Ep 568-Paul Oakley Stovall Talks Immediate Family, Phylicia Rashad, & The Importance Of Art!

Playwright, performer, and producer Paul Oakley Stovall joins The Roundtable with Robert Bannon to talk about his deeply personal and powerful new play, Immediate Family, being directed by the legendary Phylicia Rashad. The story centers around a family gathering in Chicago that becomes a powder keg of secrets, identity, race, and acceptance when one brother brings his white partner home to meet his religious African American relatives. With sharp humor and searing honesty, Paul discusses the inspiration behind the play, how it mirrors his own journey, and what it means to bring such a complex and necessary story to the stage today.

In this episode, Paul reflects on his career path—from acting in Hamilton to producing A Strange Loop—and how his experiences as a Black queer artist inform every word he writes. He shares what it’s been like to collaborate with Phylicia Rashad, the evolution of the piece from its early runs to this latest production, and the emotional impact it’s already having on audiences. Plus his history with the Obamas?

Honest, thoughtful, and filled with purpose, this is a must-listen for anyone who believes in the power of theater to spark conversation and healing.

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