A Decade of Directing Assistants: Alumni Spotlight

BTG’s Directing Assistantship program is entering its 10th year! Directing Assistants at Berkshire Theatre Group come from a variety of backgrounds. Each Directing Assistant is given the same opportunity to work on a professional show and gain priceless career experience. Assistants work with a professional director over a 4-week period in the beautiful Berkshires. Applications are currently being accepted for BTG’s Directing Assistantships! To learn more about the program and how to apply please visit our Directing Assistantship page and read the stories of past Assistants below!

Experiences are unique to each assistant, and we have reached out to some alumni who have since gone on to establish their own path in the theatrical world.

 

Michael Bello wearing a purple shirt and dark jeans, sitting and smiling into the camera.

Michael Bello was a Directing Assistant with BTG in 2012 where he worked with Director Robert Moss on A Class Act.

Michael Bello is a New York based director of musical theater. He most recently directed the off-Broadway production of We Are The Tigers, a new musical currently running at Theatre 80. (Follow them at @TigersMusical for updates!) He was the Associate Director to Tony Award winner Des McAnuff on Summer: The Donna Summer Musical on Broadway, which will launch a national tour this fall. He has directed new musicals across the country including We Are The Tigers (3 LA Ovation Award noms), Between the Sea and Sky (NYMF, Best Musical and Direction winner), Errol & Fidel (NYMF, Best Musical and Direction noms), Hello Again (Boston’s IRNE nom), In the Heights (NYIT nom), and others. As an Assistant Director he has helped developed such new musicals as Summer (dir. Des McAnuff, La Jolla Playhouse), Doctor Zhivago (dir. Des McAnuff, Broadway Theatre), A Little More Alive (dir. Sheryl Kaller, Kansas City Rep), Fly By Night (dir. Bill Fennelly, Dallas Theater Center) and others. His upcoming projects include Letters to the President, a song cycle devised for The Great Hall at Cooper Union, and the world premiere of Shooting Star: A Revealing New Musical. BFA Emerson College. www.MichaelBello.com

Q: What were some of the most rewarding or challenging moments about your BTG Directing Assistantship?

A: Some of the most rewarding moments of my time at BTG was the work I engaged in while preparing to direct my assigned project, a concert reading in the Neil Ellenoff Musical Theatre Series. Having the artistic leadership at BTG trust me with the coordination, programming, and direction of a presentation in The Colonial meant so much to me and was a challenge I loved taking on. Those moments were the first in my career I was allowed to be a director and take steps towards discovering my artistic voice.

 

Ilana Ransom Toeplitz standing in a NYC street. She is smiling and wearing a dark blazer.

Ilana Ransom Toeplitz was a Directing Assistant and Dance Captain in 2011 where she worked with Director Kyle Sable on Finian’s Rainbow.

Ilana is a New York-based director/choreographer specializing in new musicals. On Broadway, Ilana assistant directed Violet (2014 Tony Nominated revival starring Sutton Foster) and The Prom with Casey Nicholaw (2018).

Ilana has premiered new work with Lincoln Center, Keen Company, York Theatre, Berkshire Theatre Group, NY Theatre Barn, and the New York Musical Theatre Festival. Favorite director/choreographer credits: Chicago; Reefer Madness (featuring Alan Cumming); The Drowsy Chaperone; Singin’ in the Rain; Mary Poppins (BTG) & Seussical (BTG)!; And the TheatreWorksUSA National Tours of A Christmas Carol and Click, Clack, Moo!

Ilana was the Associate Director of A Christmas Story: The Musical! (2014-2015, First National Tour), Dirty Dancing: the Classic Story on Stage (2017-2018 Tour) and the premiere of Sondheim on Sondheim (2017, Boston Pops). Ilana holds additional assistant or associate credits with: Leigh Silverman, Casey Nicholaw, Susan Stroman, Baayork Lee, Sarna Lapine, NY City Center, Second Stage, Signature Theatre (VA), Huntington Theatre, and Pittsburgh CLO. Ilana is a proud Pittsburgh native, a Directors Project Alum (2016 Leo Shull New Musicals Directing Fellowship) and the 2018 SDC Foundation Mike Ockrent Fellow.

Ilana is a proud native of Pittsburgh, PA. Up next: Living Over the Rainbow (Director: Uptown Players, 2017 O’Neill Semi-Finalist); 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Choreographer: ACT of Connecticut); and The Rocky Horror Show (Director: Park Square Theater). Twitter/Instagram: @IlanaRanToe. www.IlanaDirects.com

Q: How did the Directing Assistantship prepare you for a career in theatre?

A: My assistantship with BTG was my first opportunity with a regional theatre. I would love to be Kate Maguire someday, to do what she does. I want to be Artistic Director of a strong regional theatre that supports new work. I was the Dance Captain as well as the Directing Assistant for Finian’s Rainbow, and it was my first chance to be Dance Captain, which was great. I was also given the opportunity to direct my first reading. When I came back to work as a Choreographer I got one of my favorite assistants and associates, Elyn Collier (who is also a former Directing Assistant) and she is now my go-to person, so I would say BTG taught me how to be a mentor as well.

 

Dan Barron was a Directing Assistant in 2015 where he worked with Director Eric Hill on Thoreau: Or Return to Walden and with Director Jackson Gay on I Saw My Neighbor on the Train and I Didn’t Even Smile.

Dan Barron is a NYC-Based Director who recently served as the Associate Director on the new Broadway musical Gettin’ The Band Back Together. Also recently directed a developmental reading and sold out concert at 54 Below of Arrowhead: A New Musical. He also directed the world premiere of Love Me Tender which was the inaugural production by Listening Eyes Theater Company, which he serves as their resident director. He has also served as the Associate Director on Jerry Springer the Opera at The New Group and Lisa Lampanelli’s Stuffed, Off-Broadway. He has directed at the Wild Project, Barrington Stage Company, Berkshire Theater Group and the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center. He holds a degree in musical theater from the University of Tampa. Upcoming: Man of La Mancha at Timber Lake Playhouse. IG: @TheDanBarron

Q: What did you learn through your time at Berkshire Theatre Group as a Directing Assistant, what were some rewarding moments?

A: I learned how to be an assistant/associate director at BTG. Skills that have helped me on 8 productions after BTG including being an associate director on Broadway. I think one of the most rewarding things about my assistantships was building connections with NYC professionals that have become very valuable. The most challenging part of the program was adapting from collegiate theater to the professional world over the summer.

 

Jasmine B. Gunter was a Directing Assistant in 2016 where she worked with Director Travis Daly on Beauty and the Beast.

Currently, Jasmine is working at Seattle Repertory Theatre as the assistant director of A Doll’s House, Part 2 with Braden Abraham, who is the artistic director at Seattle Rep. She is Seattle Rep’s Directing/Casting intern for the 2018-2019 season. At the same time, she is prepping to go into rehearsals next month for her next directing project. Jasmine is directing Intimate Apparel by Lynn Nottage as Geva Theatre Center’s 2019 Directing Fellow. https://jasminebgunter.weebly.com/

Q: What was your experience with directing before the Assistantship, and how did BTG’s Directing Assistantship prepare you for a career in theatre?

A: I had just graduated from college a month before and never assistant directed on a full-length production for a professional theatre. Yes, I directed in college, but that was completely different. Starting my assistantship, I was a complete rookie to directing at a professional scale. BTG was my first introduction to directing at a professional level, and my time there was a significant milestone in my career. More important than the practical things I learned about directing, I learned a lot about myself. My time at BTG defined what type of director I wanted to be. I learned the effects of kindness in the rehearsal room. I developed my generous sense of collaboration there. I learned about what it means to create safe spaces where people and ideas are heard. And so, I have a lot to thank BTG for.

Other notable Directing Assistant Alumni include: Oliver Butler, Zohar Fuller, Siena Rafter, Will Steinberger, and Ann Woling.
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News & Articles

From the Archive: Eva LeGallienne

By: Katie Birenboim (She/Her/Hers)   Devoted fans of BTG may gasp to discover that until doing a first round of research in the amazing BTG archives, I had never heard … Read On

On this day in 1975, The Rocky Horror Picture Show made its American premiere at the Westwood Theater in Los Angeles. After initially being deemed a failure, the film vastly exceeded expectations and now has the longest theatrical run for a film.

Visit berkshiretheatre.org or do the time warp towards our box office to get your tickets today to experience the queen of all cult films, including a thrilling after party and drag queen Nancy Nogood, at the Colonial on October 28!
It is almost here! Copenhagen, the Tony Award-winning play that explores the ethical dilemma of when science and politics collide, begins previews at the Unicorn Theatre this Thursday, September 28!

Get your tickets at berkshiretheatre.org today 💥🧪
Western Massachusetts-based band Harvest & Rust is hitting the Colonial stage on September 29! Representing the wide-array of Neil Young’s influential material in one show, Harvest & Rust captivates audiences with chart-topping hits including “Old Man,” and “Heart of Gold,” to the more electric explorations of Rust Never Sleeps like “Hey Hey, My My.” 

Visit berkshiretheatre.org to purchase tickets today 🎵
REMINDER! ✨ Voting ends soon, so make sure to vote Berkshire Theatre Group as Berkshire Eagle's Best of the Berkshires 2023 in "Live Theatre" and "Concert Venue" at the link in our bio! Thank you all for your support ❤️
Calling all Pink Ladies and T-Birds! 🦩🦅

Coming to the Colonial on October 15, The Olivia Show Tribute is an exciting musical journey filled with all of the late Olivia Newton-John’s award-winning hits and an exciting Grease sing-along where everyone can join in on the excitement!

Get your tickets today at berkshiretheatre.org!
The Tony award-winning Copenhagen, running September 28-October 29 at the Unicorn, is a must-see for anyone interested in history, science or politics. Exploring how one secret meeting broke the friendship between two physicists involved in the race to create the first atomic bomb in WWII, Niels Bohr and Werner Heisenberg, Copenhagen forces us to confront the difficult questions that arise when science and politics collide. 

Don't miss this stunning production by getting your tickets today at berkshiretheatre.org!
Did you tap your toes to Million Dollar Quartet? Laugh along with On Cedar Street? Ponder long after What the Constitution Means to Me, Photograph 51, and The Smile of Her? If so, let us know by voting Berkshire Theatre Group #1 again in Berkshire Eagle's 2023 Best of the Berkshires Poll for "Live Theatre" and "Concert Venue" in the Entertainment category!

To vote, visit the link in our bio. Voting ends on September 24 at 5pm.
On Thursday, October 5, at 5:30 p.m., Berkshire Magazine (@berkshiremagazine) will celebrate this year’s Berkshire 25 by inviting all past honorees to mark this milestone—and everyone is invited to join the celebration! 

To purchase tickets, visit berkshiretheatre.org. Ticket sales will go towards our education programs at BTG ✨
Sing until you lose your voice, dance like nobody’s watching, and relive your glory days at The Olivia Show, an exciting musical journey honoring the memory of Olivia Newton-John! Audiences will be treated to Olivia's greatest hits with live vocals, powerful musicianship, amazing costumes and chart topping hits and an exciting Grease sing-along! 

Get your tickets at berkshiretheatre.org today 🎵🎶
BTG is celebrating National Arts in Education Week by kicking off rehearsals for this year's touring show production, Magic Tree House Merlin Missions: Winter of the Ice Wizard, which features two casts from various middle and high schools across Berkshire County ✏️📚🎭

(Photo by Caelan Carlough)
For every new gift made before midnight on November 10, our generous donors will match gifts up to $250,000!

Your support now in meeting a goal to raise $500,000 will provide the investment needed to keep this theatre moving forward with strength, so donate today at the link in our bio ⭐
Did Oppenheimer (2023) leave you even more curious about the history surrounding the creation of the atomic bomb? BTG's production of Copenhagen, running September 28–October 29, explores the moral struggles of two Nobel laureate physicists: Niels Bohr, one of Oppenheimer's heroes; and Werner Heisenberg, his direct competition in the Manhattan Project.

Get your tickets today at berkshiretheatre.org to experience this a fascinating exploration of the ethics of science that will leave audiences pondering its themes long after the final curtain call.
It's that time of the year again! Support us by voting Berkshire Theatre Group #1 again in Berkshire Eagle's 2023 Best of the Berkshires Poll for "Live Theatre" and "Concert Venue" in the Entertainment category. We appreciate your help!

To vote, visit the link in our bio. Voting ends on September 24.
From the same members of BonJourney, Don Jovi, the ultimate Bon Jovi tribute band, is bringing Jon Bon Jovi's greatest hits to life on the Colonial stage September 22 🎸

Get your tickets today at berkshiretheatre,org to rock on to legendary songs including "It's My Life" and "Never Say Goodbye!"
In Berkshire Magazine's Fall issue, read about Felipe Salles, "The New Immigrant Experience," and his upcoming performance at the Colonial on October 21 at the link in our bio🎷 To get tickets, visit berkshiretheatre.org!
From the same members that brought BonJourney to the Colonial last November, Don Jovi (@donjoviband) is bringing Jon Bon Jovi's greatest hits to life on September 22! Get your tickets today at berkshiretheatre,org to enjoy memorable hits such as "Livin' On a Prayer" and "You Give Love a Bad Name"
Listen to Black Opry (@black.opry), a joyful, supportive celebration of Black artists, songwriters, and fans, on NPR before they take the Colonial stage on November 4, then get your tickets at berkshiretheatre.org! 🎵 (Link to NPR session in bio)

(Photo by Gabriel Baretto)
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