Holly L. Derr looks at the history of the Method, where it deviates from Stanislavsky’s System, and the connection between the Method and the behavior called out by #MeToo.
Kate Bergstrom investigates the open text, looking at how theatremakers approach the form, the balance between respect for the script and unique interpretation, and more.
David Z. Saltz—director, installation artist, and teacher of digital performance—talks about the early days of digital media in theatre and the six main roles it plays in live performance.
Sydney Isabelle Mayer discusses the importance of terminology when it comes to “trigger” warnings, how artists can best offer warnings for their shows, and what it means to create a responsible theatremaking process.
Approaches to Devising New Work Alongside Actors with Disabilities
11 April 2019
Adam Roberts talks about the devising process used at TILT, a performance company in Austin, Texas, that celebrates the creative work of adult actors with disabilities.
Harm Reduction in the Storefront Theatre Community
27 February 2019
Tara Branham talks about the importance of harm reduction in the rehearsal hall and shares tools she uses in her practice to reduce risk and manage it if it arises.
Daniel Jackson talks about creating an interactive DIY lighting system—that the audience partially controlled—for a recent production that took place almost entirely in the dark.
Theatremaker Callie Nestleroth discusses devising a show for a library space and shares the process she developed when approaching new site-specific projects.
Twenty-five Meditations on SITI Company’s Theater Piece No. 1
29 July 2018
David Dudley explores the story behind John Cage’s Theater Piece No. 1 and discuses SITI Company’s recent production of it, which was conceived and directed by Anne Bogart.
Seventeen Thoughts (in Random Order) about Neo-Futurism and Experimental Theatre
23 July 2018
Rob Neill, founding ensemble member of the New York Neo-Futurists, shares his thoughts on the company’s process, devising work, and creating rituals in theatre.
Puerto Rico, Politics, and the Diaspora in Magdalena Gomez's Dancing in My Cockroach Killers
22 July 2018
Noe Montez interviews ensemble members from New York's Pregones Theatre on Dancing in My Cockroach Killers, which ran from 7 June to 1 July 2018 at the GALA Theatre in Washington, DC.
Dramaturgical Work with College-Aged Artists around Race and Whiteness
2 July 2018
Dramaturg Gaven D. Trinidad reflects on workshopping Snowflakes, or Rare White People by Dustin Chinn as a part of UMass Amherst's New Play Lab in December 2017.
Seven Lessons Learned from Creating an Immersive Theatrical Whodunit
25 June 2018
Georgia-based theatremaker Corey Bradberry reflects on lessons learned after creating an immersive murder mystery play in a four-story historical theatre, and muses on how large institutions sharing resources with smaller companies can lead to new and innovative creative partnerships.
Director Meggan Gomez reflects on working with her youth ensemble based in New Mexico to create _____ Historias, a play that is created in real-time in response to stories shared by the audience.
Sustaining a Career as a Female Playwright in Ireland
10 May 2018
Pamela McQueen talks to Irish playwright Deirdre Kinahan about the political nature of her work, her creative process, and how she's sustained a prolific career as a female playwright.
Director Erin Ortman’s Multi-Year Journey with the Arabian Nights
2 May 2018
Director Erin Ortman loves musical theatre, new plays, theatre families, and William Ball’s idea of “positation” that celebrates the “yes” in artistic collaborations. The development process for One Thousand Nights and One Day produced by Prospect Theater Company in New York City provides a view of Ball’s philosophy in action.
Holly Derr discusses the dramaturgical implications of playwright Mary Kathryn Nagle changing one of her characters to a woman in her newest play Manahatta, which premiered at Oregon Shakespeare Festival in March 2018.
Five Grounding Techniques to Cultivate Resilient Ensembles
28 March 2018
US director and health and wellness educator Molly Schenck describes five useful rehearsal techniques for ensembles to adapt when creating work around difficult topics.
For the fourth installment of the Chronic Theatremaker series, Sara Brookner interviews playwright Lisa Kenner Grissom about living with lupus and learning to balance her health practice with her writing practice.
Artistic Director Kristin Marting discusses how developmental programs can better meet the needs of artists and shares best practices from HERE’s multi-year artist residency program in New York City.
