Beyond the Lights: A Conversation with Theater Professionals

Hello friends! I'm coming to you in a bit of a different format today. I will be taking a break for the next weeks and instead of not showing up in your feed every Monday I've decided to re-share some earlier episodes that you may have missed if you are a new listener or perhaps you just want to revisit. This week is the VERY first episode I released with my dear friend and incredible artist Tai Verley the artistic director of Revolution Shakespeare. Enjoy!

______________________________________

Today's guest is Tai Verley, a freelance actor and the Artistic Director of Revolution Shakespeare in Philadelphia, PA. We discuss how she went from Psychology major to actor, from being told she would never understand Shakespeare to running a Shakespeare Company, how she is continuing to foster artistic creation through her company during Covid-19, and so much more. For a full transcript of today's episode visit beyondthelightspodcast.com.

Links Mentioned During this Episode
[22:30] The Shakespeare Forum
[26:24] Revolution Shakespeare
[42:04] At Home with the Macbeths
[59:16] My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
[1:00:14] Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
[1:00:39] Artists Against Abernathy
[1:07:51] Mister Rogers appears in front of Congress

Follow Tai Verley
Twitter
Instagram
Website

Follow Revolution Shakespeare
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram

Follow Beyond the Lights
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram

On today's show, I speak with Cándido Tirado a playwright, teacher, and chess master. Cándido and I discuss his time at the Puerto Rican Traveling Theater, why there is a rumor that he punched a critic after a bad review (spoiler, he didn't punch a critic), his status as a chess master, and how that informs his approach to theater.

For a full transcript of this episode visit beyondthelightspodcast.com.

Mentioned in this Episode
[00:05:12] Míriam Colón
[00:05:14] Puerto Rican Traveling Theater
[00:12:20] INTAR
[00:13:24] Maria Irene Fornes
[00:31:17] Bobby Fischer and the Game of the Century
[00:36:03] Play Chess Online

Follow Beyond the Lights
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram

On today's episode, I speak with Dawn Chiang. Dawn is a lighting designer that has worked on Broadway, in opera, regional theater, dance, live events, I could keep going, truly.  

I first met Dawn a few months ago as a part of the Actor's Fund LinkedIn Challenge, which we talk about extensively during this conversation. Dawn is the first lighting designer to come on the show and I'm so excited for you to listen.

For a full transcript of this episode visit beyondthelightspodcast.com.

Mentioned in this Episode
[00:07:57] New York City Opera
[00:16:57] Oregon Shakespeare Festival 
[00:28:38] Jennifer Tipton
[00:34:16] The Actors Fund
[00:34:36] The Career Center
[00:46:49] Broadway Bound Theater Festival
[00:47:15] The New School for Drama

Follow Dawn
LinkedIn

Follow Beyond the Lights
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram

Cara Reichel is a co-founder and artistic director of Prospect Theater Company in New York City. If you've been listening to this show from the beginning, you may know of my history with Prospect--but if not, well...you're in for a treat. I worked with Prospect back in 2008 as an Assistant Director to Cara and have been a fan ever since. We talk about everything from her early years in NYC, Prospect's origins and ultimate growth, and some of the barriers to entry for early career directors.

For a full transcript of this episode visit beyondthelightspodcast.com.

Mentioned in this Episode
[00:04:50] Princeton Chapel Choir
[00:13:12] Drama League
[00:14:18] SDC
[00:33:15] 59E59
[00:35:24] Primary Stages
[00:46:06] The Wolves
[00:46:33] A Strange Loop
[00:51:01] The Masters by Ursula K. Leguin
[00:52:25] The Hello Girls Cast Recording
[00:52:59] Golden Boy of the Blue Ridge

Follow Cara
Website

Follow Prospect Theater Company
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram

Follow Beyond the Lights
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram

On today's show, I speak with Kristi Ross-Clausen, a self-proclaimed eclectic theater practitioner. Kristi has been in the industry for 30+ years and has done everything from working in a large theater in Appleton, WI where she calls home to going on tour with Broadway shows War Horse, Mamma Mia!, and Priscilla Queen of the Desert.

For a full transcript of this episode visit beyondthelightspodcast.com.

Mentioned in this Episode
[00:14:07] The Spotlight Operator’s Handbook
[00:14:38] Drama Bookshop
[00:17:17] Handspring Puppet Company
[00:41:43] Sing Faster

Follow Beyond the Lights
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram

On today's show, I speak with David R. Molina a musician, composer, and sound designer. I have a not-so-secret love of sound design, and quite frankly I can't believe it's taken me THIRTY-NINE EPISODES to have a sound designer on, but here we are.  David has so much insight to share about composing for theater, film, radio plays, podcasts, you name it. This conversation was a lot of fun for me and gave me an even deeper appreciation of just what sound designers in the theatre space accomplish.

For a full transcript of this episode visit beyondthelightspodcast.com.

Mentioned in this Episode
[00:25:01] Play On Shakespeare and Next Chapter 
[00:33:32] Dallas Theater Center
[00:34:07] Round House Theater
[00:34:31] Emilio Delgado
[00:35:55] San Francisco Arts Commission
[00:44:00] It Was Always Here
[00:46:34] Teatro Campesino
[00:46:40] La Peña

Follow David
Website
Instagram
Bandcamp

Follow Beyond the Lights
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram

On today's show, I speak with Liza Luxenberg, the Senior Vice President of Aurora Productions. Aurora is a production management and technical supervision company that specializes in Broadway, Off-Broadway, and touring theater productions. Liza walks me through her journey from college stage manager, to intern, to her Senior Vice President role at Aurora. She is the first Broadway person I've interviewed since the announcement of Broadway's return and we discuss a bit about what that MAY look like. Things are moving fast toward re-opening and as you'll hear, we're very excited for that to happen.

For a full transcript of this episode visit beyondthelightspodcast.com.

Mentioned in this Episode
[00:06:01] Bay Street Theater
[00:07:11] Aurora Productions
[00:16:17] Intern at Aurora Productions
[00:17:24] Work at Aurora Productions
[00:28:44] Michael Kors Fashion Show

Follow Aurora Productions
Website
Facebook

Follow Beyond the Lights
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram

Arianna Gass is a theater-maker who primarily occupies the multimedia theater space. They are a worker-owner of Obvious Agency, an artist cooperative in Philadelphia known for creating interactive live performance. They are also currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Chicago which we talk extensively about. This was an enlightening conversation for me and really exposed me to areas of theatre and performance theory that I did not know much about before today. 

For a full transcript of this episode visit beyondthelightspodcast.com

Mentioned in this Episode
[00::02:20] Stella Adler Teen Conservatory
[00:04:56] Vasser College Experimental Theater
[00:05:55] Barnes Foundation
[00:10:15] Obvious Agency and Creative Cooperative Futures
[00:11:53] Applied Mechanics
[00:11:54] Headlong Dance Theater
[00:09:55] Ninth Planet
[00:13:15] New York Theater Workshop
[00:14:11] Ivo Van Hove
[00:16:17] Barnes Jawnt
[00:18:50] Bicycle Coalition
[00:18:53] Black and Brown Workers Cooperative
[00:19:11] US Federation of Worker Cooperatives
[00:19:17] Girls Rock Philly
[00:28:21] Hamletmachine
[00:29:13] The Wooster Group
[00:29:14] The Wooster Group’s Hamlet

Follow Arianna
Website
Twitter

Follow Obvious Agency
Website

Follow Beyond the Lights
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram

On today’s show, I speak with Erica Andracchio. Erica is the Executive Director at Left Coast Theater in San Francisco. Left Coast is an independent theater that is dedicated to elevating new works by LGBTQ+ artists. We discuss her journey to becoming an Executive Director, what that looks like at a theater like Left Coast and some of the key differences and similarities between her role and that of an Artistic Director. Erica is a woman who wears many hats and we discuss a few very different ones throughout this episode.

For a full transcript of this episode visit beyondthelightspodcast.com.

Mentioned in this Episode
[00:03:29] Curran Theater
[00:13:58] Just Not Sorry Browser Extension
[00:14:50] Left Coast Theater Company
[00:17:47] San Francisco Here I Come

Follow Erica
Website
Instagram

Follow Left Coast Theater Company
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
YouTube

Follow Beyond the Lights
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram

On today's show, I speak with Ryan McAlpine, a flying director with Flying by Foy. Ryan is a Flying Director on Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in New York, San Francisco, and the Australia production which is currently on stage in Melbourne. Ryan is currently in Australia with the show and while we talk extensively about what it takes to fly in a production, he also gives me a good glimpse of the health and safety protocols that Australia has put into place for theater.

For a full transcript of this episode visit beyondthelightspodcast.com.


Mentioned in this Episode
[00:03:47] Flying by Foy
[00:05:06] Utah Shakespeare
[00:31:23]  Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
[00:33:55] The Curran
[00:36:56] Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Script

Follow Ryan
Instagram


Follow Beyond the Lights
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram