In October, David Roberts was named the director of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation. He’ll oversee fellowships for emerging directors and choreographers that allow young people in the field to learn from the larger community, as well as host symposia and raise the visibility of work by directors and choreographers.
Why is mentorship so important?
Theater is a handmade and handcrafted art form. If you look at the creation of theater, it’s really handed down in terms of that community of support and knowledge. The time that we’re in is no different than any other time. There’s nothing like making the work and finding your community of peers and mentors.
That’s interesting, that theater is a community of peers. It’s a very collaborative field at large, but directors in particular can be isolated, in that there is only one director of a show even though you have several actors or designers who are approaching their piece of the work. To be able to share those experiences and relationships with collaborative artists you enjoy working with, or a producing organization, nothing can replace that. Each artist has to form their own relationships, but having a safe space to share those things is critical in any field, quite frankly.
What makes you unique?
Like many theater folks, I was exposed to the arts in my youth. The gateway was performing. I studied both acting and directing at the Webster University Conservatory of Theatre Arts in St. Louis. I produced smaller works and then went to grad school for theater management. I have a background on the administration leadership side. This position needs to have a background related to the work that artists do, but I also bring to the table knowledge of organizational development.
When did you decide to make the transition from the creative to the administrative?
It wasn’t a sharp transition. I always see these ideas as connected. The actor’s work can’t happen in a vacuum. It’s attached to the writer, the director, the designer. Like all young theater artists, I had a day job; I was working in nonprofits, working in development and fundraising. It was a different way to engage with the work. I didn’t have the language at the time, but I had this a-ha moment when I worked with SITI Company. Anne Bogart said to a group of workshoppers, mainly actors, “I really depend on the actor to direct their role; I direct the play.” That’s what a producer does: They direct the experience for the artists so they can create the work, for the audience so they can receive the work, and for an organization’s staff so they are well researched enough to support the work. I hope to bring that viewpoint to bear with my work on the foundation.
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