SDCF Podcast Series

Check out this recording of our webinar conversation with Casey Nicholaw hosted on Zoom in March 2025. This conversation focused on Casey's expansive career. Topics of discussion included his approach to the craft, serving as both director and choreographer on many productions, and his work on the development of new musicals. A short Q & A followed the conversation. This interview was conducted by Dani Barlow. Bio: Casey Nicholaw is a two-time Tony Award winning director and choreographer of theatre, film and television. Nicholaw was awarded the 2011 Tony Award for co-directing THE BOOK OF MORMON, and the 2023 Tony Award for Best Choreography for SOME LIKE IT HOT. He received additional Tony nominations for ALADDIN (Best Choreography), THE PROM (Best Direction), MEAN GIRLS (Best Direction & Choreography), SOMETHING ROTTEN! (Best Direction & Choreography), THE DROWSY CHAPERONE (Best (Best Direction & Choreography), THE BOOK OF MORMON (Best Choreography), SOME LIKE IT HOT (Best Direction), and MONTY PYTHON'S SPAMALOT (Best Choreography). Other Broadway credits include TUCK EVERLASTING and ELF: THE MUSICAL. He's currently represented in the West End with THE BOOK OF MORMON (Olivier Award winner for Best Choreography), and MEAN GIRLS. Other notable West End Credits include DREAMGIRLS, THE DROWSY CHAPERONE, and ALADDIN. Upcoming, Nicholaw will direct and choreograph the UK premiere of Disney's HERCULES. His production is currently running in Hamburg, Germany. His film and television credits include THE PROM (choreographer), TROLLS (choreographer) and SMASH (director). Nicholaw started his career as a performer. His credits include CRAZY FOR YOU, THE BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE GOES PUBLIC, VICTOR/VICTORIA, STEEL PEER, THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL, SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER, SEUSSICAL, and THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE. He can be heard on the cast album of most of these musicals.

Check out this podcast of our one on one conversation with Rachel Chavkin that we hosted at Sunlight Studios in January 2025. This conversation was focused on Rachel's expansive career as an artist and approach to her craft. There was a focus on her work as founding artistic director of Brooklyn-based experimental collective the TEAM and how her work with the ensemble interacts and influences her work as a freelancer in the non-profit and commercial spaces. This interview was conducted by Annie Tippe. The Video production for this public program was by the Maria Torres Emerging Artists Foundation (MTEAF) Film Media Department, in partnership with the Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation (SDCF). • Video Supervisor: Javan Zapata • Videographer: Mike Weir • Social Media: Tatiana Montes Rachel Chavkin's headshot by Erik Tanner & Annie Tippe's headshot by JJ Geiger.

We are excited to bring you this new episode in our podcast series, The Art of Collaboration, with Brandon Stirling Baker and Justin Peck. This series focuses on directors and choreographers in conversation with some of their collaborators. The series explores the ins and outs of these processes, both finer details as well as overarching ideas about what goes into a productive collaboration on a show. In this episode you will hear a conversation with Brandon (Lighting Designer) and Justin (Director, Choreographer, co-Book Writer) about their work on Illinoise including how they collaborate, the value of incorporating team members early in the production process, and the role of lighting in theatrical storytelling. They also discuss the different iterations of the production as it moved from venue to venue.   Bios:   Brandon Stirling Baker is a Tony Award-Nominated lighting designer working internationally. His work can be seen on stages throughout the United States and abroad including Broadway, Lincoln Center, Hollywood Bowl, Walt Disney Concert Hall, New York City Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Australian Ballet, Hong Kong Ballet, Park Avenue Armory, American Repertory Theater, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Dutch National Ballet, Royal Danish Ballet, and many others. Baker received a Tony Award Nomination for his lighting of ILLINOISE on Broadway and is a recipient of the Knight of Illumination Award for his work in dance. Baker has designed over 30 premieres worldwide for director and choreographer Justin Peck, and works frequently with William Forsythe, Jamar Roberts, and Pam Tanowitz among others. He is the Resident Lighting Designer of Boston Ballet and a Lecturer of Design at the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale University. www.stirlingbaker.com   Brandon's headshot by Vincent Tullo   Justin Peck is a three-time Tony Award winning choreographer, director, filmmaker, and dancer based in New York City. He is currently the acting Resident Choreographer of New York City Ballet.  Peck has created and developed over 50 dance and theater works for stages around the world, including work for Broadway, the Palais Garnier, Lincoln Center, the Sydney Opera House, & Brooklyn Academy of Music.  He has created extensively for film, most notably choreographing Steven Spielberg's West Side Story (2021).  In 2024, Peck directed and choreographed the original Broadway musical Illinoise.  Honors include the Tony Award for Best Choreography for Carousel (2018) and Illinoise (2024), the National Arts Award (2018), the Golden Plate Honor from the Academy of Achievement (2019), the Bessie Award for Rodeo (2015), and the World Choreography Award for the film West Side Story (2021).

Enjoy this special stand alone episode with Anne Bogart. This is a recorded in-person conversation held in London with the Young Vic and SDCF in January 2025 that is now in podcast form. Anne discusses working in the theatre as a director including delving into her directing practices both as artist and teacher as well as her work through co-founding SITI Company. This conversation picks up after some introductions in the room and encapsulates the interview portion of the event.   Bio: Anne Bogart is a theatre and opera director. She was the Co-Artistic Director of SITI Company, which she founded with Japanese director Tadashi Suzuki in 1992. She is a Professor at Columbia University where she runs the Graduate Directing Program and is the author of six books: "A Director Prepares," "The Viewpoints Book," "And Then, You Act," "Conversations with Anne," "What's the Story" and, most recently, "The Art of Resonance."  She is the recipient of an Obie Lifetime Achievement Award, a Doris Duke Artist Grant, a USA Fellowship, a Rockefeller Fellowship, and a Guggenheim Fellowship as well as four Honorary Doctorate degrees, from Bard College, the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, Cornish School of the Arts and Skidmore Colleges. Recent theater works include Existentialism (La Mama and Talking Band), Eastland (Trinity Theater, Dublin), The Beautiful Lady (La Mama), and Composition as Explanation (Court Theater, Chicago). With SITI, recent productions include A Christmas Carol, Falling and Loving, The Bacchae, The Theater is a Blank Page, Persians, Steel Hammer, A Rite, Café Variations, Trojan Women, American Document, Antigone, Freshwater Under Construction; Who Do You Think You Are; Radio Macbeth; Hotel Cassiopeia; Death and the Ploughman; La Dispute; Score; bobrauschenbergamerica; Room; War of the Worlds; Cabin Pressure; The Radio Play; Alice's Adventures; Culture of Desire; Bob; Going, Going, Gone; Small Lives/Big Dreams; The Medium; Noel Coward's Hay Fever and Private Lives; August Strindberg's Miss Julie; and Charles Mee's Orestes. Operas include Bartok's Bluebeard's Castle (Boston Lyric Opera), Wagner's Tristan and Isolde(the National theater of Croatia), Ruder's The Handmaid's Tale (Boston Lyric Opera), Verdi's Macbeth(Glimmerglass), Bellini's Norma (Washington National Opera and Los Angeles Opera), I Capuleti e i Montecchi (Glimmerglass), Bizet's Carmen (Glimmerglass), three operas by Deborah Drattell, Nicholas and Alexandra (Los Angeles Opera), Marina: A Captive Spirit (American Opera Projects), and Lilith (New York City Opera) and Brecht/Weill's Seven Deadly Sins (New York City Opera).   

We are excited to bring you this new episode in our podcast series, The Art of Collaboration with Anne Kauffman and dots. This series focuses on directors and choreographers in conversation with some of their collaborators. This series explores the ins and outs of these processes, both finer details as well as overarching ideas about what goes into a productive collaboration on a show. In this episode you will hear an in-depth and transparent conversation with Anne and dots focused on the collaboration between directors and designers as well as navigating the industry as a collective.   Bios: dots (Scenic Designer) is a design collective creating environments for theater, film, commercials, and immersive experiences. Hailing from Colombia, South Africa, and Japan, we are Santiago Orjuela-Laverde, Andrew Moerdyk, and Kimie Nishikawa. As collaborators, we believe that the whole is greater than the sum of its individual parts. Recent highlights include the Broadway productions of Oh, Mary! ; Romeo + Juliet, An Enemy of the People (Tony Award Nomination for Best Scenic Design of a Play); Appropriate (Tony Award, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Award nominations for Outstanding Scenic Design); The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window; and The Big Gay Jamboree ; Recent awards include a 2024 Obie Award for Sustained Achievement in Design, 2023 and 2024 Henry Hewes Design Award, recipient of 2025 USA Fellowship Award . designbydots.com. Anne Kauffman (Director)'s credits include the New York Philharmonic, BAM, Ars Nova, NYTW, Roundabout Theatre Company, Encores! Off-Center, Women's Project, Playwrights Horizons, MCC, The Public, P73 Productions, New Georges, Vineyard Theatre, LCT3, Yale Rep, Steppenwolf, Goodman Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, Z Space, American Conservatory Theater, and Berkeley Rep. She is a Resident Director at Roundabout Theatre, Artistic Associate and Founding Member of The Civilians, a Clubbed Thumb Affiliated Artist and co-creator of the CT Directing Fellowship, a New Georges Affiliated Artist, an SDC Executive Board Member, Vice President and Trustee of SDCF 2020-2023, and Artistic Director of City Center's Encores! Off-Center 2017-2020. Her awards include a 2024 Tony nomination for Best Director for Mary Jane, a 2023 Tony nomination for Best Revival for The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window, three Obies, the Joan and Joseph Cullman Award for Exceptional Creativity from Lincoln Center, the Alan Schneider Director Award, a Lucille Lortel Award, a Drama League Award, and the Joe A. Callaway. She is co-creator of the Cast Album Project with Jeanine Tesori.   dots headshot courtesy of dots Anne Kauffman's headshot by Tess Mayer

Check out this podcast replay of the SDCF Panel: Art of Collaboration with Shana Carroll, Jesse Robb, and Jessica Stone that we hosted at the Museum of Broadway. They discuss the ins and outs of their creative processes as they collaborated on Water for Elephants, both the finer details as well as overarching ideas about what goes into a productive collaboration on a show. This was a moderated panel with dedicated time for a Q & A. We hosted this panel in August 2024. This video and audio was recorded by Michael Weir supported by the Maria Torres Emerging Artists Foundation. Transcript available upon request. Shana Carroll is Co-Founding Artistic Director of the Montreal based circus company The 7 Fingers. Since its founding in 2002, Carroll has written, directed and choreographed 12 of their touring and/or resident shows, 3 of which (Passengers, Duel Reality, Dear San Francisco) are currently running, and which also includes Sequence 8 at NY City Center and Traces off- Broadway run at Union Square Theatre. Carroll received a Drama Desk Nomination for Choreography and Best Theatrical Experience for their show Traces. Outside The 7 Fingers, Carroll directed Cirque du Soleil's first- ever ice show Crystal, in addition to their performance at the Academy Awards in 2012. Also, for Cirque du Soleil, Carroll was circus choreographer and designer for their shows Iris (Los Angeles) and Paramour (Broadway). Other credits include: Queen of the Night (Drama Desk Recipient); Soul of the Ocean (Moment Factory); Cité Mémoire (Lemieux-Pilon); and the Sochi Winter Olympics Opening Ceremonies (medieval segment). Prior to directing and choreography, Carroll was herself a trapeze artist, performing for over 20 years in the air with circuses and dance companies around the world, most notably as the original solo trapeze artist for Cirque du Soleil's Saltimbanco. She also appeared in Cirque du Soleil produced television and film. Now based in Montreal, where she relocated in 1991 to attend l'École Nationale de Cirque, Carroll is originally from Berkeley, California. In 2023, Carroll was inducted into the Ordre of Arts and Letters of Quebec, a distinction honoring those who have contributed to artistic and cultural development in the province of Quebec. Most recently, Carroll was Circus Designer and Co-choreographer of the musical Water For Elephants, first at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta and now in its Broadway run at the Imperial Theatre, for which she received a Suzi Bass Award and the Chita Rivera Award for Best Choreography, as well as Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics' Circle nominations in the same category. Jesse Robb's work spans Broadway, Cirque Du Soleil, Momix, Les Ballet Jazz de Montréal, Mirvish Productions, Disney, Cameron Mackintosh, Prime Video, Opera Philadelphia, and more. He is the co-choreographer (alongside Shana Carroll) for the Broadway production of Water For Elephants, which was nominated for seven Tony Awards including Best Musical. Jesse and Shana were nominated for Tony, Drama Desk, and OCC Awards and received the 2024 Chita Rivera award for Outstanding Choreography. Jesse is the Movement Director for the North American Touring, South Korean, and Japanese productions of the international hit Les Misérables. He was also the Associate Choreographer for the Broadway, North American Touring, and Austrian companies of the 2017 Revival of Miss Saigon. Regionally, Jesse has choreographed at The MUNY, The Alliance Theater (Suzi Bass Award for Outstanding Choreography), The Stratford Festival of Canada, Theatre Calgary, and Ogunquit Playhouse among others. Jessica Stone: Most recently, Stone was nominated for a Tony Award for directing the original Broadway musical Kimberly Akimbo, which won 5 Tony Awards including Best Musical. Stone worked as an actress on and off-Broadway, in television and in film for decades before transitioning to directing. Broadway credits included Anything Goes, Butley, The Odd Couple, The Smell of the Kill, Design for Living, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and Grease. Her directing career began in earnest with her all-male 2010 production of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum for the Williamstown Theatre Festival. She has since been directing all over the country at such theaters as The Old Globe, A.C.T, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Huntington Theatre Company,  Two River Theatre Company, and the Williamstown Theatre Festival among others. Productions include As You Like It, Kate Hamill's Vanity Fair, Barefoot in the Park, Dancing at Lughnasa, Bad Dates, Ken Ludwig's Robin Hood! (World premiere), Ripcord, Bad Jews, Arms and the Man, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, Charlotte's Web, June Moon, Last of the Red Hot Lovers, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Absurd Person Singular, and Kimberly Akimbo (off-Broadway premiere at the Atlantic). She currently lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two sons.

Check out this podcast replay of our SDCF Panel: The Journey from Dancer to Choreographer with Mayte Natalio, Adesola Osakalumi, and Ellenore Scott. This conversation focuses on career transitions or expansions, specifically for dancers who have shifted or added choreography to their artistic practice. We hosted this panel at Sunlight Studios in February 2024. This video and audio was recorded by Michael Weir supported by the Maria Torres Emerging Artists Foundation. Transcript available upon request. Ellenore Scott (she/her) is a BIPOC, New York based choreographer and director. Through her work, Scott values lifting diverse voices in her community while creating a joyous space where the creative process can bring as many people in as possible. Her Broadway credits include Grey House, Funny Girl, Mr. Saturday Night. Her Off-Broadway credits include Little Shop of Horrors, Titanique (Lucille Loretel Nomination), I Can Get It For You Wholesale. Other choreography credits include: So You Think You Can Dance?, Single All the Way (Netflix). In 2023, Scott co-directed The Lonely Few, a world premiere rock musical at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles, CA that will transfer to Off-Broadway's MCC Theatre in Spring of 2024. Scott's work has also been seen at The Bushwick Starr, The Old Globe, Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival, McCarter Theatre, Cherry Lane Theatre, Asolo Repertory Theatre, Cape Fear Regional Theatre and Seattle Repertory Theatre. In 2020, Scott was a finalist for the SDC Breakout Award for the first ever TikTok Music Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical which raised over $2 million for The Entertainment Fund. As a performer, Scott appeared in numerous television shows (Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Smash, The Blacklist, Glee! to name a few) and was a finalist and All-Star on So You Think You Can Dance? Scott is the Artistic Director of ELSCO Dance, a contemporary-fusion dance company. Mayte Natalio: Broadway: Suffs (spring 2024), For Colored Girls… (Associate Choreographer). Off-Broadway: Measure for Measure (The Public Theater, Mobile Unit). Regional: The Winter's Tale (DTC, Public Works), Into the Woods (Barrington Stage Company), Love in Hate Nation (Two River Theater), Hair (The Old Globe), Kiss My Aztec (Hartford Stage), How to Dance in Ohio (Syracuse Stage). Adesola Osakalumi: is a Bronx native, Bessie Award-winning, Drama Desk-nominated Choreographer and Actor. Inspired by his family's dance company Africa 1 Dance Theater, he began performing at an early age and was immediately captivated by popping, locking, and all diasporic hip-hop dance styles. He began training seriously at every opportunity possible while maintaining a strong presence in the New York club scene where these styles flourished. Selected Choreographic credits include: Fall For Dance/Jam On The Groove 3 For 30 (City Center),Skeleton Crew (Broadway MTC), Cullud Wattah, Coal Country, Othello (Public Theater), runboyrun, Eyewitness Blues (NYTW), Good Grief (Vineyard), Jam on the Groove (Minetta Lane) and the film School Of Rock. Upcoming: The Hippest Trip (Soul Train Musical) Associate Choreographer & Dance Consultant and Syncing Ink (Victoria Theater) Spring 2025.  As an Actor: Skeleton Crew, Fela!, Equus (Broadway), runboyrun (NYTW), Syncing Ink (Flea/Alley Theater) and the films Red Pill, IBRAHIM, Enchanted, Across the Universe, and Sex and the City 2. TV: "Endgame", "Ice", Blue Bloods. Awards: Bessie Award Recipient, Drama Desk Recipient. I give thanks to my Ori, Ancestors, and Family for their constant support and love. adesola.com IG @adesolaosakalumi.

Check out this podcast replay of the SDCF Virtual Panel: Demystifying Pre-Production with Knud Adams, Maija García, and Delicia Turner Sonnenberg. This conversation focuses on the pre-production process, giving insights and a better understanding of all the things that happen between when a director signs a contract and first rehearsal. The panelists talked about what they have discovered over the years makes for the strongest pre-production process for them before rehearsals begin. Transcript available upon request. We hosted this panel in June 2024. Knud Adams is an Obie-winning director of artful new plays, based in New York. This season, he's directing English on Broadway. His work has been featured on "Best of the Year" lists by The New York Times, New York Magazine, The New Yorker, and The Washington Post. An avid developer of new work, his world-premiere productions include: Primary Trust (Roundabout), English (Atlantic/Roundabout), Bodies They Ritual (Clubbed Thumb), Private (Mosaic), The Headlands (LCT3), Paris (Atlantic), and The Workshop (Soft Focus). Knud also directed the radio play Vapor Trail, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. Maija García is a theater director, cultural innovator and advocate for equity in the arts. She recently directed I am Betty, a world premiere hit new musical at History Theater by Cristina Luzarrága and Denise Prosek; VALOR, a Spanish golden-age play by Ana Caro; and OUR HOOD, a bi-lingual cineplay by John Leguizamo. Director of Movement for Spike Lee's Oscar award-winning Blackkklansman, CHI-RAQ and She's Gotta Have It on Netflix, and Executive Producer of Art of Dance, a documentary film, García's Theater Directing credits include Bill T. Jones' FELA! World Tour; CRANE: on earth in sky by Heather Henson and Ty Defoe and Salsa Mambo Cha Cha Cha in La Habana Cuba. Regional Theater credits include original choreography for West Side Story at the Guthrie Theater; Kiss My Aztec by John Leguizamo and Tony Toccone at Berkeley Rep, and La Jolla Playhouse; Snow in Midsummer by Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig at Oregon Shakespeare Festival; Cuba Libre by Carlos Lacámara at Artists Repertory Theater (PAMTA Award); and Fats Waller Dance Party with Jason Moran and Meshell N'degeocello at Harlem Stage, SF Jazz and the Kennedy Center. Garcia founded Organic Magnetics to generate urban folklore for the future. She wrote, produced and directed Ghosts of Manhattan: 1512-2012, an interactive history and I am New York: Juan Rodriguez. Director of Education and Professional Training at Guthrie Theater, Maija served on the Tony Award Nominating Committee and is a proud member of SDC since 2008.  Delicia Turner Sonnenberg is a director, artistic leader, teacher, and mother. She is a founder and the former Artistic Director of MOXIE Theatre, which she helmed for twelve acclaimed seasons. Delicia has directed plays for the Old Globe Theatre, San Diego REP, La Jolla Playhouse, Actors Theatre of Louisville Humana Festival, Cygnet Theatre, New Village Arts, and Diversionary Theatre, among others. Delicia has directed countless workshops and staged readings of new plays for National New Play Network, Old Globe, Bay Area Playwrights Festival, San Diego REP, and Arena Stage. Delicia was twice a recipient of the Van Lier Directing Fellowship through Second Stage Theatre in New York and is an alumna of the New York Drama League's Directors Program, as well as Theatre Communication Group's New Generations Program.

Check out this podcast replay of our one on one conversation with 2023 Tony Award Winner Michael Arden hosted by SDCF and the Museum of Broadway. Interviewed by SDC Executive Director Laura Penn, this conversation focuses on Michael's expansive career to date including a deeper dive into his work as an artist and practice as a director. We held this conversation in March 2024. The video and audio was recorded by Michael Weir supported by the Maria Torres Emerging Artists Foundation. Transcript available upon request. Michael Arden (Director) was awarded the 2023 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical for his production of Parade starring Ben Platt and Micaela Diamond, which will have a national tour beginning early 2024. Michael was also Tony nominated for his revivals of Once On This Island and Spring Awakening. Michael wrote and directed Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol which played the Nederlander Theatre last Holiday season and starred Jefferson Mays. Michael will helm the new Stephen Schwartz and Lindsey Ferrentino musical The Queen of Versailles starring Kristin Chenowith and a new musical adaptation of the cult film The Lost Boys. Other directing credits include: Maybe Happy Ending at the Atlanta Alliance, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat  at Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center, and site specific works: American Dream Study and ALIEN/NATION with his company The Forest of Arden. Arden has been named on Variety's Impact List and is the winner of an NAACP Award for best direction of his revival of Merrily We Roll Along at the Wallis Annenberg in Los Angeles. In addition to directing theater in America and around the globe, he regularly directs "The Connors" on ABC, and has appeared in numerous features and TV shows, most notably: Grey's Anatomy, Bride Wars, Anger Management, Source Code, and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. On stage, Arden has appeared on Broadway in Big River; The Times, They Are A-Changin', and King Lear. Arden is a Presidential Scholar in the Arts and alumni of the Interlochen Arts Academy and The Juilliard School. Michael and longtime creative and design partner Dane Laffrey founded AT RISE CREATIVE, a production company that strives to create groundbreaking live experiences with an emphasis on design and innovating technologies. Photo credit:  Laura Penn has been Executive Director of Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC) since 2008. This year, she was appointed by President Biden to serve as a member of the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. Most recently, she was elected to the Board of the Entertainment Community Fund. Under her leadership, SDC's Membership has grown more than 100%, a result of her work expanding jurisdictions; leading bold and successful negotiations; and furthering the Union's Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) initiatives and political engagement. She serves on the General Board of the Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO (DPE) and is an active member of DPE's Arts, Entertainment, and Media Industry Coordinating Committee (AEMI). She is co-Chair of the Coalition of Broadway Unions and Guilds, the first woman to hold a leadership position with this coalition of 18 influential unions representing workers on Broadway. Laura serves on the Tony Awards Administration Committee and is a Tony Voter. She served as a panelist for the New York State Council for the Arts, for more than a decade was a site evaluator for the National Endowment for the Arts, was Vice President of the League of Resident Theatres, and was two-term Chair of the Seattle Arts Commission. Recognized with Seattle's Distinguished Citizen Medal, she is an advocate for civic dialogue and public participation and has been dedicated throughout her career to the idea that artistic excellence and community engagement are intrinsically connected. Laura previously served as an arts executive for Intiman Theatre and Seattle Repertory Theatre and began her career at D.C.'s Arena Stage, Living Stage Theatre Company. She currently teaches Labor Relations in the graduate program at the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale.

We are excited to bring you another episode in our podcast series Choreographers in Conversation.  This series allows choreographers to interview other choreographers whose work excites them as a way to learn more about their craft and preserve the stories of these exciting artists in our industry. In this episode Choreographer Camden Gonzales interviews Choreographer Sonya Tayeh. They explore Sonya's choreographic process, philosophy around the importance and impact of choreography and dancers in the theatre world, as well as delving into the work she has done throughout her career.  Bios:  Camden Gonzales is an artist, performer, and choreographer based in NYC. She is currently the Associate Choreographer for Moulin Rouge The Musical overseeing multiple companies across the globe. She is also the Associate Choreographer for the upcoming musical Gatsby (featuring original music by Florence Welch) which will debut at A.R.T. in Boston this summer. Other select credits include Sing Street (Associate Choreographer) at The Huntington Theatre, A Sherlock Carol (Assistant Director) New World Stages, Peter and The Starcatcher (Choreographer) White Heron Theatre, Hamilton (Dance Captain/Swing) National Tour, Groundhog Day (Dance Captain/Swing) Broadway. www.camdengonzales.com  Sonya Tayeh is a New York City based TONY® Award winning choreographer and director. Since paving her professional career, her work has been characterized as a blend of powerful versatility and theatrical range.   Selected credits include: Moulin Rouge! Broadway, Australia, UK, Tour (Hirschfeld theatre/Dir Alex Timbers), UP HERE (Hulu Musical Series), The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window Broadway (James Earl Jones Theatre), Is It Thursday Yet? (La Jolla Playhouse), Sing Street Broadway (Huntington Theatre, Boston/Dir Rebecca Taichman), Martha Graham Dance Company (Joyce Theatre/Tour), American Ballet Theatre/What Becomes of Love Film, Unveiling with Moses and dancers (Fall For Dance/City Center), Rent Live! (Fox Network/Dir Michael Grief and Alex Rudzinski), The Lucky Ones (Ars Nova/Dir. Anne Kauffman), Face the Torrent for Malpaso Dance Co. (commissioned by The Music Center/LA), You'll Still Call Me By Name (commissioned by New York Live Arts and Jacobs Pillow Dance Festival), Martha Graham Dance Company's Lamentation Variation Series (Joyce Theatre), Hundred Days (New York Theatre Workshop/Dir. Anne Kauffman), The Skin Of Our Teeth (Theatre for a New Audience/Dir. Arin Arbus), Andrew Lippas' The Wild Party (City Center Encores!/Dir. Leigh Silverman), Kung Fu (Signature Theatre/Dir. Leigh Silverman) Tayeh has directed and choreographed for world renowned music artists including Miley Cyrus (Directed and Choreographed The Gypsy Heart Tour), Florence and the Machine (Choreographed performances for The Brit Awards, The Voice and American Idol), Kyle Minogue (Aphrodite Tour)  She has gleaned many accolades for her versatile work, including a Tony award, two Emmy noms, one Drama Desk award, an Obie Award and two Lucille Lortel Awards for "Outstanding Choreography." https://www.sonyatayeh.com/

We are excited to bring you this new episode in our podcast series, The Art of Collaboration. This series focuses on directors and choreographers in conversation with some of their collaborators on a specific production. This series explores the ins and outs of these processes, both the finer details as well as overarching ideas about what goes into a productive collaboration on a show. In the second episode of this two episode arc, Director Alex Timbers, Sound Designer Peter Hylenski, and Scenic Designer Derek McLane are interviewed by Foundation Director Dani Barlow to discuss their experience working together on Moulin Rouge! The Musical. Learn more about this episode's guests below.    Bios: ALEX TIMBERS (Director) is the recipient of Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, and London Evening Standard Awards, as well as two Obie and Lortel Awards. Broadway credits include Gutenberg the Musical; Here Lies Love; Moulin Rouge!; Just For Us; Beetlejuice; David Byrne's American Utopia; Oh Hello with Nick Kroll and John Mulaney; The Pee-wee Herman Show; Peter and the Starcatcher; and Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson (also bookwriter). For television, he co-created Amazon's "Mozart in the Jungle" (Golden Globe Award) and has helmed the Netflix specials "John Mulaney: Kid Gorgeous," "Ben Platt: Live at Radio City," and most recently "John Mulaney: Baby J" (2023 Emmy Award nomination). His debut picture book, Broadway Bird, set in an all-animal version of Broadway, is published by Macmillan. @alextimbers PETER HYLENSKI (Sound Designer). Peter received a Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, and an Outer Critics Circle Award Honor for his work on Moulin Rouge! The Musical. A Grammy, Olivier, and eight time Tony nominee, his selected Broadway designs include: Moulin Rouge!, Frozen, Anastasia, Beetlejuice, Once On This Island, Something Rotten, King Kong, Rock of Ages, After Midnight, Motown, The Scottsboro Boys, Side Show, Rocky, Bullets Over Broadway, Shrek the Musical, On A Clear Day, Lend Me A Tenor, Elf.  Other designs: Awakening, Le Rêve and Lake of Dreams at Wynn Las Vegas.  He's designed for Carnegie Hall, Radio City Music Hall, Madison Square Garden, London's O2 Arena, and The Kennedy Center.  Peter holds a BFA from Carnegie Mellon University. DEREK MCLANE (Scenic Designer) SELECTED CREDITS: BROADWAY: MJ the Musical, Moulin Rouge!, Purlie Victorious, A Soldier's Play, American Son, The Parisian Woman, Children of a Lesser God, The Price, Noises Off, Fully Committed, Beautiful, Gigi, China Doll, Anything Goes, The Heiress, Nice Work If You Can Get It, The Best Man, Follies, How to Succeed In Business Without Even Trying, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, Million Dollar Quartet, Ragtime, 33 Variations The Pajama Game, I Am My Own Wife. OFF-BROADWAY: Black No More, Merrily We Roll Along, The True, Jerry Spring the Opera, If I Forget, The Whirligig, Into The Woods, Love, Love, Love, Sweet Charity, Evening at the Talk House, Two Gentlemen of Verona, Buried Child, The Spoils, Sticks and Bones, The Last Five Years, A Lie of the Mind, Ruined, Hurlyburly. TELEVISION: He designed the 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 & 2017 Academy Awards as well as the NBC LIVE! Musicals The Sound of Music, Peter Pan, The WIZ & HAIRSPRAY. AWARDS: Winner of 1997 + 2004 OBIE Awards, 2004, 2005, 2007 Lortel Awards; 2009 + 2021 Tony Award, 2011 Drama Desk Award, 2015, 2016 Art Directors Guild Award, 2014 + 2017 Emmy Award.  

We are excited to bring you this new podcast series, The Art of Collaboration. This series will focus on directors and choreographers in conversation with some of their collaborators on a specific production. This series will explore the ins and outs of these processes, both the finer details as well as overarching ideas about what goes into a productive collaboration on a show. In this inaugural episode, Director Alex Timbers, Costume Designer Catherine Zuber, and Lighting Designer Justin Townsend are interviewed by Foundation Director Dani Barlow to discuss their experience working together on Moulin Rouge! The Musical. Learn more about this episode's guests below. Bios: Alex Timbers (Director) is the recipient of Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, and London Evening Standard Awards, as well as two Obie and Lortel Awards. Broadway credits include Gutenberg the Musical; Here Lies Love; Moulin Rouge!; Just For Us; Beetlejuice; David Byrne's American Utopia; Oh Hello with Nick Kroll and John Mulaney; The Pee-wee Herman Show; Peter and the Starcatcher; and Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson (also bookwriter). For television, he co-created Amazon's "Mozart in the Jungle" (Golden Globe Award) and has helmed the Netflix specials "John Mulaney: Kid Gorgeous," "Ben Platt: Live at Radio City," and most recently "John Mulaney: Baby J" (2023 Emmy Award nomination). His debut picture book, Broadway Bird, set in an all-animal version of Broadway, is published by Macmillan. @alextimbers   Justin Townsend (Lighting Designer): His professional lighting design work includes such productions as: Moulin Rouge! The Musical (Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, Outer Critics Circle Award); Jagged Little Pill (Tony Nomination); American Psycho (Tony nomination, Drama Desk Award, Outer Critics Circle Award, Henry Hewes Award); The Humans (Tony nomination, Drama Desk Award); Here Lies Love, (Drama Desk Award, Public Theater); Vietgone, (MTC); Pretty Filthy, (Civilians); Mr. Burns, a Post Electric Play, Milk Like Sugar, (Playwrights Horizons); Odyssey, A Winter's Tale, (Public Works at the Delacorte Theater); Venus, (Signature Theater); Unnatural Acts, Mother Courage, and Galileo (Classic Stage Company) Catherine Zuber (Costume Designer) Broadway: Moulin Rouge, (Tony Award, Olivier Award, Drama Desk Award, Outer Critics Circle Award), Mrs. Doubtfire, My Fair Lady, (Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, Outer Critics Circle Award), Oslo, War Paint (Drama Desk Award, Outer Critics Circle Award), King & I, (Olivier Award, Tony Award), Fiddler on the Roof, Golden Boy. South Pacific (Tony Award); The Coast of Utopia (Tony Award); The Light in the Piazza (Tony Award); Awake and Sing! (Tony Award); The Royal Family (Tony Award);  Gigi (Drama Desk Award). Metropolitan Opera: Rigoletto, Porgy & Bess, Il Barbieri di Siviglia, Les Contes d'Hoffman, Comte Ory, L'elisir d'Amore, Otello, Dr. Atomic, Roméo et Juliette. 2016 Induction: Theater Hall of Fame.  Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation: Founded in 1965, Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation (SDCF) exists to foster, promote, and develop the creativity and craft of stage directors and choreographers. SDCF's mission is to create access to the field, to connect artists to each other and to the public, and to honor these artists' theatrical legacies. The centrality of directors and choreographers in theatre and the impact they have on other artists' careers—from playwrights to designers to actors—makes SDCF's services essential to the wider theatre industry's continued health and vitality. Through its dynamic educational programming, including Observerships, Fellowships, public panels, and day-long symposia, SDCF serves the needs of directors and choreographers at every stage of career. www.sdcfoundation.org

We are excited to bring you this podcast series, Choreographers in Conversation. This series allows choreographers to interview other choreographers whose work excites them as a way to learn more about their craft and preserve the stories of these exciting artists in our industry. In this episode Choreographer and Creative Director Ellenore Scott interviews Choreographer Camille A. Brown to hear more about her career and where her love of dance and choreography comes from, what inspires her, working with collaborators, and how Camille approaches her work with ranges in size and types of stages. They also discuss Broadway debuts, the preproduction process, and staying true to yourself in your work. Bios: Camille A. Brown: Broadway: for colored girls… (7 Tony award nominations including Best Direction of a Play and Choreography), Choir Boy (Tony & Drama Desk Nominee), Once on This Island (Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Chita Rivera Nominee), A Streetcar Named Desire. Off Broadway and regional: Much Ado About Nothing (Audelco Award), Toni Stone (Audelco, Lortel Nominee), Bella (Playwrights Horizons, Lucille Lortel Nominee, Audelco Award), Fortress of Solitude (Lucille Lortel Nominee); tick, tick...BOOM! (Encores!). The Wiz (MUNY), Stagger Lee (DTC); Once (Pittsburgh CLO). Opera: Fire Shut Up in My Bones (co-directed with James Robinson- Bessie nomination), Porgy & Bess, Champion.  Television: Harlem (Amazon Prime), Nike/Jordan commercial. Jesus Christ Superstar Live" (NBC). Film:  Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (Netflix). Company: Bessie winning Camille A. Brown & Dancers. Awards: Obie Award for Sustained Excellence in Choreography, ISPA's Distinguished Artist, Dance Magazine Award, Guggenheim, Doris Duke Artist, Princess Grace Statue Award, Jacob's Pillow Award, and New York City Center, USA Jay Franke & David Herro Fellow, TED fellow, Kennedy Center's Next 50, Ford Foundation Art of Change Fellowship www.camilleabrown.org  Ellenore Scott (she/her) is a New York based choreographer and creative director. Broadway: Funny Girl, Mr. Saturday Night. Off-Broadway: Little Shop of Horrors, Titanique. Other choreography credits include: So You Think You Can Dance?, Single All the Way (Netflix), Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical. Scott's work has been seen at The Bushwick Starr, The Old Globe, Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival, McCarter Theatre, Cherry Lane Theatre, Asolo Repertory Theatre, Cape Fear Regional Theatre and Seattle Repertory Theatre. As a performer, Scott appeared in numerous television shows (Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Smash, The Blacklist, Glee!) and was a finalist and All-Star on So You Think You Can Dance? Scott is the Artistic Director of ELSCO Dance, a contemporary-fusion dance company. As a content creator, Scott makes lifestyle, dance and comedy videos for over 1 million followers on TikTok. @helloellenore https://www.ellenorescott.co/ Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation: Founded in 1965, Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation (SDCF) exists to foster, promote, and develop the creativity and craft of stage directors and choreographers. SDCF's mission is to create access to the field, to connect artists to each other and to the public, and to honor these artists' theatrical legacies. The centrality of directors and choreographers in theatre and the impact they have on other artists' careers—from playwrights to designers to actors—makes SDCF's services essential to the wider theatre industry's continued health and vitality. Through its dynamic educational programming, including Observerships, Fellowships, public panels, and day-long symposia, SDCF serves the needs of directors and choreographers at every stage of career. www.sdcfoundation.org

In this special podcast episode, SDCF Director Dani Barlow and SDCF Board of Trustees Member Seema Sueko discuss the revitalized Professional Development Program (formerly the SDCF Observership Program). You can visit SDCF's website to learn more: https://sdcfoundation.org/professional-development-program/ SDCF's revitalized Professional Development Program provides opportunities for early career directors and choreographers to observe and/or support experienced directors and choreographers during the production process. The goals of this program are to provide access to directors and/or choreographers who have not seen the work of an experienced director/choreographer or have not previously worked on a certain type of production or at a certain level and provide mentorship from experienced directors and choreographers to newer directors and choreographers. Applications for the 2022-23 Season Cycle 1 will open Friday November 11, 2022.

We are excited to bring you this podcast series, Choreographers in Conversation. This series will allow choreographers to interview other choreographers whose work excites them as a way to learn more about their craft and preserve the stories of these exciting artists in our industry. In this episode Sam Pinkleton interviews Annie-B Parson. The two discuss the experience of choreographing for musicians and opera, being a choreographer not a dancer, and how one collaborates or doesn't with dancers and musicians. Sam asks Annie-B about how she prepares for a project, who she makes dance pieces for, and how she thinks teaching influences her work. Additionally, the two talk about Annie-B Parson's new book called The Choreography of Everyday Life that was published on October 11th, 2022. They also reiterate that choreographers are for more than carrying a couch across the stage. Check out Annie-B's book here: http://ow.ly/liWH50L9uRP Annie-B Parson: Annie-B Parson is a choreographer. She has made choreography for rock shows, marching bands, movies, museums, objects, television, augmented reality, opera, ballet, theater, symphony orchestras, string quartets, and a chorus of 1,000 amateur singers. She has made dance and stagings for the work of David Byrne, David Bowie, Lorde, St. Vincent, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Wendy Whelan, Laurie Anderson, Suzan Lori Parks, Spike Lee, Jonathan Demme, Salt 'n Pepa, Esperanza Spalding, David Lang, Anne Carson, and the Martha Graham Dance Co. Annie-B is the artistic director of Big Dance Theater. Annie-B just published a new book on October 11, 2022 called The Choreography of Everyday Life. https://www.bigdancetheater.org/founders-directors/ Sam Pinkleton:  Sam Pinkleton is a Tony Award-nominated theater and dance maker. His work on Broadway includes Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812, Machinal, Heisenberg, Significant Other, Amélie, and Macbeth. His recent work includes Jeanine Tesori and David Henry Hwang's Soft Power, the youth-led civic spectacular Runaways in Central Park and collaborations with the Dutch National Opera, Carnegie Hall, BAM, Virgin Voyages, The Civilians, Swing Left, and Cirque du Soleil. He is currently directing the world premiere of Noah Diaz' You Will Get Sick for Roundabout Theater Company. He does not own any dance shoes. sampinkleton.com Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation: Founded in 1965, Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation (SDCF) exists to foster, promote, and develop the creativity and craft of stage directors and choreographers. SDCF's mission is to create access to the field, to connect artists to each other and to the public, and to honor these artists' theatrical legacies. The centrality of directors and choreographers in theatre and the impact they have on other artists' careers—from playwrights to designers to actors—makes SDCF's services essential to the wider theatre industry's continued health and vitality. Through its dynamic educational programming, including Observerships, Fellowships, public panels, and day-long symposia, SDCF serves the needs of directors and choreographers at every stage of career. www.sdcfoundation.org

We are excited to bring you this podcast series, Choreographers in Conversation. This series will allow choreographers to interview other choreographers whose work excites them as a way to learn more about their craft and preserve the stories of these exciting artists in our industry. In this episode, Maria Torres, Director/Choreographer/SDCF Trustee interviews Director/Choreographer, Jerry Mitchell to learn more about his career, what brought him to the theatre, the work that he is passionate about, the current state of our industry, and what he hopes for the future.  Jerry Mitchell: Jerry Mitchell (Director/Choreographer, Kinky Boots) made his Broadway and West End debuts as Director/Choreographer of Legally Blonde, which won the Olivier Award for Best Musical. He was also nominated for both the Tony® and Drama Desk Awards for his choreography for Legally Blonde, as well as the Drama Desk Award for his direction. A Tony® winner for his dazzling choreography created for the first revival of La Cage Aux Folles, Jerry was also nominated for that Award for choreographing Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Hairspray, Never Gonna Dance, and The Full Monty. For Broadway, Jerry also choreographed Catch Me If You Can, and revivals of Charlie Brown, Rocky Horror Show, and Gypsy (starring Bernadette Peters), and for Off-Broadway and film, Hedwig and the Angry Inch and Jeffrey. Other film work includes In & Out, Camp, Drop Dead Gorgeous, and Scent of a Woman. Twenty years ago, Jerry conceived and created Broadway Bares, a comedy burlesque show performed annually for the charity Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. Jerry proudly serves as a Board member of BC/EFA and annually as the Executive Producer of Broadway Bares, with a book, website and satellite productions in Las Vegas and London. Cumulative fundraising efforts have resulted in more than $10 million raised for the charity. Next up: directing and choreographing The Honeymooners on Broadway.   Maria Torres: Maria Torres' extensive career as director, choreographer, instructor, and Producer began as a critically acclaimed performer, contributing choreography while performing in the film Dance, with the six-time Tony-nominated Broadway musical Swing and Me!. Torres was nominated for a 2018 Ovation Award for Best Choreography for Luis Valdes' Zoot Suit, is a Lucille Lortel & Carbonell nominee of Four Guys named Jose', The Donkey Show and Celia, the musical based on the life of the late Cuban singer Celia Cruz. Torres received accolades as Associate Choreographer for the Broadway & Touring productions of On Your Feet, the Oscar-nominated film Enchanted, the musical film Idlewild, the showcase for the Tony Award-winning In The Heights, and as a resident choreographer for So You Think You Can Dance. Torres also co-conceived, choreographed, and directed the Magic Of Salsa Kingdom and Off-Broadway hit Latin Heat. Recently, she directed and choreographed the new musical Havana Music Hall, Sol of El Barrio, and served as dance consultant for Summer: The Donna Summer Musical on Broadway. Torres is an Artist in Residence at The Rosetta LeNoire Amas Musical Theater, Trustee of Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation (SDCF), a proud executive board member of the Stage Directors, and Choreographers Society, and the League of Professional Theatre Women. Her life is documented in the Dance Oral History Project at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.

We are excited to bring you a new podcast series, Choreographers in Conversation. This series will allow choreographers to interview other choreographers whose work excites them as a way to learn more about their craft and preserve the stories of these exciting artists in our industry. In this episode to kick off the series, Dan Knechtges interviews Twyla Tharp. The two cover everything from Twyla's legendary theatrical work including MOVIN' OUT to her book THE CREATIVE HABIT and discuss how the legacy of her craft lives on. Learn more about Twyla Tharp at the Twyla Tharp Dance Foundation website.   Twyla Tharp: Since graduating from Barnard College in 1963, Ms. Tharp has choreographed more than one hundred sixty works: one hundred twenty-nine dances, twelve television specials, six Hollywood movies, four full-length ballets, four Broadway shows and two figure skating routines, she has also written 4 books. She received one Tony Award, two Emmy Awards, 20 honorary doctorates, the Vietnam Veterans of America President's Award, the 2004 National Medal of the Arts, the 2008 Jerome Robbins Prize, and a 2008 Kennedy Center Honor. Her many grants include the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Fellowship. She is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Philosophical Society, and an Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Learn more about Twyla Tharp and her legacy through her foundation website.   Dan Knechtges: Broadway – Lysistrata Jones (Direction & Choreography), Xanadu (directed by Chris Ashley, Tony nomination, Drama Desk nomination), Sondheim on Sondheim (directed by James Lapine), 110 in The Shade (starring Audra McDonald) and The 25th Annual Putnum County Spelling Bee (directed by James Lapine.) Off-Broadway – TAIL! SPIN! (starring Rachel Dratch), The 25th Annual Putnum County Spelling Bee at Second Stage, which earned him a Lucille Lortel Award nomination, Merrily We Roll Along for Encores! at City Center (directed by James Lapine), Vanities at Second Stage and Lysistrata Jones for the Transport Group, My Favorite Year (York Theater). International credits include Der Schuh Das Manitu (Berlin, Germany). Regional theatres include – The MUNY, Goodspeed, Dallas Theatre Center, La Jolla Playhouse, Papermill Playhouse, Trinity Rep,  Pioneer Theatre, Great Lakes Theatre Festival, Baltimore Centerstage, Theatreworks Palo Alto, Hangar Theatre. Indianapolis Opera, Opera Illinois, Surflight Theatre.  TV/Film credits include Palindromes, Dark Horse and White Collar, and the 2011 TV Land Awards with Liza Minnelli. Dan also choreographed FatboySlim's #1 music video "It's a Wonderful Night." Dan is a member of the Lincoln Center Director's Lab and holds a BFA in theatre from Otterbein College.

In this conversation we hear from associate directors and choreographers to learn what their jobs entail and how they navigate their work in the industry. This event will be in webinar format and ASL interpretation will be provided. The conversation is moderated by Benjamin Endsley Klein (Associate Director, Hairspray West End, The Ferryman, Carousel), and the panel includes Nancy Renee Braun (Resident Choreographer, Moulin Rouge & Associate Choreographer, Beetlejuice), Chika Ike (Associate Director, Hadestown Broadway/Tour), Tatiana Pandiani (Associate Director, What The Constitution Means To Me), and Danny Sharron (Senior Associate Director, Dear Evan Hansen Broadway/West End/Toronto/Tour). Learn more about our panelists here: https://sdcfoundation.org/the-role-of-broadway-associate-resident-directors-and-choreographers/ Join our mailing list: https://forms.gle/4yBHJSyu98cQw2Qm8

As live productions resume across the country, theater artists and managers are working to reopen for audiences. There are several conversations they must respond to—namely the ongoing pandemic and calls for action for equity and inclusion. This series will elevate those conversations, hearing from a group of theater leaders, directors and choreographers about their experiences on returning. In the final installment of this series Justin Emeka, Resident Director at the Pittsburgh Public Theater and Marya Sea Kaminski, Artistic Director at the Pittsburgh Public Theater join us in conversation. Learn more about our panelists here: https://sdcfoundation.org/sdcf-conversation-series-returning-to-rehearsal-3/ Join our mailing list: https://forms.gle/4yBHJSyu98cQw2Qm8

As live productions resume across the country, theater artists and managers are working to reopen for audiences. There are several conversations they must respond to—namely the ongoing pandemic and calls for action for equity and inclusion. This series will elevate those conversations, hearing from a group of theater leaders, directors and choreographers about their experiences on returning. In the second installment of this series Raja Feather Kelly, choreographer of SUFFS, Leigh Silverman, director of SUFFS, and Yuvika Tolani, Director of Producing at The Public Theater join us in conversation as they discuss the process of putting up this production. Learn more about the panelists here: https://sdcfoundation.org/sdcf-conversation-series-returning-to-rehearsal-2/ Join our mailing list: https://forms.gle/4yBHJSyu98cQw2Qm8

On November 5, 2015, Two Rivers Artistic Director John Dias sat down with actor, playwright, and director Ruben Santiago-Hudson and actor, playwright, choreographer and director Justin Emeka to discuss their bodies of work and philosophical approaches to directing. Throughout the conversation Santiago-Hudson and Emeka touch on the importance of thoughtful casting, directing both Shakespeare and August Wilson, and the importance of representation. In this discussion, Santiago-Hudson and Emeka unpack issues of privilege, empowerment, and adaptation—all issues that a director must face as he or she approaches any body of work. Listen in as these two masters of the stage engage in a rich philosophical discussion about their craft and the material they work with. 

In 2015, Thomas Kail and Lear Debessonet participated in a One-on-One conversation that focused on their experiences as  young directors. In this podcast, deBessonet shares her early interest in interdisciplinary work that led to her current role as Director of Public Works at the Public Theater. Throughout their conversation, Kail and deBessonet talk about various elements in an emerging director's life—the importance of making work with friends, the advantages and disadvantages of assisting, the importance of having mentors, and how young artists can ultimately claim the identity of "director." Listen in as these two artists share their thought-provoking experiences, reflections, and ideas in this thought-provoking conversation.

In 2015, Director Thomas Kail sat down with Director Leigh Silverman in a One-on-One conversation about craft, career, and professional trajectories. In their conversation, Silverman expresses her thoughts on the value of readings, how female directors have to prove themselves in a male-dominated industry, and the apparent stigma surrounding ambition in professional theater. Additionally, Silverman and Kail talk about ideal directorial skills and their thoughts on what it means to soak up ideas, challenge what is known, and how to handle a piece when it doesn't speak to the director. Listen in as these two master directors examine directing vis-à-vis their own lives and careers.

In the summer of 2015, Director Thomas Kail sat down with Director Rachel Chavkin in a one-on-one conversation about Chavkin's career and trajectory as a director. Throughout the discussion, Kail and Chavkin discuss a series of questions ranging from 'how can directors balance running a company with a freelance lifestyle?' to 'How do you know when a piece is good?' and 'Should directors read reviews?' In addition to discussing these questions, Chavkin discusses what shaped her career as a director and offers insight into the process of directing Three Pianos and Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812. Listen in on this intriguing conversation between two exciting artists!

On February 6, 2015, SDCF held a One-on-One discussion with directors Anne Bogart and Lear deBessonet at New York's National Opera Center. Throughout this brief conversation between mentor and mentee, community, collaboration, and inclusivity are listed as core values for a director, which are illustrated through some of their respective career highlights. Additional topics discussed include rehearsal techniques and methods for preparation; the relationship between actors and audiences; what it's like to empower and create theatre with people who don't self-identify as artists; the various responsibilities that directors possess; and how approaches and performance styles on stage vary from film and television.

As live productions resume across the country, theater artists and managers are working to reopen for audiences. There are several conversations they must respond to—namely the ongoing pandemic and calls for action for equity and inclusion. This series will elevate those conversations, hearing from a group of theater leaders, directors and choreographers about their experiences on returning. In the first installment of this series we hear from Producing Artistic Director of Philadelphia Theatre Company Paige Price and director of The Garbologists at Philadelphia Theatre Company Estefanía Fadul as they join us in conversation and discuss the process of putting up this production. Learn more about the panelists here: https://sdcfoundation.org/sdcf-conversation-series-returning-to-rehearsal/ Join our mailing list: https://forms.gle/4yBHJSyu98cQw2Qm8

In this episode, the SDCF 2021 Zelda Fichandler Award Winner, Mark Valdez is interviewed by Michael John Garcés and they discuss everything from the most beautiful theater and how art can influence policy to rethinking the need for traditional performance spaces and leavening heavy themes with silliness and surprises. This podcast took place in early February 2022, Mark is now the current Artistic Director for the Mixed Blood Theatre. The Zelda Fichandler Award recognizes directors and choreographers who have demonstrated great accomplishment to date with singular creativity and deep investment in a particular community or region. The award was named after Zelda Fichandler who was the founding artistic director of the Arena Stage in Washington D.C. You can find this year's recipient and finalists here.   Mark Valdez is an LA-based director, writer, and cultural organizer. His work has been seen at community venues and professional theatres across California, including a tomato field in Grayson, a de-commissioned Catholic cathedral in downtown LA, as well from the stages of La Peña Cultural Center in Berkeley to the stages of Ricardo Montalbán Theatre in Hollywood for a Center Theatre Group produced production. Nationally, Mark has worked at theatres such as the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, where he created A Road to a Dream, a community collaboration along a 10-mile stretch of the Buford Highway, to shed light on the toll our nation's broken immigration policies have on families and communities; Arizona's Childsplay Theatre where he adapted and directed Gary Soto's book, Chato's Kitchen, about a low-rider gato from East LA; and Trinity Rep in Providence, where he directed A Christmas Carol that included 85 community choirs. His play Highland Park is Here, won the Audience Award at the Highland Park Film Festival and will be featured in Re:Encuentro, the national Latina/o/x Theater Festival. He is a current Board member of Double Edge Theatre and Cornerstone Theater Company, and a former Board member of TCG. Mark is currently working on The Most Beautiful Home…Maybe, a multi-city project that aims to influence housing policy utilizing performance, cultural organizing, and creative community development strategies.

SDCF announced the honorees of this year's Joe A. Callaway Awards, Gordon Davidson Award, and The Zelda Fichandler Award. The Awards were presented virtually on Monday, February 8, 2021 at 8pm ET. The Joe A. Callaway Awards was presented to Danya Taymor for her outstanding direction in Heroes of the Fourth Turning (Playwrights Horizons), and to Travis Wall for his outstanding choreography in The Wrong Man (MCC Theater). The finalists for this award are Knud Adams and Les Waters. The Joe A. Callaway Awards recognize excellence in directing and choreography in New York City and are the only awards given by peer directors and choreographers for work on a single production. The Gordon Davidson Award was presented to Seret Scott. The Gordon Davidson Award is bestowed annually by SDCF to recognize a director or choreographer for lifetime achievement and distinguished service in the regional theatre nationally. The Zelda Fichandler Award was presented to Kamilah Forbes. The finalists for this award are Carol Dunne, Seema Sueko, and Pirronne Yousefzadeh. The Zelda Fichandler Award is SDCF's first award devoted to the regional theatre. With this award, SDCF acknowledges the profound impact the founders of regional theatre have had on the field, honoring their legacy through the recognition of the extraordinary directors and choreographers who are transforming the national arts landscape with their unique, creative work and deep investment in a community. The Breakout Award was presented to Jenn Rose.  The Breakout Award is given to a director or choreographer for a production or selection of work that signals a shift in a career and the beginning of critical recognition — a "rising star" moment. For 2020, the winner and finalists were chosen on the above criteria and directed or choregraphed digital work during the pandemic that made an impact.

On Thursday, October 8th, 2020 SDCF Trustee Sheldon Epps continued his conversation on artistic leadership with Gordon Davidson Award recipient Seret Scott. Scott and Epps discussed her wide-ranging and inspiring achievements and her work with the Free Southern Theatre in the 1960s, her performances as an actress on Broadway and beyond, and her remarkable career as a freelance director across the country.

On August 25th, 2020 SDCF Trustee and Artistic Director Emeritus of Pasadena Playhouse Sheldon Epps moderated a second roundtable conversation with regional Artistic Directors new to their roles about facing the specific challenges of the moment. He was joined by Melia Bensussen (Hartford Stage), Tim Bond (TheatreWorks Silicon Valley), David Ivers (South Coast Repertory), Rob Melrose (Alley Theatre) and Sarah Rasmussen (McCarter Theatre Center).

On July 22, 2020 SDCF held a webinar with financial behaviorist, Jacquette Timmons. Jacquette spoke with us about financial planning during long-term unemployment and shared her unique blend of strategic budgeting advice coupled with candid talk about the ways our emotions play out in our financial lives.

On July 9th, 2020 SDCF hosted a virtual roundtable conversation, moderated by Sheldon Epps, SDCF Trustee and Artistic Director Emeritus of Pasadena Playhouse. He led a conversation about the challenges and opportunities of leading a non-ethnic specific organization as a leader of color. Sheldon was joined by Artistic Directors Robert Barry Fleming (Actors Theatre of Louisville), Nataki Garrett (Oregon Shakespeare Festival), Jacob Padrón (Long Wharf Theatre), Hana Sharif (Repertory Theatre of St. Louis), and Stephanie Ybarra (Baltimore Center Stage).

We're excited to share the second episode of The Founder's Series with Anne Kauffman, as part of SDCF's Masters of the Stage. In this episode, Anne speaks with Jonathan McCrory, Artistic Director and Sade Lythcott, CEO of the National Black Theatre. They discuss Dr. Barbara Ann Teer's revolutionary vision and the founding of Harlem's National Black Theatre; how Jonathan joined the National Black Theatre team and how together, Sade and Jonathan have reimagined the theatre's mission, audience and visibility in the 21st century.

The Founder's Series was created by Anne Kauffman, Artistic Director of Encores! Off Center at New York City Center, as part of SDCF's Podcast Series. In this series, Anne interviews artistic directors and founders who have had a lasting impact on the nonprofit theater community around the country. In this episode Anne talks with Emily Mann, Artistic Director of the McCarter Theatre Center, about her career journey as a female director, the adversity she's faced, and how she has navigated these situations, including the current COVID-19 crisis, with strength.

American Shakespeare Center's Artistic Director, Ethan McSweeny sat down with Geoffrey Kent in a new episode of SDCF Podcast Series: Careers in the Classics.

Evren Odcikin, Founder of Maia Directors, sits with M. Graham Smith to discuss career and craft of working in regional theaters.

American Shakespeare Center's artistic director, Ethan McSweeny sat with Eric Tucker in the new SDCF Podcast Series, Careers in the Classics.

On July 6th, 2019, American Shakespeare Center's artistic director, Ethan McSweeny sat with Sharon Ott, the director of ASC's production of Antony and Cleopatra, for the inaugural episode of the brand new SDCF Podcast Series, Careers in the Classics.

Elizabeth Williamson, Associate Artistic Director at Hartford Stage, sits with M. Graham Smith to discuss career and craft of working in regional theaters.

This episode, was recorded at Stage Directors and Choreographers offices on May 22, 2019. Director Robert O'Hara interviews SDC Foundation Board of Trustees President, Sheldon Epps.

Choreographer Bill T. Jones sits with Wendy Seyb to talk process in SDC Foundations' In Motion series.

Anne Kauffman sits down with Robert Moss, the founding Artistic Director of Playwrights Horizon, for the inaugural episode of SDCF Podcast Series, Founder's Series. The goal of this series is to ensure we don't loose touch of the insights and guidance of those leaders who founded non-profit theaters in this country. On May 30th, 2019, Anne sat with Bob as he told stories of his early career and the early days of Off-Broadway's Playwrights Horizon

Playwright's Center's Producing Artistic Director Jeremy B. Cohen, sits with M. Graham Smith to discuss the process of working on new plays.

On Monday May 6, 2019, at Seattle Repertory Theatre, Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC) held a conversation entitled Leadership: Making Theatre & Shaping Communities with Berkley Repertory Theatre's Artistic Director, Tony Taccone and moderated by SDC Executive Director Laura Penn. This conversation explores the balancing of artistic leadership and individual artistic ambition, and how that dynamic can build strong institutions and contribute to a community's cultural vibrancy.

This episode, was recorded at a live One-on-One Conversation event sponsored by Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation on April 8th, 2019. The event, entitled "STATE OF THE ART: DIRECTING SHAKESPEARE IN THE AMERICAN THEATRE" featured directors Davis McCallum and Erica Schmidt, and was moderated by SDC Foundation Trustee Ethan McSweeny.

Director Jon Tracy sits with M. Graham Smith to discuss directing and leading a regional theater as well as his process.

Director Victor Malana Maog sits with M. Graham Smith to discuss process of working on new plays and working in the regional theaters for SDCF Podcast Series, Regional Originals.

This episode was recorded at a live event sponsored by both the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society and Stage Directors UK on February 24, 2019 in London. The event was the first ever SDC-SDUK member gathering, and the conversation, featured artistic directors Jeremy Herrin and Pam MacKinnon. It was moderated by SDUK Executive Director, Thomas Hescott.

Pam MacKinnon discusses her process of directing and, as the new Artistic Director of A.C.T. in San Francisco, the relationship of the theatre to its community.