At the SDCF 2013 Emerging Artist Symposium on Musicals on May 20, 2013, internationally-acclaimed director/choreographers Chet Walker and Marcia Milgrom Dodge shared their expertise of applying a fresh perspective to the revival of a musical subsequent to an iconic production.
At the SDCF 2013 Emerging Artist Symposium on Plays on June 17, 2013, SDCF hosted legendary director Marshall Mason to speak about his extraordinary collaboration with Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lanford Wilson and his approach to working with actors.
At its 2013 Symposium on Plays, Marianne Weems and Erica Laird of The Builders Association spoke with SDCF Producing Director Ellen Rusconi about the process of creating theatre with heavy use of multi-media elements. Listen as they share the intricacies involved in rehearsing and maintaining a piece when working with both human and non-human counterparts and how to fuse the two symbiotically to create a piece of holistic, organic art. These innovative theatre artists speak to a director’s respo...
At its 2013 Emerging Artist Symposium on Musicals, SDCF hosted Tony-nominated Dan Knechtges ("Lysistrata Jones," "Xanadu," "Spelling Bee") in conversation with Producing Director Ellen Rusconi on his experiences directing and choreographing new musicals. From his theatre experiences while growing up in Cleveland to his transition from performer to director/choreographer, this discussion - peppered with a dash of humor, sentiment, and survival jobs - examines Dan’s process of learning to create m...
At its 2013 Emerging Artist Symposium on Musicals, Robyn Goodman, Commercial Producer and Founder of Second Stage Theatre, spoke with SDCF Producing Director Ellen Rusconi about discovering talent and developing new work in today's dynamic theatre climate. Goodman ("Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella," "Avenue Q," "In the Heights," "Altar Boyz") infuses her perspective as an actor turned producer with a well-rounded view of a production from page to stage and everything in between. Listen as s...
On July 13, 2013, Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation hosted a One-on-One Conversation with acclaimed Director, Choreographer, and Movement Director Steven Hoggett ("Blackwatch", "Peter and the Starcatcher", "Once") discussing his artistic vision, career trajectory, and rehearsal processes. Moderated by Ryan Donovan, the conversation explores Steven’s journey from his beginning as a self-sustaining artist in Wales with Frantic Assembly to his big-budget ventures on Broadway and around ...
In a One-on-One Conversation on June 12, 2013, award-winning directors Pam MacKinnon and Kathleen Marshall spoke with SDCF Producing Director Ellen Rusconi about building their artistic careers. Listen as they discuss the nuts and bolts of the rehearsal process, from the Illuminating qualities of auditions and early design meetings to the continuous evolution of a piece as gauged by audience, producers, and associates. This candid conversation offers practical knowledge about creating career inr...
A Director's Life: Creative Development and Renewal – On June 18, 2011, SDCF Executive Director Laura Penn moderated a panel at the TCG conference featuring Gil Cates, Curt Columbus, Jeffrey Horowitz, Susan Medak, Madeline Puzo, and Julie Taymor to consider the centrality of the director's role in theatre.
On May 19th, 1999, Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation hosted a One-on-One Conversation with Moisés Kaufman, director, playwright, and founder of Tectonic Theater Project, and Mary Overlie, the creator of Viewpoints. Hear these two singular artists discuss theatrical theory and relate it to their work: Kaufman as he creates The Laramie Project with his company, Overlie in developing Viewpoints. This is an insightful conversation between two artists who thrive on exploration and breakin...
On May 6th, 2013, Oliver Butler of The Debate Society and Jack E. Cummings III of Transport Group spoke with SDCF Producing Director Ellen Rusconi on their experiences simultaneously managing a directing career and theatrical company. The in-depth discussion follows the ebb and flow of two singular directing careers each affected by a loyalty to their own growing theatre companies. Listen as they explore how changing cultural and economic trends affect a theatre company’s ability to sustain itse...
On April 8, 2013, Fight Directors Erica Gould and Rick Sordelet spoke with SDCF Producing Director Ellen Rusconi to discuss the responsibilities and roles of theatre’s fight directors. Gain a better understanding of the role of the fight director and the support he or she provides in storytelling on stage.
On January 7, 1987, Artistic Directors Nagle Jackson (of Hartford Stage) and Mark Lamos (of McCarter Theatre) sat down with Mary Robinson to speak about leadership in regional theatre. This focused discussion will enlighten the listener about the art of choosing a season, how your audience can affect play selection, and the work of maintaining a repertory theatre.
On Tuesday, December 4, 2012, the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society hosted a panel on women directors and choreographers in Chicago with panelists Rachel Rockwell, Joanie Schultz, Kimberly Senior, and Leigh Silverman, moderated by Michael Halberstam. Together, the panel and the audience strive to answer the question, "How can all of us - our collaborators, theatres, service organizations - support the growth and furtherance of women as directors and choreographers?"
In 1987, SDCF and the Dramatists Guild jointly held a panel discussion exploring the symbiotic and complex relationship between playwright and director. Peter Stone moderates a panel of Playwrights and Directors including Sam Bobrick, Elizabeth Forsythe Hailey, David Henry Hwang, Bernet Kellman, Tom Moore, David Rosenak, Gene Saks, and Stephen Tobolowsky.
In 1999, SDCF held a panel about Managing Your Career featuring panelists Steve Bolerjack, Leigh Giroux, Noah Kimerling, Brett Singer and Ross Wisdom to discuss their various areas of expertise – accounting and taxes, legal issues, and publicity for artists – and how to apply their knowledge to better run the business of your professional life to allow you to grow and develop your artistic career.
On Tuesday, December 6, 2011, SDC's Gretchen Michelfeld spoke with sound designers Jill BC Du Boff (Good People, Bill Maher: Victory Begins at Home), Brett Jarvis (Kiki and Herb--Alive on Broadway!, The Donkey Show), and Rob Kaplowitz (Fela!, Pumpgirl) to find out how to work with designers to maximize the creativity and productivity of sound design.
On January 7, 2013, SDCF spoke with Production Managers/Technical Directors David Benken and Martin Pavloff about Understanding Automation: What Every Director Should Know. Whether you are a producer, director, choreographer, actor, designer, or theatre fan, this conversation allows the listener a comprehensive overview of automation in theatre and provides the understanding necessary to maximize your working relationship with your technical director.
At SDCF on December 17, 2012, SDCF hosted a discussion of Theatre for Social Change with guests Erik Ehn and Kamilah Forbes moderated by SDCF Producing Director Ellen Rusconi. Listen in as they discuss their experience in creating theatre to explore social issues and communal events and in founding producing organizations to further this work.
In New York on November 2, 1987, SDCF hosted a talk by Robert Lewis, a founding member of Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers, The Group Theatre, and the Actors’ Studio. He speaks with great charisma and dynamism of his experiences in theatre and his view of the evolution of theatre around the world in the 20th century.
On February 27, 1986, SDCF held a conversation on Effective Playwriting with Stephen Porter and Howard Rossen moderated by Stephen Fife, on effective playwriting. In illustrating their points, they use examples of the various techniques of playwrights including Somerset Maugham, David Mamet, Marsha Norman, Pinter, Shaw, Simon and Williams.
On October 1, 1998, SDCF hosted a panel on Downtown Opportunities for Directing and Choreography featuring producers from the vibrant downtown NY theatre scene including John Clancy, Ellie Covan, Kristin Marting, Wendy Rohan, Mark Russell, and David Tyree. These artistic leaders at the head of particularly prolific producing and presenting organizations discuss everything an artist or producer needs to know about working through these organizations. They explain why it is absolutely imperative t...
On September 25, 1996, James Graves, Associate Director of SDCF, moderated a panel about Directing Opera. Panelists included Lillian Garrett-Groag, Mark Lamos, and Rhoda Levine. With great vibrancy and humor, the panelists consider the challenges of working in foreign countries, methods to navigate working in a foreign language, and the skills and knowledge necessary for theatre artists to work in opera. Most interestingly, their backgrounds are varied: a choreographer (Ms. Levine), a musician a...
On November 20, 1996, SDCF in partnership with The Drama League explored the subject of Career Transitions with a panel of four Directors and Choreographers - Seth Barrish, Kathleen Marshall, Richard Sabellico, and Marlies Yearby - who had recently reached a new point in career. Listen to this discussion to discover how their transitions came about, the experiences and encounters that led these artists to new opportunities on projects with higher profiles, and the challenges to process that come...
On October 1, 2012, Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation in partnership with Broadway Green Alliance (BGA) held a conversation entitled "Directing Green" at the New Amsterdam Theatre in New York. Director/Choreographer John Carrafa, SDC’s representative to BGA, led this discussion, which starts with Allen Hershkowitz, Senior Scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), describing the state of the global environment and the critical role the entertainment industry can play ...
In 1996, the Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation and the Drama League co-sponsored a discussion with then SDC Executive Director Barbara Hauptman, SDC Attorney Ron Shechtman, and director Pamela Berlin moderated by David Diamond about protection of intellectual property rights for stage directors. Through personal anecdotes regarding the controversial productions of "Love! Valour! Compassion!" originally directed by Joe Mantello and "The Most Happy Fella" directed by Gerald Gutierrez w...
On July 23, 2012, Director Stafford Arima (2012 revisal of "Carrie," "Altar Boyz") and Director/Choreographer Christopher Windom ("Central Avenue Breakdown") spoke with SDCF Producing Director Ellen Rusconi at a Director/Chroeographer Network panel hosted by The New York Musical Theatre Festival discussion about developing new musicals. These two artists offer their experiences in developing musicals in a variety of ways - festivals, workshops, regional productions - and share insight into his i...
On March 1, 1984 director James Furlong moderated a panel of theater critics featuring Theater Editor for Village Voice Erika Munk, Theater Critic for WNEW-TV Stewart Klein, and Theater Critic for New York Magazine John Simon. They address the impact of good and bad reviews and the dynamic relationship between theater artists and critics. The discussion includes what these particular critics perceive as good direction, the criteria they use when analyzing a director's work, and how they follow d...
On October 28, 1985, Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation invited Peter Zeisler to moderate a panel featuring journalists Thulani Davis and Erika Munk, playwright William Hoffman, and directors Rhoda Levine, Judith Malina, and Emily Mann. They speak in-depth about the role of theatre in society in the past, present, and how it is evolving into the future. In this conversation, theatre’s reach and impact is compared to the mediums of film and television. Other topics include how fiction ...
On February 25, 1983, director Nola Hague moderated a panel featuring esteemed producers Nelle Nugent, T. Edward Hambleton, and Michel Stuart, and director Judith Haskell. This passionate and experienced group spoke about the collaboration between directors and producers. Drawing from personal experience they share their beliefs on qualities that constitute a good director and producer. They divulge lessons learned from experiences over the span of their careers. Other topics include the differi...
In 1999, SDCF hosted a panel moderated by Executive Director of SSDC, Barbara Hauptman featuring Artistic Director of Adobe Theatre Company Jeremy Dobrish, Artistic Director of Drama Dept. Theatre Company Douglas Carter Beane, Artistic Director of Blue Light Theater Company Greg Naughton, Artistic Director of Abingdon Theatre Company Jan Buttram, and Co-Artistic Director of The Barrow Group Seth Barrish. The panelists discuss the importance of the collaborative approach and sense of community wi...
