Holed up at home, our host Susannah Mars has taken to watching the best movies. A family favorite, What's Up Doc?, stars the brilliant Austin Pendleton who was most recently seen on Broadway in The Minutes by Tracy Letts, a play that will hopefully re-open in the not-too-distant future. Listen as Austin Pendleton talks all things acting, directing, family, and politics.

Adventures in Artslandia With Susannah Mars

Actor and Director Austin Pendleton

Our host Susannah Mars talks to Karen Kitchen and Mel Kubik of The Prairie Blossoms and breathes in their music. These brilliant artists perform contemporary and traditional Native American music in many different languages, including Cree, Creek-Seminole, Cherokee, Paiute, Dakota, English, French, Lakota, Osage, Pima, Polish, Spanish, and more.

The Prairie Blossoms' Karen Kitchen & Mel Kubik

Our fearless host Susannah Mars chats with the brilliant Krista Vernoff, showrunner of ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy and Station 19. Krista made the call to shut down Grey's Anatomy, the first series to do so amid COVID-19. Krista and her team are using this extended hiatus as a way to incorporate events into Grey's previously announced 17th season. Get the skinny here as Krista dishes on all things Grey, including Portland!

Grey's Anatomy Showrunner Krista Vernoff

The incomparable Mel Brooks. Need we say more? Our fearless host's Susannah Mars' father was in his first movie, The Producers, as well as the unforgettable Young Frankenstein. Mel shares stories with Susannah, and is simply his wonderful self. It's An Adventure In Artslandia you'll never forget.

EGOT Winner Mel Brooks

Artslandia Happy Hours and Adventures in Artslandia podcasts provide indisputable proof that artistry retains the power to unite, inspire, and comfort despite the distance we must keep. Let’s have a round of applause for the human spirit! Support Artslandia here: https://artslandia.com/support-us/.  Up next on Adventures in Artslandia, our fearless host Susannah Mars and friends chat with novelist Omar El Akkad about the writing of his short story Government Slots before the gang (Duffy Epstein, Barbie Wu, Kisha Jarret, Merideth Kaye Clark, and Susannah) reads the story. You can read along at omarelakkad.com/government-slots. El Akkad’s work has appeared in The Guardian and Le Monde among many other esteemed publications. His upcoming novel will hit the shelves in spring 2021.    

Novelist Omar Al Akkad with Barbie Wu, Duffy Epstien, Merideth Kaye Clark and Kisha Jarret

Up next on Adventures in Artslandia, with too much time on her hands and in need of a lift, our fearless host Susannah Mars drops two interviews this week! She chats with Will Eno and Larissa FastHorse — two wonder playwrights, one East Coast and one West, both of whom have produced in Portland. Then, author Kate Ristau and 2009 Librarian of the Year Erin Fitzpatrick Bjorn gather virtually to celebrate the release of Ristau’s new book, “Shadow Queen.” It’s a socially distanced yet audibly intimate party.

Will Eno & Larissa FastHorse | Kate Ristau & Erin Fitzpatrick Bjorn

Up next on Adventures in Artslandia, our fearless host Susannah Mars chats with Gary Cole, co-founder of Portland theater company CoHo Productions and author of the novel Black Box. The story is not-so-loosely based on his experiences in theater and business. Amid the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Cole will donate all proceeds from the sale of the book to CoHo to honor their 25th anniversary season scheduled to open this September.

CoHo Productions Co-Founder Gary Cole

Up next on Adventures in Artslandia, our fearless host Susannah Mars chats with composer and violist Kenji Bunch of Fear No Music who was a recent guest on Artslandia’s Happy Hour. The two explore how Fear No Music and art flex with the time and reflect on how music is responding to our present-day challenges.

Musician and Composer Kenji Bunch

Up next on Adventures in Artslandia, our fearless host Susannah Mars chats with wondrous jazz master Rebecca Kilgore who shares of her life at home in Portland with music and stories.

Jazz Master Rebecca Kilgore

Up next on Adventures in Artslandia, our fabulous host Susannah Mars chats with Misty Tompoles, Artslandia’s founder and publisher. Though she typically eschews the spotlight, her loyalty, innovation, and passion for our work have so inspired our team that we’ve convinced her to share her signature brand of optimism and perseverance. She is known for her trademark formula of equal parts work and play, and comic timing that can bring levity into the tensest of moments. We are in such a moment.

Artslandia’s Founder and Publisher, Misty Tompoles

Actors Ashley Mellinger and Duffy Epstein join Susannah to read $2,500 OBO, one of E.M. Lewis' famed 10-minute plays, while Lewis herself reads stage directions. Then, artists whom Susannah met during her U.S. State Department trip to Cairo share their video chat, including their perspectives on this new age of COVID-19.

Adventures in Artslandia: 10-Minute Play & Video Chat with Susannah's Artist Friends in Cairo

Regina Carter, a MacArthur "Genius Grant" and Doris Duke Arts Award recipient, chats with Susannah about her work as a hospice volunteer, teaching, grief, and the perks of her prestigious awards.Regina Carter joins Metropolitan Youth Symphony in the West Coast Premiere of David Schiff’s 4 Sisters jazz violin concerto on March 8, 2020. Tickets here!

Violinist Regina Carter

The Regional Arts and Culture Council is for us. Art matters and can transform our world. Find out, from Madison Cario, Executive Director at RACC, how the changes at RACC, while dramatic, are in the hope of better service for all in our community, including artists and arts administrators. You can meet with Madison any time! Schedule here: ED@racc.org

Susannah chats with Madison Cario, Regional Arts and Culture Council's Executive Director

Susannah steps aside to welcome Ruby Joy White as the host of this week's podcast. White, Director of the Multicultural Resource Center at Reed College, chats with actors Morgan Walker and Sara Williams of School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play. The first-time co-production between Artists Rep and Portland Center Stage features a POC cast and creative team. Please join moderator Ruby Joy White for a post-show discussion for School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play Sunday, February 2, 2020 3:10 p.m. – 4:10 p.m.

Ruby Joy White on School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play

You may remember brilliant choreographer, dancer, and writer Andrea Parson from Artslandia's Ladies Leading series. Listen to her riveting conversation with Susannah and then catch her onstage in SHE’S HERE: A ONE WOMAN SHOW, which she she wrote and performs with direction from Susan Banyas, January 16–18 at Coho Theatre.

She’s Here: A One Woman Show with Andrea Parson

Makers of music, dance, and theater share their adventures with theater maven Susannah Mars. Hosted by Portland's premium arts magazine, Artslandia.

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Adventures in Artslandia With Susannah Mars

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