Episodes
In this ninth Episode of Public Square 2.0, the re-launch of The Public Theater’s podcast, Public Square, host Garlia Cornelia Jones speaks to leaders in the industry about the future of theater and digital spaces. For our Season Finale, Garlia sits down with Oskar Eustis, Artistic Director of The Public Theater for an inside look on the responsibilities of an artistic director. She also speaks with Scarlett Kim, Associate Artistic Director and Director of Innovation and Strategy at Oregon...
Published 06/15/23
Published 06/15/23
In this eighth Episode of Public Square 2.0, the re-launch of The Public Theater’s podcast, Public Square, we share a recording of the May 1, 2023 Public Shakespeare Initiative’s Shakespeare Talks event, Let’s Talk About Hamlet. Recorded live in Joe’s Pub, this was a conversation with Saheem Ali, Ato Blankson-Wood, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Sam Waterston, moderated by Ayanna Thompson. Host Garlia Cornelia Jones, The Public’s new and first ever Director of Innovation and New Media, introduces the...
Published 06/01/23
In this seventh Episode of Public Square 2.0, the re-launch of The Public Theater’s podcast, Public Square, we take a look at James Ijames' Pulitzer Prize-winning play, FAT HAM. After its wildly successful onstage premiere at The Public Theater in 2022, Fat Ham transferred to Broadway with its entire cast from The Public, where it is currently running and has been nominated for five Tony Awards, including Best Play. Host Garlia Cornelia Jones speaks with Saheem Ali (Director), Marcel Spears...
Published 05/18/23
In 2021, The Public Theater released an audio-only version of Erika Dickerson-Despenza’s play, shadow/land. Alongside that audio play were several podcast episodes of a series called “The Clearing,” that added additional context to the audio production. Now in 2023, shadow/land has come to the in-person stage of The Public, and we are re-releasing the episodes of “The Clearing” as a part of Public Square 2.0, with host Garlia Cornelia Jones bringing some additional context. "The Clearing,"...
Published 05/10/23
 In this sixth Episode of Public Square 2.0, the re-launch of The Public Theater’s podcast, Public Square, we take a look at Mobile Unit’s bilingual production of THE COMEDY OF ERRORS. Host Garlia Cornelia Jones speaks with Praycious Wilson-Gay (Interim Director, Mobile Unit), Freedome Bradley-Ballentine (Associate Artistic Director/Director of Artistic Programs), Julián Mesri (Music & Lyrics, Adapter, Music Director, Spanish Translations for THE COMEDY OF ERRORS), and Rebecca Martínez...
Published 05/04/23
  In 2021, The Public Theater released an audio-only version of Erika Dickerson-Despenza’s play, shadow/land. Alongside that audio play were several podcast episodes of a series called “The Clearing,” that added additional context to the audio production. Now in 2023, shadow/land has come to the in-person stage of The Public, and we are re-releasing the episodes of “The Clearing” as a part of Public Square 2.0, with host Garlia Cornelia Jones bringing some additional context. "The...
Published 05/02/23
In 2021, The Public Theater released an audio-only version of Erika Dickerson-Despenza’s play, shadow/land. Alongside that audio play were several podcast episodes of a series called “The Clearing,” that added additional context to the audio production. Now in 2023, shadow/land has come to the in-person stage of The Public, and we are re-releasing the episodes of “The Clearing” as a part of Public Square 2.0, with host Garlia Cornelia Jones bringing some additional context. "The Clearing,"...
Published 04/25/23
Description: In this fifth Episode of Public Square 2.0, the re-launch of The Public Theater’s podcast, Public Square, we take a look at SHADOW/LAND by Erika Dickerson-Despenza. Host Garlia Cornelia Jones speaks with Jill M. Vallery (Movement Director), Delfeayo Marsalis (Composer), and Jeanette Oi-Suk Yew (Lighting Designer) about their creative processes in bringing SHADOW/LAND to the stage. COMING SOON: Stay tuned as we will be relaunching the ancillary content from the audio play version...
Published 04/20/23
In this fourth Bonus Episode of Public Square 2.0, the re-launch of The Public Theater’s podcast, Public Square, we drop in on the “What Do You Know: Reflections from Indigenous Artists” event, held in connection with The Public and Woolly Mammoth’s production of Where We Belong by Madeline Sayet. Part 2 of this 2 part series features playwrights’ Tomas Endter (Nehithaw) and Vickie Ramirez (Tuscarora) as they share from scripts in progress and join host Garlia Cornelia Jones in...
Published 04/06/23
 In this third Bonus Episode of Public Square 2.0, the re-launch of The Public Theater’s podcast, Public Square, we drop in on the “What Do You Know: Reflections from Indigenous Artists” event, held in connection with The Public and Woolly Mammoth’s production of Where We Belong by Madeline Sayet. Part 1 of this 2 part series features playwrights Ty Defoe (Ghiizig) and Drew Woodson (Te-Moak Band of Western Shoshone) as they share from scripts in progress and join Host Garlia Cornelia Jones in...
Published 03/23/23
Public Square 2.0 - Bonus Episode 2 “Hansberry & Baldwin in the Building”   Description: In this 2nd Bonus Episode of the Public Square 2.0, the re-launch of The Public Theater’s Podcast, “Public Square.” We give you a front row seat to a conversation from one of our Fall Productions, Baldwin and Buckley at Cambridge, a co-production with Elevator Repair Service (ERS). The show was directed by ERS founder, John Collins, and conceived and performed by Greig Sargeant, along with...
Published 03/09/23
In our 3rd consecutive episode of the month, we honor Black History Month with a look at the Unsung Stars of The Public Theater community.  This episode had support from members of the Black History Month committee.  This episode contains two feature interviews with two Public Theater Unsung Stars, Costume Designer and Project Runway Alum, Emilio Sosa and Stage Manager, Professor, Facilitator and more, Narda E. Alcorn.  We touched on their careers and projects, how they came to their...
Published 02/28/23
Perry Henzell’s breakthrough film, THE HARDER THEY COME premiered in 1972, showing a side of Jamaican culture never seen before on the screen by Jamaicans or around the world. Over 50 years later, this groundbreaking film is a new musical adaptation with a book by Suzan-Lori Parks (Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, The Public’s Writer-in-Residence). This episode pulls apart the cultural nuances and underbelly of a culture not often examined in a theatrical setting. Join us as we dive...
Published 02/16/23
During the fall of 2022, The Public Theater mounted an American classic, Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun directed by Tony Award nominee, Robert O’Hara and featuring Tony Award winner Tonya Pinkins as Lena Younger. In our second full episode this season, Host Garlia Cornelia Jones, Director, Innovation and New Media, sits down with Joi Gresham, Director and Trustee of the Lorraine Hansberry Literary Trust and Robert O’Hara, to discuss Lorraine, ghosts, and the pressure of fighting the...
Published 02/09/23
In this 1st Episode Bonus Episode of the Public Square 2.0, the re-launch of The Public Theater’s Podcast, “Public Square.” We give you a front row seat to a conversation from one of our Fall Productions, Lorraine Hansberry’s “A Raisin in the Sun”.  On Friday, October 21, 2022, Dr. Imani Perry and Tracy Heather Strain, were in conversation following a performance.  The evening was in partnership with the Lorraine Hansberry Initiative.  Host Garlia Cornelia Jones, The Public’s new and first...
Published 01/26/23
In this 1st Episode of the Public Square 2.0, the re-launch of The Public Theater’s Podcast, “Public Square.” Host Garlia Cornelia Jones, The Public’s new and first ever Director of Innovation and New Media, introduces us to the new format, and sits down with long-time Writer in Residence, Suzan-Lori Parks, as well as our retiring Production Executive, Ruth Sternberg.   Each episode, we will continue to guide you through a behind the scenes look as we connect with artists and staff.  Welcome...
Published 12/20/22
Join us for Public Square 2.0, the re-launch of The Public Theater’s Podcast, “Public Square.” For our second season, Host Garlia Cornelia Jones, The Public’s new and first ever Director of Innovation and New Media, will continue to guide you through a behind the scenes look as we connect with artists and staff.  Welcome home, to Public Square—we can’t wait to have you back!  Stay Tuned for Episodes, wherever you find your podcasts. Visit our Podcast webpage for the video version of the...
Published 11/03/22
From open air to on the air - RICHARD II comes to the radio courtesy of WNYC!  Multi-hyphenate artist Alec Stephens III sits down with RICHARD II director Saheem Ali and Shakespeare scholar Ayanna Thompson to interrogate the relevance of the Bard's work amidst a pandemic and the surge of the Black Lives Matter movement, and why shifting from a stage production to a radio play may be the future for audience accessibility. 
Published 07/17/20
May is Asian and Pacific Islander American Heritage Month, so we sat down with Francis Jue, Kendyl Ito, and Jaygee Macapugay to reflect on their experiences in Soft Power, Wild Goose Dreams, and what it means to be an artist in a time that is uniquely difficult for theater, and especially for Asian Americans. We also talk about representation, creating new work, and some unexpected dream roles for the future. 
Published 05/01/20
In this episode, we sit down with Pentagram partner and world-renowned designer Paula Scher to dive into her 25+ year long love affair with The Public and hurdles that identity designers must face in an ever changing landscape.
Published 04/20/20
In this episode, we chat with Company Dramaturg Jesse Cameron Alick and Director of New Artists Jack Phillips Moore about what it means to develop new work for the theater, their advice for aspiring artists, and why dramaturgy, like love, is an action. Hosted by Reynaldi Lindner Lolong and Fernando Masterson Featuring Jesse Cameron Alick and Jack Phillips Moore
Published 04/06/20
Bryan Joseph Lee, head of our Public Forum program, talks with us about all the ways that we create space for conversation and engagement around the work on our stages, ranging from our free monthly Civic Salon series to a mobile tour around the city. We also explore what it means to make these spaces more equitable, both from the artistic and administrative perspective.  We debrief a little about Under The Radar, and Props Master Jay Duckworth explains why the best thing about creating props...
Published 02/26/20
This month we're putting the spotlight on roles that happen behind the scenes to make the work possible. Stage Managers Alyssa Howard (For Colored Girls...) and Buzz Cohen (A Bright Room Called Day) tell us why being a stage manager is like "dancing with the play", and Operations Associate Mariana Ortiz shares the connection between facilities, operations, and the artistic process.  Episode music by Michael Friedman Hosted by Reynaldi Lindner Lolong and Fernando Masterson Featuring Buzz...
Published 12/04/19
It's November, which means it's time to announce the 16th annual Under The Radar Festival! We sit down with Under The Radar Artistic Director Mark Russell to talk about what it means to curate a festival of experimental, innovative, and international theater. We also share a song by Joe's Pub fave and UTR artist Rizo, and we ponder the idea of Sondheim as web developer.
Published 11/01/19