Theater Forward

It's crunchtime for theaters that are surviving the pandemic. In this episode we discuss the myriad of questions that arts orgs try to answer as our collective season approaches. Creating safe rehearsal and performance spaces, presenting digital productions, and choosing appropriate (and budget-friendly) plays for 2021-22 are just a few of the pickles that theaters find themselves in.

We interview Michael Barakiva, Artistic Director of Hangar Theatre! Michael not only helped create an open dialogue among American theaters during the COVID-19 crisis, but he is also leading his Ithaca, NY company through a summer season of virtual productions. Get ready to take some notes, fellow producers.

Check out their virtual summer season of plays and concerts: Hangar Theatre Company

In this episode, we take a break from our own voices and share an episode of a podcast that we love. 'Blacker the Berry' is produced by Di'Monte Henning and Lights! Camera! Soul! in Milwaukee, and features stories that celebrate and explore the Black experience. Highly recommended. Check it out HERE.

Preface: We recorded this episode prior to the events surrounding the murder of George Floyd, and prior to the collective (and hopefully permanent) shift in focus within the American theater community. We assure you that future episodes will address this conversation. 

The ethereal and impermanent nature of theater is, well, THE THING, right? It's why we love it, it's why we return to the experience every chance we get. In this episode, the team shares their favorite live theater experiences, from obscure storefronts to big-time Broadway blockbusters. 

Just kidding, we have no idea. But we break down the COVID-19 puzzle from a regional theater standpoint, share what we're seeing from other theaters in America, and dream of plays we hope we'll be reading (and producing) in 2021-22.   

In this episode, we celebrate the current online theater phenomenon and share our favorite arts-in-quarantine content, created by brilliant artists and organizations worldwide. 

Quick links to the content we discuss in this episode:

NY Times Sondheim Birthday Review

Play at Home

Geffen Playhouse "Stayhouse"

Arizona Theatre Company Digital Backstage

Milwaukee Rep at Home

In this episode, we sit down with Broadway dynamo and Tony Award winner Karen Olivo, who shares her experience during the initial COVID-19 crisis. We also discuss the pressure on artists to create during this time, and what this "intermission" may provide as they prep for their return to the stage.

In our first episode following the COVID-19 crisis, the team discusses our new normal, how other theaters are responding, and what the future might hold for the arts organizations worldwide. 

Mike Fischer sits down with 'The Amateurs' cast members Emily Glick and Matt Daniels to discuss their dual lives as educators and actors, and what role the arts can play when times get tough. 

In this episode, the team discusses the elusive nature of religion on American stages. Although there is no shortage of plays that represent faith in modern life, we dive into the issues that keep us from producing them.