Masters of the Stage

On June 17th at the 2013 Emerging Artist Symposium on Plays, SDCF Producing Director Ellen Rusconi moderated a discussion with directors Shelley Butler, Benjamin Endsley Klein, and Tony Speciale. Having transitioned from assistant or associate to director, each artist is focused on opportunities to direct their own work. Throughout the conversation they discuss topics such as: skills that make for good assistants; ways to build relationships with artists and theatres; guidance for successful essays and interviews; the need (or lack thereof) to pursue graduate degrees; and ways for young directors to develop their own bodies of work. Each director comes from a unique background and speaks to his or her own experiences, which show that no single path to success exists, providing emerging artists multiple routes to consider as they develop their individual craft and careers.