Mike Lew

It’s 1915 and another typhoid fever outbreak, this one in a bustling hospital run by an officious Supervisor (Cindy Cheung), has once again led dogged sanitation engineer George Soper (Matt Park) to the hospital’s newest cook, “Typhoid Mary" Mallon (Catherine Curtin). It’s been years since Soper reluctantly released her from a forced quarantine on an inhospitable island. Can Mary finally wash her hands of him for good? Playwright Mike Lew’s history-inspired comedy TYPHOID MARY, a 2021 Wordsmith Duo Commission supported by the Axe-Houghton Foundation, is directed by Moritz von Stuelpnagel and features music by composer Tom Kochan. Stay tuned after the play for a lively conversation with Executive Director Yvie Jones and all the featured artists.

It’s 1915 and another typhoid fever outbreak, this one in a bustling hospital run by an officious Supervisor (Cindy Cheung), has once again led dogged sanitation engineer George Soper (Matt Park) to the hospital’s newest cook, “Typhoid Mary" Mallon (Catherine Curtin). It’s been years since Soper reluctantly released her from a forced quarantine on an inhospitable island. Can Mary finally wash her hands of him for good? Playwright Mike Lew’s history-inspired comedy TYPHOID MARY, a 2021 Wordsmith Duo Commission supported by the Axe-Houghton Foundation, is directed by Moritz von Stuelpnagel and features music by composer Tom Kochan. Stay tuned after the play for a lively conversation with Executive Director Yvie Jones and all the featured artists.

TYPHOID MARY by Mike Lew

Rehana Lew Mirza

It’s 1907 and a typhoid fever outbreak among New York City’s elite families has led zealous sanitation engineer George Soper (Matt Park) to the home of the haughty Mr. Winthrop (Michael Chernus) and a face-off with Winthrop’s proud, though not very hygienic cook, “Typhoid Mary" Mallon (Catherine Curtin).  Playwright Rehana Lew Mirza’s history-inspired comedy, a 2021 Wordsmith Duo Commission supported by the Axe-Houghton Foundation, is directed by Moritz von Stuelpnagel and features music by composer Tom Kochan. Stay tuned after the play for a lively conversation with Playing on Air Executive Director Yvie Jones and all the featured artists. 

It’s 1907 and a typhoid fever outbreak among New York City’s elite families has led zealous sanitation engineer George Soper (Matt Park) to the home of the haughty Mr. Winthrop (Michael Chernus) and a face-off with Winthrop’s proud, though not very hygienic cook, “Typhoid Mary" Mallon (Catherine Curtin).  Playwright Rehana Lew Mirza’s history-inspired comedy, a 2021 Wordsmith Duo Commission supported by the Axe-Houghton Foundation, is directed by Moritz von Stuelpnagel and features music by composer Tom Kochan. Stay tuned after the play for a lively conversation with Playing on Air Executive Director Yvie Jones and all the featured artists.

MARY MARY QUITE CONTRARY by Rehana Lew Mirza

James McLindon

An old school drill sergeant under fire from his very modern and diverse new recruits desperately longs for simpler times. Directed by John Giampietro, James McLindon’s short satire I DON’T KNOW features stage and screen favorite Jay O. Sanders as the Drill Sergeant and an ensemble cast of Broadway, off-Broadway, and TV regulars as his new recruits: Bobby Moreno, Sue Jean Kim, Jeff Biehl, and Brittany K. Allen. After the play, Producing Artistic Director Claudia Catania moderates a conversation with the creative team. 

An old school drill sergeant under fire from his very modern and diverse new recruits desperately longs for simpler times. Directed by John Giampietro, James McLindon’s short satire I DON’T KNOW features stage and screen favorite Jay O. Sanders as the Drill Sergeant and an ensemble cast of Broadway, off-Broadway, and TV regulars as his new recruits: Bobby Moreno, Sue Jean Kim, Jeff Biehl, and Brittany K. Allen. After the play, Producing Artistic Director Claudia Catania moderates a conversation with the creative team.

I DON'T KNOW by James McLindon

Lloyd Suh

In Lloyd Suh’s HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MR. ABERNATHY, a shared story, formerly repressed, begins to bridge the racial and generational distance between a white American centenarian of the Greatest Generation (Len Cariou) and his Asian American great-grandson (Ken Leung). Stay tuned after the play for a poignant conversation between the playwright and Founder and Consulting Director Claudia Catania. 

In Lloyd Suh’s HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MR. ABERNATHY, a shared story, formerly repressed, begins to bridge the racial and generational distance between a white American centenarian of the Greatest Generation (Len Cariou) and his Asian American great-grandson (Ken Leung). Stay tuned after the play for a poignant conversation between the playwright and Founder and Consulting Director Claudia Catania.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MR. ABERNATHY by Lloyd Suh

Cary Gitter

It's the summer of 1955, and a new U.S. Army private stationed far away from his New Jersey hometown may have met his match, a very modern Southern belle, at a USO-style dance.  Emily Bergl directs a pitch perfect cast—Eli Gelb, Erin Wilhelmi, and Vance Barton—in Cary Gitter’s THE ARMY DANCE, which also boasts a nifty-fifties-style score by composer Tom Kochan. After the play, host Claudia Catania and executive director Yvie Jones moderate a lively and poignant conversation with the playwright, director, and actors.

It's the summer of 1955, and a new U.S. Army private stationed far away from his New Jersey hometown may have met his match, a very modern Southern belle, at a USO-style dance.  Emily Bergl directs a pitch perfect cast—Eli Gelb, Erin Wilhelmi, and Vance Barton—in Cary Gitter’s THE ARMY DANCE, which also boasts a nifty-fifties-style score by composer Tom Kochan. After the play, host Claudia Catania and executive director Yvie Jones moderate a lively and poignant conversation with the playwright, director, and actors.

THE ARMY DANCE by Cary Gitter

Amanda Quaid

Hear that?  In ECHO AND NARCISSUS, playwright Amanda Quaid's newfangled take on an infamous myth from Ovid’s Metamorphoses, a young woman falls in love with a narcissist after a vengeful wife condemns her to a unique fate. The sprightly production is directed by Adrienne Campbell-Holt, stars Sarah Manton, Christian Conn, and Mia Katigbak, and features a kinetic score by composer Tom Kochan. After the play, Playing on Air (playingonair.org) founder and consulting director Claudia Catania and executive director Yvie Jones dive into conversation with the playwright, director, and actors. 

Hear that? In ECHO AND NARCISSUS, playwright Amanda Quaid's newfangled take on an infamous myth from Ovid’s Metamorphoses, a young woman falls in love with a narcissist after a vengeful wife condemns her to a unique fate. The sprightly production is directed by Adrienne Campbell-Holt, stars Sarah Manton, Christian Conn, and Mia Katigbak, and features a kinetic score by composer Tom Kochan. After the play, Playing on Air (<a href="http://www.playingonair.org" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">playingonair.org</a>) founder and consulting director Claudia Catania and executive director Yvie Jones dive into conversation with the playwright, director, and actors.

ECHO AND NARCISSUS by Amanda Quaid

Aurin Squire

A jet-lagged Gen Z couple (Toney Goins and Kerry Warren) decides to take an old school taxicab home to Brooklyn instead of an Uber, and their kooky cabbie (Louis Mustillo) introduces them to a very different (under)side of New York City.  Playwright Aurin Squire’s otherworldly urban comedy is a James Stevenson Commission for Short Comedic Plays, generously supported by Josie Merck, and boasts an animated score by composer Tom Kochan. Stay tuned after the play for a spirited conversation, starting at 25:11, with Claudia Catania, Playing on Air’s founder and consulting director, executive director Yvie Jones, director Marchánt Davis, and our talented trio of actors. Editing: Joanna Lynne Staub Sound Design: John Kilgore of John Kilgore Sound &amp; Recording  [Running Time: 41 minutes and 29 seconds]

A jet-lagged Gen Z couple (Toney Goins and Kerry Warren) decides to take an old school taxicab home to Brooklyn instead of an Uber, and their kooky cabbie (Louis Mustillo) introduces them to a very different (under)side of New York City.  Playwright Aurin Squire’s otherworldly urban comedy is a James Stevenson Commission for Short Comedic Plays, generously supported by Josie Merck, and boasts an animated score by composer Tom Kochan. Stay tuned after the play for a spirited conversation, starting at 25:11, with Claudia Catania, Playing on Air’s founder and consulting director, executive director Yvie Jones, director Marchánt Davis, and our talented trio of actors. Editing: Joanna Lynne Staub Sound Design: John Kilgore of John Kilgore Sound &amp; Recording [Running Time: 41 minutes and 29 seconds]

JFK TAXI by Aurin Squire

James Stevenson

From brilliant New Yorker cartoonist, illustrator, and children's book author James Stevenson comes this darkly hilarious reimagining of iconic animated characters - now "over the hill" and waiting out their golden years at a seedy retirement community in Los Angeles.   Directed by Tony nominee Dana Ivey (The Last Night of Ballyhoo, "Boardwalk Empire"), EVENING AT ANAHEIM features Richard Kind (The Producers, "Spin City", "American Dad!"), Karen Ziemba (Tony winner for Contact), Emily Bergl ("Gilmore Girls," Cat on a Hot Tin Roof), Brandon Uranowitz (Falsettos), Carson Elrod (Peter and the Starcatcher), Peter Maloney (Requiem for a Dream), and Tom Alan Robbins (The Lion King). Stay tuned after the play for a high spirited conversation with the cast, director, and Playing on Air founder and consulting director Claudia Catania. EVENING AT ANAHEIM was co-presented with Playwrights Horizons and recorded live in New York City.

From brilliant New Yorker cartoonist, illustrator, and children's book author <a href="https://playingonair.org/playwrights-2#/james-stevenson/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">James Stevenson</a> comes this darkly hilarious reimagining of iconic animated characters - now "over the hill" and waiting out their golden years at a seedy retirement community in Los Angeles.   Directed by Tony nominee <a href="https://playingonair.org/directors-2#/dana-ivey-1/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dana Ivey</a> (The Last Night of Ballyhoo, "Boardwalk Empire"), EVENING AT ANAHEIM features <a href="https://playingonair.org/artists1#/richard-kind/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Richard Kind</a> (The Producers, "Spin City", "American Dad!"), <a href="https://playingonair.org/actors#/karen-ziemba/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Karen Ziemba</a> (Tony winner for Contact), <a href="https://playingonair.org/artists1#/emily-bergl/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Emily Bergl</a> ("Gilmore Girls," Cat on a Hot Tin Roof), <a href="https://playingonair.org/actors#/brandon-uranowitz/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Brandon Uranowitz</a> (Falsettos), <a href="https://playingonair.org/artists1#/carson-elrod/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Carson Elrod</a> (Peter and the Starcatcher), <a href="https://playingonair.org/actors#/peter-maloney/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Peter Maloney</a> (Requiem for a Dream), and <a href="https://playingonair.org/actors#/tom-allan-robbins/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tom Alan Robbins</a> (The Lion King). Stay tuned after the play for a high spirited conversation with the cast, director, and Playing on Air founder and consulting director Claudia Catania. EVENING AT ANAHEIM was co-presented with Playwrights Horizons and recorded live in New York City.

EVENING AT ANAHEIM by James Stevenson (Summer 2022 Re-Release)

John Patrick Shanley

In Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winner John Patrick Shanley's TENNESSEE, a wannabe musician seeking an escape plan and a glimpse at his future approaches a dissatisfied woman who's blessed, and possibly cursed, with the power of foresight.   The audio play stars Oscar nominee Timothée Chalamet (our audio production of MISADVENTURE, Dune, Beautiful Boy, Call Me By Your Name, Lady Bird, and Shanley's Prodigal Son on Broadway) and Caitlin FitzGerald (“Succession,” “Masters of Sex," It's Complicated).   Stay tuned after the play for a spirited behind-the-scenes conversation with playwright/director John Patrick Shanley (BANSHEE, LAST NIGHT IN THE GARDEN I SAW YOU, Doubt, Outside Mullingar), Caitlin FitzGerald, Timothée Chalamet, and founder and consulting director Claudia Catania. TENNESSEE was recorded and co-presented in front of a live audience at The Jerome L. Greene Performance Space at New York Public Radio.

In Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winner <a href="https://playing-on-air.squarespace.com/john-patrick-shanley-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">John Patrick Shanley</a>'s TENNESSEE, a wannabe musician seeking an escape plan and a glimpse at his future approaches a dissatisfied woman who's blessed, and possibly cursed, with the power of foresight.  The audio play stars Oscar nominee <a href="https://playing-on-air.squarespace.com/timothe-chalamet" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Timothée Chalamet</a> (our audio production of <a href="http://bit.ly/hearmisadventure" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">MISADVENTURE</a>, Dune, Beautiful Boy, Call Me By Your Name, Lady Bird, and Shanley's Prodigal Son on Broadway) and <a href="https://playing-on-air.squarespace.com/caitlin-fitzgerald" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Caitlin FitzGerald</a> (“Succession,” “Masters of Sex," It's Complicated).  Stay tuned after the play for a spirited behind-the-scenes conversation with playwright/director John Patrick Shanley (<a href="https://playingonair.org/new-releases/2017/03/12/new-podcast-banshee-by-john-patrick-shanley-2hysk" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">BANSHEE</a>, <a href="https://playingonair.org/new-releases/last-night-in-the-garden-i-saw-you" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">LAST NIGHT IN THE GARDEN I SAW YOU</a>, Doubt, Outside Mullingar), Caitlin FitzGerald, Timothée Chalamet, and founder and consulting director Claudia Catania. TENNESSEE was recorded and co-presented in front of a live audience at The Jerome L. Greene Performance Space at New York Public Radio.

TENNESSEE by John Patrick Shanley (Summer 2022 Re-Release)

Anything can happen when you leave your window open on a warm night. Tony, Oscar and Pulitzer Prize winner John Patrick Shanley (Doubt, Moonstruck, Outside Mullingar) wrote and directed this week's summer re-release about a curious banshee, a fantastical Irish spirit, who pays an ailing teacher a visit and makes him an otherworldly proposal. The mystical comedy features Geraldine Hughes (THE MANDELA EFFECT, TWO CROWS APART, Jerusalem, Gran Torino) and Aidan Quinn (“Elementary,” Michael Collins, Desperately Seeking Susan). Stay tuned after the performance for a conversation between the playwright, actors, and founder and consulting director Claudia Catania that includes a few delightfully surprising responses. 

Anything can happen when you leave your window open on a warm night. Tony, Oscar and Pulitzer Prize winner <a href="https://playingonair.org/john-patrick-shanley-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">John Patrick Shanley</a> (Doubt, Moonstruck, Outside Mullingar) wrote and directed this week's summer re-release about a curious banshee, a fantastical Irish spirit, who pays an ailing teacher a visit and makes him an otherworldly proposal. The mystical comedy features <a href="https://playingonair.org/geraldine-hughes" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Geraldine Hughes</a> (<a href="https://playingonair.org/new-releases/the-mandela-effect" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">THE MANDELA EFFECT</a>, <a href="https://playingonair.org/new-releases/two-crows-apart" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">TWO CROWS APART</a>, Jerusalem, Gran Torino) and <a href="https://playingonair.org/aidan-quinn" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Aidan Quinn</a> (“Elementary,” Michael Collins, Desperately Seeking Susan). Stay tuned after the performance for a conversation between the playwright, actors, and founder and consulting director Claudia Catania that includes a few delightfully surprising responses.

BANSHEE by John Patrick Shanley (Summer 2022 Re-Release)

Hear short, contemporary stage plays with first-rate casts. Playing on Air brings together award winners and emerging young talent, and each play is followed by a conversation with the playwrights and cast. Tune in for great American plays with great American actors, hosted and produced by Claudia Catania.

Ara Watson

In this week's summer re-release, we're doing a bit of time travel. It’s a balmy night in the post-WWII Ozarks, and a young woman is leaving behind her life as a "lady of the evening" for an offer of marriage. Then a client shows up with some jaw-dropping news.  Oscar-winner Chris Cooper (A Doll’s House, Part 2, Adaptation, American Beauty), Emmy-winner Margo Martindale (“The Good Wife”, "The Americans," "Justified") and Broadway’s Liv Rooth (SURE THING, To Kill a Mockingbird, Venus in Fur) star in BITE THE HAND, Ara Watson’s (A Different Moon) potent classic, directed by Tony Award-winner Doug Hughes (SOMETHING I'LL TELL YOU TUESDAY, Doubt). Stay tuned after the performance for an animated conversation with Watson and the cast moderated by Playing On Air founder and consulting director Claudia Catania.

In this week's summer re-release, we're doing a bit of time travel. It’s a balmy night in the post-WWII Ozarks, and a young woman is leaving behind her life as a "lady of the evening" for an offer of marriage. Then a client shows up with some jaw-dropping news. Oscar-winner <a href="https://playingonair.org/timothe-chalamet-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Chris Cooper</a> (A Doll’s House, Part 2, Adaptation, American Beauty), Emmy-winner <a href="https://playingonair.org/margo-martindale" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Margo Martindale</a> (“The Good Wife”, "The Americans," "Justified") and Broadway’s <a href="https://playingonair.org/liv-rooth" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Liv Rooth</a> (<a href="https://playingonair.org/new-releases/2018/1/3/sure-thing-by-david-ives" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">SURE THING</a>, To Kill a Mockingbird, Venus in Fur) star in BITE THE HAND, <a href="https://playingonair.org/ara-watson" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ara Watson</a>’s (A Different Moon) potent classic, directed by Tony Award-winner <a href="https://playingonair.org/doug-hughes" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Doug Hughes</a> (<a href="https://playingonair.org/new-releases/something-ill-tell-you-tuesday" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">SOMETHING I'LL TELL YOU TUESDAY</a>, Doubt). Stay tuned after the performance for an animated conversation with Watson and the cast moderated by Playing On Air founder and consulting director Claudia Catania.

BITE THE HAND by Ara Watson (Summer Re-Release 2022)

Daniel Reitz

This week's summer re-release features Daniel Reitz's (NAPOLEON IN EXILE) affecting one-act YOU BELONG TO ME, featuring Amy Ryan (Oscar nominated for Gone, Baby, Gone, "The Office," "Only Murders in the Building," and a five-time Playing On Air MVP) and Michael Stuhlbarg (a recent Emmy nominee for "Dopesick," "The Staircase," "Boardwalk Empire," A Serious Man, and four-time Playing On Air veteran), as former lovers--who've gone very separate ways in the intervening 18 years--having a chance meeting on a New York City subway car. Stay tuned after the performance for a spirited conversation between Reitz and the play’s director, Playing on Air founder and consulting director Claudia Catania. 

This week's summer re-release features Daniel Reitz's (<a href="https://playingonair.org/new-releases/napoleon-in-exile-rerelease" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">NAPOLEON IN EXILE</a>) affecting one-act YOU BELONG TO ME, featuring <a href="https://playingonair.org/amy-ryan" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amy Ryan</a> (Oscar nominated for Gone, Baby, Gone, "The Office," "Only Murders in the Building," and a <a href="https://playingonair.org/amy-ryan" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">five-time Playing On Air MVP</a>) and <a href="https://playingonair.org/michael-stuhlbarg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Michael Stuhlbarg</a> (a recent Emmy nominee for "Dopesick," "The Staircase," "Boardwalk Empire," A Serious Man, and <a href="https://playingonair.org/michael-stuhlbarg" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">four-time Playing On Air veteran</a>), as former lovers--who've gone very separate ways in the intervening 18 years--having a chance meeting on a New York City subway car. Stay tuned after the performance for a spirited conversation between Reitz and the play’s director, Playing on Air founder and consulting director Claudia Catania.

YOU BELONG TO ME by Daniel Reitz (Summer 2022 Re-Release)

Jonathan Bernstein

The curtain is up. The show is in progress. But for a production stage manager and a sound and light board operator calling the cues behind the scenes, the night's most dazzling romance isn't playing out onstage.  Written and directed by  Jonathan Bernstein (RULES OF COMEDY and A VERY VERY SHORT PLAY), AT THE WATER'S EDGE, WET stars Callie Thorne ("Necessary Roughness," "Rescue Me," "The Wire") and Tony nominee Jeremy Shamos (Broadway's Clybourne Park, "Better Call Saul," HEDGEHOG YEARS). Stay tuned after the performance for an in-studio conversation with the artists, moderated by founder and consulting director Claudia Catania.

The curtain is up. The show is in progress. But for a production stage manager and a sound and light board operator calling the cues behind the scenes, the night's most dazzling romance isn't playing out onstage. Written and directed by <a href="https://playingonair.org/jonathan-bernstein-2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Jonathan Bernstein</a> (<a href="https://playingonair.org/new-releases/rules-of-comedy" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">RULES OF COMEDY</a> and <a href="https://playingonair.org/new-releases/2016/05/08/new-podcast-a-very-very-short-play-by" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A VERY VERY SHORT PLAY</a>), AT THE WATER'S EDGE, WET stars <a href="https://playingonair.org/callie-thorne" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Callie Thorne</a> ("Necessary Roughness," "Rescue Me," "The Wire") and Tony nominee <a href="https://playingonair.org/jeremy-shamos" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jeremy Shamos</a> (Broadway's Clybourne Park, "Better Call Saul," <a href="https://playingonair.org/new-releases/hedgehog-years" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">HEDGEHOG YEARS</a>). Stay tuned after the performance for an in-studio conversation with the artists, moderated by founder and consulting director Claudia Catania.

AT THE WATER'S EDGE, WET by Jonathan Bernstein (Summer 2022 Re-Release)

Sheri Wilner

This week's summer re-release features RELATIVE STRANGERS, a bubbly comedic short from playwright Sheri Wilner (The Miracle of Chanukah, Cake Off, Kingdom City) about a young woman who, during a flight to South Carolina, decides the woman next to her just might be the mother she never had. She finds an ally in a wacky stewardess who, unlike the reluctant mother figure, thinks these two passengers are a match made in heaven.  Directed by founder, consulting director, and host Claudia Catania, RELATIVE STRANGERS features Tony and Emmy Award winner Debra Monk (Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, "The Gilded Age," "New Amsterdam"), Merritt Wever ("Unbelievable," "Run," "Nurse Jackie"), Tony Award recipient Julie Halston (You Can't Take It With You, Anything Goes, "Sex and the City"), and actor, playwright, and composer Michael Keck (Fences, Voices in the Rain, Hollywood Scheherazade).

This week's summer re-release features RELATIVE STRANGERS, a bubbly comedic short from playwright Sheri Wilner (The Miracle of Chanukah, Cake Off, Kingdom City) about a young woman who, during a flight to South Carolina, decides the woman next to her just might be the mother she never had. She finds an ally in a wacky stewardess who, unlike the reluctant mother figure, thinks these two passengers are a match made in heaven. Directed by founder, consulting director, and host Claudia Catania, RELATIVE STRANGERS features Tony and Emmy Award winner Debra Monk (Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, "The Gilded Age," "New Amsterdam"), Merritt Wever ("Unbelievable," "Run," "Nurse Jackie"), Tony Award recipient Julie Halston (You Can't Take It With You, Anything Goes, "Sex and the City"), and actor, playwright, and composer Michael Keck (Fences, Voices in the Rain, Hollywood Scheherazade).

RELATIVE STRANGERS by Sheri Wilner (Summer 2022 Re-Release)

Alexandra Gersten-Vassilaros

In Open Arms by Alexandra Gersten-Vassilaros, an impending 50th birthday party sets off calamity over coffee and Kindles.  Open Arms is directed by Tony Award winner John Rando and features Julie White (The Little Dog Laughed, Airline Highway, POTUS: Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive), and Bill Irwin (Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Waiting for Godot, King Lear). Stay tuned after the performance for a conversation between our Founder and Consulting Director, Claudia Catania, the playwright, director, and cast.

In Open Arms by <a href="https://playingonair.org/alexandra-gerstenvassilaros" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Alexandra Gersten-Vassilaros</a>, an impending 50th birthday party sets off calamity over coffee and Kindles.  Open Arms is directed by Tony Award winner <a href="https://playingonair.org/john-rando" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">John Rando</a> and features <a href="https://playingonair.org/julie-white" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Julie White</a> (The Little Dog Laughed, Airline Highway, POTUS: Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive), and <a href="https://playingonair.org/bill-irwin" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bill Irwin</a> (Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Waiting for Godot, King Lear). Stay tuned after the performance for a conversation between our Founder and Consulting Director, Claudia Catania, the playwright, director, and cast.

OPEN ARMS by Alexandra Gersten-Vassilaros (Summer 2022 Re-Release)

Cassandra Medley

Tony winner Tonya Pinkins (Jelly’s Last Jam, “Fear the Walking Dead,” PoA’s Poof!), Tony nominee Condola Rashad (Saint Joan, “Billions”), and Melanie Nicholls-King ("The Wire," "Little Fires Everywhere”) star in Cassandra Medley’s CELL. When a jaded supervisor at an immigrant detention center finds jobs there for her sister and niece, family tensions erupt into a battle over home and homeland security. Directed by Diverse City Theater Company founder Victor Lirio, CELL by Cassandra Medley (Relativity, Coming Up for Air) “deftly explores the dirty antidemocratic secret of institutionalized racism” (New York Times). After the play, host Claudia Catania joins Pulitzer Prize-winning immigration journalist Julia Preston, Broadway producer Cheryl Wiesenfeld, and playwright Medley to move beyond headlines and explore the real lives that inspired CELL.

Tony winner Tonya Pinkins (Jelly’s Last Jam, “Fear the Walking Dead,” PoA’s Poof!), Tony nominee Condola Rashad (Saint Joan, “Billions”), and Melanie Nicholls-King ("The Wire," "Little Fires Everywhere”) star in Cassandra Medley’s CELL. When a jaded supervisor at an immigrant detention center finds jobs there for her sister and niece, family tensions erupt into a battle over home and homeland security. Directed by Diverse City Theater Company founder Victor Lirio, CELL by Cassandra Medley (Relativity, Coming Up for Air) “deftly explores the dirty antidemocratic secret of institutionalized racism” (New York Times). After the play, host Claudia Catania joins Pulitzer Prize-winning immigration journalist Julia Preston, Broadway producer Cheryl Wiesenfeld, and playwright Medley to move beyond headlines and explore the real lives that inspired CELL.

CELL by Cassandra Medley (Summer 2022 Re-Release)

David Auburn

From David Auburn (Pulitzer and Tony winner for PROOF) comes a riveting, witty world-premiere commission for Playing on Air: GUN SHOW. In the aftershock of a national tragedy, a congenial double-date morphs into a battle of the sexes. As tempers blaze, two couples must reconsider the possibility of safety in a divided nation.  Along with Emmy winners Bobby Cannavale (“Will &amp; Grace,” “Boardwalk Empire”) and Martha Plimpton (triple Tony nominee, “The Real O’Neals,” “The Good Wife”), the star cast features Eisa Davis, David Furr, and Lucy DeVito! Gun Show was directed by Wendy Goldberg and performed in front of a live audience at Playwrights Horizons in New York City. After the play, host Claudia Catania talks shop with the entire creative team.  Gun Show was commissioned by Playing on Air with the support of The Gilchrist Foundation and Phyllis and Joel Ehrlich.

From David Auburn (Pulitzer and Tony winner for PROOF) comes a riveting, witty world-premiere commission for Playing on Air: GUN SHOW. In the aftershock of a national tragedy, a congenial double-date morphs into a battle of the sexes. As tempers blaze, two couples must reconsider the possibility of safety in a divided nation.  Along with Emmy winners Bobby Cannavale (“Will &amp; Grace,” “Boardwalk Empire”) and Martha Plimpton (triple Tony nominee, “The Real O’Neals,” “The Good Wife”), the star cast features Eisa Davis, David Furr, and Lucy DeVito! Gun Show was directed by Wendy Goldberg and performed in front of a live audience at Playwrights Horizons in New York City. After the play, host Claudia Catania talks shop with the entire creative team. Gun Show was commissioned by Playing on Air with the support of The Gilchrist Foundation and Phyllis and Joel Ehrlich.

GUN SHOW by David Auburn (Summer 2022 Re-Release)

In this holiday dazzler written, directed and produced by Arian Moayed, Santa keeps a closer eye on the naughty and nice lists than we think, especially during "unprecedented times." But maybe Mrs. Claus, the hardworking team at the North Pole, and one melancholy little girl might keep the man in the red suit from singing the blues. THE MAN IN RED, our first musical, features music by Butch Phelps and performances by Brian Cox, Jayne Houdyshell, Phylicia Rashad, Brandon Dirden, Javier Muñoz, Lily Santiago, Cecilia Suárez, Sue Jean Kim, Brendan Donaldson, Rodney Gardiner, and Lauren Sharpe.

In this holiday dazzler written, directed and produced by Arian Moayed, Santa keeps a closer eye on the naughty and nice lists than we think, especially during "unprecedented times." But maybe Mrs. Claus, the hardworking team at the North Pole, and one melancholy little girl might keep the man in the red suit from singing the blues. THE MAN IN RED, our first musical, features music by Butch Phelps and performances by Brian Cox, Jayne Houdyshell, Phylicia Rashad, Brandon Dirden, Javier Muñoz, Lily Santiago, Cecilia Suárez, Sue Jean Kim, Brendan Donaldson, Rodney Gardiner, and Lauren Sharpe.

The MAN IN RED by Arian Moayed

Jonathan Spector

In the cool, otherworldly confines of a Zoom room, a controversial president's ethereal daughter and hands-on son-in-law surf the choppy waters of chiseled memories, personal responsibility...and elementary school. JARED AND IVANKA’S PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCE AT MAURICE J. FELDMAN JEWISH DAY SCHOOL, our third James Stevenson Commission for Short Comedic Plays, was written by playwright and screenwriter Jonathan Spector (Eureka Day, This Much I Know, The Flats) and directed by Daniel Aukin. It stars Paul Sparks (“Physical,” “Sweetbitter,” “House of Cards”), Cindy Cheung (“13 Reasons Why,” “New Amsterdam”), Tracee Chimo Pallero (“People of Earth,” “Difficult People,” “Genius”), and Thomas Jay Ryan (West Side Story, The Crucible, The Little Foxes, Henry Fool). 

In the cool, otherworldly confines of a Zoom room, a controversial president's ethereal daughter and hands-on son-in-law surf the choppy waters of chiseled memories, personal responsibility...and elementary school. JARED AND IVANKA’S PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCE AT MAURICE J. FELDMAN JEWISH DAY SCHOOL, our third James Stevenson Commission for Short Comedic Plays, was written by playwright and screenwriter Jonathan Spector (Eureka Day, This Much I Know, The Flats) and directed by Daniel Aukin. It stars Paul Sparks (“Physical,” “Sweetbitter,” “House of Cards”), Cindy Cheung (“13 Reasons Why,” “New Amsterdam”), Tracee Chimo Pallero (“People of Earth,” “Difficult People,” “Genius”), and Thomas Jay Ryan (West Side Story, The Crucible, The Little Foxes, Henry Fool).

JARED AND IVANKA’S PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCE AT MAURICE J. FELDMAN JEWISH DAY SCHOOL by Jonathan Spector

Dipika Guha

On the precipice of making a world changing medical breakthrough, Amal visits an old lover and they contend with the uncertain future through the light of a shared, tumultuous past. JACOB AND AMAL, our second Wordsmith Duo play this season supported by the Axe-Houghton Foundation, was written by Dipika Guha (Blown Youth, “Sneaky Pete,” “Black Monday”) and directed by Jo Bonney (Cost of Living, Father Comes Home from the War, Anna in the Tropics). It stars Rita Wolf (What Happened? The Michaels Abroad, Homeboy/Kabul) and Keith Randolph Smith (Jitney, American Psycho, Fences), and features music by composer Dan Moses Schreier (A Soldier’s Play, Carmen Jones, American Psycho). Graphic design is by Harrison Gale.

On the precipice of making a world changing medical breakthrough, Amal visits an old lover and they contend with the uncertain future through the light of a shared, tumultuous past. JACOB AND AMAL, our second Wordsmith Duo play this season supported by the Axe-Houghton Foundation, was written by Dipika Guha (Blown Youth, “Sneaky Pete,” “Black Monday”) and directed by Jo Bonney (Cost of Living, Father Comes Home from the War, Anna in the Tropics). It stars Rita Wolf (What Happened? The Michaels Abroad, Homeboy/Kabul) and Keith Randolph Smith (Jitney, American Psycho, Fences), and features music by composer Dan Moses Schreier (A Soldier’s Play, Carmen Jones, American Psycho). Graphic design is by Harrison Gale.

JACOB AND AMAL by Dipika Guha

I didn&#39;t grow up attending plays, or know anyone who did, so theatre always felt very unaccessible...until now! Playing on Air not only provides entertainment, but also allows anyone and everyone to access remarkable theater in the comfort of their home. THANK YOU and keep up the good work!!! The new season is fantastic!!!!

BEST introduction to theatre for us newbies!!!!

Fantastic!

Playing On Air: Short Audio Plays

Donald Margulies

We're re-releasing 5 of our most popular episodes for a 2020 fresh start!     (Psst: keep your eyes open for an exciting announcement, coming soon...)      The police picked up teenage Ethan (Timothée Chalamet) for drunkenly wandering down the highway. Now, he's facing the real reckoning for his Misadventure: the wrath of his big sister (Zoe Kazan.) Playwright and director Donald Margulies is a Pulitzer Prize winner for Dinner with Friends and a Pulitzer Prize finalist for Sight Unseen and Collected Stories.    Best known for her leading role in The Big Sick, Zoe Kazan has also played on Broadway and off in A Behanding in Spokane and Angels in America, among others. Her film credits include It’s Complicated, happythankyoumoreplease, and Ruby Sparks.   Timothée Chalamet has received Golden Globe and Oscar nominations for Call Me By Your Name.  Other screen credits include Little Women, Lady Bird, and Beautiful Boy. He won acclaim on Broadway in John Patrick Shanley’s Prodigal Son. After the play, host Claudia Catania talks shop with the entire creative team.

We're re-releasing 5 of our most popular episodes for a 2020 fresh start!   (Psst: keep your eyes open for an exciting announcement, coming soon...) The police picked up teenage Ethan (Timothée Chalamet) for drunkenly wandering down the highway. Now, he's facing the real reckoning for his Misadventure: the wrath of his big sister (Zoe Kazan.) Playwright and director Donald Margulies is a Pulitzer Prize winner for Dinner with Friends and a Pulitzer Prize finalist for Sight Unseen and Collected Stories.   Best known for her leading role in The Big Sick, Zoe Kazan has also played on Broadway and off in A Behanding in Spokane and Angels in America, among others. Her film credits include It’s Complicated, happythankyoumoreplease, and Ruby Sparks.  Timothée Chalamet has received Golden Globe and Oscar nominations for Call Me By Your Name.  Other screen credits include Little Women, Lady Bird, and Beautiful Boy. He won acclaim on Broadway in John Patrick Shanley’s Prodigal Son. After the play, host Claudia Catania talks shop with the entire creative team.

MISADVENTURE by Donald Margulies (Re-Release)

Lynn Nottage

Loureen is at the end of her rope. And now, she's just turned her husband into a pile of ashes.  As Lynn Nottage's funny and wrenching POOF! opens, Loureen (Audra McDonald) has inadvertently made her abusive husband (Keith Randolph Smith) disappear. Enter her friend and neighbor Florence (Tonya Pinkins) to help her pick up the pieces and begin to imagine a life post-Samuel. Directed by Seret Scott, POOF! features Tony Award winners Audra McDonald (Porgy and Bess, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill) and Tonya Pinkins (Jelly's Last Jam; Caroline, or Change). Following the play, the 2-time Pulitzer Prize winning playwright (Sweat, Ruined) joins host Claudia Catania for a conversation about POOF!'s origins - and how she almost never became a playwright.

Loureen is at the end of her rope. And now, she's just turned her husband into a pile of ashes. As Lynn Nottage's funny and wrenching POOF! opens, Loureen (Audra McDonald) has inadvertently made her abusive husband (Keith Randolph Smith) disappear. Enter her friend and neighbor Florence (Tonya Pinkins) to help her pick up the pieces and begin to imagine a life post-Samuel. Directed by Seret Scott, POOF! features Tony Award winners Audra McDonald (Porgy and Bess, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill) and Tonya Pinkins (Jelly's Last Jam; Caroline, or Change). Following the play, the 2-time Pulitzer Prize winning playwright (Sweat, Ruined) joins host Claudia Catania for a conversation about POOF!'s origins - and how she almost never became a playwright.

POOF! by Lynn Nottage (Re-Release)

Christopher Sullivan

CARRY THE ZERO "gets the awkwardness of teenage hookup culture squeamishly right" (NY Times).  Mark and Nicole just had sex for the first time, and now they're facing the long, embarrassing drive back to Nicole's house. Directed by John Giampietro, Christopher Sullivan's short play stars David Gelles (Graceland at LCT3, NBC's "Deception") and Arielle Goldman ("The Knick," "The Marvelous Ms. Maisel") in an intimate and brutally funny look back at sexual awakening in the age of instant messenger and indie rock.  This episode contains adult themes that may not be suitable for some younger listeners. 

CARRY THE ZERO "gets the awkwardness of teenage hookup culture squeamishly right" (NY Times).  Mark and Nicole just had sex for the first time, and now they're facing the long, embarrassing drive back to Nicole's house. Directed by John Giampietro, Christopher Sullivan's short play stars David Gelles (Graceland at LCT3, NBC's "Deception") and Arielle Goldman ("The Knick," "The Marvelous Ms. Maisel") in an intimate and brutally funny look back at sexual awakening in the age of instant messenger and indie rock.  This episode contains adult themes that may not be suitable for some younger listeners.

CARRY THE ZERO by Christopher Sullivan

Paul Rudnick

A wedding isn't a competition - until the mothers get involved.    After gay marriage is legalized in New York, one meddling matriarch will stop at nothing to get her son to the altar. Starring Michael Urie (Broadway's Torch Song, "Ugly Betty," PoA's A Departure) and Tony winner Harriet Harris ("Frasier," "Desperate Housewives," Phantom Thread), MY HUSBAND by Paul Rudnick (The New Yorker, the upcoming The Devil Wears Prada musical) is directed by Claudia Weill (Girlfriends, HBO's "Girls," PoA's Hate Baby). After the short comedy, host Claudia Catania joins the artists for a behind-the-scenes discussion.    MY HUSBAND was recorded live at BRIC House in Brooklyn, New York.

A wedding isn't a competition - until the mothers get involved.    After gay marriage is legalized in New York, one meddling matriarch will stop at nothing to get her son to the altar. Starring Michael Urie (Broadway's Torch Song, "Ugly Betty," PoA's A Departure) and Tony winner Harriet Harris ("Frasier," "Desperate Housewives," Phantom Thread), MY HUSBAND by Paul Rudnick (The New Yorker, the upcoming The Devil Wears Prada musical) is directed by Claudia Weill (Girlfriends, HBO's "Girls," PoA's Hate Baby). After the short comedy, host Claudia Catania joins the artists for a behind-the-scenes discussion.    MY HUSBAND was recorded live at BRIC House in Brooklyn, New York.

MY HUSBAND by Paul Rudnick

Peter Sagal

Milton Bradley

How do you eulogize a woman who everybody hated?    In Peter Sagal's MILTON BRADLEY, Rabbi Schoenberg (Michael Stuhlbarg), faced with this dilemma, turns to a metaphor: the game of Life (the board game, that is).    Featuring Stuhlbarg (Call Me By Your Name, The Shape of Water) and Bob Balaban (Gosford Park, Christopher Guest &amp; Wes Anderson ensemble regular), MILTON BRADLEY is a darkly funny exploration of where we're all headed one day. Stay tuned after the play for a conversation with playwright Peter Sagal (of Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! fame).

How do you eulogize a woman who everybody hated?    In Peter Sagal's MILTON BRADLEY, Rabbi Schoenberg (Michael Stuhlbarg), faced with this dilemma, turns to a metaphor: the game of Life (the board game, that is).    Featuring Stuhlbarg (Call Me By Your Name, The Shape of Water) and Bob Balaban (Gosford Park, Christopher Guest &amp; Wes Anderson ensemble regular), MILTON BRADLEY is a darkly funny exploration of where we're all headed one day. Stay tuned after the play for a conversation with playwright Peter Sagal (of Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! fame).

MILTON BRADLEY by Peter Sagal (Re-Release)

David Ives

What would you sacrifice for a lifelong pal? A kidney? Your safety? $900 -- for a very specific television?   From acclaimed wordsmith David Ives (Venus in Fur, PoA's The Blizzard), THE GOODNESS OF YOUR HEART asks what the limits of friendship really are. Directed by Tony winner John Rando (Broadway's On the Town, PoA's The Philadelphia), the cast features comedic favorites Arnie Burton (Broadway's Peter and the Starcatcher, PoA's The Mystery at Twicknam Vicarage) and Rick Holmes (Broadway's Cabaret, "Fosse/Verdon"). After the play, the artists join host Claudia Catania to discuss morality, childishness, and the fruits of generosity. 

What would you sacrifice for a lifelong pal? A kidney? Your safety? $900 -- for a very specific television?  From acclaimed wordsmith David Ives (Venus in Fur, PoA's The Blizzard), THE GOODNESS OF YOUR HEART asks what the limits of friendship really are. Directed by Tony winner John Rando (Broadway's On the Town, PoA's The Philadelphia), the cast features comedic favorites Arnie Burton (Broadway's Peter and the Starcatcher, PoA's The Mystery at Twicknam Vicarage) and Rick Holmes (Broadway's Cabaret, "Fosse/Verdon"). After the play, the artists join host Claudia Catania to discuss morality, childishness, and the fruits of generosity.

THE GOODNESS OF YOUR HEART by David Ives

Jesse Eisenberg

Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network, PoA's The Blizzard) is both playwright and actor in the satirical short A LITTLE PART OF ALL OF US. Since 9/11, anxious hipster Joey (Eisenberg) has been haunted by survivor's guilt. Or -- maybe he's just co-opting a national tragedy to justify a decade of depression? A LITTLE PART OF ALL OF US also stars Justin Bartha (The Hangover trilogy, “The Good Fight”) as Ted, Joey's deadpan "friend." Stay tuned after the performance for a conversation between host Claudia Catania and the cast.

Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network, PoA's The Blizzard) is both playwright and actor in the satirical short A LITTLE PART OF ALL OF US. Since 9/11, anxious hipster Joey (Eisenberg) has been haunted by survivor's guilt. Or -- maybe he's just co-opting a national tragedy to justify a decade of depression? A LITTLE PART OF ALL OF US also stars Justin Bartha (The Hangover trilogy, “The Good Fight”) as Ted, Joey's deadpan "friend." Stay tuned after the performance for a conversation between host Claudia Catania and the cast.

A LITTLE PART OF ALL OF US by Jesse Eisenberg (Re-Release)

Hamish Linklater

Michael C. Hall ("Dexter," Hedwig and The Angry Inch), Martha Plimpton ("The Good Wife," PoA's Gun Show), and actor-playwright Hamish Linklater (The Big Short, "Legion") star in NUDITY RIDER, a world-premiere comedy by Linklater.   The cameras are ready to roll on the set of a New Orleans basic cable show, but the high-strung leading man, Keith Saturday, has a problem: his most up-close-and-personal scene has been unexpectedly rescheduled for today. And he's been eating. A lot. Now, an incisive production assistant (Hall) and no-nonsense makeup artist (Plimpton) must battle the clock - and assuage Saturday's ego - to save the shoot. After the episode, host Claudia Catania joins the cast and director Moritz von Stuelpnagel (Broadway's Hand to God, Bernhardt/Hamlet) for an in-studio interview about writing for radio and what it takes to be a successful actor.     NUDITY RIDER is presented with the support of Fred Wistow.

Michael C. Hall ("Dexter," Hedwig and The Angry Inch), Martha Plimpton ("The Good Wife," PoA's Gun Show), and actor-playwright Hamish Linklater (The Big Short, "Legion") star in NUDITY RIDER, a world-premiere comedy by Linklater.   The cameras are ready to roll on the set of a New Orleans basic cable show, but the high-strung leading man, Keith Saturday, has a problem: his most up-close-and-personal scene has been unexpectedly rescheduled for today. And he's been eating. A lot. Now, an incisive production assistant (Hall) and no-nonsense makeup artist (Plimpton) must battle the clock - and assuage Saturday's ego - to save the shoot. After the episode, host Claudia Catania joins the cast and director Moritz von Stuelpnagel (Broadway's Hand to God, Bernhardt/Hamlet) for an in-studio interview about writing for radio and what it takes to be a successful actor.   NUDITY RIDER is presented with the support of Fred Wistow.

NUDITY RIDER by Hamish Linklater

Chiara Atik

"I just don't like you very much... Just. Middle of the road not liking you, I think."   In Chiara Atik's 52nd to Bowery to Cobble Hill, in Brooklyn, Halle is taking a late-night cab ride through Manhattan with her bubbly acquaintance Alison. Halle didn't mean to blurt out how she really feels about their "friendship," but now they're stuck in traffic on Broadway and 4th, dealing with it. Directed by  Adrienne Campbell-Holt (Colt Coeur), Atik's modern comedy features Molly Bernard ("Transparent," "Younger") and Sue Jean Kim (Bachelorette, Playwrights Horizons, Public Theater).

"I just don't like you very much... Just. Middle of the road not liking you, I think."   In Chiara Atik's 52nd to Bowery to Cobble Hill, in Brooklyn, Halle is taking a late-night cab ride through Manhattan with her bubbly acquaintance Alison. Halle didn't mean to blurt out how she really feels about their "friendship," but now they're stuck in traffic on Broadway and 4th, dealing with it. Directed by Adrienne Campbell-Holt (Colt Coeur), Atik's modern comedy features Molly Bernard ("Transparent," "Younger") and Sue Jean Kim (Bachelorette, Playwrights Horizons, Public Theater).

52ND TO BOWERY TO COBBLE HILL, IN BROOKLYN by Chiara Atik

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OwlTail

Best Parenting Podcasts

The best episodes for anyone looking to learn more about topics such as happiness, fulfillment, depression and psychology/mental health in general. With interviews with industry experts, personal stories of individuals, this topic has lessons applicable to everyone. Add episodes you're interested into your queue below!