Podcast Summary: Moses Sumney's Theatrical Stage Debut in 'Twelfth Night'

Podcast: All Of It with Alison Stewart, WNYC
Air Date: August 25, 2025
Guest: Moses Sumney (Singer-Songwriter, now Actor)
Key Topic: Moses Sumney’s Stage Debut as Feste in Shakespeare in the Park’s 'Twelfth Night'

Episode Overview

This episode of All Of It explores Moses Sumney’s leap from music to theater as he stars as Feste, the singing jester, in the Public Theater’s production of Twelfth Night, directed by Saheem Ali at the Delacorte Theater. Alison Stewart and Moses dive into what drew him to Shakespeare, the rehearsal process, his collaboration with the production’s composer, the play’s contemporary relevance—especially around gender—and what it’s like to perform outdoors to a New York crowd. The conversation weaves insights about creative risk, contemporary resonance of the classics, and how live performance can shape an artist’s approach to their craft.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Why Tackle Shakespeare?

Initial Hesitation and Challenge-seeking:
- Moses shares his reluctance to do Shakespeare, admitting, “I said, absolutely not. I said, I would never do that. . . . But really, the thought that I couldn't do it and wanting to challenge myself.” (02:36)
- He studied Shakespeare academically in London and Stratford-Upon-Avon, but never as a performer, seeing the stage as “a hill too steep to climb” that he was determined to ascend.

The Unusual Rehearsal Process

Collaborative Discovery:
- On working in a large cast: “Everything was unusual to me because I've never rehearsed a play before. . . . We're all in the room together, discovering the language, understanding. Coming to an understanding of the language, and working together to figure out what our characters mean in this world.” (03:38)
- Moses contrasts theater’s communal creation with the solitary nature of songwriting, describing it as “very exposing and vulnerable” but ultimately transformative and supportive. (04:36)

Acting Ambitions and Entry

Signs from the Universe & Pandemic Pivot:
- Moses did not set out to act, but says he kept receiving “signs from the universe” to try, culminating during the pandemic when he took acting classes over Zoom (06:44).
- He nearly landed a role on Euphoria; a year later, was cast in The Idol by Sam Levinson, which started his acting journey (07:42).
Core Lessons from Acting Class:
- “It is so, so important to have an internal monologue . . . you're thinking the actions of the character. And I think that is a big thing that I learned in that class.” (07:46)

Interpreting Feste, the “Fool”

Observing the Performances of Others:
- Moses distinguishes Feste as an observer:
  
  “While everyone thinks that they're witnessing him perform and he might be entertaining them, he's seeing the ways in which everyone is performing.” (09:14)
  - This ties to Twelfth Night’s preoccupation with gender and social performance.
On the Fool’s Wisdom:
- “Feste . . . is able to hold a mirror up to the people in the play and the people observing the play.” (09:14)
What Others Want From Feste:
- “They want a song and a jig. . . . And he's like, oh, I'm gonna sing you a song. And the lyrics are going to be about the love that you have always wished that you had.” (10:11)
- Feste gives them more than entertainment—he delivers truth.

Music and Collaboration in the Production

Michael Thurber’s Compositions & Collaboration:
- Composer Michael Thurber crafted music “in the style that he imagined that I might arrange the music in, which is pretty bold.” (10:47)
- The collaborative nature: “I was able to then come in and say, this is beautiful. I would do it maybe a little bit this way. . . . It was really collaborative.” (11:36)
Interpreting 'Oh Mistress Mine':
- Moses aimed to amplify the romance and emotional storytelling:
  
  “I wanted to just really make it more romantic and, like, draw it out and really kind of play with the melody and let it rise and fall in a way that really spoke to the storytelling, I think.” (12:09)

Making Shakespeare Contemporary

Direction and Modern Touches:
- Saheem Ali’s vision: "He brings Shakespeare to the present moment . . . we are here now, we don't live back then, we live now." (13:10)
  - The production includes a hot tub, a boxing scene, and even allusions to cocaine—none canonical, but all highlighting Shakespeare’s enduring relevance.
On the Timelessness of Themes:
- “We want to be loved, we want to be seen, we want to impress people.” (13:13)

Music’s Role in the Play

Music as Emotional Language:
- “Music supports the text in wanting to expose how people are feeling. . . . It gives us language when we do not have language.” (14:00)

The Comedy’s Darker Moments

Handling the Switch to Malvolio’s Torture:
- On balancing tone:
  
  “I think the beauty of this play is that those things are rubbing up against each other always. There is no joy or happiness without misery or a sense of misery or having been misery.” (15:16)

Gender Fluidity and Relevance

Twelfth Night’s Contemporary Resonance:
- Moses reflects on the play’s exploration of gender:
  
  “It’s constantly acknowledging and demolishing the binary. . . . I think we have to stop thinking of deconstructing the gender binary as a contemporary product. It's something that we've always been interested in because we want to be free.” (16:33)

Performing Outdoors at the Delacorte

On the Unique Joy of Open-Air Performance:
- “Oh, I love feeling the air on my skin. . . . Sometimes you hear birds, sometimes you hear helicopters. But I'm gonna pretend you don't. . . . It makes it feel so cool, colloquial. . . . We're all just chilling in the park.” (18:35)
Memorable Moment: Raccoon Encounter:
- “Yesterday I saw 7 [raccoons] all at the same time. . . . I was trying to feed them and I was yelled at, but they like to eat too.” (19:06)

The Power of Accessible Art

On Free Art Access and its Impact:
- Moses credits free music from downloading and radio in Ghana as formative, underlining the importance of public access:
  
  “I grew up in Ghana. . . . It was very difficult to access, you know, contemporary music. And so I. Yeah, I downloaded a lot of stuff, and that was for you. . . . I love the radio, I gotta say. I really do.” (19:45)

Learning From a Star-Studded Cast

Lessons from Co-stars:
- Moses openly asks for advice, even from Peter Dinklage who replies, “Who am I? Surrey and McKellen?”
- On what he’s learned: “It’s not about being cool. It’s not about being famous. It’s not about looking good or being pretty. It’s about just getting down to the nitty gritty.” (20:46)
Most Valuable Acting Advice:
- “You have to just feel it in your body and show up really honest and connected to your gut.” (20:46)

Influence on Songwriting and Vulnerability

Expanded Openness:
- Moses anticipates acting’s influence on his music:
  
  “I have my process and my way of being. And people who know my music know that it's very intimate, it's very revealing and honest. But I think it could be more honest. . . . You just have to say, I accept that whatever I'm going through or whatever story I have to tell is not just mine.” (21:59)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Tackling Impossible Challenges:

“Whenever I think that there's something that is too steep of a hill to climb, I want to climb it.” — Moses Sumney (02:36)
On the Role of the Fool:

“Feste. . . is able to hold a mirror up to the people in the play and the people observing the play.” — Moses Sumney (09:14)
On Gender in Twelfth Night:

“Every generation thinks that they're the first generation to think of something, and we're just not. . . . It's something that we've always been interested in because we want to be free.” — Moses Sumney (16:33)
On Advice from Peter Dinklage:

“Who am I? Surrey and McKellen?” — Peter Dinklage to Moses Sumney (20:46)
On Acting’s Influence on His Songwriting:

“I think in songwriting, what it will and has been helping me do is just really open up and rip myself open and say, okay, fine, here it is. Here I am.” — Moses Sumney (21:59)

Timestamps for Important Segments

Moses Introduces Journey to Shakespeare — 02:36
Explaining the Rehearsal Process — 03:38
Why Moses Started Acting & Pandemic Pivot — 05:54, 06:44
Lessons from Acting and Character Work — 07:46
Interpretation of Feste/Fool/Wisdom — 09:14
Collaboration with Composer Michael Thurber — 10:47
Contemporary Directorial Choices and Gender Fluidity — 13:10, 16:33
Music’s Role in Theater (and Life) — 14:00
Handling Twelfth Night’s Darker Moments — 15:16
Performing Outdoors and Making Shakespeare Accessible — 18:35, 19:29
Learning from a Star-Studded Cast — 20:46
On Vulnerability and Songwriting — 21:59
Preview of New Song with Hayley Williams — 23:03
On Collaborations and Upcoming Album — 26:38, 27:30

Conclusion

This episode offers a compelling look at Moses Sumney’s artistic leap into theater, his thoughtful approach to both song and stage, and the production’s fresh, inclusive take on a classic. The conversation celebrates creative risk, the communal power of art, and reminds listeners of how centuries-old stories can feel urgent and personal in the hands of today’s artists. Fans of both theater and music will find rich insight and inspiration throughout the episode.