How do you build a multi-disciplinary directing career in today’s entertainment landscape? In this episode of our Director Mini-Series, Jennifer chats with Sammi Cannold, who shares her journey as a director of theater, opera, TV, film, and ceremonies. From directing Broadway’s How to Dance in Ohio to shadowing on Grey’s Anatomy to participating in Sundance’s Collab program, Sammi breaks down the hustle necessary for each area of the industry. She offers actionable tools and candid insights into what it means to work across mediums, practical advice on using university resources while in school, the importance of strategic preparation for projects, and how she gamifies the hustle of sending emails. They talk about the continuous humbling and education needed to learn what one doesn’t yet know, tangible tips on team building, hiring decisions, and managing interpersonal dynamics. This episode empowers emerging and established directors with real-world strategies, practical resources, and a deep understanding of a director's responsibility, not just artistically, but structurally and emotionally.

About Sammi: Sammi Cannold is a Broadway director and filmmaker who is one of Forbes Magazine's 30 Under 30 in Hollywood & Entertainment, one of Variety's 10 Broadway Stars to Watch, one of Town & Country's Creative Aristocracy, and a Drama Desk Award winner. In 2025, she was named a Sundance Writers Intensive Fellow and is developing her first feature film, The Homecoming, with the Sundance Institute. Additional: A.R.T. Artistic Fellow, member of Cirque du Soleil's Creative Cognoscenti, Sundance Institute Theater Fellow, and work for CBS, ABC, Nickelodeon, and Apple TV+. B. A., Stanford University; M.A., Harvard University. Sammi is represented by CAA and Untitled.

Sammi's IG: @sammi.cannold

Sammi's Website: sammicannold.com/

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