Shows
SDCF Podcast SeriesChoreographers in Conversation: Camille A. Brown and Ellenore ScottWe are excited to bring you this podcast series, Choreographers in Conversation. This series allows choreographers to interview other choreographers whose work excites them as a way to learn more about their craft and preserve the stories of these exciting artists in our industry. In this episode Choreographer and Creative Director Ellenore Scott interviews Choreographer Camille A. Brown to hear more about her career and where her love of dance and choreography comes from, what inspires her, working with collaborators, and how Camille approaches her work with ranges in size and types of stages. They also discuss Broadway debuts...
2023-02-1644 min
SDCF Podcast SeriesA Conversation about the SDCF Professional Development Program – Special Podcast EpisodeIn this special podcast episode, SDCF Director Dani Barlow and SDCF Board of Trustees Member Seema Sueko discuss the revitalized Professional Development Program (formerly the SDCF Observership Program). You can visit SDCF’s website to learn more: https://sdcfoundation.org/professional-development-program/ SDCF’s revitalized Professional Development Program provides opportunities for early career directors and choreographers to observe and/or support experienced directors and choreographers during the production process. The goals of this program are to provide access to directors and/or choreographers who have not seen the work of an experienced director/choreographer or have not previously worked...
2022-11-0725 min
SDCF Podcast SeriesChoreographers in Conversation: Annie-B Parson and Sam PinkletonWe are excited to bring you this podcast series, Choreographers in Conversation. This series will allow choreographers to interview other choreographers whose work excites them as a way to learn more about their craft and preserve the stories of these exciting artists in our industry. In this episode Sam Pinkleton interviews Annie-B Parson. The two discuss the experience of choreographing for musicians and opera, being a choreographer not a dancer, and how one collaborates or doesn’t with dancers and musicians. Sam asks Annie-B about how she prepares for a project, who she makes dance pieces for, and how sh...
2022-10-1359 min
SDCF Podcast SeriesChoreographers In Conversation: Maria Torres & Jerry MitchellWe are excited to bring you this podcast series, Choreographers in Conversation. This series will allow choreographers to interview other choreographers whose work excites them as a way to learn more about their craft and preserve the stories of these exciting artists in our industry. In this episode, Maria Torres, Director/Choreographer/SDCF Trustee interviews Director/Choreographer, Jerry Mitchell to learn more about his career, what brought him to the theatre, the work that he is passionate about, the current state of our industry, and what he hopes for the future. Jerry Mitchell: Jerry Mitchell (D...
2022-07-2948 min
SDCF Podcast SeriesSDCF Awards 2021SDCF announced the honorees of this year’s Joe A. Callaway Awards, Gordon Davidson Award, and The Zelda Fichandler Award. The Awards were presented virtually on Monday, February 8, 2021 at 8pm ET. The Joe A. Callaway Awards was presented to Danya Taymor for her outstanding direction in Heroes of the Fourth Turning (Playwrights Horizons), and to Travis Wall for his outstanding choreography in The Wrong Man (MCC Theater). The finalists for this award are Knud Adams and Les Waters. The Joe A. Callaway Awards recognize excellence in directing and choreography in New York City and are the only awards given by peer di...
2021-02-2459 min
SDCF Podcast SeriesSDCF's Second Virtual Roundtable ConversationOn August 25th, 2020 SDCF Trustee and Artistic Director Emeritus of Pasadena Playhouse Sheldon Epps moderated a second roundtable conversation with regional Artistic Directors new to their roles about facing the specific challenges of the moment. He was joined by Melia Bensussen (Hartford Stage), Tim Bond (TheatreWorks Silicon Valley), David Ivers (South Coast Repertory), Rob Melrose (Alley Theatre) and Sarah Rasmussen (McCarter Theatre Center).
2020-09-081h 32SDCF Podcast SeriesSDCF Virtual Roundtable ConversationOn July 9th, 2020 SDCF hosted a virtual roundtable conversation, moderated by Sheldon Epps, SDCF Trustee and Artistic Director Emeritus of Pasadena Playhouse. He led a conversation about the challenges and opportunities of leading a non-ethnic specific organization as a leader of color. Sheldon was joined by Artistic Directors Robert Barry Fleming (Actors Theatre of Louisville), Nataki Garrett (Oregon Shakespeare Festival), Jacob Padrón (Long Wharf Theatre), Hana Sharif (Repertory Theatre of St. Louis), and Stephanie Ybarra (Baltimore Center Stage).
2020-07-291h 27SDCF Podcast SeriesRegional Originals with M. Graham Smith: Blanka Zizka (Guest)Hosted by M. Graham Smith, we are delighted to bring you the second series of SDCF Podcast Series: Regional Originals with M. Graham Smith – a series of interviews with some of the most exciting Directors and Choreographers working in America’s regional theatres today. This week on SDCF Podcast Series, M. Graham Smith sits down with director/playwright, Blanka Zizka, Artistic Director of The Wilma Theater.
2018-11-1646 minSDCF Podcast SeriesRegional Originals with M. Graham Smith: Chay Yew (Guest)Hosted by M. Graham Smith, we are delighted to bring you the second series of SDCF Podcast Series: Regional Originals with M. Graham Smith – a series of interviews with some of the most exciting Directors and Choreographers working in America’s regional theatres today. This week on SDCF Podcast Series, M. Graham Smith sits down with director and playwright, Chay Yew, Artistic Director of Victory Gardens Theater. They discuss how Chay learned to write between the lines, what directors shouldn't say to playwrights, how to understand how a region receives stories, and how a particular story will talk to y...
2018-10-0945 minSDCF Podcast SeriesRegional Originals with M. Graham Smith: Torange Yeghiazarian (Guest)“People are going to say no to you more than they say yes, and that’s hard. It takes strength.” - Torange Yeghiazarian. Today on our SDCF Podcast Series - Regional Originals podcast, M Graham Smith is with Torange Yeghiazarian, Artistic Director of Golden Thread Productions. They discuss empowering playwrights to tell the stories that they want to tell, how working at Golden Thread can be a unique and often life-changing experience, and the biggest challenges of her ‘not-so-hidden-agenda'. Golden Thread, founded in 1996, produces passionate and provocative plays from or about the Middle East that celebrate t...
2018-04-1044 minSDCF Podcast SeriesSDCF Podcast Series Replay: One-on-One Conversation with James Lapine and Susan EinhornWelcome to SDCF Podcast Series Replay, which revisits podcasts that seem especially relevant this season. As we approach the 2017 “Mr. Abbott” Award Gala honoring director Kenny Leon, we will be featuring discussions by previous “Mr. Abbott” Award recipients. Today’s podcast features our last "Mr. Abbott" Award honoree James Lapine. Originally recorded - July 1985
2017-03-201h 11SDCF Podcast SeriesSDCF Podcast Series Replay: One-on-One Conversation with Pam MacKinnon and Kathleen MarshallWelcome to SDCF Podcast Series Replay, which revisits podcasts that seem especially relevant this season. As we approach the 2017 “Mr. Abbott” Award Gala honoring director Kenny Leon, we will be featuring discussions by previous “Mr. Abbott” Award recipients. Also, in acknowledgement of Women’s History Month, this week’s podcast features two directors at the top of their game who also happen to be women; SDC President Pam MacKinnon and 2005 “Mr. Abbott” Award honoree Kathleen Marshall. Originally recorded – June 12, 2013
2017-03-061h 37SDCF Podcast SeriesSDCF Podcast Series Replay: George C. Wolfe with Hope ClarkeWelcome to SDCF Podcast Series Replay, which revisits podcasts that seem especially relevant this season. As we approach the 2017 “Mr. Abbott” Award Gala honoring director Kenny Leon, we will be featuring discussions by previous “Mr. Abbott” Award recipients. Today’s podcast features George C. Wolfe. On April 18th, 1994 collaborator and colleague Hope Clarke sat down to interview writer-director George C. Wolfe. In this post-Jelly pre-Bring In 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk interview, Mr. Wolfe discusses his origins as an artist, the difficulty and fulfillment of writing and directing, his experience running the New York Shakespeare Festival and the fu...
2017-02-201h 03SDCF Podcast SeriesSDCF Podcast Series Replay: One-on-One Conversation with and Stafford Arima and Thomas KailWelcome to SDCF Podcast Series Replay, which revisits podcasts that seem especially relevant this season. Today’s podcast features Hamilton director Thomas Kail in conversation with director Stafford Arima about their careers and the theatrical worlds that have shaped them.
2016-11-211h 04SDCF Podcast SeriesSDCF Podcast Series Replay: One-on-One Conversation with Leigh Silverman and Thomas KailWelcome to SDCF Podcast Series Replay, which revisits podcasts that seem especially relevant this season. Today’s podcast features Hamilton director Thomas Kail in conversation with director Leigh Silverman about ideal directorial skills, the value of readings, career beginnings, and much more.
2016-10-241h 04SDCF Podcast SeriesSDCF Podcast Series Replay: One-on-One Conversation with Lear deBessonet and Thomas KailWelcome to SDCF Podcast Series Replay, which revisits podcasts that seem especially relevant this season. Today’s podcast features Hamilton director Thomas Kail in conversation with director Lear deBessonet about their early-career experiences, from the importance of making work with friends to the advantages and disadvantages of assisting.
2016-09-261h 05SDCF Podcast SeriesJennifer Tepper and Jerry MitchellWelcome to SDCF Podcast Series. This is the first installment of a series curated by Jennifer Tepper, author and Director of Programming at 54 Below in New York City, and released by SDCF to celebrate some of the many luminaries currently represented on Broadway. On February 15, 2016, Tepper interviewed Jerry Mitchell about the evolution of his wide-spanning career. Best known for Broadway hits like Kinky Boots, Hairspray, and the current production of On Your Feet, Mitchell discusses his journey from dancer, to associate choreographer, to the directing and choreographing hit Broadway shows. Mitchell discusses the lessons he learned as...
2016-06-0647 minSDCF Podcast SeriesSDCF Podcast Series Replay: One-on-One Conversation with Moisés Kaufman and Thomas KailWelcome to SDCF Podcast Series Replay, which revisits podcasts that seem especially relevant this season. Today we replay a 2011 conversation with playwright and director Moisés Kaufman, best known for The Laramie Project, and Thomas Kail, director of the hit Broadway show Hamilton.
2016-03-1758 minSDCF Podcast SeriesSDCF Podcast Series Replay: One-on-One Conversation with Bartlett Sher and Julie TaymorSDCF Podcast Series Replay re-releases podcasts that seem especially relevant this season. This 2014 podcast features directors Bartlett Sher and Julie Taymor, and is moderated by Anne Bogart.
2016-03-041h 33SDCF Podcast SeriesSDCF Podcast Series Replay: One-on-One Conversation with Tony Taccone and Ellen RusconiOn January 17, 2011, SDCF hosted a One-on-One Conversation with Berkeley Repertory Theatre Artistic Director Tony Taccone.
2015-01-201h 16SDCF Podcast SeriesAssistant No More At the June 17, SDCF 2013 Emerging Artist Symposium on Plays, SDCF Producing Director Ellen Rusconi moderated a discussion with directors Shelley Butler, Benjamin Endsley Klein, and Tony Speciale about the transition from assistant to director. Listen as they compare stories and experiences illustrating their unique transitions into directing their own work.
2014-12-161h 12SDCF Podcast SeriesKaren Azenberg: From Freelance to Artistic Leadership At SDCF’s annual Emerging Artist Symposium on Musicals on May 20, 2013, SDCF Producing Director Ellen Rusconi moderated a conversation with Executive Board President and director/choreographer Karen Azenberg. Listen as they discuss Karen’s transition from working as a freelance director/choreographer to her current position as Artistic Director of Salt Lake City’s Pioneer Theatre Company, and how those experiences can help emerging artists in their careers.
2014-11-1849 minSDCF Podcast SeriesSAGF + SDCF Panel: The New Generation of Musical TheatreOn July 8, 2013, SDCF hosted a panel discussion focused on the future of musical theatre. The panel featured writer Rick Elice, songwriter Jeff Bowen, singer/songwriter Amanda Green, director Stafford Arima, choreographer Kelly Devine and songwriter Benj Pasek. This conversation zeroes in on collaboration, the audition process and accepted genres of music as changing factors in the development of musical theatre today.
2014-09-241h 53SDCF Podcast SeriesOn Collaboration: Marshall MasonAt the SDCF 2013 Emerging Artist Symposium on Plays on June 17, 2013, SDCF hosted legendary director Marshall Mason to speak about his extraordinary collaboration with Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lanford. Mason's collaboration with Wilson has been certified by Playbill as the longest collaboration between a writer and director in the history of the American theater, and is perhaps the finest example of collaboration in the recent American Theatre. Listen in is as Mason gives his personal account of this exemplary artistic relationship as well as a practical analysis of his approach to working with actors neatly formatted into a comprehensible eight-step program. Ori...
2014-04-041h 06SDCF Podcast SeriesMarianne Weems & Erica Laird on Directing with Technology and Music At its 2013 Emerging Artist Symposium on Plays, SDCF hosted Artistic Director and Managing Director of The Builders Association, Marianne Weems and Erica Laird, in conversation on the process of directing and producing a production using multi-media elements. Listen as they share the intricacies involved in rehearsing and maintaining a piece when working with both human and non-human counterparts and how to fuse the two to symbiotically create a piece of holistic, organic art. The two will share tips on when technology can be successfully incorporated into a production and ways to focus the eye on both the media and the...
2014-04-041h 03SDCF Podcast SeriesDan Knechtges on Directing and Choreographing New MusicalsAt its 2013 Emerging Artist Symposium on Musicals, SDCF hosted Tony nominated Dan Knechtges (Lysistrata Jones, Xanadu, Spelling Bee) in conversation with Producing Director Ellen Rusconi on his experiences directing and choreographing musicals from the classics to more contemporary works. From his theatre experiences while growing up in Cleveland to his transition from performer to the other side of the table, this discussion - peppered with a dash of humor, sentiment, and survival jobs - examines Dan's process of learning to create musical theatre and launching a career. Listen in as he shares his techniques of choreographic patterning and sustaining cr...
2014-04-0459 minSDCF Podcast SeriesA Director's Life: Creative Development and RenewalA Director's Life: Creative Development and Renewal: On June 18, 2011, SDCF Executive Director Laura Penn moderated a panel at the TCG conference featuring Gil Cates, Curt Columbus, Jeffrey Horowitz, Susan Medak, Madeline Puzo, and Julie Taymor to consider the centrality of the director's role in theatre today. This panel of well-regarded directors and national theatre leaders engages in thoughtful and dynamic discussion about how directors grow as distinctive artists over a lifetime and how the field supports them. They focus strongly on how to advance the craft and how to improve the lives and support the artistry of today's directors, both...
2014-04-041h 21SDCF Podcast SeriesStaging Revivals: Marcia Milgrom Dodge and Chet WalkerStaging Revivals: Marcia Milgrom Dodge and Chet Walker: At the SDCF 2013 Emerging Artist Symposium on Musicals on May 20, 2013, internationally-acclaimed director/choreographers Chet Walker and Marcia Milgrom Dodge shared their expertise of applying a fresh perspective to the revival of a musical subsequent to an iconic production. They share their personal artistic processes, the questions they ask of a piece, and their thoughts on casting actors’ familiar with prior productions. This candid and humorous conversation, with personal anecdotes from past productions led by Bob Fosse and others, offers an enlightening glimpse into the world of revivals. Listen as these deeply knowle...
2014-04-041h 08SDCF Podcast Series2013 Emerging Artist Symposium on Musicals: Discovering Talent and New Work with Robyn GoodmanAt its 2013 Emerging Artist Symposium on Musicals, Robyn Goodman, Commercial Producer and Founder of Second Stage Theatre, spoke with SDCF Producing Director Ellen Rusconi about discovering talent and developing new work in today's dynamic theatre climate. Goodman (Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella, Avenue Q, In the Heights, Altar Boyz) infuses her perspective as an actor turned producer with a well-rounded view of a production from page to stage and everything in between. Listen to her as she discusses her transition from the art of theatre to the business of theatre, gives advice for producing within both non-for-profit and for-profit organizations, a...
2014-04-041h 10SDCF Podcast SeriesOne-on-One Conversation with Pam MacKinnon and Kathleen MarshallOn June 12, 2013, award-winning directors Pam MacKinnon and Kathleen Marshall spoke with SDCF Producing Director Ellen Rusconi about their work and career. They discuss the nuts and bolts of the rehearsal process from the Illuminating qualities of auditions and early design meetings to the continuous evolution of a piece as gauged by audience, producers, and associates. Both speak to theatre as an apprentice art and the significance of mentor relationships when transitioning to different phases of career. Listen as they unveil where to find worthwhile material to direct and how one man's dramatic trash can be another's theatrical gold. These dire...
2014-04-041h 37SDCF Podcast SeriesDirector/Founder Director/Founder: On May 6th, 2013, Oliver Butler of The Debate Society and Jack E. Cummings III of Transport Group spoke with SDCF Producing Director Ellen Rusconi on their experiences simultaneously managing a directing career and theatrical company. The in-depth discussion follows the ebb and flow of two singular directing careers each affected by a loyalty to their own growing theatre companies. Each recounts the arduous yet fulfilling relationship that comes with being a founder and artistic director through personal anecdotes largely focused on the importance of realistic and forward thinking visions. Listen as they explore how changing cultural and economic...
2014-04-041h 20SDCF Podcast SeriesFight DirectionFight Direction: On April 8, 2013, Fight Directors Erica Gould and Rick Sordelet spoke with SDCF Producing Director Ellen Rusconi to discuss the responsibilities and roles of theatre's fight directors. Listen in as Rick and Erica share their approaches to working with a director, to assessing actors' skills and potential for fight direction, and to creating a variety of fights for the course of one play to avoid "battle fatigue" in the audience. They share their experiences of working with particular directors and actors on specific productions and on how that artist's preparation and communication elevated the resulting production. By hearing thei...
2014-04-041h 31SDCF Podcast SeriesPlaywright/Director 1987Playwright/Director 1987: In 1987, SDCF and the Dramatists Guild jointly held a panel discussion exploring the symbiotic and complex relationship between playwright and director. Peter Stone moderates a panel of playwrights and directors including Sam Bobrick, Elizabeth Forsythe Hailey, David Henry Hwang, Bernet Kellman, Tom Moore, David Rosenak, Gene Saks, and Stephen Tobolowsky. The consensus from this riveting 90-minute discussion is that the playwright/director relationship and the process of collaborating are like a marriage, and the conversation explodes into impassioned debate about what can make a great artistic marriage. If you have ever wondered what a playwright wants from...
2014-04-041h 23SDCF Podcast SeriesMaximizing Your Relationship with Sound DesignersOn Tuesday, December 6, 2011, SDCF hosted a conversation between sound designers Jill BC Du Boff (Good People, Bill Maher: Victory Begins at Home), Brett Jarvis (Kiki and Herb - Alive on Broadway!, The Donkey Show), and Rob Kaplowitz (Fela!, Pumpgirl) to find out how to work with designers to maximize the creativity and productivity of sound design. Designing the sound of a production is not only about finding the right sound effects or choosing the right song - it is its own art form that shapes and contributes to the emotional storytelling of the play. These three designers demystify the sound...
2014-04-041h 15SDCF Podcast SeriesUnderstanding AutomationUnderstanding Automation: On January 7, 2013, SDCF spoke with Production Managers/Technical Directors David Benken and Martin Pavloff about "Understanding Automation: What Every Director Should Know Before Technical Rehearsals." This is a master class on automation from two practitioners who have supervised automated lights and scenery for Broadway and touring productions including The Lion King, Magic/Bird, Woman in White, Mary Poppins, and the 2008 - 2011 touring production of Dreamgirls. Pavloff starts by introducing critical terminology, discussing the use of pre-visualization, gives reasons to automate, and iterates the challenges of automation including safety concerns. Benken follows by illuminating concepts such as of rates...
2014-04-041h 08SDCF Podcast SeriesTheatre for Social ChangeOn December 17, 2012, SDCF and SDC hosted a discussion of Theatre for Social Change with guests Erik Ehn and Kamilah Forbes (Hip Hop Theatre Festival) moderated by SDCF Producing Director Ellen Rusconi. Erik Ehn, a playwright, director, and educator, produces the Arts in the One World conference yearly, is Current Director of Writing for Performance at Brown University, and a founder of the RAT movement. Kamilah Forbes is the Artistic Director of the Hip-Hop Theater Festival (HHTF), a non-profit presenter of new theater written by hip-hop generation artists through the lens of the urban cultural aesthetic. She is also a memb...
2014-04-041h 11SDCF Podcast SeriesRobert LewisRobert Lewis: On November 2, 1987, SDCF hosted a talk by Robert Lewis, a founding member of Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers, the Group Theatre, and the Actors Studio. He speaks with great charisma and dynamism of the founding of the Group Theatre, the Actors Studio, his experiences with some of the greatest stage actors of the 20th century (including Julie Harris, John Garfield), his views on a variety of topics including the reason for the lack of theatre companies, the absence of a national theatre, and the crafts of acting and directing and underlying technique. This humorous, comprehensive and i...
2014-04-041h 00SDCF Podcast SeriesEffective PlaywritingOn February 27, 1986, SDCF held a conversation on Effective Playwriting with Directors Stephen Porter and Howard Rossen, moderated by Playwright Stephen Fife. The jumping off point of this conversation is Somerset Maugham's quote "The purpose of prose drama is to afford delight. I do not think it can usefully concern itself with the welfare of humanity or the saving of civilization. In my opinion, what the theatre does best is to give pleasure by telling a story, delineating character, and by stirring emotions or causing laughter." Our panelists go on to discuss various aspects of plays including sentence length, scene stru...
2014-04-041h 17SDCF Podcast SeriesDowntown Opportunities for Directors and ChoreographersDowntown Opportunities for Directors and Choreographers: On October 1, 1998, SDCF hosted a panel on Downtown Opportunities for Directing and Choreography featuring producers from the vibrant downtown NY theatre scene including John Clancy, Ellie Covan, Kristin Marting, Wendy Rohan, Mark Russell, and David Tyree. These artistic leaders at the head of particularly prolific producing and presenting organizations discuss everything an artist or producer needs to know about working through these organizations. They explain why it is absolutely imperative to visit the space and understand the work of the organization before applying to the organization. They talk about their desire to create commu...
2014-04-041h 18SDCF Podcast SeriesDirecting OperaOn September 25, 1996, James Graves, Associate Director of SDCF, moderated a panel about Directing Opera. Panelists included Lillian Garrett-Groag, Mark Lamos, and Rhoda Levine. With great vibrancy and humor, the panelists consider the challenges of working in foreign countries, methods to navigate working in a foreign language, and the skills and knowledge necessary for theatre artists to work in opera. Most interestingly, their backgrounds are varied: a choreographer (Ms. Levine), a musician and actor (Mr. Lamos), and a multi-lingual director immersed in opera since childhood (Ms. Garrett-Groag). They delve deeply into the Director/Conductor relationship and elucidate the reasons why thi...
2014-04-041h 27SDCF Podcast SeriesCareer TransitionsOn November 20, 1996, SDCF in partnership with The Drama League explored the subject of Career Transitions with a panel of four Directors and Choreographers - Seth Barrish, Kathleen Marshall, Richard Sabellico, and Marlies Yearby - who had recently reached a new point in career. Listen to this discussion to discover how their transitions came about, the experiences and encounters that led these artists to new opportunities on projects with higher profiles, and the challenges to process that come with working on a larger platform. This honest and informative conversation, led by David Diamond of SDCF and Roger Danforth of The Drama...
2014-04-041h 28SDCF Podcast SeriesDeveloping MusicalsOn July 23, 2012, Director Stafford Arima (2012 revisal of Carrie, Altar Boyz) and Director/Choreographer Christopher Windom (Central Avenue Breakdown) spoke with SDCF Producing Director Ellen Rusconi at a Director/Choreographer Network panel hosted by The New York Musical Theatre Festival discussion about developing new musicals. These two artists offer their experiences in developing musicals in a variety of ways - festivals, workshops, regional productions - and share insight into his individual process, including thoughts on what can and cannot be accomplished artistically in the fast-paced festival setting. They discuss the benefits and challenges of presenting a new work in a festi...
2014-04-041h 26SDCF Podcast SeriesArtistic DirectorsArtistic Directors: In 1999, SDCF hosted a panel moderated by Executive Director of SSDC, Barbara Hauptman featuring Artistic Director of Adobe Theatre Company Jeremy Dobrish, Artistic Director of Drama Dept. Theatre Company Douglas Carter Beane, Artistic Director of Blue Light Theater Company Greg Naughton, Artistic Director of Abingdon Theatre Company Jan Buttram, and Co-Artistic Director of The Barrow Group Seth Barrish. The panelists discuss the importance of the collaborative approach and sense of community within their companies, and the challenge of finding a director who shares their sense of purpose. Since directors aren't auditioned the way actors are, selecting a...
2014-04-041h 08SDCF Podcast SeriesCopyright, Fair Use, ParodyOn April 24, 2012, SDCF hosted entertainment attorney Neil Rosini, of Franklin, Weinrib, Vassallo, and Rudell, to speak about how artists can use existing work to create new work without infringing on copyright. Rosini paints a clear picture of the nature of rights under copyright. He covers reproduction, adaptation, distribution, public performance, and public display. Other topics include the infringement of copyright and the fair use defense. Rosini also covers how to test for transformativeness when working on parody. This conversation provides a thorough overview of the in's and out's of copyright law. (Mr. Rosini wishes to note that the references...
2014-04-041h 27SDCF Podcast SeriesOne-on-One Conversation with Elizabeth LeCompte and Young Jean LeeOn Saturday, May 19, 2012, Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation (SDCF) hosted a One-on-One Conversation at Playwrights Horizons' Peter Jay Sharp Theater with award-winning theatre makers Elizabeth LeCompte, Founding Member and Director of The Wooster Group, and Young Jean Lee, Artistic Director of Young Jean Lee's Theater Company. Moderated by Kristin Marting, Co-Founder/Artistic Director of HERE, these two highly accomplished, adventurous theatre artists talk about how they build their visionary works, the controversies they create, gender issues, critical response to their work, how they view failure, and why they believe their companies continue to thrive in the downtown, experimental theatre sc...
2014-04-041h 14SDCF Podcast SeriesAdaptation RightsOn April 2, 2012, SDCF invited entertainment attorney Elliot Brown to speak about securing theatrical adaptation rights with SDCF Producing Director Ellen Rusconi. Brown gives animated examples of when adaptation rights are and are not necessary. He sheds light on how to start the process of engaging an attorney when interested in creating a piece of theater from an article, book, or film and he walks through what the concerns are of the rights-holder. Brown also speaks about standard arrangements, translation, and public domain. This is an engaging dialogue about the do's and don'ts of adaptation. Originally recorded - April 2, 2012. Running Tim...
2014-04-041h 13SDCF Podcast SeriesOne-on-One Conversation with Taylor Mac and Lee BreuerOn May 14, 2012, SDCF hosted a One-on-One conversation at the Axis Theatre Company in New York between theatre artists Lee Breuer and Taylor Mac, hybrid theatre artists of limitless imagination and inventiveness working mostly in experimental theatre both nationally and internationally, moderated by Mark Russell, Artistic Director and Producer of the Under the Radar Festival produced by The Public Theater. These artists, who work in multiple disciplines, discuss gaining power through their individuality and originality and identify those singular artists and companies from the past, most notably Charles Ludlam and The Ridiculous Theatre, whose work has inspired and influenced their...
2014-04-041h 22SDCF Podcast SeriesOne-on-One Conversation with Walter Bobbie and Sam GoldOn April 30, 2012, SDCF hosted a One-on-One conversation between Walter Bobbie and Sam Gold moderated by John Clinton Eisner. They discuss their shared background in performance and respective discoveries that they are better suited for directing. Bobbie shares his career trajectory and the strategic choices he made in order to become the artist he wants to be. Gold speaks about building a New York based career and how the turning point in his career came so quickly. Both directors go into great detail about how they find collaborators, how to give notes to a director, and the generous professionals who helpe...
2014-04-041h 21SDCF Podcast Series2003 Symposium: Keynote by Scott Elliott2003 Symposium: Keynote by Scott Elliott: At its 2003 Symposium SDCF invited Scott Elliott, freelance director and Artistic Director of The New Group, to give a keynote speech on directing in multiple mediums, running a theatre company, and life as an artist. SDC Observer of Scott Elliott, Mark Robinson, moderated the talk. Topics include why Elliott shifted from performing to directing, how New Group got its start, the evolution of work done at New Group, what he looks for when hiring a director, working with independent vs. commercial producers, and process. This thought-provoking conversation covers the diverse aspects of artistic leadership. Ori...
2014-04-041h 10SDCF Podcast Series2003 Symposium on Musical Theatre: New MusicalsSDCF hosted a Symposium on Musical Theatre in 2003 moderated by Daniella Topol, then the National Alliance Musical Theatre's New Works Program Director. The panel featured Urinetown director John Rando, then Artistic Director of Musical Theatre Works Thomas Cott, then Artistic Director of North Shore Music Theatre Jon Kimbell, General Manager Nancy Gibbs, Choreographer of Zanna, Don't! Devanand Janki, and Director Gabriel Barre. The panel discussed how new musicals are developed and ways institutions and artists can work together to foster the future of musical theatre. Each member provides a different perspective on new musicals and their life in New York to...
2014-04-0457 minSDCF Podcast Series2010 DCN: Directors Programs Applications2010 DCN: Directors Programs Applications: At its October 2010 Director-Choreographer-Network, SDC Director of Member Services Barbara Wolkoff moderated a panel featuring SDCF's Director of Foundation Ellen Rusconi, Theatre Communications Group's Director of Artistic Programs Emilya Cachapero, and The Drama League's Artistic Director Roger Danforth. Topics cover programs offered, what constitutes a successful candidate and application, interview tips, plus insider advice from previous program applicants who were awarded the opportunity. This conversation is an exciting and clear look into a successful application process. Originally recorded - October 26, 2010. Running Time - 1:22:21 © 2010 SDCF
2014-04-041h 22SDCF Podcast Series2011 Emerging Artists Symposium: Opportunities2011 Emerging Artists Symposium: Opportunities: At its 2011 Emerging Artists Symposium, SDCF hosted a panel moderated by Ellen Rusconi and featuring Ars Nova's Artistic Director Jason Eagen, Manhattan Theatre Club's Artistic Line Producer Lisa McNulty, Playwrights Horizons' Artistic Staff Associate Briel Steinberg, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council's Program Manager Haowen Wang, and Brooklyn Arts Council's Regrant Director Ethany Uttech. The discussion centers on various opportunities for emerging directors and choreographers in New York City. The opportunities covered include grants, internships, assistantships, residencies, and festivals. Each panel member discussed in detail how emerging artists can get involved with their institution, interview tips, information sessio...
2014-04-0443 minSDCF Podcast Series2011 Emerging Artists Symposium: Get Your Work OnAt its 2011 Emerging Artists Symposium, SDCF hosted a panel moderated by Ellen Rusconi and featuring established freelance theater artists Jeremy Dobrish, Sarah Maxfield, Daniel Talbott, and Wendy Seyb. Topics cover the career trajectories of these established freelance artists from start to the current moment, the term "emerging" versus "established" artist, how they got jobs at the start of their career vs. how they get jobs now, agents, what constitutes a successful collaboration, and everyday steps early career artists can take to further their career. This conversation is an inspiring window into how to get started and sustain a career as a...
2014-04-0459 minSDCF Podcast SeriesOne-on-One Conversation with David Cromer and Michael HalberstamIn May 2011 SDCF hosted a One on One Conversation with freelance director David Cromer and Artistic Director of Writers' Theater Michael Halberstam. The conversation covers how they come to their projects, previews and reviews, the danger of facing no obstacles in a process, and their artistic approach. Michael and David shed light on collaboration, the role of director and artistic director, new work vs. classics, and the differences between theatre in Chicago and theatre in New York City. This lively discussion between two good friends, who often collaborate, provides an honest look at creative methods and artistic leadership. Originally rec...
2014-04-041h 26SDCF Podcast Series2003 Symposium: Moving Work2003 Symposium: Moving Work: In 2003, SDCF hosted a panel moderated by Karen Azenberg featuring choreographers Hope Clarke, Devanand Janki, and Peter Pucci. The discussion centers on where work for choreographers is expanding. Topics cover ways in which choreographers work with actors and directors, how process and style vary for operas, musicals, and plays, and methods for breaking career boundaries from concert dance to theatre. This conversation sheds exciting light on the blending of performance genres and thus the increasing number of opportunities available for working artists. Originally recorded - June 1, 2003. Running Time - 57:50 © 2003 SDCF
2014-04-0458 minSDCF Podcast Series2003 Symposium: Digital MediaAt its 2003 Symposium, SDCF hosted a panel moderated by Arthur Bartowand featuring playwright Steve Drukman, director Fritz Ertl, producer Chris Jaehnig, tech designer Tom Igoe, and stage manager Megan Bezdek. The discussion centers on the role of digital media in the developmental and production process on a commissioned play by Steve Druckman for the NYU Undergraduate Mainstage titled Youth in Asia. Topics covered the genesis of the project, the development process for a digital media heavy production, editing film to play simultaneously with live performance, production equipment, build, and management. This conversation provides an informative exploration into the intersection of the...
2014-04-041h 14SDCF Podcast Series2003 Symposium: Adventurous Producers2003 Symposium: Adventurous Producers: At its 2003 Directing Symposium, SDCF hosted a panel moderated by Rubén Polendo and featuring producer Jordan Roth (The Rocky Horror Show, The Donkey Show), Artistic Director Jim Nicola (New York Theatre Workshop), and former artistic director and current director Michael Greif (Rent). The discussion centers on the role of the producer in modern American theater. Topics covered include how to determine what projects are the right fit for the different producing models (commercial, not-for-profit, and regional), the involvement of the producer as a collaborator in the artistic process, trends in the theater, and what audiences are lookin...
2014-04-041h 13SDCF Podcast Series2003 Symposium: New Writers, New Worlds2003 Symposium: New Writers, New Worlds: At its 2003 Directing Symposium, SDCF hosted a panel moderated by Mary Catherine Burke and featuring directors Christopher Ashley, Jo Bonney, Susan Einhorn, Leah Gardiner, David Warren and Les Waters and playwrights Jorge Cortiñas and David Henry Hwang to discuss expanding diversity among writers, directors and subject matter of new plays. The discussion encompasses the artist's responsibility to creating diversity in theater, the producer's responsibility to take on diverse projects, and the difficulty of taking pieces out of development and into production in commercial or not-for-profit venues. The panelists aim to answer the question of how we...
2014-04-041h 15SDCF Podcast Series2003 Symposium: Designing2003 Symposium: Designing Outside the Box: At its 2003 Directing Symposium, SDCF hosted a panel featuring the design team from Theater Mitu: Artistic Director Ruben Polendo, composer and shadow mask designer Jef Evans, costume, mask and puppet designer Miranda Hoffman, lighting designer Ryan Mueller and set designer, puppet designer and choreographer Scott Spahr. The discussion centers around Theater Mitu's methodology, in which they investigate a theatrical vocabulary through myth and tradition using a company of artists who participate in many different aspects of the process. A few of the many topics include the blurry lines between design worlds, the vocabulary of desig...
2014-04-041h 20SDCF Podcast Series2003 Symposium: The Director Choreographer Relationship2002 Symposium: The Director Choreographer Relationship: At its 2002 Musical Theatre Symposium, SDCF hosted a panel moderated by SDC Executive Director Barbara Hauptman featuring directors David Warren, Christopher Ashley, Gabriel Barre, Jeff Calhoun, Mary B. Robinson, choreographers Daniel Pelzig and Joey McKneely and director/choreographers Rob Ashford and Karen Azenberg to discuss the director/choreographer relationship. Topics include the genesis of partnerships, the blurry line between dance and staging and the involvement of the choreographer in the movement throughout the production, and what it means to be a director/choreographer, among many others. Listen to this lively conversation for an in-depth look at this in...
2014-04-041h 27SDCF Podcast SeriesMagic to Do: The Writer Director RelationshipAt its 2002 Musical Theatre Symposium, SDCF hosted a panel on the writer-director relationship featuring Urinetown composer/lyricist Greg Kotis, The Wild Party composer Andrew Lippa and director Gabriel Barre, Violet composer Jeanine Tesori, bookwriter/lyricist Brian Crawley and director Susan H. Schulman, Side Show director Robert Longbottom, Jelly's Last Jam lyricist Susan Birkenhead, and tick, tick...BOOM! and Bat Boy director Scott Schwartz, moderated by Manhattan Theatre Club Musical Theatre Program director Clifford Lee Johnson. The panelists discuss the formation of their writer-director relationship on each of these shows: how the initial connection and trust happened, the barriers they had to overcome, and wo...
2014-04-031h 25SDCF Podcast SeriesSelf-Produced WorkSelf-Produced Work: In February 2011, SDCF Associate Director Ellen Rusconi moderated a Director/Choreographer Network roundtable discussion with The Civilians Artistic Director Steve Cosson and PearlDamour's Katie Pearl on producing one's own work as a director. The two directors offer contrasting experiences of developing their companies, from the structural basis of the Civilians to the organic beginnings of PearlDamour. Both discuss the meaning of stability in the artistic and financial lives of their companies, from finding funding to the initiation of projects. Other topics include New York City versus regional productions, touring, networking, and creating long-term relationships and community to sust...
2014-04-031h 16SDCF Podcast Series2002 Symposium: Getting Hired2002 Symposium: Getting Hired: At its 2002 Musical Theatre Symposium, SDCF hosted a panel featuring Todd Haimes (Artistic Director, Roundabout Theatre Company), Marty Bell (Producer, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Ragtime), Sue Frost (Associate Producer, Goodspeed Musicals), Michael Rego (Associate Producer, Urinetown), Robert Johanson (Artistic Director, Paper Mill Playhouse),David Warren (Director, Summer and Smoke) and Elizabeth Williams (Producer, Crazy For You) to discuss how directors and choreographers get hired and how, once hired, they can forge a relationship with a producer. Topics include commercial vs. not-for-profit hiring processes, career development opportunities for directors and the role of an assistant director. This conversati...
2014-04-0357 minSDCF Podcast SeriesOne-on-One Conversation with Tony Taccone and Ellen RusconiOn January 17, 2011, SDCF hosted its third One-on-One Conversation of the 2010-2011 season at in the Beckett Theatre at Theatre Row with Berkeley Repertory Theatre Artistic Director Tony Taccone, moderated by SDCF Associate Director Ellen Rusconi. Mr. Taccone discusses his journey from discovering theatre through "happenings" in during college in the 1960s to his most recent foray into writing a play, including his experiences running the Eureka Theater started by Robert Woodruff and eventually becoming Artistic Director of Berkeley Rep. Anecdotes include discovering Tony Kushner and the original production of Angels in America, the burning down of the Eureka and wo...
2014-04-031h 16SDCF Podcast SeriesOne-on-One Conversation with Rob Ashford and Michael GrandageOn December 18, 2010, SDCF hosted their second One-on-One Conversation of the 2010-2011 season in the Beckett Theatre at Theatre Row with Donmar Warehouse Artistic Director Michael Grandage (Red, Hamlet) and Broadway Director/Choreographer Rob Ashford (How To Succeed In Business..., Promises, Promises) and moderated by SDCF Executive Director Laura Penn. The two directors discuss their trajectories from small town upbringings to the big city and from performing careers to directing. Other topics include the story of their professional relationship with each other, their rehearsal processes from first day to opening night and their views on mentorship. Full of humorous anecdotes, this c...
2014-04-021h 08SDCF Podcast SeriesOne-on-One Conversation with Anne Kauffman and Jonathan MosconeOn November 14, 2010, SDCF hosted their first One-on-One Conversation of the 2010-2011 season at Atlantic Theatre Studios with 2009 Fichandler Award winner Jonathan Moscone (Artistic Director, California Shakespeare Theatre) and 2010 Alan Schneider Award winner Anne Kauffman (Obie Award, The Thugs) and moderated by SDCF Executive Director Laura Penn. The two directors discuss their career paths and the many mentors and forms of mentorship they encountered along the way, including directing professor Michael Hackett and artistic directors Joe Papp, Richard Hamburger (Dallas Theater Center) and Irene Lewis (Baltimore Centerstage). Other topics include directing regionally as a freelance director and as an artistic direc...
2014-04-021h 20SDCF Podcast SeriesStage Direction, Chicago StyleStage Direction, Chicago Style: On October 18, 2010, SDCF hosted a sixty-minute discussion on Stage Direction, Chicago Style at Steppenwolf Theatre moderated by Sheldon Patinkin and featuring panelists Seth Bockley, Timothy Douglas, Gary Griffin, Kimberly Senior and Dennis Zacek. The panel discusses Chicago's actor-based process, from actor-based companies such as Lookingglass to the exploratory rehearsal process embraced by Chicago directors. Topics include the influence of Second City, the dynamic system of mentorship amongst Chicago directors and the sense that in Chicago one is "allowed to fail." This conversation gives an inspiring look at one of the country's great theatre cities and the valu...
2014-04-021h 25SDCF Podcast Series2002 Symposium: Directing Revivals2002 Symposium: Directing Revivals: At its 2002 Musical Theatre Symposium, SDCF hosted a panel on directing revivals featuring director/choreographers Jeff Calhoun (Big River 2003 Revival), Robert Longbottom (Flower Drum Song 2002 Revival) and Susan Schulman (Sweeney Todd 1989 Revival) and moderated by Victoria Traube. The panelists discuss how directing revivals is different and how it is the same as directing new work, particularly focusing on the relationship with composers, lyricists and bookwriters who are still alive and around to see their work revived. The conversation features in depth stories about the creative processes for Flower Drum Song, Grease, Sweeney Todd and the Deaf West revival...
2014-04-021h 14SDCF Podcast SeriesOne-on-One Conversation with Arthur Penn and David DiamondIn 2002, Arthur Penn sat down for a One-on-One conversation with SDCF Executive Director David Diamond to discuss his triple-threat career in theatre, television and film. He tells the story of his launch into theatre from the army, followed by an early career in TV and the Actors Studio. He talks about his relationship with Bill Gibson which launched two of his biggest successes: The Miracle Worker and Two for the Seesaw, and shares humorous anecdotes about working with Lillian Hellman, Sammy Davis, Jr., George C. Scott, Henry Fonda and the geneses of The Golden Boy, Wait Until Dark, Sly Fox and...
2014-04-021h 19SDCF Podcast SeriesManaging Your CareerIn 1999, SDCF held a panel on Managing Your Career featuring panelists Steve Bolerjack, Leigh Giroux, Noah Kimerling, Brett Singer and Ross Wisdom to discuss their various areas of expertise - accounting and taxes, legal issues, and publicity - and how to apply their knowledge to better run the business of your artistic career so that you can grow and develop your professional life. These noted industry professionals share their approaches and answer questions regarding topics as varied as the Home Office Rule, Copyright Law, "backgrounders", freelance income and staff income. Throughout the conversation, you learn about approaches to public re...
2014-04-021h 28SDCF Podcast SeriesOne-on-One Conversation with Marshall Mason and Lanford WilsonFor decades, Marshall Mason and Lanford Wilson have been seminal figures in the theatre industry. Their artistic partnership spans nearly forty years and is recognized as being among the most enduring in the American Theatre. Their work together - from Balm in Gilead to the more recent Book of Days - stands as some of the most beloved in the American canon. In 2002, New York's Signature Theatre devoted its entire season to the plays of Lanford Wilson, including the New York City premiere of Book of Days which was directed by Mason. On the eve of that premiere, the SDCF was p...
2014-04-021h 26SDCF Podcast SeriesMing Cho Lee on ShakespeareMing Cho Lee: World renowned designer for the stage Ming Cho Lee spoke to a crowd of early career directors and choreographers in April of 1999 at SDCF's annual Symposium. The focus of this discussion was working with Shakespeare, and in this ninety minute address Ming explains why he will go anywhere to work on the Bard's cannon. With wit and humor he tailors his remarks to fit his audience, explaining how he communicates with directors. He speaks of his love of teaching, and of why the basis for his first-year design course at Yale is a foundation in directing. Mi...
2014-04-021h 01SDCF Podcast SeriesHoward DaSilva and Albert DrakeHoward DaSilva and Alfred Drake: Beginning in January 1985, SDCF held a series of interviews with Actors Who Direct in order to explore with live audiences of theatre enthusiasts, professional theatre artists, and SDC Members and guests the processes, experiences and craft of this brand of professional artistic hybrid. In the first installment of this series, moderator Ike Shambelan met with Alfred Drakeand Howard Da Silva for a discussion about these very issues at New Dramatists. Da Silva and Drake shared a malleable professional relationship, both as cast mates and taking turns directing each other professionally. To get to the bot...
2014-04-011h 27SDCF Podcast SeriesJoe Dowling, 2000 InterviewIn January of 2000, Joe Dowling met with SDC Members and guests at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre to discuss his career in the classics. It is a career that began long before his appointment as Artistic Director at Minneapolis' Guthrie Theatre in 1995, and even before becoming the Artistic Director of Ireland's National Theatre, the Abbey, at the age of 27. As family legend goes, his first artistic note to an actor was at the age of three, and it was instant recognition that he would spend his life on stage. In this interview with former SDCF Executive Director, David Diamond, Joe Dowling tr...
2014-04-011h 29SDCF Podcast SeriesHarold Prince, 2002 Directing SymposiumHarold Prince: In 2002, theatre icon Harold Prince gave the opening remarks to a packed house of esteemed theatre artists, professional directors and choreographers, and aspiring early-career post graduates at SDCF's annual Directing Symposium. The focus of Mr. Prince's address, as well as the focus of the weekend's series of panel discussions and lectures, was "Creating the American Musical". Throughout this ninety minute discussion 'Hal' embodies the ideal of the venerable Broadway veteran, lauding the importance of practical experience and mentorship to personal artistic development while enlightening the audience with stories from his early career. He speaks of his mentor...
2014-04-011h 19SDCF Podcast SeriesGene Saks, 1987 InterviewGene Saks: In January of 1987, SDCF brought one of Broadway's most beloved directors to New Dramatists for a conversation about comedy. Collaborators are quoted as saying "I would like to be surgically attached to his hip" and "I wouldn't mind if I never worked with another director again". In this 90 minute interview, you'll learn how Tony Award winner Gene Saks has engineered a career as one the most respected directors in American theatre. He is known for his understanding and protection of the actor's process, stemming from years as a performer on Broadway. Moreover, he is known for the...
2014-04-011h 10SDCF Podcast SeriesAustin Pendleton, 1999 InterviewAustin Pendleton: Renowned stage and film actor and Tony nominated stage director Austin Pendleton made time for an interview in April of 1999 with former SDCF Executive Director David Diamond. This 90 minute discussion features the always candid Pendleton discussing his life in the theatre. The conversation begins with an explanation of his origins in directing. From his 1st experience directing his mother in a community theatre production of The Glass Menagerie in his hometown of Warren, Ohio to a successful production of Tartuffe at the Williamstown Theatre Festival which landed him on Broadway, he recounts the steps which led him to de...
2014-04-011h 30SDCF Podcast SeriesJerry Zaks on Directing ComedyJerry Zaks: Just two months after the opening of his Tony Award winning production of The House of Blue Leaves, Director Jerry Zaks spoke to a packed house at Westside Arts Theater in the first installment of SDCF's three part "Directing for Comedy" lecture series, in July of 1986. One of America's greatest Directors of comedy opens up his process for the audience, taking us step by step from his first read of a script through the perils of keeping comedy fresh over a prolonged run of a show. He expresses his affinity for what he calls "crafted comedy", or mo...
2014-04-011h 30SDCF Podcast SeriesRichard Foreman and Wilford Leach on CollaborationRichard Foreman and Wilford Leach: SDCF's James Furlong sat down with two preeminent stage directors who also design, Richard Foreman and Wilford Leach, for a 90 minute discussion about navigating the often contentious relationship of collaboration. Sharing similar origins, both Foreman and Leach discuss how their affinity for designing sets came from a "do it yourself" mentality which developed from an early necessity of their productions. As they grew as artists the two began practicing different philosophies of design and collaboration; Leach crafting a set from the center outward to ensure it fits into any touring venue, while Foreman moves fro...
2014-04-011h 13SDCF Podcast SeriesGeraldine Fitzgerald and John HousemanAt St. Mary's Church in Manhattan on September 19, 1986 SDCF hosted the second installation in a series of interviews with "Actors Who Direct". This interview moderated by Ike Schambelan, features a discussion with the magnificent directors/ performers/educators Geraldine Fitzgerald and John Houseman. The focus of the talk is a simple one - good directors. Fitzgerald and Houseman lead the audience on a survey of the craft of directing. Throughout two 40+ year careers in stage and screen, these two worked with a veritable who's who of film and theatrical directors including Ciulei, Kazan, Reinhardt, Stanislavsky, Wells and Wyler; In this int...
2014-04-011h 19SDCF Podcast SeriesEllen StewartEllen Stewart: Off-Off Broadway pioneer Ellen Stewart gave a candid interview to SDCF Executive Director David Diamond for a packed audience of theatre artists at ArtsConnection on June 13, 1994. The central focus of the interview is her founding and continued artistic leadership of La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club. She begins at the beginning, explaining the origins of the institution and the impetus behind its creation. Ms. Stewart reminisces on her early funding efforts for the company - by selling her fashion designs on Fifth Avenue as the first African American designer to work for Saks. She covers the struggle to prod...
2014-04-011h 17SDCF Podcast SeriesGillian LynneGillian Lynne: On February 4, 1996 the Drama League Directors Project co-hosted with SDCF a moderated discussion between Director/Choreographer Gillian Lynne and musical Director/Arranger Marvin Laird. In this candid discussion of Gillian's life in the theatre - the prolific dancer, choreographer, director of musicals and straight plays speaks of the mentors who helped her develop her comprehensive "theatrical vocabulary". She demystifies the true genesis of Cats, explaining that her participation began over a glass of wine with Andrew Lloyd Webber. She discusses how that musical changed the way actors would be trained in the UK, for the better. She cove...
2014-04-011h 18SDCF Podcast SeriesRon Lagomarsino on Directing ComedyRon Lagomarsino: Fresh off of the successful opening of Driving Miss Daisy starring Dana Ivey and Morgan Freeman, Director Ron Lagomarsino sat down with SDCF's Steve Kaplan in January of 1988 to discuss directing comedy for the stage. In this, the third installation in a series of three interviews devoted to the topic, the listener will notice similarities in the directorial philosophies of these comedic helmers. (Other series interviews include directors Gene Saks and Jerry Zaks - available on Masters of the Stage at a future date or by request from SDC Foundation). Mr. Lagomarsino discusses what he looks for from...
2014-04-011h 14SDCF Podcast SeriesRichard ForemanRichard Foreman: Professor/Playwright Steven Drukman sat down with theatre artist Richard Foreman in April of 1997 at Artsconnection to discuss theatrical innovation in an interview co-sponsored by SDCF and the Drama League Directors Project. Foreman illuminates an early career of set design as a teenager in Westchester, NY; as an actor at Brown University; as a playwright at Yale. He confides that his origins as a director stem from an unwillingness of his contemporaries to direct his pieces. Drukman questions the reasoning behind the geometric, psychologically-charged staging of his earlier minimalist works in New York and his progression to...
2014-04-011h 23SDCF Podcast SeriesDirecting O'NeillOn April 27, 1986 frequent SDCF interviewer and legendary acting coach Ada Brown Mather sat down with director Sir Jonathan Miller to discuss Eugene O'Neill's work one day before his revival of Long Day's Journey Into Night opened on Broadway. In this conversation Sir Miller covers his career as a performer, his recommitment to working in the theatre despite a career as a doctor, his affinity for directing opera, the accidental manner in which he accepted the position as director on Long Day's Journey and how he tackles working on such a seminal piece of American theatre. Originally recorded - April 27, 1986. Running...
2014-04-011h 29SDCF Podcast SeriesOne-on-One Conversation with Jack O'Brien and John RandoIn December of 2001, renowned director Jack O'Brien was interviewed by his former protégé, John Rando, as part of SDCF's One-on-One conversation series. In this 30-minute session Rando and O'Brien span the gamut of Jack's considerable artistic abilities. Jack O'Brien candidly and eloquently covers everything from his sense of competition and his love of discovery, to his artistic process, love of collaboration and management on the Old Globe theatre. Originally recorded - December 1, 2001. Running Time - 32:07 ©2001 SDCF
2014-04-0131 minSDCF Podcast SeriesOne-on-One Conversation with Susan Stroman and Charles RepoleSusan Stroman: In June of 2000, just days after winning two Tony Awards for her spectacular work on the record-breaking hit, The Producers, in between her rehearsals for the national tour of Contact and the development of her new musical Thou Shalt Not, Susan Stroman took time out of her busy schedule to participate in SDCF's acclaimed One-on-One conversations series. Ms. Stroman was interviewed by her colleague and friend, Charles Repole, before a sold-out crowd. Together they discussed the genesis of Ms. Stroman's work, the foundation of her craft and the expert use of comedy in her work. Originally recorded - June...
2014-04-011h 29SDCF Podcast SeriesGene Saks and Jerry Zaks on Directing ComedyGene Saks and Jerry Zaks: As part of the SDCF's Directing Comedy: A Serious Business symposium in April of 2000, the Foundation was privileged to host two master directors of comic plays and musicals for an in-depth discussion on the craft of directing comedy. Gene Saks and Jerry Zaks offered marvelous insights and expertise from their long and illustrious careers. This discussion features commentary on the stars with whom they've worked, collaboration with their favorite playwrights and what it takes to get a laugh. Originally recorded - April 6, 2000. Running Time - 1:31:03 ©2000 SDCF
2014-04-011h 30SDCF Podcast SeriesOne-on-One Conversation with Mark Lamos and SDCFIn June of 2000, Hartford Stage's longtime Artistic Director Mark Lamos sat down with the SDCF for a One-on-One interview. In this conversation Lamos speaks candidly about a recent production of Edward II for A.C.T, his early career and his tenure at Hartford Stage, and the art and craft of directing for opera. Originally recorded - June 14, 2000. Running Time - 1:32:06 ©2000 SDCF
2014-04-011h 32
ATW - SDCF Masters of the StageStaging Revivals: Marcia Milgrom Dodge and Chet WalkerAt the SDCF 2013 Emerging Artist Symposium on Musicals on May 20, 2013, internationally-acclaimed director/choreographers Chet Walker and Marcia Milgrom Dodge shared their expertise of applying a fresh perspective to the revival of a musical subsequent to an iconic production.
2013-10-2300 minATW - SDCF Masters of the StageOn collaboration: Marshall MasonAt the SDCF 2013 Emerging Artist Symposium on Plays on June 17, 2013, SDCF hosted legendary director Marshall Mason to speak about his extraordinary collaboration with Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lanford Wilson and his approach to working with actors.
2013-10-1700 minATW - SDCF Masters of the StageMarianne Weems And Erica Laird: Directing With Technology and MultimediaAt its 2013 Symposium on Plays, Marianne Weems and Erica Laird of The Builders Association spoke with SDCF Producing Director Ellen Rusconi about the process of creating theatre with heavy use of multi-media elements. Listen as they share the intricacies involved in rehearsing and maintaining a piece when working with both human and non-human counterparts and how to fuse the two symbiotically to create a piece of holistic, organic art. These innovative theatre artists speak to a director’s responsibility when dealing with these mediums and identifying the financial and professional requirements of mounting and sustaining such a visionary art form.
2013-10-0300 minATW - SDCF Masters of the StageDirecting and Choreographing New Musicals: Dan KnechtgesAt its 2013 Emerging Artist Symposium on Musicals, SDCF hosted Tony-nominated Dan Knechtges ("Lysistrata Jones," "Xanadu," "Spelling Bee") in conversation with Producing Director Ellen Rusconi on his experiences directing and choreographing new musicals. From his theatre experiences while growing up in Cleveland to his transition from performer to director/choreographer, this discussion - peppered with a dash of humor, sentiment, and survival jobs - examines Dan’s process of learning to create musical theatre and launching a career. The conversation explores key tactics when working with stage managers and writers, time management when developing a new work, and elevating taste in th...
2013-09-2600 minATW - SDCF Masters of the StageDiscovering Talent and New Work: Robyn GoodmanAt its 2013 Emerging Artist Symposium on Musicals, Robyn Goodman, Commercial Producer and Founder of Second Stage Theatre, spoke with SDCF Producing Director Ellen Rusconi about discovering talent and developing new work in today's dynamic theatre climate. Goodman ("Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella," "Avenue Q," "In the Heights," "Altar Boyz") infuses her perspective as an actor turned producer with a well-rounded view of a production from page to stage and everything in between. Listen as she offers insight on keeping up with trending audience interest and younger sensibilities, procuring a strong design team, giving a memorable interview, and recognizing commercial viability in...
2013-09-1100 minATW - SDCF Masters of the StageTheatre for Social ChangeAt SDCF on December 17, 2012, SDCF hosted a discussion of Theatre for Social Change with guests Erik Ehn and Kamilah Forbes moderated by SDCF Producing Director Ellen Rusconi. Listen in as they discuss their experience in creating theatre to explore social issues and communal events and in founding producing organizations to further this work.
2013-02-0700 minATW - SDCF Masters of the StageCareer TransitionsOn November 20, 1996, SDCF in partnership with The Drama League explored the subject of Career Transitions with a panel of four Directors and Choreographers - Seth Barrish, Kathleen Marshall, Richard Sabellico, and Marlies Yearby - who had recently reached a new point in career. Listen to this discussion to discover how their transitions came about, the experiences and encounters that led these artists to new opportunities on projects with higher profiles, and the challenges to process that come with working on a larger platform. This honest and informative conversation, led by David Diamond of SDCF and Roger Danforth of the The...
2012-11-0800 minATW - SDCF Masters of the StageAdaptation RightsOn April 2, 2012, SDCF invited entertainment attorney Elliot Brown to speak about securing theatrical adaptation rights with SDCF Producing Director Ellen Rusconi. Brown gives animated examples of when adaptation rights are and are not necessary. He sheds light on how to start the process of engaging an attorney when interested in creating a piece of theater from an article, book, or film and he walks through what the concerns are of the rights-holder. Brown also speaks about standard arrangements, translation, and public domain. This is an engaging dialogue about the do's and don'ts of adaptation.
2012-06-1500 minATW - SDCF Masters of the StageTony TacconeOn January 17, 2011, SDCF hosted its third One-on-One Conversation of the 2010-2011 season at in the Beckett Theatre at Theatre Row with Berkeley Repertory Theatre Artistic Director Tony Taccone, moderated by SDCF Associate Director Ellen Rusconi. Mr. Taccone discusses his journey from discovering theatre through "happenings" in during college in the 1960s to his most recent foray into writing a play, including his experiences running the Eureka Theater started by Robert Woodruff and eventually becoming Artistic Director of Berkeley Rep. Anecdotes include discovering Tony Kushner and the original production of "Angels in America", the burning down of the Eureka and working...
2011-03-1000 minATW - SDCF Masters of the StageRob Ashford and Michael GrandageOn December 18, 2010, SDCF hosted their second One-on-One Conversation of the 2010-2011 season in the Beckett Theatre at Theatre Row with Donmar Warehouse Artistic Director Michael Grandage ("Red", "Hamlet") and Broadway Director/Choreographer Rob Ashford ("How To Succeed In Business...", "Promises, Promises") and moderated by SDCF Executive Director Laura Penn. The two directors discuss their trajectories from small town upbringings to the big city and from performing careers to directing. Other topics include the story of their professional relationship with each other, their rehearsal processes from first day to opening night and their views on mentorship. Full of humorous anecdotes, this...
2011-02-2400 minATW - SDCF Masters of the StageAnne Kauffman and Jonathan MosconeOn November 14, 2010, SDCF hosted their first One-on-One Conversation of the 2010-2011 season at Atlantic Theatre Studios with 2009 Fichandler Award winner Jonathan Moscone (Artistic Director, California Shakespeare Theatre) and 2010 Alan Schneider Award winner Anne Kauffman (Obie Award, "The Thugs") and moderated by SDCF Executive Director Laura Penn. The two directors discuss their career paths and the many mentors and forms of mentorship they encountered along the way, including directing professor Michael Hackett and artistic directors Joe Papp, Richard Hamburger (Dallas Theater Center) and Irene Lewis (Baltimore Centerstage). Other topics include directing regionally as a freelance director and as an artistic director...
2011-02-1000 min