Playwright Julie Brandon’s Hansel and Gretel like you’ve never heard before—tables turned, roles shifted, and a story reborn.

What if Hansel and Gretel didn’t go the way we all remember? In this episode of Your Creative Mind, we bring you the second installment of our play table read series with Hansel and Gretel: The Tables Turned by Julie Brandon. You’ll experience the thrill of a fresh script performed for the first time, where unexpected twists and bold storytelling take center stage. After the read, I sit down with Julie and the actors to talk about the creative process—what shifted in performance, what surprised them, and what this experience revealed about the play. Whether you’re a writer, performer, or someone who loves great storytelling, this episode gives you a front-row seat to the magic of live storytelling. 

Julie Brandon, Playwright

Julie Brandon is s playwright, poet, short story writer and lyricist. Her work has appeared in Bewildering Stories, Altered Reality, Detangled Brain, Corner Bar Magazine, Poetica Magazine, Fresh Words, Mini Plays Review and many others. Julie’s poetry collection, My Tears Like Rain, was published June 2024. Her short plays have been produced nationally. Julie’s plays are available on  Broken Art Entertainment 2024 series Summer Vibes and The Future and on several Theatrical Shenanigans podcast shows. A short play will be produced by RubySky productions in 2025. Julie lives near Chicago, IL.

Julie’s New Play Exchange 

https://newplayexchange.org/users/12443/julie-brandon

For Theatrical Shenanigans – “Pulled From a Hat” https://theatricalshenanigans.podbean.com/e/two-year-anniversary-special/

https://theatricalshenanigans.podbean.com/e/mini-shenanigans-episode-3-can-you-get-there-from-here-by-julie-brandon/

Broken Art Entertainment –   Summer Vibes Anthology – The Astronomy Lesson and The Future Anthology – Someone’s Lucky Day

Lela Olson as Emma

 

Lela Olson caught the acting bug in kindergarten when she played the peddler in a class dramatization of Caps for Sale. She’s been acting ever since on various stages in the Minneapolis area as a pastime. Favorite roles have included Hero (Much Ado About Nothing), Betsy Linder/Lindsey (Clybourne Park), and Marilla Cuthbert (Anne of Green Gables). Away from the stage, Dr. Olson has worked as a teacher, school principal, and nonprofit leader. She also enjoys traveling internationally and serving her community as a volunteer civil mediator.

https://www.facebook.com/lelaolson9

 

Alan Fessenden is a writer, performer, creator living in Brooklyn, New York. He has performed on stages all over the country as an improviser, actor and clown and now hosts the original award wanting podcast They Just Keep Talking an eclectic mixtape of conversation. Alan has written and performed three solo shows and most recently completed work on his first full length clown show The HelpFulls; Now and Forever. He’s also finished two novellas for a trilogy he’s working on and is developing his first full length play.  (alanfessenden.com)

https://www.instagram.com/alanfessenden/

https://www.tiktok.com/@alan_fessenden

https://bsky.app/profile/tjkt.bsky.social

https://www.tiktok.com/@theyjust.keeptalk

 

 

Izolda Trakhtenberg as The Witch

Izolda Trakhtenberg is a playwright, scriptwriter, author, and voice actor who brings stories to life across stage, screen, and sound. Her plays Expiration Date (Off Broad Street Play Festival semifinalist) and A Slice of Democracy (produced by Nomad Theatre) challenge and engage audiences. She narrates corporate projects, animations, and commercials, with audiobook credits including The Ghost Next Door and Ocean City Lowdown. As host of The Your Creative Mind Podcast, she explores creativity’s power to transform lives. A published author of fiction and non-fiction, her works include Die By The Sword, book one in the Cassie Belmont Tarot Card Thrillers. Izolda blends storytelling and communication expertise to create work that resonates long after the final word.

 

Connect with Izolda

Website: https://IzoldaT.com

BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/izoldat.bsky.social.

New Play Exchange: https://newplayexchange.org/users/90481/izolda-trakhtenberg

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