Working in the Theatre

The panel of Broadway actors - Matthew Broderick ("Biloxi Blues"), Jim Dale ("Joe Egg"), Charles S. Dutton ("Ma Rainey's Black Bottom"), Rosemary Harris ('Pack of Lies"), Glenda Jackson ("Strange Interlude"), and theatrical agent Lionel Larner - discuss how they left their various layman jobs to begin performing, their audition experiences, how they became involved in their current productions, what they look for in an agent, how they obtained one, and the role of an agent. Jean Dalrymple and George White moderate.

The panelists - playwright P.J. Barry ("The Octette Bridge Club"), lyricist Ellen Fitzhugh ("Grind"), director John Going ("Inherit The Wind"), playwright Fay Kanin ("Grind"), playwright Jerome Lawrence ("Inherit The Wind"), agent Bruce Savin, and director Clifford Williams ("Pack of Lies") - talk about their formal training; the relationship between directors, playwrights and casting directors; the key to successful collaboration; comparing the author's rights for stage versus film; the boundaries of a director's vision; and rising production costs and ticket prices. Jean Dalrymple and George White moderate.

The producing team of the 1985 Broadway musical "Grind" - advertising representative Jeffrey Ash, group sales executive Ronald S. Lee, executive producer Ruth Mitchell, and producers Michael Frazier, Kenneth Greenblatt, Mary Lea Johnson, and John Pomerantz - talks about bringing the nearly $5 million production to Broadway after a tryout in Baltimore, working with director Hal Prince, the importance of advertising and group ticket sales in light of mixed critical reviews, comparisons to their previously produced hits La Cage Aux Folles and Nine, and budgetting a new American musical with a controversial royalty structure that doesn't pay the creative team until the production turns a profit. Jean Dalrymple and George White moderate.

Storyline The panel of actors - Don Correia ("Singin' in the Rain"), Tovah Feldshuh ("Springtime for Henry"), Glenne Headly ("Arms and the Man"), Judd Hirsch ("I'm Not Rappaport"), Barnard Hughes ("The Iceman Cometh"), Cleavon Little ("I'm Not Rappaport"), Elizabeth McGovern ("Map of the World") - and casting director Vincent G. Liff discuss how they have dealt with mishaps and missed lines, the extent of research done for roles, schooling and formal acting training, starting out in regional theatre such as Chicago before finding work in New York, and the responsibilities of the casting director. Jean Dalrymple and Brendan Gill moderate.

The panelists - director Clinton Turner Davis ("Two Can Play"), playwright Herb Gardner ("I'm Not Rappaport"), playwright/lyricist Tom Jones ("The Fantasticks"), playwright Shirley Lauro ("Open Admissions"), lyricist/director Richard Maltby Jr. ("Song and Dance"), playwright Marsha Norman ("Night Mother") and composer Harvey Schmidt ("The Fantasticks") - discuss how a playwright chooses a director, the role of a playwright, how much structure is provided by the text, and the varying degrees of collaboration between director, playwright, and actor. Jean Dalrymple and Brendan Gill moderate. Jonathan Larson (student).

Michael David, Joshua Ellis, William Hauptmann, Heidi Landesman, Rocco Landesman, Linda Lehman

The 1985 Joseph Maharam Foundation Awards for Scenic, Costume, and Lighting Design are awarded to Lawrence Eichler, Charles Ludlam, and Everett Quinton for The Ridiculous Theatrical Company's "The Mystery of Irma Vep"; Mel Carpenter, Angus Moss, and Blu for Ping Chong's Fiji Theatre Company's "NOSFERATU: A Symphony of Darkness"; and Heidi Landesman, Patricia McGourty, and Richard Riddell for Broadway's "Big River". The designers discuss their respective productions in-depth. In addition, Henry Hewes receives an award for Outstanding Service For His Recognition Of Theatre Design. Tish Dace and Henry Hewes moderate.