Ensemble Studio Theatre presents
a podcast highlighting EST Member Artists hosted by Rachel Lin
Welcome to EST Re:Members, a podcast featuring interviews with Ensemble Studio Theatre's Member Artists, hosted by Rachel Lin. We go behind the scenes with the theatre makers who've played on the EST stage in Hell's Kitchen, New York – from the company's founding in 1968 right up to the present. Join us as we hear the life story of EST from the people who've lived it, and celebrate the decades of works-in-progress created by these artists!
Sound Designer & Engineer: Caroline Eng
Episode 3: A Conversation with Multi-Hyphenates: William Jackson Harper & Brian Quijada
Welcome to the final episode of season 1 of EST Re:Members! What a journey it's been. For our grand finale, host Rachel Lin speaks with two booked and busy members of EST: William Jackson Harper and Brian Quijada. Notably, both Brian and Will have graced the EST stage as actors AND playwrights, and they've both been nominated for Emmy awards...coincidence? We think not. Join as our dynamic trio talk about their humble beginnings, the low lows that can come with being an actor in New York, and how they made it through it all.
About this episode’s Member Artists:
William Jackson Harper has appeared on the EST stage in countless readings, workshops and productions since his arrival there in 2006. While rising to acclaim as an actor, Will also worked as a playwright at EST, developing his play Travisville that premiered at the theatre in 2018. Brian Quijada established himself as part of the EST ensemble in the mid-2010s, and burst out with the New York premiere of his acclaimed solo show Where Did We Sit On The Bus?in 2017. He's returned to EST regularly since then, while appearing as a writer and an actor on stages around the country.
Episode 2: Playwrights Lloyd Suh & Leah Nanako Winkler
Listen in as EST Member Artists and Youngblood alumni Lloyd Suh and Leah Nanako Winkler speak with our host Rachel Lin about their trajectories as writers. From the early years of figuring out their place in the New York City theater scene to the current state of the playwriting landscape, Lloyd and Leah share their perspectives on the challenges and joys of writing for the American Theater. Press play to hear their takes and the lessons they've learned along the way.
About this episode’s Member Artists:
Lloyd Suh first came to EST as a member of the Youngblood program for emerging playwrights in the late 90s, and had his first productions through that program, With A Hammer And A Nail and Masha No Home. Since then, Lloyd's work has appeared regularly on the EST stage, including five plays in the EST Marathon over the years. He returns again to EST this fall with the New York premiere of his comedy Franklinland. Leah Nanako Winkler first joined EST through the Youngblood program just a little over a decade ago and quickly became a significant voice in her generation at the theatre, both in the Marathon of One-Act Plays and in her epic, award-winning Kentucky.
Episode 1: Actors Stephanie Berry & Lois Smith
Obie Award winners Lois Smith and Stephanie Berry join host Rachel Lin to discuss their decades-long careers in the theater. Together, they have over a century of experience combined! The two esteemed performers talk: self-doubt, motherhood, and the differences in their paths as working actors.
About this episode’s Member Artists:
Among many other things, EST has long been known as a theatre of extraordinary actors; after many decades between them, Stephanie Berry and Lois Smith remain the epitome of that standard. Lois Smith has been a member of EST going back to the theatre's earliest days, and was a key collaborator in defining EST works in the careers of Horton Foote and Romulus Linney, to name just two. Stephanie Berry has been a member of EST for over 40 years, and remains active on the theatre's stage right up to today. She won an Obie Award for the EST production of her play The Shaneequa Chronicles in 2001, and returned to the EST stage again and again in the years since.
A full transcript of the episode is available here.