In the past few weeks, the U.S. Postal Service issued a stamp honoring playwright August Wilson, and Netflix released a film version of Wilson's celebrated play, "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom." It stars Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman, in his final role. That is why we were inspired to revisit this episode, which originally posted in 2017. It tells the story ... Show More
Jul 20
Katie Ledecky: The Call Of The Water
She sent shockwaves through the world of competitive swimming, when she won a gold medal at the 2012 Olympics, beating out the favorites by a wide margin. She was 15 years old. Katie Ledecky is now training for her fifth Olympics, and is indisputably the greatest female swimmer o ... Show More
53m 20s
Apr 2026
Cindy Sherman: Illusions of Identity
Cindy Sherman, one of the world's most renowned contemporary art photographers, started posing for her own photos in the 1970's, long before the advent of selfies. But she says her images are not self-portraits. Instead, she uses sets, costumes and makeup to create an elaborate a ... Show More
42m 14s
Apr 2023
Super Soul Special: Viola Davis
Original Air Date: April 19th, 2021Oprah talks with Viola Davis, the most nominated Black actress in Oscar history, about her film Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. In yet another superb performance, Davis inhabits “the mother of the blues” in an adaptation of the August Wilson play. Dav ... Show More
35m 5s
May 2023
From The Archive: Viola Davis
This week, Krista takes a look back at her 2021 interview with Viola Davis. In this conversation, Davis discusses her acclaimed performance in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” based on the play by August Wilson and directed by George C. Wolfe. She talks about the fears she faced in em ... Show More
45m 3s
Feb 2021
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom with Ruben Santiago-Hudson
Today we’re launching a very special Script Apart awards season mini-series! Yes, it’s that time of year again: the Oscars and Baftas are around the corner, and to celebrate, over the next couple of weeks, we’ll be chatting to writers behind some of the most astounding movies of ... Show More
49m 26s
Mar 2021
Viola Davis
Over the course of her 33 year career, Viola Davis’ body of work has been celebrated from stage to screen, making her an Oscar winner, a Tony winner, and an Emmy winner, to name just a few of her accolades. She also runs JuVee Productions alongside husband Julius Tennon, and she’ ... Show More
45m 40s
Jun 2023
Michael R Jackson on his hit musical, Ray BLK on Champion, the Natural History Museum
Playwright and composer Michael R Jackson talks about his musical A Strange Loop, which won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The musical is based on his own experiences and follows a black man working as an usher at the musical The Lion King, who is himself writing a musical about a ... Show More
42m 18s
May 2022
A Theater Director and a Dramaturg on Reviving Black Plays
This week, host Isaac Butler talks to theater director Awoye Timpo and dramaturg Arminda Thomas. In the interview, Awoye and Arminda start by defining the roles of director and dramaturg and explaining why they work so well together. They also discuss their group CLASSIX, which a ... Show More
52m 54s