"The best! Clear, patient, supportive, warm, encouraging!"
Playwright, Comedian, Scholar
"Todd Ristau is the real thing. He can work with performing artists of all métiers, but he especially shines with writers. I say this from having observed it in person. Todd never seeks to impose himself on writers’ visions; he’s adept at coaxing into being what they always knew they wanted to express. I would entrust him with any playwright seeking to gain perspective on a work in progress."
Playwright, Dramaturg, Scholar
"I personally owe much of my success as a playwright to his teachings and to the experiences he crafted, and there are many more who would tell you the same."
Playwright and former student
"Todd Ristau is an exceptional dramaturg, playwright, teacher, and leader whose insight consistently deepens both the craft and confidence of the writers with whom he works. He brings a remarkable combination of intellectual rigor, generosity, and creative intuition to every conversation. Todd doesn’t just respond to a script—he engages the writer behind it, asking the right questions and illuminating possibilities that strengthen both the work and the artist. Collaborating with him has had a lasting impact on how I (and so many others) approach storytelling. Any playwright, university, festival, or organization would be fortunate to benefit from his experience and expertise. He is an extraordinary advocate for new voices and new plays."
Playwright, Dramaturg, Educator
"I was in the very first cohort of the Playwright's Lab Hollins University with Todd Ristau as Director. I was not new to playwriting, but I was certainly new to the professional expectations in the theater. The Summers I spent at Hollins and the work I did during the months between summers was prodigious. All of that prepared me for my life in New York City where I’m able to model what Todd taught me for other playwrights. I could write an essay about how Todd’s leadership and expectations were instrumental in giving me a career I only dreamed of before.”
Playwright, Producer, Performer
"I could tell you Todd Ristau is a remarkable teacher and dramaturg. I could tell you he's a great guy. But his real deal is that he's a catalyst. If you don't quite know what that means, a catalyst is something - in this case, Todd - that speeds up change and growth. Todd's real talent is working with playwrights and accelerating their growth. Changing their playwriting and sometimes the trajectory of their whole lives. If you think you could benefit from a playwriting catalyst, Todd might be exactly what you need"
Playwright, Dramaturg, Educator
"Todd knows what it takes to nurture a playwright and he works tirelessly to make sure those resources surround his writers."
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Author, Playwright, Educator
"Todd Ristau is a wizard, basically. He doesn't wait for the powers that be to give him permission to make art, he'll create a fabulous project out of nothing wherever he is. Judging by his students, whom I had the pleasure to meet and respond to at the Playwright's Lab he founded at Hollins University, he is a master teacher. He can instill structure without being didactic, he can coax each student's unique voice to the surface, and he can help them hone and refine their work by building up, not tearing down. He has an especial gift for working with early-career playwrights, but I am confident that writers at any level would have something to learn from Todd."
Screenwriter/Producer, All Saints Day
"Under Todd Ristau’s leadership, the Hollins Playwrights Lab was a model of MFA training. The program graduated many significant playwrights but, just as importantly, created a space where everyone passionate about theatre - teachers, community theatre artists, and others - could find ways to bring their passion fully into their lives. "
Dramaturg and Educator
"Todd Ristau’s dramaturgy skills and ability to teach playwriting are obvious to everyone who glances at his resume. He has superior education and training (from the Iowa Writers Workshop) and impressive experience as a professional playwright, including a play in the West End. He was also the Director of Hollins University’s MFA playwriting program and spent many, many years as a playwriting professor. However, what I think really makes Todd special is his gift for helping playwrights discover their own voice and their own definition of success. When you work with Todd, you don’t just get the fundamentals of playwriting; you get a new way of thinking about your own voice and what success can mean to you. Maybe success isn’t a four-person play Off-Broadway; maybe it’s something less traditional. For example, his creation of No Shame Theatre inspired me to co-found Found Stages and pursue a career in immersive theater. His approach has had a direct impact on the way I think about theater and my own work. I respect him as a theatre professional, professor, and person, and would encourage any playwright looking for a dramaturg, teacher, and mentor to work with Todd.."
Playwright and co-founder of Found Stages, a professional immersive theatre in Atlanta