This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:04] Samantha Tuozzolo: Hi everybody, my name is Samantha Tuozzolo.

[0:07] Jason A. Coombs: And I'm Jason A. Coombs.

[0:09] Samantha Tuozzolo: And we are here at the press day for When Playwrights Kill. And my God, it's so fun in here already. We haven't even started talking to anybody and just we see icons everywhere. We just talked to Alan Seales.

[0:20] Jason A. Coombs: Icons.

[0:22] Samantha Tuozzolo: We talked to Alan Seales and he's a producer and also the king of the Broadway Podcast Network, as we all know. But guys, enjoy this episode and run to Boston and get your tickets to When Playwrights Kill.

[0:35] Jason A. Coombs: Yes, get on the train.

[0:36] Samantha Tuozzolo: Get on that Acela, baby.

[0:38] Jason A. Coombs: Or that bus or a plane. Get there in 45 minutes, girl.

[0:41] Samantha Tuozzolo: The megabus is like five bucks, I think.

[0:45] Jason A. Coombs: Cheers.

[0:46] Samantha Tuozzolo: Cheers, Jay.

[0:48] Jason A. Coombs: The megabus.

[0:49] Samantha Tuozzolo: This is what we need for. This is where we talk about icons.

[0:51] Jason A. Coombs: This is where we talk about icons and working with them.

[0:57] Samantha Tuozzolo: Right.

[0:58] Jason A. Coombs: I'm working with a lot of icons.

[1:00] Samantha Tuozzolo: Yes.

[1:01] Jason A. Coombs: Oh, yeah. Icon one, icon two.

[1:03] Samantha Tuozzolo: No, don't do me like that.

[1:06] Jason A. Coombs: So this is a podcast. Not everyone can see your beautiful faces.

[1:11] Marissa Jaret Winokur: Hi, I'm Marissa Jaret Winokur. For people just listening to the podcast, I'm wearing a really cute pink top, a little like, what is this? A pleather skirt.

[1:20] Samantha Tuozzolo: Yes.

[1:22] Marissa Jaret Winokur: Uh maroon with maroon tights and Gucci shoes.

[1:25] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah.

[1:28] Marissa Jaret Winokur: Audio description for the people listening on a podcast. I got on a Monse skirt. I got it at a sample sale, okay? So it's supposed to be like $650, but I got it for like $200. Shout out to the sample sale.

[1:41] Jason A. Coombs: It's got like a little train that's uh it's like crimped white fabric.

[1:45] Marissa Jaret Winokur: And I got a shirt that I got um that was thrifted. It was like two like twelve dollars.

[1:51] Jason A. Coombs: That's what's up.

[1:52] Marissa Jaret Winokur: And I'm just wearing Old Navy because I'm boring.

[1:55] Jason A. Coombs: No, that you're on a great budget.

[1:58] Marissa Jaret Winokur: On a budget.

[2:00] Jason A. Coombs: Thank you.

[2:01] Marissa Jaret Winokur: Old Navy.

[2:01] Jason A. Coombs: No, they've all come, they've all like listen, with uh Zach Posen doing uh uh the Gap now, everybody's stepped up, everybody's stepping up, everybody's got style now.

[2:12] Marissa Jaret Winokur: Love that.

[2:13] Jason A. Coombs: So we're here on the press day for this new play. How do you both feel to make it so far?

[2:20] Marissa Jaret Winokur: I feel great. I feel like today is Thursday. We do a press.

[2:27] Jason A. Coombs: I actually woke up this morning and texted them at like 5 a.m. I'm like, oh, how are we doing this today? Because I was like, but I knew we both were prepping our hair. I knew we were prepping our hair. Um no, I feel I'm excited. I feel like we're like, I'm definitely ready to go to the stage. I know that we're still here in the rehearsal space for another week, but I like I'm very excited to actually be on the stage in front of an audience.

[2:50] Marissa Jaret Winokur: Yeah, but for me, I'm like, I don't even care about the audience. I like want to just be on the set because like I like I'm the stage manager in this show, so a lot of my business I'm not doing because you know.

[3:01] Jason A. Coombs: Right, right.

[3:01] Marissa Jaret Winokur: Yeah. So tell me about the play, because this is a brand new world premiere. It's gonna be in Boston on April 10th.

[3:08] Jason A. Coombs: April 3rd.

[3:09] Marissa Jaret Winokur: April 3rd is.

[3:09] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah, we start previews at the third. I think that the 10th is the opening show.

[3:13] Marissa Jaret Winokur: I don't know. Just between the 10th. Just be there between April 3rd and April 10th.

[3:17] Jason A. Coombs: So you might as well just come when you can come.

[3:18] Marissa Jaret Winokur: Right.

[3:18] Jason A. Coombs: In Boston.

[3:19] Marissa Jaret Winokur: Yeah, in Boston.

[3:20] Jason A. Coombs: Yes. No, we're excited. I'm excited. You want to hear about the play. That's what you do.

[3:23] Marissa Jaret Winokur: Yeah, for people who don't know about anything about this play.

[3:26] Jason A. Coombs: Well, nobody knows anything about this play.

[3:28] Marissa Jaret Winokur: I barely knew. I knew my lines. That's it. I don't read any of the other lines. Um, this play is like, listen, it's it feels like an old, not old, gosh, I didn't say old, but it's like a Neil Simon, like a classic play. Like a classic play, but then it's also like the play that goes wrong. But then in comes Tomas, and we're in 2026, and all of a sudden you're like, oh no, this is a real world. Like this is now this is happening.

[3:50] Jason A. Coombs: Um I say we it takes until they come in, but then we know exactly where we're at.

[3:57] Marissa Jaret Winokur: Yeah. I think it's also like a look into the theater world, you know, and what we experience as theater makers. Um but I also think there is a world and there is an in for anyone, whether you're in the theater world, whether you know who a stage manager is or not. Um and I think that's maybe what one of my like my character plays a part in and in like seeing people be like, oh, this person has no idea what the hell is happening in the theater world, but they on stage, so I know who that person is.

[4:25] Jason A. Coombs: Right.

[4:25] Marissa Jaret Winokur: If that makes any sense. Like that's what I feel like my character is kind of like it helps the audience be like, oh, I have an in to the world of people. You're like the the realize of what's the chaos that it's coming. Like what is this director talking about? She don't know her lines, what are the lines with what's going away?

[4:42] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah.

[4:43] Marissa Jaret Winokur: No, that's perfect. That's perfect, yeah. So we've been asking this question to the other cast members. This is a comedy. Who is the funniest person in the play off stage?

[4:53] Jason A. Coombs: We've been getting Tomas.

[4:55] Marissa Jaret Winokur: If anyone says anything else, then they're lying. Or they're just jealous of Tomas's sparkle.

[5:00] Jason A. Coombs: But it's one of the I'll believe that. If this was Survivor and we had to write it on a the you wouldn't even know who it was saying, would you say you're you would pick someone other than yourself?

[5:11] Marissa Jaret Winokur: If it were for like a game where I would like, I have to think what other people are gonna say that way. I have to say the same thing so I can get a point. Well I would say myself because I would want to get the point and win the game. I don't think it's me. I just know that that's what they will talk about.

[5:24] Jason A. Coombs: Okay, who do you think it is then? If you don't think it's you and you'll lose your point.

[5:27] Marissa Jaret Winokur: I think it's Beth.

[5:28] Jason A. Coombs: Oh yeah.

[5:28] Marissa Jaret Winokur: Beth is. I think Beth is the funniest on stage. I think you're the funniest off stage.

[5:34] Jason A. Coombs: Okay, bad.

[5:36] Marissa Jaret Winokur: I mean, off stage is just, you know, I don't know, it's Beth.

[5:42] Jason A. Coombs: I love that. I love that.

[5:44] Marissa Jaret Winokur: So plays like this are so much. You know I think you're the funniest side of stage too.

[5:48] Jason A. Coombs: Tomas, you know.

[5:50] Marissa Jaret Winokur: No, no. Tomas, you know. You're also one of the funniest in Queens of the Dead, but I was telling you how much I love.

[5:54] Jason A. Coombs: Did you see it?

[5:54] Marissa Jaret Winokur: I haven't seen it, but now everyone's talking about it today, so now I have to.

[5:57] Jason A. Coombs: It's hard to watch it because it's on Shudder right now.

[6:00] Marissa Jaret Winokur: It was when it was during like the film festival circuit, it was easier to.

[6:03] Jason A. Coombs: I'm sorry, I thought you said the word shudder.

[6:05] Marissa Jaret Winokur: Yeah, Shudder.

[6:06] Jason A. Coombs: What is that?

[6:06] Marissa Jaret Winokur: Shudder is the horror streaming platform where you can watch the horror film genre. So Queens of the Dead got distributed through IFC and also Shudder.

[6:16] Jason A. Coombs: So it's on Shudder as a streaming.

[6:18] Marissa Jaret Winokur: Can I get it like as like a promo if I do it for one day and then get out of it?

[6:23] Jason A. Coombs: Or you can do a seven-day free trial.

[6:24] Marissa Jaret Winokur: Stop doing that.

[6:25] Jason A. Coombs: I'll do that.

[6:26] Marissa Jaret Winokur: I'll do that. We'll do a screener.

[6:28] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[6:32] Marissa Jaret Winokur: Marissa's film festival?

[6:35] Jason A. Coombs: My film festival. Seven-day free trial for Shudder. And I'm gonna do a different movie every night in my hotel room.

[6:43] Marissa Jaret Winokur: Oh my gosh.

[6:43] Jason A. Coombs: But only for seven days. But then, and if it does well, if we sell a lot of merch and get a lot of like snacks and stuff, then I'll do another one, but I'll just do a different email.

[6:53] Marissa Jaret Winokur: Period smart.

[6:55] Jason A. Coombs: Gmail.

[6:55] Marissa Jaret Winokur: Gmail.

[6:56] Jason A. Coombs: And then Yahoo.

[6:57] Marissa Jaret Winokur: And then AOL.

[6:58] Jason A. Coombs: And there, yeah, bring it back.

[7:00] Marissa Jaret Winokur: Yeah.

[7:01] Jason A. Coombs: AOL.

[7:02] Marissa Jaret Winokur: I got AOL.

[7:05] Jason A. Coombs: What is it? What is your screen name? Your AOL screen.

[7:06] Marissa Jaret Winokur: Don't tell it.

[7:07] Jason A. Coombs: Don't do it.

[7:07] Marissa Jaret Winokur: I'm not gonna say it out loud because then y'all gonna be blowing up my email.

[7:11] Jason A. Coombs: Well, they could blow up your email.

[7:12] Marissa Jaret Winokur: It's the same email that I was using from when I was in the sixth grade.

[7:16] Jason A. Coombs: Why is that bad?

[7:17] Marissa Jaret Winokur: No, it's not bad. From when I was in the sixth grade, I have the same exact email and it is AOL, and it was also my AIM.

[7:24] Jason A. Coombs: I love that for you.

[7:25] Marissa Jaret Winokur: You don't have an AOL?

[7:26] Jason A. Coombs: I do have an AOL.

[7:27] Marissa Jaret Winokur: Well, I got iCloud. You know what I'm saying?

[7:29] Jason A. Coombs: I have there is one, but that's like where I prefer the AOL.

[7:32] Marissa Jaret Winokur: No, my A You prefer AOL?

[7:34] Jason A. Coombs: No, I'm not reading that.

[7:38] Marissa Jaret Winokur: If someone asked you out on a date, and if someone asked you out on a date and said, What's your email? Would you say AOL?

[7:43] Jason A. Coombs: Yes, because that's the one that's connected to my phone.

[7:47] Marissa Jaret Winokur: Oh no.

[7:48] Jason A. Coombs: Oh no. I'm I like shamed my mother.

[7:52] Marissa Jaret Winokur: Broke, don't fix it.

[7:53] Jason A. Coombs: Although AOL is a little broke.

[7:55] Marissa Jaret Winokur: I mean, does it be you? Are you going out on dating 60 year olds?

[8:00] Jason A. Coombs: I feel like it's ages to be like, don't use AOL. And that's coming from the young youngest person in the cast.

[8:06] Marissa Jaret Winokur: I'm ages.

[8:06] Jason A. Coombs: Not at work.

[8:07] Marissa Jaret Winokur: Okay. That's fantastic. I'm gonna go around and see who has AOL.

[8:13] Jason A. Coombs: And it's like Kevin doesn't even have AOL.

[8:16] Marissa Jaret Winokur: If you want to add me, mine was J Blaze 2G1.

[8:20] Jason A. Coombs: Oh, that's so cringe.

[8:22] Marissa Jaret Winokur: J Blaze.

[8:22] Jason A. Coombs: J Blaze.

[8:23] Marissa Jaret Winokur: Okay, now you're not care mine. It's T J A K A Thomas.

[8:29] Jason A. Coombs: AKA?

[8:30] Marissa Jaret Winokur: AKA, also known as. Because my middle name is Joaquin. So my family calls me TJ Tomas Joaquin.

[8:36] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah, that was.

[8:37] Marissa Jaret Winokur: AKA is good.

[8:39] Jason A. Coombs: I'm iconic.

[8:41] Marissa Jaret Winokur: Please don't stalk.

[8:42] Jason A. Coombs: Please.

[8:43] Marissa Jaret Winokur: Yeah, yeah. Whatever, they can stalk you on Instagram. Like they can stalk to you on like anywhere. They could be on TikTok and stalk you.

[8:50] Jason A. Coombs: Our emails aren't that like protected anymore.

[8:52] Marissa Jaret Winokur: It's very true.

[8:53] Jason A. Coombs: Mine's just my name.

[8:54] Marissa Jaret Winokur: You're right. You're right.

[8:56] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah, girl. I do. I do, I'd be getting the notification from Apple that's like, oh, your password has been leaked. And I'm like, it's fine.

[9:04] Marissa Jaret Winokur: Yeah, I did that.

[9:05] Jason A. Coombs: I'll get it from like change. Next. Chase Bank is like, I think your personal information has gone out. I'm like, oh, next.

[9:13] Marissa Jaret Winokur: You need to become our next co-host because you're awesome at this.

[9:16] Jason A. Coombs: Period. You're making my job so much easier.

[9:19] Marissa Jaret Winokur: You give me a mic, I feel like I'm hosting.

[9:22] Jason A. Coombs: I'm like, you are. I have a follow-up question for Matt when we're done.

[9:26] Marissa Jaret Winokur: Well, before we go, we have to ask you one question. When one word, why should people get tickets today to see this play between April 3rd and April 18th in Boston?

[9:29] Jason A. Coombs: One word?

[9:36] Marissa Jaret Winokur: One word. Can I pick like two?

[9:38] Jason A. Coombs: Sure.

[9:38] Marissa Jaret Winokur: I would say beautiful chaos.

[9:40] Jason A. Coombs: Beautiful chaos.

[9:43] Marissa Jaret Winokur: Legends.

[9:44] Jason A. Coombs: Legends.

[9:45] Marissa Jaret Winokur: I mean, speaking of legends, Tracy Turnblad. Let me ask the audience. Legends.

[9:53] Jason A. Coombs: Tracy Turnblad was literally on my peak of white women that it idolized. She's like on my, she's iconic and she gave me so much hope as a little gay. So thank you.

[10:03] Marissa Jaret Winokur: I love that. I had some man, I was like, so you have to have to talk to her.

[10:06] Jason A. Coombs: I love that. I love that. Thank you, Stuart. I feel like I get I feel like that hit such a chord with so many people at such an important time in their lives.

[10:12] Marissa Jaret Winokur: In high school.

[10:13] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah. I was like, this is very important time. I literally told Marissa the same thing when I first, when I the one of the first things, I was like, I'm literally in the room with Tracy Turnblad. She was formative for people of our generation.

[10:24] Marissa Jaret Winokur: Literally.

[10:30] Unknown speaker: Oh.

[10:31] Unknown speaker: I was like, I'm like, oh.

[10:34] Unknown speaker: Oh, oh, we're fucking.

[10:36] Unknown speaker: Thank you so much.

[10:37] Unknown speaker: We have three more questions for you.

[10:40] Unknown speaker: Thank you both so much.

[10:41] Unknown speaker: We love you.

[10:42] Unknown speaker: And can't wait to see you in Boston.

[10:44] Unknown speaker: Yay, thank you.

[10:45] Unknown speaker: Shout out to everyone.

[10:46] Unknown speaker: We have fun.

[10:46] Unknown speaker: Come see us in boys.

[10:48] Unknown speaker: Yes.

[10:50] Unknown speaker: At the film fest, Mercer Film Fest.

[10:53] Unknown speaker: Oh yay.

[10:53] Unknown speaker: At my free film festival.

[10:56] Unknown speaker: Thank you.

[10:56] Unknown speaker: Thank you.

[10:58] Unknown speaker: I think I fell asleep last night.

[10:59] Unknown speaker: I woke up.

[10:59] Unknown speaker: I was like, what do I have to do?

[11:00] Unknown speaker: You know when your alarm goes off and you're like, why?

[11:02] Unknown speaker: What day is it?

[11:03] Unknown speaker: Like, what am I doing today?

[11:05] Unknown speaker: Or like, why do I have to cut up?

[11:07] Unknown speaker: No clue.

[11:07] Unknown speaker: Yeah.

[11:08] Unknown speaker: But I figured it out and I made it.

[11:09] Unknown speaker: Here we are.

[11:10] Unknown speaker: Good job.

[11:10] Unknown speaker: Good job.

[11:11] Unknown speaker: Thank you.

[11:12] Unknown speaker: Thank you so much.

[11:13] Unknown speaker: Fabulous.

[11:14] Unknown speaker: Thank you.

[11:14] Unknown speaker: The skin is dry, but no, it's not.

[11:16] Unknown speaker: We're doing the best we can.

[11:17] Unknown speaker: Oh, please.

[11:18] Unknown speaker: Hi, happy press day.

[11:20] Unknown speaker: How are you guys feeling?

[11:22] Beth Leavel: Excited.

[11:22] Matt Doyle: Yeah, really excited.

[11:24] Matt Doyle: I mean, it's just a wonderfully silly and wild and over the top and ridiculous show.

[11:29] Matt Doyle: So we can't wait to share it.

[11:32] Beth Leavel: Yeah, we need an audience.

[11:37] Matt Doyle: Yes.

[11:37] Matt Doyle: That's kind of our goal.

[11:39] Beth Leavel: Yeah.

[11:40] Samantha Tuozzolo: Amazing. Well, I want to take it back really quick because we are a podcast. And if you're not watching and you don't know what icons I'm with, can you please introduce yourselves for the listeners and let us know what your role here is with When Playwrights Kill?

[11:51] Beth Leavel: I am Beth Leavel, and I play, and this takes me a minute to say because it's important to the character. My character's name is Brooke Remington.

[12:02] Matt Doyle: Fierce.

[12:03] Beth Leavel: Perfect.

[12:04] Beth Leavel: Yeah, it has to be that fierce.

[12:05] Matt Doyle: Fierce, yes.

[12:06] Matt Doyle: Fierce.

[12:07] Matt Doyle: I'm Matt Doyle, and I'm playing the playwright, also known as Jack Hawkings, but we never say that. We just say the playwright.

[12:17] Beth Leavel: These archetype artists I love that.

[12:19] Matt Doyle: I love that so much.

[12:20] Matt Doyle: So our podcast on the network's called Survival Jobs. Before you guys were literally Broadway icons. Can you share a survival job you had along your journey?

[12:29] Beth Leavel: Um literally one time I was hired to be in a bathing suit in Times Square during a snowstorm to do something for Disney.

[12:43] Beth Leavel: They had heaters.

[12:45] Beth Leavel: Okay.

[12:46] Beth Leavel: And my kids were there. My son was there, TJ, and he was in a bathing suit. He was like six and thought it was the coolest thing in the world. We were in like lounge chairs.

[12:56] Beth Leavel: Full snowstorm?

[12:57] Matt Doyle: In literally a snowstorm.

[12:59] Beth Leavel: Okay.

[13:00] Beth Leavel: And they just were trying to keep us warm. It was like, wow, girl gotta eat.

[13:04] Matt Doyle: Did um the heaters work?

[13:06] Beth Leavel: They did work.

[13:07] Beth Leavel: Great.

[13:07] Matt Doyle: They did work.

[13:08] Matt Doyle: Is it that random?

[13:10] Beth Leavel: Well, like, what were you promoting?

[13:12] Matt Doyle: I don't remember.

[13:13] Beth Leavel: Okay.

[13:14] Beth Leavel: I just remember it was time that I was in a bathing suit.

[13:18] Beth Leavel: Sunglasses as well.

[13:20] Matt Doyle: Sunglasses, maybe.

[13:21] Beth Leavel: The whole thing.

[13:22] Beth Leavel: Maybe it was like Florida.

[13:23] Matt Doyle: Yeah, maybe you're like such a good actress that like you just felt the warmth.

[13:28] Beth Leavel: That's what it was.

[13:28] Matt Doyle: Yeah, you're like, I just method that way.

[13:31] Beth Leavel: Yeah.

[13:33] Matt Doyle: If I know Beth, I know she's method.

[13:35] Beth Leavel: Yeah.

[13:35] Matt Doyle: I love that.

[13:36] Matt Doyle: How about you?

[13:37] Matt Doyle: Uh when I first moved to the city, uh, I was 19 and I got a job as a production assistant for music videos and um and commercials.

[13:47] Matt Doyle: So I was working on a dawn soap commercial. I'd been going to open calls. I'd been through seven rounds of callbacks for Spring Awakening at that point.

[13:55] Matt Doyle: Fun.

[13:56] Matt Doyle: I crashed the van that day while I was getting coffee for people.

[13:59] Matt Doyle: I came upstairs, everyone hated me. It looked like I was about to get fired on set. I could barely hold the monitor, or like it was a dawn soap commercial, so I was being like told how to like make the food that they like wipe away from the pan.

[14:13] Matt Doyle: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[14:14] Matt Doyle: And the director on set that day was like, Clearly, you're not very good at this. What do you actually want to do in life? And I was like, well, thanks. I said, I want to be an actor, and he was like, Oh, you should go see that show, Spring Awakening. It's really good. Those kids are really talented. I kid you not. 20 minutes later, on that set, I got the phone call telling me that I'd been cast in Spring Awakening.

[14:38] Beth Leavel: Oh my god, chill.

[14:42] Matt Doyle: No, it's an incredible story.

[14:44] Marissa Jaret Winokur: I turned around and went back on set because they were like, "Where have you been?" Because I had been on the phone. And I said, "I just got cast in Spring Awakening." The director fully thought I was lying because he had just said it. And he was like, "Just you tell this kid to go home." And so I left, and I think to this day, the director probably remembers that like crazy production assistant that like lied about getting a job.

[15:05] Jason A. Coombs: Wow.

[15:06] Marissa Jaret Winokur: That's an amazing story.

[15:06] Samantha Tuozzolo: So I have a quick question. What happened when you crashed the van? Like, are you okay?

[15:09] Matt Doyle: I don't know. I just said like, I'm so sorry. And like I never had to pay for anything. Nobody got hurt. I just like I hit a fire, I hit a fire hydrant. So like the entire side of this giant van was like totally ripped up. I was like, oh no. Sometimes we're just really meant to be actors. And I that don't let us out in the world in any other way. We don't know. Every car I have, the right, the the right side of my vehicle always damaged. Sometimes it'd be like it's just I don't have like spatial awareness about like the right side of my car. I always think it's thinner than it is.

[15:43] Beth Leavel: Right.

[15:46] Matt Doyle: Remind me not to ride with the colour.

[15:47] Beth Leavel: Don't don't go to Austin.

[15:49] Matt Doyle: Remind me not get in the car.

[15:50] Beth Leavel: Don't get in the car with the tire in Boston.

[15:53] Matt Doyle: Current cars destroyed on one side.

[15:55] Beth Leavel: Yeah.

[15:55] Matt Doyle: You guys, we ask a lot of people survival job stories, and those are two of the best. So thank you so much.

[16:01] Matt Doyle: So this is a comedy. Who's been the funniest person to work with offstage? Who's who's giving the biggest laughs outside of the rehearsal room?

[16:08] Beth Leavel: Tomas.

[16:09] Matt Doyle: Tomas.

[16:10] Beth Leavel: Have you talked to him yet?

[16:12] Matt Doyle: No.

[16:12] Beth Leavel: Well, that's all. That's all we need to do. Well, we'll we'll get the evidence when it comes on by.

[16:17] Matt Doyle: Yeah, I think we can all just agree to boss. It is a light and an energy that I honestly now can't live without. I want to do everything with them now.

[16:28] Beth Leavel: Wow, so fun.

[16:29] Matt Doyle: So the play's called When Playwrights Kill. Who's a playwright right now that you would kill for? Like your favorite playwright of the moment.

[16:35] Beth Leavel: Oh.

[16:36] Matt Doyle: Oh.

[16:36] Beth Leavel: Oh.

[16:37] Matt Doyle: Oh.

[16:38] Beth Leavel: Well, he's a musical playwright, and I would say Bob Martin.

[16:41] Matt Doyle: Love.

[16:41] Beth Leavel: Oh.

[16:42] Matt Doyle: Good one.

[16:43] Beth Leavel: Anything he writes, I just I just want to be in.

[16:47] Matt Doyle: Oh, that's wonderful.

[16:48] Beth Leavel: Thank you.

[16:49] Matt Doyle: I love Bob Martin.

[16:50] Beth Leavel: I know. Well, I have to say Matthew Lombardo because this is my second play playing him.

[16:56] Matt Doyle: Amazing.

[16:57] Beth Leavel: Um other than that, yeah. I think a lot of musical book writers right now that I just love and adore. Bob Martin, absolutely. I love everything that Bob does. And I'm, you know, drawing a blank. It's hard.

[17:09] Matt Doyle: It's a hard question. I was thinking about it on my way over here. I would probably say best wool, in case you wanted to know.

[17:13] Beth Leavel: Oh, yeah.

[17:14] Matt Doyle: Okay.

[17:15] Matt Doyle: Adam Rapp always.

[17:17] Beth Leavel: Yeah.

[17:18] Matt Doyle: Always.

[17:19] Beth Leavel: There's some amazing ones.

[17:21] Matt Doyle: We could be here all day and go for all the time.

[17:23] Beth Leavel: It's like places, places, please.

[17:25] Matt Doyle: No, we haven't finished.

[17:26] Beth Leavel: You're like, guys, our list is still going to hang on.

[17:28] Matt Doyle: Oh, we forgot. Jez Butterworth.

[17:31] Beth Leavel: Yeah.

[17:31] Matt Doyle: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[17:33] Beth Leavel: Oh, you guys are fun. I could talk to you for a long time, but you gotta go and talk to many other people who aren't as fun as us. Just kidding. Um before we let you go in one word, can you let our listeners know why they need to get on the Acela train to Boston or take a car, not with Matt driving and come see this play in Boston?

[17:53] Beth Leavel: Funny.

[17:54] Matt Doyle: Please come laugh.

[17:55] Beth Leavel: The world is so much.

[17:56] Matt Doyle: She said one word.

[17:58] Beth Leavel: She said one word.

[17:59] Matt Doyle: One word going into a whole monologue.

[18:01] Beth Leavel: God damn it.

[18:02] Matt Doyle: It happens a lot.

[18:03] Beth Leavel: I do love the one word. And don't use mine.

[18:05] Matt Doyle: Okay.

[18:06] Matt Doyle: It's hard.

[18:07] Beth Leavel: That's what I'm saying.

[18:08] Matt Doyle: Our word was funny.

[18:09] Beth Leavel: Escape.

[18:10] Matt Doyle: Done.

[18:10] Beth Leavel: That's good.

[18:11] Matt Doyle: Love that.

[18:11] Unknown speaker: Well, cheers.

[18:12] Unknown speaker: Cheers.

[18:13] Unknown speaker: You guys are icons.

[18:14] Unknown speaker: Thanks for chatting with you.

[18:16] Unknown speaker: Hi.

[18:17] Unknown speaker: Hey.

[18:17] Unknown speaker: How are you?

[18:18] Unknown speaker: Congratulations.

[18:19] Unknown speaker: Happy Press Day.

[18:20] Unknown speaker: Thank you so much.

[18:21] Unknown speaker: Of course, so we are a podcast. A lot of people are just listening. Can you please introduce yourselves and let us know what your role here is with When Playwrights Kill?

[18:29] Noah Himmelstein: Yeah, I'm Noah Himmelstein. I'm directing this hilarious, wonderful, unhinged comedy.

[18:34] Matthew Lombardo: And I'm Matthew Lombardo, and I am the playwright.

[18:37] Unknown speaker: Amazing. So this has been a long time coming. What has been the most thrilling part about the rehearsal process for you so far?

[18:44] Matthew Lombardo: Yeah. So I want to hit upon what you said about long time coming. It's so, it's such a gift when you have the support of development of a new piece. You know, that is sort of like an un an under-appreciated sort of idea that the time it takes to hone a craft, the time it takes to really understand for the creative team to know what they want to say, how they're gonna use this container to say it in the best possible way, how they're gonna be inspired by all of the artists working on it.

[19:13] Noah Himmelstein: Absolutely.

[19:14] Matthew Lombardo: And so we've been so privileged to develop this. We've done a couple workshops, and to arrive in this room with this group of people. I mean, it's like the cast is stellar. At this moment in time, you know, the world is going through some stuff right now, and we are just having the most fun and the most joy and uh love in this room.

[19:36] Noah Himmelstein: So uh I can't say enough about the experience so far.

[19:40] Noah Himmelstein: He signs he signs off on all of that.

[19:43] Noah Himmelstein: So this is a comedy. Who's been the funniest person in the rehearsal room off stage?

[19:50] Matthew Lombardo: No, I mean we have I mean, really, that's such a trick question because our vision was a room of the funniest beloved theater artist doing a play about beloved theater artists. You cried and you ding ding ding. Yes, all of the layers working together that life was imitating art, which is imitating life, which actually happens in the play itself. So all of those layers working together just creates electricity.

[20:15] Noah Himmelstein: All six of them truly, they are all so different, they all bring in, you know, a life of experiences, and we love them for different reasons, and they all are playing a symphony together. And that was that was a conscious choice that they all kind of play a different instrument in the play.

[20:32] Matthew Lombardo: He signs off again.

[20:34] Noah Himmelstein: Um so our show is called survival jobs. Before you were crushing it as an artist, as a working artist. Would do you have a survival job you can share with us?

[20:43] Matthew Lombardo: Yes, I worked at the anti-pasta bar at Trattery and Del Arte across from Carnegie Hall, and waited on Angela Lansbury and Vanessa Redgrave, all while trying to sneak in that I was like trying to be a director.

[21:01] Alan Seales: But it was a great, it was a great and very difficult, very difficult job.

[21:07] Unknown speaker: Yeah, so busy, like the most exquisite food, yeah, but really high caliber for like a first restaurant job.

[21:14] Unknown speaker: Yeah, you're like, here's your charcuterie board.

[21:16] Unknown speaker: I'm a director also.

[21:17] Unknown speaker: Exactly.

[21:18] Unknown speaker: That's how you have to do it.

[21:19] Alan Seales: I worked at a place called the Hangar Bar on Christopher Street.

[21:22] Unknown speaker: Fun as a bartender with my shirt off for years.

[21:26] Unknown speaker: Yes.

[21:27] Unknown speaker: Let's get those tips.

[21:28] Alan Seales: We actually did another play about that.

[21:30] Unknown speaker: Yeah.

[21:30] Unknown speaker: Oh, amazing.

[21:31] Alan Seales: We'll have some law to get that one going next.

[21:34] Alan Seales: Well, thank you guys so much. Congratulations. Hope you'll come up to Boston and see us.

[21:38] Unknown speaker: Yes, we're definitely starting performances April 3rd, and it's just gonna be the biggest jolt of joyful adrenaline for everybody.

[21:47] Unknown speaker: Amazing.

[21:48] Alan Seales: And really quick, before we let you go, in one word, why should everyone run in and come see this play?

[21:54] Unknown speaker: We need to laugh.

[21:56] Unknown speaker: Oh my god, just belly, belly laugh.

[22:00] Unknown speaker: Yes, cheers to that.

[22:01] Unknown speaker: Cheers.

[22:03] Alan Seales: Thank you.

[22:04] Unknown speaker: Thank you.

[22:05] Alan Seales: Okay, so congratulations on your press day.

[22:10] Unknown speaker: Congratulations on my hair.

[22:12] Unknown speaker: Yes.

[22:13] Unknown speaker: On your hair, you're here.

[22:14] Alan Seales: Right here.

[22:14] Alan Seales: We made it to Press.

[22:15] Unknown speaker: You made it a press day, yes.

[22:16] Alan Seales: So we are a podcast, and everyone can see your beautiful face. Which might introduce yourself for those who can't see you.

[22:22] Alan Seales: I am Alan Seales. I am one of the co-lead producers here on When Playwrights Kill.

[22:29] Unknown speaker: Kill, kill, kill, kill.

[22:30] Alan Seales: Amazing, amazing. So what drew you to this script? What was like I have to help make this script come to life?

[22:37] Alan Seales: I could not stop laughing. I saw a workshop of it. I literally texted Matthew Lombardo at intermission of the workshop.

[22:44] Unknown speaker: Did you really?

[22:45] Alan Seales: I did. And I said, I don't care about act two. Act one made me pee my pants. I have to be involved. Tell me how. And I stayed and watched Act Two anyway.

[22:55] Unknown speaker: Right, right.

[22:56] Alan Seales: And it was just as good. But I in a time right now, especially with everything we're going through, we need to laugh. We need funny things. And this pushes every appropriate boundary while doing it in the funniest way and coming out at the end with such a heartfelt message that everybody can relate to.

[23:17] Unknown speaker: I love that, Alan. You sold me.

[23:20] Alan Seales: I'm about to buy a ticket right now.

[23:22] Unknown speaker: Good.

[23:23] Alan Seales: And tell your friends.

[23:24] Unknown speaker: Right, right. So what has been have you been part of the rehearsal process? Have you gotten to see?

[23:27] Alan Seales: I have, yes. I obviously was part of the casting process. So part of the beginning rehearsal process. We've done we are now in the smack in the middle as we're recording this of the three weeks of New York rehearsals. Then we spend a week in Boston, then we start previews on April 3rd.

[23:46] Unknown speaker: April 3rd, baby.

[23:48] Alan Seales: And I've watched the first two days and then purposely have gone away because I want to I'm gonna start watching today to watch how it's all been put on its feet for these stumble throughs because now's the time when everybody's really gonna start like finding their groove and trying to do things when they're off book and experimenting, and this is the best time of rehearsal.

[24:10] Unknown speaker: It is the best time.

[24:11] Alan Seales: So if audiences are on the fence, after all this great talk, they're still on the fence. Give us one word why I need to get their asses into seats in Boston on April 3rd.

[24:20] Unknown speaker: Do the 10th, right?

[24:21] Alan Seales: 18th.

[24:22] Unknown speaker: April.

[24:23] Alan Seales: Oh, the 10th is the press day.

[24:24] Unknown speaker: Yeah, yeah.

[24:25] Unknown speaker: Uh 10th is press in Boston.

[24:27] Alan Seales: So April 3rd through 18th at the Huntington Theater in Boston.

[24:31] Unknown speaker: Yes. So all you mass holes, get your butt out and go see that.

[24:34] Alan Seales: I didn't say that because Matt Doyle calls himself a mass hole. I think that's what it is.

[24:38] Unknown speaker: Okay.

[24:38] Alan Seales: All right. Um, one word to get people to see this.

[24:42] Unknown speaker: Um levity.

[24:46] Unknown speaker: Levity. We levity transportation in the way that this is gonna bring you into a place that we all need to be in of laughter, of joy of coming out and connecting with each other.

[25:01] Alan Seales: This is way more than one word.

[25:02] Unknown speaker: No one puts me in a box.

[25:03] Alan Seales: It's okay, it's okay, we'll take it.

[25:04] Unknown speaker: We'll forgive you, we'll forgive you, Alan.

[25:06] Alan Seales: And last question before we go. Uh, I would like to ask you the play is called When Playwrights Kill. Is there a playwright currently that you would kill for? Because you love them so much.

[25:15] Unknown speaker: Oh, kill for.

[25:20] Unknown speaker: I mean Matthew Lombardo, obviously.

[25:22] Unknown speaker: Yeah.

[25:23] Unknown speaker: Like I am out there killing trying to make this play out.

[25:26] Alan Seales: You are, you are. Well, congratulations, Alan. So excited for you. Cheers.

[25:29] Unknown speaker: Of course. Love you too.

[25:32] Unknown speaker: Cheers.

[25:33] Unknown speaker: Thank you.

[25:34] Unknown speaker: Love it. Hi, happy press day.

[25:36] Unknown speaker: Hey, thank you.

[25:37] Unknown speaker: Yeah, you guys, we saved the best for last. Literally, everyone's out of here except us. We're just chatting and having laughs, and we saved the best for last.

[25:44] Alan Seales: So we are a podcast, a lot of people are just listening. So can you please introduce yourself and let us know what role you play in When Playwrights Kill?

[25:52] Adam Heller: I'm Adam Heller, and I play the producer in When Playwrights Kill. Soon to be at the Huntington Theater April 3rd to April 18th.

[26:04] Adam Heller: And um I direct this whole lot of crazy people.

[26:08] Alan Seales: So fun. So what has been like a highlight from rehearsal for you so far?

[26:15] Adam Heller: Shall I go first?

[26:16] Alan Seales: Yeah, why not?

[26:17] Adam Heller: Listen, my pleasure is to watch my wife work. So Beth is a comic genius, pretty much. And it is great to sort of see her work out this comedy. Because we don't discuss this stuff at home. We don't. We go and we go to our separate floors and work on the script and so what inspiration I see her come up with is seen at the same time as everybody else.

[26:46] Adam Heller: Um also it's like three generations of actors in the show. Um and I'm learning from the youngest from Tomas and Matt, and they're learning from us, you know, the old shtick.

[27:01] Unknown speaker: Yes, the codgers from back in the Vaudeville days.

[27:05] Adam Heller: Yeah. We know how to land a joke. You hit the C, then the E, then down to the lowest C. Beware the odds of March. Pickle is funny. It is anything with a K.

[27:17] Unknown speaker: Anything with a K.

[27:18] Adam Heller: Anything with a K.

[27:20] Unknown speaker: I love that. So it's a comedy, you guys are doing jokes now. Who's been the funniest person out of the rehearsal room that you're working with right now?

[27:29] Adam Heller: Depends on the day. It really does. And the caffeine. You know, really, it all comes out of a certain degree of truth, and so I would say this guy has really figured out how directors manipulate us, maybe a little, flatter us. Coddle, coddle, coddle, maybe that is.

[27:51] Unknown speaker: Um he uses a lot of words to basically say, you're not doing what I want you to do.

[27:58] Adam Heller: Um and I love how Adam gets so enraged and impatient with his character with this young playwright who doesn't really know anything about the biz and and and his producer knows everything about the biz and is desperate to make money and it's always you know it's funny one of the themes in the show is money versus art, you know, and um how do those stay in balance when you're producing a new play.

[28:30] Unknown speaker: Yeah, so in conclusion, everyone's funny depending on the day.

[28:34] Adam Heller: Yes, that's so right. Well, you know, really is a collection of funny people.

[28:38] Unknown speaker: Well, I mean, we could tell just from talking to everybody today, like my face hurts, we're smiling and laughing so much, so it definitely makes sense.

[28:44] Adam Heller: So it's When Playwrights Kill. Who is a playwright you would kill for? Like who is your playwright of the moment?

[28:52] Adam Heller: Well, I mean, he's not of the moment, but right now because it's in the news, I would say that Arthur Miller was a genius and that play is one of the greats. And Thornton Wilder comes to mind who wrote you know Our Town.

[29:13] Adam Heller: Yeah, I would say of the living playwrights, I love Annie Baker and Lucas Hnath.

[29:19] Unknown speaker: Oh Lucas.

[29:21] Adam Heller: Doll's House Part Two is one of my favorite theater experiences I've ever had. I saw that play about 12 or 15 times. I'm not even kidding.

[29:30] Unknown speaker: Wow.

[29:32] Adam Heller: Loved it. Thank you so much. Um so our podcast on the network is called Survival Jobs, before you guys were working actors and artists. Can you share a quick survival job?

[29:40] Adam Heller: I was Santa Claus at Macy's in Herald Square.

[29:45] Unknown speaker: Oh boy.

[29:46] Adam Heller: Yes, I was. And you know, a lot of people don't know this, but it's a maze of Santa houses, six Santas work at once, so they can see as many. And so sometimes when you have a bathroom break, the elves will escort a Santa out of a house, and you'll run into a patron, and there's two Santas there, and they're like, ah, the kids freak out. They're like, Santa is on you.

[30:09] Unknown speaker: That's great.

[30:15] Adam Heller: And then I was also I delivered sandwiches on the Upper East Side to Yuppies at a company called Between the Bread.

[30:26] Unknown speaker: That's a good name.

[30:27] Adam Heller: It was back in the 80s.

[30:28] Unknown speaker: Love that. How about you?

[30:30] Unknown speaker: I was a New York City cab driver. For a number of months. So I've sort of got the ins and outs of this town. So if you need to get somewhere, I'll get you there. And I sold Time Life books over the phone.

[30:41] Adam Heller: Oh wow.

[30:42] Unknown speaker: Boy, what a hustle that was.

[30:45] Adam Heller: Did you sell many?

[30:46] Unknown speaker: I did.

[30:47] Adam Heller: Whoa, that's impressive.

[30:48] Unknown speaker: Well, because you're selling a series of books, not just a single book.

[30:52] Adam Heller: Right.

[30:52] Unknown speaker: You know, it's like the Encyclopedia Britannica. Anybody remember that?

[30:57] Adam Heller: No.

[30:58] Unknown speaker: Oh, sorry.

[31:00] Unknown speaker: Um, okay, before we let you go, in one word, tell everybody why they need to get their asses to Boston and see this play.

[31:07] Adam Heller: Uh it's lunacy.

[31:11] Unknown speaker: Nonstop laughter.

[31:14] Alan Seales: Love that. Thank you guys for chatting with us.

[31:16] Adam Heller: Thank you.

[31:17] Unknown speaker: Cheers.

[31:17] Alan Seales: Cheers.

[31:18] Unknown speaker: Happy opening.

[31:18] Adam Heller: Allah's congrats.