Atw - Downstage Center

Michael Ball discusses straddling the worlds of musical theatre and pop music in his native England, as well as the irony of returning to the Broadway stage after 15 years to gain greater recognition in the U.S. in the role of Count Fosco in "The Woman in White" - where he's rendered unrecognizable by costume and make-up. Original airdate - December 9, 2005.

Early in his first season at the helm, Oskar Eustis, the new artistic director of The Public Theater, talks about his plans for that seminal theatrical institution, both on stage and off, lets slip plans to pay tribute to the company's original traveling Shakespeare mandate with new theatrical ventures in all of the city's five boroughs, and reflects on the choice of Rinne Groff's "The Ruby Sunrise" as his first directing project of his tenure. Original airdate - December 16, 2005.

Director-choreographer Susan Stroman charts her career from her early days as a chorus member in regional theatre to her triumph with "The Producers" to her work with Nathan Lane bringing Stephen Sondheim's legendary but little seen "The Frogs" to life at Lincoln Center Theatre. Original airdate - October 1, 2004.

During the Off-Broadway run of "The Foreigner", Matthew Broderick addresses whether he's really as shy as news reports would portray him, talks about his early years growing up in New York and on both stage and screen, and reflects upon the runaway success of "The Producers". Original airdate - December 3, 2004.

Gary Beach takes off his "La Cage aux Folles" feathers to discuss playing Zaza in the musical's first Broadway revival, his Tony-winning success in "The Producers" and even his lesser known history in the unlamented short run of "The Mooney Shapiro Songbook". Original airdate - February 4, 2005.

Playwright Christopher Durang contemplates issues of faith, family, humor and falling space debris during the concurrent runs of his new play "Miss Witherspoon" in New York and his new musical "Adrift in Macao" in Philadelphia. Original airdate - December 2, 2005.

Judy Kaye talks about recreating the spirit and decidedly unique voice of 1940s-era vocal phenomenon Florence Foster Jenkins in "Souvenir", and talks about her star-making experience taking over the role of Lily Garland in "On The 20th Century", as well as her roles in "Phantom of the Opera", "Ragtime" and "Mamma Mia". Original airdate - November 25, 2005.

Jill Clayburgh talks about the joys of returning to the Broadway stage for the first time in two decades in Richard Greeenberg's "A Naked Girl on the Appian Way", her anticipation of her immediate follow-up with Neil Simon's "Barefoot in the Park", and her not-so-happy experiences years ago in "Jumpers" and "Pippin"-which drove her out to the west coast and film stardom. Original airdate - November 18, 2005.

On the eve of his debut as a film director, Craig Lucas discusses transforming "The Dying Gaul" from play to screenplay and talks about his journey from a narrow-minded Philadelphia suburb to the chorus of musicals like "Sweeney Todd" and "Shenandoah" to his place as one of our most adventurous and outspoken playwrights. Original airdate - November 11, 2005.

On the eve of her solo concert at Carnegie Hall, Lea Salonga chronicles her journey from the Philippines to the West End to Broadway with "Miss Saigon", the experience of being in a "new" Rodgers & Hammerstein show with the revised "Flower Drum Song", and the challenges for Asian performers in America. Original airdate - November 4, 2005.

Noted architect David Rockwell talks about branching into scenic design ("Hairspray", "All Shook Up") as an extension of his childhood love of theatre, which included working on amateur productions in his mother's New Jersey troupe and his teenage years soaking in the "theatre of open spaces" in Mexico. Original airdate - October 7, 2005.

Veteran critic John Simon reflects on decades of theatregoing, including 38 years with New York Magazine, as he marks the publication of "John Simon On Theatre," a comprehensive anthology of his reviews. Original airdate - October 14, 2005.

Stage legend Carol Channing reminisces about her extraordinary career, ranging from her naive yet successful audition for the William Morris Agency (which she briefly recreates) to her early success as Lorelei Lee (whom she describes as a "semi-idiot who knew how to become the richest woman in the world") to her recent Honorary Doctorate from the California State University system. Original airdate - October 21, 2005.

Gerard Alessandrini shares the process of turning Broadway into "Forbidden Broadway" and why after all these years of skewering stage stars and shows, he's still an optimistic fan of the theatre. Original airdate - September 30, 2005.

Returning to the New York stage for the first time in more than a decade, Chris Sarandon talks about joining the company of "A Light In The Piazza" and reflects on his early stage work in regional theatre both before and after his initial film success in "Dog Day Afternoon". Original airdate - September 23, 2005.

During the run of her one-woman show "What Of The Night", Jane Alexander discusses the challenges of portraying the life and words of Djuna Barnes, and talks about the effect of her years as head of the National Endowment for the Arts on both her life and her work as an artist. Original airdate - April 8, 2005.

With "Two Gentlemen of Verona" back on stage at The Public Theater's Delacorte in Central Park, Galt MacDermot reminisces about the great successes of "Hair" and "Two Gents", as well as the brief runs of "Dude" and "Via Galactica" - and why terms like rock, jazz and funk are all too limiting to him as a composer. Original airdate - September 9, 2005.

Charles Strouse takes listeners back to the creation of "Bye Bye Birdie", including the behind the scenes challenges of retooling the musical for Chita Rivera and figuring out how to make Dick Van Dyke a star, and the multi-year struggle to get a certain redheaded orphan named "Annie" into production. Original airdate - August 26, 2005.

Joanna Gleason talks about signing on to "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" before her part was fully written, recalls her Broadway debut in "I Love My Wife" and the thrill of premiering "Into The Woods", and considers her return to Broadway after a 13 year hiatus. Original airdate - August 19, 2005.

John Lithgow talks about his plunge back into theatre after years of absence from the New York stage, with a succession of acclaimed performance in "Sweet Smell of Success", "The Retreat from Moscow", "Mrs. Farnsworth" and "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" - all in the past three years. Original airdate - April 15, 2005.