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Wisconsin Directors Lab

January 4-5, 2025
Madison College

We are excited to announce our establishment of a Wisconsin Directors Lab (“The Lab”), which will support education, artistic exploration, career development, and networking for early- and mid-career theater directors in our state.

The Lab will launch in January 2025, with an in-person event hosted by in-kind partner Madison College. This weekend gathering will run January 4-5, 2025 and include panel discussions, breakout seminars, open rehearsals, and networking sessions led by some of the state’s most experienced professional directors.

Admission to the Lab will be open to Wisconsin residents only, with modest sliding-scale fees charged to cover the cost of meals and other services during The Lab. Aspiring and working directors throughout the state are encouraged to attend, whether they are interested in working in theater in professional, community, or educational settings.

The Wisconsin Directors Lab is supported by funds from Forward Theater Company, a grant from the Madison Community Foundation, and Nancy Ciezki & Diane Kostecke. Madison College is the Lab’s in-kind sponsor.

Requirements to Attend

You must be a Wisconsin resident to attend the Lab.

The Lab is only open to participants ages 22 and older.

Dates/Location

January 4-5, 2025

Truax Campus at Madison College
1750 Wright St, Madison, WI

Questions?

Email info@forwardtheater.com with questions.

Please note: registration fees for the 2025 Wisconsin Directors Lab are offered on a sliding-scale basis. The Standard Fee is set to cover the cost of your meals and materials, with a modest contribution towards session leaders’ fees and other Lab costs.

Please select the registration fee that most accurately reflects your individual need. All attendees will have access to all sessions, regardless of Fee level.

The deadline to register is November 1st.

2025 Wisconsin Directors Lab Schedule*

*all sessions subject to change

SATURDAY

10:00-10:30: Breakfast (complementary)/Meet & Greet

10:30-11:00: Welcome – Goals for the weekend, Group Introductions.

11:00-12:15: Discussion – Career paths. Seasoned directors discuss their journeys.

12:15-12:30: Break

12:30-1:30: Discussion – Navigating relationships with artistic directors.

1:30-2:30: Lunch (complementary)

2:30-3:30: Discussion – What do assistant directors do? How does a director utilize an assistant?

3:30-5:00: Breakout sessions

  • Movement-based/Devised theater
  • Educational theater
  • Musical theater

5:00-5:15: Break

5:15-6:30: Discussion – Working with designers.

6:30-9:00: Dinner – Attendees are on their own, FTC will suggest locations nearby.

SUNDAY

9:00-9:30: Breakfast (complementary)

9:30-11:30: Preparing for the First Rehearsal. Four different breakout rooms, one director in each. Every 30 minutes attendees switch to the next room to hear about a different process.

  • Contemporary Theater
  • Musical Theater
  • Collegiate Theater
  • Classical Theater

11:30-11:45: Break

11:45-12:45: Discussion – When to Bring in Outside Experts and How to Work With Them. (Intimacy Direction, Stage Combat, and Cultural Consultants.)

12:45-1:45: Discussion – Working on new plays/best practices.

1:45-2:30: Lunch (complementary)

2:30-5:30: Open rehearsals. Participants will have the opportunity to float between four rehearsal rooms to observe seasoned directors working with actors on pieces in a variety of styles.

5:30-6:30: Wrap-Up Conversation/Q&A with attendees.

Below is a list of the directors and other theater artists scheduled to participate in Lab sessions (subject to change).

  • Brian Cowing, atistic director, Children’s Theater of Madison
  • Brenda DeVita, artistic director, American Players Theatre
  • Chris Dunham, professor, Edgewood College
  • Cody Estle, artistic director, Next Act Theatre
  • Linda Fortunato, artistic director, Peninsula Players
  • Laura Gordon, freelance director
  • Jen Uphoff Gray, artistic director, Forward Theater
  • Brent Hazelton, artistic director, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre
  • Shannon Heibler, freelance designer
  • Jacob Janssen, artistic director, Third Avenue PlayWorks
  • Ray Jivoff, former artistic director, Skylight Music Theatre
  • Marcella Kearns, artistic associate, Forward Theater Company
  • Baron Kelly, professor, University of Wisconsin-Madison
  • Marie Kohler, freelance director
  • Tyler Marchant, professor, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
  • Jeffrey Mosser, artistic producer: training & audience engagement, Milwaukee Repertory Theater
  • Sheri Williams Pannell, artistic director, Bronzeville Arts Ensemble
  • Jake Penner, freelance director
  • Jill Anna Ponasik, artistic director, Milwaukee Opera Theatre
  • Roseanne Sheridan, former artistic director, Children’s Theater of Madison 
  • Noele Stollmack, freelance designer
  • Michael Unger, artistic director, Skylight Music Theatre
  • Deanie Vallone, former literary manager, Milwaukee Repertory Theater

The Wisconsin Directors Lab is supported by funds from Forward Theater Company, a grant from the Madison Community Foundation, and Nancy Ciezki & Diane Kostecke.

Madison College is the Lab’s in-kind sponsor.