Steven Raider-Ginsburg

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Age: 39

Title at work/what I do: Co-founding artistic director of the Hartford-based HartBeat Ensemble, an award-winning theater company that generates dynamic new works based on the most pressing issues of our times. I am an accomplished freelance director and have been commissioned by theaters regionally. I was honored in American Theatre's 25th anniversary issue celebrating 25 young theater artists who are most likely to influence American Theater in the next 25 years. I am a member of the 2012 Lincoln Center Directors Lab and serve on the City of Hartford's Commission of Cultural Affairs.

Town where I work: Hartford

Town where I live: New Haven

College I attended: Hampshire College (undergrad); Boston University (M.F.A.)

My passion, hobby or special talent: Civic and community engagement, action and dialogue

Twitter handle: @culturecreate

No. of LinkedIn connections: Always growing

Favorite place to network: HartBeat Ensemble's Carriage House Theater – HartBeat Happy Hour!

Favorite drink at a networking event: Manhattan, no cherry, dry

How do I create connections in my professional life?

HartBeat is a hub of artists. We bring in regional, national, and internationally known theater makers. So in some ways the local and global theater connections comes right to my doorstep. I also go and work at other theaters in many locales. So my best networking is done on the job, in HartBeat's theater and around the globe in other theaters. I continue to meet a world of amazing artists at professional gatherings such as the Lincoln Center Directors Lab, Theater Communications Group, and the Network of Ensemble Theaters as well as at HartBeat and other regional theaters.

What's been my biggest challenge professionally?

Retaining and attracting theater talent in Hartford and Connecticut has been my toughest challenge. Theater is a collaborative art and cannot be done alone. A good theater will allow the best idea in the room to prevail. Great talent, brings great ideas. With the largest theater scene in the country so close, New York City, talent drains quickly. Across the state, youth grow up training in theater at such fabulous institutions such as the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts, Kinsella Arts Magnet, and ECA. Then there are many high quality theater degree programs, Yale, Hartt, UConn graduating dozens of talented theater professionals. We want/need them to stay in Connecticut! I am just beginning to work on some retention and attraction ideas but am always open to discussing the solution to this problem.