Podcasts about Philadelphia Theatre Company

A conversation with one of the longest-serving and most consequential artistic directors and producers of the modern era of Philadelphia theater history, Sara Garonzik. As we continue our Season Four, we learn about her early years - first as and actor, then as a director, then as a producer at the Philadelphia Theatre Company. And we learn her stories about how she took PTC from a 25-year-long home at the Plays and Players Theatre to the new Suzanne Roberts Theatre on Broad Street. Plus, we learn about how she committed the theater to presenting consequential  modern American playwrights such as Terrence McNally, David Ives and August Wilson, and worked with so many amazing directors, composers and performing artists of the American theater - everyone from Richard Thomas to Billy Porter to Bill Irwin to Kathleen Turner. A blog post on our website, with photos of Sara Garonzik and the opening of the Suzanne Robert Theatre in 2007 on Broad Street is here: https://www.aithpodcast.com/blog/images-for-episode-100-the-suzanne-roberts-theatre-grand-opening-2007/On Sunday, June 29th, the author and podcaster Peter Schmitz will be appearing at the Brookline Books stall at the 2025 American Library Association annual conference and exhibition at the Philadelphia Convention Center. If you're a librarian - or a fan of libraries - and are coming to the ALA in Philly this year, please be sure to stop by and say hello!Support the show"Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia" the BOOK can be ordered from independent bookstores and at all online book retailers now!To order our book via Bookshop.org - GO HERE Our website: www.aithpodcast.comOur email address: AITHpodcast@gmail.comBluesky: @aithpodcast.bsky.socialFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/AITHpodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/aithpodcast/ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/AITHpodcast© Podcast text copyright, Peter Schmitz. All rights reserved. ℗ All original voice recordings copyright Peter Schmitz. ℗ All original music copyright Christopher Mark Colucci. Used by permission.

A ground-breaking ninety-minute new musical, Night Side Songs explores the intimacy of illness, mortality, and the incredible dignity of caregivers through the story of Yasmine Holly, a fictional character informed by interviews with real doctors, hospital staff, and patients, many from right here in Philadelphia. Night Side Songs is a musical convergence which reflects and celebrates Philly's “eds and meds” community with humor, grace, and profound empathy. The production will tour local hospitals, community centers, and places of worship for two weeks before its run at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre. Directed by Artistic Director Taibi Magar. Night Side Songs is supported by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage.Taibi Magar is an Artistic Director of Philadelphia Theatre Company. As a freelance director, her most recent credits are We Live in Cairo (A.R.T. world premiere, upcoming at New York Theatre Workshop), The Half-God of Rainfall (New York Theatre Workshop and A.R.T.), Macbeth in Stride (co-direction with Tyler Dobrowsky), Help (The Shed), and Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 (Signature Theatre and A.R.T., Lortel Award Best Revival). Other New York credits include Capsule by Whitney White and Peter Mark Kendall (Under the Radar Festival/The Public Theater, co-directed with Tyler Dobrowsky), Blue Ridge starring Marin Ireland and The Great Leap starring BD Wong (Atlantic Theater Company); Is God Is (Soho Rep, 2018 Obie Award;) Master (The Foundry); and Underground Railroad Game (Ars Nova, Obie Award). Regional: CTG, Woolly Mammoth Theatre, Shakespeare Theatre, Alley Theatre, The Guthrie Theater, and Seattle Repertory Theatre, among others. International: Hamburg Festival, Edinburgh Festival, Malthouse Theatre (Melbourne), and Soho Theatre (London). MFA: Brown University.Daniel and Patrick Lazour are brothers and music theater writers. Projects in development include a musical adaptation of Ritesh Batra's film The Lunchbox (Lincoln Center Theater) and their show with communal singing, Night Side Songs (Under the Radar, A.R.T./PTC co-production). They wrote original music for Caroline Lindy's debut feature Your Monster (Sundance 2024) and their movie musical Challenger: An American Dream is being developed with Bruce Cohen Productions and Spark Features. Their original musical We Live in Cairo makes its off-Broadway premiere this Fall at New York Theater Workshop after a world premiere at the American Repertory Theater in 2019, directed by Taibi Magar. Original songs by the Lazours can be heard on their independently released albums: Freres, Flap My Wings (Songs from We Live in Cairo), Beth's Homemade Cowboy Breakfast and Lullabies. They are Jonathan Larson Grant and Richard Rodgers Award recipients, MacDowell and Yaddo Fellows, and New York Theater Workshop Usual Suspects. They have worked with Noor Theatre Company, Ars Nova and PAC NYC, and are proud teaching artists. Patrick holds a B.A. from Boston College and Daniel holds a B.A. from Columbia University. @frereslazourFOR MORE INFORMATION: https://philadelphiatheatrecompany.org/night-side-songs/

A bonus episode where Peter Schmitz of the 'Adventures In Theatre History - Philadelphia' podcast takes us through an overview of the development of theatre in Philadelphia.Peter Schmitz is an actor, dialect coach, and teacher of Theater History who lives in the Philadelphia area. Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, he got his BA in History from Yale University, and his MFA in Acting from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts Graduate Acting Program. Over the past 35 years, he has performed with many American regional theaters, including the Yale Rep in New Haven CT, the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis MN, the Penumbra Theatre in St. Paul MN, and the Folger Shakespeare Theatre in Washington DC. In New York City, he did everything from children's theater to Off-Broadway shows, and was a member of the Broadway company of My Fair Lady in 1994. In Philadelphia, he has appeared with the Arden Theatre Company, InterAct Theatre, the Philadelphia Theatre Company, the Lantern Theater Co., the Wilma Theater, the Act II Playhouse - and many shows at the Walnut Street Theatre. And he even had a small role in the movie Fargo, for which he leaned to speak Minnesotan. As a theatrical dialect coach in the Philadelphia region, he has worked with many of Philadelphia's theater companies, both small and large. At present, Peter is an Adjunct Professor in the Theater Department of Temple University in Philadelphia, teaching courses in writing, dramatic literature . . . and the History of theatre.Find more information about Peter and his podcast at https://www.aithpodcast.com/on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AITHpodcastand on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/aithpodcast/ This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

In this episode of Girl, You So Random, I had the pleasure of talking with Anjoli Santiago. She started as an actress/poet/teaching artist, dancing about city theatres and exercising the skills earned from a B.A. in Theatre at Temple University. She was a NY Teaching Fellow, graduating with honors from CUNY City College with an M.S.Ed. She taught in the South Bronx as a Special Education and Creative Arts teacher for grades 6-12 and developed an after-school and summer programming for grades 6-8 with Liberty Leads from Bank Street College in Harlem. She is a lifelong artist and current Director of Education and Public Programs at the Philadelphia Theatre Company. Follow her on IG @bettyboop2185 and LI, Anjoli Santiago or her website https://linqapp.com/anjoli_santiago This episode is sponsored by Mommy Marayam, hair and body products that cater to mommy and child. You can buy products for you and your baby at www.mommymarayam.com Vocals by: Dian Sentino @belifuna Follow me on IG @drhollysfunny

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.Greetings you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites. An auspicious pod for you today. It marks a first in the long and storied, yet somehow still dubious history of The Herle Burly.We have the United States Ambassador to Canada, David L. Cohen as our guest. 2 years and 2 weeks into the job! I'd need a whole separate pod to cover off Ambassador Cohen's CV (see official bio below) — it's that long and accomplished.Suffice to say his career has spanned business, law, politics, academia, non-profit and a host of board work. And I'm going to spend some time with the Ambassador on his backstory, so we'll find out more.We're also going to talk his impressions of Canada, U.S. politics and leadership in the world, the future of global trade.Official bio:Before his appointment by President Biden and unanimous confirmation by the U.S. Senate as U.S. Ambassador to Canada, David L. Cohen served as Senior Advisor to the CEO at Comcast Corporation as of January 1, 2020.  He was previously Senior Executive Vice President at Comcast, where his portfolio included corporate communications, legal affairs, government and regulatory affairs, public affairs, corporate administration, corporate real estate and security, and community impact.  Cohen also served as the company's first chief diversity officer.Before starting with Comcast in July 2002, Cohen served as a partner in and Chairman of Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, LLP, one of the 100 largest law firms in the country.  From January 1992 to April 1997, Cohen served as Chief of Staff to the Honorable Edward G. Rendell, the Mayor of the City of Philadelphia.Cohen served on many nonprofit boards, including as chair of the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania and its Executive Committee; as a member of the trustee board and the executive committee of Penn Medicine; as a member of the board of directors and the executive committee of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce; as chair of the Philadelphia Theatre Company; as a member of the Board of the National Urban League; and as chair of the corporate board of advisors of UnidosUS.   Cohen also previously served as a member of the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission.  He also served on the board of directors of the PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. and PNC Bank, National Association.A native of New York, Cohen graduated with a B.A. from Swarthmore College in 1977 and with a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School summa cum laude in 1981.  Cohen has received numerous honors and recognitions, including Honorary Doctor of Laws degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University.  Prior to his appointment to Ottawa, he lived in Philadelphia with his wife.Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

Philadelphia Theatre Company presents the Philadelphia debut of Obie Award-winning artist/director/actor and playwright Whitney White's spellbinding take on a Shakespearean standard, Macbeth in Stride performed now through November 19th. I interviewed the dynamic Whitney White about the musical which examines what it means to be an ambitious Black woman through the lens of one of Shakespeare's most iconic characters. This 90-minute rock musical uses pop, gospel, and R&B to trace the fatalistic arc of Lady Macbeth while lifting contemporary Black female power, femininity, and desire.Philadelphia Theater Company's MacBeth in Stride

ABOUT ABANDONLuella is alone – haunted by the ghost of her son. Joshua is alone – kicked out of his house by his brother. One winter night these two people collide. Luella is looking for redemption; Joshua is looking for family. By the next morning, these two lonely souls are meshed together into an American Family in its truest sense. A world premiere by Pulitzer Prize winning playwright James Ijames, Abandon is sometimes violent, sometimes healing; with a gossamer veil that separates the worlds of the living and the dead, and shame and acceptance.Melanye Finister (Luella, she/her) is an artist and resident company member at People's Light, a member of Wilma Hothouse, and an artistic advisory board member at PlayPenn. People's Light: The Diary of Anne Frank, The Matchmaker, All My Sons, Fences, The Winter's Tale, Seven Guitars, The Return of Don Quixote, Six Characters in Search of an Author, Something You Did, Fabulation, and The Member of the Wedding. Theatre Includes: Wilma Theater, Arden Theatre Company, Flashpoint Theatre Company, InterAct Theatre Company, Philadelphia Theatre Company, Venture Theatre, Temple Theaters and Walnut Street Theatre. Training: BFA, Carnegie Mellon University.Brenson Thomas (Gabriel, he/him) is a Black and queer writer, actor, and theatre-maker. A graduate of Sarah Lawrence College's MFA Theatre program, his plays include how i got over, or…red Kool-Aid stains on bubblegum lips; What We Lost & Never Knew; and How We Return, an upcoming commission for Constellation Stage & Screen in Bloomington, IN. Brenson also writes for TV/Film, most recently on Emmy Award winner Lena Waithe's Twenties on BET. As a performer, Brenson has collaborated with Tony Award Winner Stew, Raja Feather Kelly, Lightning Rod Special in The Appointment (FringeArts/Next Door at NYTW; Barrymore Nominee for Outstanding Ensemble in a Musical), Arden Theatre Company in the world premiere of R. Eric Thomas' Backing Track, and Into the Woods, and with 1812 Productions for This is the Week That Is: 2020, and the Wilma Theater. When he's not hunched over his laptop crying about blank Google docs, Brenson enjoys long walks around his beloved Philly, doing bad accents, smashing patriarchal white supremacist structures, and Beyoncé.FOR TICKETS AND INFORMATION: https://theatreexile.org/shows/abandon/

Having been together for over 14 years as real life partners, Michael Urie and Ryan Spahn now get to share the stage together as scene partners in parts specifically written for the two of them. Interestingly enough, this episode contains as much hidden relationship advice as it does theater advice and stories, as we dive into what really makes them successful as a couple after all this time, especially both being in such a tumultuous, competitive profession. They also share how they turned pandemic lemons into pandemic lemonade by experimenting with Zoom multicam, aka two cell phones in two different rooms, to make their at-home performances have a little extra pizzaz -- which them led them through the change opportunity rabbit hole that put them on stage together now. More about Michael Urie STC: Hamlet, Will on the Hill (2022). NEW YORK: Broadway: Chicken & Biscuits, Grand Horizons, Torch Song, How To Succeed in Business... Off-Broadway: Performer: Buyer & Cellar, The Government Inspector, Angels in America, The Temperamentals, A Bright Room Called Day, The Cherry Orchard. Director: Bright Colors and Bold Patterns. Producer: Happy Birthday Doug (both written and performed by Drew Droege and both available on BroadwayHD). Co-Founder/Co-Producer: Pride Plays, an LGBTQIA theater festival. TV: Ugly Betty, Younger, Modern Family, Good Wife/Fight, Hot in Cleveland. FILM: Single All The Way, Swan Song, Lavender, Decoy Bride, Beverly Hills Chihuahua, He's Way More Famous Than You (also directed). UPCOMING: TV: Shrinking, Krapopolis. FILM: Jerseys Boys Live.  More about Ryan Spahn STC: Hamlet. NEW YORK: Off-Broadway: Good Enemy;Jane Anger;Lessons in Survival;Mr. Toole;How To Load aMusket;Moscow, Moscow, Moscow, Moscow, Moscow, Moscow; Daniel's Husband; Summer & Smoke; Still at Risk; Exit Strategy; Gloria. REGIONAL: Williamstown Theatre Festival, Goodman Theatre, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Philadelphia Theatre Company. FILM: September 17th, The Raging Heart of Maggie Acker, Shirley, Abducted, Nora Highland (writer/director), He's Way More Famous Than You (co-writer), Grantham & Rose (writer), Woven (co-writer). TV: Chicago P.D., Modern Love, The Bite, The Blacklist. PERSONAL: he/him | Ryan's writing has been published by Rotten Tomatoes, Talkhouse, USA Today, and D.C.'s Metro Weekly. | Training: The Juilliard School. Connect with Michael and Ryan: Listen to Michael's original episode #148 IG: @MichaelUrieLikesIt, @RyanSpahn Twitter: @MichaelUrie, @Ryan_Spahn Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast TikTok: @thetheatrepodcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Email me at feedback@thetheatrepodcast.com. I want to know what you think. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on the podcast, we chat with the collaborators of the World Premiere production, The Tattooed lady, A New Musical on stage at Philadelphia Theatre Company. Here is my interview with Max Vernon and Erin Courtney for The Tattooed Lady, A New Musical.The story of The Tattooed Lady highlights one of sideshow's biggest stars, Ida Gibson, in a moving, fantastical tale that reveals the generational chasms and connections between Ida and her granddaughter Joy. A parade of beguiling characters appear, on a mission to liberate Ida from her self-imposed exile and help Joy find freedom through forgiveness. The musical celebrates the resilience of women whose choices have the power to liberate them.ABOUT THE CREATORSErin Courtney (Book) is a New York based playwright. Her play, A Map of Virtue, was awarded an Obie and was nominated for a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding New York Theater. Her play I Will Be Gone, premiered at the Humana Festival, Actors Theater of Louisville. She has written two operas with Elizabeth Swados: The Nomad and Kaspar Hauser, both commissioned and produced by The Flea Theater. Her other plays, produced by Clubbed Thumb, include Alice the Magnet, directed by Pam MacKinnon, and Demon Baby, directed by Ken Rus Schmoll. She is an affiliated artist with Clubbed Thumb, a member of the Obie Award winning playwrights collective, 13P, as well as the co-founder of the Brooklyn Writers Space.Max Vernon (Book, Music, Lyrics & Orchestrations) is a musical theatre writer, whose works include The View UpStairs, KPOP (opening on Broadway this November!), The Tattooed Lady, and Show & Tell. They are a three-time Drama Desk nominee, Out100 Honoree, two-time MacDowell Fellow, Dramatist Guild Fellow, and recipient of the Lucille Lortel Award, Richard Rodgers Award, Jonathan Larson Grant, Pew Arts and Culture Grant, and New York Foundation of the Arts Fellowship, among others. They have also written work for Audible, Disney, Virgin Group, and Tyra Banks. Notable concerts include Joe's Pub, the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art. They earned an MFA from NYU's Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program. www.maxvernon.com IG: @frauleinsallybowelsFOR TICKETS AND INFORMATION: https://philadelphiatheatrecompany.org

January 1990: The appointment of Mary B. Robinson as the new Artistic Director of the Philadelphia Drama Guild is announced, taking over from outgoing Artistic Director Gregory Poggi.Robinson's tenure at the Drama Guild was slated to begin in August of 1990, so she could move back to Philadelphia and start planning her first season. At a press conference, she stated that she planned to personally direct at least 3 of the 5 shows staged by the Drama Guild, whose current home was in the Zellerbach Theatre on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania. . . . In the fall of 2021, Mary Robinson sat down for a talk with Adventures in Theater History. It was also the first time she had sat down and really discussed her four-and-a-half year long tenure at the Drama Guild in since 1995. We also talked about the many shows she subsequently directed at the Philadelphia Theatre Company in years since. The first of a planned series of many interviews with historically important Philadelphia theater artists and scholars, we are proud to bring you this fascinating hour-long recorded conversation. Enjoy!Website: www.AITHpodcast.comFacebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/AITHpodcastTwitter: https://twitter.com/schmeterpitzOur email address: AITHpodcast@gmail.comPLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW ON APPLE PODCASTS  - or even easier, right on our website! https://www.aithpodcast.com/reviews/new/Support the show

Lisa and Broadway veteran Rodney Hicks go deep into the journey toward knowing ourselves and how going off of social media has freed him. “I had to make a choice as a human being. How do I want to walk in this world as an artist, a human being? And do I want to call out or do I want to call in? And as a black, gay, queer, gender non-conforming man, that was a lot.” Rodney Hicks  Guest Bio:RODNEY HICKS (pro-nouns: he/they) is a Meditator, Broadway/TV/Film actor, and Playwright. Plays include: THE FLAWED PLAY, FLAME BROILED. or the ugly play, MS. PEARL'S CABARET, and JUST PRESS SAVE. Rodney is currently writing an original book to a new jukebox musical called,  1 9 6 8. BROADWAY actor credits: Original Cast of COME FROM AWAY "Bob & Others” Directed by Tony Award Winner Christopher Ashley, Musical Staging by Olivier Award Winner Kelly Devine; Original Cast of THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS "Clarence Norris" Directed and Choreographed by Tony Award Winner Susan Stroman; 2000 revival Jesus Christ Superstar "Peter" Directed by Gale Edwards, Choreographed by Anthony Van Laast; Original Cast of the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award musical RENT Directed by Tony Award Nominee Michael Greif, choreographed by Tony Award Nominee Marlies Yearby. REGIONAL: Grateful to have over 25 years of regional theatre credits to their name, from originating roles, to stepping into newly envisioned ones. In 2011, Rodney had the distinct honor of being the first African-American ‘Curly' in a professional production with the first all Black production of Rogers and Hammerstein's OKLAHOMA! at Portland Center Stage. Rodney received a 2012 Barrymore Award for Outstanding Actor in a Leading Role in THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS portraying "Haywood Patterson" at The Philadelphia Theatre Company. TV: Leverage; GRIMM; Hope & Faith; Student Affairs (Pilot); Law & Order: CI; NYPD Blue; Dance Party USA. FILM: Paramount Pictures' Mighty Oak (Apple TV, Amazon); RENT: Filmed live on Broadway (Apple TV, Amazon); django. Original Cast Recordings: COME FROM AWAY, The Scottsboro Boys, 2006 Off-Broadway Cast Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, The New Picasso (concept recording) and RENT.This conversation was recorded Rodney Hicks Friday December 10th @ 1:00 2021Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/STOPTIME)

Suli Holum is a theatre artist whose work has been supported by the Orchard Project, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Playwrights Horizons, New Dramatists, the Playwright's Center, The Ground Floor at Berkeley Rep, and HERE, and presented by FringeArts, The Public Theatre/UTR, La Jolla Playhouse, Center Theatre Group, Z Space and The Gate in London.  As a member of Philadelphia's Wilma Hothouse she has appeared in Romeo and Juliet and Dance Nation. Other acting projects include Sweat at Philadelphia Theatre Company, On the Exhale at Theatre Exile, The Few at Theatre Horizon, and Cabaret at the Arden, and an appearance on HBO's Mare of Eastown. As a writer and director, she is a longtime collaborator with choreographer Nichole Canuso and has developed commissions for the National Constitution Center and the Institute on Disabilities at Temple University. A founding member of Pig Iron Theatre Company, she went on to co-found Stein | Holum Projects with Deborah Stein where she co-created and performed the Drama Desk-nominated Chimera, and The Wholehearted.  She recently launched Suli Holum/The Work, a Philadelphia-based incubator for live performance. A recipient of a Drama Desk Award, a TCG/Fox Resident Actor Fellowship, and a Barrymore Award, she is currently pursuing her MFA in Creative Writing at Goddard College where she was the recipient of the 2020 Engaged Artist Award.

Mark Williams (he/him) is a Projections and Media Graduate Student attending the University of Maryland. An associate for VidCo: Virtual Design Collective, he designed set dressings and camera solutions for Geffen Playhouse's hit live Zoom production, Someone Else's House, described as “A frightening digital coup-de-theatre.” by The New York Times. -The New York TimesAs a Props and Puppetry Freelancer from the Philadelphia region, he has worked in theatres such as Delaware Theatre Company, The Idiopathic Ridiculopathy Consortium, Philadelphia Theatre Company, Hangar Theatre, The Walnut, Opera Delaware, and Theatre Horizon. Learn more athttps://www.Markwdesign.com On Geffen Playhouse's Someone Else's House: Obie Award-winning multimedia artist Jared Mezzocchi has a harrowing story to tell: his family's frightening, true-life haunting inside a 200-year-old New England house. Flip the switch, light your candles, and prepare yourself (as best you can) for this first-hand story of terror with the latest interactive production from the Geffen Stayhouse.On Mark: “My own work begins with the primary goal of theatre, which Charles Mee described as “a practice for life." In its most basic sense this means what we witness in the performance space should develop us as persons, and better prepare us for the contradictions abound in life. Bitter sweetness and emotional ambivalence are representative of the human condition and should be represented by the characters we seek on stage. I seek contradiction, irony, hypocrisy, and to unravel how people make decisions. I'm interested in developing performance ideas that heighten the reactivity between performer, audience, and design. To reduce the static nature of projection and media brings it more in line with the liveness of theatre and dance.”

On this week’s Into the Absurd, we celebrate artistic engagement with Founder & Executive Director of Director's Gathering (DG) Jill Harrison. Jill Harrison (she/her) is a theatre director, connector, and educator. She began her career in NYC, working for esteemed Off-Broadway companies Playwrights Horizons, New York Theatre Workshop, and Peculiar Works Project. Jill has served as the Associate Artistic Director at Simpatico Theatre, the Festival Director for Philadelphia Theatre Company’s PTC@PLAY, and presently, the Founder & Executive Director of Directors Gathering (DG), a membership organization that continuously supports and elevates regional theatre directors.Jill's directing credits include: the world premiere of Alessandra Most’s Private Policy, a circus in two acts (Columbia Stages), the Philadelphia premieres of Samuel D. Hunter’s A Bright New Boise and Sarah Ruhl’s Dead Man’s Cell Phone (Simpatico), Craig Lucas’ Reckless (Theatre Outlet), Anne Washburn’s Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play (Villanova Theatre), and upcoming, Jacqueline Goldfinger's Babel (Passage Theatre).A Rad Girl Award "Connector of the Year" nominee, Jill serves as a national voice in elevating regional theatre directors as visionaries. Since 2016, Jill has collaborated with fellow director-centric programmers and leaders at the Stage Directors + Choreographers Society, the theatrical union for directors, The Drama League, and many other director-centric programs to connect and mutually grow our interest in serving theatre directors and their significant impact on arts and culture. Jill has also recently worked as the Creative Producer for Theatre Philadelphia's 2019 Barrymore Awards, a Steering Committee member of PAAL, a national initiative for parent-theatre artist advocacy, and a Creative Consultant for Juniper Productions, the only independent creative producing agency in Philadelphia. Jill holds a MFA in Directing from Temple University and a BA in Theatre from Lehigh University. As a professor, Jill has taught directing and new work at Swarthmore College, Arcadia University, Temple University, Villanova University, and in 2020 launched, "Directors Workshop", a virtual directors studio. Jill is a member of Lincoln Center Theatre Director’s Lab and an associate member of SDC.

Rodney Hicks is a New York actor/playwright, originally from Philly, who makes his home in Denver, CO with his husband and two dogs. He is currently working on a new project with some really special people. Hicks is an Award-winning Black Gay Male Artist. His play FLAME BROILED. or the ugly play had its World Premiere at Local Theater Company in Boulder, CO in the Fall of 2019. The play was awarded the 2019 Eulipions Fund on behalf of The Denver Foundation. His other plays, JUST PRESS SAVE and MS. PEARL'S CABARET was a 2018 and 2019 Semi-Finalist for the Eugene O’Neill Theater Conference. JUST PRESS SAVE had a successful workshop presentation via Zoom in a private industry reading as part of the PRIDE Plays Festival of New Plays on June 20, 2020. It was directed by Michael Greif (Dear Evan Hansen, Next to Normal, RENT). The cast included: Tony Award Nominee Hailey Kilgore as Jocelyn Baxter, Taylor Trensch as Curtis Miller, Kenny Tran as Bolin Hsu, Wyatt Gray as Damon Webster, Rafael Molina as Carter Alvarez, and Rocky Vega as Monica Alvarez. What an AWESOME time we all had. Rodney has co-starred on Broadway as part of the Original Cast of the now International Hit Musical, COME FROM AWAY, by Irene Sankoff and David Hein. Rodney Originated the role of Bob & Others. Directed by Tony Award winner Christopher Ashley with Musical Staging by Olivier Award winner Kelly Devine. (Rodney was nominated for a Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Musical -Ford’s Theater & a Gypsy Rose Lee nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Musical -Seattle Rep); Rodney Originated the role of Clarence Norris in John Kander & Fred Ebb's The Scottsboro Boys. Directed and Choreographed by Tony Award winner Susan Stroman; Rodney Revived the role of Peter in Jesus Christ Superstar (2000 Revival). Directed by Gayle Edwards with Choreography by Anthony Van Laast; Rodney Originated the role of Paul, a Cop and Others in the multiple Tony Award/Pulitzer Prize honored Landmark Musical RENT. Directed by Tony Award nominee Michael Greif with Choreography by Tony Award nominee Marlies Yearby. Rodney had a once in a lifetime opportunity to come full circle with RENT, coming back to the show in its final year on Broadway as Benjamin Coffin III. He plays Benny on the RENT: Live on Broadway DVD/ also available on streaming services. Some of his Off-Broadway credits include Originating the role of Philly in Lee Summers, Ty Stephens, and Herbert Rawlings, Jr’s R&B Musical, FROM MY HOMETOWN. Directed by Kevin Ramsey with Choreography by Leslie Dockery. (Audelco Award Outstanding Leading Actor in a Musical nomination); He Originated the role of Rodney in the 2006 revival of Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris. Directed by Gordon Greenberg with choreography by Mark Dendy. Rodney has a host of National/International tours and Prominent Regional theatre credits to his name. Rodney has the distinction of being the first African-American to portray the role of Curly in the first professional all-Black production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! at Portland Center Stage. Directed by his now-husband, Chris Coleman. Choreographed by Joel Ferrell. Rodney was awarded the Barrymore Award for Outstanding Leading Actor in a Musical for his turn as Haywood Patterson in the first post- Broadway Regional Premiere of The Scottsboro Boys at The Philadelphia Theatre Company. Susan Stroman’s Tony-nominated Direction and Choreography were reproduced by Jeff Whiting, Associate Director of the Broadway company. The Choreography was reproduced by Eric Santagata, Associate Choreographer of the Broadway company. Rodney and Chris are now based in Denver, CO where Chris is the Artistic Director of The Denver Center for the Performing Arts. They have two dogs, Trevor and Logan. Rodney enjoys traveling with work when not spending quality time at home with his husband, keeping himself busy writing, hiking, and meditating. Original Cast Recordings: COME FROM AWAY, The Scottsboro Boys, Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, The New Picasso (concept recording), and RENT. Directing credits include Flame Broiled. or the ugly play (World Premiere); Runaways: In concert (reworked book by Rodney Hicks) at Joe's Pub/Public Theatre 2007 to benefit Joey Dipaolo AIDS Foundation. Jamie McGonnigal, producer -featuring Tony Award nominee Alex Brightman, Ezra Miller, Max Jenkins, Karla Mosley, Idara Victor, Eric Anthony, Shaun Taylor Corbett, Karen DiConcetto, Garrett Zercher, among others; Guess Who's Coming for Chitlins' at The Triad in NYC 1997. Book, Music & Lyrics by Jerry Dixon. The cast included Kevin R. Free, Kathy Deitch, J. Cameron Barnett, Welly Yang, JoLyn Burks, and Danielle Lee Greaves. Nancy Gilsenan’s Ordinary People at St. Thomas Aquinas Players.  

Helen Huang is known for her work on Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn (2020), American Horror Story (2011) and Vacation (2015). Helen Huang, Professor of Costume Design, is an award-winning costume designer who has worked in theatres throughout the DC area, across the country, and abroad. Helen's new book, Elizabethan Costume Design and Construction: (The Focal Press Costume Topics Series) is available on Amazon.com. Helen's design work was chosen for exhibit at the A. A. Bakhrushin Museum in Moscow, Russia. Take Ten is an interview with Professor Huang published in theatreWashington. Click here to read. Professor Huang was featured by the 2016 Oregon Shakespeare Festival for her costume design work on The Winter's Tale, directed by Desdemona Chiang and presented from an Asian/Asian-American perspective. See videos: Envisioning Sicilia & Bohemia and Humor, Poetry & Magic in the Designs of Helen Huang. Design Credits: MD/DC AREA: The Washington Ballet, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, The Studio Theatre, Folger Theatre, Ford’s Theatre, Roundhouse Theatre, Signature Theatre, Arena Stage, Olney Theatre REGIONAL: Oregon Shakespeare Festival, The Guthrie Theatre, George Street Playhouse, The Classic Stage Company New York, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, The Children’s Theatre Company of Minneapolis, Syracuse Stage, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Utah Shakespeare Festival, The Wilma Theatre, Philadelphia Theatre Company, Playmakers Repertory Theatre, The Arden Theatre, Disney Creative Entertainment, Boston Lyric Opera.    

This week Liz interviews Matt Davis, production manager at the Philadelphia Theatre Company. Matt is a graduate of Yale Drama, an experienced production manager and technical director, and the author of Intellectual Property for Producing Theatres. Learn more about Matt at https://www.madavis.com/

Duncan Stewart Duncan is a Casting Director & Partner at Stewart/Whitley. BROADWAY/NY: Hadestown, The Lightning Thief, The Great Comet of 1812, Rock Of Ages, The Black Clown (Lincoln Center), A Clockwork Orange, On The Town, Pippin, Chicago The Musical, La Cage Aux Folles, As You Like It, Elf the Musical, The Radio City Christmas Spectacular, Carnegie Hall West Side Story, The Band Wagon, Stuffed, Curvy Widow, Pageant. WEST END/UK: Hadestown (London’s National Theatre), Thriller Live, Menier Chocolate Factory; TV: Tiny Pretty Things(Netflix), Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist (NBC/Lionsgate), Freaky Friday (Disney Channel); TOURS: The Lightning Thief, Finding Neverland, Waitress, SpongeBob, A Bronx Tale, Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, The Bodyguard, Dirty Dancing, The Sound of Music, Elf the Musical, Into The Woods, Once, Shrek, Flashdance, Anything Goes, Bullets Over Broadway, The Duck Commander Musical, We Will Rock You. UPCOMING: Sunday In The Park With George, Paradise Square, A Wonderful World, Moby Dick, Stephen Schwartz’ The Prince of Egypt, August Rush, Stu for Silverton; REGIONAL: American Repertory Theater, The Alley Theatre, Carnegie Hall, Bay Street Theater, Theatre Under the Stars (TUTS), Hollywood Bowl, The Berkeley Repertory Theater, The Goodspeed, The Ahmanson, Seattle’s 5th Avenue, Asolo Rep, TheatreWorks, Philadelphia Theatre Company, Miami New Drama, For The Record productions, Aida Cruise Lines, and the Broadway-branded shows on Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. Prior to forming Stewart/Whitley, Duncan was the in-house Director of Casting for National Artists Management Company (NAMCO) on various Broadway/West End productions. This year he celebrates 16+ years as the Casting Director of Chicago. Previous to this he worked with Alaine Alldaffer (Head of Casting) on numerous productions at Playwrights Horizons. Duncan has been a TV guest judge and panelist for ABC’s Emmy-winning, “Extreme Weight Loss” and Broadway TV’s “Next Broadway Star” and is often booked as a guest lecturer and seminar/workshop leader for numerous colleges, studios and universities in the US, Canada and UK. Mr. Stewart is an Artios Award winner and proud member of the Casting Society of America (CSA). Instagram: @duncanstewart1 Host Jamie Neale discussing rituals and habitual patterns in personal and work life. We ask questions about how to become more aware of one self and the world around us, how do we become 360 with ourselves? Host Instagram: @jamienealejn Podcast Instagram: @360_yourself Music From Electric Fruit Produced by Tom Dalby Composed by Toby Wright

In this episode of Startup Journey I speak with Paige Price of the Philadelphia Theatre Company. She talks about her transition from being an actress to helping run the business side of a theater company. Her words of wisdom and inspiration will help you on your journey, so have a listen! Co-produced by Ron Gilbert

Originally from Maine, Tony Award winning lighting designer Tyler Micoleau has lived in Brooklyn for the last 24 years. He has designed extensively throughout New York as well as regionally and internationally, for world premiere plays, musicals and operas as well as outdoor spaces and touring pieces.His work can currently be seen on Broadway in The Band’s Visit at the Barrymore Theater and Be More Chill at the Lyceum Theater.Other New York designs for Lincoln Center Theater, the Public Theater, New York Theatre Workshop, Manhattan Theater Club, Atlantic Theater, Signature, Second Stage, Playwrights Horizons, New York Theatre Workshop, Vineyard Theatre, New Georges, Epic Theatre Ensemble, Page 73, Rattlestick, Barrow Street Theater, Foundry Theatre, The Play Company, Soho Rep and many others.Regional designs for the Huntington Theater, Alley Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Dallas Theater Center, the Old Globe, La Jolla Playhouse, Trinity Repertory Theatre, Arena Stage, Shakespeare Theater, Kansas City Rep, Philadelphia Theatre Company, Wilma Theater, Pig Iron Theatre, the Folger, Long Wharf Theater and many others.Opera designs for palm beach Opera, Dallas Opera, Spoleto Festival USA, PORTopera, Curtis Opera, Manhattan School of Music, and Connecticut Grand Opera.Dance design for Eliot Feld’s Mandance Project at The Joyce Theater, Neil Greenberg and The Chase Brock Experience.Fine art installation projects include 2×4 Tree (PIFA Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts), Åhus Sommaren 1974 (Bellwether Galleries, Chelsea NYC), Beneath the Floorboards (Ohio Theater Gallery, Soho NYC).Tyler has served on the faculty at Sarah Lawrence College and has been a visiting artist at Dartmouth College, Yale University, Bates College and his alma matter, Bowdoin College.

First on the show we meet Jenna Naffin, Show Manager for the Philly Home & Garden Showhappening this Friday, February 15th through Sunday February 17th at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center at Oaks in Oaks, PA. Jenna gives us the inside scoop on all the awesome things happening at the show this year as well as lets us in on the behind the scenes action that goes into planning this huge event. For more info and tickets visit phillyhomeandgarden.com Another fun thing happening this week is Philly Theatre Week (February 7-17). Marilyn sits down with Leigh Goldenberg, Executive Director of Theatre Philadelphia (and the creator of Philly Theatre Week) and Emily Zeck, Managing Director of Philadelphia Theatre Company to talk about all of the great shows you can see during this 10 day  celebration of one of the most vibrant theatre regions in the nation. One of those shows is the Philadelphia Theatre Company’s presentation of “The Bridges of Madison County” at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre running February 8th through March 3rd. For more info, visit phillytheatreweek.com  

It's curtains up for the Philadelphia Theater Company's new season and it starts with a pulitzer prize winning play. KYW Newsradio's Lauren Lipton talks with the thearer company's producing artistic director Paige Price.

Sheryl Kaller is a theatrical director. She has Broadway credits that include Mothers and Sons and Next Fall by Geoffrey Nauffts, for which she was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Director. She has directed at many theatres including Roundabout Theatre Company, Lincoln Center Theater, The New Group, Pasadena Playhouse, Primary Stages, Williamstown Theatre Festival, American Conservatory Theater, New York Stage and Film, Geffen Playhouse, Philadelphia Theatre Company, and Naked Angels. She told me her story and gave me her perspective on all things including: What Bob Fosse “fought for” in his direction, and how that inspired her. How she never felt like a female Director while she was in school . . . but only when she got into the business, and how that has changed (or not) since then. The day she got scolded by an Actor for being too prepared.  And how that has affected her style since. How she got back into the business after deciding to take time off to raise her family (and how that made her a better and more successful Director). The process of pitching herself for a job . . . what she says to playwrights and Producers in order to earn their trust. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Davy comes to you live and direct from backstage at Found the Musical at the Philadelphia Theatre Company! With special guest Patrick Hinds of Theater People Podcast, who shares a theatrical find.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Davy comes to you live and direct from backstage at Found the Musical at the Philadelphia Theatre Company! With special guest Patrick Hinds of Theater People Podcast, who shares a theatrical find. Buy tickets to the Found Musical here: http://bit.ly/2eoFN6g Check out the finds from this episode: http://bit.ly/2azdfRz Find Patrick Hind's Theatre People podcast here: http://www.theaterppl.com/portfolio/ Listen to Wait Wait Don't Kill Me, a musical comedy inspired by Serial, on Secrets, Crimes & Audiotape: smarturl.it/sca Thank you to our sponsors: Stamps.com - Get a free trial membership and $110 towards a shipping scale and postage when you visit them here: www.stamps.com/radio/Found Blue Apron - Get 3 meals free on your first order when you visit them here: www.blueapron.com/Found Audible.com - Get a free 30-day membership and a free book when you visit them here: www.audible.com/found We'd like to hear from you. Find us on Twitter @FOUNDPodcast or Facebook.com/FOUNDPodcast, and please complete a quick survey at www.wondery.com/survey

For today's show, we're doing something a little different! We're traveling to Philadelphia, PA to spend the afternoon with the creative team behind the fabulous new musical "Found," which is now playing at the gorgeous Philadelphia Theatre Company. The show, which began in the basement theater of the Drama Bookshop and had it's off-Broadway premiere last year at the Atlantic Theater Company, is inspired by the popular "Found Magazine" and it's founder Davy Rothbart. Our guests are Davy Rothbart, Lee Overtree (co-book writer / director), Eli Bolin (music & original lyrics) and Victoria Lang (producer)

Aug. 30, 2014. Margaret Engel and Henry Hodges appear at the 2014 Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. Speaker Biography: Margaret Engel is a journalist and playwright who lives in Bethesda. A former Washington Post reporter, she is the co-author of books on baseball and regional food. She and her twin sister wrote "Red Hot Patriot," a play that has had more than 15 U.S. productions, including the Geffen Playhouse, Philadelphia Theatre Company and Arena Stage. She runs the Alicia Patterson Journalism Foundation. Her new book, with Henry Hodges, is "How to Act Like a Kid: Backstage Secrets of a Young Performer" (Disney). Speaker Biography: Henry Hodges has spent most of his life on stage or in front of a camera. On Broadway he has appeared in "Beauty and the Beast," "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" and "Mary Poppins." He has worked in community and regional theaters and done voice-overs for "Snow Buddies" and "Space Buddies." In his book (with Margaret Engel), "How to Act Like a Kid: Backstage Secrets of a Young Performer" (Disney), Hodges uses his considerable experience to give young readers advice on open calls, auditions, rehearsals, dance and voice classes, child wranglers, studio teachers and how to do homework in green rooms! He will also talk about living a normal life while devoting your time to performing on stage and screen. For transcript, captions, and more information, visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=6437

Special Guest:Clinton Roane (Broadway- Scottsboro Boys, NY Theatre-The Sporting Life of Icarus Jones, Regional Theatre- Hello! My Baby.) BFA from Howard University.   Special Guest: Actor David Bazemore (Regional- Hairspray, Beauty an the Beast, West Side Story) BFA from Shenandoah University. Actor JC Montgomery was unable to make the interview. The two wonderful actors are currently starring in the Philadelphia Theatre Company's production of The Scottsboro Boys. The Scottsboro Boys is a stirring musical that explores the infamous 1930's 'Scottsboro Case' in which a group of African-American men are falsely accused of a terrible crime, ultimately provoking a national outrage that sparked the American Civil Rights movement.  Philadelphia Theatre Company''s website: http://www.philadelphiatheatrecompany.org/2012/boys.html PBS special about The Scottsboro Boys: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/scottsboro/

The role of Regional Theatre in supporting and presenting new works to their communities was among the topics discussed by our panel: Christopher Ashley, Artistic Director of La Jolla Playhouse, Gordon Edelstein, Artistic Director of Long Wharf Theatre, Sara Garonzik, Producing Artistic Director of the Philadelphia Theatre Company, and Eric Rosen, Artistic Director of Kansas City Repertory Theatre. They also explored how they share works and resources; the kind of show they feel best serves their audiences; their interaction with the local community; how they deal with competition within the theatrical community in their cities; what they learn from visiting Directors to their theatres; and the effect it has on their theatres when one of their shows moves to Broadway.