Listen here!

I had the opportunity to chat with Theater Artists Phillip and Emma about their Podcast Narrow way to Broadway! The encouraging duos episodes are “designed to discuss the collision of faith and theater and to inspire the thespian and non-thespian, whether of a particular faith or not.” After connecting with the pair, I sat down and listened and found myself feeling inspired and asking myself new questions about what I want out of the industry and my life. Enjoy Phillip and Emma’s smart, warm and witty answers!

What inspired you to start the podcast?

Growing up in church and in theater, we both observed a disunity between religion and art. This disunity, though loud and present in our communities on both ends, seemed to be founded on misunderstanding. We believe that God is the greatest storyteller and that we, as artists, have a privilege and responsibility to share stories as well. And what better way to do this than to amplify the voices of people of faith with passion for the arts?! 

Where do you come up with the topics of each of your podcasts?

The effort of nwaybway is spiritual at its core. Even in the earliest stages of collaboration, we prayed the Lord would bring people to us, because we knew our reach could only extend so far. The cool thing is that these peoples' stories and testimonies are amazing content! And it is less "planning" on our part, and more trusting that the stories that are being told are worth telling. And that peoples' stories, even in the context of a podcast, are extremely powerful.

What message do you hope to spread to all of your listeners?

First and foremost, we want our listeners to know that they are loved by God. We want them to know that their call into vocational storytelling IS kingdom work, and with this work comes a divine responsibility to tell stories in a way differently than the rest of the industry. Hopefully through our episodes, people listen and hear stories that relate to their own and know that they are not alone on this journey of faith or pursuing the arts. 

What are your hopes for the future of our industry in terms of podcasts? 

Three things we  hope our podcast  accomplishes are to edify (first God and second fellow artists) unify (bridge the gap between believers and artists), and fortify (strengthen our listeners in their faith and creative endeavors). We live in a culture of blaming and shaming, and we want to champion fellow podcasts who aim to change that! 

Now more than ever the digital age is taking over.. how do you think we will adapt to it being the.”new norm”?

Throughout history, we've seen that human beings are master adapters but horrible listeners LOL. It is cool to see that podcasts are an opportunity for  listening to something and pondering it without necessitating a response. Interestingly enough, podcasts aren't really "new." They are akin to radio programming except people can choose what, specifically, they listen to. Ultimately, you can't be a good artist without being a good listener. It breeds empathy and understanding. Hopefully with podcasts being the "new normal" people will remember how to listen in a way that does the same for our everyday lives! 

Fun Facts about Emma and Phillip!

What are YOUR favorite podcasts?

Emma: Crime Junkies // Phillip: Views from the Porch 

Who is your hero? Emma: Phillip! // Phillip: Emma! (also C.S Lewis, Captain America, and Peter Pevensie)

What is some advice you would give to someone who wants to start their own podcast:

Do it! Create something! It's fun! Also legitimately feel free to reach out to us for some tips and tricks because we learned the hard way and would be happy to share!

Don’t forget to check out Emma and Phillip on Instagram, as well!