The Present Process Podcast

In this episode of Present Process, Daniel talks with Tiffany Antone about her play, The Space Between Her Legs

The goal of Present Process is two fold: first, to highlight great plays from lesser known playwrights and elevate them as much as we can; and second, to demystify the process of writing a great play and increase the shared knowledge of playwriting.

Tiffany likes weird stuff. And spectacle. And making theatremakers ask "How the hell am I going to do THAT?" but, like, in a really good way. Her plays are imaginative, highly visual, bold, and (quite often) hilarious. Her plays have been read and/or performed in Los Angeles, New York, D.C., and Minneapolis. Tiffany's play, TWIGS AND BONE recently enjoyed rave reviews for a three-month run with Nu Sass Productions in Washington, DC. CRICKET WOMAN MOTHER EARTH (OR) A NASTY COMEUPPANCE, (a past O’Neil finalist) enjoyed a workshop at The Boston Court as part of their 2017 New Play Festival. Her award-winning play, IN THE COMPANY OF JANE DOE, has been produced on both coasts. She is a past Hawthornden Fellow, Great Plains Theatre Conference selectee, and has been a finalist for both the O’Neill and Jerome playwriting awards. Tiffany was also one of HowlRound.com’s Here and Now Series playwrights. Her play THE GOOD BOOK is available through Concord Theatricals. During the pandemic, Tiffany began PlagueWrites, which is a collaborative writing project invested in creating outdoor and immersive plays. Their first play, ALICE IN QUARANTINE: A DRIVE-THRU ADVENTURE has been produced several times and is published with Next Stage Press.
Tiffany holds her MFA in Playwriting from UCLA, and currently lives/teaches in Iowa where she writes for stage and screen. She is an Affiliated Member of the Playwrights' Center, and member of The Dramatists Guild, Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas, and The Los Angeles Female Playwrights Initiative (for whom she is also a contributing blogger). She also runs Little Black Dress INK, a female playwright producing organization, and Protest Plays Project.

Content Warning: Sexual Content and References

In this episode of Present Process, Daniel talks with Scott C. Sickles about his play Marianas Trench.

The goal of Present Process is two fold: first, to highlight great plays from lesser known playwrights and elevate them as much as we can; and second, to demystify the process of writing a great play and increase the shared knowledge of playwriting.

SCOTT C. SICKLES (he/him/his) is a biracial Korean American / LGBTQ / neurodivergent writer. He has received five consecutive Writers Guild of America Awards for the daytime serial General Hospital, as well as eleven Emmy Award nominations. For more than thirty years, his plays have been performed in New York City, his native Pittsburgh, across the United States, as well as internationally in Canada, Australia, the UK, Hungary, Singapore, Indonesia, Lebanon, and Dubai.
Sickles was a 2019 O’Neill finalist for Marianas Trench, the first play in an alternate-history/speculative sci-fi trilogy. Marianas Trench was also a finalist for the 2019 Fratti-Fred Newman Political Playwriting Contest, as well as a semifinalist for Orlando Shakespeare Theater’s PlayFest 2019 and American Blues Theater’s 2019 Blue Ink Playwriting Award. The other plays in this trilogy are Pangea, a romance set in Antarctica over the first days of 2046 as the climate reaches yet another tipping point, and The Known Universe, which takes place during the final hours of sustainable human existence on Earth. Pangea was an O'Neill semifinalist.
Sickles holds an MFA in playwriting from Carnegie Mellon University and is a member of the Writers Guild of America, the Dramatists Guild, and the New Play Exchange. www.ScottCSickles.com

Content Warning: Political Extremism, Homophobia

In this episode of Present Process, Daniel talks with Lori Fischer about her play, The Memory of Damage

The goal of Present Process is two fold: first, to highlight great plays from lesser known playwrights and elevate them as much as we can; and second, to demystify the process of writing a great play and increase the shared knowledge of playwriting.

Lori FISCHER is the “2008 New York University Harry Kondoleon Graduate Award in Playwriting” recipient and a 2008-09 Dramatists Guild Fellow. Recent Credits: 2014 Independent Vision Award Nominee for Outstanding achievement in Writing. Her musical The Sparkley Clean Funeral Singers produced at Capital Repertory Theatre summer 2013, Is This Heaven, Evan? by Lori Fischer, Don Chaffer and Lori Chaffer, produced in the BeSpoke Musicals Festival at The York Theatre Company, NYC. Petie by Lori Fischer produced at the Duke Energy Theatre by Starving Artist Productions, 2013. She is also the author of the critically acclaimed musical Barbara’s Blue Kitchen, which played Off-Broadway at The Lamb’s Theatre in 2006 and was published by Samuel French in 2007. Her work has been seen at the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival, the Stonestreet Film Festival, the RipFest Film Festival, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park and The Adirondack Theatre Festival. Lori received her M.F.A. from the N.Y.U. Dramatic Writing Department in 2008. Film Credits: Lori’s short film Dottie’s Thanksgiving Pickle starring Olympia Dukakis, Nancy Opel and Joey Collins was recently featured in the Hollywood Shorts Festival and was an official selection for the New Jersey International Film Festival, the Garden State Film Festival, the Buffalo Niagara Film festival and the Long Island International Film Expo and the Appalachian International Film Festival. In 2010 her musical The Water Knows My Name was produced at Perry Mansfield Performing Arts Camp in Steamboat Springs, Colorado and her one-act The Burning was produced in the Midtown International Theatre Festival. In 2011, her play Thoughts of Rome was produced by the Georgetown Theatre Company in the Capitol Fringe Festival. Her feature film Chasing Taste was the Feature Comedy Award Winner at the 2014 Manhattan Film Festival as well as at the 2013 Burbank International Film Festival and an official selection at the Visionfest Film Festival. Lori is a 2014 IVA nominee for outstanding achievement in screenwriting.

Content Warning: Medical Malpractice

In this episode of Present Process, Daniel talks with DC Cathro about his play, ITCH.

The goal of Present Process is two fold: first, to highlight great plays from lesser known playwrights and elevate them as much as we can; and second, to demystify the process of writing a great play and increase the shared knowledge of playwriting. DC Cathro is a Chicago-based playwright, actor, and director from the Washington DC metropolitan area. His musical "Till," written with award-winning composer Leo Schwartz, was one of three winners in the 2016 Main Street Musicals Festival, selected by Gregory Mosher, and was also accepted into the 2019 New York Musical Festival (NYMF). "The Book of Merman," another musical written with Leo Schwartz, enjoyed a five-month run Off-Broadway. In 2014, he became the only playwright to have two shows in the Pride Films and Plays Festival in Chicago, IL; "Pen, A Musical" (with Schwartz) and the comedy "Family Holiday." DC's works have been read at theatres and festivals across the U.S. and U.K., including The William Inge Festival in Independence, Kansas, The Kennedy Center in Washington DC, and St. Luke's Theatre, Off-Broadway in New York City. His published works are available through Broadway Licensing, StageRights.com, and Smith & Kraus Publishers.

Content Warning: Nothing Serious to Note

In this episode of Present Process, Daniel talks with A.J. Ditty about his play The Bøyg.

The goal of Present Process is two fold: first, to highlight great plays from lesser known playwrights and elevate them as much as we can; and second, to demystify the process of writing a great play and increase the shared knowledge of playwriting. A.J. Ditty is an actor/writer/slash-mark enthusiast currently living in Brooklyn. His first full-length play, How the Great Grapefruit Danced in the Moonlight, was staged in a workshop production at the Lee Strasberg Institute of Theatre and Film in spring 2010 and again in the fall of 2010, making it the only original student work to be revived in the history of the Institute. His other plays include Heart of Duckness (Pipeline Theatre Company's Bonfire Series); Munichtown; B.B.'s Inferno (#serials@theflea/The PIT); Eloise Parker Goes to the Moon (Crashbox Theater’s “Read. Play. Write. V.”); Rubiella: A Ghost Story; Deaf, Dumb, and Blind; "Magellanica" (Access Theater); A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dragon (#serials@theflea); "RIP" (The Secret Theater); “Heartbreak; or, Why Sara Bareilles’ ‘King of Anything’ is the Greatest Song in the History of Goddamn Time” and “The Chicken-Man; or, A Supposedly Fun Thing I Did for Six Months” (Undiscovered Countries Festival); “Arthur Miller is Trapped in a Tiny Box”; “Bad Company” (Brandspankin' Festival, NYU); and “U-Turn” which received a reading at the La Jolla Playhouse in 2009. He is a proud member of Pipeline Playlab’s Class of 2017 and an alumnus of Writers Work Class 2016.

Content Warning: The Holocaust and some adult language.

In this episode of Present Process, Daniel talks with Vincent Terrell Durham about his play Polar Bears, Black Boys, and Prairie Fringed Orchids

The goal of Present Process is two fold: first, to highlight great plays from lesser known playwrights and elevate them as much as we can; and second, to demystify the process of writing a great play and increase the shared knowledge of playwriting.

Vincent is an award-winning LA-based playwright who was born and raised in Upstate New York. His plays include MASKING OUR BLACKNESS (Winner, 2020 Samuel French Short Play Festival), POLAR BEARS, BLACK BOYS & PRAIRIE FRINGED ORCHIDS (2020 Semi-finalist, O’Neill), 61 UNUSED PAGES, THE FERTILE RIVER, TWELVE, and the short play collection VOL. 1—A POST-RACIAL AMERICA. His monologue “A Park For Children To Pretend In” has been published in 08:46 Fresh Perspectives, A Collection of Monologues by Black Playwrights. Recently, Vincent developed new work as part of Utah Shakespeare Festival’s new play program Words Cubed and he has received commissions from Playground San Francisco/Planet Earth Arts and City Lights Theater. A proud gay man of color, Vincent writes to contribute to the legacy of Black theater-makers and to honor his family of vibrant storytellers.

Content Warning: Police Brutality, Racism, and Violence towards Children.

In the sixth episode of Present Process, Daniel talks with Elle Meerovich about their play The Gorilla Wore Fur.

The goal of Present Process is two fold: first, to highlight great plays from lesser known playwrights and elevate them as much as we can; and second, to demystify the process of writing a great play and increase the shared knowledge of playwriting.

Elle's Bio: Elle Meerovich is an actor/playwright/composer based in Richmond, VA. They began writing after dropping out of college in the summer of 2016, and their work has been produced all over the east coast (Well, from Richmond to New York, anyway). They write plays, lyrics, musicals, and the occasional diary entry. After a stint at Richmond's Firehouse Theatre as Playwright in Residence, Meerovich co-founded DOG STUFF, a theatre collective, aiming to create and study exciting and unconventional theatre. And while their surreal style might make it seem like their plays are just stupid fun- which they are- there is usually a moral to be learned, somewhere. Usually.

Content Warning: Mentions of antisemitism and some silliness.

In the fifth episode of Present Process, Daniel talks with Brian James Polak about his play The Gravediggers Union.

The goal of Present Process is two fold: first, to highlight great plays from lesser known playwrights and elevate them as much as we can; and second, to demystify the process of writing a great play and increase the shared knowledge of playwriting.

Brian's Bio: Plays include WELCOME TO KEENE, NH, THE PATIENT (The Kennedy Center’s Jean Kennedy Smith Award), LAST TO DIE FOR A LOST CAUSE (The Kennedy Center’s John Cauble Award; published by Next Stage Press Spring 2021), HERE RESTS THE HEART, THE GRAVEDIGGERS UNION, THE MEETING, and several others. His work has been published by Smith & Kraus, Talon Review, Commonplace Books, NoPassport Press, Next Stage Press, and Canyon Voices.
Currently writing: HOTEL HOLLYWOOD about the collision between capitalism and homelessness in downtown Los Angeles, and THE SALMON TRIGGER about a family conflict when one of them returns from storming the capitol on Jan. 6.
Host of American Theatre Magazine's "The Subtext," a podcast by/for/about playwrights and playwriting.
MFA: University of Southern California, School of Dramatic Arts.

Content Warning: Nothing of note.

In the fourth episode of Present Process, Daniel talks with Martin Henry Schwartz to discuss his play The Jew (After Marlowe, Very Very Loosely).

The goal of Present Process is two fold: first, to highlight great plays from lesser known playwrights and elevate them as much as we can; and second, to demystify the process of writing a great play and increase the shared knowledge of playwriting.

Martin's Bio: Martin Henry Schwartz is a playwright and cultural advocate based in Seattle. He is the author of five produced plays, including THE DIPLOMATS (2015), published by Exit Press, and STORMSTRESSLENZ, published in COLLOQUIUM magazine. He was for several years co-artistic director of San Francisco’s Dark Porch Theatre. Martin has been a finalist or semi-finalist for the Bay Area Playwrights Festival, TRU VOICES, Global Age Project (Aurora Theatre), and Theatre Bay Area’s TITAN Award. He is additionally program curator at Goethe Pop Up Seattle, a temporary branch of Germany’s national cultural organization. A November 2021 public reading of THE JEW (AFTER MARLOWE; VERY, VERY LOOSELY), supported by the Anti-Defamation League, was directed by Adam Sussman and followed by a talkback with ADL antisemitism experts. Content Warning: Some Adult Language, Anti-Semitism, and Conspiracy Theories.

In the third episode of Present Process, Daniel talks with April Amara to discuss her play [Title Pending].

The goal of Present Process is two fold: first, to highlight great plays from lesser known playwrights and elevate them as much as we can; and second, to demystify the process of writing a great play and increase the shared knowledge of playwriting.

April's Bio:

April Amara is a performer, director and playwright based in the DMV area. As a director, she won an award for Best Production at the Watermelon One-Act Festival and she served as an assistant director for the University of Maryland’s production of Citizen by Claudia Rankin. Her plays have been performed at The University of Maryland, Theatre Alliance and the Kennedy Center. She is a graduate from the University of Maryland, College Park with a BA in English Literature and Theatre Performance.

Content Warning: Some Adult Language

In the second episode of Present Process, Daniel talks with Charlie O'Leary to discuss his play Effective.

The goal of Present Process is two fold: first, to highlight great plays from lesser known playwrights and elevate them as much as we can; and second, to demystify the process of writing a great play and increase the shared knowledge of playwriting.

Charlie's Bio:

Charlie O’Leary is a playwright, lyricist, and librettist. He is a member of the The Road Theatre Company’s Under Construction Playwrights Group and an alumnus of the 24 Hour Plays: Nationals, the BMI Workshop, the Brooklyn Generator, Crashbox Theatre Company's Write Play Launch, the Fornés Playwriting Workshop, and the Project Y Playwrights Group. His plays and musicals have additionally been developed and presented by the Artist Co-op, CAP21, the Dare Tactic, Dartmouth College, Dixon Place, Dreamwell Theatre, the Flea Theater, the Fresh Fruit Festival, the Habitat, the Iowa New Play Festival, Jersey City Theater Center, Loading Dock Theatre, Middle Voice at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, the PIT, Pipeline Theatre Company, the Players Theatre, the Samuel French OOB Festival, Shuga Pie Supreme, the Tank, and the University of Notre Dame. His short works have been published by Methuen Drama, Smith & Kraus, and Theatre Now New York, with licensing by Music Theatre International. He has been a finalist for the Alliance/Kendeda National Graduate Playwriting Competition, the DVRF Playwrights Program, Sanguine Theatre Company's Project Playwright, the Woodward/Newman Drama Award, and two-time finalist for the Seven Devils Playwrights Conference; a semifinalist for the Ars Nova Play Group and three-time semifinalist for the O'Neill National Playwrights Conference; and recipient of an Iowa Arts Fellowship and a New York Innovative Theatre Award. His song “A Date” (music by Helen Park) was a selection of the BMI Workshop Smoker; his songs have also been performed at places like 54 Below, Don’t Tell Mama, the Duplex, and the West End Lounge. MFA: Iowa Playwrights Workshop.

Content Warning: Depression and Drug Use

In the inaugural episode of Present Process, Daniel talks with Marco Antonio Rodriguez to discuss his play Bloom.

The goal of Present Process is two fold: first, to highlight great plays from lesser known playwrights and elevate them as much as we can; and second, to demystify the process of writing a great play and increase the shared knowledge of playwriting.

Marco's Bio:

Born and raised in New York City, with roots from the Dominican Republic, Marco Antonio holds a Master of Fine Arts degree from Southern Methodist University. His acclaimed play, Ashes Of Light, has received extended by popular demand productions in theaters across the nation and internationally such as Off-Broadway's LATEA theater, Lehman Stages, Dominican Republic's Teatro Las Máscaras and Buenos Aires, Argentina's Teatro La Mueca. It is the recipient of 5 HOLA awards, including Outstanding Achievement In Playwriting. Ashes Of Light has been published in both Spanish and English editions by NoPassport Press and studied at universities nationwide and internationally such as Rutgers and the University Of Puerto Rico. Marco Antonio has written guest commentary for national publication Latino Leaders Magazine and TCG (Theatre Communications Guild). He is the recipient of a Bret Adams & Paul Reisch Foundation Award, Banff International Literary Translation Centre Writing Residency in Alberta, Canada and a CUNY Dominican Studies Institute Archives Library Fellowship. His play, Barceló On The Rocks, was an O'Neill Theater Conference semi-finalist, won the national MetLife Nuestras Voces Playwriting competition as well as 4 HOLA awards which include outstanding achievement in playwriting. NoPassport Press has published Barceló On The Rocks in a dual English/Spanish edition available on Amazon.com. Marco Antonio was commissioned to adapt Julia Alvarez’ best-selling novel, In The Name Of Salomé, into a stage play. It won HOLA, ACE, ATI and LATA awards in the best play and best production categories and enjoyed a critically acclaimed, extended run at New York's Spanish Repertory Theater. Marco just adapted and directed the world-premiere adaptation of Junot Diaz' Pulitzer Prize winning novel, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao for New York's Spanish Repertory Theater. It is currently enjoying a sold-out, extended run. As an actor, Marco Antonio has been seen in numerous television, films and theater productions. Recently, Marco Antonio recently co-starred in the world premiere of Catherine Filloux's Kidnap Road at La Mama Experimental Theater in New York and in the short film, TRUMPET, set for a winter release.

Content Warning: This episode touches on the topics of discrimination/persecution of sexuality and drug use.