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.
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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?
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?
Jennifer Nelson: The first thing I directed that was not part of Living Stage Theatre was a devised piece based using my and my sister’s poetry. Called “Mama, I Remember,” (the name of one of my sister’s books) it was an interesting amalgam of words and music. I think it was pretty good but I was so self conscious and nervous about putting my own work in public, that my anxiety kind of kept me from enjoying it fully. Over the years, I have developed a thicker skin but I am still my own worst critic. JL: Why did you decide to get into theatre? Was there someone or a particular show that inspired you? JN: After he got out of the Air force, my father was involved in theatre. That was when I was an adolescent in Sacramento, California. The first plays I can remember seeing were productions he was in. He was teaching school daytimes and running to one rehearsal or another in the evenings. I was astounded at how funny he could be in one play such as Cyrano then heartbreaking in another like Othello. His dream was to get into the professional theatre. JL: What kind of work do you do to pay the bills? How do you balance this work with your work as a director? JN: For almost 4 years I have been on staff at Ford’s Theatre. It’s proven to be a pretty good match as I can indulge in my interest in history as well as be part of the artistic staff. I have directed three productions here and I am able to continue my freelance directing life. 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? JN: I’ve been part of a bunch of festivals. When still with African Continuum, I actually produced the first hip hop theatre festival in DC. It was at the Kennedy Center in the old AFI Theatre (which is now the Youth and Family Theatre). I directed one of the two full productions: The Hip Hop Nightmares of Jujube Brown (which had had a very successful run in the Old Vat Room at Arena) featuring Psalmayene 24 and Toni Blackman. We later took that show to the New York Hip Hop Theatre Festival and the National Black Theatre Festival in Winston-Salem. In retrospect I think we were ahead of our time in putting hip hop on stage as legit theatre. 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? JN: I have directed approximately 45 productions: 23 by women (including a couple of things I also wrote) and 38 by playwrights of color. I am very, very conscious of the source of plays I work on. When I was Artistic Director of African Continuum Theatre selecting works by and about African Americans was part of my mission and thus was a major factor in choosing plays. Now that I get more “work for hire” I have less control over what material I am offered. I would actually like to believe I have credibility as a good director; not just a good black director. 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? JN: In terms of Artistic Directors Washington has been ahead of the national pack insofar as gender. In all other areas of race and gender parity we’re better than some places, not as far along as others. If we measure by the general demographics of this area, we’re not doing that well. There’s no doubt in my mind that my identity as an African American has impact on my being considered for directing gigs…maybe it’s not a conscious thing but there it is. Artistic Directors naturally hire within their personal and professional comfort zones; that generally means they hire people they know or who are recommended by people they know. If their circle of colleagues is not diverse, then it stands to reason that their choices will be less than diverse. JL: If you could be direct at any theatre in DC, which would it be and why? JN: I would love to do something adventurous at Round House. It would be kind of a return since I did a couple of shows there in my early career when Jerry Whiddon was still AD. And, yes, I’ll admit that I’d like to work at Arena: it was my first theatre home. I think little scraps of my DNA are still embedded there. JL: DC audiences are ... JN: SMART! ADVENTUROUS! CURIOUS! JL: DC actors and designers are ... JN: A wonderful collection of talent, skill, creativity. JL: DC playwrights are .. JN: Plentiful. JL: DC critics are ... JN: I won’t attempt to categorize them. JL: What advice do you have for an up and coming DC based director or a director who has just moved to D.C.? JN: Find a place to make the work that makes your heart sing even if you don’t make a dime or get reviewed in the papers. My mentor Robert Alexander of Living Stage used to say, “It’s not any harder to make your own theatre than to get a job in somebody’s else’s.” True. JL: What's next for you as a director? Where can we keep up with your work? JN: Nine Circles by my dear friend Bill Cain at Forum Theatre in January. It’s about a young veteran’s heartbreaking journey to hell. Top Dog/Under Dog by Susan-Lori Parks at Everyman Theatre in Baltimore in April/May. 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. Jacqueline Lawton: What was the first play that you ever directed? What did you learn from that experience that remains with you today?
Eleanor Holdridge: The Constant Couple by Restoration Irish dramatist George Farquhar. What a fantastic show! I had absolutely no idea what I was doing, but I was running a company to do little known classical plays, and there was no one else to direct. So I trusted the actors, created a rehearsal environment where we all had a sense of fun in the investigative, went with my gut and let it rip. I guess that’s how it all started. Also, I remember thinking even then about the absolute importance of getting the audience/actor relationship right. I think part of it was taking a tiny and grungy off-off Broadway black box and striving to come up with the equivalent of the Restoration theatrical box in the configuration. The result was a huge leap of an imagination and the beginning of my lifelong complicated love affair with classical theatre. JL: Why did you decide to get into theatre? Was there someone or a particular show that inspired you? EH: I guess I always knew I had to get into the theatre one way or other, but boy did I resist it as much as I possibly could. My mother ran a company called Caedmon that was a pioneer in spoken word recording—it was the first record company to record all of Shakespeare’s plays onto vinyl. And so I grew up in studios watching recordings of really great English guys—Guilgud, Olivier, Evans—doing Shakespeare. I listened to the words in the dark and quiet of my room, imagining the worlds around those voices. And it stuck with me. Even while I studied contemporary choreography, English Literature and Lighting Design, even while I worked entry-level jobs in book publishing and arts management, I was drawn to seeing plays and to imagining better ways of producing them. Finally I couldn’t take it any more. Back then in the late 1980s, everyone was doing trite things with the same old Shakespeare plays, and I thought I’d just start a company to do the little known classical plays no one was doing at the time. I started to direct them, just because someone had to. And then that was that. I’ve never since wanted to do anything else. JL: What kind of work do you do to pay the bills? How do you balance this work with your work as a director? EH: It’s a kind of catch 22. My freelance directing income used to pay the bills. But, to do so, I was on the road, working in other cities, eight to nine months out of the year, and constantly stressed out to meet the requirement of healthcare weeks with our union. My sense of community was only within company with whom I worked. Now, here in DC, I teach at Catholic University, running the Directing Department and feel that I’m beginning to be part of an incredibly dynamic community. But now things are reversed: I have to be very careful about accepting work that enables me to teach the majority of my classes, which means it has grown more challenging to maintain a national profile. 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? EH: I have not. 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? EH: By the end of this season, I will have directed eight plays in the DC area, three by women, none by a person of a color. I jump at the plays by women, but frankly, as a freelance director, if offered a play, find it compelling and if the timing works out, then I’ve got to do it, even if it’s the 60th production I’ve directed by a dead white guy. Market forces at work. And, I’ll say that with over 80 productions that I’ve directed, only two of them have been 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? EH: DC goes down as does the nation: under twenty percent woman playwrights and directors are represented in the city’s theatrical programming. I don’t think the overall community has addressed it as a group. I do see Artistic Directors who are actively striving to make things better (take for instance Ryan Rilette’s recent re-programming at Roundhouse) and those that could be made more aware of the disparity. For us freelancers? Well, we pitch ideas, we do our work, we strive to create our art to the best of our ability, and challenge ourselves anew with each play we tackle. It doesn’t really impact our actual work other than squeezing ourselves into that slender 20 percent margin. It is for my students that I have the most concern—the undergraduate and graduate women who I observe to be equally talented and often more hard working then their male compatriots—and I worry for their future. JL: If you could direct at any theatre in DC, which would it be and why? EH: Arena Stage. I am a huge fan of Molly Smith and the incredibly smart and diverse programming there. Of all the major DC area theatres, it leads in number of woman directors and playwrights and is a leader that way in the nation. Or Signature Theatre. Because I’m dying to direct a musical again and they could sure use a woman director in the mix. JL: DC audiences are ... EH: Insightful, hungry, eager, temperamental, partying, out for a good time, love to recognize there favorite actors, smart, political, savvy, filled with joy. JL: DC actors and designers are ... EH: Diverse, collaborative, fun-loving, argumentative, inventive, resilient excellent dramaturges, intense, passionate, proud, filled with vitality and life. JL: DC playwrights are … EH: Witty, politically active, eager, prolific, amusing, intelligent, acerbic, celebrative, cerebral, comical, and down-to-earth. JL: DC critics are ... EH: smart, decisive, broad-minded, quirky, discursive, elegant, charming, tireless, rigorous, and, at their best striving to keep the art true and real. JL: What advice do you have for an up and coming DC based director or a director who has just moved to D.C.? EH: See lots of plays. Write lots of letters. Direct readings and workshops. Know that you are welcome and ask for help. Assist big shows at big houses. Look for work in colleges and universities and invite people to that work. Don’t worry if they don’t come, just keep asking. Self-produce. Repeat. JL: What's next for you as a director? Where can we keep up with your work? EH: Zorro, which I co-wrote, at Constellation Theatre Company, running January 17th to February 17th, and then God of Carnage at Everyman Theatre in Baltimore, running March 13 through April 7. 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. This article made me cry, a deep choking heaving silent cry. However, it wasn't the advice that Phillip Roth gave to writer Julian Tepper that set me off, because Roth only spoke the truth: "Quit while you're ahead. Really, it's an awful field. Just torture. Awful. You write and write, and you have to throw almost all of it away because it's not any good. I would say just stop now. You don't want to do this to yourself. That's my advice to you." I cried because Roth has walked away from his writing. While absolutely brilliant, Roth's writing doesn't sing my heart the way that Jose Rivera, John Guare, Adrienne Kennedy, Amparo Garcia Crow, Lynn Nottage, Shay Youngblood and Zadie Smith and so many others do. So, these were not tears of sorrow for the loss of a voice that has guided my artistic journey. I cried because I cannot fathom doing what Roth has decided to do. I cannot conceive of walking away so entirely from my writing. I am at the place where writing drives every single aspect of my day. Where words, sounds, dreams, gestures, art, music, moments in history and overheard bits of dialogue push me towards a new play whether I want to be there or not. The idea of not writing--of not wanting to write, of being prevented from writing, of characters no longer coming to me to have their stories told--truly terrifies and deeply saddens me. His ability to do so made me mourn for a day that might one day come for me. Of course, I do remember a time when I took a break from my writing ... In 2009, I participated in Round House Theatre’s Silver Spring Series where I produced a workshop production of my play ANNA K. Two days after the show closed, I went into rehearsal for a full production of DEEP BELLY BEAUTIFUL as part of the Mead Theatre Lab at Flashpoint, where I served as co-producer. Both were under the auspices of theHegira, a wonderful company whose spirit and artistic director, I believe in quite strongly and passionately. It was an absolutely extraordinary and life changing experience. It pushed me past all limits of physical, emotional, mental and psychological exhaustion and into a wasteland. After it was all said and done, I had nothing left. I was unrecognizable to myself. I didn't want to create in this space and don't think I could've if I had tried. For the sake of my sanity and craft, I took the summer off. It was such a big and scary decision, because it meant that for the first time since the summer of 1997, I wouldn't be writing a new play and I was afraid I might not be able to come back to it. I was so frightened that I bought myself a commitment to writing ring (pictured above). I wear this ring every day. When I slip it on, I give thanks to the muses for their gift. I don't ever take it for granted that they have their whim and fancy as we all do, and might one day decide to leave me. But I don't know what the future holds. I can't predict the life experiences that might shift my focus, love and dedication away from this craft. But today is a day that I write. And I am grateful. This past Friday, I attended Arena Stage's Cradle Series. It was a terrific evening! banished? productions' sharing of Into the Dollhouse was beautiful, lyrical, and seductive. It's made a lasting, haunting, and powerful impression on me ... one that I haven't felt in a long time. dog & pony dc's open rehearsal of A Killing Game was riotous, fun and engaging. I honestly don't know that I've ever laughed so much or so hard in the theatre. Both expereiencesreminded me of how much I love collaboration in the creation of new work and how much I really miss working with interdisciplinary artists. I look forward to the continued growth of each piece and to more of what each company has to offer. Also, I really hope that more companies are able to take part in the Arena Stage Cradle Series. Well done, everyone! Now, here are some fun photos from the evening! "write like you're eating your way out of a fire. there is no time for anything but the forward move. brook no cant or can't. listen to your play first, then yourself, then be brave and hear the world. a play is a skin, like a drum - an eardrum - its tensions are its strengths." --Erik Ehn In addition to being a playwright, I am a dramaturg. I learned how to be a dramaturg and about the process of new play development at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company under the tutelage of Mary Resing, who was then the Director of New Play Development and is now Artistic Director of Active Cultures, where I am now the Director of New Play Development (!). The very first play that I dramaturged was the world premiere production of Sarah Ruhl's The Clean House. Here's what I learned from my time at Woolly: The play is first. Those of us invited in the room are here to steward the play forward. However, first, foremost and always, the playwright's voice must be honored. To honor the playwright's voice, you have to ask the playwright many questions. When asking the playwright questions, you have to listen to what she says. You have to set aside your own notions and ambitions for what you think the play ought to be, because you're not writing the play. She is. From 2006 to 2011, I served as Artistic Associate and Resident Dramaturg of African Continuum Theatre. Being the dramaturg and production coordinator of the Fresh Flavas Festival was the absolute highlight of my tenure. I had the opportunity to work with, learn from, and steward the plays of such extraordinary, talented, and passionate playwrights as Michael J. Bobbitt, Kara Corthron, P.J. Gibson, Caleen Sinnette Jennings, Jennifer L. Nelson, Dominique Morisseau, S.M. Shepard-Massat, David Emerson Toney, and Sam-Art Williams. The tradition of the great work continues ... On Saturday, November 10, 2012, as part of Arena Stage's Cradle Series, African Continuum Theatre will present readings of two exciting new works as part of the Fresh Flavas Festival: Without Trace by Eric Lockley at 2:00pm and Kind of Blue by Ozzie Jones at 4:00pm. This event is free and open to the public. There is a $5 suggested donation. Click here to learn more. Also, if you haven't already be sure to purchase your tickets for Into a Dollhouse House presented by banished? Productions and A Killing Game presented by dog & pony dc. To learn more about the Fresh Flavas Festival and the plays being presented, here's my interview with Maryam F. Foye, who directed the readings, and the two playwrights being featured: Ozzie Jones and Eric Lockley. Maryam F. Foye is a North Carolina native living in and loving the metro DC area. She is a classically trained actress through studies at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy, Negro Ensemble Company and PATStudio of DC. She has performed with the African Continuum Theater Co., Negro Ensemble Company, TheHegira Project, Syngery Playback theater and more. Her most notable portrayal to date was her role as Angel in the Pearl Cleage classic "Blues for an Alabama Sky". Maryam is an inspired playwright and emerging director. Her one act play Hidden Words, was produced for the DC Black 'Seeking Serenity' is currently being workshopped for a second reading in May. Maryam is also the heart behind the Hissing Black Cat. An initiative geared to launch in the Summer of 2013. This program is focusing on woman ages 14-24, and hopes to offer social, workforce development and life skills using theater and other forms of art as teaching method. Jacqueline Lawton: If you only had three words to describe African Continuum Theatre Company, what would they be? Maryam F. Foye: Legacy, Hard-knocks, fighting JL: What is your role in African Continuum Theatre Company? Maryam F. Foye: I started out with ACTCo as an actress. I played Angel in Blues for an Alabama Sky and then immediately became an ensemble member in their community engagement ensemble "Off the Circuit". We've performed in senior homes, schools, local businesses and churches. Fresh Flavas reading series is my first directing opportunity with ActCo. I'm lucky to have great text to work with. JL: African Continuum Theatre Company's will present two plays as a part of the Fresh Flavas Reading Series. First, tell us a bit about the Fresh Flavas Reading Series. Maryam F. Foye: I think in short it is an opportunity for playwrights to develop new and interesting pieces of work. ActCo takes it a step farther by following their vision of supporting artists of color and/or artists truthfully telling the stories of people of color and providing a platform where one may not exist. It's a place where the writer isnt burdened with finding an audience or director or having stress about anything outside of how to be a better playwright. It's a cool set up, kind of like the name. JL: Now, tell us about each play and what excites you about them. Maryam F. Foye: I'm especially interested in Kind of Blue by Eric Lockley, because of the musicality in the piece. The language is very quick and subtle and sexy. It is based off of the writers perception of Miles Davis and uses the songs from Kind of Blue as its framework. Beautiful. Without Trace by Ozzie Jones is more of the African-american struggle while standing in progess type of story if that makes sense. Black president, race wars and strong family dynamic. I think what sets it apart is the translation of the father son relationship. JL: Why should audiences come see the Fresh Flavas Reading Series? Maryam F. Foye: Outside of just saying support new artists, help dreams soar and be a voice in the current creative revolution. I would just say, these writers have worked hard to create quality pieces of work that everyone should see. This is a great time to help someone in their crafting become better in their crafting. Jump in. JL: Why is it important for the Fresh Flavas Reading Series to be a part of Arena Stage’s Cradle Series? How is this experience contributing to the growth and development of these plays? Maryam F. Foye: Arena is a reputable name. People are drawn to it. To put a backing like that on an emerging artist is huge. The Arena stage fan base is a cultured and artistically diverse and well balanced massive. The thoughts and ideas from such a group would be of tremendous benefit to someone who otherwise may just have themselves. ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHTS OZZIE JONES is the Founder and Artistic director of the Rhythm One Company, whose focus is training, artistic development, and new work and new artists. Rhythm One acting and performance classes are held at CEC 3500 Lancaster Ave. Philadelphia, PA. He is also the Artistic director and cofounder of The Well Productions whose focus is music, film, and television production. The well latest production was My Block is Crazy, a documentary film about violence and youth. The documentary was produced in conjunction with the United States Attorney’s Office and is now being developed into a reality show. He is the director of The Shipley School Middle School Performing Arts program. Mr. Jones has been a writer, director of stage and film, a composer, and performer throughout the United States and Europe since 1992. Highlights include, winning the Hal Prince Best Director of a Musical Barrymore Award for directing Black Nativity. He was the first African American to direct a play in Ireland in the history of the Republic for a production of Othello, called by the Irish Times “the most creative and innovative production of Shakespeare seen in Ireland in decades.” He was a member of the first Lincoln Center Theater Director’s Lab of America’s top one hundred young American stage directors. Mr. Jones co -wrote, dramaturgy, and performed in the Bessie Award winning, Olivier award nominated Rome and Jewels for Rennie Harris Pure Movement. Mr. Jones has directed or performed with Patti Labelle, Ruby Dee, Jill Scott, Guy Davis, The Roots, Wu Tang Clan, Schoolly D, Poor Righteous Teachers, etc… Mr. Jones developed and directed a staged reading of his new play, Chasin’ the Bird at Penumbra Theater. And this African Continuum production of Kind of Blue will be its first public reading. Both of these new works are a part of a larger series of plays called, The Real Book. Click here to read an interview with the playwright Ozzie Jones. ERIC LOCKLEY is a Performer, Playwright and Producer within The Movement Theatre Company [TMTC], and the producing collective Harlem 9. A graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, Eric’s stage credits include The Colored Museum, CATO, The Winter’s Tale, and SPUNK. Eric has written and performed two solo shows: Last Laugh (La MaMa, PS122), which explores what happens when 2 black performers begin to confuse performance and reality, and Asking For More (Theater for the New City, Harlem Stage), a look at one young boy's mission to expose urban communities to healthy eating habits. In 2010 Lockley received a Mabou Mines Residency to develop new work and in 2012 he was a Harlem Stage Fund for New Work Grant recipient. His first full-length play, Blacken the Bubble, an affirmative action comedy, was presented as a workshop production in Harlem in Fall 2012. As a producer, within his theater company, TMTC, Eric operated as Lead Producer on Bintou, a world premiere production that received acclaim from The New York Times and showcased TMTC’s emergence as one of the premiere organizations for artists of color. Additionally, Eric is a producer within the collective Harlem 9, which has presented “48 Hours in Harlem” two years in a row to sold out crowds. For his work in the theater Eric received the high honor of being a 2012 Theatre Hall of Fame Fellowship Grant recipient. Eric will premiere a new short play in NYC's 4th annual The Fire This Time Festival in January. Click here to read interview with play Eric Lockley! ABOUT FRESH FLAVAS
The Fresh Flavas new play reading series is a workshop and incubator program for emerging and established playwrights of color to develop new plays. This program provides a platform for playwrights to hear their words read before a live audience for the first time, which is a critical stage in the play’s development. Free public readings of the works-in-progress are rehearsed, directed and performed by local artists and provides an open forum for the playwright to obtain immediate feed-back on their work. This is followed by a talk-back session with the playwright, director and performers. Playwright then gain critical responses, which can enhance and improve further development and finalization of the new work. |
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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