For this episode, we landed a real power player in our virtual studio: Lear deBessonet, the incoming artistic director at Lincoln Center Theater — one of the powerhouse nonprofits in New York City, with a budget of $40 million and a staff of 55.

DeBessonet made her mark as one of the defining spirits behind the Public Theater’s Public Works initiative — her emphasis on theater’s communal aspects is a defining element of her approach, and one that could inspire companies around the country.

In 2020 she took over New York City Center’s beloved series Encores!, and under her tenure most of the productions hit the sweet spot of critical and popular approval. Two of them, “Into the Woods” and “Once Upon a Mattress,” even transferred to Broadway.

DeBessonet talked to us about what matters to her as a director but also as an audience member, including one particularly formative experience that sent Elisabeth into a fangirl tizzy.

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