Some Small Magic

Some Small Magic is an interview series archiving the methods behind artistic wonder. Join Fletcher Pierson as he collects the stories, methodologies, and hopes of practicing artists of all disciplines from around the country and the world.

3.6 Adam Rose on Magic and the Body 02/21/2018

3.6 Adam Rose on Magic and the Body Adam Rose is a dancer based in Chicago, and the Founder and Artistic Director of Antibody Corporation. Topics include the mind-body problem, fragmented adolescent theories, and spirituality. /episode/index/show/somesmallmagic/id/6277749

3.5 Corey Smith 01/24/2018

3.5 Corey Smith Corey Smith, an artist and friend, joins me for an informal chat about his recent show The New Prairie School, the Midwest the Neo-Futurists, objects, capital-P capital-A Performance Art, art galleries, and ambient fish. /episode/index/show/somesmallmagic/id/6182315

3.4 Erica Mott 01/10/2018

3.4 Erica Mott Erica Mott tells me about overcoming deep fear through joy and surprise, making new objects out of trash, learning from every voice, and the magical elements of presence. /episode/index/show/somesmallmagic/id/6131832

3.3 Don Share on Poetry 12/20/2017

3.3 Don Share on Poetry Don Share is the editor of Poetry Magazine, the longest-running monthly English language periodical dedicated to poetry. We talk about the idealism of poetry, poetry's durability and portability, editing with a legacy, and the joy of literary magazines. /episode/index/show/somesmallmagic/id/6058119

x.6 Christopher Knowlton on Object Performance 11/22/2017

x.6 Christopher Knowlton on Object Performance Cut from a recording that's being saved for a future project, here's a quick conversation between Christopher Knowlton and I about puppetry and object performance. /episode/index/show/somesmallmagic/id/5964312

x.5 Lee Mikeska Gardner 11/08/2017

x.5 Lee Mikeska Gardner Lee Mikeska Gardner is the Artistic Director of the Nora Theatre Company in Cambridge, MA. We talk about the differences in Boston and D.C.'s arts scenes, collaborating with scientists, honesty in practice, and how to put the work first. /episode/index/show/somesmallmagic/id/5916741

3.2 Meghan Beals 10/25/2017

3.2 Meghan Beals This week, Meghan Beals, the Artistic Director of Chicago Dramatists, tells me about working with a legacy, being just a part of a process, building the new American canon, and that it's okay not to know. /episode/index/show/somesmallmagic/id/5868922

3.1 Liz Anderson 10/11/2017

3.1 Liz Anderson Some Small Magic is back for Season 3! This time, we're focusing on the "Breadth of New Work," so we're kicking it off with Liz Anderson, a Chicago-based writer and comedian who creates one-of-a-kind theatrical events. We talk about how she makes the One Woman No Show, the showmanship of wrestling, and, of course, yelling at ghosts. /episode/index/show/somesmallmagic/id/5827718

2.7 Thom Pasculli 09/13/2017

2.7 Thom Pasculli Closing out the 2nd season of Some Small Magic, Walkabout Theater Company's Thom Pasculli and I talk about vitality, making a way to make theatre, learning to touch your toes, the obligation in ritual, and investing in our imaginations. /episode/index/show/somesmallmagic/id/5734279

2.6 Vanessa Valliere 08/30/2017

2.6 Vanessa Valliere Vanessa Valliere - a Chicago-based performer with Manual Cinema and Mucca Pazza who toured with Tour de Fat, and now takes her puppet shows around the country - tells me about the pain of creating, swing dancing in Japan, finding one's place in the ensemble, and trying not to eat your puppets. /episode/index/show/somesmallmagic/id/5684138

x.4 Brendan Burns 08/16/2017

x.4 Brendan Burns Some context: After interviewing Bonnie Duncan (1.4) back in March, she suggested some other artists I should interview while I was in Boston. This is with Brendan Burns, one of Bonnie's collaborators, recorded at Brookline Music School. Talking points include taking a musical snapshot of a city's scene, confidence as practice, and music as a preferred language. /episode/index/show/somesmallmagic/id/5642840

2.5 Yngvild Aspeli 08/02/2017

2.5 Yngvild Aspeli Recorded at the 2017 Puppeteers of America National Festival in St. Paul, Yngvild Aspeli (the Artistic Director of Plexus Polaire) and I discuss collaboration, perfection in fragility, starting from the theme, and changing a show with every performance. /episode/index/show/somesmallmagic/id/5599954

x.3 Patrick Gabridge 07/19/2017

x.3 Patrick Gabridge Digging an episode out from the March archives, I talk with Boston-based writer Patrick Gabridge about spacial formality, where farming and theatre line up, and how to fill up a box. Among other things. /episode/index/show/somesmallmagic/id/5544432

2.4 Onye Ozuzu 07/05/2017

2.4 Onye Ozuzu Onye Ozuzu - creator of Technology of the Circle, founder of Project Tool, and Dean of the School of Fine and Performing Arts at Columbia College - explains a circle's organizing principle, culture as a way, embodied discourse, and preparing to leave. Music by SJ Roberts: Find more at sjroberts.bandcamp.com. /episode/index/show/somesmallmagic/id/5506646

2.3 Mark Jeffery 06/21/2017

2.3 Mark Jeffery Mark Jeffery - co-founder of ATOM-r and former company member of the elusive Goat Island Performance Group - describes the importance of duration, how to demand time, working body/thinking brain, and listening for magic. Music by S.J. Roberts: Find more at sjroberts.bandcamp.com /episode/index/show/somesmallmagic/id/5467271

2.2 Sara Zalek 06/07/2017

2.2 Sara Zalek Sara Zalek, a multidisciplinary artist with a focus in Butoh, tells me about biking across the country, taking sharp turns in life, reaching into the beyond through the body, and trying to define the undefinable. Music by S.J. Roberts: Find more at sjroberts.bandcamp.com. /episode/index/show/somesmallmagic/id/5426130

2.1 Sarah Fornace 05/24/2017

2.1 Sarah Fornace It's the start of the 2nd season of Some Small Magic! Sarah Fornace kicks it off with a fast-paced discussion about shadow puppetry, film, the combination of those two things, systems of magic, and diverolling out of a frame. Come listen. Music by SJ Roberts: Find more at sjroberts.bandcamp.com. /episode/index/show/somesmallmagic/id/5383215

x.1 MT Cozzola 05/17/2017

x.1 MT Cozzola It's the bonus week between Season 1 and Season 2 of Some Small Magic! I speak with playwright MT Cozzola about her practice, turning dreams into shows, ghosts, and trying to get it right. Music by SJ Roberts: Find more at sjroberts.bandcamp.com /episode/index/show/somesmallmagic/id/5352960

1.7 Walt McGough 05/10/2017

1.7 Walt McGough Wrapping up the first season of Some Small Magic, we hop back into the Boston episodes to talk to playwright and dramaturge Walt McGough about the evolution of Boston's theatre scene, Sideshow Theatre and how to fake it 'til you make it, learning the world and the self through playwriting, and trying to make the unreal on stage. I do a bad job of introducing Walt's plays, but he covers for me and explains them during the interview before talking about their background. If you want more of an explanation, there are synopses on Walt's website: Music by S.J. Roberts: Find more at sjroberts.bandcamp.com. /episode/index/show/somesmallmagic/id/5334353

1.6 Madhuri Shekar 04/26/2017

1.6 Madhuri Shekar New-York based playwright Madhuri Shekar was in Chicago for the process and opening of her show Queen, at Victory Gardens, so I interviewed her! We talk about opening one's eyes to the complexity of the world, finding your friends, and the magic of falling in love, among other things. Music by SJ Roberts: Find more at sjroberts.bandcamp.com /episode/index/show/somesmallmagic/id/5298453

1.5 Alan Brody 04/12/2017

1.5 Alan Brody In the second episode from my time in Boston, I speak with playwright and academic Alan Brody about his life, the influence of the mid-century theatre, building academic arts programs, learning to speak science, and how the theatre has stayed a lifetime passion. Music by SJ Roberts: Find more at sjroberts.bandcamp.com. /episode/index/show/somesmallmagic/id/5254563

1.4 Bonnie Duncan 03/29/2017

1.4 Bonnie Duncan In the first Some Small Magic interview collected from outside Chicago, Boston-based puppeteer and dancer Bonnie Duncan tells me about structural dance, learning art philosophy from her kids, being joyfully one step ahead of the audience, and a bunch of good stories. Music by S. J. Roberts: Find more at sjroberts.bandcamp.com. /episode/index/show/somesmallmagic/id/5213832

1.3 Janet Howe 03/15/2017

1.3 Janet Howe This week, Janet Howe tells me about teaching audiences empathy with neuroscience, making things with love, and even throws in a crash course in immersive theatre. Music by S.J. Roberts: Find more at sjroberts.bandcamp.com. /episode/index/show/somesmallmagic/id/5169147

1.2 Emily Ritger 03/01/2017

1.2 Emily Ritger On this week's episode of Some Small Magic, Emily Ritger tells me about irrational art, frozen ideas, solo projects/the ensemble, and trying to make it all work. Music by SJ Roberts: Find more at sjroberts.bandcamp.com /episode/index/show/somesmallmagic/id/5128085

1.1 Olivia Lilley 02/14/2017

1.1 Olivia Lilley Welcome to Some Small Magic! SSM's first guest is Olivia Lilley, a Chicago-based writer and director - join us to hear about her path from music to directing, her methodology, her company The Runaways Lab Theater, and more! Music by S.J. Roberts: https://sjroberts.bandcamp.com/ /episode/index/show/somesmallmagic/id/5081025

Some Small Magic

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