Rephonic
Artwork for James Elden's Playwright's Spotlight

James Elden's Playwright's Spotlight

James Elden
Hey Morgan
June Jordan
Madlab
Los Angeles
Musical Theatre
Artificial Intelligence
Poetry For the People
The June Jordan Experience
Wildclaw Theatre
Theatre Roulette
Greek Myths
Playwrights Desk
Literary Desk
Drama Desk
Theater
Playwrights Submission Binge
Latino Theatre Company
Fountain Theatre
IN Series
Chicago Dramatists

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.

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes124Founded5 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
EducationArtsPerforming Arts

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for James Elden's Playwright's Spotlight

Latest Episodes

Send us Fan Mail

Two weeks before the opening of her latest piece in the Bellevue Escapades, Donna Scarantino took the time to come sit in the Playwright's Spotlight. We discuss the origins of the Bellevue series and its evolution over the years, he... more

Send us Fan Mail

Playwright William A. Smith streamed into Playwright's Spotlight to talk about the recent release of his app The Playwright's Desk and its features to assist in the management of the playwriting business. It's a fascinating resource... more

Send us Fan Mail

Playwright and screenwriter Paul Webb streamed onto Playwright's Spotlight all the way from outside London just a week away rehearsal were about to end for his play Warsaw. Paul is a charming Brit with a background in writing that m... more

Send us Fan Mail

Apologies for the delayed show notes. Had a few hiccups. Evelina Fernandez took time away from rehearsals to slip into the Playwright's Spotlight. We opened with discussing the founding of the Latino Theatre Company and her journey ... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

The Playwriting Podcast
The Playwriting PodcastKen Wolf, Artistic Director, Manhattan Repertory Theatre, Playwright, Direc
Playwriting Real-life
Playwriting Real-lifeKimberley Andrews
The Daily
The DailyThe New York Times
Pod Save America
Pod Save AmericaPod Save America

Recent Guests

William A. Smith
Award-winning American playwright; developer of Playwrights Desk, Literary Desk, and Drama Desk
Playwrights Desk (app)
Episode: Taking Leaps, Wearing Many Hats, and the Development of The Playwright's Desk App - Playwright's Spotlight with William Smith
Paul Webb
Playwright; author of Four Nights in Norrisboro and Warsaw, among others
Playwright
Episode: Making Characters Sound Natural, Having Control of One's Work, and Beginning a Career in Playwriting Later in Life - Playwright's Spotlight with Paul Webb
Evelina Fernandez
Playwright and founder of the Latino Theatre Company
Latino Theatre Company
Episode: "Dirty" Drafts, Creating Opportunities, and Knowing the End - Playwright's Spotlight with Evelina Fernandez
Olivia Dufault
Playwright, screenwriter, and comic book writer
Playwrights Spotlight guest
Episode: "Tends to be" Structures, Crazy Spaces, and Giving Characters What They Want - Playwright's Spotlight with Olivia Dufault
Gabriel Rivas Gómez
Playwright
Latino Theatre Company, Glendale Community College
Episode: Agitating a Nerve, the Need to Overwrite, and Writing the "Impossible" - Playwright's Spotlight with Gabriel Rivas Gómez
Andy Batt
Playwrights Spotlight guest; producing/directing force behind MadLab
MadLab (Columbus, Ohio)
Episode: "Pale for Weariness", Balancing Life vs Art, and Why Today's the Day -Playwright's Spotlight with Andy Batt
Patrick Gabridge
Playwright focused on site-specific and museum collaborations
Plays in Place (owner/lead)
Episode: Site-Specific Plays, The Secret Sauce, and Opening Doors to Success - Playwright's Spotlight with Patrick Gabridge
Travis Williams
Playwright, radio dramatist, screenwriter, and actor
Episode: Pansters and Plotters, Establishing Suspense Through Language, and the Secret of the First 25 Pages - Playwright's Spotlight with Travis Williams
Adrienne Torf
Composer and co-devisor of Poetry for the People, The June Jordan Experience
Adrienne Torf (Composer)
Episode: Rings of Connection, Center the Work, and Building Trust and Sharing the Why - Playwright's Spotlight with Adrienne Torf and Raymond O. Caldwell

Host

William James Elden
James Elden, a multifaceted host guiding discussions with playwrights.

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 23 ratings
  • So good!

    The guests provide so much important information and advice about playwriting that it feels as if I were taking a course instead of listening to a podcast.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Wisecow
    United States3 years ago
  • Helpful and Interesting

    Even when I find myself disagreeing with someone being interviewed, it gets me thinking and learning! Finally a podcast that isn’t all about the host’s personality! Good questions and great discussions.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    TrumanO
    Norway3 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Thoughtful questions keep discussions about craft, not ego.
Guests share concrete, actionable craft lessons.
Strong focus on production realities and collaboration.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

"Pale for Weariness", Balancing Life vs Art, and Why Today's the Day -Playwright's Spotlight with Andy Batt
Q: When did you start playwriting?
Batt describes writing his first play in 2001 for Theatre Roulette, noting it was a descriptive exploration that gradually evolved through multiple short festival pieces and eventually long-form collaborations.
"Dirty" Drafts, Creating Opportunities, and Knowing the End - Playwright's Spotlight with Evelina Fernandez
Q: How do you manage the complexity of a long‑form piece like a trilogy spanning generations and multiple timelines?
I write with a clear destination in mind, sometimes out of order but always knowing where I'm headed; I adjust earlier parts to fit the ending, using lighting and design to signal different timeframes to the audience.
"Dirty" Drafts, Creating Opportunities, and Knowing the End - Playwright's Spotlight with Evelina Fernandez
Q: So let's start with how this founded and how you got it going and the obstacles you may have overcome or did it just flow and fall into place?
The roots are in the Chicano theater movement; my husband and I started in Santa Barbara, transitioned to Los Angeles, and built a Latino theatre lab that eventually became the Latino Theatre Company, evolving through collaboration and a shared vision with longtime colleagues.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About James Elden's Playwright's Spotlight

What is James Elden's Playwright's Spotlight about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A practical, craft-forward show where successful playwrights share their process, tools, and career navigation. Episodes center on writing craft, production realities, and creative tech—ranging from building software-based workflows for playwrights to shaping dialogue, pacing, and collaboration with directors and actors. The conversations often weave personal origin stories with tactical lessons, offering listeners actionable tips for getting plays produced, managing submissions, and balancing artistic intent with practical constraints. A notable strength is the blend of hands-on process, cross-media storytelling, and community-building within theatre, making it especially valuable for writers, educators, and theatre professionals seeking r... more

Where can I find podcast stats for James Elden's Playwright's Spotlight?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for James Elden's Playwright's Spotlight. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to James Elden's Playwright's Spotlight and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does James Elden's Playwright's Spotlight get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for James Elden's Playwright's Spotlight, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for James Elden's Playwright's Spotlight?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for James Elden's Playwright's Spotlight, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does James Elden's Playwright's Spotlight have?

To see how many followers or subscribers James Elden's Playwright's Spotlight has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to James Elden's Playwright's Spotlight?

These podcasts share a similar audience with James Elden's Playwright's Spotlight:

1. The Playwriting Podcast
2. Playwriting Real-life
3. Folger Shakespeare Library: Shakespeare Unlimited
4. The Daily
5. Pod Save America

How many episodes of James Elden's Playwright's Spotlight are there?

James Elden's Playwright's Spotlight launched 5 years ago and published 124 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact James Elden's Playwright's Spotlight?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for James Elden's Playwright's Spotlight?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for James Elden's Playwright's Spotlight from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for James Elden's Playwright's Spotlight?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of James Elden's Playwright's Spotlight. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on James Elden's Playwright's Spotlight?

Recent guests on James Elden's Playwright's Spotlight include:

1. William A. Smith
2. Paul Webb
3. Evelina Fernandez
4. Olivia Dufault
5. Gabriel Rivas Gómez
6. Andy Batt
7. Patrick Gabridge
8. Travis Williams

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days