In the Director’s Chair
Bronwyn Steinberg from Lunchbox Theatre Joins Us
- By Deb Cummings
For six years, Bronwnyn Steinberg has been at the helm of Calgary’s long-running, immensely beloved, Lunchbox Theatre. Before she runs a two-part workshop for future directors at Pine Tree Players, she got comfy in the director’s chair to tell us more about what will be covered.
Before we chat about the workshops, let’s begin with a peek at your job. How many scripts may you read in a year?
For Lunchbox, I read about 40-50 scripts each year that are sent to me or that I find through various channels. Additionally, we receive about 50 script and/or pitch submissions most years for our annual Stage One Festival of New Canadian Work.
How do you go about choosing a script?
We’ll talk about this a lot at the workshops. But finding the balance between my own artistic interest in the play with practical considerations (like cast size, run time and technical requirements) can be tricky — plus, how well I feel the script works for the intended audience is always key.
What are some of the rookie mistakes you once made when selecting a script?
I’ve done a lot of work in new play development, and in the past, I’ve selected scripts that weren’t ready for production and would have benefited from a workshop. It’s important to be able to read the script and see that it is “ready” to go.
What are some of the unique elements of Pine Tree Players that impact the kind of script one should choose?
Some of the folks from Pine Tree Players will focus on this during the workshop!
In the workshop, how will you hone a pitch for your play? And how valuable are the skills it takes to pitch an idea in life beyond the stage?
We’ll talk about different elements to include in a pitch, especially what it means to have a “vision” as a director and the all-important question of “why this play now?” This is all critical to the directing process, as you need to prove you have a plan. And if your pitch is successful, then you can build on this work as you move the project forward into a production!
What are the steps one takes in building and articulating a director’s vision? What can happen if the articulation process is weak?
The steps are different for every director, but I’ll share how I go about it in the workshop. One of the important things to consider is how to propose ideas for the look and feel of a production (i.e. the design elements) that still leave room for meaningful collaboration with your designers.
Can you give us a couple of tips on script prep or best practices for working with designers … what you’ll cover in the afternoon?
In the afternoon, we’ll get deeper into actually preparing to direct. I’ll share the process I use to analyze and prepare my script, how I approach conversations with designers before rehearsals begin, as well as a bit about how I work with actors and how these collaborations change and evolve as we get closer to opening the show. Of course, I’ve developed my practice over many years, so I won’t be able to cover it all, but I’ll do my best to give a helpful overview!
This workshop is an in-person, full day, at the Miners’ Union Hall: Directing Basics and Building a Director’s Vision is slated for July 26. The workshop has been designed to help build your director’s application for the PTP 2027 Season.
Bronwnyn Steinberg
About the Instructor: Bronwyn is a theatre maker and community builder; she’s passionate about making theatre an inclusive space for sharing stories that celebrate the diversity of human experience. Based in Calgary/Mohkinstsis in Treaty 7 territory, she is the Artistic Director of Lunchbox Theatre. She loves working with the classics, contemporary works, as well as new Canadian plays. Bronwyn is the founding Artistic Director of TACTICS, Ottawa’s curated indie theatre series that created opportunities for independent and emerging artists. Bronwyn is committed to lifting up marginalized voices and is particularly driven to tell women’s stories. Selected credits as an award-winning director include The Dark Lady, Beyond the Sea, Home for the Holidays and All I Want for Christmas (Lunchbox Theatre), The Importance of Being Earnest (Theatre Calgary), Comedy of Errors (The Shakespeare Company), The Fever (Rosebud), The Drowning Girls and Bang Bang (Great Canadian Theatre Company), The Revolutionists (Three Sisters Theatre) and Twelfth Night (A Company of Fools).
Deb Cummings
About the Author: Deb Cummings is a retired journalist (mostly) who is terrified to sit in the front row of any theatre for fear of being called up on stage. She does, however, have aspirations to be a doo- wop girl (although she can’t sing) and spends a surprising amount of time watching plays or reading books that normalize the mortifying experience of being human.