j-o-b-s Rhode Island

Technical Director: Theatre by the Sea in Matunuck, RI, is seeking a Technical Director for its 2007 Summer Season. TBTS, under new management, plans to produce a sneak preview season of one large musical and three smaller Main Stage “cabaret” style shows leading up to a grand re-opening in 2008.TD will plan, build and load in all scenery and lead a small production staff for the season. Drafting skill required, CAD preferred. TD is expected to be the lead carpenter of the scene shop team, able to use all wood working tools, have a strong background in rigging (hemp rigging is a huge bonus), welding skills are a plus. TD must be willing to assist in season set-up, including hanging the rep lighting plot. Housing is provided. Vehicle is highly recommended. Dates: July 9^th-August 11^th 2007 (extension thru Sept. 2^nd is possible for show crew duties if interested) Salary: Very Competitive. Please email letter, resume, and references to: Theatrebtsjobs@hotmail.com or Fax: to the Attention of Doug Marshall 239-334-2429

Master Electrician: Theatre by the Sea in Matunuck, RI, is Seeking a Master Electrician for its 2007 Summer Season. TBTS, under new management, plans to produce a sneak preview season of one large musical and three smaller Main Stage “cabaret” style shows leading up to a grand re-opening in 2008.The ME will execute the season rep lighting plot, including complete installation of Dimmers, cabling, and lighting instruments. ME should be able to program a light board and have an interest in design. The ME will use the rep plot to design the three Cabaret shows. ME will run the light board for all performances and tech. A background in Rigging is a plus, (knowledge of hemp rigging a huge bonus), Must be willing to assist in general season set-up. Housing is provided. Vehicle is highly recommended. Dates: July 9^th-September 2 ^nd 2007 (possible extension to allow for season cleanup) Salary: Very Competitive. Please email letter, resume, and references to: Theatrebtsjobs@hotmail.com or Fax: to the Attention of Doug Marshall 239-334-2429

Carpenter: Theatre by the Sea in Matunuck, RI, is Seeking Carpenter/Electricians for its 2007 Summer Season. TBTS, under new management, plans to produce a sneak preview season of one large musical and three smaller Main Stage “cabaret” style shows leading up to a grand re-opening in 2008. Carpenters will build and load in all scenery, should be current on all wood working tools and theatre style construction. Carpenters will also serve on show Crew. Carpenters with a background in lighting will be first choice. Must be willing to assist in season set-up, including hanging the rep lighting plot. Housing is provided. Vehicle is highly recommended. Dates: July 9^th-September 2^nd 2007 (possible extension to allow for season cleanup) Salary: Very Competitive. Please email letter, resume, and references to: Theatrebtsjobs@hotmail.com or Fax: to the Attention of Doug Marshall 239-334-2429

Properties Master: Theatre by the Sea in Matunuck, RI, is Seeking a Props Master for its 2007 Summer Season. TBTS, under new management, plans to produce a sneak preview season of one large musical and three smaller Main Stage “cabaret” style shows leading up to a grand re-opening in 2008. He/She will execute all props for the musical and Cabaret Series by creating/building, borrowing, and lastly, buying needed props. Props Master should be creative and have an eye for prop design and be willing to assist in season set-up. Housing is provided. Vehicle is highly recommended. Dates: July 9^th-August 11^th 2007 (extension thru Sept. 2^nd is possible for show crew duties if interested) Salary: Very Competitive. Please email letter, resume, and references to: Theatrebtsjobs@hotmail.com or Fax: to the Attention of Doug Marshall 239-334-2429

Costume Shop Manager/Crew: Theatre by the Sea in Matunuck, RI, is Seeking a Costume Shop Manager for its 2007 Summer Season. TBTS, under new management, plans to produce a sneak preview season of one large musical and three smaller Main Stage “cabaret” style shows leading up to a grand re-opening in 2008. Musical will be pulled from extensive TBTS Stock and altered, repaired and fitted to cast with possible creation of new costumes in the same style as stock pieces. Manager willing to run wardrobe crew is a huge bonus. Housing is provided. Vehicle is highly recommended. Dates: July 9^th-Aug.10th 2007 (Wardrobe crew could extend contract to Sept. 2^nd) Salary: Very Competitive. For more details about the jobs available, Please email letter, resume, and references to: Theatrebtsjobs@hotmail.com or Fax: to the Attention of Doug Marshall 239-334-2429

AEA Stage Manager: Theatre by the Sea in Matunuck, RI, is seeking an AEA Stage Manager for its 2007 Summer Season. TBTS, under new management, plans to produce a sneak preview season of one large musical and three smaller Main Stage “cabaret” style shows leading up to a grand re-opening in 2008. Using a Guest Artist Equity Contract (Tier III pending), SM will be responsible for running all rehearsals and calling/supervising the run of the productions. Qualifications: 2+ years professional experience and familiarity with the AEA Guest Artist contract preferred. SM must have strong organizational and management skills, the ability to work well with people, and to function calmly under pressure. Will be working with 2-3 AEA actors and one non-equity ASM. Dates: July 9- Aug.26^th (with possible extension to Sept. 2^nd) Please email letter, resume, and references to: Theatrebtsjobs@hotmail.com or Fax: to the Attention of Doug Marshall 239-334-2429

Assistant Stage Manager: Theatre by the Sea in Matunuck, RI, is Seeking a non equity Assistant Stage Manager for its 2007 Summer Season. TBTS, under new management, plans to produce a sneak preview season of one large musical and three smaller Main Stage “cabaret” style shows leading up to a grand re-opening in 2008. The ASM, will be in all rehearsals, will lead the backstage crew for all performances and assist the SM with all duties as needed. Must be willing to assist in season set-up, (skills in general tech: lighting/props/carp would be a bonus) Housing is provided. Vehicle is highly recommended, Dates: July 9- Aug.26^th (with possible extension to Sept. 2^nd) Salary: Very Competitive. Please email letter, resume, and references to: Theatrebtsjobs@hotmail.com or Fax: to the Attention of Doug Marshall 239-334-2429

Sound Engineer: Theatre by the Sea in Matunuck, RI, is seeking a Sound Engineer for its 2007 Summer Season. TBTS, under new management, plans to produce a sneak preview season of one large musical and three smaller Main Stage “cabaret” style shows leading up to a grand re-opening in 2008. The sound engineer will lead the installation of the rented sound package and mix all TBTS performances. Experience in running a musical with multiple wireless mics is required. Must be willing to assist in season set-up, (Any skill in theatrical lighting would be a bonus) Housing is provided. Vehicle is highly recommended, Dates: July 9- Aug.26^th (with possible extension to Sept. 2^nd) Salary: Very Competitive. Please email letter, resume, and references to: Theatrebtsjobs@hotmail.com or Fax: to the Attention of Doug Marshall 239-334-2429

Scenic Artist: Theatre by the Sea in Matunuck, RI, is seeking a Scenic Artist for its 2007 Summer Season. TBTS, under new management, plans to produce a sneak preview season of one large musical and three smaller Main Stage “cabaret” style shows leading up to a grand re-opening in 2008. Painter will paint all scenery for one musical. Must be willing to assist in season set-up, (Any skill in general tech theatre would be a bonus) Housing is provided. Vehicle is highly recommended, Dates: July 23- Aug.10^th Salary: Very Competitive. Please email letter, resume, and references to: Theatrebtsjobs@hotmail.com or Fax: to the Attention of Doug Marshall 239-334-2429

Rings musical halted by accident

BBC NEWS: "'There was suddenly a lot of screaming, but at first we thought it might be part of the show.

'But a stagehand came runnning on, and when the music stopped we could hear someone shouting 'My leg! My leg!'.'"

Mayor will eliminate amusement tax on arts

Post Gazette: "Mr. Ravenstahl announced at the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council 'Work of Art' awards last week that he will cut the current 1.25 percent tax on arts organizations from Pittsburgh's 2008 operating budget, due for release in September. The tax will remain at 5 percent on for-profit sports and concert tickets, where it generates more than $9 million annually for the city."

Stress And You

lifehack.org: "Are you addicted to stress? Do you thrive under tight deadlines and adrenaline fueled situations? Do you take on more than you can handle or create bigger problems out of small issues? Here’s some information from About.com that might help define a few things."

How to Avoid Email Bankruptcy: 5 Rules That Work

lifehack.org: "The Washington Post recently had an article on email bankruptcy that discussed a number of people who are giving up on email (or just deleting all their old messages) after being buried under the pile of messages. Merlin Mann responded by saying that even bankruptcy isn’t enough to save him"

Harry Potter theme park headed to Fla.

Yahoo! News: "'The Wizarding World of Harry Potter' is set to open at Universal's Islands of Adventure theme park in late 2009, complete with the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the Forbidden Forest and Hogsmeade village."

Mancini awards dinner draws diversity of talent in West

Post Gazette: "Some dressed in black ties, others wore cut-off shorts, while there were a few wearing face paint, too. In all, the guests at the 13th annual Henry Mancini Theatre awards looked ready to celebrate."

'Tuesdays with Morrie' maintains power to move

PG East: "In its original book form, Mitch Albom's 'Tuesdays with Morrie' was a mega hit, spending almost a year on the best-seller list. It was made into an Emmy Award-winning television movie in 1999 starring Jack Lemmon and Hank Azaria. I opened off-Broadway in 2002 in an adaptation by Mr. Albom and Jeffrey Hatcher."

Red Barn Players in Franklin uses talent to advantage

PG North: "The theater's next production will be Mark St. Germain's 'Camping with Henry and Tom' on July 6-7, 12-14 and 18-21 with a fictional twist on a real-life event: the annual camping trip of Henry Ford and Thomas Edison, along with their guest, President Warren G. Harding. Annette Quin directs Thom Bennett as Ford, Frank Myers as Edison and Mr. Bickert as Harding."

Video: A moment of history at August Wilson's childhood home

Post Gazette: "At yesterday's unveiling of the historical marker at 1727 Bedford Ave., childhood home of famed playwright August Wilson, the central speakers were members of his family -- daughter Sakina Ansari-Wilson, siblings Freda Ellis, Linda Jean Kittel and Edwin Kittel, niece Kimberly Ellis and nephew Paul Ellis."

Pomp and party mix in tribute to playwright

Post Gazette: "Its bright yellow text commemorates the achievements of playwright August Wilson, who put the Hill District on the map of American culture. So it was fitting, said his daughter, Sakina Ansari-Wilson, that the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission officially put Mr. Wilson's birthplace on the map of Pittsburgh in return."

Play dates

Post Gazette: "As Ted Pappas, producing artistic director of the Public Theater, says, 'I get concerned at the end of the season, with so much going on -- the CLO, Arts Festival, vacation travel ....' If, with all that competition, it can be hard for even the Public Theater to get noticed, how much harder for everyone else?"

TRAF performance calendar

Post Gazette: "Following is the Three Rivers Arts Festival calendar."

TRAF's public art piece is derived from three weeks of eavesdropping in the heart of the City

Post Gazette: "Yasko was handed both a plum and a challenge when he was invited to provide the public art this year. It's a prestigious, if often controversial, component of the 17-day festival. But, because of the festival's footprint shift away from Point State Park, his assigned site was anything but a field of uncompromised green."

Pa. dedicates August Wilson's home

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Friends, relatives and local officials stood today before the dilapidated building where August Wilson was born to memorialize the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright who used his neighborhood to chronicle the black experience in 20th century America."

Festival's theater focuses on news-making events

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Three regional playwrights have created a trio of plays that focus on unfolding and current events. Each of the plays will have its world premiere at the Three Rivers Arts Festival as commissions of the 4th River Project."

Art Festival exhibits make subtle locale shifts

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "This year, the art in the Three Rivers Arts Festival will be pared down to a minimum compared to most festivals of the past."

Painting the city with color and creativity

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "The Three Rivers Arts Festival returns for its annual June engagement with the city, but it's moving away from its longtime location at Point State Park.

The festival of professional exhibits, the artists market, daily music, performance art, and booth after booth of food has moved right into Downtown, with the main staging areas along Stanwix Street."

Broadway has record year

Variety.com: "Sales for the 2006-07 frame hit a record $938.5 million, up 8.9% (or $76.9 million) from the year-earlier tally of $861.6 million, according to a season-end report from the League of American Theaters and Producers."

Bernard-Marie Koltès - Comédie-Française

I know it doesn't look like it, but this is a copyright story...

New York Times: "Yet soon after Muriel Mayette’s production of the play opened there, Mr. Koltès’s brother, François, who owns the copyright to his works, ordered that it be taken off the stage on June 7 after just 30 performances. The reason? The Algerian character, Aziz, is not being played by an Algerian, as stipulated by the playwright."

Why Should Heirs Control How Content Is Used?

Techdirt: "Just a week after the NY Times ran a poorly thought-out opinion piece suggesting that copyright should be infinite, we find in the NY Times a pretty good example of some of the ridiculous situations caused by heirs owning the copyrights to works they had no hand in creating."

Union Members, Stagehands Show Support For Faneca

WPXI Pittsburgh: "Union members of I.A.T.S.E. Local 3 and stagehands held an informal picket Wednesday outside the Steelers practice facility trying to inform the public about their lack of involvement in concerts at Heinz Field."

ArtSEARCH

Artsearch (Theatre Communications Group) the performing arts job search website is now available online via the University Libraries web pages.

I'll see if it's possible to connect the online version directly to the title in the library catalog. In the meantime access by any of these pages

and create a bookmark if you wish.

Databases by Name: http://www.library.cmu.edu/Search/AZ.html

Databases by Subject (Arts): http://www.library.cmu.edu/Search/DB_ARTS.html

Drama Research Guide http://www.library.cmu.edu/Research/Arts/Drama/index.html (home page under basic resources)

Once you authenticate with your userid and password, note the login instructions before you connect directly to TCG.

The twice-monthly print edition continues to be available in current journals on the 4th floor of Hunt Library.

The Guthrie effect

MPR: "It's been nearly a year since the new Guthrie Theater complex opened its doors on the banks of the Mississippi river. By some accounts the Guthrie has exceeded expectations in terms of its affect on the cultural life and the economy of downtown Minneapolis. It's also permanently altered the Twin Cities theater landscape."

'Theater is as vital here as anywhere'

Los Angeles Times: "'Theater is as vital here as anywhere, but because it's so spread out, you don't get that intense energy that you do in New York. But everybody knows that. You can do something here and it just goes out in the Pacific Ocean,' he says, idly gesturing toward the yawning blue horizon. He speaks this show business truth as impassively as if acknowledging the fire danger of the rainless chaparral all around him."

Command aliases in AutoCAD

Daily Autocad: "Aliases of most of the commands can be found here. You can also edit this file, but you should definitely take a backup first."

Broadway has record year

Variety.com: "Rialto sales for the 2006-2007 season hit a record $938.5 million, up 8.9% (or $76.9 million) from the prior season's tally of $861.6 million, according to a season-end report from the League of American Theaters and Producers."

Galapagos Art Space

New York Times: "In a move that has greater symbolic significance than mere real estate hopscotch, Galapagos Art Space, the pioneering bar and performing arts space that helped put Williamsburg, Brooklyn, on the cultural map, is moving a few neighborhoods down the East River, to Dumbo."

Ensemble Studio Theater - Plans

ENew York Times: "The auditorium at John Jay College was packed, with 600 people gathered for a three-hour memorial service featuring three dozen speakers. Curt Dempster, the founder and artistic director of the Ensemble Studio Theater, was remembered as an idiosyncratic and prickly visionary, someone who not only kept the theater alive for 35 years in its ramshackle 74-seat home on West 52nd Street but also, at times, seemed indistinguishable from it."

Historical state marker will honor playwright August Wilson's childhood home in Hill District

Post Gazette: "Today at 10 a.m., an official Pennsylvania State Historical Marker will be unveiled at 1727 Bedford Ave., Hill District, the childhood home of the late Pulitzer Prize- and Tony-winning playwright August Wilson."

League Announces Broadway Season Results; Gross Was Nearly $1 Billion

Playbill News: "Paid attendance for the 2006-2007 Broadway theatre season was up 2.6 percent from last season, according to statistics released by The League of American Theatres and Producers."

Chalk Muralists Needed

Craigslist: "I am looking for sidewalk chalk mural artist to participate in a summer festival in one of Pittsburgh's trendiest areas. "

Roundabout's Broadway Expansion Draws Catcalls From Competitors

Bloomberg.com: Muse: "``There's no profit like nonprofit,'' says Gerald Schoenfeld, the chairman of Broadway's biggest landlord, the Shubert Organization. It's a phrase he's famous for coining, and it's been taken up as a mantra by many of his colleagues in commercial producing who feel that the playing field is not level. As with the other nonprofit companies operating Broadway houses -- Lincoln Center Theater and the Manhattan Theater Club -- the Roundabout pays lower labor costs than commercial producers, even as they compete for customers and charge similar ticket prices."

Using multiple insertion points in dynamic blocks

Daily Autocad: "I tried to explain about dynamic blocks and their properties in my previous articles (found in “Dynamic Blocks e-book“). In this article, I will explain how to create more than one different insertion points for a block."

Musician's Union Deals with B'way Producers

Backstage: "The local chapter of the American Federation of Musicians has agreed to a contract with Broadway producers that improves the health care plan and makes more musicians eligible for benefits."

8 Ways To Save Time As The Office

lifehack.org: "Stuart Levine at MSNBC has some tips on getting more out of your working day. Time burglars beware, some of us are trying to get out at 5."

When Can A 20 Year Old With No Debt Retire?

lifehack.org: "Trent over at The Simple Dollar explains that if you’re a twenty year old with no debt, saving 20% of your current salary until your 40 years old will ensure a healthy retirement."

Obituary: William H. Mendlow / Attorney, performer in local theater

Post Gazette: "He performed as an actor and director and, when his health no longer allowed that, he continued going to reading groups. By his estimate, he'd performed more than 150 different character roles."

Stage Reviews: 'Deuce' disappoints; 'Frost/Nixon' doesn't

Post Gazette: "In a recent Post-Gazette interview, David Hare pointed out it's easier for British playwrights than Americans to get plays (as distinct from musicals) produced on Broadway."

After Canceled Show, Xanadu Will Perform May 29

Playbill News: "A spokesperson for the musical told Playbill.com that the 3PM matinee had been canceled because there were difficulties with the set that could have endangered the actors. Stage crew spent Sunday and Monday fixing the problem."

Studio Fire Knocks WABC-TV Off Air

New York Times: "WABC-TV was knocked off the air just before its 11 p.m. newscast last night after a spotlight exploded and caused a fire at its Lincoln Center headquarters, according to a station official."

iGadget Software Turns Your iPod in to More Than Just a Simple Music Player

Chip Chick: "Aside from being a trusty little music player, it turns out that your ipod has a lot of productivity potential waiting to be tapped."

Ignorance, politics mar theater award processes

cleveland.com: "Fresh from a little R & R after a hectic spring of theatricality, I'd like to share a few random thoughts disturbing the otherwise restful cobwebs of my mind.

That, and relate an as sortment of news items that have accu mulated on my messy desktops, real and virtual.

Uppermost: Prizes. They suck."

Video: Kelly Awards highlights

Post Gazette: "This weekend's 17th annual Gene Kelly Awards for Excellence in High School Musicals treated a Benedum Center audience to rousing excepts from the 10 musicals nominated as Allegheny County's best, selected from 30 participating schools."

2007 Kelly Award winners list

Post Gazette

Remarkable talents displayed at Kelly awards

Post Gazette: "At Saturday's 17th annual Gene Kelly Awards for Excellence in High School Musicals, the awards for best musical at the three budget levels were won by South Park's 'Jesus Christ Superstar,' Winchester Thurston's 'Urinetown' and Pine-Richland's 'Cats.' The latter two led all schools with four and six awards, respectively."

Stage Review: 'FBI Girl' is warm tale of father-daughter relationship

Post Gazette: "Now adapted for the stage by Tammy Ryan, 'FBI Girl' has its world premiere at Pittsburgh Playhouse Repertory Company. It's a coming-of-age story, moving, sentimental and very funny, that captures its period and speaks resonant volumes about Irish-Catholic families, connections with the church, life in Catholic school and life with a developmentally disabled sibling."

Stage Reviews: Cheers for two of three new Broadway musicals

Post Gazette: "You might doubt it, what with the relative proliferation of plays on Broadway this season, but the musical is still its chief stock in trade, both at its midtown Manhattan headquarters and its many branches country-wide."

Chorus Line Documentary Likely for May 2008 Release

Playbill News: "Variety reports that A Chorus Line producer John Breglio is one of the producers of the forthcoming film, four minutes of which were recently screened at the Cannes Film Festival. The documentary's co-directors are James D. Stern and Adam Del Deo. Endgame Entertainment, run by Stern, produces."

The Silent Treatment

New York Times: "Chico, 2, is unlike the loyal yet vulnerable Bruiser, the dog he portrays eight performances a week at the Palace theater. Bruiser mugs adorably with his co-stars, and even has lines (“Arf!” “Arf!” “Arf!” and “Arf!”). Asked what he had in common with his character, Chico just looked away."

Intimate Exchanges Alan Ayckbourn 59E59

New York Times: "CLAUDIA ELMHIRST can’t wait to read a novel again. When she’s memorizing lines, the British actress doesn’t touch a book, though that usually means only a few weeks of burying herself in a script. Since February of 2006, however, she has been immersed in “Intimate Exchanges,” a 750-page epic by Alan Ayckbourn that asks 2 actors to play 10 characters in 8 interconnected plays. Each play has two possible endings, and Ms. Elmhirst and her co-star, Bill Champion, have committed every variation to memory."

Workshops - Broadway Musicals - ‘Cry-Baby’

New York Times: "It’s mid-May and, at the rehearsal studios at 890 Broadway, 25 actors are presenting the Broadway-bound musical “Cry-Baby” to an invited audience of about 150. The cast, clad largely in street clothes, performs the show aided by little more than three musicians, five wooden platforms, several tables and some cardboard-cutout-style props."

Journey’s End

New York Times: "ON June 10 “Journey’s End” is likely to become the first show in recent memory to come to the end of its journey on Broadway on the very same day it takes home a major Tony award. The production is the favorite to win the prize as the best play revival of the season and is nominated in several other categories. But the producers have already set Tony Sunday, the industry’s annual festive rites, as the closing date."

CLO's Kaplan already prepares for next season

Post Gazette: "Last year turned in strong ticket sales for Pittsburgh CLO, according to executive producer Van Kaplan, and he expects the season just starting, his 10th, to do the same, with its core of favorites, both all-time ('Oklahoma!' and 'Camelot') and recent ('Cats')."

Fast times for 'High School Musical'

Post Gazette: "There are few entertainment venues left to conquer for 'High School Musical,' with the stage the latest notch in the belt of the Disney juggernaut."

2007 Gene Kelly Awards

Post Gazette: "Three high schools won the big awards for best musical at their respective budget levels last night at the 17th annual Gene Kelly Awards for Excellence in High School Musicals -- South Park, 'Jesus Christ Superstar' (level 1); Winchester Thurston, 'Urinetown' (level 2); and Pine-Richland, 'Cats' (level 3)."

New festival associate director returns to hometown

Post Gazette: "The Three Rivers Arts Festival hired Chris Taylor as associate director at the beginning of May, just in time for the countdown rush to the 48th edition of the annual summer event that opens Friday."

Arts Festival director tackles new challenges

Post Gazette: "A big challenge this year for Elizabeth Reiss, executive director of the Three Rivers Arts Festival, was to find new sites for many of the festival's most popular attractions because of construction that has closed Point State Park."

'High School Musical' grows on performers

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "The contemporary musical comedy that begins a three-week run Tuesday at the Benedum Center, Downtown, follows two teenagers -- Troy, the captain of the high school basketball team, and Gabriella, a transfer student and science whiz -- as they attempt to navigate the peer pressure, cliques and expectations of their high school while auditioning for a role in their high school's annual musical."

Gene Kelly awards spotlights area students

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Pine-Richland High School's production of 'Cats,' Winchester Thurston School's production of 'Urinetown' and South Park High School's production of 'Jesus Christ Superstar' each won best musical awards in their budget category at Saturday's Gene Kelly Awards show."

"Working in the Theatre" Explores August Wilson Legacy May 27

Playbill News: "The American Theatre Wing's 'Working in the Theatre' series continues May 27 with an exploration of the career of the late Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright August Wilson."

Sold Out Chicago Ragtime Ends May 27 to Move to Bigger House

Playbill News: "Porchlight Music Theatre's sold out staging of the musical Ragtime ends its run at Theatre Building Chicago May 27 in anticipation of a June 9 transfer to the Apollo Theater in the Windy City."

Toolmonger’s Top 5: The Week In Tools

Toolmonger: "It’s been a busy week here at Toolmonger. If you’ve been spending time in the shop — you should! — and you haven’t had a chance to keep up with Toolmonger this week, we suggest you start with these posts"

YouTube - A Fair(y) Use Tale

YouTube - A Fair(y) Use Tale

My Queen musical would have rocked

Guardian Unlimited: "Why do back catalogue-based musicals have such stupid plots? A biography would be much more dramatic."

The Freelance Hourly Rate Calculator

lifehack.org: "FreelanceSwitch, a fast growing network of resources for freelancers, has created an hourly wage calculator that can help you decide what to charge your clients."

How to Pare Your To-do List Down to the Essentials

lifehack.org: "Do your days seem to be crazy busy and your to-do list filled up with an endless supply of tasks? Is your calendar full and your work day a non-stop rush from one thing to another?
If so, you may have too much on your plate. It’s time to step back, take a few minutes, and pare down that to-do list to just the bare essentials."

'Morrie' brings message of life, love

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "A retired English professor at California University of Pennsylvania takes on the role of college history professor Morrie Schwartz in the play 'Mitch Albom's Tuesdays with Morrie' at Apple Hill Playhouse in Delmont."

Stage Review: 'Pill Hill' has highs but lacks bonding

Post Gazette: "Last spring New Horizon Theater won my heart with Don Wilson Glenn's 'American Menu,' an ensemble drama rich in laughter and tears about the tribulations and bonding of five black women working in the kitchen of a 1968 Texas restaurant."

Meetings make us dumber, study shows

MSNBC.com: "People have a harder time coming up with alternative solutions to a problem when they are part of a group, new research suggests."

Plan Like You’re Someone Else

lifehack.org: "ContractWorker.com says that if you plan as though you’re someone else, adding the steps you generally skip because you know yourself so well, will make the plan rock solid."

Tech hub expansion for CMU in works

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Carnegie Mellon University scored what is believed to be a national first two years ago by attracting researchers from three technology industry giants -- Intel, Google and Apple -- to the same building, the Collaborative Innovation Center in Oakland."

Mancini Awards in Beaver, Butler, Lawrence counties

Post Gazette: "The 13th Henry Mancini Musical Theatre Awards for high school musicals in Beaver, Butler and Lawrence counties were presented Wednesday at Geneva College's Metheny Fieldhouse."

Is this season curtains for Red Barn Theater?

Post Gazette: "Pat Van Eman, managing and artistic director of the Red Barn Theater in Hampton, likes to say she has never repeated a performance in her 28 years at the summer theater, so audiences can look forward to another variety of plays this year."

Stage Preview: Stage version of 'FBI Girl' brings author's memoir to life

Post Gazette: "It was difficult for Maura Conlon-McIvor growing up to determine where Joe Conlon, FBI special agent, ended and Joe Conlon, her father, began."

Stage Review: Abby Ahmad versatile, inventive in gripping story of Iraqi women

Post Gazette: "Normally, I forget to read theater programs until later, checking a name and stumbling on a director's note that may reveal something useful -- or tell me what I'd rather have figured out on my own (that's the rub)."

Stage Review: Charles Dutton stirs laughter, passion and memories in 'Goodnight Mr. Wilson'

Post Gazette: "Among the many things for which we owe August Wilson thanks are the astounding actors his plays showcased, both on Broadway and country-wide. Perhaps the greatest and certainly the most electric is Charles Dutton."

Concert promoter fires three workers

Post Gazette: "The Live Nation Pittsburgh office was downsized yesterday morning with the release of three employees, including Ed Traversari, a fixture in the local concert business for parts of four decades."

Schwartz, Akers, Whitfield, McBroom, Cuccioli, Sullivan Will Sing in Pittsburgh Cabaret Series

Playbill News: "Cabaret Pittsburgh, after a brief hiatus to accommodate the move of its founder and president Stephanie Riso to New York City, returns Aug. 31 with a new slate of activities in Pittsburgh's cultural district."

Stage Manager and crew needed for Six Degrees

Craigslist: "Looking for Stage Manager, light board operator and crew for exciting production of John Quare's Six Degrees of Separation"

TONYS IN TV TIFF

New York Post Online Edition: "ON Monday, Jerry Mitchell, the director of 'Legally Blonde,' called his cast together to re late some exciting news: Although the show wasn't nominated for Best Musical, the producers of the Tony Awards had decided the cast could perform a number on the telecast anyway."

Tony gaffe riles regulars

Variety.com: "CBS and producers of the Tonycast opened a whole can of controversy over the weekend when they approached producers of Broadway musicals 'Legally Blonde' and 'LoveMusik' about performances during the kudocast."

13 Freelancers, Good and Bad, Which Are You?

lifehack.org: "FreelanceSwitch has characterized 13 types of freelance workers and associated the pros and cons of each. As a freelancer, you’ll probably be able to recognize yourself in some of the examples.
See what you’re doing wrong, and what you’re doing right, and make those changes that will work for you."

Stage Review: Tension pulses through Kuntu's 'The Separation of Blood'

Post Gazette: "In 'The Separation of Blood,' now in its world premiere at Pitt's Kuntu Rep, playwright Bridgette Wimberly attempts the nearly impossible: to make theater out of science. This usually results in something less like drama than a lecture-demonstration, a rare exception such as Michael Frayn's 'Copenhagen' simply proving the rule."

A Place Where Dreams Come True: Xanadu Begins Previews on Broadway

Playbill News: "Xanadu, the new musical based on the 1980 Universal Pictures film of the same name, begins previews at Broadway's Helen Hayes Theatre May 23. Kerry Butler, James Carpinello and Tony Roberts co-star."

Muralist Wanted

Craigslist: "Am looking for a muralist to paint an ocean scene on my fence in my backyard. Please send a few samples of your work and your experience."

Why you shouldn't follow directions too closely

Geekologie

Tip: Don’t Buy Black Mag-Lites!

Toolmonger: "Look, I love Mag-Lites as much as the next guy. But buying a black flashlight strikes me along the same lines as painting your bush plane green with leaf-shaped brown spots — it’s just a bad idea. "

Without smoking, films lose some fire

Los Angeles Times: "But smoking and art — or at least artists — of all varieties have long made steamy bedfellows. That's why, despite the widespread acceptance in this country that cigarettes are the devil's own nostrils, the Motion Picture Assn. of America's recent announcement that it would now 'consider smoking as a factor' when making its ratings decisions feels like yet another nail in the coffin of grown-up entertainment. "

Nonprofit Arts Groups Rebound From 9/11 Slide

washingtonpost.com: "The nonprofit segment of the arts industry is robust economically and attracting more people to its workforce, according to a new national survey."

Losses grow at Sydney Theater Co.

Variety.com: "Rising costs and ambitious programming outstripped gains in box office receipts for the subscription season (up 9%), receipts for the company overall, including its education and second-string programs (up 30%) and philanthropic donations (up 9%)."

Groff, Best Earn Theatre World Awards

Backstage: "Jonathan Groff of Spring Awakening and Eve Best of A Moon for the Misbegotten were among the five Tony nominees today who received Theatre World Awards, annual prizes given to actors making their Broadway or Off-Broadway debut."

How to Handle Criticism

lifehack.org: "How well do you handle criticism? I’ve been dealt a lot of criticism ranging from harsh feedback to feeling completely insulted. Although the saying goes, “Stick and stones can break by bones, but words can never hurt me,” a harsh piece of feedback can definitely leave you with a bruised ego."

Wilson's work was Dutton's destiny

Post Gazette: "At the time, it was good, passionate work, says actor Charles Dutton, looking back at his early collaboration with playwright August Wilson and director Lloyd Richards. But to others it was more than that, striking sparks and setting Broadway ablaze with 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom' (1984) and 'The Piano Lesson' (1990)."

Skilled volunteer air brush artist needed for small project in Dracula

Craigslist: "The Rage of the Stage Players, a local, alternative theatre group (horror, fantasy, black humor, etc.)is currently seeking a skilled/experienced air brush artist for a single project"

Jared Cohon

The Carnegie Mellon Board of Trustees today approved the reappointment of Jared L. Cohon to a third five-year term as university president.

"Jared Cohon has taken this university to new heights and overseen tremendous growth in education, research and development," said Carnegie Mellon Chairman of the Board David Shapira. "I don't believe there's a better person to lead this great university."

For more details, visit http://www.cmu.edu.

Thinking Inside the Box: What Goes on Behind That Little Barred Window

Yahoo! News: "'We're the human face of the theatre,' said Karen Winer, a longtime ticketseller who has worked on Broadway and the Brooklyn Academy of Music and is currently on staff at the New York State Theatre in Lincoln Center. 'We're the first point of contact for many people. And people are very scared about buying tickets for some reason. It's sort of an alien experience to them. I think that's one of the reasons the internet is so popular. They're intimidated. There's a whole mentality that there's some sort of special alchemy going on back there.'"

Casting call often starts with (401)

The Providence Journal: "Led by Steven Feinberg, director of the state’s Film & Television Office, Rhode Island has mounted an aggressive effort to entice film and television production to the state, including tax incentives for productions that are filmed here. Since then, the state has seen an impressive roster of films and TV shows made here."

Exit, pursued by singing orcs

TimesOnline: "It’s taken 10 years to produce, and at £12.5m, it’s the costliest musical ever to hit town, so The Lord of the Rings had better be good. And, oddly enough, it just might be"

A public performance, or a public spectacle?

The Boston Globe: "If invited to play with the Boston Pops, Paul Simon would be wise to avoid his hit song 'The Boxer,' and go with 'The Sound of Silence' instead. Otherwise, audiences at Symphony Hall, site of a fistfight during a recent Pops concert, might take Simon's lyrics too literally . Assuming they're paying attention at all, that is."

Not everybody's a critic

Los Angeles Times: "Sure, anyone with a blog can express an opinion about a book, but true criticism is more than just an opinion."

2007 Drama Desk Wrap Up - Arts

Monsters & Critics: "The 2007 Drama Desk awards were handed out last night at the F.H. LaGuardia Concert Hall at Lincoln Center."

Jane Campion Laments Lack of Female Directors

Backstage: "When Jane Campion was honored onstage at the Cannes Film Festival with about 30 other major directors Sunday, she was the lone woman of the bunch. And she's still not used to how strange that feels."

Opera Review: 'RedDust' shows flashes of brilliance

Post Gazette: "Woe to anyone who has struggled with the top of a blank page, a difficult and solitary process that Winston Churchill once called 'an adventure' before labeling it 'a tyrant.'"

By George: Jason Alexander to Become Reprise! Artistic Director

Playbill News: "Stage and screen star Jason Alexander, best known for his work as George Costanza on the Emmy-winning series 'Seinfeld,' has been named artistic director of Reprise! Broadway's Best, which presents limited engagements of 'rarely revived, classic Broadway musicals.'"

52nd Annual Village Voice Obie Awards Presented May 21

Playbill News: "The Village Voice gives out the annual awards, which honor Off-Broadway and Off-Off Broadway shows. Award recipients are chosen by a panel without the complication of selecting or announcing nominees."

Stoppard play, rock show win early theater awards

Reuters: "Tom Stoppard's 'The Coast of Utopia' and the well-received rock musical 'Spring Awakening' won top Drama Desk theater awards on Sunday, firming up their front-runner positions to win big at next month's Tony Awards."

August Wilson

New York Times: "THE 20th century still had 15 years to go when Aunt Ester died at the age of 366. The news was announced, in August Wilson’s drama “King Hedley II,” as if the apocalypse had arrived. “Lock your doors!” screamed a backyard prophet of Pittsburgh named Stool Pigeon. “Close your windows! Turn your lamp low! We in trouble now. Aunt Ester died!”"

Bauerntheater Potato Farming

New York Times: "This is Bauerntheater, or Farmers’ Theater, a production by David Levine, an experimental American director, that combines elements of theater, land art, performance art and endurance art. Thanks largely to 67,000 euros in financing (about $90,000) from the German Federal Cultural Foundation, Mr. Levine, 36, has rented this field to pose a question. Using method acting techniques and remaining within the constraints of the three-week rehearsal period typical for an American theater production, how completely can an actor become his character?"

The Geisha-and-Houseboy-Liberation Theater

New York Times: "NEW YORK is a graveyard of bankrupt theater companies and broken dreams. But Tisa Chang’s Pan Asian Repertory Theater, with an annual budget of less than $1 million, is improbably celebrating its 30th anniversary."

Yearlong festival celebrates women in Pittsburgh arts

Post Gazette: "Pittsburgh's arts and cultural scene has been carrying the standard for the city's economic development for years, but it has another aspect worth bragging about: a significant number of women in leadership roles."

Former North Side porn theater awaits restoration as a possible arts space

Post Gazette: "In the years before it turned to X-rated films, the Garden Theater was so averse to hosting off-color movies that it would not even show 'Frankenstein.'"

Economics to blame for dearth of non-musical touring productions

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "When season plans for the 2007-08 PNC Broadway Across America -- Pittsburgh were announced last month, only one of its six productions was a non-musical, and none of them was headed to the Byham Theater."

Wishing August Wilson 'Goodnight'

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Actor Charles S. Dutton returns to Pittsburgh Wednesday to pay homage to playwright and Hill District native August Wilson.
Dutton's one-man show 'Goodnight Mr. Wilson' includes excerpts from five of the plays in Wilson's 10-play chronicle of African-American life in the 20th century."

Celluloid cigarettes

csmonitor.com: "NEWSFLASH: The Motion Picture Association of America, the Hollywood ratings watchdog, has leaped into the cigarette smoking fray. Just 41 years after the federal government mandated that warnings be put on cigarette packages, the MPAA has taken the courageous step of realizing that smoking may be possibly, somewhat unhealthy. When a movie comes in for a rating and actors light up on screen, the MPAA is taking the draconian measure of ... 'taking that into account.'"

Dance Party on Broadway, No Cabaret License Required

New York Times: "A group of dancers and a dance club are waging a legal fight against the city over its cabaret laws, which date back to 1926. Currently, only establishments that have cabaret licenses, which are very hard to get, can permit their customers to dance. That has put the city in the position of serving as the dance police. (More than three people moving rhythmically or gyrating can lead to a ticket for the business.) Opponents of the law call it antiquarian and anti-fun."

INVENTION AWARDS The New Velcro

Popular Science: "A stronger, better grip without the incessant ripping sound. Has a long-standing dream finally been realized?"

Mike Riddle's Prehistoric AutoCAD

Retro Thing: "INTERACT was the first CAD system to run on mainstream microcomputer hardware. (Other systems ran on mainframes or minicomputers.) Its first commercial customer was Atlantic Richfield. I understand they used it to plan deep dives for offshore drilling rigs."

In the wings, hoping to fly

TimesOnline: "Of course, opera singers do fall ill, but even then an understudy can be denied his or her chance. Covent Garden, for instance, will jet in a big-name singer when there’s a perfectly adequate understudy waiting in the wings."

MPs back call to extend copyright to 70 years

Guardian Unlimited Music: "An influential committee of MPs yesterday backed calls to extend copyright for ageing artists such as Paul McCartney and Cliff Richard from 50 years to at least 70, countering a Treasury review of the contentious issue."

Disney's $12.5M gives arts center 'momentum'

South Florida Sun-Sentinel: "Carrying out a promise she made in January, Walt Disney World President Meg Crofton pledged $12.5 million in Disney money toward building a proposed performing-arts center in downtown Orlando."

I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change (Mandarin version)

New York Times: "Anyone who has gone off to Europe with a partner to try to perk up a flagging romance, or dreamed of a happy future with an Italian met on vacation, has had a chance to learn that a change of scenery, or even of language, does not necessarily alter the underlying terms of a relationship."

Tonys mix popular with profound

Variety.com: "Who says big, brash Broadway is no place for art and esoterica?
Not the Tony nominating committee, who lavished more attention last week on art-house critical faves -- 'Spring Awakening,' 11 noms; 'Grey Gardens' and 'The Coast of Utopia,' 10 each -- than on splashy crowdpleasers such as 'Curtains' (eight noms), 'Mary Poppins' or 'Legally Blonde' (seven each)."

The ‘disorganised apartheid’ of cultural diversity

sp!ked review of books: "Richard Hylton is a curator and art critic, and author of the punchy new book The Nature of the Beast: Cultural Diversity and the Visual Arts Sector. A study of diversity policies between 1976 and 2006, it is a thoughtful, thorough and searing critique of the introduction of divisiveness into the visual arts in England."

Digital age puts the numbers upfront

Marketplace: "We're still watching plenty of TV, but one of the big stories coming out of this year's upfronts is how to count all those Internet downloads when it comes to ratings and ad dollars says Variety's Mike Speier."

In the Know: Stay on Top of Your Field with Feeds

lifehack.org: "Need to stay on top of the breaking news or hottest trends in your line of work? Or are you a blogger who wants to keep up with your niche without a ton of surfing? If you’re like me, you like to get the most bang for your precious time — and you don’t want to waste it spending hours searching for the best and hottest stuff in your field."

‘Journey’s End’ to End; ‘Moon’ Turns Green; New Address for the Grinch

New York Times: "'Journey's End,' the critically acclaimed World War I drama, could take home as many as six Tony Awards on June 10, including one for best revival of a play."

Summer Times: Theater

Post Gazette: "In theater, the big summer deals are Pittsburgh CLO (I'm looking forward to 'White Christmas'), PICT ('The Lieutenant of Inishmore'!) and Quantum ('Billy the Kid'!!). The Public, City and Playhouse Rep continue for a while, then the seasonal theaters kick in, from big (Mountain Playhouse, St. Vincent) to smaller (Little Lake, Apple Hill, Cresson Lake, South Park, the Red Barns). And this year there are new names, Terra Nova and Fourth River Theatre Ensemble, with Pandora's Box back for a second year. Have a look."

Kuntu Rep tackles health issues with Woodie King Jr. at helm

Post Gazette: "You could call him the godfather of modern black American theater, if the Mafia hadn't ruined the metaphor -- and if godparents generally did more work than they do."

Summer Times: Comcast cinema in the park

Post Gazette

Summer Times: Free concerts

Post Gazette

Actors need to turn up the volume on stage

Guardian Unlimited: "In her recent review of The Last Confession at Chichester's Festival Theatre, Lyn Gardner found lapses in the drama's writing and construction, but what she didn't mention was the fine quality of the speaking. The question of whether such clarity was ultimately worth listening to is obviously pertinent, but it raises the subject of speech delivery in today's theatre."

The Met's New Focus: Multimedia

Backstage: "'I sent an e-mail to Peter Gelb,' he said a few weeks later. 'I said, 'I respond to this better than actually being in a live theater because the sound is so good, the camera work is so good and it focuses you on the essence of what makes performances great.''"

Stoppard’s ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Comes to Broadway

New York Times: "The play will open at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theater on Nov. 4, after previews beginning on Oct. 19. 'Rock 'n' Roll' won the London Evening Standard and London Critics' Circle Theater Awards for best new play, and Mr. Sewell won the Olivier, London Evening Standard and London Critics' Circle Awards for his performance as a young academic who returns to his native Czechoslovakia and becomes a dissident."

Inconspicuous Drama, Now Playing at the World Financial Center

New York Times: "All the world’s a stage, as two uniformed police officers discovered yesterday. For about 30 seconds at the World Financial Center, Officer John Monteforte and Officer Jason Lagnese were walk-ons in a play called “Remembrance.”"

PG South: South Park, Little Lake under way for season

Post Gazette: "Schedules run into fall at South community theaters; together they'll present 19 shows"

PG East/Westmoreland preview: Stage Right students to present showcase

Post Gazette: "Nearly 100 students of the Stage Right School for the Performing Arts will fill the Stanwood Elementary School auditorium in New Stanton over the next several days for their year-end showcase. Tomorrow through Sunday, people age 4 to 18 will perform scenes, dance numbers and songs from three musicals: Leonard Bernstein's 'West Side Story,' Marvin Hamlisch's 'Smile' and Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty's 'Seussical.'"

PG West preview: Stage 62 director sees childhood memories in 'Brighton Beach'

Post Gazette: "As a playwright who draws inspiration from the Jewish community in which she was raised, it's not surprising that Stage 62 director Aviva Ravel would find Neil Simon's autobiographical comedy, 'Brighton Beach Memoirs,' familiar territory."

Stage Review: PMT brings youthful energy to Disney's 'Beast'

Post Gazette: "'Extraordinary how potent cheap theater is,' Noel Coward might have said of 'Disney's Beauty and the Beast' -- if he hadn't said something nastier first. The Mencken, Ashman and Rice score must be potent, to be so popular."

Stage Review: 'Stuff Happens' paints move to war as a Tragi-comedy

Post Gazette: "'If you don't do it for yourself,' says an Iraqi exile at the end of 'Stuff Happens,' 'this is what you get.' He is telling us that all Iraqis, even those opposed to Saddam Hussein, share responsibility for his tyranny -- and also for the resulting war waged by America for his overthrow."

The Rep premieres coming-of-age saga

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "How families interact and communicate -- or don't -- is a theme that's often found in Tammy Ryan's plays."

'Stuff Happens' certain to generate emotions

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "No matter how you feel about Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theatre's production of David Hare's 'Stuff Happens,' it's certain to generate emotions, thought and discussion. "

PHOTO CALL: The Tony Awards Meet-the-Nominees Reception

Playbill News: "Playbill.com attended the 2007 Tony Award nominees reception on May 16 at The View restaurant atop the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Times Square."

Pittsburgh's City Theatre Will Premiere Mat Smart's 13th of Paris in 2008

Playbill News: "The season at the two-venue not-for-profit starts Oct. 4 with Coram Boy playwright Helen Edmundson's Mother Teresa Is Dead, about the disappearance of a wife in India. Edmundson's The Clearing was produced at City Theatre, and her Coram Boy was a hit at the National Theatre in Great Britain, and is currently on Broadway."

Writing Under The Influence

washingtonpost.com: "The Brooklyn-bred novelist ('Motherless Brooklyn,' 'Fortress of Solitude') is fascinated by what he calls 'the mysteries of authorship -- the idea that things arise in culture that don't quite belong to anyone.'"

How to Optimize Your Desktop

lifehack.org: "Does your computer’s desktop look like a jumbled mess or a sleek Ferrari?

The following tips, tricks, and power toys will help you turn your desktop into a productivity machine."

Disconnected Productivity: 9-Step Program to Cure Email Addiction

lifehack.org: "The biggest obstacle to productivity is connectivity. Too many of us have become addicted to email, to our feed readers, to Twitter and IM, to forums, to social sites like MySpace and YouTube and Digg. It’s an addiction, and as yet, no good cure for it has been found."

`Spring Awakening' receives 11 Tony nods

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "'Spring Awakening,' the Duncan Sheik-Steven Sater rock musical about the sexual longing of 19th century German teenagers, received a leading 11 Tony nominations on Tuesday."

2007 Tony award nominees

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "A complete list of nominations for the 61st annual Tony awards:"

Wilson's 'Radio Golf' gets Tony nomination for best play

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Three artists with Pittsburgh connections were among those nominated for Tony Awards."

Complete list of Tony nominations

Post Gazette: "Complete list of nominations, 61st Tony Awards:"

3 with Pittsburgh ties among Tony nominees

Post Gazette: "'Spring Awakening,' the exciting rock musical adaptation of Frank Wedekind's 1891 drama about the sexual longing of German teenagers, led the pack with 11 when Tony nominations were announced yesterday morning."

Paper Mill Playhouse Announces Multifeatured Plan for Survival

New York Times: "The financially floundering Paper Mill Playhouse announced a plan yesterday that it said would allow it to finish its season on schedule and continue operating next year. The plan is a mixed bag that includes administrative restructuring, a sizable bank loan and help from the government of Millburn, N.J., where the theater is situated."

Use of DIVIDE and MEASURE commands I

Daily Autocad: "DIVIDE and MEASURE commands are the oldest commands in AutoCAD. However, those old days are not known by many of today’s users and these commands do not get the respect that they earn. In this article, I would like to show you two practical applications that can be made by using these two commands. By this way, you can learn about the commands and you can also see what kind of practical work can be done by them."

Freelance-onomics 101: Bosses are for suckers

Marketplace: "Something just doesn't feel right about having to answer to a boss, no? Freelance speechwriter James Braly explains that you take a big chance putting your livelihood in one person's hands. Better to spread the risk around. And give him a condo already."

Equity Awards Its Own

Backstage: "Mary Louise Wilson and David Margulies have received this year's Richard Seff Awards, given annually by Actors' Equity Association to actors 50 and over for featured performances on or off Broadway. Wilson was chosen for her portrayal of Edith Bouvier Beale in the musical Grey Gardens; Margulies was honored for his work in two shows: as a preternaturally wise gay john in New York Theatre Workshop's production of Alan Ball's All That I Will Ever Be and as Rabbi Stephen Wise in the New Group's production of Bernard Weinraub's The Accomplices. The award was established in 2003 by the actor Richard Seff."

Reader's Choice: L.A.

Backstage: "You have spoken. Our Readers' Choice survey revealed your favorites in L.A., from acting teachers to commercial CDs, from stage directors to rehearsal space, from makeup artists to beauty supply stores, from litho houses to open mikes. "

Before your break, Prepare your next task

lifehack.org: "It’s a simple GTD idea that borrows the idea that any progress on a task is a big step to completion. After finishing a job, just before you head off on your break, why not just start the next one?"

Broadway Season

New York Times: "Thirty-five Broadway shows: no blockbusters, but a ventriloquist, a few hot transfers from Off Broadway, some high-profile clunkers, an intellectual jukebox musical, a smorgasbord of plays, a couple of acting dogs and a sprawling three-part saga about 19th-century Russian intellectuals."

‘Spring Awakening’ Gets 11 Tony Nominations

New York Times: "In a season rich with contenders, “Spring Awakening,” a dark rock musical based on a 19th century German play about sexually anguished teenagers, led the field of Tony Award nominations this morning with 11, including chances at awards for best musical, director and best actor for two of its cast."

Wilson's 'Radio Golf' among Tony nominees

Post Gazette: "Three Pittsburgh connections were honored. 'Radio Golf,' the final installment in August Wilson's epic Pittsburgh Cycle, was nominated for best play, joining Douglas Carter Beane's comedy of Hollywood hypocrisy, 'The Little Dog Laughed,' and two British contenders, 'Coast of Utopia' and Peter Morgan's 'Frost/Nixon.'"

2006-2007 Tony Nominations Announced; Spring Awakening Garners 11 Noms

Playbill News: "The 2006-2007 Tony Award nominations were announced May 15 by Tony Award winner Jane Krakowski and former Rent star Taye Diggs at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts."

A Shape-Shifting, Show-Stealing Chandelier

Wired: "Moritz Waldemeyer never thought he'd specialize in shape-shifting chandeliers. But designer Ron Arad asked him to digitize text messages into the flowing crystals of a large chandelier. Now, these light fixtures have become his calling card, with the latest one debuting at a Milan furniture fair in April."

A Look at Engineering a Shape-Shifting Chandelier

Wired: "Moritz Waldemeyer is a master of mechatronics -- a job that's equal parts mechanical engineering and electronics -- and the go-to tech guru for some of the biggest names in design (think Zaha Hadid, Ron Arad and Hussein Chalayan)."

30,000 Backstage Staff Needed by 2017

Stage-directions: "The London-based The Stage News reported recently that “the theatre industry and live music employers (in the U.K.) face a ‘damaging shortage’ of trained technicians, unless the industry can recruit 30,000 new technical staff over the next decade.” Research firm Creative & Cultural Skills forecasts that growth in the U.K. live entertainment arena will require an additional 10,000 backstage staff over the next ten years — in addition to the current technical workforce of 40,000. Furthermore, the firm projects that another 20,000 will be needed by 2017 to replace those who retire or leave the industry for other employment. "

Can SAG save you from your agent?

Show Business Weekly: "Last month, Screen Actors Guild president Alan Rosenberg made the first move in an attempt to restore SAG’s eternally frosty relations with the Association of Talent Agents. "

Olympiad gains £28 million for cultural projects

The Stage: "Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell has pledged £28 million towards the Cultural Olympiad, the festival designed to showcase British artistic talent in the run-up to the 2012 Games."

WHERE THE ARTS ARE

Chicago Tribune: "The old dictum 'follow the audience ' apparently has its city limits. Despite the sharp rise in the number of non-profit arts groups in Chicago's sprawling suburbs in the last 15 years, it hasn't outpaced such growth in the city, according to a recent report. The result: A regional arts scene more concentrated in Chicago than it was in prior decades."

Drama League honors best of year

Variety.com: "'Spring Awakening' and 'The Coast of Utopia' each picked up another legit laurel Friday, scoring the Drama League Award for musical and play, respectively, at the League's 73rd annual ceremony."

Postcards from over the edge

lifehack.org: "A few potentially useful thoughts about work and working life."

10 Ways To Improve Your Night Vision

lifehack.org: "Ever walk back to your room in the dark after looking at your computer screen for hours? Unless you know your path like the back of your hand, you’re going to stub your toe."

How To Study

lifehack.org: "The brain is a tangled web of information. We don’t remember single facts, but instead we interlink everything by association. Anytime we experience a new event, our brains tie the sights, smells, sounds and our own impressions together into a new relationship."

Stage Review: Artful 'Intimate Apparel' takes the wraps off hidden lives

Post Gazette: "We're more likely to call it lingerie or underwear, suggesting fashionable allure or utilitarian earthiness. But calling it intimate apparel gives it a touch of formality, which can be titillating, and a hint of times past, which adds mystery."

Chicago's Lifeline and Stage Left Honored With Special Jeff Awards Citations

Playbill News: "Wrigleyville's Stage Left Theatre and Rogers Park's Lifeline Theatre are being honored for their contributions to theatre over the years. Both are mainstays of Chicago's non-union theatre community 'and exemplify dedication to presenting new material.'"

A new Broadway musical sexes up the life of Grace O'Malley.

Slate Magazine: "About a minute after my travel book, The Pirate Queen: In Search of Grace O'Malley and Other Legendary Women of the Sea, hit bookstores three years ago, I began to get mail from swashbuckling readers craving more about pirates."

What kind of praise do kids need to hear?

Slate Magazine: "The Wall Street Journal reported last month on the travails of employers faced with twenty- and thirtysomethings who've been told how brilliant and wonderful and special they are all their lives. "

Crew needed for production of upcoming film

Craigslist: "A short film, _Alone in a Crowd_, is currently in pre-production. All positions for crew are needed and available. "

Heartfelt journey of ‘Radio Golf’

Pittsburgh Courier: "“Radio Golf,” the final chapter in August Wilson’s monumental, decade-by-decade look at the Black experience in 20th century America, is a play forged by illness, reworked in a furious burst of creativity during the last months of the playwright’s life."

LoveMusik

Word of Mouth Reviews: "This new musical tells the story of the unlikeliest of lovers – the brilliant, intellectual German composer Kurt Weill and a lusty girl from the streets of Vienna who became his muse and star, Lotte Lenya. LoveMusik is an epic romance, set in Berlin, Paris, Broadway and Hollywood, spanning 25 years in the lives of this complicated couple. It also brings together three Tony winners: stars Donna Murphy and Michael Cerveris, plus legendary director Hal Prince. So does it all add up for our panel of regular theatergoers? Find out what they thought!"

Stage mothers' families learn to be creative

JS Online: "Being a mother and also a theater actress, director or administrator requires a juggler's skills at time management and the energy of a triathlete. That explains the substantial number of women in theater who choose to not have a family."

Paramount memories

Beacon News: "She and I both began working as extra stagehands for Paramount events. After years of working and promotions, she and I obtained membership in IATSE Stagehands Local 221. We worked many shows together. "

Around the Guthrie: Designing a district

StarTribune: "Despite city plans and powerhouse architecture, the blocks near the new Guthrie need a dose of urban charm."

Something wicked this way comes

FT.com: "The Royal Shakespeare Company’s recent Open Day at Stratford-upon-Avon was, on the face of it, an entirely wholesome occasion. The sun shone, the vibe was festive. The year-long Complete Works festival is at an end, and it has been a notable creative and commercial success. There were significant birthdays to be celebrated: the Royal Shakespeare Theatre’s 75th, the Swan Theatre’s 21st, not to mention the 443rd of the great man himself."

Oh yeah, well, this lobby ain't big enough for both of us

TwinCities.com: "And theater? The social movement that began more than three decades ago and gave rise to culturally specific companies, such as St. Paul's Penumbra Theatre, continues to evolve, but so has a commercial splintering of that idea into ever finer pieces. The result is a new wave of plays that microcast in much the same way as the electronic media."

Struggle for Relevance in Post-Apartheid Era

New York Times: "ON a Wednesday evening the lobby of the University of Witwatersrand theater was filled with a noisy crowd, ready for the latest offering of the FNB Dance Umbrella, an annual festival that showcases South African and international dance and other cultural performances."

The Lord of the Rings

New York Times: "AS Lady Bracknell might have put it, to lose millions on a show in Canada may be regarded a misfortune; to risk millions more by doing it again in England looks like carelessness."

'Color Purple' reigns on bus trips

Post Gazette: "Ask Carol Daughtry why, after having recent back surgery, she would get on a bus at 6 in the morning to travel 6 1/2 hours to New York.
Her answer: 'The Color Purple.'"

Toolmonger’s Top 5: The Week In Tools

Toolmonger: "It’s been a busy week here at Toolmonger, but we did get to spend some quality time in the shop. If you’ve been spending time in the shop, too, and you haven’t had a chance to keep up with Toolmonger this week, we suggest you start with these posts"

At City Opera, an Innovator Bows Out

New York Times: "FOR me the defining moment of Paul Kellogg’s 11-year tenure as general and artistic director of the New York City Opera came on Saturday, Sept. 15, 2001. Four days after 9/11 the company opened a delayed season with new productions of Wagner’s “Flying Dutchman” in the afternoon and Gilbert and Sullivan’s “Mikado” in the evening."

TartanWiki

On behalf of Student Government, I'd like to invite you to explore the newly created campus resource--www.tartanswiki.org. TartansWiki is a new campus resource initiated by the Student Body President. It's intended to be an all-inclusive information source for students, staff, faculty--any member of the Carnegie Mellon community.

www.tartanswiki.org

Login with your AndrewID to create, edit and share campus knowledge.
This Wiki is intended to reflect our campus history, values and knowledge. Share yours. To get started click 'toolbox' at the bottom of the page. Toolbox will enable you to create and edit content; it's your wiki, fill it with your knowledge.

Best,
-Karl & Andrea

j-o-b: Internship

Company: MKG Productions
Position: Production Intern
Available: Summer Session // May 2007-September 2007

The Company: MKG Productions, Incorporated is a highly-charged, dynamic, and exciting event production, design and marketing agency based in New York City. The company, 6 years old, works with a variety of fashion, music industry, corporate and private clients around the country. The company has a creative, friendly environment. Check out the website for more information: www.mkgproductions.com

Job Description: The position is an ideal position for a current undergraduate student looking for experience in the fields of marketing/production/events. The Production Intern will be responsible for assisting in the execution of high paced production schedules of the agency. This person will also have an active role in office logistics, including managing gear storage, making improvements to the office space, and purchase inventory. This person must be organized, self-motivated, able to think creatively and quickly, and must be able to approach unique problems in new ways. The ability to work as part of a team is critical for this position.

Duties include, but are not limited to:

• Coordinating van/truck rentals.
• Loading/unloading production materials during events.
• Installation of décor elements.
• Front of house organization and installation including banners, carpets, rope and stanchions.
• Coordinating production staff for smooth installations.
• Creating and maintaining on-site production resources.
• Managing storage of all resources.
• Shipping and receiving.

The ideal candidate will:

• Experience using carpentry, construction and electrical equipment.
• Valid driver’s license.
• Have some experience with set-building
• Be familiar with various materials and fabrication techniques.
• Have some theatrical/film PA experience (not required).

Requirements: Current undergraduate students able to commit 3 - 5 days a week.

Please Note: This is a for-credit internship (optional) with stipend. To submit resume: Email to agaudet@mkgproductions.com or fax to 212/620-0007

Free Software

Autodesk has a website for students and faculty, and is offering free software downloads to registered members. (Registration is free). While they don't have AutoCAD, they have several similar programs which may be useful to PTM and Design students. Faculty are also invited to join to receive many of the same benefits.

Thought you might want to post this on your blog/forward it to people in the school of drama.

http://www.students.autodesk.com

j-o-b: Stage Manager

Stage Manager

Illinois Shakespeare Festival in Bloomington, IL seeks a non-AEA Stage Manager for this summer’s season of Much Ado about Nothing, Henry V, and Love’s Labour’s Lost. This person will serve as either SM or ASM on one of the productions, along with handling select company management duties. The contract will begin as early as May 16, and runs through August 13. This is a paid position, with housing provided. Interested candidates should submit their resume to Adam Fox, Production Stage Manager, at adam_fox79 (at) hotmail.com as soon as possible. Please visit www.thefestival.org for further information.

j-o-b: Production Manager

Job Description: From the Top seeks a full-time, year-round production manager to coordinate its national tour, facilitate its stage production needs and oversee its communication with talent (applicants and accepted performers.) This position reports to the Radio Manager. Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

· Advanced facilitation of all tour logistics including communication with local presenters, arrangement of travel and lodging for staff and performers, coordination of venue details, shipping of equipment and creation of tour itineraries and production schedules.

· On-location leadership during tour and troubleshooting for parents, performers and staff.

· Handling and logistical support for From the Top’s host, Christopher O’Riley

· Basic stage management and some production assistance on tour.

· Production management of fundraising and PR events (about 5/yr.)

· Distribution of music for all shows to host and producers; the maintenance of a library of music performed on show.

· Generation of artist contracts and releases, including those for guest artists.

· In-office communication with all performers and performer candidates

· Supervision of performer application process with support staff including the maintenance of our database records, creating files, sending acknowledgement cards, response letters and overall upkeep of records.

· Maintenance and purchase of sound equipment and props with support of sound team.

· Tracking of expenses and allocations.

· Hiring and management of Production Interns and Assistant to the Production Manager.

· Assistance with drafting of annual radio budget.

Qualifications: Must love kids, enjoy being rigorously organized, communicate easily and precisely with external and internal constituencies, take initiative and solve problems under strict deadlines. Travel is required and relevant experience a must.

Competitive salary and benefits.

Send resume and cover letter to Pamela Sturgis at jobs@fromthetop.org

No phone calls, please.

British taxpayers should take a bow on Broadway

Guardian Unlimited: "Strange transatlantic rumblings have reached us in New York lately. First came the news that, with the Olympics approaching, Britain's government has told its creative class to expect cuts in funding, the better to support the things that really matter, such as synchronized swimming and ping pong. Then came word that you Londoners think we in America are getting fussy about the flood of British imports keeping homegrown plays off Broadway. These reports suggest that now may be a good time to offer a few words of gratitude to the most underappreciated patron of New York theatre: you, the British taxpayer."

Calif. Teens Produce, Learn Through Theatre

Backstage: "Phantom's teen-appropriate plays are now produced both at the La Mirada Theatre of the Performing Arts and in Southern California schools — some of which can offer only a makeshift stage and a few light bulbs. The groups' productions are a mix of literary classics — such as To Kill a Mockingbird, Of Mice and Men, and The Diary of Anne Frank — and Gevirtzman's other original plays, written for and starring teens: The Center of the Universe and Out, Out Brief Candle. "

Baritone Gunn cancels two opera appearances

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Hunky American baritone Nathan Gunn has cancelled his final two appearances, last night and Saturday, in the title role of Benjamin Britten's opera 'Billy Budd' because of acute laryngitis brought on by a viral infection, Pittsburgh Opera announced late Thursday afternoon."

Theater company puts on a 'Beauty' of a show

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "But the Pittsburgh Musical Theater production that debuted here Thursday evening proves that this 'Beauty' isn't only skin deep. Even with a smaller budget and a lower level of glitz and glitter, there's still much to like in this family-friendly musical."

South Coast invests in play time

Variety.com: "That commitment to new work was recognized in the 1988 Tony for outstanding regional theater, and reaffirmed last month with the announcement of the 2007 Pulitzer for drama to 'Rabbit Hole.' Though the play had its official premiere on Broadway under the Manhattan Theater Club aegis, David Lindsay-Abaire's drama about a family reeling from grief was an SCR commission that first saw life in a staged reading as part of the theater's 2005 Pacific Playwrights Festival."

Stubbing it out: smoking to be rated in US films

Guardian Unlimited Film: "Now the Motion Picture Association of America, which both promotes Hollywood movies as well as overseeing their classification, has tightened the rules. Up to now only films showing illegal smoking by teenagers have been rated, but now all smoking will come under the auspices of the 12-parent classification board."

Text Graphic Artist Needed

Craigslist: "I need someone to do a couple of web site title.... descriptor... things.
Both are just 2 or 3 words.
Can be just text or text and a graphic. "

Tony Rulings: Coram Boy Music Eligible for Best Score

Playbill News: "The Tony Administration Committee assembled for the final time during the 2006-2007 theatre season May 10. The Committee discussed the eligibility of 13 Broadway shows."

'Intimate' deals with age-old yearnings

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Back in October, City Theatre opened its 2006-07 season with 'The Good Body,' Eve Ensler's insightful and often funny meditation on how personal and societal norms make us unhappy with our lives and our bodies.
If you're thinking that's a contemporary curse or one that's likely to change soon, Lynn Nottage's 'Intimate Apparel,' the final play of this year's subscription season, should set you straight on that."

Stage Review: Audiences dine on laughs at Little Lake season opener

Post Gazette: "The play is the first of the theater's 2007 season of 21 plays -- 16 main stage, three for children and two to close the program in the fall."

Magic Theatre celebrates 40 years as an incubator of new works, talent

Chronicle: "Friday was Magic Theatre Day in San Francisco by proclamation of Mayor Gavin Newsom in honor of the company's 40th anniversary. Magic staff, members of its board of trustees and assorted friends gathered at the Presidio's Golden Gate Club to celebrate."