We are excited to welcome BJ Jones, Artistic Director of Northlight Theatre in Skokie, IL. Northlight is among the largest non-profit theaters in the Chicago area, known for their commitment to contemporary works and their extensive youth education program. In this episode, we discuss the current evolution of regional theater, balancing audience wants with your own artistic vision, the art of "timing the moment" with new and relevant work, and what the future holds for theaters (and audiences) across America. Check out Northlight's 2025-26 season.

Summertime means outdoor theater! We discuss the productions we're excited to see at some of our favorite summer theaters. We also dive into the 2025-26 season announcements from Wisconsin theaters, and share what we'll be checking out in the year to come.

We tackle the sudden and rapidly-shrinking landscape of government arts funding - and what it means for organizations trying to stay afloat without compromising their values. From disappearing grants to the risks involved for the artists and companies that are sitting out (and speaking out), this conversation is candid, urgent, and eye-opening. But amid the challenges, we also take a hopeful look toward solutions to help change the tide. A tough topic, but one worth confronting - the future of the arts may depend on it.

It's season announcement time for theaters across the country, and we're excited to share our slate for the 2025-26 season! A common question we get is, "how do you choose your plays?" We talk about the decision process behind selecting these four productions, and how they fit together in the grand scheme. The 2025-26 season at Forward Theater. Season tickets now available at ForwardTheater.com. PRIMARY TRUST by Eboni Booth Directed by Mikael Burke September 4-21, 2025 GUTENBERG! THE MUSICAL! by Scott Brown & Anthony King Directed by Jen Uphoff Gray November 6-23, 2025 IRONBOUND by Martyna Majok Directed by Marcella Kearns Jan 29 - Feb 15, 2026 LADY DISDAIN by Lauren Gunderson Directed by Jen Uphoff Gray April 9-26, 2026

Jen Uphoff Gray welcomes Kait Kerrigan and Nathan Tysen, writer and lyricist of Broadway's THE GREAT GATSBY! In this episode, this musical power couple shares their insight into the broken pipeline of musical theater development, which leaves countless new works stuck in limbo. We discuss the roadblocks that prevent fresh stories from reaching American audiences and why regional theaters hesitate to take the leap. But it’s not all bad news - we also explore real solutions for making the pipeline more accessible, sustainable, and artist-friendly. A candid, insightful conversation about the future of musical theater and what it will take to get new voices heard. Bonus:

Kait and Nathan reference the types of grants and financial assistance that keeps many writers afloat while they create America's next musical sensation. Here's a link to the Dramatists Guild resource directory of Grants & Fellowships.

This episode was inspired by a VERY spirited conversation we recently had, centered around a particular play and whether it would be a good choice for a future season. This debate required us to evaluate our relationship with our audiences - how do we meet them where they are, and how do we bring them along with challenging material while creating a welcoming and community-centered environment? As theaters across the country work toward building new audiences, what's the best balance between leading and listening?

*This episode went missing late last year! It is officially Episode 113. Enjoy!

Despite the fact that theater is back to being live and in-person, many theaters (including ours) have discovered great value in offering a streaming option for their productions. As arts companies strive to become more accessible, digital theater has become an oasis for many patrons. In this episode, we revisit this topic that preoccupied the theater world just a few years back. What's happening with digital theater now? Are we using what we learned during COVID, and if so, how?

Happy Holidays! Enjoy our end-of-year episode, in which we share everything we loved about 2024, including stellar productions and films, the support of our amazing audiences, and the brilliant artists that continue to make the theater an inspiring and life-affirming experience.