SDCF Podcast Series

SDCF Podcast Series

By Stage Directors and Choreographers FoundationArtsPerforming Arts
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SDCF Podcast Series episodes

  • A View from the Bridge
    A View from the Bridge: On December 15, 1986, director Tony Giordano, designers Hugh Landwehr and Dennis Parichy and actors Michael Fischetti, Jennifer Van Dyck and Diane Martella spoke with moderator Amy Saltz at New Dramatists about their work on a traveling co-production of A View From The Bridge, produced by theatres in Rochester, Buffalo, Syracuse and Albany. Having taken place after two of the four runs, this conversation is a rare opportunity to hear artists from various disciplines talk about a play that is still in progress. Fischetti and Giordano discuss the inception of the play at Syracuse Stage after doing Glengarry Glen Ross, and how it turned into a touring co-production. Giordano speaks of the opportunity to go back into rehearsal and continue to find the life of the play between Buffalo and Syracuse, and his excitement to implement their new discoveries in a smaller theater when they head to Albany. The designers discuss the difficulty of designing one set to work in four different spaces, with three prosceniums and one thrust theatre, and the actors talk about committing to one show in small towns for an extended period of time. At the heart of this discussion is a group of people who are passionate about the work they have been doing and are continuing to do, and the idea that a play is not finished once it's in front of an audience. Originally recorded - December 15, 1986. Running Time - 1:23:33 © 1986 SDCF
    1 hr 24 min
  • Working with Dance Arrangers
    In April 2010, Edie Cowan moderated an hour-long roundtable discussion with Broadway choreographers Kathleen Marshall and Jerry Mitchell and dance arrangers David Chase and Mark Hummel. They discuss the role of the dance arranger, who works with the choreographer to take what the composer has written and changes it to fit the choreographer's vision of each dance. Jerry Mitchell talks about choreographing a dance for The Full Monty before hearing the music and then having the arranger fit music to it, while some choreographers will have the dance arranger write something before choreographing anything. Other topics include period research, the involvement of the composer, and the role of estates in revivals. The nature of collaboration is at the heart of this lively discussion along with anecdotes from a dozen Broadway shows. Originally recorded - April 1, 2010. Running Time - 1:00:04 © 2010 SDCF
    1 hr 1 min
  • Rob Ashford and Michael Mayer on Working in Film
    In February 2010, director Michael Mayer, who won a Tony Award for Spring Awakening and recently directed American Idiot, and choreographer Rob Ashford, who won a Tony for Thoroughly Modern Millie and was nominated for The Wedding Singer, Curtains and Cry-Baby, were featured in a Director/Choreographer Network discussion on Working in Film. Michael Mayer recalls being asked to direct A Home at the End of the World and saying yes without hesitating, without any film experience. Rob Ashford talks about choreographing Beyond the Sea with Kevin Spacey and learning how to tell the DP what shots to take. Key differences they discuss between theater and film include lack of rehearsal, shooting out of order and film actors vs. theatre actors. This seventy-minute discussion is an enlightening glimpse into the world of filmmaking from the theatre professional's perspective. Originally recorded - February 1, 2010. Running Time - 1:05:23 © 2010 SDCF
    1 hr 6 min
  • Susan Stroman, 1994 Interview
    Susan Stroman: In January of 1994, Susan Stroman sat down for an hour-long discussion of her career as a choreographer. She talks about working on Crazy For You, Kiss of the Spider Woman, and Show Boat, noting how bad experiences are necessary to make the good ones what they are. Other topics include working with a cast of 73 actors, working with director Hal Prince, movie musicals and the lack of copyright protection for choreography. For wonderful advice and great stories from a five-time Tony-winning director and choreographer, listen now! Originally recorded - January 12, 1994. Running Time - 1:00:43 © 1994 SDCF
    1 hr 1 min
  • James Lapine, 1985 Interview

    In March of 1985, during the original Broadway run of Sondheim's Sunday in the Park with George, Susan Einhorn interviewed Tony Award-winning librettist and director James Lapine about how a director keeps a show in shape. In this seventy-five-minute interview, Lapine discusses replacements, understudies, stage managers and his relationship with the cast after a show opens. He talks about working with Sondheim and how his role in their relationship evolved from writing to directing. Other topics include directing in Central Park in the summer heat, writing work for himself to direct, and inserting songs into a production at the eleventh hour. For insight into a rarely discussed but important job of the director from one of the musical theatre greats, listen now! Originally recorded - March 15, 1985. Running Time - 1:16:03 © 1985 SDCF

    1 hr 16 min
  • John Hirsch, 1984 Interview
    In October of 1984, Hungarian-Canadian director John Hirsch, who directed classical theatre for thirty-two years and served as Artistic Director of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival from 1981-1985, sat down with Richard Harden for a ninety-minute roundtable discussion. He talks about the definition of classical theatre, which he defines as plays which survive the test of time and speak to audiences of all ages, and classicists, who submerge themselves in a single subject. Hirsch and Harden discuss Shakespeare, Chekhov, and the ecology of playwriting in which playwrights must know the classics to write new ones. The industry struggles they address, including financial accessibility and lack of importance outside of the arts world, bear a striking resemblance to those facing the theatre world over twenty-five years later. For an insightful exploration of classical theatre or to recall a time when an expensive Broadway ticket cost only $45, listen to this interview! Originally recorded - October 10, 1984. Running Time - 1:25:14 © 1984 SDCF
    1 hr 25 min
  • One-on-One Conversation with Robert Wilson and Jennifer Tipton

    In December of 1987, famous avant-garde director Robert Wilson sat down for a One-on-One conversation with Tony Award-winning lighting designer Jennifer Tipton. They discuss Wilson's three major influences: the dance work of George Balanchine and Merce Cunningham, the first piece of theatre he created with a deaf, mute child, and the poet Christopher Knowles, who once repeated the words "tape recorder" for ten minutes at the end of a performance piece. He talks about creating different kinds of space, repetition, and rigidity of form and process. Other topics include working with trained vs. untrained actors, working with a dramaturg, and the role of interpretation. This ninety-minute interview provides a unique insight into the mind of this experimental, groundbreaking director that you won't find anywhere else. Originally recorded - December 19, 1987. Running Time - 1:28:56

    1 hr 29 min
  • One-on-One Conversation with Richard Eyre and Anne Cattaneo

    In 2002, Lincoln Center dramaturg Anne Cattaneo moderated a One-on-One discussion with prolific British theatre, film, television and opera director Richard Eyre. He talks about directing The Crucible in the 1970's and in 2002, and how he sees the story as a fable rather than as a metaphor for the McCarthy Era as a result of growing up outside the country. He tells his audience about the importance of casting good actors, and his rejection of the idea of "concept" directing. They discuss running the National Theatre, dealing with input from producers, audience and critics and the difference between life as a freelance and artistic director. Other topics include theatre vs. film directing, Peter Brook's production of King Lear and how Eyre's knowledge of chemistry has informed his theatre. This eighty-minute interview is full of inspiring advice that aspiring directors will be quoting for years to come. Originally recorded - April 30, 2002. Running Time - 1:15:56 © 2002 SDCF

    1 hr 16 min
  • One-on-One Conversation with Arthur Penn and David Diamond

    In 2002, Arthur Penn sat down for a One-on-One conversation with SDCF Executive Director David Diamond to discuss his triple-threat career in theatre, television and film. He tells the story of his launch into theatre from the army, followed by an early career in TV and the Actors Studio. He talks about his relationship with Bill Gibson which launched two of his biggest successes: The Miracle Worker and Two for the Seesaw, and shares humorous anecdotes about working with Lillian Hellman, Sammy Davis, Jr., George C. Scott, Henry Fonda and the geneses of The Golden Boy, Wait Until Dark, Sly Fox and his film The Left-Handed Gun. Mr. Penn discusses his approach to directing, the importance of casting and his embrace of Stanislavsky's Method for both theatre and film. Other topics include the shrinking audience for theatre today, the self-serving nature of Hollywood, and his early inspirations in Elia Kazan and the Group Theatre. Mr. Penn's positive attitude about both the highs and lows of his career is inspiring, and this ninety-minute discussion with the legendary director should not be missed. Originally recorded - April 1, 2002. Running Time - 1:20:04 © 2002 SDCF

    1 hr 20 min
  • One-on-One Conversation with Gene Saks and David Diamond

    In June 1995 three-time Tony Award-winning director Gene Saks spoke with David Diamond in a One-on-One Interview about his journey through the many aspects of his directing career. Topics of this 90-minute conversation include the challenges of directing comedies and musicals, working with writers, and the differences between directing theatre and film. He talks about the use of spectacle as cover-up for story and about the ideal collaborative process in which good ideas come from all members of the creative team. Full of humorous anecdotes featuring Henry Fonda, Neil Simon, Angela Lansbury, Lucille Ball and Jule Styne, this interview highlights Mr. Saks' wonderful storytelling ability and touches on all aspects of the directing profession. Originally recorded - June 12, 1995. Running Time - 1:34:01 © 1995 SDCF

    1 hr 34 min

About SDCF Podcast Series

From the publisher's feed

About: The SDCF Podcast series includes insightful and in-depth conversations about the working processes and experiences of directors and choreographers. This series features four decades of interviews and panel discussions with some of the field's most distinguished luminaries, including Hal Prince and Lloyd Richards. Recent episodes include conversations with such notable artists as Anne Kauffman, Raja Feather Kelly, Seret Scott, Leigh Silverman, Twyla Tharp, and Mark Valdez. Dive into our archives to hear the story of the American theatre, told by those who helped create its history and are charting the course of its future.