In this riveting conversation, Audrey Francis sits down with legendary director and ensemble member Tina Landau who shares insightful glimpses into her unique process of directing, including how she has learned to trust actors to bring all of themselves into rehearsal. The two also discuss the Viewpoints method, Tina’s current projects in development, and the seemingly unlikely pairing of Landau’s directing practice and Steppenwolf’s aesthetic.

Interview begins at 3:32

Tina Landau is a writer, director and teacher whose work includes directing/conceiving SpongeBob Squarepants: The Broadway Musical, Tarell Alvin McCraney's Head of Passes (Steppenwolf, The Public and the Mark Taper Forum), WIG OUT! (Vineyard Theatre), and In the Red and Brown Water (The Public), Bill Irwin/David Shiner's Old Hats, Chuck Mee's Big Love and Iphigenia 2.0 (Signature Theatre), and her musical Floyd Collins (Playwrights Horizons). On Broadway, Landau has also directed Tracy Letts's Superior Donuts and the revival of Bells are Ringing. At Steppenwolf, directing credits include MS. BLAKK FOR PRESIDENT, The Wheel, Hot L Baltimore, The Brother/Sister Plays, The Tempest, The Time of Your Life (also Seattle Rep, ACT), The Diary of Anne Frank, The Cherry Orchard, The Ballad of Little Jo, Berlin Circle and her own play Space (also Mark Taper Forum, the Public). Landau has co-authored The Viewpoints Book with Anne Bogart and has taught regularly at such schools as Yale, Columbia, Harvard and Northwestern.

Learn more at Steppenwolf.org
Want to get in touch? Email halfhour@steppenwolf.org

A transcript of this episode can be found HERE