All this week LA Stage will present coverage of Directors Lab West 2010 with reports from DLW Steering Committee Associate Producer Cindy Marie Jenkins, Production Coordinator Rachel Jenkins and DLW intern Doug Oliphant. Each year the Lab chooses a theme around which all their sessions are based and a play around which many group workshops are organized. For 2010 the theme is “Balance” and the play Measure for Measure. Click here to view all DLW 2010 updates.

Doug Oliphant

CENTERING THE GROUP
Conversation: Michael Ritchie
Moderator: Ernest Figueroa
By Doug Oliphant

“Everything we commission we have a real intention to produce.” – Michael Ritchie

Thursday morning found the group assembling at Walt Disney Hal‘s outdoor amphitheatre for a conversation with CTG artistic director Michael Ritchie.  Diving in to his past, Michael shared his story as he went from a kid moving to NYC with only $35 in his pocket, landing a job as a follow-spot operator, claiming, “I was a great follow-spot operator!” and explaining how that eventually led him into stage management of some Off-Broadway shows. Very much so abbreviated, he began working as a stage manager at Williamstown Theatre Festival, eventually promoted to Artistic Director years later simply because he was the only one who could do the job. This eventually led him to be offered the CTG position, and upon accepting, he put aside his distaste for Los Angeles and relocated his family here, where he now claims to enjoy the city quite a bit. The lab attendees got a great perspective on theatre creation from one of the highest, biggest corporate theatre institutions in the country and really got to pick Michael’s brain on the decision making he does and why he makes the choices he does.

Ernest Figueroa and Anne Cattaneo

DIRECTOR’S LAB WEST:ORIGINS
Conversation: Anne Cattaneo
Moderator: Ernest Figueroa
By Doug Oliphant

“All great theatre organizations didn’t form by penetrating an already existing group but by a handful of like-minded individuals coming together and creating the work for themselves.” – Anne Cattaneo

The goddess of the original Directors Lab graced the Los Angeles attendees today. She explained the origins of the lab, how it came into fruition because of the need that existed to get directors in the area into the same room together having a conversation about the work they do separate from their colleagues. Anne said she wasn’t even sure if it was a good idea at first, fearing they might all try competing with each other, making their opinions triumph over the others. In that first lab though, she learned everyone was very interested in what everyone else had to say and how they worked. There was a collective sense of appreciation to be able to connect with and share ideas among other directors. So now for the past 15 years she’s run Directors Lab at Lincoln Center and it doesn’t show any sign of stopping soon. Ernest stressed how significant Anne’s idea of the lab was, how it was solely responsible for The DLW Steering Committee starting Directors Lab West 11 years ago and has inspired labs in other cities to begin as well. “We’ve never promoted the lab. Word about it seems to just spread by word-of-mouth.” Working off a very low budget, remaining very underground, the lab has continued its success and shows great promise for the future.

Ernest Figueroa and Mark Murphy

REDCAT
Conversation: Mark Murphy
Moderator: Ernest Figueroa
By Doug Oliphant

“We were all doing God’s work, God knows where in the country.” – Mark Murphy

Mark Murphy spent some time with those in the lab talking about the history of REDCAT, the theatre opened by California Institute of the Arts (Cal Arts) and the purposes it serves. One of the closest theatres in Los Angeles to an Off-Broadway house, REDCAT is primarily a presenting house but what makes it different from other presenting houses is its focus on the artist first, audience second. On new works being developed in the summer, Mark explained that their mission is to be able to provide for the artist a small budget, a space they can sometimes rehearse in, take care of all their marketing and producing for them so the artist is free to focus on their craft. In 99-seat houses where an artist will self-produce a show, they’re constantly worrying about their rising credit card debt, trying to cut every corner possible to save a dollar here and there, and it limits their creativity. REDCAT’s summer development program relieves the artist of that burden and has garnered a collection of new works since opening in 2003.

Rachel Jenkins

ARTWALK!
Museums Downtown
by Rachel Jenkins

Attention. After tonight’s experience, I must insist. Everyone must attend the Downtown LA ARTWALK. A scheduled night of clashing chaotic culture, ranging from oil paintings, pop art, theatrical performance, freestyle battles to dancing in the streets. All experienced with every type of person one could imagine, young and old. The LATC lobby is transformed into a must see home base for the evening providing maps, an art gallery, performances and a place to rest your feet. All of this prepared presentation is enhanced by the art that ends up on the streets, impromptu performances, the culinary surprises at the gathered food trucks and the fashion amongst the crowd – an inspiring mix of NYC Fashion Week and urban hipster. No matter where you are there is something interesting to behold. Finishing off the night of promenade and discovery the Directors Lab West met at the Alexandria Hotel, the home of the Company of Angels Theater, to see their presentation of the one woman show SER by Karen Anzoategui, a perfect capstone to a night thriving off the many faces and feelings of Los Angeles.

Directors Lab West is a unique forum which brings Theater Directors together with peers and seasoned professionals for an opportunity to collaborate and grow together as artists. Directors Lab West is modeled after the Lincoln Center Theater Directors Lab in New York City. Like its NY counterpart, the Lab is a series of discussions, working sessions, panels and symposia with some of the nation’s and region’s leading directors, playwrights, designers and other theatre practitioners. DirectorsLabWest.com