Atw - Downstage Center

Neil Pepe, artistic director of New York's Atlantic Theater Company, discusses the development of the company as an outgrowth of acting classes led by playwright David Mamet and actor William H. Macy; his own introduction to the company as both carpenter and actor; the Atlantic's acclaimed work with playwright Martin McDonagh on his American debut, "The Beauty Queen of Leenane", and -- almost a decade later -- "The Lieutenant of Inishmore"; and how the Atlantic came to produce its most expensive production and first-ever musical, "Spring Awakening". Original air date – March 16, 2007.

Amy Irving talks about her experience seeing part two of "The Coast of Utopia" when it premiered in England, and her response when director Jack O'Brien asked her to play two roles in the trilogy's U.S. premiere; her homecoming to the Vivian Beaumont Theatre, where she spent her teenage years as her parents led the Repertory Theatre of Lincoln Center; her good fortune of working Arthur Miller on the premiere of "Broken Glass" and both acting with and being directed by Athol Fugard in his "The Road to Mecca"; and the experience of having a play, "Celadine", written expressly for her. Original air date – March 9, 2007.

During his run in the revival of "42nd Street", Patrick Cassidy talks about life in a performing family, including the legacy of his late father Jack and performing with his mother Shirley Jones; his eclectic resume on stage across the country, including a tour of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" and the impeccably cast but little-seen Hartford Stage version of "Martin Guerre"; and the experience of seeing a role he created -- the Balladeer of "Assassins" -- enacted by another performer in the musical's long-delayed Broadway debut. Original air date – June 18, 2004.

Billy Crudup recalls how he messed up his first audition but still managed to be cast in his Broadway debut, "Arcadia"; describes the communal spirit that guided the 2002 production of "The Elephant Man", and how it differed from his work with director Simon McBurney in "The Resistible Rise Of Arturo Ui"; relates the thrill of manipulating audiences in Martin McDonagh's "The Pillowman"; and reflects on whether we -- and he -- should be reading up on Russian history to prepare for "The Coast Of Utopia". Original air date – March 2, 2007.

Kristin Chenoweth reminisces about her move from Oklahoma to Manhattan and how she was discovered after an all-day wait for an audition; tells how she was cast as Patty in the revival of "You're A Good Man Charlie Brown", but ultimately won a Tony as Sally; charts the evolution of her role as Glinda in "Wicked"; explains why she was drawn to "The Apple Tree" and what she hopes she's achieved with her multiple roles; describes how she constructed the song list for her solo concert debut at the Metropolitan Opera -- including what she had to leave out; and shares her thoughts about her upcoming Met Opera debut in "The Ghosts Of Versailles". Original air date – February 23, 2007.

Mercedes Ruehl shares her passion for art and for playing art patron Peggy Guggenheim in "Woman Before A Glass" talks about her early training and her roles in regional theatre, her Off-Broadway success in the financial comedy "Other People's Money", and her Tony Award-winning turn in Neil Simon's "Lost In Yonkers". Original air date – March 18, 2005.

Kevin McCollum talks about how his "contrarian" nature applies to his work as a producer, including mounting the 22-actor musical "In The Heights" Off-Broadway when many say even small musicals can't succeed off the Great White Way, deciding to send "Avenue Q" to Las Vegas rather than on a standard national tour, and creating a multi-city model for "Irving Berlin's White Christmas". Original air date – February 16, 2007.

Jack Viertel, artistic director of the "Encores!" series at New York City Center, traces the evolution of the acclaimed concert stagings of little-seen musicals and offers a glimpse into how their classic shows come together with a short rehearsal period for a five-performance run. Original air date - January 21, 2005.

Joanne Bogart and Eric Rockwell discuss the genesis of "The Musical of MusicalsóThe Musical!" and whether they'll get to quit their day jobs as a result of its success. Original air date - July 16, 2004.

Late in the run of his Broadway turn as Tevye in "Fiddler On The Roof", Alfred Molina discusses his role in that much-discussed production, recalls meeting his wife-to-be in the musical "Destry Rides Again" and his culture shock at being plucked from a small London theatre to appear in the film "Raiders Of The Lost Ark", and shares the challenge of his manic monologue in the Broadway debut of Yasmina Reza's "Art". Original air date - November 19, 2004.

Len Cariou looks back over his career on stage, from his days with his own cabaret act in his native Canada to his immersion into classical theatre at the Manitoba Theatre Center and the Stratford Festival to his triumphs on Broadway in two Sondheim premieres. Along the way, he tells the stories of his first meeting with director Harold Prince, his "A Little Night Music" audition -- for the role of Carl-Magnus, which he was prepared to turn down -- and why he actually did turn down the role of Frederik when it was offered; and the experience of the very first preview of "Sweeney Todd" -- which took place with the show not having completed a full tech rehearsal. Original air date - February 2, 2007.

Ted Chapin wears two hats during this interview, one as he discusses his position as head of the Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization, explaining his role in both promoting and defending the work of the great songwriting team, the other as he talks about how his college project as a production assistant afforded him backstage access to the original production of "Follies", which 30 years later formed the basis for his book "Everything Was Possible". Original air date - July 30, 2004.

Rita Moreno reflects on her career, from her Broadway debut at age 13; her efforts to break out of being constantly cast as a Latin spitfire; her arduous preparation for her audition for "West Side Story"; her experience working on the debut of Lorraine Hansberry's second Broadway play; her London appearances in "She Loves Me" and "Sunset Boulevard"; and how she came to find herself only five feet from Dr. Martin Luther King as he delivered his legendary "I Have A Dream" speech. Original air date - January 26, 2007.

Melissa Errico and Tom Hewitt discuss their roles in Frank Wildhorn's "Dracula", and separately review their careers -- Errico's as a leading lady in numerous high profile revivals and Hewitt's as one of the country's top classical leading men. Original air date - October 29, 2004.

Margot Harley, co-founder and Producing Artistic Director of The Acting Company, talks about the troupe's origins as an outgrowth of the acting program at The Juilliard School in the early 70s, the challenges of touring serious drama as an ongoing series of one-night-stands around the country, and the state of actor training today; she also provides some insight into how her co-founder John Houseman made his professional acting debut so late in his illustrious life in the theatre. Original air date - January 19, 2007.

Barbara Walsh, Joanne in the John Doyle revival of "Company", talks about taking on a role so indelibly associated with Elaine Stritch, explains why her character doesn't really "join the band" in this production and offers her own suggestion of how "Forbidden Broadway" should spoof her; reflects on shows she appeared in first at regional theatres that made it to Broadway ("Company" at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park and "Falsettos" at Hartford Stage) and those that didn't ("The Rhythm Club" at Signature and "Houdini" at Goodspeed); and the recalls her Broadway debut playing Grace Slick and Joan Baez in the briefly seen "Rock 'N Roll!: The First 5,000 Years". Original air date - January 12, 2007.

Music Director John McDaniel talks about his first producing project, "Brooklyn The Musical"; reflects on his time working with Rosie O'Donnell on her talk show, and gives some insight into the work of musical directors. Original air date - November 12, 2004.

Rebecca Luker confesses to not reading the original "Mary Poppins" books despite her role as Mrs. Banks in the current Broadway musical version; recalls her Broadway debut understudying and then assuming the role of Christine in "The Phantom of the Opera"; talks about her great experience appearing in a (almost completely) non-singing role in A.R. Gurney's "Indian Blood"; and explains why she's exploring singing in a register lower than her pristine and acclaimed soprano voice. Original air date - January 5, 2007.

Blair Brown discusses her role on stage in the Lincoln Center Theatre production of Sarah Ruhl's "The Clean House", and her part in the play winning the prestigious Susan Smith Blackburn Award; explains how she ended up going to drama school and beginning her career in Canada; recalls her role in the triumphant Richard Foreman production of "The Threepenny Opera" and her anguish over the brief Broadway life of "The Secret Rapture"; and considers the experience of humanizing so-called "intellectual" plays like "Copenhagen" and "Arcadia". Original air date - December 29, 2006.

The leaders of the two best known theatre-based charitable group, Joe Benincasa of The Actors' Fund and Tom Viola of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, talk about the wide range of work done by their two organizations, their origins more than 100 years apart, the symbiotic relationship between them, and how they manage to produce such elaborate entertainments as a means of raising funds for their worthy causes. Original air date - December 22, 2006.