Into the Absurd with Tina Brock
Absurd, abstract and intriguing, Into the Absurd reveals the passions and purpose of creators around the country in a 50 minute conversation happening Saturdays at 5 pm at the virtual dinner table, hosted by Tina Brock, Producing Artistic Director of The Idiopathic Ridiculopathy Consortium, a Philadelphia-based theater whose mission is producing existentialist and absurdist theater. We'll Bring Good Nothingness to Life each week, keeping playwright Samuel Beckett's famous phrase front of mind: "You Must Go On. I Can't Go On. I'll Go On." Join us as we illuminate creative works and creative thinking, finding the poetry in existentially challenging times, sharing a laugh and always a story -- connecting us to our works and to each other.
Episodes
October 5, 2021 • 63 mins
Liz Goldberg has taught Fashion Illustration at The Pratt Institute and Drexel University for the past 11 years. Her work is an exploration of the theme of the “diva” – the flamboyantly uninhibited female and the personal and political empowerment she represents.
As a painter, graphic artist, and animator, Liz has been inspired by puppets and absurdist theatre, influenced by puppet–like characters reminiscent of Alfred Jarry’s fore...
As a painter, graphic artist, and animator, Liz has been inspired by puppets and absurdist theatre, influenced by puppet–like characters reminiscent of Alfred Jarry’s fore...
Mark as Played
September 30, 2021 • 62 mins
Michael P. Toner has been acting, directing, dialect coaching and specializing in Irish theatre for over 49 years. His recent roles include doing Phil Hogan in O’Neill’s Moon For The Misbegotten for Walnut Street Theatre (with national tour). Other WST credits include She Stoops to Conquer, Philadelphia, Here I Come!, Conversations With My Father, 1776, Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me, and The Caretaker. Other Brian Friel plays includ...
Mark as Played
Tonight, we talked with Mark Fitzgerald Wilson, Executive Director of the Zoellner Arts Center at Lehigh University about his journey from professional opera singer to arts administrator, his early and important years working in loss prevention (which included learning how to spot shoplifters), knowing your superpower, lessons learned from wise professors along the road, and what’s in store this season at Zoellner.
~~~~~~~
Mark Fitz...
~~~~~~~
Mark Fitz...
Mark as Played
September 15, 2021 • 57 mins
Tonight, we talked with Lane Savadove, the Founding Artistic Director of EgoPo Classic Theater about performing during pandemic, EgoPo’s upcoming season Awakenings and Transformations, and much more, featuring several special appearances by his daughter on location attending a very special birthday party (https://www.egopo.org).
~~~~~~~
Lane Savadove is the Founding Artistic Director of EgoPo Classic Theater, now in its 27th season.
L...
~~~~~~~
Lane Savadove is the Founding Artistic Director of EgoPo Classic Theater, now in its 27th season.
L...
Mark as Played
September 14, 2021 • 59 mins
Sharon Geller is a comedic actress who has appeared on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE 4 times and on The TODAY Show as “Lucy”.
After spending 10 years in the corporate world, Sharon followed her heart and decided to pursue her first love – acting. Her radio and TV commercials have won awards and she can currently be seen in a national TV commercial for Colonial Penn Life Insurance.
Since 2012, Sharon has performed in the national touring compa...
After spending 10 years in the corporate world, Sharon followed her heart and decided to pursue her first love – acting. Her radio and TV commercials have won awards and she can currently be seen in a national TV commercial for Colonial Penn Life Insurance.
Since 2012, Sharon has performed in the national touring compa...
Mark as Played
August 25, 2021 • 62 mins
Tonight on Into the Absurd, we talked with singer and actress Trudy Graboyes about her love of musical theater, her many roles in stages throughout the Philadelphia area, her background in theater producing and her upcoming one woman show based on her grandmother's immigrant experience titled Her Strength, Our Story.
~~~~~~~
Trudy Graboyes is a Philadelphia based singer and actor. She is currently in rehearsal for her one woman sh...
~~~~~~~
Trudy Graboyes is a Philadelphia based singer and actor. She is currently in rehearsal for her one woman sh...
Mark as Played
August 17, 2021 • 62 mins
Ari is a Professor at The Community College of Philadelphia where he teaches classes designed to enhance empathy levels; he also provides all sorts of information his students would prefer not to know, but should know, such as the fact that almost all coffee originates from beans collected from children forced to labor on plantations (way to go Starbucks!)
He is also a highly talented dog-walker for rescues looking for homes, a pa...
He is also a highly talented dog-walker for rescues looking for homes, a pa...
Mark as Played
August 9, 2021 • 63 mins
Lisa Grunberger is the author of three books: Yiddish Yoga: Ruthie’s Adventures in Love, Loss and the Lotus Position (Harper Collins); Born Knowing (Finishing Line Press) and I am dirty (Moonstone Press, First Prize Winner). A Pushcart nominee and Temple University Professor, her work has appeared in a wide variety of publications including The New York Times, Hanging Loose Press, Crab Orchard Review, Mudfish, Krytyka Literacka, B...
Mark as Played
August 2, 2021 • 60 mins
Dirk Durossette has been designing scenery and teaching design, and drawing and rendering for the theater for the past 20 years in and around the Philadelphia region. Off-Broadway scene designs include: The Outgoing Tide and Any Given Monday. He has designed for Amaryllis Theater Company, Azuka Theater (Barrymore Nomination-Skin and Bone), Act II Playhouse (Any Given Monday-World Premier), Enchantment Theater Company (National To...
Mark as Played
Mark Williams (he/him) is a Projections and Media Graduate Student attending the University of Maryland. An associate for VidCo: Virtual Design Collective, he designed set dressings and camera solutions for Geffen Playhouse’s hit live Zoom production, Someone Else’s House, described as “A frightening digital coup-de-theatre.” by The New York Times.
-The New York Times
As a Props and Puppetry Freelancer from the Philadelphia region, ...
-The New York Times
As a Props and Puppetry Freelancer from the Philadelphia region, ...
Mark as Played
July 6, 2021 • 66 mins
Tonight, we talked with Darnelle Edwin Radford about what’s wonderfully unique about the Philadelphia Theater community, how being a Barrymore nominator opened his eyes about seeing theater, how he’s always hopeful for excellence when attending a show, “The Business of Broadway” and his advice for those wanting start their own theater company.
~~~~~~~
Darnelle Edwin Radford is a theater producer living in Philadelphia, PA. He founded...
~~~~~~~
Darnelle Edwin Radford is a theater producer living in Philadelphia, PA. He founded...
Mark as Played
Our guests tonight were Joanna Rotté and John Zak. We talked about the unique challenges of directing and playing in Tennessee Williams, including Joanna's experience with his works studying with Stella Adler, how Brando's interpretation of Stanley in A Streetcar Named Desire impacted the play's female characters, the quintessential Williams actor, and the differences between his two plays Summer and Smoke and The Eccentricities of...
Mark as Played
In celebration of the first birthday of Into the Absurd, we dined virtually with artistic partners in life and theatrics, Sonja and David Robson. We talked about their first meeting in 1990 at an audition, their favorite theatrical project, Sonja's photography passion turned business, and David’s memorable play critique from a star-studded playwriting panel in Alaska.
David Robson is an award-winning playwright whose work for the ...
David Robson is an award-winning playwright whose work for the ...
Mark as Played
June 15, 2021 • 59 mins
Jeanette Jimenez is a retired high school inner city teacher of 36 years who has turned to photography in retirement as a way to connect with her father, the late Alexander Artway (Artemiev). Throughout her teaching career, Jeanette always looked to the arts to find inspiration on how to teach her students and inspire them. Whether it was taking them to the Painted Bride Art Center to look at visual art or to plays at the Society...
Mark as Played
June 9, 2021 • 58 mins
Tonight we talked with author Thom Nickels about his recently published book From Mother Divine to the Corner Swami: Religious Cults in Philadelphia: his interview with Mother Divine, experiences with Scientology, Bishop John the society tarot card reader, what keeps Philadelphians in Philadelphia, and his early fixation with eyebrows.
~~~~~~~
Thom Nickels is the author of fifteen books, including: Out in History (2005), Philadelphia...
~~~~~~~
Thom Nickels is the author of fifteen books, including: Out in History (2005), Philadelphia...
Mark as Played
June 2, 2021 • 60 mins
Tonight we talked with writer Carla Sarett about how meditation informs her writing practice, her study of children's fantasy play, her novella The Looking Glass, and why she prefers a notebook over writing on a computer.
~~~~~~~
Carla Sarett is a poet, essayist and fiction writer. Her recent poems have appeared in Blue Unicorn, San Pedro River Review, Prole, ONE ART, The Virginia Normal, The Remington Review and elsewhere; her essa...
~~~~~~~
Carla Sarett is a poet, essayist and fiction writer. Her recent poems have appeared in Blue Unicorn, San Pedro River Review, Prole, ONE ART, The Virginia Normal, The Remington Review and elsewhere; her essa...
Mark as Played
May 26, 2021 • 60 mins
Kirsten Quinn is a founding member of the Irish Heritage Theatre and has performed in Philadelphia Here I Come, Juno and The Paycock, Molly Sweeney, By the Bog of Cats, Lay Me Down Softly and Woman and Scarecrow. She has also performed in many productions with The Idiopathic Ridiculopathy Consortium including Rhinoceros, The Castle, Betty's Summer Vacation, The Madwoman of Chaillot, The Arsonists, The Empire Builders and others.
Ki...
Ki...
Mark as Played
May 17, 2021 • 58 mins
MICHAEL P. TONER has been acting, directing, dialect coaching and specializing in Irish theatre for over 49 years. His recent roles include doing Phil Hogan in O’Neill’s MOON FOR THE MISBEGOTTEN for Walnut Street Theatre (with national tour). Other WST credits include SHE STOOPS TO CONQUER, PHILADELPHIA, HERE I COME!, CONVERSATIONS WITH MY FATHER, 1776, SOMEONE WHO’LL WATCH OVER ME, and THE CARETAKER. Other Brian Friel plays inc...
Mark as Played
May 11, 2021 • 58 mins
Anna Kiraly is a visual artist, set and video designer. Her collaborations include set design for CHEKHOV LIZARDBRAIN, ISABELLA, and PAY UP with the Pig Iron Theatre Company, set design for TIME'S JOURNEY THROUGH A ROOM with Dan Rothenberg/The Play Co., set and video for CITY OF NO ILLUSIONS, BURNISHED BY GRIEF, THE GOLDEN TOAD, MARCELLUS SHALE and FLIP SIDE with the Talking Band, set design for WALK ACROSS AMERICA (with Taylor Mac...
Mark as Played
May 5, 2021 • 62 mins
James Jackson is a freelance fashion photographer; artist of theatre direction, design, and production; and a cinematographer, who learned most of what he knows from a long career of taking jobs in a multitude of art fields. He started learning at the feet of my artistic family and as I grew I kept pursuing the arts as both a passion and an endeavor. “Along the way I've learned to travel light; eat well: call on reserves of energy...
Mark as Played
Popular Podcasts
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations.
Anna Sale explores the big questions and hard choices that are often left out of polite conversation.
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people.
A straightforward look at the day's top news in 20 minutes. Powered by ABC News. Hosted by Brad Mielke.