I had the privilege of sitting down with Isaiah Tanenbaum recently to discuss his work with the Flux Theatre Ensemble. In addition to discussing the company's artistic philosophies and the opportunities it provides, he also shed some light on the company experience from an actor's perspective.

I also had the opportunity to talk to Flux Artistic Director August Schulenberg, who told me a bit about the company history, and how he manages his unique role as Artistic Director, playwright, director, and actor. He directed the recent production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, in addition to writing most of the company's productions thus far. This summer, the company will produce his Other Bodies in the New York International Fringe Festival.

One of Schulenberg's many insightful remarks during our conversation was this:

It's not a good idea for me to insert myself too strongly--no company can be about one person.

To this end, he explained that he submitted a detailed proposal to the company's core membership outlining his vision for directing Midsummer--it's vital, he believes, for the company to have a sense of ownership of each production and of the season as a whole. For each of his plays that Flux produces, the question, he says, is not simply, "Will Flux be good for my play?" but also "will my play be good for Flux?"

It is this spirit of collaboration and mutual nourishment that guides Schulenberg artistically. He says he writes less overall than he would if he weren't a member of the company, and has less opportunity for regional acting gigs, but ultimately the thrill of the company's cohesion outweighs these considerations. "You develop an artistic shorthand that opens new windows," he told me. "And I'm creating opportunities for people I love and whose work I respect."