The Playgoer: Directors to Watch

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Wednesday, February 04, 2009

Directors to Watch

A worthy profile of two of our most reliable and versatile downtown directors: Anne Kauffman (The Thugs, God's Ear) and Ken Ross Schmoll (The Internationalist).

For my money, these are two of our best directors working in NYC (theatre capital of the nation, doncha know), I dare say the Alan Schneiders and Robert Woodruffs of their generation--i.e. the young directors whose work is sheparding the most promising new playwrights of the day. Yet here is how they eek out a living:

[D]espite the excellent reviews and occasional awards they've earned, they make only the most marginal living out of theater. Directing a new play, which can consume months, pays as little as $200 and rarely more than $2,000. Kauffman supplements her income with teaching; Schmoll does freelance editing. They describe earnings approaching $30,000 as "a really good year."
Not only have neither worked on Broadway, but i don't believe they've been invited to The Public!

Here's to the future of the American theatre.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Ah, the filthy lucre of theatre!