Interview: GUESS WHOse DINNER & Projects Director Cate Caplin Is Cooking Up

Next up at Theatre 40, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner opening November 17, 2022. Cate Caplin directs the cast of: Larry Eisenberg, Diana Angelina, Abigail Stewart, Marc Antonio Pritchett, Fred Dawson, Crystal Jackson, Patty Lewis, Jenn Robbins and David Hunt Stafford. The very busy Cate managed to find some time between rehearsals and pre-production to answer a few of my queries.

Thank you for taking the time for this interview, Cate!

What creative gods brought you in Theatre 40 to direct Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?

I was an Ovation Voter for years and had seen many plays at Theatre 40. David Hunt Stafford and I knew each other socially but had never worked together before. We had many discussions about finding the right project for me to direct for the company and we kicked around show titles and ideas - Kenneth Lonergan's Lobby Hero was on the top of my Director's "Wish List" and they did a reading of the play, David loved it but the rights were locked up - He tried consecutively for three years but was striking out - Ironically after the Broadway production of Lobby Hero closed before the shut down and global pandemic, the rights were released and I was asked to Direct Lobby Hero at the Elite Theatre. David came out to support the effort and to see my work and then offered me the opportunity to Direct "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" which was already slotted in their season.

I said, 'Yes!' on the spot - It is a classic story and the message is timeless and universal.

Had you worked with any of the cast or creatives before?

Out of the entire cast, I had only worked with Crystal Jackson (who is playing Tillie). She and I met at Actor's Co-Op when I was guest directing & choreographing a production of "She Loves Me" ~ Crystal was my producer.

For those unfamiliar with this classic, what would your three-line pitch of it be?

This is a story of two families confronted by their prejudices, a clash of racial and generational differences that encourages us to question what we truly believe when it comes to justice and equality, racial and social status, and our cultural identity exposed.

What aspects do you look for in a proposed project in deciding whether to commit your directorial talents to or not?

So much of it has to do with timing, what other projects I might have in the works but most importantly, I need to inspired by the material on a fundamental level and have a vision for the production. I have to feel some kind of personal connection with the story and care enough about the journey of the characters to want to commit the time, energy and passion required to bring the theatrical piece to life. David offered me another comedy a couple of years ago and I passed because the material didn't resonate with me, so it's something that needs to be felt out project-by-project...

You started your theatrical career dancing. At what point did you decide to take on a director's hat?

When I first came out to Los Angeles, I immediately became actively involved with Women in Theatre, a networking organization of likeminded theatre devotees, writers, performers, directors and producers. I was the editor of their WIT Magazine, sat on their Board of Directors and got deeply involved in nurturing new works, producing symposiums and creative networking opportunities, all the while looking for artistic projects to sink my teeth into... A longtime friend from New York moved out here slightly after when I did and he had written a new musical and asked me to direct - I had worked with so many wonderful directors over the years and I had choreographed and "dance directed" sequences for television and film, so taking the reins on his world premiere production evolved quite organically and effortlessly - directing and choreographing felt like a natural progression and I never looked back. I ended up producing and directing a project that I also wrote at the Edinburgh Theatre Festival and I was off and running.

Would you say directing is the next step for a choreographer? Directing is choreographing without the dancing, agree or disagree?

For me directing and choreographing go hand and hand but not all choreographers WANT to Direct. Actually, some artists friends I know have no desire AT ALL to take on all the logistics, headaches and innate stress that come with the job of directing. Especially in the intimate theatre arena with additional hurdles and limited support, it's VERY hard. A big part of the job is personality management and tuning in to the needs of each and every individual on the creative team from the performers to the designers, to the production company. You have to be a master multi-tasker and work well under pressure. You have to be flexible and quick on your feet in the face of creative "curve balls" and problem solving. You have to LOVE managing the entire journey of a project from start to finish and have the tenacity to stay in the game when the unexpected challenges sneak up on you when you least expect.

You've coached David Hyde Pierce for his Tony Award-winning role in Curtains, as well as for Six Dances Lessons in Six Weeks at The Geffen, the Broadway production of Spamalot and his feature film The Perfect Host. Have you developed a shorthand in communicating with David after so many hours together?

David is my poster child of an artist with humility and commitment to the work and the process. When we first met, we had nine-months lead time to prep him for Six Dance Lessons at the Geffen. We spent countless hours covering a massive amount of dance technique, mechanics and styling and he approached it all with such humility and respect for the art form. There wasn't a shorthand per se, we just a continued delving into the details and the essence of the training that is never ending. He already had that understanding and focus from being a musician and actor and he approached it with a beginner's mind. The speed of his progress and understanding of the elements was inspiring and enriching to me as a coach.

Is there someone else that you have worked with even more than with David?

David was the most concentrated personal coaching I have done with a single individual artist, but I've coached many dancers and actors over the years and spent the most consistent training hours and intense fine-tuning with competitive ballroom dancers, musical theatre performers and of course my personal dance partners that I created repertory and practiced with steadily for over 7-10 years.

Besides technical abilities, what qualities do you watch for when you're auditioning dancers?

I look for dancers who are actors as well. Performers that sparkle with what I call the "it" factor. Something inherent that translates sometimes more strongly on stage than another dancer with more "technique."

What facets of a performer as you looking for when auditioning an actor?

I look for artists that personalize the material they read, that have an unaffected, authentic truthfulness to their work without pushing or "selling" their performance but instead approach it with a grounded, moment-to-moment honesty.

What's your best tip to eager auditionees?

My mantra: Breathe, Relax and Flow. Also, don't beat yourself up if you don't get cast this time round. I audition so many wonderful and talented artists but not everyone can get the job, and just because I didn't cast you this time round, it doesn't mean that you aren't talented or that you didn't make a positive impression, it just means you weren't selected for this particular job and often it comes down to balancing ALL the players in the production being cast. I actually pitched double casting Guess Who's Coming to Dinner because there were so many actors I WANTED to cast and each combination of players offered a different dynamic. It was seriously considered for 24 hours but unfortunately turned down by the board and logistically not something they had done before or supported as an approach. It made my casting decision-making that much harder...!!

Having helmed or choreographed over 200 productions in Los Angeles theatre, what is your take on the current state of the L.A. theatre community, as opposed to that when you started?

It's getting harder and harder to produce shows locally, coast to coast and abroad due to rising costs of production, union requirements, maintaining safety and health in the work environment and the recession of regular theatre going audiences. It doesn't make me want to do it any less, it just makes me think outside the box, look to self-produce more of my own work and to find new ways to create with more modest resources.

Out of the many, many dance awards you've received, is there one in particular that you hold above all the rest?

Multiple U.S. Open and World Titles in Theatrical Ballroom Dancing represent great moments that were celebrated of course, but all of the awards received along my creative journey remind me of the amount of focus, dedication and intense stamina that is required to stay in the game of any artistic pursuit - The only one who can measure your own personal growth and progress is YOU and beyond dance "competitions," every project offers new opportunities to learn from the challenges of the circumstances, the other players you are working and collaborating with and the internal strength required to endure the long distance RUN of the process... It always comes down to patience and step-by-step tenacity en route to the finish line.

What did you want to be growing up? A dancer? A choreographer? A director? A writer?

I started with the dream of being a professional dancer. The urge was strong and clear from an early age. My parents were very supportive of my artistic pursuits. I went to dance camps and summer intensives abroad that laid the foundation of my training early on in my development. I danced with three professional dance companies before coming to New York and continuing my training and work there. I always came back to my studies and continued training in all disciplines in-between creative work. Choreography invitations emerged later in my career. I took writing workshops along the way and then directing opportunities presented themselves as well. My entire journey has naturally "sprouted" and evolved into different areas of potential expression. I've stayed open and tested the waters in each and every new arena.

What's in the near future for Cate Caplin?

This last year I executive produced and directed a feature film called "The Unicorn Diaries"... We are currently in post-production so that should be coming out in the new year. I will also be directing a play about the 1930's Golden Age of Hollywood called "Garbo's Cuban Lover." At the top of the new year, I will be returning to Interlochen Center for the Arts to teach master classes and to coach and contribute to a special project in development and in partnership with the New York Philharmonic that will be presented at Lincoln Center in the Spring of 2023. I may have some other possible projects in New York following that one but they are still percolating on the back burner at the moment!

Thank you again, Cate! I look forward to taking part of your Dinner.

Can't wait for you to see the show and look forward to everyone coming out to see what we've been cooking!!

For tickets to the live performances of Dinner through December 18, 2022; click on the button below:

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