Podcasts about olney theatre center

Theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck joins Midday to share another weekly review of a local theatrical production. Today we discuss Frozen, on stage at the Olney Theatre Center through January 5. The theatre was one of the few regional venues that Disney asked to produce their own take on this animated classic.Email us at midday@wypr.org, tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.

originally released: September 18, 2019 Actor and author Alexandra Silber is currently appearing as Fraulein Sally Bowles in Olney Theatre Center's production of Cabaret. But she's here this week to talk about this beautiful Lucy Simon/Marsha Norman musical and so much more. Really, we get deep.__Topics include: living with grief, communing with nature, and the glory of Rebecca Luker. Buy Alexandra's memoir White Hot Grief Parade and her novel After Anatevka. Both titles are also available on Audible read by Al herself! Featured recordings: The Secret Garden - The Original Broadway Cast Album (1991) Join us on PATREON to get our patrons-only podcast The Original Cast at the Movies?  August's episode has Married super-cool duo Lee Liebeskind (Spring Awakening) and Megan Reichelt (The Scarlet Pimpernel) join Patrick and his super-cool ladywife Kelley to talk about The Muppet Movie (1979) the super-coolest movie of all time. Seriously, it's so good you guys. Patreon • Twitter • Facebook • Email  

Theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck joins Midday to share a review of a pair of local theatre productions. Soft Power continues at Signature Theatre in Arlington, Va., through September 15, while Beautiful: The Carole King Musical continues at Olney Theatre Center through August 25. (DJ Corey Photography)Email us at midday@wypr.org, tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.

Theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck joins Midday to share another weekly review of a local theatrical production. We discuss Long Way Down, at Olney Theatre Center through June 23. The production is a world premiere. Does it have a long future ahead? (Photo from Teresa Castracane Photography)Email us at midday@wypr.org, tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.

Theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck joins Tom to share another weekly review of a local theatrical production. This week they discuss “Avaaz” which continues at Olney Theatre Center through April 7, 2024. In this one-man show actor Michael Shayan plays his Iranian mother Roya and tells the story of her travels and triumphs in a performance that's more lovingly akin to a song.Email us at midday@wypr.org, tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.

KRISTEN LEE ROSENFELD is a New York based composer and music director. Her songs have been performed by some of Broadway's finest talent at venues such as 54 Below, Joe's Pub, the Triad and the Metropolitan Room.  Her music has been commissioned by Sprouts Children's Theatre, Red Fern Theatre, The Atlantic acting School, American University and Wooden O theatre. Kristen's music direction credits include the 1st National Tour of the Broadway musical Spring Awakening and Band of Angels with collaborator Colman Domingo.  She recently served as Music Director for the Off Broadway hit Friends! The Musical Parody.  Kristen has also music directed and arranged for children's pop sensation Laurie Berkner and Backstreet Boy Howie D.  Other music direction credits include shows at NYMF,  Prospect Theatre Company, the John W. Engeman Theatre, the Olney Theatre Center and Village Theatre, as well as being a guest artist at Pomona College, American University and SUNY Cortland. LUANNE ARONEN ROSENFELD is a South Carolina-based playwright and lyricist.  She has written the book and lyrics for Equal Time, Holly and Ivy, The Queen of Valleluna, Cardboard Castles (book, lyrics and screenplay) and DIVIDED.  She is drawn to stories that reflect the complexity of the human experience and the depth of the human spirit. She and Kristen are currently developing Chasing Gold Dust, a new musical that celebrates the women who conquered the Klondike. In addition to writing, Luanne has worked as a theatre educator, producer, and stage manager in New York and Seattle.  She is a graduate of The New School and Tufts University and a proud member of The Dramatists Guild. Jim Cooney's artistic mission is to inspire conversation, affect change, and bring communities together. He specializes in new musicals and reimagined revivals, though is equally excited to tell stories through virtually any medium. It's his greatest passion to create experiences for contemporary audiences that will stay with them long afterward. He truly loves what he does. Divided tells the journey of two friends across decades, miles, and a country divided. Refusing to be defined by societal constraints, Eleanor and Hanna strive for personal freedom amidst a backdrop of hatred, lies, loss, and war. Taking place pre and post Civil War, the story of Divided spans from Mississippi to Boston, following two friends separated by society, but forever bonded through their bravery. On a journey that takes them both far from home, they wonder if they will ever be reunited again.

For another installment of "When the Production is the Adaptation," Melissa is joined by Marcia Milgrom Dodge aka "MMD" to discuss her production and revival of Disney's Beauty and the Beast at the Olney Theatre Center.   In this episode, we discuss:The origins of the "MMD" moniker"Smuggling in deeper meaning"Redesigning and imagining a Disney-branded showHow MMD has been a constant champion of diverse casting And more!Resources MentionedOlney Theatre's production directed by MMDDramaturgy and research for MMD's productionLicensing the musicalAbout Our GuestMarcia Milgrom Dodge is a Tony, Drama Desk & Astaire Award nominated director & choreographer for her “stirring & lovingly staged” Broadway/Kennedy Center revival of Ragtime. Most recently, MMD was the American Show Director for Tokyo Disneyland's 40th Anniversary Parade Harmony In Color! For Television, MMD appeared as herself in Disney+ Encore!; choreographed The Muppets in an Emmy-winning episode of Sesame Street and choreographed Elmo & The Noodle Family in Elmo's Wild West video, delighting children of all ages. MMD's bold new approaches to classic plays & musicals-- plus a few world-premiere musicals-- have been seen worldwide, from major regional theatres throughout the USA & Canada to Fredericia, Denmark to Seoul, S. Korea to Blackpool, England and even Muskat, Oman. Devoted to developing the next generation of theatre artists, her Directing Musicals workshops are geared for early-career Directors and Actors as well as for Theatre Lovers. MMD is also wife to Tony, mother to Natasha & a proud member of the Stage Directors & Choreographers Society. Connect with Our Guestmarciamilgromdodge.comRead & Recommend Tony Dodge's plays on New Play ExchangeInstagramConnect with host Melissa Schmitz***Sign up for the 101 Stage Adaptations Newsletter***101 Stage AdaptationsFollow the Podcast on Facebook & InstagramRead Melissa's plays on New Play ExchangeConnect with Melissa on LinkedInWays to support the show:- Buy Me a Coffee- Tell us your thoughts in our Listener Survey!- Give a 5-Star rating- Write a glowing review on Apple Podcasts - Send this episode to a friend- Share on social media (Tag us so we can thank you!)Creators: Host your podcast through Buzzsprout using my affiliate link & get a $20 credit on your paid account. Let your fans directly support you via Buy Me a Coffee (affiliate link).

Welcome to another exciting episode of "Dance Colleges & Careers", where we dive into the fascinating world of performing arts. In this episode, we're thrilled to have Megan Tatum, a talented performer and choreographer based in Richmond, Virginia, as our special guest.Megan's journey in the world of dance began at the prestigious Chesterfield School of Ballet and the School of Richmond Ballet, where she trained under the Royal Academy of Dance syllabus. However, after graduating from a performing arts magnet high school with a major in modern dance choreography and performance, Megan found herself at a crossroads, wondering if dance would still be a part of her future.Her path took an unexpected turn when she moved to Williamsburg, Virginia, to pursue studies at the College of William and Mary. Initially considering dance as a hobby left behind, Megan discovered her passion for musical theatre and decided to craft a unique major in the Integration of Dance, Music, and Theatre Performance. Alongside, she pursued a double major in Kinesiology and Health Sciences with a concentration in Health Sciences Pre-Physical Therapy.Megan's journey unfolds with unexpected opportunities during her junior year, leading her to become the dance swing at Busch Gardens and kickstarting her professional performing career. Her talents have graced renowned companies such as Olney Theatre Center, Virginia Repertory Theatre, Barter Theatre, Midtown Arts Center, Virginia Musical Theatre, Riverside Dinner Theatre, and Alluvion Stage Company.Beyond the stage, Megan has also made a mark in the realm of physical therapy, collaborating with major Broadway and ballet companies, including the New York City Ballet and American Ballet Theatre. Imagine going backstage on iconic shows like Matilda and Wicked – Megan has experienced it all.Join us as Megan shares her inspiring journey, from contemplating the end of her dance career to becoming a versatile performer, choreographer, and a behind-the-scenes player in the world of physical therapy for Broadway and ballet. Get ready for an episode filled with passion, resilience, and the magic that happens when one follows their heart in the world of performing arts. Tune in now!Support the showClick here to join the Podcast Facebook Community for High Schoolers, Parents, and Passionate Artists to share GuidanceDonate to our Podcast

In this episode, Mitchell and Matt are joined by Chris Youstra, the music director at the Olney Theatre Centre in Maryland. A year ago, the Olney staged a production of The Music Man featuring a cast and creative team made up of Deaf, hearing, and hard-of-hearing performers/crew members.

Host Luisa Lyons chats with performer and writer Alexandra Palting whose new solo musical 0874 A Filipino American Love Story recently played the She NYC Arts Summer Theater Festival, where the show won Best Score. The musical tells the story of when Alex's college boyfriend moved across the country and her Lola (grandmother) showed her a grocery bag filled with hundreds of love letters from Alex's grandfather.Alex shares how her Lola inspired not only the show but Alex's love of musical theatre, her unique vocal approach to writing her one woman show, the development of the show, and the process of performing in the She NYC Arts Summer Theater Festival.Alexandra Palting is an actor and writer based in New York City. She is the performer, writer, lyricist and co-composer of 0874: A Filipino-American Love Story, a one-woman musical that tells the story of her grandparents' courtship and immigration to the United States. The show premiered off-Broadway at the Connelly Theater during SheNYC Arts (Festival winner: Best Score) and was developed through The Kennedy Center's Page-to-Stage residency.  She has performed her music at venues including The Lincoln Theatre and Merriweather Post Pavilion and has sung at venues from the swing clubs of Baltimore to the Vatican. Favorite acting credits include CATF, Olney Theatre Center, Imagination Stage, Chesapeake Shakespeare Company, The Keegan Theatre, InterAct Theatre Co. and Shakespeare in Clark Park. Her on-camera work can be seen on "Law and Order," in independent films, and in productions for clients like Apple, the NIH, and Home Depot. Her work as an audiobook narrator can be heard anywhere from NYT Bestsellers at MacMillan Publishers to Microsoft. As a producer, she has raised over $60,000 for arts organizations that champion diverse voices and for nonprofits like Feeding America and RAINN that provided direct aid to vulnerable populations throughout the pandemic. She studied at the University of Delaware, RADA, and Harvard Online Business School. @alpal1210, alexandramariapalting.com.Show Links The Making of “0874: A Filipino-American Love Story” at the Kennedy Center: https://youtu.be/uyY5pHSDbOI Support the showFilmed Live Musicals is where musicals come home. Use the searchable database to find musicals filmed on stage to watch from the comfort of your living room! Visit www.filmedlivemusicals.com to learn more. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. You can also support the site at Patreon. Patrons get early access to the podcast and site content, no matter how much you pledge. Become a Patron today!Filmed Live Musicals is created by Luisa Lyons, an Australian actor, writer, and musician. Luisa holds a Masters in Music Theatre from London's Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and now lives, works, and plays in New York. Learn more at www.luisalyons.com and follow on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Our guest Dawn Luedtke is a council woman in Montgomery County, Maryland. Montgomery County is just outside of Washington D.C. yet it includes a surprising amount of rural land. In fact, it's home to the Agricultural Reserve, 93,000 acres preserved for farm land and rural space and hailed as one of the best examples of land use policy in the country. Luedtke was elected to the council in 2022 to represent a newly created district that includes much of Montgomery County's rural spaces. We talk with Luedtke about the opportunities to make these rural voices heard in a diverse county, improving mental health access, and her love of theater. About Dawn Luedtke Dawn Luedtke is a community advocate, former Assistant Attorney General, certified law enforcement trainer and expert on healthy schools and public safety serving her first term on the Montgomery County Council.  She was elected in 2022 to represent the newly created District 7, including Ashton, Brookeville, Damascus, Derwood, Laytonsville, Montgomery Village, Olney, Redland, Sandy Spring, and northeast Montgomery County.  Dawn is committed to providing world-class constituent service, fostering a business environment for local small businesses to thrive, preventing crime through enhanced community policing, improving behavioral health and crisis response, and protecting Montgomery County's farmers, food, and Agricultural Reserve. She serves on the Council's Public Safety and Health and Human Services Committees. Dawn is a certified law enforcement trainer on school safety, implicit bias, hate crimes and other critical public safety issues, where she has taught and worked with law enforcement officials across Maryland. She served in the Office of the Attorney General of Maryland as Counsel to the Maryland Longitudinal Data System Center, Maryland Center for School Safety, Food Systems Resiliency Council, and Active Assailant Interdisciplinary Work Group. She also advised State agencies on topics including open government and government operations, and oversaw the creation of the State's Model Behavioral Threat Assessment Policy for K-12 Schools.  Dawn also served as Chair of the Prevention Subcommittee of the Active Assailant Interdisciplinary Work Group, a member of the Behavioral Health Administration's workgroup on involuntary commitment standards, the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems' Crisis Response Work Group, and as a member of the Youth & Families Subcommittee of the Governor's Commission to Study Mental & Behavioral Health. A longtime theater performer and advocate, Dawn is Vice President of the Opera Baltimore Board of Directors, Secretary of the University of Pennsylvania Glee Club Graduate Club Board of Directors, and previously served on the Boards of Directors of the Olney Theatre Center, Transformation Theater, LLC, and the Bruce Montgomery Foundation for the Arts. Dawn lives in Ashton with her husband Eric and four children.

In this episode we are joined by Joshua Morgan, talking all things singing and acting. Joshua is a proud graduate of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. A diverse, singing actor, his regional credits include roles at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, Arena Stage, Theatre Under the Stars, Folger Theatre, Triad Stage, Signature Theatre, Olney Theatre Center, North Carolina Theatre, amongst many others. He was last seen in the Broadway musical, Ain't Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations, having originated the role of legendary manager, Shelly Berger. Before that, he had most recently finished production on NBC's upcoming series Lincoln. He is currently developing stories for TV and streaming content. Joshua also founded and runs a company called Artist's Strategy, whose goal is to help freelance creative entrepreneurs develop strategic business plans and work towards a sustainable future in the arts. We want to hear from YOU and provide a forum where you can put in requests for future episodes. What are you interested in listening to? Please fill out the form for future guest suggestions here and if you have suggestions or requests for future themes and topics, let us know here! @theatreartlife Thanks to David Zieher who composed our music.

Amir Arison stars as Aram Mojtabai on NBC's hit series “The Blacklist. Notable recurring roles in television include work on HBO's “Girls,” the Emmy Award-winning “Homeland,” NBC's “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” “Zero Hour,” “Dallas,” “True Justice,” and “State of Georgia,” as well as Julia Stiles' hit web series “Blue.” Recent guest star appearances include “American Horror Story,” “NCIS,” “The Mentalist,” “Major Crimes,” “Once Upon a Time in Wonderland,” “Gossip Girl,” “Fringe” and “See Dad Run,” among others. Arison has also been a series regular on Bryan Singer's acclaimed Digital Series “H+” for Warner Bros. Arison's film credits include “A Merry Friggin' Christmas” with Robin Williams, “Big Words,” “I Hate Valentine's Day” with Nia Vardalos, Tom McCarthy's “The Visitor,” “Today's Special,” “Vamps” with Alicia Silverstone, and the upcoming “Jane Wants a Boyfriend.” Arison also has an extensive background in theater, which includes the New York premieres of Stephen Belber's “The Muscles in Our Toes,” “Aftermath” (Drama League Nominee), Christopher Durang's “Why Torture Is Wrong… ,” Charles Mee's “Queens Boulevard,” “A Very Common Procedure,” “Modern Orthodox,” “Omnium Gatherum” (Pulitzer Finalist), “Candy & Dorothy” and “A First Class Man.” Internationally, Amir starred in Michael Kahn's award-winning “Love's Labour's Lost” (RSC's Complete Works Festival). Notable regional credits include appearances in productions at The Shakespeare Theatre D.C., The Huntington Theatre Company, Yale Repertory Theatre, Paper Mill Playhouse, The Long Wharf Theatre, Portland Center Stage, The Lyric Theatre, Shakespeare Festival of St. Louis, Olney Theatre Center and the Dorset Theatre Festival. Amir grew up in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and attended Columbia University in New York City. He recently made his Broadway debut playing the leading role of Amir in The Kite Runner on Broadway. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's Midday on the Arts.Now, more music, or in this case a musical about music, in a way. Our theater critic, J. Wynn Rousuck, who visits each week with her reviews of Maryland's regional stage, joins Tom today to share her impressions of an unusual new production of Meredith Willson's 1957 classic, The Music Man, now on stage at the Olney Theater Center. What sets this production apart is that half of the musical's cast is deaf, and the other half hearing, and the presentation uses ASL (American Sign Language) and English supertitles along with conventional song and dialogue. It's complicated, but effective, Judy says. Starring acclaimed deaf actor James Caverly in the title role, the musical is co-directed by Michael Baron and Sandra Mae Frank, with music direction by Christopher Youstra and special "Artistic Sign Language" direction by Michelle Banks.The Music Man continues at Olney Theatre Center through July 24. Follow the theater links above for showtimes and ticketing information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The classic American musical "The Music Man" has been a big hit this year with its revival on Broadway and on many regional and local stages across the country. John Yang went to the Olney Theatre Center in Maryland to see a novel take on the standard, and how art can be a model for a more inclusive society, where deaf and hearing communities live side by side. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

The classic American musical "The Music Man" has been a big hit this year with its revival on Broadway and on many regional and local stages across the country. John Yang went to the Olney Theatre Center in Maryland to see a novel take on the standard, and how art can be a model for a more inclusive society, where deaf and hearing communities live side by side. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

The classic American musical "The Music Man" has been a big hit this year with its revival on Broadway and on many regional and local stages across the country. John Yang went to the Olney Theatre Center in Maryland to see a novel take on the standard, and how art can be a model for a more inclusive society, where deaf and hearing communities live side by side. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

It's time for another visit with theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck, who joins Tom each week with her reviews of Maryland's regional stage. Today, she spotlights The Joy That Carries You, now getting a world premiere production at Olney Theater Center. Co-written by two local playwrights, Awa Sal Secka and Dani Stoller, the uplifting drama combines sharp comic dialogue with sparkling spoken-word poetry to tell a resonant tale of love and family. The play is directed by Jason Loewith and Kevin McAllister, and its cast includes playwright Dani Stoller with Billie Krishawn, Lolita Marie, Susan Rome, Michael Russotto, Bru Ajueyitsi and James J. Johnson. The Joy That Carries You continues at The Olney Theatre Center through June 12. Follow the links above for showtimes and ticket info. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“For myself, I think for a long time I was worried that if I got my mental health and spiritual health in check… then I would lose the things that made me a really good artist.” Dani Stoller is unapologetic. An actor who takes risks, it bleeds into her other hyphens of being a writer and producer. She approaches her art by forming her own figurative rep companies – and while based in the “DMV” area (D.C., Maryland, and Virginia) she has found that those communities create their own community, much like a rep company.  Following Dani on social media also reflects her unapologetic-ness… especially when it comes to Jewish advocacy. We dive deep into Jewish representation in the media – including non-Jews playing Jews, what we think Jews are ‘supposed' to look like, and where they're ‘supposed' to be from.  “Throughout all conversations about Jewishness,” says Stoller, “Jews of color get written out of the conversation so quickly in terms of what does a Jew look like? Where is a Jew from? What is a Jew's connection to anything – and so there's this write out of that. What's exciting is to see plays being written by Jews of color which shines a light on the incredible expanse of Jewish people. People think of Jews and they think of White, Ashkenazi Jew… they don't think of Sefardi or Mizrahi or Swana or Beta Israel, or Igbo. We don't think of it that way. Those stories are just as important.”  And speaking of these stories, Stoller explores how her next play, The Joy That Carries You, co-written with Awa Sal Secka, came to fruition and will have it's debut at The Olney Theatre Center for the Arts. And how is this experience a reflection on socially responsible artistry?  “The thing I really admire about certain theatres in the ‘DMV'”, continues Stoller, “is their commitment to bringing in local talent. I think that we have a beautiful group of people there. Of course sometimes you have to bring in people from out of town. But I really do admire theatres who make a really diligent effort to utilize the people of that area to tell the stories of that area.” While this podcast has lessons applicable to all artists in all locations, Dani shares her stories which have happened in the Washington D.C. theatre scene. Multi-hyphenating happens everywhere – and even if you're in NYC, LA, or London – this episode is applicable to YOU! Other topics found in this episode are becoming a good apologizer, casting director relationships, and using the things that make us unique to tell our stories.  Dani Stoller is an actor, playwright, podcaster & Jewish advocate in Maryland by way of Brooklyn, New York. She has performed all across the DMV from the Folger Shakespeare Theater to the Kennedy Center. Her play, Easy Women Smoking Loose Cigarettes, had its premiere at the Tony Award winning Signature Theater in Shirlington, VA, and was featured in the New York Times at the beginning of the pandemic. Her upcoming play, The Joy That Carries You, co-written with Awa Sal Secka is opening this May at the Olney Theatre Center. When she's not writing she hosts the podcast Zen & Sugar, which is centered on intuitive eating, balance, and healing disordered food and body relationships. Follow her on instagram @danidangerstoller or her website www.Danistoller.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's time again for theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck to join us with her weekly reviews of the regional stage. Today she spotlights A.D. 16,a musical romantic fantasy now getting its world premiere at Olney Theatre Center. Set in Bible-era Nazareth, A.D. 16 imagines a romance between two Nazarene teens - a 16 year-old Mary Magdalen and that interesting boy next door — Jesus.                With story, music and lyrics by Cinco Paul (Despicable Me),and book by Bekah Brunstetter,A.D. 16 is directed by Stephen Brackett and features an ensemble cast, with Phoenix Best as Mary and Ben Frankhauser as Jesus. A.D. 16 continues at Olney Theatre Center through March 20. For more information and ticketing, click here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We bring our lived experience into everything we do.

We bring our lived experience into everything we do.

Greetings, Scorekeepers! We're back back back again with episode 19 of THE SCORE and today we are honored to be joined by living legend and Twin Cities icon, T. MYCHAEL RAMBO (0:24:20)! Star of stage and screen, singer, activist, educator, the list goes on and on. Join us for a funny, entertaining and at times poignant chat about his illustrious career, what he feels makes the arts scene here in Minnesota so special, and what audiences, artists, and institutions can do to better support artists and kids of the Global Majority. We also touch on some of the things we missed these last few weeks. Fun stuff like Halloween (0:00:28)! Not so fun stuff like the election (0:07:34). And really cool stuff like an inclusive new production of Beauty and the Beast at Maryland's Olney Theatre Center (0:18:11)! And finally, as always we'll start your week off with some Pure Black Joy (1:14:31). This week: Judge Tanya Chutkan, Mustafa Briggs, and another one of Rocky's messy Bachelorette recaps, which are now apparently a thing. Let's do it to it, y'all! Hosts: Lee Bynum, Rocky Jones, Paige Reynolds Guest: T. Mychael Rambo Producer: Rocky Jones (Also, please note that Sagittarius season is coming up, and Paige and Rocky need to go be in their full power, so we won't have any new episodes this December. But don't worry, we'll have something special on the store for you! Stay tuned!) -- Links "Take an Exclusive First Look at Beauty and the Beast at the Olney Theatre Center" (https://www.playbill.com/article/take-an-exclusive-first-look-at-beauty-and-the-beast-at-the-olney-theatre-center (Playbill)) Boys in the Cave Episode #82 - Islam in West Africa, Racism, and Arabisation of Islam with Mustafa Briggs (https://open.spotify.com/episode/4h5pO48uGBxfoMoFDvP2sv?si=cvVIWv4OTY2dZtLyKIL08A (Spotify)) The Malcolm Effect Episode #49 - Is Islam an anti Black religion? - Mustafa Briggs (https://open.spotify.com/episode/7qWzESHagO880rgOa4C6Rv?si=GI7DPsLhTkq_rbc9tATqdA (Spotify)) -- New episodes of THE SCORE drop every other Monday. If you like what you hear, please support us and SUBSCRIBE to the show on your favorite podcast app and be sure to SHARE our show with your friends. Also, leaving a 5-star REVIEW on Apple Podcasts is a great way to help get the word out. For more info about the exciting EDI work happening at MN Opera, please visit https://mnopera.org/edi/ (mnopera.org/edi). Email your questions or comments to thescore@mnopera.org

This week on Movement Guidance we have Rachel Leigh Dolan! She is a 2 time Helen Hayes Award Winning Choreographer.  As a choreographer, some of her favorite credits include Annie at Olney Theatre Center, James and the Giant Peach at Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma, Carousel at Arena Stage, and working as an Associate Choreographer for Step One Dance Company on Holland America Cruise Line.  She is a proud member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, is a founding faculty member at the innovative private performing arts secondary school, The Academy at Metropolitan School of the Arts, and she is also the Founder and Artistic Director of best8.  You can also catch her teaching weekly at Broadway Dance Center.   Don't forget to follow us on Instagram: @movementguidance

We close our Midday on the Arts program today with our weekly visit from Midday theater criticJ. Wynn Rousuck. She joins Tom with her review of The Thanksgiving Play,a new production of Native American playwright and MacArthur fellow Larissa Fasthorse's popular seasonal satire about cultural myths and "white wokeness," now at the Olney Theatre Center. Raymond O. Caldwell directs the wickedly funny play — the most-produced comedy of 2019 — with a cast that includes Parker Drown, Megan Graves, David Schlumpf and Dani Stoller. The Thanksgiving Play continues as a live and streaming performance at Olney Theatre Centre through October 31st. For ticketing information, click here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Anne Marie talks to DC By Foot tour guide Melissa Gilbert. Melissa specializes in the Ghosts of Georgetown and shares some of the DC neighborhood's scary tales with us today.Originally from Bullhead City, Arizona, the unceded lands of the Pipa Aha Macav, Melissa Leigh Gilbert has spent her career working in Theater Arts and Education but a lifetime of pursuing the arts as they relate to the human experience. Her work as designer, artisan, and educator has spanned numerous genres, disciplines, and locations. With Theatre as her primary medium, Costume Design had been the dominant focus of her career. The arc of her work and her design philosophies reflect her Liberal Arts education at Randolph-Macon Woman's College where she received her BFA. While completing her MFA at the University of Iowa she was able to expand her repertoire to include Scenic Art and Design. Both institutions allowed her the opportunity to work abroad in England. In undergrad Melissa studied at the University of Reading as part of the 'World in Britain' program. While in graduate school she returned for a research project which included a tailoring course at the Arts University Bournemouth and worked with Mahogany on costumes for Notting Hill Carnival. With a personal and pedagogical emphasis on process and analysis Melissa casts a wide net in regards to her research and influences but relishes the opportunity to edit with collaborators. Melissa maintains a firm belief that one's first idea is never one's best and can always be improved through collaboration, critique, and experimentation. As an educator she encourages experiential learning and is an avid proponent of the Liz Lerman Critical Response Technique, not only in her curriculum but throughout her own creative process. Melissa is currently the Wardrobe Supervisor and Costume Associate at the Olney Theatre Center, on the unceded lands of the Piscataway Conoy. She is the Co-Chair of the Social Committee. She enjoys baking bread, making pickles, hiking, water aerobics, and spending time with her Cat, Blake The Shake-Gilbert. Melissa also moonlights as a DC Tour Guide. She specializes in Ghosts, Murder, and the historically underrepresented. ResourcesTour Guide Website: freetoursbyfoot.com/washington-dc-ghost-tours/Instagram: @melissa.on.footWebsite: https://melissaleighgilbert.comCat: @blaketheshakeE.D.E.N. Southworth: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._D._E._N._SouthworthRiver Front Times article, by Chad Garrison, The True Story of the Exorcist House: https://www.riverfronttimes.com/stlouis/hell-of-a-house/Content?oid=2491650Support Armchair Historians:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/armchairhistoriansKo-fi: https://ko-fi.com/belgiumrabbitproductionsSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/armchairhistorians)

 Arts and culture value far exceeds the price of admission to theatre, concert, or museum exhibit. From the Uber ride to the venue, to dinner before, or cocktails after an event, that ticket you buy to an event stimulates the economy in myriad ways.  An active arts scene transforms a city or town into cultural and economic hubs where we can together for a shared human experience, through  a wide range of artistic expression and diversity of thought. Creating the conditions for a diverse and thriving cultural community takes vision and leadership. Michael Bobbitt and I discuss the necessity of culture to our emotional and economic health, how to make entertainment and the arts accessible to more people, and why he considers himself an artist with a 'Small A.'Michael J. Bobbitt has dedicated his professional career to arts leadership. He is a theatre director, choreographer, and playwright. On February 1, 2021, he joined Mass Cultural Council as Executive Director, becoming the highest-ranking cultural official in Massachusetts. At the same time, Bobbitt was invited and agreed to serve on the New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA) Board of Directors.He has served as the Artistic Director of the New Repertory Theatre in Watertown, MA and Adventure Theatre-MTC in Maryland. At Adventure Theatre Bobbitt led the organization to be a respected theatre/training company in the DC region, and nationally influential professional Theatre for Young Audiences. He led a merger with Musical Theater Center, increased the organizational budget and audience, commissioned new works by noted playwrights, transferred two shows to Off-Broadway, built an academy, and earned dozens of Helen Hayes Award Nominations, garnering eight wins.Bobbitt studied at Harvard Business School's Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management, The National Arts Strategies Chief Executive Program, and Cornell University's Diversity and Inclusion Certification Program. An Associate Professor of Theatre at both the Boston Conservatory at Berklee and Howard University, Bobbitt has also volunteered on numerous nonprofit boards, including Maryland Citizens for the Arts, Weissberg Foundation and ArtsBoston.Bobbitt has directed/choreographed at Arena Stage, Ford's Theatre, The Shakespeare Theatre Company, Olney Theatre Center, Studio Theatre, Woolly Mammoth Theatre, Center Stage, Roundhouse Theatre, The Kennedy Center, and the Washington National Opera. His national and international credits include the NY Musical Theatre Festival, Mel Tillis 2001, La Jolla Playhouse, Children's Theatre of Charlotte, Jefferson Performing Arts Center, and the Olympics. As a writer his work was chosen for the NYC International Fringe Festival and The New York and Musical Theatre Festival. He has plays published by Concord Theatricals/Rodgers and Hammerstein Theatricals, Broadway Publishing and Plays for Young Audiences. Bobbitt has received the Excel Leadership Award (Center for Nonprofit Advancement), the Emerging Leader Award (County Executive's Excellence in the Arts and Humanities), and Maryland Theatre Guide's Person of the Year Award.   

When Jane Barnes moves to her father's affluent New England hometown for her senior year of High School, she soon discovers that the quaint village has a strange effect on her, especially when she steps into its ancient cemetery, where one of the stones marks the grave of another Jane Barnes – accused of witchcraft almost 400 years before. Jane's search into the past puts her on a collision course with Newfield's history when it becomes clear her namesake ancestor was at the center of some of the town's darkest days.Roaring Box ProductionsRoaring Box Productions is an adventurous fictional podcast, audiobook and radio-play laboratory which explores new ways to create and share audio stories and experiences which are devised and executed by the form's most talented artists. Created by Tracy Brigden and Mike DelGaudio, Roaring Box plans to create a menu of uniquely theatrical and immersive audio experiences for the listener.Tracy Brigden - Writer, ProducerTracy Brigden has spent over 30 years in the theatre developing, producing and directing new work for the stage. She was Artistic Director of City Theatre in Pittsburgh for 16 years where she directed and/or produced almost 200 new plays and musicals as well as directing theatre across the country and in New York. Tracy received her MFA in Dramatic Writing from Point Park University in 2019. Her play, I Know You Are, But What Am I? had its premiere in 2019 and she has had two immersive theatre plays, Road to Independence and Legends and Hauntings produced through the Fairfield History Center.  Her play Stage Struck about Bram Stoker, author of Dracula, was recently awarded first place in Pittsburgh Playlabs Script Competition. In addition to her work on scripted podcats, he is currently writing a feature film about Qanon.  Eric Shimelonis - Original MusicEric Shimelonis is a composer, conductor, and multi-instrumentalist.  His genre-defying score work has been heard on everything from the big screen to the small stage, and his classical compositions have been performed at Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, Tanglewood, and Harvard's Center for Hellenic Studies.  In collaboration with his wife Rebecca Sheir, Eric produces and scores a number of podcasts, including the children's storytelling podcast Circle Round. Kenny Neal - Sound Design Kenny Neal is a Helen Hayes Award-winning sound designer, composer and arranger. His work has been heard in theaters in the Washington DC area including The Kennedy Center, Olney Theatre Center, Signature Theatre, The Studio Theatre, and many others. He has designed sound as a teaching artist at Georgetown University, The University of Maryland, and American University, where he served as an adjunct professor in the Department of Performing Arts. He studied music history and composition at St. Mary's College of Maryland.Actors: Kate Baldwin - Jane Kate starred opposite both Bette Midler and Bernadette Peters in the 2017 Tony-winning revival of Hello Dolly! She was nominated for the 2017 Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle Awards for her performance as Irene Molloy. Her starring role in the 2009 Broadway revival of Finian's Rainbow drew Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle Award nominations. She received a Drama Desk Award nomination as Jen in Keen Company's revival of John & Jen. She starred as Sandra Bloom in Big Fish on Broadway and earned a Drama Desk Award nomination as Leslie Lyntonn Benedict in Giant at The Public Theater. Off Broadway, she drew raves in Songbird (59E59) and a Lortel Award nomination in Superhero (Second Stage). Television: “Law & Order SVU” (NBC) “Just Beyond” (Disney Plus) “Live from Lincoln Center: Stephen Sondheim's Passion” (PBS) “First You Dream: The Music of Kander and Ebb” (PBS) Mike DelGaudio – Jane's DadMike is a voice actor and producer, you can find him most often in his home studio where he produces his YouTube channel “Booth Junkie” helping new voice actors get started in their own studios. He has appeared as a narrator for the New York Times, Audible's Atlas Obscura, Montage King MMA and has been a player on The NoSleep Podcast for over 10 seasons. Recent corporate clients include Anheuser Busch, Caterpillar and Publix.  Erin Lillis - Liza  Erin Lillis is proud to be working with Newfield in the part of Liza / Elizabeth.  She has previously done work in audio drama as a narrator and character actor for The NoSleep Podcast, Congeria, Mandible Judy, Calling Darkness, The Grey Rooms, Destructive Criticism and many more. In addition she can be heard in several video games including Devour, Noch, Simulacra 2, Seeking Dawn, Stifled and the upcoming Brok the Investigator. Outside of voice work, Erin also hunts ghosts, writes short horror stories and has been to every Disney park in the world. To find her other work you can visit her website at ErinLillis.com or follow her on Twitter/Instagram at @Ravie13. Mary Murphy - MadisonGraham Rowat- Finn, JudgeGraham is a New York based actor working in film, television, and stage, most recently appearing in the Broadway production of Steve Martin's, Meteor Shower. He's an award winning audiobook narrator and a regular guest on such podcast audio dramas as NoSleep, The Grey Rooms, Copperheart, Among the Stars and Bones, and The SCP Archives. While in high school, Graham was briefly suspended from performing the morning announcements because of “inappropriate sounds”. Erika Sanderson - Colonial Ladies, Mrs. Harris Erika trained at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London, UK. She works as an actor, director, and voice actor. A highly versatile character actress, Erika's stage career spans over 3 decades in which she has created a myriad of roles in a variety of genres from children's theatre to classical plays and musicals. Since 2015 she has appeared in several audio dramas and is an award-winning voice actor. She has become known as "The Woman of a 1,000 Voices" for her work on The NoSleep Podcast.

When Jane Barnes moves to her father's affluent New England hometown for her senior year of High School, she soon discovers that the quaint village has a strange effect on her, especially when she steps into its ancient cemetery, where one of the stones marks the grave of another Jane Barnes – accused of witchcraft almost 400 years before. Jane's search into the past puts her on a collision course with Newfield's history when it becomes clear her namesake ancestor was at the center of some of the town's darkest days.Roaring Box ProductionsRoaring Box Productions is an adventurous fictional podcast, audiobook and radio-play laboratory which explores new ways to create and share audio stories and experiences which are devised and executed by the form's most talented artists. Created by Tracy Brigden and Mike DelGaudio, Roaring Box plans to create a menu of uniquely theatrical and immersive audio experiences for the listener.Tracy Brigden - Writer, ProducerTracy Brigden has spent over 30 years in the theatre developing, producing and directing new work for the stage. She was Artistic Director of City Theatre in Pittsburgh for 16 years where she directed and/or produced almost 200 new plays and musicals as well as directing theatre across the country and in New York. Tracy received her MFA in Dramatic Writing from Point Park University in 2019. Her play, I Know You Are, But What Am I? had its premiere in 2019 and she has had two immersive theatre plays, Road to Independence and Legends and Hauntings produced through the Fairfield History Center.  Her play Stage Struck about Bram Stoker, author of Dracula, was recently awarded first place in Pittsburgh Playlabs Script Competition. In addition to her work on scripted podcasts, he is currently writing a feature film about Qanon. Eric Shimelonis - Original MusicEric Shimelonis is a composer, conductor, and multi-instrumentalist.  His genre-defying score work has been heard on everything from the big screen to the small stage, and his classical compositions have been performed at Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, Tanglewood, and Harvard's Center for Hellenic Studies.  In collaboration with his wife Rebecca Sheir, Eric produces and scores a number of podcasts, including the children's storytelling podcast Circle Round. Kenny Neal - Sound DesignKenny Neal is a Helen Hayes Award-winning sound designer, composer and arranger. His work has been heard in theaters in the Washington DC area including The Kennedy Center, Olney Theatre Center, Signature Theatre, The Studio Theatre, and many others. He has designed sound as a teaching artist at Georgetown University, The University of Maryland, and American University, where he served as an adjunct professor in the Department of Performing Arts. He studied music history and composition at St. Mary's College of Maryland.Actors:Kate Baldwin - Jane Kate starred opposite both Bette Midler and Bernadette Peters in the 2017 Tony-winning revival of Hello Dolly! She was nominated for the 2017 Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle Awards for her performance as Irene Molloy. Her starring role in the 2009 Broadway revival of Finian's Rainbow drew Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle Award nominations. She received a Drama Desk Award nomination as Jen in Keen Company's revival of John & Jen. She starred as Sandra Bloom in Big Fish on Broadway and earned a Drama Desk Award nomination as Leslie Lyntonn Benedict in Giant at The Public Theater. Off Broadway, she drew raves in Songbird (59E59) and a Lortel Award nomination in Superhero (Second Stage). Television: “Law & Order SVU” (NBC) “Just Beyond” (Disney Plus) “Live from Lincoln Center: Stephen Sondheim's Passion” (PBS) “First You Dream: The Music of Kander and Ebb” (PBS) Mike DelGaudio – Jane's DadMike is a voice actor and producer, you can find him most often in his home studio where he produces his YouTube channel “Booth Junkie” helping new voice actors get started in their own studios. He has appeared as a narrator for the New York Times, Audible's Atlas Obscura, Montage King MMA and has been a player on The NoSleep Podcast for over 10 seasons. Recent corporate clients include Anheuser Busch, Caterpillar and Publix.  Erin Lillis - Liza  Erin Lillis is proud to be working with Newfield in the part of Liza / Elizabeth.  She has previously done work in audio drama as a narrator and character actor for The NoSleep Podcast, Congeria, Mandible Judy, Calling Darkness, The Grey Rooms, Destructive Criticism and many more. In addition she can be heard in several video games including Devour, Noch, Simulacra 2, Seeking Dawn, Stifled and the upcoming Brok the Investigator. Outside of voice work, Erin also hunts ghosts, writes short horror stories and has been to every Disney park in the world. To find her other work you can visit her website at ErinLillis.com or follow her on Twitter/Instagram at @Ravie13. Mary Murphy - MadisonMary is an actor/voice-over artist. She loves the world of audio drama and is thrilled to join the cast of Newfield.  A few of her most recent credits include the one-woman play An Evening With Lola Montez that originally premiered at Capital Fringe, multiple roles inIt's A Wonderful Life at Arkansas Rep, the film Never No More, and the audio-immersive piece Did You Hear Her Voice? As a voice actor she can currently be heard on the animated series Octonauts, Past/Present, Muzzy, Scampr, LeapFrog, Kinetic Light's Descent, Mouth Media, and voicing various characters on Fireside Mystery Theatre, The NoSleep Podcast, and The Wicked Library.Graham Rowat- Finn, JudgeGraham is a New York based actor working in film, television, and stage, most recently appearing in the Broadway production of Steve Martin's, Meteor Shower. He's an award winning audiobook narrator and a regular guest on such podcast audio dramas as NoSleep, The Grey Rooms, Copperheart, Among the Stars and Bones, and The SCP Archives. While in high school, Graham was briefly suspended from performing the morning announcements because of “inappropriate sounds”. Erika Sanderson - Colonial Ladies, Mrs. HarrisErika trained at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London, UK. She works as an actor, director, and voice actor. A highly versatile character actress, Erika's stage career spans over 3 decades in which she has created a myriad of roles in a variety of genres from children's theatre to classical plays and musicals. Since 2015 she has appeared in several audio dramas and is an award-winning voice actor. She has become known as "The Woman of a 1,000 Voices" for her work on The NoSleep Podcast.

Ilona Dulaski and Tom Story are two of the most respected and celebrated theatre actors in the Washington DC area. Ilona is an accomplished actor, singer and voice over artist. She has performed in multiple productions at The Kennedy Center, Signature Theatre, Studio Theatre, Roundhouse Theatre, Olney Theatre Center and Wayside Theatre among many others. Her portrayal of Maria Callas in Terrence McNally’s Master Class at MetroStage garnered rave reviews. Tom has appeared as an actor in over 70 productions in New York, DC, and in many cities throughout the country. He is an Affiliated Artist at The Shakespeare Theatre Company where he has starred in works by Shakespeare, Noel Coward, Stephen Sondheim, David Ives and others. He has also directed various productions at Baltimore Theatre Festival, Adventure Theatre, Solas Nua and Roundhouse Theatre. Tom is a graduate of Duke University and The Juilliard School and he has been nominated seven times for DC’s Helen Hayes Award. He last appeared at Metro Stage in the one person show “Fully Committed” where he played over 40 characters. Ilona and Tom will be starring together for the first time as part of MetroStage’s tribute to the late great Terrence McNally in his play Mothers and Sons, streaming online Jan 13-17 at MetroStage.org

Michael J. Bobbitt (michaelbobbitt.com)is the Artistic Director of New Repertory Theatre in Boston, MA.  He is an arts leader, director, choreographer, playwright and Anti-racist Arts Advocate.  ​Michael has been a leading voice for Inclusiveness in the arts beginning early in his career in his hometown of Washington, DC, and throughout his tenure at numerous prominent arts organizations, where he has been repeatedly recognized for his efforts in the advancement of Anti-racism, Equity, and Diversity. His practices, policies and procedures for creating and changing culture within arts organizations have been adopted by several organizations in DC and throughout the nation in the Theatre-for-Young-Audiences (TYA) field. His thought-leadership in this crucial area is now spreading beyond DC and his current home of Boston to a number of national outlets including regional panels, national conferences, and his widely popular new series of webinars focused on building Anti-racist organizations.  ​In his first year at New Rep, Michael eradicated the debt, built three several months of reserves, increased ticket sales by 43%, donations by 24%, patronage by 26% and Board giving exceeded goal by 57%.  Additionally, he has made New Rep into a leading voice on building Anti-racist theatre. ​Prior to New Rep, he served as Artistic Director for Adventure Theatre-MTC in Maryland, where he led the historic organization to be one of the leading theatre/training companies in the DC region and a nationally influential professional Theatre for Young Audiences.  He led the company through a merger, that increased the organizational budget by more than 600%, and led directly to an expansion of the audience base by over 400%. During his tenure, he commissioned 40 new works by noted playwrights, transferred two shows to successful Off-Broadway run in NYC, and oversaw the launch of an international tour that brought worldwide attention to Adventure Theatre-MTC. Michael founded and built a performing arts training academy for school-aged students in the Washington, DC area that became an important resource for young artists in a region where public school arts programs had been sacrificed in the name of cost-cutting. His productions received dozens of Helen Hayes Award© Nominations and featured eight wins.  ​Bobbitt has directed/choreographed at Arena Stage, Ford’s Theatre, The Shakespeare Theatre Company, Olney Theatre Center, Studio Theatre, Woolly Mammoth Theatre, Center Stage, Roundhouse Theatre, The Kennedy Center, and the Washington National Opera. His national and international credits include the NY Musical Theatre Festival, Mel Tillis 2001, La Jolla Playhouse, Children’s Theatre of Charlotte, and the Jefferson Performing Arts Center.  ​As a writer, his work has been produced all over the country and international.  He has plays published by Concord Theatricals, Plays for Young Audiences and Broadway Licensing.  He trained at Harvard Business School’s Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management, The National Arts Strategies Chief Executive Program, Professional Fundraising Certificate Program from Boston University, Certificate in Diversity and Inclusion from Cornell, artEquity and People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond, and other top leadership programs. He earned the Excel Leadership Award (Center for Nonprofit Advancement) the Emerging Leader Award (County Executive’s Excellence in the Arts and Humanities), and Person of the Year Award (Maryland Theatre Guide), among others.

Michael J. Bobbitt (michaelbobbitt.com)is the Artistic Director of New Repertory Theatre in Boston, MA.  He is an arts leader, director, choreographer, playwright and Anti-racist Arts Advocate.  ​Michael has been a leading voice for Inclusiveness in the arts beginning early in his career in his hometown of Washington, DC, and throughout his tenure at numerous prominent arts organizations, where he has been repeatedly recognized for his efforts in the advancement of Anti-racism, Equity, and Diversity. His practices, policies and procedures for creating and changing culture within arts organizations have been adopted by several organizations in DC and throughout the nation in the Theatre-for-Young-Audiences (TYA) field. His thought-leadership in this crucial area is now spreading beyond DC and his current home of Boston to a number of national outlets including regional panels, national conferences, and his widely popular new series of webinars focused on building Anti-racist organizations.  ​In his first year at New Rep, Michael eradicated the debt, built three several months of reserves, increased ticket sales by 43%, donations by 24%, patronage by 26% and Board giving exceeded goal by 57%.  Additionally, he has made New Rep into a leading voice on building Anti-racist theatre. ​Prior to New Rep, he served as Artistic Director for Adventure Theatre-MTC in Maryland, where he led the historic organization to be one of the leading theatre/training companies in the DC region and a nationally influential professional Theatre for Young Audiences.  He led the company through a merger, that increased the organizational budget by more than 600%, and led directly to an expansion of the audience base by over 400%. During his tenure, he commissioned 40 new works by noted playwrights, transferred two shows to successful Off-Broadway run in NYC, and oversaw the launch of an international tour that brought worldwide attention to Adventure Theatre-MTC. Michael founded and built a performing arts training academy for school-aged students in the Washington, DC area that became an important resource for young artists in a region where public school arts programs had been sacrificed in the name of cost-cutting. His productions received dozens of Helen Hayes Award© Nominations and featured eight wins.  ​Bobbitt has directed/choreographed at Arena Stage, Ford’s Theatre, The Shakespeare Theatre Company, Olney Theatre Center, Studio Theatre, Woolly Mammoth Theatre, Center Stage, Roundhouse Theatre, The Kennedy Center, and the Washington National Opera. His national and international credits include the NY Musical Theatre Festival, Mel Tillis 2001, La Jolla Playhouse, Children’s Theatre of Charlotte, and the Jefferson Performing Arts Center.  ​As a writer, his work has been produced all over the country and international.  He has plays published by Concord Theatricals, Plays for Young Audiences and Broadway Licensing.  He trained at Harvard Business School’s Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management, The National Arts Strategies Chief Executive Program, Professional Fundraising Certificate Program from Boston University, Certificate in Diversity and Inclusion from Cornell, artEquity and People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond, and other top leadership programs. He earned the Excel Leadership Award (Center for Nonprofit Advancement) the Emerging Leader Award (County Executive’s Excellence in the Arts and Humanities), and Person of the Year Award (Maryland Theatre Guide), among others.

PATRICK W. LORD is a projection and video designer.  He has designed projections for over 60 productions including numerous world premieres at The Kennedy Center, multiple productions at Shakespeare Theatre Company, including HAMLET featuring Michael Urie in the title role, and for various theatres in NY, DC and across the country including Lincoln Center, Revolucion Latina, Synetic Theatre, Olney Theatre Center, Gala Hispanic Theatre, MetroStage, 1st Stage and The Keegan Theatre.  He also recently worked on the video design team to adapt the Broadway show Mean Girls for its first national tour. His work has been nominated across the country, and he is a passionate advocate for Theatre for Young Audiences. He holds an MFA in Projection Design from The University of Texas at Austin.

Hosted By Michael Rau This Podcast is supported by the Office of the Vice President for the Arts and Stanford TAPS. The statements in this podcast are the opinions of the speakers. This Week's Episode of Intersections features Will Davis. Will Davis is a trans-identified director and choreographer focused on physically adventurous new work and old plays in new ways. Recent projects include: India Pale Ale by Jaclyn Backhaus for MTC; Bobbie Clearly by Alex Lubischer for Roundabout Underground; CHARM by Philip Dawkins for MCC; Welcome to Jesus by Janine Nabers, We're Gonna Be Okay by Basil Kriemendahl, Picnic by William Inge all for ATC, Men on Boats by Jaclyn Backhaus for Clubbed Thumb's Summerworks, Playwrights Horizons and ATC, for which he was nominated for a Lucille Nortel award; DUAT by Daniel Alexander Jones for Soho Rep; Orange Julius by Basil Kreimendahl; Mike Iveson’s Sorry Robot for PS122’s COIL Festival; and two productions of Colossal by Andrew Hinderaker for Mixed Blood Theater and the Olney Theatre Center, for which he won a Helen Hayes award for outstanding direction. He is an alum of the Soho Rep Writer/Director Lab, the NYTW 2050 Directing Fellowship and the BAX (Brooklyn Art Exchange) artist in residence program. He is a member of the TCG board and the Jubilee planning committee.

During this episode, I sat down with Michael J. Bobbitt, the current Artistic Director at New Rep Theatre to discuss the current social climate in America and how the Black Lives Matter movement has helped to shed some light onto the systemic racism and oppression that happens in the world of the theatre. Michael talks about his history in theatre and some of the practices that New Rep Theatre is putting into place. Like always, like, subscribe, and follow for future content. Michael J. Bobbitt is the Artistic Director of New Repertory Theatre. He is an arts leader, director, choreographer, and playwright. Prior to New Rep, he served as Artistic Director for Adventure Theatre-MTC in Maryland, where he led the organization to be a respected theatre/training company in the DC region and a nationally influential professional Theatre for Young Audiences. He led the company through a merger, increased the organizational budget by more than 600%, expanded audiences by 400%, commissioned 40 new works by noted playwrights, transferred two shows Off-Broadway, transferred one show internationally, built an academy, and earned dozens of Helen Hayes Award Nominations including eight wins. Bobbitt has directed/choreographed at Arena Stage, Ford’s Theatre, The Shakespeare Theatre Company, Olney Theatre Center, Studio Theatre, Woolly Mammoth Theatre, Center Stage, Roundhouse Theatre, The Kennedy Center, and the Washington National Opera. His national and international credits include the NY Musical Theatre Festival, Mel Tillis 2001, La Jolla Playhouse, Children’s Theatre of Charlotte, Jefferson Performing Arts Center, and the Olympics. As a writer, his work was chosen for the NYC International Fringe Festival and The New York and Musical Theatre Festival. He has two plays published by Rogers and Hammerstein Theatricals. He trained at Harvard Business School’s Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management, The National Arts Strategies Chief Executive Program, Certificate in Diversity and Inclusion from Cornell and other top leadership programs. He earned the Excel Leadership Award (Center for Nonprofit Advancement) the Emerging Leader Award (County Executive’s Excellence in the Arts and Humanities), and Person of the Year Award (Maryland Theatre Guide), among others.

I’m Stefan Sittig and welcome to AMERICAN THEATRE ARTISTS ONLINE, where we talk with leading contemporary figures in American Theatre. Artistic Director Michael J. Bobbitt joined New Repertory Theatre in the Boston area, as an arts leader, director, choreographer, and playwright in 2019. Previously, he served as Artistic Director for Adventure Theatre-MTC in Maryland since 2007, where he transformed the organization into a respected theatre/training company in the DC area, as well as a nationally influential professional Theatre for Young Audiences. In his 20 plus year career in the theatre, Bobbitt has commissioned new works by noted playwrights, transferred two shows to Off-Broadway, built an academy, and earned dozens of Helen Hayes Award Nominations including eight wins. He has directed or choreographed at Arena Stage, Ford’s Theatre, The Shakespeare Theatre Company, Olney Theatre Center, Studio Theatre, Woolly Mammoth Theatre, Center Stage, Roundhouse Theatre, The Kennedy Center, and the Washington National Opera. As a writer, his work was chosen for the NYC International Fringe Festival and he has two plays published by Rodgers and Hammerstein Theatricals. He is one of a small group of African-American men who lead prominent regional theatres in the US, and a focus of his work has been to reach out to under served populations and increase cultural diversity in theater.  

Thank you for taking the time to listen to this episode. We appreciate that you shared your time with us. If you listened on Apple Podcast, we'd love it if you could share your love in a review. Margo Seibert has proven herself to be a uniquely captivating and versatile performer, writer, and activist. After originating the role of “Jane” in Broadway’s first a cappella musical, IN TRANSIT, she recently co-starred in Dave Malloy’s world premiere OCTET at Signature Theatre in New York and released her debut album “77th Street”on Yellow Sound Label . She is perhaps best known for her critically acclaimed performance as “Adrian” in the Broadway musical ROCKY. After graduating with a degree in International Relations from American University, Margo began her acting career in the D.C. Theatre scene, seamlessly transitioning between plays and musicals at Signature Theatre, Folger Theatre, Ford’s Theatre, Olney Theatre Center and the Shakespeare Theatre. Margo moved to New York after appearing in Mary Zimmerman’s CANDIDE at the Goodman in Chicago, and has continued her multifaceted career performing in plays at Playwright’s Horizons Rattlestick, The Women's Project, and Weston Playhouse, and starring in musicals at The Paper Mill Playhouse, A.C.T, and Two River Theater. She can also been seen on television in “Boardwalk Empire,” “Elementary,” “Instinct,” and “The Good Cop.” Margo is also the co-founder of the organization RACKET, whose goal is to make as much noise about periods as it takes to normalize the conversation and draw attention to under-prioritized menstrual hygiene needs. Since inception, Margo has collected hundreds of thousands of menstrual hygiene products for transient menstruators in need, and helped eliminate the tax on those products in NY State. Keep up with Margo: @margo_seibert & www.margoseibert.com To listen to Margo's album, 77th Street, click here! Want more of Page To Stage?! Follow us on Social! @PageToStage on Instagram and Facebook MARY DINA: Instagram or Twitter BRIAN SEDITA: Instagram or Website BROADWAY PODCAST NETWORK: Website or Instagram #PageToStagePodcast

Jenna is a director in DC (she directed my adaptation of The Velveteen Rabbit) and is also the Associate Artistic Director and Casting Director at Olney Theatre Center. And she's here for a big hit that we all love and, actually, is a lot more layered than you may think. Topics include: tradition, love, Thestrals, and the importance of stage presence. Featured recordings: Fiddler on the Roof - The Original Broadway Cast Recording (1964) Join us on PATREON to get our patrons-only podcast The Original Cast at the Movies? This month we've got Sophie Schulman (Funny Girl) and Stephen Spotswood (Once More with Feeling) talking about the greatest(?) movie musical ever: Singin' in the Rain (1952). Patreon • Twitter • Facebook • Email    

Actor and author Alexandra Silber is currently appearing as Fraulein Sally Bowles in Olney Theatre Center's production of Cabaret. But she's here this week to talk about this beautiful Lucy Simon/Marsha Norman musical and so much more. Really, we get deep.__Topics include: living with grief, communing with nature, and the glory of Rebecca Luker. Buy Alexandra's memoir White Hot Grief Parade and her novel After Anatevka. Both titles are also available on Audible read by Al herself! Featured recordings: The Secret Garden - The Original Broadway Cast Album (1991) Join us on PATREON to get our patrons-only podcast The Original Cast at the Movies?  August's episode has Married super-cool duo Lee Liebeskind (Spring Awakening) and Megan Reichelt (The Scarlet Pimpernel) join Patrick and his super-cool ladywife Kelley to talk about The Muppet Movie (1979) the super-coolest movie of all time. Seriously, it's so good you guys. Patreon • Twitter • Facebook • Email  

Midday theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck joins us today for her annual Preview of the new theater season. From the off-Broadway hit Miss You Like Hell that will be coming soon to both Baltimore Center Stage and Olney Theatre Center, to the touring productions of the multiple Tony and Grammy Award-winning Broadway musicals Dear Evan Hansen and The Band's Visit, which will be making stops at Baltimore's Hippodrome Theatre this coming spring, we'll get a glimpse of the great entertainment in store for the region's theater-goers. Judy also spotlights some changes in local theater venues, including Single Carrot Theatre's new self-imposed itinerant status as a more community-focused company, and Everyman Theatre's new Upstairs Theatre, a 210-seat performance space that will open in March 2020. The new room will offer what the folks at ET describe as ----a more intimate experience, while upholding Everyman’s steadfast commitment to high-quality professional theatre.----Everyman’s Resident Scenic Designer Daniel Ettinger has created an immersive, semi-circular space—pictured at right—complete with a three-quarter thrust stage to help draw the audience into the plays' dynamics. The mini-amphitheater-style space features excellent sightlines, comfortable seats, and no seat farther than 6 rows from the stage.

It's Thursday, and time for our weekly visit with theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck, who joins Tom with her review of Tiger Style!, now on stage at Olney Theatre Center in Olney, Maryland.Tiger Style! is playwright Mike Lew's response, in part, to the criticisms of Chinese-American author Amy Chua's Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, a 2011 bestseller which argued that a strict Chinese style of parenting is superior to Western methods. Lew's play, first performed in Boston in 2016, satirizes the rampant stereotypes of Asian-American culture, and examines the timely issues of identity and immigration.Directed by Natasu Onada Power, Tiger Style! features Regina Aquino as Jennifer Chen, Sean Sekino as Albert Chen, and Michael Glenn, Kurt Kwan, and Eileen Rivera in multiple roles.Tiger Style! continues at the Olney Theatre Center through August 18. For ticket info, click here.

It's Thursday, and time for our weekly visit with theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck, who joins Midday senior producer and guest host Rob Sivak today with her review of Roald Dahl's Matilda: the Musical, now on stage in an extended run at Olney Theatre Center, in Olney, Maryland.An adaptation of one of the late British author's most popular children's stories, Matilda: The Musical was written by Dennis Kelly, with music and lyrics by Tim Minchin. The production at Olney Theatre Center is directed by Peter Flynn, with choreography by Byron Easley and music direction by Christopher Youstra. The cast of more than 30 adult and child actors features Emiko Dunn in the title role, Felicia Curry as Miss Honey, and Tom Story as Miss Trunchbull. Roald Dahl's Matilda: The Musical continues at the Olney Theatre Center through Sunday, July 28.

Theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck joins Tom with her weekly review of a regional theatrical production. Today she spotlights Elf the Musical -- an adaptation of the beloved 2003 Will Ferrell comedy, Elf -- now on stage at the Olney Theatre Center in Olney, Md.David Schlumpf stars as Buddy, a human raised by Santa’s elves in the North Pole who travels to New York City to meet his real father, Walter Hobbs (played by Bobby Smith). Buddy is shocked to learn that Walter, as well as his wife Emily (Janine Sunday) and son Michael (Tyler Smallwood) don’t believe in Santa. He sets out to reignite their belief and spread Christmas cheer. Michael J. Bobbitt directs this fresh take on a holiday favorite.Elf the Musical -- written by Thomas Meehan and Bob Martin with music by Matthew Sklar and lyrics by Chad Beguelin -- continues at the Olney Theatre through the holidays until January 6th. Get ticket information here.

Theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck joins us with her weekly review of one of the region's many thespian offerings. Today, it's Aubergine, the new play by Julia Cho that's on stage at Baltimore's Everyman Theatre. Aubergine is a story about the complexity of family relationships and the emotional power of food. The play centers on a Korean family that's struggling to bridge generational and cultural divides, and the foods and culinary traditions that help the family members find each other across those divides.Produced in association with Olney Theatre Center and directed by Everyman's founding artistic director, Vincent Lancisi, Aubergine features Tony Nam (as Ray); Glenn Kubota (Ray's father); Song Kim (Ray's uncle); Jefferson Russell (Lucien); Eunice Bae (Cornelia); and Megan Anderson (Diane/hospital worker).Aubergine continues at Everyman Theatre through Sunday, April 15th.

Mike talks with Amy Marshall, managing director of the Olney Theatre Center in Olney, Maryland. They discuss the history of the Olney Theatre Center, as well as Olney's recent efforts to pay off their significant debt incurred after a recent expansion.