On the end of The Interval.
Reprieve reimagines three iconic female characters from theatre in a contemporary setting, connected only by the liminal space of one mysterious hotel room. Featuring Ruthie Ann Miles as Laura Wingfield from The Glass Menagerie (written by Laura Eason), Carmen Zilles as Portia from Julius Caesar (written by Tanya Saracho), and Betsy Wolfe as Emily Webb from Our Town (written by Anna Ziegler), this short film from The Interval is directed by Tony nominee Leigh Silverman.
Inspired by What the Constitution Means to Me, we asked 15 photographers from around the country to photograph teenagers in their communities ranging in age from 13 to 20. Each photographer chose their own subject and submitted work reflective of their point of view. We then asked all the teens, “What do you imagine your life will be like in fifteen years?”
Throughout the month of August, we’re asking a variety of artists to tell us about some of the books in their lives. Featuring book recommendations from Lila Neugebauer, Tala Ashe, Patti Murin, Stacey Mindich, Jenn Colella, Quiara Alegría Hudes, Lauren Patten, and Alexandra Silber.
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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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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.
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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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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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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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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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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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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Between Broadway seasons in New York City, the theatre world is not nearly as quiet as you might imagine. The summer months have become increasingly packed with theatre festivals. We talked to six artists participating in four such festivals about their work.
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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We speak to multiple Academy Award-winner and former UK parliamentarian Glenda Jackson, who is currently Tony-nominated for her performance in the revival of “Three Tall Women”, about the show, her career in acting and politics, and her views on both.
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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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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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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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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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Ashley Park has been working non-stop since graduating college. This year, she’s racking up a slew of award nominations and wins for her work in “KPOP” and “Mean Girls,” including a recent Tony Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical. One might say she is one to watch. We recently spoke with Ashley about how she’s managing being in-demand, her approach to Gretchen in “Mean Girls,” ambition, and more.
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Kristolyn Lloyd is currently starring in Dominique Morisseau’s “Paradise Blue.” It marks a notable change from her last New York role as one of the teenagers in the Broadway hit “Dear Evan Hansen.” We recently spoke with Kristolyn about her perspective on her character in “Paradise Blue”, how she thinks about her career trajectory, and her future as a director.
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How much agency does Eliza Dolittle have in “My Fair Lady”? How much does Joan of Arc have in “Saint Joan”? And where does that agency come from? We talk to Lauren Ambrose and Condola Rashad, the actresses currently playing Eliza and Joan on Broadway, about embodying these characters in 2018 and more.
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