OM DENNE EPISODE
Playwright Marc Mantell stopped by Playwright's Spotlight after directing the production of Dr. Freud, I Presume written by recent Spotlight guest - Donna Scarantino. Marc's playwriting journey is nothing short of fascinating, and this discussion is unlike anything any past interview or any episode down the road. While I tried to unpack Marc's process, I was met with stories of a journey ill-remembered, as if the Muses were always at his beck and call and each play appeared on the page. We open with the history of his first play Nobody's Home from it Katherine Hepburn's letter in 1984 to its winning Best Play at the Road Theater in 2014. We delve into his journey into playwriting, how the age of his characters in Nobody's Home prevented future productions, his continual ability to "avoid" success, and what happens after a break in playwriting as well as pushing forward to "what's next". We talk about his success without Rae Allen, writing in an age without technology, writing musicals, his experience in Bogota, Columbia, how his playwriting influences his directing, and moving away from past projects. Marc is a charming personality and enigma whose story is captivating and well worth listening to. Enjoy!
Marc Mantell is playwright, director, and screenwriter and holds a BFA in Theatre Arts from New York University. He has written lyrics and libretto for several musicals including “Quadroon” (music/lyrics: Joe Sample and Jonathan Brooke) which premiered in Houston, Texas, and “Por Siempre Navidad” (music: Maria Isabel Murillo) which played two consecutive seasons in Bogota, Columbia. His play "Nobody's Home" WINNER of the ROAD THEATRE COMPANY: BEST PLAY...SUMMER PLAYWRIGHT'S FESTIVAL 2014. Other plays include Apartments, Duck Dancing, Identical Twins From Baltimore, and Madly in Love.
Links to sites and resources mentioned in this episode -
https://roadtheatre.org
Contact information and socials for Marc Mantell -
FB - https://www.facebook.com/marc.mantell
Websites and socials for James Elden, Punk Monkey Productions and Playwright's Spotlight
Punk Monkey Productions -
www.punkmonkeyproductions.com
PLAY Noir -
www.playnoir.com
PLAY Noir Anthology –
www.punkmonkeyproductions.com/contact.html
James Elden -
Twitter - @jameseldensauer
IG - @alakardrake
FB - fb.com/jameseldensauer
Punk Monkey Productions and PLAY Noir -
Twitter - @punkmonkeyprods
- @playnoirla
IG - @punkmonkeyprods
- @playnoir_la
FB - fb.com/playnoir
- fb.com/punkmonkeyproductions
Playwright's Spotlight -
Twitter - @wrightlightpod
IG - @playwrights_spotlight
Playwriting services through Los Angeles Collegiate Playwrights Festival
www.losangelescollegiateplaywrightsfestival.com/services.html
