Playwriting

After a successful off-Broadway run, Goldberg's play has been produced as a made-for-TV movie by PBS. He tells Fresh Air's Terry Gross about the experience of being on set during filming, as well as the role of the playwright in a stage production.

Vernel Bagneris is a playwright, actor, and dancer. He wrote, directed, and acts in the musical "One Mo' Time," now playing in Philadelphia. The musical is set in 1920s' New Orleans and draws heavily on the jazz from that time and place. It centers around a touring group of vaudevillians performing at the segregated Lyric Theater. Bagneris describes it as a "piece on Black theater history." He joins the show to discuss the musical, the black vaudeville circuit, black face, and the benefits of live performance.

Kirkwood wrote the book for the musical A Chorus Line and has just published a new novel, P.S. Your Cat Is Dead! He talks about his approach to his craft and the impact various love affairs have had on his life.

Playwright Ralph Allen discusses the history of burlesque theater and it's influence on his new comedy musical, Sugar Babies.

Playwright and Pennsylvanian Albert Innaurato delivers a talk about his life and career to a live audience.

Part one of Terry Gross's interview with Linda and Conrad Bishop, a married couple who write and perform theater pieces for a variety of different settings and audiences.

Part two of Terry Gross's interview with Conrad Bishop and Linda Bishop. They perform two short dramatic pieces and talk about their theatrical influences.