How Paranormal Activity Created a Two-Story Haunted House Onstage

Playbill: Illusions designer Chris Fisher is no stranger to the paranormal. The 2025 Special Tony Award recipient brought the Upside Down to the Marquis in Stranger Things: The First Shadow. Now, he is conjuring sinister spirits in the new stage play Paranormal Activity, which opens August 25 at the August Wilson Theatre. Though—for all his knowledge and ingenuity on creating spectacular, seemingly impossible, feats of monsters and magic—Fisher can still find himself spooked by the unexplainable.

Experiencing a Protactile Performance of Touch of Slavery

HowlRound Theatre Commons: Entering Touch of Slavery meant releasing my dependence on sight and, in return, gaining a radically expanded understanding of what theatre is and can be. For the performance, audience members are blindfolded and individually led within a space where words did not exist and touch became the only language. What unfolded in that darkened space was genuinely transformative.

L-Acoustics Fits The Bill At Houston’s Shell Energy Stadium

ProSoundWeb: Shell Energy Stadium in Houston, a 20,656-seat open-air venue that was the first soccer-specific stadium in Major League Soccer built in a city’s downtown district that’s the home of four sports teams, recently underwent an audio upgrade carried by new L-Acoustics A Series loudspeakers and supporting components in a design and installation by Houston-based LD Systems, a Clair Global brand.

Reproducing Victorian-Style Door Casing

www.jlconline.com: One of the things I like about working on a historic home is the challenge of matching new work to old. Last summer, I was hired to do the finish work for a kitchen remodel in a 19th century Victorian home in Winona, Minn. The kitchen had been previously remodeled sometime in the 1960s in a contemporary style incompatible with the home’s period look.

THE LOOKBACK WINDOW to Be Adapted for Stage by Making Our…

www.broadwayworld.com: Making Our Space Theatre Co. has commissioned author Kyle Dillon Hertz to adapt his acclaimed debut novel, The Lookback Window, for the stage as the inaugural selection of IN THE MAKING: A New Play Commission. Deepening Making Our Space's commitment to the development of ambitious new stage works after last season's THE LAST STOP reading series, IN THE MAKING is designed to support a writing process through sustained artistic collaboration from script inception through workshopping and refinement, culminating in a final staged reading for the public and industry professionals. The commission is funded in part by the NYSCA/A.R.T. Creative Opportunity Fund.

51 Years Later, A Treasure Trove of Sci-Fi History is Going Up for Sale

www.inverse.com: But Phil Tippett is more than just a punchline. He’s also a special effects legend, pioneering the use of stop motion and other classic techniques in the foundational sci-fi and fantasy movies in the ‘80s and ‘90s. But now, he’s hanging up his sculpting tools and retiring, but not before selling off his vast collection for fans to enjoy.

EFF to Courts: Don’t Rewrite Copyright Over AI Hype

Electronic Frontier Foundation: The history of technology is rife with copyright panics. In the 1980s, major rightsholders ran to Congress and the courts, claiming that videotape recorders (VTR) were “to the American film producer and the American public as the Boston strangler is to the woman home alone.” Then, the Supreme Court declined to embrace the hype, noting that the VTR was capable of all kinds of non-infringing uses, like time-shifting and cautioning courts to avoid rewriting copyright law in response to new technologies. We believe that courts now should be similarly wary about the hype surrounding AI.

Interview: Matt Hune on REC ROOM ARTS SEASON 10

BroadwayWorld: Matt Hune is one of the founders and the artistic director of Rec Room Arts, the 60-seat theater located within walking distance of Minute Maid Park that has been producing critically acclaimed work for the past ten years. He taught theatre and creative writing at the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts.

New 4D Effects Coming to Wizard of Oz at the Sphere in Las Vegas

www.hollywoodreporter.com: The Sphere version of the film has grossed north of $450 million since it launched a year ago, and the venue says that tickets are now on sale into early 2027. The film combines the Sphere’s vast screen with effects in the venue, including fire, falling apples and a tornado that forms inside the room.

Turn 3D Scans Into Editable CAD Models in Autodesk Fusion with the New Backflip AI Add-In

Fusion Blog: Physical parts often contain valuable design information, but that information can be hard to reuse when the original CAD file is missing, a replacement part is no longer available, a production fixture needs to be modified, or a prototype has evolved through hands-on iteration.

Sarasota Opera Receives $30,000 Grant for Youth Education Programming

BroadwayWorld: Sarasota Opera has been awarded a $30,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Sarasota County in support of Sarasota Youth Opera and Education programs and the company's Aficionado Dinner. The funding will help expand access to high-quality arts education, live opera experiences, and meaningful engagement opportunities for young people, families, educators, and community supporters throughout Sarasota County.

An Inflatable Pool Party by Craig & Karl Fills a Dubai Atrium with Summer Fun

Colossal: At ICD Brookfield Place in Dubai, a vibrant collection of smiling inflatables sprouts from a vaulted ceiling, creating a suspended pool party of colorful forms. The spirited installation is titled “Under the Sun” and the latest project by duo Craig & Karl.

Lowering The Boom: Keeping Bass Energy Under Control As Part Of A Semi-Silent Stage

ProSoundWeb: Bass players provide the foundation for nearly all contemporary music. Without them, our mixes sound thin and nobody wants to dance. Add the right amount of bass and all of the sudden it’s a show. But while we love bass, it often leads to trouble, particularly in small rooms.

The Kind Mind Uses Arts Education to Make Space for Mental Health Conversations

Playbill: As Remi Bader spoke about her experience with mental health, Maya Days reached over and touched her arm. It was a small gesture, but for Stacie Karp Weisbrot, founder of The Kind Mind, it captured much of what she hopes the organization can create: a space where people can speak honestly about difficult experiences and find connection in the process.

Majestic Rep stages the best night of our lives with 'Prom Night ’99'

Las Vegas Weekly: Teenage rom-coms of the ’90s romanticized prom to an almost religious degree. Anything could happen on this fateful night. Life-altering makeovers could turn the nerdy girl glamorous. Grads could form new alliances over a shared joint in the alley. And that school bully might finally take a beating—if we’relucky.

Manhattan Theatre Club Names Allison Curran Chief…

www.broadwayworld.com: Manhattan Theatre Club has announced the appointment of Allison Curran as its new Chief Development Officer, effective Monday, August 24. Curran has over 15 years of experience as a development professional, working at a range of institutions to secure funding from individuals, foundations, corporations, and government agencies.

Monumental Theatre’s new take on ‘The Rocky Horror Show’

DC Theater Arts: “Give yourself over to absolute pleasure,” cries Dr. Frank-N-Furter, a role made famous by Tim Curry, a pioneer in cinematic queer expression and self-discovery who died earlier today. “Swim the warm waters of sins of the flesh / Erotic nightmares beyond any measure / And sensual daydreams to treasure forever / Can’t you just see it? Don’t dream it, be it.” Under the electric dreamscape of Venus Gulbranson’s lighting design, Frank’s lyrics capture the essence of Monumental Theatre Company’s The Rocky Horror Show: pleasure without shame.

Dusk of a Great Day at Theater Mu

AMERICAN THEATRE: How do arts organizations centered around communities of color thrive? By telling their own stories, building trust with the people they serve, redefining success, and forging localized and global networks.

How 'Strange New Worlds' Made Sure the Puppet Episode Still Felt Like 'Star Trek'

gizmodo.com: The long-awaited puppet episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds beamed onto Paramount+ this week, maybe the most out-there swing yet for a show that never met a gimmick it didn’t like. But much like season two’s musical episode, “Subspace Rhapsody,” season four’s “Level-Five Transporter Accident” manages to still feel like Star Trek—despite the fact that most of the characters have gotten a Jim Henson’s Creature Shop makeover.

Beyond the Velvet Ropes: Inside Lincoln Center’s Next Act

The Theatre Times: For Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, home to the New York Philharmonic, the Metropolitan Opera, and the New York City Ballet, redefining the modern stage is a delicate dance: honoring rich heritage while expanding how storytelling lives both under the spotlight and beyond the proscenium.

12 Must-See Musicals On Stage This Fall on Broadway and Off-Broadway

Playbill: As crisp autumn air looks to settle over New York City in just a few, short, weeks, a thrilling new wave of musical theatre is taking over the stage! While Broadway brings its share of heavy-hitting stars, Off-Broadway is ready to burst at the seams with wildly original scores and bold stagings.

From Bacon to Bananas: Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2026 in 24 Shows

The Theatre Times: With more than 4,200 shows making up this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe, twenty-four performances can hardly stand in for the whole thing. What follows is a subjective itinerary through a week shaped by my own tastes and curiosities, even if several stops were among the Festival’s conspicuous talking points. Across theater, comedy, clowning, and magic, certain motifs kept surfacing in parallel: the stories we tell about ourselves, the selves we perform for others, the seductions of visibility (both online and off), and the strange uses of laughter as camouflage, release, resistance, or simply a way of survival.

Freelancers ‘unlikely to be paid’ as extent of Layered Reality debt revealed

www.thestage.co.uk: Freelance workers are unlikely to receive the money they are owed by Layered Reality, the collapsed immersive company behind shows such as Elvis Evolution and Jeff Wayne’s The War of the Worlds: The Immersive Experience, unions have warned. Layered Reality’s parent company Ellipsis Entertainment has left behind debts totalling more than £20m to more than 200 creditors.

Broadway Photographer Jeremy Daniel's Secret to Getting a Great Photo: 'Watch Tech Rehearsals!'

Playbill: One of the theatre's busiest photographers is Jeremy Daniel, who actually started his career as a Broadway publicist, representing more than two dozen Broadway shows as well as numerous Off-Broadway productions. After 16 years in the publicity field, Daniel's passion turned to theatrical photography, and since 2008 he has photographed dozens of shows on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and on tour throughout the country.

NFTRW Weekly Top Five

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

Paint Quality Tiers Explained: Is Premium Paint Worth It?

www.familyhandyman.com: Paint pros explain what changes between budget, mid-tier, and premium paint, plus when paying more can actually make sense for a project. Anyone who’s ever ordered from a paint counter has probably faced the same paint quality question: good, better, or best?

 

Connecting the dots—the Benefits of Collaborative Set Design

TDF: When the pandemic disrupted life, especially in the theatre, three set designers embarked on a remarkable collaboration that jump-started their careers post-shutdown. In 2020, Andrew Moerdyk, Kimie Nishikawa and Santiago Orjuela-Laverde, immigrants from South Africa, Japan and Colombia respectively, formed the NYC-based collective dots. The lowercase moniker, as per Moerdyk, signifies “how many individual dots/points/pixels come together to form a single beautiful image.”

 

Has Broadway lost its way?

It's Been a Minute : NPR: Actors are performing some of the most demanding shows in Broadway history, but the take-home pay isn't quite matching up. Meanwhile, producers are facing skyrocketing costs and shrinking margins. And I don't see anyone jumping for joy at how high these ticket prices have gotten. Is Broadway at the risk of taking its final bow? To understand whether or not Broadway is broken or maybe just broke, I'm here with Broadway Sensitivity Specialist Ann James and entertainment lawyer and Broadway producer Marc Hershberg.

 

Most Importantly, The Child Should Experience How Theatre Can Make Kindness, Patience, Courage And Curiosity Matter

The Theatre Times: Laouni Bellil (Mascara, Algeria) is an emerging talented – theatre actor, storyteller and director specializing in children’s theatre, puppetry and storytelling. He holds a B.A. and M.A. from the Drama Academy at the University of Oran, where his artistic and academic work focused on the development and direction of puppet theatre for young audiences. Over the past decade, he has led and facilitated numerous theatre workshops for children across Algeria, including in Oran, Algiers, Mascara and Adrar.

 

Cirque du Soleil performer sues for $16M after she breaks 11 bones in fall before Portland crowd

oregonlive.com: A Cirque du Soleil aerial acrobat who broke 11 bones after plunging to the ground in front of a stunned Portland audience in 2024 has filed a $16.75 million lawsuit against the traveling circus company — claiming that it failed to place safety mats beneath her.

 

Paint Quality Tiers Explained: Is Premium Paint Worth It?

www.familyhandyman.com: Paint pros explain what changes between budget, mid-tier, and premium paint, plus when paying more can actually make sense for a project. Anyone who’s ever ordered from a paint counter has probably faced the same paint quality question: good, better, or best?

Over $900M requested through BlackRock Future Builders program, skilled trades demand grows

Woodworking Network: The first national Request for Proposals (RFP) from BlackRock Future Builders has closed after drawing more than 1,000 applications from organizations across the country, highlighting the growing demand for resources that help connect more Americans to skilled trades careers.

Review: Pittsburgh Ballet Theater’s “Ballet Under the Stars” is the Perfect End-of-Summer Family Event

onStage Pittsburgh: Although Taylor Swift declared that August “slips away like a bottle of wine,” the Pittsburgh Ballet Theater proved that there is still much enjoyment to be had before the sun sets on another summer season. The Pittsburgh Ballet Theater principal dancers and troupe members took the stage at Hartwood Acres Sunday night for their annual end-of-summer showcase entitled Ballet Under the Stars. Folding chairs and blankets adorned the lawn as audience members of all ages gathered for this beautiful tradition.

Seattle Opera to Host Annual Opera Center Open House This September

OperaWire: Seattle Opera and Classical KING FM will host their annual Opera Center Open House on Saturday, Sept. 26 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Opera Center. The free event invites the public behind the scenes of both organizations, with live performances, facility tours, hands-on activities, and appearances by community partners throughout the afternoon.

Connecting the dots—the Benefits of Collaborative Set Design

TDF: When the pandemic disrupted life, especially in the theatre, three set designers embarked on a remarkable collaboration that jump-started their careers post-shutdown. In 2020, Andrew Moerdyk, Kimie Nishikawa and Santiago Orjuela-Laverde, immigrants from South Africa, Japan and Colombia respectively, formed the NYC-based collective dots. The lowercase moniker, as per Moerdyk, signifies “how many individual dots/points/pixels come together to form a single beautiful image.”

Harvard's American Repertory Theater puts on revival of Ionesco's 'Rhinoceros'

NPR: The American Repertory Theater at Harvard University premiers a revival of Eugène Ionesco's landmark play, "Rhinoceros." NPR's Sacha Pfeiffer talks to director Diane Paulus and actor John Turturro.

Dolly Parton Turned Down Elvis. That May Have Been Her Smartest Move

www.hollywoodreporter.com: There’s a famous story in industry lore about how, back in the ‘70s, Elvis Presley’s team had come to Parton with an offer for The King to cover “I Will Always Love You.” It was a potentially life-changing offer, even for an already famous Parton, to have one of the world’s most beloved artists turn a song she’d written into a likely smash hit. But it came with strings attached: While Elvis didn’t write a word of the song, his manager, Colonel Tom Parker, demanded he get 50 percent of the publishing credit.

XReal Xbx a01+ Review: Affordable AR Glasses Bring A Portable Theater To The Masses

www.slashgear.com: It would not be hyperbole to say that XReal glasses have been an absolute game changer for me. I travel a lot for work, and travel (in-car, in-airplane, or otherwise) also tends to be downtime. Spending hours in a small seat, designed for people much smaller than my 270-pound frame, means that I often cannot spend that time doing anything productive, which is to say, I can't just pop open a laptop and do some writing while flying across the Atlantic Ocean.

Inside 'The Shards' 1980s TV Dance Off With Homer Gere, Kaia Gerber

www.hollywoodreporter.com: Midway through this season of The Shards, the Ryan Murphy adaptation veered sharply away from its Bret Easton Ellis-penned source material and onto the dance floor. The set was inspired by 1980s teen dance shows like Dance Party USA, a cable phenomenon that aired weekdays from 1986-1992. The Shards devoted an entire episode — titled “Murder on the Dance Floor” — to recreating this genre when it dropped its starry ensemble played by Igby Rigney, Homer Gere, Kaia Gerber, Hayes Warner, Graham Campbell and Daniel Day onto Murphy’s recreated stage, where jealousy, an on-set brawl and, eventually, a murder overshadowed the competition’s final results (Susan, Gerber’s character, was the dancing winner; much to the dismay of her best friend, played by Warner).

5 Best Musicals to See During NYC Broadway Week

www.timeout.com: The only thing better than seeing live theater is seeing live theater without going into debt for it. As that is an increasingly rare circumstance, things like NYC Broadway Week take on added heft. Like Restaurant Week or Black Friday sales, this is the chance to tell yourself you're losing money if you don't buy 2-for-1 tickets to 25 Broadway shows. That's just math.

State cultural agencies launch online survey to help measure size and needs of Oregon’s creative sector

Oregon ArtsWatch: According to the two organizations, the findings will inform a statewide analysis of the creative economy and help identify opportunities to strengthen Oregon’s creative industries and cultural organizations. Creative activities include arts and culture, music, film, media, design, publishing, heritage and preservation, culinary arts, and related fields.

JCPS confirms ‘Ragtime’ production not canceled, apologizes for miscommunication to students

www.wave3.com: Jefferson County Public Schools issued a response after posts on social media claimed a production by duPont Manual High School’s Youth Performing Arts School was canceled. A video posted on TikTok by the page “SaveRagtime502” claiming the production had been canceled has received more than 231,500 likes and 11,100 shares. The video claims the cast and crew received word from JCPS that the production was canceled because the “material would offend too many members of our community.”

National Endowment for the Arts chair visits Portland; Kennedy Center funding plummets

Oregon ArtsWatch: While the Trump Administration has been busily slashing national spending on arts and culture and waging something of a cultural war against “woke” art — see the State Department’s move to sell off a “woke” painting by Kehinde Wiley, the artist who painted former President Barack Obama’s official portrait — Mary Anne Carter, chair of the National Endowment for the Arts, has been touring cities nationally this summer, visiting with arts leaders and getting a feel for the lay of the cultural land.

Underbelly's Big Brain Tumour Benefit Raises £20,000 for Cancer Research

www.broadwayworld.com: Underbelly's 8th Annual Big Brain Tumour Benefit has raised £20,000 for Professor Richard Gilbertson's lab at The Cancer Research Centre in Cambridge, helping to fund new treatments for the most aggressive forms of brain tumours in children.

‘Lanterns’ Stunt Coordinator Breaks Down Episode 2's Highway Chase

www.forbes.com: Lanterns episode 2, “Trust Fall,” sees John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) attempt to escape alien captors on the highway while maintaining custody of Hal’s (Kyle Chandler) lantern and trying to keep his conjured bird alive.

TITANIQUE Will Host Fan Night With Giveaways, Sing-Alongs, and More

www.broadwayworld.com: Titanique on Broadway will host a special Fan Night on Thursday, August 27th at 7:30 PM. In celebration of its final weeks on Broadway, and worldwide success, "TI-STAN-IQUE FAN NIGHT” will feature surprise guest appearances, a giveaway-prize-a-palooza, a sing-along extravaganza, and a special performance for fans dressed in their Titanique best.

Has Broadway lost its way?

It's Been a Minute : NPR: Actors are performing some of the most demanding shows in Broadway history, but the take-home pay isn't quite matching up. Meanwhile, producers are facing skyrocketing costs and shrinking margins. And I don't see anyone jumping for joy at how high these ticket prices have gotten. Is Broadway at the risk of taking its final bow? To understand whether or not Broadway is broken or maybe just broke, I'm here with Broadway Sensitivity Specialist Ann James and entertainment lawyer and Broadway producer Marc Hershberg.

Most Importantly, The Child Should Experience How Theatre Can Make Kindness, Patience, Courage And Curiosity Matter

The Theatre Times: Laouni Bellil (Mascara, Algeria) is an emerging talented – theatre actor, storyteller and director specializing in children’s theatre, puppetry and storytelling. He holds a B.A. and M.A. from the Drama Academy at the University of Oran, where his artistic and academic work focused on the development and direction of puppet theatre for young audiences. Over the past decade, he has led and facilitated numerous theatre workshops for children across Algeria, including in Oran, Algiers, Mascara and Adrar.

Village Theatre Box Office and Front-of-House Workers Unanimously Join IATSE Local 15

IATSE: 13 Box Office and Front-of-House workers at the Village Theatre’s Issaquah and Everett locations have voted unanimously to join the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 15.

Interview with Taiwanese Playwright Yu-Hsuan Chou

thetheatretimes.com: Even with solid training in xiqu, or Chinese opera, Yu-Hsuan Chou tried to leave traditions behind when she first entered contemporary theatre. “I was there to learn how to write musicals. What’s the point of returning to the old stuff?” Yet, unlearning might not be the most clever move for her, in hindsight, since her plays are often praised for their capacity to reinvent old forms in new styles. “Why did I want to tie my own hands then?” she asks self-deprecatingly.

Sue Frost discusses industry challenges, new approaches and her key to selling word-of-mouth shows

www.broadwaynews.com: As a young girl, Sue Frost fell in love with musicals on television. “‘Peter Pan,’ ‘Cinderella’ and then there was ‘Funny Girl,’” Frost remembered. She didn’t grow up in a theatrical household. Frost essentially found her love for theater — and what would become her career — flipping through channels.