SDCF Podcast Series

2011 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 sessions at BAC & LMCC, and what makes a successful program participant. This conversation gives fantastic practical advice on how to get involved with great institutions as an emerging artist. Originally recorded - June 6, 2011. Running Time - 43:07 © 2011 SDCF

At 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 working artist. Originally recorded - June 6, 2011. Running Time - 59:16 © 2011 SDCF

In 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 recorded - May 7, 2011. Running Time - 1:26:36 © 2011 SDCF

This 2003 panel discussion includes artistic leaders Clinton Turner Davis, Diane Paulus, Sabrina Peck, Neil Pepe (Atlantic Theater Company),Scott Elliot (The New Group), and Tisa Chang (Pan Asian Repertory). The discussion centers on challenges and opportunities for artistic leaders. Topics cover how economics affect artistic choices, how to sustain a creatively fulfilling career, and projections on what issues the next wave of artistic leaders will face. This conversation gives stimulating insight into artistic leadership as it is now and where it is heading. Originally recorded - June 1, 2003. Running Time - 1:25:11 © 2003 SDCF

2003 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

At 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 theatre and digital media. Originally recorded - June 1, 2003. Running Time - 1:13:53 © 2003 SDCF

2003 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 looking for when they buy tickets to a show. This conversation helps to demystify the role of the producer for any aspiring theater professional or audience member and provides some terrific insight into how works are chosen to be produced. Originally recorded - June 1, 2003. Running Time - 1:13:03 © 2003 SDCF

2003 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 are working to change the demographics of theater, and what still needs to be done. The conversation provides an assortment of important perspectives on one of today's hot-button topics and is a reminder of the need for social, cultural and political diversity in the theatrical craft. Originally recorded - June 1, 2003. Running Time - 1:15:36 © 2003 SDCF

2003 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 design and sharing of ideas, and the relationships between designers and actors, and designers and the audience. This conversation provides a unique perspective on theatre-making that will inspire any artist or audience member! Originally recorded - June 1, 2003. Running Time - 1:20:24 © 2003 SDCF

2002 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 inspiring relationship told by ten masters of the craft. Originally recorded - June 1, 2002. Running Time - 1:26:40 © 2002 SDCF

At 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 working on an unfinished show with a living writer vs. one who has already passed. The conversation is followed by a lively Q&A session about new musical development programs, the director's role in the development of a musical and how to know when a relationship doesn't work. Filled with many humorous stories, this panel offers great insight into this vital relationship as told by some of today's top Broadway talent. Originally recorded - June 1, 2002. Running Time - 1:25:38 © 2002 SDCF

Self-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 sustain your work. Listen to this fascinating discussion to discover what is driving small theatre companies today and how they continue make art happen. Originally recorded - January 25, 2011. Running Time - 1:16:22 © 2011 SDCF

2002 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 conversation includes anecdotes from regional institutions and Broadway, valuable advice and a broad scope of the many paths for the emerging director or choreographer.Originally recorded - June 1, 2002. Running Time - 57:25 © 2002 SDCF

On 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 with Sarah Jones on Bridge and Tunnel. This conversation provides fascinating stories and unique insight into the artistic mind of a director on the forefront of American Theatre. Originally recorded - January 17, 2011. Running Time - 1:16:06 © 2011 SDCF

On 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 conversation provides a unique opportunity to hear the voices of two trans-Atlantic masters of the craft in the prime of their careers. Originally recorded - December 18, 2010. Running Time - 1:08:35 © 2010 SDCF