The Present Stage: Conversations with Theater Writers

Hosted by Dan Rubins, theater critic at Slant Magazine, The Present Stage: Conversations with Theater Writers celebrates the extraordinary playwrights (plus lyricists, librettists, and composers!) currently featured on New York stages. Each episode spotlights the writer(s) of a new play or musical running in New York City, inviting each guest to explore the genesis and development of the script, the transition from page to stage, and the questions that animate each work. With its focus on plays and musicals still running in New York, The Present Stage offers listeners a closer look at current theater and provides audience members with the opportunity to take a deeper dive into the creation of a show they've just seen.

James Ijames — SATURDAY CHURCH

Saturday Church is running at New York Theater Workshop through October 24th. To learn more, visit www.nytw.org. Follow The Present Stage on Instagram at @thepresentstageThe Present Stage: Conversations with Theater Writers is hosted by Dan Rubins, a theater critic for Theatermania and Slant Magazine. You can also find Dan's reviews on Cast Album Reviews  and in The New Yorker's Briefly Noted column.The Present Stage supports the national nonprofit Hear Your Song. If you'd like to learn more about Hear Your Song and how to support empowering youth with serious illnesses to make their voices heard though songwriting, please visit www.hearyoursong.org

10-08
44:02

SPECIAL EPISODE: A Giant Broadway and Off-Broadway 2025-2026 Season Preview (w/ Joe Weinberg)

Follow Joe Weinberg @OverthinkingTheatre on TikTok and Instagram. Follow The Present Stage on Instagram at @thepresentstageThe Present Stage: Conversations with Theater Writers is hosted by Dan Rubins, a theater critic for Theatermania and Slant Magazine. You can also find Dan's reviews on Cast Album Reviews  and in The New Yorker's Briefly Noted column.The Present Stage supports the national nonprofit Hear Your Song. If you'd like to learn more about Hear Your Song and how to support empowering youth with serious illnesses to make their voices heard though songwriting, please visit www.hearyoursong.org

09-26
02:32:12

Sophie McIntosh — ROAD KILLS

Road Kills runs at The Paradise Factory through September 6th. To learn more, visit www.goodapplescollective.com. Follow The Present Stage on Instagram at @thepresentstageThe Present Stage: Conversations with Theater Writers is hosted by Dan Rubins, a theater critic for Theatermania and Slant Magazine. You can also find Dan's reviews on Cast Album Reviews  and in The New Yorker's Briefly Noted column.The Present Stage supports the national nonprofit Hear Your Song. If you'd like to learn more about Hear Your Song and how to support empowering youth with serious illnesses to make their voices heard though songwriting, please visit www.hearyoursong.org

09-02
41:21

Troy Anthony — PERICLES

Pericles runs at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine through September 2nd. To learn more, visit www.publictheater.org. Follow The Present Stage on Instagram at @thepresentstageThe Present Stage: Conversations with Theater Writers is hosted by Dan Rubins, a theater critic for Theatermania and Slant Magazine. You can also find Dan's reviews on Cast Album Reviews  and in The New Yorker's Briefly Noted column.The Present Stage supports the national nonprofit Hear Your Song. If you'd like to learn more about Hear Your Song and how to support empowering youth with serious illnesses to make their voices heard though songwriting, please visit www.hearyoursong.org

08-31
42:39

Douglas Lyons — BEAU THE MUSICAL

Beau the Musical, a production of Out of the Box Theatrics, runs at Theater 154 through August 3rd. Follow The Present Stage on Instagram at @thepresentstageThe Present Stage: Conversations with Theater Writers is hosted by Dan Rubins, a theater critic for Theatermania and Slant Magazine. You can also find Dan's reviews on Cast Album Reviews  and in The New Yorker's Briefly Noted column.The Present Stage supports the national nonprofit Hear Your Song. If you'd like to learn more about Hear Your Song and how to support empowering youth with serious illnesses to make their voices heard though songwriting, please visit www.hearyoursong.org

08-02
32:03

Donald Margulies — LUNAR ECLIPSE

Lunar Eclipse is a production of Second Stage running at The Pershing Square Signature Theater through June 22nd. For more information, please visit www.2st.com. Follow The Present Stage on Instagram at @thepresentstageThe Present Stage: Conversations with Theater Writers is hosted by Dan Rubins, a theater critic for Theatermania and Slant Magazine. You can also find Dan's reviews on Cast Album Reviews  and in The New Yorker's Briefly Noted column.The Present Stage supports the national nonprofit Hear Your Song. If you'd like to learn more about Hear Your Song and how to support empowering youth with serious illnesses to make their voices heard though songwriting, please visit www.hearyoursong.org

06-21
36:40

Mara Nelson-Greenberg — NOT NOT JANE'S

Not Not Jane's runs as part of Clubbed Thumb's Summerworks 2025 at the Wild Project. To learn more, visit www.clubbedthumb.org. Follow The Present Stage on Instagram at @thepresentstageThe Present Stage: Conversations with Theater Writers is hosted by Dan Rubins, a theater critic for Theatermania and Slant Magazine. You can also find Dan's reviews on Cast Album Reviews  and in The New Yorker's Briefly Noted column.The Present Stage supports the national nonprofit Hear Your Song. If you'd like to learn more about Hear Your Song and how to support empowering youth with serious illnesses to make their voices heard though songwriting, please visit www.hearyoursong.org

06-13
39:19

Jen Silverman — CREDITORS

Creditors runs at  Audible's Minetta Lane Theatre, a co-production of Audible x Together, through June 18th. To learn more, please visit www.audiblexminetta.com. Follow The Present Stage on Instagram at @thepresentstageThe Present Stage: Conversations with Theater Writers is hosted by Dan Rubins, a theater critic for Theatermania and Slant Magazine. You can also find Dan's reviews on Cast Album Reviews  and in The New Yorker's Briefly Noted column.The Present Stage supports the national nonprofit Hear Your Song. If you'd like to learn more about Hear Your Song and how to support empowering youth with serious illnesses to make their voices heard though songwriting, please visit www.hearyoursong.org

06-02
59:41

Itamar Moses — DEAD OUTLAW

Dead Outlaw is playing on Broadway at the Longacre Theatre in an open-ended run. To learn more, please visit www.deadoutlawmusical.com. Follow The Present Stage on Instagram at @thepresentstageThe Present Stage: Conversations with Theater Writers is hosted by Dan Rubins, a theater critic for Theatermania and Slant Magazine. You can also find Dan's reviews on Cast Album Reviews  and in The New Yorker's Briefly Noted column.The Present Stage supports the national nonprofit Hear Your Song. If you'd like to learn more about Hear Your Song and how to support empowering youth with serious illnesses to make their voices heard though songwriting, please visit www.hearyoursong.org

05-30
49:47

Patrick Foley and Michael Breslin — THE LAST BIMBO OF THE APOCALYPSE

The Last Bimbo of the Apocalypse, a production of The New Group, runs at the Pershing Square Signature Center through June 1st. For moe information, please visit www.thenewgroup.org. Follow The Present Stage on Instagram at @thepresentstageThe Present Stage: Conversations with Theater Writers is hosted by Dan Rubins, a theater critic for Theatermania and Slant Magazine. You can also find Dan's reviews on Cast Album Reviews  and in The New Yorker's Briefly Noted column.The Present Stage supports the national nonprofit Hear Your Song. If you'd like to learn more about Hear Your Song and how to support empowering youth with serious illnesses to make their voices heard though songwriting, please visit www.hearyoursong.org

05-26
28:54

Adam Guettel — FLOYD COLLINS

Floyd Collins runs on Broadway at Lincoln Center Theater's Vivian Beaumont Theater through June 22nd. To learn more, please visit www.lct.org. Follow The Present Stage on Instagram at @thepresentstageThe Present Stage: Conversations with Theater Writers is hosted by Dan Rubins, a theater critic for Theatermania and Slant Magazine. You can also find Dan's reviews on Cast Album Reviews  and in The New Yorker's Briefly Noted column.The Present Stage supports the national nonprofit Hear Your Song. If you'd like to learn more about Hear Your Song and how to support empowering youth with serious illnesses to make their voices heard though songwriting, please visit www.hearyoursong.org

05-23
01:01:21

Benjamin Velez — REAL WOMEN HAVE CURVES

Real Women Have Curves is currently playing on Broadway at the James Earl Jones Theatre in an open-ended run. To learn more, visit www.realwomenhavecurvesbroadway.com. Follow The Present Stage on Instagram at @thepresentstageThe Present Stage: Conversations with Theater Writers is hosted by Dan Rubins, a theater critic for Theatermania and Slant Magazine. You can also find Dan's reviews on Cast Album Reviews  and in The New Yorker's Briefly Noted column.The Present Stage supports the national nonprofit Hear Your Song. If you'd like to learn more about Hear Your Song and how to support empowering youth with serious illnesses to make their voices heard though songwriting, please visit www.hearyoursong.org

05-21
36:46

Adam Gwon — ALL THE WORLD'S A STAGE

All the World's A Stage, a Keen Company production, runs at Theater Row through May 10th. To learn more, visit www.keencompany.org. Follow The Present Stage on Instagram at @thepresentstageThe Present Stage: Conversations with Theater Writers is hosted by Dan Rubins, a theater critic for Theatermania and Slant Magazine. You can also find Dan's reviews on Cast Album Reviews  and in The New Yorker's Briefly Noted column.The Present Stage supports the national nonprofit Hear Your Song. If you'd like to learn more about Hear Your Song and how to support empowering youth with serious illnesses to make their voices heard though songwriting, please visit www.hearyoursong.org

05-08
37:43

Ryan J. Haddad — HOLD ME IN THE WATER

Hold Me in the Water runs at Playwrights Horizons through May 7. To learn more, visit www.playwrighthorizons.org. Follow The Present Stage on Instagram at @thepresentstageThe Present Stage: Conversations with Theater Writers is hosted by Dan Rubins, a theater critic for Theatermania and Slant Magazine. You can also find Dan's reviews on Cast Album Reviews  and in The New Yorker's Briefly Noted column.The Present Stage supports the national nonprofit Hear Your Song. If you'd like to learn more about Hear Your Song and how to support empowering youth with serious illnesses to make their voices heard though songwriting, please visit www.hearyoursong.org

05-07
01:06:56

SPECIAL EPISODE: 2025 Tony and Pulitzer Picks w/ Brittani Samuel and Joe Weinberg

You can catch Brittani's theater criticism all over the Internet, including at www.broadwaynews.com and www.3viewstheater.com.You can catch Joe's theater criticism all over social media, especially at @overthinkingtheatre2 on TikTok.You can catch Dan's theater criticism by visiting Slant Magazine and Theatermania.  Follow The Present Stage on Instagram at @thepresentstageThe Present Stage: Conversations with Theater Writers is hosted by Dan Rubins, a theater critic for Theatermania and Slant Magazine. You can also find Dan's reviews on Cast Album Reviews  and in The New Yorker's Briefly Noted column.The Present Stage supports the national nonprofit Hear Your Song. If you'd like to learn more about Hear Your Song and how to support empowering youth with serious illnesses to make their voices heard though songwriting, please visit www.hearyoursong.org

04-29
01:53:04

Mona Pirnot — I'M ASSUMING YOU KNOW DAVID GREENSPAN

I'm Assuming You Know David Greenspan runs off-Broadway at the Atlantic Theater's Stage 2 through April 30th. To learn more, visit www.atlantictheater.org. Follow The Present Stage on Instagram at @thepresentstageThe Present Stage: Conversations with Theater Writers is hosted by Dan Rubins, a theater critic for Theatermania and Slant Magazine. You can also find Dan's reviews on Cast Album Reviews  and in The New Yorker's Briefly Noted column.The Present Stage supports the national nonprofit Hear Your Song. If you'd like to learn more about Hear Your Song and how to support empowering youth with serious illnesses to make their voices heard though songwriting, please visit www.hearyoursong.org

04-28
01:00:24

Emil Weinstein — BECOMING EVE

Becoming Eve, a New York Theater Workshop production, runs at the Abrons Arts Center through April 27th. To learn more, visit www.nytw.org. Follow The Present Stage on Instagram at @thepresentstageThe Present Stage: Conversations with Theater Writers is hosted by Dan Rubins, a theater critic for Theatermania and Slant Magazine. You can also find Dan's reviews on Cast Album Reviews  and in The New Yorker's Briefly Noted column.The Present Stage supports the national nonprofit Hear Your Song. If you'd like to learn more about Hear Your Song and how to support empowering youth with serious illnesses to make their voices heard though songwriting, please visit www.hearyoursong.org

04-23
46:36

Leegrid Stevens — THE TROJANS

The Trojans runs at the cell through April 26th. To learn more, visit thecelltheatre.org.  Follow The Present Stage on Instagram at @thepresentstageThe Present Stage: Conversations with Theater Writers is hosted by Dan Rubins, a theater critic for Theatermania and Slant Magazine. You can also find Dan's reviews on Cast Album Reviews  and in The New Yorker's Briefly Noted column.The Present Stage supports the national nonprofit Hear Your Song. If you'd like to learn more about Hear Your Song and how to support empowering youth with serious illnesses to make their voices heard though songwriting, please visit www.hearyoursong.org

04-21
39:09

Ken Urban — Danger and Opportunity

Danger and Opportunity is currently running at The East Village Basement through April 25th. For more information, please visit www.dangerandopportunity.com. Follow The Present Stage on Instagram at @thepresentstageThe Present Stage: Conversations with Theater Writers is hosted by Dan Rubins, a theater critic for Theatermania and Slant Magazine. You can also find Dan's reviews on Cast Album Reviews  and in The New Yorker's Briefly Noted column.The Present Stage supports the national nonprofit Hear Your Song. If you'd like to learn more about Hear Your Song and how to support empowering youth with serious illnesses to make their voices heard though songwriting, please visit www.hearyoursong.org

04-18
41:38

Caragh Donley — HE SAID, SHE SAYS

He Said, She Says runs at wild project, a NYC Fringe production, through April 19th. Please visit www.frigid.nyc for more information. Follow The Present Stage on Instagram at @thepresentstageThe Present Stage: Conversations with Theater Writers is hosted by Dan Rubins, a theater critic for Theatermania and Slant Magazine. You can also find Dan's reviews on Cast Album Reviews  and in The New Yorker's Briefly Noted column.The Present Stage supports the national nonprofit Hear Your Song. If you'd like to learn more about Hear Your Song and how to support empowering youth with serious illnesses to make their voices heard though songwriting, please visit www.hearyoursong.org

04-17
38:39

Recommend Channels