Dara Seitzman

I have had the pleasure of knowing and working with Miles Phillips for over fifteen years. He has served as my teacher, mentor, director and co-performer. I have found him to be patient and supportive. He has the innate ability to bring out the best in others. We met my first year in New York City during a production of Queen Margaret.  He was a striking leading man who knew his way around a broadsword. I was surprised to find out he enjoyed working on Shakespeare, staged combat and musicals as I did. But even more important than his extensive range of performing and directing talents, he was very generous to and supportive of those of us who lacked his professional experience. Miles proved to be an excellent listener who was both fair and constructive with his comments.

His organizational skills, his ability to nurture and his general excitement and enthusiasm were contagious when we worked on Words Words Words & Music, a revue of Shakespeare in song. As the author and director he took me under his wing and asked me to choreograph the show. I discovered then he could be a teacher and a group member at the same time, and we made a great team. I continued to learn and grow, working closely with Miles, and I admired how he was always prepared, exhibited compassion, and had a great sense of humor. He had superb suggestions about the arcs of the songs and the flow of the actors. I observed his ability to respectfully say exactly what each actor needed to hear to get to the next level, and he always encouraged us to try something new. Since then Miles and I have worked on numerous shows and cast recordings. I remain impressed with his management skills, ability to create new characters and inspire everyone else around him to maintain the high expectations he demonstrates.

I look forward to working with Miles again, in any capacity, and am proud to call him my good friend.

Dara Seitzman – Actor/Choreographer