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DO IT TODAY is a podcast hosted by Kara Cutruzzula, who asks friends and notable figures across creative industries about what they're doing that day—and how they're going to do it. It's an up close look at process and practice, a reminder for you to do your most meaningful work, and a mini dose of encouragement in 20 minutes or less.
Kara Cutruzzula: Hi everyone.
Welcome to Do It Today.
I'm Kara Cutruzzula, and today I'm
talking with Erica Rotstein,
who is a theater producer, a
talent manager, and an educator.
She's a co-founder of Business of
Broadway, which offers courses that pull
back the curtain on the theater industry,
and she's also just a wonderful person.
Erica, when we met a few summers
ago, you opened my eyes to so much
about the industry and I was also
like, This woman is so nice and smart
and I wanna be friends with her.
So I made that my mission.
Uh, so thank you for being here and you
do a lot, you have a lot of, projects,
a lot of clients, and I'm just really
curious though, what are you doing today?
What's
Erica Rotstein: First of all, thank
you for that loving introduction.
I felt the same way about you
when we first met, and I'm so
happy that we are now friends.
It's funny because I was thinking about
that before sitting down to chat with you.
I was like, wow, how would I even
summarize what is going on for me today?
because as your introduction, you know,
shared, I do wear a bunch of different
hats in the industry and what it
means is that like on any given day, a
million unrelated things are going on.
in my producing world, I'm currently the
executive producer for an off-Broadway
musical called The Appointment That
is in its Final Weeks of Performances.
and gratefully it got some really lovely,
reviews and, critics pick accolades.
And as a result, we're now in our final
week of performances and the demand
is very high for this final week.
So because it is scrappy off Broadway
producing, I'm also like basically the.
Box office manager who is managing
ticket, requests and things together
with our amazing company manager, aj.
And so a lot of my day today has
literally just been fielding all of
the industry folk who realize we're
closing this weekend, wanna get in
and see the show at the last minute.
so there's like that side of my brain.
there's also the side of my
brain that is, helping clients.
two of my clients who are writer composer
lyrics work through sort of like a
challenging, negotiation moment on a new
project and figuring out what it means to
find common language and, Shared strategy
on a new project with collaborators.
and this afternoon at three, I am
also doing a moment of consulting
with, folks who met us through the
business of Broadway, or who met
me through the business of Broadway
and who are seeking some strategic
producing consulting support.
Around their own projects that
they're producing or reading
of in the coming months.
So a little bit of a lot of
different things is the answer
to what I am up to right now.
Kara Cutruzzula: how are you able to
switch, between each of these things?
Are you always adjusting on the
fly or how do you sort of deal with
the Commitments that might come up
and feel more urgent than things
you might already have planned.
What does that look like to you?
Erica Rotstein: I am a person
who really like, jumps into
everything headfirst, whole hog.
I don't know what it is to like be half
invested when I'm In a project like I
am right now at the appointment where we
are in it and rolling and, and it is all
in real time, I can sometimes actually
get myopic and be a little negligent of
the other projects and the other folks
calling upon my attention, love the
way you sort of put that Kara, I like
default to the things that most obviously
need my attention most immediately.
, Rachel Sussman, who is one of my
members of Broadway, is also the other
executive producer of the appointment.
We are partners in this and she and I
have talked a lot over the course of this
process about the ying and yang that we
bring to the table because she is, is much
better at the big vision and the dreaming
and I am in the trees, like making
sure each piece of bark is still alive.
But I also have this awareness
of like, we're reaching the
final week of the appointment.
And those clients of mine as a manager
who have raised their hands and said,
I, I have an immediate need I have
paused and made time to address that.
but those clients who haven't had an
immediate need over the last four weeks.
I've pretty much neglected
and that's not good.
Right?
and this is part of me finding
this new balance as well.
I'm in a lot of ways learning
these things in new right now,
because it is the first time my
management has been as big as it is.
And I've had a full project
in production simultaneously.
So I don't know that I have.
Best practices to share.
But I can say that part of what I am
focused on and I'm constantly in awe
of, in some of my colleagues, Rachel,
Heather Shields and Sammy Lopez, who
are my partners at the business of
Broadway, is how they actually managed
to always have so much going on and
never seem to be myopic, Even when they
are in production, I always feel like
they're present as a business partner
to me, and I have had them in my mind
a lot while I've been in production
for the appointment and thinking
about how I could be better at that.
Kara Cutruzzula: the common theme among
all of your many different endeavors
does seem to be relationships and
maintaining relationships, starting
relationships, shepherding projects.
And I was wondering how you sort
of balance that desire to nurture
relationships with having to do
all of the other things that,
that you do on a daily basis.
Erica Rotstein: I have some, artists
who I work with who really like a
weekly check-in and a week in the
form of an email, and others who
prefer a regular check-in in the
form of a phone call and others who.
Really would hate the practice of
a regular check-in and would rather
just raise the flag when it's time
for us to reconnect and download
and focus on something new together.
but am so sort of touched by the.
Way you phrased what it is that I
do and how, how you've picked up
on, um, sort of the heart of what
it is I hope to do, which is build
all of my work around relationships.
I'm like, just so tickled that
you see that and we're able to
articulate that so beautifully.
Um, because that is really,
for me, that is the common
factor in everything that I do.
In some ways it's actually less about
the practical, how do we connect
and it's more about the qualitative.
What is the nature of our connection?
and for me, the common denominator in all
of the relationships is, you know, um, Kim
Scott wrote a book called Radical Candor
that I'm going to admit to never having
read in its entirety, only having read
half of really enjoying the half I read.
But, perhaps the word that most, Applies
is that of radical candor, which is
like Everybody in this relationship
is a human being with feelings.
Even I, as the person who's supposed to
perhaps in the equation of let's say, a
manager to artist or a producer to artist,
supposed to be the one who perhaps.
Has the answers or maintains
composure or, or solves the problems.
and I take the responsibility to
solve the problems very seriously.
I'm also still a human, right?
And so what does it mean to relate
to each other on a human level and to
talk about needs and or problems and or
challenges and or the best strategy for,
Getting you from point A to point B in
the context of like, what are you feeling?
What am I feeling?
What is it you need?
What is it I actually feel like I
can realistically provide you as
the human being that I am and the
skills that I bring to the table.
And also like the work I enjoy doing
and the work I don't enjoy doing.
Um, and where's like the intersection
of what you're hoping to accomplish
and what I feel like I can really
deliver and deliver with ease.
for example, there's this, this
moment of friction on one of.
The projects that, some of my clients
were bringing on at the moment,
and all that I really cared about
was knowing that I could represent.
Their needs and their values as
humans and the rest of it follows.
the practical stuff then follows.
that's sort of the commonality, if
you will, between all the different
hats that I wear and I hope that even
those folks who rightly might feel
like I just disappeared on them for
four months, also feel like we can
have a really candid conversation
about, if they had feelings about it,
and what I could do better next time.
And I since I didn't actually define
it, when I say radical candor, I really
mean, being willing to share honestly
how we are feeling in both directions
and work from there at all times.
Kara Cutruzzula: I love that book and
the idea behind it is one that really
sticks because I think her example of.
it's not kind to the other person to lead
them on in some way with either false
hope or false praise the idea that being
honest and vulnerable and and candid can
lead to a deeper relationship and is a
hallmark of an effective leader, right?
Like we can't be afraid to.
Say the things that the other
person might not want to hear.
And I did wonder in your relationships,
both as a a manager and a producer, how
do you kind of share that might not.
Be positive or that might be
disappointing to another person.
like, do you lean into optimism?
you're not gonna sugarcoat it because
I know you, but like, I don't know,
when something doesn't quite go the way
either you expect or a client expects,
how do you kind of move on from there?
Erica Rotstein: It's,
you know, it's so funny.
I, I, I, once again, I'm like, wow, Kara.
The way you just summarized, like when
you said that about sugarcoating, I'm
like, I'm just so grateful for, for
what you are reflecting back at me.
Um, you know, it's funny, my mother
likes to joke that, except I think
she thinks it's a joke and I'm
like, I'm not sure it's as funny
or as kind as you think it is.
But she likes to say that Erica can,
Give you some harsh feedback and
you don't even notice she's done it.
And I actually know she
means it as a compliment.
I'm not sure if that's the best way
to, to, to put the compliment, but
you know, frankly, I am a person
who actually finds more conflict
and discomfort in not naming.
Discomfort.
Like Staying silent and not talking
about it is actually much more
uncomfortable for me as a human.
part of that is just my makeup and part
of that is my mother and how I was raised.
And a lot of that is actually,
um, being mentored by the woman
I worked for for over a decade.
Jennifer Costello, who is a producer, And
an executive at Broadway across America.
And Jen just operates from a place of,
it is never helpful not to say the truth.
I sat by her side for a decade
and learned from her what it looks
like to tell the truth in a way
that isn't about sugarcoating.
It isn't actually, as my mom put it, about
making someone not notice that perhaps
you're saying something critical, right?
Or you're saying something
that might cause friction.
It's not about that, but it is about,
how do you say it in a way that.
They can actually hear it productively.
and what that actually requires first
and foremost is like, giving myself some
breath and some time because usually my
first instinct about how to articulate
it is not the right one and, or is come
from a place of my own emotions and my
own emotionality and is never gonna be
the way that someone on the other side
of the table is best gonna hear it.
And so it is about like, actually,
Providing some grace with myself
to be like, what's the best way
to tackle this conversation?
And who am I talking to on
the other side of the table?
Because no two people are the same.
What do I know about this person and how
they might hear this feedback the best.
and I think it really does come from
just not being afraid of saying the
truth, I don't know why this is the
particular example that comes to mind,
but, I was working with some friends,
creating some content for the election
for Democratic, um, down ballot
candidates during the 2020 election.
And we had like pursued a path of
writing like this whole big music
video to put on the internet.
we reached out to artists' friends to
write it and we sort of reached the
moment in the process where we were
like, what they've written is fantastic,
And we also had this realization that
like, and now we could spend a lot
of energy, you know, unpaid energy
and bandwidth making this video.
And none of us had any hesitations
about expending that energy and
bandwidth in service of potentially
having more Democrats win the election.
So, But it was like, and then
how many people are gonna see it?
is it actually gonna get anyone else out
to the, ballot box and move the needle?
This arrived at the realization
that it probably wouldn't.
But what we then had to do was go back
to these artists with whom we were
friends and who had written a fantastic
satirical song about the election and be
like, thank you for writing this song.
We're now not doing anything with it.
And, we also had to have the hard
conversation as sort of collaborators
in the creation of the work where
one of my collaborators said, I
mean, we can't, we can't tell them
that, so we just have to make it.
We can't have that conversation with
these artist friends because that
will be really disappointing to them.
So we just have to make it,
and I was like, it will be
really disappointing to them.
That is not the reason for us to make it.
And I went back to the artist friends and
I said to them, listen, we love your work.
Your work is fantastic.
Here's where our heads are at.
Here's how we feel about what,
like the right way for all
of us to expend energy in.
You know, the time we could have spent
making this music video is probably
better spent with us all phone banking.
We will probably move
more needles that way.
It was a great idea and now that
we're into the execution of it,
we're realizing maybe it wasn't as
great idea as we thought it was.
Were those artists disappointed?
Of course they were.
They're human.
How could they not be?
And I knew they would be, and
I honored that they inevitably
were on that phone call.
But I also just talked to them
as collaborators cuz that's what
they were, they were my peers and
my equals and my collaborators.
And frankly, maybe that's the crux
of it, which is in our business
in particular, I feel like so many
relationships are like laden with.
Power dynamics, and I think the
foundational key to having these kinds
of candid conversations is to removing
all power dynamics and looking at each
other as humans and as equals, and
just talking honestly with each other.
Kara Cutruzzula: Wow.
I want that to be like my
mantra for 2023, I think.
I hear you say this, and I'm like,
oh my gosh, I just wish I wish I
was like, Erica, I wish I could
channel that kind of, Directness and
forthrightness and everything that
your mom kind of identified with what
you're able to share with other people.
But I think, for some people it
becomes difficult because it's
immediately labeled as conflict, right?
Like that's the power dynamic.
It is.
I'm creating a problem or I'm sort
of not going along with something
that we agreed on, or I don't know.
It just sounds like you,
what you are describing is.
An adaptable mindset.
This idea that ideas can change
and goals can change and we
can all change with them,
Erica Rotstein: I will, I will credit
that to another author and, and
Brilliant Mind, Adrian Marie Brown.
Um, and I like have, besides reading and
consuming Adrian's content, I also, I.
Got to develop a relationship with
one of her collaborators and another
brilliant writer and activist, Sonya
Renee Taylor over the, pandemic.
and they really taught me about the
notion of emergence and what does
it mean to like, recognize that.
We can't possibly know everything
today that we will know tomorrow.
And so it has to be okay that the
plan we make today might not still
feel like the right plan tomorrow.
in some ways though, I think my
practice of candor predates 2020.
I think my like whole embodied
embracing of that notion of emergence
is, is actually kind of new for me.
and is thanks to having, Emergent
strategy by Adrian Marie Brown in my
life and people like Sonya in my life.
Kara Cutruzzula: This also touches
on an idea I wanted to talk about,
which is creating theater and
supporting people who are creating
theater is such a long process, right?
I love what you said about you are
focused on the bark on the tree, um, and
maybe sometimes not seeing the entire
forest, but how do you kind of approach
those smaller goals and milestones?
I mean, do you look at the beginning
of the year and say, we wanna be
here, here, and here by these kind
of benchmarks throughout the year?
Or how do you structure your
life and strategy in that way?
Erica Rotstein: it's funny, I just said
this conversation this morning with a
friend who is both a friend and a coach
and, we were sort of talking in more of
a, of a coaching kind of context, and.
My friend Kat, reminded me.
I was like, you know, I'm just feeling
like I'm not entirely sure how to
articulate my, my goals for the next
year for myself and my business.
And she was like, well, having
articulated goals and set a
roadmap for yourself is never how
you find your best opportunities.
Like you, you, Erica, have always found
your best opportunities by being embodied
in the moment that an opportunity presents
itself and knowing when it feels right.
In your bones.
And I was like, oh my God.
Of course.
That's who I am.
And I like keep trying to be
like, but you should have a plan.
And like, I don't really have a plan.
But that said, that is not the perspective
I would take to producing a project.
In contrast, I do think that as
a producer, It is actually really
important to think about what are
our goals for the next year, for the
next three years for this piece, and
therefore, what is the groundwork
that needs to be laid to get us there?
And I think even in doing so, Making
a plan and then knowing it might
make a hard right turn that you
didn't anticipate in a couple months.
All of that is also part of the process,
but Most of what I work on is musicals
and building a musical requires a lot of
people in a lot of pieces, you can't be
back footed about it and sort of just like
assume that, the work of a collaboration
and building a cohesive team and
building a cohesive vision for a project.
We'll, just like.
Make itself happen, right.
I do think you have to be proactive and
strategic about what are the artists
involved in this project need for
themselves as artists in this moment?
What do they need in their
learning about this piece?
And what does the piece need, right?
Like, what do you as a producer
need to learn about this piece
right now in order to help further?
Understand the strategy for it.
and so I do think it's important
to like lay steps and ground
plans, in that context.
I'll offer one quick example, which
is I'm part of the producing team as
an associate producer on the Broadway
bound musical Water for Elephants.
And that show has circus and puppetry and.
In addition to your, your more
traditional choreography and set in
costumes and lights and sound, we also
have people flying through the air and
an elephant on stage in puppet form.
And so there's literally three weeks of
choreo and circus pre-production happening
right now in advance of rehearsals
beginning in April for the world
premier production of the show at the
Alliance Theater in Atlanta this summer.
I cannot personally take credit because
it is the lead producers, Jen Castello,
who I mentioned earlier, being one of
them who who have mastermind minded.
This particular plan.
In this case, it is not me.
But, if Karen thought by the producing
and general management team had not
been put into place and in collaboration
with Jessica Stone, the director, and
with all of the designers, if real Karen
thought hadn't been put into place,
what do we already need to know before
the first day of rehearsal in April?
what are the things we already
need to know how to plan for before
we can even walk into rehearsal?
Because walking into rehearsal
requires all of the rigging for all
of the circus acts to already be in
place, So the circus acts can't be
choreographed or first discovered
during rehearsal because by the time we
get to rehearsal, the actual physical
capacity for them already has to be.
Planned for, right?
So like what does it mean to then
backpedal from that knowledge and
be like, what are the strateg,
what are the plans and moments that
need to be put into place to get us
to that moment that is producing?
Kara Cutruzzula: Oh my gosh.
there's something so specific about
producing that is both macro and micro,
that I just feel like it takes such
unique individuals who can both look
at this long tail years of development
and then break it down into those.
Tiny goals down to the day-to-day goals
and keep everything running at the same
time and, and have that forward momentum
to sort of inspire and push and lead it.
I almost wanna say like it's
a motor that runs a little
bit faster than everyone else.
So, getting just back quickly
to the nitty gritty of your day.
You have all of these, meetings and
emails and phone calls and people
wanting to get into the show.
How do you wind down at the end of a day?
I'm sure today probably looks a little
different than it might look in a couple
weeks from now, but what is today going
to look like for you at the end of it?
Erica Rotstein: I love that question
today in particular, because I'll admit.
that my care practices over the last.
Three weeks in particular as the
show have been running, have a
little bit fallen by the wayside.
But today I get to have dinner with
two of my best friends from childhood,
two of the women with whom I grew up
and who have completely shaped who
I am as a human being in the world.
live in the tri-state area and are coming
into the city to see the show tonight.
And we are gonna have dinner before it.
And I am just so excited for the.
Breath of fresh air and
refilling of my cup.
That always comes with, getting to
spend time with the two of them.
Kara Cutruzzula: Oh, that's so wonderful.
Well, having, having a great dinner
with friends to look forward to
is always, just a nice break.
And it reminds me to make
a few plans of my own.
thank you so much for your time
and for sharing a little bit about.
What you do and how you do it
I'll let you get to all of the
things, but I can't wait to you.
Talk to you again soon.
Erica Rotstein: Thank you
so much for having me, Kara.
So great to chat with you Always.