaign and why we should care. Plus, they talk about two theater productions that were filmed: Pass Over by Antoinette Nwandu (available on Amazon Prime) and American Son by Christopher Demos-Brown (available on Netflix). They compare and contrast police brutality as portrayed by a Black playwright versus a white playwright. Their guest this episode is Jasmine Batchelor, whose film The Surrogate is out for virtual release starting June 12. Batchelor discusses how the film opened her eyes to inequality for disabled people and what's it like for your mom to be played on screen by Tony winner Tonya Pinkins.  Here are links to things that Friends talked about in this episode. This Tweet about the Nederlanders. This Change.org petition to make the Apollo Theatre a Broadway house. Karen Olivo's Instagram post where she commits to not performing in a Nederlander theater. This profile of Christian Cooper in the New York Times. The Dear White American Theater petition. Jasmine Batchelor's op-ed for Talkhouse. A directory of local bail funds that you can donate to. Our friends at Broadway Radio, who made a sizable donation to Token Theatre Friends. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/tokentheatrefriends?fan_landing=true) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the first episode of the newly revamped Token Theatre Friends podcast, the Friends sat down and recorded over Skype on June 1. They discussed Black Lives Matter and the protests that have erupted around the world around the murder of George Floyd and police brutality. They also discuss how different brands have released statements to support BLM, including Broadway shows and theater companies across the country, though some of these statements have been better than others. At the end of the episode, they also chat about what they’ve been up to in quarantine and their opinions about virtual theater. So buckle up because the girls are back in town! Here are links to things that Friends talked about in this episode. Article: What It Feels Like to Be Shot by a Rubber Bullet Tweet: What the Constitution Means to Me Statement: The Public Theater Statement: Wicked A spreadsheet of theaters that have not spoken up (created by Marie Crisco, a former line producer at the Public Theater) Article: Rewatching Sex and the City During a Pandemic Life on Earth from This is Not a Theatre Company The New York Neo-Futurists podcast She Kills Monsters by Qui Nguyen at the University of Maryland Amazon Prime film: Pass Over by Antoinett Nwandu Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/tokentheatrefriends?fan_landing=true) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices