I had the pleasure of returning to the podcast in a pre-recorded segment I filmed with NAACP and Fred Astaire award winning Broadway choreographer, Patti Wilcox. The episode was taped in advance because, for only the second instance in Call Time history, we did the show live and in-person, as Patti and I were staying catty-corner (or perhaps "citty-corner," as we explore at … [Read more...] about Narrative, Choreography, and “Finishing the Hat,” With Patti Wilcox
Theatre People
Talking High Art and Late-Stage Capitalism with Jacob Kerzner
This week on the podcast I had the absolute pleasure of chatting with music director, orchestrator, pianist, educator, scholar, and my music director for the show I just directed, The Secret Garden, Jacob Kerzner. As I say at the top of the episode, it was a somewhat unique moment for the podcast because it was my first time interviewing a music director about his life and … [Read more...] about Talking High Art and Late-Stage Capitalism with Jacob Kerzner
The Musical Theatre “Character Actor,” With Edward Juvier
This week on the podcast, I had the absolute pleasure of chatting with another actor in Goodspeed Opera House's production of Gypsy, and an accomplished actor in and of himself, Edward Juvier. Indeed, Edward's career has spanned nearly twenty years and all kinds of genres: he's done plays, contemporary/rock musicals, mega-musicals, directing, regional theatre, national tours, … [Read more...] about The Musical Theatre “Character Actor,” With Edward Juvier
Little Girl Wanted: Acting, Directing, and Details With Jenn Thompson
On this week's episode of the Call Time podcast, I had the pleasure to chat with the great Jenn Thompson. I call it a pleasure not only because Jenn was a beloved actor and is now one of the most in-demand and accomplished directors in the industry, but also because Jenn is/was my boss, and we worked on two shows together (technically three if you count my foray into … [Read more...] about Little Girl Wanted: Acting, Directing, and Details With Jenn Thompson
“Confessing” With Sophie Weisskoff
This week on the podcast, I left the "dance world" and had the pleasure of interviewing playwright (Great Plains Theatre Conference Selection, Edward F. Albee Fellow, Rona Jaffe Foundation Graduate Fellow) and writer (NY Mag, The Virginia Quarterly), Sophie Weisskoff, who is making her NYC, Off-Broadway debut today with Brainsmash. Produced by The Hearth -- about which I did … [Read more...] about “Confessing” With Sophie Weisskoff
“So Much of My Power Lies In What I Can Do Myself”: Exploring the Catch-22s of Freelancing With Runako Campbell
This week, Call Time stayed in "dance world" by interviewing dancer, and multi-faceted performing artist, Runako Campbell. I call her multi-faceted because, much like last week's guests, in addition to being a dancer trained in multiple styles and techniques she's also cut her teeth in the theatre -- on a Broadway show to be exact, the Alanis Morissette/Diablo Cody/Diane … [Read more...] about “So Much of My Power Lies In What I Can Do Myself”: Exploring the Catch-22s of Freelancing With Runako Campbell
“Making the Impossible Possible” with Skylar Fox
One of the first questions I asked Skylar Fox in our podcast interview was whether he considers himself a "magician." Given that he's the "Illusions and Magic Associate" at Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, US, responsible for the tricks of the eye and effects seen at many of Harry Potter's NINE global companies, like the pollyjuice transformation, the phone booth, or really … [Read more...] about “Making the Impossible Possible” with Skylar Fox
Ryan Donovan’s “Broadway Bodies”: Examining Authentic Casting, Body Politics, and Outsider/Insider Status in Academia
In a first for this iteration of Call Time with Katie Birenboim, I was so excited to welcome a theatre academic -- assistant professor of Theatre Studies at Duke University, Ryan Donovan -- to the show this week. As we discuss on the podcast, Ryan initially came from the performance world: he was a dancer for many years, performing in shows like the 50th anniversary tour of … [Read more...] about Ryan Donovan’s “Broadway Bodies”: Examining Authentic Casting, Body Politics, and Outsider/Insider Status in Academia
What Can American Theatrical Markets Learn from Those in China, and Vice-Versa? A Discussion with Bella Wang
For my first episode of 2023, I decided to interview my classmate at NYU, Bella Wang, with whom I've been wanting to chat since our program began last fall. Because of her professional experience working for a PR consulting group, with clients beyond the arts industry like Avenues The World School and luxury fashion conglomerate LVMH, Bella always had really interesting -- … [Read more...] about What Can American Theatrical Markets Learn from Those in China, and Vice-Versa? A Discussion with Bella Wang
“Staying True to Yourself and Your Interests”: Talking Hobbies, Jobs, and Passions with Alexis Kleinman
Alexis Kleinman graduated from Princeton the year I arrived, so she was the stuff of theatre legend on campus...my Triangle and Tower buddies would speak of her with reverence, and we would sort of eye each other across reunions and social media screens. But that meant it took nearly ten years -- and a podcast -- to bring us together for a one-on-one conversation. I hope my … [Read more...] about “Staying True to Yourself and Your Interests”: Talking Hobbies, Jobs, and Passions with Alexis Kleinman