Beginning its 30th year of broadcast, the American Theatre Wing’s “Working in the Theatre” program will feature “Actors Words, Writers Voice” on CUNY TV on Sunday, November 2 at 5 p.m. The program will repeat on Friday, November 7 at 9 a.m., 2 and 7:30 p.m., and Saturday, November 8 at 11 a.m. The program becomes available as streaming video and podcast from www.americantheatrewing.org, as well as iTunes, beginning Wednesday afternoon, November 5.
“Actors Words, Writers Voice” kicks off the 30th season moderated by Gordon Cox, reporter from Variety.
Daniel Jenkins,
Lisa Kron and
David Pittu – who have appeared both on stage and written works for the stage-- talk about how they balance these dual roles; what they learn about being playwrights from their acting; where they get inspiration for their plays; how audiences help them enhance their performance as both actors and writers; whether or not it’s more satisfying to act in a play they wrote; and their relationship with directors when they’re performing the role of both playwright and actor.
ATW “Working in Theatre” was created by Isabelle Stevenson, who served as President of the Wing for 33 years, followed by years as the chairman of the board of directors. She had begun the “Working in the Theatre” series as public discussions, often held in theatre lobbies, as early as 1973, long before both not-for-profit and commercial productions realized the benefit of offering insight into the creative process to audiences. For the past 30 years, "Working in the Theatre" panels on CUNY TV have brought together theatre’s best-known performers, producers, playwrights, directors, designers, choreographers, producers, composers, agents and others for peer-to-peer conversation about the art, the craft and the business of theatre. “Working in Theatre” has had over 1,000 guests since its inception, across 231 televised programs, and the vast majority of the programs are archived and can be viewed online as streaming video or downloadable podcast at the American Theatre Wing website.
“Isabelle Stevenson showed extraordinary foresight when she moved the ‘Working in the Theatre’ series to cable in 1979,” said
Howard Sherman, Executive Director of the American Theatre Wing and current executive producer of the series. “You have to remember that cable was hardly prevalent in that era, and by being an early-adopter of this opportunity, she laid the groundwork for what has become one of the country’s long-running arts programs. She’d be extremely gratified to know how the program now finds new audiences far beyond New York, thanks to the internet and iTunes.” In addition to its broadcast audience, “Working in the Theatre” is downloaded some 25,000 times each month.
Leadership support for the “Working in the Theatre” series is provided by The Annenberg Foundation and the Dorothy Strelsin Foundation. The program is produced by Gail Yancosek for the American Theatre Wing.
Daniel Jenkins has starred on Broadway’s
Mary Poppins, Wrong Mountain, Big, Angels in America, Big River and
Mark Twain in the revival of Big River. Off-Broadway credits include: Writer/Performer in “Love Child”, Albert in Bye Bye Birdie, Prez in Pajama Game (Encores!); Spinning Into Butter (Lincoln Center); Dream True, The Maiden’s Prayer and composer/performer in Feast Here Tonight (Vineyard Theatre); Triumph of Love (CSC); Johnny in Johnny Pye (The Lamb’s). Regional credits include: Title roles in The Education of
Randy Newman (ACT), Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Hangar Theatre), and Fortinbras (La Jolla); Citizen Tom Paine (Philadelphia Theatre Company/Kennedy Center); Actors’ Theatre of Louisville: The Grapes of Wrath, A Christmas Carol, Rites of Passage, Little People (playwright), . Jenkins has also appeared in numerous films including: O.C., Tanner ’88, The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial, Joshua, and Cradle Will Rock..
Lisa Kron has been writing and performing theater since 1984. Her Autobiographical play, Well opened to critical acclaim on Broadway at the Longacre Theater in March of 2006 and received two Tony nominations. Her play, 2.5 Minute Ride premiered at
La Jolla Playhouse in 1996 and then in New York at the Public Theater in 1999. It received an OBIE Award, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle nominations, an L.A. Drama-Logue Award, the GLAAD Media Award for best play on or Off Broadway and was named the best autobiographical show of 1999 by New York Press. Kron’s other plays include 101 Humiliating Stories (Drama Desk nomination), Charity and Montecore, two short plays included in the anthology Neon Mirage and presented at the 2006 Humana Festival and the New York Fringe, 43/13, produced by Dad’s Garage in Atlanta, and Martha, which she co-wrote with and for choreographer/performer Richard Move. Kron is also a founding member of the OBIE and Bessie Award–winning theater company The Five Lesbian Brothers, whose plays, Oedipus at Palm Springs, Brave Smiles, Brides of the Moon and The Secretaries have all been produced by New York Theater Workshop and have been performed widely throughout the country both by the Brothers and by other companies. She teaches playwriting at Yale Drama School.
David Pittu is a writer, performer and co-director. His What’s That Smell: The Music of Jacob Sterling, which premiered at the Atlantic Theater Company is transferring to New World Stages, where performances begin Saturday, November 1st. As an Atlantic Company Member
David Pittu has written, directed, and acted in countless Atlantic productions, most recently Pinter's Celebration and The Room (Drama Desk and Lortel nominations). Last season, he received his second Tony Award nomination for his performance in the
Mark Twain comedy Is He Dead? as well as an Outer Critics Circle nomination. Broadway credits include: LoveMusik (Tony Award and Drama Desk nomination; Outer Critics Circle Award), The Coast of Utopia, and Never Gonna Dance. Off-Broadway credits include: Stuff Happens (Drama Desk Award: Outstanding Ensemble), Of Thee I Sing (Encores!), The Fourth Wall, Sympathetic Magic, The Lights, Hot Keys, The Butter and Egg Man (as director), and, as co-author, The Audience (Drama Desk nomination: Outstanding Musical). Pittu’s Regional/National tour includes: Parade (National Broadway Award: Best Actor in a Musical), Titanic, and Company (Kennedy Center Sondheim Celebration).
Gordon Cox has been the theater reporter at Variety since 2005. Prior to that he wrote for Newsday as a critic, columnist and feature writer. He also has worked at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco and the Brooklyn Academy of Music. He attended Princeton University, where he studied writing and theater.
CUNY TV is a cable channel serving the five boroughs of New York City with educational, cultural and public affairs programs. As part of The City University of New York, CUNY TV operates as a non-commercial station. Its mission is to extend the academic and intellectual richness of the University beyond the campuses and to offer New York City residents a haven for life long learning experiences through television.
About The American Theatre Wing
The American Theatre Wing is best known as the creator of the Antoinette Perry “Tony” Awards®, which it presents annually with The Broadway League. The Wing’s other activities, dedicated to recognizing excellence and supporting education in theatre, include “Working in the Theatre,” now in its 30th year of telecasts on CUNY TV in New York and on other national cable outlets; "Downstage Center," an hour-long weekly interview program on XM Satellite Radio; “Guides to Careers in the Theatre,” a video series developed for schools and libraries; a grants and scholarship program to New York City schools and not-for-profit theatre companies, which has granted nearly $3 million since its inception; the Theatre Intern Group, a career development program for young professionals; and SpringboardNYC, a two-week college-to-career boot camp for young performers moving to NYC; and the
Jonathan Larson® Grants, recognizing and supporting emerging writers of musical theatre. Visitors to www.americantheatrewing.org can view or download an archive of “Working in the Theatre” and the career guides and listen to “Downstage Center”, all as free, on-demand streaming audio and podcast.
Theodore S. Chapin is Chairman of the Board of Directors of the American Theatre Wing and
Howard Sherman is Executive Director.
Photo Credit Walter McBride/Retna Ltd
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