Interview: Artistic Director of 59E59 Theaters Val Day and Brits Off Broadway

59E59 Theaters' Artistic Director, Val Day and Managing Director, Brian Beirne announced its "Brits Off Broadway" season that will be performed from April 22 to June 29. The beloved annual festival celebrates the best of independent British theater. This year’s edition of Brits Off Broadway will include eight shows from UK writers and producers across all three of 59E59 Theaters’ stages. 

We had the opportunity to interview the Artistic Director of 59E59 Theaters, Val Day to gain fascinating insights about her career and the upcoming Brits Off Broadway festival.

Val Day has been Artistic Director of 59E59 Theaters since 2017. She began her career with a five-year stint as the co-owner of a bookstore & coffee shop and as the co-founder of a site specific theater company in Tampa, FL. Both enterprises were driven by a lifelong mission to create hubs with carefully curated events to inspire communal connection. After receiving an MFA in directing from UCSD, Val devoted 18 years to discovering and representing emerging playwrights and directors as a talent agent with WMA and ICM. Those artists' works continue to enthrall audiences around the world in award winning productions at theaters and on TV & Film.

---

Your career has been a very creative one. When did you first realize your love of literature and theatre?

As a kid, I lived in books. Even got busted by a teacher for hiding in the library during recess. During summer vacations, I did spend time outside making my little sister and cousins dress up to act out elaborate fairy tales by the lake at my grandmother’s cabin in Maine. They might've grumbled at first but in the end we all had a great time. Pure theater.

Can you tell us a little about the MFA program in directing that you accomplished at UCSD?

It was a full immersion. I was surrounded by fellow theater obsessives, day and night, lots of whom were better at this stuff, and more knowledgeable. I loved the challenge and upped my game substantially. Unique to the directing program is that besides our core classes, we took one course in all the disciplines. We welded in the set design class and much to the glee of the acting students, we performed scenes with them in acting class. Gave me a greater understanding of every artist’s process and kept me humble! 

As Artistic Director of such a prominent Off Broadway theatre, what are some of the attributes you look for in a play? 

Stories that throw characters into the deep end so we can root for them are compelling. Strong plot points are extremely satisfying, and there is something to be said for less linear stories that are daring and ambitious. But really, it's about the companies’ visions. 59E59 is a home for them, and my goal is to trust their instincts as much as possible and maybe they’ll surprise me. Sometimes, they'll bring in work that wouldn't have been on the radar, and that's where the magic happens.

We are excited about "Brits Off Broadway" this year. Why do you think this festival has been so successful with theatergoers?

It's some of the best theater in the world, they’ve been at it for quite a bit longer than we have. We’ve seen these productions beforehand which gives our festival a higher degree of quality assurance. These shows were hand-selected from over a thousand plays at the Edinburgh Fringe and everyone here can see them — without first sitting through some lemons or crossing the Atlantic. 

Please share some insights into how shows are selected for the festival. 

Edinburgh Fringe is the main hunting ground. Ten days of pure theater immersion every August. Plus, there are always the London shows, most watched from archival videos. If a show pops on a screen, imagine how it'll explode live. I see a few shows every day, some pique my interest from the giant catalog of shows, others from tip-offs from friends there and a few from reading rave reviews (every morning starts with combing through a few outlets I trust). While it’s helpful to get suggestions from reviews, I don’t always agree with their assessment. 

What are some of the challenges of bringing the festival to 59E59 Theaters?

The sheer volume of amazing work. Having to whittle it down to a handful? That's the real gut punch. Maybe someday, we’ll collaborate with other theaters to make this a city-wide festival.  

What can metro area audiences expect from "Brits Off Broadway" this year?

This year is dynamite. If you're on the fence about a show, just go. Trust me, you'll kick yourself if you miss out.

Anything else, absolutely anything you want Broadwayworld readers to know!

Don't skip the mezzanine bar! Before and after shows, it's the place to be. Especially during Brits Off Broadway, the companies love to hang out and chat. Want to ask a burning question or bask in the glow of a talented performer? Go straight to the source. They're a friendly bunch.

59E59 Theaters is located at 59 East 59th Street (between Madison and Park Avenues), New York, NY 10021. For more information and ticketing to all of their shows, please visit HERE and call 212.753.5959. 

To post a comment, you must register and login.