After both reading and watching the assigned plays, it was very nice to directly hear from the writer and director. I enjoyed the commentary on the concept of money in art. Stephen explained that there is a lot of pressure on artists to earn money while making art, but there is also a great deal of freedom in art. Both Michael and Stephen can provide free theater because they do not need to make money from their art; instead, they have regular jobs during the day for financial reasons. This is a common perspective, yet it stands in contrast to artists we have heard from who have their art as their primary income source. I really enjoy that people like Stephen and Michael are working to ensure that art is for everybody, not merely the wealthy. Michael explained the luxury of having artistic freedom, which I found very interesting. Because they do not require money from their art and have no financial advisors to answer to, they can make their art as they please. Personally, I believe this typically leads to the creation of much purer art than monetarily-driven art. Furthermore, it was interesting to hear their perspective on the transition into video format in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, Stephen and Michael were interesting guests, and it was great to hear the thoughts and opinions of artists after viewing their art.