Wynn Al Marjan Island Announces Landmark Partnership With Punchdrunk, The Global Pioneers Of Immersive Theater

Live Design Online: Wynn Al Marjan Island today announced a landmark partnership with Punchdrunk, the internationally acclaimed immersive theater company behind some of the most influential and genre-defining productions of the past two decades, including the global phenomenon Sleep No More. The partnership marks Punchdrunk's first production in the MENA region and signals a bold new chapter for live entertainment in the Middle East.

Fxck you White American Theatre

by Nataki Garrett Myers: In March 2019, I was the subject of an NYtimes article, alongside five other colleagues, about the gates being flung open in the American theater. That article announced my appointment as artistic director of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and it featured Stephanie Ybarra, Jacob Padron, Maria Goyanes, Robert Barry Fleming, me, and the best among us, Hana Sharif.

Cody Renard Richard Opens Doors for Future Theater Leaders

OutSmart Magazine: For Houston native Cody Renard Richard, a life in the theater was never part of the plan. “None of my family saw this coming. I don’t even think I saw this coming,” he reveals. “My entire family are cowboys and cowgirls. I was sort of birthed into the rodeo culture.”

Texas Covers Up Beloved "Black Artists Matter" Mural in Austin

hyperallergic.com: Officials in Austin destroyed a prominent street artwork displaying the message “Black Artists Matter” last week following an order from Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott.

Controversial Anne Frank Musical 'Slam Frank' Releases Soundtrack

www.rollingstone.com: When Slam Frank opened last September at the Asylum, a 150-seat off-Broadway performance space in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen district, it had no marketing budget and no marquee actors in its cast. What it did have was an out-there, provocative storyline — a progressive theater troupe presents Anne Frank as a pansexual Latina with a Black mother, a neurodivergent gay father, an ultra-orthodox Jewish sister, and a gender-fluid love interest as they hide from the Nazis — and a vibrant hip-hop-meets-pop songbook studded with Broadway Easter eggs.

Bose Professional Previews Upcoming Brand Change

Church Production Magazine: Bose Professional, is unveiling a preview of its new global brand identity, 802 Labs, and sharing plans for a phased transition beginning in February 2027. “During the transition, Bose Professional customers and partners can expect continuity across products, support, service, and business relationships.

Interview: 'You Literally Feel Like You're In The Movie!': Stephanie Costi on Reprising Her Role of Sandy in GREASE THE IMMERSIVE MOVIE MUSICAL

www.broadwayworld.com: Recently, we had the chance to chat with Stephanie Costi, who will be reprising her role of Sandy in Grease The Immersive Movie Musical. We discussed what originally brought her to the production, some of her favourite moments from last year and what she thinks makes immersive theatre such a special art form.

What Does Dance Patriotism Look Like Today?

Dance Magazine: At this turbulent political moment, as the nation commemorates its 250th anniversary, it’s a complicated time to be an artist in the U.S. The country’s dance organizations appear to be of multiple minds on how to observe the semiquincentennial. Some companies have thoughtfully programmed works that align with the anniversary. Other groups and artists have chosen to ignore the milestone—or to choreograph through it, making works that grapple with its complexities.

Interview: Director Trevor Barrette Previews THE RULES OF PLAYING RISK at Hudson Village Theatre

www.broadwayworld.com: Trevor Barrette is a prominent multi-hyphenate artist in the Montreal and off-island theatre community, moving fluidly between roles as a director, stage manager, educator, and playwright. Having interviewed Trevor multiple times over the course of his diverse career, I have watched him seamlessly transition from independent creator to a staple of the regional stage.

The drill bit sharpener that led to the legacy of William Sellers

www.thefabricator.com: One Friday a few months ago, when Jim Howe, my boss at Howe’s Welding and Metal Fabrication, asked me to drill 2 ¼-in. holes in some 1 ½ -in. plate (see Figure 1), I knew the task would be slow, requiring multiple bits and a lot of patience. I didn’t know, however, that I was about to fall down a drill-bit-sharpening rabbit hole.

Best Miter Saw for Woodworking, Contractors, and DIYers

www.protoolreviews.com: As one of the core woodworking and carpentry tools, our crew and I have had the privilege of testing dozens of the best miter saw models over more than 15 years. A lot has changed in that time, mostly for the better. If you’re looking to buy, lean on our experience to determine what rises above the rest and is worth your consideration.

The Problem Wasn't the Gear. It was Everything Around It.

Church Production Magazine: Sit on the left side of the room and all you heard was drums. Sit on the right and all you heard was piano. Land somewhere in between and you got both—competing, unblended, bouncing off 880,000 tons of concrete in a 1,600-seat horseshoe that, by any reasonable measure, wasn’t supposed to sound like this.

'Legally Blonde' & The Y2K Costumes That Made It: Stylist Interview

wwd.com/pop-culture: Stylist Jasmine Caccamo sees why the fashion from 2001’s “Legally Blonde” matters 25 years later. “‘Legally Blonde‘ was such a snapshot of the early 2000s because it embraced the era without apology,” said Caccamo, who’s worked with Olympic gold medalist Alex Morgan.

Clear-Com connects Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune teams

AV Magazine: When US TV game shows Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! needed to upgrade their wireless communications, they turned to Clear-Com’s FreeSpeak system. Chris Savage, technical manager and project lead for both shows, oversaw the system design and installation. “Both shows share a control room but have stages that are effectively miles apart due to walls, pathways, and even parking lots,” he says.

Racist comments roiled this student production of 1776 - and strengthened actors' resolve, they say

www.inquirer.com: Seventy-five Philadelphia students thought the stakes were high when they debuted 1776: The Musical in front of a crowd that included former President Joe Biden, former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, and Mayor Cherelle L. Parker at Philadelphia’s High School for Creative and Performing Arts last week.

The Fascinating Backstory to LA CAGE AUX FOLLES’ Creation — and Why ‘Lawsuits Ensued’

www.broadwayworld.com: In the new book A Very Unusual Way: Maury Yeston and His Singular Path to Broadway and Beyond (released Wednesday, July 1), author Joshua Rosenblum recounts how Jean Poiret’s French play La Cage aux Folles — which was adapted into the 1978 film of the same name — was originally going to be developed for the stage by a different creative team.

Best Practices for Protest Sound

SoundGirls.org: Why Sound matters and should not be an afterthought. It helps people hear important information clearly, keeps crowds connected and engaged, supports accessibility, and allows speakers, performers, organizers, and communities to communicate effectively in difficult environments. Poor sound, on the other hand, can create confusion, fatigue, safety issues, and frustration.

Review Roundup: DELIRIUM World Premiere at Boston's Calderwood Pavilion

www.broadwayworld.com: Review Roundup: DELIRIUM World Premiere at Boston's Calderwood Pavilion NEW! Boston Theatre Newsletter Get all the top news & discounts for Boston & beyond. Arlekin has returned to Boston with DELIRIUM, a new adaptation of Eugène Ionesco's Frenzy for Two, adapted and directed by Igor Golyak. Running through July 2, 2026 at the Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA for a strictly limited engagement, Delirium brings together two of the most celebrated international stars Andrey Burkovskiy and Chulpan Khamatova — in a darkly comic, deeply human piece about survival, love, and the fragile architecture of reality.

Getting Active: Amplifying Communities

SoundGirls.org: Community organizers have plenty to juggle when a public rally, street demonstration, or community concert. Volunteers don’t always have the technical experience to set up a PA or wireless mic system. Budgets are often tight or non-existent, and equipment must be cobbled together at the last minute in reaction to recent events. In these situations, audio technicians can offer invaluable advice and create meaningful impact.

Mayor Mamdani's 2027 Budget Includes $323M Funding for NYC Culture

www.broadwayworld.com: Earlier this week NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani, City Council Speaker Julie Menin, Council Finance Chair Linda Lee, Director of the Mayor’s Office of Management and Budget Sherif Soliman and members of the City Council reached agreement on a balanced $125.8 billion Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 budget.

Adirondack Studios boosts Middle East presence and personnel

InPark Magazine: Adirondack Studios (ADKS), provider of scenic design, fabrication and project management to some of the world’s most iconic destinations, announced the promotion of three senior members of its Dubai team, as well as the creation of registered entities in Abu Dhabi, UAE, and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

$300 million National Geographic Museum of Exploration opens in D.C.

Sound & Video Contractor: Last Friday saw the grand opening of the National Geographic Museum of Exploration, or MOE, in Washington, D.C. The $300 million project spans 100,000 square feet, and invites visitors to be engaged in 138 years of human exploration. Built on the site of the previous National Geographic Museum, the new museum opened after four years of construction expand the site from 16,800 square feet to its current, larger scale.

Hang It Wherever You Need It: Discover the TAF TC Truss Systems

LightSoundJournal.com: When you need to precisely position suspension points, LED screens, and lighting accessories, TAF TC systems offer the ultimate freedom to place loads exactly where your structure demands. The integrated C-profile for suspension makes installation faster, neater, and highly versatile, seamlessly adapting to compact 290 mm, robust 400 mm, and heavy-duty 520 mm configurations.

Building 'The Stuff' That Dreams Are Made Of- How a Prop Shop Creates Broadway’s Most Magical Items

www.broadwayworld.com: A week before their Tony performance, the candelabra that Amber Gray holds during the Rocky Horror set sat on a counter in Brooklyn for repair. You’ve seen the shimmering pink vial in the hands of Megan Hilty and plastered across Playbills and pole banners in the theater district, or maybe you’ve seen the light-up “Handbook For The Recently Deceased” on the Beetlejuice tour in Sarasota, Florida. Wherever they are now, those props were born in a small, unassuming workshop on the intersection of Meeker Ave. and Apollo Street.

How Ukrainian Playwrights Are Defending Culture

HowlRound Theatre Commons: When Russia launched its full-scale invasion, it claimed that Ukraine had no language and no culture. This isn't just a military assault; it is an assault on Ukrainian identity and culture itself. Playwright and screenwriter Laura Cahill was teaching screenwriting to teenagers in Ukraine when the full-scale invasion began in 2022, at which point she founded Young Playwrights Ukraine.

How Flyspace Built a Decade of Growth on a Stageline Foundation

stageline.com: Since 2012, Flyspace has grown from a fledgling event management company into a regional powerhouse, now operating an impressive fleet of 17 Stageline mobile units.

2026 Show Control Geekout Wrapup—Special Meow Wolf Omega Mart Edition!

John Huntington: On June 16, 2026 Jim Janninck and I coordinated this year’s (mostly) annual show control Geekout. This was the 15th edition (past writeups here), and this one was special. Joseph White, Show Systems Leader at Meow Wolf, reached out last year, offering to host this year’s Geekout in our traditional multiple case study session format at their Omega Mart location at Area 15 in Las Vegas.

PennWest University cutting more than 40 majors and minors in academic redesign

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Pennsylvania Western University is moving forward with its plan to cut 43 academic majors and minors while adding dozens of new workforce-focused certificates and credentials.

Google's new Nano Banana 2 Lite image model is its fastest and cheapest yet

Ars Technica: There are plenty of AI image-generation models these days, but the ones capable of quality outputs tend to be slow and expensive. Google DeepMind says its new image model, known as Nano Banana 2 Lite, offers the best balance of quality and speed. It’s available today across the Google ecosystem, creating images in a fraction of the time it takes Google’s beefier models.

Broadway Cleaners Union Votes to Authorize a Strike; Negotiations for New Contract Underway

www.broadwayworld.com: On Tuesday, June 30, 2026, more than 250 cleaners voted to authorize a strike that would impact 30 theaters showing Tony award-winning productions like Schmigadoon, Cats: The Jellicle Ball, Wicked, and The Lion King. This marks the first time Broadway cleaners have authorized a strike in nearly two decades.

The Sound of the Giant: Modeling Stadium Acoustics at Estadio Azteca

Digital Engineering 24/7: Five matches of this year's FIFA World Cup® are set to be held in Mexico City's iconic Estadio Azteca, officially known as "Banorte Stadium" and temporarily renamed "Mexico City Stadium" by FIFA® for its 2026 tournament. Together with Rio de Janeiro's Maracanã Stadium, Estadio Azteca is one of only two stadiums to have hosted two FIFA World Cup finals.

PROLIGHTS HaluPix Duo Powers Sombr at Coachella 2026

Lighting&Sound America Online - News: The 2026 edition of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival once again set the standard for large-scale festival production. On the Outdoor Theatre stage, alt-rock artist Sombr delivered a visually striking show, with a wall of 114 PROLIGHTS HaluPix Duo defining the stage design.

Springboard To Design Announces Additional Tony Award-Winning Guest Artists For The 2026 Cohort

Live Design Online: Springboard to Design (SB2D), the tuition-free theatre design program for students from underrepresented communities, today announced additional Tony Award-winning guest artists joining its 2026 roster, alongside the opening of applications for three upcoming programs.

World Cup fans wowed by American stadium LED displays

AV Magazine: International fans have been stunned by the scale and digital technology of World Cup stadiums in the USA, with giant LED screens foremost among the objects of their awe.

Creative sector is Chicago’s third-largest industry, says new study

WBEZ Chicago: The creative sector is Chicago’s third-largest industry and accounts for nearly 213,000 jobs, according to a new economic impact study released Thursday by Arts Alliance Illinois, a statewide advocacy organization.