Adam Goldstein will direct South of Settling in this June's Next Up repertory. What’s the first play that made you think “I have to make plays.” The original Broadway production of Ragtime. What’s the last play you saw that blew your mind? Being Harold Pinter from the Belarus Free Theatre. Unbelievable. If you could create theater in any locale or era (other than the present), where would it be? Galway, Cork and the West of Ireland anytime. The people are such natural and beautiful storytellers and exhibit an amazing marriage of history, present, and future in those stories. It’s ten years from now. You have carved/ altered Chicago’s theatrical landscape. In five words, what looks different? Institutions are true social forums. Someone leaves your play. They’re stunned. They’re silent. An hour later, they turn to their theater date, and utter--in your ideal world-- what sentence? It will get easier. Answer in one sentence: Why does this play have to be done now? Because South of Settling reminds us that even with all of the baggage, pain, suffering, and doubt that we carry in tough times we must confront the source of that suffering, accept it, run alongside it, and appreciate the good moments that greet us every day. Do you have a tumblr or youtube channel that you’ve been using for visual or atmospheric research? Would you mind sharing it with us? I don’t have a specific channel, but I’ve spent a lot of time looking at images from the Joplin area tornadoes. In our play Joplin, located quite close to Carthage, represents an image of the larger town that offers everything you may need from places to shop to new opportunity for Randall and Amy. In such images of its destruction you truly see how fragile we are and how important it is to confront our demons, live with them, and live life moving forward. More so than visual research for this piece, I’ve sat with a ton of music. Bruce Springsteen, Johnny Cash, George Strait, Tom Waits, and Chris Knight have all been heavily on my mind. Meet Emily Campbell, and Laley Lippard, the other directors whose work is featured in this year's Next Up repertory. Have a question for Emily, Adam, or Laley? Ask it on our Facebook page or using #NextUp2012.