Working in the Theatre

The 2012 National Theatre Company Grant Recipients share their thoughts on attracting and cultivating audiences; the importance of regional theatre across the country; their role in reaching out to the communities they work in; the diversity of their work and the nurturing of new artists.

Theatrical lawyers Elliot Brown, Seth Gelblum and Nancy Rose talk with Patrick Pacheco about the behind the scenes work they do from negotiating rights and contracts to deals with unions and licensees and re-evaluating royalty pools.

Among the topics our guests Alan Brown, Cynthia Hedstrom and Howard Shalwitz talk with moderator Ben Cameron about are how you measure the value of art and its' impact on audiences; what's important to audiences and how you make theatre interesting enough to draw them to a show and whether you can make them an active part of the experience or should their role simply be to observe and appreciate what is presented?

Host Thomas Schumacher gives us a unique look at a song -- what it is, where it comes from, the process from idea to stage, and how it fits in a show. He's joined by Tony, Oscar and Grammy award winning composer Alan Menken who plays and sings us through the stages of some of his most memorable work including his numerous collaborations with Tom Schumacher and Disney Theatricals; Newsies lyricist Jack Feldman; and Newsies star, actress Kara Lindsay. An acclaimed fixture on New York television and in the theatre community for 30 years, the American Theatre Wing's "Working in the Theatre" offers an unprecedented forum for the meeting of theatrical minds.

Director/Choreographer Rob Ashford, President and Executive Director of Rodgers & Hammerstein Ted Chapin and Director Scott Ellis talk with moderator Patrick Pacheco about re-imagining musicals for the stage and how directors approach a work to make it fresh and reinvented, how much change is allowed by the estates who control the pieces, and the challenges they face when classic works are re-imagined, rewritten or reinterpreted in any way. An acclaimed fixture on New York television and in the theatre community for 30 years, the American Theatre Wing's "Working in the Theatre" offers an unprecedented forum for the meeting of theatrical minds.

From the pages of newspapers to tweets, blogs, chat rooms and twitter, the role of the theatre critic has been changing. Guests Lisa Fung, Charles Isherwood, Peter Marks and Elisabeth Vincentelli, along with moderator Patrick Pacheco, discuss how social media has impacted their work, their influence, and the world of theatre.

Working In The Theatre goes on location to NYC's Public Theater as host Patrick Pacheco talks with designer David Rockwell about his set design for the theatre (including "The Normal Heart" and "Lucky Guy"), his work with the Public Theater (including the newly designed restaurant, The Library) and George C Wolfe, among other topics. Later director Jack O'Brien and director/choreographer Jerry Mitchell join the conversation to talk about their collaborations with Mr. Rockwell ("Hairspray", "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels", "Kinky Boots", and more).