137. Director Mini-Series: Creating the Conditions for Magic with Danya Taymor

You can’t direct magic into existence, so how do you create the conditions for it to happen? Tony Award-winning director Danya Taymor takes us inside her process behind The Outsiders, John Proctor Is the Villain, and a directing practice rooted in preparation, play, instinct, and finding the alchemy of a room. She shares why she never wants to shut down an idea, how physical exercises and deep trust help build an ensemble, and why theatre is ultimately an act of collective belief where everyone has to care. Danya gets candid about staying open while trusting your gut, uplifting the next generation of directors, and developing the audacity to say, “You need to see my version.” And for the actors listening, Danya pulls back the curtain on what actually catches her attention in an audition, including the singular, unteachable quality that makes her want to keep watching. This episode is a reminder to trust what only you can bring, stay open to what you can’t predict, and let the magic become something bigger than anything you could have created alone. Danya Taymor became the youngest woman to win the Tony Award for Direction for her work on The Outsiders, which won four Tony Awards including Best Musical and is currently running on Broadway and in the 1st National Tour. She received a second consecutive Tony nomination and won the Drama Desk Award for John Proctor is the Villain, which starred Sadie Sink and was nominated for seven Tony Awards including Best Play. In 2021, she made her Broadway debut with Antoinette Nwandu's Pass Over which was the first play back on Broadway after the 18 month covid shutdown. Danya's production of Pass Over was filmed in collaboration with Spike Lee, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and is streaming on Amazon Prime. She directed the world premiere of Will Arbery's Pulitzer finalist Heroes of the Fourth Turning for which she won the Obie Award and the Callaway Award. Other recent work includes: John Proctor is the Villain (Royal Court, West End Transfer 2027), Trophy Boys by Emmanuelle Mattana (MCC), Jonah by Rachel Bonds (Roundabout), Endgame by Samuel Beckett (Gate Theater, Dublin), Evanston Salt Costs Climbing by Will Arbery (New Group), Daddy by Jeremy O. Harris (New Group, Almeida, UK), queens by Martyna Majok (LCT), Wyoming (Lesser America) and My Daughter Keeps Our Hammer (The Flea) by Brian Watkins, and The Sensuality Party by Justin Kuritzkes (New Group). Other upcoming work includes the world premiere of Will Arbery's Spite House. She received the Cullman Award for Extraordinary Creativity from Lincoln Center and received a BA from Duke University. Download the FREE Monologue Selection Toolkit: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.jenniferapple.net/freebie⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Want to coach with Jennifer? ⁠Schedule a session here! Learn more about Jennifer Apple: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.jenniferapple.net⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Jennifer Apple’s IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@JenniferApple_ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ EAC IG:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @EmpoweredArtistCollective ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ EAC TikTok:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @EmpowerArtistCollective⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠https://www.empoweredartistcollective.com/⁠ Sign up for our newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.empoweredartistcollective.com/newslettersignup⁠ Check Out Our Merch:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠https://empoweredartistcollective.threadless.com⁠ Any thoughts you'd like to share? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠EmpoweredArtistCollective@gmail.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices