Thinking Cap Theatre's Artistic Director Nicole Stodard talks with Vernon Dickson, Associate Professor of English at Florida International University about Shakespeare's problematic play The Taming of the Shrew.

VERNON'S BIO

Vernon Dickson is Associate Professor of English at Florida International University, where he recently served as Director of the Literature and Film Programs. His monograph, Emulation on the Shakespearean Stage explores theories and practices of imitation and emulation on the early modern stage. He has published articles and chapters related to Shakespeare, adaptation, popular culture, rhetorical theory, and emulation in Renaissance Quarterly, Borrowers and Lenders, Studies in English Literature, The Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America, and the edited collection Shakespeare and Geek Culture.

Support for this program has been provided by the following Funds at the Community Foundation of Broward: John O. and Victoria C. Kirby Fund, Frederick W. Jaqua Fund, The Frederick A. DeLuca Foundation Broward Community Fund. Sponsored in part by the State of Florida through the Division of Arts and Culture and the National Endowment for the Arts, Broward County Cultural Division and a grant from The Our Fund Foundation, an LGBTQ community foundation.

Thinking Cap Theatre's Artistic Director Nicole Stodard talks with Jemma Alix Levy, Theatre Director and Associate Professor of Acting and Directing at Washington and Lee University about Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew.

JEMMA'S BIO

Jemma Alix Levy is an Associate Professor of Acting and Directing at Washington and Lee University and has directed professionally for over 25 years. She earned degrees from Amherst College, the University of Chicago, and Mary Baldwin University’s program in association with the American Shakespeare Center, and she completed The Juilliard School's now-defunct graduate directing program. Levy’s directing work has won critical acclaim across the US and internationally, including for her own companies, Runamuck (Austin, TX), and Muse of Fire Theatre Company (Evanston, IL). Before her arrival at Washington and Lee University, Jemma taught theatre and directed at Webster University's Conservatory of Theater Arts (MO), Wabash College (IN), Roosevelt University Chicago College for the Performing Arts (IL), Mary Baldwin University (VA), and The Brearley School (NY). Levy has also written adaptations based on the works of Shakespeare, Lope de Vega, and two-time National-Book-Award-nominee Howard Norman. She is a certified Consent-Forward Artist. www.jemmalevy.com

Support for this program has been provided by the following Funds at the Community Foundation of Broward: John O. and Victoria C. Kirby Fund, Frederick W. Jaqua Fund, The Frederick A. DeLuca Foundation Broward Community Fund. Sponsored in part by the State of Florida through the Division of Arts and Culture and the National Endowment for the Arts, Broward County Cultural Division and a grant from The Our Fund Foundation, an LGBTQ community foundation.

Thinking Cap Theatre's Artistic Director Nicole Stodard talks with Stephen Burdman, founder of New York Classical Theatre about producing and directing Shakespeare's problematic play The Taming of the Shrew.

STEPHEN'S BIO

Stephen Burdman founded New York Classical Theatre in 2000 and is the vision behind the creation of Panoramic Theatre. Originally from Los Angeles, he earned a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and planned to become a doctor. During college, Stephen auditioned for a production of Hamlet, and discovered his passion for Shakespeare. That experience completely changed the course of his life. Stephen founded NY Classical to give all people the chance to discover classical masterpieces as he did.

Stephen has directed nearly half of Shakespeare canon. To date, he has directed 38 productions for NY Classical. Some of his favorites include: Cymbeline (performed by 7 actors), The Importance of Being Earnest (Two-Ways), Romeo & Juliet (6 actors), The Rivals, The Winter’s Tale, Measure for Measure, The Seagull, A {15-Min!} Christmas Carol, Playing Moliere, Henry V (in The Battery and, via ferry boat, Governors Island), Hamlet, King Lear, Misalliance, Mary Stuart, Scapin, and The Triumph of Love.

Stephen attended the National Theatre Institute at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center and later received an MFA in Theatre Directing from the University of California, Irvine. In 1989, he was selected to participate in the first young theatre artist exchange with the (former) Soviet Union and has been a member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society since 1994.

Stephen received the 2022 Sidney Berger award from the Shakespeare Theatre Association for outstanding talent and commitment to the works of William Shakespeare. He has also been a panelist with the National Endowment for the Arts, the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, The Alliance of Resident Theatres/New York, and the Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation.

He lives in Central Harlem with his wife, Adena, and son, Zeke.

Support for this program has been provided by the following Funds at the Community Foundation of Broward: John O. and Victoria C. Kirby Fund, Frederick W. Jaqua Fund, The Frederick A. DeLuca Foundation Broward Community Fund. Sponsored in part by the State of Florida through the Division of Arts and Culture and the National Endowment for the Arts, Broward County Cultural Division and a grant from The Our Fund Foundation, an LGBTQ community foundation.

Thinking Cap Theatre's Artistic Director Nicole Stodard talks with Carla Della Gatta PhD, theatre historian and performance theorist on Shakespeare's problematic play The Taming of the Shrew.

CARLA'S BIO

Carla Della Gatta is a theatre historian and performance theorist whose research focuses on adaptation, ethnicity, and aurality. She is Associate Professor of Theatre and Performance Studies at University of Maryland. Della Gatta is author of Latinx Shakespeares: Staging US Intracultural Theater (2023) and co-editor of Shakespeare and Latinidad (2021). In 2023, she launched the first archive of Latinx theatrical adaptation, LatinxShakespeares.Org. She has received grants and fellowships from the Woodrow Wilson Foundation (now Citizens and Scholars), Folger Shakespeare Library, the New York Public Library, and The Wallace Foundation (Project Lead and co-PI). She has served as a scholar for the theatre for Shakespeare Center Los Angeles, The Public Theater, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Victory Gardens, and more. She is on the Steering Committee for the Latinx Theatre Commons and a board member for the Arden series, Shakespeare and Social Justice, and the journal, Shakespeare Survey.

Support for this program has been provided by the following Funds at the Community Foundation of Broward: John O. and Victoria C. Kirby Fund, Frederick W. Jaqua Fund, The Frederick A. DeLuca Foundation Broward Community Fund. Sponsored in part by the State of Florida through the Division of Arts and Culture and the National Endowment for the Arts, Broward County Cultural Division and a grant from The Our Fund Foundation, an LGBTQ community foundation.

Thinking Cap Theatre's Artistic Director Nicole Stodard talks with Alisa Solomon, professor at the Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia University, writer, and dramaturg about Fornes' relationship with Susan Sontag.

ALISA SOLOMON'S BIO

Alisa Solomon is a teacher, writer, and dramaturg in New York City. She is a professor at the Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia University, where she directs the Arts & Culture concentration in the MA program. A theater critic and general reporter for the Village Voice from 1983 to 2004, she has also contributed to The Nation, Jewish Currents, ⁠newyorker.com⁠, The Intercept, The New York Times, American Theater, Howlround.com, TDR, and other publications. Her award-winning books include Re-Dressing the Canon: Essays on Theater and Gender, and Wonder of Wonders: A Cultural History of Fiddler on the Roof.

Alisa has also edited several books: The Reverend Billy Project: From Rehearsal Hall to Super Mall with the Church of Life After Shopping by Savitri D and Bill Talen; Wrestling with Zion: Progressive Jewish-American Responses to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (co-edited with Tony Kushner); The Queerest Art: Essays on Lesbian and Gay Theater (co-edited with Framji Minwalla), a special issue of the journal Theater on theater and social change, and a forthcoming volume of plays and essays by and about Robbie McCauley, The Struggle Continues (co-edited with Elin Diamond and Cynthia Carr). As dramaturg, Alisa's most recent projects are Anna Deavere Smith’s Love All and Pipeline Project.

Thinking Cap Theatre's Artistic Director Nicole Stodard talks with Alice Reagan, Associate Professor of Professional Practice in Directing at Barnard College and a seasoned director of the plays of Maria Irene Fornes, about her directing practice and her current project, directing Fornes' play Evelyn Brown: A Diary at La Mama (May 19, 2023 - Jun 4, 2023, https://www.lamama.org/shows/evelyn-brown-a-diary-2023)

ALICE REAGAN'S BIO

Alice Reagan directs new plays, adapted classics, and plays by María Irene Fornés.  Recent directing credits: Pirandello Project at Barnard College, Measure for Measure at Shakespeare & Company, Cherry Orchard with Portland Experimental Theatre Ensemble, On Loop by Charly Evon Simpson with New Plays at Barnard, No Good Things Dwell in the Flesh by Christina Masciotti at Yocum Institute, Funnyhouse/Movie Star by Adrienne Kennedy at Barnard, Hir by Taylor Mac at Shakespeare & Company, Jeune Terre by Gab Reisman with New Plays at Barnard, Grounded by George Brant at Dobama Theatre, Jackie by Elfriede Jelinek at Boom Arts, Elliot, A Soldier’s Fugue by Quiara Alegría Hudes at Profile Theatre, the musical Promenade by María Irene Fornés and Al Carmines at Barnard, Or, by Liz Duffy Adams at Shakespeare & Company, PHAETON (a diggle of a fragment) by Mac Wellman at Classic Stage Company, Enter THE NIGHT by María Irene Fornés with Portland Experimental Theatre Ensemble, Nomads by Julia Jarcho at Incubator Arts Project, I Came to Look for You on Tuesday by Chiori Miyagawa at La MaMa.   Nominations and awards: NYC Fringe First, Berkshire Theatre Awards, Cleveland Critics Circle.  Recipient of two Foundation of Contemporary Arts Grants, Princess Grace Award, and Princess Grace Special Project Grant.  Alum: Mabou Mines/SUITE Resident Artist Program, Soho Rep Writer/Director Lab, Women’s Project Directors Lab, and the Drama League.  MA, Performance Studies: Tisch/NYU.  MFA, Directing: Columbia.  Associate Professor of Professional Practice at Barnard College.  www.alicereagan.com

Thinking Cap Theatre's Artistic Director Nicole Stodard talks with celebrated director Stevie Walker-Webb about all things Fornes, including Stevie's direction of her adaptation of Calderon de la Barca's Life is a Dream at Baltimore Center Stage (May 4 - 21, 2023, https://www.centerstage.org).

STEVIE WALKHER-WEBB'S BIO

Stevie Walker-Webb is an Obie award winning Director, Playwright, and Cultural Worker who believes in the transformational power of art. He is the founder and Executive Director of HUNDREDS of THOUSANDS an arts and advocacy non-profit that makes visual the suffering and inhumane treatment of incarcerated mentally divergent people and the policies that adversely impact their lives. He is a recipient of the Princess Grace Award for Theatre, The Lily Award in honor of Lorraine Hansberry awarded by the Dramatists Guild of America, a 2050 Fellow at New York Theatre Workshop and a Wellspring Scholar. He’s served as the Founding Artistic Director of the Jubilee Theatre in Waco, Texas and has created art and theatre in Madagascar, South Africa, Mexico, and across America. He’s served as the Outreach Coordinator for Theatre of the Oppressed-NYC and holds an MFA from The New School, and a B.S. in Sociology from the University of North Texas. His work has been produced by: The Public Theater, American Civil Liberties Union, The New Group, Cherry Lane, Zara Aina, La Mama, Woolly Mammoth, Baltimore Center Stage, Lincoln Center, and Classic Stage.

Stevie is a regular professor and lecturer at NYU Tisch School of the arts where he teaches acting, ensemble work, and devised theatre. Currently he is a professor and Artist in Residence at Harvard University where he’s teaching a series of courses aimed at “Decolonizing the Creative Process”. The Harvard lectures will culminate in a forthcoming book.Stevie has written and directed two films, We Got Out and the documentary Hundreds of Thousands.Notable Theatrical Productions: Ain’t No Mo’ written by Jordan E. Cooper at The Public Theater (2019), Associate Director for Shakespeare in the Park at The Public Theater Julius Caesar (2017) and Twelfth Night with Oskar Eustis and Shaina Taub (2018), One in Two by Donja Love at the Signature (2019), Black Odyssey by Marcus Gardley at Classic Stage (2023),

Stevie has served as a director for several Audible productions including, Wally Roux Phantom Mechanic written by Nick Carr and starring William Jackson Harper, Hop Tha A by James Anthony Tyler, and Brutal Imagination written by Cornelius Eady, starring Sally Murphy and Joe Morton.He’s a contributing writer on The Ms. Pat Show a new breakout comedy streaming on BET+ and has been commissioned by The Mercury Store for a forthcoming play called Of Mercy And Madness. For more information about Stevie visit steviewalkerwebb.com

Podcast Edited by Bree-Anna Obst.

Welcome to “From Christmas Tree Farm to Stand,”  Thinking Cap Theatre's Four-Part Podcast Series inspired by interviews and site visits with Christmas Tree Farmers around the state of Florida.  In this episode Thinking Cap Theatre's Artistic Director Nicole Stodard, Ph.D., talks with Farmer Tom,  from Santa's Christmas Tree Farm in Eustis, Florida.

These interviews were used as primary research to create Thinking Cap Theatre's original holiday play with music, O CHRISTMAS TREE.  The play centers on a South Florida family that starts a new tradition and visits a North Florida ’cut-and-choose’ tree farm after the lights on their artificial tree dim.

O CHRISTMAS TREE Co-written by Bree-Anna Obst and Nicole Stodard Friday, December 9th, 7:00PM (Opening) Wednesday, December 21st, 7:00PM (Closing)

***Special Talkback*** Following the Sunday, December 11th 1:00PM performance, TCT will host a talkback with distinguished panelist Dr. Dimitris Xygalatas, an anthropologist and cognitive scientist at University of Connecticut. He will discuss themes in the play and his latest book, Ritual: How Seemingly Senseless Acts Make Life Worth Living.

***Behind-the-Scenes Talkback***Following the Sunday, December 18th 1:00PM performance, the cast and creative team of O CHRISTMAS TREE will discuss the show’s process and answer questions from the audience.

Performance Schedule Wednesdays (December 14 & 21) at 7PM

Fridays (December 9 & 16) at 7PM

Saturdays (December 10, 17) at 7PM Sundays (December 11, 18) at 1PM and 5PM

Ticket Prices $40 (Adults) $20 (17 and under)

Ticket Link: http://thinkingcaptheatre.eventbrite.com

TCT and MAD Arts Venue Information

Theatre Company Website: http://thinkingcaptheatre.org Box Office Phone: 954-610-7263 Venue Address: Mad Arts, 481 S Federal Hwy, Dania Beach, FL 33004

Funding for this program was provided through a grant from Florida Humanities with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this project do not necessarily represent those of Florida Humanities of the National Endowment of the Humanities.