James Elden's Playwright's Spotlight
Playwright Spotlight features a new playwright every episode to discuss the tools of the trade and solutions to the obstacles we face as writers in hopes of making us all better and more successful playwrights.
- Update frequency
- every 13 days
- Average duration
- 81 minutes
- Episodes
- 103
- Years Active
- 2021 - 2025
Opening Up the Text, Playfulness in Language, and "Saving As." - Playwright's Spotlight with Tira Palmquist
Playwright Tira Palmquist sat in the Playwright's Spotlight while rehearsing her latest play The Body's Midnight. We had a wonderful conversation discussing the benefits of table work, …
Etiquette, Letting Go of Perfection, and Writing From a Slice of Life - Playwright's Spotlight with Becky Wahlstrom
Joan of Arcadia's Becky Wahlstrom stopped by Playwright's Spotlight while in town from Nashville to help wrap up the rehearsal process for the premiere of her new play A Froggy Becomes.…
Writing Natural Dialogue, Getting Back to Our Roots, and Why Theatre? - Playwright's Spotlight with Steve Fife
This week playwright Steve Fife sat in-studio in the Playwright's Spotlight. It was a reflective conversation of his experience in New York and on Broadway in the seventies, his dislike…
Reflecting Life on Stage, The New York City Hustle, and Putting Away the Constraints - Playwright's Spotlight with Catya McMullen
Catya McMullen stopped by Playwright's Spotlight during the run of her new play Arrowhead which runs through March 4, 2024. In this episode, we talk about surviving lockdowns as an arti…
Purging Emotions, Deus Ex Machina, and Making the Case to Study Playwriting in Academia - Playwright's Spotlight with Luke Yankee
Had the pleasure of chatting with playwright and son of actress Eileen Heckart (Bus Stop), Luke Yankee, about growing up in the world of Hollywood and his journey to be coming a playwri…
Putting in the Time, Owning Your Home Town, and a Path to Success - Playwright's Spotlight with Donna Hoke
Donna Hoke sat in the Playwright's Spotlight to discuss her journey into playwriting. In this interview we touch on her involvement in the Official Playwrights of Facebook, her start as…
Segues, Dry Spells, & Branding, Confidence & Commitment, and What's Too Soon? - Playwright's Spotlight with Henry Phillips
In this episode of Playwright's Spotlight, long time friend and standup Henry Phillips stopped by to discuss another aspect of writing for the stage - Standup Comedy. Henry shares his o…
Sweating the Joke, Surprising Your Audience, and Fighting For Your Convictions - Playwright's Spotlight with Paul Greenberg
This was an absolute treat and a dream come true. Paul Greenberg from the sketch comedy troop The Vacant Lot honored me with ninety minutes of his time to come and talk shop. We discuss…
Translation, Culture, and Non-Traditional Theatre - An American Playwright in Norway - Playwright's Spotlight with Ren Powell
We're back after a brief hiatus due to a guest cancelling, the holidays, and me feeling a bit under the weather, but our third season is still off with a bang. If there was a fascinatin…
Truth and Trust, Compromise in Collaboration, and the Healing Process of Playwriting - Playwright's Spotlight with Stan Mayer
Season 3, Episode 1. - If someone told me how powerful of a conversation I'd have been in store for prior to sitting down with Stan Mayer, I'm not sure I would've believed them, nor cou…
Writing From Experience, the Music of Language, and the Fate of Theatre - Playwright's Spotlight with Richard Vetere
FINAL EPISODE OF SEASON 2! We made it another year. In this season ending episode, we spend time speaking with Richard Vetere. Richard reached out to me on Instagram and voiced interest…
Writing From Grief, Hearing the Truth, and the Need for Validation - Playwright's Spotlight with Brynn Thayer
We've dug into the vaults of Playwright's Spotlight for this episode. Originally recorded on February 8th, 2023, I interviewed playwright Brynn Thayer a few weeks before the world premi…
Playwriting Mechanics, Playing with Timelines, and Obtaining Representation - Playwright's Spotlight with Anna Ouyang Moench
Another episode touching on aspects not featured in past episodes. Today playwright Anna Ouyang Moench sits in the Playwright's Spotlight and, thankfully, after botching her name twice,…
Parody, Writing the Fool Proof Play, and Writing for Young Performers and Audiences - Playwright's Spotlight with Dean O'Carroll
Playwright and parodist, Dean O'Carroll, sat in the Playwright's Spotlight this week. We discuss his origins as a playwright and the knowledge gained from a Bachelor's Degree in theatre…
Plagiarizing Yourself, Writing Layered Characters, and Making Scripted Dialogue Sound Spontaneous - Playwright's Spotlight with Garry Michael Kluger
Playwright Garry Michael Kluger stopped by to sit in the Playwright's Spotlight to talk about all things playwriting and also touched on its from film and television. Having been a thre…
Collaboration and Control, Freud on Cocaine, and Getting Your Play Realized - Playwright's Spotlight with Howard Skora
Playwright Howard Skora stopped by Playwright's Spotlight, and what a fascinating interview he delivered. What I thought would be another insightful look into the craft of playwriting, …
Moving Forward, Developing Relationships, and Writing a la Mode - Playwright's Spotlight with Wendy Graf
What a fascinating discussion. Playwright Wendy Graf sat in the Playwright's Spotlight and shared her experiences throughout her career including the effects of Covid, plays vs screenpl…
Storytelling, Playing with Structure, and the Pipe Burst of Playwriting - Playwright's Spotlight with John Patrick Bray
We are back!!! Sorry for missing a week, folks. Had some audio issues with this episode and needed a little time to figure out the best approach. 99% of the audio glitches were on my en…
Hitting the Flow State, Locking Yourself Away, and Staying in the Sh*t - Playwright's Spotlight with Bernardo Cubria
I always find something to learn in an episode of Playwright's Spotlight. However, Bernardo Cubria's insight to playwriting was nonstop. Every minute turned another corner of knowledge.…
Assets and Flaws, Zodiac Signs, and Being an Economic Writer - Playwright's Spotlight with Vanessa Sterwart
Vanessa Stewart graces this episode of Playwright's Spotlight. Taking a biopic musical approach to her playwriting, Vanessa features historical figures in most of her pieces, delving in…