ATW - Working In The Theatre

The panel of performers - Hinton Battle ("Miss Saigon"), Roy Dotrice ("The Homecoming"), Timothy Hutton ("Babylon Gardens"), Mary Louise Parker ("Babylon Gardens"), Teresa Wright ("On Borrowed Time"), Stephanie Zimbalist ("The Baby Dance") - discuss working in regional and repertory theatre; where they started out in show business, if it was a family profession; the process of getting an agent; how the stage compares to television and film; and how different theatre spaces, sets, and stage sizes affect a show.

The panel of actors - Alan Alda (Neil Simon's "Jake's Women"), Jodi Benson ("Crazy For You"), Roscoe Lee Brown (August Wilson's "Two Trains Running"), Glenn Close ("Death and the Maiden"), Richard Dreyfuss ("Death and the Maiden"), Harry Groener ("Crazy For You"), Tracy Pollan (Neil Simon's "Jake's Women"), and Lynn Redgrave (Ibsen's "The Master Builder") - discuss how they got started in the business and their big break, the significance of the rehearsal process, keeping a role fresh and not repeating the same performance, doing classic plays and if they are influenced by seeing different versions, and the difference between London and New York stages.

What was "The Play That Changed Your Life"? Not only the title of a new American Theatre Wing book, which posed that question to 19 of America's most distinguished playwrights, but the start of a discussion by two of those playwrights, Tina Howe and Diana Son. They also talk about which of their own plays changed their lives; what role theatre played while growing up; if there were teachers who inspired them to get involved in theatre writing; what drew them to playwriting; how much of themselves are in their characters; and their role as mentors for young writers.

The panelists - playwright Jon Robin Baitz ("The End of the Day"), playwright Charles Grodin ("One of the All-Time Greats"), director Mark Lamos ("The End of the Day"), playwright Ken Ludwig ("Crazy For You", "Lend Me A Tenor"), director Tony Roberts ("One of the All-Time Greats"), choreographer Susan Stroman ("Crazy For You"), and International Creative Management Vice-President Victoria Traube - discuss how they got started and their common backgrounds as actors and lawyers, directing the work of living and dead playwrights, the development and journey for each of their shows, and the seamless collaboration the "Crazy For You" creative team achieved.

The production team of "Crazy For You" - advertising representative Nancy Coyne, press representative Bill Evans, general manager Tyler Gatchell, casting director Julie Hughes, and producer Elizabeth Williams - discuss how the show was adapted from the 1930's Gershwin musical "Girl Crazy", advertising as a new musical - not a revival, producing a television commercial, the financial cost of the large production, the role of the casting director, and the effect of positive critical reviews.

The panel consisting of casting director Jay Binder ("Lost In Yonkers"), and actors Lucie Arnaz ("Lost In Yonkers"), Hallie Foote ("The Roads to Rome"), Gregory Hines ("Jelly's Last Jam"), Tonya Pinkins ("Jelly's Last Jam"), and John Schneider ("Grand Hotel") discuss how they started their careers, what casting directors look for, auditioning established actors, rehearsing and replacing in a role, and the panelists provide advice to people beginning in theatre.

The creative team behind the hit musical "Next To Normal" - Director Michael Greif, Composer Tom Kitt, Producer David Stone and Book Writer/Lyricist Brian Yorkey - discuss the unique road the show took to Broadway beginning with its start at the BMI Workshop; the origin of the show's subject matter and the challenges of getting acceptance for it; the reasons behind a title change and what that represented for the creative process; why they took the unusual step of going from off-Broadway to out of town before Broadway; what influences the press and audiences had after the off-Broadway opening in their decision process; why some songs were dropped, others changed and the reasons behind the addition of new material; and 4 songs are performed in studio that illustrate the changes in the various stages of the production.

The panel - playwright/director P.J. Barry ("A Distance From Calcutta"), lyricist Susan Birkenhead ("Jelly's Last Jam"), playwright/director Horton Foote ("The Roads To Home"), agent Wiley Hausam (International Creative Management), musical adaptor Luther Henderson ("Jelly's Last Jam"), playwright/director George C. Wolfe ("Jelly's Last Jam") - discuss how and why they got started in theatre, collaboration between authors and directors, whether playwrights should direct their own work, advice for young writers including how a play gets produced, finding a suitable director, and the advantages and disadvantages of readings.

The "Jelly's Last Jam" production team - general manager Michael David, advertising representative Rick Elice of Serino Coyne, press agent Richard Kornberg, producers Pamela Koslow and Margo Lion, and legal counsel Jean Ward - discuss developing the musical for Music-Theater Group, working with director/performer Gregory Hines, creating a standout ad campaign, and fundraising with multiple workshops and finding corporate investors for the resulting $5 million production budget.

Our panel of actors -- Danny Burstein, Malcolm Gets, Bill Pullman and John Douglas Thompson -- share the particular moment when they realized they wanted to be actors; how the language of a play influences their portrayal of a character; what it's like to work in a show with just one or two other actors; how they recoup after going "off script"; what kind of pre-show rituals they go through; the most useful - and least useful - director's note they received; how it feels to step into a role made famous by another actor; and what kind of research they do to prepare for a role.

The panel of union and guild representatives - Jean Dalrymple, member of the Association of Theatrical Press Agents and Managers (ATPAM); Alan Eisenberg, Executive Secretary of Actors' Equity Association; actress Caroline Lagerfelt, former Equity Council member (Actors' Equity Association); David S. Rosenak, Executive Director of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers; and Peter Stone, President of the Dramatists Guild - talk about when and why their organizations were founded, their purposes and the services they provide; the need for contracts, salary minimums, and safety regulations; and the agreement between producers and all unions and guilds for the Broadway Alliance.

The panel - actress Brenda Braxton ("Jelly's Last Jam"), Mettawee River Theatre Company puppet/costume designers Casey Compton and Ralph Lee ("Wichikapache Goes Walking"), producer/lighting designer Jules Fisher ("Two Shakespearean Actors"), director Michael Greif ("Pericles"), and costume designer Toni-Leslie James ("Jelly's Last Jam") - discuss the significant roles of lighting and costume design, the relationship between designers and director, their education and early training, and design budgets; plus a demonstration of costumes and puppets.

The expansion of the Broadway brand to Asian markets was among the topics discussed by our panel: Simone Genatt, Chairman of Broadway Asia, Robert Nederlander, Jr, President and CEO of Nederlander Worldwide Entertainment and Alan Wasser, General Manager of Alan Wasser Associates. The wide ranging discussion also looked at what particular shows work best in the international market; the challenges of taking Broadway productions overseas to China and Korea and what's entailed in bringing a show from China to the US; navigating the cultural differences, labor rules and legalities of foreign countries; the emphasis in both China and Korea for more cultural programming; the preponderance of small theatres and small productions throughout Asia; the costs involved and the issues of marketing shows outside the US; and the next international markets to welcome Broadway.

The "Anna Christie" production team - scenic designer John Lee Beatty, O'Neill biographer Barbara Gelb, Artistic Director of Roundabout Theatre Todd Haimes, actors Anne Meara, Liam Neeson, Natasha Richardson, and Rip Torn, and lighting designer Marc B. Weiss -- discuss in-depth the 1993 Tony Award-winning revival, including the scenic and lighting design, how the characters relate to contemporary lives, the actors' differing acting styles, and Eugene O'Neill's early career.

The role of Regional Theatre in supporting and presenting new works to their communities was among the topics discussed by our panel: Christopher Ashley, Artistic Director of La Jolla Playhouse, Gordon Edelstein, Artistic Director of Long Wharf Theatre, Sara Garonzik, Producing Artistic Director of the Philadelphia Theatre Company, and Eric Rosen, Artistic Director of Kansas City Repertory Theatre. They also explored how they share works and resources; the kind of show they feel best serves their audiences; their interaction with the local community; how they deal with competition within the theatrical community in their cities; what they learn from visiting Directors to their theatres; and the effect it has on their theatres when one of their shows moves to Broadway.