Framing a new Butterfly

Chicago Reader: The curtain rises on a sleekly contemporary apartment with décor that includes the muscular back of a woman warrior against a red rising sun. A man in a T-shirt and sweatpants lumbers in and opens his fridge. The first sound that penetrates the silence is the pshhht of a soda can opening. He slips a VR headset over his eyes and slumps in a recliner—and Giacomo Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, with libretto by Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica after a play by David Belasco, reimagined by director Matthew Ozawa and co-commissioned by Cincinnati Opera, Detroit Opera, Pittsburgh Opera, and Utah Opera, begins.

Gatz review – the Great Gatsby performed in eight and a half hours of attentive, immersive joy

Adelaide festival | The Guardian: A man enters his office in the morning, finds his computer on the fritz and, after a few attempts to turn it on and off again, comes across a copy of F Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel The Great Gatsby. So he starts to read and when his colleagues enter they find themselves taking on the characters, and soon the novel unfolds around us, word by word. The New York theatre company Elevator Repair Service has produced a work that is not quite adaptation – given it doesn’t really adapt the novel at all – but that is utterly transfixing nonetheless.

Photos: Go Inside the 3rd Annual Black Theatre Coalition Gala

Playbill: Get an inside look at the 3rd annual Black Theatre Coalition gala honoring Taraji P. Henson, Thomas Schumacher, Susan Fales-Hill, and Jessica Matten/Indigenous Film Academy. Held March 9 at the Rainbow Room in Manhattan, the "Building the Change" gala celebrated entertainment professionals working in theatre, film, television, cultural institutions, and music.

Pokemon Go Had Players Capturing More Than They Realized

Hackaday: Released in 2016, Pokemon Go quickly became a worldwide phenomenon. Even folks who weren’t traditionally interested in the monster-taming franchise were wandering around with their smartphones out, on the hunt for virtual creatures that would appear via augmented reality. Although the number of active users has dropped over the years, it’s estimated that more than 50 million users currently log in and play every month.

Every Type of Plastic Used By LEGO

BrickNerd - All things LEGO and the LEGO fan community: Back in 2022, I wrote an overview of the materials that LEGO uses in their products. Though I’m not a materials expert by any means, I do enjoy researching and discussing LEGO minutiae, and in the years since that article was published, I have found a few more historic sources for materials used, made some corrections, and been pointed towards other resources by like-minded fans.

A Pittsburgh Fashion Scene Icon is Curating His Final Show

Pittsburgh Magazine: A beloved icon of the Pittsburgh fashion scene will be hanging up his hat at the end of March. Richard Parsakian, owner of Eons Fashion Antique in Shadyside, and a longtime fashion curator for events at Pittsburgh Opera, the Andy Warhol Museum and Metropol nightclub, announced this week that Pittsburgh Opera’s annual fashion show will be his last after 45 years of event work.

From historical research to digital worlds, Oscar costume designers share insight at ‘Sketch to Screen’

UCLA: Costume designers don’t just dress characters — they help create the people audiences see on screen. That idea was front and center Saturday when the five nominees for this year’s Academy Award for best costume design gathered in Hollywood for the 16th annual “Sketch to Screen” panel presented by the UCLA David C. Copley Center for Costume Design at the UCLA School of Theater, Film & Television.

Oscars 2026 First Look: This Year, the Stage Is a “Sanctuary of Celebration”

Vanity Fair: The Academy Awards is Hollywood’s biggest night on its biggest stage—and this year, that stage is an especially zen space. Each year, production designers Misty Buckley and Alana Billingsley reimagine the stage at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre. Some years it’s grandiose and bold; other years it harkens back to the golden era of Hollywood. But it’s never been as green as it is this year.

Experience the Unique Chaos of Quantum Theatre's 10 Out of 12

onstagepittsburgh.com: The controlled chaos of 10 Out of 12 piles on challenges that could make a director wild with worry. So why is Andrew William Smith smiling? Smith sees purpose in every cue perpetrated by playwright Ann Washburn (the postapocalyptic Mr. Burns). The title, 10 Out of 12, refers to the hours Actors’ Equity Association allows for one day in the technical process of building a show — in this case, the show is within the show about who does what: performers, stage manager, designer, etc. The twist: The audience is privy to everything all at once.

Half of Americans Went to a Movie Theater During the Year, Study Finds

variety.com: With the Academy Awards approaching to celebrate the year’s best films, a new survey offered a reality check about moviegoing: Just over half of Americans say they set foot in a movie theater over the course of a year.

Why Are We Obsessed With Antigone?

The New York Times: Antigone, an ancient Greek play, is being adapted in several theaters across New York City. Our critic Helen Shaw explains why Sophocles’s anti-heroine is such a relevant figure today.

5 Cheap Harbor Freight Alternatives To Expensive Milwaukee Products

www.slashgear.com: If you want professional-grade power tools, you're going to have to pay a premium price. At least, that's how it goes with many of the top power tool brands. And of that bunch, few brands come with higher prices than Milwaukee. The brand certainly has its fans, but there's no way around it: Milwaukee leverages its good reputation to justify charging high-end prices for its power tools.

NFTRW Weekly Top Five

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

Solo theatergoers are on the rise — and theaters want more of them

NPR: Nearly 20% of Broadway theater tickets are now being purchased by solo attendees — double the rate from just a couple of years ago, according to audience data for the 2024-25 season from the Broadway League. One major theater company is taking action.

Barack and Michelle Obama announce joint career move as Broadway producers

The Independent: The former U.S. president and first lady announced that their media company Higher Ground will be working on the Broadway revival of Proof, the Pulitzer Prize-winning play by David Auburn that centers on the daughter of a math professor who finds a notebook containing revelatory mathematical findings after his death.

AI-Generated 'Actor' Tilly Norwood Drops a Music Video Ahead of the Oscars. It Sucks

gizmodo.com: Tilly Norwood, the ultimate industry plant, has been dubbed “the world’s first AI actor” by the people who created her. She is still yet to appear in a single film or TV show, but she has a new music video out that is loosely tied to the Oscars and is letting people know that AI is great, actually—a thing that it seems like you wouldn’t have to insist upon if AI were so great.

Why Oscars season in Trumpworld makes us so mad

Salon.com: Chalamet’s words were curt, but his opinion was only further muddled by the clip being spread out of context. Chalamet, who has multiple family members who have performed in the New York City Ballet, was attempting to make a point about the accessibility of his art. He wants his work to be seen by the largest number of people possible for the price of a movie ticket, instead of having his efforts hidden behind the barrier of entry that comes with the higher cost of seeing opera or ballet.

How costume designers, Hollywood’s behind-the-scenes players, are becoming the new fashion influencers

www.afr.com: There's a scene in Barbie when the titular character, played by Margot Robbie, approaches an elderly woman at a bus stop and coos, “You’re so beautiful”. The woman replies, matter-of-fact, “I know it”. That woman wasn’t an actor; it was costume designer Ann Roth, whose bona fides include Working Girl, The English Patient and The Talented Mr Ripley.

 

Multiple Destinations: Three Common Problems With Livestreaming From The FOH Console & How To Solve Them

ProSoundWeb: Thanks to the recent industry “pivot” towards livestreaming, I’ve seen a lot of forum posts, received a lot of phone calls, and talked to a lot of colleagues – mostly in house of worship audio – about how to achieve a successful livestream mix from front of house. Most of them boil down to three main issues, discussed here with my suggested approach for addressing each.

The Surprising Truth About I-Joists

Builder Magazine: If you’re considering a new floor plan on your next project or looking to modify the layout you use, you have some structural decisions to make. That starts with a choice of a floor system: Should you go with dimensional lumber, open web trusses, or I-joists?

The Quad Console: Reconstructing The Desk For Pink Floyd's "Live at Pompeii" Performance In 1971

ProSoundWeb: It’s October 1971, and the Pink Floyd sound crew is setting up for the filming of “Live at Pompeii” in an ancient Roman amphitheater, having driven the equipment by road for three days from the UK. Pride of place is a new Allen & Heath 28-into-6 “Quad” mixer, the brainchild of maverick Floyd road manager Peter Watts.

AI-Generated 'Actor' Tilly Norwood Drops a Music Video Ahead of the Oscars. It Sucks

gizmodo.com: Tilly Norwood, the ultimate industry plant, has been dubbed “the world’s first AI actor” by the people who created her. She is still yet to appear in a single film or TV show, but she has a new music video out that is loosely tied to the Oscars and is letting people know that AI is great, actually—a thing that it seems like you wouldn’t have to insist upon if AI were so great.

Five Wide Format Products With Strong Profit Margins

Sign Builder Illustrated, The How-To Sign Industry Magazine: Walk into almost any sign shop today and you will find a wide format printer working away somewhere in the production area. For many shops it’s the backbone of daily work. Banners, yard signs, decals and posters keep the printer busy and the schedule full.

Avoiding cable rework by constructing a cable blueprint

Control Design: Many integrators seem to think that, if construction drawings show the number of connections, a cable and conduit schedule may be introduced later for the completion of an automation construction job. This causes inaccuracies and headaches. A well-thought-out construction plan will drive costs down.

Motion Capture Workers at 2K Studio Ratify First Union Contract

www.hollywoodreporter.com: Workers at 2K’s motion capture studio in Petaluma, CA have unanimously ratified a deal with management at parent company Take-Two Interactive, IATSE announced on Tuesday. The crew union represents stage technicians, engineers, animators and recording and audio specialists at the studio.

2K Motion Capture Workers in Petaluma Unanimously Ratify Historic First Union Contract

IATSE: Workers at 2K’s motion capture studio in Petaluma, California have reached and unanimously ratified their first union contract with Take-Two Interactive management, marking a historic first for motion capture video game workers in the United States. This agreement is the result of these workers’ initial vote to unionize in November 2024.

Work Pants Made to Outlive Your Working Life

Journal of Light Construction: 1620 Workwear in Massachusetts is one of the hidden gems of the construction industry. While I could begin by talking about how comfortable and durable the company’s pants are, I’d like to start with its warranty. The company backs its gear with a lifetime warranty.

ROUNDABOUT WILL TRANSPLANT 'THE HEART'

by Philip Boroff: The Heart is scheduled to open Off-Broadway at the nonprofit company’s Laura Pels Theatre at the end of October, according to a person familiar with the production. If the tryout on West 46th Street is well-received, the next stop is Broadway, where it would be among the first Broadway musicals dominated by electronic dance music (EDM).

Solo theatergoers are on the rise — and theaters want more of them

NPR: Nearly 20% of Broadway theater tickets are now being purchased by solo attendees — double the rate from just a couple of years ago, according to audience data for the 2024-25 season from the Broadway League. One major theater company is taking action.

Barack and Michelle Obama announce joint career move as Broadway producers

The Independent: The former U.S. president and first lady announced that their media company Higher Ground will be working on the Broadway revival of Proof, the Pulitzer Prize-winning play by David Auburn that centers on the daughter of a math professor who finds a notebook containing revelatory mathematical findings after his death.

How costume designers, Hollywood’s behind-the-scenes players, are becoming the new fashion influencers

www.afr.com: There's a scene in Barbie when the titular character, played by Margot Robbie, approaches an elderly woman at a bus stop and coos, “You’re so beautiful”. The woman replies, matter-of-fact, “I know it”. That woman wasn’t an actor; it was costume designer Ann Roth, whose bona fides include Working Girl, The English Patient and The Talented Mr Ripley.

Get Custom CNC Milled Parts in Your Hands in Just Four Days

Modern Applications News – Metalworking Ideas For Today's Job Shop: MISUMI Group's meviy is rewriting the "lead time" timeline with a major upgrade to its Expedite+ service, slashing CNC milling delivery to as few as four days. For engineers and job shops facing last-minute design shifts or broken production lines, this level of speed is a massive competitive advantage.

Guiding Light: White Light Celebrates The Career Of Technical Director Dave Isherwood

Live Design Online: White Light (WL) today announces the retirement of Technical Director Dave Isherwood, marking the culmination of a remarkable 37‑year career that has helped define the company’s technical direction, culture and operational excellence.

▶️ Super Bowl LX Halftime Show: In The Shop With All Access

Live Design Online: Joey Brennan, Halftime Staging Supervisor for All Access Staging takes us into the shop for a deep dive into the sets for the Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show, with production design spearheaded by Bruce Rogers of Tribe Inc.

Fed Up With High Costs, American Theater Takes a Trip to London

The New York Times: In a ramshackle onetime warehouse on the south side of London, with a leaky pitched roof, a shabby chic bar, and posters of shows gone by, a group of Americans gathered this winter to make a musical about a famous American writer.

Why do e-stops, safety controllers and sensors require planning and coordination?

Control Design: The space shuttle had three computers and needed a two-of-three voting system to determine if a sensed variable was real or phantom. This would be a good thing regarding a leaking door seal on the capsule. Safety sensing isn’t a new technology, but it seems that understanding what a safety system function is might be lacking a bit.

Manchester City plans immersive venue next to stadium

AV Magazine: Manchester City Football Club has submitted a planning application to Manchester City Council for a new immersive event venue at the Etihad Campus. The venue, which will be next to the UK’s largest indoor music arena, Co-op Live, will host the immersive theatrical dining experience Mamma Mia! The Party.

Versatile Variations: An Approach To Downscaling To A Smaller Console Format

ProSoundWeb: I recently did a very compact gig with one of my regular bands that usually plays the largest format shows. This wasn’t going from 40 production semi-trailers to four, as we have for festivals in the past, where I can keep the same control package – this was scaling down to a small van carrying eight flight-cases for an exclusive performance in a small space. There was a limited footprint for my equipment, and my usual set-up was neither appropriate nor necessary.

Lightroom to host animated Aardman immersive experience

AV Magazine: An immersive experience marking the 50th anniversary of Aardman studio will open at London’s Lightroom this autumn. Larger Than Life: Starring Wallace & Gromit, Shaun and More will invite audiences to step directly into the anarchic, joyful worlds of characters such as Wallace & Gromit, Shaun the Sheep and Morph.

Houston Airport Switches on New 220-Foot LED Masterpiece

Sixteen:Nine: Thinking of airport experiences like the multimedia landscapes we know from travel hubs like Singapore or Orlando, there are really only two companies that come to mind: Moment Factory and Gentilhomme – both out of Canada. The latter of the two has now completed another stunning installation, a 220-foot (67-meter) cylinder LED display at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas.

‘Gentleman Jack’ Brings a Queer Romance to Ballet

The New York Times: One morning last August, the female dancers of Northern Ballet tried something most of them had never done before: partnering each other. In one of the company’s studios in Leeds, England, there were giggles and some near falls. Carefully but eagerly, the dancers tried to steady their partners on pointe — in ballet, usually the task of men.

d&b commits to the Liveline Fund in support of UK grassroots music

TPi: The new partnership sees d&b become Liveline’s official audio partner, committing annual contributions to the Liveline Fund, which is a fully funded national touring programme designed to address the root causes of the touring crisis. The support also includes the donation of a d&b sound system installed on the SOS Fire Truck, a vehicle converted with state-of-the-art show technology and used to spread the word across the UK.

A bolt hole, a lathe, and the real meaning of transfer in fabrication

www.thefabricator.com: During the last month or so in my work at Howe’s Welding and Metal Fabrication, Ames, Iowa, I’ve twice been tasked with repairing a crack that runs along a bolt hole. These projects got me thinking about the word transfer—how we use it in metal fabrication and how we use it in education.

7 ProPresenter Macros that Simplify Your Sunday

Church Production Magazine: Every Sunday morning, the booth feels like mission control. Slides, cameras, lights, and lyrics all need to move in rhythm, and one mistimed click can break the flow. Imagine the click of a slide in ProPresenter could operate like 3 people seamlessly working together: it can. That’s why more churches are leaning into one of ProPresenter’s most underrated features: macros.

Oscars 2026: This is why visual effects-heavy 'Avatar: Fire and Ash' is nominated for best costume design

ABC7 San Francisco: The best costume design Oscar nomination for "Avatar: Fire and Ash" is one some have found surprising, since it's a film filled with visual effects. But as we explain, don't be fooled, because the digital costumes on the screen are very real.

Maria Callas costumes on rare US display at Washington exhibition

Monaco Life: The costumes, which belong to Milan’s Teatro alla Scala, represent Callas in four roles: Ifigenia in Ifigenia in Tauride, Amina in La Sonnambula, Anna in Anna Bolena, and Fiorilla in Il Turco in Italia. Their journey to the United States was made possible through a joint effort between the Italian Cultural Institute of Washington and the Embassy of Greece.

Sonic NEXT Ratchet Set Review: High Strength, Premium Quality

Pro Tool Reviews: If you want to open a can of worms in an auto shop, just start asking which ratchets are the best. You’re sure to get plenty of opinions, but for the discerning Pro, the Sonic NEXT ratchet set might just top them all. I got my hands on a set, and I’ll share what I’ve learned, including who they’re a good fit for and whether this is the only ratchet set you’ll need.

Out from the shadows, Chicago’s non-Equity stage managers take a turn in the spotlight

Chicago Sun-Times: Last year, Kyle Aschbrenner had to have a talk with his charges after one of them drew a penis on a bulletin board. “I had to tell everyone to sit down and be like, ‘While I find this very funny, I have to tell you guys not to do stuff like this,’” Aschbrenner recalled. Aschbrenner doesn’t run after-school detention at a high school for misfits. He’s a non-Equity stage manager — perhaps the most stressful, complex, occasionally absurd, and underappreciated job in Chicago theater.

Ryan Murphy's 'The Beauty' Costumes: Ashton Kutcher's Kilts and More

www.indiewire.com: Ryan Murphy and Matt Hodgson’s FX/Hulu series “The Beauty” kicks off with one of the great attention-grabbing scenes in recent television, as a gorgeous model played by Bella Hadid literally explodes on the runway after consuming an experimental drug with some extremely unfortunate side effects.

Beyond the Shortcut: How Generative AI is Reshaping Engineering Education

Make:: At the Maker Faire Bay Area last September, a crucial conversation took place, the Role of Generative AI in Engineering Education; Microchip’s Senior Engineer, Ross Satchell dove into the double-edged sword that is artificial intelligence.

Here's how UT San Antonio’s new theater program got its start

sanantonioreport.org: During her senior year of high school Grecia Ortiz spent most, if not all, of her free time in one place: the Camille Lightner Playhouse in Brownsville. “I was just always there either for rehearsal, or helping out,” Ortiz said. “I was never home… my mom would call and ask, ‘Are you at Camille?’ and I’d say, ‘Where else would I be?’”

What Do Indie Bookstores and Off-Broadway Theater Have in Common?

The Hat: One of the 27 objects in Ed Schmidt’s interactive one-person play Edward, now playing at bookstores around New York, is a beat-up copy of The Catcher in the Rye. Edward, whose life is narrated through a series of his belongings, was a high-school English teacher. Over the course of the evening, several objects — an Arthur Miller playbill, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, a hotel ashtray — demonstrate, in his words, “the vital role that reading literature plays in the development of a well-rounded life.”

“Infinite Life” at barebones productions

The Pittsburgh Tatler: Count on playwright Annie Baker to quietly poke and prod at some of the most tender areas of your psyche. Her hypernaturalistic style puts mundane conversation and everyday being under a microscope, subjects them to rigorous examination and dissection, and then renders them in such exquisite detail that they become strange and mysterious in their familiarity.

Colleges have introduced a drastic change. It could change university education.

slate.com: Quinn McDonald planned to spend the typical four years working toward a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. Then he heard about a place where he could get the same degree in three. “It was the idea of being able to save a year” that grabbed his attention, said McDonald—a savings of not only time, but tuition. And he could start earning a salary faster than if he spent four years in college.

Best show to laugh until you cry

Chicago Reader: The first time I saw Second City’s Black Excellence Comedy Revue, I cried real tears from laughing so hard. The 2024 title, Black by Popular Demand, was the second year Chicago’s most acclaimed comedy institution had this very Black show, and my best friend, WBEZ host Sasha-Ann Simons, wanted to cover it for her show. I was just tagging along.

‘The Beauty’ Costume Designer Breaks Down the Show’s Wildest Fashion Moments

www.wmagazine.com: In Ryan Murphy’s new body horror drama, The Beauty, aesthetics are crucial. It’s not a foreign concept for the prolific producer and series creator. Whether it’s the Kim Kardashian-led All’s Fair or the much-scrutinized hair color of Carolyn Bessette Kennedy in Love Story, Murphy has always emphasized the visual design of a character. Just ask costume designer Sarah Evelyn.

LUMINISCENCE Makes North American Debut In Minneapolis With K-array

ProSoundWeb: After a sold-out European run, LUMINISCENCE made its North American debut last fall by illuminating Saint Mary’s Basilica in Minneapolis with 360-degree video mapping, while spectators listened to the history of the U.S. landmark that was completed in 1914 accompanied by a blend of live choir, organ and instrumental music reinforced with a sound reinforcement system utilizing a range of K-array loudspeakers and supporting components.

UNT Dean Cites Politics As Reason Behind Canceled Victor Quiñonez Show

www.artnews.com: The decision to cancel a solo exhibition featuring anti-ICE art at the University of North Texas art school was an “institutional directive,” Dean Karen Hutzel said in newly leaked transcripts of a faculty meeting. First reported by the Denton Record-Chronicle, the transcripts show Hutzel declining to identify the directive’s source while warning colleagues to expect a “media storm.”

Shaunda McDill: Facing Pittsburgh Public Theater's Future With Uncertainty, Pride, and Hope

onstagepittsburgh.com Pittsburgh Public Theater’s 51st season is drawing to a close with Eboni Smith’s Primary Trust, described by the committee that awarded the play the Pulitzer Prize for Drama as, “A simple and elegantly crafted story of an emotionally damaged man who finds a new job, new friends, and a new sense of worth.”

One system. Multiple problems solved. | Learn more about One system. Multiple problems solved.

from Nicopress: A good rigging setup is strong and predictable. The Nicopress approach is built around speed, consistency and verification. Oval sleeves are gaugeable, designed for tool-and-sleeve compatibility, and (for mil-spec cable applications) can hold to 100% RBS when properly installed. The fastest way to keep things consistent (and reduce rework) is to match the sleeve family to the line type, the job the termination has to do, and the environment it’s living in (shop vs. venue, permanent vs. temporary, static vs. frequently handled).

The Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park Offers In-Suite Broadway Shows

robbreport.com: The Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park has just lifted the curtain on a new personalized Broadway experience that brings the razzle and dazzle of the stage straight to your suite. The aptly named Curtain Call package includes a private concert during which two acclaimed Broadway artists will belt out your favorite show tunes.

Live Nation's Ric Grenell Exits Kennedy Center, Renewing Spotlight on Trump Ties

TicketNews: Richard Grenell is stepping down as president of the Kennedy Center, ending a turbulent tenure that turned one of the nation’s most prominent performing arts venues into a flashpoint for political backlash, artist boycotts, and broader debate over the politicization of live entertainment institutions. President Donald Trump announced Friday that Matt Floca, the center’s vice president of facilities operations, will succeed Grenell, with the move expected to be finalized at a Monday board meeting.

AEV adds new safeguarding section to the eGuide 2026 edition

Event Industry News: Michelle Baldwin, head of events, NEC and chair of the eGuide working group, commented, “It’s great to include the new safeguarding section within the e-Guide. It is essential that we all use this to guarantee we are putting safety and best practice at the heart of all our events. It creates a common ground and principles we can all actively adopt to create safer spaces.”