The Theatre History Podcast

Episode 110: Scrolling TikTok on Broadway w/ Dr. Trevor Boffone

TikTok might not seem like a natural fit with Broadway – or, for that matter, with the subject of theatre history. As our guest today writes, "an entire generation's attention span became roughly fifteen seconds" once the short video app caught on, and it's been at the center of numerous controversies, political and otherwise. But there's another side to TikTok and its relationship with Broadway, one that has changed how people from all over the world engage with and share their enthusiasm for their favorite musicals. That's the subject of Dr. Trevor Boffone's TikTok Broadway: Musical Theatre Fandom in the Digital Age, which explores how the worlds of social media and musical theatre collided between 2018 and 2022 in the midst of the covid-19 pandemic.

Episode 109: Going "Beyond Ridiculous" with Dr. Ken Elliott

The 1980s might not seem like a decade conducive to the emergence of a groundbreaking gay theatre. However, amidst the AIDS pandemic and a homophobic backlash to the gains of the post-Stonewall era, Charles Busch and Kenneth Elliott created something unique in New York City. The company that they founded, Theatre-in-Limbo, developed some of the biggest underground hits of the 80s, with unforgettable titles like Vampire Lesbians of Sodom and Psycho Beach Party. Now Elliott is out with a new book: Beyond Ridiculous: Making Gay Theatre with Charles Busch in 1980s New York. It tells the story of Theatre-in-Limbo and makes a case for its underappreciated importance. 

Episode 108: "Stirring Up Sheffield" with Tedd George

In the 1960s, the English city of Sheffield began work on a new theatre. The new venue, called the Crucible, became an important landmark in the development of theatre in the UK, as well as a point of contention nationwide. At the center of it all was Colin George, who spearheaded the building of the Crucible and fought for its then-unconventional design. Although George passed away in 2016, his memoirs of this era appear in a new book, Stirring Up Sheffield: An Insider's Account of the Battle to Build the Crucible Theatre. It's co-authored by Dr. Edward George, an economist, broadcaster, and writer who's especially well-placed to help tell the story, since he's also Colin's son. Tedd George joins us to talk about the Crucible and Colin George's legacy.

Episode 107: Tracing the Rise of the Professional Scenic Designer w/ Dr. David Bisaha

How did scenic designer become a job that people could pursue in the theatre? Dr. David Bisaha joins us to talk about his book, American Scenic Design and Freelance Professionalism. Correction for the episode: The correct number for the historical, segregated Washington, D.C. IATSE Local was 224-A, not 244-A.

Episode 106: Staging Latinx Shakespeares with Dr. Carla Della Gatta

Dr. Carla Della Gatta joins us to talk about Latinx Shakespeare productions and her book Latinx Shakespeares: Staging U.S. Intercultural Theater.