S3E4: Aléna Watters
In this episode, Hayley and Amy chat with Aléna Watters about practical tools to have a sustainable career in the theatre, how to unlearn societal programming around competition, and so much more!
S3E3: Rejection
In this episode, Hayley and Amy chat about the importance of making peace with rejection as part of a creative life, share tips and lessons learned about how to manage rejection, and offer ideas for how to change our collective mindset about success.
S3E2: Stephanie Leah Evans
In this episode, Hayley and Amy speak with music assistant and score coordinator Stephanie Leah Evans about her Broadway debut, the importance of music notation for opening up creativity, representation and power dynamics in music departments, setting boundaries to establish trust, and more.
S3E1: Kait Kerrigan
In this episode, Hayley and Amy speak with book-writer/lyricist/playwright Kait Kerrigan about her extraordinarily fruitful year in 2023, the power of musical theatre to create empathy, and the keys to long and successful collaborations.
S2E10: Julia Riew
In this episode, Hayley and Amy speak with composer/lyricist/writer Julia Riew about opening up the process of musical theatre creation, increasing Asian representation in theatrical spaces, inspiring the next generation to tell their own stories, and indulging in your passions.
S2E9: Madeline Myers
In this episode, Hayley and Amy speak with composer/lyricist Madeline Myers about uplifting the stories of women who have been erased from history, expanding our understanding of women’s relationship with work, finding people who believe in you when you don’t believe in yourself, and being a good person in addition to a good artist.
S2E8: Networking
In this episode, Hayley and Amy talk about the joys and challenges of networking and how it plays out in the theatre industry, especially for women and other underrepresented groups. We share tips and resources for improving networking skills and celebrate the fact that networking is a skill that continues to be developed over a lifetime.
S2E7: Brisa Areli Muñoz
In this episode, Hayley and Amy speak with Musical Theatre Factory artistic director Brisa Areli Muñoz about creating stories in a way that centers justice and communities, expanding our definition of what musical theatre can be, centering radical care and embodied healing, and reimagining artists’ roles as agents of creative change in their communities.
S2E6: Elle Reimer
In this episode, Hayley and Amy speak with up-and-coming performer Elle Reimer about telling stories that matter, balancing paid work and art, increasing access to arts education, and taking care of ourselves by resisting hustle culture. As a bonus, we celebrate Women’s History Month by spotlighting singer and actress Ethel Waters.
S2E5: Thalia Ranjbar
In this episode, Hayley and Amy speak with theatre writer, director, and choreographer Thalia Ranjbar about using art to challenge cultural conventions, elevating underrepresented perspectives, and building cultural specificity and diversity into the DNA of theatrical works. As a bonus, we celebrate Women’s History Month by spotlighting influential Cuban American playwright, director, and educator María Irene Fornés.
S2E4: Scarcity and Abundance
In this episode, Hayley and Amy talk about how scarcity and abundance play out in the theatre industry and the hard work of moving from a culture of “This is the way it’s always been done” to a culture that sees the possibilities in using resources efficiently and creatively. As a bonus, we celebrate Women’s History Month by spotlighting pioneer lighting designerJean Rosenthal.
S2E3: Megan McCormick
In this episode, Hayley and Amy speak with composer/lyricist, actor, educator, and circus artist Megan McCormick about balancing different hats as a multi-hyphenate, embracing radical self-acceptance and a growth mindset, increasing female and nonbinary representation, and claiming power that isn’t patriarchal. As a bonus, we celebrate Women’s History Month by spotlighting Hallie Flanagan Davis, the director of the Federal Theatre Project.
S2E2: Kim Lara
In this episode, Hayley and Amy speak with performer, producer, and playwright Kimberly Lara about the lived realities of immigrant families in the United States, the importance of cultural specificity in representation, crowdsourcing feedback on new shows in development, and the transformative quality of theatre. As a bonus, we celebrate Women’s History Month by spotlighting Vinnette Justine Caroll, the first Black woman to direct a show on Broadway.
S2E1: Megan Minutillo
In this episode, Hayley and Amy speak with producer, director, writer, and educator Megan Minutillo about the importance of education and mentorship in theatre, womanhood and motherhood as a complex work in progress, and building bridges through collaboration.
S2E0: Happy Birthday, Women & Theatre!
In this bonus episode, Hayley and Amy celebrate Women & Theatre’s first birthday by reflecting back on lessons learned in the first year of the project and sharing some big dreams for the future.
S1E10: Kayla Davion
In this episode, Hayley and Amy speak with Broadway actor Kayla Davion about following your values and figuring out what makes you you, defining your own dreams and the stories you want to tell, recognizing the beautiful complexity of womanhood, and making the theatre industry equitable for all.
S1E9: Producibility
In this episode, Hayley and Amy discuss the concept of producibility. What are the myths and stories we’ve been told about what makes a show producible? What kinds of shows would we like to see produced? And how does all of that fit into the current state of theatre finances? We start to answer some of these questions and offer ideas about how we can innovate and make bold choices as an industry.
S1E8: Rachel Covey
In this episode, Hayley and Amy speak with up-and-coming musical theatre writer Rachel (Rae) Covey. We talk about writing about gray areas in a time of absolutes, balancing strength and sensitivity, and making the theatre industry a more supportive space to develop new works.
S1E7: Elyssa Samsel and Kate Anderson
In this episode, we speak with musical theatre writing team Elyssa Samsel and Kate Anderson. We talk about writing authentic and multifaceted characters, women celebrating and supporting each other, and the importance of innovation and risk taking for producers, creators, and theatre audiences.
S1E6: Marlo Hunter
In this episode, Hayley and Amy speak with director and choreographer Marlo Hunter about advocating for yourself as a parent, practicing a feminism that rejects perfection and embraces mess, and learning how to survive and thrive as a freelance artist.