SDCF Podcast Series

Directing Shakespeare: Casting - It's A Bear: On April 29, 2001 members of a Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation panel simulated a first casting session of The Winter's Tale. The discussion is moderated by Artistic Producer of the Joseph Papp Public Theatre/New York Shakespeare Festival Rosemarie Tichler and featured Casting Directors Stuart Howard and Jordan Thaler. Originally recorded - April 29, 2001. Running Time - 1:31:35 © 2001 SDCF

On April 28, 2001, Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation invited Arthur Bartow, Artistic Director of the Drama Department at NYU Tisch, to moderate a conversation between Michael Lupu, Senior Dramaturg at the Guthrie Theater; Mark Bly, Associate Artistic Director of Yale Rep; Louis Scheeder of Classical Studio NYU Tisch; and freelance director Daniel Fish about working on Shakespeare. This discussion gives great insight into the role of dramaturgs in assisting directors; their visions of a successful dramaturg; and how dramaturgs work with the text. This program is the second half of the conversation. Originally recorded - April 28, 2001. Running Time - 1:12:00 © 2001 SDCF

On April 28, 2001, Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation invited Arthur Bartow, Artistic Director of the Drama Department at NYU Tisch, to moderate a conversation between Michael Lupu, Senior Dramaturg at the Guthrie Theater; Mark Bly, Associate Artistic Director of Yale Rep; Louis Scheeder of Classical Studio NYU Tisch; and freelance director Daniel Fish about working on Shakespeare. This discussion gives great insight into the role of dramaturgs in assisting directors; their visions of a successful dramaturg; and how dramaturgs work with the text. This program is the first half of the conversation. Originally recorded - April 28, 2001. Running Time - 1:15:21 © 2001 SDCF

On Monday, June 27th, 2011, SDC's Gretchen Michelfeld talked to veteran scenic designers Rachel Hauck (The Public, BAM, The Vineyard, South Coast Rep, and Eugene O'Neill Resident Set Designer) and Nick Francone (Prospect Theater Company, SPF, Six Figures, New Georges, E.S.T., Santa Fe Opera, assistant on Wicked and Opera) about their experiences collaborating with a variety of directors. They discussed aspects of successful production meetings, dealing with repertory sets, the strangest designs they have made, and offer advice to young directors. This is an enlightening discussion on the successes and struggles in the lives of professional scenic designers. Originally recorded - June 27, 2011. Running Time - 1:21:43 © 2011 SDCF

On April 28, 2001, Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation invited NYU voice and dialect coach Deborah Hecht, Juilliard Chairman of Voice and Speech Ralph Zito, director Mark Lamos, actor Oni Faida Lampley, and actor Boris McGiver for a conversation about the importance of text work. Louis Scheeder, Director and Founder of Classical Studio at NYU Tisch moderates. Topics include speech interpretation, the process of making stylistic choices, and the necessities of physical endurance. Originally recorded - April 28, 2001. Running Time - 1:25:10 © 2001 SDCF

2011 DCN: Broadway Stage Managers' Secrets Revealed: On May 25th, 2011, SDC's Gretchen Michelfeld spoke with three Broadway Production Stage Managers about their experiences. Stage Managers Jill Cordle (Jerusalem), Heather Cousens (Spring Awakening), and Ira Mont (Arcadia) give advice to early career directors on time management, speak to building trust and collaboration, and discuss the smartest things they've seen directors do. They offer first-hand knowledge on the relationship between directors and stage managers. Originally recorded - May 25, 2011. Running Time - 54:59 © 2011 SDCF

In 2001, Michael Lupu, senior dramaturg for the Guthrie Theatre, provided directors at the "Directing Shakespeare Symposium" with a brief lesson he called "Shakespeare 101." In this twenty-minute discussion Lupu talks about audience expectations in the Elizabethan period, the history of Shakespeare's company "Lord Chamberlain's Men," and how the shifting of Shakespeare's theatre midway through his career may have affected his writing. Lupu enlists the help of designer Ming Cho Lee to explain the type of theatre in which Shakespeare was working, and how the intimate, single-room performance space of the Globe Theatre shaped almost every moment in Shakespeare's work. Other topics discussed include: Shakespeare's plays coming from the stage to the page and not vice versa, A Winter's Tale being published after Shakespeare's death, and the place of a poet in the theatre. This brief but incredibly thorough overview is a great recap for Shakespeare fans and a perfect introduction for those just getting started. Originally recorded - April 28, 2001. Running Time - 20:02 © 2001 SDCF

In Conversation with... Moisés Kaufman: Directors rarely get the opportunity to spend time and share ideas in a room with other directors. This new one-on-one conversation series was conceived by director Thomas Kail to give himself, and his peers, an opportunity to do just that. This series of conversations explores topics that stretch from finding the spark in their work, making a life as a director, and how they landed on this side of the table. Each director's vision is distinct, and their way of working is their own, but this series also addresses all they have in common beyond the shared title. In July 2011, Thomas Kail sat in conversation with Moises Kaufman at the SDC offices. In this exchange, Thomas and Moises traverse career beginnings, varying paths of directors, and the struggles involved with telling stories rooted in historical events on stage. Originally recorded - July 1, 2011. Running Time - 58:59 © 2011 SDCF

Directors rarely get the opportunity to spend time and share ideas in a room with other directors. This new one-on-one conversation series was conceived by director Thomas Kail to give himself, and his peers, an opportunity to do just that. This series of conversations explores topics that stretch from finding the spark in their work, making a life as a director, and how they landed on this side of the table. Each director's vision is distinct, and their way of working is their own, but this series also addresses all they have in common beyond the shared title. In June 2011, Thomas Kail sat in conversation with Joe Mantello backstage at the Golden Theater. From Mantello's dressing room, their conversation traces his arc from actor to director and back, and the responsibility of taking risks to continue to evolve throughout a career. Originally recorded - June 1, 2011. Running Time - 59:48 © 2011 SDCF