So many thanks to Alyson Mead for your many conversations with compelling artists on behalf of LAFPI. A gifted playwright and arts advocate, Alyson is sorely missed. Now, take a listen to “What She Said.”
Jacqueline Goldfinger
January, 2019
Alyson Mead speaks with Jacqueline Goldfinger about designer babies, scientific advances, and her new play Babel, presented in a staged reading by Sacred Fools for one night only, on Sunday, January 27th.
Jami Brandli
December, 2018
Alyson Mead speaks with Jami Brandli about Greek mythology, theatrical mash-ups and manners in the time of Trump in her play Bliss: Or Emily Post is Dead!, a Moving Arts premiere at Atwater Village Theatre. (Her new play Sisters Three opens in LA on December 14th, produced by Inkwell Theater at VS. Theatre.)
Suzanne Bradbeer
October, 2018
Alyson Mead speaks with Suzanne Bradbeer about politics, ambition and her new play Confederates, one of two Hart New Play Initiative winners now playing at the Grove Theater Center in Burbank.
Maureen Huskey
October, 2018
Alyson Mead speaks with Maureen Huskey about finding your voice, identity and her play The Woman Who Went to Space as a Man, opening October 27th @ Son of Semele.
Inda Craig-Galván
August, 2018
Alyson Mead interviews playwright Inda Craig-Galván about questionable mothers, Carrie as a role model, and a better Scott Baio. The Playwrights’ Arena premiere of her play I Go Somewhere Else is at the Atwater Village Theater through September 17th.
Dorothy Fortenberry
May, 2017
Alyson Mead speaks with playwright Dorothy Fortenberry about Chekhov, the land, and indigenous plants as metaphor in her new play Species Native to California, an IAMA Theatre Company production currently playing at the Awater Village Theater.
Susan Rubin
February, 2017
Alyson Mead speaks with playwright Susan Rubin about life, love, mythology and the devil in her play Liana and Ben, currently playing at Circle X Theatre.
Deb Hiett
November, 2016
Alyson Mead speaks with playwright Deb Hiett about development, trusting “the soup,” and the alternate universes of game shows in her new work The Super Variety Match Bonus Round, a Rogue Machine Theatre production currently playing at the Met Theatre in Hollywood.
Laurel Wetzork
August, 2016
Alyson Mead speaks with playwright Laurel Wetzork about Nazi architecture, Los Angeles history and her play Blueprint for Paradise, currently playing at the Hudson Theatres through September 4th.
Miki Johnson
September, 2015
Alyson Mead speaks with Miki Johnson about monologues, ghosts and the power of objects in her new play American Falls, currently playing at the Atwater Village Theater, produced by The Echo Theater Company.
Aditi Kapil
August, 2015
Alyson Mead speaks with Aditi Kapil about displaced Indian Gods, the well-meaning imperialism of Captain Picard and her new play Shiv, currently playing at The Theatre @ Boston Court through August 9th.
Donna Thomas
June, 2015
Alyson Mead speaks with Donna Thomas about life in the South, improv and her inadvertent marriage to a Colombian drug lord in From Southern Belle to Mrs. Cartel, currently playing at iO West, as part of the Hollywood Fringe Festival.
Cyanne McClairian
June, 2015
Alyson Mead speaks with Cyanne McClairian about death, spirituality, the afterlife and Laurence Olivier as a guide through heaven’s waiting room in her new solo show I Died, I Came Back… Whatever, currently playing at the Complex Theater as part of the Hollywood Fringe Festival.
Erin Carere
June, 2015
Alyson Mead speaks with Erin Carere about the intersection of her classical opera singing background and stand-up comedy, which gave rise to her new show StandUpera, now playing at the Other Space Theatre as part of the Hollywood Fringe Festival.
Megan Dolan
June, 2015
Alyson Mead speaks with Megan Dolan about love, food, kids, memory and her solo show Snack, currently playing at Theatre Asylum as part of the Hollywood Fringe Festival.
(Consider joining us for a special LA FPI Night @ SNACK, where all box office sales benefit LA FPI! Book Your Seat Here, and use Code LAFPI for $10 tix when booking. Thanks for giving back, Megan!)
Chris DiGiovanni
June, 2015
Alyson Mead speaks with Chris DiGiovanni about cloning, mashups, genre-defying work and her new play at Theatre West, The Claw.
Jule Selbo
May, 2015
Alyson Mead speaks with playwright Jule Selbo about film noir, memory and her new play Boxes, currently playing at Theatre West.
Lauren Gunderson
April, 2015
Alyson Mead speaks with playwright Lauren Gunderson about Walt Whitman, universal oneness and her new play I And You, currently playing at the Fountain Theatre.
Leah Joki
April, 2015
Alyson Mead speaks with playwright and solo performer Leah Joki about unexpected career paths, men’s maximum security prisons and her new solo show Prison Boxing, currently playing at the Skylight Theater in Los Feliz.
Click Here for Amazon.com Link to Leah’s Book Juilliard to Jail
Lily Blau
February, 2015
Alyson Mead speaks with playwright Lily Blau about writer Charles Dodgson, his mysterious diary and her new work The Missing Pages of Lewis Carroll, currently playing at Boston Court.
Nandita Shenoy
February, 2015
Alyson Mead speaks with Nandita Shenoy about the independence of singlehood, the compromises of newly married life and the importance of a household appliance in her new play Washer/Dryer, playing at East West Players.
EM Lewis
December, 2014
Alyson Mead speaks with EM Lewis about the politics and realities of guns, and her new play The Gun Show, receiving its West Coast Premiere at LA’s Moving Arts.
Meryl Cohn
November, 2014
Alyson Mead speaks with Meryl Cohn about family, humor, tragedy and her new play Reasons to Live, currently playing at the Skylight Theater.
NOTE: Reasons to Live has just been extended thru December 14th!
Mariana Carreno King
November, 2014
Alyson Mead speaks with Mariana Carreno King about Lorca’s Yerma, devised theatre, and the living nature of art in her new play Patience, Fortitude and Other Antidepressants, playing at LATC as part of Encuentro 2014.
NOTE: Use code HOTTIX on link above for $10 tickets!
Karen Zacarias
October, 2014
Alyson Mead talks with playwright Karen Zacarias about art, sacrifice, motherhood and her new work Mariela in the Desert, currently playing as part of LATC’s Encuentro Festival.
Robin Bradford
October, 2014
Alyson Mead speaks with playwright Robin Bradford about the overwhelming problem of homelessness among female veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, the threat of sexual abuse, and her new work Low Hanging Fruit, currently playing at the Zephyr Theatre in West Hollywood.
NOTE from Alyson: I inadvertently said that Robin had work in the Heart of Autism Film Festival, when I meant the Heart of Austin Film Festival. I regret the error, and blame cough medicine.
Jessica Goldberg
October, 2014
Alyson Mead speaks with Jessica Goldberg about small towns, returning to the family, and her new play Better, currently produced by The Echo Theater Company at the Atwater Village Theater.
Meghan Gambling
June, 2014
Alyson Mead speaks with playwright Meghan Gambling about estrogen-heavy rooms, the illusion of control and how comedy is served when it’s lost in her play Bonnie’s Future Sisters, playing at the Actors Company as part of the Hollywood Fringe Festival.
Louisa Hill
June, 2014
Alyson Mead speaks with playwright Louisa Hill about third wave feminism, punk rock music and the power of ‘zines in her new play Riot Grrrl Saves the World, currently playing at Theatre Asylum, produced by Will Play for Food Theatre Group as part of the Hollywood Fringe Festival.
Sabina Ptasznik
June, 2014
Alyson Mead speaks with director Sabina Ptasznik about Maria Irene Fornes’ The Conduct of Life, currently staged by The Vagrancy at Theatre Asylum as part of the Hollywood Fringe Festival.
Ellen Geer & Melora Marshall
June, 2014
Alyson Mead speaks with Ellen Geer and Melora Marshall, currently co-directing a gender-reversed version of Shakespeare’s Lear at Theatricum Botanicum, about how the fall of kingdoms begins at home, and how the heightened language of the classics can help change the world.
Kimber Lee
May, 2014
Alyson Mead speaks with playwright Kimber Lee about family, place and distance in her new play different words for the same thing, playing at the Kirk Douglas Theatre.
Sheila Callaghan
May, 2014
Alyson Mead speaks with playwright Sheila Callaghan about the world of fashion, feminist identity and the need to be appreciated for physicality in her play Everything You Touch, currently playing at The Theatre @ Boston Court in Pasadena.
Allison Volk
March, 2014
Alyson Mead speaks with playwright Allison Volk about absurdism, chimpanzees and her new play Rite of Seymour, a Drive Theatre Company production currently playing at Son of Semele.
Madhuri Shekar
March, 2014
Alyson Mead speaks with playwright Madhuri Shekar about clashing partnering styles in a modern Hindu family, the messy nature of love, and her play A Nice Indian Boy, currently playing at East West Players.
Vickie Ramirez
February, 2014
Alyson Mead speaks with playwright Vickie Ramirez about loyalty, miscommunication, environmental stewardship and her new play Stand-Off at Hwy #37, playing at Native Voices at the Autry through March 16th.
Meagan Daine
January, 2014
Alyson Mead speaks with playwright Meagan Daine about mental illness, the danger of misdiagnosis, and tragedy in her new work And Know That I Am God, currently in development at The Road Theatre Company in North Hollywood.
Robyn Lynne Norris
December, 2013
Alyson Mead speaks with writer, improviser and comedienne Robyn Lynne Norris about crazy cat ladies, the wide open world online dating, and her show Undateable, running now at Second City in Hollywood.
Deena Selenow & Julie Taiwo Oni
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November, 2013
Alyson Mead speaks with Deena Selenow and Julie Taiwo Oni about experimental theatre, unlikely romances and the concept of being “mixed” in their new work Nat & Em, currently playing at the Alexandria in downtown LA as a Company of Angels production.
Leslie Hardy
November, 2013
Alyson Mead speaks with actress and playwright Leslie Hardy about life, loss and her new play A Good Grief, now playing at the Lounge Theatre in Hollywood.
Cynthia Hopkins
October, 2013
Alyson Mead speaks with multidisciplinary artist Cynthia Hopkins about climate change, the fragility of human life, and her new show This Clement World, appearing now at REDCAT.
Elena Hartwell
October, 2013
Alyson Mead speaks with playwright Elena Hartwell on A Strange Disappearance of Bees, Colony Collapse Disorder, and how the themes of isolation, loss and hope intertwine in this new work.
(Note: Jean Gilpin has replaced Marsha Waterbury in the run of this play at the Raven Playhouse.)
The Miss Julie Dream Project
September, 2013
Alyson Mead speaks with director Katie Chidester and Kyle T. Wilson of Fell Swoop Playwrights about their remounting of Fringe hit The Miss Julie Dream Project, adapting Strindberg, and the need to stay grounded amidst creative chaos.
The Miss Julie Dream Project plays through September 15 at Son of Semele Ensemble.
Jeanette Rizzi
July, 2013
Alyson Mead speaks with Jeannette Rizzi about her show Blindsided, and how great loss shaped her as a person and solo artist.
Premiering at the Hollywood Fringe, Blindsided plays for an extended run at the Hudson Theatres.
MisShapen
July, 2013
Alyson Mead speaks with the creators of MisShapen about body image, gender identity and the need for art to face these important issues at the Fringe and beyond.
Deborah Gross
June, 2013
Alyson Mead speaks with Deborah Gross about her play The Third Date, exes, Fringe, and why personal stories are always the funniest.
Lisa Ebersole
June, 2013
Alyson Mead speaks with playwright Lisa Ebersole about her new work Baby, playing at the Hollywood Fringe Festival, and why huge age differences and the struggle between life and death are the richest places to work for a writer.
Liz Femi
June, 2013
Alyson Mead speaks with playwright and performer Liz Femi about her solo
show Take Me to the Poorhouse, and making childhood dreams reality.
Lily Mercer
June, 2013
Alyson Mead speaks with playwright, actor and producer Lily Mercer about her Southern Gothic play Before A Fall, currently playing at the Hollywood Fringe Festival, and how the themes of trust, faith and pride shape her characters.
Anastasia Coon
June, 2013
Alyson Mead speaks with Anastasia Coon, whose show Gracie and Rose explores gender identity, visibility and the American West at the Hollywood Fringe
Festival.
Heidi Powers
June, 2013
Alyson Mead speaks with playwright and lyricist Heidi Powers, about finding good domestic help, modern vs. classic television, and what role Richard Simmons played in finding the perfect musical accompaniment to Heidi’s vision for The Real Housekeepers of Studio City.
Rati Gupta
June, 2013
Alyson Mead talks with playwright, performer & dancer Rati Gupta about her childhood in Indiana, identity, and trying to find the perfect teen movie role model in Not Another Teen Solo Show, currently playing at the Hollywood Fringe Festival.
Megan Ruble and Sinan Zafar
June, 2013
Alyson Mead speaks with Megan Ruble and Sinan Zafar about their modern interpretation of the character of Ophelia, and how one of Shakespeare’s most influential plays still continues to shape women’s lives.
O Fallen One is part of the 2013 Hollywood Fringe Festival.
Andrea Kuchlewska – Click Here
March, 2013
Alyson Mead speaks with playwright Andrea Kuchlewska about linguistics, the EST movement, and the incredible power of the word in her new play Complete, currently playing at the Matrix Theater in Hollywood.
Joanna Murray-Smith – Click Here
February, 2013
Alyson Mead speaks with playwright Joanna Murray-Smith about art, life, morality, chance meetings, suffering, and the pleasure of writing transformation in her new play The Gift.
Kathryn Graf – Click Here
January, 2013
Alyson Mead speaks with playwright Kathryn Graf about the surprises of dating again in middle age, and her new play The Snake Can.
Lynn Nottage – Click Here
October, 2012
Alyson Mead speaks with Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lynn Nottage about her new play By the Way, Meet Vera Stark at the Geffen Playhouse, and about racism and masquerading in 1930s Hollywood.
(NOTE: Lynn’s Intimate Apparel runs at the Pasadena Playhouse through December 2.)
Keliher Walsh – Click Here
September, 2012
Alyson Mead talks with playwright Keliher Walsh about the legacy of war and its inevitable counterpart, love. Her play Year of the Rabbit receives its world premiere at Ensemble Studio Theatre LA.
Sean Serino – Click Here
June, 2012
Alyson Mead speaks with playwright Sean Serino about her play Rue Royale, currently playing at the Hollywood Fringe Festival, and the rich theatrical life of New Orleans.
Nancy Eng – Click Here
June, 2012
Alyson Mead speaks with playwright Nancy Eng about her new play The Women of Tu-Na House at the Hollywood Fringe Festival, tenets of Asian identity, and her characters’ refusal to become victims.
Theresa Chavez & Rose Portillo – Click Here
May, 2012
Alyson Mead talks with playwrights Theresa Chavez and Rose Portillo about their new theatrical experience Evangeline, featuring songs from Los Lobos’ David Hidalgo and Louie Perez, now playing at Bootleg Theater.
Danai Gurira – Click Here
April, 2012
Alyson Mead speaks with Danai Gurira about her new play The Convert, the struggles of colonization, and continuing to define Africa’s identity in a way you won’t see on CNN.
Jill Charlotte Thomas – Click Here
March, 2012
Alyson Mead talks with playwright and poet Jill Charlotte Thomas about Charles Manson and his dark connection and possible shared history with coffee heiress Abigail Folger.
(Thomas’ play California Dreamin’ runs through March 11 at LA’s Met Theatre)
Valerie Dillman – Click Here
February, 2012
Alyson Mead talks with playwright Valerie Dillman about her play Sarah’s War, and the importance of social engagement as a means to healing.
Allison & Margaret Engel – Click Here
January, 2012
Alyson Mead speaks with former reporters and playwrights Allison & Margaret Engel about Molly Ivins, the spectre of war and politics, and their play Red Hot Patriot now playing at the Geffen Playhouse.
Lauren Yee – Click Here
November, 2011
Alyson Mead speaks with playwright Lauren Yee about her her work CHING CHONG CHINAMAN, and the search for cultural identity.
Susan Angelo – Click Here
September, 2011
Alyson Mead talks with director Susan Angelo about Theatricum Botanicum‘s new production of My Name is Rachel Corrie, and the importance of struggle for meaning in theater.
Cynthia Ling Lee – Click Here (Part 1 & Part 2)
June, 2011
Alyson Mead speaks with Cynthia Ling Lee about her multimedia piece Sunoh! Tell Me Sister featured in the National Asian American Theater Festival, as well as the importance of telling female stories, and recovering female voices.
May Lee-Yang – Click Here
June, 2011
Alyson Mead talks with playwright, prose writer, poet and performance artist May Lee-Yang about her show Ten Reasons Why I’d Be a Bad Porn Star, currently playing at the National Asian American Theater Festival, as well as her work in the Hmong community.
Hollywood Fringe – Click Here
June, 2011
Alyson Mead talks with Meghan McCauley and Stacy Jones from the Hollywood Fringe Festival about getting new and emerging work onstage, and the importance of community among artists.
Sarah Doyle – Click Here
June, 2011
Alyson Mead talks with polymath Sarah Doyle, whose play Feeling Feeling explores pain, relationships, and how excising one’s emotions may be the only sane way to cope with life’s various curveballs.
Rita O’Farrell – Click Here
Alyson Mead talks with Rita O’Farrell about her play Pedestrian at the Hollywood Fringe, the lure of violent video games, and how sometimes, everyone gets peed on.
Wendy Graf – Click Here
May, 2011
Alyson Mead talks with playwright Wendy Graf about her favorite themes of family, identity, as well as her newest work, No Word in Guyanese for Me.
Jane Anderson – Click Here (Part 1 & Part 2)
April, 2011
Alyson Mead talks with Jane Anderson about her provocative new play The Escort, the world of commissions, and how theater and television are natural partners.
photo by Barbara Green
Sofia Alvarez – Click Here
April, 2011
Alyson Mead talks to playwright Sofia Alvarez about her new play Between Us Chickens, her upcoming graduation from Julliard, and why her play could only have been set in Los Angeles.
NEWS! Between Us Chickens has moved to the Atwater Village Theater, and runs from May 20th through June 19th, in case you missed it at South Coast Rep!
Israela Margalit – Click Here
March, 2011
Alyson Mead speaks with playwright Israela Margalit about her play Trio, opening at the Lounge 2 Theatre in Hollywood.
Gina Gionfriddo – Click Here
February, 2011
Alyson Mead talks to award-winning playwright Gina Gionfriddo about her process, lessons learned, trials inTV land and her hit play Becky Shaw.
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