James Elden's Playwright's Spotlight

Playwright Spotlight features a new playwright every episode to discuss the tools of the trade and solutions to the obstacles we face as writers in hopes of making us all better and more successful playwrights.

James Elden's Playwright's Spotlight is a arts podcast hosted by James Elden, with 131 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

James Elden hosts James Elden's Playwright's Spotlight, a arts show with 131 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #1

  Finding the Arc, Unconventional Stage Directions, and Successful Marketing and Pitches - Playwright's Spotlight with Cameron Scott (Part 2 - In Person)

  Aug 18, 20261h 18mS6

  Send us Fan Mail Cameron Scott has worked with Broadway’s top producers to create brand campaigns for well over 100 productions including 17 Tony Award-winning Best Plays, Best Musicals, and Best Revivals. He has recently turned to writing plays of his own. Since the fall of 2022, he has had plays produced from the coasts of California to Connecticut, among them a Best in Festival winner at Wilmington Drama League and the winning play from Delaware at ESTAFest 2023. He has had work published in multiple anthologies including an excerpt from his play Uphill which was published in The Best Men’s Stage Monologues 2023 by Smith & Kraus. His audio drama West PalmReaders appeared internationally on the Apple Podcasts Charts in 49 countries last summer, including multiple #1's in Drama and thirteen Top 10's in Drama, including in the USA. He has worked with professional and amateur theater companies alike such as Legacy Theatre in Connecticut, The Road Theatre Company in North Hollywood and Rhode Island Stage Ensemble. Other plays include Forty Years Kings; Happ’s Last Tape; and That Day is Coming, Everyday is Coming. To watch the video format of this episode, visit - https://youtu.be/e5uPPs0qm_Q Links to sites and resources mentioned in this episode - The Road Theatre Annual Summer Playwrights Festival - https://roadtheatre.org/event/spf/ GI60 - http://gi60.blogspot.com/ New York City Playwrights - https://www.nycplaywrights.org/ Campfire Radio Theatre - https://campfireradiotheater.podbean.com/ Gather by the Ghost Light - https://www.gatherbytheghostlight.com/ New Jersey Web Festival - https://www.newjerseywebfest.com/ Websites and socials for James Elden, Punk Monkey Productions and Playwright's Spotlight Punk Monkey Productions - www.punkmonkeyproductions.com PLAY Noir - www.playnoir.com PLAY Noir Anthology – www.punkmonkeyproductions.com/contact.html James Elden - Twitter - @jameseldensauer IG - @alakardrake FB - fb.com/jameseldensauer Punk Monkey Productions and PLAY Noir - Twitter - @punkmonkeyprods - @playnoirla IG - @punkmonkeyprods - @playnoir_la FB - fb.com/playnoir - fb.com/punkmonkeyproductions Playwright's Spotlight - Twitter - @wrightlightpod IG - @playwrights_spotlight Playwriting services through Los Angeles Collegiate Playwrights Festival www.losangelescollegiateplaywrightsfestival.com/services.html Support the show

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  Episode #24

  High Floors, Slips, and Theatre of the Absurd - Playwright's Spotlight with Brian Brijbag

  Jul 21, 20261h 8mS5

  Send us Fan Mail Brian S. Brijbag is an award-winning playwright, author, and actor whose work has been produced across New York City, Florida, and beyond. His plays — among them Love, Lysol, and Other Delusions, On the Likelihood of Elephants, Fireflies & Fault Lines, and Funeral of god — are written in his signature Elegant Anarchy style and have been staged at festivals from the Players Theatre and Broadway Bound in NYC to Stage West and the Tampa Bay Theatre Festival. To watch the video format of this episode visit - https://youtu.be/FVic-udNa2Q For tickets for Funeral of god, July 30th through August 2nd with The Broadway Bound Theatre Fest at the AMT Theater in New York City visit - https://broadwayboundtheatrefestival.ludus.com/index.php For tickets to One Seat Over with the 2026 New Works Festival at Stage West Playhouse in Spring Hill, Florida, visit - https://events.ticketleap.com/events/stage-west-playhouse To purchase copies of books by Brian Brijbag, visit - https://www.amazon.com/s?i=stripbooks&rh=p_27%3ABrian%2BS.%2BBrijbag&s=relevancerank&text=Brian+S.+Brijbag&ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1 Websites and socials for Brian Brijbag - https://brianbrijbagauthor.com https://chaosandcraft.com/about/ IG - @brianbrijbag Twitter/X - @brianbrigbag TikTok - @brianbrijbag Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/brianbrijbag.bsky.social New Play Exchange - https://newplayexchange.org/users/99428/brian-brijbag Websites and socials for James Elden, Punk Monkey Productions and Playwright's Spotlight Punk Monkey Productions - www.punkmonkeyproductions.com PLAY Noir - www.playnoir.com PLAY Noir Anthology – www.punkmonkeyproductions.com/contact.html James Elden - Twitter - @jameseldensauer IG - @alakardrake FB - fb.com/jameseldensauer Punk Monkey Productions and PLAY Noir - Twitter - @punkmonkeyprods - @playnoirla IG - @punkmonkeyprods - @playnoir_la FB - fb.com/playnoir - fb.com/punkmonkeyproductions Playwright's Spotlight - Twitter - @wrightlightpod IG - @playwrights_spotlight Playwriting services through Los Angeles Collegiate Playwrights Festival www.losangelescollegiateplaywrightsfestival.com/services.html Support the show

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  Episode #23

  Hiding Secrets, Embracing Overwriting, Submission Hoops, and the End of Art(?) - Playwright's Spotlight with Amanda Stamm

  Jul 14, 20261h 20mS5

  Send us Fan Mail Amanda Stamm is a playwright and actress. She is an alumnus of Atlantic Acting School, the Summer Program at Stella Adler, and has a BFA in Musical Theatre from Nebraska Wesleyan University. She a founding member of Bluebird Theatre Company and currently serves as Director of Finance. For tickets to Significant Contacts at The Maker's Space in Brooklyn, New York from July 13th through July 16th, visit - https://makersensemble.org/the-makers-space For links and resources mentioned in this episode - Blue Bird Theatre Co - https://www.bluebirdtheatre.org The Maker's Ensemble - https://makersensemble.org/home Website and socials for Amanda Stamm - https://www.amandamaestamm.com IG - @amandamaestamm TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@amandastamm2 Websites and socials for James Elden, Punk Monkey Productions and Playwright's Spotlight Punk Monkey Productions - www.punkmonkeyproductions.com PLAY Noir - www.playnoir.com PLAY Noir Anthology – www.punkmonkeyproductions.com/contact.html James Elden - Twitter - @jameseldensauer IG - @alakardrake FB - fb.com/jameseldensauer Punk Monkey Productions and PLAY Noir - Twitter - @punkmonkeyprods - @playnoirla IG - @punkmonkeyprods - @playnoir_la FB - fb.com/playnoir - fb.com/punkmonkeyproductions Playwright's Spotlight - Twitter - @wrightlightpod IG - @playwrights_spotlight Playwriting services through Los Angeles Collegiate Playwrights Festival www.losangelescollegiateplaywrightsfestival.com/services.html Support the show

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  Episode #22

  Defining Spectacle, Writing More to Get Better, and Bringing Humor to Serious Situations - Playwright's Spotlight with Erik Patterson

  Jul 7, 20261h 9mS5

  Send us Fan Mail Erik Patterson dropped into Playwright's Spotlight before the opening of his upcoming play - Fucking Strangers. In this discussion, Erik shares his start into playwriting, what makes a bad play, the definition of "spectacle", achieving reversal, and pushing forward as a playwright. We also unpack developing ideas, using prompts, expectations from feedback, the disdain for "The Play That Goes Bad" series, what can be learned from student playwrights, the remedy for never-ending dialogue, and when it's time for a monologue. We wrap our talk up with trying new things, how to bring humor into serious situations, his steps after graduating, the benefits of volunteering and networking, avoiding coming off desperate, waiting for permission, and finessing one's work during rehearsals. Erik offers a lot of insightful information that playwrights from every level can take something from. Enjoy! For tickets to Fucking Strangers at The Echo Theater Company July 18th through August 24th, visit - https://echotheatercompany.ludus.com/show_page.php?show_id=200519152 For tickets to Faggots in Love at Theater of Note, visit - https://theatreofnote.ludus.com/show_page.php?show_id=200534559 Erik Patterson is an award-winning playwright and screenwriter whose plays One of the Nice Ones (Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Playwriting) and Handjob were previously produced by The Echo Theater Company. Patterson’s work has been produced/developed by such theaters as Playwrights' Arena, the LATC, The Actors' Gang, Naked Angels, Mark Taper Forum, Provincetown Theater Company, and New Group, and have been nominated for Ovation, Stage Raw, LA Weekly, and GLAAD Media awards. To watch the video format of this episode, visit - https://youtu.be/7-XRfC0tuz8 Links to sites and resources mentioned in this episode - Echo Theater Company - https://www.echotheatercompany.com Theatre of Note - https://www.theatreofnote.com Actors' Gang - https://theactorsgang.com/ Socials for Erik Patterson - IG - @erikrosspatterson TikTok - @yourdailywritingprompt YouTube - @YourDailyWritingPrompt Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/erikpatterson?utm_source=search Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/stores/Erik-Patterson/author/B09H561S9X?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1783401980&sr=8-1&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&ccs_id=45cc4248-c6e8-4f99-8415-9a8e48f0fd4e Websites and socials for James Elden, Punk Monkey Productions and Playwright's Spotlight Punk Monkey Productions - www.punkmonkeyproductions.com PLAY Noir - www.playnoir.com PLAY Noir Anthology – www.punkmonkeyproductions.com/contact.html James Elden - Twitter - @jameseldensauer IG - @alakardrake FB - fb.com/jameseldensauer Punk Monkey Productions and PLAY Noir - Twitter - @punkmonkeyprods - @playnoirla IG - @punkmonkeyprods - @playnoir_la FB - fb.com/playnoir - fb.com/punkmonkeyproductions Playwright's Spotlight - Twitter - @wrightlightpod IG - @playwrights_spotlight Playwriting services through Los Angeles Collegiate Playwrights Festival www.losangelescollegiateplaywrightsfestival.com/services.html Support the show

  ListenShow Notes
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  Episode #21

  Katherine Hepburn, Avoiding Success, and the Fascinating Story of a Playwriting Actor - Playwright's Spotlight with Marc Mantell

  Jun 30, 20261h 4mS5

  Send us Fan Mail Playwright Marc Mantell stopped by Playwright's Spotlight after directing the production of Dr. Freud, I Presume written by recent Spotlight guest - Donna Scarantino. Marc's playwriting journey is nothing short of fascinating, and this discussion is unlike anything any past interview or any episode down the road. While I tried to unpack Marc's process, I was met with stories of a journey ill-remembered, as if the Muses were always at his beck and call and each play appeared on the page. We open with the history of his first play Nobody's Home from it Katherine Hepburn's letter in 1984 to its winning Best Play at the Road Theater in 2014. We delve into his journey into playwriting, how the age of his characters in Nobody's Home prevented future productions, his continual ability to "avoid" success, and what happens after a break in playwriting as well as pushing forward to "what's next". We talk about his success without Rae Allen, writing in an age without technology, writing musicals, his experience in Bogota, Columbia, how his playwriting influences his directing, and moving away from past projects. Marc is a charming personality and enigma whose story is captivating and well worth listening to. Enjoy! Marc Mantell is playwright, director, and screenwriter and holds a BFA in Theatre Arts from New York University. He has written lyrics and libretto for several musicals including “Quadroon” (music/lyrics: Joe Sample and Jonathan Brooke) which premiered in Houston, Texas, and “Por Siempre Navidad” (music: Maria Isabel Murillo) which played two consecutive seasons in Bogota, Columbia. His play "Nobody's Home" WINNER of the ROAD THEATRE COMPANY: BEST PLAY...SUMMER PLAYWRIGHT'S FESTIVAL 2014. Other plays include Apartments, Duck Dancing, Identical Twins From Baltimore, and Madly in Love. Links to sites and resources mentioned in this episode - https://roadtheatre.org Contact information and socials for Marc Mantell - FB - https://www.facebook.com/marc.mantell Websites and socials for James Elden, Punk Monkey Productions and Playwright's Spotlight Punk Monkey Productions - www.punkmonkeyproductions.com PLAY Noir - www.playnoir.com PLAY Noir Anthology – www.punkmonkeyproductions.com/contact.html James Elden - Twitter - @jameseldensauer IG - @alakardrake FB - fb.com/jameseldensauer Punk Monkey Productions and PLAY Noir - Twitter - @punkmonkeyprods - @playnoirla IG - @punkmonkeyprods - @playnoir_la FB - fb.com/playnoir - fb.com/punkmonkeyproductions Playwright's Spotlight - Twitter - @wrightlightpod IG - @playwrights_spotlight Playwriting services through Los Angeles Collegiate Playwrights Festival www.losangelescollegiateplaywrightsfestival.com/services.html Support the show

  ListenShow Notes

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