‘SUFFS’ Tony-Nominated Director Leigh Silverman

onStage Pittsburgh: Two-time Tony nominee Leigh Silverman carved out time in her very busy schedule on the eve of SUFFS arrival in Pittsburgh Tuesday to talk about the touring musical, its significance, and the state of theater in the United States. Silverman should know.

Boundary Problems

The Theatre Times: For the second time in two years, a flashy, big-budget Romeo and Juliet has opened in New York that’s so bent on pleasing one particular target audience with shallowly conceived staging gimmicks that its storytelling is hopelessly muddled.

Oskar Eustis Is Stepping Down From the Public Theater

The New York Times: Oskar Eustis has been running theaters his entire adult life. He co-founded one, called Red Wing, when he was 17. He has led companies in Zurich (Das Labor), San Francisco (Eureka), Los Angeles (Mark Taper Forum), and Providence (Trinity Rep). And, for the last 21 years, he has been the artistic director of the Public Theater in New York, stewarding Free Shakespeare in the Park, nurturing “Hamilton” and becoming one of the most influential figures in the American theater.

Live Nation’s $2.4M California Wage Settlement Covers More Than 16,000 Workers

TicketNews: Live Nation Worldwide and HOB Entertainment have agreed to pay $2.4 million to resolve a proposed class action alleging the companies failed to properly compensate thousands of hourly and nonexempt employees in California.

RWS Global delivers new shows to Holland America Line’s Oosterdam

InPark Magazine: Four new shows are taking center stage on Holland America Line‘s Oosterdam, expanding the cruise line’s entertainment lineup with fresh productions and collaborations. The four original shows were created exclusively for Holland America Line in partnership with RWS Global. One of the debuts includes a new rock show created by RWS Global in collaboration with Rolling Stone: “Holland America Line and Rolling Stone Present, All Access: The Songs That Shaped Us.”

Building Theatrical Bridges in Queer and Trans Ohio

HowlRound Theatre Commons: On my commute to teach, amidst the soybean fields and crystalline ponds of Ohio I see a slew of political signs. “Trump save America” appears with a photo of the President surviving an assassination attempt. “Protect life” hovers on plywood in hand-painted red and blue letters. I drive from my queer suburb of Cleveland (rumored to have made it into Trivial Pursuit in the eighties as the United States city with the highest per capita rate of same-sex couples) to Oberlin College (one of the first racially integrated and gender inclusive institutions in the country).

The Moralists at the Stage Door

THEATRE & THE ART OF LIFE: Theatre today remains a frequent target of moralists—people who are quick to tell others how they should behave. At Out Front Theatre in Atlanta, for example, Paul Rudnick’s The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told—a comic, queer retelling of Genesis—was denounced in a petition bearing 40,000 signatures. On Broadway, meanwhile, the suffragist musical Suffs was interrupted mid-performance by protesters demanding that it be shut down for the alleged crime of recycling “white feminism.” Different pulpits, same sermon: Art, behave.

Compact Zevor screwdriver holds 24 bits for DIY

newatlas.com: We've seen a couple of nifty screwdrivers that have room to hold their own driver bits. Thanks to clever design, this new one packs a whopping 24 bits in a lightweight body that's way more compact than you'd expect.

E.U. Withdraws Venice Biennale Funding Over Russia’s Return

news.artnet.com: In a statement, the European Commission‘s spokesperson Thomas Regnier said that European taxpayers’ money should be used to support cultural events that “safeguard democratic values, foster open dialogue, diversity, and freedom of expression.” He added that those values “are not respected in today’s Russia.”

10X10X10 PLAY FESTIVAL to Return to Fells Point Corner Theatre for 10th Edition

www.broadwayworld.com: Fells Point Corner Theatre is celebrating the 10th edition of its annual 10x10x10 Play Festival, a showcase of original short plays that has helped launch works that later expanded into full-length plays and feature films.

The real life mermaids of Florida’s Weeki Wachee Springs

Huck: In the Newton Perry Underwater Theatre, a steel-drum cover of ​‘Under The Sea’ plays on repeat over tinny speakers. The crowd is the kind you only ever assemble in the offseason, on the cheap midweek slot, a glorious cross-section of the American interior: tattooed young fathers bouncing toddlers on their knee, both in matching Ariel shirts; rows of patient senior citizens with nowhere better to be; a troupe of glittered Disney adults who have clearly made a day of it.

In defence of the theatre preview

www.whatsonstage.com: There was a recurring refrain in the comments sections when we were covering the glitzy opening night at Jesus Christ Superstar earlier this month: “I saw that two weeks ago. How can it be opening tonight?”

Pocket screwdriver tool combines versatility and design

newatlas.com: Most repair tools for the DIYer are functional, but can be cumbersome to carry around. The T.Fix, however – a triangular pocket-sized tool on Kickstarter – is a balance of function, versatility and modern elegant design.

Paramount-Warner Bros Merger Temporarily Blocked—Bigger Losses Could Be Coming

www.forbes.com: A federal judge temporarily blocked Paramount Skydance’s planned merger with Warner Bros. Discovery on Monday, saying states had raised “serious questions” about whether the deal violates antitrust law—a potentially costly early signal for Paramount, as the company faces billions of dollars in payments if the deal either continues getting delayed or ultimately falls through.

Whitney Cummings Donald Trump Sex Trafficking Joke Cut on Netflix

variety.com: Whitney Cummings performed a comedy set at Bill Maher’s Mark Twain Prize ceremony, which took place on June 28 at the Kennedy Center. But according to the comic, her closing joke won’t be seen in the Netflix broadcast of the event, which streams on July 21.

Does Broadway Have a Gen Z Problem?

www.broadwayworld.com: Gen Z is an odd group of people. They dominate online spaces, getting the majority of their news and information from social media (this is now true of most people, but it has always been true of Gen Z). They are also the most anti-AI generation by most accounts, in spite of being one of the most likely generations to willingly use it. They are one of the most anti-social generations, but they also put immense value on live events and experiences. So Broadway feels like a natural outlet for them.

Audio Engineers at Three Denver Music Venues Vote to Join IATSE Local 7

IATSE: Over a dozen Audio Engineers at three of Denver’s most prominent independent music venues have voted overwhelmingly to join the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 7. Workers at The Oriental Theater, The Federal Theatre, and HQ Denver each cast their ballots separately, delivering decisive majorities across all three venues.

The Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC), formerly Loew’s State Theatre – Providence, Rhode Island

After the Final Curtain: PPAC sits on Weybosset Street in downtown Providence and first opened in 1928 as Loew’s State Theatre. Designed by Rapp & Rapp—basically the go-to architects for movie palaces in the ‘20s—it was built for the Loew’s Theatres chain at the height of the movie palace boom. It opened with Excess Baggage starring William Haines, but the real draw that night was the building itself.

Lights, Shoes and Moves: Behind-the-scenes of Civic Theatre's 'Grease'

WBOI - NPR News & Diverse Music in Northeast Indiana: The Fort Wayne Civic Theater is preparing for its opening weekend of ‘Grease’ and after weeks of preparation the stage is set and ready for the actors to do their part. But before the curtains could open on this iconic musical, months of work went into to building it from the ground up.

Ten of the most eye-catching Edinburgh Festival Fringe shows of 2026

www.whatsonstage.com: The annual Edinburgh Festival Fringe is almost upon us! With thousands of performers and audience members flocking to the Scottish capital, there are just as many shows on offer and it can be positively impossible to decide which ones to book to fill your day.

Who owns an AI generated song? What we can learn from the phonograph and the evolution of copyright laws

theconversation.com: Copyright is built on the idea that human creativity deserves protection. Legally, this is known as “originality”. The principle is simple: people create valuable cultural works and the law protects that effort. But artificial intelligence (AI) is challenging one of copyright law’s most basic assumptions. In doing so, it may force us to rethink what we mean by intellectual property.

Make it Shine! Make it Sparkle! A Step by Step Guide to Creating Your Own Textured Stained Glass

Guild of Scenic Artists: Stained glass is a significant part of architecture and design often used in churches, castles, and even homes. It’s also a very common Scenic technique, and one of my favorite elements of Scenic Art.

Suspended Rings Float in Kinetic Light Installation

mymodernmet.com: Spanish artist SpY has unveiled a mesmerizing new installation for the 2026 NUR International Media Art Festival in Kazan, Russia. Titled CYCLES N2, the large-scale work suspends 15 illuminated rings above a dramatic hall lined with glowing red ramps.

Nolan and Lucas Have VERY Different Stances About AI in Movies

Nerdist: Recently, two big-name directors have taken public stances on AI usage in the movies. Interviewers have asked both George Lucas and Christopher Nolan about AI and its place in movie-making recently, and they have very contrasting takes.

Longtime Vegas Fixture, "Marriage Can Be Murder" Closes at Rio

Vital Vegas: “Marriage Can Be Murder,” a dinner show that ran for an astonishing 27 years in Las Vegas, has closed at Rio. Taking its place is another long-in-the-tooth crowd-pleaser, “Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding,” further proof original ideas have become as scarce as talent at a Gordie Brown show.

Don’t Try This at Home: How Performers Turn Stunts Into Movie Magic

The New York Times: There were stunts in films before there was talking. Long before Tom Cruise dangled from the wing of a plane, the silent film star Harold Lloyd originated an enduring Hollywood image, hanging from a clock face in “Safety Last!” (1923). Though the slapstick and sight gags of Lloyd and his peers Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin once shaped cinema, opportunities in the stunt industry, like many aspects of film production, are now changing because of technologies like CGI, A.I. and robots.

Quantum Theatre’s Karla Boos embarks on final voyage with The Tempest

Pittsburgh City Paper | News, Dining, Music, Best Of, Arts, Film: In the blazing July afternoon sun, Karla Boos perches on a set of wooden risers as a gaggle of actors assembles on the blue circular stage, the rust-covered exterior of Carrie Blast Furnaces looming behind her. It’s a fitting location for Boos’ final production as artistic director of Quantum Theatre, a stage at the end of a long, winding road, nestled against an unmistakable symbol of Pittsburgh’s industrial history.

Hatchette and Elsevier Sue Google for Using Their Work to Train AI

gizmodo.com: Major publishers Hachette Book Group, Cengage Learning, and Elsevier have filed a lawsuit against Google alleging that Google used their work to train its AI chatbot Gemini. Scott Turow, the author of crime thrillers like Presumed Innocent, has also joined the suit which is seeking class action status.

Google revamps image search for its 25th anniversary with more images and more AI

Ars Technica: Believe it or not, there was a time when searching the web for images was not possible. Twenty-five years ago, Google launched image search, and it’s celebrating by looking back at its biggest visual milestones and refreshing the experience for today’s searchers. The celebration also includes expanded AI because that’s just how Google rolls in 2026.

Don’t Repeat NY’s 3D Printing Blunder

Electronic Frontier Foundation: This year the state of New York had the dubious honor of being the first to pass a controversial provision to mandate all 3D printers come with surveillance and censorship. That means not only is there a ticking clock to protect every artist, researcher, engineer, and hobbyist in the state, but there is a real risk of other states thoughtlessly following suit—prior to the New York rules even taking effect.

If ‘Cats: The Jellicle Ball’ Can’t Stay Open on Broadway, What Can?

Out.com: Despite winning multiple Tony Awards and garnering a devoted following, the reimagined revival Cats: The Jellicle Ball will close its Broadway run on Saturday, August 8, per an announcement made across the show’s social media accounts on Monday evening.

Kinetic Theatre produces Pittsburgh premiere of David Mamet’s ‘Henry Johnson’

The Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle: Andrew Paul is getting used to producing Jewish playwright David Mamet’s plays. Paul, producing artistic director of the Kinetic Theatre Company, previously staged four of Mamet’s plays and is now preparing to open a production of “Henry Johnson.”

Frankie Grande's Onstage Concussion: ‘Serving Face’ Has Workplace Risks

www.forbes.com: Frankie Grande, brother of singer/actress Ariana Grande, recently suffered a concussion after a prop ship wheel struck him in the face during a performance of Titaníque on July 2, 2026. In the show, a Broadway parody of the 1997 box office hit film “Titanic,” Grande plays both ship captain Victor Garber and plumber Luigi.

2026 Frikkin Lasers Challenge: Laser Bandsaw

Hackaday: Can you call it a bandsaw if it has neither band nor saw? [WeldingRod1] does, with his entry in the laser contest — a manually-controlled laser cutter that he’s dubbed a Laser Bandsaw. Some might quibble that it’s not actually sawing with the beam, and others will inevitably find the safety implications rather frightening.

Writers Guild of America Sues to Block Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger

www.hollywoodreporter.com: The labor union representing film and television writers filed a suit in U.S. district court for the northern district of California on Tuesday alleging that the deal breaks antitrust law and would harm wages and working conditions for writers by creating a single mega-buyer of film and television programming with outsized power.