Todd Denning, journeyman actor, settles at First Stage
This week, as part of our continuing series on the business of playacting, Mark interviews his friend and colleague Todd Denning, a working actor based in Milwaukee who is currently at work on The Best Christmas Pageant Ever at First Stage Children’s Theater. The show opens Thanksgiving weekend and runs through Christmas Eve day.
Todd talks about his childhood in Staples, Minnesota, the exciting life of the journeyman performer and how he finally settled in Milwaukee as an actor, director, teacher and stage combat choreographer.
Also discussed: First Stage’s Young Company, a training program at the Theater Academy that offers high-school age performers the chance to train with college-level repertory; the end of Milwaukee Shakespeare and the companies that are rushing to fill Milwaukee’s Shakespeare void; rethinking what’s available during this difficult time for the performing arts, and how to continue innovating in times of hunger.
You can also subscribe to Backstage with Mark Metcalf through iTunes. Everyone’s doing it!
Our series continues next week with Matt Daniels, the Julliard-educated actor, director, teacher, coach and founding member of the new theater collective goats & monkeys. Tune in!
