Val Day is the Artistic Director for 59E59 Theaters, one of NYC’s top venues producing, showing and promoting original Off-Broadway theater today. After early career stints as a bookshop owner and the co-founder of a site specific theater company in Tampa, Florida – and receiving her MFA from UCSD – Val spent the better part of two decades discovering and representing emerging playwrights and directors as a talent agent. Now in her fifth year with 59, we reached out to Val to ask about her mission, theater, and life.
Each Month, MOTTO asks one exceptional artist or creative leader 20 or so short questions, and gets 20 or so short-ish answers. This is Val Day:
- What is your mission in 59E59? Great question! As the operating arm of a foundation, we grant highly subsidized space and in-kind services to support off Broadway premieres by nonprofit companies.
- How do you discover great new work? I don’t! I find great theater companies who bring their discoveries, passions, and obsessions to 59. Many companies are now part of our growing ranks of resident companies. Placing my trust in indie theater companies known for producing thought-provoking and groundbreaking work has fostered a spirit of goodwill and collaboration.
- How does one curate an exciting program/event? We started some radical programs after the shutdown to help emerging companies even more: Space Lab (donated space for development) and Markers Program (five weeks to produce, at the cost of one) have introduced tons of exciting new voices into our programming.
- What makes for great theater? I’m always looking for surprises, humor or something that tells a story in ways that I’ve never seen before. It should be first and foremost pretty damn entertaining.
- What’s your Motto? There is no such thing as a theater emergency.
- Cities I’d like to live in (and why?) New York. It’s worked out pretty well so far.
- Artists that influenced me: My classmates and teachers at UCSD (25 years ago)- what a talented lot they are/were. Andrei Belgrader, Melanie Marnich, Mary Catherine Garrison, Kiersten Van Horne, Chris Acebo, Les Waters, Anne Kauffman, Steve Cosson…many more.
- If I wasn’t an artistic director, I would be… I’d go to people’s houses and make them a delicious meal with whatever they have in their refrigerator and cupboards. Can I get paid for that? What’s my title… Improv Chef?
- If you had a time machine, what year or place do you punch in? The year 2223. I like a good plot twist.
- What is most missing in the world today? Tolerance and empathy. The pandemic separated us and created new levels of division and fear. We must come back together and live theater is a great connector.
- Character trait you hate most? Dishonesty.
- Drug of choice? Very strong coffee in the morning and some easy TV before bed.
- Your fictional heroes? Nancy Drew. I got in trouble in grade school for hiding in the lunchroom to read about her adventures instead of playing during recess. Nerd alert.
- Real-life heroes? Right now, it’s Judy Blume. She’s having a resurgence. Her books, written half a century ago, are so essential and timeless that they are still being banned in schools and libraries.
- What’s most important to me: I try to treat others as I would like to be treated. It’s an aspirational work in progress, at best.
- What’s your ideal day? Cross off a bunch of things on my to-do list, have a good walk with my dog, and find a terrific company for next year’s programming.
- My greatest fear is… Going back into isolation.
- My greatest extravagance is… Last year I bought a mattress that cost more than my monthly rent. No regrets.
- When do you lie? The truth doesn’t always set you free. Sometimes what we think is the truth is actually a judgement that will needlessly hurt someone.
- What I dislike most about my appearance? When I come out of nowhere and scare the hell out of people. I guess I have a soft walk or something ’cause this happens a few times a year. I’ve taken up stomping and clearing my throat as a preventative.
- When and where were you the happiest? Last November I reunited with my sisters in Virginia. I am so grateful for how loving, wise, funny, and smart they are.