The American Theatre Wing, founder of the Tony Awards® and sponsor of many programs that promote live theatre, holds two seminars a yearin fall and springcalled Working in the Theatre. The seminars, chaired by ATW President Isabelle Stevenson, invite drama students; members of theatre unions; the casts of Broadway, Off-Broadway and Off Off-Broadway shows; and theatre lovers in general to hear all-star rosters of actors, directors, playwrights, producers and other theatre artists discuss the problems and rewards of working in the theatre.
MARK LINN-BAKER (appearing in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum) : "My parents were in the theatre, and it was always something importantan important communal act. There is no one way to get into the theatre; you just need to find someplace where you can focus on the workwhere you can learn."
ANNE DUQUESNAY (in Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk): "When I was starting out, I was told about a newspaper called Showbusiness. I saw an ad in one issue for a show called Bubbling Brown Sugar. I didn't have any experience so I made up a résumé and auditioned. I got my first job from the trades."
DONNA MURPHY (in The King and I): "It's an opportunity to shift someone's perspective about what they think I can do. I want them to acknowledge that we are actors and we can do many things."
JOHN CULLUM (in Show Boat): "You never know what to expect in an audition. Serendipity plays a great part. There's nothing that I would rather not do than audition. In this business you're always auditioning. For On a Clear Day I auditioned 13 times. On the last audition I refused to say a word because I had read in the paper that they were looking for 'a John Cullum type.' "
GEORGE C. WOLFE (artistic director, New York Shakespeare Festival): "The rehearsal room is a magical place, and the seeds of what you are looking for are thereif you allow them to happen. In order to create something beautiful, you have to get dirty."
MICHAEL NOURI (in Victor/Victoria): "Whenever I feel discouraged, I remember what dear Stella Adler told me: "The theatre is a place where you give and give, and when you have nothing left to give, you give some morethat's when you discover the secret of what makes true theatre a magical and sacred place."
