Merging Technologies Announces Pyramix DAW Upgrade

ProSoundWeb: Merging Technologies has announced the release of Pyramix 16, a new upgrade to its digital audio workstation that’s available in three versions — ELEMENTS, PRO and PREMIUM — all offering new features, improved performance, and deeper integration options.

SAG-AFTRA and Studios to Resume Negotiations on April 27

www.hollywoodreporter.com: After the writers’ union wrapped a surprise deal with studios and streamers over the weekend, SAG-AFTRA announced that it will return to the bargaining table by the end of the month. The performers’ union and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers resume negotiations on April 27

What are the 3 types of non-contact presence sensing?

Control Design: My first exposure to proximity switches was after college as a design-and-build engineer at a fiber optics plant. The switches were end-of-travel and home switches on linear slides of a production machine. I then noticed that they were being used for door-lock indication, speed detection of flywheels and gears and many other use cases throughout the different manufacturing lines.

The Puppet Co. welcomes Danny Pushkin as new Artistic Director

DC Theater Arts: The Puppet Co. welcomed a new Artistic Director, Danny Pushkin, this April. The Puppet Co. had been operating with an artistic council after the previous Artistic Director, Elizabeth Dapo, resigned in May of 2024.

New Seattle improv program offers more than performance skills

The Seattle Times: Among the tools that have helped Seattleite Saya Jenks manage anxiety most effectively, here’s one that might seem unexpected: improv. The theatrical art of performing or enacting scenes with no script has also helped her create community when moving between cities, recover from the social isolation of the pandemic and learn to “embrace failure” and be “OK with things not going perfectly,” she said.

How 'taking chances' got 'Titaníque' from a basement theatre to Broadway

NPR: The parody musical "Titanique" opened on Broadway last night. The spoof of the James Cameron film "Titanic" was first staged in a tiny basement theater. Jeff Lunden spoke with the creators to learn how it stayed afloat.

Volux Lighting Back at ULTRA 2026: The PHYTON Makes Its World Debut

www.limelightwired.com: For the second consecutive year, Volux Lighting showed up to Miami Music Week with something to prove. And for the second consecutive year, they delivered. This time around, the RESISTANCE Megastructure at ULTRA Music Festival 2026 served as the global launchpad for the Volux Lighting PHYTON, the company's IP66-rated hybrid-profile moving head, marking the first time the fixture has appeared on an actual production since its announcement.

'The future of immersive technology lies in the impossible'

AV Magazine: New research reveals that rule-breaking moments such as floating 10 storeys above a city skyline or passing through a solid wall are a crucial feature, and the future, of virtual reality (VR).

Thoughtful Planning and Design from First Stitch to Final Wear

Disney Experiences: One thing almost every Disney Experience has in common? Costumes! From cast member attire to the magical threads worn in stage productions and in our parades, there’s so many different costumes in rotation at any given time. From programs in our parks to thoughtful design from Disney Live Entertainment, we’re celebrating Earth Month by spotlighting costuming efforts around the globe.

Elliot Page Will Introduce All-Trans Production of AS YOU LIKE IT in London

www.broadwayworld.com: A new production of Shakespeare's As You Like It will be performed in London this summer, featuring an entirely trans and non-binary cast. The production is presented by Trans What You Will Theatre and will run 22–24 July 2026 at The Space Theatre.

The V&A catalogue row shows China’s censorship now travels through cultural supply chains

theconversation.com: When people think about censorship, they often imagine an obvious ban: a book prohibited, an exhibition closed, or a speaker silenced. But the recent revelation that London’s Victoria and Albert Museum changed exhibition catalogues at the request of its Chinese printer points to something subtler.

Feed Your Soul at War Streets Art Salon

Pittsburgh Magazine: The menu at Clarise Fearn’s Central North Side business includes charcoal, air-dry clay, floral candlesticks and watercolors. Come hungry — for a creative experience.

Live Nation Seeks Pre‑Verdict Win as Judge Orders More Trial Records Unsealed

TicketNews: Live Nation used a pause in witness testimony to press its latest effort to narrow the antitrust case against it before jurors can weigh the full record, filing a motion for judgment as a matter of law (1362 – embedded below) that argues the states have not presented sufficient evidence to support their claims. At the same time, Judge Arun Subramanian issued a notable ruling on trial secrecy (1368 – embedded below), ordering a broad set of materials to be publicly filed with only limited redactions for competitively sensitive pricing and payment information.

SAG-AFTRA to Resume Talks With Studios in April

variety.com: SAG-AFTRA will resume its negotiations with the major studios on April 27, thanks to an early agreement with the Writers Guild of America. The performers’ union broke off talks with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers on March 15.

Easter play crane malfunction sends Jesus actor too far into the sky

Boing Boing: The stunned crowd quickly forgets about the performance and watches the ascending actor in awe and horror. A crane malfunction caused this, which must have been quite terrifying for the actor. It looks as if he was never going to stop — or perhaps not until he reached the Artemis crew.

CMU Partners With Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra To Foster World-Class Musical Experience

News - Carnegie Mellon University: A new four-year partnership between Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Music and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra will give CMU students direct, on-campus access to world-class musicians and conductors.

Simply Logical: A Straightforward Approach To Mixing Console Layout

ProSoundWeb: Somewhere back in the paleolithic era of live sound, mixing consoles were noisy. That’s because they were made of stuff. Look inside a modern digital console and what you’ll find is a few ribbon cable connecting the fader/encoder banks to a small motherboard. All that computerized digital magic has made audio mixers very, very quiet.

Next season, Soulpepper Theatre wants to prove it’s ‘more than just a place that plays happen’

Intermission Magazine: Uncommonly for a Toronto performing arts organization, Soulpepper Theatre has a full four performance spaces for its activities — three theatres and a cabaret — which it’s putting to robust use in its 2026-27 season, featuring 12 productions. But another area of the Distillery District theatre is currently capturing new artistic director Paolo Santalucia’s imagination: the lobby.

Intimacy coordinators' next chapter

NPR: Almost a decade after the height of the #MeToo movement, intimacy coordinators are a fixture on film sets. As of this year, the job is now covered by SAG-AFTRA, the labor union that represents actors.

Significant Influence: The Roots & Development Of Jamaican Sound System Culture

ProSoundWeb: With all of the audio technology sound engineers use today, we don’t always learn the full story behind the methods and tools that we use. Audio advances throughout history have happened simultaneously in various cultures around the world, often linked to social movements and historical events. Jamaican culture in particular was very innovative when it came to sound engineering; their ideas, sounds, and styles have been integral in the development of music and sound systems today.

Warner Bros. brings new Superman attraction to Hollywood

www.themeparkinsider.com: Superman Experience: Defenders Unite will open April 18 at Stage 5 on the Warner Bros. Studio lot in Burbank. Inspired by the James Gunn's 2025 film, the walkthrough experience will feature live gameplay within an original storyline, created exclusively for the attraction.

Public Theater’s season finale dramatizes growing pains

wesa.fm: “Primary Trust,” for which playwright Eboni Booth won the 2024 Pulitzer Prize for drama, tells a story with no real antagonist. Rather, it’s about a perilously lonely man forced to confront his childhood trauma in a wider world that’s indifferent at best, but where everyone he meets is grumpy at worst, and often a good deal better.

NAB Show 2026 Preview: Trends, AI, Exhibitors & What to See

www.productionhub.com: Every year around this time, I find myself asking the same question: What’s going to happen at NAB this year? So I reach out to friends and industry colleagues and ask a few tough questions: What’s your favorite part of NAB? What keeps you coming back year after year?

Eufymake E1 Review: For The Price, This Creative Tool Is A Real No-Brainer

www.slashgear.com: UV printing is a really compelling concept, with a lot of potential versatility for creators to manufacture all sorts of unique artworks. The Eufymake E1 is the first UV printer to bring UV printing to a relatively affordable and approachable point (for the average consumer). The possibilities it offers are exciting indeed, particularly to hobbyists and artists looking to create high quality products in their own homes.

'Cats: The Jellicle Ball' review roundup

www.goldderby.com: Jellicle cats come out tonight, because you're definitely shining bright. The reviews are in for the Broadway version of the 2024 off-Broadway smash Cats: The Jelliclle Ball, and this new take on Andrew Lloyd Webber's vintage '80s musical is getting all the raves that the notorious Taylor Swift-enhanced feature film from a few years back definitely didn't.

PADDINGTON THE MUSICAL Eyes 2027 Broadway Transfer

www.broadwayworld.com: Paddington the Musical is eyeing a 2027 bow on Broadway, Deadline reports. The production's lead producer, Sonia Friedman, revealed following the show's seven wins at the Olivier Awards, that she is hoping to bring the show to New York next year.

InfoComm 2026 Women's Breakfast Puts Authentic Leadership at the Center of the AI Conversation

Lighting&Sound America Online - News: InfoComm 2026 will host its annual Women's Breakfast on June 18 featuring keynote speaker Mariana Atencio, an award-winning journalist, bestselling author, entrepreneur, and one of the most sought-after voices on authenticity and leadership today.

Expose, Encourage & Empower: Inspiring The Next Generation To A Career In Live Production

ProSoundWeb: There’s an expression: “If I can’t see it, I can’t be it.” If you have no idea that something exists, you can’t engage with it. That was certainly my experience when I went to my first gig at age 12 – up until then I loved music and was exploring different bands, but I had no idea of what went on behind the album cover, no idea of the army of people who make live shows happen.

How digital twins and synchronized data affect motion control

Control Design: Advancements in inverter technology, such as field oriented control and PID feedback loops, allow induction motors to achieve the high precision and efficiency traditionally reserved for servo motors.

How to Embrace the Dramaturgy of Creative Caption Design

HowlRound Theatre Commons: Captions play an important role in the accessibility of theatrical productions for all audience members, particularly those who are d/Deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHOH), neurodivergent, and/or living with sensory processing disorders. Secondary to their use as an accessibility tool, captions are an important visual element of a theatrical production and should be approached with the same thought, artistry, and attention as design elements like lighting and projections. This is where the concept of creative captions come in.

‘Innocence’ at the Met Opera Transforms With Backstage Magic

The New York Times: At the Metropolitan Opera, the set of “Innocence” goes on a journey. In the beginning, a rotating midcentury building contains a two-story restaurant. As the set revolves, various spaces are revealed: downstairs and upstairs dining rooms, a kitchen, a closet, a reception area, a patio.

Disney Starlight finally delivers the moment fans have been waiting for

Attractions Magazine: When the ‘Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away’ debuted at Magic Kingdom in July 2025, it quickly became a fan favorite for its glowing visuals and special character moments. But for many fans, one detail stood out. Peter Pan and Wendy weren’t flying.

Bad Bunny and Latinx Theatre Commons Start Storytelling From the Beginning

AMERICAN THEATRE: “In any performance we create, we’re calling into existence things that existed already.” Raquel Torre invokes numerous references as we speak about the theatricality of February’s “Benito Bowl,” when Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio (Bad Bunny) dramaturged Boricua resilience and the history of Latine migrant music through his 13-minute Super Bowl halftime performance at Santa Clara, California’s Levi’s Stadium. For those 13 minutes, Latin American folks and allies around the world gathered in parties, on street corners, and in green rooms to experience the moving moment.

Passing the Baton | HowlRound Theatre Commons

howlround.com: 2025 marked my tenth and final year curating the Theatre in the Age of Climate Change series for HowlRound. Like many things in my life, it began as a one-off project, with eight essays published in April 2015. Then, it quickly grew into a recurring series, published twice a year for the first several years, and once a year in the last few, with a break during the dark days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Vintage Theatre Company’s Non-Traditional Thespian Troupe Receives Honors at West Virginia Thespian Festival

Connect Bridgeport News: The Vintage Theatre Company is proud to announce a historic showing by its Non-Traditional Thespian Troupe at the annual West Virginia Thespian Festival.

Understanding Grain Direction in Sheet Metal

www.protocase.com: Engineers and designers often choose a powder coat finish for their custom enclosures and parts because it provides a bright, vibrant and professional look. But what if you don’t need to have your enclosures or parts painted but still need them to be aesthetically pleasing?

Len Auerbach, FASTC Honored with USITT Distinguished Achievement Award in Architecture

ASTC: Founding member and Fellow of ASTC, S. Leonard Auerbach was honored with the 2026 Distinguished Achievement Award in Architecture by the United States Institute of Technology’s (USITT) Architecture Commission.

The Beauty of Exploring Pittsburgh Theatre, Opera, Ballet, and Symphony

Table Magazine: Being present for a live performance is a form of rebellion against the domination of pixels and algorithms. It frees you to turn to the humanity of actors, musicians, dancers, comedians, singers, and other talented performers.

Pittsburgh Playwright Theatre Premiere Unites Local Artists in 'Paradox of Education'

onstagepittsburgh.com: Few works on Pittsburgh stages have deeper roots within the city limits than Ty Greenwood’s Paradox of Education, directed by Maurice Redwood, and having its premiere this month at Pittsburgh Playwright Theatre Company.

Coachella horror as massive light fixture rains down on fans mid-concert: ‘Blood all over’

nypost.com: A night of high-energy beats at Coachella took a frightening turn when a heavy lighting fixture plunged down on the audience — striking at least one concert-goer in the head and leaving her bloodied. leaving at least one attendee bloodied.

Broadway Falls for 'Maybe Happy Ending'... $120 Million at the Box Office

MK: "I was even more moved the second time I saw it. My wife and I couldn’t stop crying throughout the show." This is a review left by an audience member who saw "Maybe Happy Ending" on the Broadway-focused online community BroadwayWorld.

The director as trail guide: Finding our way ‘Into the Woods’

The Durango Herald: Throughout my career as a theater director, I’ve often had people ask me, “What exactly is it that you do?” Some people assume that everything you see onstage – the scenic design, acting choices, props – “comes with” the script. Others suggest that I watch a movie version repeatedly and teach the actors to copy it. Actually, the job is both a lot more fun and a lot more work than that.

Walt Disney World just gave this iconic ride a makeover—and the new look is rainbow-themed

Fast Company: In the 55 years since Walt Disney World first opened its gates, the theme park has undergone plenty of changes—and in many ways, it’s stayed the same. Some attractions from the park’s opening day in 1971 and the decade that followed have cemented themselves as indisputable classics, such as the Jungle Cruise and the Haunted Mansion (both iconic enough to have warranted their own film adaptations).

A Three-Story Set, a 65-Foot Fly Rig: The Lost Boys Promises a True Broadway Spectacle

Playbill: After each winning a Tony Award for their work on the currently running Maybe Happy Ending, the pair’s latest project, The Lost Boys, has descended upon Broadway at the Palace Theatre to mysterious fanfare. Based on Joel Schumacher's 1987 cult classic of the same name, the musical is honing in on the emotional vulnerability that underpins the disarmingly stylized vampire film.

Can Victory Gardens Bloom Again?

AMERICAN THEATRE: Chicago’s Biograph Theater, home of Victory Gardens Theater for the past two decades, has largely lain dormant since September 2022, when the remaining members of the company’s bare-bones staff were fired after years of high-profile disputes among the board of directors, the administration, and the ensemble. But things may be turning around at last.

Wireless Festival Cancelled After Ye Banned From Entering UK

www.ticketnews.com: Ye — formerly known as Kanye West — was set to headline London’s Wireless Festival this July, but the festival has now been called-off after the rapper was officially blocked from entering the UK. The government refused permission for Ye to enter the UK following backlash for his planned performances at the three-day festival, including multiple sponsors backing-out of the event due to his previous antisemitic comments.

Five Actors On the Perks (and Perils) of Making It in D.C.

Washington City Paper: As an acting student at Greensboro College in North Carolina, Justin Weaks was assigned to research a major American theater market and report on everything from the type of work its companies put on to the cost of renting an apartment. As fate would have it, Weaks’ professor assigned them Washington, D.C.

Preventive maintenance for dust collection, fume extraction

www.thefabricator.com: ecause they operate in the background, they often receive less attention than machines directly tied to production. But when airflow drops, filters load, belts slip, or a fan starts running out of alignment, the effects show up quickly on the floor. Capture weakens at the source. Dust appears where it should not. Smoke or haze lingers longer than usual. A system that was easy to ignore suddenly becomes a maintenance problem.

WBEZ’s Theater Club launches to see plays at Steppenwolf and more

Chicago Sun-Times: Let’s go to the theater — together! Just in time for spring culture season, WBEZ/Chicago Sun-Times is launching a Theater Club on April 18 with a trip to see “White Rooster” at Lookingglass Theater. We’ll see the play, chat as a club with some members of the artistic team and socialize with each other over the arts.

Review: Powerful Drama 'Paradox of Education' Teaches Hard Lessons of Racism on Campus

onstagepittsburgh.com: Being made to feel “other” is no way to go through life, no less, to make it through four years of college. In Ty Greenwood’s powerful new drama, Paradox of Education, a group of Black students discover that scholarships to a PWI — predominantly white institutions — come with student debt, living up to academic expectations and piles of obligations, along with shouldering racially-charged, passive-aggressive encounters and outright hostility.

Why 'Becky Shaw' Sparks Laughs and Arguments

TDF: When talking about what audiences will think of Second Stage’s revival of her 2008 dark comedy Becky Shaw, Gina Gionfriddo sounds as apprehensive as someone prepping for a blind date. That’s appropriate since the Pulitzer finalist play is about a setup that goes hilariously, painfully wrong. “I certainly have some anxiety about how the play will be received all these years later in this particular cultural moment,” admits Gionfriddo. “All of my playwriting influences were writers like Nicky Silver and Christopher Durang who mined comedy from cruelty, which I don’t see very much in new plays. I do wonder whether people will feel comfortable laughing.”

Universal looks to blend reality and fantasy in new show system

www.themeparkinsider.com: Night time provides a great environment for stories. It's spooky and mysterious. The dark sky and low light of night time offers a handy environment for theme park designers when they want to create an indoor ride or attraction. It's just easier to make an environment look natural when you set it in night time instead of the bright, harsh, revealing light of day time.

Inside Chicago's innovative Steppenwolf Theatre Company as it marks 50 years

PBS News: Steppenwolf Theatre Company has long been one of the nation’s most influential ensemble companies. It's known for the actors it has launched and the groundbreaking work it has produced. It’s marking its 50th season at a moment of real uncertainty for theaters.

5 Cheaper Impact Drivers That Outperform Milwaukee

www.slashgear.com: There are two types of tool owners in the world: those who know how invaluable an impact driver can be, and those who think a cordless drill/driver is all they need. Of course, the specific driver you're using is also critical. Not only do many major and no-name brands offer an impact driver, but several have multiple models themselves, adding to the wide range of choices out there.

Al Gore to Keynote 2026 Hollywood Reporter Sustainability Event

www.hollywoodreporter.com: Three of the year’s most buzzed-about small-screen stories will receive big kudos at The Hollywood Reporter’s inaugural Sustainability in Entertainment Honors event taking place on April 23 in partnership with the Sustainable Entertainment Alliance.

Coachella stage closes after stage light falls on attendee

www.sfgate.com: Every year, electronic music heads at Coachella flock to Do LaB, a festival within a festival known for its curated lineup and surprise big-name acts; past guests have included Skrillex and Billie Eilish. DJ and producer John Summit was one of this year’s surprise sets, touching down a little after 8 p.m. Friday night. About halfway through this performance, onlookers report that a heavy light fixture fell from the stage, injuring at least one person in the audience.

No need for hard stares as Paddington: The Musical triumphs at Olivier awardsx

Olivier awards | The Guardian: It was a night of sweet victory for Michael Bond’s marmalade-loving bear as Paddington: The Musical dominated the Olivier awards on Sunday. Amid the tuxes and gowns of a glittering ceremony at the Royal Albert Hall in London, the duffle coat-wearing bear got his sticky paws all over seven prizes including best new musical.

Hendrick’s brings an immersive gin experience to NYC this April

www.timeout.com: If your ideal night out includes both a perfectly balanced cocktail and a slightly surreal fever dream, Hendrick’s has you covered. The famously eccentric booze brand is bringing a full-blown immersive theater experience to the West Village this month—and naturally, there will be gin. A lot of gin.

MET’s non-traditional take on 'The Crucible' has merit, but falters

DC Theater Arts: Maryland Ensemble Theatre’s production of The Crucible is one of those shows that is very … interesting. Director Julie Herber’s reimagining of the play, featuring near-constant ensemble movement, rapid-fire line readings, actors delivering lines straight out to the audience, and starkly dramatic lighting and sound, could not be further removed from the naturalism typically associated with Arthur Miller’s work.

Olivier Awards 2026: ‘Paddington’ Wins Big; Rachel Zegler and ‘Evita’ Also Triumph

The New York Times: “Paddington,” a new musical about the marmalade-loving bear that has been London’s hottest theater ticket since it opened last fall, was the big winner at this year’s Olivier Awards, Britain’s equivalent of the Tonys.

‘Death star’ chandeliers and disco dancefloors: making this year’s most dazzling theatre shows

Olivier awards | The Guardian: What does it take to create a giant chandelier on stage, decked out with more than 100 perfectly balanced, flickering candles? What about a disco floor that dazzles the audience in a play’s final moments but is hidden from view until then? On the eve of the 50th Olivier awards, we meet the artists, apprentices, engineers and designers behind some of London’s most memorable theatrical moments this year.

NFTRW Weekly Top Five

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

Water for Elephants: A Feast for the Senses

onstagepittsburgh.com: Water for Elephants is a no-doubt true showstopper, and I find it hard to select a single aspect to praise because there are so many stunners throughout the performance. First premiered in the Alliance Theatre (Atlanta) in 2023, then as a Broadway musical in 2024, it has been on its national tour since 2025 and is now performing in Pittsburgh as part of the Cultural Trust’s PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh series.

The 16 Best Musical Theater Colleges in the U.S.

Backstage: For aspiring musical theater actors, college is often the first step. If you’re hoping to be cast in a Broadway show someday, it’s important that you pick an undergraduate program tailored to your career goals. Here’s our list of some of the best musical theater programs in the U.S.

The Fabulous Engineering and Design of Duct Tape

kottke.org: Controlling the stickiness of tape is of utmost importance. In fact, a key element of engineering tape is controlling its stickiness — and only by doing that can tape be wound into a useful roll. If the tape sticks too tightly to itself, we could not use it.

You Can’t Have It All: The Impossible Demands of the Modern Museum

Architect Magazine: Is a museum a place for a community to come together around art that both grounds and opens perceptions about the world around them? Is it a monument to our collective cultural achievements and aspirations? A storehouse for those treasures that amaze us?

AI Infiltration Into The Arts Has Fans Seeing Slop Everywhere

www.forbes.com: The rise of AI-generated imagery and videos has turned the commercial art and production industries upside down, but one of its most insidious effects has been to cast doubt on the provenance of any work, whether or not it was created by humans. Now one creator is offering a modest idea for humans to affirm their place in the creative process.