Women & Theatre Podcast

In this episode, Hayley and Amy talk with actor, singer, dancer, and creator J. Harrison Ghee about the transformative journey of freeing yourself to see yourself, spreading the ministry of love, connecting to your Divine Feminine, expanding the bounds of creative storytelling, and more. Click here for a transcript of the episode!Episode NotesHosts: Hayley Goldenberg and Amy AndrewsGuest: J. Harrison GheeMusic: Chloe GellerEpisode Resources:Durham Performing Arts Center Rising StarsPJ Morton - Smoke and MirrorsNew York Theatre Workshop - Saturday ChurchMidnight in the Garden of Good and Evil - Broadway 2026The Shindellas - LullabyTrailblazers of the Week:Dylan WeinbergerAutumn AngelettieGuest Bio:Tony and Grammy Award winner J. Harrison Ghee (they/them, all pronouns with respect) made history as the first non-binary actor to win in the Leading Individual Performance category for creating the role as Daphne/Jerry in Some Like It Hot, which also garnered them Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards.Also on Broadway, Ghee starred as Lola in Kinky Boots, created the role of Andre Mayem in Mrs. Doubtfire, and co-starred opposite Harry Connick, Jr. as Johnny Hooker in The Sting. Ghee captured audiences as the Lady Chablis in the musical premiere of Midnight in The Garden of Good and Evil. On television, Ghee was selected to play the title role in Robyn's Story on the hit Fox anthology series Accused, directed by Billy Porter; starred as Kwame in Netflix's Raising Dion, and guest starred on HBO's High Maintenance.A Fayetteville, North Carolina native, Ghee moved to New York City to study at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy and began their professional career working at Tokyo Disney on cruise ships and national tours. They live by the mantra: “You have to free yourself to see yourself,” with the hope of inspiring people to dream big and to chase those dreams.An outspoken advocate for the LGBTQIA+ community, Ghee has been involved with many organizations, including Broadway Cares, GLAAD, and God's Love We Deliver, among others. Ghee hopes to create roles and conversations that reach beyond what was and into a realm of infinite possibilities. Find J. Online:Follow Tanya on InstagramFollow The Zora Project on InstagramThanks for listening!Who do you want to hear from next on the Women & Theatre Podcast? Nominate someone here.The Women & Theatre Podcast is created and produced by Hayley Goldenberg and Amy Andrews. Please like, comment, subscribe, follow us on Instagram and Facebook, and consider making a donation to support our work. Thank you for listening!

In this episode, Hayley and Amy talk with director, choreographer, producer, and creator Tanya Birl-Torres about tripping and falling into a theatrical career, drawing inspiration from chosen ancestors, daring to stay in the center of yourself, increasing visibility of parenting in theatre, and more. Click here for a transcript of the episode!Episode NotesHosts: Hayley Goldenberg and Amy AndrewsGuest: Tanya Birl-TorresMusic: Chloe GellerEpisode Resources:The Zora ProjectThe Shed - Join Tanya for the July 19 activation, Glitter in the Dust: Exploring the Work Song TraditionMidnight in the Garden of Good and EvilTrailblazers of the Week:Alex Elle - Insight Timer meditationsKatie Spelman - The Agnes IndexGuest Bio:Tanya Birl-Torres (she/her) is a multi-faceted artist and proud partner and mother of two. Select collaborations include: the World Premiere of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (Goodman Theater), How I Learned What I Learned (OSF), Peter and the Starcatcher (OSF), Twelfth Night (The Public Theater), The Red Letter Plays (The Signature Theater), As You Like It (The Guthrie Theater), 2024 Critical Breaks artist in residence, 2023 MAP fund and NoMAA grantee for her original choreo-play, A Play in three Movements. Tanya is a 2023 CitizensNYC NewYorker4NY honoree featured as “Women breaking glass ceilings & exercising their voice in NYC & beyond”. Tanya currently serves as the Social Practice Artist in Residence at The Shed Performing Arts Center in New York City for her new work, The Zora Project, where she is directing, choreographing, and envisioning a cosmic theatrical offering to the legacy of Zora Neale Hurston.Find Tanya Online:Follow Tanya on InstagramFollow The Zora Project on InstagramThanks for listening!Who do you want to hear from next on the Women & Theatre Podcast? Nominate someone here.The Women & Theatre Podcast is created and produced by Hayley Goldenberg and Amy Andrews. Please like, comment, subscribe, follow us on Instagram and Facebook, and consider making a donation to support our work. Thank you for listening!

In this episode, Hayley and Amy discuss funding shifts in the arts in 2025. We get ourselves up to date on what’s been happening with the National Endowment for the Arts, chat about alternative funding visions for theatre and the arts, and share action steps you can take to support the arts in your own community. Click here for a transcript of the episode!Episode NotesHosts: Hayley Goldenberg and Amy AndrewsMusic: Chloe GellerEpisode Resources:National Endowment for the Arts websitePittsburgh Arts Council - Trump’s Impact on the Arts: A Running List of UpdatesBroadway World - The NEA Grant Terminations and What it Means for the Future of American Theatre by Cara Joy DavidAmerican Theatre - NEA Abruptly Pulls Arts Grants on a Massive ScaleBroadway League - Broadway’s 2024– 2025 Season Wraps with 14.7 Million Attendances and Grosses Of $1.89 BillionOregon Arts RisingWomen & Theatre Podcast S4E9: Danielle DeMatteo5 Calls appThanks for listening!Who do you want to hear from next on the Women & Theatre Podcast? Nominate someone here.The Women & Theatre Podcast is created and produced by Hayley Goldenberg and Amy Andrews. Please like, comment, subscribe, follow us on Instagram and Facebook, and consider making a donation to support our work. Thank you for listening!

In this episode, Hayley and Amy talk with composer and music director Deborah Wicks La Puma about the critical importance of Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA), championing women musicians and writers, building pipelines to support young people of all backgrounds falling in love with theatre, and more. Click here for a transcript of the episode!Episode NotesHosts: Hayley Goldenberg and Amy AndrewsGuest: Deborah Wicks La PumaMusic: Chloe GellerEpisode Resources:She Persisted by Chelsea ClintonMo Willems booksBardcore Pink Pony ClubMaestra MusicCenter for Scholars and Storytellers at UCLATrailblazers of the Week:Joy Huerta - Real Women Have CurvesNikki Lynette - Get Out AliveGuest Bio:Composer and music director Deborah Wicks La Puma (she/her) is one of the most produced Theatre for Young Audiences artists working today. Popular titles include Ella Enchanted (based on the book by Gail Carson Levine) with Karen Zacarías, She Persisted (based on the book by Chelsea Clinton) with Adam Tobin, and Elephant and Piggy’s We Are in a Play and Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus with bestselling children’s author Mo Willems. With Willems, she also created the animated movie Naked Mole Rats Getting Dressed: The Underground Rock Experience and the upcoming animated series Unlimited Squirrels. She has music directed at theaters across the country, including the Guthrie, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, South Coast Repertory, La Jolla Playhouse, and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Honors include the Harold Oaks Award for Sustained Excellence in TYA, an off-Broadway Alliance Award for Best Family Musical, two Parents’ Choice Awards, and a Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Musical Adaptation. A proud Mexican American and “Navy brat” who grew up in Brazil, Portugal, and California, La Puma is a member of TYA/USA, ASCAP, and the Dramatists Guild.Find Deborah Online:Visit Deborah’s websiteFollow Deborah on InstagramThanks for listening!Who do you want to hear from next on the Women & Theatre Podcast? Nominate someone here.The Women & Theatre Podcast is created and produced by Hayley Goldenberg and Amy Andrews. Please like, comment, subscribe, follow us on Instagram and Facebook, and consider making a donation to support our work. Thank you for listening!

In this episode, Hayley and Amy talk with puppeteer and puppetry advocate Julia Schemmer about keeping the art form of theatrical puppetry visible and vibrant, the importance of apprenticeship for learning a craft and creating opportunities for emerging talent, being at peace with where you are in transitional moments, and more. Click here for a transcript of the episode!Episode NotesHosts: Hayley Goldenberg and Amy AndrewsGuest: Julia SchemmerMusic: Chloe GellerEpisode Resources:Puppetry on BroadwayBest of Broadway Puppetry Halloween Spectacular at 54 BelowGlorious Ladies of Puppetry (GLOP)Disney Dreamers AcademyTrailblazers of the Week:Cole Escola - Oh, Mary!Burnout by Emily and Amelia NagoskiGuest Bio:Julia Schemmer (she/her) is a puppeteer, producer, and pal based in New York City! She’s the founder of Puppetry on Broadway, a collective of puppeteers, fabricators, and designers working on, off, and around Broadway. Select production credits include Broadway: A Beautiful Noise, Back to the Future, Lempicka, MJ, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. TV: American Idol, The Tonight Show, Late Night with Seth Meyers, Saturday Night Live, The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Schemmer holds a BA from Wilmington University in Communications and Marketing.Find Julia Online:Follow Julia on InstagramFollow Puppetry on Broadway on InstagramVisit Puppetry on Broadway’s websiteWho do you want to hear from next on the Women & Theatre Podcast? Nominate someone here.Thanks for listening!The Women & Theatre Podcast is created and produced by Hayley Goldenberg and Amy Andrews. Please like, comment, subscribe, follow us on Instagram and Facebook, and consider making a donation to support our work. Thank you for listening!

In this episode, Hayley and Amy talk with producer and RISE Program Manager Victoria Detres about embracing humanity through storytelling, creating a culture of care in the theatre industry and beyond, building sustainable theatrical spaces that are inclusive of artists from underrepresented groups, and more. We also highlight Hannah Cowley as part of our Women’s History Month Playwrights You Should Know series, in partnership with Expand the Canon. Click here for a transcript of the episode!Episode NotesHosts: Hayley Goldenberg and Amy AndrewsGuest: Victoria DetresMusic: Chloe GellerEpisode Resources:Check out Victoria’s mini-interview - from the Women & Theatre Season 4 RISE bonus seriesRISE TheatreTectonic Theatre ProjectThe Play CompanySOCIETY Theatre CollectiveRISE Theatre Inaugural SummitWomen’s History Month:Expand the Canon - A Bold Stroke for a Husband by Hannah CowleyTrailblazers of the Week:Team Women & Theatre: Beth Rosebrook, Sylvia Blair, Courtney Seyl, Ally VaritekKate WillardAnnouncements:Join us for virtual co-working on April 8 at 11am ET on Zoom!Stay tuned for Women & Theatre Podcast Season 5 Part 2, coming June 3!Guest Bio:Victoria Detres (she/her) is a Puerto Rican and Albanian producer born and raised in New York City. She is passionate about building a platform for contemporary theatre’s innovative voices, particularly those of the global majority. While highlighting these voices, Victoria also aims to dismantle the structures that do not allow for access and restructure for equity and accessibility. Formerly, Victoria has worked as the Producing Assistant at Octopus Theatricals and Associate Producer at Broadway & Beyond Theatricals. Victoria is one of the co-founders of the RISE Theatre Directory, in partnership with Lin-Manuel Miranda, the Miranda Family Fund, and Maestra Music. Currently, Victoria leads RISE Theatre as the Program Manager. Additional credits include THE KITE RUNNER (The Hayes Theatre, Associate Producer), SOCIETY Theatre Collective’s productions of Mona Mansour’s BEGINNING DAYS OF TRUE JUBILATION and Emily Zemba’s THE STRANGERS CAME TODAY (The New Ohio, Line Producer). Learn more at www.victoriadetres.com.Find Victoria Online:Visit Victoria’s websiteCheck out Victoria’s RISE Theatre Directory profileConnect with Victoria on LinkedInFollow Victoria and RISE Theatre on Instagram Thanks for listening!Who do you want to hear from next on the Women & Theatre Podcast? Nominate someone here.The Women & Theatre Podcast is created and produced by Hayley Goldenberg and Amy Andrews. Please like, comment, subscribe, follow us on Instagram and Facebook, and consider making a donation to support our work. Thank you for listening!

In this episode, Hayley and Amy talk with composer and orchestrator Julie Richardson about balancing multiple personal and professional roles, redefining the boundaries of womanhood, finding a creative process that works for you and a creative community that inspires you, and more. We also highlight Lesya Ukrainka as part of our Women’s History Month Playwrights You Should Know series, in partnership with Expand the Canon. Click here for a transcript of the episode!Episode NotesHosts: Hayley Goldenberg and Amy AndrewsGuest: Julie RichardsonMusic: Chloe GellerEpisode Resources:Space by L M Feldman at Central Square TheatreCheck out Julie’s pumpkin carving and other amazing projects on her website!Musical Theatre Writing CollectiveHello Sunshine - Reese WitherspoonMake Time: How to Focus on What Matters Every Day by Jake Knapp and John ZeratskyWomen’s History Month:Expand the Canon - Stone Host by Lesya UkrainkaTrailblazers of the Week:Molly MarinikChloe GellerOther:Donate to the Collective Transformation fundraiser for Transgender Law Center!Guest Bio:Julie Richardson (she/her) Jis a Boston-based musical theater composer, orchestrator, music director and sound designer. Her musical HACK, PUNT, TOOL, written with collaborators Daniel Levine, Rachel Bowens-Rubin, Zara Barryte, and Danbee Kim, was produced in 2012 by the MIT Musical Theater Guild and had a revival with the same group with a revised book and score in 2017. Julie orchestrated the world premiere production of JACK & AIDEN by Tova Katz and Lane Michael Stanley at Ground Floor Theatre in Austin, TX in 2023. She is currently composing the music for an adaptation of Virginia Woolf’s TO THE LIGHTHOUSE with collaborator Amy Andrews. Julie is also a YouTube creator with a channel called Finishing the Score, in which she invites viewers to follow along with her songwriting journey and learn new skills along the way. Her video topics range from composition and lyric techniques to music software and audio gear. She is a proud founding member of the Musical Theater Writing Collective, as well as a member of The Dramatists Guild, Maestra, ASMAC and Ring of Keys.Find Julie Online:Visit Julie’s websiteFollow Julie on InstagramFollow To the Lighthouse on InstagramCheck out Julie’s YouTube channelThanks for listening!Who do you want to hear from next on the Women & Theatre Podcast? Nominate someone here.The Women & Theatre Podcast is created and produced by Hayley Goldenberg and Amy Andrews. Please like, comment, subscribe, follow us on Instagram and Facebook, and consider making a donation to support our work. Thank you for listening!

In this episode, Hayley and Amy dive into the juicy topic of Taking Control of Your Career. We discuss finding the “why” behind your goal, breaking it down into manageable steps, identifying your resources, building systems of accountability, and more. We also highlight Wakako Yamauchi as part of our Women’s History Month Playwrights You Should Know series, in partnership with Expand the Canon. Click here for a transcript of the episode!Episode NotesHosts: Hayley Goldenberg and Amy AndrewsMusic: Chloe GellerEpisode Resources:Check out our Season 4 discussion about Goal Setting!SMART goalsVisualization resource: Creative Visualization by Shakti GawainWomen’s History Month:Expand the Canon - And the Soul Shall Dance by Wakako YamauchiTrailblazers of the Week:Tanya Birl-TorresRachel Chavkin - SDC Foundation One on One ConversationThanks for listening!Who do you want to hear from next on the Women & Theatre Podcast? Nominate someone here.The Women & Theatre Podcast is created and produced by Hayley Goldenberg and Amy Andrews. Please like, comment, subscribe, follow us on Instagram and Facebook, and consider making a donation to support our work. Thank you for listening!

In this episode, Hayley and Amy talk with actor and writer Maria Wirries about creating equitable spaces, telling diverse stories rooted in truth, embracing the fluidity of identity, building diversity at the highest decision-making levels of the theatre industry, and more. We also highlight Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz as part of our Women’s History Month Playwrights You Should Know series, in partnership with Expand the Canon. Click here for a transcript of the episode!Episode NotesHosts: Hayley Goldenberg and Amy AndrewsGuest: Maria WirriesMusic: Chloe GellerEpisode Resources:Old Friends - opens on Broadway March 25!BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre WorkshopStephen Sondheim: A Life by Meryle SecrestBlack Theatre UnitedActors’ Equity AssociationBloody Mary at 54 BelowWomen’s History Month:Expand the Canon - Los Empeños de Una Casa (House of Desires) by Sor Juana Inés de la CruzTrailblazers of the Week:Kat ZimmermanJulia Sonya KoyfmanAnnouncements:Join us for virtual co-working on Tuesday, March 11 at 11am ET on Zoom!Guest Bio:Maria Wirries (she/they) is a Performer, Composer, Lyricist, and self-proclaimed Swamp Witch. Select credits include: Old Friends (Broadway), Dear Evan Hansen (Broadway and First National Tour), Kinky Boots (Off-Broadway Revival), and Penelope or How the Odyssey Was Really Written (Off-Broadway). She is currently in the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop and has developed her own original musicals at the Goodspeed Opera House, the Paramount Theater, and Penn State University.Find Maria Online:Visit Maria’s websiteFollow Maria on InstagramCheck out Maria’s work on YouTube and SpotifyThanks for listening!Who do you want to hear from next on the Women & Theatre Podcast? Nominate someone here.The Women & Theatre Podcast is created and produced by Hayley Goldenberg and Amy Andrews. Please like, comment, subscribe, follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube, and consider making a donation to support our work. Thank you for listening!

In this episode, Hayley and Amy talk with theatre historian, author, and producer Jennifer Ashley Tepper about exploring under-appreciated corners of the theatre industry, embracing the ephemeral nature of theatre and seasons of life, the historical continuum of gender equity, and more. We also highlight Zora Neale Hurston as part of our Women’s History Month Playwrights You Should Know series, in partnership with Expand the Canon. Click here for a transcript of the episode!Episode Notes:Hosts: Hayley Goldenberg and Amy AndrewsGuest: Jennifer Ashley TepperMusic: Chloe GellerEpisode Resources:Women Writing Musicals: The Legacy that the History Books Left OutWomen Writing Musicals accompanying playlistUntold Stories of BroadwayThe Jonathan Larson Project54 BelowWomen’s History Month:Expand the Canon - Spunk by Zora Neale HurstonTrailblazers of the Week:Michael Radi - Musical Theatre Writing CollectiveKelly Bishop - The Third Gilmore Girl: A MemoirJoin us for the Women & Theatre Season 5 Launch Party on February 27 on Zoom!Guest Bio:Jennifer Ashley Tepper (she/her) is an acclaimed theatre historian, author, and producer. She is the conceiver of The Jonathan Larson Project, which starts previews in February 2025 at the Orpheum Theatre, off-Broadway, following an acclaimed 2018 concert premiere and cast recording. She has been the Creative and Programming Director at 54 Below for the past decade. She has curated or produced over 7,000 shows in this position. Her leadership at the beloved venue has gained praise from publications including The Huffington Post, The New York Times, Buzzfeed, Playbill, Newsday, The New York Post, and more. Tepper's four volumes of The Untold Stories of Broadway book series have been called an "inspiring Must-Read" by NBC New York and occupied the #1 spot on Amazon.com's Best Sellers List in Broadway & Musicals. Her new book, Women Writing Musicals: The Legacy that the History Books Left Out, was published in November 2024. Women Writing Musicals is the first-ever book about female musical theatre writers. Tepper is the producer of the musicals Be More Chill, Broadway Bounty Hunter, and Love In Hate Nation, recent projects that are part of a decade-long collaboration with the group known as Joe Iconis & Family. On Broadway, Tepper has also worked on [title of show], The Performers, Godspell, Macbeth, and The Parisian Woman. She was historian consultant on the tick, tick... BOOM! movie (directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda for Netflix) and co-creator of the Bistro Award-winning concert series If It Only Even Runs A Minute. Her work as a theatre historian also encompasses celebrated live talks and events, including at TEDxBroadway, BroadwayCon, The Museum of Broadway, Thespian Festivals, and more. Tepper received a 2020 Lincoln Center Emerging Artist Award. She was named one of the 10 professionals on Backstage Magazine's "1st Annual Broadway Future Power List", which stated: "Proving herself both a zeitgeist predictor and theatrical historian with her eclectic programming, Tepper is leading the conversation on contemporary musical theatre.”Find Jennifer Online:Visit Jennifer’s websiteFollow Jennifer on InstagramBuy Women Writing MusicalsThanks for listening!Who do you want to hear from next on the Women & Theatre Podcast? Nominate someone here.The Women & Theatre Podcast is created and produced by Hayley Goldenberg and Amy Andrews. Please like, comment, subscribe, follow us on Instagram and Facebook, and consider making a donation to support our work. Thank you for listening!