We had the good fortune of connecting with R. Lee Kratzer and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi R. Lee, what do you think makes you most happy? Why?

Joy is an integral value of my work. Nothing is more joyful than facilitating a healthy rehearsal room and watching a group of actors become an ensemble through the process of making theatre together. Even if the show I am directing is heavy, complex, or upsetting, we work with a sense of ease, joy, and gratitude, which creates trust in the rehearsal room and on stage.

Only when collaborating with others is a piece of theatre or opera truly understood and our imaginations made legible. Being a leader, facilitator, and the lead interpreter of the work is a great privilege and huge responsibility that I do not take for granted.

In a personal sense, success looks like the constant process of creation, being in pre-production, rehearsal, and tech over and over and over again. There is always an opportunity to grow, and every single process has lessons and discoveries and opens up new pathways for working with a balance of rigor and ease.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?

I am a New York-based director of theatre and opera. My work sits at the intersection of opera, music, dance, and theatre. I am working on dismantling why we insist on distinguishing between these disciplines when all pieces of live storytelling share these component parts. I often stage pieces that weren’t meant to be staged, such as oratorios or chamber music, and combine voices that we might not think to pair together. I am committed to collaborative processes, stories for and about women, explorations of ritual, and the Jewish concept of Tikkun Olam, meaning to repair the world. Working with the elements of time and space, we can recognize and rectify— through beauty, wonder, humor, and horror—wrongs that have been done or histories that have been warped and make our imaginations legible for audiences. I have a BA from Brandeis University and an MFA in theatre directing from Columbia University.

It’s been a long and continuing professional journey! I’ve been a director since 2015, but until 2018 I also worked full-time in development and special events at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. That was one of the most fulfilling times of my life, not only because event planning is inherently theatrical but because I was surrounded by incredible visual art that subconsciously made its way into my live storytelling practice. The museum is dedicated to beauty through composition and juxtaposition, and it molded my artistic sensibilities.

In 2018, I decided to attend graduate school at Columbia University, and I became a different, more thoughtful artist. Learning from Anne Bogart and Brian Kulick is a gift I’ll never be able to repay. Their unique pedagogy, which profoundly changed me, has inspired me to work with young artists, and I often direct them at BFA theatre programs. Young artists must learn what a healthy, safe, and joyful rehearsal process feels like so they can take that litmus test forward with them throughout their careers.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.

My neighborhood is on the upper west side of Manhattan. I didn’t grow up here, but my grandfather did, and I’m proud to call it my home now.

We’re starting the day with breakfast from Zabars. Fun fact: my grandparents had breakfast there every day for thirty years. We’ll order it to go and sit on a bench in Riverside Park. If it’s Sunday, we’re going to the Grand Bazar at 77th St, where we’ll check out vintage and local vendors. We’ll probably have a snack and then walk to New York Historical Society to check out their latest exhibition. If it’s Saturday, we might see a play at Lincoln Center or take the train to BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music). We might see something at the Park Avenue Armory, where I think some of the most exciting work in the city is happening.

For dinner, we’re going to Evergreen on 38th for some of the best Peking Duck in Manhattan. Then a long walk home.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?

First of all, a thank you to my friend and colleague, Greg T. Nanni, for nominating me! We’ve worked together on several pieces, including his fantastic play, RAGE, which we were fortunate to have produced by Emerson Stage last year.

Above all, I dedicate this to my frequent collaborators who make the work worth making. And also my fantastic director friends who help to make this job not feel lonely.

Website: http://www.miller-rebecca.com/

Instagram: @rlmk___

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rebecca.miller.5811/

Image Credits
Monica Giordano Krystal Pagán Hunter Canning Craig Bailey/Perspective Photo Emily Hewitt Mei Lin Barral Photography Matt Conti

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