The Producer

Paly graduate Dana Harrel talks to Verde about finding success in the theater world post-Broadway

posted December 20, 2007

by Caitlin Watson of Verde

Sticking with your high school passion and finding success at the same time is no small feat. But Dana Harrel, as the associate producer of a prestigious theater in San Diego, has achieved just that.

Harrel, Class of 1992, believes she has found her dream job at the La Jolla Playhouse. "Working at a place like La Jolla Playhouse is fantastic," Harrel says. "It's has always been my goal to work at a regional theater. It's a lifestyle that's both creative and steady."

Harrel discovered her love for directing and, ultimately, her love for running a theater when she starting directing plays at Paly during her junior year. Eventually, Harrel was allowed to run a production all on her own, and became deeply committed to theater and excited about playing a role behind the scenes.

"I was drawn by the magic of theater–the creation of a world on stage," Harrel says. "I wanted to be the person who created that world and made it come alive. I wanted to take people on a journey and let them lose themselves in the art of live entertainment."

After a lot of hard work and a little luck, Harrel has found a hectic success at La Jolla Playhouse producing work on a regional level. Harrel works on finding plays that are artistically interesting and economically viable for The Playhouse. She also oversees the production process of choosing, casting and nurturing plays.

According to Harrel, the most difficult part of her job is trying not to over-work herself. Her intense work schedule has her flying across the country and working until 10 p.m. six days a week.

Despite the time-consuming nature of her job, Harrel loves the opportunities it gives her. "The greatest part of my job is having the ability to hire people who I think are talented and who I think need a break," Harrel says. "I'm in a position of authority where I get to hire people and I love that."

Before Harrel found her position at La Jolla, she brought the nationally acclaimed "25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" to Broadway. Harrel played a vital role in the show's growth from an improv show to a full-fledged musical. "Being a part of 'The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee' was definitely one of the greatest joys of my career. ... I got to give a group of exceptional actors their big break."

More recently, Harrel helped to develop and produce the Broadway show "Xanadu." While Harrel enjoyed the commercial success of the show, she is much happier in her position at The Playhouse. Producing a show for Broadway is high-risk; a bad review opening night can immediately end its run.

Although working on Broadway may seem like the ultimate fantasy for a theater producer, Harrel prefers her new job at the Playhouse. "I have this incredible theater at my disposal with amazing artists and wonderful resources," Harrel says. Plus, her income is not dependent on a show's commercial success.

The journey from high school to associate producer has been interesting and challenging for Harrel. "I haven't had that many people flat out say 'You can't do this,'" Harrel says. "I also haven't had a lot of support in this crazy endeavor I've chosen. That's why I so deeply value the few people who have tried to help, say kind things and hold me up."

When Harrel attended Paly in the early 90s, those people were her teachers: Kathy Lawrence and Katherine Abbe specifically. "She [Lawrence] was like a second mom to me," Harrel says. "She used to scream at me, 'Stop sulking! Just do what you want to do!' And then I would cry. It was completely comical."

During high school, Harrel says she was an angsty teenager who made everything bigger than it needed to be.

Lawrence remembers it differently: when she first met Harrel as a freshman, "She was a bit more sophisticated then her classmates." Abbe remembers Harrel as a capable young woman: "My perception of Dana's capabilities was that she would accomplish whatever she set her sights on," Abbe says. "It was apparent that when she loved what she was doing, there would be no stopping her."

Today, Harrel says she is closest to the people who told her to pursue what she loved and not what was expected of her. Out of her 1992 graduating class, Harrel says she was the only student attending school in New York and one of the few who went to the East Coast.

"Everyone was nervous that I was going into theater," Harrel says. "No one in theater at Paly understood why I was doing it. My parents didn't understand why I was making this weird career choice. I was really freaked out."

At New York University, Harrel faced difficulties in a theater world because of her gender. "She had a tough road because women tend to be passed over," Lawrence says. "She would sometimes call me from NY, a bit depressed about it, but [she] was determined to do what ever it would take to be a producer, even if it meant cleaning the stage after a performance."

After majoring in theater at NYU, Harrel worked as a secretary and an assistant to support herself.

"Getting work in theater is not a linear path," Harrel says. According to Harrel, many of her friends have not 'made it' simply because they weren't in the right place at the right time.

Harrel says some of the most important traits she has developed over the years are patience, love for her work and the ability to multi-task. "Theater can be painful–you have to love being in this business to do it for the little money and acclaim most people get," Harrel says.

Now, Abbe is incredibly proud of her prior student and close friend. "It's obvious to me that, already in her young career, she has made a real name for herself in the NYC theater world," Abbe says. "She made sacrifices to stay in theater, sometimes questioning her decision to forgo the big bucks of other professions to do what she loves. She stuck with it and can only be described as a success."

After becoming an accomplished theater producer, Harrel's advice to Paly students is not to worry about finding out what they want to be in high school. "If you are passionate about something, go for it," Harrel says. "But, if you are torn, then don't freak out."

Harrel thinks high school students should calm down and enjoy high school because their job prospects are secure. "The world is constantly expanding." Harrel says. "If there's something you want to do, do it. There is a place for you."