In 2001, Michael Lupu, senior dramaturg for the Guthrie Theatre, provided directors at the "Directing Shakespeare Symposium" with a brief lesson he called "Shakespeare 101." In this twenty-minute discussion Lupu talks about audience expectations in the Elizabethan period, the history of Shakespeare's company "Lord Chamberlain's Men," and how the shifting of Shakespeare's theatre midway through his career may have affected his writing. Lupu enlists the help of designer Ming Cho Lee to explain the...
Apr 04, 2014•20 min
In Conversation with... Moisés Kaufman: Directors rarely get the opportunity to spend time and share ideas in a room with other directors. This new one-on-one conversation series was conceived by director Thomas Kail to give himself, and his peers, an opportunity to do just that. This series of conversations explores topics that stretch from finding the spark in their work, making a life as a director, and how they landed on this side of the table. Each director's vision is distinct, and their w...
Apr 04, 2014•58 min
Directors rarely get the opportunity to spend time and share ideas in a room with other directors. This new one-on-one conversation series was conceived by director Thomas Kail to give himself, and his peers, an opportunity to do just that. This series of conversations explores topics that stretch from finding the spark in their work, making a life as a director, and how they landed on this side of the table. Each director's vision is distinct, and their way of working is their own, but this ser...
Apr 04, 2014•1 hr
In Conversation with... Susan Stroman: Directors rarely get the opportunity to spend time and share ideas in a room with other directors. This new one-on-one conversation series was conceived by director Thomas Kail to give himself, and his peers, an opportunity to do just that. This series of conversations explores topics that stretch from finding the spark in their work, making a life as a director, and how they landed on this side of the table. Each director's vision is distinct, and their wa...
Apr 04, 2014•56 min
Directors rarely get the opportunity to spend time and share ideas in a room with other directors. This new one-on-one conversation series was conceived by director Thomas Kail to give himself, and his peers, an opportunity to do just that. This series of conversations explores topics that stretch from finding the spark in their work, making a life as a director, and how they landed on this side of the table. Each director's vision is distinct, and their way of working is their own, but this ser...
Apr 04, 2014•57 min
Directors rarely get the opportunity to spend time and share ideas in a room with other directors. This new one-on-one conversation series was conceived by director Thomas Kail to give himself, and his peers, an opportunity to do just that. This series of conversations explores topics that stretch from finding the spark in their work, making a life as a director, and how they landed on this side of the table. Each director's vision is distinct, and their way of working is their own, but this ser...
Apr 04, 2014•1 hr 5 min
2002 Symposium: Hal Prince: At its 2002 Symposium, Director of Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation, Joe Miloscia, welcomed everyone to the symposium and introduced then Executive Director of SSDC Barbara Hauptman. Barbara introduced the two speakers: V.P. and Managing Director of The Fan Fox & Leslie R. Samuels Foundation Rob Marx who moderated a talk with accomplished director and producer Hal Prince. The conversation focused on Hal's personal take on the making of new musicals an...
Apr 04, 2014•1 hr 21 min
2003 Symposium: Keynote by Scott Elliott: At its 2003 Symposium SDCF invited Scott Elliott, freelance director and Artistic Director of The New Group, to give a keynote speech on directing in multiple mediums, running a theatre company, and life as an artist. SDC Observer of Scott Elliott, Mark Robinson, moderated the talk. Topics include why Elliott shifted from performing to directing, how New Group got its start, the evolution of work done at New Group, what he looks for when hiring a directo...
Apr 04, 2014•1 hr 10 min
SDCF hosted a Symposium on Musical Theatre in 2003 moderated by Daniella Topol, then the National Alliance Musical Theatre's New Works Program Director. The panel featured Urinetown director John Rando, then Artistic Director of Musical Theatre Works Thomas Cott, then Artistic Director of North Shore Music Theatre Jon Kimbell, General Manager Nancy Gibbs, Choreographer of Zanna, Don't! Devanand Janki, and Director Gabriel Barre. The panel discussed how new musicals are developed and ways institu...
Apr 04, 2014•57 min
2010 DCN: Directors Programs Applications: At its October 2010 Director-Choreographer-Network, SDC Director of Member Services Barbara Wolkoff moderated a panel featuring SDCF's Director of Foundation Ellen Rusconi, Theatre Communications Group's Director of Artistic Programs Emilya Cachapero, and The Drama League's Artistic Director Roger Danforth. Topics cover programs offered, what constitutes a successful candidate and application, interview tips, plus insider advice from previous program ap...
Apr 04, 2014•1 hr 23 min
2011 Emerging Artists Symposium: Opportunities: At its 2011 Emerging Artists Symposium, SDCF hosted a panel moderated by Ellen Rusconi and featuring Ars Nova's Artistic Director Jason Eagen, Manhattan Theatre Club's Artistic Line Producer Lisa McNulty, Playwrights Horizons' Artistic Staff Associate Briel Steinberg, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council's Program Manager Haowen Wang, and Brooklyn Arts Council's Regrant Director Ethany Uttech. The discussion centers on various opportunities for emergin...
Apr 04, 2014•43 min
At its 2011 Emerging Artists Symposium, SDCF hosted a panel moderated by Ellen Rusconi and featuring established freelance theater artists Jeremy Dobrish, Sarah Maxfield, Daniel Talbott, and Wendy Seyb. Topics cover the career trajectories of these established freelance artists from start to the current moment, the term "emerging" versus "established" artist, how they got jobs at the start of their career vs. how they get jobs now, agents, what constitutes a successful collaboration, and everyda...
Apr 04, 2014•59 min
In May 2011 SDCF hosted a One on One Conversation with freelance director David Cromer and Artistic Director of Writers' Theater Michael Halberstam. The conversation covers how they come to their projects, previews and reviews, the danger of facing no obstacles in a process, and their artistic approach. Michael and David shed light on collaboration, the role of director and artistic director, new work vs. classics, and the differences between theatre in Chicago and theatre in New York City. This...
Apr 04, 2014•1 hr 27 min
This 2003 panel discussion includes artistic leaders Clinton Turner Davis, Diane Paulus, Sabrina Peck, Neil Pepe (Atlantic Theater Company),Scott Elliot (The New Group), and Tisa Chang (Pan Asian Repertory). The discussion centers on challenges and opportunities for artistic leaders. Topics cover how economics affect artistic choices, how to sustain a creatively fulfilling career, and projections on what issues the next wave of artistic leaders will face. This conversation gives stimulating insi...
Apr 04, 2014•1 hr 26 min
2003 Symposium: Moving Work: In 2003, SDCF hosted a panel moderated by Karen Azenberg featuring choreographers Hope Clarke, Devanand Janki, and Peter Pucci. The discussion centers on where work for choreographers is expanding. Topics cover ways in which choreographers work with actors and directors, how process and style vary for operas, musicals, and plays, and methods for breaking career boundaries from concert dance to theatre. This conversation sheds exciting light on the blending of perform...
Apr 04, 2014•58 min
At its 2003 Symposium, SDCF hosted a panel moderated by Arthur Bartowand featuring playwright Steve Drukman, director Fritz Ertl, producer Chris Jaehnig, tech designer Tom Igoe, and stage manager Megan Bezdek. The discussion centers on the role of digital media in the developmental and production process on a commissioned play by Steve Druckman for the NYU Undergraduate Mainstage titled Youth in Asia . Topics covered the genesis of the project, the development process for a digital media heavy p...
Apr 04, 2014•1 hr 14 min
2003 Symposium: Adventurous Producers: At its 2003 Directing Symposium, SDCF hosted a panel moderated by Rubén Polendo and featuring producer Jordan Roth ( The Rocky Horror Show , The Donkey Show ), Artistic Director Jim Nicola (New York Theatre Workshop), and former artistic director and current director Michael Greif ( Rent ). The discussion centers on the role of the producer in modern American theater. Topics covered include how to determine what projects are the right fit for the different ...
Apr 04, 2014•1 hr 13 min
2003 Symposium: New Writers, New Worlds: At its 2003 Directing Symposium, SDCF hosted a panel moderated by Mary Catherine Burke and featuring directors Christopher Ashley, Jo Bonney, Susan Einhorn, Leah Gardiner, David Warren and Les Waters and playwrights Jorge Cortiñas and David Henry Hwang to discuss expanding diversity among writers, directors and subject matter of new plays. The discussion encompasses the artist's responsibility to creating diversity in theater, the producer's responsibilit...
Apr 04, 2014•1 hr 16 min
2003 Symposium: Designing Outside the Box: At its 2003 Directing Symposium, SDCF hosted a panel featuring the design team from Theater Mitu: Artistic Director Ruben Polendo, composer and shadow mask designer Jef Evans, costume, mask and puppet designer Miranda Hoffman, lighting designer Ryan Mueller and set designer, puppet designer and choreographer Scott Spahr. The discussion centers around Theater Mitu's methodology, in which they investigate a theatrical vocabulary through myth and tradition...
Apr 04, 2014•1 hr 21 min
2002 Symposium: The Director Choreographer Relationship: At its 2002 Musical Theatre Symposium, SDCF hosted a panel moderated by SDC Executive Director Barbara Hauptman featuring directors David Warren, Christopher Ashley, Gabriel Barre, Jeff Calhoun, Mary B. Robinson, choreographers Daniel Pelzig and Joey McKneely and director/choreographers Rob Ashford and Karen Azenberg to discuss the director/choreographer relationship. Topics include the genesis of partnerships, the blurry line between danc...
Apr 04, 2014•1 hr 27 min
At its 2002 Musical Theatre Symposium, SDCF hosted a panel on the writer-director relationship featuring Urinetown composer/lyricist Greg Kotis, The Wild Party composer Andrew Lippa and director Gabriel Barre, Violet composer Jeanine Tesori, bookwriter/lyricist Brian Crawley and director Susan H. Schulman, Side Show director Robert Longbottom, Jelly's Last Jam lyricist Susan Birkenhead, and tick, tick...BOOM! and Bat Boy director Scott Schwartz, moderated by Manhattan Theatre Club Musical Theatr...
Apr 02, 2014•1 hr 26 min
Self-Produced Work: In February 2011, SDCF Associate Director Ellen Rusconi moderated a Director/Choreographer Network roundtable discussion with The Civilians Artistic Director Steve Cosson and PearlDamour's Katie Pearl on producing one's own work as a director. The two directors offer contrasting experiences of developing their companies, from the structural basis of the Civilians to the organic beginnings of PearlDamour. Both discuss the meaning of stability in the artistic and financial live...
Apr 02, 2014•1 hr 17 min
2002 Symposium: Getting Hired: At its 2002 Musical Theatre Symposium, SDCF hosted a panel featuring Todd Haimes (Artistic Director, Roundabout Theatre Company), Marty Bell (Producer, Kiss of the Spider Woman , Ragtime ), Sue Frost (Associate Producer, Goodspeed Musicals), Michael Rego (Associate Producer, Urinetown ), Robert Johanson (Artistic Director, Paper Mill Playhouse),David Warren (Director, Summer and Smoke ) and Elizabeth Williams (Producer, Crazy For You ) to discuss how directors and ...
Apr 02, 2014•58 min
On January 17, 2011, SDCF hosted its third One-on-One Conversation of the 2010-2011 season at in the Beckett Theatre at Theatre Row with Berkeley Repertory Theatre Artistic Director Tony Taccone, moderated by SDCF Associate Director Ellen Rusconi. Mr. Taccone discusses his journey from discovering theatre through "happenings" in during college in the 1960s to his most recent foray into writing a play, including his experiences running the Eureka Theater started by Robert Woodruff and eventually ...
Apr 02, 2014•1 hr 16 min
On December 18, 2010, SDCF hosted their second One-on-One Conversation of the 2010-2011 season in the Beckett Theatre at Theatre Row with Donmar Warehouse Artistic Director Michael Grandage ( Red , Hamlet ) and Broadway Director/Choreographer Rob Ashford ( How To Succeed In Business... , Promises, Promises ) and moderated by SDCF Executive Director Laura Penn. The two directors discuss their trajectories from small town upbringings to the big city and from performing careers to directing. Other ...
Apr 02, 2014•1 hr 9 min
On November 14, 2010, SDCF hosted their first One-on-One Conversation of the 2010-2011 season at Atlantic Theatre Studios with 2009 Fichandler Award winner Jonathan Moscone (Artistic Director, California Shakespeare Theatre) and 2010 Alan Schneider Award winner Anne Kauffman (Obie Award, The Thugs ) and moderated by SDCF Executive Director Laura Penn. The two directors discuss their career paths and the many mentors and forms of mentorship they encountered along the way, including directing prof...
Apr 02, 2014•1 hr 21 min
Stage Direction, Chicago Style: On October 18, 2010, SDCF hosted a sixty-minute discussion on Stage Direction, Chicago Style at Steppenwolf Theatre moderated by Sheldon Patinkin and featuring panelists Seth Bockley, Timothy Douglas, Gary Griffin, Kimberly Senior and Dennis Zacek. The panel discusses Chicago's actor-based process, from actor-based companies such as Lookingglass to the exploratory rehearsal process embraced by Chicago directors. Topics include the influence of Second City, the dyn...
Apr 02, 2014•1 hr 25 min
2002 Symposium: Directing Revivals: At its 2002 Musical Theatre Symposium, SDCF hosted a panel on directing revivals featuring director/choreographers Jeff Calhoun ( Big River 2003 Revival), Robert Longbottom ( Flower Drum Song 2002 Revival) and Susan Schulman ( Sweeney Todd 1989 Revival) and moderated by Victoria Traube. The panelists discuss how directing revivals is different and how it is the same as directing new work, particularly focusing on the relationship with composers, lyricists and ...
Apr 02, 2014•1 hr 14 min
2002 Symposium: Assembling the Team: At its 3-day Musical Theatre Symposium in June of 2002, SDCF hosted a panel on assembling creative teams moderated by Arthur Bartow. Speakers included producers Marty Bell ( Ragtime ) and Sally Campbell Morse( Urinetown ), choreographers Larry Fuller ( Evita ) and Daniel Pelzig ( 33 Variations ), Roundabout Artistic Director Todd Haimes, directors Christopher Ashley ( Memphis ) and David Warren ( Summer and Smoke ), and composer Lucy Simon ( The Secret Garden...
Apr 02, 2014•1 hr 32 min
2002 Symposium: It's Not Where You Start: In June 2002, the Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation hosted a panel discussion on how Broadway directors and choreographers got their starts as part of its 3-day Musical Theatre Symposium. The panelists are Susan H. Schulman, Jeff Calhoun, David Warren, Scott Schwartz, Larry Fuller, Lynne Taylor-Corbett and Gabriel Barre. Some fell into their careers by accident while others had it planned all along, and their stories range from years of perfo...
Apr 02, 2014•1 hr 20 min
