Chris Harwood talks with Tom Isbell, UMD Professor of Theatre, about collaboration in the arts. What are the dynamics involved negotiating a potential divide between a director's vision and a performer's creativity? When is artistry enhanced by the collaborative process, and when is it diluted?
Tom Isbell is the director of Spoon River, a play based on Edgar Lee Masters' classic 1915 book, Spoon River Anthology. He has used the collaborative process with the show's cast and with music director Andy Kust to develop this new production, which opens October 1.
