S6 Ep 5: "Not Just Paying it Backwards"/David Henry Hwang

S6 Ep 5: "Not Just Paying it Backwards"/David Henry Hwang

Author: Broadway Podcast Network November 17, 2025 Duration: 39:18
The Dramatists Guild Presents: TALKBACK, sponsored by the Dramatists Guild Foundation
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Christine talks to another fellow Guild Council member and pioneer, David Henry Hwang. In this episode they discuss how naming some of his characters after himself changed David's perspective on telling his own story, breaking the cycle of Asian Americans portrayed as “perpetual foreigners” on Broadway, writing for ourselves, and how the Guild is fighting for us. Playwright, librettist and screenwriter David Henry Hwang is a Tony Award winner and four-time nominee, Grammy Award winner and two-time nominee, and three-time Pulitzer finalist His award-winning works include: YELLOW FACE, M. BUTTERFLY, AIDA, SOFT POWER, and the opera AINADAMAR. *Note: You can watch the filmed version of the Roundabout's Broadway production of YELLOW FACE at pbs.org The Dramatists Guild of America is the national, professional membership trade association of theatre writers including playwrights, composers, lyricists, and librettists, whose mission is to protect the economic, legal, and creative interests of professional writers in the American Theater. Visit www.dramatistsguild.com to learn more. This podcast is supported by the Dramatists Guild Foundation (DGF), a national charity that fuels the future of American theater by supporting the writers who create it. DGF fosters playwrights, composers, lyricists, and librettists at all stages of their careers through educational programs; awards, grants, and stipends; free space to create new works; and emergency aid to writers in need of immediate support. DGF is a 2024 recipient of a Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre. By supporting and nurturing the creators of today, we protect the stories of tomorrow. Visit www.dgf.org or follow @DGFound to learn more about DGF's grants and programs or ways to donate. Talkback is executive produced by Christine Toy Johnson and edited and recorded by Bruce Johnson. Our theme music is by Andrea Daly. Distributed by the Broadway Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Returning after a two-year break, The Dramatists Guild Presents: TALKBACK, sponsored by the Dramatists Guild Foundation offers a thoughtful space for conversation at the intersection of craft and career. Hosted by Christine Toy Johnson, this season’s seven episodes delve into the practical and creative realities of working in the theatre today. You’ll hear candid discussions with a range of industry guests as they share how they are adapting to the evolving landscape, tackling subjects like financial literacy for artists and the mechanisms of new play development. The podcast, produced by the Broadway Podcast Network, goes beyond simple interviews to explore what it means to build a sustainable life in the arts, emphasizing community and inclusion. These conversations are for anyone curious about the resilience and reinvention required behind the scenes, focusing on longevity and the personal journeys that fuel the performing arts. Each episode feels like a gathering of colleagues, unpacking the challenges and opportunities of the current moment with honesty and depth.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 40

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The Dramatists Guild Presents: TALKBACK, sponsored by the Dramatists Guild Foundation
Podcast Episodes
S6 Ep7: "Why We're Not a Union"/ Ralph Sevush [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:59
Welcome to our final episode of Season 6. We’ve had so many conversations this season about how writers get paid – or not. So in this episode, Christine talks to the Guild’s Executive Director of Business Affairs, Ralph…
S6 Ep 4: "The Work Never Disappears"/Kristoffer Diaz [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:54
In this episode, Christine sits down with another one of her fellow Guild officers, Kristoffer Diaz, to talk about what it takes for a theatre writer to make a living, some of the nitty gritty on how writers get paid on…
S6 Ep3: "I'm Not Stopping!"/ Gretchen Cryer [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:11
In this episode, Christine talks with ground-breaking pioneer and fellow Dramatists Guild Council member Gretchen Cryer about longevity in the field, how development of new musicals has changed over her decades long care…
S6 Ep2: "This is the Time to Build" / Lloyd Suh [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:36
In this episode, host Christine Toy Johnson talks to award-winning playwright Lloyd Suh about his “speculative future” plays, uplifting other writers through service, and the shift in new play development. Lloyd Suh’s wo…
Special Episode! Danny Burstein at BroadwayCon [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:47
We're giving you a special gift for the holidays. A never before released live episode that we did at BroadwayCon in New York City in July of 2023. I had the great joy of sitting down with my longtime pal and colleague,…

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