Working in the Theatre

The international panel of performers -- Scottish actor Iain Glen ("The Blue Room"), Australian actress Nicole Kidman ("The Blue Room"), Irish actress Anna Manahan ("The Beauty Queen of Leenane"), and Filipino actress Lea Salonga ("Miss Saigon") -- discuss their training, the rehearsal process, taking a whole approach to both film and stage work, overcoming stage fright, how audience responses varies from London to Broadway to Australia, and how changes in the political climate of their respective countries have affected theatre. Pia Lindstrom & George White moderate.

The five performers -- Matthew Broderick ("Night Must Fall"), Kathleen Chalfant ("Wit"), Brian Dennehy ("Death of a Salesman"), Elizabeth Franz ("Death of a Salesman"), and Swoosie Kurtz ("The Mineola Twins") -- discuss their current and past acting roles, how research and real life experience shapes one's portrayal of a character, how the audience completes the performance equation, stage versus film work, and where they started their performing careers. Pia Lindstrom & George White moderate.

The panel -- director Scott Ellis ("That Championship Season"), director Robert Falls ("Death of a Salesman"), playwright David Marshall Grant ("Snakebit"), director/choreographer Robert Longbottom ("The Scarlet Pimpernel"), playwright Paul Rudnick ("The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told"), and director John Tillinger ("Night Must Fall") -- discuss working with rewrites, revisions and multiple versions of a script, the playwright's input during rehearsals, and the role of a dramaturg. Ted Chapin moderates.

The production team for The Civil War -- producer Pierre Cossette, producers Gary Gunas and Scott Zieger of Pace Theatrical, lyricist Jack Murphy, composer Frank Wildhorn, and marketing representative Norman Zagier -- cover the musical's journey from inception at Houston's Alley Theatre, through two studio albums, readings and workshops, to the Broadway production. Roy A. Somlyo moderates.

The panel of theatre critics -- "New York Post's" Clive Barnes, "Variety's" Charles Isherwood, "New York Times'" Peter Marks," NY1's" Roma Torre, and "Newsday's" Linda Winer -- discuss the difference between television and print media, writing styles, the change in opening night review deadlines, audience reactions, unbiased reviews, reading plays prior to attending plays, how the quality of a show influences the quality of a review, returning to a show for a subsequent viewing, and the job market for critics. Pia Lindstrom & Harvey Sabinson moderate.

The panelists -- playwright Douglas Carter Beane ("As Bees In Honey Drown"), director/choreographers Kathleen Marshall ("Kiss Me Kate") and Rob Marshall ("Damn Yankees", "She Loves Me"), director Vivian Matalon ("Morning's At Seven"), and playwright John Pielmeier ("Agnes of God") -- discuss the impact of efficient cast sizes, casting for multi-talented performers, respectfully auditioning and rejecting performers, their individual performing backgrounds, compromising with producers, and collaborating with playwrights and directors. Pia Lindstrom & George White moderate.

Producer/Artistic Director of Lincoln Center Theater André Bishop, Marketing Director and Director of Special Projects for Lincoln Center Theater Thomas Cott, Executive Producer of Lincoln Center Theater Bernard Gersten, director/choreographer Susan Stroman and playwright John Weidman discuss the Tony Award winning "Contact"; from Lincoln Center Theater's invitation to Stroman and Weidman to develop their original ideas, how the individual stories are connected, multiple workshops, the casting process, using pre-existing recorded music versus live musicians, deciding on the show's name, as well as producing for non-commercial theatre with a longstanding member base. Roy A. Somlyo moderates.

This broad panel of designers - lighting designer Michael Chybowski ('Moby Dick and Other Stories", "Wit"), scenic designer David Hays, sound designer Abe Jacob ("Pippin", "Evita"), special effects designer Greg Meeh ('Phantom of the Opera", "Miss Saigon," 'Cirque du Soleil") and costume designer Ann Roth ("Crucifer of Blood", "The Royal Family", "The House of Blue Leaves") -- discuss their purpose and accomplishments, collaborating with a production's creative team, apprentices and learning through hands-on experience, and the increase of sound and light levels over time. Tish Dace & Neil Peter Jampolis moderate.

Performers Bryan Batt ('Saturday Night Fever"), Kristin Chenoweth ("Epic Proportions"), Boyd Gaines ("Contact'), Marin Mazzie ("Kiss Me Kate"), Tom Wopat ("Annie Get Your Gun") and Deborah Yates ("Contact") discuss working on preview performances, how audiences can vary wildly, the pros and cons of live music and amplification, re-conceiving shows for revivals, and stories from their stage experiences. Ted Chapin moderates.