ATW - Working In The Theatre

Working In The Theatre goes on location to NYC's Public Theater as host Patrick Pacheco talks with designer David Rockwell about his set design for the theatre (including "The Normal Heart" and "Lucky Guy"), his work with the Public Theater (including his newly designed restaurant, The Library) and George C Wolfe, among other topics. Later director Jack O'Brien and director/choreographer Jerry Mitchell join the conversation to talk about their collaborations with Mr. Rockwell ("Hairspray", "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels", "Kinky Boots", and more).

From the pages of newspapers to tweets, blogs, chat rooms and twitter, the role of the theatre critic has been changing. Guests Lisa Fung, Charles Isherwood, Peter Marks and Elisabeth Vincentelli, along with moderator Patrick Pacheco, discuss how social media has impacted their work, their influence, and the world of theatre.

Director/Choreographer Rob Ashford, President and Executive Director of Rodgers and Hammerstein Ted Chapin and Director Scott Ellis talk with moderator Patrick Pacheco about re-imagining musicals for the stage and how directors approach a work to make it fresh and reinvented, how much change is allowed by the estates who control the pieces, and the challenges they face when classic works are re-imagined, rewritten or reinterpreted in any way.

Host Thomas Schumacher gives us a unique look at a song – what it is, where it comes from, the process from idea to stage, and how it fits in a show. He’s joined by Tony, Oscar and Grammy award winning composer Alan Menken who plays and sings us through the stages of some of his most memorable work including his numerous collaborations with Tom Schumacher and Disney Theatricals; Newsies lyricist Jack Feldman; and Newsies star, actress Kara Lindsay.

Among the topics our guests Alan Brown, Cynthia Hedstrom and Howard Shalwitz talk with moderator Ben Cameron about are how you measure the value of art and its' impact on audiences; what's important to audiences and how you make theatre interesting enough to draw them to a show and whether you can make them an active part of the experience or should their role simply be to observe and appreciate what is presented?

Theatrical lawyers Elliot Brown, Seth Gelblum and Nancy Rose talk with Patrick Pacheco about the behind the scenes work they do from negotiating rights and contracts to deals with unions and licensees and re-evaluating royalty pools.

The 2012 National Theatre Company Grant Recipients share their thoughts on attracting and cultivating audiences; the importance of regional theatre across the country; their role in reaching out to the communities they work in; the diversity of their work and the nurturing of new artists.

The challenges and triumphs facing musical theatre today, both on and off Broadway, are discussed by actress Heidi Blickenstaff, Tony award winning choreographer Christopher Gattelli and Tony award winning composer and lyricist Robert Lopez. Our conversation is moderated by Julie James and takes an in depth look at the status of musicals today; early influences in our guests lives that led them to theatre; and whether television is helping to bring back interest in musical theatre.

On a special Tony Awards edition of "Working in the Theatre" host Ted Chapin, Chairman of the American Theatre Wing, takes viewers behind the scenes with Ricky Kirshner and Glenn Weiss, Executive Producers of the Tony Awards, talks with past Tony winners Joel Grey and Jefferson Mays who share their feelings about winning and the TONY history-making achievement attached to each of their awards, and we'll hear from many of this year's nominees including Audra McDonald, John Lithgow, Cynthia Nixon, Linda Lavin, Nina Arianda, Harvey Fierstein and Christian Borle to name just a few!

Super-Publicists Adrian Bryan-Brown and Rick Miramontez talk with moderator Thomas Schumacher about the new world of theatre publicity as it relates to social media; whether or not there's such a thing as "bad" publicity; handling negative stories; shaping stories for the press and potential audiences; the value of using quotes in advertising; and critics and the preview process; and how audiences are influenced by social media and traditional reviews.

Directors Sheryl Kaller, Pam MacKinnon and Stephen Wadsworth talked about their start in theatre; their process when beginning a new project; collaboration with playwrights and the challenges of handling the playwright in the room; listening to the audience; and what, or who, inspires and informs their work.

The point at which they knew they wanted to act was one of the first things discussed in our conversation with David Alan Grier, Judith Light and Condola Rashad. They also talked about the research they do when approaching a new role; interacting with, and reacting to, the audience; how they handle reviews; and their process and passion for the work they do.

Casting Directors David Caparelliotis, Tara Rubin and Daniel Swee and moderator Patrick Pacheco discuss the role of the casting director; their collaboration with directors; recasting shows; and whether stars are necessary for success on Broadway today.

Playwrights Lydia R. Diamond, David Henry Hwang and Suzan-Lori Parks discuss their work and other American playwrights and how they influenced them; the moment each was aware they wanted to be writers; their process; experiencing their work on Broadway for the first time; and the role mentors played in their lives and their role as mentors.

Producers Jean Doumanian and Daryl Roth talk about creating a supportive environment for artistic teams bringing shows to the stage; collaborating with other producers; the benefits and challenges of casting stars in a show; and the economics and creative process of producing off Broadway vs. on Broadway.

Our guests -- representatives from theatres receiving the American Theatre Wing 2011 National Theatre Company Grants: Buntport Theater Company, FUSION, Mo´olelo Performing Arts Company, Pig Iron Theatre Company, Rude Mechanicals, Synchronicity Theatre, TheatreSquared, TimeLine Theatre, Transport Group and Watts Village Theater Company -- discuss the challenges they face in tough economic times; their community outreach; and the creativity and diversity in the works they present.

Thomas Schumacher talks with guests, Ben Cameron and Kevin McCollum, about the state of theatre today in a wide ranging conversation that highlights how theatre can survive during difficult economic times; whether celebrities can affect sales and audiences; and dealing with government and foundation funding.

Disney Theatrical President and Producer Thomas Schumacher takes us behind the curtain and gives us an up close and personal view of how things work backstage. We'll meet the make up people from "The Lion King", share secrets from a premiere Broadway wig designer, watch just how those quick changes happen in "Mary Poppins", meet the man behind the puppets in "The Lion King" and hear one member of "The Lion King" orchestra as he demonstrates those signature sounds.

Actors Nina Arianda, Nikki M. James, Arian Moayed and Bobby Steggert share what drew them to the theatre; the difference between training and actually being on stage; the audition process; what they learn from more experienced actors; what they look for in roles and their relationship with the director.

Directors Jo Bonney, Sheldon Epps, Michael Halberstam and Gregory Mosher talk about how they got started in the business; choosing their projects; their process when starting a new show; how the dual role of Artistic Director and Director informs their own work and working with other directors; and how they approach auditions.

Actors Bobby Cannavale ("The Motherf**ker with the Hat"), Renée Elise Goldsberry ("Good People"), Judith Light ("Lombardi"), Lia Williams ("Arcadia") and Tom Wopat ("Catch Me If You Can") talk about a performance that transformed or inspired them; pre-show rituals; how their day outside the theatre informs their performance; their relationships with other actors, the audience and the director; and working with the playwright during rehearsal.

The opportunities and challenges of online arts journalism started off the discussion for our panel - Chris Caggiano, Scott Heller, David J. Loehr, Jan Simpson and Terry Teachout. They also discuss how blogging is able to reach a more expansive and diverse audience than traditional journalism; what they look for online and if what they read affects their own writing; and how social media has been able to create national and even international conversations about theatre.

The panel of stage veterans - F. Murray Abraham, Stacy Keach, Estelle Parsons and Lois Smith - discuss the rehearsal and audition process; how they deal with rejection; the pros and cons of directing vs. acting; their thoughts on how acting and directing have changed over the years; the difference between performing classical roles vs. contemporary roles and their advice for aspiring performers.

The panel of playwrights - Annie Baker, Rinne Groff, Karen Hartman and Alfred Uhry - talk about their writing process; the role of the dramaturg; writing adaptations; collaborating with directors; whether they have a specific actor in mind when they're writing; and how they see the role of the playwright in theatre today.

The panel of playwrights - Kristoffer Diaz, Kate Fodor, Rajiv Joseph, Young Jean Lee and Tarell Alvin McCraney - discuss how and why they became involved in theatre; whether their writing comes from their own life experiences or that of others, or both; how their writing develops and evolves; what challenges their imagination; how their work is viewed by audiences in other countries; and the importance of diversity being reflected in theatre.

The panel of producers, presenters and bookers -- Meredith Blair, Mike Isaacson, Colleen Jennings-Roggensack, Steven Schnepp and Allan Williams -- discuss what works and what doesn't on the road; the challenges of educating audiences about a show; what content might be considered too risky for road productions; how important Broadway is for promoting road shows; whether plays have a place, and can be successful, in road tours; finding shows off-Broadway that can be put on tour; and how long a show needs to play to be profitable.

A panel of directors - Stafford Arima, Anne Kauffman, Rebecca Taichman and Henry Wishcamper - discusses the dynamic between themselves and the playwrights with whom they work; their first paying job as a director; the value of assistant directing; what process means to each of them; how they approach auditions and if they would like to have a job as an Artistic Director.

Our panel of choreographers - Christopher Gattelli, Liza Gennaro, Ken Roberson and Sergio Trujillo - discuss their childhood and early adult life and how it influenced their start in dance; the amount of research they do for each show; how choreography enhances a performance; the relationship between choreographers and directors; how recent TV programming has brought back an interest in dance, especially among young people; the difference between musical staging and choreography and preserving dance history for future audiences.

The panelists - playwright P.J. Barry ("The Octette Bridge Club"), lyricist Ellen Fitzhugh ("Grind"), director John Going ("Inherit The Wind"), playwright Fay Kanin ("Grind"), playwright Jerome Lawrence ("Inherit The Wind"), agent Bruce Savin, and director Clifford Williams ("Pack of Lies") - talk about their formal training; the relationship between directors, playwrights and casting directors; the key to successful collaboration; comparing the author's rights for stage versus film; the boundaries of a director's vision; and rising production costs and ticket prices.

Our distinguished panel of playwrights -- Charles Busch, David Ives, Donald Margulies and Suzan-Lori Parks -- discuss the moment when they realized they wanted to be writers; who influenced them in their early careers; whether or not they have a specific actor in mind when they write; their collaboration with directors; and the theaters they consider to be their homes.

Their roles as understudies on Broadway was the focal point for this panel of actors -- Tony Carlin ("Lend Me A Tenor"), Bryan Fenkart ("Memphis"), Corinne Melançon ("Mamma Mia"), Jay Russell ("Our Town") and Paul A. Schaefer ("The Phantom of the Opera") -- as they discussed the first time they went on as an understudy; what kind of preparation is involved for their roles; the differences of understudies, swings and stand-bys; whether or not they continue to audition for other roles; how they handle stepping into a role mid-performance and covering for a "name" performer; and how much of their own voice is given to a character when they perform the role.

The panel - director Melvin Bernhardt ("The Beach House"), playwright Alice Childress ("Moms"), director Walter Dallas ("Moms"), playwright Nancy Donohue ("The Beach House"), playwright Patrick Meyers ("K2"), and director Terry Schreiber ("K2") - talk about where they started, how many acted before writing and directing, the relationship between directors and playwrights, developing a show particularly out-of-town, the challenges of casting a play, and the collaboration amongst actors, directors, and authors.

The production team of "Sweet Sue" - advertising representative Fred Golden, general manager Larry Goossen, playwright A.R. Gurney, casting director Donna Isaacson, and producer Arthur Whitelaw - discuss the path the play took to Broadway, each panelist's individual involvement, the challenges of casting, production costs, ticket prices, and how box office grosses effect the advertising campaign.

The panel of performers - from "Driving Miss Daisy", Morgan Freeman and Dana Ivey; Robert LuPone ("Late Night Comic"); John Malkovitch ("Burn This"); Jane Summerhays ("Me and My Girl"); and Courtney B. Vance ("Fences") - talk about milestones at the start of their careers; their attitude towards auditioning, rehearsing, and reviews; working on unsuccessful shows; and the positive differences of matinee performances.

What was "The Play That Changed Your Life"? Not only the title of a new American Theatre Wing book, which posed that question to 19 of America's most distinguished playwrights, but the start of a discussion by two of those playwrights, Tina Howe and Diana Son. They also talk about which of their own plays changed their lives; what role theatre played while growing up; if there were teachers who inspired them to get involved in theatre writing; what drew them to playwriting; how much of themselves are in their characters; and their role as mentors for young writers.

Our panel of actors -- Danny Burstein, Malcolm Gets, Bill Pullman and John Douglas Thompson -- share the particular moment when they realized they wanted to be actors; how the language of a play influences their portrayal of a character; what it's like to work in a show with just one or two other actors; how they recoup after going "off script"; what kind of pre-show rituals they go through; the most useful - and least useful - director's note they received; how it feels to step into a role made famous by another actor; and what kind of research they do to prepare for a role.

The panel of union and guild representatives - Jean Dalrymple, member of the Association of Theatrical Press Agents and Managers (ATPAM); Alan Eisenberg, Executive Secretary of Actors' Equity Association; actress Caroline Lagerfelt, former Equity Council member (Actors' Equity Association); David S. Rosenak, Executive Director of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers; and Peter Stone, President of the Dramatists Guild - talk about when and why their organizations were founded, their purposes and the services they provide; the need for contracts, salary minimums, and safety regulations; and the agreement between producers and all unions and guilds for the Broadway Alliance.

The expansion of the Broadway brand to Asian markets was among the topics discussed by our panel: Simone Genatt, Chairman of Broadway Asia, Robert Nederlander, Jr, President and CEO of Nederlander Worldwide Entertainment and Alan Wasser, General Manager of Alan Wasser Associates. The wide ranging discussion also looked at what particular shows work best in the international market; the challenges of taking Broadway productions overseas to China and Korea and what's entailed in bringing a show from China to the US; navigating the cultural differences, labor rules and legalities of foreign countries; the emphasis in both China and Korea for more cultural programming; the preponderance of small theatres and small productions throughout Asia; the costs involved and the issues of marketing shows outside the US; and the next international markets to welcome Broadway.

The role of Regional Theatre in supporting and presenting new works to their communities was among the topics discussed by our panel: Christopher Ashley, Artistic Director of La Jolla Playhouse, Gordon Edelstein, Artistic Director of Long Wharf Theatre, Sara Garonzik, Producing Artistic Director of the Philadelphia Theatre Company, and Eric Rosen, Artistic Director of Kansas City Repertory Theatre. They also explored how they share works and resources; the kind of show they feel best serves their audiences; their interaction with the local community; how they deal with competition within the theatrical community in their cities; what they learn from visiting Directors to their theatres; and the effect it has on their theatres when one of their shows moves to Broadway.

The panel of performers - Joan Copeland ("Another Time"), Jeff Daniels ("Redwood Curtain"), Christopher Durang (Sondheim's "Putting It Together"), Robert Foxworth ("Candida"), Robert Klein ("The Sisters Rosenszweig"), Mary McCann (David Mamet's "Oleanna"), Steven Rea ("Someone Who'll Watch Over Me"), Martin Short ("The Goodbye Girl"), and Mary Steenburgen ("Candida") - compare the different styles of their current productions, their performing backgrounds, discipline and stamina, actors who write, and returning to the stage after working in television and film.

The panelists - director/playwright Vernel Bagneris ("Jelly Roll!"), playwright David Ives ("All in the Timing"), actor Nancy Opel ("All in the Timing"), director Lawrence Sacharow ("Three Tall Women"), Playwrights Horizons artistic director Don Scardino ("A Cheever Evening"), choreographer Matthew West ("Beauty and the Beast") - discuss their current productions, the relationship between director and playwright, and the role of a dramaturg.

The "Damn Yankees" production team - legal counsel Robert Barandes, press representative Peter Cromarty, advertising representative Rick Elice, producers Mitchell Maxwell and Victoria Maxell, and general manager Charlotte Wilcox - discuss obtaining the rights, using a two-level structure of producing starting with an out-of-town production at the Old Globe, the finances of booking a Broadway theater, a new logo for an extensive ad campaign, and how the baseball theme provided many PR opportunities.

Our guests - John Barlow, Damian Bazadona, Nancy Coyne and Drew Hodges - discuss what is involved in marketing, advertising and publicizing a Broadway show; how they work one-on-one with producers and creative teams; the marketing obstacles they face; who their target audience is; how they handle a show that isn't a hit, or that they don't like; the internet's influence on sales; whether or not a known title helps sell a show; how to sustain the buzz after a show opens; and whether "Broadway" can be sold as a brand.

Our guests -- Ted Chapin, Kurt Deutsch, Brian Drutman, and Thomas Z. Shepard -- take us inside the world of producing cast albums. Highlights of the discussion center on how these albums get made; the cost of producing them; where they fit in today's market; how technology has affected their production; how much collaboration there is - or isn't - with the shows' directors; changes to the production model; marketing and distribution; digital vs. traditional retail release of albums; and what they mean to the legacy of a musical.

Our guests - 2009 Jonathan Larson Grant® recipients Mark Allen, Dave Malloy, Thomas Mizer and Curtis Moore - tell us what these Grants and others mean to them and their work; how they became involved in musical theatre; the programs and workshops that helped their work move forward; what parameters they work within when writing for musical theatre; how much license they give to others to interpret their work; what they do to sustain themselves financially while pursuing their musical passion; dealing with the business aspects of writing and composing; and what Broadway represents for them.

The 23rd annual American Theatre Wing Design Awards honor the best theatrical design in New York for the 1986-1987 season. The award winning designs are demonstrated by "Starlight Express" assistant costume designer Ann Emonts, "Worstward Ho" assistant lighting designer Mary Louise Geiger, "The Hunger Artist" actor Anthony Holland, Brooklyn Academy of Music's "The Civil Wars - Act 5: The Trees" production manager Paul King, and "Fences" scenic designer James D. Sandefur.

Our guests - playwrights Gina Gionfriddo, Stephen Adly Guirgis, Tina Howe, Lisa Loomer and Christopher Shinn - explore whether they write to console or provoke an audience; to what degree current events, including the election of a new president and the economic freefall, has on their work; who they write for; if playwriting can be taught; how they react to reviews, both negative and favorable; when they knew they wanted to write for the stage; their relationship with directors; and they share their thoughts about connecting with the audience.

In a broadcast devoted to an in-depth look at one Broadway show, our guests are the creative team behind "Shrek The Musical" -- Book writer and Lyricist David Lindsay-Abaire, Producer Bill Damaschke, Director Jason Moore, Producer Caro Newling and Composer Jeanine Tesori. Highlights of the discussion centered on how the team was chosen; the development process that led "Shrek" to Broadway; how material from both the book and movie guided them in shaping the musical; how they approached taking the story to another level; striking a balance in making the show appealing to both children and adults; what they used, or didn't use, from producers' notes; and some of the technical "secrets" used to create the musical.

Our guests -- Jonathan Bank, Artistic Director of The Mint Theater, Sarah Benson, Artistic Director of Soho Rep., Susan Bernfield, Artistic Director of New Georges and David Van Asselt, Artistic Director of Rattlestick Playwrights Theater -- all share the distinction of running theatres that are quite different from Broadway...venues with 99 seats or under. They discuss their mission statements and how each of their companies got started; making sure they are able to balance new voices in playwriting with more established writers when choosing and presenting plays; how, instead of competing with one another, their companies serve as resources for each other; the wealth of material, and talent, available to them; who their base audiences are and marketing strategies for broadening that base; funding challenges, particularly in difficult financial times; the pros and cons of subscriptions for their companies; how pricing structure for their smaller theatres affects the bottom line; and their goals for expansion beyond their current theatre size.

Composer Michael John LaChiusa, and directors Diane Paulus and Stephen Wadsworth have all worked in the once mutually-exclusive worlds of opera and theatre. They share their thoughts about the nature of each of these entertainment forms, how they differ and what they share; the use of amplification and how it affects productions in both opera and theatre; the so-called "American Idol" effect on musical performers; changes in training for opera singers; the differing scale - and manner - of pay; whether super-titles enhance or distract from opera performances; and the importance of the director's role and how it differs in theatre and opera.