Mon, Jan 1, 2007
On The Evolution of Encores!, guests Judith E. Daykin (founder), Rob Fisher (music director from founding to 2006), David Ives (book adapter for 18 productions) and Jack Viertel (artistic director since 2001) discuss the growth and success of the acclaimed musical concert series at New York's City Center, exploring how Encores! grew out of a concert at BAM in the late 80s; how the international success of Chicago impacted the series; how shows are selected; whether the addition of costumes, choreography and other "production" elements have moved the series away from its original goals; and whether there are shows they shouldn't have done or wish they could do again.
Wed, Feb 7, 2007
Casting Directors Tara Rubin (Spamalot, The Producers), Laura Stanczyk (Translations, Sweet Charity), Daniel Swee (The Coast of Utopia, The Vertical Hour), and Bernie Telsey (Wicked, Hairspray) explore and explain the work of the casting director, touching on issues from the best advice they can give actors about auditioning, how they work with directors and writers in the casting process, the challenges of luring stars to the stage, how they feel about stunt casting and televised casting competitions, and why judiciously mailing head shots and resumes can be an effective job-seeking strategy for aspiring actors.
Fri, Mar 2, 2007
Four actors from the 42-member The Coast of Utopia company -- Jennifer Ehle, Josh Hamilton, Ethan Hawke and Amy Irving -- talk about the experience of appearing in Tom Stoppard's triptych of 19th century Russian intellectual history, including their own trepidation at working with the brilliant Stoppard; adapting language written by an English playwright for Russian characters to the comfort of American actors -- and audiences; the thrill of of working in a variant of a classical repertory company; whether they chose to research the era and their characters; and why they chose to spend a year of their lives with this project, playing parts both large and small.
Apr 2007
Four acclaimed leading men - Jeff Daniels (Blackbird), Brian Dennehy (Inherit the Wind), Liev Schreiber (Talk Radio) and Kevin Spacey (A Moon for the Misbegotten) - discuss a wide array of topics, including whether the prefer rehearsal to performance, their experience in long runs and how great plays can carry actors along, the acting opportunities of appearing in many plays by the same author, how they find new challenges, whether they can still enjoy theatre as a member of the audience, and if its harder to do their work now that they're well known.
Sun, May 27, 2007
The extraordinary legacy of playwright August Wilson and his 10-play cycle of African-American life in the 20th Century is explored in a two-part program. First, a panel of Wilson's collaborators -- producer James Houghton (Signature Theatre Company), dramaturg Todd Kreidler, director Kenny Leon (Radio Golf, Gem of the Ocean), actor/director Ruben Santiago Hudson (Gem of the Ocean, Seven Guitars), producer Jack Viertel (Radio Golf) -- discuss the process of developing and producing Wilson's plays. In the second half, the depth and variety of Wilson's characters are explored by Stephen McKinley Henderson (Jitney, King Hedley II), Harry Lennix (Radio Golf), Tonya Pinkins (Radio Golf) and Phylicia Rashad (Gem of the Ocean), joined by director Kenny Leon.
Sun, Jun 3, 2007
The artistic directors of four major not-for-profit companies - Susan V. Booth of the Alliance Theatre, Oskar Eustis of The Public Theater, Emily Mann of the McCarter Theatre Center and Michael Wilson of Hartford Stage - discuss the unique task of the artistic director, touching upon issues including how they balance their personal artistic goals as directors with the institutional needs of their companies, whether their focus is on the local community or the larger national artistic community, the relationship between not-for-profit theatres and commercial producers, how they measure success, and their responsibility for developing the next generation of theatre artists.
Sun, Nov 4, 2007
Four of Broadway's newest and brightest stars - Ashley Brown (Mary Poppins), Jonathan Groff (Spring Awakening), Alison Pill (Mauritius) and John Lloyd Young (Jersey Boys) - discuss their road to the Broadway stage, the mentors who helped them, where their drive to perform comes from, their earliest roles, how they handle the audition process, facing their fears, keeping their voices in shape and what roles they'd love to play in the future. Additional resources: Mary Poppins: Official Site Spring Awakening: Official Site Manhattan Theatre Club Jersey Boys: Official Site
Sun, Nov 18, 2007
In a one-on-one interview with playwright Horton Foote he talks about his early career as an actor, who was responsible for his becoming a playwright, how his connection to the past inspires his writing, what it was like to write for television's Golden Age, writing for different mediums, including his Oscar winning screenplays, and the influence his hometown of Wharton, Texas has had on his life and his work. He's then joined by four artists who have worked with him in recent years - his daughter, actress Hallie Foote; James Houghton, Artistic Director of Signature Theatre; Andrew Leynse, Artistic Director of Primary Stages; and Michael Wilson, Artistic Director of Hartford Stage - who discuss their roles in interpreting Foote's stories, the impact regional theatre has had in presenting his works, and how Horton Foote's plays relate to today's audiences.
Mon, Dec 3, 2007
A panel of current New Dramatists playwrights -- Carlyle Brown, David Grimm, Quiara Alegría Hudes and Lucy Thurber -- talk about their differing styles of playwriting, what inspired them to start writing, how the world of the playwright has evolved and changed, what influences their writing and the challenges in getting their work produced. The program also includes an interview with New Dramatists Artistic Director Todd London, discussing how New Dramatists serves as haven for emerging playwrights and describing the new voice of the playwright, the opportunities for playwrights on and off Broadway and the different types of work being written today.
Tue, Dec 11, 2007
A panel of acclaimed, Tony Award-winning composers and lyricists - Lynn Ahrens, Stephen Flaherty, William Finn and Adam Guettel - discuss their first theatrical experiences, the process of writing and composing, what's involved in working with a partner, early influences on their music, and where they find inspiration; offer advice for students; and demonstrate their craft by playing a bit of their work.