Observe. Listen. Discover.
Inspiration
James Lapine is my brilliant, kind, and deeply generous uncle. He is my father, Mark's, youngest brother. I grew up three houses away from my paternal grandparents, Lillian and David Lapine. And they were some of my favorite people to spend time with after-school . I would walk to their house from my bus stop. Sometimes, we would even have sleepovers, and I would sleep in James's former bedroom. His show posters, which he designed while working as a graphic designer for the Yale Drama School, adorned the walls. I would stare up at them and wonder, "Now who are Troilus and Cressida?" I really never dreamed of becoming a theater director. I had a variety of other interests growing up. .
I spent my twenties pursuing life in wilderness adventure activities because it rebuilt my self-esteem one cell at a time, because I found that if I could be brave and I could be strong physically, then everything else would eventually catch up. I’m really glad that at nineteen, I made that strange and difficult decision. I grew up on the East Coast but I moved myself to the West Coast. I pursued this thing and this life. I became an Outward Bound instructor and there’s not a day that doesn’t go by where I don’t draw from having have that experience. I think I didn’t know who I was until I escaped the trappings of what I thought I was supposed to be.
I sort of fell into working in the education department at the Intiman Theatre in Seattle. I had lived there for about ten years. I was really interested in filmmaking and I was making my first documentary. I became friendly with Bartlett Sher who was the Artistic Director of Intiman. I had an inkling while making this documentary that there was something about directing that I was very excited by and I felt like I was good at it. I just very innocently said to Bart, “How did you get to do this for a living?” He said, “I assisted a lot of people and I always had great mentors.” He said, “Look, I’m going to New York to direct my first Broadway show, Light in the Piazza. If you can get yourself to New York, I’ll hire you to be my assistant.” That’s really how I got my start. There was no plan. I drove from Seattle to New York. I crashed on people’s floors. Eventually, my mother found this apartment (my apartment to this day!) because her friend’s kid was moving out, and I moved in.
Special thanks to Victoria Myers for usage of interview material from The Interval, 3/27/2017.
After moving to New York City, my Uncle James took an interest in my new pursuit. He was supportive at a distance. Never pressuring me, never offering anything. He allowed me great autonomy in spite of our shared last name and what folks might assume. It wasn't until he was directing Sondheim on Sondheim at the Roundabout Theater, for Steven Sondheim's 80th Birthday, that he called on me for help. At that point, I had been working for Bart Sher for five years while simultaneously earning my MFA (in film) at Columbia University. And James needed someone he could trust and afford on a non-profit budget to assist him and to also produce filmed interviews and help manage the extensive projections, which were still relatively new in theater at the time. And so he called me and asked if I would work on this production with him and that was our first foray as colleagues and collaborators and it was truly an incredible experience.
Process
“BE A KEEN OBSERVER OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.”
What defines a success is more fluid than we tend to believe— I see my role as being a facilitator of conversations around the work, whether that be with actors, my creative team, or the audience. The process is driven by active dialogue and conversation to create something bigger than ourselves. Ego and fear are killers of process; they rob us of a shared communal opportunity at discovery. It’s imperative everyone in the room stays open to exploration and isn’t trying to work out everything in advance. We have to commit to being fully present with one another.
“When I’m directing, I don’t draw my inspiration from other theater,
I draw it from music, nature, architecture, the visual arts,
the world around me,
and then those are imbued in the piece.”
collaboration
Nothing is made in isolation. Below are some of my closest collaborators whose work has challenged, inspired, and delighted me time and time again.
Sarna Lapine and Mikiko Suzuki MacAdams met on Lincoln Center Theater’s production of The Light in the Pizza by Adams Guettel and Craig Lucas. Sarna and Mikiko have worked together nationally and internationally for the past twenty years.
SARNA LAPINE: "I like to say Laura Penn & Bart Sher opened the door and gave me my first opportunities to work in the theater, but my friendship and collaboration with Mikiko is what has made me stay."
MIKIKO SUZUKI MACADAMS: "Sarna is one of the most passionate storytellers I know. She always brings stories that demand to be told with great excitement. Together, we ask: why this story, why us, why now? Her deep understanding of how words and music shape a narrative pushes us to refine the flow of storytelling in every detail. From there, we create the space to hold the story together. Sometimes the process comes easily, sometimes with difficulty — but always with trust in our collaboration. Since we first met in 2004 as assistants on The Light in the Piazza at Lincoln Center Theater, our partnership has only grown stronger. Working with Sarna continually makes me a better storyteller."
“I had the pleasure and joy of working with Sarna on a production of Sweeney Todd at Signature Theater in the DC area. She is very smart and fearless! She brought insightful ideas to the table and collaborated with the best idea, always winning. Sarna has a keen eye for the truth and honesty in storytelling. We laughed a lot and found the comedy in the midst of finding humanity in the tragic story of Sweeney. I truly look forward to our next collaboration.”
“Sarna is a fierce collaborator who always comes from a place of intense passion for the work that is contagious and inspiring. Her meticulousness in the room helps focus in on the core of the storytelling, helping me as a composer and lyricist to find clarity in what can often feel like a cloud of ideas."
“I’m beyond grateful to call Sarna Lapine a collaborator and friend of mine. She truly champions other artists.
When I’ve worked with her as a performer, I feel her passion for the material and the joy and laughter she values in the rehearsal process. She went out of her way to let me know my efforts and energy, onstage and off, had made a positive impact on the company, and I still carry that as a point of pride.
Moving to the other side of the table as her assistant director has been such a gratifying experience. I have learned so much from watching a piece through her eyes. While maintaining a clear vision, she values input from the entire team, knowing that she’s assembled artists that all care about making a show the best it can possibly be.
Sarna has opened so many doors for me, both by trusting me enough to bring me onboard for different projects, but also by her encouragement and investment in me as an artist. She’s broadened my own belief in what’s possible for my career, and I know I’m not the only one. I see her mentor young artists through her teaching and development work. We’re all very lucky to have a force like Sarna on our team.”
“Sarna Lapine is easily one of my favorite directors I’ve worked with. I do really well with directors who are not helicoptering over my work—who have a great eye and sense of pace, but who give me the space to find my version of the character. Sarna is a wonderful believer and advocate of process and a shining example of the collaborative spirit of theatre.”
“Sarna is one of the most thoughtful and intellectually rigorous artists I have ever worked with. At every step of our process together, from initial dramaturgical brainstorming to final staging, she has proven to be richly creative, generously collaborative, and a strong-willed and straightforward guiding force – in other words, everything I value in a director!”
glenn slater, lyricist
“The biggest advantage and perk of working with Sarna Lapine is that you don't just get a director. You are afforded a dramaturg, a troubleshooter, and one of the best sounding boards you could ever dream of bouncing things off of. The way she works with writers is close, never rushed, and always to service the creative endeavor at hand. She treats actors with reverence and respect and can play to a myriad of their strengths. One specific thing I admire about Sarna is her architectural-like focus when it comes to making new art. With a skillful eye for structure, Sarna is a secret weapon for making your script, rehearsal, and show process earthquake-proof. A true joy to be around, Sarna is a wit-filled professional storymaker who infuses the spirit of play into her incredible work.”
“Sarna’s passion and enthusiasm for the work is infectious. She comes impeccably prepared to every process with a singular vision and a clear sense of purpose, in relentless pursuit of making every moment special. Sarna cares deeply about the work and why we are doing it, but is equally interested in the people with whom she has chosen to collaborate. She keeps the atmosphere light, but is all business and supremely focused when it counts. Sarna is a fantastic leader, and it’s always a gift to be in a room of her making.”
"Sarna is a generous collaborator and a thoughtful, precise partner in the rehearsal room. I've worked with her on plays and musicals, both new works and revivals, and from a writer's perspective, there is no one better at drilling down to find the meat and meaning of a scene while still respecting what's on the page. She's a wonder to work with and always top of my list when I have a new play or idea to try."
