The 21st Century Creative

The Rocky Road for Theatre through the Pandemic with Steven Kunis


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Steven Kunis is a Greek-American theatre director based in London who founded Panorama Productions to create international collaborations in theatre and music.

When his acclaimed production of Young Jean Lee’s Straight White Men was halted by the pandemic, he responded by inventing Rocky Road, a hybrid theatrical-cinematic thriller that reimagined live performance for the Covid era.

‘I aim to make theatre that allows us to feel closer to one another and to collectively imagine better possibilities for how we might all get along.’






Episode summary
Steven Kunis

Steven Kunis is the founding artistic director of Panorama Productions. His work spans theatre, opera and experimental performance, and his UK premiere of Straight White Men earned multiple award nominations and rave reviews.

Big ideas in this conversation
  • Creative disruption – Constraints can spark entirely new forms, as Steven’s pivot from stage to screen demonstrates.
  • Collective creativity – Theatre thrives on shared experiences and the communal imagination it fosters.
  • Embrace your limitations – Your perceived obstacles can become the very fuel for inventive solutions.
  • Hybrid storytelling – Blending cinematic techniques with live performance can create fresh, immersive experiences.
  • Advice worth hearing in full
    • List your constraints – Spend six minutes writing down everything that feels like a limitation, then choose one or two and ask how they might become advantages.
    • Lean into collaboration – Use the collective intelligence in your rehearsal room or team to uncover ideas beyond your own.
    • Where next?

      For more on Steven Kunis’s work and to stay updated on upcoming projects, visit his LinkedIn page.

      About The 21st Century Creative podcast

      Hosted by creative coach and award-winning poet Mark McGuinness, The 21st Century Creative podcast helps you succeed as a creative professional amid the demands, distractions and opportunities of the 21st century.

      Each episode features insights from Mark and interviews with outstanding creators – including artists, writers, performers, commercial creatives, directors, producers, entrepreneurs and other creative thought-leaders.

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      The post The Rocky Road for Theatre through the Pandemic with Steven Kunis appeared first on Creative Coach | Mark McGuinness.

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