While The Applause Is Paused: Conversations With Regional Theater Makers: Recent Episodes
Lacey Tucker
Are you mighty curious about what's going on at our regional theaters in these pandemic times? They're the artistic heart of many a community, not to mention many an artist. I was. So I made this podcast.
With the help of incredible artistic directors and other leaders all over the country, I'm creating a conversation that addresses: what's challenging and constricting, or maybe a silver lining, or everything at once, at their unique organization. We're turning the spotlight on the essential role of regional theaters.
Join us to talk about the pandemic, the shutdown, social justice, and the changes that 2020 has wrought.
Meet Julia Brothers, a prolific actor who has worked all over the country. She was commissioned to write her first play during the pandemic, then starred in a streaming production of it. Join us for Julia's wisdom and her pandemic experience.
San Francisco Playhouse website
Target Margin Theatre website
ACT (American Conservatory Theater) website
Theaterworks Silicon Valley website
Marin Theater Company website
Gulfshore Playhouse website
Merrimack Repertory Theater website
B Street Theatre website
Arthur Miller wikipedia
Death of a Salesman wikipedia
Podcast website
Lacey’s Instagram
Episode transcript
Get in touch at whiletheapplauseispaused@gmail.com
Music by: Drew Wutke
Drew’s website
Logo design by Sarah Kleist, Kleist Creative
Sarah’s website
Photo by Billy Bustamante, Billy B Photography
Billy’s website
This week Lacey chats with Bryce McDonald, Producing Director of the Cumberland County Playhouse in Crossville, TN. Join in the conversation with one of the only theaters in the series so far that has been producing shows inside, and hear about their slow climb back to full houses. Hear about their unique small town in Tennessee where the theater nonetheless attracted nearly 90,000 visitors a year pre-COVID. Get curious about the realities of producing theater in a socially conservative environment and hear some really great stories about CCP’s productions of A Chorus Line and Sweeney Todd.
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Show Notes
Bryce’s Instagram
Cumberland County Playhouse website
Cumberland Plateau wikipedia
Savannah Sipping Society teaser
Clue On Stage teaser
Edward Villella and football article
Bright Star wikipedia
Sweeney Todd wikipedia
A Chorus Line wikipedia
Alabama Story by Kenneth Jones website
Podcast website
Lacey’s Instagram
Episode transcript
Get in touch at whiletheapplauseispaused@gmail.com
Music by: Drew Wutke
Drew’s website
Logo design by Sarah Kleist, Kleist Creative
Sarah’s website
Photo by Billy Bustamante, Billy B Photography
Billy’s website
This week Lacey chats with Ginger Poole, Producing Artistic Director of Mill Mountain Theatre in Roanoke, VA. Despite having spent 8 weeks working at Mill Mountain, Lacey did not know the story of its 10-year journey to reduce debt and rebuild its relationship with the actor's union.
Join the conversation to hear the theater’s amazing survival story and how it was poised to complete its comeback just as the pandemic hit. Get curious about how Ginger remade the theater’s business model. Follow her careful plans for the next several productions leading to a full mainstage show in the Fall.
Show Notes
Mill Mountain Theatre website
The Mill Mountain star at night photo
Equity EMC program webpage
Million Dollar Quartet Tony Awards performance
Equity COVID-19 safety documents webpage
Meet Me At Mill Mountain podcast
Podcast website
Lacey’s Instagram
Episode transcript
Get in touch at whiletheapplauseispaused@gmail.com
Music by: Drew Wutke
Drew’s website
Logo design by Sarah Kleist, Kleist Creative
Sarah’s website
Photo by Billy Bustamante, Billy B Photography
Billy’s website
This week Lacey chats with Sean Daniels, Artistic Director of the Arizona Theatre Company in Tucson and Phoenix. Sean is also an award-winning director and a playwright.
Join the conversation to hear about what may be the only theatre company in America with two hometowns, and how that was further complicated in the pandemic. Get curious about how Our Town influenced Sean at a young age and how he imagines the first live show back at the theatre will go.
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Show Notes
Arizona Theatre Company’s website
Sean’s email
Sean’s twitter
Our Town by Thornton Wilder wikipedia
Private Lives by Noel Coward wikipedia
Merrimack Repertory Theater website
My 80 Year Old Boyfriend by Charissa Bertels, Christian Duhamel and Ed Bell website
LORT Theaters website
Native Gardens by Karen Zacarias article
Podcast website
Lacey’s Instagram
Episode transcript
Get in touch at whiletheapplauseispaused@gmail.com
Music by: Drew Wutke
Drew’s website
Logo design by Sarah Kleist, Kleist Creative
Sarah’s website
Photo by Billy Bustamante, Billy B Photography
Billy’s website
This week Lacey chats with Kate Galvin, Artistic Director of Cardinal Stage and Barrymore Award-winning director. She recently directed Cardinal Stage's virtual production of Adam Gwon's Ordinary Days.
Join the conversation to hear about Cardinal Stage's challenging relationship with its subscribers in the pandemic, its site-specific, walking audio plays, and the flash mob choreography at its Social DisDance Party.
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Show Notes
Cardinal Stage’s website
Kate Galvin’s website
11th Hour Theatre Company’s website
Ada and the Engine by Lauren Gunderson webpage
Ordinary Days by Adam Gwon wikipedia
National Alliance of Musical Theater (NAMT) website
Podcast website
Lacey’s Instagram
Episode transcript
Get in touch at whiletheapplauseispaused@gmail.com
Co-Editor: Kelly Gabrielle Murphy
Kelly’s website
Music by: Drew Wutke
Drew’s website
Logo design by Sarah Kleist, Kleist Creative
Sarah’s website
Photo by Billy Bustamante, Billy B Photography
Billy’s website
Lacey chats with Dina Janis, Artistic Director of the Dorset Theatre Festival in Dorset, VT. Dina has led the Festival for the past 11 years, turning it into a powerhouse of new works development for diverse voices.
Take a listen to why Breaking Bad is proof that regional audiences are ready for more than we used to think they were. Hear about Dina's preference for audio plays over Zoom theatre. Get curious about Dina's reaction to the social justice protests and why it matters in Vermont, the second whitest state in the union.
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Dorset Theatre Festival website
Joe Papp and the Public Theater wikipedia
Steppenwolf Theatre website
Labyrinth Theater website
Theresa Rebeck website
Heidi Armbruster interview
The Whipping Man by Matthew Lopez
Alan Ayckbourn wikipedia
Merrily We Roll Along at Menier Chocolate Factory, London 2013
Podcast website
Lacey’s Instagram
Episode transcript
Get in touch at whiletheapplauseispaused@gmail.com
Co-Editor: Kelly Gabrielle Murphy
Kelly’s website
Music by: Drew Wutke
Drew’s website
Logo design by Sarah Kleist, Kleist Creative
Sarah’s website
Photo by Billy Bustamante, Billy B Photography
Billy’s website
This week Lacey chats with Mark Fleischer, Executive Director of the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera (CLO), a 75-year old institution devoted to the preservation and development of musical theater.
Join us as Mark describes the development process of the CLO’s pandemic Google Doc Musical, Jagoff The Musical. Hear about the $6 million revenue loss of a $12 million institution and what Mark has done to keep the CLO relevant during this time. And get curious about why Mark puts aside an hour a day to dream about the ideal post-pandemic theatrical landscape.
PCLO website
CLOse Ups webpage
Google Doc musical webpage
Songs For A New Year webpage
Jason Robert Brown, Songs for a New World
National Alliance of Musical Theater (NAMT) website
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Get in touch at whiletheapplauseispaused@gmail.com
Podcast website
Lacey’s Instagram
Episode transcript
Co-Editor: Kelly Gabrielle Murphy
Kelly’s website
Music by: Drew Wutke
Drew’s website
Logo design by Sarah Kleist, Kleist Creative
Sarah’s website
Photo by Billy Bustamante, Billy B Photography
Billy’s website
Lacey chats with Mary Kate Burke, Artistic Director of Cape Fear Regional Theatre in Fayetteville, NC. Mary Kate arrived at CFRT 4 years ago and is only the 3rd Artistic Director in the theatre’s 59 year history. CFRT is an integral part of its community and wants its friends and neighbors to “think harder, laugh deeper, share experiences, and grow as a community.”
Join the conversation about a very special production of Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grille in a gas station parking lot, an on-line education program called Edutainment, and Mary Kate’s thoughts on current funding in the arts and the importance of not losing time.
And thanks to my new Co-Editor, Kelly Gabrielle Murphy!
Show notes
Mary Kate’s website
Cape Fear Regional Theatre’s website
Langston Hughes Wikipedia
Fort Bragg Wikipedia
Jelly’s Last Jam 1992 Tony Awards performance
Murder For Two Wikipedia
Shrek the Musical pre-Broadway Seattle production You Tube
Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grille Tony Awards performance
Arts North Carolina website
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Podcast website
Lacey’s Instagram
Episode transcript
Get in touch at whiletheapplauseispaused@gmail.com
Co-Editor: Kelly Gabrielle Murphy
Kelly’s website
Music by: Drew Wutke
Drew’s website
Logo design by Sarah Kleist, Kleist Creative
Sarah’s website
Photo by Billy Bustamante, Billy B Photography
Billy’s website
Join the conversation with Dawn Meredith Simmons and Maurice Emmanuel Parent, co-founders of The Front Porch Arts Collective, a young but mighty theatre company in Boston, MA. Dawn is a director, playwright and arts administrator. Maurice is an actor, director, educator, and mentor. Together they represent decades of experience in the Boston market, having worked at many of Boston's oldest and most prestigious institutions.
Their company's mission is dedicated to stories of the Black diaspora, with Black creatives represented not only as actors but at every level, from creative teams to management.
So, want to know how they did it in only 4 years? Who supported and nurtured their idea and helped them grow? What they mean by being a theatrical family? How they responded to the pandemic shutdown? Tune in.
Podcast website
Lacey’s Instagram
Episode transcript
Get in touch at whiletheapplauseispaused@gmail.com
Music by: Drew Wutke
Drew’s website
Logo design by Sarah Kleist, Kleist Creative
Sarah’s website
Logo photo by Billy Bustamante, Billy B Photography
Billy’s website
This Episode:
The Front Porch Arts Collective website
Federal Theater Project Wikipedia
Nile Scott, Photographer’s website
Central Square Theater website
Nora Theater Co website
Underground Railway Theater website
The Porch’s God’s Closet Reading Series webpage
Fiscal sponsorship for nonprofits information
Violet the musical Wikipedia and Roundabout Theatre NY Times review
Lyric Stage Company website
Greater Boston Stage website
Stagesource website
Starlight Square website
Join the conversation with Ethan Paulini, Artistic Director of the Weathervane Theater & Out Of The Box Theatrics, and also an actor, director, choreographer, educator, writer, arts administrator, and acting coach.
Ethan and I talk about all the things pandemic, re-opening, social justice, anti-racism, losses in 2020, and hope in 2021.
Want to know how the Weathervane was able to have an in-person Fall 2020 season? Ethan's anti-racist intention in how he combines roles in the audition packets for the repertory season? Patrons reactions to the theater's statement on social justice? Take a listen.
Podcast website
Lacey’s Instagram
Episode transcript
Get in touch at whiletheapplauseispaused@gmail.com
Ethan's website
Ethan’s actor coaching website
Weathervane Theater’s website
Out Of The Box Theatrics website
Actors Equity Association website
Are you mighty curious about what's going on at our regional theaters in these pandemic times? They're the artistic heart of many a community, not to mention many an artist. I was. If you’re a theater artist or passionate theater patron, you probably are too. So I made While The Applause Is Paused for all of us.
In this trailer, I introduce myself and tell you more about my intentions for this podcast and what to expect in future episodes. With the help of incredible artistic directors and other leaders all over the country, I'm creating a conversation that addresses: what's challenging and constricting, or maybe a silver lining, or everything at once, at their unique organization. We're turning the spotlight on the essential role of regional theaters to get insight into the pandemic, the shutdown, social justice, and the changes wrought by 2020.
For more info, episodes, and transcripts go to my website
Follow me onInstagram
To get in touch, send anemail to:
whiletheapplauseispaused@gmail.com
It takes a village!
Thanks to these amazing humans for their creativity, advice, and encouragement:
Drew Wutke, intro music
Drew’s website
Sarah Kleist, web and logo design:
Sarah’s website
Peter Shepherd, co-host of The Long and The Short Of It podcast and creative and business coach
Peter’s website and podcast website
Lili Torre, host of The Dreaded Question podcast, storyteller, coach
Lili’s website
Ryan Lind, host of No Reservations podcast & author of Catrina Loves Trent
Ryan’s Instagram
Michael Bulger, Associate Artistic Director of Clubbed Thumb
Clubbed Thumb’s website
Jenny Hoofnagle, star member of my Square Squad (& great pilates instructor!)
Jenny’s website and her pilates studio’s website