Beyond the Lights: A Conversation with Theater Professionals – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Technical and general information from the podcast's RSS feed.

Beyond the Lights: A Conversation with Theater Professionals

Mary Beth Smith

Arts

Frequency: 1 episode/9d. Total Eps: 56

Welcome to Beyond the Lights: A Conversation with Theater Professionals. Theater is a community event and it takes a village to operate. From actors to designers to company managers to teaching artists to data nerds and dramaturgs and everything in between. So join me weekly to learn more about each person's journey and the "hustle" we call theater as we go Beyond the Lights.

Read moreCollapse

Site

RSS

Apple

Recent rankings

Latest chart positions across Apple Podcasts and Spotify rankings.

Apple Podcasts

🇬🇧 Great Britain - performingArts
02/02/2026
#78

Spotify

No recent rankings available

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

Links found in episode descriptions and other podcasts that share them.

See all

https://beyondthelightspodcast.com/
78 shares
http://beyondthelightspodcast.com/
5 shares
https://www.nationalblacktheatre.org/
4 shares

https://www.instagram.com/beyondthelights_podcast
54 shares
https://www.instagram.com/redhouseseries
2 shares
https://www.instagram.com/lapetiteroi
2 shares

https://www.facebook.com/BeyondtheLightsPodcast
54 shares
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=557414281547261
2 shares
https://www.facebook.com/revolutionshakespeare/
2 shares

RSS feed quality and score

Technical evaluation of the podcast's RSS feed quality and structure.

See all

RSS feed quality

To improve

Score global : 52%

Publication history

Monthly episode publishing history over the past years.

Year

Latest published episodes

Recent episodes with titles, durations, and descriptions.

See all

54. TOM ONTIVEROS - Lighting and Projection Designer

Monday, November 29, 2021 • Duration 50:38

On today's show, I speak with Tom Ontiveros, a lighting and projection designer as well as a professor and chair of the theater department at the University of La Verne. Tom has such an interesting and unexpected from starting college as a biology major, to working at the Museum of Natural History in LA, to finding himself as an emergency professor for one semester in Pennsylvania and falling in love with teaching. While I could keep going about Tom's journey, I feel it's better to let the rest of it unwind on its own in this conversation.

For a full transcript of this episode visit beyondthelightspodcast.com.

Mentioned in this Episode
[00:04:18] Siti Company
[00:07:03] Museum of Natural History
[00:09:47] Intersection for the Arts
[00:10:08] Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
[00:10:31] Campo Santo
[00:11:12] The Culture Project
[00:11:24] The Exonerated
[00:40:18] University of La Verne
[00:47:14] Norco 80

Follow Tom
Website

Follow Beyond the Lights
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram

Read moreCollapse

53. ANDREA GRODY - Broadway Music Director

Monday, November 15, 2021 • Duration 57:32

Andrea Grody is a music director and music supervisor, primarily working in new musicals. Now, if you've been listening for a while you know that one of my specialties and loves is new plays, so it was such a pleasure to discuss what that looks like from a musical director's perspective. Andrea has been on two of the bigger Broadway shows over the last few years, The Band's Visit and Tootsie—two pretty different shows. She walks me through a little of what those processes looked like and the different challenges they each presented.

For a full transcript of this episode visit beyondthelightspodcast.com.

Mentioned in this Episode
[00:04:33] The Civilians
[00:05:53] The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
[00:05:57] Music Directing at Penn State
[00:13:40] The Band’s Visit
[00:17:36] MTI
[00:25:09] Tootsie
[00:40:43] Maestra
[00:49:02] Suffs

Follow Andrea
Website
WordWaves

Follow Beyond the Lights
Website
Facebook

44. *REBROADCAST* TAI VERLEY - Artistic Director of Revolution Shakespeare

Thursday, August 5, 2021 • Duration 01:13:50

Hello friends! I'm coming to you in a bit of a different format today. I will be taking a break for the next weeks and instead of not showing up in your feed every Monday I've decided to re-share some earlier episodes that you may have missed if you are a new listener or perhaps you just want to revisit. This week is the VERY first episode I released with my dear friend and incredible artist Tai Verley the artistic director of Revolution Shakespeare. Enjoy!

______________________________________

Today's guest is Tai Verley, a freelance actor and the Artistic Director of Revolution Shakespeare in Philadelphia, PA. We discuss how she went from Psychology major to actor, from being told she would never understand Shakespeare to running a Shakespeare Company, how she is continuing to foster artistic creation through her company during Covid-19, and so much more. For a full transcript of today's episode visit beyondthelightspodcast.com.

Links Mentioned During this Episode
[22:30] The Shakespeare Forum
[26:24] Revolution Shakespeare
[42:04] At Home with the Macbeths
[59:16] My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
[1:00:14] Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
[1:00:39] Artists Against Abernathy
[1:07:51] Mister Rogers appears in front of Congress

Follow Tai Verley
Twitter
InstagramFollow Revolution ShakespeareFollow Beyond the Lights

43. CÁNDIDO TIRADO - Playwright

Monday, July 26, 2021 • Duration 49:55

On today's show, I speak with Cándido Tirado a playwright, teacher, and chess master. Cándido and I discuss his time at the Puerto Rican Traveling Theater, why there is a rumor that he punched a critic after a bad review (spoiler, he didn't punch a critic), his status as a chess master, and how that informs his approach to theater.

For a full transcript of this episode visit beyondthelightspodcast.com.

Mentioned in this Episode
[00:05:12] Míriam Colón
[00:05:14] Puerto Rican Traveling Theater
[00:12:20] INTAR
[00:13:24] Maria Irene Fornes
[00:31:17] Bobby Fischer and the Game of the Century
[00:36:03] Play Chess Online

Follow Beyond the Lights
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram

Read moreCollapse

42. DAWN CHIANG - Lighting Designer

Monday, July 19, 2021 • Duration 51:25

On today's episode, I speak with Dawn Chiang. Dawn is a lighting designer that has worked on Broadway, in opera, regional theater, dance, live events, I could keep going, truly.

I first met Dawn a few months ago as a part of the Actor's Fund LinkedIn Challenge, which we talk about extensively during this conversation. Dawn is the first lighting designer to come on the show and I'm so excited for you to listen.

For a full transcript of this episode visit beyondthelightspodcast.com.

Mentioned in this Episode
[00:07:57] New York City Opera
[00:16:57] Oregon Shakespeare Festival
[00:28:38] Jennifer Tipton
[00:34:16] The Actors Fund
[00:34:36] The Career Center
[00:46:49] Broadway Bound Theater Festival
[00:47:15] The New School for Drama

Follow Dawn
LinkedIn

Follow Beyond the Lights
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram

41. CARA REICHEL - Co-Founder and Artistic Director of Prospect Theater Company

Monday, July 12, 2021 • Duration 58:05

Cara Reichel is a co-founder and artistic director of Prospect Theater Company in New York City. If you've been listening to this show from the beginning, you may know of my history with Prospect--but if not, well...you're in for a treat. I worked with Prospect back in 2008 as an Assistant Director to Cara and have been a fan ever since. We talk about everything from her early years in NYC, Prospect's origins and ultimate growth, and some of the barriers to entry for early career directors.

For a full transcript of this episode visit beyondthelightspodcast.com.

Mentioned in this Episode
[00:04:50] Princeton Chapel Choir
[00:13:12] Drama League
[00:14:18] SDC
[00:33:15] 59E59
[00:35:24] Primary Stages
[00:46:06] The Wolves
[00:46:33] A Strange Loop
[00:51:01] The Masters by Ursula K. Leguin
[00:52:25] The Hello Girls Cast Recording
[00:52:59] Golden Boy of the Blue Ridge

Follow Cara
Website

Follow Prospect Theater Company
Follow Beyond the Lights

40. KRISTI ROSS-CLAUSEN - Theater Maker

Monday, June 28, 2021 • Duration 45:55

On today's show, I speak with Kristi Ross-Clausen, a self-proclaimed eclectic theater practitioner. Kristi has been in the industry for 30+ years and has done everything from working in a large theater in Appleton, WI where she calls home to going on tour with Broadway shows War Horse, Mamma Mia!, and Priscilla Queen of the Desert.

For a full transcript of this episode visit beyondthelightspodcast.com.

Mentioned in this Episode
[00:14:07] The Spotlight Operator’s Handbook
[00:14:38] Drama Bookshop
[00:17:17] Handspring Puppet Company
[00:41:43] Sing Faster

Follow Beyond the Lights
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram

Read moreCollapse

39. DAVID R. MOLINA - Composer and Sound Designer

Monday, June 21, 2021 • Duration 54:40

On today's show, I speak with David R. Molina a musician, composer, and sound designer. I have a not-so-secret love of sound design, and quite frankly I can't believe it's taken me THIRTY-NINE EPISODES to have a sound designer on, but here we are. David has so much insight to share about composing for theater, film, radio plays, podcasts, you name it. This conversation was a lot of fun for me and gave me an even deeper appreciation of just what sound designers in the theatre space accomplish.

For a full transcript of this episode visit beyondthelightspodcast.com.

Mentioned in this Episode
[00:25:01] Play On Shakespeare and Next Chapter
[00:33:32] Dallas Theater Center
[00:34:07] Round House Theater
[00:34:31] Emilio Delgado
[00:35:55] San Francisco Arts Commission
[00:44:00] It Was Always Here
[00:46:34] Teatro Campesino
[00:46:40] La Peña

Follow David
Website
Instagram
Bandcamp

Follow Beyond the Lights
Website
Facebook
Twitter

38. LIZA LUXENBERG - Broadway Production Manager

Monday, June 14, 2021 • Duration 46:31

On today's show, I speak with Liza Luxenberg, the Senior Vice President of Aurora Productions. Aurora is a production management and technical supervision company that specializes in Broadway, Off-Broadway, and touring theater productions. Liza walks me through her journey from college stage manager, to intern, to her Senior Vice President role at Aurora. She is the first Broadway person I've interviewed since the announcement of Broadway's return and we discuss a bit about what that MAY look like. Things are moving fast toward re-opening and as you'll hear, we're very excited for that to happen.

For a full transcript of this episode visit beyondthelightspodcast.com.

Mentioned in this Episode
[00:06:01] Bay Street Theater
[00:07:11] Aurora Productions
[00:16:17] Intern at Aurora Productions
[00:17:24] Work at Aurora Productions
[00:28:44] Michael Kors Fashion Show

Follow Aurora Productions
Website
Facebook

Follow Beyond the Lights
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram

37. ARIANNA GASS - Multimedia Theater-Maker and Scholar

Monday, June 7, 2021 • Duration 39:26

Arianna Gass is a theater-maker who primarily occupies the multimedia theater space. They are a worker-owner of Obvious Agency, an artist cooperative in Philadelphia known for creating interactive live performance. They are also currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Chicago which we talk extensively about. This was an enlightening conversation for me and really exposed me to areas of theatre and performance theory that I did not know much about before today.

For a full transcript of this episode visit beyondthelightspodcast.com

Mentioned in this Episode
[00::02:20] Stella Adler Teen Conservatory
[00:04:56] Vasser College Experimental Theater
[00:05:55] Barnes Foundation
[00:10:15] Obvious Agency and Creative Cooperative Futures
[00:11:53] Applied Mechanics
[00:11:54] Headlong Dance Theater
[00:09:55] Ninth Planet
[00:13:15] New York Theater Workshop
[00:14:11] Ivo Van Hove
[00:16:17] Barnes Jawnt
[00:18:50] Bicycle Coalition
[00:18:53] Black and Brown Workers Cooperative
[00:19:11] [00:19:17] [00:28:21] [00:29:13] [00:29:14] Follow AriannaFollow Obvious AgencyFollow Beyond the Lights

Beyond the Lights: A Conversation with Theater Professionals – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

Latest published episodes

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Beyond the Lights: A Conversation with Theater Professionals – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

Other99+

Instagram43

Facebook23

RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

Latest published episodes

Similar podcasts and content

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Other99+

Instagram43

Facebook23