SDCF Podcast Series

On Tuesday, December 6, 2011, SDCF hosted a conversation between sound designers Jill BC Du Boff (Good People, Bill Maher: Victory Begins at Home), Brett Jarvis (Kiki and Herb - Alive on Broadway!, The Donkey Show), and Rob Kaplowitz (Fela!, Pumpgirl) to find out how to work with designers to maximize the creativity and productivity of sound design. Designing the sound of a production is not only about finding the right sound effects or choosing the right song - it is its own art form that shapes and contributes to the emotional storytelling of the play. These three designers demystify the sound designer's role. They parse out the common misconceptions on the difference between designing for a straight play versus musical theatre. The three speak candidly and honestly about their best and worst collaborations with directors and offer tools for directors and designers to better articulate a concept for sound. The conversation answers all questions as to why sound is an integral and important medium for the theatre and offers both designers and directors techniques to collaborate effectively to realize the full artistic potential of sound. Originally recorded - December 6, 2011. Running Time - 1:15:30 © 2011 SDCF

Understanding Automation: On January 7, 2013, SDCF spoke with Production Managers/Technical Directors David Benken and Martin Pavloff about "Understanding Automation: What Every Director Should Know Before Technical Rehearsals." This is a master class on automation from two practitioners who have supervised automated lights and scenery for Broadway and touring productions including The Lion King, Magic/Bird, Woman in White, Mary Poppins, and the 2008 - 2011 touring production of Dreamgirls. Pavloff starts by introducing critical terminology, discussing the use of pre-visualization, gives reasons to automate, and iterates the challenges of automation including safety concerns. Benken follows by illuminating concepts such as of rates of movement, the subtleties of automation, the relationships between director, set designer, and technical director, and gives real-world examples to illustrate. For the producer, director, choreographer, actor, designer, or theatre fan, this conversation offers a comprehensive overview of automation in theatre and provides the understanding necessary to maximize your working relationship with your technical director. Originally recorded - January 7, 2013. Running Time - 1:08:47 © 2013 SDCF

On December 17, 2012, SDCF and SDC hosted a discussion of Theatre for Social Change with guests Erik Ehn and Kamilah Forbes (Hip Hop Theatre Festival) moderated by SDCF Producing Director Ellen Rusconi. Erik Ehn, a playwright, director, and educator, produces the Arts in the One World conference yearly, is Current Director of Writing for Performance at Brown University, and a founder of the RAT movement. Kamilah Forbes is the Artistic Director of the Hip-Hop Theater Festival (HHTF), a non-profit presenter of new theater written by hip-hop generation artists through the lens of the urban cultural aesthetic. She is also a member of the Folger Shakespeare performance troupe, a co-founder of the Nommo Cultural Arts Camp for under-privileged youth in Kingston, Jamaica, and a director. They share thoughts on their own work, their varied audiences, the role of equitable partnerships in their work, and how they nurture emerging artists. Listen in as these passionate artists discuss their experiences in creating theatre that, at its core, is a vehicle for communication of social thought and transformation. Originally recorded - December 17, 2012. Running Time - 1:11:28 © 2012 SDCF

Robert Lewis: On November 2, 1987, SDCF hosted a talk by Robert Lewis, a founding member of Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers, the Group Theatre, and the Actors Studio. He speaks with great charisma and dynamism of the founding of the Group Theatre, the Actors Studio, his experiences with some of the greatest stage actors of the 20th century (including Julie Harris, John Garfield), his views on a variety of topics including the reason for the lack of theatre companies, the absence of a national theatre, and the crafts of acting and directing and underlying technique. This humorous, comprehensive and insightful talk will enlighten theatre fans, artists and producers with Lewis's view of the history, craft, and evolution of theatre around the world in the 20th century. Originally recorded - November 2, 1987. Running Time - 1:00:23 © 1987 SDCF

On February 27, 1986, SDCF held a conversation on Effective Playwriting with Directors Stephen Porter and Howard Rossen, moderated by Playwright Stephen Fife. The jumping off point of this conversation is Somerset Maugham's quote "The purpose of prose drama is to afford delight. I do not think it can usefully concern itself with the welfare of humanity or the saving of civilization. In my opinion, what the theatre does best is to give pleasure by telling a story, delineating character, and by stirring emotions or causing laughter." Our panelists go on to discuss various aspects of plays including sentence length, scene structure, the importance of rhythm, as well as producorial aspects such as the pull between star vehicle and commercial quality and the need to challenge an audience. They frame much of their discussion by looking at The Constant Wife, and share their thoughts on why plays and writers became classics: Glengarry Glen Ross, 'Night, Mother, Pinter, Shaw, Williams, Shaffer, Simon, and Mamet. This conversation is a master class for playwrights and directors on the many elements of a play and how to consider and improve upon a play while in production. Originally recorded - February 27, 1986. Running Time - 1:17:28 © 1986 SDCF

Downtown Opportunities for Directors and Choreographers: On October 1, 1998, SDCF hosted a panel on Downtown Opportunities for Directing and Choreography featuring producers from the vibrant downtown NY theatre scene including John Clancy, Ellie Covan, Kristin Marting, Wendy Rohan, Mark Russell, and David Tyree. These artistic leaders at the head of particularly prolific producing and presenting organizations discuss everything an artist or producer needs to know about working through these organizations. They explain why it is absolutely imperative to visit the space and understand the work of the organization before applying to the organization. They talk about their desire to create communities, and they shed light on the challenges of leading this type of arts organization. This conversation is valuable listening for artists, producers and administrators planning to approach or working within a smaller, vibrant, prolific organization. Originally recorded - October 1, 1998. Running Time - 1:18:29 © 1998 SDCF

On September 25, 1996, James Graves, Associate Director of SDCF, moderated a panel about Directing Opera. Panelists included Lillian Garrett-Groag, Mark Lamos, and Rhoda Levine. With great vibrancy and humor, the panelists consider the challenges of working in foreign countries, methods to navigate working in a foreign language, and the skills and knowledge necessary for theatre artists to work in opera. Most interestingly, their backgrounds are varied: a choreographer (Ms. Levine), a musician and actor (Mr. Lamos), and a multi-lingual director immersed in opera since childhood (Ms. Garrett-Groag). They delve deeply into the Director/Conductor relationship and elucidate the reasons why this is most significant in opera. And they share the thrills of doing new work, including experience developing operas based on the books Celia, A Slave, and Haroun and the Sea of Stories. This honest and open conversation among peers is essential listening for any artist aspiring to direct opera. Originally recorded - September 25, 1996. Running Time - 1:27:02 © 1996 SDCF

On November 20, 1996, SDCF in partnership with The Drama League explored the subject of Career Transitions with a panel of four Directors and Choreographers - Seth Barrish, Kathleen Marshall, Richard Sabellico, and Marlies Yearby - who had recently reached a new point in career. Listen to this discussion to discover how their transitions came about, the experiences and encounters that led these artists to new opportunities on projects with higher profiles, and the challenges to process that come with working on a larger platform. This honest and informative conversation, led by David Diamond of SDCF and Roger Danforth of The Drama League, is a great tool for those seeking to take their artistic career in a different direction or to a new level. Originally recorded - November 20, 1996. Running Time - 1:28:04 © 1996 SDCF

On October 1, 2012, Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation in partnership with Broadway Green Alliance (BGA) held a conversation entitled Directing Green at the New Amsterdam Theatre in New York. Director/Choreographer John Carrafa, SDC's representative to BGA, led this discussion, which starts with Allen Hershkowitz, Senior Scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), describing the state of the global environment and the critical role the entertainment industry can play in adopting better practices. He emphasizes that taking even a small step towards better practices makes a difference. After this accessible overview, some of those leading a more environmentally-friendly theatre working on Broadway in diverse fields - Lighting Designer James Bedell, Costume Designer Andrea Lauer, Scenic Designer Donyale Werle, Stage Manager Marjorie Horne, and Bob Usdin, Owner of Showman Fabricators, give insight into the ways that they are taking the environment into account without compromising their art form. By listening to this conversation, artists can discover questions to ask collaborators in pre-production, learn practical methods of conserving resources in rehearsal and tech, and understand why better environmental practices are essential for artists working today. Originally recorded - October 1, 2012. Running Time - 1:24:16 © 2012 SDCF

In 1996, the Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation and the Drama League co-sponsored a discussion with then SDC Executive Director Barbara Hauptman, SDC Attorney Ron Shechtman, and director Pamela Berlin moderated by David Diamond about protection of intellectual property rights for stage directors. Through personal anecdotes regarding the controversial productions of Love! Valour! Compassion! originally directed by Joe Mantello and The Most Happy Fella directed by Gerald Gutierrez which set the precedent for future legal battles, the conversation illustrates the extent to which the work of a director can be protected, the methods by which the accused theaters came about the original material, the playwright's perspective on the intellectual property of a director in their own work, and the ways in which a director can protect themselves. Detailed, colorful and extremely informative, this conversation goes far beyond what the internet provides and provides valuable insight into an enduring, controversial issue for any director of new theatrical work. Originally recorded - January 1, 1996. Running Time - 1:22:19 © 1996 SDCF