Stage Manager
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Introducing Lee Gundersheimer – The Players Theater’s new Artistic Director
-31-22 Actor, Director, Playwright, Administrator, and Educator. Lee Gundersheimer has done it all. Actor in 75 shows in New York and more all over the country. Director of over 80 plays, from Shakespeare to Annie. Playwright of 7 full length plays and 4 one acts including “Incommunicado,” nominated for four Audelco Awards, and opened the new Federal Theater Season off Broadway and Pas De Deux which won Best play in the New Play Festival on Theater Row. Administrator – he built and ran two theaters in New York; a Rep Company an off Broadway theater, was the Managing Director of a professional Shakespeare Festival and Arts and Culture Coordinator for the city of Winona, MN. Educator he taught at 7 University’s. Listen to this passionate man describe a lifelong commitment to every aspect of Theater.
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Interview with Jeffery Kin – on his 55th Birthday
7-1-19 In honor of his 55th birthday and to invite you all to his birthday bash – fund raiser I am re-airing an interview I did many years ago with Jeffery Kin. The youngest of six from a farm family in Central Ohio, Jeff broke the family mold by being the “creative kid.” Discovering very early his desire to entertain and the charisma that would later make him so compelling on stage, Jeff was lucky enough to have a mother who saw that he “belonged on the stage.” So he was able to develop not only his acting, singing and dancing skills, but his play writing, directing and finally the administrative abilities that make him the perfect choice to shepherd The Players Theater’ renaissance. Come out to let him know how much we appreciate and love him – Happy birthday Jeffery!!!
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Interview with Sharon Ohrenstein – Patra
5-13-19 Sharon Leslie Ohrenstein is a renaissance woman. Her extraordinary voice was first discovered in Kindergarten when she was chosen to sing the solo in the Christmas play and has delighted countess audiences since. She is a fine actor appearing in vastly dissimilar roles with authenticity. As a director she has helped actors find nuances which enabled them to be better than they were. And, as a teacher, she has enhanced the experience of the eager students at Roads Scholar for 16 years. Although writing came late in her life, along with her composer husband David, she wrote the book and lyrics to two musicals and two operas; producing, directing, and staring in many (she even made the costume). Listen to this amazing woman talk about her life journey and her current adventure; the creation of Patra a brand new Opera based on Cleopatra’s last days, which was chosen as a workshop production at the prestigious Seagle Music Colony in Schroon lake NY. And click here to donate to its gofundme page to be a part of this adventure. https://www.gofundme.com/patraopera
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Interview with Andrei Maleav Babel
Andrei Maleav-Babel is a Russian Immigrant. The son and grandson of writers and artists, Andrei wrote musicals and directed his parent’s friends in his plays, by the time he was 10 or 12. Luckily coming of age as Perestroika was occurring in Russia, Andrei was able to start his own theater as a very young man. Barely able to speak English, he met, courted and married an American sociology student and became a Professor of Acting at the prestigious FSU Conservatory for Actor Training, one of the top ten actor training companies in the United States. Listen to him tell his amazing story and talk about his direction of the Conservatory’s production of Ibsen’s’Ghosts opening on Jan 4th
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Interview with Jason Cannon – director of Constellations
A self-described “multi-hyphenate” Jason Cannon is the quintessential theater professional. A union actor, union director, published playwright, stage manager, set designer, and educator, Jason’s title as Associate Artist at Florida Studio Theater, does not begin to describe his duties. In addition to all the jobs I mentioned he is also responsible for new play development, mentoring the acting apprentices, and teaching classes in everything from Playwriting to Shakespeare. Listen to Jason describe the ironic way he discovered the path that was definitely meant for him, and describe “Constellations,” the unusual and compelling play he recently directed for Florida Studio Theater
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Interview with the extraordinary Wayne Adams Part 1
12-5-17 – Part 1 – Actor, Director, Broadway Producer, Lighting Designer, Art Gallery Owner waiter, server in an upscale tie store and more, octogenarian Wayne Adams did everything with passion, commitment and panache. Adopted by an extraordinary couple who wanted him to experience everything and encouraged him to “be himself, and to take responsibility for everything he attempted,” Wayne has done just that. A musician, an artist and an actor.As a boy, Wayne majored in commercial design and minored in history of architecture at Ohio University, and although he never took a “theater course” he was in 11 productions during his four years at school with the result that when he graduated he knew that after his mandated stint in the air force he would go off to NY to pursue a career as an actor. Listen to the remarkable diverse jobs he tackled – all with the same commitment to excellence and hear how he discovered “what it really means to be an actor.”
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Interview with Steve Patmagrian
9-5-17 Steve Patmagrian grew up in an artistic household, but he resisted going into the arts until, on a lark, he and some friends went backstage at The Players and Steve was captured by the idea of creating something from nothing. He volunteered to do set work for the Players in his first year of high school and worked on every show straight through graduation. After Graduation he was appointed designer and technical director He had found what he was meant to do. But there is no easy way to define or label Steve’s career. Having attended Ringling School of Art and Design Steve has been a set designer, stage manager, sound and lighting technician, event planner, videographer, technical director combat instructor. New Atmosphere Productions, Steve’s studio and special events Production Company, had a 25-year run staging imaginative happenings for Sarasota Film Festival, Mote Marine, Historic Spanish Point, Sarasota Memorial Hospital and other area nonprofits. He has created custom props and sets for The Golden Apple, Venice Little Theatre, The Players, Manatee Players, Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, Florida Studio Theatre, Sarasolo, The Starlite Room and the Asolo. Listen to this charming, funny, unique man describe a life which cannot be categorized only admired.
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Interview with Jason Cannon
Early on in his career Jason Cannon decided that you “can’t control who the director casts or what the producer produces and the more hat’s you wear the more often you get hired.” So today he is a union actor, a union director, member of sag-aftra, he has stage manager and design credits, he is a published playwright and an educator. And it was this diversity of skills which encouraged Florida Studio Theater to hire him as an Associate Artist where he directs new play development is mentor for the acting apprentice program and when appropriate appears on stage, as he does currently in the compelling 2 character play Dancing Lesson by Marc Germain.
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Interview with Stephen Hope
Actor, singer, dancer, choreographer, stage manager Stephen Hope has brought his talents to more than 30 productions at the Florida Studio Theater in Sarasota FL, and he is doing it again in the current production of Hairspray. All kinds of music was sung and played in Stephen’s home, but it wasn’t until his first role as the cowardly lion in a Jr High School production, that Stephen found what was “right for him. “ Knowing that “people were laughing because of what I was doing – that we were all laughing at the same thing so we weren’t separate, we were one, it was very powerful.” That night Stephen’s Dad said “this is what you should be doing,” and the die was cast. In his 20’s Stephen took a detour; attempting to see if another path was right for him, but he soon realized that while he could do it – his “heart wasn’t there.” So he returned to the theater, to what makes him “happy,” to doing what is “right for him.” Hear him talk about his life and the exciting production of Hairspray. Also hear a rousing song from the show.
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Interview with Scott Wooten
Sept 2, 2014 Audio Interview
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Actor, stage manager, director, playwright T.Scott Wooten is a very uncommon phenomenon – a working theater professional. Todd Olsen, (previously the Producing Artistic Director at American Stage Theater Co in St. Petersburg Florida, currently Executive Director of the Columbia Festival of the Arts in Maryland) hired Scott right out of college as an intern at American Stage and told him that if he developed multiple skill sets he would always work. Apparently Todd was right. Scott stayed at American Stage “doing everything,” for nine years before going off to ply his trade at other theaters around the country. Currently Scott directs one play a year at American Stage and this year it is The Chosen, a companion piece to My Name is Asher Lev, which he directed last year. Scott believes that theater is about demonstrating our “human dignity,” and that The Chosen is a perfect example. -
Interview with Roxanne Fay
Roxanne Fay fell in love with words when she was very young and participated in “forensics competitions” – the reading of poetry – in elementary school. Her love of “words that she wanted to say,” never left her and she relentlessly pursued those “nourishing words” as an actor and playwright, but it wasn’t an easy journey. Not accepted in to the BFA program at university and not accepted to the Asolo Conservatory program Roxanne persevered despite a “broken heart.” She attended the Burt Reynolds acting program (which in retrospect was the better choice for her), and has never looked back. Travelling to work in Hawaii, Chicago, New York, and Orlando and finally finding herself back home in St Petersburg Florida where she has been working steadily as an actor, playwright, and stage manager. Listen to her talk about the work she and her Blue Scarf collective partners have done, her extraordinary two part piece called Home Fires Burning, (which if you get a chance to see you shouldn’t miss), the one woman narrative she is writing about Mary Magdalene for which she won a grant, and her upcoming work in The Birds which will open on Oct 2nd at American Stage Theater in St Petersburg FL.
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Interview with Will Willoughby
Will Willoughby is a brave man. He might deny it. He might say that he had no choice, but that would not diminish the extent of his courage. Will says he was “different” from his family and most of his school mates in his home town in Nebraska. He suffered the teasing, punishment, ostracism and even torture of those who are uncomfortable with the “difference” of others. But even his family’s abandonment did not keep Will from honoring his “self.” And his strength of character – what he calls his “integrity” – helped him not only survive a dreadful childhood and adolescence, but become a joyful soul who, to quote his mentor, can “feast at life’s banquet.” Finding acceptance in drama class in high school Will followed his passion, luckily receiving lots of help along the way, and finally finding a “home” at Sarasota’s Florida Studio Theater, where he is currently stage managing the wonderful play “Savannah Disputation”. Listen to this inspiring story.
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