ATW - Downstage Center

Pulitzer Prize-winner Marsha Norman compares the gathering and rituals shared by theatre and houses of worship; explains why she could never have written "'night Mother" now that she's had children; talks about her specific goals in crafting the lyrics for "Lily's Eyes" in "The Secret Garden"; considers whether playwriting has actual rules and can be taught; and compares the story of "The Color Purple" to the classic tale of Cinderella. Original air date - October 20, 2006.

With her autobiography "Time Step" now in bookstores, Donna McKechnie reminisces about coming to New York in the late 50s with dreams of being a ballet star; her first Broadway show, "How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying", with choreographer Bob Fosse and dance captain Gwen Verdon; being part of the ensemble of the groundbreaking "Company", and the process that led to her Tony-winning role as Cassie in the original "A Chorus Line". Original air date - October 13, 2006.

Activist-author-actress Eve Ensler discusses her newest work, "The Treatment", part of the Impact Festival at The Culture Project in New York, and the place of political theatre in today's America; recalls the phenomenal success of her signature work, "The Vagina Monologues"; talks about the experience of leading a writing group at the Bedford Hills Correctional Center for Women; and shares her excitement over the publication of her first book, "At Last: Losing It in a Security Obsessed World". Original air date - October 6, 2006.

Renaissance man Simon Callow talks about "Hello Americans", the second book in his multi-volume biography of Orson Welles and his ongoing inquiry into Welles' life; explains how writing was his first passion, long before he began acting; considers how his manifesto against a director-driven theatre in his book "Being an Actor" has been tempered since he began directing himself; and recalls the experience of creating the role of Mozart in "Amadeus" opposite the legendary Paul Scofield. Original air date - September 29, 2006.

With a national tour of the classic jury room drama "12 Angry Men" about to embark on a national tour, stars from the original company -- Boyd Gaines and Philip Bosco -- talk about recreating the overheated atmosphere of Reginald Rose's much adapted drama for its Broadway debut. Original air date - January 28, 2005.

New York Musical Theatre Festival founders Kris Stewart and Isaac Robert Hurwitz talk about the original impulse to start the festival and place it in the context of New York City's other theatrical festivals, explain their producing process and the different categories of participating shows, and consider the effect of Manhattan media attention on their musicals which are, so often, at the beginning of their stage lives. Original air date - September 15, 2006.

The challenging business decisions that decide whether you get to hear your favorite musicals on CD is the topic of a roundtable discussion with three experts in the field of cast album recording: Kurt Deutsch of Sh-K-Boom & Ghostlight Records, Brian Drutman of Decca/Universal, and Bill Rosenfield, consultant to RCA-BMG. Original air date - December 24, 2004.

With the world's longest-running musical, "The Fantasticks", back on stage in New York after a short hiatus, author Tom Jones recounts the time-honored tale of how he and Harvey Schmidt created this theatrical legend; reflects on their subsequent ventures on Broadway, including the soon-to-be-revived "110 In The Shade"; and talks about the hubris that surrounded their creation of a theatrical development workshop, the Portfolio Studio, in the wake of the early successes. Original air date - September 8, 2006.

Eric Schaeffer, founder and artistic director of Virginia's Signature Theatre, discusses the company's growth and acclaim as a home for musical theatre in the Washington DC area; the company's impending move from their 136-garage space into a two-theatre state of the art facility; how he's developed relationships with theatre royalty like Stephen Sondheim and Cameron Mackintosh; his view on the rumored Broadway move of his Kennedy Center "Mame"; and why he's looking forward to revisiting the musical "The Witches Of Eastwick" in a theatre roughly 1/6th the size of its original London home. Original air date - September 1, 2006.

Tony Award-winning actor Ruben Santiago-Hudson talks about his responsibility as part of the fraternity of "August Wilson actors"; his desire to direct the complete 10-play Wilson cycle of plays, having begun with the two in which he appeared on Broadway ("Seven Guitars" and "Gem of the Ocean"); the experience of adapting his own life into "Lackawanna Blues" for both stage and television, and the challenges of producing work which portrays the diversity of African-American life and issues in film and on television. Original air date - August 25, 2006.

Hinton Battle, a three-time Tony winner for "Sophisticated Ladies", "The Tap Dance Kid" and "Miss Saigon", surveys his career from his Broadway debut at age 15 in "The Wiz" to a trio of new projects: choreographing the Outkast film "Idlewild", directing and choreographing a stage version of the "Evil Dead" movies, and appearing on screen in the much anticipated "Dreamgirls". Original air date - August 18, 2006.

The work of a theatre critic is explored with two of America's most-read theatre journalists: Michael Kuchwara> of the Associated Press and Charles Isherwood of Variety -- the latter just as it was announced he'd be joining the staff of the New York Times. Original air date - September 3, 2004.

John Selya and Ashley Tuttle, original cast members of the dance musical "Movin' Out", discuss the development of Twyla Tharp's unique show, the difference between classical dance and the requirements of this new musical, and the physical rigors of a life of dance. Original air date - July 23, 2004.

Director Mark Lamos explores his affinity for the W.A.S.P. world portrayed by playwright A.R. Gurney as he directs the world premiere of "Indian Blood" at New York's Primary Stages, and talks about his long tenure as artistic director of the Hartford Stage Company, the experience of free-lancing after nearly two decades at the helm of that company, and the differing challenges of directing theatre and opera. Original air date - August 11, 2006.

Before "Avenue Q"'s Tony Awards triumph, original cast members Stephanie D'Abruzzo and John Tartaglia chronicle the show's journey from workshop to Broadway, share their own paths to leading roles in an unlikely hit musical, and talk about their hopes that they'll be seen as actors -- separate from the puppets they bring to life. Original air date - May 14, 2004.