Spotlight | Tessa Leong

What happens when two global masters of stage and musical theatre sit down together? You get our very first Artists on Artists edition. Two actors. Two continents. One shared obsession with the truth. Welcome to HereWeAre’s Spotlight. Gabriel Schneider has wowed audiences from the Berliner Ensemble to stages in New York, Shanghai, and Adelaide. Ji Hyunjun is a South Korean powerhouse, soon to step into the director's chair. Together in Berlin, they dive into what it takes to lose yourself in a character, why empathy matters on stage, and how to fight for the truth of a single moment.

While global theatres struggle to compete with vertical content and streaming, one independent Sydney stage is thriving with an astonishing 76% core demographic aged 18 to 30. In this exclusive conversation led by Suzy Wrong, we explore Suzanne Millar's deep passion for championing young, diverse voices. As Co-Artistic Director of bAKEHOUSE Theatre and Creative Director of the vibrant KXT on Broadway, Suzanne continues to safeguard and shape the future of Australian theatre.

Marchánt Davis discovered his passion for acting early, inspired by the magic of movie musicals. On Broadway, he has starred in acclaimed productions like Ain’t No Mo’, The Great Society, and Good Night, Oscar. Beyond the stage, Marchánt has been one of the key contributors to the momentum behind the long-overdue revival of Alice Childress’s work. In this episode, he sits down with friend Francesca Fernandez to discuss why he refuses certain roles and why "minority" is a word that simply isn't in his vocabulary.

Hamburg-born actor Steven Adjei Sowah didn't just watch the The Lion King—he lived it. At just eleven years old, he stepped onto the stage for the musical’s German premiere as young Simba, a moment that sparked a lifelong passion for the craft. However, the path to the spotlight wasn't a straight line. Growing up in the impressive shadow of his father, the trailblazing Ghanaian filmmaker Adolphos Sowah, Steven first fulfilled a family promise: securing a law degree from Oxford before finally following his heart back to the stage.

What does it take to lead the future of Asian Australian arts scene? Suzy Wrong sits down with Tessa Leong—director, dramaturg, and Artistic Director of Contemporary Asian Australian Performance (CAAP)—to discuss her leadership in bringing authentic, contemporary stories to the stage through world-class performing arts.

A powerhouse of creativity, Mason Browne is a multidisciplinary designer and scenic artist known for his evocative visual storytelling. For the second instalment of the new Spotlight podcast season, we return to Sydney, where Suzy Wrong sits down with the distinguished First Nations image-maker. The conversation explores their celebrated career and long-held ambition to create a production backed by a Broadway budget.

Just before the pandemic, Lauren Yee’s CAMBODIAN ROCK BAND—winner of the Horton Foote Prize—ranked among the top ten most produced plays in America. To kick off the second season of the HereWeAre Spotlight podcast, Yee joins fellow San Franciscan Francesca Fernandez to explore the complexities of "Americanism." They discuss how her latest work, MOTHER RUSSIA, marks a return to a communist setting, fueled by Yee’s signature sharp and brilliantly witty humour.

Alex part II

Alex part I

Dino part II