All stories by Susan Elkin on BroadwayStars

Saturday, April 2, 2022

‘It’s a celebration of lifelong love & that’s always satisfying’: THE MARRIAGE OF ALICE B TOKLAS BY GERTRUDE STEIN – Jermyn Street Theat by Susan Elkin

American writer and art collector, Gertrude Stein and Alice B Toklas were in a long relationship until the former’s premature death in 1946.

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 11:00AM
Saturday, February 19, 2022

Is The Merchant of Venice an anti-semitic play or a play about anti-semitism? by Susan Elkin

We think that The Merchant of Venice was written between 1596 and 1599 – in the twilight years of Elizabeth’s reign. It was printed in 1600 and so had, one assumes, already been performe…

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 11:00AM
Friday, April 10, 2020

Locking down & taking a break from theatre blogging by Susan Elkin

So what am I doing instead? Trying to write a play. An act of faith? Maybe. You’ll hear more about it if it works. I also have a book project or two in mind which may or may not firm up.

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 05:00AM
Tuesday, March 24, 2020

What does the industry want from technical theatre graduates? by Susan Elkin

The theatre shutdown may not seem a good time to hunt for a job as a technician, but it’s always worth planning

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 09:00AM
Tuesday, March 17, 2020

How to train to be a director by Susan Elkin

There are many ways to become a director says Susan Elkin, as she speaks to directors, lecturers and course tutors about the

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 09:00AM
Tuesday, November 26, 2019

National Theatre careers day opens up prospects for students by Susan Elkin

From design apprenticeships to accounting: at the National Theatre’s Creative Careers Day, children aged 11 to 14 experienced some of the different

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 08:00AM
Monday, November 25, 2019

More apprenticeships please by Susan Elkin

If more resources are not put into more apprenticeships, it will be a great pity for both for the creative industries & the many young people who simply don’t get the opportunity to ma…

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 01:00PM
Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Looking for a stage school for your child? The seven questions to ask by Susan Elkin

Stage schools are big business. Many communities have several providers of drama, dance and singing tuition for children. There is now a

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 05:30AM
Thursday, October 10, 2019

Tatty venues do not guarantee good theatre by Susan Elkin

Let’s stop smilingly pretending that tatty, cramped dives with dreadful lavatories are more artistically expressive than venues which conform to modern standards.

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 01:00PM
Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Reviewing Proms & other theatre by Susan Elkin

I have been attending classical music concerts since my early teens. And as this year’s Proms season ends I’m struck that I’ve been here, as it were, for a very long time. The Royal Al…

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 01:00PM
Tuesday, August 13, 2019

Do we really need quotas to achieve casting inclusivity? by Susan Elkin

The point – and it’s a major one – is that the actor, irrespective of all other considerations, must be the best possible interpreter of the role for the work in question.

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 01:00PM
Tuesday, August 6, 2019

How learning a musical instrument can boost your acting career by Susan Elkin

Maybe you played recorder at school, or piano is on your CV, but all you can remember is Chopsticks. As ever more

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 08:00AM
Thursday, August 1, 2019

Lots of writing careers in theatre by Susan Elkin

Why aren’t we telling young people about the writing and writing-related careers which drive our industry?

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 01:00PM
Tuesday, July 16, 2019

Is US drama training a realistic option for British students? by Susan Elkin

America, the land of opportunity… but is that the case when it comes to studying for a career in the performing arts?

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 09:22AM
Tuesday, July 9, 2019

How do you train to be an actor-musician? by Susan Elkin

Casting directors are increasingly demanding a diversity of skills from graduates. Susan Elkin talks to heads of courses at a selection of

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 08:00AM
Tuesday, July 2, 2019

‘You have the information. Just get on with it’: Play writing books by Susan Elkin

I am gradually amassing quite a pile of books about writing plays. Collecting and reading them is probably a displacement/procrastination activity. One of these days I really am (or so I kee…

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 01:00PM
Tuesday, June 25, 2019

How to choose the right drama school for a technical theatre career by Susan Elkin

There is a huge range of roles available for those who want to work in technical theatre. Susan Elkin speaks to course

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 08:00AM
Tuesday, June 18, 2019

How to choose your three-year drama course by Susan Elkin

The Federation of Drama Schools’ membership includes 20 of the UK’s foremost training institutions. But what makes the offering at one school

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 08:00AM
Monday, June 17, 2019

‘We’re relaxed but not that relaxed’: Hearing the show by Susan Elkin

So by all means let’s go on running relaxed performances for people who need them but at the same time we shouldn’t lose sight of the need to promote co-operative, compliant, appropriate…

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 01:00PM
Monday, June 10, 2019

Suffering for art? No thanks, let’s say goodbye to tatty, cramped venues by Susan Elkin

Let’s stop smilingly pretending that tatty, cramped dives with dreadful lavatories are more artistically expressive than venues which conform to modern standards.

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 12:00PM
Monday, June 3, 2019

Honoured to watch the build up of careers by Susan Elkin

One of the greatest pleasures of being an education journalist with a foot in the performing arts camp is meeting young actors at the start of their careers and then watching them develop.

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 01:00PM
Sunday, May 26, 2019

‘Cheerful, unpatronising kindness’: Disability access in a brave new world by Susan Elkin

I’ve always known that theatres are nice places and that most theatre people are wonderful but I’m currently seeing that confirmed in a completely new way.

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 01:00PM
Monday, May 20, 2019

When the programme is also the playtext by Susan Elkin

As a theatre critic/interested person, I really like it when the theatre programme I’m issued with is also the text of the new play I’m seeing.

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 01:00PM
Monday, May 13, 2019

Suspension of the Guildford Two by Susan Elkin

Guildford School of Acting has just axed (“not recruiting for 2019/20”) two courses: BA Hons Theatre and Performance and BA Hons Dance. Many students and alumni who think highly of these…

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 01:00PM
Tuesday, May 7, 2019

‘Can you have too much of a good thing?’: Sex, plays and casting by Susan Elkin

Anything which makes me think about these plays in a new way is a bonus. I also want actors – irrespective of their sex – to have maximum opportunities.

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 01:00PM
Monday, April 15, 2019

‘It’s probably a case of nothing ventured nothing gained’: How about Susan Elkin as playwright? by Susan Elkin

For a start you need dramatic talent, flair and an ear for dialogue as well as ideas and a good vocabulary to write a play. And I’m still not sure. But, as always it’s probably a case of…

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 01:00PM

Here comes the summer (school): training for all ages and abilities by Susan Elkin

From ages 4 to 94, whether aspiring to be an actor, director, opera singer or dancer, if you want to study Greek

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 08:00AM
Monday, March 25, 2019

Audition fees: it’s scandalous discrimination by Susan Elkin

Drama school audition fees are a scandal. They are immoral and unfair. Drama aspirants should not be punished for their passion.

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 02:00PM
Tuesday, March 19, 2019

Open air theatre: mad but delightful by Susan Elkin

The open air season will soon be upon us. “If winter comes, can spring be far behind? as Shelley puts it. And no one does open air theatre with more hopeful enthusiasm than the lovably daf…

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 01:00PM

How do you train to be a theatre director? by Susan Elkin

While there are myriad ways to become a theatre director, as any professional will tell you, if you are looking for specific

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 09:00AM
Monday, March 11, 2019

Let’s be clear about foundation courses by Susan Elkin

I’ve thought and written a lot about performing arts foundation courses lately. It’s the time of year when students are looking at possible options for September and course providers are…

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 02:00PM

All that Chat

2023-2024 BROADWAY SEASON
May 30, 2023: Grey House - Lyceum Theatre
Jun 26, 2023: Just For Us - Hudson Theatre
Jul 24, 2023: The Cottage - Hayes Theater
Nov 16, 2023: Spamalot - St. James Theatre
Dec 18, 2023: Appropriate - Hayes Theater
Mar 07, 2024: Doubt - Todd Haimes Theatre
Apr 14, 2024: Lempicka - Longacre Theatre
Apr 17, 2024: The Wiz - Marquis Theatre
Apr 18, 2024: Suffs - Music Box Theatre
Apr 25, 2024: Mother Play - Hayes Theater
Jun 10, 2024: The Drama Desk Awards