PLAY PODCASTS
Documentary Theater From Interviews to Final Production

Documentary Theater From Interviews to Final Production

Working · Slate Podcasts

May 31, 202048m 1s

Audio is streamed directly from the publisher (sphinx.acast.com) as published in their RSS feed. Play Podcasts does not host this file. Rights-holders can request removal through the copyright & takedown page.

Show Notes

This week, host Isaac Butler talks to documentary theater makers Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen, whose plays include The Exonerated, about the criminal justice system, and Coal Country, about the Upper Big Branch mine disaster in West Virginia. Blank and Jensen explain how documentary theater works, from interviews with subjects to a live performance where actors perform interview excerpts verbatim. 

After the interview, Isaac and co-host June Thomas discuss why documentary theater is such a great way to communicate important information to an audience.

Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to [email protected].

Podcast production by Cameron Drews.

And if you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on Working. It’s only $35 for the first year, and you can get a free two-week trial now at slate.com/workingplus


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.