The Scene Podcast

Guest: John Cameron MitchellWriter of Hedwig and the Angry InchDirector of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Shortbus, Rabbit Hole, How to Talk to Girls at PartiesAppeared as an Actor in Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Shortbus, The Twilight Zone, Head of the Class, Law & Order, Girls, The Good Fight, Yellowjackets, Shrill, and many others.John Cameron Mitchell Bio: John Cameron Mitchell’s Hedwig and the Angry Inch, written with Stephen Trask, made its debut on the stage of Squeezebox, a New York City rock ‘n’ roll drag bar. The show then premiered Off-Broadway, receiving rave reviews. He was awarded an Obie Award, a “New York Magazine” Award, a Drama League Award and the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Off-Broadway Musical. John’s film adaptation of Hedwig and the Angry Inch received directing and acting awards at festivals such as Sundance (Audience Award, Best Director), Berlin, Deauville, Seattle International, San Francisco International, and San Francisco’s Lesbian & Gay. The film was also honored by the National Board of Review, The L.A. Film Critics Association, “Premiere Magazine” and the Golden Globes (Nomination: Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy). He has received a Drama Desk Award Nomination for his role of Dickon in the Broadway production of The Secret Garden. Off-Broadway, Mitchell received an Obie Award and a Drama Desk Award Nomination for his role of Larry Kramer in The Destiny of Me. In Lincoln Center’s Hello Again, Mitchell received a Drama Desk Nomination. He also appeared in the original Broadway production of Six Degrees of Separation and as Huck Finn in the Broadway production of Big River. Mitchell adapted and directed Tennessee Williams’ Kingdom of Earth for New York’s Drama Dept. Theatre Company, of which he is a founding member.The Scene TeamJustin Borak - Host Zach Dulli - Executive Producer KJ Lampar - Producer Leah Barker - Producer & Talent CoordinatorJim Colleran - EditorAdditional music and sound effects licensed through Envato ElementsLinksBe sure to follow The Scene Podcast on Instagram and YouTubeSubscribe to The Scene NewsletterSpecial ThanksJennifer IsaacsonLauren KardosJeffery KeilholtzShow ContributorsLeah BarkerJustin BorakJim ColleranZach DulliKJ LamparJohn Cameron Mitchell The Scene TeamJustin Borak - Host Zach Dulli - Executive Producer KJ Lampar - Producer Leah Barker - Producer & Talent CoordinatorJim Colleran - Editor Additional music and sound effects licensed through Envato Elements LINKSBe sure to follow The Scene Podcast on Instagram and YouTubeSubscribe to The Scene Newsletter

Guest: Tracy WellsPlaywright ofWhistle Stop, Totally Murder!, Angels of Bataan, One Stoplight Town, A Night Under The Stars, Finding Corey Taylor, Happily Ever Before, The Man in the Brown Suit, Great Expectations, The Little Mermaid, Anne of Green Gables, Les Miserables, Pride and Prejudice, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Rotten Apples, Eclipse, A Trip To The Moon, Eerie Academy, Night of the Macabre, Swan Lake, Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, The Phantom of the Opera, The Tale of the Nutcracker, Emma, The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus, Spaghetti Western...Or Mission Im-Pasta-ble, and many more.Official Website: https://www.tracywellsplaywright.com/Tracy Wells Bio: Tracy Wells’ love of theater started at an early age when her parents took her to see big name shows in local community theaters.  She loved the characters, the scenery, the costumes, and most importantly, the beautiful stories that came to life before her eyes.  As a teenager, Tracy joined her high school drama department and got her own taste of small stage stardom—as well as her first glimpse into the challenges that schools and community theaters face, such as limited budgets, little to no stage or storage space, and the lack of scripts for large cast sizes. Upon entering adulthood, Tracy settled into life as a wife and mother, but the theater came calling again when her husband accepted a job as a junior high drama teacher.  Once again, those challenges presented themselves—little to no budget, a small stage with only a few working lights, and difficulty finding scripts with enough roles for his ever-increasing class numbers.  That is when playwriting entered Tracy’s life.  With the start of school quickly approaching, Tracy decided to pen her first one-act play, an adaptation of O. Henry’s “The Gift of the Magi”.  The play was well received by the students, and Tracy decided to seek publication for the script as well as continuing to write more one-act plays and eventually full-length plays as well. Tracy now has more than two hundred published plays and skits with a number of publishers and her plays have been produced all across the country as well as internationally.  When she writes a play, Tracy continues to keep in mind those challenges she recognized all those years ago on the high school stage—limited budget, small stages, and the desire to let each character shine.  Tracy continues to write plays for the youth and Christian market and resides with her husband and two children in Metro Detroit.The Scene TeamJustin Borak - Host Zach Dulli - Executive Producer KJ Lampar - Producer Leah Barker - Producer & Talent CoordinatorJim Colleran - EditorAdditional music and sound effects licensed through Envato ElementsLinksBe sure to follow The Scene Podcast on Instagram and YouTubeSubscribe to The Scene NewsletterSpecial ThanksJennifer IsaacsonLauren KardosJeffery KeilholtzShow ContributorsLeah BarkerJustin BorakJim ColleranZach DulliKJ LamparTracy Wells The Scene TeamJustin Borak - Host Zach Dulli - Executive Producer KJ Lampar - Producer Leah Barker - Producer & Talent CoordinatorJim Colleran - Editor Additional music and sound effects licensed through Envato Elements LINKSBe sure to follow The Scene Podcast on Instagram and YouTubeSubscribe to The Scene Newsletter

Episode NotesGuest: Keenan Scott II Playwright of Thoughts of a Colored ManOfficial Website: https://www.keenanscott.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keenanthemuse/Keenan Scott II Bio: Keenan Scott II is a playwright, poet, actor, director, and producer of original work from Queens, New York. His work has been workshopped and produced at notable theaters such as National Black Theater, New York Theater Workshop, Arena Stage, and Woolly Mammoth. After years of readings, workshops, and independent shows, ‘Thoughts of a Colored Man’ made its commercial world premiere at Syracuse Stage during the 2019-2020 season and transferred to Baltimore Center Stage to finish its regional run before settling at the Golden Theater during the 2021-2022 Broadway Season, where he made his writing and unconventional acting debut. Scott was chosen to be a part of the 2021 TED Fellow cohort to be among a global community of artists, inventors, and scientists. His new original musical The Return of Young Boy, started development at New York Stage & Film and has sights on the 2025-26 theater season for its regional stage debut. He has numerous stage plays and projects in television and film in various stages of development. In 2020, he formed Project Toys Entertainment, a dynamic and innovative company at the intersection of Theatre, TV, Film, Visual Art, and more. Project Toys is not just an ordinary production company; it is a creative art studio that embraces the spirit of childlike wonder and channels it into captivating experiences across multiple mediums. The mission is to bring joy, inspiration, and thought-provoking content to audiences of all ages, transcending boundaries and captivating hearts and minds.The Scene TeamJustin Borak - Host Zach Dulli - Executive Producer KJ Lampar - Producer Leah Barker - Producer & Talent CoordinatorJim Colleran - EditorAdditional music and sound effects licensed through Envato ElementsLINKSBe sure to follow The Scene Podcast on Instagram and YouTubeSubscribe to The Scene NewsletterSpecial ThanksJennifer IsaacsonLauren KardosJeffery KeilholtzShow ContributorsLeah BarkerJustin BorakJim ColleranZach DulliKJ LamparKeenan Scott II  The Scene TeamJustin Borak - Host Zach Dulli - Executive Producer KJ Lampar - Producer Leah Barker - Producer & Talent CoordinatorJim Colleran - Editor Additional music and sound effects licensed through Envato Elements LINKSBe sure to follow The Scene Podcast on Instagram and YouTubeSubscribe to The Scene Newsletter

Guest: Abe KooglerPlaywright of Deep Blue Sound, Staff Meal, Fulfillment Center, Kill Floor, Aspen Ideas, Lisa My Friend, and Blue Skies ProcessOfficial Website: https://www.abekoogler.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abekoogAbout Abe Koogler: Abe’s plays include Deep Blue Sound (Public Theatre), Staff Meal (Playwrights Horizons), Fulfillment Center (Manhattan Theatre Club, Obie Award), Kill Floor (Lincoln Center Theater), Aspen Ideas (Studio Theatre), Lisa My Friend (Kitchen Dog), and Blue Skies Process (Goodman Theatre). Abe has won an Obie Award in Playwriting, the Weissberger Award, the Dramatists Guild’s Lanford Wilson Award, and the Theater Master’s Standing Ovation Award. He earned graduate degrees in playwriting from UT-Austin and Juilliard. His plays have been directed by Arin Arbus, Morgan Green, Daniel Aukin, Lila Neugebauer, Les Waters, and Will Davis, among others. He also works as a political speechwriter. The Scene TeamJustin Borak - Host Zach Dulli - Executive Producer KJ Lampar - Producer Leah Barker - Producer & Talent CoordinatorJim Colleran - EditorAdditional music and sound effects licensed through Envato ElementsLINKSBe sure to follow The Scene Podcast on Instagram and YouTubeSubscribe to The Scene NewsletterSpecial ThanksJennifer IsaacsonLauren KardosJeffery KeilholtzShow ContributorsLeah BarkerJustin BorakJim ColleranZach DulliKJ LamparAbe Koogler The Scene TeamJustin Borak - Host Zach Dulli - Executive Producer KJ Lampar - Producer Leah Barker - Producer & Talent CoordinatorJim Colleran - Editor Additional music and sound effects licensed through Envato Elements LINKSBe sure to follow The Scene Podcast on Instagram and YouTubeSubscribe to The Scene Newsletter

Episode NotesGuest: John CarianiPlaywright ofAlmost, Maine, cul-de-sac, Last Gas, and Love/Sick.Broadway Credits: Fiddler on the Roof, Something Rotten!, The Band's Visit, and Caroline, or ChangeTelevision Credits Include: Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Law & Order, Numb3rs, Homeland, The Good Wife, The Blacklist, and The Marvelous Mrs. MaiselThe Scene TeamJustin Borak - Host Zach Dulli - Executive Producer KJ Lampar - Producer Leah Barker - Producer & Talent CoordinatorJim Colleran - EditorAdditional music and sound effects licensed through Envato ElementsLINKSBe sure to follow The Scene Podcast on Instagram and YouTubeSubscribe to The Scene NewsletterSpecial ThanksJennifer IsaacsonLauren KardosJeffery KeilholtzShow ContributorsLeah BarkerJustin BorakJim ColleranZach DulliKJ LamparJohn Cariani      The Scene TeamJustin Borak - Host Zach Dulli - Executive Producer KJ Lampar - Producer Leah Barker - Producer & Talent CoordinatorJim Colleran - Editor Additional music and sound effects licensed through Envato Elements LINKSBe sure to follow The Scene Podcast on Instagram and YouTubeSubscribe to The Scene Newsletter

Episode NotesGuest: John CarianiPlaywright of Almost, Maine, cul-de-sac, Last Gas, and Love/Sick.Broadway Credits: Fiddler on the Roof, Something Rotten!, The Band's Visit, and Caroline, or ChangeTelevision Credits Include: Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Law & Order, Numb3rs, Homeland, The Good Wife, The Blacklist, and The Marvelous Mrs. MaiselThe Scene TeamJustin Borak - Host Zach Dulli - Executive Producer KJ Lampar - Producer Leah Barker - Producer & Talent CoordinatorJim Colleran - EditorAdditional music and sound effects licensed through Envato ElementsLINKSBe sure to follow The Scene Podcast on Instagram and YouTubeSubscribe to The Scene NewsletterSpecial ThanksJennifer IsaacsonLauren KardosJeffery KeilholtzShow ContributorsLeah BarkerJustin BorakJim ColleranZach DulliKJ LamparJohn Cariani The Scene TeamJustin Borak - Host Zach Dulli - Executive Producer KJ Lampar - Producer Leah Barker - Producer & Talent CoordinatorJim Colleran - Editor Additional music and sound effects licensed through Envato Elements LINKSBe sure to follow The Scene Podcast on Instagram and YouTubeSubscribe to The Scene Newsletter

Guest: Kaela Mei-Shing GarvinOfficial Website - https://www.kaelameishinggarvin.com/Playwright of Tiger Beat, Ping Pong, Corners Grove, High School Coven, do this in [x] of, you know that feeling, Cap’s Last, Harpers Ferry, Call Out Culture: or, the unbearable whiteness of being, Pride and Prejudice, The Well-Tempered Clavier, and The Bakunawa.Guest Bio – Kaela Mei-Shing Garvin (they/she) is a playwright, theatermaker, educator and new work advocate drawn to messy truths, slippery timelines, and theatrical forms that refuse the expected. Kaela's plays distort time, poke at power, and explore identity through diaspora, queerness, and quick changes. Their work questions norms at the heart of the theatrical form — weaving nonlinear structure, questioning inherited systems, conjuring ghosts, magic, and 雲吞麵. Their plays have been published by DPS; honored by the Leah Ryan Prize, Bay Area Playwrights Festival, & the Kennedy Center; produced at the Know Theatre of Cincinnati & Strand Theater of Baltimore; and developed by theaters like Ma-Yi, 2ST, & the Alliance. They are currently Assistant Professor of Playwriting at Salem State University.The Scene TeamJustin Borak - Host Zach Dulli - Executive Producer KJ Lampar - Producer Leah Barker - Producer & Talent CoordinatorJim Colleran - EditorAdditional music and sound effects licensed through Envato ElementsLINKSBe sure to follow The Scene Podcast on Instagram and YouTubeSubscribe to The Scene NewsletterSpecial ThanksJennifer IsaacsonLauren KardosJeffery KeilholtzShow ContributorsLeah BarkerJustin BorakJim ColleranZach DulliKJ LamparKaela Mei-Shing Garvin The Scene TeamJustin Borak - Host Zach Dulli - Executive Producer KJ Lampar - Producer Leah Barker - Producer & Talent CoordinatorJim Colleran - Editor Additional music and sound effects licensed through Envato Elements LINKSBe sure to follow The Scene Podcast on Instagram and YouTubeSubscribe to The Scene Newsletter

Episode SummaryThis week, host Justin Boark sits down with award-winning playwright, director, and educator James Ijames, the creative force behind plays including Kill Move Paradise, The Most Spectacularly Lamentable Trial of Miz Martha Washington, and the Pulitzer Prize-winning, Tony-nominated Fat Ham. Their conversation digs into process, purpose, and the responsibility of telling stories that reshape the American stage. If you care about bold writing, fearless storytelling, and the next wave of theatrical innovationEpisode NotesGuestJames Ijames – @jwijames  | Official Website - https://www.jamesijames.com/Playwright of Abandon, Good Bones, Reverie, Youth, History of Walking, Matter Out of Place, Kill Move Paradise, White, Moon Man Walk, The Most Spectacularly Lamentable Trial of Miz Martha Washington, The Threshing Floor, Fat Ham, and TJ Loves Sally 4 Ever.Topics Covered• Acting, directing, and writing• Philadelphia, PA• The work of playwright August Wilson• Finding the comedy in Hamlet James Ijames Bio – James’ plays have been produced by Flashpoint Theater Company, Orbiter 3, Theatre Horizon, Wilma Theatre, Theatre Exile, Azuka Theatre (Philadelphia, PA), The National Black Theatre, JACK, The Public Theater (NYC), Hudson Valley Shakespeare Theater, Steppenwolf Theatre, Definition Theatre, Timeline Theater (Chicago IL) Shotgun Players (Berkeley, CA) and have received development with PlayPenn New Play Conference, The Lark, Playwright's Horizon, Clubbed Thumb, Villanova Theater, Wilma Theater, Azuka Theatre and Victory Garden. James is the 2011 F. Otto Haas Award for an Emerging Artist recipient, and two Barrymore Awards for Outstanding Direction of a Play for The Brothers Size with Simpatico Theatre Company and Gem of the Ocean with Arden Theatre. James is a 2015 Pew Fellow for Playwriting, the 2015 winner of the Terrance McNally New Play Award for WHITE, the 2015 Kesselring Honorable Mention Prize winner for ....Miz Martha, a 2017 recipient of the Whiting Award, a 2019 Kesselring Prize for Kill Move Paradise, a 2020 and 2022 Steinberg Prize, the 2022 Pulitzer Prize in Drama recipient and a 2023 Tony nominee for Best Play for Fat HamJames was a founding member of Orbiter 3, Philadelphia’s first playwright producing collective. He received a BA in Drama from Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA and an MFA in Acting from Temple University in Philadelphia, PA.The Scene TeamJustin Borak - Host Zach Dulli - Executive Producer KJ Lampar - Producer Leah Barker - Producer & Talent CoordinatorJim Colleran - EditorAdditional music and sound effects licensed through Envato ElementsLinksBe sure to follow The Scene Podcast on Instagram and YouTubeSubscribe to The Scene NewsletterSpecial ThanksJennifer IsaacsonLauren KardosJeffery KeilholtzShow ContributorsLeah BarkerJustin BorakJim ColleranZach DulliJames IjamesKJ Lampar The Scene TeamJustin Borak - Host Zach Dulli - Executive Producer KJ Lampar - Producer Leah Barker - Producer & Talent CoordinatorJim Colleran - Editor Additional music and sound effects licensed through Envato Elements LINKSBe sure to follow The Scene Podcast on Instagram and YouTubeSubscribe to The Scene Newsletter

This week on The Scene Podcast, we’re joined by writer, actor, and director Ngozi Anyanwu, whose work bridges generations, continents, and artistic disciplines. From her breakout play The Homecoming Queen to the deeply personal Good Grief and her acclaimed performance in The Last of the Love Letters, Ngozi brings a fierce emotional honesty to every story she tells. In this episode, she shares her journey from performer to playwright, how she captures the specificity of memory and migration, and why she’s driven to tell Black stories that aren’t centered in trauma but in complexity, joy, and love.Episode NotesGuestNgozi Anyanwu – @gozefacePlaywright of The Homecoming Queen, Good Grief, Nike or We Don’t Need Another HeroTopics Covered• From acting to writing: finding agency through authorship• Capturing the Nigerian American experience through character and rhythm• Emotional honesty and vulnerability in storytelling• Centering joy and nuance in Black narratives• Creating new pathways for Black women in theatre• Working across mediums: stage, screen, and beyondReferenced WorksThe Homecoming QueenGood GriefNike or We Don’t Need Another HeroThe Last of the Love Letters The Scene TeamJustin Borak - Host Zach Dulli - Executive Producer KJ Lampar - Producer Leah Barker - Producer & Talent CoordinatorJim Colleran - Editor Additional music and sound effects licensed through Envato Elements LINKSBe sure to follow The Scene Podcast on Instagram and YouTubeSubscribe to The Scene Newsletter

This week on The Scene Podcast, we’re joined by playwright Jonathan Spector, whose work blends sharp political insight with dark humor and daring theatricality. From Eureka Day to This Much I Know, Jonathan has built a reputation for tackling polarizing subjects with nuance, empathy, and a touch of absurdity. In this conversation, recorded prior to his 2025 Tony Award win, we talk about writing satire in polarized times, the Bay Area as a creative influence, and how he builds plays that ask big questions without prescribing easy answers. Episode NotesGuest - Jonathan Spector – @spectoramaPlaywright - Eureka Day, This Much I Know, and Good. Better. Best. Bested.Special Note: This episode was recorded prior to Jonathan’s Tony Award win, so it is not discussed in the interview.Topics CoveredSatire, sensitivity, and writing in the age of disinformationHow the Bay Area informs his aesthetic and political lensThe development journey of Eureka Day from regional theater to Off-Broadway to LondonWriting characters with clashing ideologies but shared humanityThe value of ambiguity and open-ended storytellingCreating work that meets audiences halfway without moralizing The Scene TeamJustin Borak - Host Zach Dulli - Executive Producer KJ Lampar - Producer Leah Barker - Producer & Talent CoordinatorJim Colleran - Editor Additional music and sound effects licensed through Envato Elements LINKSBe sure to follow The Scene Podcast on Instagram and YouTubeSubscribe to The Scene Newsletter