Author: Victoria Myers

Features 

7 Women of Theatre History You Should Know: Part Five

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We showcase seven more women who shaped the theatre landscape as we know it today. Some overcame gender or race discrimination but persevered at a time when the field was not welcoming. Some founded theatre companies, or created iconic design elements, or wrote pieces from a perspective not often shown on the Broadway stage. In this installment we introduce you to Alice Childress, Mary P. Burrill, Anne Caldwell, Maria Bjornson, Martha Morton, Valina Hasu Houston, and Gertrude Jeannette. 

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Interviews 

Heidi Schreck on What the Constitution Means to Me (meaning her, and maybe you too)

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The Constitution—which is very in or very out right now depending on how you look at it—is the subject of What the Constitution Means to Me a new play written and starring Heidi Schreck. More specifically, the show examines the Fourteenth Amendment (arguably the most important amendment) and its effect on generations of women in Heidi’s family—and on herself. We speak with Heidi about developing the piece, her thoughts on theatrical autofiction, the challenges of writing about violence against women and abortion, and more.

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Interviews 

Emerging Writers Geraldine Inoa and Gracie Gardner in Conversation

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Geraldine Inoa and Gracie Gardner have a lot in common. Both are young writers who are relatively self-trained (neither chose to pursue an MFA) and who go back and forth between the worlds of theatre and television. Both women are also the recipients of very prestigious awards, The Unsung Voices Playwriting Commission and The Relentless Award, associated with Shonda Rhimes and Phillip Seymour Hoffman respectively. Additionally, both have plays being produced in New York this month. We speak with Geraldine and Gracie about their experiences working in theatre and TV, from the realities of balancing writing with day jobs to the unspoken gendered rules on how writers are expected to present themselves.

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Interviews 

Head Over Heels With Bonnie Milligan

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In Head over Heels, Bonnie Milligan does not portray a typical princess. Her character, Princess Pamela, is hilarious, strong-willed to the point of throwing a tantrum onstage, and unabashedly confident in who she is—at least on the outside. We speak with Bonnie to discuss her Broadway debut in Head Over Heels, her thoughts on playing Pamela, and more.

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Interviews 

An Interview with Young Jean Lee

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Straight White Men, which marks Young Jean Lee’s Broadway debut, as well as the first time a play by an Asian woman has been produced on Broadway. Young Jean has been a staple of the downtown theatre community for years, with her own theatre company where she writes and directs. She has also, for whatever reason, been a slightly enigmatic figure. We speak with Young Jean about her process for writing Straight White Men, how she views the audience, ambition, and more.

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Featurettes 

Meet Three Women of the Broadway League’s Diversity Initiative

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In recent years, there have been some quieter initiatives to address the lack of diversity among people working behind the scenes in theatre. One such initiative is the Broadway League’s Diversity Initiative Internship program. The program places college students with internships at company and general management firms. Here, three recent participants in the program—Sophie Anicival-Wolak, Jacqueline Bell, and Joyee To—share their experiences.

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Interviews 

An Interview with Heidi Blickenstaff

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Ten years ago, Heidi Blickenstaff was part of the beloved musical [title of show]. Now, Heidi now finds herself in another rare position: after doing the stage musical of Disney’s Freaky Friday, she was hired to reprise her role in the made-for-TV movie. We speak with Heidi about her journey with the film, being brave on camera, aging, and more.

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Interviews 

Melissa Errico and Charlotte Moore in Conversation

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Charlotte Moore, co-founder of Irish Repertory Theatre, and Melissa Errico discuss their production of On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, and their experiences working together as “two strong women” in the theatre, sharing tales of triumph as well as some of the darker experiences that have informed their takes on the characters in the show and in the theatre industry at large.

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Interviews 

Tiler Peck is On the Move

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One of the New York City Ballet’s most lauded principal dancers, Tiler Peck might be the woman to help change the classical dance– and theatre– world. She’s stepping into new leadership roles and there’s a documentary, BalletNOW, about it. We speak with her about her goals for BalletNOW, the ballet world having so many men in leadership roles, her future as a choreographer, and more.

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Featurettes 

NYMF Spotlight 2018

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It’s once again time for the New York Musical Festival. NYMF’s goal is to support the development of new and diverse works of musical theatre. We asked a mix of artists involved—from performers to directors to writers to designers—to answer some questions about their shows and what inspires them. The shows they’re a part of represent a range of styles and subject matters, and are all at different stages of development.

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Interviews 

An Interview with Camille A. Brown

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The past nine months have been full of firsts for choreographer Camille A. Brown. She made her Broadway debut as the choreographer for Once On This Island and then, a few months later, she made her television debut as the choreographer for Jesus Christ Superstar. Her choreography can currently be seen in Atlantic Theatre Company’s production of This Ain’t No Disco. We speak with Camille about her process, reframing dance from the ‘70s, her goal of becoming a director/choreographer, and more.

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Interviews 

A Roundtable with Lileana Blain-Cruz and the Cast of The House That Will Not Stand

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The House That Will Not Stand provides a glimpse into a brief moment in 19th century American history, when wealthy women of color had land and power of their own. We speak with director Lileana Blain-Cruz, assistant director Machel Ross, actors Joniece Abbott-Pratt, Juliana Canfield, Harriett D. Foy, Lynda Gravatt, Nedra McClyde, Marie Thomas, and Michelle Wilson about their rehearsal process, what it means to be a “powerful woman,” and more.

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Interviews 

Rinne Groff and Marissa Wolf on Fire in Dreamland

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This summer, Rinne Groff’s latest play, Fire in Dreamland, directed by Marissa Wolf, is making its New York debut at The Public Theater. Set in the days immediately following Hurricane Sandy, Fire in Dreamland is a memory play that experiments with, and at times even subverts, the audience’s expectations of a traditional romantic comedy narrative. We speak with Rinne and Marissa about the journey and process of developing Fire in Dreamland, how art can be used to help dismantle social injustice, and more.

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Interviews 

An Interview with Dina Janis of Dorset Theatre Festival

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Southern Vermont is currently experiencing a theatrical renaissance, helmed by Dorset Theatre Festival’s Dina Janis. Since becoming Dorset’s Artistic Director eight years ago, Dina has revitalized the community by shifting her theatre company’s focus towards nurturing and highlighting new playwrights, especially female playwrights. We speak with Dina about her goals as an artistic director, why she thinks there is currently a window of opportunity for female directors at regional theatres, and more.

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Interviews 

An Interview with Lena Hall

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Lena Hall has optimized her rocker brand and built up a large fan base on social media. The 2014 Tony winner is in the midst of rolling out her monthly Obsessed series, a year-long compilation of EPs and music videos starring and co-produced by Lena herself. We speak with Lena about her experience working on the Obsessed series, the importance of mentorship, why failure is not a bad word, and more.

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Interviews 

Julia Coffey and Liz Wisan on Performing Shakespeare in 2018

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Julia Coffey and Liz Wisan are no strangers to Shakespeare. They are currently at Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival, where Julia is playing the title role in a gender-bending production of Richard II, and Liz is playing the lead role of Katherine in a production of The Taming of the Shrew that seeks to highlight themes of negotiation and companionship instead of inequity or abuse. We speak with Julia and Liz about what it’s like to perform Shakespeare in the context of the #MeToo movement, why they think Queen Elizabeth I may have influenced Shakespeare’s proto-feminism, and how much (or how little) has changed for women in the past four hundred years.

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Interviews 

Antoinette Nwandu on Pass Over

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In Pass Over, a new play by Antoinette Nwandu now playing at LCT3 at Lincoln Center, two black men stand on a corner waiting to get out and move on. Inspired by Waiting for Godot and Exodus, through its use of language and metaphor, it’s a play of epic proportions. It also marks Antoinette’s Off-Broadway debut. We speak with Antoinette about her process for writing Pass Over, how spirituality affects her work and life as a writer, how her career has changed, and more.

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Interviews 

Lauren Pritchard on Songbird

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In the new musical Songbird, loosely based on Chekhov’s The Seagull, a once well-known country music star returns home to help her son launch his own career, and some major emotional complications ensue—it is based on Chekhov, after all. Songbird has music and lyrics by Lauren Pritchard, who made her Broadway debut as a teenager in the original production of Spring Awakening. We speak with Lauren about adapting Chekhov, her songwriting process, and the ways she feels gender affects opportunities for women.

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Interviews 

An Interview with Set Designer Christine Jones

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Set designer Christine Jones has been nominated for a 2018 Tony Award for her imaginative, elegant set, full of secrets and illusions, upon which the play “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” occurs. We speak with Christine about her approach to designing the set for the well-known and beloved wizarding world, how her kids have impacted and shared in her experience of Harry Potter, her impressions of the ways in which the field of set design has changed for young women who are just starting out, and more.

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Interviews 

Claudia Weill on Directing Theatre, Film, and Television

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Claudia Weill’s 1978 film “Girlfriends” was one of the 82 films by women to compete at Cannes. By the mid-80s, Claudia had moved into directing television and theatre. Currently, she is directing the new play BUMP at EST. We recently spoke with her about the differences between directing theatre, film, and TV; the difficulties of being a female director in ‘70s and ‘80s Hollywood; and what she feels people get wrong about that era.

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Interviews 

Susan Brown on Angels in America

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2018 Tony Award nominee Susan Brown is a self-described “chameleon” who plays Ethel Rosenberg, Hannah Pitt, and others in the Broadway revival of “Angels in America.” We speak with Susan about why “Angels” is a universal play, her experiences performing it both on Broadway and in London, how she approaches her transformations into her many characters throughout the two plays, and more.

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Interviews 

An Interview with Katrina Lenk

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In the last few years, the actress Katrina Lenk has become a growing sensation in the theatre by playing women from other cultures, including in “The Band’s Visit,” for which she received a 2018 Tony Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical. We talk to Katrina about how the stories we tell affect our worldview, her process for creating Dina, being a private person, and her dream to one day be a female James Bond.

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