In this ninth Episode of Public Square 2.0, the re-launch of The Public Theater’s podcast, Public Square, host Garlia Cornelia Jones speaks to leaders in the industry about the future of theater and digital spaces. For our Season Finale, Garlia sits down with Oskar Eustis, Artistic Director of The Public Theater for an inside look on the responsibilities of an artistic director. She also speaks with Scarlett Kim, Associate Artistic Director and Director of Innovation and Strategy at Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and Sarah Ellis, Director of Digital Development at Royal Shakespeare Company about the role of digital media in legacy institutions.

Executive Producer: Garlia Cornelia Jones, Director - Innovation and New Media

Producer, Co-Script Writer and Video Editor: John Sloan III, Ghostlight Productions
Audio Producer: Justin K. Sloan, Ghostlight Productions
Assistant Producer: Emily White - New Media Associate

Graphics by Tam Shell, Art Director - Brand Studio

Music Credits:

""Baby I'm Stuck In a Cone " by Ge Filter Fish, Artlist.io

"Latte" by Sunny Fruit, Artlist.io

"This Is the Life" by Yuval Maayan, Artlist.io

"Beatrix" by Notize, Artlist.iorr

"Northern Glory" By The SoundKeeper, Artlist.io

"Catch Me" By Russo, Arlist.io

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Show Notes

The project Scarlett mentions at the end, Hella Iambic, is created by Glow Up Games.

In this eighth Episode of Public Square 2.0, the re-launch of The Public Theater’s podcast, Public Square, we share a recording of the May 1, 2023 Public Shakespeare Initiative’s Shakespeare Talks event, Let’s Talk About Hamlet. Recorded live in Joe’s Pub, this was a conversation with Saheem Ali, Ato Blankson-Wood, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Sam Waterston, moderated by Ayanna Thompson. Host Garlia Cornelia Jones, The Public’s new and first ever Director of Innovation and New Media, introduces the Episode and drops you into the evening.

Executive Producer: Garlia Cornelia Jones, Director - Innovation and New Media

Creative Producer: John Sloan III, Ghostlight Productions
Audio Producer: Justin K. Sloan, Ghostlight Productions
Assistant Producer: Emily White - New Media Associate

Graphics by Tam Shell, Art Director - Brand Studio

Music Credits:

"Baby I'm Stuck In a Cone " by Ge Filter Fish, Artlist.io

"Latte" by Sunny Fruit, Artlist.io

"Catch Me" by Russo, Artlist.io

In this seventh Episode of Public Square 2.0, the re-launch of The Public Theater’s podcast, Public Square, we take a look at James Ijames' Pulitzer Prize-winning play, FAT HAM. After its wildly successful onstage premiere at The Public Theater in 2022, Fat Ham transferred to Broadway with its entire cast from The Public, where it is currently running and has been nominated for five Tony Awards, including Best Play. Host Garlia Cornelia Jones speaks with Saheem Ali (Director), Marcel Spears (Juicy), Nikki Crawford (Tedra), and Benja K. Thomas (Rabby) about their individual paths and how they got to this Hamlet-inspired Broadway production.

Executive Producer: Garlia Cornelia Jones, Director - Innovation and New Media

Creative Producer: John Sloan III, Ghostlight Productions
Audio Producer: Justin K. Sloan, Ghostlight Productions
Assistant Producer: Emily White - New Media Associate

Graphics by Tam Shell, Art Director - Brand Studio

Music Credits:

In 2021, The Public Theater released an audio-only version of Erika Dickerson-Despenza’s play, shadow/land. Alongside that audio play were several podcast episodes of a series called “The Clearing,” that added additional context to the audio production. Now in 2023, shadow/land has come to the in-person stage of The Public, and we are re-releasing the episodes of “The Clearing” as a part of Public Square 2.0, with host Garlia Cornelia Jones bringing some additional context.

"The Clearing," references a space of healing in Toni Morrison's Beloved. In Beloved, the Clearing is a place in the woods where one of the characters, Baby Suggs, held her religious and spiritual gatherings. Baby Suggs called the black formerly enslaved community together to laugh, dance, cry and reclaim their bodies, bodies that had been used in the service of trans-Atlantic slavery. The ancillary episodes like shadow/land provide a space for healing and also call forth Congo Square, which is located at a clearing, apocalypse which is clearing, and the Yoruba deity Oya, who rules hurricanes and tornadoes and is known to clear the way. The Clearing, our ancillary episodes of post-show discussions, honors Toni Morrison and all the great black women writers and healers that have paved the way. 

PART 3: HEALING

In the wake of a disaster, how does one heal? This episode considers the essential place of art in recovering from a catastrophe.

 This conversation includes: Soyica Colbert (host), Imani Perry (scholar), Cara Page (scholar), Jack Phillips Moore (Director of New Artists), Lauren A. Whitehead (dramaturgical consultant), and Erika Dickerson-Despenza (playwright).

Public Square 2.0 credits:

Executive Producer: Garlia Cornelia Jones, Director - Innovation and New Media IG: @garliacornelia
Creative Producer: John Sloan III, Ghostlight Productions
Audio Producer: Justin K. Sloan, Ghostlight Productions

IG: @glprod_inc

Assistant Producer: Emily White - New Media Associate

Graphics by Tam Shell, Art Director - Brand Studio

Music Credits:

"Latte” By Sunny Fruit, Artlist.io

"Beatrix" By Notize, Artist.io

“Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man." Written by Oscar II Hammerstein, Jerome Kern. Courtesy of Universal PolyGram Int. Publishing, Inc.

“Come Sunday." Written by Duke Ellington. Courtesy of G. Schirmer, Inc.

“Indian Red." Written by George Landry. Rhinelander Music Inc. and Gulf Coast Music LLC.

 In this sixth Episode of Public Square 2.0, the re-launch of The Public Theater’s podcast, Public Square, we take a look at Mobile Unit’s bilingual production of THE COMEDY OF ERRORS. Host Garlia Cornelia Jones speaks with Praycious Wilson-Gay (Interim Director, Mobile Unit), Freedome Bradley-Ballentine (Associate Artistic Director/Director of Artistic Programs), Julián Mesri (Music & Lyrics, Adapter, Music Director, Spanish Translations for THE COMEDY OF ERRORS), and Rebecca Martínez (Director, Choreographer, Adapter, Lyrics for THE COMEDY OF ERRORS) to talk about the show and the Mobile Unit program.

Learn more about Mobile Unit here!

Executive Producer: Garlia Cornelia Jones, Director - Innovation and New Media

Creative Producer: John Sloan III, Ghostlight Productions

Audio Producer: Justin K. Sloan, Ghostlight Productions

Assistant Producer: Emily White - New Media Associate

Graphics by Tam Shell, Art Director - Brand Studio

Music Credits:

“Latte” By Sunny Fruit, Artlist.io

“Belong to You” By Denitia, Artist.io

“Catch Me” By Russo, Artist.io

This is the Life” By Yuval Maayan

Transcript by 3Play

In 2021, The Public Theater released an audio-only version of Erika Dickerson-Despenza’s play, shadow/land. Alongside that audio play were several podcast episodes of a series called “The Clearing,” that added additional context to the audio production. Now in 2023, shadow/land has come to the in-person stage of The Public, and we are re-releasing the episodes of “The Clearing” as a part of Public Square 2.0, with host Garlia Cornelia Jones bringing some additional context.

"The Clearing," references a space of healing in Toni Morrison's Beloved. In Beloved, the Clearing is a place in the woods where one of the characters, Baby Suggs, held her religious and spiritual gatherings. Baby Suggs called the black formerly enslaved community together to laugh, dance, cry and reclaim their bodies, bodies that had been used in the service of trans-Atlantic slavery. The ancillary episodes like shadow/land provide a space for healing and also call forth Congo Square, which is located at a clearing, apocalypse which is clearing, and the Yoruba deity Oya, who rules hurricanes and tornadoes and is known to clear the way. The Clearing, our ancillary episodes of post-show discussions, honors Toni Morrison and all the great black women writers and healers that have paved the way.

PART 2: IMAGINING AND BUILDING NEW STRUCTURES

Why are some areas and communities hit harder when disaster strikes? This episode considers how catastrophes are created and what imaginative and constructive work needs to be done to prevent them in the future.

This conversation includes: Soyica Colbert (host), Sheila Foster (legal scholar), Shana M. Griffin (scholar), Jack Moore (Director of New Artists) and Cara Page (scholar) join in the conversation.

"The Clearing," references a space of healing in Toni Morrison's Beloved. In Beloved, the Clearing is a place in the woods where one of the characters, Baby Suggs, held her religious and spiritual gatherings. Baby Suggs called the black formerly enslaved community together to laugh, dance, cry and reclaim their bodies, bodies that had been used in the service of trans-Atlantic slavery. The ancillary episodes like shadow/land provide a space for healing and also call forth Congo Square, which is located at a clearing, apocalypse which is clearing, and the Yoruba deity Oya, who rules hurricanes and tornadoes and is known to clear the way. The Clearing, our ancillary episodes of post-show discussions, honors Toni Morrison and all the great black women writers and healers that have paved the way.

SHADOW/LAND: AN AUDIO PLAY
Written by Erika Dickerson-Despenza
Directed by Candis C. Jones

Produced by The Public Theater
Featuring Te'Era Coleman (9-1-1 Caller), Lizan Mitchell (Magalee), Lance E. Nichols (9-1-1 Dispatcher and Caller), Lori Elizabeth Parquet (9-1-1 Dispatcher and Caller), Sunni Patterson (Griot), and Michelle Wilson (Ruth).

In 2021, The Public Theater released an audio-only version of Erika Dickerson-Despenza’s play, shadow/land. Alongside that audio play were several podcast episodes of a series called “The Clearing,” that added additional context to the audio production. Now in 2023, shadow/land has come to the in-person stage of The Public, and we are re-releasing the episodes of “The Clearing” as a part of Public Square 2.0, with host Garlia Cornelia Jones bringing some additional context.

"The Clearing," references a space of healing in Toni Morrison's Beloved. In Beloved, the Clearing is a place in the woods where one of the characters, Baby Suggs, held her religious and spiritual gatherings. Baby Suggs called the black formerly enslaved community together to laugh, dance, cry and reclaim their bodies, bodies that had been used in the service of trans-Atlantic slavery. The ancillary episodes like shadow/land provide a space for healing and also call forth Congo Square, which is located at a clearing, apocalypse which is clearing, and the Yoruba deity Oya, who rules hurricanes and tornadoes and is known to clear the way. The Clearing, our ancillary episodes of post-show discussions, honors Toni Morrison and all the great black women writers and healers that have paved the way.

PART 1: A USEABLE PAST

New Orleans has both the legacies of man-made disasters and rich culture traditions. This episode explores how the shadow/land contends with and makes use of the city’s history.

This conversation includes: Soyica Colbert (host), Erika Dickerson-Despenza (playwright), Candis C. Jones (director), Jack Moore (Director of New Artists), Imani Perry (scholar), Cara Page (scholar), and Lauren A. Whitehead (dramaturgical consultant). 

Description: In this fifth Episode of Public Square 2.0, the re-launch of The Public Theater’s podcast, Public Square, we take a look at SHADOW/LAND by Erika Dickerson-Despenza. Host Garlia Cornelia Jones speaks with Jill M. Vallery (Movement Director), Delfeayo Marsalis (Composer), and Jeanette Oi-Suk Yew (Lighting Designer) about their creative processes in bringing SHADOW/LAND to the stage.

COMING SOON: Stay tuned as we will be relaunching the ancillary content from the audio play version of shadow/land from the spring of 2021. The three Bonus episodes of “The Clearing” will be dropped as part of Public Square 2.0, and were hosted by Dr. Soyica Colbert.

Check out the website for the Shownotes here!

Executive Producer: Garlia Cornelia Jones, Director - Innovation and New Media

Creative Producer: John Sloan III, Ghostlight Productions

Audio Producer: Justin K. Sloan, Ghostlight Productions

Assistant Producer: Emily White - New Media Associate

Graphics by Tam Shell, Art Director - Brand Studio

Music Credits:

“Seeking The Stars” By Duce Williamas, Artlist.io

“Latte” By Sunny Fruit, Artlist.io

“Belong To You” By Denitia, Artlist.io

"Shadow/land Opening Theme" By  Delfeayo Marsalis

"Shadow/land Closing Theme" By Delfeayo Marsalis

"Reflections of shadow/land" By Delfeayo Marsalis

Transcript by 3Play