Ep346 - Diane Paulus: Six Floors of Masquerade Madness

Diane Paulus joins the show for a deep dive into her remarkably storied career, starting with the serendipitous discovery of her father’s history as a director for the Army Entertainment Corps in post-war Tokyo. She shares how growing up at the doorstep of Lincoln Center and performing as a child at the New York City Ballet shaped her rhythmic, music-first approach to storytelling. Diane also pulls back the curtain on the "NASA mission" level of complexity required to mount her latest production, Masquerade, explaining the mathematical precision needed to move audiences through six floors of a converted art supply store.

The conversation explores Diane's obsession with the audience's role as the "final character" and her mission to move theater beyond the traditional proscenium. From the disco-fueled origins of The Donkey Show to the egoless, collaborative rehearsal process of rotating six different Phantoms, Diane reveals how she manages to make the impossible possible. It is an inspiring look at the future of immersive experiences and the enduring power of human-centered, visceral ritual.

Diane Paulus is a Tony Award-winning director and the Terrie and Bradley Bloom Artistic Director of the American Repertory Theater at Harvard University. Her celebrated Broadway credits include the high-octane revivals of Hair, Pippin, 1776, and The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess, as well as the hit musicals Waitress, Finding Neverland, and Jagged Little Pill. She is currently the visionary behind Masquerade, a brand-new immersive reimagining of The Phantom of the Opera in New York City.