What does it take to sustain a decades-long directing career? In this episode of our Director Mini-Series, Jennifer chats with director and choreographer Marcia Milgrom Dodge, who has been shaping stories on stages across the country for more than 40 years. Marcia shares how she digs into the heartbeat of each piece she does, balancing politics, social consciousness, and community impact with theatrical joy. She opens up about the hardest parts of being a director, the trust and surrender required to let actors carry the work forward, and the importance of staying scrappy and resilient in a freelance career. Marcia reveals her method for typing scripts in their entirety, the ins and outs for doing regional theater, and explains why she sees choreography through the lens of human behavior. Together, they talk about finding your like-minded community, building relationships with writers, and never underestimating your value to a theater company. This episode is a reminder that when you lead with story, community, and heart, the work will always find its way forward.
About Marcia: Marcia Milgrom Dodge is a Tony & Drama Desk Award-nominated director & choreographer for her stirring & lovingly staged Broadway|Kennedy Center revival of Ragtime (also a Helen Hayes Award winner for Outstanding Director). “MMD” is the American Show Director for Tokyo Disneyland’s 40th Anniversary Parade “Harmony in Color.” Her bold new approaches to classic plays and musicals include La Cage Aux Folles (The Muny, starring Norm Lewis & Michael James Scott); Disney’s Beauty & The Beast (Olney Theatre Center, starring Jade Jones & Evan Ruggiero); Evita (Drury Lane & Riverside Theatres), Meet Me In St. Louis & Disney’s The Little Mermaid (The Muny); Fiddler On The Roof and The King & I (Maltz Jupiter Theatre, both with new choreography); The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time (St. Louis Rep & Cincinnati Playhouse); The Secret Garden (Cincinnati Playhouse and Center Stage); Smokey Joe’s Cafe (The Muny and Drury Lane, Jeff Award for Best Revival). Television: Dodge appears as herself in Encore! on Disney+; choreographed an Emmy Award-winning episode of Sesame Street (The Tango Festival) and Elmo’s World: Wild Wild West video. Premieres: Maltby & Shire’s About Time(Goodspeed’s Norma Terris Theatre) and Closer Than Ever (Off-Broadway), William Finn’s Romance in Hard Times (Public Theater), and Sherlock Holmes & The West End Horror (co-written with Anthony Dodge, Bay Street/Edgar Award nomination). Dodge is also a wife, mother, teacher, and proud member of the Stage Directors & Choreographers Society (SDC).
MMD's IG: @marciamilgromdodge
MMD's Website: marciamilgromdodge.com
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