Working In The Theater's 'Fluidity & Change: Directors 2009' Airs 5/31

The American Theatre Wing has announced its newest episode of its popular "Working in the Theater" series, titled "Fluidity & Change: Directors 2009." This episode features Thomas Kail (In the Heights), Moisés Kaufman (33 Variations) Bartlett Sher (Joe Turner's Come and Gone), Leigh Silverman (Coraline), and Kate Whoriskey (Ruined). The program, moderated by Variety reporter Gordon Cox, will air on CUNY Television beginning Sunday, May 31, at 5:00 pm, with additional airings Friday, June 5 at 9:00 am, 2:00 pm and 7:30 pm, Saturday, June 6 at 11:00 am, and Sunday, June 7 at 5:00 pm. The episode will also be available for viewing and for download as a podcast at americantheatrewing.org beginning Wednesday, June 3rd.

In "Fluidity & Change: Directors 2009," Kail, Kaufman, Sher, Silverman and Whoriskey, five of the stage's most talented directors, discuss topics including: how they work with, and interpret, the author's work; the relationship between directors and designers; managing change as the work evolves; why they feel actors should be more involved in the process; the different approach they take when working with classics as opposed to original works; how they work with casting directors and then work with the various actors and acting techniques; their desire to be a support system for each other; and whether they feel directing can be taught.

An acclaimed fixture on New York television and in the theatre community for 30 years, the American Theatre Wing's "Working in the Theatre" offers an unprecedented forum for the meeting of theatrical minds. Bringing together performers, directors, playwrights, designers, choreographers, producers and behind-the-scenes personnel from the American and international theatre, the program offers a rare opportunity for students and audiences to see the people who create theatre engaged in thoughtful conversation with one another. With more than 600 past guests, "Working in the Theatre" has become an unequalled archive of theatrical talk, a chance to hear from the people behind the characters, stories and productions that draw us to the theatre.

The American Theatre Wing (Theodore S. Chapin, Chairman of the Board of Directors; Howard Sherman, Executive Director) is best known as the creator of the Antoinette Perry "Tony" Awards®, which it presents annually with The Broadway League. In addition to "Working in the Theatre," the Wing's other activities, all dedicated to recognizing excellence and supporting education in theatre, include "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 awarded 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. Visitors to www.americantheatrewing.org can view or download an archive of "Working in the Theatre" and the career guides and listen to archive episodes of the hour-long interview series "Downstage Center," all as free, on-demand streaming audio and podcast.

For additional information about "Working in the Theater" and all American Theatre Wing programs, go to americantheatrewing.org.

Kate Whoriskey Off-Broadway: Ruined, The Piano Teacher (Vineyard Theatre), Last Tree in Antarctica (Ensemble Studio Theatre), the world premiere of Lynn Nottage's Fabulation (Playwrights Horizons) and Massacre at the Labyrinth Theatre Company, of which she is a member. Regional: The Tempest at Shakespeare Theatre; Vigils, Heartbreak House, The Rose Tattoo at the Goodman; Life is a Dream, Caucasian Chalk Circle, Antigone at South Coast Repertory; Master Builder at The American Repertory Theatre; Lady from the Sea and The Chairs at the Intiman Theatre. Other theatres where she has directed include Theatre for a New Audience, Baltimore Center Stage, Perseverance Theatre, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Sundance Theatre Lab, The Eugene O'Neill Center. She is currently a visiting lecturer at Princeton University.

Bartlett Sher LCT: Joe Turner's Come and Gone, South Pacific (Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards), Awake and Sing (Tony nomination), The Light in the Piazza (Tony nomination). Artistic Director of Seattle's Intiman Theatre, credits there include: the world premieres of Prayer for My Enemy and Singing Forest by Craig Lucas (both also Long Wharf Theatre) and Nickel and Dimed; plays by Chekhov, Wilder, Shakespeare, Goldoni and Tony Kushner. Opera: The Barber of Seville (Metropolitan Opera), Roméo et Juliette (Salzburg Festival), Mourning Becomes Electra (Seattle Opera and New York City Opera). New York: Prayer for My Enemy (Playwrights); Cymbeline (2001 Callaway Award for Best Director; first American Shakespeare at the Royal Shakespeare Company), Waste (2000 Best Play Obie), Don Juan (all TFANA). He is a member of the TCG Board. Upcoming productions include: Tales of Hoffman at the Met and Bruce Lee: Journey to the West, a new musical by David Yazbeck and David Henry Hwang.

Leigh Silverman Broadway: Lisa Kron's Well. Off-Broadway credits include: MCC's current production, Coraline; From Up Here; Yellow Face; Beebo Brinker Chronicles;Hunting and Gathering; Danny and the Deep Blue Sea; Blue Door; Oedipus At Palm Springs; The Treatment. West End: Wit (Vaudeville Theatre). Other recent regional productions include: The Road to Mecca (Seattle Repertory Theater); Of Equal Measure (world premiere, Center Theatre Group); Bad Dates (Cleveland Playhouse) and How I Learned to Drive (Actors Theatre of Louisville). Upcoming: Lisa Kron's Five Questions and Daniel Goldfarb's The Retributionists (Playwrights Horizons).

Thomas Kail was nominated for a 2008 Tony Award for his direction of In the Heights. Off-B'way: In the Heights. He directed the world premiere of Broke-ology at the 2008 Williamstown Theatre Festival and is the artistic director and co-founder of Back House Productions, the resident theatre company of NYC's Drama Book Shop. He is also the co-creator and director of the hiphop improv group Freestyle Love Supreme. Other recent work has been seen at 37 Arts, Ars Nova, HBO Comedy Festival, Cherry Lane Theatre(Mentor Project), Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Flea Theatre, Melbourne Comedy Festival, Montreal Comedy Festival and the O'Neill Musical Theatre Conference. He is a consulting producer and a music director on the new television show "The Electric Company, "which will air on PBS in 2009. Recipient of the 2008 Martin E. Segal Award from Lincoln Center.

Moisés Kaufman is a Tony and Emmy nominated director and award-winning playwright. His plays Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde and The Laramie Project have been among the most performed plays in America over the last decade. Mr. Kaufman also directed the Pulitzer and Tony award-winning play I Am My Own Wife, earning him an Obie award for his direction as well as Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle and Lucille Lortel nominations. Other recent credits include: 33 Variations; Macbeth with Liev Schreiber (Public Theater); Lady Windermere's Fan (Williamstown Theater Festival); This Is How It Goes (Donmar Warehouse); One Arm by Tennessee Williams (Steppenwolf Theater Company); and Master Class with Rita Moreno (Berkeley Repertory Theater). Mr. Kaufman also directed the film adaptation of The Laramie Project for HBO, which earned Mr. Kaufman two Emmy Award nominations for Best Director and Best Writer. He is the Artistic Director of Tectonic Theater Project and a Guggenheim Fellow in Playwriting.

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