If you’ve ever asked yourself “Where do I put this blood bag?,“ or “How do I make the best fake wine?,”  or even “Is a parasol a prop or a costume?,” then you need to listen to Chris Young. The prop shop director at Shakespeare Theatre Company, Chris has been figuring out those questions for over 30 years. A treasure trove of stories, talents, and ideas, Chris shares his process of making props, from reading the script to weekly maintenance during a run. Hibiscus tea, by the way.   

Follow Chris at @furnitureweapons, and learn more about the Society of Properties Managers (SPM) at propmanagers.org. 

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If there’s one part of the theatrical process that can be mysterious, scary, and unfair, it’s casting. Danica Rodriguez is here to change all of that. A native New Yorker, Danica worked in casting for television and theater, including for the Public Theater, before becoming the resident casting director of the esteemed Shakespeare Theatre Company in fall 2021. An open, joyful, and canny person, Danica is perfectly suited to her role and her mission of championing representation, authenticity, nuance and specificity on stage. 

“The goal of the artist is to make the revolution irresistible.”  - Toni Cade Bambara

Learn more about Danica’s background, experiences, and values at danicarodriguez.com, and follow her at @danicarodriguezcasting. 

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Aubri O'Connor deftly wears so many hats she could make a milliner blush. The DC-based theater maker is the co-founder, co-producer, and artistic director of Nu Sass Production, which promotes marginalized genders in all aspects of theater, especially in those roles traditionally dominated by cis-men. Our open, joyful, and clear-eyed conversation covers the company's beginnings and growth, as well as our region's supportive small theater community (including a big hint about upcoming opportunities!). She speaks passionately and compassionately about promoting and taking care of the people making theater, as well as the current landscape for artists and the arts. 

Follow Aubri at @aubrilee and the company at @nu_sass. Learn more about the Indie Stage Collective, a group of small and micro theatres in the DMV, and support our small theaters! 

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Who can carry on four conversations at once, keep track of an ever-growing list of props and ques, and fix the plot hole in the second act? A stage manager, and Che Wernsman is one of the best in the DMV. The resident SM at Round House Theatre, Che shares her journey to become an equity stage manager, her thoughts on why military members make great theater makers, and how SMs maintain the integrity of a show over its run. We also discuss important changes in tech and rehearsal processes to take better care of crew members, and more. 

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When waacking and disco and crafting come up in one conversation, it must be about something deep and powerful and transformative like community engagement. Katherine Harroff (Director of Engagement and Associate Director of Public Programming with the Folger Shakespeare Library) and Kristen Jackson (Associate Artistic Director and Director of Connectivity at Woolly Mammoth) join forces to speak about the joy and necessity of creating spaces of communal recognition and growth, how an engagement ethos can infuse an entire organization, and how to both plan ahead and remain flexible in this important work. 

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Eric Ruffin is a professor of theatre arts at Howard University, focusing on acting and directing. A Howard alum himself, he has helmed productions at Mosaic Theatre Company, Studio Theatre, 1st Stage, African Continuum Theatre Company, Imagination Stage, the Kennedy Center, and more. His 2015 production of Langston Hughes' Black Nativity with Theater Alliance won three Helen Hayes Awards. A gregarious and charming interlocutor, Eric discusses the importance of Howard to the American entertainment industry, how love and transcendence should be central to the theatrical experience, and the kind of work we need to make today. 

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Shanara Gabrielle is a force for good in the DC theater scene. Since planting roots here in 2017, she has worked as an actor, director, and cultural producer across our region, and in July 2024, became the producing artistic director of Theater Alliance, which specializes in socially conscious, thought-provoking work. We discuss how the company is settling into their new venue, the values that underpin theater, the need for theaters to understand and support their community, and how the non-profit model could use a re-thinking.

Learn more about Shanara on her website, shanaragabrielle.com, follow her on Instagram at @shanaragabrielle, and check out Theater Alliance's website, theateralliance.com. 

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Sierra Young is a multi-hyphenate artist known for her violence and intimacy direction, as well as an actor and director. A graduate of Howard Community College and UMBC, where she worked with Chelsea Pace, Sierra quickly established her credentials and reputation in the DC/Baltimore area. In our conversation, she emphasizes the importance of cultural competency, trauma-informed practices, and sustainability in her work. She addresses the priorities and best practices of intimacy direction, including the need for clear communication and boundaries, and the role of consent and anti-racism in her practice. She also discusses her experiences working with students and her work as a director.

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Dylan Arredondo has been building an incredibly impressive and varied resume of credits both in front of the footlights and behind the director's table. He's worked with companies from Signature to Chesapeake Shakes to Spooky Action, all of whom no doubt have benefitted from the care and creativity he brings to his craft. Our conversation covers a lot of ground: being a multi-hyphenate artist, learning when to give a note, seeking balance, and the role complicity plays in both the rehearsal process and what we share with an audience. There's a David Ball name drop and a really effective Lego-acting metaphor, too. 

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No corner can contain Navi or their artistry, they’re so well rounded. A manymedia artist, they run the research and development wing of Flying V as an Artistic Lead. They’ve worked with companies big, small, and smaller across the DMV—including Pointless, Spooky Action, Woolly Mammoth, and Mosiac—in lots of different ways, from acting to devising, designing sound to writing music and lyrics, puppeteering to producing. Navi discusses his creative and professional processes, their definition of ‘theater,’ and challenges theater makers to find wonder and create communities. “Baguette!” 

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