Production History & References

I am an experienced, hands-on Stage Director, able to work with and supervise highly diverse casts and crews of 40+ people. I work with focus, efficiency and organization under the pressures of production schedules while retaining solid control over a complex array of administrative tasks and schedules and creative demands. A strong, agile mentor/leader, I'm able to motivate performers to get the very best from them, adapt quickly to changing realities, and work within Union or non-Union guidelines and restrictions. During my life-long career, I have gained a thorough understanding of production operations from black box studio to large scale arena settings, as well as mastery of props, lights and set design. I seek a directing/teaching opportunity in a college setting where talent, commitment, and a passion for passing on theater tradition is still recognized and valued.

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DIRECTING EXPERIENCE

Freelance Director, 2005-Present

• What The Ladies Do by BN Reichenberger, Soho Playhouse

• Medusa @ $18hr by Jess Baskerville, Soho Playhouse

• Never Too Late by Patrick Murney, Soho Playhouse

• This Life!, a musical by Deb Silver, St. Luke's Theater and the 45th Street Theater (AEA Showcase agreement)

• The Problem With English, a farce by Tim McGillicuddy, St. Luke's Theater and the Marjorie S. Deane Little Theatre

• The Age of Romance, a comedic concert by Karyn Leavitt, Carnegie's Weill Recital Hall

• Luceafarul: The Legend of the Evening Star, a dance piece based on a poem by Mihai Eminescu, Marjorie S. Deane Little Theatre

• Director in Residence, “Singing Harp”, NYC & Westchester, NY, 2000-2005

▪ Created original productions of The Frog Prince or Faithful Henry, The Valiant Little Tailor, Six Swans, The Golden Bird, and The Three Treasures for a children's theater company dedicated to presenting classic stories in dramatic and musical forms. Performances set in schools, libraries and community centers all over NYC tri-state area. Directed a month of performances in 3 theaters at the 2005 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

 

The Dwight School, New York, NY | 1997-2026

Director of Performing Arts, Director of Advanced Master Theater Program & Upper School Theater Productions

▪ Administer a $50K+ annual theater budget. Calendar and oversee performances and presentations in music, musical theater, dance and visual arts, in addition to other school events. Produce and direct 2 annual mainstage productions in Off-Broadway theaters and 2 annual Scene Night presentations in black box-type spaces. Negotiate all contracts, coordinate tech personnel, and manage all rentals and deliveries of props, set pieces, lighting equipment, and costumes.

▪ As Designer/Technical Director/Production Manager: fully responsible for the design of sets, lighting, sound, A/V and special effects, the coordination and supervision of mixed crews of professional and student technical crews, the management of load ins/outs, setups and strikes, and the delivery and safe storage of rentals to multiple off- and on-site performance spaces for the run of each show; act as liaison between crew, staff and cast in Union houses; supervise, ensuring compliance with all safety codes and union regulations; oversee box office operations and secure all monies; oversee house manager, ushers and security staff; responsible for all cueing, execution of set changes, and the selection and procurement of all props and costumes.

▪ Manage relationships between students, families, and teachers; maintain relationships with industry professionals at such venues as the Marjorie S. Deane Little Theater at the West Side Y, Carnegie's Zankel & Weill Recital Halls, St. Luke's Theater, the Theater at St. Jean's (formerly DiCapo Theater), and Rose Theater at Jazz at Lincoln Center, and with other prominent members of the NYC theater community.

PLAYS

▪ Take Care   —   YouTube

▪ The Learned Ladies   —   Theater 566

▪ The Seagull   —   Theater 566

▪ The Liar   —   Theater 566

▪ Present Laughter   —   Theater 566

▪ Alphabetical Order (2 times!)   —   Theater 566

▪ One Man, Two Guv'nors   —   Theater 566

▪ The Children's Hour by Lillian Hellman   —   Dwight Main Stage

▪ The Crucible by Arthur Miller   —   Dwight Main Stage

▪ Almost, Maine by John Cariani   —   Marjorie S. Deane

▪ Is He Dead? by Mark Twain   —   Marjorie S. Deane

▪ Out of the Frying Pan by Francis Swann   —   Marjorie S. Deane

▪ The Laramie Project by the Tectonic Theater Co.   —   Marjorie S. Deane

▪ The Way by Terrence Christgau   —   Marjorie S. Deane

▪ Aria Da Capo by Millay and The Bald Soprano by Ionesco   —   Marjorie S. Deane

▪ Antigone by Sophocles   —   Marjorie S. Deane

▪ The Servant of Two Masters by Goldoni   —   Marjorie S. Deane

▪ The Pregnant Pause and The Proposal by Feydeau/Chekov   —   Marjorie S. Deane

▪ The Comedy of Errors by Shakespeare   —   DiCapo Theater

▪ The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde   —   The Lambs Theater

▪ The Imaginary Invalid by Moliere   —   Theater Row

▪ Six Characters in Search of an Author by Pirandello   —   The Producer's Club

▪ Alphabetical Order by Michael Frayn   —   Central Baptist Church

▪ Twelfth Night by Shakespeare   —   Central Baptist Church

▪ Camino Real by Tennessee Williams   —   Central Baptist Church

▪ Scenes and Revelations by Elan Garonzik   —   St. John's School Auditorium

▪ Waiting for Godot by Beckett   —   St. John's School Auditorium

▪ The Dining Room by A.R. Gurney   —   The Tycher Studio

▪ Don Juan by Moliere   —   Central Baptist Church

MUSICALS

▪ Spring Musical   —   YouTube

▪ Gypsy   —   John Cullum Theater

▪ The Drowsy Chaperone   —   5 Angels Theater

▪ Stare into the Mirror   —   5 Angels Theater

▪ Into The Woods   —   5 Angels Theater

▪ The Addams Family   —   5 Angels Theater

▪ Pippin   —   5 Angels Theater

▪ Chicago by Kander & Ebb   —   Marjorie S. Deane

▪ Little Women by Allan Knee   —   Marjorie S. Deane

▪ Bye, Bye Birdie by Stewart, Adams & Strouse   —   Marjorie S. Deane

▪ Love's Labour's Lost, the musical by Friedman & Timbers   —   Theater at St. Jean's

▪ Fiddler on the Roof by Bock, Harnick & Stein   —   DiCapo Theater

▪ Wonderful Town by Fields, Chodorov & Bernstein   —   DiCapo Theater

▪ Legally Blonde by Hach, O'Keefe & Benjamin   —   St. Clement's Theater

▪ Pippin by Schwartz & Hirson   —   DiCapo Theater

▪ Checkmate**   —   DiCapo Theater

▪ Away We Go**   —   Marjorie S. Deane

▪ Damn Yankees by Adler & Ross   —   St. Luke's Theater

▪ Grease by Jacobs, Casey & Farrar   —   DiCapo Theater

▪ Leader of the Pack by Beatts & Greenwich   —   DiCapo Theater

▪ The Fantasticks by Schmidt & Jones   —   Theater at 311

▪ Jacques Brel… by Eric Blau and Mort Shuman   —   Laurie Beechman Theater

▪ The Boy Friend by Sandy Wilson   —   Central Baptist Church

▪ Working by Nina Faso & Stephen Schwartz etc.   —   Central Baptist Church

▪ Three Penny Opera by Weill & Brecht   —   Central Baptist Church

▪ Side by Side by Sondheim   —   St. John's School Auditorium

▪ Once Upon a Mattress by Rogers, Barer, Thompson & Fuller   —   St. John's School Auditorium

▪ Godspell by Stephen Schwartz & J.M. Tebelak   —   St. John's School Auditorium

 

ORIGINAL WORKS

▪ 2012 – The Way, inspired by the Tao Te Ching, the play uses 12 verses as translated by Stephen Mitchell, had a cast of 25 students, and included a dozen original devised pieces using the poems as stimuli.

▪ 2010 – **Away We Go, a musical revue; book by T. Christgau, songs sourced from world music.

▪ 2009 – **Checkmate, a musical anti-Fairytale; book by two Dwight students using popular songs, standards and show tunes.

▪ 2005 – ADHDU: Ed on Meds, a musical parody; conceived & co-written by T. Christgau and students, produced and directed by T. Christgau at the 2005 Edinburgh Festival Fringe; addressed attention deficit disorders and the over-medication of children; won an Honorable Mention from Amnesty International.

 

REFERENCES

Blake Spahn – Vice Chancellor of Dwight School – bspahn@dwight.edu

Allison Feldman – Global Head of Communications, Dwight School – afeldman@dwight.edu

Courtney Lane Self – Choreographer – 785-608-1186

Colleen Durham – Choreographer – 917-623-7956

Alistair Hamilton – Composer – 347-820-1458

Romy Ronen, PhD – Former Student – ryo2185@gmail.com – 646-464-2899

Aimée Steele – Broadway Vocal Coach – 917-575-5585

Hillary Wyatt – Broadway Producer – 917-743-0461