Christophe Desorbay wears several theatrical hats, from working in Daryl Roth's producing and general management offices to being an auditioning performer and dancer. He is also passionate about disability inclusion and is committed to bringing greater accessibility to the performing arts industry at large through the various hats he wears. You can…

A very special Playwright Spotlight with writer A.A. Brenner! A.A. (They/Them) and I went to college together (but didn’t really know each other). They are currently finishing up their MFA from Columbia University School of the Arts. You should definitely go check out their website to learn more, but some info pulled from it below: "Their plays hav…

Today, the pod goes to North Carolina to speak with Todd Fisher! You can learn more by checking out http://www.creativegreensboro.com/. According to Todd, he is a theater artist, husband, beer brewer and, if it’s your birthday, singer. Todd is a a graduate of UNCG Theater and Dance, trainee of the SITI Company and member of the John Gamble Dance Th…

This week the podcast is highlighting playwright, Dwayne Yancey! Dwayne is based in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. He has been produced in 47 states, 6 provinces, and 17 countries. On this episode, Dwayne and I talk about how he manages to be so prolific, how he's tailoring his writing for the current moment, and what he anticipates RE deman…

Today the pod goes to St. Louis to speak with Joe Hanrahan of The Midnight Company! Joe has had a long and dynamic career as not only the Co-Founder/Artistic Director of The Midnight Company, but also as a director and actor himself. If you want to learn more, check out his bio on The Midnight Company's website -- he has a number of upcoming shows!…

First thing's first: check out THE STRIDES COLLECTIVE The Diamond Peak Studio Sessions from now through June 20!! Tickets are just $15 on TodayTix. Jonathan Edmondson founded the Philadelphia based theatre company, THE STRIDES COLLECTIVE, in early 2020. Committed to producing work by queer artists and about queer narratives, THE STRIDES COLLECTIVE …

Today the podcast goes to North Carolina to speak with Dennis Michael Corcoran and Amanda Almodovar! The two met and created their artistic partnership at a virtual "Scripts and Sips" event during COVID (they have still never met in person!). Since then, Dennis has directed the filmed adaptation of Amanda's play, TERRIFYING. We talk about what it's…

Welcome to the first episode of our Playwright Spotlight series! Today's episode features Cris Eli Blak, a playwright who has found increased success during the past year. He has had worked produced, performed, and/or published around the world including Off-Broadway (Urban Stages, Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre), on the West Coast (Left Edge Thea…

Tracy Geltman is the Chief Operating Officer at Stacey Mindich Productions as well as one of the co-founders of the Broadway Women's Alliance, a peer-to-peer networking and programming organization for female-identifying professionals on the business side of Broadway. Tracy has spent over 15 years as a Company Manager and Associate General Manager …

Today the pod is visiting our neighbors in Canada! On this episode of The Big Intermission, we're joined by Alex Sarian, the President & CEO of Arts Commons, which is the largest performing arts center in Western Canada. Alex took the position in January of 2020 and has since been leading the organization through a renovation and transformation. Pr…

Amasia Gordon is a senior about to graduate with a BFA in Acting from Pace University. Last year, her classes went online, and Amasia had to adapt to a new virtual, theatre education. On this episode, Amasia and I talk about which classes worked online and which didn't, whether or not she would recommend the BFA, and her plans post graduation. You …

Alyssa Sarnoff is an actor, singer, and dancer. A little over a year ago, she was preparing to perform in the ensemble of 42nd Street at the Chicago Lyric Opera. Of course, like so many other performances, this one didn't get the chance to come to life back in 2020. Since then, she has taught dance classes online and is looking forward to the retur…

First thing's first: you can find tickets to Mfoniso Udofia's adaptation of OTHELLO here! All tickets are Pay-What-You-Can and performances start tonight (Thursday, April 8) and run through Saturday, April 17. What you need to know about this production of OTHELLO is that it's set in a modern-day, elite, predominantly white, all-female, academic co…

Prior to the pandemic, Broadway Plus was offering in-person VIP experiences for people attending Broadway shows. Think: backstage passes, corporate events, meet & greets, and things like that. So Founder & President, Nathaniel Hill, got creative when Broadway shut down, and Broadway Plus became one of the few Broadway businesses that actually exper…

Annie-B Parson is a choreographer, dancer, and director based in Brooklyn, NY. On this episode, Annie-B talks about leading her organization, Big Dance Theater, during the pandemic. We also discuss what it was like for Annie-B to see her choreography for David Byrne's theatrical concert, American Utopia, go from stage to screen.…

I was walking in Downtown New Haven when I noticed a group of people picketing outside College Street Music Hall, a live performance venue that can fit up to 2,000 patrons. It turns out the picketers were members of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stagehands (IATSE) Local 74. IATSE is a labor union that represents over 140,000 technicians,…

Ever wonder what Artistic/Literary teams are up to during the pandemic? What kind of scripts they're getting and what's their plan for the backlog? On this episode of The Big Intermission, Anna and Jill talk about script reading, thematic trends, and advice they have for playwrights during this time. We also talk about Diversity, Equity, and Inclus…

On this episode, I am joined by Russell Granet, the President and CEO of New 42. Russell and I talk about how New 42 quickly adapted its programming so that it was online by the Monday after the theatre shut down on Friday, March 13th. The staff took the weekend to reimagine what artistic and educational programming could look like online - which w…

Allison Flom is a director/writer/storyteller based in New York City. Over the summer, our high school (Ethical Culture Fieldston School) reached out to Allison and asked if she would write a play specifically designed for Zoom. Since then, Allison has been working on a variety of projects, including directing an animated music video and hosting a …

On this episode of The Big Intermission, Michael talks with us about how Press had to cancel interviews, rework timelines, and communicate the uncertainty surrounding the Broadway shutdown with the general public. Some of the shows he was working on were in previews, others had just opened, and some were recasting. What they all had in common was t…

On March 12, Jessica Owens forgot to bring her computer to her job at the Broadway League. It seemed like a normal day, of course, until Broadway announced it would be shutting down due to COVID-19. On this episode, Jess talks with us about the ever-changing-reopening-date, Broadway Unions, and what protocols she believes will define future theatre…

Kelvin Dinkins, Jr. is the Assistant Dean and Assistant Professor Adjunct in Theater Management for Yale School of Drama (YSD) and the General Manager of Yale Repertory Theatre. Kelvin discusses YSD's decision to go fully remote and offer students an extra free year, the ways in which this pandemic has forced theatrical institutions to confront the…

Rosa Taylor, most recently the Associate Company Manager for the Mean Girls National Tour, recalls what it was like to help over 60 cast and crew members get home from the tour in March. She organized storage of their personal belongings in Kansas City, and then was tasked with retrieving and distributing the company's materials across the country.…

Hi everyone! I’m Emily Kling and this is The Big Intermission, a podcast about the future of the theatre industry. A little bit about me: I’ve worked for the Hangar Theatre in Ithaca, NY, Roundabout Theatre Company, and Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. Currently, I’m pursuing my MBA degree at the Yale School of Management (where I’m also a c…