Nancy Ma, Kim Wuan, David Lee Huynh, & Vin Kridakorn of “Warrior Sisters of Wu”

Pan Asian Repertory Theatre presents Warrior Sisters of Wu, written by Damon Chua, directed by Jeff LiuListen in as Warrior Sisters of Wu performers Nancy Ma, Kim Wuan, David Lee Huynh, & Vin Kridakorn discuss navigating and connecting times and traditions, how conflicts can grow relationships and solve problems, respect and love for the audience, the changing moment when you discover your character’s love for another, fighting as conversation, grounding your role in the personal, and the permission to be anything and everything.

“…a great deal of love should be able to hold conflict…”

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Marc Castle, Mark Finley, & Dani Marcus of “Deadly Stages”

Emerging Artists Theatre, in association with No Anita No Productions, presents DEADLY STAGES, written by Marc Castle and Mark Finley, directed by Mark Finley, at Theatre RowListen in Deadly Stages co-authors Mark Finley (who directs) and Marc Castle (who portrays the glamorous Veronica Traymore), along with fellow performer Dani Marcus (Phoebe/Connie), discuss love of old movies, where reality meets camp, red herrings, writing like directors, pulling in new company members, pre-determined tracks, and finally getting a chance to collaborate.

“…I love when theatre doesn’t apologize for itself…”

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Eliza Palter, Paul Rochford, Thammie Laine Quách, Eli Wassertzug, & Ana Prí of “Antigone”

New Relic Theatre presents ANTIGONE, written by Sophocles, adapted and directed by Eliza Palter, featuring composition by Paul RochfordListen in as the adapter/director of New Relic Theatre’s production of Sophocles, Eliza Palter, along with composer Paul Rochford and performers Thammie Laine Quách, Eli Wassertzug, & Ana Prí, discuss Swedish pop musical inspiration, creating otherworldly characters, deep research, discovering levity, and moving Antigone to Viking culture.

“I think there is something so beautiful about making theatre for young people, and showing them that centuries and centuries and centuries ago, humans were just as vivid and complex, queer, complicated, as shameful as we are now. And bringing, especially young audiences, into the theater, and see the sweat on people from times of yore, see them struggle, see them be embarrassed, see them grapple with big ideas…”

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Elijah Guo, Dylin Taylor, Marsha Yuan, Misako Yamagishi, & Anthony Naranjo of “Tourist Trap”

The 2024 Chain Theatre One-Act Festival presents TOURIST TRAP, written by Elijah Guo, directed by Dylin TaylorListen in as Tourist Trap writer Elijah Guo, director Dylin Taylor, and performers Marsha Yuan, Misako Yamagishi, & Anthony Naranjo discuss the absurdity of unbelonging, the universality of beans, the authority of tour/play guides, and where physical space meets the ephemeral.

“…we spoke about the idea of how definitions of ‘Asian-ness,’ we didn’t necessary relate to them, or like, resonate with them. But we still identified as Asians, and we’re seen as Asians…so it’s, creating work that we do resonate with, that is Asian. And I don’t know that it’s us trying to be different, we’re trying to expand…”
“I know what it is: we’re Asian. It’s not a non-Asian writing about Asian. So it’s not, like, [insert stereotypical music here]—you don’t hear that in the background. It’s real life stories, real personalities…”

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Andrew Agress, Theo McKenna, Becky Ho, and Stephanie Litchfield of “The Fantastical Fellowship: Final Quest for the Crisis Crystal XXVII!”

FRIGID New York presents "The Fantastical Fellowship: Final Quest for the Crisis Crystal XXVII!" written by Andrew Agress, directed by Phoebe Brooks, at Under St. Mark'sListen in as The Fantastical Fellowship: Final Quest for the Crisis Crystal XXVII!
playwright Andrew Agress, along with performers Theo McKenna, Becky Ho, & Stephanie Litchfield, discuss full-double-cringe, inspiration from COVID boredom, alternate endings, “pleasant hell,” rolling with the (sometimes literal) punches, and where theatre & video games meet.

“…that cross-section of theatre-people discovering games, game-people discovering theatre…”

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Cezar Williams & Danielle Covington of The Fire This Time Festival

FRIGID New York presents the 2024 Fire This Time Festival, directed by Cezar Williams, at The Wild ProjectListen in as The Fire This Time Artistic Director & the plays’ director Cezar Williams, along with producer & performer Danielle Covington, discuss highlighting the small moments, finding compassion, developing playwrights, and what’s new this time with The Fire This Time.

“I always say that The Fire This Time Festival feels like a family reunion, and it feels like we just added a ton of new people to the family…”

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Anya-Violette Zhang, Elena Lozonschi, Amy Hart Nguyễn, Lairce Dias, Joe Staton, Roslind Finlay, & Frank Pagliaro of “The Cherry Orchard: A Multilingual Adaptation”

The Cherry Orchard: A Multilingual Adaptation at Under St Marks Theater, written by Anton Chekhov, directed by Frank PagliaroListen in as The Cherry Orchard: A Multilingual Adaptation performers Elena Lozonschi, Anya-Violette Zhang, Amy Hart Nguyễn, Lairce Dias, Joe Staton, along with assistant director/performer Roslind Finlay & director Frank Pagliaro, discuss finding home, creating a multilingual version of a classic text, “a common language,” missing the merge onto the highway, and the importance of listening.

“It’s all about listening. When you listen, you can understand. […] It’s not about the words…”

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Olivia Webb, Garrett Miller, & Albrim Gjonbalaj of “Twelfth Night”

Twelfth Night, written by William Shakespeare, directed by Pete McElligott, at the Court Square Theater, Long Island City, QueensListen in as producer/performer Olivia Webb, along with fellow actors Garrett Miller & Albrim Gjonbalaj from their new production of Twelfth Night, discuss finding freedom on the stage, overcoming the fear of Shakespeare, making a play come to life by “just saying it,” love for your director and cast, Queens bakery recommendations, last-minute genius discoveries, and why you should always be up for seeing a Shakespeare, again.

“I thought, ‘I really wanna do this…it kept on being moments of, ‘oh, this is actually happening’…and then it was truly real. […] You can set it at any time, any place, anywhere. You don’t need a massive budget. When they’re a huge budget, fun, great. But it doesn’t need it, so why have it? Just enjoy the process…”

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Hend Ayoub, Joe Joseph, Siena Yusi, & Julie Cai of “9 Kinds of Silence”

PlayCo presents 9 KINDS OF SILENCE, written and directed by Abhishek Majumdar, featuring Hend Ayoub and Joe Joseph, at 122CC, 2nd Floor TheatreListen in as Go See a Show! correspondent Jason Wang speaks with 9 Kinds of Silence performers Hend Ayoub & Joe Joseph, along with production stage manager Siena Yusi and assistant stage manager Julie Cai, about working with the playwright/director to find the truth of a new play, teaching an audience how to watch a show (even before the show begins), non-traditional staging, the ways we listen, exploring sound & silence, and what, exactly, silence is and can be.

“…I think we all learned how to listen to each other in the rehearsal room, and then, as we entered tech and previews and performances…I think we’re all quite used to having so much external stimuli, and for it to hit us in a way that isn’t quite as refined. We really have crafted every aspect of how you can experience this show…there was a lot of thought…about what an audience member experiences…”

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Tjaša Ferme, Nasay Ano, Melody Munitz, Arianne Banda, & Thammie Quach of “BIOADAPTED”

Transforma Theatre Inc presents BIOADAPTED, created and directed by Tjaša Ferme, written by James Yu, Alexis Roblan, & Tjaša Ferme with transcripts and interviews, presented at CultureLab LICListen in as BIOADAPTED creator & director Tjaša Ferme, along with performers Nasay Ano, Melody Munitz, Arianne Banda, & Thammie Quach, discuss the benefits of a long development process, collaborating with AI, learning as an actor just what all these concepts mean, how to welcome an audience of theatre-people into a show about those same difficult tech concepts, the deep space/slow time benefit of a residency, mosaics, and show as meatball.

“…even if you’re someone who doesn’t know a ton about AI, or what’s inside that black box, or how it’s functioning in society right nows on the levels we can’t always see, I think people have a perception about what it is: maybe it’s creepy, maybe it’s robotic […] we had a lot of conversations about playing into the expectations of what an audience would think an AI would be, and how can we bend those expectations and expand on them…”

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