Season 5 Episode 2 of The Dramatists Guild Presents: TALKBACK podcast is now available to download!
Playwrights Diana Burbano and Jason Ma speak with Talkback host Christine Toy Johnson about the interaction between language and the expanding definition of the American theatre canon. They discuss the challenges of using playwriting software when writing shows that utilize non-Western languages, what it's like to write for audiences for whom English is a second language, how deeper meanings can get lost when certain texts are translated into English, and more.
In the fifth season of The Dramatists Guild Presents: Talkback, which launched on October 23, we examine how we can challenge the status quo. Our six episodes explore how we can expand the canon and reconsider which plays are taught, read, programmed, and used to define the idea of what constitutes a classic in American theatre. How can we be intentional in the ways that we make space for diverse, and inclusive stories, while also reimagining the often produced ones, so that the American landscape of storytelling is truly reflective of the gorgeous tapestry of people who inhabit it?
This season of Talkback was produced by Amy VonMacek and Christine Toy Johnson, with postproduction by John Marshall Media. The music is composed by Andrea Daly. Talkback is a production of the Dramatists Guild of America and is distributed by The Broadway Podcast Network.