Arena Stage welcomes Darren Johnston as associate artistic director

DC Theater Arts: Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater today announced Darren Edward Johnston as Associate Artistic Director of Commercial Strategy and Partnership. Following a decade of leadership at the Tony Award-winning theatrical production company No Guarantees Productions, most recently as Senior Vice President, Artistic, Johnston will join the Tony-winning regional theater this spring to help shape the next chapter of its artistic and institutional evolution.

Paddington Musical, Into the Woods Lead 2026 Olivier Nominations

Playbill: Nominations for the 2026 Olivier Awards, London's top theatrical honor, were unveiled March 5, with Paddington The Musical and Bridge Theatre's revival of Into the Woods emerging as the season's most nominated productions. Both shows picked up 11 nods total, each capping off with a nomination in their respective top categories, Best New Musical for Paddington and Best Musical Revival for Into the Woods.

In Frankenstein, Kate Hawley creates anatomical costumes

Wonderland: What does it take for someone to turn one of our time’s biggest heartthrobs into a creature? For Kate Hawley it took years of extensive research and a complete trust on Guillermo del Toro’s vision. On a brisk afternoon in London, I make my way to one of the many hotels in Soho. As I approach the building, what must be at least a 40-foot poster of Frankenstein, featuring the Creature, aka Jacob Elordi, greets me just opposite the hotel doors.

The power of Arden in As You Like It, then and now

Folger Shakespeare Library: In Shakespeare’s As You Like It, Rosalind and Celia are forced from court and seek refuge in the Forest of Arden—a space where hierarchy softens and imagination restores what power has fractured. Folger Theatre’s 2026 staging of the play—a love letter to Washington, DC, as envisioned by Artistic Director Karen Ann Daniels and directed by Timothy Douglas—infuses the Forest of Arden with the vibe, culture, and characters of DC’s residential neighborhoods, a singular, resilient, and redemptive place of belonging.

Report: Live Nation, DOJ Strike Deal Settling Antitrust Case and Avoiding Ticketmaster Break-up

TicketNews: Live Nation and the U.S. Department of Justice have reportedly reached a settlement that would end the government’s blockbuster antitrust case against the concert giant — a deal that appears to stop short of the forced Live Nation–Ticketmaster breakup many critics had hoped for.

Between Pandemic and Democracy: What Antigone Can Teach Us

antigonejournal.com: Over the past four years since the pandemic started, different countries have implemented distinct strategies to curb the spread of the Covid-19, often restricting freedom of movement as well as implementing a variety of draconian surveillance methods and compulsory measures, including cellphone and face-recognition contact tracing, quarantines, border closings, and vaccine and testing mandates. Most of these measures have not been accepted in democracies, where privacy laws and civil freedoms are considered the bedrock of a social contract.

James Gwertzman bases Burning Man temple on rare desert flower

www.dezeen.com: American artist James Gwertzman has revealed a sprawling wooden structure based on an ephemeral desert bloom for the 2026 Burning Man temple. Called Temple of the Moon, the structure will be based on the shape of the Queen of the Night – a cactus flower that only blooms once during the year.

Washington Post Lays Off Theatre Critic Naveen Kumar, Raising Questions of Continuing Arts Coverage

Playbill: Mass layoffs at The Washington Post, reported to affect about 30% of its workforce, have drawn the outlet's continuing arts coverage into question, with chief theatre critic Naveen Kumar let go, Kumar tells Playbill. Requests for comment sent to the Post have not yet been returned.

Kansas theatre students tell lawmakers: arts funding matters

www.wibw.com: More than 400 high school thespians from across Kansas visited the Statehouse Wednesday to urge lawmakers to prioritize arts funding, marking the 10th year Kansas Thespians have made the trip to the Capitol. Students representing 35 schools traveled from communities including Kansas City and Wichita to take part in the annual advocacy effort during Theatre in Our Schools Month.

Brands Swap the Runway for Pop-up Events During NYFW 2026

www.eventmarketer.com: Twice a year, the fashion elite gather in Manhattan for couture runway shows and exclusive soirees during New York Fashion Week (NYFW). But sponsors and brands are increasingly showing up with approachable experiences that help democratize the high-profile event and unchain those velvet ropes. From Sensodyne to Jinx to the Idaho Potato Commission (no, really), see what kind of experiential action was in store from Feb. 11-16 during the fall/winter edition of NYFW 2026.

“Is Love Energy Or Matter?” An Interview With Rok Vilcnik, Slovenian Playwright, Author, Musician, Poet

The Theatre Times: Rok Vilčnik (b. 1968), also known as rokgre, is a prominent Slovenian author, poet, playwright, lyricist, and multidisciplinary artist working across theatre, literature, music, television, and radio. Widely recognized as one of Slovenia’s most distinctive contemporary playwrights, he is a three-time recipient of the prestigious Grum Prize for Best New Slovenian Play.

Petrit Halilaj’s Opera of Kosovan Memory and Myth

hyperallergic.com: At the center of Petrit Halilaj’s An Opera Out of Time at Hamburger Bahnhof, the artist’s first major institutional presentation, is a re-presentation of his opera Syrigana, first performed with the Kosovo Philharmonic at an outdoor venue near his hometown of Runik, Kosovo, on June 25th, 2025.

Four actors on the high-stakes art of being an understudy

www.thestar.com: Being an understudy is one of the most challenging roles in the theatre. These actors, who can be called on in a moment’s notice to step in when a lead actor cannot perform, are the living embodiment of the “the show must go on.” The Star recently spoke with four current and former understudies, who shared their insights on the unique role.

Road Test: Shure Digital Wireless Ecosystem

ProSoundWeb: In professional audio production, wireless microphone systems are often judged not by how they perform in ideal conditions, but by how they behave when everything works against them. Radio frequency (RF) congestion, structural interference, dense digital traffic, and demanding live production schedules quickly separate dependable tools from theoretical systems.

Road Test: DPA 4466 CORE+ Headworn Microphone

ProSoundWeb: For a long time, lavalier microphones were the go-to method to capture the voices of pastors, corporate presenters, TV broadcasters, and actors. Then, in the 1980s, viable headworn microphones began hitting the market, and they offered many advantages, both sonically and otherwise, but they were often awkward and clunky. Over the past 20 years or so, however, they’ve gotten better acoustically and are far more comfortable to wear.

Pouring It On for PICT: Michael Patrick Trimm Takes on ‘The Smuggler,’ a Solo Thriller in Rhythmic Verse

onStage Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh International Classic Theatre first announced Michael Patrick Trimm in the role of bartender/smuggler/immigrant Tim Finnegan for March of last year, working with director Patrick Cannon and expected at Riley’s Pour House in Carnegie. Fate and fire intervened, and Riley’s burned to the ground in November 2024, with Trimm moving on to a two-hander, the excellent co-production King James, at both City Theatre and Cleveland Play House.

Live Nation Reaches a Settlement With the DOJ Over Alleged Ticketing Monopoly

gizmodo.com: Live Nation has tentatively settled the antitrust lawsuit brought by the Department of Justice and joined by 30 states. The agreement was announced at a hearing on Monday, per Bloomberg, but still requires the judge’s approval.

What the Work Does to the Body

emilkang.substack.com: A few nights ago I was sitting at a bar in Chelsea before a show, waiting for a colleague, when another colleague walked in. We hugged. When I mentioned I was meeting our mutual friend, she said she had been with her the night before at a different performance. We laughed about it, the way you do when the pattern is so familiar it doesn’t even register anymore. We’ve been doing this for thirty years and we still can’t stop.

Pain and Endurance in barebones productions’ Infinite Life

onstagepittsburgh.com: Playwright Ann Baker‘s Infinite Life depicts a group of five women and a man on a wellness retreat at a fasting facility. They sunbathe on lawn chairs, with only a parking lot behind a bakery in their line of sight.

What Will D.C. Theatres Do Without a Full-Time Critic at the Post?

AMERICAN THEATRE: What would it look like if a major U.S. theatre city lost its last full-time theatre critic? While many U.S. cities have already run this dystopian experiment, it had never happened to one of American theatre’s largest markets until early in February, when massive layoffs at The Washington Post included its entire arts and culture section, chiefly theatre critic Naveen Kumar, arts and entertainment editor Jonathan Fischer, senior editor Zachary Pincus-Roth, and many more across all departments.

When the Fires Struck, Austin Scott Pivoted on Behalf of his Altadena Community

cinemontage.org: After two decades as a working picture editor, Austin Scott knew the rhythms of a freelance career — the rush of steady work, the anxiety of slowdown. What he couldn’t prepare for was the moment when the work vanished; his hometown of Altadena burned in last year’s disastrous fire, and the future felt suddenly unrecognizable.

How to Get Plywood Home if You Don’t Have a Truck

www.familyhandyman.com: One of the biggest challenges of working with plywood is getting it home from the store. It usually comes in 4×8 sheets, which is cost-effective and ideal for certain projects, but can be a challenge to transport without a truck. However, it is possible. “I’ve used all manner of transport options to get plywood to my house,” Garrett Poshusta of The Grit and Polish says. It will just take a bit more time, effort and in some cases, money.

Can Theatre Change People's Minds? To Wallace Shawn, That's Not Inconceivable

Playbill: Stage and screen legend Wallace Shawn sums up his newest play thusly: “Most people have this dream of finding someone they love, finding a partner. Even for priests, monks, nuns, the Pope, it's an issue. They may want a partner, but the rules say they're not allowed to have one. But the topic would be. . . well, I don't think the Pope would be bored by my play.”

Text Messages Reveal How University of Texas Leaders Axed an Anti-ICE Show

hyperallergic.com: Weeks after the University of North Texas (UNT) abruptly axed an exhibition of works criticizing the treatment of immigrants in the United States, newly obtained internal communications show how university administrators deliberated their controversial action.

What happens when AI is used for performance reviews?

Fast Company: During the last decade, digital innovations have produced a range of recruitment and evaluation tools: now, whenever you first apply for a job, you are less likely to be judged by humans and more likely to be assessed by AI. Before you can even get the opportunity to impress a human interviewer, you will first need to impress the algorithm!

A part presentation primer for powder coating

www.thefabricator.com: Parts flow from blanking to bending with minimal work-in-process (WIP). It all seems seamless until you walk to your in-line powder coating system. You see WIP everywhere. Parts are hung haphazardly, widely spaced. Even worse, you see someone wielding a Dremel to frantically remove paint from hooks. Evidently, a lack of grounding was creating some adhesion difficulties.

The "Amazon of Metal" Adds Custom Tube Bending to Its Digital Arsenal

Tooling & Production: The traditional bottleneck of metal fabrication -- waiting weeks for a quote only to face steep order minimums -- is being dismantled by OSH Cut. Headquartered in Spanish Fork, Utah, the online manufacturing leader recently announced the launch of instant CNC tube bending services, a move that brings the convenience of e-commerce to precision structural fabrication.

An AI character comes to life in Morning, Noon, and Night

Chicago Reader: Plays about Black women and the effects (tangential or otherwise) of COVID-19 are having a moment on Chicago stages this winter. MPAACT just completed their run of Squat by Tina Fakhrid-Deen, in which neighbors and lovers in a Bronzeville condo building struggle with their relationships while sheltering in place. COVID cautiousness also shows up in Kristen Adele Calhoun’s Black Cypress Bayou, running through March 15 in a local premiere with Definition Theatre.

Consumer Advocates, Policy Groups, and Lawmakers Slam Proposed Live Nation–Ticketmaster Settlement

TicketNews: The reported settlement between the Trump Department of Justice and Live Nation Entertainment over the company’s alleged monopoly in live entertainment is drawing sharp criticism from consumer advocates, policy organizations, and lawmakers who argue the proposed agreement would allow the Ticketmaster parent company to maintain its dominant grip on the industry, providing limited relief for consumers or competitors in the space.

Philly theaters unite to stage 3 plays by Pulitzer-winning playwright James Ijames

theconversation.com: Most theater subscriptions offer a patron access to a single theater’s season. But Philadelphia’s new Citywide James Ijames Pass provides tickets to three James Ijames – pronounced EYE-ms, rhymes with “chimes” – plays at three theaters in Philadelphia. Subscribers will also get one mustard-colored beanie, one of Ijames’ signature accessories.

In a Screen-Dazzled World, a Theater Critic Has the Antidote

The New York Times: It’s an odd time to be a theater critic. There are fewer of us writing for institutions than ever before — just a handful now across the country. In February, less than a month after I joined The Times, the Washington Post laid off almost every arts writer they had, capping a period of brutal attrition.

Four ESTA Standards Recently Published, Twenty-Two Standards in Review

Lighting&Sound America Online - News: ESTA's Technical Standards Program announces publication of four recently approved standards, now available for download at tsp.esta.org/freestandards. They are also available for purchase at the ANSI WebStore, and at Accuris.

The AV Awards Americas winners have now been unveiled

AV Magazine: We’re thrilled to announce the winners of the inaugural AV Awards Americas. These remarkable individuals and companies have demonstrated exceptional excellence, commitment, and innovation and choosing them was no easy task. We would therefore like to say a huge thank you to everyone who submitted a nomination or entry.

Pacific Avenue Capital Partners Completes Acquisition of U.S. Power Chain Hoist and Chain Business from Columbus McKinnon and Launches New Standalone Company, Stuart Rush

Newswire: Pacific Avenue Capital Partners ("Pacific Avenue"), a Los Angeles-headquartered private equity firm focused on complex corporate carve-outs and other operationally intensive situations in the middle market, today announced that an affiliate has completed the acquisition of Columbus McKinnon Corporation's ("Columbus McKinnon", NASDAQ:CMCO) U.S. based power chain hoist and chain business (the "Company"), including its associated international sales support functions.

Wingstastic Book Fair Launches Online Auction of Rare, Signed Broadway Treasures

www.broadwayworld.com: The Wingstastic Book Fair brings theatre lovers an extraordinary opportunity to own rare and signed Broadway treasures while supporting a vital nonprofit mission: preserving theatre history. The online book auction, benefiting the 501(c)3 nonprofit Wait in the Wings, opens Saturday February 21st featuring exclusive items from some of Broadway’s most celebrated creators and storytellers.

Five questions | As You Like It

Folger Shakespeare Library: As You Like It is one of Shakespeare’s festive comedies, a sparkling story of love, hidden identity, and an escape to a world (in this case, the Forest of Arden) beyond society’s strictures. But there are also heavier themes and dangers lurking in that magical land. We asked Folger Director Dr. Farah Karim-Cooper for her take on Shakespeare’s beloved comedy. Read on for more and watch Farah discuss Shakespeare on the Folger’s Instagram and YouTube channels. She will also be speaking about the play and the Folger Theatre production at a Director’s talk on March 20.

Zinzi Coogler And The Women Of Sinners

Essence: For more than 15 years, she has had a hand in bringing her husband, filmmaker Ryan Coogler’s, projects to life, dating back to his 2009 short film Locks, for which she served as first assistant director. The former ASL interpreter, who majored in communicative disorders and deaf studies, has brought unique life and educational perspectives to each work, from 2021’s Judas and the Black Messiah to 2023’s Creed III, for both of which she served as executive producer through Proximity Media, the production company she started with Ryan and Sev Ohanian.

Floridian Theatremakers Fight Back Against State and Local Governments in Arts Funding Battle

HowlRound Theatre Commons: In 2025, political ideals clashed with the arts across the United States. The overhaul of the Kennedy Center was just one of several battles. Unfortunately, the blueprint of incoming change has emerged from none other than the Sunshine State, Florida. As a born and raised Floridian theatremaker, I’ve seen Florida make headlines in ideological battles for my whole life. Floridian artists live in a unique ecosystem of political polarization, the climate crisis, a constantly growing population, and a rich state history.

Just a reminder: Making stuff is cool

www.thefabricator.com: There are days in the metal fabricating industry when everything feels normal. You walk in, flip on the lights, hear the hum of machines and the clank of steel, smell of smoke, and you don’t even think twice about it. It’s just what you do. It’s what you’ve always done. Honestly, you get kind of complacent. I’ve caught myself in that mindset more than once. Everything seems to be on autopilot and nothing seems to be as fresh as it used to be.

Best arts and healing space on the north side

Chicago Reader: Uptown—specifically the corner of Lawrence Avenue and Broadway—was once the cradle of Chicago entertainment. From the now-closed Uptown Theatre (opened in 1925) to still-thriving venues like the Riviera Theatre (1918), Aragon Ballroom (1926), and Green Mill Cocktail Lounge (1907, but called Pop Morse’s Roadhouse until 1910), the neighborhood boasts culturally diverse attractions and dining.

Apollo, Howard Theatres Join Forces for Live Music Event

www.ticketnews.com: Two of the most influential stages in American music will come together this spring as the Apollo Theater and the Howard Theatre present a special live event celebrating their shared cultural legacy. The organizations announced “Best of the Apollo,” a live music showcase scheduled for April 26, 2026, at the Howard Theatre in Washington, D.C. The evening will be hosted by comedian and actor Chris Spencer, with performers expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

Five thoughts: Illenium at Sphere Las Vegas

Las Vegas Weekly: On the opening night of Grammy-nominated DJ Illenium’s nine-show residency at Sphere on March 5, the EDM icon relished in his status as genre royalty as he delivered a sprawling 40-track set spearheaded by his recently-released sixth studio album, Odyssey.

Nominations for the inaugural Broadway Ensemble Awards of 2025-26

DC Theater Arts: At 1:00 this afternoon, nominations for the inaugural Broadway Ensemble Awards for the 2025-26 season were introduced by Bradley Dean (now appearing in Chess) and announced in eight categories by Kurt Csolak (swing and dance captain in The Great Gatsby), radio host Seth Rudetsky, and Tony winner Lillias White at the Museum of Broadway.

Pittsburgh Public Theater and CLO to vote on consolidating operations

90.5 WESA: Beset by financial troubles, the boards of Pittsburgh Public Theater and the Pittsburgh CLO are set to vote this month on whether to consolidate as a brand-new organization. The new entity, as yet unnamed, would produce both the new and classic musicals CLO now stages and the new and classic plays currently mounted by the Public.

Pittsburgh CLO and Pittsburgh Public Theater Unveil New Consolidation Plan; Board Vote to Come

onstagepittsburgh.com: The board chairs of Pittsburgh CLO and Pittsburgh Public Theater have shared with subscribers a proposed plan for the creation of “a new, consolidated producing theater company, designed to anchor a broader destination theater experience in Pittsburgh’s Cultural District.”

15 Questions in 15 Minutes with Christopher Borg

DC Theater Arts: Originally trained as an actor by the late Kenneth Washington at the University of Utah, and then in the classics as an Acting Fellow under the tutelage of Michael Kahn at the Shakespeare Theatre in Washington, DC, Christopher Borg has since gone on to a multi-award-winning career in NYC’s innovative off Broadway and indie theater scene.

Clint Dyer to Direct Three American Plays Featuring All-Black Casts in the UK

www.broadwayworld.com: Deadline has reported that Clint Dyer, deputy artistic director of the UK’s National Theatre, will direct three American plays in the UK, featuring all-black casts. The three plays are One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, The Story and American Buffalo.

Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theatre lays off staff, launches fundraising push

The Seattle Times: The 5th Avenue Theatre Company, Seattle’s primary producer of Broadway-scale musicals, is eliminating about 14 staff positions and pausing some education and engagement programs amid cash flow problems, the nonprofit announced Friday. The reductions will affect staff in marketing, box office, education and artistic departments and represent a reduction from 55 staff to about 41.

AI-generated art can’t be copyrighted after Supreme Court declines to review the rule

The Verge: The US Supreme Court has declined to hear a case over whether AI-generated art can obtain a copyright, as reported earlier by Reuters. The Monday decision comes after Stephen Thaler, a computer scientist from Missouri, appealed a court’s decision to uphold a ruling that found AI-generated art can’t be copyrighted.

Creating bend notches the easy way

www.thefabricator.com: The incorporation of sheet metal in a product presents numerous design-for-manufacturing opportunities. Those in flatwork trades know about standards—for gauges of thickness, tempers of alloys, best practices in radii, tooling access, springback, stress relief, and more.

City Council Greenlights Measures to Boost Hollywood Production in LA

www.hollywoodreporter.com: The Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday voted to greenlight proposals aimed at improving filming conditions in the city as a room packed with Hollywood workers and union representatives erupted in applause.

Best underground entertainment trend

Chicago Reader: This cultural moment feels medieval. Maybe it’s something about the collapsing of traditional social models, the rise of authoritarian hierarchies, or the spreading of once preventable diseases and viruses that can kill large swathes of people.

London's Matilda to Welcome More Than 20 Young Actors

Playbill: The Royal Shakespeare Company production of Matilda the Musical, which has played more than 5,000 performances in the West End, will welcome several new young cast members later this month. Beginning March 17 Sithuni Gamage, Bonnie Harper, and Carla Lopez-Corpas will join Emilia Shefford in the title role.

Portland Opera launches $5 million SOS

Oregon ArtsWatch: Portland Opera, the largest opera company in Oregon and a mainstay of downtown Portland’s cultural scene, has announced an emergency $5 million fund-raising drive. The drive, announced Tuesday morning, March 3, will cover 16 months and has been kick-started by a $1 million gift from the Oregon Community Foundation.

‘I paid people with pints and chips’: Georgina Duncan on the prize-winning play she tapped out on her phone

Stage | The Guardian: It took Georgina Duncan a few seconds to realise that Indhu Rubasingham, when announcing the winner of the Women’s prize for playwriting last week, was talking about her drama, Sapling. The 30-year-old recalls the moment: “The first sentence I heard her say, I was like, ‘That could be any of the plays.’ Then I was like, ‘Holy shit! This is the maddest thing that’s ever happened to me.’”

How Wētā FX made young Will, Vecna 2.0, the Mind Flayer and some badass Demogorgons in ‘Stranger Things 5’

befores & afters: In this wide-ranging interview with Wētā FX visual effects supervisor Martin Hill, we dive deep into the studio’s work for Stranger Things 5. This is in addition to befores & afters’ earlier coverage in issue #51 of the magazine on the final series of the show.

Evie Clark-Yospa (Evie) – Recording, Mixing & Production Engineer

SoundGirls.org: Evie Clark-Yospa is a London-based recording, mixing, and production engineer with over a decade of experience in audio. Currently working as an Engineer at Baltic Studios, where she has been part of the team for the past three years, Evie balances her studio work with independent projects, bringing a versatile and intuitive approach to every session.

‘Utterly winning’: Paddington becomes first new West End musical to land nine WhatsOnStage awards

Stage | The Guardian: Paddington has become the first new West End musical to land nine awards at the WhatsOnStage awards. The much-loved bear’s first appearance on the boards has wowed critics and delighted audiences since it opened in December, and it is now one of the three most awarded shows in the WhatsOnStage ceremony’s history – alongside Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and Miss Saigon – as well as the most lauded new musical.

Christina Applegate Reveals She Put Up ‘Half a Million Bucks’ to Save Broadway’s SWEET CHARITY

www.broadwayworld.com: Nothing could deter Christina Applegate from fulfilling her Broadway dream. The actress, who was Tony-nominated for her star turn as Charity Hope Valentine in the 2005 Broadway revival of Sweet Charity, revealed in her memoir You with the Sad Eyes: A Memoir (out now) that she was willing to do anything to ensure that the production made it to Broadway.

Review: Pittsburgh Playhouse lampoons showtunes in ‘Forbidden Broadway’s Greatest Hits’

triblive.com: Musicals are almost always a great time at the theater. But do you know what can be even more fun? Making fun of musicals. That’s the name of the game for “Forbidden Broadway,” an oft-updated revue that’s been parodying the Great White Way from off-Broadway for more than 40 years. From “Les Mis” to “Phantom of the Opera” to “Wicked” to “Hamilton,” writer Gerard Alessandrini has gleefully skewered them all.

NFTRW Weekly Top Five

Here are the top five comment generating posts of the past week:

Why Those Post-Show Diner Trips Meant Everything

OnStage Blog: Theatre people understand that post-show hunger is not normal hunger. It is a full body emergency. You just spent two hours singing, dancing, quick-changing, carrying set pieces, pretending to die, or all of the above. Of course you need mozzarella sticks at 12:14 a.m. Be serious.

In Defense of the Closet Drama

HowlRound Theatre Commons: When I started trying to work as a playwright, I would often insist that I wasn’t writing plays to sit on a hard drive somewhere. I was writing plays to be performed. In the decade-or-so since then, I have been fortunate enough to have some of my work performed, but the most I have ever seen many of my plays come alive is at a reading. For many years—and, to some extent, still—I felt as if these works I loved so much were never allowed to be fully born.

Puppetopia: The Magnificent Ms. Pham

New York Theater: This elaborate, tuneful puppet musical doesn’t just tell the story of the journey of Kim Pham from Vietnamese “hometown girl” riding a water buffalo to young romantic in Saigon to war refugee “boatperson” to mother of four sons in Houston, Texas. It threads the tale with Vietnamese history and mythology, populates it with elephants, lions, dragons and demons, presents it as shadow puppetry and a contemporary downtown spin on traditional Vietnamese water puppetry (complete with a stage-wide pool of water), and accompanies it with sixteen songs from rock to pop to country – all in 60 minutes. It’s a lot to take in: clever and colorful, but also crowded and confusing.

Squirrel Hill Lunar New Year parade canceled amid ICE fears

90.5 WESA: Squirrel Hill’s annual Lunar New Year celebration has been canceled this year, amid fears in Pittsburgh’s Asian community about the surge in federal immigration enforcement. The decision was made in January, according to Maria Cohen, executive director of the Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition, and was made in partnership with the Pittsburgh chapter of the OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates.

Do we need AI-optimized resumes?

The Verge: With AI-backed hiring on the rise, tips for “hacking” your resume are all over social media. As job search companies increasingly rely on artificial intelligence to sort through applications, job seekers wonder how to best position themselves with those filters in mind.