Pocket Dramaturg: A Theatre History Podcast

Ricky Ortega
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Pocket Dramaturg is a theatre podcast dedicated to uncovering forgotten stories and illuminating the voices and moments that have shaped theatrical history.

Episodes

  1. JAN 7

    Ep. 7: TWO Gatsby Musicals??: A Theory on Adaptation

    How different can two musical versions of The Great Gatsby be? In late 2023, The Great Gatsby, a musical adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, premiered and quickly made its way to Broadway. Several months later, the musical Gatsby: An American Myth premiered and showed just how differently one can adapt the same book. In this episode, we will look at these two versions of Gatsby through the eyes of an Adaptation Scholar. Using our two musicals, we will be able to learn about our history of creating adaptations, how they became popular, and why we do it! Click below to watch some of the videos that helped inspire the episode! Patrick H. Willems: " When the Faithful Adaptation is Actually Worse" Wait in the Wings: "How They Rewrote The Great Gatsby Musical in 3 Months..." "A Tale of Two Gatsby (Musicals)..." Anne Vanderelst: "How the Great Gatsby Musical FAILED its titular character."

    50 min

  2. 10/15/2025

    Ep. 6: Por la Cultura: Buena Vista Social Club & Real Women Have Curves on Broadway

    In honor of Hispanic/Latine Heritage Month, we are going to be discussing how Buena Vista Social Club, the jukebox musical based on the 1997 hit album, and Real Women Have Curves, a musical adaptation of Josefina López's play, became the first musicals centered on Latine stories to run on Broadway at the same time. This episode will dive into subjects such as the history of Latine representation in musical theatre, how these shows made it all the way to Broadway, their similarities and differences, and the value of prioritizing representation!

    1h 6m

  3. 07/16/2025

    Ep. 5: Legends Never Die: The Tale of The Cradle Will Rock

    This episode will look at what happened when future theatre legends working at the Federal Theatre Project produced a show so timely that it was shut down. In response, they created one of the greatest legends in theatre history.

    33 min

  4. 07/16/2025

    Ep. 4 Heroes Get Remembered: Hallie Flanagan & The Federal Theatre Project

    In the middle of the Great Depression, the New Deal created the Federal Theatre Project, an organization that looked to provide relief to unemployed theatre artists. In this episode, we will take a look at the rise of the Federal Theatre Project and its leader, Hallie Flanagan, as well as its fall at the hands of the House Un-American Activities Committee.

    54 min

  5. 05/28/2025

    Ep. 3: Colonial Publishers and Bonkers Script Changers (with Bridgett Martinez)

    Take a trip all the way back to the 1700s, to the origins of theatre publishing and the early years of the theatre in the United States. This is followed by a conversation with my wife and fellow theatre-lover, Bridgett, where we will talk about some of the craziest script changes and out-of-pocket productions we've ever heard of! Follow Bridgett on IG @bridgettm.thtr & @dramaclubcoffee

    57 min

  6. 01/06/2025

    Ep. 2: Boris Aronson: Your Favorite Set Designer's Favorite Set Designer

    Over a career spanning more than 50 years, Boris Aronson ushered in a new era of set design that emphasized storytelling through scenic design. Through his work on shows like Fiddler on the Roof, Cabaret, Company, and many other classics, Boris demonstrated how one can be a trailblazer while preserving tradition.

    41 min

  7. 12/02/2024

    Ep. 1: Businessmen Battle Over The Spirit of Broadway

    In 1999, three experienced Broadway producers attempted to capitalize on the revitalization of Times Square and the boom in NYC tourism, only to find themselves going head-to-head with one of the industry's biggest players on the stage of one of Broadway's oldest venues.

    30 min
  • 7 Episodes

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Pocket Dramaturg is a theatre podcast dedicated to uncovering forgotten stories and illuminating the voices and moments that have shaped theatrical history.

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