A Taste of My Work
Directing ~ New Play Development ~ Coaching/Teaching
Directing Around the Country
HAMLET
by William Shakespeare Woodward Shakespeare Festival, Fresno, California This exciting new interpretation of Shakespeare's greatest play was truly a labor of love. The culmination of my studies at The Shakespeare Institute, it explored a more active role for both Gertrude and Ophelia in the actions of the play. An amazing cast and company truly brought this incredibly layered and complex play to life to appreciative audiences and rave reviews! |
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SHERLOCK HOLMES: The Final Adventure
by Steven Dietz Quincy Community Theatre, Quincy, Illinois Delighting audiences since 1923, QCT is so much more than "just" a community theatre! Their state of the art theatre facility, an experienced, enthusiastic & talented staff, cast & crew was pure joy for this traveling director. Sherlock Holmes, the Mississippi & Quincy's warm, welcoming & vibrant theatre community made this an experience I'll always remember. |
SOUTH PACIFIC
by Rodgers & Hammerstein Weathervane Playhouse, Newark, Ohio Directing South Pacific in only two weeks at Ohio's longest-running professional summer stock theatre was certainly a challenge, but a strong young cast, the guidance of a top-notch artistic director, a great musical director & a talented, inventive design team made this classic masterpiece come to life on the Weathervane stage with passion, heart-break & joy. |
In New Jersey
THE LION IN WINTER
by James Goldman
First Avenue Playhouse, Atlantic Highlands, NJ
English history has always fascinated me and The Lion In Winter, pitting the aging Henry II against his beautiful & clever Queen, his three rebelling sons, and a young French king with ulterior motives, has always been one of my favorite plays, so I jumped at the chance to make this regal tour de force the eighth show I've directed at this delightful dessert theatre.
by James Goldman
First Avenue Playhouse, Atlantic Highlands, NJ
English history has always fascinated me and The Lion In Winter, pitting the aging Henry II against his beautiful & clever Queen, his three rebelling sons, and a young French king with ulterior motives, has always been one of my favorite plays, so I jumped at the chance to make this regal tour de force the eighth show I've directed at this delightful dessert theatre.
PRESENT LAUGHTER
by Noel Coward Playhouse 22, East Brunswick, NJ One of Noel Coward's less well-known shows, Present Laughter was a joy to direct. A largely autobiographical look at the life and loves of an aging theatrical star and his entourage, it is certainly Coward at his best and wittiest. And I couldn't have had a more fabulous cast to bring his world and characters to life in the most delightful way. |
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FIDDLER ON THE ROOF
music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, book by Joseph Stein
Center Players, Deal, NJ
Fiddler on the Roof is very personal to me. More than "just" a universally loved show, it is the story of my own family who emigrated to America from a little town near Kiev very much like Anatevke. This production was one of four I have done - in two I played Yente, the matchmaker; the other two I directed. I've loved every one and would gladly do it again... anytime!
New Play Development
THE WICKHAM WAY
by Rachel Rubin Ladutke
with songs by Lisa Brigantine
Teaneck New Theatre
Hackensack Performing Arts Center, Hackensack NJ
Directing an original play in its very first full production is a treat that most directors never get. To be able to work as a dramaturg during the actual writing of the play, helping the playwright create the characters, story and dialogue is equally exciting. I have collaborated with Rachel for over twenty years as both director and dramaturg on numerous plays, readings, staged readings, zoom readings and workshops, but The Wickham Way is the first of her plays that we have brought all the way from the page to the stage together. With an amazing cast and a great theatre, it was a fabulous experience.
THE WICKHAM WAY
by Rachel Rubin Ladutke
with songs by Lisa Brigantine
Teaneck New Theatre
Hackensack Performing Arts Center, Hackensack NJ
Directing an original play in its very first full production is a treat that most directors never get. To be able to work as a dramaturg during the actual writing of the play, helping the playwright create the characters, story and dialogue is equally exciting. I have collaborated with Rachel for over twenty years as both director and dramaturg on numerous plays, readings, staged readings, zoom readings and workshops, but The Wickham Way is the first of her plays that we have brought all the way from the page to the stage together. With an amazing cast and a great theatre, it was a fabulous experience.
A WORLD I NEVER MADE
by Bryan Williams
New Jersey Repertory Company, Long Branch, NJ
One of the most exciting thing a director can do is to work on the development of a new play. An intense urban drama by a most versatile playwright, A World I Never Made began for me as a staged reading which was then honored to be chosen as the inaugural show of the first season of New Jersey Repertory Company.
by Bryan Williams
New Jersey Repertory Company, Long Branch, NJ
One of the most exciting thing a director can do is to work on the development of a new play. An intense urban drama by a most versatile playwright, A World I Never Made began for me as a staged reading which was then honored to be chosen as the inaugural show of the first season of New Jersey Repertory Company.
HOMING PENGUINS
by Bryan Williams
New Jersey Repertory Company, Long Branch, NJ
A staged reading is a very special experience. Homing Penguins - the second of Bryan Williams' plays I directed - was a screwball comedy that had audiences rolling in the aisles - even with scripts in hand. Only one of the many staged readings I've directed, at NJRep and many other theatres, it has a special place in my heart.
BELLES OF THE MILL
Book by Rachel Rubin Ladutke
Music by Jill Marshall-Work
Midtown International Theatre Festival, NYC
I love musicals! And the joy - and drama - of directing an exciting new musical written by two very talented ladies of the theatre for one of the most vibrant theatre festivals in NYC is extraordinary! Belles of the Mill tells the story of the 1912 Lawrence, MA "Bread and Roses" textile workers strike that united immigrant workers from around the world and put women squarely in the line of fire. Strongly written characters, a rich book and evocative music made this an experience to remember!
Book by Rachel Rubin Ladutke
Music by Jill Marshall-Work
Midtown International Theatre Festival, NYC
I love musicals! And the joy - and drama - of directing an exciting new musical written by two very talented ladies of the theatre for one of the most vibrant theatre festivals in NYC is extraordinary! Belles of the Mill tells the story of the 1912 Lawrence, MA "Bread and Roses" textile workers strike that united immigrant workers from around the world and put women squarely in the line of fire. Strongly written characters, a rich book and evocative music made this an experience to remember!
The Theatre Project
Union County College's Professional Theater Company
Opening Nights on Saturday Afternoons
Collaborating directly with a team of creative and very special playwrights, directing staged readings & showcases of new one-act and full length plays and musicals, working with a huge pool of tremendously talented professional actors... My work with The Theatre Project over the years has been exhilarating and an education. Always something new, always something to learn, and to teach. Always growing, constantly working with new people in different genres. My thanks to the playwrights who allowed me the privilege of contributing to their process, including Jewel Seehaus-Fisher, Rachel Rubin Ladutke, Jon Citron, and so many others.
Educational Theatre
KISS ME, KATE! by Cole Porter
Stevens Institute of Technology Dramatic Society, Hoboken, NJ I never thought I would so enjoy directing, coaching & teaching at the college level! Especially at a University that doesn't even have a theatre department. But Stevens Dramatic Society, a student organization that has run continuously for over a hundred years, is an amazing group of young people who love theatre almost as much as I do! Over the course of five years I directed Kiss Me, Kate!, Perfect Wedding, Fiddler on the Roof, How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying and Rumors. In the process, I guided actors, designers, stage managers, and crew to a better understanding of their own talent, creativity and the joys & excitement of theatrical collaboration. And had a ball doing it! |