Theatre Couch

Subscriber-only episodeWhere were you when the Covid-19 pandemic was declared by the World Health Organization on March 11, 2020?  What was your initial reaction?  How did it feel to be separated from your loved ones?  How thankful are you that Zoom was in existence?  In Richard Nelson’s Zoom play What Do We Need to Talk About?, the Apple Family siblings Barbara, Richard, Marian, and Jane, and her partner Tim are among the millions of beneficiaries of this technology that made pandemic loneliness less lonely.  They gather for an online reunion with their respective dinners and wine. The predictable discussions about all things pandemic occur, but what gradually surfaces is their longing to not only survive a deadly virus, but gain a better understanding of the life they want to preserve. Topics include: Covid-19 pandemic, technology, communication, family dynamics, trauma from illness and loss, and life reevaluation.Season 2 Finale Episode! See you in Season 3!Produced by Vast Improvement Productions.Hosted by Nathan Inzerillo and Nikki Jacobs.Theme song written and performed by Nathan Inzerillo and Nikki Jacobs.Visit Us:nathaninzerillo.comnikkijacobs.com

Subscriber-only episodeWhat would you do if you suddenly found out you were pregnant, dying, and needed to do your own funeral video?  Maybe do three sets of stand up comedy for good measure?  These are the stipulations imposed by Lydia Clark-Lin’s embryo, which she affectionately names Bubbly.  Mind you, these conditions must be met within the 28-day deadline required to legally terminate her pregnancy.  Placing the camera on her self-absorbed mother, her dingy bank co-worker Kimmy, her aimless baby daddy Gin, and her closest friend Bernadette (who just happens to be an abortion doctor), Lydia hears what everyone REALLY thinks of her.  But, it does not compensate for her finally coming to terms with what she thinks of herself.   Playwright Sam Chanse wrote and performed all 8 characters in this one-person show filled with wit and subtly profound revelations about why any of us are here.  Topics include:  women’s rights, abortion rights, moral relativity, art as therapy, indecision, true friendship, procrastination, lack of self-respect, and finding purpose.Produced by Vast Improvement Productions.Hosted by Nathan Inzerillo and Nikki Jacobs.Theme song written and performed by Nathan Inzerillo and Nikki Jacobs.Visit Us:nathaninzerillo.comnikkijacobs.com

Subscriber-only episodeHow would you prepare for the impending loss of your good-paying job which was supposed to be your ticket to upward mobility?  In Dominique Morisseau's Skeleton Crew, autoworkers Faye, Dez and Shanita find themselves caught in the collapsing automobile industry of 2008 Detroit.  The threat of a shut down is made more bearable by the attention paid from sympathetic foreman Reggie as well as the group's desire to look out for one another.  Their job security turns out to be about more than just a regular paycheck. Topics include: the Great Recession, economic challenges in the African-American community, work relationships, employer vs union, worker's rights, and the devaluation of the American worker.Produced by Vast Improvement Productions.Hosted by Nathan Inzerillo and Nikki Jacobs.Theme song written and performed by Nathan Inzerillo and Nikki Jacobs.Visit Us:nathaninzerillo.comnikkijacobs.com

Subscriber-only episodeWhat would you do if your city was on fire from decades of racial tension?  Anna Deavere Smith's Twilight: Los Angles, 1992  tells the collective story of the riots which erupted from the not-guilty verdicts of the police officers who beat Rodney King in 1991.  Smith interviewed hundreds of Los Angelenos to gather their viewpoints on this major turning point in their city's history.  She narrowed her one-person performance down to dozens of diverse perspectives.  Theatre Couch invites you to listen to the ones that spoke to us the most.  Topics include:  racism,  community interconnectedness, police/community relations, and civic responsibility. Produced by Vast Improvement Productions.Hosted by Nathan Inzerillo and Nikki Jacobs.Theme song written and performed by Nathan Inzerillo and Nikki Jacobs.Visit Us:nathaninzerillo.comnikkijacobs.com

Subscriber-only episodeWhat would you do if an anonymous and insidious illness relentlessly preyed upon your nearest and dearest?  This is Ned Weeks' reality in July 1981 when he meets Dr. Emma Brookner, one of the few physicians treating gay men stricken with the disease we now know as HIV/AIDS.  In the wake of an apathetic and homophobic New York city government, Ned and his friends form a crisis organization to dispatch services and info to the neglected gay community.  Larry Kramer's The Normal Heart  transports us to the dawn of the HIV/AIDS epidemic where gay men suffered on the frontlines and their only defense was the drive to protect the ones they loved.  Topics include: homophobia, tolerance vs acceptance, community activism, systemic discrimination, and the fight against injustice.  Produced by Vast Improvement Productions.Hosted by Nathan Inzerillo and Nikki Jacobs.Theme song written and performed by Nathan Inzerillo and Nikki Jacobs.Visit Us:nathaninzerillo.comnikkijacobs.com

Subscriber-only episodeHow do you cope with grief?  This question haunts every character in Migdalia Cruz’s “Miriam’s Flowers.”  It’s the 1970’s in the South Bronx and a Puerto Rican family has just suffered the loss of 7-year-old Puli who was struck by a train while retrieving his baseball.  Miriam, his 16-year-old half-sister, turns her sorrow into a crusade to take away Puli's pain by suffering her own.  Her mother Delfina and Puli’s father Nando find their own ways of failing to fill the emptiness Puli has left in their lives.  Underpinned by the music of the Jackson 5 and Eddie Palmieri, a family well-versed in pain, must grapple with their inability to move on from tragedy.  Topics include: complications from grief, self-harm, socio-economic disparity, sexual awakening, isolation, and the influence of faith. Produced by Vast Improvement Productions.Hosted by Nathan Inzerillo and Nikki Jacobs.Theme song written and performed by Nathan Inzerillo and Nikki Jacobs.Visit Us:nathaninzerillo.comnikkijacobs.com

Subscriber-only episodeHave you ever become so obsessed with a goal that it devoured everything else in your life?  This is the conflict for Artie, an incompetent songwriter who shares the delusion with his conniving mistress Bunny, that he must and WILL hit the big-time.  The play is set on October 4, 1965--the day Pope Paul VI visited New York City to appeal for peace in the world.  Artie and Bunny are determined to seize his blessing for their upcoming marriage and Artie's ill-fated music.  Meanwhile, Artie's current and mentally ill wife Bananas, as well as his disturbed son Ronnie, employ their own methods of survival.  John Guare's The House of Blue Leaves explores the chaos that ensues when one man thinks the world owes him more than what he's willing to give.  Topics include: fame obsession, media influence, dissolution of the family, measurement of self-worth, and betrayal.Produced by Vast Improvement Productions.Hosted by Nathan Inzerillo and Nikki Jacobs.Theme song written and performed by Nathan Inzerillo and Nikki Jacobs.Visit Us:nathaninzerillo.comnikkijacobs.com

Subscriber-only episodeHave you ever felt stuck in your life but didn't quite know how to get unstuck?  This is the nagging reality for every character in William Inge's Picnic.  Set in a small Kansas town in the early 1950s, handsome drifter Hal Carter arrives looking for his former college roommate Alan Seymour, hoping Alan's wealthy father will give him a job.  Relentlessly searching for his own place in the world, Hal unwittingly stirs each character's need to be seen and valued--especially Alan's beautiful and restless girlfriend, Madge Owens.  Topics include: female oppression, class disparity, sexual awakening, and evolving gender roles.Produced by Vast Improvement Productions.Hosted by Nathan Inzerillo and Nikki Jacobs.Theme song written and performed by Nathan Inzerillo and Nikki Jacobs.Visit Us:nathaninzerillo.comnikkijacobs.com

Subscriber-only episodeIf you knew you had only one week to live, what would you do with it?  This is the game Eugene Morris Jerome and his fellow army recruits play in the barracks at basic training in 1943. It's simply a game, but the young soldiers' hopes and dreams revealed by it are as real as the war they face. Join us as we discuss Neil Simon's unapologetic coming-of-age comedy, Biloxi Blues. Topics include: anti-Semitism, homophobia, defying authority, finding true love, and the loss of innocence.Produced by Vast Improvement Productions.Hosted by Nathan Inzerillo and Nikki Jacobs.Theme song written and performed by Nathan Inzerillo and Nikki Jacobs.Visit Us:nathaninzerillo.comnikkijacobs.com

Subscriber-only episodeWhat if you spent your life hiding who you are? Not because you want to, but because other's want you to stay invisible. In 1937 New York, burlesque performer Chauncey meets newly arrived Ned at an automat where gay men cruise.  Since homosexuality is illegal, the two must hide behind a secret code of behavior that protects them from arrest.  Chauncey is famous for portraying the Nance—a flamboyantly gay stereotype used in comic sketches.  Ned’s love, the support of his friends, and the city’s crack down on burlesque give Chauncey a chance to stop hiding and fight for his right to exist.Produced by Vast Improvement Productions.Hosted by Nathan Inzerillo and Nikki Jacobs.Theme song written and performed by Nathan Inzerillo and Nikki Jacobs.Visit Us:nathaninzerillo.comnikkijacobs.com

Subscriber-only episodeAugust Wilson once again places the African American experience front and center—this time, through the strained interactions between blues musicians and the 1927 recording industry bent on denying them creative freedom and economic equality.  Topics include:  exploitation of African American blues musicians, collaboration vs. individualism, tradition vs. change, and self-preservation.Produced by Vast Improvement Productions. Hosted by Nathan Inzerillo and Nikki Jacobs.Theme song written and performed by Nathan Inzerillo and Nikki Jacobs.Visit Us:nathaninzerillo.comnikkijacobs.com

They say writers should write about what they know. But, is what you know enough to get your writing noticed? This is the story of Moss Hart's courageous journey from a Bronx tenement to legendary scribe of the Broadway stage. This episode's play is Act One by James Lapine! (Published by Dramatists Play Service). Topics include: the often arduous writing process, the determination necessary to following your dreams, and the immeasurable value of friendships in the entertainment industry.Produced and hosted by Nathan Inzerillo and Nikki Jacobs.Theme song written and performed by Nathan Inzerillo and Nikki Jacobs.Visit Us:nathaninzerillo.comnikkijacobs.comSupport the show

When it comes to political correctness, who gets the final edit?  Through her comic sensibilities and believable depictions of today's so-called "wokeness," playwright Larissa FastHorse reveals the folly of a white theatre group constructing an elementary school Thanksgiving message which may or may not include Native Americans. We're talking about The Thanksgiving Play! (Published by Theatre Communications Group). Topics include: Lack of Native American representation in theatre, erasure of Indigenous history, and the myth of the first Thanksgiving.Produced and hosted by Nathan Inzerillo and Nikki Jacobs.Theme song written and performed by Nathan Inzerillo and Nikki Jacobs.Visit Us:nathaninzerillo.comnikkijacobs.comSupport the show

What's more important to you: QUANTITY or QUALITY? In 1929, A cigar-making, Cuban-American family in Ybor City, Florida must face the harsh realities that accompany this dilemma. In this episode, Nikki and Nathan break down Nilo Cruz's Pulitzer Prize-winning play Anna in the Tropics. (Published by Theatre Communications Group). Topics include: traditionalism vs modernization, evolving gender roles, and the power of literature to teach and to change. *Co-host Nikki Jacobs wishes to acknowledge her mispronounciation of the character name PALOMO. Correct pronounciation: pah-LOH-moh.Produced and hosted by Nathan Inzerillo and Nikki Jacobs.Theme song written and performed by Nathan Inzerillo and Nikki Jacobs.Visit Us:nathaninzerillo.comnikkijacobs.comSupport the show

When was the last time you asked your parents about your family's history? Would knowing it change you? These are some of the questions raised in Lauren Yee's semi-autobiographical comedy King of the Yees. (Published by Samuel French). Nikki and Nathan invite you to join them in exploring these often neglected and yet close-to-home considerations. Topics include: the history of discrimination toward Chinese immigrants in America, the preservation of one's cultural heritage, and the importance of learning where you fit into your family's stories.  Produced and hosted by Nathan Inzerillo and Nikki Jacobs.Theme song written and performed by Nathan Inzerillo and Nikki Jacobs.Visit Us:nathaninzerillo.comnikkijacobs.comSupport the show

Restrained by daily racism, on probation, and facing a baby on the way, King Hedley is determined to outsmart these harsh realities and achieve a decent life for his family. He contends with the inner and outer obstacles that stand between his dreams and the preservation of his very soul. Join Nathan and Nikki as they delve into the unforgettably provocative masterpiece King Hedley II by 2-time Pulitzer Prize-winning legend August Wilson. (Published by Theatre Communications Group). Topics include: racial discrimination, toxic masculinity, and the economic disenfranchisement of African-Americans.Produced and hosted by Nathan Inzerillo and Nikki Jacobs.Theme song written and performed by Nathan Inzerillo and Nikki Jacobs.Visit Us:nathaninzerillo.comnikkijacobs.comSupport the show

Yes. You read that correctly. This is a play about a vibrator. Not 2022 style--more like the late 19th century, when electricity was new and much was misunderstood about women. Join Nathan and Nikki as they grapple with the big questions posed by Sarah Ruhl's funny and sometimes heart-breaking In the Next Room or The Vibrator Play, published by Samuel French.  Topics include: misogyny and female repression, society's relationship to technology, and the importance of intimacy. Produced and hosted by Nathan Inzerillo and Nikki Jacobs. Theme song written and performed by Nathan Inzerillo and Nikki Jacobs. Visit Us:nathaninzerillo.comnikkijacobs.comSupport the show

How much does one Muslim man have to give up in order to be accepted by American society? Join Nathan and Nikki as they tackle this and other complex questions posed by Ayad Akhtar's Pulitzer Prize-winning play Disgraced, published by Back Bay Books | Little, Brown and Company.  Topics include: Islamophobia, covert racism, and the dangers of religious fundamentalism. Produced and hosted by Nathan Inzerillo and Nikki Jacobs.  Theme song written and performed by Nathan Inzerillo and Nikki Jacobs.  Visit Us: nathaninzerillo.comnikkijacobs.comSupport the show

How far are you willing to go to make sure a story gets told?  Nathan and Nikki explore the world of Yiddish theatre in Paula Vogel's Indecent (published by Theatre Communications Group).  Come hear how theatre can change the world!  Topics include: anti-Semitism, homophobia, and the power of theatre.Produced and hosted by Nathan Inzerillo and Nikki Jacobs. Theme song written and performed by Nathan Inzerillo and Nikki Jacobs. Visit Us:nathaninzerillo.comnikkijacobs.comSupport the show

How would you thrive under the weight of an oppressive government?  Within the framework of Tom Stoppard's  Rock 'N' Roll (published by Grove Press), Nathan and Nikki search for some answers.  Listen in and find some of your own!  Topics include: censorship, the rise and fall of communism, and the power of artistic dissent.Produced and hosted by Nathan Inzerillo and Nikki Jacobs.  Theme song written and performed by Nathan Inzerillo and Nikki Jacobs.  Visit Us: nathaninzerillo.comnikkijacobs.comSupport the show