Working Together in Theatre: Collaboration and Leadership

by Robert Cohen

Overview

This book explores how theater artistry melds the forces of collaboration and leadership, igniting creativity from the first spark of an idea to the climactic curtain call.

It throws the spotlight on the dynamic interplay of roles, covering the collaboration between producer, director, playwright, actor, designer, stage manager, dramaturg, and stage crew. Each chapter illuminates various strategies and insights, revealing how you can harness these transformative techniques on your own jourbaney, crafting spellbinding productions through the power of collective creativity. In this new edition, Joel Veenstra builds upon, updates, and expands on Robert Cohen's original concepts in the following ways:

- Updated case studies and examples drawn from the combined 75 years of professional theatre-making experience of Cohen and Veenstra, as well as insights from their extensive network of collaborators
- Revised flow and scope to include the collaborator's worldview, specific practices for creating collaborative milieu from the start, and conflict resolution tools
- Modernized with new research, perspectives, and insights from leadership experts like Brené Brown and Simon Sinek, and team-based organizations like Google and The Second City
- Refreshed exercises to enhance practical understanding and application of the concepts
- Expanded lens for applications beyond the realm of theatre-making to any collaboration
- Revised appendices with recommended digital resources

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781350333598
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	11/28/2024
Edition description:	2nd ed.
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	5.43(w) x 8.50(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Robert Cohen, Founding Chair and Professor Emeritus of Drama of the Drama Department at the University of California, Irvine, USA, is a renowned theatre director, playwright, and critic. He authored notable theater books such as Acting Power, Acting One, Advanced Acting, Acting With Shakespeare, and Creative Play Direction, and received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association for Theatre in Higher Education.

Joel Veenstra, current Chair of the Drama Department at the University of California, Irvine, USA, specializes in stage management, improvisation, and collaborative production. He served as the Western Regional Director of the Stage Management Association, the national professional organization for stage managers. Veenstra, an active figure in improvisation, co-directs the Global Improvisation Initiative and has served on the Applied Improvisation Network's international board. He was honored with the 2023 Oscar Brockett Outstanding Teacher Award by the Association for Theatre in Higher Education.

Table of Contents

Preface / Introduction
PART ONE: The Concepts
1. Our Theatre Family
2. What Makes Us Unique
3. Two Sides of the Same Collaborative Sphere
4. Building Blocks of Successful Collaboration
PART TWO: The Process
5. The Preparation Stage
6. The Planning Stage
7. The Production Stage
8. The Presenting Stage
PART THREE: The Conclusion
9. Our Conclusions

Appendices & Sources
A. Appendix A: Additional Thoughts
B. Appendix B: Endnotes
C. Appendix C: Works Cited and Consulted
D. Appendix D: Index

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

With experience from 50 years of interplay among students and professionals, Cohen brings real-world success stories to the discussion, providing practical advice to actors, directors, playwrights, producers, designers, and the like.' – J. Artman, Chapman University, USA

'If you want to be effective as a working professional in theatre or in business, read this book.' – Caryn Desai, Founding and Managing Director of the International City Theatre, California, USA

'Working Together is what all of us in the theatre do every day of our professional lives. Whether you're studying to become a professional or an early-career pro who wants to rise quickly, this book will be invaluable. Read it, learn from it, and you'll find yourself working together with your collaborators to make great theatre.' – Tom Markus, Director, Actor, Author, Playwright, Translator, Dramaturg and Educator

'I am in awe of the breadth of relationships covered and the interesting details contained within this book. The overall effect is a text that covers nearly all possible theatrical collaborators in a broad spectrum of examples that are both historical and personal.' – Rob Roznowski, Professor of Acting and Directing, Michigan State University, USA

'Working Together in Theatre is written in a conversational tone and will be easily accessible to theatre students (those who plan to be directors or arts administrators in particular), as well as to those already working in professional theatres ... The book is likely to be most handy for those seeking practical, real-world advice about how to communicate with members of the creative team as they navigate a career in professional theatre.' – Claire Canavan, Theatre Topics

'Author Robert Cohen explores teamwork among directors, designers, actors and dramaturgs in Working Together in Theatre: Collaboration and Leadership. Drawing on a wide range of examples from historical and contemporary practice (and his own experience), Cohen presents practical ideas to achieve productive partnerships and effective communication at every level. Discussion topics are included for group consideration, but the book can also be read ­ and enjoyed ­ on its own.' – Stage Directions

Editorial Reviews

"Essential."--CHOICE
 
"If you want to be effective as a working professional in theatre or in business, read this book." --Caryn Desai, Founding and Managing Director of the International City Theatre, California

"Working Together is what all of us in the theatre do every day of our professional lives. Whether you're studying to become a professional or an early-career pro who wants to rise quickly, this book will be invaluable. Read it, learn from it, and you'll find yourself working together with your collaborators to make great theatre." -- Tom Markus, Director, Actor, Author, Playwright, Translator, Dramaturg and Educator 
 
"I am in awe of the breadth of relationships covered and the interesting details contained within this book. The overall effect is a text that covers nearly all possible theatrical collaborators in a broad spectrum of examples that are both historical and personal."  --Rob Roznowski, Professor of Acting and Directing, Michigan State University

From the Publisher