Episode 216
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Jeffrey Solomon
Actor, Playwright and Producer of De Novo Podcast
De Novo Podcast: The Story of Edgar Chocoy-Guzman
"Jeffrey uses his boundless creativity and talent to illustrate complex social issues with the retelling of poignant stories of real people.”
Jeanne Pepper and Jeffrey Solomon outside the PeppTalks studios January 20, 2025.
Jeffrey Solomon is a theater artist and human rights advocate who co-founded the Houses on the Moon Theater Company, where he writes and directs plays. His works include Building Houses on the Moon, De Novo Podcast, and Tara's Crossing. He adapted his documentary play DE NOVO into an audio drama that is featured on the Houses on the Moon podcast, available wherever you get your podcasts. Jeffrey also served as director, producer and editor.
Jeffrey has taught storytelling workshops and directed projects like TRANSformation and gUN Country, exploring themes of gender identity and gun violence. His solo play MotherSON has been produced internationally and used in educational programs. He's also a Moth Grand Slam Champion and wrote Jim Henson's CityKids, an Emmy-nominated children's special. Solomon holds an MFA in Creative Writing.
Jeffrey reached out to me as a fan of our show and the #Blaze it Forward movement. I was interested to learn more about Jeffrey who is using his skill in the theater to reach a broad audience and bring immigration issues and real human stories to the public and writes educational material targeted at high school students. One thing I have learned from my work in preventing “hate” and false narratives is to bring people in proximity to the people and situations they distrust and where they are constantly bombarded in the media with confusing narratives they can’t understand. I myself was caught up in the immigration situation in Southern California after two car accidents, one in which I nearly lost my life, with undocumented and uninsured motorists. Driving in Orange County and Los Angeles will never be the same for me after experiencing PTSD from a near death experience and having a real fear of another accident with someone that drives unsafely and/or illegally through our cities with no real financial liability. This is just scraping the surface of the issues caused by penalizing undocumented immigrants, who cannot get proper driver training or insurance. It’s a negative feedback loop.
After listening to Jeffrey’s work on the De Novo Podcast - I found myself in a front row seat to the drama and tragedy of 16year old Edgar Chocoy-Guzman who for survival fled Guatemala at age 14. I have deep empathy for anyone fleeing their country of origin for purposes of survival and I pray that we make legal immigration into this country faster, easier and safer. No sixteen year old should be locked in detention for illegal immigration in the U.S. when they will be dead on arrival in their county of origin. I challenge anyone who questions immigration reform in the United States to listen to the De Novo podcast and consider the narratives of the people who are caught up in our immigration system or threatened by new laws and agendas since our last presidential election in 2024.
graphic art advertisement for the de novo play,
Episode 215
Hosted by: Jeanne Pepper
Guest: Jeffrey Solomon, Houses on the Moon Theater Company
Executive Producer: Jeanne Pepper
Producer: Eli Moskowitz
Original Theme: Jay Bernstein
Special Thank You to our volunteers
Houses of the Moon Theater Company: Broadway Podcast Network
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