#33 Mark Stanley

This week’s guest is Lighting Designer Mark Stanley. Mark is one of the founders of the Hemsley Lighting Program and someone who knew legendary designer Gilbert Hemsley personally. He tells us about Gil’s legacy, his unique and one-of-a kind personality and how in the past 32 years the program has grown from a single internship to an array of programs including the Portfolio Review weekend, Mentorship Program and other outreach initiatives. Mark and Cory also have a lively chat about the challanges of teaching design from paper plots to research to concept statements and tech rehearsal nuances, and the philosophies Mark bases his curriculum on at Boston University. And he shares insightful stories from his current job as Resident Lighting Designer for the New York City Ballet and his past work with New York City Opera.

#32 Daniel Brodie

Happy New Year! We’re kicking off 2015 with Projection/Video Designer Daniel Brodie. Daniel just designed all the video content for Mariah Carey’s Christmas concert and he recounts that herculean undertaking having been hired just 48 hours before the first performance. Cory and Daniel also chat about his work on “Motown”, how he picks his teams of assistants, what’s it’s like in his department during tech, and his transition from associate to lead designer. Projections can often be added for the wrong reasons but Daniel discusses his ideal production process and his collaborative efforts with the other team members to help the projections feel organic to the overall design. And Cory and Daniel chat about working on a pre-Broadway test workshop for “The Muppets” in which Daniel discovered, by doing a good job, that perhaps he wasn’t needed to begin with. Job security be damned!

#31 Paloma Young

This week’s guest is the delightful Costume Designer Paloma Young! Paloma went from designing the workshop production of ‘Peter and the Starcatcher’ to winning a Tony Award for her designs and she takes us through the whole crazy journey. From her humble beginning as the ‘local’ hire, to a moment of shear panic when presenting the costumes for the first time, to Christian Borle turning a costume piece into comic gold, to costuming multiple companies at one time, and finally to the bizarre experience of seeing her work copied in subsequent licensed productions. Cory and Paloma also chat about her work on ‘Natasha Pierre & the Great Comet…’ and ‘Fly by Night’, the unpredictable reason an actor once was hesitant about his costume, and what Paloma’s own clothes say about herself in the play that is real life. Enjoy!

#30 Tim Rogers-Part 2

Happy Thanksgiving! Your waistline isn’t the only thing bursting at the seams this year. Welcome to part two of our doubled-stuffed episode with Moving Light Programmer Tim Rogers. This week, Tim is joined by friend of the show Jason Lyons! Jason and Tim tell us how they first started working together and how they’ve established a shared language and style over their many years of shows. They also discuss the process for their current hit, ‘On the Town’, why they like sitting next to each other at the tech table, how they drive associates crazy, the artistic devision of labor when it comes to lighting a scene, and common mistakes young lighting designers might make when working with a new programmer. And learn what your show has been missing this whole time…a little color called “slalmon.”

#29 Tim Rogers-Part 1

Welcome to a special two-part interview with Moving Light Programmer Tim Rogers. In this week’s episode, Cory and Tim discuss the history of the ML programmer on Broadway, the importance of the community of programmers, and his process, from sitting down at the desk for the first time until opening night. Tim shares stories from working with Howell Binkley, Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer, what it’s like trying to balance work and a family that includes three kids, and discusses the departmental nuances between the lighting designer, the associate and the programmer. SPEAKING of which…come back next week for part two when Jason Lyons joins the conversation as we give you access inside the world of a designer and his long time programmer in a way like never before.

#28 Adam Koch

This week’s guest is scenic designer Adam Koch! Adam and Cory go way back and discuss how they met 10 years ago at Pittsburgh CLO. Adam shares stories of shows at The Muny, Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma, and Signature Theatre and how he approaches designing sets for big musicals like ‘Miss Saigon’, ‘Big Fish’, ‘Dreamgirls’, ‘Kiss of the Spiderwoman’ and more. Cory and Adam also muse on topics such as designing for every seat in the house, why too much success too early is not always a good thing, what it’s like to design a Broadway show that never gets produced, and Adam recounts a moment of horror that happened at the infamous Black Party (hint: it’s not what you think…and keep it clean listeners!)

#27 Wilson Chin

The podcast returns this week with set designer Wilson Chin! Wilson has created beautiful sets for theatres across the country and he and Cory discuss many of those designs including ‘Othello’ and ‘The Winter’s Tale’ at the Old Globe, ‘My Mañana Comes’ at The Playwrights Realm and his current design for ‘By the Water’ at Manhattan Theatre Club. Hear Wilson talk about the tricks to making intricately detailed interiors onstage, why he likes ceilings in his sets, and how a background in architecture led to his current career. He also discusses the influences of his mentors like Santo Loquasto, Michael Yeargan, and Riccardo Hernandez and Cory and Wilson debate the merits of hand drafting vs. computer drafting and why drawing directly on your computer screen may not be the best idea.

#26 Driscoll Otto & Amy Pedigo-Otto

It’s two for the price of one today! Our first ever joint episode features married couple Driscoll Otto (Lighting/Projections) and Amy Pedigo-Otto (Costumes.) The lovely couple spent a morning in their brand new backyard chatting with Cory about being married to another designer and balancing the freelance lifestyle with family, which will soon include a newborn baby. Driscoll tells us about designing ‘Game of Thrones: The Exibition’ and Amy talks about working in the TV world on shows such as ‘The Americans’ and ‘Louie.’ It’s a round-table in Brooklyn and you’re invited!

#25 Tobin Ost

Stop the presses! This week’s guest is ‘Newsies’ Scenic Designer and Tony nominee Tobin Ost! Tobin discusses the genesis of his design for Newsies from his original idea to the current design about to tour the country. Cory and Tobin chat about his first Broadway credit as costume designer for ‘Brooklyn’ and how he has comfortably bounced back and forth between scenery and costumes. Other topics includes Tobin’s time working for designers such as Ming Cho Lee, Santo Loquasto, and Scott Pask, what he learned on his recent touring production of ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ and how a production of ‘Pirates of Penzance’ may have changed the course of his life.

#24 Buist Bickley

Prepare for maybe our most fascinating episode yet…it’s “It-Boy” Props Supervisor, Buist Bickley! Buist is one of the most sought after Props Designers on Broadway and boy does he have the stories to back it up. He and Cory discuss his work on ‘The Last Ship,’ ‘Act One,’ ‘The Nance,’ ‘Mothers and Sons’ and a whole host of other shows. Learn how he made “fake” cookie dough for Lily Rabe in ‘Seminar’ and an entire meal’s worth of “fake unhealthy” food for Katie Holmes in ‘Dead Accounts.’ From hand props to furniture to weapons to special effects, he’s involved in it all. Cory and Buist also chat about the logistical minefield of being of Props Supervisor including New York traffic laws, managing thousands of dollars worth of receipts, union houses, and actors who manage to channel all of their frustrations into that one prop they can’t stand! He’s a jack of all trades and he’s sharing his secrets on today’s show!