After I took my kids to see a local community theater production of Peter Pan, I decided that I wanted them to see the version that was canonical in my mind. When I was a kid, my brother and I had a couple dozen videos and minimal access to actual television. We solidly memorized every […]
It’s been two years since the time when my pastor asked me to create a drama Sunday. “Do I have to do a Bible story?” I asked. “Church drama scripts are nearly all terrible, and I’m no playwright.” “Do whatever you want,” she said. “Whatever I want” is almost always Shakespeare. I’m not sure if […]
I’ve been reading a lot of books and articles about Antony and Cleopatra lately, getting ready for the remount. One thing that comes up over and over is people saying that the title characters are older, they’re jaded, their love is real, but tempered with a certain utilitarianism. They need each other, politically. Their love […]
In a recent alumni survey, my grad school asked, “What’s your favorite line from Shakespeare?” I was stumped. I don’t think I have one. Everyone else does, I’m sure, and I even know what many of my friends’ favs are. But I am completely at a loss. I do have a favorite line in each […]
I often get the question, “Do you only direct Shakespeare?” Of course not. I love all forms of Renaissance verse drama! Joking! But people do ask this, often. I thought it might be interesting to run my stats. Although I list my directing credits very comprehensively, for this analysis, I didn’t count any staged readings, […]
This morning, my social media was buzzing with posts from friends at Pigeon Creek Shakespeare reporting their nominations for the Wilde Awards (Michigan’s professional theater awards, run by Encore Michigan). Kate Bode was nominated for “Best Performance–Bard” for her performance as Margaret in Henry VI (a role she continued in Richard III), Scott Lange for […]
Stephanie Lexis (not somebody I know, but someone who is obviously very cool) has started a project to promote body positivity in the theater. Her Facebook page is informative, funny, and super depressing, all at the same time. I’ve been especially interested in her recent run of anonymous stories about times when people have experienced […]
On my recent visit to Bridget to check out the Atlanta Shakespeare Tavern, I noticed a phrase I think of as mostly mine popping up here and there. I overheard a stage manager say, “Thank you for your work” to an actor as she emerged from the theater door after a show. The next night, […]
I’m not much for New Year’s resolutions. I don’t think they’re very helpful for me, or the way I think about time. But I do have areas of focus each year, especially for directing. Directing goals Each year, I think about something I don’t think I do very well as a director, and I spend […]
For someone who practically never works with a dramaturg, I sure love dramaturgy. I love learning about the text, learning all of the history and backstory and background and cultural themes that contribute to the rich tapestry of the play. I haven’t thought of myself as a dramaturg, despite pretty much every dramaturg I know […]