Theater Forward

Gender Parity vs. Parody

In honor of the centennial of the 19th Amendment, we explore what's necessary to truly achieve gender parity in theater. Where has progress been robust, and where do we still have work to do? 

Detroit Public Theatre - Interview With Courtney Burkett

We sit down with DPT Artistic Director Courtney Burkett to discuss a company that has quickly become an artistic touchstone for Detroit artists and audiences. From commissioned plays headed to Broadway, to the inclusion of playwrights Dominique Morisseau and Noah Haidle in their Board of Directors, Detroit Public Theatre is making a splash for all the right reasons. 

The Future of Arts Education is...Strong, Actually.

We sit down with a group of artists immersed in all levels of theater education in quarantine, from teaching artists to college professors to a student entering their sophomore year at Juilliard.  A spectacular conversation about how the arts continues to adapt and educate, even in the confines of a pandemic. 

Guests include:
David Daniel, Education Director at American Players Theatre
Marcy Kearns, Instructor at Carthage College and First Stage Milwaukee

Chantae Miller, Actress and student at The Juilliard School

Decisions, Decisions...

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.

Zooming Your Theater Season Like a Boss

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

Podcasts We Love: Blacker the Berry

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.

Our Favorite Live Theater Experiences

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. 

How to Plan Your Next Theater Season

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.   

Our Favorite Arts Content in Quarantine

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

Interview with Karen Olivo of Broadway's 'Moulin Rouge'

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.