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[0:00] Mark-Eugene Garcia: Hello, and welcome to the Drama Book Show. My name is Mark-Eugene Garcia. In this episode, we explore the intersection of theater, internet culture, and the ways our increasingly digital lives shape the stories we tell. We're joined by members of Fake Friends, Michael Breslin, Patrick Foley, Rory Pelsue, Kat Rodríguez, and Ariel Sibert to discuss their book collecting two of the company's digitally native plays, Circle Jerk and This American Wife. Created after the company was pushed off the stage and into the internet in March 2020, these works embrace the possibilities of digital theater while exploring social media, queer fandom, artificial intelligence, and reality television. Circle Jerk follows gay white supremacists creating an AI influencer to dominate global discourse, while This American Wife spins a surrealist story of queer devotion to celebrities and the performance strategies of reality television.

The collection also features a visual archive and essays from each company member reflecting on the practical and interpersonal processes behind bringing these plays to life. The members of Fake Friends bring a range of experience in writing, directing, acting, dramaturgy, producing, and criticism. Joining them in conversation is moderator Juan A. Ramírez, an arts and culture writer and critic who serves as chief critic for Theaterly, with work appearing in The New York Times, The Guardian, Vogue, and other publications. Here are Michael Breslin, Patrick Foley, Rory Pelsue, Kat Rodríguez, Ariel Sibert, and Juan A. Ramírez live at the Drama Bookshop.

[2:17] Juan A. Ramírez: Since then, I've had the pleasure of getting to know these people on and off the stage, the screen, the page, and yeah, it's been an incredible time. I cannot believe it's been five years since then. Anyway, Circle Jerk, which we'll begin our discussion with, is a brilliant, piercing critique of internet era white gayness, starring, and somewhat auto-fictionally about, some of those themselves and those nearby who love and loathe them. Yeah, they're all from Yale, so it'll get mad if I define any of them, but they're all brilliant theater makers. Do you guys feel like prophets for writing a play that became this prescient, or were you that tapped into the wired community?

[2:54] Michael Breslin: Like financial?

[2:55] Patrick Foley: You wish. Rasputins.

[2:59] Michael Breslin: Oh, prophets.

[3:00] Patrick Foley: Yeah, prophet.

[3:01] Michael Breslin: Yeah, with a P-H-E, yeah.

[3:04] Kat Rodríguez: Girl.

[3:05] Michael Breslin: Yeah.

[3:13] Patrick Foley: I don't have an answer. I don't feel like a prophet. Hey, guys. Hi.

[3:21] Michael Breslin: Okay, the crazy thing is that it was actually Ariel, because the thing about Circle Jerk that was crazy is that it was about AI, and we wrote it in the fall of 2019, and we were doing this workshop of doing this thing about white gay guys, and we were like, oh, we'll just make fun of everyone in our lives, and then Ariel was like, funny, this new thing called AI is coming, and we were like, what the fuck is that? You're like, crazy girl.

[3:44] Ariel Sibert: Yeah, we were like, Ariel, no one's gonna get that. And then we looked into it, and we were like, oh, that's gay and funny.

[3:51] Michael Breslin: Patrick, you were pointing out that it took so long to write the scene for you guys, of Eva Maria becoming this consciousness influencer or propaganda queen, because we were trying to explain what an AI-generated, sophisticated chatbot was like, in layman's terms, and now, of course, that scene could be like, oh, yeah, it's ChatGPT and a deepfake put together, yeah.

[4:21] Patrick Foley: Yeah, not prophets, but I know in the years since, we've definitely sent each other articles being like, what? Huh? It's up? It's pretty uncanny, and even when we started, I remember the research, some of the research was about government, right, and government use of AI, and some of the technology that was being reported on at the time, and obviously, now we're living in a moment of, is it the singularity? Is it? Is it coming? Can't wait to welcome our robot overlord Drift. But yeah, it's, what a journey.

[4:52] Kat Rodríguez: Something you get into in the book that I really appreciate is that you did some gonzo investigating through a Twitter act called Alt-Latino. Was that something you were doing on your own time, or was it always headed towards this?

[5:04] Ariel Sibert: Thanks. It was not during rehearsal hours, strictly. I had an account on Parler, which was an alt-right app. My avatar was Kim Zolciak, and yeah, I was in some DMs. I was added to a group. I don't, it was a very, I would say colorful, but actually it was an anti-colorful experience. And then I think we discovered through the course of working on the play that was not going to make the cut quite right. Yeah.

[5:36] Juan A. Ramírez: Is there anything that directly made it to the script from your adventures?

[5:40] Kat Rodríguez: From that, I think the insistence on identitarianism, period, and the kind of gravitational pull, because I have also had my own journey, but also really appreciate the sidestepping of labels and it was interesting to explore something that was all about that. Yeah.

[6:05] Juan A. Ramírez: Were you going to add something, Patrick?

[6:07] Patrick Foley: No, she killed it.

[6:09] Juan A. Ramírez: Speaking of labels, but in a different sentence, Patrick, you write in the book that this was an era where you tried to straddle on-off stage responsibilities. Actor, playwright, director, choreographer, dramaturge, company manager, publicist, sound designer. Did I write that?

[6:22] Patrick Foley: Apparently. Did that set...

[6:27] Juan A. Ramírez: Do you feel that set a different tone for post-COVID theater? Is that sort of what's expected from anyone making theater at this point?

[6:34] Patrick Foley: I definitely feel like everyone's a multi-hyphenate now, but that's kind of a good thing. I would say Michael taught me how to use QLab, but I still don't really understand how to use it. Yeah, I think it was a very fertile, collaborative, exciting time, because it had to be, because certainly for Circle Jerk 2020, the anti-COVID strategy that we devised made it such that all of the collaborators couldn't be in the space at the same time, so we couldn't have a costume designer at the same time that we had, say, David Bengali, our scenic, or our video designer, but people all had to play different roles, which was fun.

[7:16] Michael Breslin: I feel like, so recently, aka this week, I started using CapCut, which is blowing my mind, honestly, but I was thinking, if we had CapCut when we were making Circle Jerk, it would have been so much easier, because we were on these crazy apps. We were having to download 15 different apps to get the deepfake pictures, and sync the sound with it, and we were then on Logic and Final Cut, and all these other things, just trying to get it all in one place, and now, literally, thanks to, I guess, China and CapCut, I think, actually, the Final Cut app is actually pretty good, too. Now, it's just a different kind of thing, but at the time, we were like, I sometimes felt like we were like the guy from Mary Poppins, with all the different instruments, being like, how do we bring all these things together? And Ariel was our DP.

[8:06] Patrick Foley: I think we were all the DPs at various times for a shoot.

[8:10] Michael Breslin: There's a lot of play in these texts with video, and Circle Jerk wasn't originally envisioned as primarily a video or streaming project. It was going to be a play with video in it. And there was a lot of live feed, but then a lot of play in a lot of our work between pre-recorded stuff and live stream stuff, to trick and fool, and play with authenticity and liveness, and fill up out slander on everybody. And we, doing the pre-records both times, because we re-recorded everything multiple times, was just us, sometimes in the space we were also rehearsing in, trying to be the DP for each other, and the wardrobe supervisor, and the script supervisor. And then often in rehearsals, Rory and I were making a spreadsheet, trying to invent the calling sheet for our live sitcom recording, slash play, slash video project, with the list of all of the cues, and which camera we're going to cut to in the live feed, and what the actors were supposed to be doing, and the lines, which were also changing sometimes. And then the actors were doing this balletic choreography to hit those cameras. So we were all, yeah, we all had a lot of hats.

[9:21] Patrick Foley: And I will say, Patrick, I think I wrote that line and put it in our group chat.

[9:29] Michael Breslin: I was going to say. I can't use Q&A.

[9:33] Patrick Foley: No, you said that. You said that in the book as well.

[9:37] Juan A. Ramírez: But there is a poly-vocality in addition to the multiple roles.

[9:41] Kat Rodríguez: We do finish each other's sentences sometimes.

[9:44] Michael Breslin: It's beautiful.

[9:46] Juan A. Ramírez: Ariel, me as someone who definitely understands what dramaturgy is, you have an essay in the book, all you've got is these really interesting process essays that really get into the making of both of these plays, and your process. But I'm curious, what does it look like to dramaturg something where the form is so tied to its function?

[10:07] Ariel Sibert: I guess I think something I, for example, sometimes struggle to differentiate is what does a dramaturg do, what does a director do, etc., etc. I feel like a director could somewhat more easily kill somebody else's darling. But what does it look like for you as a dramaturg when, shit, this won't play in this crazy configuration of live digital stream, blah, blah, blah. At least for the original production at Theatre Me Too, what did that kind of look like?

[10:30] Ariel Sibert: It's interesting. I think in terms of finding the form for all of these plays, I was definitely not the dramaturg in the room finding the form. That was so much of Michael and Patrick finding the shapes through improvisation and through writing or coming in after a retreat with how the last act of Circle Jerk would be this triptych. That form got found so much through the writing. And all of us work and think really dramaturgically. Michael, Kat, and I all trained as dramaturgs, and then Patrick was the actor who liked dramaturgs the most out of his entire class, for sure. And Rory is a dramaturg's dream as a director. And there's just a lot of dramaturgical thinking coming from everyone. I say I'm one of the dramaturgs for this company because that's really what it feels like.

That everybody's doing dramaturgical work through generating. And we often have these conversations about how to divorce, or if it's possible to divorce, editing from generating when it comes to collaborative processes like these. And I think we all have answered that question differently at different times. If editing and generating, refining, saying yes or no, are actually both happening at the same time, it's really hard to draw a line. And I think each of us says that feels right or that doesn't feel right. And each of us throws new things out there.

[11:54] Juan A. Ramírez: I love that. Thank you. And yeah, the essays are really great for practitioners especially. There's a lot of not how-tos, instructions on how to make your own Circle Jerk at home. Rory, so your essay takes largely the form of a Broadway World chat discussion.

[12:10] Rory Pelsue: Yes, if you read the book, we all have these essays that are in the form, sort of internet form, but I don't speak No, and I have a 2002-era internet-level competence. So I went with that. I went old school. I won't ask about how I definitely recognize the syntax from some current people on the boards, but I am interested. You mentioned that you read the first draft of Circle Jerk.

[12:31] Juan A. Ramírez: Welcome to The Drama Book Show! Today, we have an exciting episode featuring members of Fake Friends, the creative team behind the groundbreaking digital theater works, Circle Jerk and This American Wife.

[13:01] Michael Breslin: Thanks for having us! We're thrilled to be here and talk about our journey during the pandemic and how it led to these projects.

[13:31] Patrick Foley: Yeah, it was a wild time for all of us, and we really leaned into the possibilities of digital theater.

[14:01] Rory Pelsue: Absolutely! We found new ways to connect with audiences and tell stories that resonate with our experiences online.

[14:31] Cat Rodríguez: And it was fascinating to explore themes like AI influencers and queer fandom through our work.

[15:01] Ariel Sibert: Plus, the intersection of reality television and social media really shaped the narratives we created.

[15:11] Michael Breslin: Circle Jerk, in particular, was a response to the political climate and how it affects our personal lives.

[15:21] Patrick Foley: It’s interesting to see how these themes have evolved and how they resonate with audiences today.

[15:31] Rory Pelsue: We wanted to create something that felt authentic to our experiences and the world we live in.

[15:41] Cat Rodríguez: And the digital format allowed us to push boundaries in ways that traditional theater might not.

[16:01] Ariel Sibert: Exactly! We were able to experiment with form and content, which was incredibly liberating.

[16:11] Michael Breslin: And the response has been overwhelming, especially being shortlisted for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

[16:31] Patrick Foley: It’s a testament to the power of storytelling, no matter the medium.

[16:51] Rory Pelsue: We’re excited to continue exploring these themes in future projects.

[17:11] Cat Rodríguez: And we hope to inspire other artists to embrace digital theater as a viable form of expression.

[17:31] Ariel Sibert: There’s so much potential in this space, and we’re just scratching the surface.

[17:51] Michael Breslin: We’re looking forward to what’s next for us and the digital theater community.

[18:11] Juan A. Ramírez: It sounds like you all have a lot of exciting ideas in the works. Can you share more about the creative process behind Circle Jerk and This American Wife?

[18:31] Patrick Foley: Sure! Our process was very collaborative, and we often worked remotely, which was a new experience for us.

[18:51] Rory Pelsue: We utilized various digital tools to brainstorm and develop the scripts, which added a unique layer to our collaboration.

[19:11] Cat Rodríguez: It was also important for us to maintain a sense of community, even while being physically apart.

[19:31] Ariel Sibert: We held virtual rehearsals and workshops, which helped us stay connected and engaged with each other.

[19:51] Michael Breslin: And we were constantly sharing feedback and ideas, which really enriched the final products.

[20:11] Patrick Foley: The flexibility of the digital format allowed us to iterate quickly and adapt as we went along.

[20:31] Rory Pelsue: It was a learning experience for all of us, but ultimately, it made the work stronger.

[20:51] Cat Rodríguez: And we were able to reach audiences we might not have otherwise, which was incredibly rewarding.

[21:11] Ariel Sibert: We’ve received messages from people who felt seen and heard through our work, which is what it’s all about.

[21:31] Michael Breslin: That connection is what drives us as artists, and we’re grateful for the opportunity to share our stories.

[21:51] Patrick Foley: We hope to continue that dialogue and explore new themes in our future projects.

[22:11] Juan A. Ramírez: It’s inspiring to hear how you’ve navigated these challenges and turned them into opportunities for growth.

[22:31] Rory Pelsue: Thank you! We’re excited to see where this journey takes us next.

[22:51] Cat Rodríguez: And we hope to encourage others to take risks and explore the digital landscape.

[23:11] Ariel Sibert: There’s so much potential for innovation in theater, and we’re just getting started.

[23:31] Michael Breslin: We can’t wait to share more of our work with everyone.

[23:51] Patrick Foley: Thanks for having us on the show to discuss our journey!

[24:11] Juan A. Ramírez: Thank you all for joining us today. It’s been a pleasure to hear about your incredible work and the future of digital theater.

[24:31] Michael Breslin: Thank you!

[24:51] Patrick Foley: Thanks!

[25:02] Cat Rodríguez: I don't remember. I used to stalk their houses in my friend's car. We would, she would be driving her 2004 Honda CRV, literally, and we'd be drinking Harlow Rossi out of the bottle and chain-smoking and just stalking their homes. That's Jersey. Stalking homes! Again, this book is a wealth of information and sometimes lack of communication because something that I was reading it chronologically, I was like, ooh, Michael's hinting at where you, the townhouse, the West Village townhouse, where you rehearsed This American Wife and you're very coy about it. And then maybe 10 pages later, Patrick's, it was SJP! We have different attachment styles, so that's what you're saying. We have different relationships to the law.

Yeah, and I will say a lot of our conversations are going to each other and being like, I actually haven't told anybody this. You can't tell anyone. And the other person going, you told me that already. I believe that you told three other people when you last told me that. And you're like, oh, I forgot. I forgot about the secret. I forgot about publishing that. I forgot about it. But no, I think that Jonathan Krofster and what Patrick was saying about self-excoriation and that being as embarrassing as the confessional, I was not a Real Housewives fan. So what I saw when I first saw This American Wife was seemingly violent, unlicensed therapy between two people I really liked who, it wasn't sure how they were gonna survive it.

And it was really self-excoriating and really raw. And I think there's some stuff in the book about how you all found better safeguards for each other in the updated version to still maintain that energy, but with some safety around the honesty. But the Real Housewives part of it is one texture, but the other texture of This American Wife is really trauma and betrayal. And yeah.

[27:02] Juan A. Ramírez: Yeah, I want to ask you, so we all, of course, remember the third act of This American Wife. It's just you two and Jekayne Powell, the third cast member, almost third, because you play the wife, of course, just reading each other the fuck down. What kind of notes do you as a dramaturge give in those scenes that are so built on improvisation and self-excoriation, as you put it?

[27:22] Michael Breslin: Looking back, I just, I was not part of the boundary-setting or safety-insuring policy, and I often gave the note that it could be worse. And I have had to look back at myself and be like, ooh, that was maybe more in the service of aesthetics than it was the service of my friends. Because you can't as a dramaturge, because my skin is not in the game, I'm not on stage, it's very easy for me to say, go harder, when I don't have to be up there looking at the other person and doing it.

[27:55] Michael Breslin: I want to talk about how you, in the first run of This American Wife, that you livestreamed from this great Netflix mansion, you had put cameras in the dishwasher, was it? And those melted?

[28:07] Patrick Foley: Oh yeah. Oh, they were cut? I think the feed just went to black the first run.

[28:12] Michael Breslin: They melted, yeah. Yeah, we had all these wonderful little cameras and nooks and crannies all over the house that, yeah, were great. Yeah, those ones overheated, I guess. I don't know what to say about it, yeah, I guess they did. I guess, like, there were, like, distinct sections, so there were distinct sections in This American Wife, and what Rory led us through coming up with was, like, a different camera strategy for each section. And so the beginning section, which was, the dream house is this long, continuous shot, and then another camera sort of joins it. Then there was a section where we manned the cameras and interviewed each other. I'm probably going to blank. There was, of course, the confessional setup.

And then there was a section where Michael and Jaquim were talking to cameras on tripods. And then there was another section, I'm not going in order, called the vacation section, which was recorded on GoPros. And we were really interested in working with GoPros and putting them in orifices of the house, which we kept calling orifices of the house. And unfortunately, just some of those orifices are not compatible with electronics. The oven shock to us was not, it was just hard to live cast from the GoPro in the oven to the people at home, and the freezer as well, and the microwave. And that was also the hardest part to get right, I think, almost in the whole show, if I'm, like, remembering correctly.

Because, A, it was, like, cameras, and if you have a camera in a shower, you had to position it so you know that it's in a shower. Otherwise, it's just, like, why is it filmed in this weird way? So that was that. And then also it had the most direct quotes from all the series, and to thread that needle that it's, oh, fans of the show will recognize it, but then if you don't know the show, making sure it doesn't feel too long or insidery. So for all those reasons, that was a big technical thing. So the melting was just one part of it. I'd love to open it up to audience questions, if anybody has any.

[30:07] Juan A. Ramírez: Yes? Can you come up, please? Hi, I saw Circle Jerk in 2022 with Juan. We also had 12 margaritas beforehand, and I was so gagged by it for a lot of reasons. One was references being built in in the amount of them, like the Lay in the Piazza one. I was seized over, and I was wondering what your relationship to reference was in terms of building a show out with Circle Jerk as opposed to This American Wife, which is built on the form of Housewives and has a depth of references in that way. Gag the shit out of me. Is this microphone working? Also, wait, yeah. Okay, that's all that matters.

[31:02] Michael Breslin: Well, I think Patrick and I, when we're speaking to each other, are just like reference bots, and then I think all five of us together are just like always referencing, unafraid to reference or not reference. You got them referencing about referencing. But then also, when we started Circle Jerk, we were very excited about bringing what might be called queer theater or ridiculous theater from the 1960s, 70s, 80s, 90s into a present context. And those plays, mostly we were looking at the plays of Charles Ludlum, who was an amazing playwright and director and actor who passed in the 80s. But he was an extremely quotational and referential writer, and he would craft plays basically through a series of what I come to think of as like memeing before memeing.

He would hyperlink to other sort of parts of gay culture or whatever culture and create like a play out of it. So we were very excited about it was both intentional and unintentional because the Light in the Piazza thing was just like, we're all upset. Well, three of us are obsessed with Light in the Piazza. One of us from North Carolina, like the character, and the other is a horse.

[32:10] Cat Rodríguez: She's the horse who kicked her.

[32:12] Michael Breslin: Is Rory the other one who doesn't like?

[32:17] Patrick Foley: No, he loves, loves, loves. The three guys, sorry to use that word, love Light in the Piazza.

[32:24] Cat Rodríguez: Use lightly.

[32:28] Michael Breslin: Yeah.

[32:32] Juan A. Ramírez: Something I'll ask, maybe it's because I've been locked out of my Twitter for about a year and a half now, but I feel I look back on Circle Jerk and I feel like it really tapped into, even if it is like this dispersed sort of Twitter thing that's decentralized, etc. There was still a sense of like community and we all know the same memes and we all know the same references, etc. And we all have this like forum to talk about them. I don't know if I feel that anymore. Do you think that's, again, a me thing because I'm picked out of Twitter? Do you think it's just we've become further decentralized? Would it look the same now? Obviously a little different, but do you feel you'd be able to tap into that same sort of collective consciousness today?

[33:13] Michael Breslin: I don't, I think it would look, it would, it would look similar, but different now. I think certainly my feed, I don't, there are many people here. My feed is a really scary place. I love it. I can't talk about it publicly actually, because it would, but the, I would say though, I'd be curious how we would tackle the use of AI in memes these days. I don't know if anyone else has the like Lumpa La Lumpies or whatever. Yeah. And there's so many AI memes or Donald Trump strutting to that one song. Do you know what I'm talking about with the purse and the heels? Anyway, what was so felt so pure and such a time capsule of that moment on TikTok was that so many of the memes and the trends felt like homegrown and things we were doing in our backyard or garages as kids.

I think for example of the God, the Celine Dion song, there was this meme of the Celine Dion song. What's the one where it's like, there were nights of endless pleasure. It's all coming back to me now. There's this meme and it was always these, these wives, baby, baby. And then it would be like their husbands with a leaf blower blowing their, and there would be glitter everywhere. It was just so joyous and homespun in a way that it feels like the internet language isn't utilizing as much of anymore.

[34:32] Juan A. Ramírez: No. Okay. I want to ask Ariel and Kat. So much of, again, Circle Jerk and This American Wife is about, as you said, self-excoriating yourself as a gay man. I'm curious what, if anything, you read yourself on during the process of both of these plays.

[34:48] Ariel Sibert: Sure. Thank you for that. And I'm gonna, I'm gonna connect this actually to the question that you asked at top about Parler and my alt Latina Kim Zolciak account. You're the fake friends Doja Cat, of course. I do think a kind of through line in this is there was a, there was a sense of danger and risk. And I also remember early in Circle Jerk, there was this idea that maybe as my alt Latina character, I would go out into the streets and interview people live and confront them with my alt Latina view. And then I think we realized that might not be safe. That might not be safe. And I think that Circle Jerk, This American Wife, The Confessionals, What Gets Asked, The Framework, all of these, these things, in addition to who my character in Circle Jerk is at the end, Kokomo Catherine, who also had her own transformation.

She was originally Sarah Jessica Walker. She had, she, listen, she was transformational, really. But I think there was a long process of discernment in both of the plays and distinguishing between what felt dangerous and exciting in that way versus what was risky in a really productive way. And I will always give flowers and credit to Rory and heard him say about reading the play on the way over and the kind of living room drama and the people and what he demanded that we do was take them seriously. And yes, it's funny, but it was less funny when we were laughing. He, ha, because of how like clever girl we were and more actually risky to take them really seriously and to go into those parts of ourselves that feel, ee, ooh, I don't want to say that out loud, or I can, but not maybe in mixed company.

Right. And so for me, I would say for Circle Jerk, definitely that's the, the character at the end. It's fun to play a fembot who's doing cultural reference and left and right. And, but there was also risk in that because we were quoting, but also didn't want to slip into problematic tropes of performance, especially when some of those cultural references are not of my culture or background, but are a part of the discourse. Right. And then for, for the end character, it was really that relationship to whiteness and also to a politic that this horseshoe theory that was part of Circle Jerk, that you could swing so far in the other direction that what.

[37:33] Juan A. Ramírez: So, I want to ask you all about the process of creating these works. What was it like to collaborate digitally during the pandemic?

[38:03] Michael Breslin: It was definitely a challenge at first. We had to figure out how to communicate effectively without being in the same room.

[38:33] Patrick Foley: Yeah, and we had to adapt our writing process. We used a lot of video calls and shared documents to keep everything flowing.

[39:03] Rory Pelsue: I think the distance actually forced us to be more intentional with our words and ideas.

[39:33] Cat Rodríguez: Absolutely. We had to really think about how to convey emotions and actions without the physical presence.

[40:03] Ariel Sibert: And we leaned into the digital medium, using it as a tool rather than seeing it as a limitation.

[40:33] Michael Breslin: Right! The internet became a character in itself in our storytelling.

[41:03] Patrick Foley: It was fascinating to explore how social media and online interactions influence our lives and relationships.

[41:13] Rory Pelsue: And that’s something we wanted to reflect in both Circle Jerk and This American Wife.

[41:23] Cat Rodríguez: The themes of identity and connection felt even more relevant during the isolation of the pandemic.

[41:33] Ariel Sibert: We were all navigating our own online personas while trying to maintain real connections.

[41:43] Michael Breslin: It was a unique time to create, and I think that energy is palpable in the work.

[41:53] Patrick Foley: Plus, the urgency of the moment pushed us to take risks we might not have otherwise taken.

[42:03] Rory Pelsue: Exactly! We were all in this shared experience, and it felt important to capture that.

[42:13] Cat Rodríguez: And the feedback we received from audiences was incredible. People were craving connection and representation.

[42:23] Ariel Sibert: It was rewarding to see how our work resonated with others during such a difficult time.

[42:33] Michael Breslin: We really tapped into something that felt both personal and universal.

[42:43] Patrick Foley: And the collaborative spirit among us was stronger than ever, even if it was through a screen.

[42:53] Rory Pelsue: We were all in it together, and that sense of community was vital.

[43:03] Cat Rodríguez: It’s amazing how art can bring people together, even when physically apart.

[43:13] Ariel Sibert: And I think that’s a testament to the power of digital theater.

[43:23] Michael Breslin: It’s a new frontier for storytelling, and we’re excited to see where it goes next.

[43:33] Patrick Foley: Definitely! The possibilities are endless, and we’re just scratching the surface.

[43:43] Rory Pelsue: It’s an exciting time to be a part of the theater community.

[43:53] Cat Rodríguez: And we hope to continue pushing boundaries with our future projects.

[44:03] Ariel Sibert: Absolutely! We’re committed to exploring new formats and ideas.

[44:13] Michael Breslin: And we want to keep the conversation going about what theater can be in the digital age.

[44:23] Patrick Foley: It’s all about evolving and adapting to the times.

[44:33] Rory Pelsue: And finding ways to engage with audiences in meaningful ways.

[44:43] Cat Rodríguez: We’re excited for what lies ahead!

[44:53] Ariel Sibert: Thank you for having us and for this important discussion.

[45:03] Juan A. Ramírez: Thank you all for sharing your insights and experiences.

[45:13] Michael Breslin: It’s been a pleasure!

[45:23] Patrick Foley: Thanks for having us!

[45:33] Rory Pelsue: We appreciate the opportunity to talk about our work.

[45:43] Cat Rodríguez: Yes, thank you!

[45:53] Ariel Sibert: We hope everyone checks out Circle Jerk and This American Wife!

[46:03] Juan A. Ramírez: Absolutely! And to our listeners, be sure to explore these groundbreaking works.

[46:13] Michael Breslin: Thanks for tuning in!

[46:23] Patrick Foley: We’ll see you next time!

[46:33] Rory Pelsue: Bye!

[46:43] Cat Rodríguez: Bye!

[46:53] Ariel Sibert: Bye!

[47:03] Juan A. Ramírez: Bye!

[47:13] The Drama Book Show! & Broadway Podcast Network: [End of episode]