I am writing this during a heat wave, as record hot temperatures blast the central and eastern United States. Miserable though it may be outside, the weather feels appropriate for the moment—we’re all under pressure right now as we make our work and live our lives in extraordinary times.

The first issue of the Journal published during my tenure as SDC Executive Board President, Spring 2020, included Executive Director Laura Penn’s piece “Culture Wars and the Transfer of Influence,” which examined a time when rights to freedom of expression in the theatre were threatened across the country. In my letter in that issue, I wrote about that piece and about the importance of SDC’s commitment to fostering safe, diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplaces. While we have all been through a lot in the five years since then, the themes of the Spring 2020 magazine remain strikingly relevant today. Freedom of expression is again under threat, and our ongoing work to make workplaces safe and equitable has become politicized, making our commitments to our artistic and cultural values more important than ever.

With that in mind, it’s a special pleasure that this issue of SDC Journal highlights directors and choreographers who work to expand theatre’s accessibility while staying true to their artistic impulses. Director Marshall Pailet writes about his work with Alexandria Wailes, Director of Artistic Sign Language, on the new musical Private Jones, which was performed by a company of hearing, deaf, and hard-of hearing artists. Sean Daniels talks with Michael Rohd about his work on the Recovery Arts Project and the power of theatre to create genuine change—in its audiences and the national narrative. Kristin Hanggi and Maxx Reed discuss creating a safe rehearsal and performance space for performers and audience members with photosensitive epilepsy.

This issue also gives us a peek into the stories of some remarkable directors and choreographers: Lili-Anne Brown speaks with Kimberly Senior about her past and present work in Chicago’s theatre scene, Lue Morgan Douthit interviews Sara Bruner about her path from acting to directing to artistic leadership, Warren Carlyle shares his journey from watching MGM musicals to working on Broadway, and Oz Scott brings back SDC Journal’s “What I Learned” column to reflect on his most important influences.

As we navigate the heat waves of the present moment—both physical and metaphorical—I take heart in the determination and artistry of the directors and choreographers highlighted in this issue and in our collective power as SDC Members.

Evan Yionoulis
Executive Board President