Artistic Finance

Set designer Seth Howard talks about freelancing from the midwest.

Topics:

⭐️ ROTH IRAs

⭐️ Being a good person

⭐️ High yield savings accounts

⭐️ Getting work from social media

⭐️ DBAs - Doing Business As - for taxes

⭐️ Our actual design fees on recent projects

⭐️ Discussing production budgets while in academia

⭐️Theatrical light boxes - which has little to do with finances but hey we’re theatre people so they came up in discussion.

Video Version

https://youtu.be/FUkF3UWD7Vs

Seth Howard

https://www.sethhowarddesigns.com/

https://www.instagram.com/sethhowarddesigns/

Christopher Kriz

https://www.christopherkriz.com/

Cory Pattak

https://www.instagram.com/corypattak/?hl=en

Wilson Chin

https://www.instagram.com/wilsonchindesign/?hl=en

DBA - Doing Business As

https://www.uschamber.com/co/start/strategy/doing-business-as-dba-guide

ROTH IRA

https://www.calculator.net/roth-ira-calculator.html

SETH HOWARD (Scenic Designer) is a freelance scenic designer based out of St. Louis, MO. Some of his design credits include Athena (The Rep St. Louis); Grease (Bucks County Playhouse); Mamma Mia! & Come From Away (Theatre Aspen); Purlie Victorious (Charleston Stage); The Lightning Thief & Cinderella (Children’s Theater of Madison); Topdog/Underdog (Palm Beach Dramaworks); The Addams Family and 42nd Street (Arrow Rock Lyceum Theatre). Check out @sethhowarddesigns on social media.

Instagram Handles

@sethhowarddesigns

@ethansteimel

A round table about Artificial Intelligence in theatre design with a panel of cross discipline designers.

Topics:

⭐️ Types of AI Models

⭐️ Ethical Concerns of AI

⭐️ How designers are using AI

⭐️ How designers hope to use AI

⭐️ What parts of our workflow we’re comfortable using AI in

Video Version

https://youtu.be/CEp-XAkVLCY

USA 829’s resources on AI

https://www.usa829.org/Education/Tech-Committee-Resources

Science Vs

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ai-is-it-ruining-the-environment/id1051557000?i=1000736569496

China Data Centers Underwater

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/china-powers-ai-boom-with-undersea-data-centers/

House of Future Memory - Florida AI Theatre

https://mikewoodld.com/projects/house-of-future-memory/

David Murakami

https://davidmurakami.com/

https://www.instagram.com/murakamidavid/?hl=en

David Murakami is a projection designer and film director whose work explores the intersection of cinematic and theatrical storytelling, creating visually immersive experiences for opera, theatre, dance, and large-scale entertainment. His designs have been seen on five continents for companies such as Seattle Opera, Mark Taper Forum, Opéra de Montréal, LA Opera, and Princess Cruises.

Carl Faber

https://carlfaber.com/

https://carlfaberdesign.com/

Carl Faber is a multidisciplinary visual designer for theatre, opera, dance, and experiential projects. Based in Portland, Oregon, he is Director of Operations at Culture House Immersive and Lighting Supervisor at Portland Opera and Oregon Ballet Theatre, while continuing to freelance on productions ranging from Broadway to large-scale immersive experiences.

Jay Duckworth

https://www.proptologist.com/

https://www.instagram.com/proptologist/?hl=en

Prof. Duckworth, The Proptologist is a props designer and educator at Pace University whose work includes Hamilton, Shakespeare in the Park, Here Lies Love, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson & Fun Home at his over a decade long residency as Props Designer at the Public Theater.

Ari Fulton

https://arifultondesigns.com/

https://www.instagram.com/queen_of_the_indies/

Ari Fulton is a costume designer for stage and film, known for her richly detailed and expressive design work. Her regional and international credits include Disney's Frozen, Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical, and the Sundance Award–winning film Ricky (2025). A recipient of the Black Theatre Coalition Costume Design Fellowship and the Lilly Creative Spirit Award, she also teaches costume design at Brooklyn College and the Fashion Institute of Technology.

Sun Hee Kil
http://www.sunheekil.com

https://www.instagram.com/jokerkil/

Associate designer on Broadway productions and PyeongChang Winter Olympics Opening & Closing Ceremonies in South Korea. Her sound design includes Off Broadway, regional and international theatre productions. Her sound designs were nominated for Henry Hewes Awards and World Stage Design and selected to exhibit at Prague Quadrennial. Sunny is an Assistant Professor of Sound Design at Purchase College, State University of New York and a proud member of United Scenic Artists Local 829, Audio Engineering Society and Theatrical Sound Designers & Composers Association.

Anita J Tripathi

http://www.anitajtripathi.com

Anita is a Charlotte based Scene Designer. Professional design credits include: Children’s Theatre of Charlotte, The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey (LORT B), Greenbrier Valley Theatre, Virginia Stage Company (LORT D, Resident Scene Designer), and PlayMakers Repertory Company (LORT D). Anita has also worked regionally as both a properties designer and scenic charge and has assisted Tony Award winning designer David Gallo on several productions. Anita is currently an Associate Professor and Chair of the Theatre Department at Davidson College. She holds an M.F.A. in Scene Design from the University of South Carolina and is a member of United Scenic Artists Local 829.

Instagram Handles

@jokekil

@cxfaber

@proptologist

@ethansteimel

@murakamidavid

@carlfaberdesign

@unitedscenicartists

@queen_of_the_indies

#propdesign

#sounddesign

#thecreativelife

#costumedesign

#projectiondesign

​

Jessica Ryan, Founder of Broadway Unlocked and CEO of All Together Now a production company for scaleable in-person and digital live experiences joins the show to discuss realities of Broadway's unhealthy producing model.

Topics:

⭐️ Cats: The Jellicle Ball

⭐️ Holding space for performing arts and capitalism

⭐️ Being a theatre person and teaching yourself business terminology

⭐️ Broadway’s unhealthy producing model of pricing, marketing, and Cost Disease

Video Version

https://youtu.be/uDzDmCXG1Bs

Jessica Ryan

https://broadwayunlocked.substack.com/

https://www.jessicaryancreative.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicaryannyla/

https://www.instagram.com/jessicaryannyla/?hl=en

Broadway Unlocked

https://watch.broadwayunlocked.com/

https://www.broadwayunlocked.com/

Freakonomics of Broadway

https://freakonomics.com/podcast-tag/how-is-live-theater-still-alive/

Jared Harbour

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jared-harbour-ba8415186/

https://jharbour.substack.com/

Jerry Herman

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Herman

Gateway Playhouse

https://www.thegateway.org/

The Greene Space NYC

https://wnyc.org/tgs

BroadwayHD

https://welcome.broadwayhd.com/

Kirkwood Theatre Guild

https://ktg-onstage.org/

Howl Round

https://howlround.com/

Pookie Goes Grenading

https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/donation-form/pookie-goes-grenading-fiscal-sponsored-project

Particle - New Musical

https://www.seldaandderek.com/new-page-3

Missouri State University

https://theatreanddance.missouristate.edu/

Instagram Handles

@jessicaryannyla

@ethansteimel

#theatre

#broadway

#thecreativelife

#commercialtheatre

#broadwayproducing

Christopher Kriz, a composer and sound designer based in Chicago, talks about sustaining a freelance theatre career.

Topics:

⭐️ Opening a ROTH IRA

⭐️ Filing taxes on your own

⭐️ Saying yes to everything

⭐️ Our actual fees on a recent gig

⭐️ Talking being good for your health

⭐️ The university of store front theatre

⭐️ Using an agent so you have less stress negotiating fees

⭐️ USA 829 contracts including CBAs, SDAs, POAs, and LORT

Video Version

https://youtu.be/eaupUamsABo

Christopher Kriz

https://www.christopherkriz.com/

https://www.instagram.com/christopher.kriz/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-kriz-997b99b/

Cricket Myers

https://www.artisticfinance.com/14.html

Alabama Shakespeare Festival

https://asf.net/

USA 829 - Contracts

https://www.usa829.org/Contracts/USA-829-Contracts-Overview

ROTH IRA

https://www.nerdwallet.com/m/investing/standout-accounts-for-retirement-investing-roth?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22393064320&gbraid=0AAAAADfKLw2RKEiVVbQ-8baKNELiCbwQs

Octet

https://www.goodmantheatre.org/show/octet/

Instagram Handles

@christopher.kriz

@ethansteimel

#theatre

#composer

#sounddesign

#thecreativelife

#sounddesigners

Performing arts consultant and producer Matthew Principe talks about producing opera, theatre, and multimedia content.

Topics:

⭐️ The Performing Arts Industrial Complex

⭐️ Hiring a qualified person to file your taxes

⭐️ Taking the emotion out of our financial life

⭐️ Saving 10% of your gross income for yourself

⭐️ Producing opera, theatre, classical music, and multi media

⭐️ The Public Service Loan Forgiveness program for student loans

⭐️ Networking - but not as an individual, doing it through organizations

Video Version

https://youtu.be/6T8g_rfmPa8

Matthew Principe

https://www.instagram.com/operaprince/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewprincipe/

Principe Dynamics

https://www.principedynamics.com/

https://principedynamics.substack.com/

Student Loan Forgiveness

https://studentaid.gov/articles/student-loan-forgiveness/

Candy & Dorothy

https://www.principedynamics.com/candy-dorothy

Rosalia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosal%C3%ADa

Cookie Jordan

https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/cookie-jordan-485223

https://www.artisticfinance.com/39.html

Producers Guild of America

https://producersguild.org/

Opera America

https://www.operaamerica.org/

The Podcast Academy

https://www.thepodcastacademy.com/

Elena Sartor / Pookie Goes Grenading / IRT Theatre

https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/donation-form/pookie-goes-grenading-fiscal-sponsored-project

Matthew Principe is an internationally recognized producer, strategist, and arts innovator—and a five-time Grammy Award winner, two-time Emmy Award winner, and recipient of a Peabody Award, GLAAD Media Award, and Webby Award Honoree. He is Cultural Partnerships Producer on the documentary Viva Verdi!, which earned a 2026 Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song (“Sweet Dreams of Joy”). A performer in more than fifty opera and musical theater productions, he built a career as a producer with institutions spanning the Metropolitan Opera, Detroit Opera, The Philadelphia Orchestra, Santa Fe Opera, and Boston Baroque before founding Principe Dynamics.

Through Principe Dynamics, Matthew bridges historical performance with contemporary storytelling, advancing sustainable models for new works and artist-centered practices that position the arts as a living, socially resonant force in the 21st century. Current projects include Creative Producer of Cantos y Tumbaos with 2026 Guggenheim Fellow Reinaldo Moya, development of The Swann with Tamar-kali and Carl Hancock Rux, and the Kindred workshop for The Apollo. He also consults with founding-phase arts organizations on infrastructure and strategic planning, and delivers his talk “Beyond ‘If You Build It, They Will Come’” to institutions including the New England Conservatory and Alliance for Leaders in Music and Art.

Equally adept across mediums, Matthew has produced award-winning short films (Monsura is Waiting, Stag) and GLAAD Media Award-winning theater (Candy & Dorothy). He is a Recording Academy member, Blue Ribbon Judge for The Podcast Academy’s Ambie Awards, and Juror for the 2026 Worldfest-Houston International Film Festival.

Instagram Handles

@principedynamics

@operaprince

@ethansteimel

LinkedIn posts on arts and capitalism. Plus Al Heartley's article on the departure from Arena Stage of artistic director Hana Sharif.

Topics:

⭐️ Artists are people too

⭐️ Theatre education is versatile

⭐️ Capitalism, good, bad, and ugly

⭐️ The resignation of the Arena Stage artistic director Hana Sharif

Video Version

https://youtu.be/8aVKi_Hp5zE

Feature Not A Bug - Al Heartley:

https://alheartley.substack.com/p/feature-not-a-bug-how-regional-theater?r=6model&triedRedirect=true

DC Theatre Arts by Nicole Hertvik

https://dctheaterarts.org/2026/07/05/at-arena-stage-artists-and-staff-describe-a-workplace-in-crisis/

LinkedIn Post #1 - Capitalism

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/michaelstevenrobbins_you-cant-spend-your-time-on-linkedin-publicly-activity-7473467739005931521-Ylnl/

LinkedIn Post #2 - Artists are People

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/sheyrivera_its-still-wild-to-me-that-we-have-to-continue-activity-7474088488364036097-Ylus/

LinkedIn Post #3 - Education Versatility

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jenn-katona_make-no-mistake-visual-and-performing-arts-activity-7476776988527980544-634D/

LinkedIn Post #4 - Education Critical Thinking

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/dr-nina-lemon-4a980a38_creativearts-highereducation-criticalthinking-activity-7476150268963950592-PbEq/

Instagram Handles

@ethansteimel

The business part of a freelance career in Louisville with theatrical lighting designer Jesse AlFord.

Topics:

⭐️ Lighting and teching a circus

⭐️ Panic cancelling recurring donations

⭐️ Home ownership positives and negatives

⭐️ Buying your own gear to make your work easier

⭐️ Not needing a down payment to purchase a home

Video Version

https://youtu.be/LxeimTTYTEY

Jesse AlFord

https://www.litbyjesse.com/

https://www.instagram.com/litbyjesse/

https://www.instagram.com/customercircus/

Royal Court Theatre

https://royalcourttheatre.com/stories/announcing-a-reset-to-pay-terms-for-freelance-creatives/

https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/231242/full-print

Circus Flora

https://circusflora.org/

Actors Theatre of Louisville

https://www.actorstheatre.org/

Ben Gonzales

https://www.viterbo.edu/profile-list/benjamin-gonzales

Christina Ferriter

https://www.linkedin.com/in/christineferriter/

Theatre Work - Interview

https://www.artisticfinance.com/161.html

Theatre Work - Book

https://www.productionlaborbook.com/

Designer Pay Resource

https://www.elsahiltner.com/theatrical-designer-pay-resource

First Time Homebuyer Loan

https://www.rocketmortgage.com/learn/fha-loans

USA 829

https://www.usa829.org/

Liability Insurance

https://www.artisticfinance.com/136.html

Carly Does Books

https://www.carlydoesbooks.com/

A former circus performer and coach turned Lighting Designer, Jesse is from Southern California, but has settled in Louisville, Kentucky after a brief stint in San Francisco, and graduating from Washington State University. He is the Lighting Director and Resident Lighting Designer at Louisville Ballet, and has enjoyed an award-winning freelance career spanning more than a decade, working with organizations including Kentucky Shakespeare, Cincinnati Ballet, Kentucky Opera, The Va Va Vixens, Circus Flora, The Big Apple Circus, Westchester Circus Arts, The Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis, Stage One Family Theater, Louisville Orchestra, Pandora Productions, Time Slip Theater, Theatre [502], and many more across the country. He has designed more than 250 productions for over 35 organizations. Working in circus, dance, theatre and more, he specializes in the moments and productions that happen in between those disciplines.

Instagram Handles

@litbyjesse

@customercircus

@ethansteimel

@nicolevsteimel

Theatre performer and educator, Rayme Cornell, talks career finances as a single mom.

Topics:

⭐️ NOT having hobbies

⭐️ A resume versus a CV (Curriculum Vitae)

⭐️ NOT preboarding an airplane with a child in tow

⭐️ Playwrights being the most famous people in theatre

⭐️ NOT opening a 529 education savings plan for your child

⭐️ Raising a child, as a single mom, while working in theatre

⭐️ Training students who then go work on Broadway and beyond

Video Version

https://youtu.be/WfdJXIEPJD4

Rayme Cornell

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rayme-cornell-783884117/

https://www.instagram.com/raymecornell/

Webster University

https://www.webster.edu/fine-arts/conservatory-theatre-arts.php

Lynn Nottage

http://www.lynnnottage.com/

Why I’ll Never Make It

https://open.spotify.com/episode/4xWZ2BR6bjoHth2lGIRLMB?si=tySdmOr-QVaNN_t8FB5x3A

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lynn-nottage-writes-through-some-of-lifes-hardest-moments/id1330237490?i=1000690245304

529 Plan

https://www.finra.org/investors/investing/investment-accounts/college-savings-accounts/529-plans

Wilson Chin

https://wilsonchin.com/

Illinois Shakespeare Festival

https://illinoisshakes.com/

Instagram Handles

@raymecornell

@ethansteimel

@nicolevsteimel

Researcher, educator, and director CeCe Ortiz-Barnett discusses funding and access in theatre education.

Topics:

⭐️ Imposter syndrome and the importance of ego

⭐️ Giving grace and providing safe space in higher education

⭐️ Training all types of learners and accommodating them as we’re able

⭐️ CeCe’s exchange program for students from HBCUs to experience PWI of higher education, so they can have a higher likelihood of pursuing a Masters or Doctorate in theatre

Video Version:

https://youtu.be/Qhhxx5WK2CU

CeCe aka Crestencia Ortiz Barnett

https://www.crestcenciaortizbarnett.com/

https://www.instagram.com/cecebeme01/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/crestcencia-ortiz-barnett-ma-mfa-ph-d-52743583/

Reggie the SM

https://reginacwisniewski.com/

Black Theatre Troupe

https://www.blacktheatretroupe.org/

Detroit ‘67

https://www.concordtheatricals.com/p/12567/detroit-67

Rep Theatre STL

https://www.repstl.org/

URTA

https://urta.com/

UPTA

https://upta.org/

Kathy Perkins

https://kathyaperkins.com/

Arizona State University

https://musicdancetheatre.asu.edu/degree-programs/theatre

Ebo Whyte

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncle_Ebo_Whyte

Dyscalculia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dyscalculia

Stardust Riders

https://www.stardustriders.com/

Instagram Handles

@cecebeme01

@ethansteimel

@nicolevsteimel

Lighting designer Carl Faber returns to the show to discuss freelancing in the performing arts in Portland.

Topics:

⭐️ Zone defense

⭐️ Using local Credit Unions

⭐️ AI entering our workflow

⭐️ HELOC - home equity line of credit

⭐️ Ethics of Credit Cards and Big Banks

⭐️ Freelancing in theatre in Portland, Oregon

⭐️ Our fellow lighting designer Mark McCullough

⭐️ Being a father and freelance theatre designer

⭐️ Building systems in your life to help you succeed

Video Version:

https://youtu.be/QROF7Jtj4lM

Carl Faber

https://carlfaber.com/

Mark McCullough

https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/mark-mccullough-76158

https://plsn.com/newsroom/all-news/in-memoriam-mark-mccullough-lighting-designer-62/

Guidestar.org

https://www.guidestar.org/

Tony Awards

https://www.tonyawards.com/winners/

USA 829

https://www.usa829.org/

Evernote

https://evernote.com/

TurboTax

https://turbotax.intuit.com/

Portland Opera

https://www.portlandopera.org/

Carl Faber - Episode 100

https://www.artisticfinance.com/100.html

Instagram Handles

@cxfaber

@carlfaberdesign

@unitedscenicartists

@ethansteimel

@nicolevsteimel

An interview with projection designer Wendall K Harrington.

Topics:

⭐️ Building credit

⭐️ SEP IRAs for freelancers

⭐️ Asking producers to contribute to your SEP IRA

⭐️ Artistically building a 3rd show that’s a combo of the director’s vision and your vision

Video Version:

https://youtu.be/tOYo1Qd1WXQ

Wendall K Harrington

http://www.wendallharrington.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendall-harrington-6678a95/

https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/wendall-k-harrington-69732

Tharon Musser

https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/tharon-musser-25815

ABT

https://www.abt.org/

The Who's Tommy

https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/the-whos-tommy-4715

They're Playing Our Song

https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/theyre-playing-our-song-3919

DBA

https://www.uschamber.com/co/start/strategy/doing-business-as-dba-guide

SEP IRA

https://www.fidelity.com/retirement-ira/small-business/sep-ira

Garth Drabinsky

https://playbill.com/article/lawsuit-from-paradise-square-producer-garth-drabinsky-against-actors-equity-dismissed

https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/garth-h-drabinsky-21978

Douglas W Schmidt

https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/douglas-w-schmidt-25292

Peter Kaczorowski

https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/peter-kaczorowski-25728

Slide Projector

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carousel_slide_projector

Carl Faber - Episode 100

https://www.artisticfinance.com/100.html

Instagram Handles

@ethansteimel

@nicolevsteimel

A conversation about the business side of being a projection designer with Zak Borovay, who on Broadway has designed Elf, Xanadu, and Rock of Ages. He has also done work for Disney and Universal theme parks, lots of cruise lines, and the Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular.

Topics:

⭐️ Protections of a union

⭐️ Keeping your investments

⭐️ History of projection designers joining USA 829

⭐️ Freelancing versus being employed at a production company

⭐️ Recommending projects to the people you’re working with (because when you don’t, it is very noticeable)

Video Version

https://youtu.be/tFfdw6gcd00

Zak Borovay

https://borovaydesign.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/borovayz/

https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/zak-borovay-391728

Wendal Harrington

http://www.wendallharrington.com/

Driscoll Otto

https://www.driscollotto.com/

Light Talk

https://lighttalk.libsyn.com/

Rock of Ages

https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/rock-of-ages-482291

Zachary Borovay is an award-winning creative director and media /projection designer whose leadership shapes some of the most ambitious live and immersive entertainment experiences in the world. Known for uniting creative vision, storytelling, and emerging technology, he leads multidisciplinary teams to deliver media-driven experiences that captivate audiences across Broadway, global touring productions, themed entertainment, museums, and large-scale architectural environments.

His creative direction and media leadership span landmark projects including the international phenomenon Rock of Ages, alongside Evita, Elf, Xanadu, Ann, Lombardi, A Catered Affair, and Waiting for Godot & No Man’s Land starring Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen. Beyond the theater, he has driven large-scale spectacles such as the Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular, Voyage de la Vie in Singapore, and Peepshow in Las Vegas, as well as major experiential work for Disneyland, Universal Studios Hollywood, as well as many major cruise lines including Disney Cruise Lines, Norwegian, Holland America and Royal Caribbean. He has even designed media for broadcast and arena concert tours.

A recognized authority in entertainment technology and creative production, Zachary serves as Live Design/LDI’s Content Advisor and played a key role in establishing projection design as a formal discipline within United Scenic Artists Local 829. As a strategic advisor to leading media and technology companies—including Disguise, Dataton, Green Hippo, Barco, Christie, Panasonic, and Apple—he helps shape the tools that define the future of live entertainment, while mentoring the next generation of designers through courses lectures at institutions such as Yale School of Drama, Emerson, CalArts and NYU.

Instagram Handles

@front_projection

@ethansteimel

@nicolevsteimel

Choreographer Staś Kmieć explains how he’s handled the business side of his theatre and dance career.

Topics:

⭐️ Tax filing

⭐️ Healthcare

⭐️ Fiddler On The Roof

⭐️ Not spending money when on tour

Video Version:
https://youtu.be/CUtkLbPZnQ4

Staś Kmieć

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sta%C5%9B-kmie%C4%87-462b8519/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sta%C5%9B_Kmie%C4%87

Guernica by Pablo Picasso

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guernica_(Picasso)

Sammy Dallas Bayes

https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/sammy-dallas-bayes-1044

Heathers

https://heathersthemusical.com/

VITA - Free Tax Filing

https://www.sagaftra.org/ny/vita

Accountants for Creatives

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YG1sgP4LqJa6Rk5CBdnvlQ2ByEvzFNKSS6uI61QkMlY/edit?tab=t.0

Fiddler on the Roof - In Yiddish

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fidler_Afn_Dakh

Me and My Girl

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Me_and_My_Girl

The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Best_Little_Whorehouse_in_Texas

SDC - Stage Directors & Choreographers

https://sdcweb.org/

AEA - Actors Equity

https://actorsequity.org/aboutequity

SAG-AFTRA - Screen Actors Guild / American Federation of Television and Radio Artists

https://www.sagaftra.org/

AGMA - American Guild of Musical Artists

https://www.musicalartists.org/

Light Talk - Jeff Nellis

https://lighttalk.libsyn.com/light-talk-episode-459-be-tenacious-and-nice-our-conversation-with-jeff-nellis

Staś Kmieć (Direction/Choreography) has directed/choreographed multiple productions of Fiddler on the Roof throughout the world, including the new production in Yiddish that was a surprise hit on the New York theater scene (2019 Drama Desk Award, Outer Critics Circle Award, and New York Drama Critics’ Circle Citation for “Best Musical Revival”). He honors the style, intent and tradition of Jerome Robbins, and mentor Sammy Dallas Bayes and has now has taken the mantle as the "Keeper of the Fiddler flame" from the Robbins Foundation.

Other works include: the LA premiere of My Antonia (music by Stephen Schwartz), Finding Madame Curie (Theater Row-NYC), Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (Ireland premiere), Me and My Girl tour, The Elephant Man, Don Giovanni, L’elisir d’amore, Die Fledermaus, Nutcracker, Films – The Comedian, Trust the Man. Artistic Director: Ballet Western-Reserve, Lubliniacy Polish Folk Ensemble, Sarabande Repertory Ensemble.

As a performer, Staś appeared on Broadway with Lee Theodore’s American Dancemachine, and in Don Quixote with Rudolf Nureyev; and toured nationally in Fiddler on the Roof starring Theodore Bikel totaling 1,682 performances. He danced with Boston Ballet, Metropolitan Opera Ballet, and Stars of American Ballet, toured worldwide with Nureyev, and has appeared in acting and dancing roles on film and TV.

Awards include: New York Musical Festival’s “Excellence in Choreography” –The Mapmaker’s Opera (now titled The Stranger from Seville), Poland’s highest cultural honor – the Oskar Kolberg Award.

He is a member of: Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers, Actors Equity, Screen Actors Guild-AFTRA, American Guild of Musical Artists.

Instagram Handles

@ethansteimel

@nicolevsteimel

Broadway lighting programmer Brad Gray discusses financial literacy and the importance of making that choice to prioritize your finances so that you aren’t forced to hustle until your dying day.

Topics:

⭐️ Rich Dad, Poor Dad

⭐️ Programmer day rates

⭐️ Rental real estate investing

⭐️ ROTH IRAs and Retirement Accounts

⭐️ Starting them early and NOT dipping into them when purchasing a new home unless you really have to

Video Version

https://youtu.be/4uJpUwkBDY0

Brad Gray

https://www.bradgray.lighting/

Rich Dad, Poor Dad

https://bookshop.org/a/86693/9781612681139

(my affiliate link!)

Bigger Pockets

https://www.biggerpockets.com/podcasts/real-estate

FHA Loan

https://www.hud.gov/helping-americans/loans

PMI

https://www.consumerfinance.gov/ask-cfpb/what-is-private-mortgage-insurance-en-122/

Isabella Byrd

https://www.isabellabyrd.design/

Justin Townsend

https://www.justintownsenddesign.com/

Aland Henderson

https://www.linkedin.com/in/aland-henderson-914b669/

Trudy Durant

https://tcdurant.com/home.aspx

Accountants

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YG1sgP4LqJa6Rk5CBdnvlQ2ByEvzFNKSS6uI61QkMlY/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.pb5zrm8roqpz

Brad grew up in Oklahoma, where his passion for theater began at a young age. By 7, he was performing in local musicals and plays. At 10, he was operating the sound console for his local church, and by 14, he was assisting with the electrical overhaul of the Bartlesville Community Center (BCC), a 1,700-seat proscenium theater. This project opened the door to more opportunities at the BCC, including national tour load-ins, show runs, and load-outs. It was there that Brad first explored lighting programming, honing his skills on numerous plays, musicals, concerts, ballets, and symphonies performed on the BCC stage.

​

Brad pursued his passion for theater at the University of Oklahoma, studying under the late Steven Draheim and earning a degree in Lighting Design. During his later years at OU, he interned at the prestigious Williamstown Theatre Festival (WTF) in Williamstown, MA, where he gained the skills and connections necessary to launch a career in programming in New York City. Brad continued to work at WTF for three more years, serving as the Master Electrician of the Nikos Stage and later as Production Electrician. Beyond shaping his career, Williamstown also introduced Brad to his wife, Mariah.

​

With over 20 years of experience as a lighting programmer, lighting director, and consultant, Brad has built an impressive career in theater, working on over 15 Broadway shows, including The Lion King, Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Death Becomes Her and others, collaborating with industry leaders like Justin Townsend, Don Holder, and Kevin Adams. Brad is also a passionate educator, having guest lectured at NYU, Rutgers, Brooklyn College, Juilliard, the University of Oklahoma, Texas State University, and many other academic institutions, ranging from high school to collegiate education. His expertise and creative vision have taken him to stages and venues around the world, solidifying his reputation as a trusted professional in the industry.

​​

More recently, Brad has been consulting on installation projects and sales, helping schools and universities, museums, houses of worship, concert halls, and other venues bridge the gap between the overwhelming variety of equipment available and the trusted tools used by industry leaders.

​

Today, Brad resides in Randolph, NJ, with Mariah, their son Benjamin, and their golden retriever, Charlie. When he’s not working on Broadway or traveling internationally, Brad enjoys disc golf, hunting, tackling personal projects, investing in real estate, and diving into books on personal finance.

Instagram Handles

@bradgraylighting

@ethansteimel

@nicolevsteimel

Tax expert Susan Lee discusses tax implications and best practices for freelancers.

Topics:

⭐️ Cashflow

⭐️ Having a will

⭐️ Being your own bookkeeper

⭐️ A financial health checklist and a financial disaster kit

Video Version

https://youtu.be/uJQLmbiwCA0

Freelance Taxation

https://www.freelancetaxation.com/

Pieter Bruegel The Elder

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pieter_Bruegel_the_Elder

The Beekeepers

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pieter_Bruegel_the_Elder#/media/File:Pieter_Brueghel_the_Elder_-_The_Beekeepers_and_the_Birdnester,_c1568_-_Kupferstichkabinett_Berlin.jpg

Kunsthistorisches Museum - Vienna

https://www.khm.at/en

The Albertina Museum - Vienna

https://www.albertina.at/en/

Bird by Bird

https://bookshop.org/p/books/bird-by-bird-some-instructions-on-writing-and-life-anne-lamott/7937cf657650025e?ean=9780385480017&next=t&aid=86693&listref=artistic-finance-books

Altadena

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eaton_Fire

Abortion Bans by State

https://www.guttmacher.org/state-policy/explore/state-policies-abortion-bans#:~:text=shortly%20after%20birth.-,Highlights,bans%20based%20on%20gestational%20duration.

Maternal Mortality

https://thegepi.org/maternal-mortality-abortion-bans/

Susan Lee has prepared taxes for freelancers and artists in New York City for over twenty years. She is a Certified Financial Planner Professional™ who created http://freelancertaxation.com with the intention to give freelancers and artists basic information that will allow them to take advantage of their self-employed status and to meet the challenges inherent in freelancing.

Susan has written these articles for, as well as spoken to, freelancers and artist organizations including Columbia University, Bronx Museum of the Arts, Graphic Artists Guild, New York Foundation for the Arts, National Writers Union, Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, Music Cares, The Drawing Center, and others.

(Audio problems? I made a mistake uploading, so delete the episode and then try to play it again.)

Costume designer Elsa Hiltner talks about the lack of pay equity in theatrical design and what she is doing about it.

Topics:

⭐️ Living wage

⭐️ The Pay Equity Standards

⭐️ The Theatrical Designer Pay Resource

⭐️ Annual income for Chicago-based non-union costume designers

Video Version:

https://youtu.be/8DZsxRe0w_g

https://www.elsahiltner.com/

Elsa Hiltner is an organizer and activist for pay and labor equity in the arts. She has worked for over 15 years as a freelance artist and arts non-profit administrator, including as director of development for Collaboraction Theatre Company and her current role as director of programs at a legal service organization that supports artists in Illinois.

These experiences as an arts worker deeply inform her work as an arts advocate. Heressays on labor and pay equity have inspired systemic change in the theatre industry, and the tools she has created including thePay Equity Standards and theTheatrical Designer Pay Resource have been used nation-wide by individuals and organizations to promote pay transparency and pay equity. She is a co-founder ofOn Our Team, and in 2021, she was honored to receive the Michael Merritt Arts Advocacy Award.

Photo of Elsa by zakkiyyah najeebah dumas-o'neal

Instagram Handles

@elsahiltner

@ethansteimel

@nicolevsteimel

Part two of the conversation with Broadway lighting designer Jane Cox.

Topics:

⭐️ Keeping overhead low

⭐️ Paying theatre designers hourly

⭐️ Penny Remsen - Jane’s lighting mentor

⭐️ Paying for assistants / drafting out of the design fee

⭐️ Two recent design fees - one for an opera, one for an off Broadway musical

Video Version

https://youtu.be/1qBXKh3-QfM

Artistic Finance

https://linktr.ee/artisticfinance

False Steps - Off-Broadway Play

https://www.falsestepscomedy.com/

Jane Cox

https://janecoxlight.squarespace.com/

https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/jane-cox-115195

Sam Pinkleton

https://sampinkleton.com/

Stacey Derosier

https://www.staceyderosier.com/

Accountants for Theatre Artists

https://www.artisticfinance.com/resources.html

Planned Parenthood

https://www.plannedparenthood.org/donor-services

The Watershed

https://thewatershed.org/donate/

Roundabout Workforce Development Program

https://www.roundabouttheatre.org/education/career-training/theatrical-workforce-development-program

1/52 Project

https://www.oneeveryfiftytwo.org/

Tech 25 in Pittsburgh (Jordan Gilliam)

https://www.tech25.org/

Website temporarily down as of July 2025

Brighter Boston (Aja Jackson)

https://www.brighterboston.org/

Design Action

https://www.design-action.com/

LA Opera

https://laopera.org/

Teeth The Musical

https://teeththemusical.com/

Playwrights Horizons

https://www.playwrightshorizons.org/

Elsa Hiltner's Designer Pay Resource

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1myTM4B4VGfv21iJovNLYiIopUtsDClzSGLsFOsAZHi4/edit?gid=0#gid=0

Penny Remsen

https://www.umass.edu/theater/about/directory/penny-remsen

https://www.linkedin.com/in/penny-remsen-1b53b8a/

Ben Stanton

https://benstanton.com/

Justin Townsend

https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/justin-townsend-117237

Brian MacDevitt

https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/brian-macdevitt-25766

NYU Graduate Design School

https://tisch.nyu.edu/design

University of Massachussets Amherts

https://www.umass.edu/theater/

Jane Cox is a theater maker, an educator and a lighting designer working in theater, opera, dance and music. Jane won a Tony, a Drama Desk and the Henry Hewes award in 2024 for her lighting for Appropriate, and has three Tony nominations for Macbeth (‘22), Jitney (‘17) and Machinal (‘14). Her creative career has been built on relationships; some of the extraordinary theatrical artists who have shaped her creative life include Ruben Santiago-Hudson, John Doyle, Elise Thoron, Shariffa Ali, Caitríona MacLaughlin, Sam Pinkleton, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, Stacey Derosier and Sam Gold. Jane is also inspired by her brilliant students and young alumni

Recent designs include a co-design for Michael R Jackson and Anna K Jacob’s Teeth with Stacey Derosier; Donnacha Dennehy’s Land of Winter at the Irish Arts Center; The Weir at the Abbey Theater in Dublin (her home town); Felon: An American Washi Tale; and The Marriage of Figaro, Cosi and Don Giovanni at San Francisco Opera. Upcoming projects include Marina Carr’s new trilogy at the Abbey in Dublin and the Rocky Horror Show on Broadway.

Other highlights have been co-organizing and hosting the 2023 symposium and creative convening The Future of Race in Design at the Park Avenue Armory with Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, Mimi Lien and Mikaal Sulaiman; organizing a series of events with returning citizens in conjunction with performances of Felon: An American Washi Tale by Reginald Dwayne Betts; working with the engineer Naomi Leonard, composer Dan Trueman and co-designer Tess James on Rhythm Bots, a project investigating collective motion and rhythmic connection with robots; and receiving a Distinguished Achievement Award from USITT in 2025.

Jane has been a member of the Monica Bill Barnes dance company for more than twenty years and has been working with fellow lighting designer Tess James in many capacities for fifteen. She is a Professor of the Practice and Director of the Program in Theater and Music Theater at Princeton University, where she is also the co-director for the Fund for Irish Studies and a member of CreativeX. She is married to brilliant conceptual artist Evan Alexander and they have a fantastic teenage daughter who so far shows no interest in going into theatre.

Instagram Handles

@janecoxlight

@ethansteimel

@nicolevsteimel

Lighting designer Jane Cox discusses life as a freelance theatre designer who has also taken on some full time academic work.

Topics:

⭐️ Parenting while working in the arts

⭐️ Paying student loans with a credit card

⭐️ Prioritizing the needs of the community above the market rate

⭐️ The financial system working against theatre design as a career

⭐️ Jane’s tax rate as a freelancer nearing 50%, and having it lower once she started working a full time W2 job.

Video Version

https://youtu.be/jA1IOCWmHFs

Artistic Finance

https://linktr.ee/artisticfinance

Jane Cox

https://janecoxlight.squarespace.com/

https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/jane-cox-115195

Appropriate

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appropriate_(play)

Linda Essig

https://www.artisticfinance.com/147.html

Penny Remsen

https://www.umass.edu/theater/about/directory/penny-remsen

https://www.linkedin.com/in/penny-remsen-1b53b8a/

Irish Session

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_traditional_music_session

Cory Pattak's Podcast

https://in1podcast.com/

Light Talk Podcast

https://lighttalk.libsyn.com/

NYU Graduate Design School

https://tisch.nyu.edu/design

University of Massachussets Amherts

https://www.umass.edu/theater/

Clifton Taylor

https://cliftontaylor.com/

Jennifer Tipton

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jennifer_Tipton

False Steps - Off-Broadway Play

https://www.falsestepscomedy.com/

Jane Cox is a theater maker, an educator and a lighting designer working in theater, opera, dance and music. Jane won a Tony, a Drama Desk and the Henry Hewes award in 2024 for her lighting for Appropriate, and has three Tony nominations for Macbeth (‘22), Jitney (‘17) and Machinal (‘14). Her creative career has been built on relationships; some of the extraordinary theatrical artists who have shaped her creative life include Ruben Santiago-Hudson, John Doyle, Elise Thoron, Shariffa Ali, Caitríona MacLaughlin, Sam Pinkleton, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, Stacey Derosier and Sam Gold. Jane is also inspired by her brilliant students and young alumni

Recent designs include a co-design for Michael R Jackson and Anna K Jacob’s Teeth with Stacey Derosier; Donnacha Dennehy’s Land of Winter at the Irish Arts Center; The Weir at the Abbey Theater in Dublin (her home town); Felon: An American Washi Tale; and The Marriage of Figaro, Cosi and Don Giovanni at San Francisco Opera. Upcoming projects include Marina Carr’s new trilogy at the Abbey in Dublin and the Rocky Horror Show on Broadway.

Other highlights have been co-organizing and hosting the 2023 symposium and creative convening The Future of Race in Design at the Park Avenue Armory with Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, Mimi Lien and Mikaal Sulaiman; organizing a series of events with returning citizens in conjunction with performances of Felon: An American Washi Tale by Reginald Dwayne Betts; working with the engineer Naomi Leonard, composer Dan Trueman and co-designer Tess James on Rhythm Bots, a project investigating collective motion and rhythmic connection with robots; and receiving a Distinguished Achievement Award from USITT in 2025.

Jane has been a member of the Monica Bill Barnes dance company for more than twenty years and has been working with fellow lighting designer Tess James in many capacities for fifteen. She is a Professor of the Practice and Director of the Program in Theater and Music Theater at Princeton University, where she is also the co-director for the Fund for Irish Studies and a member of CreativeX. She is married to brilliant conceptual artist Evan Alexander and they have a fantastic teenage daughter who so far shows no interest in going into theatre.

Instagram Handles

@janecoxlight

@ethansteimel

@nicolevsteimel

An update on the $6,000 of investments we made in May of 2021.

Four lighting designers and a bond investment CEO review how our investments compare to the S&P 500.

Video Version

https://youtu.be/_hiXSC5HY6A

Artistic Finance

https://linktr.ee/artisticfinance

False Steps: A Ballroom Comedy

https://www.falsestepscomedy.com/

ETFs:

IVV - iShares Core S&P 500

Stocks:

VST - Vistra Corp

LAC - Lithium Americas

TAP - Molson Coors Beverage (owners of Blue Moon)

SKLZ- Skillz

Cryptocurrency:

Bitcoin

Wine:

Vinovest

Real Estate - REITS:

REG - Regency Centers Corp -Previously UBA

SRG - Seritage Growth Properties

VICI - Experiential Real Estate - Previously MGM Properties

STAG - STAG Industrial

Art:

Bret Slater - Artist

https://www.bretslater.com/

https://www.patreon.com/posts/64295618

VTSAX - Total USA Stock Market Index Fund

https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/VTSAX/

Coinbase - COIN

https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/COIN/

Masterworks

https://www.masterworks.com/

Bridget Riley

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridget_Riley

Kroger - KR

https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/KR/

Nvidia - NVDA

https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/NVDA/

Daktronics - DAKT

https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/DAKT/

Maithreyi Gopalakrishnan:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/maithreyi-gopalakrishnan/

https://www.liquidificorp.com/

Ebony Madry:

https://www.instagram.com/ebmadry/?hl=en

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ebony-madry-6a9651139/

Amy D Lux:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-d-lux-953a7318a/

https://utopiadreamscape.com/author/luvlogica/

Gary Archer

https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-archer-31482933/

https://www.instagram.com/lightdesign2020/

Ethan Steimel

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethansteimel/

https://www.instagram.com/artisticfinance/?hl=en

Instagram Handles @ebmadry @liquidifi @officialamydlux @lightdesign2020 @ethansteimel @artisticfinance

Set designer Vincent Gunn talks about the benefits of tracking the hours that you work.

Topics:

⭐️ Valuing your time

⭐️ Investing the money in your retirement account

⭐️ Writing things down and getting them out of your head

⭐️ Designers thinking about work even when they’re not at work

Video Version

https://youtu.be/g1BZrnh3l7A

Artistic Finance

https://linktr.ee/artisticfinance

Vincent Gunn

https://www.vincentgunn.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/vincent-gunn-3a45aab2/

https://www.instagram.com/vincentgunndesign/?hl=en

Hours Tracker

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1P-ujmcgDcdZYxW78hqBa3HgiBdlI0gGK0LGG2RoNZqw/edit?usp=sharing

NEA Budget Cut Tracker

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1cHCTXssMWuMweRLUjGQKtsck_rg7v4tMg7cpfzDQil8/htmlview

Liability Insurance for Lighting Folx

https://www.artisticfinance.com/136.html

Liability Insurance for Performers

https://www.artisticfinance.com/141.html

Vincent (he/him) is a New Jersey based Scenic Designer. He has designed shows for various theatre companies in the New York area and beyond including York Theatre Company, Centenary Stage Company, Vanguard Theater Company, St. Bart's Players, Stella Adler Studio of Acting, Post Theatre Company, the Metropolitan Playhouse, the New London Barn Playhouse, and various educational venues. He has assisted designers on productions at venues such as The New York Philharmonic, LABrynth Theater Company, Irish Repertory Theatre, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Roundabout Black Box, BAM Fisher, La Mama ETC and INTAR. Vincent has a B.A. in Theatre Design and Production from Fordham University. http://vincentgunn.com/ @vincentgunndesign

Instagram Handles

@ethansteimel

@nicolevsteimel

@vincentgunndesign