Danielle E. Moore is a widely known writer, composer, and producer. Her work has been seen in a large number of venues. A reading of her musical Ink and Paint is being presented this season by the BPF. Danielle responded to a series of questions posed by BPF Board Advisor Larry Lambert to discuss her musical, career, her motivation and aspirations.
L – What led you to address the history of the women who were the first to join the Disney animation’s story department?
D – I’ve known about the history of ink and paint departments at animation studios since I was a little kid obsessed with animation, and when I entered the industry as an adult, was always surprised to find how few of my colleagues knew that piece of history. That’s really where the spark came from!
L – What were the main resources you used for your research?
D – There are almost too many to name, but the primary sources I came across in the course of my research were actually the most important for me. An artist’s work — even a simple development sketch made at a particular point in their career, or a funny cartoon mocking how much they hated being in the office — can tell you so much more about them than a more straightforward biography.
L – Why did you choose making this piece a musical rather than a standard play? How would you have treated it as a non-musical?
D – The piece is partially about the birth of animated feature films, and so many of those first breakthrough ones (Snow White, Fantasia) were musicals. That tradition has largely continued in animation today, so it only felt appropriate to honor it! The piece actually started out as a short documentary-style play, so that’s probably the approach I would have taken without the musical elements.
L – How long did it take you to create Ink and Paint?
D – I’ve been working on this piece, bit by bit, for the last four years or so (and have loved every minute).
L – What do you want your audience to come away from your work?
D – I’m hoping to inspire discussions about past and modern workplaces, and gender equity. But mostly, I want them to emerge with curiosity and a desire to learn more about these women, because they were absolutely amazing.
L – Since you are a writer, composer, and producer how do you find the time to balance the projects that you have on your plate?
D – Precariously! I live and die by my Google calendar. The long answer is that I try to focus on one project or element of a project at a time, but that approach doesn’t always go as planned (in a good way).
L – As part of your background you have created content for brands ranging from NBCUniversal, Paramount, Disney Theatrical Group, Broadway’s Wicked, and The Shubert Organization. Is there an area you feel most comfortable working in?
D – Musical theater is, and probably always will be, my creative home. But I think there’s so much value in working in multiple parts of the industry. You understand your collaborators of all varieties — creatives, marketers, producers — on a much deeper level. My experience across different realms has served me in more ways than I can count.
L – As a playwright, do you prefer musicals or standard theater?
D – As Julian Marsh in 42nd Street once declared, the words “musical” and “comedy” are “the two most glorious words in the English language.”
L – You have dealt with political areas such as closing the gender gap in musical theater authorship by developing and producing musicals written and composed by women and nonbinary artists. What do you consider your successes in this area?
D – Green Light Group, the company I work with on this front, has had a really fantastic year in that we’ve secured funding for our first-ever commission, supported by The Pride Network and A.R.T. New York’s Creative Opportunity Fund. The commission will fund an emerging writer or writing team to create the first draft of a new musical from GLG’s slate of projects in development. Our panelists included Broadway actress Angie Schworer (The Prom), Marjuan Canady, Tony-nominated producer of Hell’s Kitchen, and other incredible leaders across the industry, who will also help mentor the selected writers. We’ll be announcing this year’s finalists and winners very soon, and you can stay up to date with the project here: https://www.greenlightgroupproductions.com/sound-balance