Onwriting: A Podcast Of The Wga East

Host Geri Cole kicks off a new year, and a new season of OnWriting, in conversation with celebrated screenwriter, playwright, and author Tony Kushner—the screenwriter behind the recent adaptation of WEST SIDE STORY. Geri and Tony discuss the process of adapting one of the most famous musicals of all time, how in-depth research about New York's West Side added historical context and deeper meaning to the script, and how even the likes Tony Kushner get anxious looking at a blank page. Tony Kushner is a celebrated playwright, author, and screenwriter who is perhaps best known for writing the acclaimed play Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes—and its TV miniseries adaptation—as well as for his collaborations with Steven Spielberg as screenwriter for MUNICH and LINCOLN, both of which earned him Oscar nominations for Best Adapted Screenplay. Angels in America earned Tony both the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Play in 1993, and he received Emmy and Writers Guild Awards for its

Host Geri Cole is joined by Tracey Scott Wilson, writer of the Aretha Franklin biopic RESPECT, about writing the film’s screenplay on a very expedited timeline, how being a playwright has informed her film & television career, and her creative process – which includes writing in longhand and starting each day reading scripts. Tracey Scott Wilson is an accomplished television writer, producer and playwright. She served as a co-executive producer on FOSSE/VERDON and MORNING SHOW. Before that, she was co-executive producer on the award-winning series THE AMERICANS, where she wrote for 4 seasons and received two Writers Guild awards, two Peabody awards and a Golden Globe. Her plays include BUZZER, THE GOOD NEGRO, and THE STORY. She is the winner of multiple awards for her work as a playwright, including 2001 Helen Merrill Emerging Playwright Award, the 2003 AT&T Onstage Award, the 2004 Whiting Award, the 2004 Kesserling Prize, the 2007 Weissberger Playwriting Award, and the 2007 Time Warner Storytelling F

For the latest live taping of OnWriting, Amanda Peet and Jennifer Kim join host Geri Cole to discuss their work on the new Netflix (academi)comedy-drama series, THE CHAIR. Amanda Peet is the co-creator, showrunner, writer, and executive producer of THE CHAIR. You may also know her from her extensive acting credits, including DIRTY JOHN, BROCKMIRE, and TOGETHERNESS. Jennifer Kim is a writer on THE CHAIR, as well as a staff writer for the upcoming Mel Brooks variety series HISTORY OF THE WORLD, PART II, which was announced earlier this fall. THE CHAIR is the story of Professor Ji-Yoon Kim—the newly appointed chair of the English department at the prestigious Pembroke University, and the first woman of color to hold the position. The first season of the comedy-drama series follows Kim’s efforts to meet the dizzying demands and high expectations of a failing English department all while trying to ensure the tenure of a young black colleague; negotiate her relationship with her crush, friend, and well-known collea

Host Geri Cole talks to John Hoffman—co-creator and showrunner of ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING—about the art of putting together a compelling mystery in a writers' room, how his own life experience shaped his connection to the series, and the creative value of staying in bed. Spoiler Alert: This episode contains lots of big reveals. We recommend you watch the series before you listen. John Hoffman is a writer, director, and actor who wrote and co-starred in the 1997 Disney Channel original movie NORTHERN LIGHTS before making his theatrical film debut (as both writer and director) with the 2003 MGM/Jim Henson Pictures comedy GOOD BOY!. Since then, his credits have included the 81st Academy Awards (for which he earned an Emmy nomination), the HBO series LOOKING, and the Netflix series GRACE AND FRANKIE. Hoffman is currently the showrunner of ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING, which he co-created alongside Steve Martin. The mystery-comedy series follows three strangers (Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez) w

Host Geri Cole speaks to PEN15 co-creators, co-writers, and co-stars Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle about how the duo met (at an experimental theater program in Amsterdam), how PEN15 has become even more honest and raw in its second season, and the curious case of writing for yourself as a 13-year-old. Maya Erskine is a writer and actor known for her onscreen roles in several comedy series, including MAN SEEKING WOMAN, HEARTBEAT, CASUAL, and INSECURE. Anna Konkle is a writer, actor, and director, known for co-starring in the Fox police procedural ROSEWOOD. Together, Erskine and Konkle co-created, co-write, and co-star in the Hulu series PEN15. The "traumedy" follows fictionalized versions of Maya and Anna as teenage outcasts in the year 2000, during a period when the best day of your life can turn into the worst with just the stroke of a gel pen. The series, which premiered in 2019, is available to stream on Hulu. Part two of Season 2 is scheduled for release on December 3. --- Before it was a podcast, OnWritin

Host Geri Cole talks to Erica Saleh—writer & EP of ONE OF US IS LYING—about the process of developing the series for three different networks before finally finding its home on Peacock, how ’80s and ’90s nostalgia influenced the writers’ room, and the importance of having faith in your ability to finish a draft. Erica Saleh is a TV writer and playwright whose past television credits include EVIL, INSTINCT, WISDOM OF THE CROWD, and CHANNEL ZERO. As a playwright she is a member of Ensemble Studio Theatre, and her work has been produced and developed by multiple theaters across the NYC area. She also serves on the WGA East’s Council, as well as the Guild’s Committee for Inclusion and Equity. Erica developed, writes on, and executive produces the new young adult mystery series ONE OF US IS LYING. Based on Karen M. McManus’s New York Times best-selling novel, the show tells the story of what happens when five high schoolers walk into detention and only four make it out alive. Everyone is a suspect, and everyon

Host Geri Cole is joined by Jon Spaihts and Denis Villeneuve—two-thirds of the writing team behind DUNE—to discuss the challenges of writing a story that serves two audiences, relearning the lesson of focusing on the human element in science fiction, and just how much coffee it takes for three masters of filmmaking to collaborate on the script of DUNE (spoiler alert… it's a lot). Jon Spaihts wrote the screenplays for PROMETHEUS, THE DARKEST HOUR, and MARVEL'S DR. STRANGE. Denis Villeneuve is perhaps best known as the director of SICARIO, ARRIVAL, and BLADE RUNNER 2049. Third co-writer Eric Roth—who, unfortunately, couldn’t join us because of technical difficulties—is the writer of titles like FORREST GUMP, THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON, and A STAR IS BORN, among many others. DUNE—co-written by Spaihts, Villeneuve, and Roth and directed by Villeneuve— is a mythic and emotionally charged hero's journey adapted from the 1965 science fiction novel by Frank Herbert. The film tells the story of Paul Atreides,

Host Geri Cole is joined by Jen Statsky—co-creator and showrunner of the HBO Max series HACKS—to talk about the show's journey from an idea on a road trip to a hit series, why writing about people's flaws can bring out the best in a character, and the challenges of writing a comedy series about writing comedy. Jen Statsky is a TV writer and comedian who cut her comedy-writing teeth on Twitter. Her posts were popular, and she eventually found herself with enough of a following that, in 2011, the account helped her land her first TV writing job at LATE NIGHT WITH JIMMY FALLON. Since then, she has written for a number of hit comedies, including BROAD CITY, THE GOOD PLACE, and PARKS & RECREATION (all while maintaining her Twitter account, of course). She currently serves as the showrunner of the comedy-drama series HACKS. The series, which Statsky co-created with Lucia Aniello and Paul W. Downs, follows legendary stand-up comic Deborah Vance (played by Jean Smart) as she works to maintain relevancy through a

Host Geri Cole speaks with Danny Strong—creator and showrunner of the new Hulu series DOPESICK—about how he wove four stories across three timelines, writing stories that spark national conversations, and how falling into YouTube holes can be a part of the writing process. Danny Strong is a writer, director, and actor. Though he was initially best known for his roles in TV shows like BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER and GILMORE GIRLS, he quickly made a name for himself as a screenwriter. He earned a Writers Guild Award for his debut feature screenplay, the 2008 HBO political drama RECOUNT, as well as for the 2012 HBO film GAME CHANGE. His credits since then have included co-creating the hit series EMPIRE, and writing the screenplays for THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY – PART 1 and PART 2, LEE DANIELS' THE BUTLER; and the 2017 biopic REBEL IN THE RYE. His latest project is DOPESICK. The drama series, which Danny created is showrunner for, examines how one company triggered the worst drug epidemic in American history. The

Geri is joined by Dan Perlman—co-creator and co-star of FLATBUSH MISDEMEANORS—to talk about the show's journey from a short to a network series, how the real Dan and Kevin compare to their onscreen characters, and the importance of hearing judgment-free feedback. Dan Perlman is a writer, stand-up comedian, and director. As a comedian, he has been featured on Comedy Central and was named one of the New Faces at the Montreal Just For Laughs Festival. He wrote and directed the 2020 short film CRAMMING, which won the Audience Award at the 2020 Brooklyn Film Festival and First Prize at the 2020 Rhode Island International Film Festival. Alongside Kevin Iso, Dan also co-created the award-winning web series "Flatbush Misdemeanors," the first installment of which received the Grand Jury Award for Best Narrative Short at the 2018 Florida Film Festival. Dan's latest project, FLATBUSH MISDEMEANORS, is an adaptation of the original web series. The dark comedy stars Dan and Kevin as fictionalized versions of themselves – y

Geri is joined by Lang Fisher—co-creator and showrunner of the Netflix series NEVER HAVE I EVER—to discuss creating a comedy that’s rooted in grief, writing teen characters who sound like real teens, how casting tennis champion John McEnroe as narrator helped tie the whole series together, and more. Lang Fisher was a staff writer for The Onion and started her TV writing career at THE ONION NEWS NETWORK. Since then, she’s written on hit comedies like THE MINDY PROJECT, BROOKLYN NINE-NINE, and 30 ROCK. While at 30 ROCK, she co-wrote the episode “A Goon's Deed in a Weary World,” which was named in Variety’s “25 Best TV Episodes of the Decade (2010-2019).” Her latest project is NEVER HAVE I EVER – a coming-of-age dramedy co-created by Fisher and Mindy Kaling. The series follows Devi, an Indian-American high school student, as she grapples with the death of her father, her Indian identity, and trying to improve her social status at her school. The series premiered in 2020 and was recently renewed for a third seaso

OnWriting presents the fourth and final week of OnWriting Pride: a series of live-recordings of the podcast in honor of Pride Month, presented by the WGAE LGBTQ Salon. Each episode features LGBTQ+ screenwriters and the LGBTQ+ stories they tell. For the fourth and final installment in the series, OnWriting host Geri Cole speaks with Steven Canals, the co-creator and executive producer of the FX drama series POSE. After receiving an MFA in Screenwriting from UCLA, Steven Canals began his professional writing career as a research assistant at Oscar-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black’s production company Hungry Jackal Productions. He then went on to serve as a staff writer on the Freeform supernatural horror series DEAD OF SUMMER while also writing the short film “Afuera.” In 2018, he started his tenure as co-creator and executive producer of POSE. POSE is a drama spotlighting the legends, icons and ferocious house mothers of New York’s underground ball culture, a movement that first gained notice in the lat

OnWriting presents week three of OnWriting Pride: a series of live-recordings of the podcast in honor of Pride Month, presented by the WGAE LGBTQ Salon. Each episode features LGBTQ+ screenwriters and the LGBTQ+ stories they tell. For our third installment in the series, Geri speaks with Nikole Beckwith, the writer and director of TOGETHER TOGETHER. Nikole Beckwith is a writer, director, and pen-and-ink artist. As a playwright, her work has been developed and performed in on stages in New York, Chicago and London. She made her feature film debut with STOCKHOLM, PENNSYLVANIA, which premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival and went on to receive numerous accolades including a Women's Image Award for Best Screenplay and nomination for Best Director, a Satellite Award for Best Film for Television, and three TV Critics Choice Award. Her latest project is TOGETHER TOGETHER – a story about the ups and downs of surrogacy and the power of platonic love. The film follows 26-year-old Anna and single, middle-aged app

OnWriting presents week two of OnWriting Pride: a series of live-recordings of the podcast in honor of Pride Month, presented by the WGAE LGBTQ Salon. Each episode features LGBTQ+ screenwriters and the LGBTQ+ stories they tell. For our second installment in the series, Geri speaks with Kimberly Peirce, the writer and director of BOYS DON’T CRY. BOYS DON’T CRY is the 1999 film based on the true story of Brandon Teena, a young transgender man trying to live and find love in Nebraska. On the film's 20th anniversary, it was selected for preservation at the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ -- Follow the Guild on social media: Twitter: @OnWritingWGAE | @WGAEast Facebook: /WGAEast Instagram: @WGAEast

For the first part of our OnWriting Pride Month series, Geri is joined by Emma Seligman, writer and director of SHIVA BABY, to discuss the challenges of writing and directing a low-budget first feature, the ways Judaism and a love of cinema have shaped her storytelling, and how the film uses anxiety and a horror soundtrack to heighten the tension and the comedy. Emma Seligman is a Canadian filmmaker. While studying film at NYU, she made a number of short films, including “Lonewoods,” “Void,” and her thesis project, “Shiva Baby,” which had its world premiere at the 2018 South by Southwest film festival. SHIVA BABY is the feature-length adaptation of that project, and Seligman’s feature debut. The film follows Jewish, bisexual college senior Danielle as she—along with her family, her ex-girlfriend, and, to her shock, her sugar daddy—attends a shiva for a barely-remembered relative. The film—which premiered at the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival and has since received widespread critical acclaim, includ

Geri welcomes the Bodega Boys Desus Nice and The Kid Mero to the show to talk about what they do—and don't do—to put together their show; their unique approach interviewing illustrious guests; and why it's so important to be real and stay real with the people you work with… no matter how strong the brand. Desus Nice & The Kid Mero are former Bronx schoolmates who—while building their respective followings as formidable comedians in their own right—reconnected on Twitter and quickly became known for their shared affinity for complaining about their dissatisfaction for their jobs coupled with pointed and funny pop culture commentary. The re-connection of the quick-witted duo led to stints on Complex (DESUS VS. MERO), their current podcast (THE BODEGA BOYS), and a critically acclaimed late-night show on Viceland— all while continuing to amass an enthusiastic following for their smart and comedic off-the-cuff musings on life’s greatest topics. They have also contributed their voices to Ezra Koenig’s (Vampire

Geri speaks with Zack Akers, writer and co-director of SHIPWORM, about how the project is the first podcast to be covered on the Writers Guild Minimum Basic Agreement; the challenges and freedoms of writing for audio; and the roles that doctors working during the pandemic, a rented duck, and a rare & elusive type of mollusk have played in his creative process. Zack Akers, along with his creative partner, Skip Bronkie, run the podcast production company Two-Up, the studio known for groundbreaking fiction, musical and documentary podcasts like 36 QUESTIONS, THE WILDERNESS, and LIMETOWN—the last of which was also adapted into a TV series for Facebook Watch (and which is now available to stream on Peacock). His latest project is SHIPWORM: a first-of-its-kind feature-length scripted podcast. The two-hour narrative story stars Broadway luminary Quentin Earl Darrington as Wallace Conway, a small-town doctor who wakes up to find he's been implanted with an untraceable chip that allows a mysterious voice to lead h

To kick things off for Season 9, Geri is joined by Sierra Teller Ornelas and Mike Schur, co-creators — along with Ed Helms — of the new Peacock sitcom RUTHERFORD FALLS, to discuss how the series tackles big issues around race and culture with an abundance of humor; how they built an inclusive and equitable writers' room; and how television, and the world, is better off when we learn from history. Sierra Teller Ornelas is a Navajo and Mexican American writer, producer, and showrunner whose long list of past credits includes BROOKLYN NINE-NINE, SUPERSTORE, and SPLITTING UP TOGETHER. Mike Schur is a writer, producer, and actor who is probably best known as the co-creator of PARKS AND RECREATION and BROOKLYN NINE-NINE, the creator of THE GOOD PLACE, as well as a writer on THE OFFICE and SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE – among other things. Their latest project is the sitcom RUTHERFORD FALLS. The series—which was co-created by Ornelas, Schur, and Ed Helms, and for which Ornelas is showrunner—follows Nathan Rutherford and Reag

The WGAE Women’s Salon presents a series of four live recordings of OnWriting in honor of Women's History Month. In each episode, we’re speaking with women screenwriters whose latest projects center on women’s stories. To wrap up the series, Geri speaks with Eliza Hittman, the writer and director of the acclaimed 2020 film NEVER RARELY SOMETIMES ALWAYS. Eliza Hittman is an award-winning writer and director from Brooklyn, NY. She is the writer and director of the 2013 drama IT FELT LIKE LOVE and the 2017 drama BEACH RATS, the latter of which earned her the 2017 Director Award at Sundance Film Festival. She is also the recipient of the Emerging Artist Award from Lincoln Center and is a 2018 Guggenheim Fellow. Her latest project is the drama film NEVER RARELY SOMETIMES ALWAYS. The film follows Autumn, a 17-year-old who, after learning that she’s pregnant but unable to get an abortion without her parents’ consent in her native Pennsylvania, embarks on a trip to New York City with her cousin Skylar in order to get

OnWriting presents the third in a series of four live recordings of OnWriting in honor of Women's History Month, presented by the WGAE Women's Salon. In each episode, we’re speaking with women screenwriters whose latest projects center on women’s stories. For the third installment in the series, Geri speaks with Jenny Lumet, the co-creator and showrunner of the new CBS series CLARICE. Jenny Lumet is a screenwriter and actress who is widely known for her screenplay for the acclaimed 2008 drama film RACHEL GETTING MARRIED, directed by the late, great Jonathan Demme. She is a writer-producer on STAR TREK: DISCOVERY, and is co-creator and showrunner of the forthcoming sci-fi series THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH. Her latest project is CLARICE — the CBS crime procedural drama series co-created by Lumet and Alex Kurtzman, and for which Lumet serves as showrunner. CLARICE takes a deep dive into the untold personal story of FBI Agent Clarice Starling (Rebecca Breeds) as she returns to the field in 1993, one year after the