Jerry Zaks: The Broadway Director

The Sydcast

Episode Summary

In a seven-year period Jerry Zaks won four Tony Awards for best director. But he wasn’t supposed to even be on Broadway. Getting there meant disappointing his parents, unleashing an innate competitiveness to be the best, and taking giant risks that many others wouldn’t. In our conversation on the Sydcast, Jerry is candid, introspective, and hilarious as he provides a roadmap for young actors and directors – indeed, for anyone crafting a career – by sharing his journey, then and now.

Syd Finkelstein

Syd Finkelstein is the Steven Roth Professor of Management at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. He holds a Masters degree from the London School of Economics and a Ph.D. from Columbia University. Professor Finkelstein has published 25 books and 90 articles, including the bestsellers Why Smart Executives Fail and Superbosses: How Exceptional Leaders Master the Flow of Talent, which LinkedIn Chairman Reid Hoffman calls the “leadership guide for the Networked Age.” He is also a Fellow of the Academy of Management, a consultant and speaker to leading companies around the world, and a top 25 on the global Thinkers 50 list of top management gurus. Professor Finkelstein’s research and consulting work often relies on in-depth and personal interviews with hundreds of people, an experience that led him to create and host his own podcast, The Sydcast, to uncover and share the stories of all sorts of fascinating people in business, sports, entertainment, politics, academia, and everyday life.

Jerry Zaks

JERRY ZAKS was most recently represented on Broadway by the Tony Award-winning production of Hello, Dolly!, Steve Martin’s Meteor Shower, and A Bronx Tale: The Musical. Mr. Zaks has directed more than 30 productions in New York. He has received four Tony Awards and eight Tony Award nominations. He's also received four Drama Desks, two Outer Critics Circle Awards, and an Obie. He directed the award-winning film Marvin’s Room, starring Meryl Streep and Diane Keaton; and Who Do You Love, which was featured in the Toronto Film Festival. Mr. Zaks is a founding member, and serves on the board of the Ensemble Studio Theater. He received the SDC’s George Abbott Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre. He graduated from Dartmouth in 1967, received an MFA from Smith College in 1969, and was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from Dartmouth in 1999. He is a 2013 inductee to the Theatre Hall of Fame.

Insights from this episode:

• Details from Jerry’s early acting days from Dartmouth College to New York City.
• Benefits of being an actor before becoming a director.
• Details on being a director; the best and the worst parts of the job.
• The overall secret to being successful in any endeavor you choose.
• Strategies of different productions he has worked on and the challenges and exaltations that come with each show.

Quotes from the show:

• On seeing his first musical: “I was floored by the joy that the experience generated; the laughter, the lights, the music, all of it just transported me in a way that got my attention seriously for the first time in my life.” – Jerry Zaks
• “It’s impossible to overstate what an awakening going to Dartmouth (College) was.” – Jerry Zaks
• On getting his career started in New York City: “One of the things I had going in my favor was ferocious determination and relentless drive to get myself noticed. I didn’t want to fail.” – Jerry Zaks
• “You get an opportunity to do well; you get more opportunities.” – Jerry Zaks
• On auditioning: “You have to distinguish yourself.” – Jerry Zaks
• “You can call yourself an actor, but unless you’re actually acting, you feel less than whole.” – Jerry Zaks
• “It’s amazing how quickly you can get credibility as a director if something you do goes well.” – Jerry Zaks
• On the job of directing: “You’re the CEO of the show.”– Syd Finkelstein
• His advice to young people in the industry: “You’ve got to work. You’ve got to work.” – Jerry Zaks
• “I’ve rarely worked with anybody that’s a big name that isn’t a tremendously hard worker.” – Jerry Zaks
• “I think people have very short memories; what they remember is your last successful show.” – Jerry Zaks
• “It’s hard to describe the sound of an audience that’s been thrilled.” – Jerry Zaks

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Syd Finkelstein

Website: http://thesydcast.com

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Twitter: @sydfinkelstein

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Jerry Zaks

Twitter: @JerryZaks

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This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry (www.podcastlaundry.com)