Adventures in Artslandia With Susannah Mars

Actor and Director Austin Pendleton

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.

The Prairie Blossoms' Karen Kitchen & Mel Kubik

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.

Grey's Anatomy Showrunner Krista Vernoff

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!

EGOT Winner Mel Brooks

The incomparable Mel Brooks — need we say more? Host Susannah Mars’ father was in his movies The Producers and Young Frankenstein. Mel shares stories with Susannah, and is simply his wonderful self. It’s an Adventure In Artslandia you’ll never forget! 

Novelist Omar El Akkad with Barbie Wu, Duffy Epstein, Merideth Kaye Clark & Kisha Jarrett

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.

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 Jarrett, Merideth Kaye Clark, and Susannah) reads the story. You can read along here. 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.

 

 

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

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.

CoHo Productions Co-Founder Gary Cole

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.

Musician and Composer Kenji Bunch

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.

Jazz Master Rebecca Kilgore

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.

Artslandia’s Founder and Publisher, Misty Tompoles

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.