5 - THE STEADFAST TIN SOLDIER by Mary Zimmerman (Ep. 13)

'Tis the season for holiday shows! The Steadfast Tin Soldier by Mary Zimmerman is not only an instant Christmas classic, it's also one of the top theatre experiences of Melissa's life. Find out how this short, yet full play has won her heart and how Mary Zimmerman brought this Hans Christian Andersen story to life . . . without using any dialog. This is not just an interview, it's a master class in theatre-making. 

In this episode, we discuss:

• How Mary decided to make The Steadfast Tin Soldier a dialog-less production
• The "Aha" moment when she realized that an Advent calendar was the perfect countdown to curtain 
• Mary's rehearsal and creation process
•  How much she changes with each remounted production

And more!

Resources Mentioned

The Steadfast Tin Soldier is playing at Chicago's Lookingglass Theatre through January 8, 2023. Learn more. 

Read Metamorphoses
Read The Arabian Nights
Read The Odyssey
More plays by Mary Zimmerman

About Our Guest

Mary Zimmerman is a playwright and director of theatre and opera based in Chicago. She is the 1998 recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship, the 2002 Tony Award and Obie for Best Director, and many Chicago Joseph Jefferson Awards, including Best Production and Best Director. She is a member of Lookingglass Theatre Company in Chicago, an Artistic Associate of the Goodman Theatre, and The Jaharis Family Foundation Endowed Chair of Performance Studies at Northwestern University. She specializes in the adaptation of classical texts for the stage. Works that she has adapted and directed include The Steadfast Tin Soldier, Treasure Island, The Jungle Book, The White Snake, The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci, Arabian Nights, Metamorphoses, The Secret in the Wings, an opera with Phi

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