In episode 78, The Boston Sisters discuss the film adaptations of plays by award-winning playwright August Wilson (1945 - 2005) and their significance in understanding American history with Dr. Sandra G. Shannon, a leading authority on Wilson's work, as well as founder and President Emerita of the August Wilson Society. Three of Wilson plays were adapted into feature films: FENCES, MA RAINEY'S BLACK BOTTOM, andTHE PIANO LESSON. JOE TURNER’S COME AND GONE is currently in development. Dr. Shannon highlights Wilson's mission to give voice to the African American experience and the importance of historical context in teaching his plays. The conversation also explores metaphysical elements in Wilson's works compared to the popular 2025 Ryan Coogler film SINNERS, and the impact of Wilson's plays on contemporary culture.

TIMESTAMPS

0:02 - Intro to Podcast and Dr. Sandra D. Shannon

1:00 - Overview of August Wilson's Plays

2:31 - Film Adaptations: MA RAINEY'S BLACK BOTTOM, THE PIANO LESSON, FENCES

4:18 - Dr. Sandra D. Shannon's first impressions of August Wilson

8:06 - August Wilson Society mission and legacy

25:10 - Baltimore's August Wilson Project

26:05 - Teaching August Wilson to a tech/media savvy student

30:06 - MA RAINEY's BLACK BOTTOM blues history

34:39 - THE PIANO LESSON and the value of owning land

44:41 - Pittsburgh as "ground" and microcosm

56:35 - Teaching history through August Wilson plays

59:20 - JOE TURNER'S COME AND GONE and Great Migration

1:01:30 - August Wilson, SINNERS, and the supernatural

1:11:58 - Upcoming film adaptation

1:17:09 - African belief systems in August Wilson

1:20:54 - Where to watch FENCES, MA RAINEY'S BLACK BOTTOM, and THE PIANON LESSON

1:21:14 - Books by Dr. Sandra Shannon

1:22:09 - Disclaimer

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In episode 77 of "Historical Drama with The Boston Sisters®," Michon and Taquiena Boston discuss the Apple TV+ series "CHIEF OF WAR" with co-creator (with Jason Momoa), writer, and co-executive producer Thomas Pa'a Sibbett.

The series, set between 1782 and 1810, tells the story, based on true events, of Hawai'i's unification from an indigenous perspective, featuring a predominantly Polynesian cast, including Jason Momoa as the warrior Ka'iana. Sibbett emphasizes the importance of cultural authenticity, working with cultural advisors to ensure accuracy in costumes, tattoos, and historical details. The conversation also touches on the broader themes of cultural assimilation, resistance, and the importance of indigenous narratives in understanding history and sustainability.

Thomas Pa’a Sibbett is a screenwriter and producer. He rose in the ranks on the film side having penned several features including “Braven” and “The Last Manhunt,” in addition to developing the story on “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom."

0:13 - CHIEF OF WAR synopsis

1:31 - Intro to Thomas Pa'a Sibbett, writer and co-executive producer

2:45 - Chief Kamehmeha and Warrior Ka'iana stories

6:27 - Hawaiian history from Hawaiian perspective

6:31 - History and Healing

10:26 - Collaboration with cultural advisors

14:46 - Tatoos and authenticity

16:57 - Queen Ka'ahumanu pushing boundaries

21:57 - Hawaiians and African Americans

25:13 - Anatomy of a Scene: Vai, the pragmatist vs Ka'iana, the idealist

31:57 - Indigenous wisdom and contemporary realities

34:26 - Many more stories to tell

37:25 - Where to watch CHIEF OF WAR

37:57 - Subscribe, like, share podcast

38:33 - Disclaimer
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Susanne Simpson, Executive Producer and Head of Scripted Content for MASTERPIECE, the Emmy Award winning PBS drama series, returns to "Historical Drama with The Boston Sisters" for the 5th season preview of MASTERPIECE and MYSTERY! — a podcast annual event since the launch in 2021.

In episode 76 Susanne previews new MYSTERY! series coming in the fall 2025 (MAIGRET and THE GOLD), and new historical dramas for MASTERPIECE coming in 2026: THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO based on the classic novel by Alexandre Dumas (pere); and THE FORSYTES, a prequel to the THE FORSYTE SAGA, a 2002 MASTERPIECE series based on the trilogy of novels by English author John Galsworthy (1867-1933).

TIME STAMPS:

0:29 - Podcast summary

0:53 - Susanne Simpson intro

2:14 - Public media funding and MASTERPIECE

4:47 - Previewing 2025 - 20265:00 PBS Passport

5:50 - MAIGRET on MYSTERY!

10:11 - THE GOLD on MYSTERY!

12:26 - THE FORSYTES on MASTERPIECE

20:30 - Multiracial casting in THE FORSYTES and historical drama

27:30 - THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO on MASTERPIECE

31:36 - Edmond Dantès, revenge, and justice

36:03 - Where to watch MASTERPIECE and MYSTERY!

36:37 - Subscribe to Historical Drama with The Boston Sisters

37:14 - Disclaimer

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The 5th season premiere! 

In Episode 75 we go behind-the-scenes with DOWNTON ABBEY costume designer Anna [Mary Scott] Robbins who reflects on her journey designing costumes for two DOWNTON ABBEY series and the three feature films including the recent and final chapter DOWNTON ABBEY: THE GRAND FINALE.

In this conversation, Anna highlights the importance of creating costumes that reflect the characters' shifting roles and status over a decade at Downton Abbey, both upstairs and downstairs.

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TIMESTAMPS

0:53 - DOWNTON ABBEY: THE GRAND FINALE synopsis

1:27 - Anna Robbins introduction

3:06 - Anna Robbin's costume designer' journey

8:59 - Downton Abbey art deco style and women's changing role through fashion

12:52 - 1920s fashion influences on contemporary designers

13:55 - Researching fashion for costume designs

17:57 - Collaborative process of the DOWNTON ABBEY production and design teams

21:45 - Designing a stand-out tomato red gown for Lady Mary

23:09 - Generic Break

23:44 - Hats, gloves, and jewelry -- character  is in the details

29:13 - Edith and Mary as career women: London style and country estate style

32:27 - Designing to reflect upstairs/downstairs hierarchies and generations

39:07 - Costuming characters' story arcs (optional addition Daisy's evolution)

41:20 - Anna's desired adaptations Chanel biopic, and book adaptation pick - Sarah Winman's Still Life novel

Transcripts are available to download from the webpage for this podcast episode. Visit michonbostongroup.com/bostonsisters

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Episode 74 features a conversation with Keith W. Stokes, Rhode Island State Historian Laureate, and Theresa “Soni” Guzman Stokes, Executive Director for the Rhode Island Black Heritage Society (advisors for Season 3 of THE GILDED AGE) about Newport and Rhode Island’s African heritage history.

In THE GILDED AGE’s 3rd season, the HBO series created by Julian Fellowes (DOWNTON ABBEY), audiences are introduced to the Kirklands of Newport, Rhode Island, a family with deep roots in Newport’s African heritage community with the professional and educational pedigrees to match. 

CONTENT NOTES: This podcast is being released prior to the June 22nd premiere of THE GILDED AGE's 3rd season. There may be a few spoilers in the conversation. The word "colored" comes up in its historical content and context. The word “colored” was used in the U.S. to refer to people of African descent during the mid to late 19th century. African Americans embraced "colored" as a self-identifying term during that time, followed by "Negro" (historical content and context).

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0:16 - Introduction to the podcast and THE GILDED AGE season 3

1:17 - GILDED AGE Season 3 Black Newport storyline

2:44 - Rhode Island's Black Heritage Society, Theresa Soni Guzmán Stokes and Keith W. Stokes

3:52 - Inspiration for Gilded Age Newport In Color exhibition at Rosecliff Mansion (2024)

6:45 - Exploring Newport's African Heritage History

8:55 - Challenges and importance of history from the African heritage experience 

17:21 - Interdependence versus integration

23:59 - Newport's African heritage leaders in business and medicine

25:17 - Colored Women's Clubs founder Mary Dickerson

32:54 - Break

33:32 - Race consciousness and uplift in African heritage Newport community 

39:11 - Education and Black advancement

46:56 - Supporting heritage and historical institutions

48:08 - Teaching history and positive youth identity

50:46 - Cape Verdeans in African heritage and New England history

51:39 - Visiting Newport's African heritage and history

58:54 - Theresa Soni Guzmán Stokes' and Keith W. Stokes' historical drama pitches

1:05:51 - Where to watch THE GILDED AGE

1:06:18 - Rhode Island Black Heritage Society virtual tour and website info

1:08:29 - Disclaimer

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THE GILDED AGE debuts its eight-episode third season SUNDAY, JUNE 22 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and will be available to stream on Max. 

Episode 74 will be available on a special date - JUNE 17.

Note: “Historical Drama with The Boston Sisters®” will be on Summer hiatus during the months of July and August. The podcast returns in Fall 2025. 

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Episode 73 is the 2025 Page to Screen podcast where The Boston Sisters talk about 5 books related to historical drama series and films for summer reading.

This year we highlight stories or provide a deeper dive into the films and series featured in the 4th podcast season (2024 - 2025). The authors of three 2025 summer reads were guests on the podcast.*

• The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen* (2015) | Ep. 58

• The Piano Lesson by August Wilson (1986) | Ep. 62

• Shirley Chisholm In Her Own Words: Speeches and Writings by Zinga A. Fraser, PhD* (2024) | Ep. 59

• Call The Midwife by Jennifer Worth (2002) | Ep. 70

In Episode 72, we talk with filmmaker Darren Haruo Rae about NISEI (2023). NISEI , written and directed by Rae, is the first historical drama short film featured on the podcast. The film shines a light on an all-Japanese-American troop of soldiers who fought in World War II for a country imprisoning them and their families in internment camps because of their ancestry. The film is inspired by Rae’s Japanese American grandfather’s experiences during the war.

Stream NISEI (film) from the Omeleto YouTube channel.

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TIMESTAMPS

0:55 - Background and Introduction to NISEI film

4:05 - Darren Haruo Rae explains Nisei and importance to his grandfather's generation

9:20 - Historical Context and Research

17:14 - Symbolism and Themes in Nisei: American flag, identity, home

20:36 - NISEI Impact with Japanese veterans and community

25:557 - Challenges in Production for the NISEI film

30:55 - Future Projects and Historical Stories

34:54 - Where to stream NISEI

35:08 - Subscribe, Like, Share Historical Drama with The Boston Sisters

36:33 - Disclaimer

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NISEI, a short film written and directed by Darren Haruo Rae, (our guest for Ep. 72), shines a light on an all-Japanese-American troop of soldiers who fought in World War II for a country imprisoning them and their families because of their ancestry. The story is inspired by the filmmaker's Japanese American grandfather's WWII experiences in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. In the preview, Darren Haruo Rae talks about uncovering his family story while making NISEI.

The complete podcast conversation with Darren Haruo Rae is available May 13, 2025. Subcribe to Historical Drama with The Boston Sisters® on your favorite podcast platform so you won't miss a single episode.

In episode 71 we talk with Gill Hornby, author of the best-selling novel Miss Austen which has been adapted for a 4-part series premiering on MASTERPIECE on PBS May 4, 2025 (check local listings). MISS AUSTEN seeks to unravel the historic literary mystery by reimanging Cassandra Austen’s act of sisterly love in burning the letters of her famous author sister Jane Austen after Jane’s death in 1817.  

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TIMESTAMPS

0:57- MISS AUSTEN series overview and cast

3:14 - Introducing novel writer, Gill Hornby

4:06 - Motivation for MISS AUSTEN novel -- Cassandra Austen fan girl

9:44 - Adapting MISS AUSTEN for the screen

11:47 - Women's financial insecurity in Austen's time

16:56 - Mrs. Bennet as the heroine of Pride and Prejudice

18:14 - Was Sense and Sensibility a dig at Jane and Cassandra's sister-in-law?

20:16 - Sisterly bond of Jane and Cassandra Austen

22:57 - Cassandra as Jane's "great wife" behind the writer

26:50 - Casting Dr. Lidderdale as Black physician

28:58 - Jane Austen's global appeal

32:32 - Other Austen novels by Gill Hornby

34:49 - Where to watch MISS AUSTEN

35:23 - Purchase MISS AUSTEN novel from affiliate bookstore

35:43 - Podcast subscription information

37:07 - Disclaimer

Spoiler alert (if you haven't read the novel or seen the series yet)

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Episode 71 preview:

In episode 71 we talk with Gill Hornby, author of the best-selling novel Miss Austen which has been adapted for a 4-part series premiering on MASTERPIECE on PBS May 4, 2025 (check local listings).

The complete podcast (Episode 71) featuring this conversation with Gill Hornby will be published Tuesday, April 29. 

MISS AUSTEN seeks to unravel the historic literary mystery by reimanging Cassandra Austen’s act of sisterly love in burning the letters of her famous author sister Jane Austen after Jane’s death in 1817.  

Subscribe to Historical Drama with The Boston Sisters® on your favorite platform so you won’t miss this great conversation with Gill Hornby.

In episode 70, we go behind the scenes of CALL THE MIDWIFE with Jenny Agutter who portrays Sister Julienne in the series. Jenny Agutter has been with CALL THE MIDWIFE since the series premiere in 2012. CALL THE MIDWIFE is enjoying its 14th season on PBS.

Created and written by Heidi Thomas, CALL THE MIDWIFE is based on the trilogy of memoirs by Jennifer Worth about her experiences as a midwife nurse in London’s East End during the 1950s (Season 14 is set in 1970). The series presents moving and intimate stories that capture the history and work of British midwifery with the characters’s personal and the Poplar community’s struggles with illness, addiction, domestic violence, xenophobia and racism, poverty, displacement, death and grief.

During the conversation, Agutter emphasizes the show's focus on humanity, empathy, and community, and its accurate portrayal of midwifery practices.

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TIMESTAMPS

0:08 - Introduction to Historical Drama with The Boston Sisters podcast

1:28 - CALL THE MIDWIFE show overview and themes

4:01 - Jenny Agutter on CALL THE MIDWIFE's popularity

6:10 -  Season 14 themes and social issues

11:41 - Historical and medical accuracy in CALL THE MIDWIFE 

15:00 - Medical impact of CALL THE MIDWIFE 

21:15 - Sister Julienne's role and character arc

27: 59 - Empathy and community in CALL THE MIDWIFE

31:12 - Public health versus community care and health

34:12 - Sister Julienne's leadership and community support

35.12 - Future of Nonnatus House

40:00 - Where to catch CALL THE MIDWIFE (PBS, Netflix)

40:33 - Books related to CALL THE MIDWIFE

42:22 - Disclaimer

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In episode 70, we go behind the scenes of the drama series CALL THE MIDWIFE with Jenny Agutter who portrays Sister Julienne. Jenny Agutter has been with CALL THE MIDWIFE since the series's premiere in 2012. CALL THE MIDWIFE is enjoying its 14th season on PBS.

Created and written by Heidi Thomas, CALL THE MIDWIFE is based on the trilogy of memoirs by Jennifer Worth about her experiences as a midwife nurse in London’s East End during the 1950s (Season 14 is set in 1970).

In the preview for episode 70, Jenny Agutter talks about why CALL THE MIDWIFE is a series for our times.

The complete podcast is available April 8, 2025. 

In episode 69 we spotlight the PBS Masterpiece series WOLF HALL: THE MIRROR AND THE LIGHT with a behind-the-scenes visit to the Folger Shakespeare Library exhibition, “How to Be a Power Player: Tudor Edition” with the curator Dr. Heather Wolfe Curator of Manuscripts for the Folger (in Washington, DC), which holds the world’s largest Shakespeare collection. 

WOLF HALL: THE MIRROR AND THE LIGHT traces the final four years of Thomas Cromwell’s life, completing his journey from self-made man to the most feared, influential figure of his time as a principal advisory to England's King Henry VIII. The series is based on the final novel by Hilary Mantel in the Thomas Cromwell trilogy.

As an added bonus, Heather Wolfe shared documents from the Folger collection for the real-life Thomas Cromwell, Henry the VIII, and Henry's 4th wife, Anne of Cleves,. Go to the podcast website (for Ep. 69) to see images of these artifacts and for more information about the Foger Shakespeare Library's exhibit "How to Be a Power Player: Tudor Edition" on display through July 2025.

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March has been a busy month for the Boston Sisters. This is an extended trailer for Episode 69.

The complete podcast will be available for download Thursday, March 27th where we spotlight  the PBS MASTERPIECE series WOLF HALL: THE MIRROR AND THE LIGHT and our visit to the Folger Shakespeare Library in DC for the exhibit "How to Be a Power Player: Tudor Edition."

Our guest for Episode 69 is Dr. Heather Wolfe, curator of manuscripts and curator of the exhibition “How to Be a Power Player: Tudor Edition.” The trailer for Ep. 69  also includes a clip from a previous podcast (Episode 60) released in October 2024 with PBS MASTERPIECE executive producer and head of scripted content Susanne Singer who gave a preview of WOLF HALL: THE MIRROR IN THE LIGHT (now broadcasting) and other MASTERPIECE dramas. 

Subscribe to “Historical Drama with The Boston Sisters” so you won’t miss Episode 69 featuring our conversation with Dr. Healthier Wolfe of the Folger Shakespeare Library about Thomas Cromwell and what it takes to be a power player in Tudor times.

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In episode 68 we explore themes of time, place, race and identity in BLITZ , the 2024 World War II drama written and directed by Academy and BAFTA-Award-winning filmmaker Steve McQueen. BLITZ is told from the unique perspective and epic journey of a 9-year-old biracial boy named George (played by newcomer Elliott Heffernan) whose mother sends him from London to safety in the English countryside. But George doesn’t want to go to the countryside and be separated from his mother and grandfather Gerald (Paul Weller). Defiant and determined George makes his escape to return home to East London.

Our guest, Tré Ventour-Griffiths , is a multiply-disabled historian, creative writer, and sociologist with interests in Black histories, race and disability, pop culture and insurgent politics. His PhD research uses creative storytelling methods to consider a multigenerational story of Caribbean Northants (Northampshire, Midlands) Post-1942. 

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TIMESTAMPS

0:56 - Exploring Blitz World War 2 Historical Context

3:44 - Introduction to Tré Ventour-Griffiths

5:12 - Tré Ventour-Griffiths's Research and Scholarship

15:10 - Time and Relativity in BLITZ

25:33 - Black rural and town peoples in the UK

29:42 - Generic Break

30:18 History of Racial Hostilities in UK, Social, Economic and Sexual Policing

43:55 - Empire Arcade -- Representation and Racism in British Culture and Art

51:34 - Desire for Historical Representation of Black Children as Children

54:30 - Where to Watch BLITZ

56:17 - Disclaimer

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In episode 68 of “Historical Drama with The Boston Sisters” we explore World War II from the unique perspective and journey of a 9-year-old biracial boy named George (played by newcomer Elliott Heffernan) in the 2024 film BLITZ. BLITZ is written and directed by Academy and BAFTA  Award- winning filmmaker Steve McQueen. Our guest, is Tré Ventour-Griffiths, a multiply-disabled historian, creative writer, and sociologist based in Northampton U.K.

The preview features a discussion about a particular scene in the film when George walks inside the "Empire Arcade" in London.

Episode 68 is available March 11, 2025.

Note: Updated for correction of launch date on the slides (Spotify users)

Boycotts have been a strategy and tactic for advancing social and economic justice, especially when laws, courts, or government are not on the people's side as they were for Black citizens in 1955. In Ep. 67 Michon and Taquiena (aka The Boston Sisters) talk about why they highly recommend the 2001 HBO film BOYCOTT.

Directed by Clark Johnsonand based on the book Daybreak of Freedom by Stewart Burns BOYCOTT chronicles the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott, where a 26-year old minister named Martin Luther King ,Jr (Jeffrey Wright) was called by the community to lead a local movement that ended segregation on public transportation in Montgomery and throughout the United States.

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Timestamps

0:00 INTRO to Podcast

2:53 Montgomery Bus Boycott historical background

4:06 Why Michon and Taquiena recommend BOYCOTT film

8:59 Martin Luther King Junior at 26, young minister, husband, father, reluctant leader

13:19 - Montgomery Bus Boycott from one day to 13 months

14:52 - Overcoming roadblocks, arrests, disruptions to the boycott 

19:22 - A Black community organizing and pulling together

20:42 - Resource: Putting the Movement Back In the Civil Rights Movement (Teaching for Change)

22:36 - Charles Hamilton Houston challenges "separate but equal" segregation in the courts

23:36 - Bayard Rustin and Gandhian nonviolence

26: 42 - Hidden history: nonviolence and violence-based strategies in Civil Rights Movement

29:23 - History is choices

31:23 - Many voices, one movement -- what the Montgomery Bus Boycott achieved

34:02 - Where to find BOYCOTT film

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The Boston Sisters (Michon and Taquiena) end the month of February -- Black History Month -- with a conversation about an historical drama selected from their watch list: the 2001 HBO film BOYCOTT. 

BOYCOTT chronicles the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott, where a 26-year old minister named Martin Luther King Junior (Jeffrey Wright) was called by the community to lead a local movement that ended segregation on public transportation in Montgomery and throughout the United States.

In Episode 66, we dive into the feature filmTHE SIX TRIPLE EIGHT withBrenda L. Moore, associate professor of Sociology at the University at Buffalo College of Arts and Sciences, and author of “To Serve My Country, To Serve My Race: The Story of the Only African American WACS Stationed Overseas During World War II" (New York University Press). 

THE SIX TRIPLE EIGHT film and Professor Moore’s book tell the story of the 6888th battalion, the first and only Women’s Army Corps (WAC) unit of color to serve overseas in World War II, and the extraordinary mission of these unsung heroes who delivered hope and shattered barriers. The film is directed by Tyler Perry and featuresKerry Washingtonas Major Charity Adams and an ensemble cast.

THE SIX TRIPLE EIGHT is available on Netflix.

Spoiler alert: Some discussion about key scenes in the film.

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TIMESTAMPS

0:16 - Introduction to podcast

2:13 - Professor Brenda L. Moore intro

4:18 - Professor Moore's military research

7:06 - Professor Moore discovers The Six Triple Eight Battalion 

12:13 - History of Women's Auxiliary Army Corps and Woman's Army Corps (WAC)

16:36 - Challenges and Achievements of The Six Triple Eight

19:58 - Black Military Women's Leadership, Community, and Support 

23: 50 - Impacts of World War 2 on Black women

51:33 - Modern parallels and continued challenges re: race and gender in military

1:00:21 Black women nurses in WW2 and other subjects for historical drama

1:03:03 Watch and read for The Six Triple Eight story

1:05:10 Disclaimer

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