Advanced search
- TITLES
- NAMES
- COLLABORATIONS
Search filters
Enter full date
to
or just enter yyyy, or yyyy-mm below
to
to
to
Exclude
Only includes titles with the selected topics
to
In minutes
to
1-50 of 242
- Bringing together performers, directors, playwrights, designers, choreographers, producers and behind-the-scenes personnel from the American and international theatre, the program offers a rare opportunity for students and audiences to see the people who create theatre engaged in thoughtful conversation with one another. With more than 600 past guests, "Working in the Theatre" has become an unequaled archive of theatrical talk, a chance to hear from the people behind the characters, stories and productions that draw us to the theatre.
- American Theatre Wing invests in brave work, supports creative growth, and celebrates excellence to bring inclusive stories to our national culture through theatre. Founded in 1917 on the eve of America's entry into World War I by seven suffragists, American Theatre Wing has spent a century using theatre to advance human experience, empathy and cultural growth like never before. ATW has been active on video and social sharing platforms since 2006.
- 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.
- Custom Shoemaker Gino Bifulco produces shoes for some of the most well-known shows past and present. You are sure to have seen his work. Bruce and Sarah Barish, owners of Ernest Winzer Cleaners have cleaned, organized, and maintained costumes, props, and more for the Broadway stage. The family owned business has supported making cast comfortable and restoring the work of the great designers for over 110 years. It's an Odd Job that's extremely important for every run of a stage show.
- What do fake dead bodies, a carve-able turkey, and the physical puppet of Donkey in Shrek: the Musical have in common? They are all examples of what makes the world of Specialty Props so fascinating. This very special field in the theatre requires an expertise in fine art, but also one with knowledge of the dramatic structure. These designers have the challenge to both dazzle and inspire audiences, without interrupting the show or movement, a skill that requires collaboration with the creative team of the show. Watch Mary Creede, Zoë Morsette, and John Jerard sculpt, sew, hammer, power, design, and ultimately create iconic specialty props. Special Note: Many of the props that Zoë Morsette discussed working on including Les Misérables were built during her time working at McHugh-Rollins studio.
- The use of expanding technology such as AI (artificial intelligence), AR (augmented reality), VR (virtual reality) in theatre today is encouraging and presents wonderful challenges to storytellers throughout the world. Watch as we follow the teams of Krysztof Garbaczewski of Dream Adoption Society and the creative visionaries behind Frankenstein AI at The Columbia University School of the Arts' Digital Storytelling Lab develop, demonstrate, and perform with new technology that enhances the audience experience and shows us all what is possible in the next generation of storytelling.
- The concept of documentary theatre is one that is novel and complex, and quite frankly could be defined by a plethora of concepts and storytelling strategy. In this documentary episode of Working in the Theatre, we visit Say Something Bunny, the spectacular production that explores how theatre incorporates and interacts with found materials and real-life characters. What does it mean to represent narrative of real experiences in theatrical performances? Alison Kobayashi (Director, Performer, Researcher, Co-author, Co-producer) and Christopher Allen (Co-author, Co-producer, Dramaturgy, Technical design) share their journey of creating such a unique experience in a one of kind production.
- 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.
- The creation of new worlds on stage and the work of their creators is explored with lighting designer Peggy Eisenhauer (Assassins), costume designer Jess Goldstein (Jersey Boys), set designer David Korins (Bridge and Tunnel), set designer Derek McLane (The Pajama Game) and costume designer Carrie Robbins (White Christmas).
- How an audience can discern the often invisible hand of the director is the starting point for this discussion with Scott Elliott (The Threepenny Opera), Doug Hughes (Doubt), Joe Mantello (Wicked), John Rando (The Wedding Singer) and Leigh Silverman (Well).
- The challenge of producing commercially Off-Broadway is the topic for producers and managers Ken Davenport, Nancy Nagel Gibbs, Marc Routh and Alan Schuster as they consider whether Off-Broadway is, as some of the press would have it, in crisis; reflect on the nature of the work that succeeds in that arena; and place their work in those venues in the context of both the not-for-profit theatre and the world of Broadway.
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- Experiences on stage in America and England are the core of this conversation with actors Eileen Atkins (Doubt), Richard Griffiths (The History Boys), Jonathan Pryce (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels), Lynn Redgrave (The Importance of Being Earnest) and Zoë Wanamaker (Awake and Sing).
- Originally created as a skit for a bachelor party, The Drowsy Chaperone has traveled from Toronto to Los Angeles to Broadway, growing in size along the way without sacrificing its skewed view of classic musicals. This ATW Working in the Theatre seminar will explore Chaperone's journey from one-off entertainment into that rarest of musicals-one not based on a book, play or movie. The panel includes actor Edward Hibbert, composer/lyricist Lisa Lambert, actor Beth Leavel, author and actor Bob Martin, producer Kevin McCollum, author Don McKellar, producer Roy Miller, composer/lyricist Greg Morrison and director/choreographer Casey Nicholaw.
- Some of the country's most read critics-Melissa Rose Bernardo of Entertainment Weekly, Michael Feingold of The Village Voice, Elysa Gardner of USA Today, Michael Kuchwara of the Associated Press and Jeremy McCarter of New York Magazine-share how they came to their current positions and what they look for when they go to a show.
- 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.
- The panel of performers - Karen Akers ("Nine"), Christine Baranski ("Sally and Marsha"), actor/playwright Harvey Fierstein ('Torch Song Trilogy"), Ben Harney ('Dreamgirls"), Lonny Price ("Master Harold...and the boys"), and Liv Ullmann ("Ghosts") - discuss the strong themes of their respective productions; how demanding their roles are, from character development to physical challenges to the emotional intensity of a role; training and audition experiences; how cast replacements effect a play; and developing new musicals out-of-town compared to workshopping in New York. Originally taped - September, 1982
- The panelists - theatrical agent Joanne Nici, playwright Frank Pugliese ("Aven'U Boys"), director/writer Geraldine Fitzgerald ("Sharon"), choreographer Wayne Cilento ('Tommy"), and producer Frederick Zollo ("Aven'U Boys") - discuss the expanse of their careers and their backgrounds, the role of an agent, and developing plays from the page through casting and rehearsals to production.
- The 2012 National Theatre Company Grant Recipients share their thoughts on attracting and cultivating audiences; the importance of regional theatre across the country; their role in reaching out to the communities they work in; the diversity of their work and the nurturing of new artists.
- Among the topics our guests Alan Brown, Cynthia Hedstrom and Howard Shalwitz talk with moderator Ben Cameron about are how you measure the value of art and its' impact on audiences; what's important to audiences and how you make theatre interesting enough to draw them to a show and whether you can make them an active part of the experience or should their role simply be to observe and appreciate what is presented?
- Kate Burton ("Some Americans Abroad"), Tyne Daly ("Gypsy"), Tom Hulce ("A Few Good Men"), Robert Morse ("Tru"), Kathleen Turner ("Cat On A Hot Tin Roof"), and Irene Worth ("Sweet Bird Of Youth") talk about being a part of an ensemble cast, the difference between screen and stage, the stamina needed for stage performances, and how they got their start in performing.
- Host Thomas Schumacher gives us a unique look at a song -- what it is, where it comes from, the process from idea to stage, and how it fits in a show. He's joined by Tony, Oscar and Grammy award winning composer Alan Menken who plays and sings us through the stages of some of his most memorable work including his numerous collaborations with Tom Schumacher and Disney Theatricals; Newsies lyricist Jack Feldman; and Newsies star, actress Kara Lindsay. An acclaimed fixture on New York television and in the theatre community for 30 years, the American Theatre Wing's "Working in the Theatre" offers an unprecedented forum for the meeting of theatrical minds.
- Director/Choreographer Rob Ashford, President and Executive Director of Rodgers & Hammerstein Ted Chapin and Director Scott Ellis talk with moderator Patrick Pacheco about re-imagining musicals for the stage and how directors approach a work to make it fresh and reinvented, how much change is allowed by the estates who control the pieces, and the challenges they face when classic works are re-imagined, rewritten or reinterpreted in any way. An acclaimed fixture on New York television and in the theatre community for 30 years, the American Theatre Wing's "Working in the Theatre" offers an unprecedented forum for the meeting of theatrical minds.
- Director Jeff Calhoun, actor Phyllis Frelich, actor Tyrone Giordano, producer Todd Haimes, actor Daniel Jenkins and producer Bill O'Brien explain how Deaf West Theatre Company, a sign language theatre company, decided to put on the musical "Big River"; why that is not a bad idea, as many initially thought; the integration of signing into the choreography of the show; and how 2 actors, one hearing and one deaf, shared each of the principal roles.
- Double Edge Theatre is an artist-owned ensemble theatre, in which each member is responsible for the art making as well as the business and board leadership. Situated on a 100-acre Farm in the Ashfield Massachusetts Hilltowns, the facility includes two performance and training spaces, production facilities, offices, archives, music and outdoor performance areas as well as hay fields, grazing pastures, a stream, pond, and forestland. On the Farm, the company trains, performs, runs the business of the theatre, hosts programs and guests, and grows food. The Double Edge Ensemble creates original theatrical performances that are highly imaginative, imagistic, and visceral. These site-specific indoor/outdoor traveling spectacles awaken spectators to new possibilities of the human heart and mind. This season's spectacle Once a Blue Moon - Cada Luna Azul is inspired by magic realism and many Latin American stories, including ensemble member Carlos Uriona's memory of home.
- The international panel consisting of Valery Fokin (Artistic Director of The Meyerhold Centre in Moscow and the Alexandrinksy Theatre in St. Petersburg), Marita Gochman (writer/director, Nordic theatre), Fiona Shaw (Irish actress, Medea), Anatoly Smeliansky (writer/scholar/critic, Moscow Art Theatre), Elise Thoron (writer/director, Russian theatre), and Shu Xiao (Cultural Counselor, China) discuss the role of theatre in their respective countries; American curiosity in foreign productions and exposure to culturally-rich material; and exporting Broadway shows worldwide.
- Director Bob Balaban ("Y2K"), playwrights Richard Greenberg ("Take Me Out") and Suheir Hammad ("Russell Simmons Def Poetry Jam"), choreographer Luis Perez ("Man of La Mancha") and director David Petrarca ("A Year With Frog and Toad") discuss the condition of American theatre both in New York and around the country, and some of the shifts that are occurring both in audience expectations and the direction of new works.
- Musical director, orchestrator and arranger Jason Robert Brown, book writer Aaron Latham, producer Chase Mishkin, director Lonny Price, press representative Pete Sanders and producer Leonard Soloway are the guests on this program which discusses the how this classic movie was musicalized, how it was shepherded to Broadway, and how just enough was changed so it would still maintain the movie's original flavor.
- Costume designer Suzy Benzinger ("Movin' Out"), lighting designer Beverly Emmons ("Jekyll and Hyde"), scenic designer Adrianne Lobel ("A Year With Frog and Toad"), sound designer David Meschter ("Medea"), lighting designer Rui Rita ("Enchanted April") and scenic designer David Rockwell ("Hairspray") talk about the practicalities of design - including how to approach a new design job, the similarities of low-budget showcases and big budget Broadway productions, ways to build a collaborative relationship with a director and the many sources of inspiration in the world around us.
- Actors from both sides of the Atlantic - Sutton Foster ("Thoroughly Modern Millie"), Clare Higgins ("Vincent in Brixton"), Eddie Izzard ("A Day in the Death of Joe Egg"), Brian Stokes Mitchell ("Man of La Mancha") and Brent Spiner ("Life (x) 3") - share some of the high points and quite a few humorous moments (including pulling surprised audience members onstage during a performance, accidentally) from their stage careers.
- Choreographer Jonathan Butterell ("The Light In The Piazza", "Nine"), director Moises Kaufman ("The Laramie Project", "Gross Indecency"), playwright Arthur Kopit ("Nine", "Oh Dad, Poor Dad..."), choreographer Joey McKneely("The Boy From Oz," "Wild Party"), playwright Theresa Rebeck ("Ominum Gatherum," "Bad Dates") and director Susan H. Schulman ("Little Women," "Secret Garden") explore how playwrights, directors and choreographers place themselves in the body of the character so that the character's voices and actions can emerge, what happens in the theatre to make the experience different from film and television, what it means to be an artist - and how an artist's success is measured.
- Members of the creative team of the Tony-winning musical "Avenue Q" -- Robert Lopez (Composer/Lyricist), Rick Lyon (Puppet Designer/Actor), Jeff Marx (Composer/Lyricist),and Jeff Whitty (Book Writer) -- along with producers Robyn Goodman and Jeffrey Seller explain how the pieces came together to create this unique puppet musical, the journey from its early days at the BMI Workshop and the O'Neill Theater Center to the Vineyard Theatre/New Group production to Broadway, including the challenge of expanding a show in scale when the central characters, namely the puppets, can't grow along with the size of the theatre.
- Scenic designer David Gallo ("Thoroughly Modern Millie"), lighting designer Donald Holder ("Little Shop Of Horrors"), scenic designer Anna Louizos ("Avenue Q"), scenic and costume designer G.W. Mercier ("Juan Darien"), and costume designer Catherine Zuber ("Dinner At Eight") discuss how designing on a restricted budget can force a designer to find a more creative solution; spectacle on Broadway - is it expected and how it does or does not affect ticket prices; the necessity today for a designer to juggle multiple projects and the joy and heartbreak of working in an ephemeral art form.
- Tovah Feldshuh ("Golda's Balcony"), Marc Kudisch ("Thoroughly Modern Millie"), Swoosie Kurtz ("Frozen"), Rebecca Luker ("Nine"), Denis O'Hare ("Take Me Out") and Lewis J. Stadlen ("The Producers") come together in this interview to talk about their careers - both on Broadway and around the country - covering a variety of topics, including the challenge of playing real people and "capturing their essence," the effect of typecasting, the value of acting teachers, and how in performance they relate to their audiences.
- Producers Jean Doumanian and Daryl Roth talk about creating a supportive environment for artistic teams bringing shows to the stage; collaborating with other producers; the benefits and challenges of casting stars in a show; and the economics and creative process of producing off Broadway vs. on Broadway. (moderated by Patrick Pacheco)
- Playwrights Lydia R. Diamond, David Henry Hwang and Suzan-Lori Parks discuss their work and other American playwrights and how they influenced them; the moment each was aware they wanted to be writers; their process; experiencing their work on Broadway for the first time; and the role mentors played in their lives and their role as mentors.
- Casting Directors David Caparelliotis, Tara Rubin and Daniel Swee and moderator Patrick Pacheco discuss the role of the casting director; their collaboration with directors; recasting shows; and whether stars are necessary for success on Broadway today.
- Five of America's leading playwrights, Nilo Cruz (Beauty of the Father), Julia Jordan (Boy), Terrence McNally (The Visit), Paul Rudnick (Valhalla) and Regina Taylor (Drowning Crow) come together in this panel interview to discuss the state of new playwriting in America today - its challenges, its rewards and how the process is changing.
- In this interview a panel of actors - Anne Heche ("Twentieth Century"), Jefferson Mays ("I Am My Own Wife"), Martha Plimpton ("Sixteen Wounded"), Phylicia Rashad ("Gem Of The Ocean") and Richard Thomas ("12 Angry Men") - delve into their current Broadway characters and speak about how their recognition from other media affects audience perception of them today.
- The challenges and the rewards of producing new plays on Broadway are explored by press representative Michael Hartman ("Sixteen Wounded"), producers Robert LuPone ("Frozen"), Benjamin Mordecai ("Sixteen Wounded"), Michael Parva ("Prymate") and Daryl Roth ("The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia").
- The development of the musical "Caroline, or Change" and its move from The Public Theatre to Broadway is explored with Tony Kushner (writing a musical book and lyrics for the first time), composer Jeanine Tesori, choreographer Hope Clarke and actors Tonya Pinkins and Veanne Cox.
- At the start of a theatre season which would see revivals of major works by each, authors Edward Albee ("Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?"), Harvey Fierstein ("La Cage aux Folles"), Paula Vogel ("The Baltimore Waltz") and John Weidman ("Assassins") discuss the challenges of the career of a playwright.
- With puppetry turning up in, or serving as the main focus of, numerous shows in recent seasons, Pam Arciero (O'Neill Puppetry Conference), Cheryl Henson (The Jim Henson Foundation), Rick Lyon (Avenue Q), Roman Paska (Dead Puppet Talk) and Basil Twist (Symphonie Fantastique) discuss the intersection of puppet and human theatre.
- With three of New York's major not-for-profit theatres now producing in Broadway venues, their leaders-André Bishop and Bernard Gersten of Lincoln Center Theatre, Lynne Meadow and Barry Grove of Manhattan Theatre Club, and Todd Haimes, Ellen Richard and Julia C. Levy of Roundabout Theatre Company-gather for the very first time to explore the issues facing institutional theatres on Broadway.
- Playwrights Jon Robin Baitz ("Hedda Gabler"), John Guare ("Sweet Smell of Success"), Peter Parnell ("Q.E.D."), and directors Gene Saks ("Mr. Goldwyn"), Daniel Sullivan ("Proof"), and Mary Zimmerman ("Metamorphoses") discuss their approaches to writing, directing, and adaptations; the collaboration process with directors, writers, producers, sets, and actors; reactions to a production's first preview; and the source of ideas for playwrights.
- "Thoroughly Modern Millie's" creative and production team - choreographer Rob Ashford, general manager Nina Lannan, producer Hal Luftig, director Michael Mayer, book writer/lyricist Dick Scanlan and composer Jeanine Tesori - discuss the Tony Award winning musical's journey to Broadway; obtaining the rights to the 1967 Universal Pictures film written by Richard Morris and starring Julie Andrews; years of development in workshops and readings; how the production team came together, including Rob Ashford's choreographer audition; the mixture of existing songs and new Tesori compositions; the advantages and disadvantages of mounting the show in partnership with La Jolla Playhouse; the many producers involved, including road presenters; the decision and budgetary considerations in opening on Broadway with a rigious preview period versus a second out-of-town tryout.
- Actors Frank Langella ("Fortune's Fool"), John Lithgow ("Sweet Smell of Success"), Andrea Martin ("Oklahoma!"), Estelle Parsons ("Mornings at Seven"), Mercedes Ruehl ("The Goat, Or Who Is Sylvia?"), Jeffrey Wright ("Top Dog/Under Dog") discuss playing a range of roles, what influences their performances including daily life and audience response, how to prepare for a performance, and working with directors in finding courage and confidence.
- Actors Julie Harris ("The Belle of Amherst"), Marilu Henner ("The Tale of the Allergist's Wife"), Richard Kind ("The Tale of the Allergist's Wife"), Hal Linden ("Cabaret"), Brad Oscar ("The Producers"), Steven Weber ("The Producers") discuss what makes for good entertainment; how actors collaborate with the rest of the creative staff, especially directors; and what makes an audience laugh. Additionally, there is a short tribute to producer Robert Whitehead ("Master Class", "A Few Good Men", "Medea") who recently passed away.