Bearly believable

Workers place a replica of a Chicago Bears cap atop the Picasso sculpture in Daley Plaza on Thursday.

(Tribune photo by Terrence Antonio James)

Jan 25, 2007

The Picasso statue in Daley Plaza is decorated with a Bears hat in downtown Chicago, Monday.

(Tribune photo by Nancy Stone)

Jan 29, 2007

The crew from Chicago Scenic, Dave Dewuell (from left), Erin Edmister and Ron Sheely adjust a Bears helmet on the lion at the Art Institute of Chicago on Wednesday. The helmets were stretched and resized after they didn't fit on Tuesday.

(Tribune photo by Kuni Takahashi)

Jan 31, 2007

Ron Sheely (top) and Erin Edmister adjust the wire of a Bears helmets on the lion at the Art Institute of Chicago on Wednesday. The helmets were stretched and resized after they didn't fit on Tuesday.

(Tribune photo by Kuni Takahashi)

Jan 31, 2007

Dave Dewuell (left) and Erin Edmister of Chicago Scenic adjust a Bears helmet on the lion at the Art Institute of Chicago on Wednesday. The helmets were stretched and resized after they didn't fit on Tuesday.

(Tribune photo by Kuni Takahashi)

Jan 31, 2007

Chicago Tribune: "'It was frustrating for all of us yesterday,' Bob Doepel, of Chicago Scenic Studios, told WGN. Back to the studio the helmets went to be re-sculpted, sanded and re-finished in high-quality orange-and-blue automotive lacquer."

Basic PTM - Estimating Assignment

Wondering (5:25:29 PM): Should the bolts and other hardware be included in our estimate?

Wondering (5:25:37 PM): Or should we assume that the shop has those in stock?

Answering (5:25:46 PM): are they special bolts

Answering (5:25:51 PM): or run of the mill bolts?

Wondering (5:26:15 PM): Run of the mill, I suppose

Wondering (5:26:32 PM): Should they be..."special?"

Answering (5:27:25 PM): do they do something normal bolts don't do?

Wondering (5:28:10 PM): What do normal bolts do?

Wondering (5:28:30 PM): This is making me much more confused

Answering (5:28:52 PM): if they are b-flat bolts

Answering (5:28:58 PM): then the go in your allowance

Answering (5:29:06 PM): if they are odd

Answering (5:29:09 PM): then they don't

Answering (5:29:17 PM): are the bolts you need odd?

Answering (5:29:23 PM): very big

Answering (5:29:26 PM): very small

Answering (5:29:29 PM): stainless steel

Answering (5:29:35 PM): weird heads

Wondering (5:29:54 PM): I...guess...they aren't special?

Answering (5:30:16 PM): so if they are not special then they can go in your allowance

Wondering (5:30:22 PM): Awesome!

Basic PTM - Estimating Assignment

aStudent (4:40:22 PM): Hey Dave
aStudent (4:40:24 PM): It's aStudent
aStudent (4:40:42 PM): Quick question about the estimating assignment
Instructor (4:41:00 PM): ok
aStudent (4:41:40 PM): Is this alright for the element description?
aStudent (4:41:42 PM): Rocketship flat, 1 X 3 frame with luane covering. Two door openings and one window opening. Six A-lamps. One waving alien.
Instructor (4:42:11 PM): uhhuh
aStudent (4:42:15 PM): Awesome, thanks
Instructor (4:42:20 PM): check your spelling
aStudent (4:42:28 PM): Mreh
aStudent (4:42:31 PM): Whoops
Instructor (4:42:34 PM): and it will be dissappointing if EVERYONE writes that
Instructor (4:42:39 PM):but thats the gist of it
aStudent (4:42:44 PM): I'm working alone
Instructor (4:42:46 PM): you could say more
aStudent (4:42:52 PM): What else should I say?
Instructor (4:42:53 PM): but otherwise its fine
Instructor (4:43:13 PM): what else do you know?
aStudent (4:43:50 PM): Uh...it bolts together
aStudent (4:44:01 PM): It's got some sort of support from the back
Instructor (4:44:50 PM): size, finish, pieces...
Instructor (4:44:55 PM): there's lots of stuff
Instructor (4:45:16 PM): you'd want to write the information in your description that you need to properly estimate
Instructor (4:45:28 PM): you don't go nuts
Instructor (4:45:36 PM): but you want to hit the high points
aStudent (4:45:42 PM): Ok, thanks
Instructor (4:45:47 PM): np

Basic PTM - Estimating Assignment

"Basic Student" (4:29:01 PM): Hey dave! What should I write in the Build Description part of the Title Block?

eProf(4:29:17 PM): Should be a description

eProf(4:29:20 PM): what it is

eProf(4:29:27 PM): how you're going to do it

eProf(4:29:40 PM): any important parts/components/traits

eProf(4:29:56 PM): and also the stuff that would go in the title block of a drawing

eProf(4:30:00 PM): your name

eProf(4:30:03 PM): designers name

eProf(4:30:06 PM): name of project

"Basic Student" (4:30:06 PM): Oh, so I guess I can't just write ROCKET FLAT, huh.

eProf(4:30:10 PM): name of element

eProf(4:30:22 PM): only for the last bit

eProf(4:30:30 PM): otherwise it would be a little too general

"Basic Student" (4:30:41 PM): Thanks Dave!

eProf(4:30:50 PM): and this is the "Description" section

eProf(4:30:56 PM): not the "Title Block"

eProf(4:31:00 PM): np

Full Play Text Database

Very good news.
Two of our full-text play databases, Black Drama and Asian American Drama are now linked to Cameo, the library catalog. If you're looking to see if the text of a particular play is online in the library's collection, you no longer have to search those databases individually. The library catalog provides the url for any full-text plays that we have. Also, once you link to a play, the entire database can be searched as well.

A great debt of thanks goes to Terry Hurlbert, Head of Cataloging and other catalogers who worked on this project. It was not by any means a seamless process.

20th Century American Drama, our other full-text play database will also be linked to Cameo once the bibliographic data is received from Alexander Street Press and processed. Announcement forthcoming.

Software will be software, so please report any problems you may have down the line in linking to the plays so that any corrections can be addressed promptly.
Your input otherwise regarding any of our collections is, of course, always welcome.

Enjoy!

Sleep in Saturday...

Subject: DEPT: Emergency Network Outage

(U.S. EDT)
DAY: Saturday
DATE: February 3, 2007
TIME: 5:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.

AREAS/BUILDINGS AFFECTED: CAMPUS-WIDE

SERVICES AFFECTED:
If you are using a Wired or Wireless connection, you will not have a network connection. Therefore, you will NOT have access to many services throughout the course of this maintenance (e.g., email, calendar, Internet connectivity, etc.). Likewise, users will not have access to services hosted on servers within your building.

TECHNICAL DETAILS:
As part of the final phase of the maintenance performed last week on the network infrastructure, we will need to reboot ALL wired switches and several wireless access points around campus. Each building will experience around a 15 minute outage. We will roll these outages across campus finishing everything by 9:00 am.

Please direct any questions or comments to the Computing Services Help Center (x8-HELP or advisor@andrew.cmu.edu) or to your departmental administrator or DSP consultant.

Second fitting goes smoothly for big-headed Bears fans

ABC7Chicago.com: "Bears helmets finally fit the heads of two of Chicago's most well known residents-- the 3-ton lions sitting outside the Art Institute. On Tuesday, the first fitting didn't go so well."

CFA Announcements

Carnegie Mellon University¹s School of Music and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (PSO) invite Carnegie Mellon alumni, students, faculty and staff to enjoy ³Carnegie Mellon Night at the Symphony² at 8 p.m., Saturday, Feb.
3, at Heinz Hall.

Norwegian conductor Arild Remmereit will lead the orchestra in two selections by Scandinavian composers. PSO Principal Trumpet and Carnegie Mellon faculty George Vosburgh will perform a solo concerto by Johann Nepomuk Hummel.

The program will begin with the Pittsburgh debut of Carl Nielsen¹s ³First Symphony.² About 27 minutes long, the symphony is famous for its ³progressive tonality,² which refers to the composer¹s habit of beginning a work in one key and ending in another. Vosburgh will showcase his excellent artistry in Hummel¹s confident and high-spirited ³Trumpet Concerto.² The performance will conclude with selections from Edvard Grieg¹s incidental music for Henry Ibsen¹s drama ³Peer Gynt.² Among the most memorable titles are ³In the Hall of the Mountain King² and ³Morning Mood.²

Following the performance, PSO musicians and Carnegie Mellon guests can mingle and enjoy a post-concert dessert buffet hosted by Carnegie Mellon¹s President¹s Office.

Discounted tickets for alumni, students, faculty and staff can be purchased at the Information Desk at Carnegie Mellon¹s University Center. Tickets, which start at $12, must be purchased by noon on Friday, Feb. 2. Tickets can also be purchased online at www.pittsburghsymphony.org/cmunight.html.

Theatrical Collage '1:23' Gets World Premiere in Cincy; Cast Set

Yahoo! News: "The world premiere of Carson Kreitzer's tragedy laced drama 1:23 - about parents who murder their children - at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park's intimate Thompson Shelterhouse will feature Robert Elliott, Eva Kaminsky, Deborah Knox, Rege Lewis, Shirley Roeca and Josh Shirley."

Entire Run of NYC's 'King Hedley II' Sells Out in 48 Hours

Yahoo! News: "Hundreds of people lined up at the box office to take advantage of this season's $15 ticket initiative with an average wait time of over two hours, according to the Equity troupe known for devoting an entire season to one author."

Cineplex looks to Broadway after opera hit

globeandmail.com: "Cineplex's success with high-definition, pay-per-view National Hockey League games and the recently introduced direct-from-satellite live performances from Lincoln Center of the New York's Metropolitan Opera has convinced the company to look into putting on more special events."

Striking Actors Eyeing 3-Day Talks

Backstage: "With actors in much of Canada on strike, contract talks between union performers in British Columbia and North American producers will resume today in Vancouver for three days."

A Whole New World

Backstage: "Theatre may be the actor's medium, but when a perceptive, empathetic director enters the room, it's the rare actor who doesn't take notice. We're not referring to the director who barges into the production process with hit-filled résumé boldly worn on sleeve. Rather, it's about sensing that the director has something salient to contribute to the actor's -- and the playwright's -- eventual success."

How to Promote Resourcefulness In Yourself and Others

lifehack.org: "Being resourceful means knowing how to get the information and results you want. Being organized and having trusted systems are big pieces of the productivity puzzle, but sometimes “Getting Things Done” means being a creative problem-solver."

Reference Check: You Are Who Google Says You Are

lifehack.org: "The internet and its search engines have become so powerful, available and user-friendly that your reputation is becoming defined by what the first 3 pages of yahoo or google search hits turns up. Forget about personal and professional references for making a first impression because the internet search gets done before that."

Valley Players got their girl for 'Man'

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "During auditions for Valley Players of Ligonier production 'I Take This Man,' director Debbie Gruss knew she was looking for someone special to play the lead."

Theater Hall of Fame honors August Wilson, seven others

Post Gazette: "To open the 36th annual induction ceremonies of the Theater Hall of Fame, emcee Phylicia Rashad bent over the podium and said, prayerfully, 'This is not an awards night, thank you Lord. We don't need another one of those.'"

Forbidden Broadway: Special Victims Unit

Pittsburgh City Paper: "Forbidden Broadway is back! Pittsburgh CLO, in its cabaret space, recently closed the first, long-running edition of this New York-born spoofing staple, and has now opened a retooled version called Forbidden Broadway: Special Victims Unit. Whatever the title, FB remains a jaundiced look at the Great White Way, with satirical lyrics by creator Gerard Alessandrini put to B'way tunes and poking fun at the outsized egos and ethos of the commercial American musical."

Cats

Pittsburgh City Paper: "This late in the game it's pointless to talk about what a bad show Cats is. Ever since its Broadway opening, in 1982, minds more astute and pens far defter than mine have weighed in on its lack of quality. The Village Voice's Michael Feingold said, among other things, '[Andrew Lloyd Webber's] music is not terrible ... if you don't mind its being so soiled from previous use.'"

Costume designer wolfs down assignment

Arizona Republic: "Peter and the Wolf, which opens Saturday at the Tempe Performing Arts Center and is set to the familiar Prokofiev score, requires a wolf, a duck, a cat and assorted hunters. Did we mention Peter and his grandfather? And we probably shouldn't forget what Furr-Soloman refers to as 'a whole bunch of little puppet critters.'"

Actors' Equity Awards

actorsequity.org: "Applications are available online through March 31, 2007 for the 2006-2007 Roger Sturtevant Musical Theatre Award administered by the Actors' Equity Foundation. The award, available to current Equity Membership Candidates (EMC) who have demonstrated outstanding abilities in the musical theatre field, is a $1,000 check and a certificate presented to one male and one female."

Congrats Adam!

Sightlines: "This month's featured image is a scene design for Eugene O'Neill's Mourning Becomes Electra which is part of the portfolio of Adam Koch, winner of the 2007 USITT W. Oren Parker Scene Design Award. The award is sponsored by Stage Decorations & Supplies, Inc."

Lion statues' helmets: Bearing down doesn't work

Chicago Tribune: "The creatures flanking the museum's Michigan Avenue entrance were to be crowned this morning with Bears helmets, but severe cold led to a helmet cracking as it was being lowered onto one of the animals, museum officials said."

Taper will undergo yearlong remodeling

Los Angeles Times: "The remodeling project, expected to continue through mid-2008, will include doubling the lobby space by relocating restrooms to a downstairs lounge and upgrading the auditorium with more comfortable seats and improved acoustics."

Books now, play later

Guardian Unlimited: "Intellectually demanding drama is one thing, but plays you can't appreciate without boning up on the background reading are rather missing the point."

Ending the ‘Budget Dance' for the Arts

New York Sun: "The announcement last week by Mayor Bloomberg and the City Council that cultural program funding will in the future be awarded through a competitive process, replacing a system in which a small number of groups got the lion's share of support through line items and member items, is being greeted with praise by cultural leaders all over the city — including some whose organizations may see their funding diminish."

Ottawa must invest more in arts and festivals: report

Ottawa Business Journal: "Finding an investment that earns an average of 12 times the initial value each year is no easy find, but that is what Festivals Ottawa says the municipal government stands to earn for every dollar invested in local arts and festivals."

Florida's Caldwell Theatre Gets $1 Million for New Home

Playbill News: "Countess Henrietta de Hoernle has made a pledge of $1 million toward the ongoing construction of a new home for Caldwell Theatre Company, the Boca Raton, FL, Equity troupe announced."

Project Co-Ordinator needed for Local Educational Kids TV Show

Craigslist: "Duties will include: Rounding up cast and crew prior to shoot, help Director in planning and executing rehearsals and TV shoots, help make phone calls, help organize fundraising efforts, help find guests for the show, help find actors for show, help co-ordinate all aspects of pre-production "

T-Shirt Design for Art Store

Craigslist: "I am looking for someone to do a creative design for a T-shirt for my art supply store."

Making a play for seduction

TheStar.com: "If the Muppets dropped acid and then paid a visit to sex therapist Dr. Sue Johanson, maybe they'd start to resemble the wonderfully nubile creations of Cabaret U-Mano."

Rose Brand Opens New Corporate Headquarters

Stage-directions: "Rose Brand has opened a new 126,000-sq.-ft. corporate headquarters facility at 4 Emerson Lane, Secaucus, NJ."

ETCP Extends Exam Deadline

Stage-directions: "The ETCP Council has extended the application deadline to February 9, 2007 for the Entertainment Electrician, Arena Rigging and Theatre Rigging examinations being offered at USITT."

Glass Opera Faces Tough Act

Wired News: "When the opera under consideration is Waiting for the Barbarians, the most recent work by cutting-edge composer Philip Glass, such overwrought and hefty images are replaced by a sleek, breathtaking marvel."

Resized Ibsen is a must-see

globeandmail.com: "In Mabou Mines DollHouse, there are no small parts, just small actors. Small male actors, to be precise. All the men in director Lee Breuer's extravagantly camp but ultimately resplendent deconstruction of Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House are played by actors who are never taller than four feet or so. The women, on the other hand, literally tower above them with an average height of six feet."

Theatreland enjoys another record-breaking year in 2006

The Stage: "West End box offices achieved another record year in 2006, with the last six months to December experiencing an “unprecedented period of success” in terms of audience numbers, ticket sales and advance bookings, thanks to high-profile openings such as Dirty Dancing and The Sound of Music."

Basic PTM - Estimating Assignment

"BasicStudent" (11:30:59 PM): dave, what needs to be in the title block for the estimation sheet?

eProf (11:31:26 PM): the header/description section?

eProf(11:31:37 PM): the kind of things that go in a title block

eProf(11:31:41 PM): and then a description

"BasicStudent" (11:31:49 PM): name and show and what element?

"BasicStudent" (11:32:42 PM): and then the header with the hours and # of people below that

eProf(11:33:15 PM): then a materials section

eProf(11:33:20 PM): and then the labor section

"BasicStudent" (11:33:31 PM): ok

"BasicStudent" (11:33:33 PM): thank you!

For time-starved families, a quest for family dinner

The Journal News: "'We don't have a traditional schedule,' said Cat Cohen, a mother of three from Nanuet. Cohen works two part-time jobs as a copy editor and legal assistant. Her husband, Jonathan, leaves at 4 p.m. for his job as a stagehand on Broadway. Their oldest son, Michael, finished college and moved to Brooklyn, and their second-oldest, Daniel, gets home from football or wrestling practice at 7. By then, the youngest, 8-year-old Emily, has had dinner and is doing her homework. That leaves Sunday and Monday as the only nights when family dinner is even a possibility."

Article - Entertainment - 'Noises Off' hit-and-miss affair

ocregister: "With his 1982 farce 'Noises Off,' Michael Frayn solved the problem of rejuvenating that old standard, the British sex farce. The British playwright's solution? Present a play within the play by depicting a snake-bitten troupe of actors struggling to launch a national tour of a salacious new farce called 'Nothing On.'"

BrickStreet cites ‘confusion' for incorrect listings

Charleston Daily Mail: "Of the 1,722 workers' compensation insurance policies that were canceled by BrickStreet Mutual Insurance Co. on Jan. 1 for nonpayment of policy premiums, 180 have been reinstated back to Jan. 1, said Lynette Maselli, spokeswoman for the Office of the Insurance Commissioner."

Union endows new MSUB scholarships

BillingsGazette.com: "Members of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Union Local 240 recently contributed $17,500 to endow a new scholarship fund at the Montana State University-Billings Foundation. The IATSE Local 240 Endowed Scholarship is open to all theater majors at MSU-Billings, with preference given to IATSE members, their children or spouses. Recipients must have financial need and at least a 2.5 cumulative GPA. The first $500 IATSEU Local 240 scholarship will be available to students for academic year 2007-08."

New Questions on Student Evaluations

Inside Higher Ed: "A new study by three economists at Ohio State University may add to those fears. Previous studies have found that students are more likely to give good reviews to instructors who are easy graders or who are good looking. The Ohio State study — in many ways larger and more ambitious than previous ones — found a strong correlation between grades in a course and reviews of professors, such that it is clear that students are rewarding those who reward them."

Broadway's 'Phantom' Is 19 Years Old

Yahoo! News: "The Phantom was always fond of candles, so birthdays must be extra special for him. The Harold Prince production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera turns 19 years old Jan. 26 at the Majestic Theatre."

Huntington, ART face cast changes at the top

The Boston Globe: "If you are a devotee of the Huntington Theatre Company or the American Repertory Theatre, you may recognize these scenes from the current 'Cherry Orchard' or last season's 'Three Sisters,' respectively. Chances are you also have strong opinions about which one you prefer. You may find the Huntington polished and professional, the ART bewilderingly idiosyncratic and opaque. Or maybe you'd say the Huntington is staid and conventional, the ART daring and raw. Either way, you know what these theaters are and what they're trying to do."

'Pirate' tests waters of Web marketing

Variety.com: "The producers of 'The Pirate Queen,' the new musical from 'Les Miserables' creative duo Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg, are ramping up the show's Castcom, a video diary of the tuner's development that was updated daily on the Web during the show's fall tryout in Chicago."

Download: Tasks Jr. - A task and project management tool

lifehack.org: "Tasks Jr. is an easy to use, yet robust task and project management tool created by King Management. Tasks Jr. is not quite as robust as Microsoft Project, but for smaller companies (or individuals) with big projects, it is an excellent free alternative. Tasks Jr. supports timelining, task trees (tasks with sub-task dependencies), and iCalendar so you can export all your data and integrate with your calendar."

Applause all round for record London theater year

Reuters.com: "London theatres, boosted by a string of hit musicals, enjoyed a record year in 2006 with ticket sales breaking the 400 million pound ($780 million) mark for the first time, according to figures released on Monday."

Adobe Releases Photoshop CS3 Public Beta

Live Design: "In late December, Adobe released a public beta version of their flagship application, Adobe Photoshop. The most significant part of this update, in addition to the fact that it marked the first time Adobe publicly released a preview version of their software, was that it is a Universal application. This means it runs natively on the new Intel-powered Macs. They also simultaneously released a PC version of the beta."

Nemetschek NA Launches vLearning Webinars

Live Design: "Nemetschek North America has launched vLearning webinars, a new virtual training series delivered to VectorWorks users over the web using WebEx™ technology. vLearning webinars provide VectorWorks users with convenient hour-long training sessions on a variety of VectorWorks topics, including instruction on how to use specific feature sets and functionality, as well as techniques and workflows to enhance productivity. Each session is live and concludes with time for questions and answers."

Not the next 'Cats'

Chicago Tribune: "In a season that brought 'Spring Awakening' to the Great White Way--rocker Duncan Sheik's take on a 19th Century German expressionist play--and created an L.A. hit out of the Neo-Nazi/terrorist satirical operetta 'The Beastly Bombing,' Chicago is also shaking up the world of music theater."

ON THE SPOTLIGHT: NO BUSINESS IN SHOW BUSINESS

reviewjournal.com: "'Spot one?'
Lighting supervisor Matt Druzbik's voice blares from my headset.
As a spotlight operator at The Club at the Cannery Casino, I have only one job tonight: to keep tribute artist Johnny Fortuno out of the dark.
Unfortunately for me, Elvis has left the spotlight."

Crunch Time Irks Stars

JS Online:: "'There was this woman in the first row, eating out of a paper bag, so loudly that even people around her were trying to get her to stop,' an appalled LuPone said of the incident that happened during her Broadway run in the musical 'Sweeney Todd.'"

Broadway comes back in a big way

MiamiHerald.com: "Because of Miami's new Carnival Center for the Performing Arts, because of the artistic growth of a number of smaller companies, theater in South Florida is looking richer, more varied, more full of promise than ever."

Conservatory Hour

Conservatory Hour on Monday, Jan. 29

“Oresteia” - Intents and Insights

Rangos 3 5:00-6:00pm

Labor Union, Redefined, for Freelance Workers

New York Times: "By creating a new type of union for nontraditional workers, Ms. Horowitz hopes to help revive the labor movement. Its membership has slipped to just 7.4 percent of the private-sector work force, down from one-third in 1960."

Congrats Delia (DRA '03)

Hi everyone!

Okay- This email is a little late because I got sick DURING our last week of prep before starting shooting tomorrow on my new movie. Needless to say, its been a really tough 7 days for me...yeah, I know...Waa...Waa.

To the point- GO SEE SMOKIN ACES! It opened Friday and its my first film credit (after years of never getting one)! And, yes (mother)...you have to see my first credit IN the theater...NOT ON DVD! its way more exciting to see it on a big screen. But really guys, I changed every costume in that movie from new to old or new to old and bloody. I even made the showgirl costumes, tremor brothers armor, all bullet holes and the fake sperm....GO SEE IT! Its pretty violent, but in a pulp fiction kind of way- AND if you start getting confused about the plot, let it go...its simpler than you're thinking.

Hope you have fun watching it! Catch it quick...movies don't last long in the theaters these days!
Big love,
Delia

ART board pins Woodruff's exit on the bottom line

The Boston Globe: "Just before Christmas, the ART's staff learned from an e-mail that Harvard had decided not to renew Woodruff's contract. The statement, and a press release issued a week later, didn't explain why. But interviews conducted this month with members of the eight-person ART/Harvard board of directors, which has the authority to hire and fire the artistic director, revealed that his exit came because of concerns over how Woodruff's artistic approach was affecting the theater's bottom line."

HOW MUCH DO ACTORS GET PAID?

Chicago Tribune: "No one works in theater to get rich. Every performer understands this going in. But for the audience members who attend local theater each year, we often have little idea of the financial realities faced by the people we see onstage. "

Cultural funding in budget

Kansas City Star: "Arts advocates had been concerned that the governor might not recommend any money for the arts because of anger over a lawsuit filed by the Kansas City Symphony against the state. The lawsuit contends that the Cultural Trust has been underfinanced by the legislature to the tune of $83 million."

Diverting restaurant taxes would be a blow to the arts

Salt Lake Tribune: "Recent press reports have revealed efforts at the Utah Legislature, and by certain municipalities, to redirect the revenues from the restaurant tax presently used by Salt Lake County for the support of tourist, recreational and cultural facilities. "

Crew member killed on Toronto film set

globeandmail.com
: "A crew member working on the coming Samuel L. Jackson movie Jumper was killed yesterday by frozen debris that fell on him as he tried to tear down part of an exterior set in Toronto's studio district."

"Jumper" Summary

Google News

Smoking Onstage

New York Times: "HAND me a cigarette ..., lover,” Martha says to her conquest Nick in the second act of Edward Albee’s “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” The stage directions then read: “He lights it for her. As he does, she slips her hand between his legs.”"

Black History Month destinations beckon

Post Gazette: "Where can you find a museum dedicated to the Tuskegee Airmen? Or a walking tour about the Black Panthers? Or a park honoring the Temptations?"

Ovation exploration

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Applause can be an award or a motivational force, serve as recognition or inspiration. But trying to find out where it originated is like trying to find who told the first joke or sang the first song."

Musicals tackle more somber themes

Variety.com: "High among the season's most anticipated tuners is 'LoveMusik,' which spans a quarter-century in the turbulent relationship of composer Kurt Weill and his actress wife, Lotte Lenya. Michael Cerveris and Donna Murphy will star in the show, written by Alfred Uhry, with music by Weill. Opening May 3 at the Biltmore, the MTC production showcases another welcome return to Broadway, as it's the first new musical staged by Harold Prince since 'Parade' in 1998."

Broadway's serious state of play

Variety.com: "Theater pundits can be relied upon never to underplay a dramatic moment. Each season, they punctually sound cultural alarm bells by announcing the death of the straight play on Broadway. But of the 18 productions still to come in the 2006-07 season, a staggering 12 of them are plays."

It's Rated "R." Who Brought The Kids?, Movie Industry Considering Adding Specific Admonishment To Parents Over Graphic Films

CBS News: "When Kate Attea went to see Steven Spielberg's 'Munich' last year – an R-rated film with themes of terrorism and revenge and with graphic portrayals of sex and violence – she was shocked to see a 7- or 8-year-old girl sitting behind her, occasionally asking her parents about the on-screen violence before her. "

Time's running out on 'Utopia'

Post Gazette: "The Post-Gazette's special Critic's Choice tour to New York City to see Tom Stoppard's brilliant 'Coast of Utopia' trilogy, April 13-15, is approaching the Feb. 5 deadline set by Lincoln Center for the increasingly scarce tickets. "

New Kennywood ride promises Chaos

Post Gazette: "Kennywood's new extraterrestrial thrill ride, the Cosmic Chaos, will land in time for the amusement park's opening in May. The ride seats 24 people on a giant disk, which looks like a UFO, and from a height of 50 feet, the disk travels an untamed flight along 120 feet of concave track while riders spin in a circle. "

Vegas Producers to Launch Jan. 31 with Oscar, Raben, Hasselhoff and Zimmerman

Playbill News: "In addition to Tony Award nominee Brad Oscar as obnoxious Max, Larry Raben as nebbishy Leo and David Hasselhoff as flamboyant Roger DeBris, the cast opening at Paris Las Vegas in February boasts Leigh Zimmerman (The Will Rogers Follies, 'United 93') as Ulla. A veteran of the Broadway production, she was an Olivier Award nominee for originating the role in the London production."

Art Institute commissions new helmets for famous lions

ABC7Chicago.com: "'What we decided to do is go with the newer Chicago Bears helmet. Both lions are so different that each helmet has to be fitted per lion. We've decided to simplify the grill. We're going with more of a kicker's style grill with two bars coming across,' said Tony Vialpando, Chicago Scenic Studios."

Helmet size: 37

Chicago Tribune: "To outfit the Art Institute lions this time around, Edmister and others are crafting the football helmets at Chicago Scenic Studios, known for theater and event stage design."

University Lectures

Saturday January 27^th

8:00pm Kresge Theatre, College of Fine Arts

Carnegie Mellon University Oakland campus

A Land Twice Promised

Noa Baum, Storyteller/Consultant

Co-sponsored by the Middle East Peace Forum of Pittsburgh

http://www.middleeastpeace.pghfree.net

Storyteller Noa Baum, an Israeli who began a heartfelt dialogue with a Palestinian woman while living in the United States, weaves together their memories and their mothers' stories. She creates a moving testimony illuminating the complex and contradictory history and emotions that surround Jerusalem for Israelis and Palestinians alike.

********************************

The University Lecture Series is a partnership between the Office of the Vice Provost for Education and the Division of Student Affairs. All lectures are FREE and open to the public. For additional information, please call 412-268-8677 or send email inquiries to cr2@andrew.cmu.edu. ALL lectures are on Carnegie Mellon’s Oakland campus.

Thank you!

Why Alignment Matters

lifehack.org: "That was true then, and it’s true now, although instead of kicking pine boards, I spend most of my time emailing, writing, coding and blogging. Whatever you get paid to do, are the things you work on and the apps you work in aligned?"

Lone Twin returns for 'Nine Years'

Post Gazette: "Gregg Whelan and Gary Winters, aka Lone Twin, who were a thoughtful comic hit when their 'Walk With Me' and 'Clouds Over the Warhol' were featured in the 2004 Pittsburgh International Festival of Firsts, return this weekend for two performances of 'Nine Years' at The Warhol Museum."

Primary Stages Lines Up NY Debuts from Foote, Holtzman and Hollinger for New Season

Playbill News: "New York premieres of new works by Horton Foote, Willy Holtzman and Michael Hollinger will fill the Primary Stages upcoming 2007-2008 season, the company announced Jan. 26."

Sound & Light Technician

JOBZone - Live Design Online: "The Sound and Light Technician will assist with the maintenance and of house lighting, sound and video boards during all events held at the Arena. "

Technical Director/Lighting Designer

JOBZone - Live Design Online: "Brite Ideas, Inc., a technical direction and lighting design company specializing in the special event industry is accepting resumes for a full-time Technical Director/Lighting Designer. The Technical Director/Lighting Designer will serve primarily as a technical director and 70% the job responsibilities will be devoted to the TD position. "

Associate Lighting Designer

JOBZone - Live Design Online: "Brite Ideas, Inc., a technical direction and lighting design company specializing in the special event industry is accepting resumes for a full-time Associate Lighting Designer. The Associate Lighting Designer is responsible for taking a project from design concept to realized completed project. "

Lighting Systems Field Engineer

JOBZone - Live Design Online: "Fabricator of large scale custom museum construction projects seeks Lighting Systems Field Engineer for technical management of lighting systems installation and electrical field coordination. Knowledge of theatrical products and architectural lighting systems is a necessity. "

N.Y. Stage Play Celebrates 'Math Team Queen'

NPR: "A new off-Broadway play opens, and it celebrates, of all things, a high school math whiz. Playwright Kathryn Walat talks about the production, Victoria Martin: Math Team Queen, which asks the question: Can a girl know Pi to 53 decimal places and still be popular?"

For Broadway, It Was a Very Good Year

NPR: "Broadway's theaters got a great holiday gift at the end of 2006: Attendance and box office surpassed previous records, and revenues were close to $30 million during the week of Dec. 25."

Seventh Annual Women on the Way Festival

San Francisco Chronicle: "Artistic Director Mary Alice Fry combined several disciplines to present a three-week festival of three formats: circus, dance-music collaboration and installation performance."

Young Frankenstein Confirmed for Fall Broadway Opening

Playbill News: "Young Frankenstein, Mel Brooks' hotly-anticipated follow-up to The Producers, will arrive on Broadway in the fall, a casting notice confirms.
The new musical will begin rehearsals in June and open out of town this summer prior to its Broadway bow."

Hollywood stars ruining our theatre, says Ayckbourn

Times Online: "The “Hollywood effect” meant that new talent was being ignored in favour of leading names, but those who were lured to the theatre by the appearance of their favourite star were often disappointed."

B'WAY 'DREAMGIRLS'

New York Post Online Edition: "John Breglio, a lawyer who oversees the estate of 'Dreamgirls' director and choreographer Michael Bennett, has called a meeting next month to discuss plans for a Broadway revival, said Henry Krieger, the show's composer."

'THE REPRODUCERS'

New York Post Online Edition: "Matthew Broderick and Nathan Lane, the original - and the best - Leo and Max in 'The Producers,' have been asked to reprise their roles one last time before the show ends its seven-year run in June, The Post has learned."

Summer Stock?

I’m getting questions from students on which are the better summer stock opportunities. I have my own suite of answers to this, but I figured there might be more knowledge in the ether. If you know of particularly good programs could you shoot me a note with the name and a short blurb. I’ll put them all together and make them available to everyone.

By Monday?

thanks,

db

CFA Announcements

Carnegie Mellon's College of Fine Arts Announcement:
WEEK of Jan. 29 - Feb. 4, Miller Gallery Opening Tonight, Art and Media Panel, Events

Regina Gouger Miller Gallery________________________________________________

Carnegie Mellon University¹s Regina Gouger Miller Gallery will open ³Tides,² a new group exhibition that includes compelling photographs, paintings, sculpture, videos and performances by nine of the most innovative artists working in Northern Ireland.

The exhibition opens TONIGHT with a public reception from 5 to 8 p.m.
³Tides² will run through March 30.

Artists include Ian Charlesworth, Seamus Harahan, Michael Hogg, Sandra Johnston, Darren Murray, Aisling O¹Beirn, Mary McIntyre, Peter Richards and Alistair Wilson. Johnston, a performance artist, will present her work at 12:30 p.m., Friday, Jan. 26, in the College of Fine Arts Great Hall.


Art and the Media Panel ____________________________________________________

The Art and the Media Panel discussion will be chaired by Dr. Hilary Robinson, the Stanley and Marcia Gumberg Dean of the College of Fine Arts.

Tuesday, January 30 at 11:30 a.m.
Lunch will be served from 11:30 a.m.- noon Panel discussion begins at noon

The panel discussion will be webcast live at http://destination.cfa.cmu.edu/

To view biography information on the panelists and moderator click link below or visit the School of Music's destination link above:
http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/ecs/art+media_HANDOUT.pdf

Events This Weekend ________________________________________________________

Jan. 25 - 28: The School of Music presents the opera "Alcina" by George Frideric Handel. The musical director is Robert Page and Gregory Lehane is stage director. Jan. 25 - 27 performances are at 8 p.m. The Jan. 28 performance is at 2:30 p.m. Performances are in the Chosky Theater. For tickets, call 412-268-2407.
________________________________

Sunday, Jan. 28: Carnegie Mellon Chamber Orchestra, Andres Cardenes, conductor and soloist. 8 p.m., Third Presbyterian Church, Fifth at Negley.
Free admission. Live broadcast on Classical WQED-FM 89.3.
________________________________

The Carnegie Mellon School of Drama will host Donna Lynne Champlin (A'93), fresh off her run as Pirelli in the smash hit "Sweeney Todd" to the School of Drama this month!

Donna Lynne will perform her hit New York Cabaret Act titled "Finishing the Hat" on Friday, January 26, and Saturday January 27 at the CLO Cabaret Theater in downtown Pittsburgh, at 10 p.m.

The CABARET will begin at 10 p.m. Both nights. (1/26 and 1/27).
Admission Fee is only $8.

Jason Coll (A'93) will also serve as her Music Director.

Monday _________________________________________________________________

Architect, designer and sustainable agriculturalist Fritz Haeg (A'92) will lecture on his wide-ranging work on Monday, January 29 at 6:30 p.m. in the Carnegie Museum of Art Theater.

This lecture is cosponsored by the Carnegie Mellon University School of Architecture and the Heinz Architectural Center, Carnegie Museum of Art.

Fritz Haeg graduated from the Carnegie Mellon University School of Architecture in 1992. Since then, he has operated a multi-faceted practice incorporating architecture, design, ecology and education. Recent projects include the Bernardi Salcedo residence in L.A. and the widely publicized ³Edible Estates², a sustainably-oriented program to turn urban lawns into domestic farms.

www.fritzhaeg.com

For more information call 412-268-1538

Phylicia Rashad

A Dialogue with Phylicia Rashad
Thursday, February 22, 2007

As part of the 2007 Carnegie Mellon University Lecture Series and in celebration of Black History Month, the Division of Student Affairs, Division of University Advancement and School of Drama are pleased to present:

4:30 pm- Dialogue with Phylicia Rashad, moderated by Dan Green (A 1994)
McConomy Auditorium, University Center

Actress Phylicia Rashad is best known for her role as “Clair Huxtable” on the hit television sitcom The Cosby Show. In 2004 she became the first black woman to win a Tony Award as Best Leading Actress for her role in the play A Raisin in the Sun. Her Broadway credits also include a turn as “Aunt Ester” in Pittsburgh native August Wilson’s play Gem of the Ocean. Ms. Rashad is a committed advocate for children, women's issues, and the fine arts.

If you know of others who would like to attend the dialogue, additional tickets will be available at the University Center Information Desk. Two free tickets per Carnegie Mellon ID available beginning February 5, 2007. Tickets to the general public available after February 15.

For a full schedule of Black History Month events, please visit http://www.studentaffairs.cmu.edu/multicultural/festivals/blackhistory.html

Fashion chiefs agree to discuss ultra-thin models

Yahoo! News: "The fashion industry has been widely attacked for promoting the kind of stick-thin images which critics say contribute to eating disorders in young women and some countries have taken cautious measures to bring more weight onto the catwalks."

Mayor - City Council - Arts Financing

New York Times: "Declaring that they had wearied of their annual dance over arts financing, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and the City Council announced yesterday that they would make more money available to arts groups, award it on a merit basis and widen a peer-review process to level the playing field."

Wit and Sharp Argument Skewer a Damaging Euphemism

NYO - Books: "The last decade and more of American public life will be remembered, among other things, for the triumph of euphemism. Not only did bellicosity become “moral clarity” and military invasion turn into the promotion of freedom, but many issues on the domestic front were strategically rebranded as well: Religious charities became “faith-based initiatives,” netting in the process hundreds of millions in government grants, and schemes to privatize Social Security won the inoffensive moniker of “retirement-savings accounts.”"

Pay your student loans or die tryin'

Marketplace: "As recent college grad Patrick Johnson looks ahead at decades of student loan payments in his future, he wonders, don't we get a higher education to get ahead?"

ACTRA Wants to Spin Off New-Media Talks

Backstage: "Canada's performers union on Wednesday called on North American producers to hammer out a new deal for striking actors by moving the thorny issue of compensation for new-media use into separate talks."

L.A. Film and Commercial Production Slides in 2006

Backstage: FilmLA reports the number of on-location shooting days for feature films continued to decline in 2006 and TV commercial production was down for the first time in seven years. According to the nonprofit, production-coordination company's data released today, feature-film production slid 7.4 percent, while commercial production fell 3.4 percent — its first year-to-year decline since SAG and AFTRA's commercials strike ground that industry to a halt in 2000."

Great Managers Teach (When They Should)

lifehack.org: "Great Managers cultivate a work environment where lifelong learners thrive. Everyone simply learns for the sake of learning, thrilling to its personal reward. In these workplaces, curiosity is admired and all ideas are prized, and the Great Managers are those who facilitate the learning process in which those ideas incubate until innovation breaks through. People grow magnificently in the process."

Stage Manage Your World

lifehack.org: "The best miracles, though, seem to occur with some advance planning, and I found myself this year reflecting on how some of the strategies that stage managers use to make this kind of magic could be useful on the larger stage of our lives."

Are you a Workaholic?

lifehack.org: "In a world where it is so easy to work from anywhere at anytime, the lines between your professional life and your personal life can blur very easily. Dana Mattioli gives her take on how to assess whether your professional life is taking over your personal life."

8 “tools” to maximize your Sleep

lifehack.org: "Since I get up at 5:00AM Monday through Friday, making sure I get quality sleep is very imprortant to me. The Ririan Project gives eight tips to help setup your bedroom in order to facilitate quality, energy producing sleep."

'Muckle Man' combines elements to tell complex story

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "In his notes for 'The Muckle Man,' playwright Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa suggests that its multiple locations should be suggested with minimal scenery and furniture: 'A table, an easel, a bench, a taller table, chairs, and that's pretty much it,' he says."

These 'Scoundrels' prove their worth

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Those who remember the Michael Caine/Steve Martin movie will find the stage version is substantially unchanged. Those for whom it is a first experience discover some engaging plot twists as the main characters attempt to outwit each other."

An Old Movie House Gets a Broadway Glow

New York Times: "FOR someone who says he is not a theater buff, Kevin J. O’Neill is going to a lot of trouble — and expense — to bring year-round plays to an old movie house here."

Stage Preview: Pittsburgh ties pull director to Kuntu and 'Sarafina!'

Post Gazette: "For Olusegun Ojewuyi, a native Nigerian, it has led quite naturally to the University of Pittsburgh's Kuntu Repertory Theatre, where he is now directing the ebullient and uplifting South African musical 'Sarafina!,' on stage for the first time here since the post-Broadway tour in 1991."

Stage Review: 'Scoundrels' is good musical from great Hollywood roots

Post Gazette: "How hard can it be to turn a movie comedy into a musical comedy? You already have plot (always the sticking point), characters and funny stuff, not to mention audience familiarity. All you have to do is write some songs. The worst part would seem to be having to share the royalties with the original authors."

'Muckle Man' started as a Webbed creature

Post Gazette: "Today's case in point is Jeremy Kraus, City Theatre director of marketing, who has to come up with campaigns for one of the toughest sells -- new plays about which no one knows anything in advance, such as City Theatre's focus this year, its New American Trio. And no one knew what to make of even the title of the first new play, 'The Muckle Man.'"

Stage Preview: Playwright with a new work at City Theatre went from 'Spider-man' to 'Muckle Man'

Post Gazette: "Playwright Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa is having a pop cultural moment. 'The Muckle Man,' a domestic drama and high seas mystery tale the 34-year-old wrote as a grad student at Yale School of Drama a few years ago, has been revised and updated for its world premiere as the first performance of Pittsburgh City Theatre's 'New American Trio' series."

Revised Muckle Man Resurfaces Jan. 25 at Pittsburgh's City Theatre

Playbill News: "Aguirre-Sacasa, the rising playwright whose Based on a Totally True Story was seen at Manhattan Theatre Club in 2006, has been in residence at City Theatre during rehearsals of The Muckle Man in January. The play, about a giant squid, a mysterious man from the sea and a family in crisis, had its world premiere in August 2001 in a staging by the Source Theatre Company in Washington, DC."

Tari Kelly Is Sally in Pittsburgh Public's Cabaret Jan. 25-Feb. 25

Playbill News: "Director-choreographer Ted Pappas, PPT's producing artistic director, has created an environmental production that immerses the audience in the physical world of the musical's setting, the Kit Kat Klub of 1930 Berlin."

Opera director has a word in audience's ear

Tennessean.com: "In what is a first for any professional opera organization, Nashville Opera will provide a director's commentary — downloadable for free via Apple's iTunes site or the Nashville Opera Web site — that viewers will be able to synchronize with live performances of Romeo and Juliet during the last two shows of the opera's run, on Feb. 2 and 3."

John Kani: Activist, humanitarian, actor, and playwright

The Tartan Online: "Before he’d even said a word, visiting dramatist John Kani received a standing ovation from the nearly packed Philip Chosky Theater in Purnell. Lecturing on the afternoon of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Kani was perhaps the physical embodiment of the phrase “his reputation precedes him.” And there it was: As Kani emerged onto the stage and took his first few steps towards the podium, there was almost too much to clap for."

The Management Puzzle

Theatre Communications Group - American Theatre - January 2007: "Learning to keep theatre organizations robust and creative requires putting together lots of disparate pieces"

THEATRE COMMUNICATIONS GROUP PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE TERESA EYRING AS NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Theatre Communications Group - Press Release: "New York, December 2006 - Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national service organization for the American not-for-profit theatre, is pleased to announce the appointment of Teresa Eyring as its new executive director. Ms. Eyring has been a senior executive in theatres across the country for over twenty years and is currently the managing director of The Children's Theatre Company (CTC) in Minneapolis, MN."

Excel Tip: Conditional Formatting

Lifehacker: "You've compiled a big, complicated spreadsheet chock full of numbers and you want the important ones to stand out. Give conditional formatting a try - it's a groovy Excel technique that changes cell appearance based on rules you set up, like 'Turn the cell green if its value is less than 100.'"

Canada Producers Seek Restraining Order

Backstage: "Canada's producers association Tuesday asked an Ontario judge to prevent striking Canadian actors from working on film and TV sets under ACTRA-approved continuation letters."

IBEW, CBS Sign Three-Year Pact

Backstage: "The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers has announced a new three-year agreement with CBS Broadcasting that makes special provisions for work on new-media projects."