Announcing the director for Always... Patsy Cline!
MICHELLE TATTENBAUM (Director) Theater: Directed the world premiere of the musical NOBODY LOVES YOU at the Old Globe (San Diego Theatre Critics Circle nomination: Best Director) and the New York premiere at Second Stage. Regional directing credits include the Off-Square Theatre, O’Neill Musical Theatre Conference, Hangar Theatre, Cape Fear Regional Theatre, Williamstown, Goodspeed and Shakespeare Theatre of NJ. New Media: Wrote and directed the upcoming audio drama THE LIBRARIAN LIFE OF MARGARET HILL. As the Director of Production for Gen-Z Media, she directed numerous fiction podcasts for kids (including over 200 episodes of the mystery thriller SIX MINUTES). Film: Directed and produced the short films “Idea” and “Use Your Words.”
For tickets, visit gretnatheatre.org
#Summer2026 #MtGretna #PatsyCline #Always
Hawaiian vistas from our trip. Photos don’t do this place justice. You need at least a 180 degree perspective. We were on Oahu and Kauai. Heading home today (a day early) to avoid a terrible storm that is moving in tonight. @neil.ginsberg is a wonderful traveling companion and took some of these (and appears in others)
The beauty of Wyoming! First is a time lapse video of my 20 minute commute to rehearsal. Then just a taste of the gorgeous scenery. I feel so lucky I got to spend three and a half weeks in this part of the country.
I took a little break from directing full stage productions to focus on filmmaking and writing...the break extended a little longer than I intended...so long that I started to wonder if it might be permanent? Luckily, it wasn't! After over three years, the longest I've ever gone without directing a stage production since I started directing, I had the absolute pleasure of going to @offsquaretheatre in Jackson, WY to direct Lucy Prebble's beautiful play, The Effect. Here are a few production shots. I wish you all the chance to have such a rewarding creative experience working with people even one half as nice and talented and generous as the group of folks who worked on this production! (Next post will be scenery photos, because Wyoming is SO BEAUTIFUL!!)
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CAST: @jennakra as Connie. @r11e11x as Tristan. @wilder_nicholas as Toby. @hannah_d_scott as Dr. James.
DESIGN TEAM: @jeradschomer (sets, lights and projections) and Dena DeMarco (costumes), @jaclyn.hk (props), @pearlrhein (sound)
PRODUCTION TEAM: @commissionermacker (Producing Artistic Director), @sadiejfrank (Associate Producer), @nocturneclaync (intimacy, fight and movement direction), Rachael Sheffer (stage manager)
About a year ago, I had an idea for a short film. I had never written a short film! But I had this idea, and I took a class to help guide me, and I wrote it. And a few wonderful friends gave me incredibly helpful feedback on it, and I rewrote it, and then I started submitting it for grants and prizes and things.
One of the things I submitted it for was a contest where the prize was that the production company would produce your film. And I was like, "wow, wouldn't that be amazing!?!"
And a couple of weeks ago, I found out the script was an "official selection" for the contest. And that felt really good because basically, it meant that at least one person I don't know read my script and liked it. Which, when you're slaving away on your own, making art that you hope will reach people, feels like kind of a big deal the first time it happens. So I chalked that up to a win.
And then, guess what? The film was selected as a semi-finalist. And I was like, "whoa! that's amazing! My first screenplay!" (No laurel for being a semi-finalist, so you'll have to be satisfied with the "official selection" laurel.)
AND THEN! The film was selected as a FINALIST. There were only five finalists! This very, very personal little film I wrote! Was one of the top five films submitted to this contest.
I didn't win.
But what a boost! After many, many years directing the work of other writers, I've been writing myself in the past few years, and this is the very first recognition of any sort for my writing. It's scary sending your creative babies out into the world, so it's such a relief when they receive a warm welcome.
#shortfilm #screenwriting #filmmakerlife
A nice review of "Use Your Words" from the folks at the Austin Short Film Fest. (Incidentally, we won the Best Drama award that the episode tells you we were nominated for!)
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Michelle Tattenbaum @mtattenbaum (director and exec producer) Sarah Saltwick @sswritesplays (screenwriter and exec producer), Nathalie Frederick @natchb (producer) Tricia Mears @tricia_mears (cinematographer)
Davis Clenney @expensivemango (colorist)
post coloring house: @lightironpost
Dillon Geyselaers @dillongeyselaers (production design) @theoctopusproject (score), Cat Stevens @catriona_rubenis_stevens (AD), Stephanie Choriatis stephchoriatis (production sound mixer), Elisa Abend-Goldfarb @makeupbyelisa37 (hair and makeup), Maria Castillo @mariathescripty (script supervisor), Cai Hall @caihall (camera operator), Jake Lemmen @jalemmen (editor), Guy Shavitt @guyshavitt (post sound mix), Emma Tattenbaum-Fine @emmatattenbaumfine (producer), Noelle Teagno (producer)
#shortfilm #feministfilm #filmdirector #screenwriter #womensstories
Photo dump from my first week in Wyoming directing “The Effect” @offsquaretheatre 🎭
What a beautiful place, and a beautiful play and a wonderful (also beautiful, but that’s secondary) cast…
#stagedirector #directingtheatre #directorlife #jacksonholewyoming
"Use Your Words" will be screening on October 25th at the @austin.short.film.festival - We're so excited that the film will be showing in screenwriter/co-exec producer @sswritesplays home town!
Austin folks, come check us out!
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Michelle Tattenbaum @mtattenbaum (director and exec producer) Sarah Saltwick @sswritesplays (screenwriter and exec producer), Nathalie Frederick @natchb (producer) Tricia Mears @tricia_mears (cinematographer)
Davis Clenney @expensivemango (colorist)
post coloring house: @lightironpost Dillon Geyselaers @dillongeyselaers (production design) @theoctopusproject (score), Cat Stevens @catriona_rubenis_stevens (AD), Stephanie Choriatis stephchoriatis (production sound mixer), Elisa Abend-Goldfarb @makeupbyelisa37 (hair and makeup), Maria Castillo @mariathescripty (script supervisor), Cai Hall @caihall (camera operator), Jake Lemmen @jalemmen (editor), Guy Shavitt @guyshavitt (post sound mix), Emma Tattenbaum-Fine @emmatattenbaumfine (producer), Noelle Teagno (producer)
#shortfilm #feministfilm #filmdirector #screenwriter #womensstories #austinfilmmaker
