Introduced by Harold Prince, the conversations with Kail explores the directors' distinct visions, their way of working and what they have in common beyond the shared title. The conversations were pre-recorded specifically for podcast and engineered by sound designer Jill BC Du Boff.
In the first five conversations, Kail speaks with Jason Moore, Joe Mantello, Alex Timbers, Susan Stroman and Moisés Kaufman. "I am so grateful I had the opportunity to sit with five inspired directors in a free-flowing one-on-one conversation," said Kail in a statement. "For the listener, I hope this series is able to capture the feeling that they have dropped into a private, and wide-ranging, conversation and find them as enjoyable as I did."
In "Thomas Kail and Alex Timbers," which is currently available online, the discussion explores how Kail and Timbers followed their respective impulse to start their own theatre companies and create new work. They also address their inspirations and those who have influenced them as directors.
In the upcoming podcasts, Moore discusses transferring Off-Broadway productions to Broadway without losing the immediacy of the initial production; Stroman talks about her early exposure to the theatre and her impulse to pursue directing and choreographing professionally; Mantello traces his career from actor to director and back; and Kaufman explains the struggles involved with telling stories rooted in historical events on stage.
Kail was nominated for a Tony Award in 2008 for his direction of In the Heights. He also directed the Broadway production of Lombardi. Kail is the co-creator and director of the hip-hop improv group Freestyle Love Supreme, which played the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, US Comedy Arts Festival, Montreal Comedy Festival and Melbourne Comedy Festival. "In Conversation With..." is part of "Masters of the Stage," a collection of recordings from the Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation archives, which features exchanges between renowned directors, choreographers and their collaborators. In partnership with the American Theatre Wing, Masters of the Stage began in 2009 and to date has recorded over 230,000 downloads.
To listen to the podcast "In Conversation With…" interviews, click here.
