TECHnically Speaking

We sat down with playwright, librettist, and host of the Break a Leg! Disability in the Arts Podcast Nicole Zimmerer and sound designer and podcast producer Scott MacDonald to break down the realities of living and working with a disability in the industry.

Nicole is a playwright and librettist with a deep-seated hatred of stairs. She has been a recipient of The Kennedy Center’s VSA Playwright Discovery Award and the Betty Z. Rose and Anne J. Exline Presidential Fellowship. She was a finalist for the Playwrights’ Center Core Apprenticeship program. She has had multiple productions in Houston, New York City, Chicago, Pittsburgh, and Washington, DC. She holds a BFA in Playwriting and Dramaturgy from the University of Houston and an MFA in Dramatic Writing from Carnegie Mellon University.

Scott is a sound designer and engineer based in New York City. After completing a BFA at the Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama, Scott was a Featured Designer representing the United States in the Emerging/Student Exhibition at the 2019 Prague Quadrennial. Scott is also an advocate for sustainable practices in the arts and beyond. www.sbmacdonald.com

Listen to the Break a Leg! Disability in the Arts Podcast with Nicole and Scott! breakalegpod.buzzsprout.com

Explore the Break a Leg! Disability in the Arts Podcast Instagram. www.instagram.com/breakalegpod/

TECHnically Speaking is a public service of USITT, which seeks to have a broad conversation on topics of interest to its members, but it is neither a legal interpretation nor a statement of Institute policy. The views expressed on this podcast by guests are their own and their appearance herein does not imply an endorsement of them or of any entity they may represent. Reference to any specific product or idea does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation. Views, opinions, recommendations or use cases expressed on this podcast do not necessarily reflect the views of USITT, its Board members or employees.

This week's episode of TECHnically Speaking features lighting designer Toni Sterling who recently lent her artistry to Opera San Antonio as the inaugural participant in the Pilot Fellowship for BIPOC Young designers. Read more about the Pilot Fellowship for BIPOC Young Designers at this link: www.usitt.org/news/usitt-opera-san-antonio-launch-pilot-fellowship-bipoc-designers.

Toni Sterling is a freelance lighting designer from Atlanta, GA. She recently received her MFA at the University of Connecticut, specializing in lighting design. In 2015, she received her BFA at the University of West Georgia and her Certification in Lighting Technology at the Stage Craft Institute of Las Vegas. She has been designing for over ten years and loves to go where ever light takes her.

If you’d like to keep up with Toni and her work, visit her website at www.tonisterling.com.

TECHnically Speaking is a public service of USITT, which seeks to have a broad conversation on topics of interest to its members, but it is neither a legal interpretation nor a statement of Institute policy. The views expressed on this podcast by guests are their own and their appearance herein does not imply an endorsement of them or of any entity they may represent. Reference to any specific product or idea does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation. Views, opinions, recommendations or use cases expressed on this podcast do not necessarily reflect the views of USITT, its Board members or employees.

On this week's episode we are joined by Director of Arts Administration; Associate Professor; and Director of Le Moyne College's Symphony Orchestra, Travis Newton.

This summer, Travis penned an op-ed for Syracuse.com, "Covid Created New Opportunities, Lasting Change in Arts and Culture" where he discussed some of the many changes that have taken pace in the world of arts management and the live entertainment industry over the last year.

We highly recommend reading Travis' article prior to listening to this week's episode as many of the topics mentioned in his piece will be discussed during the podcast!

TECHnically Speaking is a public service of USITT, which seeks to have a broad conversation on topics of interest to its members, but it is neither a legal interpretation nor a statement of Institute policy. The views expressed on this podcast by guests are their own and their appearance herein does not imply an endorsement of them or of any entity they may represent. Reference to any specific product or idea does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation. Views, opinions, recommendations or use cases expressed on this podcast do not necessarily reflect the views of USITT, its Board members or employees.

Our 2021 YDMT winner podcast series comes to a close with costume artist Annie Ulrich, winner of the 2021 Barbara Matera Award for Costume Making.

Annie fell into theatre during her undergraduate studies at Middlebury College in Vermont, where she graduated with a BA in Theatre and Studio Art in 2013. From there, she freelanced as a costume designer and took on the role of Assistant Shop Manager in the same costume shop at Middlebury. In the Spring of 2021, Annie completed her MFA in Theatre and Dance (Costume Technology) from the University of Texas at Austin.

Keep up with Annie's work at annieulrich.com

TECHnically Speaking is a public service of USITT, which seeks to have a broad conversation on topics of interest to its members, but it is neither a legal interpretation nor a statement of Institute policy. The views expressed on this podcast by guests are their own and their appearance herein does not imply an endorsement of them or of any entity they may represent. Reference to any specific product or idea does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation. Views, opinions, recommendations or use cases expressed on this podcast do not necessarily reflect the views of USITT, its Board members or employees.

This week we’re continuing our 2021 YDMT Award winner podcast series with Casey Duke, winner of the 2021 Barbizon Lighting Company Jonathan Resnick Lighting Design Award.

Casey is a theatrical lighting designer and MFA candidate in the Virginia Tech School of Performing Arts (anticipated 2022), and received her B.A. in Theatre from the Mississippi University for Women in 2014. For the past seven years, Casey has worked in theatres and theme park entertainment such as the Utah Shakespeare Festival, Goodspeed Musicals, and Busch Gardens Williamsburg.

In this episode we chatted about Casey's award win, her work in theme parks, and prioritizing mental health.

If you’d like to keep up with Casey and her work, visit her website at www.caseydukelightingdesign.com.

TECHnically Speaking is a public service of USITT, which seeks to have a broad conversation on topics of interest to its members, but it is neither a legal interpretation nor a statement of Institute policy. The views expressed on this podcast by guests are their own and their appearance herein does not imply an endorsement of them or of any entity they may represent. Reference to any specific product or idea does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation. Views, opinions, recommendations or use cases expressed on this podcast do not necessarily reflect the views of USITT, its Board members or employees.

Today we're continuing our 2021 YDMT Award winner podcast series with technical director Francesca DeCicco Winner of the 2021 Bernhard R. Works, Frederick A. Buerki Scenic Technology Award.

Francesca has just completed her third-year as an MFA Candidate in the Technical Design & Production Department at the Yale School of Drama.

To keep up with Francesca and her work, visit her website at www.francescadecicco.com.

TECHnically Speaking is a public service of USITT, which seeks to have a broad conversation on topics of interest to its members, but it is neither a legal interpretation nor a statement of Institute policy. The views expressed on this podcast by guests are their own and their appearance herein does not imply an endorsement of them or of any entity they may represent. Reference to any specific product or idea does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation. Views, opinions, recommendations or use cases expressed on this podcast do not necessarily reflect the views of USITT, its Board members or employees

On this week's episode of TECHnically Speaking, we chatted with producer Suzanne Willett and stage manager Samantha Stone about their recent work on a virtual production titled, Westerwynne. The show was performed using Open Broadcaster Software (OBS) — a program which allows creators to marry live actors with virtual backgrounds for an immersive virtual experience. Go in-depth with us as we explore virtual production, OBS, and the challenges and successes that come with this rapidly growing performance platform.

TECHnically Speaking is a public service of USITT, which seeks to have a broad conversation on topics of interest to its members, but it is neither a legal interpretation nor a statement of Institute policy. The views expressed on this podcast by guests are their own and their appearance herein does not imply an endorsement of them or of any entity they may represent. Reference to any specific product or idea does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation. Views, opinions, recommendations or use cases expressed on this podcast do not necessarily reflect the views of USITT, its Board members or employees.

This week's episode focuses on something the industry has become quite familiar with over the past year — virtual production. We were joined by actor, writer, director, producer, and virtual production aficionado Brendan Bradley who spoke with us about his work on A One Act Festival in your Browser (WebXR) — a show produced, rehearsed, and performed entirely in web-based virtual reality, demonstrating several different modes and styles of fully-immersive, virtual performance with a customized toolkit, and user interface.

Brendan established his own lab at New York University for integrating emerging technologies in live performance and supporting the next generation of multi-disciplinary storytellers. During the pandemic, he began releasing free tutorials and case-studies for live performance artists to stream their work from home, including a customizable virtual theatre that allows anyone in the world to perform for their own live, virtual audience for free.

Keep up with Brendan and his work and read his in depth article on A One Act Festival in your Browser (WebXR) by visiting brendanabradley.com/futurestages.

TECHnically Speaking is a public service of USITT, which seeks to have a broad conversation on topics of interest to its members, but it is neither a legal interpretation nor a statement of Institute policy. The views expressed on this podcast by guests are their own and their appearance herein does not imply an endorsement of them or of any entity they may represent. Reference to any specific product or idea does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation. Views, opinions, recommendations or use cases expressed on this podcast do not necessarily reflect the views of USITT, its Board members or employees.

This week we’re continuing our 2021 YDMT Award winner podcast series with Shahzad Khan, stage manager and winner of the USITT Stage Management Award.

Shahzad has training and experience in new plays, musicals, opera, and dance. Originally from Los Angeles, he found his passion for stage management through early arts education and his excitement for high stakes live entertainment. Shahzad fuels his work by maintaining a collaborative work ethic that he aims to bring to any job or position.

On this episode, we chatted about his award win, stage managing virtual productions, and looking at live entertainment through a new lens.

To keep up with Shahzad and his work, you can find him on LinkedIn by searching Shahzad Khan.

TECHnically Speaking is a public service of USITT, which seeks to have a broad conversation on topics of interest to its members, but it is neither a legal interpretation nor a statement of Institute policy. The views expressed on this podcast by guests are their own and their appearance herein does not imply an endorsement of them or of any entity they may represent. Reference to any specific product or idea does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation. Views, opinions, recommendations or use cases expressed on this podcast do not necessarily reflect the views of USITT, its Board members or employees.

Today we're continuing our 2021 YDMT Award winner podcast series with production manager and winner of the 2021 KM Fabrics Technical Production Award, Martin Montaner!

Martin is a Chilean Technical Supervisor and Production Manager with experience in international theatrical productions. Recently graduated with an MFA in Technical Design and Production from Yale University, his work as a manager has been focused on developing creative and collaborative solutions to technical and logistical challenges to some of the world’s most recognized contemporary directors.

To keep up with Martin and his work visit his website at martinmontaner.com

TECHnically Speaking is a public service of USITT, which seeks to have a broad conversation on topics of interest to its members, but it is neither a legal interpretation nor a statement of Institute policy. The views expressed on this podcast by guests are their own and their appearance herein does not imply an endorsement of them or of any entity they may represent. Reference to any specific product or idea does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation. Views, opinions, recommendations or use cases expressed on this podcast do not necessarily reflect the views of USITT, its Board members or employees.