My Job is to Play - Women in Television (Conversations on Creativity with Erin Mallon)

Erin Mallon
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My Job is to Play is a bi-weekly podcast hosted by Author, Playwright and Audiobook Narrator Erin Mallon. In each episode Erin interviews an amazing creative mind and together they deep dive into what it means to live a creative, playful life. Season Two is a special 20-episode exploration of Women in Television. 

  1. Ep 50 - SHEILA CALLAGHAN (FX/Hulu's Dying for Sex, Showtime's Shameless) on the Research of Writing

    JUL 25

    Ep 50 - SHEILA CALLAGHAN (FX/Hulu's Dying for Sex, Showtime's Shameless) on the Research of Writing

    Today we have SHEILA CALLAGHAN on the show.  In 2010, Sheila was profiled by Marie Claire as one of “18 Successful Women Who Are Changing the World.” She was also named one of Variety magazine’s “10 Screenwriters to Watch.”  Sheila was a longtime writer/producer on the hit Showtime comedy Shameless and a founder of the feminist activist group The Kilroys. She was nominated for a 2016 Golden Globe for her work on the Hulu comedy series Casual and a 2017 WGA Award for her Shameless episode “I Am A Storm.” Sheila's plays have been produced all over the country and internationally. Most recently she worked on the FX on Hulu series Dying for Sex which was just nominated for 9 Emmy Awards. I've been a fan of Sheila's writing for a long time, so this was a major treat for me having her on the show.

    55 min
  2. Ep49 - RACHEL VINE (Disney Channel's The Owl House, Duck Tales) on Writing for Animated Television

    JUL 10

    Ep49 - RACHEL VINE (Disney Channel's The Owl House, Duck Tales) on Writing for Animated Television

    Today we have RACHEL VINE on the show!  Rachel is a feature and TV writer who has worked on many animated series. Some of those include My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, DC Super Hero Girls, Wander Over Yonder and DuckTales. Rachel was story editor for Peabody Award-Winning The Owl House. This conversation was really cool for me, since I knew not a thing about working in the world of animation. I hope you enjoy the chat as much as I did. Rachel's Instagram Erin's Instagram

    53 min
  3. Ep48 - AJA GABEL (The Staircase, Five Star Weekend) on the Dance Between Novel Writing and Screenwriting

    JUN 26

    Ep48 - AJA GABEL (The Staircase, Five Star Weekend) on the Dance Between Novel Writing and Screenwriting

    This week we have AJA GABEL on the show! Aja is the author of the novels Lightbreakers (coming in November 2025) and The Ensemble, both from Riverhead Books. Her prose can be found in The Cut, LA Times, Buzzfeed, BOMB, and elsewhere. Her TV credits include: the max original mini series The Staircase starring Colin Firth, Toni Colette and Michael Stuhlbarg, Sunny featuring Rashida Jones and the upcoming Five Star Weekend, starring Jennifer Garner. Aja's short story “Little Fish” was adapted into a feature film, and her survivor thriller film Devil's Mouth is currently in production with Lionsgate and Amazon MGM Studios. PREORDER Lightbreakers Aja's website Erin's website

    49 min
  4. Ep47 - MADHURI SHEKAR (Netflix's Unaccustomed Earth, HBO's The Nevers) on Adaptations and Claiming Your Space

    JUN 12

    Ep47 - MADHURI SHEKAR (Netflix's Unaccustomed Earth, HBO's The Nevers) on Adaptations and Claiming Your Space

    Today we have MADHURI SHEKAR on the show. Madhuri is a playwright and screenwriter. She wrote the Amazon/Blumhouse feature EVIL EYE produced by Priyanka Chopra Jonas based on her Audible original audio drama. Her TV credits include THREE BODY PROBLEM on Netflix, the HBO fantasy epic THE NEVERS and she, along with John Wells is currently co-showrunning UNACCUSTOMED EARTH for Netflix, based on Juhmpa Lahiri's Collection of Short Stories. Her play A NICE INDIAN BOY was adapted into a film starring Jonathan Groff and Karan Soni and is available on streaming services now. Evil Eye (Audioplay) Madhuri's Website Madurai's Instagram Erin's Website Erin's Instagram

    50 min
  5. Ep46 - ELEANOR BURGESS (HBO's Perry Mason, Netflix's Little House on the Prairie) on Bringing Your Self to TV Writing

    MAY 29

    Ep46 - ELEANOR BURGESS (HBO's Perry Mason, Netflix's Little House on the Prairie) on Bringing Your Self to TV Writing

    This week we're happy to have ELEANOR BURGESS on the show. Eleanor is a playwright and screenwriter.  Her work has been produced at theaters across the United States, including Manhattan Theatre Club, South Coast Rep, Geffen Playhouse, McCarter Theatre Center, Huntington Theatre Company, Writers Theatre, Milwaukee Rep, Merrimack Repertory Theatre, Geva Theatre Center and so many more. Her work in film and television includes Perry Mason for HBO, WeCrashed for Apple TV+,  Interview With The Vampire for AMC, and the upcoming Little House on the Prairie for Netflix, plus screenplays for Bad Robot, Amblin, and Anonymous Content. In this conversation we dive deep into the power history has on the work we create today, the influence of AI on the industry and so much more. I hope you enjoy the discussion as much as I did.  Eleanor's website: http://www.eleanorburgess.com/ Erin's website: https://www.erinmallon.com/

    55 min
  6. Ep45 - HANNAH BOS and PAUL THUREEN (HBO's Somebody Somewhere) on Working as a Team

    MAY 15

    Ep45 - HANNAH BOS and PAUL THUREEN (HBO's Somebody Somewhere) on Working as a Team

    HANNAH BOS and PAUL THUREEN are the creators and showrunners of Somebody Somewhere, HBO’s Peabody Award-winning, critically acclaimed comedy series starring Bridget Everett. The Boston Globe declared the series a “revelation” that “exudes compassion” with a “nuanced take on the everyday.” The Daily Beast called the show “TV’s sweetest slice of life.” They received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for “Best First Screenplay” for their feature Driveways. Together they have also written for HBO’s High Maintenance and Amazon’s Mozart in the Jungle. And along with Oliver Butler, Hannah and Paul were founders/co-Artistic Directors of The Debate Society, a multiple-Obie award winning theater company. Somebody Somewhere/HBO Hannah's Website Paul's Instagram Erin's Website

    55 min
  7. Ep44 - SARAH MCCARRON (Station Eleven, The Abandons) on Connecting Deeply to Material

    MAY 1

    Ep44 - SARAH MCCARRON (Station Eleven, The Abandons) on Connecting Deeply to Material

    Today we have SARAH MCCARRON on the show.  Sarah is a Los Angeles-based writer, producer, and director who works in television, film, and theatre. TV projects include: currently executive producer of a one hour drama in development at Showtime (hopefully to be announced soon!); co-executive producer on Netflix’s forthcoming THE ABANDONS, starring Gillian Anderson and Lena Headey; HBO Max’s Emmy-nominated series STATION ELEVEN starring Mackenzie Davis and Himesh Patel; the single camera comedy MADE FOR LOVE, adapted from the book by Alissa Nutting and starring Ray Romano; producer and writer on HALO Season 2 on Paramount, and more. Sarah is also the writer and director of THE BEND, a short film about a trans man migrating to a sanctuary city, which premiered at Provincetown and has won many awards on the festival circuit, including Best Short Film at Twin Cities Film Fest. She holds an MFA in Ensemble Devised Phyisical Theatre from the movement-based Lecoq pedagogy, and teaches Writing From The Body. Sarah's Website: http://www.sarahmccarron.com/ Erin's Website: https://www.erinmallon.com/

    52 min
  8. Ep43 - ANNA OUYANG MOENCH (Severance, Beef) on Playwriting vs TV Writing

    APR 17

    Ep43 - ANNA OUYANG MOENCH (Severance, Beef) on Playwriting vs TV Writing

    Anna Ouyang Moench is an award-winning playwright and screenwriter. Her plays have been produced at La Jolla Playhouse, Williamstown Theatre Festival, NAATCO/The Public Theater, the Geffen Playhouse, the Playwrights Realm, East West Players, InterAct Theater, Theater Mu, and many other theaters across the country and around the world.  In television and film, Anna has worked with Apple TV+, HBO, A24, 3000 Pictures, Netflix, Fifth Season, UCP, eOne, PictureStart, and Universal. Anna was a member of the pilot cohort of the WarnerMedia Access Showrunner Program, wrote on Season 1 and 2 of Severance and is currently in the writers room for Beef Season 2.  Anna's website Erin's website

    57 min
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My Job is to Play is a bi-weekly podcast hosted by Author, Playwright and Audiobook Narrator Erin Mallon. In each episode Erin interviews an amazing creative mind and together they deep dive into what it means to live a creative, playful life. Season Two is a special 20-episode exploration of Women in Television. 

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