TheatreArtLife

In an Olympic Ceremony, an Expo Opening, or a Large Arena Event, you only get one shot at getting it right, and often with millions of people watching. Five Currents, one of the leading ceremony content creators and producers in the world, is at the cutting edge of doing it right with five Olympi...

Come From Away is a global hit. The story about the humanity of regular people in the wake of 9/11 has touched audiences around the world. It also has a great impact on the actors in the show. This unique session brings together actors from both the Broadway and Australian productions of Come Fro...

Gypsy Snider’s extensive and remarkably varied career as an artist, choreographer, stage director, and Co-Founder of the award-winning contemporary circus collective The 7 Fingers is truly an exceptional story of vision, resilience, and found success.

Hip-Hop culture has its roots in post-civil rights America. Pantsula and Gumboot has its roots in post-Apartheid South Africa. Malambo stems from the cultural expression of the gauchos in the countryside of Argentina. In this session, three trailblazing artists, choreographers, and show-makers ta...

In commercial theaters, shows need to be succeed financially, not just artistically. But what are the responsibilities of a producer beyond the economics? These Broadway producers are engaged in creating shows that are socially responsible, as well as economically viable. How do they choose proje...

Calling all performers, creatives, circus professionals, dancers, & actors! Don’t miss this insightful session with Boris Verkhovsky, acrobatic and human performance designer for Cirque du Soleil for 27 years. Boris will share what he has learned through the process of creating some of the most i...

Pearl Sun (Come From Away) and Bret Shuford (Wicked) meet together on this exclusive panel to openly address mental health and their own personal experiences.

Onstage, backstage or in the creative realm, the stigma of discussing mental health is still present in corners of the world, in some com...

As storytellers on the stage or on screen, we are often required to take perilous risks in the form of physically high-risk moments or emotionally intimate scenes. It is more important than ever that the creative spaces where we do our jobs are safe, both physically and emotionally. We may be ask...

Many of our conventions about casting are evolving. Casting leaders contribute to moving the dial, advocating for artists, and broadening the range of creative reflection. In this session, five prominent leaders in the field stemming from Broadway, Circus, Cabaret, West End and Regional Theatre c...

Jae Hun You (YouJam) creates spaces that embrace cutting edge creativity.
His scenic designs have been featured in Olympic Ceremonies, K-Pop Arena Mega Concerts, Theatres, Parks, Expositions, Pavilions; and his architectural work transforms cityscapes with ethereal signatures. At the forefront of...

Lulu Helbæk has created some of the most iconic Olympic Opening Ceremonies in the world. What is the process of building mega-spectacles viewed by millions? How do we protect the creative process and our key message when the scope is colossal? Come hear Lulu speak in her session: “Creating Mega-S...

Chris Moylan works as lighting designer across all kinds of genres; live events, TV shows, outdoor festivals, concerts, installations, theatre, arena shows and corporate events. In his session in the DESIGN Pillar, Chris will show a number of case-studies and shows how he adapts his work practice...

Vectorworks is a very powerful tool for designers in all areas. It allows you to communicate your design clearly and completely to shops and your crew, as well as directors & choreographers.
In this session, Vectorworks’ Jim Woodward will explore the power of the program, reveal some hidden gems ...

When President Biden quoted one of Gene Scheer’s operatic songs at his inauguration, he shined a spotlight on Opera. Since its origins in Italy in the 16th century, Opera has been a foundational genre and is a beloved art form around the world. Despite what some have reported, Opera is not dead. ...

Gypsy Snider’s extensive and remarkably varied career as an artist, choreographer, stage director, and Co-Founder of the award-winning contemporary circus collective The 7 Fingers is truly an exceptional story of vision, resilience, and found success.

Lighting plays an integral part of any live performance. The choices made by lighting designers are the brushstrokes on a painting that can make or break a production. How do lighting designers support the storytelling process? What are the steps in their creative process? Natasha Katz, Dawn Chia...

As managers of performing arts, the sheer complexity of our work combined with the unique nature of our industry present workflow challenges that are not easily solved. Join Ryan Kirk, retired production manager and co-founder of Propared, to discuss new ways to bring unity and efficiency to the ...

In this fascinating EPIC mainstage session, Samantha Robison (USA), Founder of Awareness and Prevention through ART (AptART), together with Safen Muhammad (Kurdish Region of Iraq), share an incredible photo and video retrospective of their vital and inspiring projects dedicated to creating art an...

Not just for performers! Everyone in entertainment can learn from leading clown, comedic designer, writer, and director Shannan Calcutt’s session on Learning from Play, Laughter and Failing Big. Be part of this this delightful and entertaining session with Shannan and be prepared for a few surpri...

How do we effectively lead through waves of change? Enter Las Vegas based Jerry Nadal. A formidable voice in the industry for over three decades, he effectively led Cirque du Soleil’s Resident Shows Division through a global financial crisis as well as natural disasters such as tsunamis and earth...

Narda E. Alcorn & Lisa Porter are both very successful stage managers on Broadway and around the world, as well as highly regarded educators at Yale University and University of California, San Diego, respectively. Their book and other collaborative writings have been having a huge impact on the ...

Ever wondered what you or your company could do to become more sustainable? Well, we have put the panel together for you at the EPIC Conference! In the PRODUCE Pillar, Molly Braverman (Broadway Green Alliance), Christian Bjerrum (Actor, Climate Activist with Bæredygtig Scenekunst NU in Denmark), ...

We are all storytellers. And as artists we excel at bringing those stories to life. But what of the stories we tell ourselves about who we are, and who we think we are supposed to be? Join life-long creative and high-performance Coach Lisa Hopkins in this interactive live coaching session. Whethe...

It’s challenging enough putting up a show on land, but producing a show in the middle of the ocean? At sea, there are unique challenges to both the creative and the production process. Joyce Arbucias, Richard Hester, Marahscalh Stanton, and Mark Pawsey have created or run some of the most impactf...

Hip-Hop culture has its roots in post-civil rights America. Pantsula and Gumboot has its roots in post-Apartheid South Africa. Malambo stems from the cultural expression of the gauchos in the countryside of Argentina. In this session, three trailblazing artists, choreographers, and show-makers ta...

Paul Tazewell won a Tony Award for his amazing costume design for the mega hit Hamilton. To bring his drawings, sketches, and vision to life needed the support of numerous people: stitchers, drapers, and dressers. Paul joins two of the important collaborators: the current and the original wardrob...

The Broadway company manager serves an essential, but rarely acknowledged role. They care for the entire company from housing and travel to payroll and healthcare, juggling both creative needs and fiscal responsibility. These leaders are vital for artists and artisans to do their work. These comp...

Touch Compass’s Artistic Direction Panel highlights the presence of disabled artists on our stages and increasing disabled representation across the industry. Alongside examples of Touch Compass’s existing works, this conversation illustrates how to shift the narrative to celebrate and honor dive...

Jeremy opens up at the EPIC Conference in his session aptly titled “That Strange Thing I Do: Creating Special Effects Onstage”. Join this session in the DESIGN Pillar as Jeremy raises the curtain on his world of Special Effects and the weird and wonderful things he has done in over 50 Broadway pr...

Constantly fueled by the question of “What’s Next?”, Istanbul composer Mehmet Ünal and artist/producer Kerem Demirayak explore the fascinating creative space of music and sound composition.

Fusing A.I. algorithms, traditional and invented instruments, new media and the Metaverse, this remarkable...

As our society evolves, it is critical that our theatrical and artistic expression of that society evolve and change. We have been far behind representing the true nature of our humanity in how we tell stories in the theatre. How do we move past entrenched conventions that shroud this nature?

In...

Before Ken Davenport won a Tony Award for producing the hit Kinky Boots, and another Tony Award for producing the revival of Once On This Island, he was producing his own work off-Broadway (Awesome 80s Prom, My First Time). He knows the resources needed to get a show done and the great value of s...

Ong Keng Sen has won the most prestigious awards in Singapore for his artistic achievements. A Fulbright Scholar, his work embraces a mixture of Western and Eastern performance traditions, creating brand new imaginative works. His unique “process-oriented” projects bring together wide ranges of p...

There’s not a person in the entertainment and performing arts world that has not heard of Cirque du Soleil. Founded in 1984, the Canadian circus company from Quebec, Canada, changed the face of theatrical and contemporary circus across the world and forged the entry of a new cultural register whi...

Every incredible design need quality craftspersons to implement it. Behind the scenes, stagehands, props, carps, electricians, and more create the magic and maintain the vision of designers. In North America, stagehands are represented by the labor union IATSE (International Alliance of Theatrica...

Heidi Green (physical therapist for numerous Broadway shows, tours, and dance companies, including The Lion King and Spider-Man) & Taaj Jaharah (movement coach for Broadway, Film/TV actors and athletes, including members of the NBA) impart their knowledge and recommendations for the care and main...

Fearless, Impassioned. All In. Giuliano Peparini – Artistic Director.

Giuliano Peparini was principal dancer of the Ballet National de Marseille at 24 years old and has become a much sought after director and choreographer for ballet, circus, film, and television around the world. His visionary ...

Join Gareth Hulance and Jorge Tapia Briggs for an exclusive backstage look into the world of running large-scale ceremonies and stadium shows. This pair, who have worked together on shows all over the world, share their process, their communications from the ground to the show call booth, and all...

Projection Mapping is used in all genres of entertainment, from Olympic Ceremonies, to Broadway, to Theatre, to Live Events, to Outdoor Art Installations. But what is this art form? How does a great Projection Mapping Project manifest? What do the Creative people need to know and understand? How ...

Lynn Ahrens & Stephen Flaherty are the multi award-winning lyricist/librettist & composer behind the beloved hit shows: Ragtime, Once On This Island, and Anastasia. Their work has delighted and moved audiences in numerous countries around the world. This powerhouse duo will discuss their collabor...

The Writer’s Voice I: Serving the Underserved

Douglas Lyons is an actor, writer, director, composer, and playwright. His play Chicken and Biscuits was his playwrighting debut on Broadway, but Douglas has appeared as an actor on Broadway and across the USA. He’s a multi-faceted artist, drawn to t...

The Language of Choreography: Communicating Culture and Story Through Movement

Don’t miss this exclusive interview with Tony and Olivier Award winning choreographer, Sergio Trujillo. Born in Colombia and raised in Toronto, Sergio is the first Hispanic ever to win the Tony Award for best choreogr...

Hair and Make-Up aren’t just accessories, they add to storytelling and character in important ways. The magical moment when an actor’s hair and make-up are complete is powerful and transformational. These superstar hair and make-up designers discuss their techniques to reveal character, tell stor...

Gemma Hodgson, Jim Love, and Kevin Taylor from TAIT take us through the current advancements in automation technology for the arts and entertainment realm. With more and more automation being integrated into our theatrical systems, what will the future hold in our world? Tune into this session to...

Little Amal: The Refugee Story Told by a 7Ft Puppet

Craig Leo’s experience with The Handspring Puppet Company goes far beyond “The War Horse” for which he is the associate director of puppetry.
Through his work in circus arts, dance, music, and theatre, he has trained literally hundreds of perfo...

Unlike other design disciplines, the sound design is partly created live during a show. The cast can change, a performer isn’t 100%, perhaps there’s a sub in the band, even the size of the audience, or the weather can have a huge impact on the sound of a show. It’s no wonder that most sound desig...

Billy Porter speaks from the heart in an exclusive interview at EPIC. As an outspoken activist since his early days in theatre and working on Broadway, Porter’s rise to stardom has offered him an even bigger platform to share his views on race, politics, gender equality, and more.

Art and artist...

The Chameleon: An Actor’s Career Crossing Circus, Broadway, Film, and Directing

Lorenzo is a multi-hyphenate artist who has worked as a circus performer all over the world, Broadway, Film & TV actor, as well as movement director (Frozen, Beetlejuice), and documentary film director/producer on Ci...

As a founding partner of Boneau/Bryan-Brown, Inc., Chris Boneau has navigated more than 400 theatrical productions across the globe through the crowded media landscape. The strategic press and marketing campaigns he has developed tell stories that build awareness and develop audiences. They get p...

A Dancer’s Life: Living a Latin Legacy

The child of ballet dancers, Isaac Hernández was taught by his parents at an early age. He has gone on to become one of the world’s elite dancers, receiving numerous awards and recognition not only in his native Mexico, but in Europe as well. Now as a fathe...