We're proud to announce the next installment in our roundtable series! This panel discussion will include a panel of directors, performers, and designers who will be sharing and discussing technology used to create digital theater while maintaining social distance and limited contact.
This free online event takes place June 27th at 11am and can be viewed on the OCTG Facebook page via Facebook Live. An OCTG representative will be monitoring the chat and hose interested will have the ability to submit questions live, to the panelists. The event will run approximately 90 minutes.
The first OCTG Roundtable, with Artistic Directors of local theaters, discussed the future of theater in our community. This event drew several hundred viewers and participants, with comments, submitted questions, and 'likes'. OCTG’s 2nd Roundtable, on June 12th, focused on Education and Outreach with panelists speaking on the online programs presented by South Coast Repertory, Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Alchemy Theater Company, Laguna Playhouse, 3-D Theatricals, and The Chance Theater.
Our panelists for the event:
Ann James
Ann James has an extensive career in theatre education. As an internationally certified educator she has had the opportunity to teach on 4 continents. Her stage directing career has allowed her to work on premier stages of the American Theatre such as Steppenwolf, Hartford Stage, The Alley and The Goodman. With over 100 directing credits and in addition to owning China's only registered Expat theatre, DreamWeaver Productions, she is now devoted to making both stage and screen safe places for People of Color to practice their craft. To that end, Ms. James looks forward to pursuing America's first doctoral degree in Intimacy Direction/Coordination for People of Color. Ann James is currently a resident in The Orchard Project’s Liveness Lab, an exploration of liveness in digital theater.
Peter J. Kuo
Peter J. Kuo is bi-coastal LA native, currently serving as the Associate Conservatory Director at American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.), where he serves as the Chair of the Staff EDI Committee. He recently earned his MFA in Directing at The New School for Drama in New York City. He is a theatre director, producer, writer, and educator focusing on raising the visibility of marginalized communities. He was recently named one of TCG's Rising Leaders of Color in the Round 3 cohort. He is a co-founder of Artists at Play, an Asian American theatre collective that produces Los Angeles premieres of works for Asian Americans. Peter is currently scheduled to teach a June workshop on the online tools theatres need to know to succeed with their online content.
Jeff Lowe
Jeff Lowe is a Founding Ensemble Member of Alchemy Theatre Company. His collaborators have included STAGEStheatre, Chance Theater, Theatre Out, Mysterium Theatre, The Camino Real Playhouse, Saddleback Civic Light Opera, The Hunger Artists Theatre, CSUF Grand Central Art Center, Covina Center for the Performing Arts, Redlands Shakespeare Festival and La Habra Depot. He currently serves on the council for the OC Theatre Guild. Recently, Alchemy Theatre Company has produced an online production of The Lion in Winter.
Jon Petersen
Jon Petersen is the executive artistic director of P3 Theatre Company. He is currently using digital means to produce P3 Theatre Roulette the first Monday of every month. An event in which chance and a spin of the wheel can combine actors and characters to create a fully unique theatrical experience.
Katelyn Schiller
Award-winning Actor, Writer, Illustrator, and Co-Artistic Director of Los Angeles immersive theatre company Spy Brunch LLC. As a creator and performer, Katelyn has been on the front lines of the LA immersive scene for the past three years, collaborating with companies to empower critically-acclaimed hits like ABC Project's C(ovell), Hollywood's exclusive club Cloak and Dagger, Drunken Devil’s Bacchanalia & Bloody Gras, Sampson Creative Enterprise’s Grunge Shop Tavern, CoAct’s The Sideshow, and of course Spy Brunch’s Safehouse ’77, Safehouse ’82, and The Pod. She’s currently playing a silly broom-loving skeleton named Burniece who wants to recruit you to become a member of her sweeper’s union in The Under Presents, a virtual reality live-theatre immersive experience.
Andrew Schmedake
Andrew Schmedake is a freelance lighting designer for theater, dance and live events. His career has taken him everywhere from opera and ballet to cruise ships, haunted houses and TED Talks. He is an alumni from the MFA program in Lighting Design from Carnegie Mellon University. He recently wrapped up filming season one of "Physically Distant, Technically Savvy": a web series that is designed around supporting performers who are novices with production design and technology and giving them the tools and workflows to continue to share their craft online with digital audiences.
Moderated by Katie Chidester of Project La Femme. Those interested are encouraged to submit questions in advance and the moderator will present them to the roundtable.
OCTG Roundtable: “How theatre is going virtual while our stages are empty?”
Saturday June 27th 11am - 12:30pm
Individuals are free to directly to the moderator and questions they would like to pose to the panelists: kchidester@octheatreguild.org