Lynn Nottage, Lauren Gunderson, Roger Q. Mason & More to Take Part in THE DRAMATISTS GUILD PRESENTS: TALKBACK Season 5

The Dramatists Guild of America will present season five of The Dramatists Guild Presents: TALKBACK. The Dramatists Guild’s new season of the Talkback podcast examines how to challenge the status quo and expand the theatre canon. Episode 1, featuring a discussion on the theatrical canon in education with Julianne Wick Davis and Stephen Kaplan, is now available for download: www.liinks.co/dgtalkback

Over the course of six episodes, host Christine Toy Johnson and special industry guests explore how we can expand the canon of which plays are taught, read, programmed, and used to define the idea of what constitutes a classic in American theatre. We also discuss the idea of igniting the concept of the canon with new, actionable strategies. How can we be intentional in the ways that we make space for diverse and inclusive stories while also reimagining often the produced ones, so that the American landscape of storytelling is truly reflective of the gorgeous tapestry of people who inhabit it?

 

Episode 1: The Canon in Education with Stephen Kaplan and Julianne Wick Davis 
 

Now available to download.

 

Host Christine Toy Johnson speaks with Stephen and Julianne about how to teach difficult or controversial theatrical works in the classroom, how to include more recent plays and musicals in a school curriculum, how teachers can use scripts and scores for educational purposes without infringing on the writer’s copyright, and more. 

 

Episode 2: The Canon and Global Language with Jason Ma and Diana Burbano 
 

Premieres October 30, 2023

 

Playwrights Diana Burbano and Jason Ma speak with  host Christine Toy Johnson about the interaction between language and the expanding definition of the American theatre canon. They discuss the challenges of using playwriting software when writing shows that utilize non-Western languages, what it’s like to write for audiences for whom English is a second language, how deeper meanings can get lost when certain texts are translated into English, and more.

 

Episode 3: Neurodiversity in the Canon with Harmon dot aut 
 

Premieres November 6, 2023

 

How does theatre help a neurodivergent artist navigate the challenges of being on the spectrum? In this episode, playwright Harmon dot aut speaks with host Christine Toy Johnson about their writing process and their experience at Spectrum Theatre Ensemble, where Harmon is a playwright-in-residence. Discover how the theatre’s NICE program supports neurodiverse, inclusive theatre practices and what it means to create sensory friendly entertainment. 

 

Episode 4: The Modern Canon with Joseph Haj 
 

Premieres November 13, 2023

 

In this episode, Guthrie Artistic Director Joseph Haj speaks with host Christine Toy Johnson about how his theatre seeks to include both traditional classics and new works to diversify and educate the audience in each theatre season. He also shares how the Guthrie’s non-homogenous creative team policy works and how other theatres can be motivated to incorporate this practice into their goals for access and inclusion as well. 

 

Episode 5: Redefining Power in the Canon with Roger Q. Mason 
 

Premieres November 20, 2023

 

Playwright and activist Roger Q. Mason speaks with host Christine Toy Johnson about how power influences the canon. Roger shares how spirituality plays a key role in their writing process and discusses the importance of thinking critically—especially when facing both canonical and new theatrical works.

 

Episode 6:  The Future of our Canon with Lynn Nottage and Lauren Gunderson 
 

Premieres November 27, 2023

 

This season’s final episode features a conversation with two of the most produced playwrights in America: Lauren Gunderson and Lynn Nottage. The two writers speak with host (and fellow writer) Christine Toy Johnson about how they were motivated to start telling stories in order to create roles that were missing from the narrative. They also address the importance of bringing theatre to communities—especially marginalized communitie—instead of expecting them to come to the theatre. At the time of this recording, Lynn and Lauren were among the most produced playwrights in the country; since then, Lynn has officially been named the most produced playwright of this past theatre season.

 

The Dramatists Guild Presents: Talkback is a podcast for every playwright, composer, lyricist, librettist, or theatre fan who wants to pull back the curtain to discover the highs and lows of what it means to create theatre and foster community in the complex landscape of American storytelling. Over the course of five seasons, Johnson and her industry colleagues delve into in-depth conversations about the intricate facets of navigating and sustaining a life in a theatre that strives to make room for everyone. Download season 5 Episode 1 today:https://www.liinks.co/dgtalkback

 

As the professional trade association for playwrights, librettists, lyricists, and composers, the Dramatists Guild of America works to protect and advance the rights of all theatre writers across the country. With over 10,000 members around the world, the Guild is guided by a governing council of writers who each give their time, interest, and support to advance the rights of dramatists everywhere, including the right for dramatists to own and control their own copyrighted work. The Guild’s advocacy, programs, events, publications, and other services provide dramatists with the resources, the community, and the support they require to protect their property, their livelihoods, and their unique voices in the American theatre.

 

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