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The Nonfiction Theatre Forum

The Nonfiction Theatre Forum podcast brings together theatremakers, documentarians, journalists, and scholars to explore the creative and ethical terrain of nonfiction theatre. From documentary and autobiographical performance to verbatim, ethnographic, and tribunal work, this podcast offers in-depth conversations about collaboration, ethics, staging, and how artists represent real stories on stage. Each episode invites listeners into a rich tapestry of voices and practices that question how truth is constructed, challenged, and reimagined on stages around the world.

Hosted by Ash Marinaccio, PhD, a documentarian and theatremaker whose work centers on nonfiction storytelling as a tool for systemic change, this series bridges theory and practice in nonfiction performance. Guests share insights into their artistic processes, discuss the responsibilities of representing real people and events, and reflect on how performance can shape public understanding of truth and history.

Created as a project of both HowlRound Theatre Commons and Docbloc, a company founded by Ash Marinaccio to foster collaboration across nonfiction disciplines, the Nonfiction Theatre Forum connects a global community of artists and thinkers.

Connect with Ash on Instagram at ashmarinaccio.com

Connect with Docbloc at docbloc.org or follow@docblocprojects on Instagram. 

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Podcast
14 January 2026

Ash Marinaccio and Ukrainian theatremaker Veronika Skliarova discuss how documentary theatre is preserving testimony, fostering resilience, and building community amid war. 

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Podcast
9 January 2026

Ash talks with Zoe Lafferty, founder of Artists on the Frontline, about artist-led citizen journalism in Palestine’s Jenin refugee camp and the role of political documentary theatre projects in the current political climate.

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Podcast
9 December 2025

Ash Marinaccio and the 2024-2025 Civilians R&D Group discuss investigative theatre, how artists blend research, interviews, and emotional truth to create new work. They discuss new play development, ethics, community, and why “live bodies in a room” still matter.

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Podcast
2 December 2025

Ash Marinaccio speaks with the Creative Pathways team at the Genesis Center in Providence, RI, about how documentary theatre is used alongside drama therapy to support newly arrived immigrants and refugees in sharing their stories, building community, and learning English.

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Podcast
25 November 2025

Ash Marinaccio takes a deep dive into how anthropology and theatre collide as Cristiana Giordano and Greg Pierotti share the origins of their collaboration and how ethnography, theory, and devised practice fuel their creative work.

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Podcast
18 November 2025

Ash talks with Peter Hussey of Crooked House Theatre about the ways interviews and personal stories shape their youth and documentary theatre, and how intergenerational projects connect people across age and experience.

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Podcast
12 November 2025

Ash Marinaccio talks with Scott Illingworth, founder of the Verbatim Salon, where actors perform real stories from those navigating the US immigration system. They explore the creative process and how verbatim theatre sheds light on today’s urgent social issues.

A promotional graphic for the Nonfiction Theatre Forum podcast.
Podcast
4 November 2025

On the debut episode of the Nonfiction Theatre Forum, Ash speaks with Pink Fang’s leadership about evolving documentary and community-based theatre, ethical collaboration, sustaining legacy, and adapting programs to meet today’s social, political, and artistic challenges.

Series are collections of content curated around a specific theme. HowlRound works with curators to develop topical pieces meant to spotlight current events and happenings within the commons.

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