#Wednesday Sue Derrico
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Wednesday Sue Derrico
Hometown?
Mamaroneck, New York (Secretly born in New Jersey).
Where are you now?
Brooklyn, NY.
What's your current project?
The Diana Tapes, by James Clements, produced by theater collective, What Will the Neighbors Say? at HERE Arts Center opening May 2018. We will then take the production to Stockwell Playhouse in London. This is the culmination of two years of touring productions. This play is unlike most projects that I generally work on. It is not a bio-play, or even a history play, though it draws on qualities of those genres. The Diana Tapes is an emotional, humanistic reexamining of a cursed woman with an incredible will and drive. Surprisingly, Diana's lack of engagement in dialogue during the play, leads the audience through the objectification of her by the media and the royal family.
Why and how did you get into theatre?
Who knows what actually came first... my mother constantly reminding me that I am a Leo, or my desire to be center stage. My relationship to the theater has taken many unexpected turns. I constantly find myself drawn to the perspective of those whose voices are often left unheard. I fell in love first with musical theater, I was an opera singer for many years, which led me to find my voice. Then I found Shakespeare and fell in love with the universal poetic language and musicality of his work. At a young age I witnessed the power of performance to bring diverse people together. My grandmother, who is my number one fan and best friend, would sit with me in a dark house and cry. Weeping together was unlike any experience I had had, at that point.; so adverse to my conservative, Irish-Catholic upbringing. To watch her surrender to her emotions like that, inspired me to affect that release in others. I fell into directing because of a consistent disappointment with the theater communities and structures that I experienced while I was acting.
What is your directing dream project?
I am currently dreaming of a film. It is three shorts that comprise a unit: The Mothers Trilogy. This is a culmination of several years of performative exploration and research of mothers. The pieces were each created through devising processes. I have always been told my work is cinematic, and I want to pursue that aesthetic fully. This project is also important to me because I am working closely with a trusted collaborator, Tatiana Baccari, so that I may retain elements of directorial vision throughout the process, and yet dive fully into the actor role on set, as many of these roles are played by myself.
What kind of theatre excites you?
Present, representational, raw contemporary work. I love abstraction steeped in reality. Magical realism; theater that is representational of contemporary situations and yet heightened. I love work that takes liberties and risks.
What do you want to change about theatre today?
I want to see more representational theater. I want to see more womyn, queer folk and people of color in leadership, creative roles- not just tokened as performers. I do not want to see any more irresponsible remountings- without thoughtful adaptations. I want to alter the hierarchical structures that limit communication and opportunity in the theater.
What is your opinion on getting a directing MFA?
This is an awesome question!I have been debating going back to school to get this degree recently. I have looked at very few programs, honestly only the top names. The thing that holds me back most greatly is the idea of leaving my career for several years to study. I have learned the most about directing through the work and life experience: practice. I definitely would benefit from an incubator-type experience, away from the city where I could just read and write. I am also conflicted about the education system in this country and the costs-- not ready to take out more loans! It does feel like everyone I see on Broadway and major theaters has these degrees though, and I feel like it is another form of academic elitism that is homogenizing the theater.
Who are your theatrical heroes?
Anya Pearson, Christina Haruna Lee, Laura Lundy, Tatiana Baccari, Sophia Heinecke, Jenni Bowman, Jessica Wasilewski, Bleu Zephra, Aliyah Hakim, the womyn and queers at WOW Cafe Theater, Alice Birch, Kori Rushton, Sophie Ameiva, Stephanie Larreire, Dee O'Brien, my mother, JB Smith, FORD
Any advice for directors just starting out?
See as much work as you can. Communicate with living directors and read the books of those before us. Follow directors and playwrights that you are drawn to. Most of all, follow your instincts and do whatever you can to get in the room. To be successful as a director you must self-produce. Learn producing skills and stay close to artists that inspire you. Build a network of reliable designers, managers and actors who you trust. Pay close attention to the communication habits and tactics employed by yourself and others. Communication is key to directing and leadership, it is a constant evolutionary process. In the words of JB Smith: Stay Love Struck!
Plugs! www.experimentalbitchpresents.com @ExperimentalBitchPresents The Diana Tapes-May 24th - June 10th at HERE. Tuesday-Saturday at 7pm. Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday at 2pm www.thedianatapes.com
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268 Directors and the end of the blog
This post marks the end of the Ask a Director experiment. I’m so grateful to all who have contributed, supported and engaged with it over the past six and a half years.
This blog was started at a time when I felt incredibly alone in the directing field. I had always been taught that a director operates solo, that it was a lonely career and above all, it was based on scarcity. This was a style of working and living that didn't fit for me. I wanted to talk to other directors about their practice and thoughts about the field, both national and international. This blog was started as a way to connect, to uplift other directors and to create a conversation about the changing field and practices.
It's surpassed all of these goals and brought me more joy than I can name.
I'm now at a moment where my practice and advocacy are taking different and exciting paths and it's time for me to put this site to bed. I remain committed to uplifting other directors, to talking about the practice, to flattening hierarchies, to opening doors for new ways of working, and leading rehearsal rooms, companies, and classrooms away from silos and vacuums. Featuring these 268 different directors was just the beginning.
I encourage you all to hire them (and others), advocate for them (and others) and choose to work in a system that values connection and generosity.
Abhishek Majumdar
Adam Fitzgerald
Alice Stanley
Aliza Shane
Amanda McRaven
Amy Corcoran
Amy Jephta
Anisa George
Ana Margineau
Andrew Scoville
Anna Stromberg
Anne Cecelia Haney
Ariel Francoeur
Arpita Mukherjee
Ashley Hollingshead
Ashley Marinaccio
Andrew Neisler
Beng Oh
Ben Randle
Ben Stockman
Benjamin Kamine
Beth Lopes
Bo Powell
Bogdan Georgescu
Bonnie Gabel
Brandon Ivie
Brandon Woolf
Brian Hashimoto
Cait Robinson
Caitlin Ryan O’Connell
Caitlin Sullivan
Catie Davis
Cara Phipps
Carol Ann Tan
Carsen Joenk
Chari Arespacochaga
Cheryl Faraone
Chloe Treat
Christin Eve Cato
Christine Zagrobelny
Christopher Diercksen
Colette Robert
Colleen Hughes
Cyndy Marion
Dado Gyure
Dan Rothenberg
Daniel Irizarry
Danielle Ozymandias
Danny Sharon
Dara Malina
David Charles
Dennis Yueh-Yeh Li
Derek Spencer
Donald Brenner
Doug Oliphant
Eamon Boylan
Elena Araoz
Emily Lyons
Emma Miller
Eric Kildow
Eric Wallach
Eric Powell Holm
Estefania Fadul
Evelina Stampa
Evren Odcikin
Evi Stamatiou
Francesca Montanile Lyons
Gabriel Vega Weissman
Gian Marco Riccardo Lo Forte
Graham Schmidt
Gregg Wiggans
Hannah Ryan
Hannah Wolf
Heather Bagnall
Horia Suru
Ilana Becker
Ilana Ransom Toeplitz
Illana Stein
Ioanna Katsarou
Ioli Andreadi
Irina Abraham Chigiryov
Iris Sowlat
Isaac Klein
J Paul Nicholas
Jack Tamburri
Jaclyn Biskup
Jacob Basri
Jake Beckhard
Jaki Bradley
Jamie Watkins
Javier Molina
Jay Stern
Jay Stull
Jenna Rossman
Jenna Worsham
Jennifer Chambers
Jenny Bennett
Jenny Reed
Jeremy Bloom
Jeremy Pickard
Jerrell Henderson
Jess Hutchinson
Jess Shoemaker
Jesse Jou
Jessi D Hill
Jessica Burr
Jessica Holt
Jillian Carucci
Joanne Zipay
Jo Cattell
John Michael Diresta
John Kurzynowski
Joe Hedel
Jonathan Munoz-Proulx
Jose Zayas
Josh Kelley
Josh Sobel
Joshua Kahan Brody
Joshua William Gelb
Julia Sears
Justin Schlabach
Kareem Fahmy
Karen Christina Jones
Kate Bergstrom
Kate Hopkins
Kate Jopson
Kate Moore Heaney
Katherine M. Carter
Katherine Wilkinson
Kathy Gail MacGowan
Katie Chidester
Kendall Cornell
Kendra Augustin
Kholoud Sawaf
Kimberly Faith Hickmann
Kim Weild
KJ Sanchez
Knud Adams
Kristin Marting
Kristin McCarthy Parker
Kristin Skye Hoffman
Kristy Chambrelli
Kristy Dodson
KT Shorb
Kyle Metzger
Kylie M. Brown
Larissa Fasthorse
Larissa Lury
Laura Brandel
Laura Steinroeder
Lauren Hlubny
Lauren Keating
Lavina Jadhwani
Jenn Haltman
Leta Tremblay
Lila Rachel Becker
Lillian Meredith
Lily Riopelle
Lindsey Hope Pearlman
Lisa Rothe
Lisa Sanaye Dring
Liz Thaler
Lori Wolter Hudson
Lucie Tiberghien
Luke Comer
Luke Tudball
Lyndsay Burch
Lynn Lammers
Mallory Catlett
Manon Manavit
Margarett Perry
Maridee Slater
Marina Bergenstock
Marti Lyons
Martin Jago
Matt Cosper
Matt Ritchey
Max Hunter
Megan Sandberg-Zakian
Megan Weaver
Meghan Finn
Melissa Crespo
Melody Erfani
Michael Alvarez
Michael T. Williams
Michaela Escarcega
Michelle Tattenbaum
Mimi Barcomi
Miranda Haymon
Molly Beach Murphy
Molly Clifford
Molly Noble
Morgan Gould
Morgan Green
Murielle Borst-Tarrant
Nana Dakin
Natalie Novacek
Neal Kowalsky
Nell Bang-Jensen
Nick Benacerraf
Noa Egozi
Norah Elges
Normandy Sherwood
Olivia Lilley
Orly Noa Rabinyan
Oscar Mendoza
Pablo Paz
Padraic Lillis
Patrick Walsh
Pete Danelski
Pirronne Yousefzadeh
Portia Krieger
Rachel Karp
Rachel Wohlander
Randolph Curtis Rand
Raz Golden
Rebecca Cunningham
Rebecca Martinez
Rebecca Wear
Renee Phillippi
Renee Yeong
Rich Brown
Rick St. Peter
Robert Schneider
Ryan Anthony Nicotra
Sammi Cannold
Sammy Zeisel
Sanaz Ghajar
Sara Holdren
Sara Lyons
Sara Rademacher
Sarah Elizabeth Wansley
Sarah Hughes
Sarah M. Chichester
Sarah Rose Leonard
Sash Bischoff
Scarlett Kim
Seonjae Kim
Seth Pyatt
Sharifa Elkady
Shaun Patrick Tubbs
Sherri Eden Barber
Simon Hanukai
Sophia Watt
Suchan Vodoor
Stephen Cedars
Steven Kopp
Steven Wilson
Talya Klein
Tana Siros
Tara Ahmadinejad
Tara Cioletti
Tara Elliott
Tatiana Pandiani
Taylor Reynolds
TerryandtheCuz
Tommy Schoffler
Tracy Bersley
Trevor Biship
Tyler Mercer
Wednesday Sue Derrico
Will Dagger
Will Davis
Will Detlefsen
Will Steinberger
Yojiro Ichikawa
Yoni Oppenheim
Zi Alikhan
Zoya Kachardurian
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250 Directors
Abhishek Majumdar
Adam Fitzgerald
Alice Stanley
Amanda McRaven
Amy Corcoran
Amy Jephta
Anisa George
Ana Margineau
Andrew Scoville
Anna Stromberg
Anne Cecelia Haney
Ariel Francoeur
Arpita Mukherjee
Ashley Hollingshead
Ashley Marinaccio
Andrew Neisler
Beng Oh
Ben Randle
Ben Stockman
Benjamin Kamine
Beth Lopes
Bo Powell
Bogdan Georgescu
Bonnie Gabel
Brandon Ivie
Brandon Woolf
Brian Hashimoto
Cait Robinson
Caitlin Ryan O’Connell
Caitlin Sullivan
Catie Davis
Cara Phipps
Carol Ann Tan
Carsen Joenk
Chari Arespacochaga
Cheryl Faraone
Chloe Treat
Christin Eve Cato
Christine Zagrobelny
Christopher Diercksen
Colette Robert
Colleen Hughes
Dado Gyure
Daniel Irizarry
Danielle Ozymandias
Danny Sharon
Dara Malina
David Charles
Dennis Yueh-Yeh Li
Donald Brenner
Doug Oliphant
Eamon Boylan
Elena Araoz
Emily Lyons
Emma Miller
Eric Kildow
Eric Wallach
Eric Powell Holm
Estefania Fadul
Evelina Stampa
Evren Odcikin
Evi Stamatiou
Francesca Montanile Lyons
Gabriel Vega Weissman
Graham Schmidt
Gregg Wiggans
Hannah Ryan
Hannah Wolf
Heather Bagnall
Horia Suru
Ilana Becker
Ilana Ransom Toeplitz
Illana Stein
Ioanna Katsarou
Ioli Andreadi
Irina Abraham Chigiryov
Iris Sowlat
Isaac Klein
J Paul Nicholas
Jack Tamburri
Jaclyn Biskup
Jacob Basri
Jake Beckhard
Jaki Bradley
Jamie Watkins
Javier Molina
Jay Stern
Jay Stull
Jenna Rossman
Jenna Worsham
Jennifer Chambers
Jenny Bennett
Jenny Reed
Jeremy Bloom
Jeremy Pickard
Jerrell Henderson
Jess Hutchinson
Jess Shoemaker
Jesse Jou
Jessi D Hill
Jessica Burr
Jessica Holt
Jillian Carucci
Joanne Zipay
Jo Cattell
John Michael Diresta
John Kurzynowski
Joe Hedel
Jonathan Munoz-Proulx
Jose Zayas
Josh Kelley
Josh Sobel
Joshua Kahan Brody
Joshua William Gelb
Julia Sears
Justin Schlabach
Kareem Fahmy
Karen Christina Jones
Kate Bergstrom
Kate Hopkins
Kate Jopson
Kate Moore Heaney
Katherine M. Carter
Katherine Wilkinson
Kathy Gail MacGowan
Katie Chidester
Kendra Augustin
Kholoud Sawaf
Kimberly Faith Hickmann
Kim Weild
KJ Sanchez
Knud Adams
Kristin Marting
Kristin McCarthy Parker
Kristin Skye Hoffman
Kristy Chambrelli
Kristy Dodson
KT Shorb
Kyle Metzger
Larissa Fasthorse
Larissa Lury
Laura Brandel
Laura Steinroeder
Lauren Keating
Lavina Jadhwani
Jenn Haltman
Leta Tremblay
Lila Rachel Becker
Lillian Meredith
Lily Riopelle
Lindsey Hope Pearlman
Lisa Rothe
Lisa Sanaye Dring
Liz Thaler
Lori Wolter Hudson
Lucie Tiberghien
Luke Comer
Luke Tudball
Lyndsay Burch
Lynn Lammers
Mallory Catlett
Manon Manavit
Margarett Perry
Maridee Slater
Marina Bergenstock
Marti Lyons
Matt Cosper
Matt Ritchey
Megan Weaver
Melissa Crespo
Melody Erfani
Michael Alvarez
Michael T. Williams
Michelle Tattenbaum
Mimi Barcomi
Molly Beach Murphy
Molly Clifford
Molly Noble
Morgan Gould
Morgan Green
Murielle Borst-Tarrant
Nana Dakin
Natalie Novacek
Neal Kowalsky
Nell Bang-Jensen
Nick Benacerraf
Noa Egozi
Norah Elges
Normandy Sherwood
Olivia Lilley
Orly Noa Rabinyan
Oscar Mendoza
Pablo Paz
Patrick Walsh
Pete Danelski
Pirronne Yousefzadeh
Portia Krieger
Rachel Karp
Rachel Wohlander
Randolph Curtis Rand
Raz Golden
Rebecca Cunningham
Rebecca Martinez
Renee Phillippi
Rich Brown
Rick St. Peter
Robert Schneider
Ryan Anthony Nicotra
Sammi Cannold
Sammy Zeisel
Sanaz Ghajar
Sara Holdren
Sara Lyons
Sara Rademacher
Sarah Elizabeth Wansley
Sarah Hughes
Sarah M. Chichester
Sarah Rose Leonard
Sash Bischoff
Scarlett Kim
Seonjae Kim
Seth Pyatt
Sharifa Elkady
Shaun Patrick Tubbs
Sherri Eden Barber
Simon Hanukai
Sophia Watt
Suchan Vodoor
Stephen Cedars
Steven Kopp
Steven Wilson
Talya Klein
Tana Siros
Tara Ahmadinejad
Tara Cioletti
Tara Elliott
Tatiana Pandiani
Taylor Reynolds
TerryandtheCuz
Tommy Schoffler
Tracy Bersley
Trevor Biship
Tyler Mercer
Wednesday Sue Derrico
Will Dagger
Will Davis
Will Detlefsen
Will Steinberger
Yojiro Ichikawa
Zi Alikhan
Zoya Kachardurian
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