BWW Blog: How My Theatre Podcast Changed My Perception of the Art of Theatre

In September of 2019, my best friend and college roommate started dreaming about having a podcast where we talked about various musicals and plays and our overall thoughts and opinions on them. On February 1, 2020, our dream became a reality.

I've had some previous experience in putting together pieces of broadcast work when I was in high school, but the world of podcasting was unlike anything I have ever experienced before. The hard work of thinking of shows and topics to discuss kept us busy. However, the aspect of having a theatre-based podcast made me realize this was going to be more than just sharing our opinions about shows. It was about how we can develop a pitch for people listening to end up watching the show or listening to the soundtrack. It was all about the art of theatre.

The art of theatre can seem complex because it's more than just the art of performance, design, or research. It's all of those ideas and more. To me, this audio experience has changed my perception of the art of theatre forever. Before this podcast, I centered on the belief that theatre is all about sharing stories and gaining meaning on certain thematic undertones by understanding a character. To me, from what I learned, the art of theatre is simply the craft of theatre. The use of craft within theatre is breathtaking. The various jobs that come together to create a show are about communication and collaboration. When talking about a musical or play, it sometimes can be difficult to come up with every single thought you have on the show. Because sometimes we want people to go out and experience these shows for themselves. So when attempting to explain and describe the art of theatre for every show we talk about, it's impossible since the art of theatre is seen on various levels by different people. That's what I find so refreshing about having this podcast, it gives my co-host and I an outlet to share our passion and respect for these incredible shows. It also gives our listeners a chance to gain their own opinions on these shows. Having various opinions and thoughts on anything theatre-related is what makes theatre beautiful. Having the same ideas would be boring, that's how theatre has been revitalized in so many different directions in the past few decades. The art of theatre is what keeps theatre fresh, exciting, and a learning experience. That use and discussion of the art of theatre are what keeps the art of conversation alive and well, and what fuels our podcast.

As of December 2020, we have reached 581 listeners ranging from 16 states within the United States and 13 countries. We have talked about musicals and plays like Sweeney Todd, Les Miserables, The Odd Couple, Avenue Q, La Cage Aux Folles, and so much more. We are grateful to every single person who has given our podcast a listen. While we hope to increase that number, it's not the reason why we do it. We do it to share the bliss of the art of theatre and the magic it creates for millions of people around the globe to see. While we are in a time where theatre has been difficult to perform, we have our thespian thoughts to think about the amazing shows we can experience once the world of theatre returns to its full glory.

Thespian Thoughts with Brenton & Mark is available wherever you get your podcasts!