Artistic Finance

204: Scrolling LinkedIn & Turnover in DC Theatre

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&utm_medium=ios&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
 

202: Performing, Parenting, and Theatre Education with Rayme Cornell

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

201: Funding and Access in Theatre Education with CeCe Ortiz-Barnett

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

200: Freelancing in Portland and Ethics Make Us Human with Lighting Designer Carl Faber

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
 
 
 

199: Projection Design, On Broadway, In A Studio, As A Parent, and SEP IRAs with Wendall K Harrington

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
 
 

198: The Business of Projection with Zak Borovay

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
 

197: Never Doing Just One Thing with Choreographer Staś Kmieć

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

196: Financial Education as a Theatrical LX Programmer with Brad Gray

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
 

195: Gross Income ≠ Take-Home Pay with Susan Lee

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 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.

194: Pay Equity in Theatrical Design with Costume Designer Elsa Hiltner

(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. Her essays on labor and pay equity have inspired systemic change in the theatre industry, and the tools she has created including the Pay Equity Standards and the Theatrical Designer Pay Resource have been used nation-wide by individuals and organizations to promote pay transparency and pay equity. She is a co-founder of On 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