Theater Forward Podcast
1) Interview: Chad Bauman, Milwaukee Repertory Theater Executive Director
We are excited to welcome Chad Bauman, the Ellen & Joe Checota Executive Director of Milwaukee Repertory Theater! Milwaukee Rep has a LOT going on right now - including the debut of their brand-new, s...Show More
2) Top 10 Most-Produced Plays & Playwrights in 2025-26
We can't wait to give our take on the top 10 most-produced plays and top 20 most-produced playwrights in America this season! These annual lists are generated by American Theater Magazine, and we love...Show More
3) Discussing Playwright Martyna Majok w/ Directors Marcella Kearns & Jake Penner
Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Martyna Majok is one of America's hottest playwrights, and we're excited to experience two of her plays in Wisconsin during the 2025-26 season. We welcome Marcella Ke...Show More
4) Long Story Short(er): A Debate About LONG PLAYS
We get down to business about one of the most contentious issues in modern American theater - play length and whether or not to have an intermission. Audiences have VERY STRONG feelings about this, an...Show More
5) Interview w/ BJ Jones, Northlight Theatre Artistic Director
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 contem...Show More
6) Summer Lovin' - What We're Excited to See in 2025
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, a...Show More
7) Strings Attached: Arts Funding in America
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 ...Show More
8) The 2025-26 Season at Forward Theater
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 t...Show More
9) Fixing the Musical Pipeline: Interview w/ THE GREAT GATSBY's Kait Kerrigan & Nathan Tysen
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...Show More
10) Leading vs. Listening
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 evalu...Show More