The Farm Theater's Bullpen Sessions

Bullpen Sessions Episode 29: Damon Kiely

Damon Kiely is a professional director and writer, as well as a full time professor of directing and acting for DePaul's Theatre School. He has directed for Next Theatre, TimeLine Theatre Company, A Red Orchid Theatre, American Blues Theatre, Chicago Dramatists and Route 66. His world premiere adaptation of Thieves Like Us was produced by the House Theatre of Chicago and the Theatre School. He served as the Artistic Director of American Theater Company from 2002 to 2007.  Prior to moving back to Chicago he produced, directed and taught in New York City. In New York he directed for the Public Theatre, New York Theatre Workshop, the Ontological Theater, Adobe Theater Company, PS122, Ensemble Studio Theater and New Dramatists. Damon also served as the Artistic Director for Real Time Theater and was a Producing Director at the Ontological-Hysteric Theater as well as the Associate Artistic Director for the Children's Theater of Maine. He is a winner of the 2000-02 NEA/TCG Career Directing Program, the 2000 Drama League Fall Directing Program and the 1997 Princess Grace Award. He lives in Edgewater with his wife Jennifer and their children, Isabella and Fi​nnegan.

Bullpen Sessions Episode 23: Nicole Brewer

Nicole Brewer is a director, actor, educator and facilitator. She is a passionate advocate for anti-racist theatre and is invited across the US and the UK to teach and speak about Conscientious Theatre Training. Her advocacy for the theatre industrial complex to replace racist and oppressive practice with anti-racist and anti-oppressive practices has appeared in both American Theatre and HowlRound.

Bullpen Sessions Episode 20: Rajiv Joseph

Rajiv Joseph chatted with us over Zoom. Rajiv's play Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo was a 2010 Pulitzer Prize finalist for Drama and also awarded a grant for Outstanding New American Play by the National Endowment for the Arts. He has twice won the Obie Award for Best New American Play, first in 2016 with Guards at the Taj (also a 2016 Lortel Winner for Best Play) and then, in 2018, for Describe the Night.  Other plays include Archduke, Gruesome Playground Injuries, Animals Out of Paper, The Lake Effect, The North Pool, and Mr. Wolf. Joseph has been awarded artistic grants from the Whiting Foundation, United States Artists and the Harold & Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust.  He is a board member of The Lark in New York City, where he develops all his plays. He served for three years in the Peace Corps in Senegal and now lives in Brooklyn, NY.

Bullpen Sessions Episode 19: Adam Szymkowicz

Adam Szymkowicz, playwright, stopped by to talk with Padraic at the SETC. Adam’s work has been presented or developed at such places as Portland Center Stage, MCC Theater, Ars Nova, South Coast Rep, Playwrights Horizons, LCT3, LAByrinth Theater Company, The Lark, Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, Primary Stages and The New Group, among others. Published plays include Deflowering Waldo, Pretty Theft, Food For Fish, Hearts Like Fists, Incendiary, Clown Bar, The Why Overhead, Adventures of Super Margaret, 7 Ways To Say I Love You, Rare Birds, Marian Or The True Tale of Robin Hood, Kodachrome, Mercy and Nerve. His plays are published by Dramatists Play Service, Samuel French, Playscripts, Broadway Play Publishing, Original Works Publishing, and featured in New York Theatre Review, the Dionysian, NYTE’s Cino Nights, Geek Theater, and numerous Smith and Kraus books. He’s the Playwrights Program Manager at The Juilliard School. Adam has interviewed over 1000 playwrights on his blog.

Bullpen Sessions Episode 18: Ashlee Latimer

Ashlee Latimer, TONY Award winning producer sat down to talk with Padraic at SETC. Ashlee is a producer and writer based in New York City. Co-producing projects include: The Inheritance (Broadway), Once On This Island (Tony Award), The Jungle (West End), and Be More Chill (Broadway, Off-Broadway). Currently, Ashlee handles creative development for Hunter Arnold’s production company, TBD Theatricals. In addition to her work with TBD, Ashlee has assisted artists such as Andy Blankenbuehler (Hamilton) and Tim Federle (High School Musical: The Musical: The Series); worked with major NYC theatre companies in various capacities, including Roundabout Theatre Company, Disney Theatrical Group, and Broadway Across America; and most recently was the Brand Strategist for The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical.

Bullpen Sessions Episode 17: Maegan McNerney Azar

Maegan McNerney Azar took time to talk with us during the SETC convention. Maegen is the new President of the Board of SETC. She is Associate Professor of Acting and Directing and Chair of Theatre Arts at Furman University. Maegan directed Kimberly Belflower's College Collaboration Project John Proctor is the Villain at Furman University. She also works and directs in the professional theatre of Greenville, South Carolina.

Bullpen Sessions Episode 16: Chisa Hutchinson

Playwright Chisa Hutchinson stopped by the studio to chat about her experience from her first play, She Like Girls, to her latest, Proof of Love, that was commissioned and produced by Audible. Chisa has worked with The Lark Play Development Center, New Dramatists, Keen Company, Penumbra, Primary Stages, Writers Theatre of New Jersey, NJPAC, and she's currently teaching creative writing at Delaware University and three film projects in development. Also, we had a special guest, her dog Smitty, you get to hear a little from him as well. 

Bullpen Sessions Episode 14: Eric T. Miller

Eric T. Miller is an NYC based actor. His theater credits include Mope (EST) rogerandtom (HERE Arts Center), Ever So Humble (Hangar Theatre), The Last Seder (Mint Theater), Safe Home (Royal Family Productions), Sweet Storm (LAByrinth/Alchemy Theatre Co.), Broken Hands (Fringe and Fringe Encore) and Betrayed (The Culture Project) with workshops and readings at New York Theater Workshop, New Georges, LARK, New York Stage and Film, LAByrinth, the Public, EST/Youngbloods and Rattlestick.  Television and Film include The Unusuals (ABC), Kings (NBC), Law & Order (NBC), Shame (Dir:  Steve McQueen), Reaching Home, Brewsie and Willy, Pieces, My Secret Friend and the upcoming Home (Dir:  Jono Oliver).

Bullpen Sessions Episode 13: Taibi Magar

Director Taibi Magar stopped by the studio to talk with us today. Taibi is an Obie Award winning director and works Off-Broadway and at major Regional Theaters. In NYC she directed Is God Is at Soho Rep (Obie Award), Underground Railroad Game at Ars Nova, and Master at The Foundry. Padraic met Taibi over a decade ago when she was recommended to work with him and it has been a joy to watch her career - and it was a pleasure to catch up.  

Bullpen Sessions Episode 12: Liza Colón-Zayas

Actor Liza Colón-Zayas stopped by the studio to chat with us about her journey. Liza is currently in Stephen Adly Guirgis’s Halfway Bitches Go Straight to Heaven at The Atlantic Theatre. Liza is an original company member of The LAByrinth Theater Company and has been in numerous of Stephen’s plays, including Our Lady of 125th Street and the Pulitzer Prize winning Between Riverside and Crazy. She is a good friend and very generous in sharing her experience.