TECHnically Speaking

This podcast was recorded on the show floor of USITT22 at Studio USITT in partnership with AKG by Harman. On this week’s episode, we sat down with 2022 YDMT Award winner for The Barbara Matera Award for Costume Making, Emma Craig. Emma started her education in the arts in middle school focusing on costuming and theater. In her undergraduate career she designed departmental productions and worked i...

This podcast was recorded on the show floor of USITT22 at Studio USITT in partnership with AKG by Harman. On this week’s episode, we sat down with 2022 Rising Star Award winner, Kristen Martino to discuss her unique scenic design experiences from museum exhibits to circuses, her most challenging designs, and what her future looks like in the world of scenic design and live entertainment. The Risin...

This podcast was recorded on the show floor of USITT22 at Studio USITT in partnership with AKG by Harman. For this week’s episode, we sat down with members of ESTA and USITT’s Terminology Working Group to discuss the importance of their work, making positive industry change, and what surprises have shown themselves throughout the process. To learn more about the Terminology Working Group and to vi...

This podcast was recorded on the show floor of USITT22 at Studio USITT in partnership with AKG by Harman. On this week’s minisode, we sat down with Martin Lighting’s Brad Schiller to discuss the company’s newest offerings, what makes them stand out, and the future of lighting in the industry. TECHnically Speaking is a public service of USITT, which seeks to have a broad conversation on topics of i...

This podcast was recorded on the show floor of USITT22 at Studio USITT in partnership with AKG by Harman. On this week’s minisode, we sat down with Renkus-Heinz product manager, Brandon Heinz, to discuss new products, leadership evolution, and their future projects. TECHnically Speaking is a public service of USITT, which seeks to have a broad conversation on topics of interest to its members, but...

This podcast was recorded on the show floor of USITT22 at Studio USITT in partnership with AKG by Harman. On this week’s episode, we sat down with Tyler DeLong of DeLong Rigging Solutions to chat about rigging safety, upcoming educational opportunities, and how their USITT22 sponsorship got their name out there in unexpected ways. TECHnically Speaking is a public service of USITT, which seeks to h...

This podcast was recorded on the show floor of USITT22 at Studio USITT in partnership with AKG by Harman. On this week’s episode, we sat down with Marty Karp of Show Sage LLC and Ramzi Shakra of Epson America Inc. to chat about Epson laser projectors, Dataton’s WATCHOUT™ software, and Show Sage’s line of Show*Server™ media servers and Show*Station™ production workstations. TECHnically Speaking is...

This podcast was recorded on the show floor of USITT22 at Studio USITT in partnership with AKG by Harman On today’s episode we’re chatting with Vickie Claiborne, Training Manager for Americas for disguise and covering all topics from disguise’s presence at USITT22 and their educational opportunities, to what makes them stand out from their industry competitors. TECHnically Speaking is a public ser...

This podcast was recorded on the show floor of USITT22 at Studio USITT in partnership with AKG by Harman. The Wally Russell Mentoring Award is presented by USITT in partnership with the Wally Russell Foundation to honor someone who embodies the guiding hand that Wally Russell provided to many young professionals. A 30-year resident of San Diego, Jay Sheehan oversees the production management and s...

On today's episode we’re welcoming scenic and costume designer Christian Fleming back to the podcast to chat about his upcoming participation in the 2022 World Stage Design exhibition as well as get some details about his selected design. Christian joined us previously on TECHnically Speaking to talk about his 2021 YDMT Award win for Scene design sponsored by Rose Brand. If you would like to liste...

We sat down with playwright, librettist, and host of the Break a Leg! Disability in the Arts Podcast Nicole Zimmerer and sound designer and podcast producer Scott MacDonald to break down the realities of living and working with a disability in the industry. Nicole is a playwright and librettist with a deep-seated hatred of stairs. She has been a recipient of The Kennedy Center’s VSA Playwright Dis...

This week's episode of TECHnically Speaking features lighting designer Toni Sterling who recently lent her artistry to Opera San Antonio as the inaugural participant in the Pilot Fellowship for BIPOC Young designers. Read more about the Pilot Fellowship for BIPOC Young Designers at this link: www.usitt.org/news/usitt-opera-san-antonio-launch-pilot-fellowship-bipoc-designers . Toni Sterling is a fr...

On this week's episode we are joined by Director of Arts Administration; Associate Professor; and Director of Le Moyne College's Symphony Orchestra, Travis Newton. This summer, Travis penned an op-ed for Syracuse.com, "Covid Created New Opportunities, Lasting Change in Arts and Culture" where he discussed some of the many changes that have taken pace in the world of arts management and the live en...

Our 2021 YDMT winner podcast series comes to a close with costume artist Annie Ulrich, winner of the 2021 Barbara Matera Award for Costume Making. Annie fell into theatre during her undergraduate studies at Middlebury College in Vermont, where she graduated with a BA in Theatre and Studio Art in 2013. From there, she freelanced as a costume designer and took on the role of Assistant Shop Manager i...

This week we’re continuing our 2021 YDMT Award winner podcast series with Casey Duke, winner of the 2021 Barbizon Lighting Company Jonathan Resnick Lighting Design Award. Casey is a theatrical lighting designer and MFA candidate in the Virginia Tech School of Performing Arts (anticipated 2022), and received her B.A. in Theatre from the Mississippi University for Women in 2014. For the past seven y...

Today we're continuing our 2021 YDMT Award winner podcast series with technical director Francesca DeCicco Winner of the 2021 Bernhard R. Works, Frederick A. Buerki Scenic Technology Award. Francesca has just completed her third-year as an MFA Candidate in the Technical Design & Production Department at the Yale School of Drama. To keep up with Francesca and her work, visit her website at www.fran...

On this week's episode of TECHnically Speaking, we chatted with producer Suzanne Willett and stage manager Samantha Stone about their recent work on a virtual production titled, Westerwynne. The show was performed using Open Broadcaster Software (OBS) — a program which allows creators to marry live actors with virtual backgrounds for an immersive virtual experience. Go in-depth with us as we explo...

This week's episode focuses on something the industry has become quite familiar with over the past year — virtual production. We were joined by actor, writer, director, producer, and virtual production aficionado Brendan Bradley who spoke with us about his work on A One Act Festival in your Browser (WebXR) — a show produced, rehearsed, and performed entirely in web-based virtual reality, demonstra...

This week we’re continuing our 2021 YDMT Award winner podcast series with Shahzad Khan, stage manager and winner of the USITT Stage Management Award. Shahzad has training and experience in new plays, musicals, opera, and dance. Originally from Los Angeles, he found his passion for stage management through early arts education and his excitement for high stakes live entertainment. Shahzad fuels his...

Today we're continuing our 2021 YDMT Award winner podcast series with production manager and winner of the 2021 KM Fabrics Technical Production Award, Martin Montaner! Martin is a Chilean Technical Supervisor and Production Manager with experience in international theatrical productions. Recently graduated with an MFA in Technical Design and Production from Yale University, his work as a manager h...

On this week's episode of TECHnically Speaking, father and son team Tyler and John DeLong of DeLong Rigging Solutions return to the podcast to talk about their newest offering — One Shot Training. This new training program offers easily digestible, educational rigging safety videos for free! Hear all about the program and how Tyler and John are continuing to grow their pandemic-born company. Links...

Today we’re continuing our 2021 YDMT Award Winner podcast series with costume designer Erin Barnett. Erin is this recipient of the 2021 Zelma H. Weisfeld Costume Design & Technology Award and is currently a third-year MFA Costume Design student at Indiana University. She graduated from Furman University in 2016 with a B.A. in Theatre Arts and Economics, and since then has worked as a costume desig...

Today we’re kicking off our 2021 YDMT Award Winner podcast series with USITT Scene Design Award Sponsored by Rose Brand Winner, Christian Fleming. Christian is a freelance scenic and costume designer based in Manhattan. He holds an MFA in Scenic Design from Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama and recently had his work showcased at Design Showcase West at UCLA. If you’d like to keep up with...

For the first time ever, the ASTC - USITT Venue Renovation Challenge will be presented live online, which has proven to be quite a new experience for the challenge — and the industry. On this week's episode, we chatted with President and Senior Consultant for Jones - Phillips Associates, LLC and USITT Fellow Van Phillips; and Auerbach Pollock Friedlander Associate Principal, Howard Glickman. Both...

USITT21 is only 3 days away and we can’t wait to see you all virtually!  On this week's special edition episode, we asked a few our USITT21 sponsors tell you all about their companies, booths, and what you can expect to see from them on the virtual Expo floor. We want to extend a thank you to all of our USITT21 sponsors for helping to make this year's event a reality! If you have not yet registere...