NFTRW Weekly Top Five

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

Do Grades Make Sense In The AI Era?

Tech & Learning: I’ve always been uncomfortable with the grading part of being a professor. As a student, I loved learning, particularly writing, but dreaded the judgment of an instructor and the harsh disapproval of their red pen. When I started teaching, grading was my least favorite part of the job. I’d obsess over minor discrepancies and second-guess myself constantly.

Moment Factory designs an interactive botanical world

AV Magazine: An immersive experience that invites visitors to explore a vibrant botanical world that responds to their every movement has opened at the Futuroscope theme park in France. Entertainment studio Moment Factory was brought in to turn the park’s 360 into an attraction that shifts guests from observation to active, free-flow engagement.

Every show should be captioned for deaf audiences, petition demands

www.thestage.co.uk: Theatre owners ATG Entertainment, Delfont Mackintosh Theatres and LW Theatres are being urged to ensure every performance at their venues has captions in order to be accessible for deaf audiences

'Water for Elephants' Is Theatrical by Leaps and Bounds and Puppets

onstagepittsburgh.com: The live show takes its inspiration from the 2006 novel by Sara Gruen, in which an elderly man reflects on finding love, passion and a new home when, as a young man who has lost everything in 1931, he hops a train with the crew of a traveling circus. Seen through the eyes of his older self, Jacob’s adventure becomes “a poignant reminder that if you choose the ride, life can begin again at any age.”

New research aims to improve battery safety for theatre technicians

CMBE | The University of Sheffield: Props, set design and special effects are used widely in theatre productions and these often rely on power from lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries. Being subjected to constant wear and tear means repairs or alterations to these items may need to be done, in-house, by technical staff. As a result these modified items may no longer meet the same design, build, or safety standards as consumer-grade products which could increase the likelihood of failure.

 

Richard Parsakian of Eons Designs Pittsburgh Opera's Fashion Show

Table Magazine: For the Pittsburgh Opera’s annual fashion fundraiser on March 23, vintage clothing dealer and perennial scene-maker Richard Parsakian of Eons goes gloriously over the top—serving couture-caliber looks, a cast of provocateurs, and drama worthy of the stage.

Flashforge AD5X Is a Best-Selling Printer for a Reason

Make:: “Multicolor Is Hot!” proclaimed the cover of Make: Volume 88, highlighting the Bambu Lab X1 Carbon AMS system that finally broke multi-material printing through to the masses. But with its original price of almost $1,500, a large swath of the maker audience was excluded from the multi-material mania by cost.

Moment Factory designs an interactive botanical world

AV Magazine: An immersive experience that invites visitors to explore a vibrant botanical world that responds to their every movement has opened at the Futuroscope theme park in France. Entertainment studio Moment Factory was brought in to turn the park’s 360 into an attraction that shifts guests from observation to active, free-flow engagement.

AI in metal fabrication and the slow evolution of shop-floor technology

www.thefabricator.com: Metal fabrication abounds with new technology that can run circles around older machines. Thing is, when you visit shops, you’ll find that new technology isn’t pervasive. Even at the most progressive fabricators out there, decades-old machines tend to run alongside new systems with 3D touch controls and all the bells and whistles. Some shops survive and even thrive for decades relying mainly on very old machines and paper-based information systems. Why is this, exactly?

‘It feels like flying!’ Sadie Sink and Noah Jupe on child stardom, passion and the heady rush of Romeo and Juliet

Theatre | The Guardian: Noah Jupe and Sadie Sink are comparing their CVs. “Noah has more Shakespeare experience than me, for sure,” says Sink. “Oh yes, I think so,” replies Jupe. “How many lines?” asks Sink. “Quite a few, actually,” he reports. “More than 10!”

Hulu's ‘Paradise’ Gets An Upgrade For Season 2

www.forbes.com: I was able to sit down with Coxy, the costume designer for the second season of Paradise, over Zoom, just as I did with Sarah Evelyn for Season 1. In this new chapter, the aspect ratio expands. We aren’t just seeing how the billionaire bunker was built or the drama unfolding within it; this time we get to see what happened to the people who weren't rich or important enough to ride out the end of the world in luxury buried under incalculable tons of rock.

‘Dog Day Afternoon’ Playwright Briefly Kept Out of Broadway Rehearsals

The New York Times: Making a new Broadway show is often stressful. At “Dog Day Afternoon,” a stage adaptation of Sidney Lumet’s 1975 movie about a Brooklyn bank robbery and hostage-taking, that stress became so intense that the production’s Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright was prohibited from entering the August Wilson Theater for three days over the last week.

A New Multi-Bit Milwaukee Screwdriver Arrives In April 2026 - Here's What It Costs

www.slashgear.com: In the arena of consumer power tools, Milwaukee is a brand that many regard as well as any other in the game. You may not realize it, but Milwaukee is also a bit of a trailblazer in power tool market, as the brand was the first to utilize Lithium-Ion technology to power its devices, listing those devices alongside its equally vast range of non-powered hand tools.

Congo Square ensemble members say in letter that the prominent Black theater was quietly dissolved

Chicago Sun-Times: Congo Square Theatre Company, a prominent Black ensemble theater group that produced work in Chicago for a quarter century, has quietly been dissolved by its board of directors, according to an open letter posted on Facebook Sunday by the ensemble.

Into the Woods, Paddington, More Win U.K. Critics' Circle Theatre Awards; Read the Full List of Winners

Playbill: Winners of the 2026 Critics' Circle Theatre Awards were revealed March 26 at an afternoon ceremony at London's National Theatre, with the current West End revival of All My Sons and Bridge Theatre's Into the Woods emerging as the most-honored productions. The coveted Best New Musical Award went to Paddington The Musical, while Best New Play went to James Graham's Punch.

'Water for Elephants' Is Theatrical by Leaps and Bounds and Puppets

onstagepittsburgh.com: The live show takes its inspiration from the 2006 novel by Sara Gruen, in which an elderly man reflects on finding love, passion and a new home when, as a young man who has lost everything in 1931, he hops a train with the crew of a traveling circus. Seen through the eyes of his older self, Jacob’s adventure becomes “a poignant reminder that if you choose the ride, life can begin again at any age.”

Brooklyn Academy of Music Names New President: Tamara McCaw

The New York Times: The Brooklyn Academy of Music announced on Thursday that it had appointed Tamara McCaw, a longtime New York arts leader, to serve as its president as the center emerges from a period of shrinking audiences, declining revenue and turnover in its upper ranks.

Pondering the Pittsburgh Public-CLO merger

wesa.fm: In February 1946, Pittsburgh’s Civic Light Opera Association announced its very first season, which began with an outdoor show at old Pitt Stadium. The group — created with help from department store heir Edgar J. Kaufmann, and staging fare like “Brigadoon” and “On The Town” — proved popular enough that the Civic Arena was originally built to house its shows. The CLO moved Downtown to the Benedum Center in 1988, and has been there since.

New research aims to improve battery safety for theatre technicians

CMBE | The University of Sheffield: Props, set design and special effects are used widely in theatre productions and these often rely on power from lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries. Being subjected to constant wear and tear means repairs or alterations to these items may need to be done, in-house, by technical staff. As a result these modified items may no longer meet the same design, build, or safety standards as consumer-grade products which could increase the likelihood of failure.

Steppenwolf receives grant from Sondheim Foundation for new play program

WBEZ Chicago: Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre will reboot a program that supports new plays after receiving a grant from the Stephen Sondheim Foundation, an organization established under the will of the revered composer-lyricist. The foundation has announced an inaugural round of cultural grant funding.

Congo Square Theatre Ensemble says board conflict, financial questions led to the collapse of historic company

OnStage Blog: The Congo Square Theatre Ensemble is speaking out about what it says led to the dissolution of Congo Square Theatre Company, and the picture they paint is bleak. In an open letter posted on Facebook, dated March 17, 2026, the Ensemble outlines a conflict marked by board infighting, ignored calls for mediation, financial questions, and the bureaucratic unraveling of a 25-year-old Black theatre institution.

Every show should be captioned for deaf audiences, petition demands

www.thestage.co.uk: Theatre owners ATG Entertainment, Delfont Mackintosh Theatres and LW Theatres are being urged to ensure every performance at their venues has captions in order to be accessible for deaf audiences

Ruth E. Carter Honored At The Inaugural Camille Rose ‘Art Of Glam: Honoring The Hands Behind The Beauty’ Awards Dinner

www.forbes.com: On March 11th, the founder of beloved beauty brand Camille Rose, Janell Stephens, launched Art of Glam: Honoring the Hands Behind the Beauty, which recognized the beauty architects behind some of the notable talents, films, and television series at The Maybourne Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, during a buzzy Oscar week.

Securing Music Rights Is The Toughest Part Of Olympic Athletes’ Routines

Butts In the Seats: Entertainment lawyer Gordon Firemark and Tamera Bennett recently did a podcast episode addressing some intellectual property and copyright issues which had been in the news. One of the problems they covered was the controversy over music licensing rights during Olympic skating and other routines.

UK Theatremakers Petition for New Video Design Category at the Olivier Awards

www.broadwayworld.com: UK desigers have come together to call for a new category at the Olivier Awards acknowledging Video Design. A petition has been signed by over 100 artsist in the UK theatre community.

Nominations announced for the first-ever Broadway Ensemble Awards

www.broadwaynews.com: The Broadway Ensemble Awards are presented by the musical theater education nonprofit Stage Door Miracles Inc. The nonprofit is headed by Stepp Stewart, a choreographer, Emmy-nominated producer and ensemble member from the 1994 original Broadway production of “Jelly’s Last Jam,” the 1996 revival of “Applause” and the 1997 revival of “Dreamgirls.”

Vibe Coding 101: How to Build Apps and More With AI

PCMag: With "vibe coding," almost anyone can be a programmer. Just ask an AI to generate code through a ChatGPT-like conversation, and refine the output. This technique is rapidly becoming a popular way for hobbyists to build apps or websites, but professional programmers are also using it at work. They're tapping into an ever-growing list of vibe-coding products—from big names like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Amazon, to up-and-comers like Cursor and Replit.

Inventing On The Fly: Things You Can (And Can't) Do In The Realm Of Television Sound

ProSoundWeb: As with part 1 of this series, I begin with a disclaimer: Some readers may find the following to be disturbing, in that many of the techniques I describe are generally accepted in the industry to be “not possible.” However, this all happened, as described – and not just once or twice – but for well over 1,000 tapings spread over at least five television productions 25 years ago. So, if you do find any of this hard to believe, do not take my word for it, but rather, open your mind and try it yourself. It all worked, and it sounded exceptionally good.

President Loeb Joins Federal Lawmakers at Hearing to Level Playing Field for American Film Production

IATSE: During a spotlight hearing convened by Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Congresswoman Laura Friedman (D-Calif.) at Burbank City Hall Friday, International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) International President Matthew D. Loeb emphasized the growing need for a federal film/tv production incentive to level the playing field and protect American creative jobs.

Alvin Ailey Women Are Keeping the Ballet Alive

www.theroot.com: On a recent rainy night in New York City’s Chelsea neighborhood, The Joyce Theater filled for the final performance of Ailey II’s critically acclaimed, sold-out run. Dancers took the stage carrying forward a legacy shaped by Alvin Ailey’s commitment to centering Black women.

Your March and April Spring Theater Roundup in Pittsburgh

Table Magazine: Spring is an excellent time to spend at the theaters around Pittsburgh. It’s not always warm enough for outdoor pursuits — but the snow is (hopefully) off the sidewalks for good, inviting you out for a night on the town. Here are seven great reasons to buy a ticket this March and April.

The conflict in the Middle East will not stop Disney's Abu Dhabi theme park

Sound & Video Contractor: The ongoing war involving the United States, Israel, and Iran have raised questions about the feasibility of Disney working on development of its upcoming park in Abu Dhabi. However, there are indications that the project on Abu Dhabi’s Yas Island is not being shelved, despite the current Middle East conflict.

WATCH: Researchers develop method for clear projection mapping in bright environments

Sound & Video Contractor: Projection mapping applications typically take place either outdoors at night, or in very dim environments. This is because any ambient light washes out the projection, an issue that researchers have tackled with the addition of an illumination device that combines an LED panel with a lens array.

Survivor Challenge Mastermind on Dream Team, 50 Seasons of Challenges

www.hollywoodreporter.com: While Jeff Probst may be the face of Survivor, one of the people most responsible for what viewers see onscreen has spent 50 seasons behind the scenes. John Kirhoffer has been with the show since inception as a co-executive producer, overseeing the iconic challenges that have become one of the series’ most defining and enduring elements.

OpenAI Shutting Down Sora Video App

www.hollywoodreporter.com: “We’re saying goodbye to Sora. To everyone who created with Sora, shared it, and built community around it: thank you,” the company said in a statement. “What you made with Sora mattered, and we know this news is disappointing. We’ll share more soon, including timelines for the app and API and details on preserving your work.”

Broadway Women's Fund Announces 2026's Women to Watch on Broadway; Full List

www.broadwayworld.com: The Broadway Women's Fund revealed its 2026 Women to Watch on Broadway list, the seventh list from the fund spotlighting women in leadership in theater.

Production costs double in a decade as theatres brace for deficits – report

www.thestage.co.uk: Production costs have doubled in 10 years, according to a report that also warns that more than 50% of subsidised theatre organisations are expecting to run at a deficit

Q&A: How Expandido Arts Collective is reimagining the Medea myth

Intermission Magazine: Following their 2023 Toronto production of The Rage of Narcissus, the Expandido Arts Collective is staging Brazilian playwright Grace Passô’s contemporary Medea adaptation Kill Your Father. Originally written in Portuguese as Mata Teu Pai, Passô’s play reimagines the myth of Medea through a contemporary feminist lens. Translated and adapted by Marcio Beauclair and Matthew Romantini, Kill Your Father introduces the Brazilian play to new audiences.

On the Hunt for 24 Hours of Drag in N.Y.C.

The New York Times: How much drag can I see in 24 hours? That’s the screwball mission I embarked on in early March. I had options galore: An ax-throwing class. A party bus. John Cameron Mitchell in “Oh, Mary!” A 25-person drag dinner for $800.

1+1+1: Three Things That Every Mix Shares

ProSoundWeb: There are a lot of ways to build a great front of house mix. And there’s a lot of information out there about best practices when it comes to routing, EQs, dynamics, FX, and everything in between. But when it comes to my approach to mixing, there’s something that’s often overlooked and much more fundamental than any of the minutiae of mixing.

Marketing Execs Tout Hollywood's Embrace of Brand Integration

www.thewrap.com: Hollywood’s leading marketing executives praised the shifting tides around product placement and advertising in film and television, as the creative community embraces brand collaborations to offset industrywide cost-cutting.

You've Got Mail Order—How the TDF Costume Collection Ships Rentals Across the Country

TDF: As emerging costume designers, Ariel Kregal and Gabe Bagdazian had been running into each other for years. So she wasn’t that surprised when she walked into the TDF Costume Collection in spring 2024 to rent some items and spotted Bagdazian, who had recently been hired as an In-House Designer.

DeWalt’s Cordless Work Light Tested: Power, Runtime, Value

www.popularmechanics.com: Spend six decades on this earth and there are things that become exponentially intolerable with each passing year—like the guy at my local bagel shop who just can’t seem to cut my Taylor ham, egg, and cheese sandwich all the way through (bro, you had one job).

Logan Square Neighbor's Puppet Web Series A 'Kid Show For Adults'

blockclubchicago.org: Spoon, Scribbles and Grandpa have been tasked with teaching aliens about Earth. The puppets are characters in Logan Ludwig’s web series “For Alien Eyes Only,” a puppet comedy show about a package of VHS tapes and a television sent into space in hopes that other life forms would find them and learn about Earth. The web series releases episodes about once per month, with five out so far.

Do Grades Make Sense In The AI Era?

Tech & Learning: I’ve always been uncomfortable with the grading part of being a professor. As a student, I loved learning, particularly writing, but dreaded the judgment of an instructor and the harsh disapproval of their red pen. When I started teaching, grading was my least favorite part of the job. I’d obsess over minor discrepancies and second-guess myself constantly.

Las Vegas special effects designer Eva Jacqueline on transforming the surreal into the tangible

Las Vegas Weekly: Turning ideas, dreams and fantasies into physical form is not for the timid or faint of heart. It requires a particular strain of creative audacity, the kind that thrives in the space between art and illusion. Las Vegas artist Eva Jacqueline knows this terrain well. Through a constant evolving blend of technical skill and artistic instinct, she helps craft hyperrealistic creations that unsettle, fascinate and captivate global spectators in equal measure.

Logical Methodology: Putting Together A Foolproof Festival Patch

ProSoundWeb: When I was coming up through the ranks at a sound company in the early 1980s, I did a lot of folk festivals. Within a few years I went from mixing a small satellite stage (with monitors from front of house) to main stage monitor mixer and then to main stage front of house mixer.

Meyer Sound introduces TIGRA Line Array and 1800-LFC Subwoofer

LightSoundJournal.com: Meyer Sound is expanding its next generation of self-powered professional loudspeakers with the introduction of the TIGRA™ line array loudspeaker and the 1800-LFC™ low-frequency control element. Together they bring tour-class performance, GEN-1 intelligent onboard signal processing, Milan connectivity, and broad deployment flexibility into compact form factors—making big-system capabilities accessible for a greater range of productions and venues.

In ‘White Rooster,’ playwright Matthew Yee summons the ghosts of his Chinese ancestors

Chicago Sun-Times: uring tech week for the world premiere of “White Rooster” at Lookingglass Theatre, crew members bustled about attempting to solve last-minute issues. Onstage a group of actors who looked like dusty prospectors from the Old West gathered around a massive wooden set piece. A woman in clean denim played an electric guitar. That guitarist, actor Sunnie Eraso, appeared in stark contrast from everything else.

World’s fair update – March 2026

InPark Magazine: For over 150 years, world’s fairs were where the future made its debut. The Eiffel Tower rose for Paris 1889. The television age began at New York 1939. Touchscreens appeared at Knoxville 1982. These events were once the world’s most ambitious stage for national identity, technological optimism, and architectural spectacle.