susan lambert hatem

Susan Lambert Hatem is a writer, producer and director originally from Decatur, GA now based in Pasadena, CA. Her new musical, The Flirt Bar, with songs by Amy Ray (of the Indigo Girls) and indie rocker Michelle Malone is currently in development with the Orchard Project Performance Lab. The President Carter play, Confidence (and The Speech), premiered Off-Broadway at Theatre Row in 2019 and is a SETC Ready To Publish finalist. Through her company, 134 West, Susan develops new works and diverse voices for theatre, film and TV. Favorite projects include including An Appalachian Twelfth Night, Homeward LA, O Baby Mine: Sing a Song of Shakespeare, Ty, The Pie Guy and the critically acclaimed musical Bend in the Road: The Anne of Green Gables Musical. Before starting 134 West, Susan was Director of Creative Content at Walt Disney Studios, producing over 100 digital campaigns, including Finding Nemo, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Incredibles and The Royal Tennenbaums. She developed the first Disney Pictures mobile site and holds a patent for Disney’s first online entertainment ticketing system. Before Disney, Susan was an independent filmmaker and screenwriter. She served as Associate Editor at Boxoffice Magazine and has written for Variety and Produced By. A Clio and Key Art Award-winner, Susan holds a BA and MFA from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts. She is a member of the Dramatists Guild, Producer’s Guild, Working Title Playwrights, LAFPI, Honor Roll and ALAP. “Hatem’s actual mission is to take everything we’ve been taught to believe in, everything we take for granted, and stand it on its ear.” – Splash Magazine 

WEBSITE AND SOCIAL MEDIA
Website: http://susanlamberthatem.com
TW: https://twitter.com/SusanLambert
IG:https://www.instagram.com/susanlamberthatem
FB: https://www.facebook.com/swoosan/

MORE ABOUT ME
The piece of theatre that changed my life is also my most gratifying moment in theater. I've been lucky to have other moments, but none as precious. I was asked to direct An Appalachian Twelfth Night, adapted by my friend Robert Williams. It was a critical and financial success - but more importantly it was one of those productions which makes you believe in the absolute magic of theatre. I came back for closing night. It was sold out, so I sat on a bucket, squeezed into edge of the balcony of the Globe Playhouse. I could see everything: our incredible cast prepare backstage, perform onstage and could watch the entire audience lose their minds with joy. It was the moment I knew I had to continue to create in theatre as well as film and the moment which set me on an incredible path. I write and produce across a lot of fields, but I feel theatre is more important than ever - I am especially interested in new interpretations of old stories and entirely new stories from traditionally marginalized voices. Almost 20 years ago, I wrote this in the program notes for that show. Stunningly, still how I feel: "Currently in America fear persists, paranoia reigns, darkness rises and we face a world that sometimes feels it may break apart at its economic and political seams at any moment. So what does theatre, or Shakespeare for that matter, have to offer us? Our hope is that art and music can be light in the darkness. And that theatre, as it evolves and grows, can become a vital part of every community and help us find our way in the world --- lifting us up across time to bring diverse peoples to a universal understanding." 

WHAT I'M WORKING ON
For 2022: The Flirt Bar, The Perfect Remains and a New Works Festival

KEYWORDS
​Equality, Historical, Adaptations, Climate, Romance, Science Fiction, Musical, Family, Children, Satire, Women, Immersive/site-specific