All stories by Mervyn Rothstein on BroadwayStars

Thursday, January 10, 2019

Stage Directions: The Tony-Nominated Director Behind Avenue Q, Pitch Perfect, and More On Turning Niche Projects Into Monster Hits by Mervyn Rothstein

Jason Moore reveals how he chooses what stories to tell, secrets behind Superhero, and why his The Cher Show is his favorite type of musical.

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00PM
Sunday, December 30, 2018

Stage Directions: How Writer-Director Robert O’Hara Decides Which Plays to Direct and Which to Hand Over by Mervyn Rothstein

The Obie-winning director discusses the provocative new Slave Play, choosing his projects, how his rehearsals lead to unconventional results, and more.

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00PM
Sunday, December 16, 2018

Stage Directions: Broadway’s Ivo van Hove Shares the Childhood Story of How He Became a Director by Mervyn Rothstein

The mastermind behind Broadway’s Tony-winning A View From the Bridge, Network, and the upcoming West Side Story shares his philosophy on directing.

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00AM
Sunday, October 14, 2018

Stage Directions: Matthew Penn On Working With Glenn Close In Off-Broadway’s Mother of the Maid by Mervyn Rothstein

The television and theatre director talks about his directing principles, a mistake that guided his career, and the new play at the Public Theater.

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00AM
Monday, September 24, 2018

Stage Directions: How Oliver Butler Was Drawn Into the Family Business by Mervyn Rothstein

The Obie winner opens up about his directing style, his most recent What the Constitution Means to Me, and his dream of doing more musicals after tick...tick...BOOM!.

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00AM
Tuesday, September 4, 2018

Stage Directions: Anne Kauffman Reveals Her Plans for Encores! Off-Center 2019 by Mervyn Rothstein

The Obie– and Lortel-winning director shares her directing principles, her vision for City Center’s Encores! Off-Center, and how she embraced being a female authority in the room.

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00AM
Thursday, August 23, 2018

From the Archives: Marian Seldes' Life in the Theatre by Mervyn Rothstein

Marian Seldes, the grande dame of American theatre, took home a 2010 Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement.

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:01AM
Saturday, August 18, 2018

Stage Directions: What Is Jerry Mitchell’s No. 1 Rule of Directing? by Mervyn Rothstein

Having learned from legends like Agnes de Mille and Jerome Robbins, the director-choreographer shares the philosphy that led him to hits like Hairspray, Kinky Boots, and this summer’s …

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00AM
Sunday, July 29, 2018

Stage Directions: Darko Tresnjak Reveals the 1 Lesson All Future Directors Should Learn by Mervyn Rothstein

The Tony-winning director peels back the curtain on his process and his vision for Peter Yanowitz and Stephen Trask’s This Ain’t No Disco.

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00AM
Monday, July 16, 2018

Stage Directions: Why Lileana Blain-Cruz Believes in Making Theatre an Epic Event by Mervyn Rothstein

The Obie-winning director of Pipeline, Red Speedo, and more reveals her directing philosophy, early career missteps, and her pitch to the Park Avenue Armory.

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00AM
Thursday, July 5, 2018

Stage Directions: Tina Landau Gets Real About Being a Director Who Plays and Explores by Mervyn Rothstein

The Drama Desk winner and Tony nominee reveals rehearsal room techniques, what went wrong with Broadway’s Bells Are Ringing, and how she corrected course for SpongeBob SquarePants and …

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00AM
Tuesday, June 26, 2018

Stage Directions: Why Mortiz Von Stuelpnagel Says ‘Certainty Is Dangerous’ by Mervyn Rothstein

The Tony-nominated director of Hand to God, Off-Broadway’s Teenage Dick, and the upcoming Bernhardt/Hamlet gets real.

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00AM

Stage Directions: Why Moritz von Stuelpnagel Says ‘Certainty Is Dangerous’ by Mervyn Rothstein

The Tony-nominated director of Hand to God, Off-Broadway’s Teenage Dick, and the upcoming Bernhardt/Hamlet gets real.

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00AM
Tuesday, June 19, 2018

Stage Directions: Doug Hughes Reveals the Biggest Mistake He Ever Made as a Director by Mervyn Rothstein

The Tony-winning director shares the one thing not allowed in his rehearsal room, the decision that changed his life, and how he makes such winning art.

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00AM
Tuesday, May 29, 2018

Stage Directions: Why a Decades-Long Connection to Carousel Led Jack O’Brien to Direct the 2018 Broadway Revival by Mervyn Rothstein

The 2018 Drama Desk-nominated director reveals his draw to the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical and the secrets of his rehearsal room.

SOURCE: Playbill at 10:32AM
Friday, May 25, 2018

Stage Directions: The Band’s Visit David Cromer Wants His Onstage World to Feel Real by Mervyn Rothstein

The Tony-nominated director talks about making things happen in real time onstage, his directing principles, the mistake he learned from, and more.

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00AM
Monday, May 21, 2018

Stage Directions: George C. Wolfe Aims to Achieve Wonder Onstage by Mervyn Rothstein

The game-changing director of Noise/Funk, the original Angels in America, and this season’s The Iceman Cometh reveals what it’s like inside his rehearsal room, a mistake he made …

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00AM
Thursday, May 10, 2018

Stage Directions: Two-Time Tony Winner Marianne Elliott On How She Made Angels in America Happen by Mervyn Rothstein

The 2018 Tony-nominated director explains how she chooses her work and what to expect from her female-driven Company.

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00AM
Monday, April 23, 2018

Stage Directions: Rachel Chavkin Brings Athleticism to Theatre by Mervyn Rothstein

From The Great Comet to Hadestown to currently running Light in Buckinghamshire, the Tony-nominated director has proven her mettle.

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00AM
Monday, April 16, 2018

Stage Directions: Moonlight’s André Holland Brings an Actor’s Perspective to Directing by Mervyn Rothstein

Best known for the Oscar-winning film and Broadway’s Jitney, the actor makes his directorial debut Off-Broadway.

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:12PM
Monday, April 9, 2018

Stage Directions: Kenny Leon and His Priority of Making Impactful Theatre by Mervyn Rothstein

The Tony-winning director of A Raisin in the Sun, Fences, and more reveals how Children of a Lesser God came to be the most important play he’s ever done.

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00AM
Monday, March 19, 2018

Stage Directions: Christopher Ashley’s Journey From Bank Analyst to Tony-Winning Director by Mervyn Rothstein

The director of Broadway’s Escape to Margaritaville and Come From Away talks about two decisions that changed his life and career.

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00AM
Wednesday, March 14, 2018

Stage Directions: Tony Winner Rebecca Taichman Explains How Indecent Permanently Changed Her Outlook by Mervyn Rothstein

The director of the upcoming This Flat Earth Off-Broadway talks about her directing philosophy and the hard lesson she had to learn.

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00AM
Friday, March 9, 2018

Stage Directions: Lobby Hero’s Trip Cullman Reveals Exactly What Happens In His Rehearsal Room by Mervyn Rothstein

The director details his directing technique, his path to the profession, and why he needed to bring Kenneth Lonergan’s play to Broadway.

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00AM
Wednesday, February 21, 2018

Stage Directions: TUTS' Dan Knechtges On the Decision That Led to His Big Broadway Break by Mervyn Rothstein

As part of Playbill’s new column with directors exploring the decisions that led to their successes and setbacks, the Spelling Bee choreographer shares his path to helming shows and no…

SOURCE: Playbill at 03:33PM
Thursday, January 25, 2018

How English-Speakers Can Get a Taste of Fine French Theatre by Mervyn Rothstein

Theatre in Paris helps non-locals be locals for a night with productions of Grease, West Side Story, and its latest: Cyrano de Bergerac.

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00AM
Saturday, December 9, 2017

Is Shakespeare Still Shakespeare If It’s in French? by Mervyn Rothstein

Director Robert Carsen talks about his new French-language production of The Tempest.

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00AM
Tuesday, November 21, 2017

This Paris Production of Singin’ in the Rain Is Unlike Any You’ve Ever Seen by Mervyn Rothstein

In an homage to the film's period setting, the production features a black-and-white cinematic design.

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00AM
Tuesday, September 26, 2017

Why This Production of West Side Story Will Redefine Theatre in Paris by Mervyn Rothstein

Jean-Luc Choplin opens the new Seine Musicale theatre complex with a new production of the classic in hopes of cultivating musical theatre fans in the City of Light.

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:01AM
Friday, September 8, 2017

How Risk and Range Allowed L.A.’s Center Theatre Group to Become One of the Country’s Most Prosperous by Mervyn Rothstein

How the theatre that launched Broadway’s Amélie and is set to premiere Broadway-bound Crazy For You put itself on the map.

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00AM
Thursday, August 10, 2017

Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ Appropriate Brings a ‘Cutting Edge’ to This Connecticut Theatre by Mervyn Rothstein

The Westport Country Playhouse isn’t just for small town theatre.

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00AM

All that Chat

2023-2024 BROADWAY SEASON
May 30, 2023: Grey House - Lyceum Theatre
Jun 26, 2023: Just For Us - Hudson Theatre
Jul 24, 2023: The Cottage - Hayes Theater
Nov 16, 2023: Spamalot - St. James Theatre
Dec 18, 2023: Appropriate - Hayes Theater
Mar 07, 2024: Doubt - Todd Haimes Theatre
Apr 14, 2024: Lempicka - Longacre Theatre
Apr 17, 2024: The Wiz - Marquis Theatre
Apr 18, 2024: Suffs - Music Box Theatre
Apr 25, 2024: Mother Play - Hayes Theater
Jun 10, 2024: The Drama Desk Awards