Lights Up: The High School Theater Podcast

I was so happy to welcome Stephen Ferri, executive producer of White Plains Performing Arts Center, to the “Lights Up: High School Theater Podcast” this week to talk about Broadway, studying at Purchase College, running a regional theater and the time when he was a sophomore in high school and saved "Aida" by stepping in to conduct the all-pro orchestra. At age 16. Get full access to Pete Kramer at petekramer.substack.com/subscribe

Cyndi Feinman, the theater director at Rye Neck High School in Westchester County, New York, joins Pete to talk about the Eastern Student Artist Guild Awards, honoring high school students for their work on non-musical productions. The third annual ESAG Awards will be bestowed on April 20, 2026, at Tarrytown Music Hall in Tarrytown, New York. Details at www.easternstudentartistguild.org Get full access to Pete Kramer at petekramer.substack.com/subscribe

Directors Nadia Rizzo of Pleasantville High School and Christina Colangelo of Blind Brook High School join Pete to talk about what they've learned from their theater kids over the course of their careers. Get full access to Pete Kramer at petekramer.substack.com/subscribe

In the first 10 minutes of this week’s “Lights Up” podcast, Neil Schleifer and Tom Beck from Pelham Memorial High School in Pelham, New York, dig into the work they do to make sure that their actors create fully formed characters every time out. Schleifer says that work begins on Day One of rehearsal, with a character circle, in which each actor answers the question -- “Who am I?” -- in as many ways as they can, based on what they know from the script. The next conversation, Beck says, answers the question “What do I want?” Then, Schleifer says, the conversations go deeper. “Are they willing to lie to get what they want? Cheat? Bribe? Steal? Kill? Are they willing to listen? Are they willing to learn? Do they apply sincerity, honesty, trust to get what they want? These are all choices and there are dozens of possibilities. Rehearsal is for deciding which choice works best.” Get full access to Pete Kramer at petekramer.substack.com/subscribe

Deb Toteda, choreographer and director of dance at Harrison High School, and Dr. Gerry Micera, director at Putnam Valley High School, talk about how they give feedback to their young actors and dancers. It's a dance of its own, balancing trust and sensitivity and the realization that feedback is part of the process of making art. Get full access to Pete Kramer at petekramer.substack.com/subscribe

Dan McCarter is music director, conductor, technical director, and producer of Suffern High School’s acclaimed theater program. He joins Pete Kramer of Pete Kramer Media to talk theater tech and what it's like to lead a pit orchestra of 55 high school students. Yes. Fifty-five! Get full access to Pete Kramer at petekramer.substack.com/subscribe

Voice teacher Celeste Simone has coached some of Broadway's greats, from Kristin Chenoweth to Chita Rivera. She joins Pete Kramer on "Lights Up: The High School Theater Podcast" to share real-world advice for young singers and their parents, about troubling things she sees when singers come for their first lesson. And she tells some great stories, including how Chita Rivera got the leg up on her teacher in their first voice lesson. Get full access to Pete Kramer at petekramer.substack.com/subscribe

Pete Kramer of Pete Kramer Media chats with Brandon Salerno about social-media campaigns for high school theater productions. For four years, Salerno has handled social media for the Eastchester High School Players Club fall comedy. He is a working actor (currently appearing in "Drunk Shakespeare: Romeo & Juliet" Off-Broadway) who also handles social media outreach for Penguin Rep Theater in Stony Point, New York. Get full access to Pete Kramer at petekramer.substack.com/subscribe