This week on The Scene Podcast, we’re joined by playwright Jonathan Spector, whose work blends sharp political insight with dark humor and daring theatricality. From Eureka Day to This Much I Know, Jonathan has built a reputation for tackling polarizing subjects with nuance, empathy, and a touch of absurdity. In this conversation, recorded prior to his 2025 Tony Award win, we talk about writing satire in polarized times, the Bay Area as a creative influence, and how he builds plays that ask big questions without prescribing easy answers.

Episode Notes

• Guest - Jonathan Spector – @spectorama
• Playwright - Eureka Day, This Much I Know, and Good. Better. Best. Bested.
• Special Note: This episode was recorded prior to Jonathan’s Tony Award win, so it is not discussed in the interview.

Topics Covered

• Satire, sensitivity, and writing in the age of disinformation
• How the Bay Area informs his aesthetic and political lens
• The development journey of Eureka Day from regional theater to Off-Broadway to London
• Writing characters with clashing ideologies but shared humanity
• The value of ambiguity and open-ended storytelling
• Creating work that meets audiences halfway without moralizing

The Scene Team

Leah Barker - Producer & Talent Coordinator

Justin Borak - Host

Zach Dulli - Executive Producer

KJ Lampar - Producer & Editor

Additional music and sound effects licensed through Envato Elements

LINKS

Be sure to follow The Scene Podcast on Instagram and YouTube

Subscribe to The Scene Newsletter

SPECIAL THANKS

Jennifer Isaacson

Lauren Kardos

Kent Nicholson

Jeffery Keilholtz

This week on The Scene Podcast, we’re joined by Madeline Sayet, playwright, director, performer, and a powerful voice in contemporary Indigenous theatre. From her solo piece Where We Belong to her advocacy for language revitalization and decolonized storytelling, Madeline invites us into a conversation about lineage, responsibility, and crafting theatre that speaks across generations. We explore how her Mohegan identity shapes her work, why Shakespeare still matters, and how storytelling can be a form of reclamation, resistance, and radical hope.

The Scene Team

Leah Barker - Producer & Talent Coordinator

Justin Borak - Host

Zach Dulli - Executive Producer

KJ Lampar - Producer & Editor

Additional music and sound effects licensed through Envato Elements

LINKS

Be sure to follow The Scene Podcast on Instagram and YouTube

Subscribe to The Scene Newsletter

SPECIAL THANKS

Jennifer Isaacson

Lauren Kardos

Kent Nicholson

Jeffery Keilholtz

This week on The Scene Podcast, we sit down with acclaimed playwright Anna Ziegler, whose work explores identity, memory, and the intimate collisions between the personal and political. From Photograph 51 to Actually and The Wanderers, Anna shares how her background in poetry shaped her voice, how she approaches ambiguity on stage, and why she’s drawn to characters who exist in tension with themselves. It’s a thoughtful, layered conversation that celebrates quiet power in theatrical storytelling.

Guest:Anna Ziegler – @icanbakecakes

Topics Covered:

• The evolution of Anna’s writing from poetry to playwriting
• Crafting morally complex characters
• The resonance of silence, subtext, and restraint
• The journey of Photograph 51 and portraying Rosalind Franklin
• Balancing emotional intimacy with large thematic questions
• How The Wanderers wrestles with faith, authorship, and connection

Anna Ziegler Plays :

• Photograph 51
• Actually
• The Wanderers
• A Delicate Ship
• Boy

The Scene Team

Leah Barker - Producer & Talent Coordinator

Justin Borak - Host

Zach Dulli - Executive Producer

KJ Lampar - Producer & Editor

Additional music and sound effects licensed through Envato Elements

LINKS

Be sure to follow The Scene Podcast on Instagram and YouTube

Subscribe to The Scene Newsletter

SPECIAL THANKS

Jennifer Isaacson

Lauren Kardos

Kent Nicholson

Jeffery Keilholtz