Jacqueline Lawton: What was the first play that you ever directed? What did you learn from that experience that remains with you today?
Juanita Rockwell: Sam Shepard’s Action was my first full production, at Colorado College. I had become interested in how language creates and shapes us – I still am. I had two professors who knew a great deal about theatre – Harvey Rabbin in philosophy and Herving Madruga in. They were so brilliant and so supportive of these explorations of mine that didn’t seem to fit into the school’s theatre curriculum. I pursued a self-created major in theatre and semiotics, and they found money from their own departments to help me produce Action as well as for a subsequent production of Genet’s The Maids. I learned that I wanted to work in the space between disciplines and genres, that I didn’t need to work inside the given system and that allies can come from all sorts of places. JL: Why did you decide to get into theatre? Was there someone or a particular show that inspired you? JR: I was drawn to a variety of art forms, growing up, but one pivotal moment for me was shortly before that at Goddard College, working with Meredith Monk, Laura Dean, Steve Reich, Nora Guthrie, Steve Paxton, Eric Salzman, Ken Rubenstein, Paul Vela… The seventies were a rich time for experimental and interdisciplinary performance, and exposure to these giants of theatre, music and dance transformed my perspective irrevocably. JL: What kind of work do you do to pay the bills? How do you balance this work with your work as a director? JR: I’ve taught in Towson University’s MFA in Theatre program since serving as its first artistic director in ’94, and have taught in Wilkes University’s low-residency MA/MFA in Creative Writing since consulting on its development in ’03. It was difficult to balance much of anything when I was directing the program at Towson, but I stepped down from the director’s position a few years ago and then went to half-time. So now I’m working on balancing my teaching gigs with directing, writing and life. It’s actually more challenging for me to have so many different sorts of projects going on, but it’s a good kind of challenge. I find meditation practice a big help. JL: In DC, we have the Capital Fringe Festival, the Intersections Festival, the Source Festival, the Kennedy Center's Page-to-Stage Festival, the Black Theater Festival, and the Hip Hop Theatre Festival. We also have the Mead Lab at Flashpoint Theater Lab Program. Have you participated in any of these? If so, can you speak about your experience? JR: I’ve worked as a playwright at a couple of these festivals, but it’s a very different thing to direct in them, as the director is so often producing. I did a lot of producing, both freelance and as Artistic Director of Company One Theater in Hartford, CT, when I was younger. However, as the years go by, I’m less inclined to do that. I did direct Jennifer Nelson’s terrific 24, 7, 365, produced by Theatre of the First Amendment at three different theatres, including at the Atlas as part of Intersections 2011. The people at TFA were terrific collaborators and producers, and I’m sad that this wonderful theatre closed its doors this year. JL: How many plays have you directed in the DC area? How many of them were written by women? By playwrights of color? How conscious are you selecting plays by women or people of color when deciding your season? JR: In recent years: in addition to directing Jennifer’s 24, 7, 365 at TFA, I directed your fab Mad Breed at Active Cultures! I also directed a staged reading of Laura Jacqmin’s Ski Dubai for the Dramatists Guild Conference at GMU. If you add Baltimore to that, I directed Frank McGuinness’ Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me and Lee Blessing’s Going to St. Ives at Everyman, Lisa d’Amour’s Red Death at UMBC, seven plays at Towson University, and I co-directed Naoko Maeshiba’s Kawa To Kawa at Baltimore Theatre Project. And then you have to go back a lot of years for the last times I was freelancing in DC and directed Harvey Fierstein’s Safe Sex at Source and Beckett’s Play at DCAC. So I think that makes 16 plays in the DC region, ten of which were by women and seven by people of color. JL: How do you feel the DC theatre community has addressed the issues of race and gender parity? How has this particular issue impacted you and your ability to work? JR: In one’s own case, it’s often hard to know, of course. At some theaters I’ve noticed what looks like tokenism in both race and gender, but anecdotally, it seems to be getting better- I’d love to see the numbers for our region over the past few years. JL: If you could be direct at any theatre in DC, which would it be and why? JR: I haven’t directed my own work in quite a while, and I’d love to do that again, so it’s a question of finding a match – both personally and aesthetically. I’m working on that. JL: DC audiences are ... JR: Growing and shifting, which I think is really exciting. The more adventurous work that’s out there, the more their tastes will shift and change. I would love to see the lines between theatre and performance blur a bit more in DC venues, though. JL: DC actors and designers are … JR: I’m married to my favorite collaborator: musician/composer/sound designer/videographer Chas Marsh, but I’ve had fantastic experiences with many designers and actors in the region. I’ve worked with (and seen) many of the same designers and actors in both DC and Baltimore, and I love that our respective beltways seem to be permeable for both actors and designers. JL: DC playwrights are ... JR: A lovely bunch! People like you, Gwydion Suilebhan, Rich Espey and many others are doing so much to create a real sense of community among playwrights in the region. I hope we can continue to foster that community even as we keep our aesthetic doors open to outside influences. I would love to see even more connections between the DC and Baltimore worlds, for playwrights. JL: DC critics are … JR: I’ve been thinking a lot about the current role of criticism in the arts. We all know it isn’t about that handful of critics at the major outlets anymore. The blogosphere, the tweetiverse, Facebook: the internet has changed the game so profoundly (for better and for worse) that it’s hard to know what criticism even is these days. JL: What advice do you have for an up and coming DC based director or a director who has just moved to D.C.? JR: For early career directors, there are so many places to step up and direct these days, especially if you’re also ready to do some level of producing (such as all the festivals you mentioned earlier). My strongest advice to younger artists would be to make sure to keep developing your aesthetic by seeing work outside our region, as well as in it. For older artists, especially women, I’ll just wish you the best of luck, because it’s not easy. JL: What's next for you as a director? Where can we keep up with your work? JR: I’m directing Jordan Harrison’s Act A Lady for Iron Crow Theatre at Baltimore Theatre Project in May-June 2013. My website is www.juanitarockwell.com and I’m on Facebook until it finally annoys me enough to make me leave.
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Jacqueline Lawton: What was the first play that you ever directed? What did you learn from that experience that remains with you today?
Shirley Serotsky: I switched from an acting focus to directing while I was at North Carolina School of the Arts. Our projects increased incrementally in scope and length so we started with scenes, moved to one-acts, and then directed one-half of a full-length play for our final projects. I directed WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? and ended up working on the first two acts of the play. A moment I remember quite vividly was when my dean/teacher/mentor Gerald Freedman came to watch a run through during rehearsals. I’d staged a sort of prologue to the play—where we saw quick snapshot scenes of Martha getting ready for the party, George and Martha going to the party (I think?), then the pair at the end of their evening, walking up to the house together, Martha fumbling for keys—moments that I thought would bring us into the world of the play but in reality were totally extraneous and unnecessary. Gerald opened up my script after the run and pointed to the opening sequence. Albee had written: (Set in darkness. Crash against front door. Martha’s laughter heard. Front door opens, lights are switched on.) “Do you think you’ve staged a more powerful opening than what Albee wrote--hearing Martha’s laugh in the dark?” Gerald asked. Of course I hadn’t. Seeing George and Martha before we see them in that moment took all of the power out of the reveal. It was a lesson for me about respecting the text and trusting the playwright, and not trying to fix that which is not broken. JL: Why did you decide to get into theatre? Was there someone or a particular show that inspired you? SS: My twin brother and I were both performing--singing and playing piano--from a pretty early age. Our parents were both school teachers, and certainly there is something very linked to acting and performing in that career and no tougher audience than middle and high school students—so we posit that we got some of that from our parents. Because we were twins it was cute to have us sing or play a duet at school assemblies (“Bicycle Built for Two” springs to mind). We both ended up pursuing careers in the theater (my brother in an actor) and we’re lucky to have amazingly supportive and enthusiastic parents. When I was in fourth-grade I attended a local high school production of WEST SIDE STORY. We went to public schools in a town that was majority working class, but the district placed great value on its art and music programs. I hope they still do. The production was sold out, and I sat on my aunt’s lap the whole time (pity the person behind us). It was everything I’d hoped theater could be—thrilling, dramatic, tragic and beautiful. At the end I knew I wanted to be a part of this world, as soon as possible, and for a long time. Incidentally, Donna Lynne Champlin--the fourteen-year-old who played Maria in that production--has gone on to have a fantastically successful stage career. JL: What kind of work do you do to pay the bills? How do you balance this work with your work as a director? SS: I’m very fortunate to have a full-time position in the theater, as Director of Literary and Public Programming at Theater J. While schedules can sometimes be difficult to navigate; we’ve been able to work it out so far and I love that my work there informs by directing work; just as my directing work informs my work there. Sometimes too, they are one and the same! JL: In DC, we have the Capital Fringe Festival, the Intersections Festival, the Source Festival, the Kennedy Center's Page-to-Stage Festival, the Black Theater Festival, and the Hip Hop Theatre Festival. We also have the Mead Lab at Flashpoint Theater Lab Program. Have you participated in any of these? If so, can you speak about your experience? SS: The first fully produced show I directed in DC—TITUS, THE MUSICAL by Shawn Northrip--was part of the 2003 Summer Source Festival, while still in its previous iteration. That led to a full run of the show in Fall 2003. In winter of 2006 Shawn and I joined forces to create “Bouncing Ball Theatrical Productions” and for four years we self-produced work at the CapFringe Festival and Page-to-Stage---innovative non-traditional musicals. I also directed Laura Zam’s solo show COLLATERALLY DAMAGED at the 2007 Fringe. I directed one of the first full-length plays featured in the newer iteration of the Source Festival in 2010, after directing a 24-hour play and one-act in the years before. When I speak with early career directors I stress this point that no one just hands you a show to direct out of the blue. And while DC is a fantastic place to start and nurture a career, you still have to make your work known before you can expect anyone to “know your work”—these festivals provide wonderful, egalitarian opportunities for DC-based (and other artists). I place great value on the work I’ve been involved with at these festivals, and working with Shawn on Bouncing Ball helped create some of my most precious theater memories and relationships. In fact—the relationships I’ve developed with other artists through these opportunities have been some of the most important building blocks of my career here. I must also give a shout out to Gregg Henry, who introduced me to Shawn way back when in 2003; and who brings vision and inspiration to the artistic match-making he so often does in this community. He and the rest of the Page-to-Stage team at the Kennedy Center are a local treasure. JL: How many plays have you directed in the DC area? How many of them were written by women? By playwrights of color? How conscious are you selecting plays by women or people of color when deciding your season? SS: Okay. I count about thirty—that’s productions that were fully staged and produced at some level, not workshops or staged readings. About three of those were in educational settings. Written by women: eight; plus one classic play adapted by a woman; and then WORKING—for which a woman co-wrote the book, and which included 2 female composers and two female lyricists. So I don’t know how to count that—but let’s put the total at 9.5 for the sake of mathematics. That comes out to 31.7%, which is sadly, considerably better than the average of 18% that Gwydion Suilebhan reports, but still pretty lame. Playwrights of color: four; plus WORKING—which included two writers of color. So we’ll call that 4.5, which is also low but actually matched the disappointing stat of 15% that Gwydion reports. If I include workshop productions, the number bumps up to 7.5. In my work at Theater J I am very conscious of gender parity. Because of our specific mission, racial diversity can be trickier. But both of these questions are very much on our mind. JL: How do you feel the DC theatre community has addressed the issues of race and gender parity? How has this particular issue impacted you and your ability to work? SS: I think there’s a burgeoning awareness and I am glad. It’s a start. If awareness leads to change, and I think in some specific instances it already has, then even better. I’ve remained a little bit quiet on this issue, and I think that’s mostly because other artists in the community have tackled it so vocally and head on. Jackie—you’re addressing the awareness question in a quite wonderful and personal way with your artist profiles. So—more of that, yes! JL: If you could be direct at any theatre in DC, which would it be and why? SS: Any and all. I have plenty of love for DC-theatre to go around! JL: DC audiences are ... SS: Wicked smart. JL: DC actors and designers are ... SS: My inspiration, my team, my teachers, my friends, and my family (metaphorically and literally). JL: DC playwrights are … SS: Finding their voices in magnificent, divergent, shouts, outcry’s, songs and whispers. JL: DC critics are ... SS: For the most part—smart, engaged, and informed; continuing to explore and refine their craft just like the rest of us; a particularly stylish and cultured bunch. JL: What advice do you have for an up and coming DC based director or a director who has just moved to D.C.? SS: See above! Take advantage of the opportunities that this community offers you. Meet like-minded artists that you want to work with, find a community, an artistic family. Hone in on what you, specifically, bring to this art form and know why you do it. Assistant Direct for people whose work you respect and admire—recognize what you like about how they work, and also what you would do differently. Reach out to artists you respect in the community, at all levels. Invite them out to coffee to ask them about what they do and how they do it. More often than not, they’ll say “yes”. Read, see, talk, share. Care about things other than the theater. And I’ll quote the advice that Kathy Bates, the commencement speaker at my graduation from an arts conservatory shared with us: “Get a life”. As in, a life beyond the theater. Care about the world, your friends, your family; find ways other than your work to feed your soul. JL: What's next for you as a director? Where can we keep up with your work? SS: The next show I’m directing is A MAN, HIS WIFE, AND HIS HAT by Lauren Yee at the Hub Theatre in April 2013. You can follow my work with Theater J and my personal website is shirleyserotsky.com. Jacqueline Lawton: What was the first play that you ever directed? What did you learn from that experience that remains with you today?
Kasi Campbell: The first professional play I directed in the DC area was Jeffrey by Paul Rudnick. Very early on in my directing career I learned to honor and mine the genius that sits around the table. One can and should prepare as thoroughly as possible going into the rehearsal process, but it is so very important to remain open to the ideas of the actors and designers – to encourage an environment that fosters creative collaboration. If you are secure in your preparation and vision, then the voices around you are pure gold. JL: Why did you decide to get into theatre? Was there someone or a particular show that inspired you? KC: I had acted in summer stock since high school, but decided to pursue a music career as an undergrad even though I spent as much time onstage as I did in a music practice room . In my junior year I was dismayed to find that my hearing had deteriorated somewhat and compromised my ability to continue orchestral conducting….while at the same time I got to direct my first one act show and also was cast as the female lead in Marat/Sade. That play was a real eye-opener for me (creating a life-long love for intellectually challenging theatre), and I was very fortunate to have a mentor in the drama department, Dr. Michael Malkin, who helped me get into a graduate program so I could switch my career goals. JL: What kind of work do you do to pay the bills? How do you balance this work with your work as a director? KC: I am an associate professor of theatre at Howard Community College and as I teach mornings, I am able to freelance direct around the DC area very easily. The teaching “pays the bills,” allowing me to tackle whatever projects interest me. JL: In DC, we have the Capital Fringe Festival, the Intersections Festival, the Source Festival, the Kennedy Center's Page-to-Stage Festival, the Black Theater Festival, and the Hip Hop Theatre Festival. We also have the Mead Lab at Flashpoint Theater Lab Program. Have you participated in any of these? If so, can you speak about your experience? KC: I have been associated with the Source Festival since its inception. The first year I directed Sheila Callaghan’s play, Tumor, and since then have been a reader helping select both 10 minute and full length plays for consideration. I am passionate about “new work,” and consider it so very important to the fabric of the DC theatre scene. JL: How many plays have you directed in the DC area? How many of them were written by women? By playwrights of color? How conscious are you selecting plays by women or people of color when deciding your season? KC: I’ve directed 34 professional productions in the DC area and numerous productions at area colleges. Of these productions, 12 have been by women, one of those being Yellowman by Dael Orlandersmith. As a freelance director, I don’t get to choose a season’s offerings, but when I do offer play suggestions, I tend to recommend plays based on topics or genres that appeal to me without a specific gender agenda. JL: How do you feel the DC theatre community has addressed the issues of race and gender parity? How has this particular issue impacted you and your ability to work? KC: When I first came to this area, I remember seeing very few female playwrights, female directors or racially inclusive scripts on the season rosters of the major theaters, but over the last 20 years the landscape has changed significantly. However, if one were to do a head count of female directors that are not the Artistic Directors of their own theaters, I think you would still find that male freelance directors far outnumber female freelance directors hired in this area. JL: If you could be direct at any theatre in DC, which would it be and why? KC: To be honest, I would be happy to direct at most theaters in the DC area. If pressed to name some favorite theaters I would love to work at…I would have to say Forum Theatre because of their thinking “outside the box” when it comes to programming, Woolly Mammoth because of their risk-taking and mounting of new work, and Theatre J for their commitment to social issues. JL: DC audiences are ... KC: Smart and ready to rise to the challenge of demanding literature. JL: DC actors and designers are ... KC: Simply the best! The region is so blessed to have this kind of talent on our stages. JL: DC playwrights are ... KC: Deserving of all the support we can give them. JL: DC critics are ... KC: I don’t comment on critics, sorry. JL: What advice do you have for an up and coming DC based director or a director who has just moved to D.C.? KC: I’m a firm believer in finding new ways to “crack your head open” and view the world from different angles…so for that reason (even though it is so easy to make theatre a 24/7 vocation), take the time to get out of the theatre and go to a contemporary art gallery, take in a modern dance concert, read a scientific journal, volunteer at a community charity, take a long walk in a new neighborhood or on a nature trail….anything that forces you to look through a different lens. Our region offers such incredible diversity and thrilling adventures if you give yourself permission to explore beyond the footlights. JL: What's next for you as a director? Where can we keep up with your work? KC: Directing Tryst by Karoline Leach at the Washington Stage Guild in January. Jacqueline Lawton: What was the first play that you ever directed? What did you learn from that experience that remains with you today?
Karin Abromatis: In college I directed Maria Stewart by Goethe. I remember drawing tons of maps of the blocking I wanted to do (which I don’t do anymore). And I remember the actors complaining about how much physical work they were having to do (which I still do! And actors still grumble about it, when they’re not having a ton of fun doing it and we’re all laughing our heads off). The thing I learned that still informs my work is to always look at the actors and set in 3 dimensions. There is so much metaphor and subconscious visceral response in visual design, that I always want to find the “architecture” that supports the text and the underlying meaning. JL: Why did you decide to get into theatre? Was there someone or a particular show that inspired you? KA: This is still so clear to me. My English teacher my sophomore year of high school suggested that I audition for the school play. We had just finished a unit on public speaking-I guess I did pretty well. So I auditioned for Antigone and was cast as Antigone and I memorized the ENTIRE script, because I thought it was so incredible. Performing that role, in that play about speaking truth to power changed my life. Bingo, I was hooked! It still took me until my junior year of college to switch majors though-bye bye pre-med. JL: What kind of work do you do to pay the bills? How do you balance this work with your work as a director? KA: I’m very lucky in a way. I get to do what I love full time (overtime). I teach acting and movement for actors at George Washington University, where I’ve been on the adjunct faculty since 1998. This semester I’m teaching a Mask/Movement class in the Opera Program at UMD and next semester I’ll be teaching at Catholic University. I’ve also been adjunct at Georgetown University, Montgomery College, and even Towson. I only teach at two or sometimes three schools at a time. Movement coaching and choreography and fight directing are areas where I get a lot of calls to work-and I love it! And then on the other side (this is where most people talk about their real world jobs with benefits and regular hours) I make pottery and jewelry (another well paying gig-ha!). Although I have no $ benefits, I do have great joy and satisfaction in all my work. And the bills get paid-somehow. JL: In DC, we have the Capital Fringe Festival, the Intersections Festival, the Source Festival, the Kennedy Center's Page-to-Stage Festival, the Black Theater Festival, and the Hip Hop Theatre Festival. We also have the Mead Lab at Flashpoint Theater Lab Program. Have you participated in any of these? If so, can you speak about your experience? KA: I wrote, directed and produced Domestic Snakes at the Fringe a couple of years ago. It’s a solo show about women and their hair (and other things) that I originally performed way back in 1990. My daughter, Lindsay, performed it at the Fringe Festival. The Fringe is such a great opportunity to get work up in front of an audience. And I’m so glad to have had that chance to do that show with Lindsay, especially since she is no longer able to perform since developing ALS this year. I also directed a staged reading of 5 Little Monkeys by Ernie Nolan from the book by Eileen Christelow for Adventure Theatre at the Kennedy Center Page to Stage. We had a great time putting that up last year. It was so good to try out that new script in front of an audience. We got excellent feedback from a really invested audience. Working on a new play is so fun and so scary. Which is the definition of awesome, isn’t it? So far, my only experience with the Source Festival was as a collaborative blind date artist. That was amazing! Tzveta Kassabova, choreographer and printmaker, Kristina Bilonik were fabulous to work with. We created a performance piece (Memoria Brassica) about memory and its loss, and used over 500 cabbages onstage! That program was very supportive and nurturing and a real creative shot in the arm for me. JL: How many plays have you directed in the DC area? How many of them were written by women? By playwrights of color? How conscious are you selecting plays by women or people of color when deciding your season? KA: Just checked my resume-looks like I’ve done around 14+ as a director and over 80 as a movement or fight choreographer! See what happens when you’re around long enough! One of the earliest shows I directed was Free to Be You and Me at the Capital Children’s Museum. Nick Olcott was one of my actors! That was in the 80’s. Only a handful of these shows were by women, Sidra Rausch was one (I directed two of her shows), Wendy Wasserstein’s American Daughter, and I directed a production of Dream of a Common Language by Heather McDonald at George Washington University about 10 years ago. I’ve worked on other shows by women, Timberlake Wertenbaker and Sarah Ruehl, and the fantastically funny Renee Calarco (If You Give a Cat a Cupcake), but yeah, out of that list of 80+ shows, probably not more than 20 or so were by women or people of color. Working with the brilliant Jennifer Nelson at ACTCo. and with Tsunami Theater did give me the opportunity to work on shows by African American and Asian playwrights. Since I don’t get to pick a season, that question doesn’t apply, but I do get very excited about plays that have a certain muscularity or poetic imagery to them, so I look for that first whoever writes them. JL: How do you feel the DC theatre community has addressed the issues of race and gender parity? How has this particular issue impacted you and your ability to work? KA: Many theater companies have been created directly in response to lack of representation of gender and race groups in DC, so we have made a pretty good start. Its harder for women and people of color to get work as directors without being slotted into doing “women’s shows” or “black shows”, but in my case I think it also has a lot to do with me not being very good at self-promotion. I just have to keep working on that! JL: If you could be direct at any theatre in DC, which would it be and why? KA: I’d be thrilled to work at so many of our theaters. Two that come to mind right now are Rorschach and Constellation, because they are open to new plays, quirky plays, and new ways of doing plays. I love working with a very physical approach to plays. I tend to look at plays and especially sets as playgrounds for actors and directors to collaborate on, and both these theaters have a strong reputation for working that way. JL: DC audiences are ... KA: Smart JL: DC actors and designers are ... KA: Generous, talented, smart and I love them! JL: DC playwrights are ... KA: Juicing it up! JL: DC critics are ... KA: Getting better. I really appreciate critics who love theater and want the art form to succeed even when a particular show perhaps has flaws. JL: What advice do you have for an up and coming DC based director or a director who has just moved to D.C.? KA: Work on everything and anything that comes your way. Learn good business skills! JL: What's next for you as a director? Where can we keep up with your work? KA: I’ll be directing Big Love at Montgomery College, Rockville in April and then The Cat in the Hat at Adventure Theater in May, opening in June. We’ve got a local star all set to play the Cat, but I’m not sure if I can say who it is yet! I’m thrilled! You can keep track of me on my website (especially if I update it! Did I say I was a little weak on the business end of things?). www.KarinAbromaitis.com Jacqueline Lawton: What was the first play that you ever directed? What did you learn from that experience that remains with you today?
Lise Bruneau: Apart from my unparalleled triumph as director of my Senior Review at Bishop O'Dowd High School; my (and Taffety Punk's) first full production was Gwydion Suilebhan's Let X at Flashpoint/ CuDC. I smile as I write this - as an actor who does a great deal of Classical work, I'm accustomed to having little understanding or inspiration on the first read of a play I'm unfamiliar with. After several reads, the play yields up to me what it needs from my character, and thus my performance. It seemed too magical to be true that directing would work the same way for me; in fact, every time I walk into directing a play I don't know well with some "idea" about what I'll do with it, a few reads usually enlighten me that my preconceptions have nothing to do with what the play is about! Let X was a wonderful experience of seeing that directing new plays, old plays, current plays --- they will all tell you exactly what they need in order for their stories to be told. JL: Why did you decide to get into theatre? Was there someone or a particular show that inspired you? LB: I had a surge of pragmatism that hit me Sophomore year of High School and I almost got out, but it didn't stick. From my real intro to theatre at 14, it's been clear to me that resistance is futile. Annette Bening's Titania taught me to love the human voice, Richard ET White and Edward Bond taught me to hunger for theatre that was kind of scary, and an involvement in dance and choreography made me love the extreme gesture onstage. And the existence of Angels in America in the world will keep me a sucker for the theatre forever. JL: What kind of work do you do to pay the bills? How do you balance this work with your work as a director? LB: I'm still primarily an actor, and actually the scheduling is very similar. One challenge I have found is performing a show as an actor and simultaneously prepping two or more shows as a director is reeaaaally hard. As an actor, I am used to the luxury of being able to immerse myself in one thing at a time. JL: In DC, we have the Capital Fringe Festival, the Intersections Festival, the Source Festival, the Kennedy Center's Page-to-Stage Festival, the Black Theater Festival, and the Hip Hop Theatre Festival. We also have the Mead Lab at Flashpoint Theater Lab Program. Have you participated in any of these? If so, can you speak about your experience? LB: I love the DC Weird Theatre Junkies! I know more people that hit all of the experimental festivals in DC - it's just wonderful. And I love that these festivals empower theatre artists to pursue absolutely anything they find of interest, without having to worry about marketability and box office return. I myself have Fringed and Flashpointed and Page-to-Staged. I love the openness of the audiences and their willingness to roll the dice and despite having NO IDEA where they're going, to let us take them there. I do wish that theatre folk would take more advantage of this willingness on the audiences' part to really blow their minds. As far as the experience, it's kind of unfair to compare Fringe to the Kennedy Center - I guess I'd say that the facilities and support have differed significantly. JL: How many plays have you directed in the DC area? How many of them were written by women? By playwrights of color? How conscious are you selecting plays by women or people of color when deciding your season? LB: Of my 15 DC productions, (and to be fair, 5 of them - although requiring ridiculously more prep than normal - were Bootleg Shakespeares: rehearsed and performed in one day), 3 of them were written by women. Owl Moon was a World Premiere of a play by Taffety Punk company member Liz Maestri, and the two I directed for Pinky Swear were by Carson Kreitzer. Owl Moon was a script that our company straight up loved, and though we always want to take care of our company members I can say with confidence that there was no nepotism in play at all! The three DC full rehearsal Shakespeares were with our Riot Grrrl wing of Taffety Punk, and were performed with a 100% female cast. As Taffety Punk has a distinct focus on Classical work, we tend to have fewer opportunities to work with writers of color, but casting-wise, we love expanding our options as wide as we can. JL: How do you feel the DC theatre community has addressed the issues of race and gender parity? How has this particular issue impacted you and your ability to work? LB: I honestly feel, and I'm sure I'm insulting every exception to this, that DC companies could be more courageous as far as dealing with complex issues and casting against type, race, or gender. It's actually interesting what kind of kudos and attention a company can get for going outside the box in regards to anything ! Yet I see that the safe choice is often made in this regard. I mentioned the DC Weird Theatre Junkies - there are lots of them! And lots of "Traditional" theatergoers that are totally ready to see something real. And weird. And maybe a little scary. I also have to say, and this slightly supports our "whiney" whiner, that as far as Playwrights go, any brilliant play written by a woman or a minority is a gold mine for a theatre - the issue arises when we aren't sure whether it's a brilliant play. Sadly, that's where the personal tastes of the (sorry Molly!), largely White males in power need to make the call. And even more sadly, I do think that different things appeal to different types according to life experience. I wish I didn't think that, but I do. I'll also recount a funny conversation I had once, and have no idea if it's any more interesting than a story, but I was chatting with a friend about why I wasn't getting more attention as a director - she said, "Do you think it's because you're a woman?" I laughed outright and said "Oh please, how 1970's!!!!" Then I stopped laughing and started wondering. JL: If you could be direct at any theatre in DC, which would it be and why? LB: I will direct the bejesus out of anything for anybody if they give me $10,000. And in spite of my Shoestring Budget reputation, I DO like to spend a lot of money if I'm allowed to! JL: DC audiences are ... LB: Thrillingly open and adventurous! And more receptive to new work than any city I've encountered! I do feel that they are sometimes apt to do what they're told. I think more Blarguments are the answer! JL: DC actors and designers are ... LB: Amazing. Please see "courageous" section in answer to Question 6 - they are soooo capable of going further into awesome weirdland!! And I feel like they aren't often allowed. JL: DC playwrights are .. LB: See above! JL: DC critics are ... LB: OK, sorry, they've always been very good to me, and I hate to look a gift review in the mouth… but I do feel that nationwide, there is a very low bar of knowledge for the theatre critic. There's a feeling that Joe Everydude should have as valid an opinion as Ariane Mnouchkine, and I just don't agree with that - in fact, I feel like audiences are done an incredible disservice with this. There is an "acquired taste" element in art that really cannot be denied. I don't expect my 5 year old to like bleu cheese or Cabernet, but after he's been at the dinner table for 15 years, I would hope we've gotten beyond cheese pizza. Ultimately, theatre should give each participant something thrilling and beautiful, but if I didn't know to look beyond the color in a Picasso, and got freaked out because I didn't understand why he was messing with the shapes, I'd miss the whole point. It's our job to train audiences, too, but I feel that critics desperately need to be clear about one thing primarily, and I know it's hard! You have to know, whether you feel a show is weak or strong, if you blame or credit the author, the director, the performances, or the realization (or production): or what combination of these. If we allow our personal biases to get in the way of any objectivity about these things, it's doom for the theatre and nothing short of it. JL: What advice do you have for an up and coming DC based director or a director who has just moved to D.C.? LB: Make sure you don't whine! But actually, I do believe in being pro-active, and must credit my wonderful partner for giving me this. As we sat on our back porch with me whining up a storm about the injustice of Shakespeare Theatre doing an all male R&J (which ended up being exactly the all male production I'd always hoped for - actually doing the whole show as an Elizabethan audience would have seen it - at last!!), Marcus suggested that we do an all female R&J at the same time and thus hurl the gauntlet. It was absolutely great, and empowering, and fun, and a thrilling production! Now we try to give grrrls a shot at the great roles every year, and it's awesome. So maybe whining isn't always such a bad thing… JL: What's next for you as a director? Where can we keep up with your work? LB: That depends on who read my $10,000 offer above! OK, well Taffety Punk is remounting Oxygen this April, and I'm excited that more folks will get the opportunity to see this fantastic show - Mark Krawczyk and Esther Williamson are electric! And I'm slated to either direct or appear in Titus Androgynous - this year's Riot Grrrl offering. And yes, "Titus Androgynous" is our own joke - it will as usual be a straightforward telling of the play, with 100% more women. And my dear IT guy (Marcus Kyd) keeps me current at lisebruneau.com. Jacqueline Lawton: What was the first play that you ever directed? What did you learn from that experience that remains with you today?
Ali Miller: I directed Inherit the Wind in high school. I didn’t pick the play, but I fell in love with it as we rehearsed. I was probably lucky to have that experience at a young age. It’s reassuring to know that not all of my projects have to begin like love at first sight. If I feel challenged by a project, am genuinely interested in the questions it asks and believe in the story’s social worth, that is enough to create a meaningful investment for me. JL: Why did you decide to get into theatre? Was there someone or a particular show that inspired you? AM: I grew up creating little plays, making my poor sister practice our Newsies medley interminably. I was always drawn to it. My parents have a lot to do with that. I am very lucky: they took me to see theatre as a child and then--when I wanted to make theatre myself--I had their support and encouragement. JL: What kind of work do you do to pay the bills? How do you balance this work with your work as a director? AM: I do have another job that I really care about. I don’t find it very challenging to balance the two careers. For me, it’s easier than juggling four or five things like I did when I was a freelancer. I am grateful to have the space and time to make theatre without the pressure that it must support me financially. I can just work on what I like. JL: In DC, we have the Capital Fringe Festival, the Intersections Festival, the Source Festival, the Kennedy Center's Page-to-Stage Festival, the Black Theater Festival, and the Hip Hop Theatre Festival. We also have the Mead Lab at Flashpoint Theater Lab Program. Have you participated in any of these? If so, can you speak about your experience? AM: I’ve participated in Capital Fringe twice and Page-to-Stage a number of times. Fringe can be a good fit for new producers; the organizers outline a producer’s course of action pretty clearly as I recall and they also lighten the load by securing your venue and administering ticket sales. The festival has a committed audience that seems to talk to each other a lot, but producers need to be savvy marketers to really sell tickets. I am currently the managing director of American Ensemble Theater and the show we took to Fringe in 2010 did very, very well. It was an excellent production, but Martin Blank, our artistic director, is also a tireless marketer. Another good take-away for me: the festival organizers are part of your audience; you are marketing your show to them, too. I imagine that having your show selected for the Fringe Preview or for Fall Fringe would make a significant difference to your bottom line. JL: How many plays have you directed in the DC area? How many of them were written by women? By playwrights of color? How conscious are you selecting plays by women or people of color when deciding your season? AM: I have directed fourteen plays in the DC area; women wrote ten of those and I include my own devised work in that number. It’s harder to answer the last two questions because I am more often picking ensemble members/actors/collaborators than selecting finished scripts. I pick collaborators with a variety of experiences and I am intentional about gender and race. That intentionality has to do with my values and it also happens to work out better that way: having a variety of experiences in the room enriches the final product. JL: How do you feel the DC theatre community has addressed the issues of race and gender parity? How has this particular issue impacted you and your ability to work? AM: Well, I don’t see everything, but there are companies that seem to consider race and gender parity. I think we are doing better on gender than we are on race. I often read a script or see a show and have some questions about race and culture. Why is this character Latino and this character Caucasian? This play is set in Sri Lanka; why do all of the actors seem to be white? Would I have the same reaction to an ancient Greek play in which the actors weren’t Greek? It can be hard to ask those questions as part of the process, but we are all growing and learning I think. As for gender, I have had the experience of older male colleagues saying inappropriate things to me. Perhaps those instances would have been more rare if we’d achieved gender parity. I know I deserved to be in the rehearsal room because of my work—I didn’t wonder too much about that—but I did have to navigate these professional relationships cautiously when I would have liked to focus my energy exclusively on the work. JL: If you could direct at any theatre in DC, which would it be and why? AM: I really appreciate the many theatres in town that make their tickets affordable and that engage the local community in some way. Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company and Arena Stage have some good programs in those regards. I would have loved to be part of Arena’s Living Stage program. If Cornerstone in L.A. were local, I’d be asking them for a job. JL: DC audiences are… AM: still mysterious to me, but seem smart. I can’t remember the last time I saw something that was both well attended and awful. I do think the audience is a mirror of the collaborators. If you have a multi-generational, racially diverse cast and crew, you are more likely to have an audience diverse in those respects. I think folks show up more than you might expect when their story is a part of what’s onstage. JL: DC actors and designers are… AM: as talented as they come. I’ve only ever worked with local actors and designers and have been blown away by the artistry we have in town. I don’t think too many people would dispute that you can see a top-notch show in DC, but I think there’s still a sense that serious artists move to New York. I’ve heard about local actors getting a Manhattan mailing address for their headshots because they want to be more attractive to the large theatres in town—I suppose many principal equity roles are cast out of New York. But it’s also true that DC audiences embrace their homegrown stars in a really special way. How many times have I seen a show just because Nancy Robinette or Sarah Marshall was in it? If theatres and audiences are committed to local talent, the next generation of talent is more likely to stay local. JL: DC playwrights are… AM: again, SO talented. I hope we are giving them a good home here so they will want to stay, too. A couple years ago, one of my favorite local playwrights moved to New York City, that playwright-stealer! At least we have some theatres that specifically focus on developing new work, which I believe is rare. JL: DC critics are… AM: not reading this I hope. Just kidding. A lot of reviewers seem like genuine theatre lovers to me. That’s great. I am glad DC Theatre Scene is around; they see so much. Also, DC critics are…now on Twitter?! In the old days, you could get the odd heated back-and-forth in the newspaper between a critic and a disgruntled artist, but now there is this access, which is also quite instantaneous. My sense is that will create a significant shift in the artist-reviewer relationship. It will be interesting to see how it plays out. JL: What advice do you have for an up and coming DC based director or a director who has just moved to D.C.? AM: I am still working on these things myself, but my advice: see as much as you can and don’t be afraid to get in touch with folks whose work you like. When I was just starting, I got offered a few assistant director gigs because of conversations I had with directors whose work I had seen. If a director likes your work, he or she will probably ask you to AD on other projects, too, but don’t get stuck being an assistant director for too long. I don’t personally know anyone who made the jump from ADing to directing a fully-produced show at a given theatre. Self-producing a project can ease that transition. If you are an actor, too, don’t be afraid to let that help you—my first jobs were for theatres I’d once acted for. Get to know and work with some of the smaller, excellent theatres in this town. Invite the people you want to work for to your show. JL: What's next for you as a director? Where can we keep up with your work? AM: It’s in the incubator stage, but I am planning to create a puppetry musical from Teething Veils’ gorgeous new album. In the meantime, you can check americanensemble.com to see what AET is doing. Big picture, I want to make high quality, deeply community-engaged, devised work something the professional theatres of DC want to bring to their subscription seasons. Jacqueline Lawton: What was the first play that you ever directed? What did you learn from that experience that remains with you today?
Catherine Tripp: The first play that I really directed (as in a full length play) was The Passion, which I wrote. My theatre company was looking to do a version of the passion and my artistic partner was not comfortable directing a play about Jesus. I was, but I couldn’t find a script I liked. So I wrote one. I was studying theology at St Andrews University at the time, so it wasn’t an insane idea. What I learned from the experience is that a play is a growing thing. And the team that brings it together is really key. JL: Why did you decide to get into theatre? Was there someone or a particular show that inspired you? CT: I was an actor first. I was in the school play (Babes in Toyland- Mother Hubbard) in second grade. After that I was hooked. I went to New Orleans Center For the Creative Arts in high school and went on to study acting at the University of Southern California. After I left acting, I realized I didn’t want to leave theatre. I worked in a number of crew and producing roles- but once I directed I realized that was my true love. Though I still enjoy producing as well. JL: What kind of work do you do to pay the bills? How do you balance this work with your work as a director? CT: I am a film producer for a company that makes interactive training films. Before that I was in arts administration. I have always worked in the arts-which I think helps my directing process. I have a real appreciation for the business side and can appreciate the leadership skills that are required on that side of the table. As far as balance, it is about making time for the projects that are important to me. And knowing what projects would be too much for my schedule. JL: In DC, we have the Capital Fringe Festival, the Intersections Festival, the Source Festival, the Kennedy Center's Page-to-Stage Festival, the Black Theater Festival, and the Hip Hop Theatre Festival. We also have the Mead Lab at Flashpoint Theater Lab Program. Have you participated in any of these? If so, can you speak about your experience? CT: I have directed for the Source Theatre Festival, the Kennedy Center's Page-to-Stage Festival and the Capital Fringe Festival. They are all wonderful venues to work in. I think that they are all great opportunities for work. I am a huge fan of new work- which these festivals celebrate. I like to work for them and I enjoy attending them as well. It gives you a sense of trends in playwrighting. JL: How many plays have you directed in the DC area? How many of them were written by women? By playwrights of color? How conscious are you selecting plays by women or people of color when deciding your season? CT: I have directed 5 full-length plays in DC. And they have all been by women or people of color, which I just realized. I don’t really think about it in terms of my career- though I would imagine being a woman makes me more likely to be offered plays written by women. I would love to direct some white guy work too. For the record, I was ready to go on a rant about freeing the voice of women and people of color- but since that is, apparently my specialty, I guess it would be a little silly for me to go on about. JL: How do you feel the DC theatre community has addressed the issues of race and gender parity? How has this particular issue impacted you and your ability to work? CT: I think that we are trying. I think that the artistic leadership of theatres is more likely to pick plays that speak to their truth. So if a white guy is in charge he is more likely to pick a white guy play. I do think that smaller companies are trying to make sure those varied voices are out there too. JL: If you could be direct at any theatre in DC, which would it be and why? CT: I would love to have an opportunity to work at one of the larger houses. Because being able to work with a team that can make its living focusing on the art would be a dream come true. Unfortunately those theatres don’t hire very many local female directors. As for which one? I think that is pretty obvious based on my love of new works. JL: DC audiences are ... CT: ridiculously smart and open to new work. JL: DC actors and designers are ... CT: just as talented as New Yorkers. JL: DC playwrights are... CT: deserving of praise and I would love to see more of their works produced. JL: DC critics are ... CT: unfortunately not paid attention to useless they are Peter Marks. Who is not a bad critic- he clearly loves theatre and wants the community to grow and succeed. It is just a shame that his voice is so much louder than anyone else. JL: What advice do you have for an up and coming DC based director or a director who has just moved to D.C.? CT: Ten minutes plays and readings are the way to go. And if you want consistent work- start a theatre company. (I do not mean that in a bitter way, the pool of directors is so large and the producing companies that hire local directors is so small, you have to create your opportunities.) JL: What's next for you as a director? Where can we keep up with your work? CT: Next I am producing films at my day job and am working on exciting project for Rorschach Theatre’s next spring gala. Welcome to the Women Directors of DC Series! Over the next week, you'll be introduced to a wide range of women directors. Among these women are directors at the beginning their artistic journeys, bravely exploring their vision; mid-career directors making a name for themselves in the D.C. area and beyond; and seasoned directors who've achieved critical acclaim and great success. Their ability to bring characters to life on stage, to evoke powerful lasting images and to execute the fine work of new, emerging and established playwrights is what distinguishes them. And each of these women is helping to shape the landscape of American Theatre with their artistic vision, mastery and dedication to theatre. As with the Women Playwrights of DC Series, it is my hope that these interviews will serve others who are making their way as directors in the Nation's Capital, and perhaps beyond. And as all of you artistic directors begin to line up directors for next season, please keep these sharp, talented, courageous, and passionate women directors on your radars! KARIN AMBROMAITIS Karin Abromaitis is a director; performer; movement, fight and dance choreographer; teacher; potter and metalworker. She is currently on the faculty of George Washington University and University of Maryland, and often teaches for Georgetown University, Montgomery College, and the Theatre Lab. From 1999-2007, she traveled around the country leading professional development workshops for the Kennedy Center. Karin has directed and done movement consulting, coaching and fight and dance choreography for many area theaters, including Round House Theatre, Theatre J, Everyman Theater, Constellation Theatre, ACTCo, YPT, Tsunami, Woolly Mammoth, Adventure Theater and Imagination Stage. Movement and choreography credits include Around the World in 80 Days at Round House Theater, Shipwrecked at Everyman Theater, If You Give a Pig a Pancake (Helen Hayes Award), If You Give a Cat a Cupcake, Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse (Helen Hayes nomination), and Twas the Night Before Christmas, at Adventure Theatre. She directed 5 Little Monkeys last season and will be directing The Cat in the Hat this June at Adventure Theater. She is a member of SDC and ATME. LISE BRUNEAU Lise has been a professional actor and director for 25 years, having arrived in DC via St. Louis, the Bay Area, London, and NYC. A founding member of the Taffety Punks, Lise has helmed their All Girl productions of Julius Caesar, Measure for Measure and Romeo and Juliet; Bootleg Shakespeares (full productions rehearsed and performed in one day)Two Noble Kinsmen, Troilus and Cressida, Cymbeline and Henry the VIII; and World Premieres of Owl Moon, Let X, and The Devil in his Own Words. For Pinky Swear she directed Freakshow and Be Here Now, and for the Arena Stage Albee Festival, a more-staged-than-not reading of Tiny Alice. As an actor, previous area appearances include Legacy of Light at Arena Stage; An Ideal Husband, Ion, Othello and The Winter's Tale at the Shakespeare Theatre; My Name Is Asher Lev, The Book Club Play and Alice at Round House; and at CenterStage The Murder of Isaac, Blithe Spirit, Mrs. Warren's Profession, and Mary Stuart. She has performed in regional theatres across the country, such as Cleveland Playhouse, the Old Globe, ACT, Seattle Rep, the Wilma, Triad Stage, Berkeley Rep, and A Traveling Jewish Theatre; and for the St. Louis, Alabama, Chicago, Santa Cruz, and Oregon Shakespeare Festivals. Lise trained at RADA, and is proud to be a Taffety Punk. KASI CAMPBELL Kasi Campbell has directed readings and/or productions for the Kennedy Center, Rep Stage, Theatre J, Theatre Alliance, WSC Avant Bard, Washington Stage Guild, Source Theatre, Spooky Action Theatre, the former National Puppetry Center, Groton Center for the Arts, University of Connecticut, Catholic University and Indiana University of Pa. Her local productions have garnered 31 Helen Hayes nominations (including four for Outstanding Director, two for Outstanding Production and two for Outstanding Ensemble) and 7 Helen Hayes Awards (received Outstanding Director Award in 2004). Of the 34 productions she has mounted locally, some favorites include The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?, Yellowman, Arcadia, Travels with My Aunt, The Dazzle, God’s Ear, In the Heart of America, Bach at Leipzig, Hamlet, The Seagull, The Violet Hour, Faith Healer, The Mystery of Irma Vep, The Lonesome West, The Judas Kiss, The Swan, Translations, Kimberly Akimbo, Neville’s Island, Da, Jeffrey and The Road to Mecca. She is an Associate Professor of Theatre at Howard Community College and served as the Associate Artistic Director of Rep Stage during its first 14 years. In the past, she has designed masks/props for the Washington Ballet, designed and performed puppetry for 3 years on an NBC children’s series, served as a theatre panelist for the Maryland State Arts Council and worked as a grants administrator for the NEA. She holds a masters degree in theatre from University of Connecticut and a bachelor’s degree in music from Indiana University of Pa. RENANA FOX Renana Fox is a director, performer, and teaching artist hailing from Chicago. Most recently she directed BOOM! for Artists Initiative at Olney Theatre Lab. She has directed staged readings for Spooky Action, Imagination Stage, and Inkwell. She has also assistant directed for Infinity Theatre, Lean & Hungry Theater, Imagination Stage, Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theater, and New York Stage and Film. She graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with majors in Theater Arts and Psychology and has interned at the Goodman Theater, Powerhouse Theater, and Imagination Stage. LEE MIKESKA GARDNER Lee Mikeska Gardner is an award winning actor and director who has made D.C. her home base. Her directing career spans from classical to contemporary works, musicals and plays in development. As an Artistic Associate for Woolly Mammoth for 10 years, Lee directed 9 productions and earned a Helen Hayes nomination for Life During Wartime, Goodnight Desdemona, Good Morning Juliet, and After Ashley. With the Washington Stage Guild Lee won a Washington Theatre Lobby Award for her direction of T.S. Eliot’s The Cocktail Party. As an actor Lee has 4 Helen Hayes nominations and won the award for Mary in Charter Theatre’s A House in the Country. Lee was in theatre management for 10 years before she rebooted her artistic passion by earning her M.F.A./Acting from Catholic University in 2011. She is, again, freelancing hither and yon. ELISSA GOETSCHIUS Elissa Goetschius is a multidisciplinary artist with a strong focus on theatre and performance-based interactive installations. In theatre, she recently directed A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM at Glass Mind Theatre as well as A BRIEF NARRATIVE OF AN EXTRAORDINARY BIRTH OF RABBITS by C. Denby Swanson and NIGHT SWEATS with the EMP Collective, an interdisciplinary company in Baltimore. In DC, she and developed and directed REFLECTIONS, a tour of short plays written by patients at St. Elizabeths Hospital, with Andrew Wassenich, produced by Wandering Souls and co-directed AMAZONS AND THEIR MEN with Michael Dove at Forum Theatre. Her ongoing collaboration with playwright Liz Maestri includes development of the plays SOMERSAULTING, TINDERBOX, and FALLBEIL. Recent non-theatre projects include collaborating on the inaugural issue of 24 Magazine and “Layered Portraits,” a mixed-media installation piece for the 24 Hour City Project first presented at the Intelligent Cities Conference and again as part of Digital Capital Week. Formerly the Literary Manager at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, Elissa developed many world premieres and second productions including Dead Man's Cell Phone by Sarah Ruhl, boom by Peter Nachtrieb, and Fever/Dream by Sheila Callaghan. She has worked as a dramaturg at Portland Center Stage, Marin Theatre Company, Florida Stage, Rorschach Theatre, Forum Theatre, and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. She has also worked for Manhattan Theatre Club, the Royal Shakespeare Company, the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, studied at the British American Drama Academy, and holds a degree in English from Columbia University. TY HALLMARK Ty is a South Louisiana transplant who has been active in the DC area theatre community for nearly 10 years. She is a resident actor at Chesapeake Shakespeare Company (CSC) where her prior roles include Lady Fidget in The Country Wife, Roxane in Cyrano de Bergerac, and Imogen in Cymbeline. This past summer, she had the great pleasure of Assistant Directing Pride &Prejudice with Isabelle Anderson. Ty recently joined the staff of Pallas Theatre Collective where she serves as Casting Director and will direct The Tragical Mirth of Marriage & Love : Short Scenes by Anton Chekhov in July 2013. In addition to CSC and Pallas, Ty has had the privilege of working with artists at The Studio Theatre, Venus Theatre, Washington Shakespeare Company, American Century Theater, Molotov Theatre Group, Eleventh Hour Productions, Red Eye Gravy Theatre Company, Grain of Sand Theatre Company and The Capital Fringe Festival. Ty has a bachelor's degree in Theare from Rhodes College in Memphis, TN and has trained at The Globe Theatre and The Studio Theatre Acting Conservatory. Prior to moving to DC, Ty spent two years in the Education Department at the Hippodrome State Theatre in Gainesville, FL helping run their spring and summer camps for elementary students and team teaching the Hippodrome Improvisational Teen Theatre (H.I.T.T.) program. Ty is also a guide for Washington Walks and leads tours of Lafayette Square Park and Dupont Circle. She lives with her husband in Silver Spring. ELEANOR HOLDRIDGE Director, Eleanor Holdridge has Off-Broadway productions that include Steve & Idi, (Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre), Cycling Past The Matterhorn (Clurman Theatre), The Imaginary Invalid, and Mary Stuart (Pearl Theatre Company). Regional credits include Gee’s Bend (Arden Theatre); Hamlet, Midsummer Night's Dream, As You Like It, Lettice And Lovage, The Tempest, Twelfth Night, Taming Of The Shrew (Shakespeare & Company). The Crucible (Perseverance Theatre), Educating Rita, Noises Off and Art (Triad Stage), Julius Caesar and Macbeth (Milwaukee Shakespeare), Two Gentlemen Of Verona (Alabama Shakespeare), Midsummer Night's Dream (Shakespeare St. Louis), Henry V (Shakespeare on the Sound), Betrayal (Portland Stage), and Lion In Winter (Northern Stage). Her DC area productions include Double Indemnity (Roundhouse Theatre),The Gaming Table (Folger) Pygmalion (Everyman Theatre); Something You Did and Body Awareness (Theatre J); and Much Ado About Nothing (Taffety Punk). Eleanor has been as Artistic Director for the Red Heel Theatre Company, Resident Assistant Director at the Shakespeare Theatre and Resident Director at New Dramatists. She has worked at the Yale School of Drama, NYU and the Juilliard School and currently heads the Directing Department at Catholic University. She holds an MFA from Yale School of Drama. Eleanor’s upcoming projects this season are Zorro at Constellation Theatre, and God of Carnage at Everyman Theatre. AMBER JACKSON Amber Jackson works as a director, actor, writer, and producer of both theatre and film. She grew up in North Carolina, where she attended Gardner-Webb University and received her BA in Theatre Arts and Religious Studies. After paying her dues in small theatres in both North Carolina and Ontario, Canada, Amber pursued her graduate studies at Baylor University, where she received an MFA in Directing. While living in Texas, she co-founded the Dallas-based Rite of Passage Theatre company, which is now in its fourth season. She has been a panelist and presenter at the Mid-America Theatre Conference (MATC) on two occasions, and published articles and interviews in Texas Theatre Journal and Ecumenica Theatre Journal. Since moving to the DC area, she has been proud to work with Constellation Theatre, Rorschach Theatre, Inkwell Theatre, Source Festival, Faction of Fools, and Active Cultures. She is a company member at Constellation, and the newest member of the team of producers at Inkwell. She works full-time at WILL Interactive, where she has written and directed over a dozen interactive films for clients such as the US Army, the Department of Health and Human Services, and Fannie Mae. She also produces and directs two live, interactive shows in Fort Hood, Texas, which target Domestic Violence and Suicide Prevention to tens of thousands of soldiers each year. www.amber-jackson.com JESS JUNG Jess Jung is a director and teaching artist, as well as serves as Associate Producer of CulturalDC’s Source Festival. Directing credits include the Hangar Theatre, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Young Playwrights’ Theatre, Imagination Stage, Adventure Theatre, the Inkwell, Rorschach Theatre, Walden Theatre, and The Theatre School. Dramaturgy credits include Actors Theatre of Louisville, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, and Young Playwrights’ Theatre. Jess is a YPT company member and proud recipient of the Drama League Directors Project fellowship. She earned her MFA in Directing from The Theatre School at DePaul University and has also studied with the Gaiety School of Acting in Dublin. Check out her website, jessjungdirecting.com. JESSICA LEFKOW D.C. native Jessica Lefkow is a performer and director collaborating extensively on new works. Notably, she directed the World Premiere of the Helen Hayes Award-winning Honey Brown Eyes by Stefanie Zadravec for Theater J, (Best New Play 2009). Other Washington-area directing credits; Hercules In Russia, TETHER, (Doorway Arts Ensemble); Frida Vice Versa, Margarita, Tales of Doomed Love, Not Your Granny’s Revolution, Letters to Clio, Part Two, (Capital Fringe Festivals); Red Herring, Mousetrap (1st Stage), The F Word, (Workshop Production with The Inkwell); Dear Sara Jane, (The Hub Theater); House of Blue Leaves, (Montgomery College, Rockville); BENCHED (independently produced with Allyson Currin, Beth Hylton & Liz Mamana). Jessica’s directing work has also appeared in the New York Fringe, All for One, and Source Ten-Minute Play Festivals. Readings and workshops include projects with Theater J, Washington Shakespeare Company, Theatre of the First Amendment, Spooky Action Theatre Company, WWIT. She is a co-conspiritor with dog&ponydc, appearing in their productions of Courage and Beertown, and serving as a creative conspirator on Separated At Birth. Jessica has also taught, performed and directed in Hong Kong, Beijing, Hanoi, Nicosia, and New Delhi. Jessica holds a BFA Acting degree from The Catholic University of America. She is a Teaching Artist with Young Playwright’s Theater and the Shakespeare Theatre Company, and is a proud member of SAG-AFTRA. www.jessicalefkow.com HEATHER MCDONALD Heather McDonald is a director and playwright. Her plays include An Almost Holy Picture, When Grace Comes In, Dream of a Common Language, Available Light, The Rivers and Ravines, Faulkner’s Bicycle, The Two Marys, Rain and Darkness and, upcoming, The Suppressed-Desire Ball (developed at Sundance Ucross Writers Retreat). Her work has been produced on Broadway and Off and at such theatres as The Roundabout Theatre, Arena Stage, The McCarter Theatre, Center Stage, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Indiana Rep, California Shakespeare Theatre, Round House Theatre, Signature Theatre, Yale Repertory Theatre, The Actors Theatre of Louisville – Humana Festival of New Plays, The La Jolla Playhouse and internationally in Italy, Spain, Portugal, England and Mexico. Her most recent work, STAY, is the result of a two-year collaboration with choreographer Susan Shields. Ms. McDonald wrote the libretto for the opera, “The End of the Affair,” adapted from the novel by Graham Greene. She and composer Jake Heggie (“Dead Man Walking”) were commissioned by Houston Grand Opera and the opera premiered at HGO and went on to have several more productions. She has also directed many productions, most recently Stephen Adly Guirgis’ “The Last Days of Judas Iscariot,” a steampunk version of “The Elephant Man,” “The Cripple of Inishmaan” by Martin McDonogh and the world premiere of “Two-Bit Taj Mahal” by Paul D’Andrea. The production she directed of “Dream of a Common Language” was nominated for eight Helen Hayes Awards (including Best Direction) and won four Helen Hayes Awards including Outstanding Resident Production. Her work has been honored with a nomination for the Pulitzer Prize, three NEA Playwriting Fellowships, The First Prize Kesselring Award and was a finalist for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize. She has written and sold two screenplays “Rocket 88” and “Walking After Midnight” and is at work on a new project for television, “GOLD.” She received her MFA from NYU Tisch School of the Arts and is Professor of Theater at George Mason University. ALI MILLER Ali Miller is a director with a specialty in devised theatre. She has helmed these collaboratively written projects for Arena Stage’s Community Engagement programs, Imagination Stage’s Speak-Out on Stage Ensemble, Firebelly Productions and the South Asian Performing Arts Network and Institute. Last year, she co-directed the devised musical The Eleventh Face: Ravana’s Untold Story while resident director at SAPAN. She also co-directed and co-produced the yearlong devised project How to Be a Human, which culminated in a critically acclaimed run at the 2010 Capital Fringe Festival. Other directing credits include multiple projects for Active Cultures Theatre, Dust for Imagination Stage, Proof for Firebelly Productions and Toujours Paris at the inaugural Capital Fringe Festival. She trained with The Atlantic Theater Company in Manhattan and holds a theatre degree from The College of William and Mary. Ali is the managing director of American Ensemble Theater where she also works as an artist. JENNIFER L. NELSON Jennifer L Nelson is currently Director of Special Programming at Ford’s Theatre. Prior to this appointment she was the founding Producing Artistic Director of the African Continuum Theatre Company, Washington D.C.’s only professional black theatre company. During that eleven year tenure, she produced twenty plays, multiple readings and other events. Ms. Nelson is a commended playwright and published poet. Her musical play Torn from the Headlines was awarded the 1996 Helen Hayes/Charles MacArthur Award for Most Outstanding New Play. Her three-minute telephone play Somebody Call 911 was commissioned by and featured at the 2001 Humana Festival at the Actors’ Theatre of Louisville. Her latest full-length play 24, 7, 365 was produced by Theatre of the First Amendment. Her full-length musical Hubert & Charlie was honored by the 2003 Larry Neal Writers’ Awards and was subsequently produced by the African Continuum Theatre. She has received several commissions to write issue-oriented plays for young audiences, most recently by Ford’s Theatre to bring to life historical character Elizabeth Keckly (2011 Washington Post Helen Hayes Theatre Award). She has also been commissioned to write short plays for the Theatre Lab; Active Cultures as part of their Sportaculture Festival; the Cultures-in-Motion Program of the National Portrait Gallery; the Education Department of the Corcoran Gallery; the Kennedy Center Program for Families; and Round House Theatre’s HeyDay Players. She is a three-time grantee of the DC Commission on the Arts Individual Artist program, and a recipient of the Mayor’s Arts Awards for Excellence in an Artistic Discipline. As a director, her recent productions include Raisin in the Sun at Everyman Theatre in Baltimore; Necessary Sacrifices at Ford’s Theatre; The Whipping Man at Theatre J. Upcoming productions include: 9 Circles for Forum Theatre and Top Dog/Underdog for Everyman Theatre. JUANITA ROCKWELL Juanita Rockwel is a writer and director specializing in the development of new work and new forms at such venues as The Ontological, Mabou Mines/Suite, Culture Project, Blue Heron, Bushwick Starr (NYC); Theatre of the First Amendment, Banished? Productions, Source, Capital Fringe, DCAC, Everyman, Theatre Project, Iron Crow, Single Carrot (DC/Balto); Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford Arts Center, Jorgenson Theatre, Church Barn Farm (CT); City Theatre (P’burgh); Gas & Electric Arts (Phila); Teatro Municipal (São Paolo, BR); Teatro Abya Yala (San José, CR); RS9 (Budapest); and on National Public Radio. Produced writing includes Between Trains, What’s a Little Death (plays w/songs); The World is Round, Waterwalk (operas); Cave in the Sky (puppets/multimedia); The Circle (audioplay); Lunar Pantoum (dance-theatre); Across the Void, Packing/Pecking, Language Monkey, Quantum Soup, A Table in Hell (short plays); Immortal: The Gilgamesh Variations (multi-playwright adaptation) and Playing Dead (translation w/Yury Urnov from Bros. Presnyakov). As Artistic Director of Hartford’s Company One Theater for six years, Juanita directed dozens of early premieres for stage and radio by Paula Vogel, Suzan-Lori Parks, Rachel Sheinkin, Erik Ehn and Donna diNovelli, as well as her own work. She is a Fulbright Scholar and was recently invited to serve a second term as Fulbright Ambassador. Her artist residencies include Ko Festival of Performance, O’Neill Center’s National Theatre Institute, and the Visual Playwriting Conference (Gallaudet University). She has recceived NEA awards with Gas & Electric Arts and Company One Theater, as well as grants and awards from a variety of states, cities and private foundations including a MD State Arts Council Individual Artist Award in Playwriting. Juanita is a proud member of both the Society of Directors and Choreographers and the Dramatists Guild. TONI RAE SALMI Toni Rae has been acting in the DC area since 1999. Prior to that, she was a two-year company member with the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company. She is currently Resident Director for Pinky Swear Productions, where she has directed Cabaret XXX: Love the One You're With, Carol's Christmas, and Cabaret XXX: Les Femmes Fatales (Pick of the Fringe: Best Musical). Previous acting credits include Blood Wedding (Mother-In-Law), Constellation Theatre Company; Romeo & Juliet (Nurse), Measure for Measure (Lucio), and Julius Caesar (Calphurnia), Taffety Punk Theatre Company; Mulan (Mushu) and Junie B. Jones and A Little Monkey Business (Lucille/Mom--Helen Hayes Nomination), Imagination Stage; Homokay's Medea (Medea), Venus Theatre, The Spitfire Grill (Percy), Theater Alliance; Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (Mrs. Bucket), The Kennedy Center Theatre for Young Audiences; One Good Marriage (Steph), MetroStage; Man of LaMancha (Aldonza), Keegan Theatre, and The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window (Iris), The American Century Theater. Toni holds a Master of Arts degree in Theatre from Miami University and is still trying to find time to create her one-woman cabaret. SHIRLEY SEROTSKY Shirley Serotsky is the Director of Literary and Public Programs at Theater J, where she directed the 2011 production of The History of Invulnerability; The Moscows of Nantucket; Mikveh (which received two Helen Hayes Nominations for Best Actress); and The Rise and Fall of Annie Hall (which received a 2009 Helen Hayes Nomination for Best New Play). She works as a freelance director in the DC area and beyond, and is particularly interested in the development of new work. Recent directing credits include: a 21/24 Signature Lab Workshop presentation of The Break (Signature Theatre); Working: The Musical (Keegan Theatre); Blood Wedding (Constellation Theatre); Birds of a Feather (which won the 2012 Charles MacArthur Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding New Play—at The Hub Theatre); Juno and the Paycock (Washington Shakespeare Company); a staged reading of Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo for the National New Play Network at Arena Stage; This is Not a Timebomb (The Source Festival); Reals, Five Flights and Two Rooms (Theater Alliance); Crumble (Lay Me Down Justin Timberlake) and We Are Not These Hands (Catalyst Theater); References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot (Rorschach Theater, for which she received a 2007 Helen Hayes nomination for outstanding direction); Sovereignty (The Humana Festival of New Plays); Cautionary Tales for Adults and the Many Adventures of Trixie Tickles (2007 CapFringe); LUNCH (2007 New York Musical Theater Festival & 2006 CapFringe), Titus! The Musical. (2009 Capfringe and Source Theatre). Training: BFA, North Carolina School of the Arts. Shirley was a member of the 2002 Designer/Director Workshop with Ming Cho Lee; the 2003 Lincoln Center Director's Lab; and was a 2001/2001William R. Kenan, Jr. Fellows at the Kennedy Center. LYNN SHARP SPEARS Lynn Sharp Spears is a director, performer, designer and teacher. Lynn has created with Arena Stage, The Atlas Theatre, The Kennedy Center, The National Theatre, The Olney Theatre, Source Theatre, The Studio Theatre, Tobys, WSC Avant Bard, Networks and Troika National Touring Companies, The Learning Channel, The History Channel, Discovery, National Geographic and more. Lynn’s artwork is in private collections in the United States, Canada and Australia. She painted and sculpted the Pollinarium for The National Zoo, was Production Designer for the World Premiere, “Song of Eddie”, which was considered by the 2004 Pulitzer Committee, and has masks on permanent exhibit in the library at Penn State University. Lynn was Artistic Director of Adventure Theater 2002-2003 and serves on the Board of Directors for The International Center for Sustainable Development. She is also the founder and director of Summer Theater Experience an organization that focuses on helping young people age 12-17 find their creative “Voice”, which is based at Artisphere in Rosslyn, VA. CATHERINE TRIPP Catherine Tripp holds degrees from the University of Southern California and the University of St. Andrews (Scotland). In Scotland, she was the co-founder of the award winning company Third From the Left. Since returning to Washington, DC, she has worked with a number of companies around DC, including Venus Theatre, Hope Operas, Active Cultures and The Hub Theatre. She is a proud company member of Rorschach Theatre, where she directed Brainpeople by Jose Rivera in their 2009 season. In the summer of 2011, she directed The Making of A Modern Folk Hero by Martin Zimmerman for The CUDC’s Source Festival. Most recently, she directed the world premiere of Fengar Gale’s The Gallerist. In her day job, she produces interactive training videos. “What other creature in the world besides the Black woman has had to build the knowledge of so much hatred into her survival and keep going?” ~~Audre Lorde Recently, I was reminded of this quote by writer and activist Audra Lorde, when my friend, director Eleanor Holdridge, shared an email she had received in response to the Washington Post article, Working Toward Theater Equity, about her production of Body Awareness at Theater J: "Another whining woman. The probable reason male playwrights and directors are preferred is that they are, frankly, better at the craft than women. Women playwrights' themes are usually rants against their mothers, men, and otherwise drowning in female self-infatuation, like the lesbianism in "Body Awareness". Just not interesting or imaginative. Maybe better as directors, but not often. It's usually high school writ large. That's why the general public -- the market for theater -- votes with its dollars, and in that women lose. Tough titties." When I first read this, I was concerned for Eleanor and wanted to make sure she was alright. She was, thank goodness. However, she was appalled by the somewhat extreme efforts this man went through to make his thoughts known to her. You see, initially, he sent this email to an arts critic at the Washington Post. However, when his words did not appear in print as he had hoped, he searched for Eleanor’s email address and sent them directly to her. After confirming that Eleanor was okay, I was struck by three things:
As a woman of color, I can’t begin to imagine what it is to live in world of privilege, and specifically, of white male privilege. I’ve had it imagined for me in books, films, plays, poems, songs, commercials, advertisements, etc. But I will never know or experience this space. No amount of education, wealth or status will afford me this. I used to suffer over this quite terribly, but I don’t anymore. By that I mean, I no longer allow being passed over for opportunities because of race and gender prevent me from being productive and useful. And I hope you don’t either. After a few days of mulling over what I might do, I spoke more with Eleanor Holdridge and also with Lee Mikeska Gardner. They each expressed a desire to learn more about the lives, careers, and artistic visions of other directors. We decided it would be a good idea to use this moment as an opportunity to celebrate, champion and herald the work of Women Directors in the D.C. Theatre community. Other women in the community agreed. What's more, a request was made for a Women Artistic Directors Series, so that will be coming in December. Tomorrow, I will introduce you to the feature Women Directors of D.C. and over the next week, I’ll share their experiences with you. I hope you're as inspired by their lives, hard work, passion, determination and commitment to this profession as I am. |
My BlogI'm a playwright, dramaturg, and teaching artist. It is here where you'll find my queries and musings on life, theater and the world. My posts advocate for diversity, inclusion, and equity in the American Theatre and updates on my own work. Please enjoy!
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