For more than 30 years the American Theatre Wing has been bringing together performers, directors, playwrights, designers, choreographers, producers and behind-the-scenes personnel from the American and international theatre, the seminars offer 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, the seminars have become an unequalled archive of theatrical talk, a chance to hear from the people behind the characters, stories and productions that draw us to the theatre.
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For more than 30 years the American Theatre Wing has been bringing together performers, directors, playwrights, designers, choreographers, producers and behind-the-scenes personnel from the American and international theatre, the seminars offer 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, the seminars have become an unequalled archive of theatrical talk, a chance to hear from the people behind the characters, stories and productions that draw us to the theatre.
Working In The Theatre goes on location to NYC's Public Theater as host Patrick Pacheco talks with designer David Rockwell about his set design for the theatre (including "The Normal Heart" and "Lucky Guy"), his work with the Public Theater (including his newly designed restaurant, The Library) and George C Wolfe, among other topics. Later director Jack O'Brien and director/choreographer Jerry Mitchell join the conversation to talk about their collaborations with Mr. Rockwell ("Hairspray", "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels", "Kinky Boots", and more).
From the pages of newspapers to tweets, blogs, chat rooms and twitter, the role of the theatre critic has been changing. Guests Lisa Fung, Charles Isherwood, Peter Marks and Elisabeth Vincentelli, along with moderator Patrick Pacheco, discuss how social media has impacted their work, their influence, and the world of theatre.
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.
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?
The challenges and triumphs facing musical theatre today, both on and off Broadway, are discussed by actress Heidi Blickenstaff, Tony award winning choreographer Christopher Gattelli and Tony award winning composer and lyricist Robert Lopez. Our conversation is moderated by Julie James and takes an in depth look at the status of musicals today; early influences in our guests lives that led them to theatre; and whether television is helping to bring back interest in musical theatre.
On a special Tony Awards edition of "Working in the Theatre" host Ted Chapin, Chairman of the American Theatre Wing, takes viewers behind the scenes with Ricky Kirshner and Glenn Weiss, Executive Producers of the Tony Awards, talks with past Tony winners Joel Grey and Jefferson Mays who share their feelings about winning and the TONY history-making achievement attached to each of their awards, and we'll hear from many of this year's nominees including Audra McDonald, John Lithgow, Cynthia Nixon, Linda Lavin, Nina Arianda, Harvey Fierstein and Christian Borle to name just a few!
Super-Publicists Adrian Bryan-Brown and Rick Miramontez talk with moderator Thomas Schumacher about the new world of theatre publicity as it relates to social media; whether or not there's such a thing as "bad" publicity; handling negative stories; shaping stories for the press and potential audiences; the value of using quotes in advertising; and critics and the preview process; and how audiences are influenced by social media and traditional reviews.
The point at which they knew they wanted to act was one of the first things discussed in our conversation with David Alan Grier, Judith Light and Condola Rashad. They also talked about the research they do when approaching a new role; interacting with, and reacting to, the audience; how they handle reviews; and their process and passion for the work they do.
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.
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.
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.
Our guests -- representatives from theatres receiving the American Theatre Wing 2011 National Theatre Company Grants: Buntport Theater Company, FUSION, Mo´olelo Performing Arts Company, Pig Iron Theatre Company, Rude Mechanicals, Synchronicity Theatre, TheatreSquared, TimeLine Theatre, Transport Group and Watts Village Theater Company -- discuss the challenges they face in tough economic times; their community outreach; and the creativity and diversity in the works they present.
Thomas Schumacher talks with guests, Ben Cameron and Kevin McCollum, about the state of theatre today in a wide ranging conversation that highlights how theatre can survive during difficult economic times; whether celebrities can affect sales and audiences; and dealing with government and foundation funding.
Disney Theatrical President and Producer Thomas Schumacher takes us behind the curtain and gives us an up close and personal view of how things work backstage. We'll meet the make up people from "The Lion King", share secrets from a premiere Broadway wig designer, watch just how those quick changes happen in "Mary Poppins", meet the man behind the puppets in "The Lion King" and hear one member of "The Lion King" orchestra as he demonstrates those signature sounds.
Actors Nina Arianda, Nikki M. James, Arian Moayed and Bobby Steggert share what drew them to the theatre; the difference between training and actually being on stage; the audition process; what they learn from more experienced actors; what they look for in roles and their relationship with the director.
Directors Jo Bonney, Sheldon Epps, Michael Halberstam and Gregory Mosher talk about how they got started in the business; choosing their projects; their process when starting a new show; how the dual role of Artistic Director and Director informs their own work and working with other directors; and how they approach auditions.
Actors Bobby Cannavale ("The Motherf**ker with the Hat"), Renée Elise Goldsberry ("Good People"), Judith Light ("Lombardi"), Lia Williams ("Arcadia") and Tom Wopat ("Catch Me If You Can") talk about a performance that transformed or inspired them; pre-show rituals; how their day outside the theatre informs their performance; their relationships with other actors, the audience and the director; and working with the playwright during rehearsal.
The opportunities and challenges of online arts journalism started off the discussion for our panel - Chris Caggiano, Scott Heller, David J. Loehr, Jan Simpson and Terry Teachout. They also discuss how blogging is able to reach a more expansive and diverse audience than traditional journalism; what they look for online and if what they read affects their own writing; and how social media has been able to create national and even international conversations about theatre.
The panel of stage veterans - F. Murray Abraham, Stacy Keach, Estelle Parsons and Lois Smith - discuss the rehearsal and audition process; how they deal with rejection; the pros and cons of directing vs. acting; their thoughts on how acting and directing have changed over the years; the difference between performing classical roles vs. contemporary roles and their advice for aspiring performers.
The panel of playwrights - Annie Baker, Rinne Groff, Karen Hartman and Alfred Uhry - talk about their writing process; the role of the dramaturg; writing adaptations; collaborating with directors; whether they have a specific actor in mind when they're writing; and how they see the role of the playwright in theatre today.
For more than 30 years the American Theatre Wing has been bringing together performers, directors, playwrights, designers, choreographers, producers and behind-the-scenes personnel from the American and international theatre, the seminars offer 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, the seminars have become an unequalled archive of theatrical talk, a chance to hear from the people behind the characters, stories and productions that draw us to the theatre.
