A moderated discussion between prominent makers in our field. Audience members are encouraged to come with questions! How did you make that show, that venue, that movement? The more practical the question, the better.

Moderated by Ryan J. Haddad

Jacob G. Padrón is the Founder and Artistic Director of The Sol Project, a new theatre initiative dedicated to producing works by Latinx playwrights in partnership with leading Off-Broadway theaters in NYC and beyond. He was most recently the Senior Line Producer at The Public Theater. He was formerly the Producer at Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago where he oversaw the artistic programming in the Garage, Steppenwolf’s second stage dedicated to new work, new artists, and new audiences. From 2008 to 2011, he was an Associate Producer at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Padrón is a graduate of Loyola Marymount University and Yale School of Drama.

Melanie Joseph is a theatre maker and founding Artistic Producer of The Foundry Theatre. For her work with The Foundry, she has twice been honored with The Ross Wetzsteon OBIE for “creating cutting edge work” and “engaging artists in some of the thorniest issues of the world we inhabit.” She is a recipient of the Doris Duke Artist Prize, the Skirball Kennis T.I.M.E. Artist prize, a Lucille Lortel Award for Artistic Producing, and has twice been awarded the Duke/ Mellon Mentorship grant for mentoring “theatre leaders of tomorrow.” Joseph holds a BA in Literature from the University of Western Ontario and a Post-Baccalaureate degree in Pre-Medicine from the City University of New York.

Ryan J. Haddad is an actor, writer, and autobiographical performer. His acclaimed solo play Hi, Are You Single? was most recently featured in The Public Theater’s Under the Radar Festival. He has performed original work at La MaMa E.T.C., Dixon Place, and The New Museum. His acting credits include The Maids and two Lucy Thurber world premieres at Williamstown Theatre Festival, “Noor and Hadi Go To Hogwarts” for Theater Breaking Through Barriers, and an appearance on the Netflix series “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.” Ryan was a member of the The Public Theater’s 2016-17 Devised Theater Working Group. ryanjhaddad.com