Lighting Design in America has a long history of pioneering women and we sit down with one of those women today...it's Vivien Leone! Vivien is arguably the most experienced, sought after Associate working on Broadway and she brings with her a wealth of knowledge from her 30 years in the business. She and Cory discuss her ongoing relationship with 'Phantom of the Opera' and how much of the Broadway production remains the same from the day it opened, the personal and psychological effects she experienced being in tech for a year on 'Spiderman', and her experiences with both sexism and ageism in her field. She also shares stories from 'The Last Ship' and 'The Bridges of Madison County', tells us about the fork in the road that led her to pursue the Associate track, and of COURSE talks about her lighting paperwork, which is considered by many to be the best paperwork in the business.

Don't adjust your dials...it's a Thursday BONUS episode with Anne E. McMills, author of the The Assistant Lighting Designer's Toolkit. Anne is west coast based so she and Cory had a cross-continental chat about the new book. She tells us about the inspiration for the book, her favorite parts, and the new things she learned while interviewing dozens of working lighting designers and assistants. Much of the teachings, hints, and insider lingo in her book has never been documented in a textbook, but has only been taught through on the job training. Listen to her talk about the life of a working assistant and then go pick up a copy for yourself. It's short and sweet so enjoy!

This week's guest is Lighting Designer Mark Stanley. Mark is one of the founders of the Hemsley Lighting Program and someone who knew legendary designer Gilbert Hemsley personally. He tells us about Gil's legacy, his unique and one-of-a kind personality and how in the past 32 years the program has grown from a single internship to an array of programs including the Portfolio Review weekend, Mentorship Program and other outreach initiatives. Mark and Cory also have a lively chat about the challanges of teaching design from paper plots to research to concept statements and tech rehearsal nuances, and the philosophies Mark bases his curriculum on at Boston University. And he shares insightful stories from his current job as Resident Lighting Designer for the New York City Ballet and his past work with New York City Opera.

Happy New Year! We're kicking off 2015 with Projection/Video Designer Daniel Brodie. Daniel just designed all the video content for Mariah Carey's Christmas concert and he recounts that herculean undertaking having been hired just 48 hours before the first performance. Cory and Daniel also chat about his work on "Motown", how he picks his teams of assistants, what's it's like in his department during tech, and his transition from associate to lead designer. Projections can often be added for the wrong reasons but Daniel discusses his ideal production process and his collaborative efforts with the other team members to help the projections feel organic to the overall design. And Cory and Daniel chat about working on a pre-Broadway test workshop for "The Muppets" in which Daniel discovered, by doing a good job, that perhaps he wasn't needed to begin with. Job security be damned!

This week's guest is the delightful Costume Designer Paloma Young! Paloma went from designing the workshop production of 'Peter and the Starcatcher' to winning a Tony Award for her designs and she takes us through the whole crazy journey. From her humble beginning as the 'local' hire, to a moment of shear panic when presenting the costumes for the first time, to Christian Borle turning a costume piece into comic gold, to costuming multiple companies at one time, and finally to the bizarre experience of seeing her work copied in subsequent licensed productions. Cory and Paloma also chat about her work on 'Natasha Pierre & the Great Comet...' and 'Fly by Night', the unpredictable reason an actor once was hesitant about his costume, and what Paloma's own clothes say about herself in the play that is real life. Enjoy!

Happy Thanksgiving! Your waistline isn't the only thing bursting at the seams this year. Welcome to part two of our doubled-stuffed episode with Moving Light Programmer Tim Rogers. This week, Tim is joined by friend of the show Jason Lyons! Jason and Tim tell us how they first started working together and how they've established a shared language and style over their many years of shows. They also discuss the process for their current hit, 'On the Town', why they like sitting next to each other at the tech table, how they drive associates crazy, the artistic devision of labor when it comes to lighting a scene, and common mistakes young lighting designers might make when working with a new programmer. And learn what your show has been missing this whole time...a little color called "slalmon."

Welcome to a special two-part interview with Moving Light Programmer Tim Rogers. In this week's episode, Cory and Tim discuss the history of the ML programmer on Broadway, the importance of the community of programmers, and his process, from sitting down at the desk for the first time until opening night. Tim shares stories from working with Howell Binkley, Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer, what it's like trying to balance work and a family that includes three kids, and discusses the departmental nuances between the lighting designer, the associate and the programmer. SPEAKING of which...come back next week for part two when Jason Lyons joins the conversation as we give you access inside the world of a designer and his long time programmer in a way like never before.

This week's guest is scenic designer Adam Koch! Adam and Cory go way back and discuss how they met 10 years ago at Pittsburgh CLO. Adam shares stories of shows at The Muny, Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma, and Signature Theatre and how he approaches designing sets for big musicals like 'Miss Saigon', 'Big Fish', 'Dreamgirls', 'Kiss of the Spiderwoman' and more. Cory and Adam also muse on topics such as designing for every seat in the house, why too much success too early is not always a good thing, what it's like to design a Broadway show that never gets produced, and Adam recounts a moment of horror that happened at the infamous Black Party (hint: it's not what you think...and keep it clean listeners!)

The podcast returns this week with set designer Wilson Chin! Wilson has created beautiful sets for theatres across the country and he and Cory discuss many of those designs including 'Othello' and 'The Winter's Tale' at the Old Globe, 'My Mañana Comes' at The Playwrights Realm and his current design for 'By the Water' at Manhattan Theatre Club. Hear Wilson talk about the tricks to making intricately detailed interiors onstage, why he likes ceilings in his sets, and how a background in architecture led to his current career. He also discusses the influences of his mentors like Santo Loquasto, Michael Yeargan, and Riccardo Hernandez and Cory and Wilson debate the merits of hand drafting vs. computer drafting and why drawing directly on your computer screen may not be the best idea.

It's two for the price of one today! Our first ever joint episode features married couple Driscoll Otto (Lighting/Projections) and Amy Pedigo-Otto (Costumes.) The lovely couple spent a morning in their brand new backyard chatting with Cory about being married to another designer and balancing the freelance lifestyle with family, which will soon include a newborn baby. Driscoll tells us about designing 'Game of Thrones: The Exibition' and Amy talks about working in the TV world on shows such as 'The Americans' and 'Louie.' It's a round-table in Brooklyn and you're invited!