Episodes
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Caylin Waller, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Theatre Advocacy Project, is a passionate lifelong learner and a fierce advocate for creating braver spaces that combat harmful behaviors in the theatrical workplace. Drawing from her personal experiences and extensive research, Caylin empowers organizations to enhance their Human Resources practices by offering tailored resources and hands-on training for both staff and individual artists.
Join host Ashley J. Hicks as she engages with Caylin about the origins of her organization and explores how the first crucial step toward fostering a healthy and proactive theatrical environment is collective empowerment.
Luckily there are more organizations now who are supporting this kind of work. We have banded together and recognized that there is a great need, that there's space for all of us to exist. If we uplift each other's work, we will create real systemic change together. - Caylin Waller
cw: sexual assault, workplace harm
Episode TranscriptWebsite Link
GUEST BIO:
Caylin Waller, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Theatre Advocacy Project (TAP), has led award-winning research on building accountable practices in theatre. She holds an M.A. in Performing Arts Administration from NYU Steinhardt, was selected Distinguished Graduate for Outstanding Contribution to the Field of the Arts, and currently serves as an inaugural Expert in Residence for her former program. Caylin speaks regularly on her industry research and startup knowledge. She was a featured panelist at the NYU event titled Curtain Up: Spotlight on Financial and Social Sustainability for the Performing Arts alongside leaders from Lincoln Center and Brooklyn Academy of Music, as well as a panelist at the NYU Entrepreneurial Festival event Women Entrepreneurs Responding to Pressing Needs. She was a 2022 grant recipient of the Mark & Debra Leslie Fellows grant through the NYU Female Founders Fellowship program. Outside of her work in the arts, Caylin works in early childhood education as both an educator and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice Coordinator.
INTERVIEWER & HOST BIO:
Ashley J. Hicks (a.k.a. Ash, she/her) works currently as a Programs Coordinator for A.R.T./New York. Ash is an actor, writer, solo performer & teaching artist. She received her MFA from the American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) in 2021 and was a participant in the 2022 Disney Discovers Talent Showcase. To learn more about Ashley and her past/recent projects, please visit www.ashley-j-hicks.com
HOST BIO:
Nicky Maggio or âNâ (they/them) currently serves as Programs Manager at A.R.T/New York. N is a freelance theatrical curator with a focus on new play development and directing. Originally born in southeast Massachusetts, Nicky received their B.F.A. at Emerson College and then completed their M.F.A in Directing at The New School. For more information on their artistic projects visit www.nmaggio.com @nickymaggio
Additional Links:Theatre Advocacy ProjectThe Anthropologists Broadway Advocacy Coalition Harriet Tubman EffectIndieSpace
For more information about A.R.T./New York, please visit https://www.art-newyork.org/
If youâd like to receive new episodes as theyâre published, please subscribe to âWhatâs Off?â in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.
To donate to A.R.T./New York, please visit: https://www.art-newyork.org/donate
âWhatâs Off?â Production StaffDavid E. Shane, Executive ProducerErica Wray Barnes & Nicky Maggio, Associate ProducerAshley J. Hicks, Episode Line ProducerDante 32, Audio Engineer
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To help build community, and to best support collaboration and resource sharing, A.R.T./New York hosts semi-annual membership convenings. In this special episode of Whatâs Off?, hosts Nicky Maggio and Ashley J. Hicks take a trip down memory lane to highlight some of their favorite moments from our 2023 Fall Forum and 2024 Spring Summit.
First, they revisit clips from a panel discussion on âMarketing and Audience Developmentâ featuring an array of perspectives on what's working, whatâs not, and what new strategies we might try in order to best reach and engage our audiences. Then, we listen to clips from âThe Advocators: Forging Paths to Better Pay!â - a discussion between freelance artists and workers who are advocating for pay equity in new and impactful ways.
Tune in to this special episode where we shine the spotlight on field innovators, recorded live and in conversation with each other!
Episode Transcript
Website Link
Episode Part 1:
From the 2023 Fall Forum, Moving Through Together, the Marketing and Audience Development panel discussion was live streamed in partnership with Transcend Streaming and HowlRound on Wednesday, October 25, 2023.
Panelists:Bryan Joseph Lee, CNTR ArtsFernando Masterson, Ars NovaTom OâConnor, Tom OâConnor Consulting GroupBeth Prevor, HandsOnDavid E. Shane, Director of Program Services, A.R.T./New York, Moderator
Episode Part 2:
From the 2024 Spring Summit, UNCHARTED: Leading Beyond The Path, The Advocators: Forging Paths to Better Pay! A Panel Discussion was live streamed in partnership with Transcend Streaming and HowlRound on Wednesday, June 5th, 2024
Panelists:Joanna Carpenter, Actor Ife Olujobi, PlaywrightEmma Orme, Producing Director of The TEAMBarbara Samuels, Lighting Designer and ProducerSam Morreale, Associate Producer at Soho Rep, Moderator
For more information about A.R.T./New York, please visit https://www.art-newyork.org/
If youâd like to receive new episodes as theyâre published, please subscribe to âWhatâs Off?â in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.
To donate to A.R.T./New York, please visit: https://www.art-newyork.org/donate
âWhatâs Off?â Production StaffDavid E. Shane, Executive ProducerErica Wray Barnes, Associate Producer + Line ProducerDante32, Audio Engineer
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Missing episodes?
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Artificial Intelligence (AI) is beginning to shake up nearly every creative industry, and live theatre is no exception. From generative world building to revamping the way the audiences engage with the work, this revolutionary new technology is pushing the boundaries of what is possible.
In this episode, A.R.T./New Yorkâs z. Quinn Reynolds interviews actor, creator and director TjaĆĄa Ferme and multi-disciplinary designer Will Lowry about their individual experiences using AI in their work, how AI is reshaping live theater, as well their hopes (and fears) for the future of AI.
"Can AI make art? The answer is, I don't know. That is my stance because it feels so personal and subjective and there are so many different nuances for how that can be interpreted." -Will Lowry
Episode Transcript
Website Link
GUEST BIOS:
TjaĆĄa Ferme (she/her) is an award-winning actor, creator and NYSCA-awarded director who has received a Slovenian National Film Award and Stane Sever classical stage award. The Founding Artistic Director of Transforma Theatre, she created The Female Role Model Project, blending interactive theatre with neuroscience, premiering Off-Broadway at 3-Legged Dog and produced at Edinburgh Fringe (NYITA nomination for Outstanding Innovative Design and Fast Companyâs honorary mention for World Changing Ideas Awards). In 2021 Ferme founded the sold-out Science in Theatre Festival covered by Forbes and American Theatre Magazine. Tjasa is the creator of the short film Opheliaâs Flip (Cannes Film Festival, 2012), farce stage hit Cocktales - Confessions of a Nymphomaniac (Abingdon Theatre, Miami Art Basel), and interactive solo shows, Wild Child in the City and My Marlene (HERE). She recently created and directed Bioadapted, hailed by the New York Times as "maverick creativity" and "sleekly designed, thoughtfully assembled.
Will Lowry (he/him) is a multidisciplinary designer, an Associate Professor of Theatre at Lehigh University (PA), and a Creative Partner with Flux Theatre Ensemble (NYC). He received his MFA in Design from UNC Greensboro and a BA in Theatre Arts/Computer Science from Furman University. He has created scenic, costume, media, and lighting designs for theatres along the East Coast and beyond, including Dupont Underground (DC), Lantern Theater Company (Phila.), The Warehouse Theatre (SC), Mill Mountain Theatre (VA), Playhouse on Park (CT), California Theatre Center (CA), and the Sydney Opera House (AUS). In NYC, he designed over twenty off-off Broadway productions, and he contributed to multiple Broadway productions as a studio assistant. He has experimented with incorporation of AI into his design process for over two years. He presented on the intersection of AI and Theatre at SETC in 2023 and 2024, and he co-taught a first-year seminar at Lehigh that centered around AI-driven theatre-making.
INTERVIEWER BIO:
Quinn Reynolds (they/she) is a writer/musician/director living and working in Brooklyn, New York. Quinn spent their formative years making indie kung-fu movies with their family inspired by the classic tale âJourney to the West.â Since then, they've moved on to making stories for stage, screen, and beyond. They have an obsession with blending their love of Sci-fi, Fantasy, Music and Horror into hyper-charged hysterical shows. Their past projects include: Purchase Late Night (2016-2020), The Super Hero Night Series (2017-2022), Marooned (2022), Blood Countess(Original Music, 2023), and GRIND(2023). Quinn also produces and performs music under their artist name: Mamsir. Their latest self produced EP âThatâs going on the fridgeâ is streaming on all platforms. Outside of their artistic career, Quinn is the Manager of Studio Operations at A.R.T./New York.
You can find our host bios on our website!
Additional Links:
TjaĆĄa Ferme
Will Lowry
Transforma Theatre
Flux Theatre
Our Options Have Changed
Bioadapted
Chat GPT4
11ElevenLabs
Replika
Midjourney
For more information about A.R.T./New York, please visit https://www.art-newyork.org/
If youâd like to receive new episodes as theyâre published, please subscribe to âWhatâs Off?â in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.
To donate to A.R.T./New York, please visit: https://www.art-newyork.org/donate
âWhatâs Off?â Production Staff
David E. Shane, Executive Producer
Erica Wray Barnes, Associate Producer
Nicky Maggio, Episode Line Producer
Ashley J. Hicks, Episode Creative Lead
Dante 32, Audio Engineer
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Access to affordable space has always been a concern for New York City theatre makers; this episode shines the spotlight on some visionary leaders who recognized the need for more artistic space and decided to do something about it! Despite some closures during the COVID-19 lockdown and ever-rising real estate costs, the story of New York Cityâs artistic venues may actually be one of evolution and rebirth.
Tune in as leaders from Brooklyn Art Haus, IndieSpace, and Peopleâs Theatre Project discuss breaking ground on new real estate ventures, their place in their communities, and how they balance affordability with the need to financially sustain their space!
âI don't know a single venue operator in the indie scene that doesn't want to make their space more affordable for the people to use it. We all want that.â - Randi Berry
Episode Transcript Website Link
GUESTS:
Randi Berry, Executive Director of IndieSpace
Isaac Bush, Founder and Executive Director of Brooklyn Art Haus
Mino Lora, Founding Executive Director of People's Theatre Project
INTERVIEWER:David E. Shane (he/him/his), Director of Program Services, A.R.T./New York
HOSTS:
Ashley J. Hicks (a.k.a. Ash, she/her) Programs Coordinator for A.R.T./New York
Nicky Maggio or âNâ (they/them) Programs Manager at A.R.T/New York
**Visit the episode webpage for full guest and host bios
Additional Links:IndieSpacePeopleâs Theatre ProjectBrooklyn Art HausHERE Arts CenterRattlestick TheaterNorthern Manhattan Arts AllianceNational Black TheatreThe Bushwick Starr
For more information about A.R.T./New York, please visit https://www.art-newyork.org/
If youâd like to receive new episodes as theyâre published, please subscribe to âWhatâs Off?â in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.
âWhatâs Off?â Production StaffDavid E. Shane, Executive ProducerErica Wray Barnes, Associate ProducerAshley J. Hicks, Episode Line ProducerDante32, Audio Engineer
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As a multi-hyphenate theatremaker, dramaturg, and Associate Producer at Soho Rep, Sam Morreale inhabits many spaces within the theatrical field. They are guided by the words of Toni Cade Bambara, holding dear the idea that âthe role of the artist is to make the revolution irresistibleâ - and Samâs role is to hold space so that theater artists can bring their fullest selves into the rehearsal room.
Tune in as host Nicky Maggio chats with Sam about their artistic ethos, their work as a consultant, artist, and facilitator, as well as what it means to be an âaccountability partner.â
âFacilitation is at the core of my practice. Iâm conscious of the sociopolitical reality that we might be facing under any given circumstance and one of my superpowers is to help name the patterns that we're seeing in rehearsal rooms, so that we might be in better relationship with them.â - Sam Morreale
Episode TranscriptWebsite Link
GUEST BIO:
Sam Morreale (they/them) is currently the Associate Producer at Soho Rep. With facilitation at the core of their practice, they've had a blossoming career as a creative producer working with many companies including Baltimore Center Stage, Long Wharf Theatre, New York Stage and Film/Powerhouse, The Prelude Festival, Mixed Blood Theatre, Penumbra Theatre, and Theater Communications Group. In addition, Sam has developed a portfolio of consulting work in strategy planning, institutional alignment, and cultural change with arts organizations such as Center Theater Group, The New Harmony Project, Ars Nova, Boston Court Pasadena, A.R.T./NY, New Georges, and The Acting Company. Sam nurtures their artistic practice in rehearsal rooms as a dramaturg, director, and culture shaper constantly seeking to break down dissonance between artist and institution. B.A. Wesleyan University, Theater and Science in Society. @smorreale_reckons
INTERVIEWER/CO-HOST:
Nicky Maggio or âNâ (they/them) currently serves as Programs Manager at A.R.T/New York. N is a freelance theatrical curator with a focus on new play development and directing. Originally born in southeast Massachusetts, Nicky received their B.F.A. at Emerson College and then completed their M.F.A in Directing at The New School. For more information on their artistic projects visit www.nmaggio.com @nickymaggio
CO-HOST:
Ashley J. Hicks (a.k.a. Ash, she/her) works currently as a Programs Coordinator for A.R.T./New York. Ash is an actor, writer, solo performer & teaching artist. She received her MFA from the American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) in 2021 and was a participant in the 2022 Disney Discovers Talent Showcase. To learn more about Ashley and her past/recent projects, please visit www.ashley-j-hicks.com
Additional Links: SOHO RepBreaking the Binary TheatreTheater Communications Group (TCG)Mix It Up Podcast Toni Cade Bambara
For more information about A.R.T./New York, please visit https://www.art-newyork.org/
If youâd like to receive new episodes as theyâre published, please subscribe to âWhatâs Off?â in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.
To donate to A.R.T./New York, please visit: https://www.art-newyork.org/donate
âWhatâs Off?â Production StaffDavid E. Shane, Executive ProducerErica Wray Barnes, Associate ProducerNicky Maggio, Episode Line ProducerDante 32, Audio Engineer
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Many longstanding theater organizations in New York City and across the country are experiencing changes in administrative and artistic leadership. These individuals may be new to their positions, but they bring years of experience and fresh ideas to the field and to their new theatrical homes.
A.R.T./New York Co-Executive Director Talia Corren sat down with Amanda Feldman of Classic Stage Company and Patricia McGregor of New York Theatre Workshop to discuss their roles as new leaders of multi-decade institutions. Listen in as they share about their experiences as women in the field, what they bring to their new positions, what itâs like to lead in a co-director model, and how they each are bridging the gap between the past, present and the future.
âPeople haven't solved the challenges we're going to solve. People haven't dreamed the things that we're going to come up with. I think there is this interesting play between wanting to have reverence and appreciation and deep respect for what has come before while also [holding] that this is who I am and this is the life experience, identity, and way of moving through the world that I carry.â - Talia Corren
Episode Transcript
GUEST BIOS:
Amanda Feldman is currently the Managing Director of Classic Stage Company. Prior to this role she served as Managing Director of Page 73, where she produced five world premiere Off-Broadway productions and oversaw the finances, human resources, and marketing, as well as played a key role in strategic planning and organizational advancement. In her career, Amanda has produced new works Off-Broadway with The Foundry Theatre, En Garde Arts, The Play Company, Abrons Arts Center, and The Playwrights Realm. In 2011, she co-founded the Off Off Broadway company Neighborhood Productions to support entrepreneurial theater artists in self-producing their own works and, for five years, she was the General Manager of the Lark Play Development Center. Feldman also led The NYC World Theatre Day Coalition until 2014, where she created and curated The Around-the-Globe Chain Play. She was the founding Managing Director of CollaborationTown and produced seven of their world premieres. Feldman currently serves on the board of History Matters/Celebrating Women's Plays of the Past and she is a WP Theatre Producer Lab alumna. BA from Tufts University.
Born in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, Patricia McGregor is the Artistic Director of New York Theatre Workshop, as well as a director and writer working across disciplines. McGregor has twice been profiled by The New York Times for her direction of world premieres. She was the inaugural Artist in Residence for Arts in the Armed Forces and an Old Globe Resident Artist, as well as a Paul & Daisy Soros Fellow at Yale School of Drama.
For Interviewer Bio, Host Bios, and additional links, please visit the episode webpage.
If youâd like to receive new episodes as theyâre published, please subscribe to âWhatâs Off?â in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.
To donate to A.R.T./New York, please visit: https://www.art-newyork.org/donate
âWhatâs Off?â Production StaffDavid E. Shane, Executive ProducerErica Wray Barnes, Associate ProducerNicky Maggio & Ashley J. Hicks, Line ProducersCatalin Stelian, Audio Engineer
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As the team at Roundabout Theatre Company considered the significant barriers to entry for potential technical theatre workers, they realized something was âoffâ. So, they created the Theatrical Workforce Development Program (TWDP) - a partnership between Roundabout Theatre Company and the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE.) TWDP offers participants hands-on, work-based training in four technical disciplines and connects them directly to employment opportunities in theatres across the city.
In this episode, A.R.T./New York Theatre Operations Manager Sarah Lahue talks to the program leaders about how TWDP helps participants with everything from learning about self care on the job to avoiding student loan debt. Tune in to learn all about how this innovative program is helping to develop the next generation of theatrical workers.
âThere's so many jobs out there where you can't get the job unless you've had the job. Technical theater is no different. It's about trust. It's about safety and making sure you're going to be able to do it when you show up." - Mitch Mattson
Episode Transcript
For more information about A.R.T./New York and to learn more about the hosts and guest interviewer in this episod, please visitWebsite Link
GUEST BIO:
Njeri Baker is a dedicated Arts Administrator with more than 7 years of theater experience across production, company management, and theater administration. She graduated from Howard University and New York University with a BFA in Theater Technology & an MA in Performing Arts Administration, respectively. Currently, she's an Education Manager at Roundabout Theatre Company, managing their Theatrical Workforce Development Program. A program training young people in backstage theater work to diversify the technical theater industry.
Mitch Mattson is the Director of Career Training and Operations at Roundabout Theatre Company â NYCâs largest not-for-proïŹt theatre company. He leads a team of arts administrators and teaching artists fostering the next generation of dynamic theatre professionals through career and workforce development programs. His work has created partnerships with over 5 professional theatres and shops across NYC â enabling Roundaboutâs Theatrical Workforce Development Program to provide training and jobs to early career technicians. He facilitates workshops and presents on theatre education topics nationally and internationally. Mitch is the recent Board Chair of the American Alliance for Theatre & Education and an alum of Coro: Leadership New York, LNY31. Previous work of his at Arena Stage in Washington, DC was sponsored by the US State Department, taking him to India to create theater with young people.
Additional Links:
Roundaboutâs Theatrical Workforce Development ProgramIATSE, The Union Behind Entertainment
For more information about A.R.T./New York, please visit https://www.art-newyork.org/
If youâd like to receive new episodes as theyâre published, please subscribe to âWhatâs Off?â in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.
To donate to A.R.T./New York, please visit: https://www.art-newyork.org/donate
âWhatâs Off?â Production StaffErica Wray Barnes, Executive ProducerDavid E. Shane, Associate ProducerNicky Maggio, Line ProducerDante32, Audio Engineer
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Since 2004, Theresa Buchheister has found themselves in a veritable slew of non-conventional New York City theatre and performance spaces. Their lifelong pursuit of creating collaborative, experimental work has made them a beloved community leader. Today, Theresa has refocused their energy toward supporting other scrappy artists and career experimenters. Along the way, theyâve affirmed that theatre is most definitely NOT dead, and discovered that we can learn a lot by asking, âwhat are the barriers to participation?â
Tune in to listen as host Nicky Maggio//N chats with Theresa about how shifting their focus allowed them to gain a new perspective on our ever tumultuous industry.
âYou can still be specific and have aesthetic value and have no money. The Brick is creating a way for people to say, âI could do this tooâ, and actually try it and see if it's something they wanna do.â - Theresa Buchheister
Episode Transcript
GUEST BIO:
Theresa Buchheister (they/them) is a director, writer, producer, performer and curator from Manhattan, KS. They currently operate as Artistic Director of The Brick (an experimental performance space in Brooklyn), The Exponential Festival (a January performance festival of deep fringe art) and Title:Point (16-year-old theater company specializing in oddity, slapstick and dread). Theresa also curates ?!:New Works, a works-in-progress gathering for all performance mediums. They used to run Vital Joint for 4 years, which was home to a veritable slew of alt comedy, weird dance, strange film and more. They were a part of DIY Bushwick performance venue Silent Barn for 4 years and The Ontological in St. Marks Church for 10 years. Theresa makes a living doing voice over work, directing and voicing cartoons, audiobooks and podcasts (BoyGirlDogCatMouseCheese, Pokemon, How Music Works, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Arrow of Time, RecursiveCast, etc).
Additional Links:
The Brick TheaterTitle:PointThe Exponential FestivalJeff Stark Life WorldNonsense NYCStaff PicksThe Manhattan Experimental Theater WorkshopThe Million Underscores The Ontological - Hysteric Theater
For more information about A.R.T./New York, please visit https://www.art-newyork.org/
If youâd like to receive new episodes as theyâre published, please subscribe to âWhatâs Off?â in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.
To donate to A.R.T./New York, please visit: https://www.art-newyork.org/donate
âWhatâs Off?â Production Staff
David E. Shane, Executive Producer
Erica Wray Barnes, Associate Producer
Ashley J. Hicks & Nicky Maggio, Line Producers
Dante 32, Audio Engineer
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Rebecca KellyG went from being a musical theatre college student to a civil rights attorney. Along the way, she noticed some things that felt similarly âoffâ about these vastly different spaces. Through establishing an artistic practice as a healing artist and facilitator, Rebecca learned that in order to challenge systems, we must first harmonize with the self for both personal and collective liberation.
Tune in to listen as A.R.T./New York Co-Excutive Director Risa Shoup chats with Rebecca about her journey and how she found resilience by reigniting her passion for performance and soundscape artistry.
âI really believe the more comfortable a person is with themselves - your own discomforts, your own challenges, your own pain, your own needs - the more able you are to listen and receive when other people are expressing theirs.â - Rebecca KellyG
Episode Transcript
GUEST BIO:
Rebecca KellyG (she/her) supports individuals and groups to challenge conditioned beliefs, embrace accountability, and cultivate self-love for our personal and collective liberation.
She is particularly invested in working with people of color to shed internalized racial oppression and its expression in BIPOC organizational practices and culture. In addition to facilitating organizational retreats and mediation, Rebecca is a sound artist and speaker. In a unique blend of public speaking and performance, she weaves vocal harmonies with percussive sounds to create meditative soundscapes accompanied by story-telling and affirmations. Rebecca has shared her sounds with spaces such as, The United State of Women, La MaMa Galleria, Theatre Communications Group, and Flux Factory Rhizome Project. As an equity consultant, she has worked with such places as HERE Arts Center, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Leslie Lohman Museum of Art, and Yale University Art Gallery.
Prior to starting her consultancy, Rebecca worked as an attorney at the Lawyersâ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law in Washington, DC focusing on education and voting rights. Additionally, Rebecca taught as an Adjunct Professor for American University Washington College of Law and in the Wagner College Theater Department teaching her course âRace, the Arts, and Activism.â
Additional Links:
My Grandmotherâs Hands by Resmaa Menakem
For more information about A.R.T./New York, please visit https://www.art-newyork.org/
If youâd like to receive new episodes as theyâre published, please subscribe to âWhatâs Off?â wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review. It really helps others find the show.
To donate to A.R.T./New York, please visit https://www.art-newyork.org/donate
âWhatâs Off?â Production Staff
David E. Shane, Executive Producer
Erica Wray Barnes, Associate Producer
Ashley J. Hicks & Nicky Maggio, Line Producers
Catalin Media, Audio Engineer
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In this special episode of âWhatâs Off?â A.R.T./New York Co-Executive Director Risa Shoup explores what it means to be a caregiver and to be cared for as a working theatre professional. Risa speaks with Tony nominee Amber Gray who has practical solutions about how to shift the culture of care on Broadway. Nonprofit theater leader Roberta Pereira talks about The Radical Parent Inclusion Project - a partnership between PAAL and The Playwrights Realm - and Lindsey & Michael Sag describe how they are operationalizing care for themselves and the organizations they lead.
Join Risa as they weave together common themes of balance, flexibility, responsibility, and humility in this thoughtful exploration of what it means to care for someone, even yourself, within the historical context of a field that believes no matter what that âthe show must go on.â
âI think the important part is that bringing our whole selves is actually what makes us better. It makes the field and makes the art betterâ - Roberta Pereira
Episode Transcript
For more information, including guest bios please visit the episode webpage.
For many more resources about caregiving, visit our valued parters at the Parent Artist Advocacy League for Performing Arts + Media, the National Network and Solutions-Generator for Caregivers in the Performing Arts!
Additional Links:
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
The Playwrights Realm
WP Theatre
For more information about A.R.T./New York, please visit https://www.art-newyork.org/
If youâd like to receive new episodes as theyâre published, please subscribe to âWhatâs Off?â wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review. It really helps others find the show.
âWhatâs Off?â Production Staff
David E. Shane, Executive Producer
Erica Wray Barnes, Associate Producer
Nicky Maggio, Episode Line Producer
Catalin Media, Audio Engineer
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In 1972, a group of New York theatre makers realized something was âoffâ when they noticed the limited amount of funding and resources available for their community. This group set out to fill in some of those gaps, and thus OOBA (the Off-Off Broadway Alliance) was formed!
âIt was because of OOBA that we were organized and that all of this happened. It wasn't random. We were very organized and we were right at that moment. At that moment, we were right.â - Bob Moss
Tune in as Audrey Rush chats it up with Stephen Facey, Barnet Kellman, and Bob Moss about the âThen & Nowâ of A.R.T./New York.
Episode Transcript
For more information, including Guest Bios, visit the episode webpage.
For more about A.R.T./New York, please visit https://www.art-newyork.org/
If youâd like to receive new episodes as theyâre published, please subscribe to âWhatâs Off?â wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review. It really helps others find the show.
âWhatâs Off?â Production Staff
David E. Shane, Executive Producer
Erica Wray Barnes, Associate Producer
Ashley J. Hicks, Episode Line Producer
Catalin Media, Audio Engineer
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As a CODA (Child of Deaf Adults), theatrical interpreter Lynnette Taylor grew up with sign language as her first language - her home language. When she moved to San Francisco to attend the Academy of Art, no one told her that she would be separated from her first language in an all-hearing environment. Lynnette realized something was off when she met a Deaf man looking for an interpreter to participate in the 504 Sit-in, a civil rights demonstration for disabled people. In that moment, her life changed forever.
Tune in to listen as Host Ashley J. Hicks chats with Lynnette about her origin story and how she combined her experience as a native signer and lover of the arts to create a robust career as a theatre interpreter.
âThis is a political act. Interpreting for the theater is a political act. Sharing this space is a political act. We need to be in this conversation about what politics are being made.â - Lynnette Taylor
CLICK HERE for an ASL interpreted version of of this podcast on A.R.T./New Yorkâs YouTube page
Episode Transcript
GUEST BIO:
Lynnette Taylor, BFA, CSC, brings her experience as a native signer and love of the arts to interpreted theatre to her teaching. She has interpreted over 100 Broadway and off Broadway shows that run the gamut from drama to comedy to musicals as well as interpreting behind the scenes for Deaf talent in Film,Television and Theatre. She was one of the curriculum developers and taught for over a decade at the national âInterpreting for the Theatre Seminarâ held at the Juilliard School in New York City. She has published articles on interpretation and taught ethics and translation at LaGuardia Interpreter Education Program.She organized and co-moderated the Community Forums at the RID National Biennial Conference for 10 years. These past several years, she has been working with A.R.T./New York and Hands On, presenting workshops on interpreted theatre and is currently at work on a book about Interpreting Theatre with co-authors Stephanie Feyne and Candace Broecker- Penn, soon to be published.
As a filmmaker, her work has focused on Deaf artists in Ella Mae Lentzâs, The Treasure, and showcasing artists in, Language Landscape. She is an award winning stop motion animation filmmaker.
Additional Links:An ASL interpreted version of of this podcast is available on A.R.T./New Yorkâs YouTube page.
Learn more about Hands On Sign Interpreted Theatrical Performances!
For more information about A.R.T./New York, please visit https://www.art-newyork.org/
If youâd like to receive new episodes as theyâre published, please subscribe to âWhatâs Off?â wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review. It really helps others find the show.
âWhatâs Off?â Production StaffDavid E. Shane, Executive ProducerErica Wray Barnes, Associate ProducerNicky Maggio, Episode Line ProducerCatalin Media, Audio Engineer
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After 25 years of experience in the theatre industry as a performer, Tavia Rivée Jefferson realized her very unique skill set made her a perfect fit for an emerging need in the rehearsal room, but this time, behind the table. Tavia created the role of Cultural Coordinator - a mediator, moderator, resource, and liaison to support cultural sensitivities in the artistic space.
Tune in to listen as Host Ashley Hicks chats with Tavia about how her unique journey led her to cultural coordinating and how the question, âif not me, then who?â created an entirely new and necessary role in the theatre industry.
âAfter the execution of George Floyd, I found myself in a lot of zoom rooms and affinity spaces where I was hearing people of color need a space or a representative to speak on our behalf when we didn't feel safe.â - Tavia RivĂ©e Jefferson
Episode Transcript
GUEST BIO:
Tavia RivĂ©e Jefferson is a performer, director and communication specialist. After earning her Communications degree from Chapman University, Tavia returned to the arts, performing in shows including, All Shook Up, Travâlin, Hairspray, Beehive, HAIR, Little Shop of Horrors, Cirque du Soleilâs Michael Jackson ONE, the National Tour of Motown the Musical and Disney Theatricals workshop cast of Aida. During the pandemic, Tavia focused her skills in interpersonal and organizational communication and cultural relations to build the specialized role of Cultural Coordinating, designed to improve cultural competency in artistic spaces. Tavia is currently Cultural Coordinator for multiple regional, touring, West End, and Broadway productions, including To Kill a Mockingbird, Company, Hairspray and Other World at Delaware Theatre Company. Tavia RivĂ©e Jefferson
HOST BIOS:
Ashley J. Hicks (a.k.a. Ash, she/her) works currently as a Programs Coordinator for A.R.T./New York. Ash is an actor, writer, solo performer & teaching artist. She received her MFA from the American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) in 2021 and was a participant in the 2022 Disney Discovers Talent Showcase. To learn more about Ashley and her past/recent projects, please visit www.ashley-j-hicks.com
Nicky Maggio or âNâ (they/them) currently serves as Programs Manager at A.R.T/New York. N is a freelance theatrical curator with a focus on new play development and directing. Originally born in southeast Massachusetts, Nicky received their B.F.A. at Emerson College and then completed their M.F.A in Directing at The New School. For more information on their artistic projects visit www.nmaggio.com @nickymaggio
For more information about A.R.T./New York, please visit https://www.art-newyork.org/
If youâd like to receive new episodes as theyâre published, please subscribe to âWhatâs Off?â wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review. It really helps others find the show.
âWhatâs Off?â Production StaffDavid E. Shane, Executive ProducerErica Wray Barnes, Associate ProducerNicky Maggio, Episode Line ProducerCatalin Media, Audio Engineer
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In the Spring of 2023, Executive Director Michelle Preston, Producing Director Megan Carter, and Managing Director Brad Carlin sat down with David E. Shane to talk about the long road toward sunsetting the organization. SITI Company was an ensemble-based theater company whose three components were the creation of new work, the training of theater artists, and a commitment to crossing boundaries. Our guests discussed how they went about supporting ensemble members through the grief of letting go of their lifeâs work, and crying onstage (and off!) with the company during their final bows. Tune in!
âTrust your intuition. I knew [sunsetting SITI Company] was the right decision for this company much earlier in the process than others did. It took me a while to trust that intuition and to confidently say, I think this is the right thing for us to do.â - Michelle Preston
Episode Transcript
For more information, including guest bios, visit the episode webpage.
Additional Links:
SITI Company
Conscientious Closing - a conversation with SITI Company Leadership
Work. Shouldnât. Suck. Podcast - Sunsetting Organizations
Movers & Shapers: A Dance Podcast - Dante Puleio and Michelle Preston
For more information about A.R.T./New York, please visit https://www.art-newyork.org/
If youâd like to receive new episodes as theyâre published, please subscribe to âWhatâs Off?â wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review. It really helps others find the show.
âWhatâs Off?â Production StaffDavid E. Shane, Executive ProducerErica Wray Barnes, Associate ProducerNicky Maggio, Episode Line ProducerCatalin Media, Audio Engineer
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The Alliance of Resident Theatres/ New York presents, âWhatâs Off?â - a podcast that shines the spotlight on Off-Broadway innovation! Each episode features interviews with trailblazing artists, administrations, service providers, and other theatre workers in the Off and Off-Off Broadway community.
Season One features innovators such as ASL Interpreter and Disability Justice Advocate Lynnette Taylor and Cultural Coordinator Tavia RivĂ©e Jefferson. Audiences will learn about how A.R.T./New York was originally founded, and how the work of one leading theatre organization, SITI Company, came to a thoughtful and meaningful end. Join us to learn how todayâs theatrical innovators are setting the stage for whatâs next.
Trailer Transcript
For more information about A.R.T./New York, please visit https://www.art-newyork.org/
If youâd like to receive new episodes as theyâre published, please subscribe to âWhatâs Off?â wherever you get your podcasts.
âWhatâs Off?â Production Staff
David E. Shane, Executive ProducerErica Wray Barnes, Associate ProducerAshley J. Hicks and Nicky Maggio, Episode Line ProducersCatalin Media, Audio Engineer
