Step backstage with us on this episode of Reading in the Middle as I welcome Lindsay Champion, lifelong theater geek, NYU Tisch graduate, former Features Editor at Broadway.com, and the author behind the middle-grade series Cast vs. Crew: Setting the Stage and the YA novel Someday, Somewhere.

Lindsay made her onstage debut as a tiger in her second-grade musical… and never left the theater world behind. She’s built sets, run the light board, operated the spotlight, and her favorite- stage-managed. Her deep love for behind-the-scenes magic shines through every page of Setting the Stage, the first book in a trilogy that celebrates the kids who make the show happen.

In this episode, we talk about:
🎭 What inspired her unforgettable cast of backstage kids
🎭 Why middle school is the perfect place for stories about belonging
🎭 The delicate art of writing friendship, conflict, and courage
🎭 Behind-the-scenes secrets from her own theater days
🎭 What readers can expect from Tech Week (coming 2026)

Whether you’re a theater kid, a book lover, a librarian, or an educator looking for your next great read-aloud, this conversation is full of heart, humor, and backstage brilliance.

Tune in, the curtain is rising. 🎙️✨