From unpredictable challenges to artistic breakthroughs, go behind the scenes to explore the dedication and ingenuity shaping world-class performances at the Arts Center
Theatre is an illusion – seamless, polished and alive.
For the audience, a performance is a fleeting moment of magic, a world conjured into existence.
But behind the scenes, that world is built through months of collaboration, problem-solving and relentless dedication.
At The Arts Center at NYUAD, the magic isn’t just in the performance, it’s in the people who make it happen.
Lana Goliath, Senior Associate Producer; Chris Pye, Director of Production and Operations; and Deepak Unnikrishnan, Associate Arts Professor and Co-Creator of PETTEE, each play a pivotal role in bringing these productions to life.
Between them, they balance the artistic vision, technical logistics, and creative challenges that define live performance.
And sometimes, that means navigating storms – both literal and figurative – while keeping the show on track.
From concept to curtain call: The making of a performance
Every production at The Arts Center is different.
Some arrive as fully formed touring shows, with pre-existing technical riders, scripts and set designs.
Others, like PETTEE: Storybox are homegrown from scratch, requiring extensive planning, budgeting, and creative development.
“Every show has its own rhythm,” says Director of Production Chris Pye, who oversees the technical and operational aspects of staging performances.
“Some productions come in with a clear roadmap; others – especially commissions -require us to build that roadmap ourselves.”
One such commission was PETTEE: Storybox, a dance-theatre collaboration co-created by Deepak Unnikrishnan, an author, and Associate Arts Professor at NYUAD, and Karthika Naïr, award-winning poet and dramaturg.
Unlike traditional productions, PETTEE was conceived as a laboratory – a space for experimentation and discovery, rather than a fully finished work.
“The process wasn’t about executing a fixed vision,” Deepak explains. “It was about exploration – testing ideas, breaking things apart, and seeing what emerged.”
The art of collaboration and control
For both Deepak, and Senior Associate Producer Lana Goliath, one of the biggest challenges of creating a new piece of work is knowing when to step in and when to step back.
“You’re constantly negotiating between creative freedom and practical constraints,” says Lana, whose role is to ensure productions stay on schedule and within logistical limits.
Deepak felt this challenge acutely. “As a writer, you want to keep refining. As a producer, you have to accept that, at some point, you have to lock things in and move forward.”
Chris agrees, emphasising that clear boundaries are essential. “It’s easy to keep tweaking, to keep searching for perfection,” he explains. “But at some point, you have to say: This is the show. Let’s make it work.”
The hidden battles
Beyond creative decisions, physical and logistical challenges often define the behind-the-scenes reality of a production.
For PETTEE, one of the biggest hurdles was the physical toll on the dancers. “People forget that dance isn’t just art, it’s incredibly demanding on the body,” Deepak says.
“When you’re experimenting, you have to be mindful of limits. Pushing too hard can lead to injuries, and that changes everything.”
Then, there was the storm.
On the day of the PETTEE premiere, an electrical storm flooded parts of the theatre, forcing last-minute technical adjustments and rescheduling.
“You plan for everything, but you never plan for a flood,” Lana laughs. “We had to rethink so many details overnight.”
Chris, who manages the technical teams, sees moments like this as the true test of a production’s strength.
“Live theatre is about adaptability,” he says. “When things go wrong – and they always do – it’s how you respond that matters.”
The art of archiving and learning
While audiences experience theatre in the moment, the team at The Arts Center is committed to preserving and learning from every production.
“Every show teaches us something new,” says Chris, referring to the archiving process, ensuring performances are filmed and documented for future reference.
These recordings are more than souvenirs – they’re essential for feedback, analysis, and continuous improvement.
“We review past productions to refine our approach,” he explains. “It’s a way of evolving; learning what worked, what didn’t, and how we can do better next time.”
Deepak, too, sees PETTEE as an ongoing process rather than a finished work. “Theatre isn’t static,” he says. “Even after a performance ends, the work continues. There’s always more to refine, more to explore.”
The people who make it happen
What unites every production at The Arts Center at NYUAD is the team behind the scenes—the producers, technicians, designers, and artists who make it all possible.
For Lana, Chris, and Deepak, success isn’t about perfection, it’s about collaboration, trust, and shared ownership.
“You can’t do this alone,” Lana says. “Every show is a collective effort. It’s about relationships—between artists, between crew members, between the stage and the audience.”
Chris echoes this sentiment. “A good production isn’t just about good planning, it’s about people who can problem-solve together, who trust each other to get the job done.”
Deepak, as both an artist and producer, understands this deeply. “In the end, a performance is a conversation,” he says. “It’s a dialogue between all the people who created it and the audience who experiences it. And that’s what makes it alive.”
The rush of live performance
For all the challenges, theatre remains an addiction, a world of controlled chaos, fleeting moments and impossible magic.
“There’s a rush that comes with this job,” Lana admits. “That moment when the house lights dim, when you know everything is set – it’s pure adrenaline.”
“No two performances are ever the same,” says Chris. “That’s the thrill. Anything can happen, and that’s what makes live theatre so electric.”
For Deepak, the magic is in the impermanence -the fact that each show exists for a brief moment before disappearing forever. “That’s the beauty of it,” he says. “What happens on stage is gone as soon as it’s over. But if you’ve done it right, it lingers. It stays with people. And that’s what makes it worth it.”
Because in the world of theatre, what happens behind the curtains is just as extraordinary as what unfolds on stage.
For more information, visit publicprograms.nyuad.nyu.edu
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