
Matching Minds with Sondheim: The Podcast #26-Researching Sondheim--A Repod of Matching Minds on the Dr. Broadway Podcast
A conversation about Matching Minds from the Dr. Broadway podcast with Dr. Tracey Brent-Chessum and Dr. Kristin Stultz Pressley, focusing on researching Sondheim’s lifelong puzzle-and-game design—from cryptic crosswords and treasure hunts to Atari sessions with John Weidman, escape rooms, puzzle boxes, and antique board-game collecting—and on Joseph’s methods, interviews, archival work, publishing journey with Applause/Bloomsbury, and ongoing efforts to place materials in institutions like NYPL, the Library of Congress, and the Strong Museum.
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00:00 Podcast Welcome
03:01 Introducing Dr Broadway
06:14 Barry’s Sondheim Journey
07:25 Games For Change Background
09:35 Atari And Game Mechanics
11:36 Sondheim Designed Games
13:18 Walls Of Antique Boards
15:03 Research Methods Archives
16:18 Pandemic Timeline Interviews
16:43 Tracking Memories Ephemera
17:04 Unlocking Interviews
18:06 Honoring Emotional Memories
18:53 Documenting And Archiving
20:49 Publishing Puzzle Theater Hybrid
23:18 New York Times Breakthrough
25:27 Research Rigor And Impact
26:52 Biggest Sondheim Revelation
28:12 Questions For Sondheim
31:21 Ongoing Projects And Farewell
Special Links:
Thanks to everyone who contributed behind the scenes to this episode: the Musical Stingers composed by Mateo Chavez Lewis, our line producer Dennis Caouki, and the theme song to our podcast with lyrics and music by Colm Molloy and sung by the one only Anne Morrison, currently on the road starring in Kimberly Akimbo.
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