Talk Theatre In Chicago

This week's podcast features director Greg Kolack and ensemble member Matt Babbs, who join Anne Nicholson Weber to talk about Redtwist Theatre's production of The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later -- how the project came to be, their approach to documentary theatre, Greg's experiences interviewing some of the subjects of the play, and Redtwist's simultaneous production of a fully-staged reading of the original The Laramie Project.

This week on the Talk Theatre In Chicago podcast Tom Williams talks with Jack Zimmerman, the PR manager for the Lyric Opera of Chicago and a storyteller with a CD "The Gift." Jack talks of why he is a storyteller with personal stories about growing up on Chicago's South Side.

This week's podcast focuses on Raven Theatre's production of Arthur Miller's The Price. Director Michael Menendian and ensemble member Chuck Spencer join Anne Nicholson Weber to talk about the challenges of producing Miller, the uses of a crowded set and the universality of the play's theme.

This week on the Talk Theatre In Chicago podcast Tom Williams talks with Heather Beck who plays Patsy Cline in Always...Patsy Cline at the Theatre at the Center in Munster. She talks the show as well as life on a cruise ship as a singer.

This week's podcast focuses on the Idle Muse Theatre Company's production of Shakespeare's R and J, which is currently playing at The Side Project. Director Tristan Brandon and cast members Curtis Jackson and Andrew Lund join host Anne Nicholson Weber to talk about their approach to the verse and how it was affected by the adaptor's conceit that the play is being performed by four school boys; and also about the casting process and how a newly-arrived actor integrates into the Chicago theatre scene.

This week on the Talk Theatre In Chicago podcast Tom Williams talks with Nathan Gunn, the opera baritone staring in Show Boat at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. He talks about his career and the challenges of moving from opera to a Broadway show and back.

This week's guests on the Talk Theatre In Chicago podcast are Dawn Gray of Gray Talent Group and Becca Knights of Simon Casting. They join Anne Nicholson Weber to share an insider's perspective on what they're looking for in an actor, why Chicago theatre and improv credentials can lead to film, television or commercial work, and how an actor in Chicago can make a balanced career.

On this week's episode of the Talk Theatre In Chicago podcast, Tom Williams talks with Dennis Watkins from the House Theatre who is currently starring in Death and Harry Houdini which is playing at the Chopin Theatre. He talks about the show and his magic.

On this week's episode of the Talk Theatre In Chicago podcast, Tom Williams talks with actor Patrick Clear who is currently appearing in Race at the Goodman Theatre. He talks about the play as well as his long career.

On this week's episode of the Talk Theatre In Chicago podcast, Tom Williams talks with Jon Steinhagen. He talks about his two latest shows to play in Chicago, Blizzard '67 and Dating Walter Dante.

On this week's episode of the Talk Theatre In Chicago podcast, Tom Williams talks with Ben Fuchsen, the Executive Producer of Oracle Productions and Brad Jayhan-Little, the Executive Director. They explain their innovative Theatre Public Access Program that includes free tickets for all Oracle theatre productions among other sponsoring techniques.

This week's podcast features Bruce Arntson and Jenny Littleton, the Doyle and Debbie of the Doyle and Debbie Show, which is currently playing at the Royal George Cabaret Theatre. They join Anne Nicholson Weber to talk about Bruce's process as writer and lyricist, the impulse for the show, and how Bruce and Jenny came together almost six years ago to debut this country music satire.

On this week's episode of the Talk Theatre In Chicago podcast, Tom Williams talks with Joe Stead about how and why he started his theatre review website in 2000 and about the rise of the internet as a reviewing forum.

On this week's episode of the Talk Theatre In Chicago podcast, Tom Williams talks with Dennis Polkow, a writer from New City and other publications. He talks about the Chicago music scene including opera and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Our guests on this week's podcast are David Rosenberg, Communications Director at Steppenwolf Theatre, and Cathy Taylor, of Cathy Taylor PR. They join Anne Nicholson Weber to explain the role of the publicist, their relationship to an ever-evolving press, and how they help a show find its audience.

On this week's episode of the Talk Theatre In Chicago podcast, Tom Williams talks with Gwendolyn Whiteside, the producing artistic director of American Blues Theater. She talks their current show, It's It's A Wonderful Life: Live At The Biograph, and the ABT's history and what they have coming.

This week on the TalkTheatreinChicago podcast, actor Steve Pickering and director Matt Miller join Anne Nicholson Weber to discuss their production of Conor McPherson's St. Nicholas currently running at the Irish American Heritage Center under the auspices of Seanachai Theatre and Shanghai Low Theatricals. They talk about McPherson's sensibility and the unique challenges of this one-man show.

On this week's episode of the Talk Theatre In Chicago podcast, Tom Williams talks with Timothy Edward Kane from An Iliad at Court Theatre. Kane talks about the challenges of doing a one person show about Homer's Iliad.

Our podcast this week features Greg Allen, founding director of The Neo-Futurists, and Bilal Dardai, one of the ensemble members. They take Anne Nicholson Weber through the history of the company that has been playing Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind for 23 years and explain its unique aesthetic and methodology.

On this week's episode of the Talk Theatre In Chicago podcast, Tom Williams talks with Hershey Felder about his new one-man show, Maestro: The Art of Leonard Bernstein which is currently playing at the Royal George Theatre.