Laura Amico (Grantee ’26) is a writer and educator whose storytelling draws from an extensive background in journalism. During a grant celebration in Spring ’26, we learned about her podcast project Scene in Boston which explores Boston-area theater and is produced with support from students at Boston Arts Academy. We were curious to hear more about “Scene in Boston” and her work as a storyteller across creative platforms.
You received a Grants for Creative Individuals award in 2026 (congratulations!) in part based on your podcast “Scene in Boston”. How did that project start for you?
Scene in Boston grew out of two things I love: journalism and live theater.
I’ve spent much of my career as a journalist trying to understand communities and the people who shape them. My interest in theater was more personal. Boston is a great theater city, and living here gave me the opportunity to explore it for my own enjoyment. Over time, I became fascinated by the ways theater brings people together to grapple with complicated questions and see the world through someone else’s eyes.
A chance shared airport ride after a journalism conference introduced me to another journalist who felt similarly. While waiting for our flight, we sketched out a “what if” scenario for a podcast that would let us explore those ideas – and see more theater!
The idea took off quickly. I approached Boston Arts Academy, which was immediately enthusiastic, and within weeks we had developed a student internship program and started connecting with local theaters, as well as a newsletter and website.
How have you found the process of working with Boston Arts Academy students?
It’s been one of the most rewarding parts of the project. The students handle audio recording, editing, photography, show notes, and welcoming our guests. They’ve even composed and recorded our music! They’re doing real work on a real publication, guided by their wonderful teacher, Joshua Jackson.
I’ve worked with student and early-career journalists in lots of different capacities, but this collaboration is different. I know journalism, but I don’t know how to produce audio. The students are the experts there, and I rely on them to make the podcast sound good.
There’s something messy and wonderful about that exchange. We get to watch each other work, ask questions, make mistakes, and learn from one another. I’m sharing what I know about journalism and storytelling, and they’re teaching me about audio production. We’re building something together that none of us could make quite the same way on our own. And I love that the process of figuring it out together is part of their education, too.
Were there any surprise twists in the “Scene in Boston” journey?
So many! I think the biggest surprise has been how enthusiastically people have embraced the idea. Boston’s theater community has been incredibly generous with its time, expertise, and connections. I knew there was an opportunity here, but I didn’t anticipate how quickly people would want to be part of it.
I’ve also been surprised by how much the project has changed my own relationship with theater. I started out wanting to help people discover shows they might enjoy. But the more conversations I have with artists, the more interested I become in the stories they’re telling about our city and the world around us. Theater has become another way for me to explore questions I’ve spent my journalism career thinking about.
I thought I was starting a podcast about theater. What I’m discovering is that I’m building a new way to engage with my community.
When you applied for your Mass Cultural grant, you were also working on “Poetry for Science”, a project to pair poets with scientists whose research funding had ended. How did that begin, and where are you in that project now?
Poetry for Science grew out of the federal research funding cuts in 2025. My friend Emma Anderson was the catalyst, bringing together a small group of us to explore how poetry might document the scientific knowledge and human experiences at risk of being lost. I loved getting to know poets Dorothea Lasky and Elizabeth Metzger as we developed the idea.
As a journalist, I was interested in the stories behind the headlines. What happens to the questions scientists were trying to answer and the years of work that went into their research? We envisioned pairing poets with scientists whose funding had been cut to explore those experiences through a different kind of storytelling.
The project has stalled, though. I think we missed the moment when it could have had the greatest impact. It’s been a lesson in the importance of moving quickly. I still believe in the idea, but reviving it would probably require a different approach.
You have a deep background in journalism. How has journalism informed your trajectory as a creative storyteller?
I’ve always been interested in experimenting with how we tell stories and connect people with information.
As a local reporter covering crime and education, I saw how much journalism could matter to a community – and how often traditional approaches left important stories untold. That led me to create Homicide Watch DC, reimagining how a news organization could cover violent crime. Later, at the Boston Globe, I worked in data journalism and special projects, and at Harvard Business Review, I explored how ideas and research could reach new audiences.
I’ve never been particularly attached to the idea that journalism has to look or sound a certain way. I’m more interested in what a story can do.
That’s what I’m exploring with Scene in Boston. At its heart, the project is about making theater feel like something that belongs to all of us, not just people who already consider themselves theater people.
How do you know when your work – be it an article or podcast episode or any other form – is complete?
When I can’t wait to share it with someone else!
I’m not a particularly talkative person. I need time to absorb information, think things through, and figure out what I want to say. So I do a lot of research and thinking before recording an episode. By the time we sit down with a guest, I’m usually bursting to talk about it.
After editing, I listen again and ask whether we’ve captured what made me curious about the story in the first place. When I can’t wait for someone else to hear it, I know it’s done.
As mentioned, you received a grant from Mass Cultural Council in 2026. What other forms of support have been most impactful to you?
The City of Boston’s Opportunity Fund helped make our first season possible. But some of the most meaningful support has come through relationships. Boston Arts Academy has been an extraordinary partner, Tiny News Collective has helped me navigate the business of independent journalism, and Boston’s arts community has been incredibly generous.
And, of course, there’s my family. Building something from scratch while raising two kids and juggling other work takes a lot of time and energy. My husband and kids have been wonderfully supportive, even when Scene in Boston takes over our dinner conversations or my evenings and weekends. And I really love that my kids get so excited when a new episode is out and want to listen! It’s the best.
Do you have any advice for emerging artists or individuals with an idea they’re not sure how to realize?
Start! You don’t have to know exactly what something will become before you begin. Some of the most interesting parts emerge through the process of making it.
And talk about your idea, even when it’s half-formed. Scene in Boston wouldn’t exist without people who saw something in the idea and helped me figure out how to make it happen.
Don’t wait for everything to be perfect. Make something, share it, learn from it, and keep going. You can figure out an awful lot along the way.
Are there any Massachusetts artists that inspire you?
Absolutely! One of the great joys of Scene in Boston has been discovering the extraordinary playwrights working in and connected to Massachusetts.
I’m particularly drawn to artists whose stories are rooted in a specific place or community but speak to something much bigger. Mfoniso Udofia’s nine-play Ufot Family Cycle is a remarkable example. I’m looking forward to seeing how Talene Monahon’s Meet the Cartozians explores identity and belonging through her Armenian American roots, while Deborah Salem Smith and Charlie Thurston’s The Getaway Driver uses a true New England story to explore justice, forgiveness, and accountability. Look for episodes on all of this this season!
I’m also inspired by younger artists doing the hard work of getting new plays made. There’s so much persistence and creative risk involved.
These artists are telling stories that couldn’t have come from anyone else, but somehow speak to all of us. That’s what great storytelling does.
What’s next for you?
Fundraising! Scene in Boston is in its second season, and I’m working hard to make it sustainable.
We’ve shown that we can create something meaningful with a small budget, a lot of creativity, and wonderful partnerships. Now I want to expand our coverage, create more opportunities for students, and reach new audiences. But that takes resources.
The next chapter is about building an organization that can support the journalism I want to make.
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