Monday, March 31, 2008
Opera Review: Pinch-hitter gives performance fit for an Egyptian princess
Post Gazette: "'Aida' could, and perhaps should, have been called 'Amneris.' It is the Pharaoh's daughter, Amneris, who propels the action and most develops as a character in Giuseppe Verdi's epic opera. Saturday night at the Benedum Center, the Egyptian princess got her due. With the last-minute appearance of beloved mezzo-soprano and area native Marianne Cornetti in the role, it truly was Amneris' night."
Butler native Cornetti saves Pittsburgh Opera's 'Aida'
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Marianne Cornetti rescued Pittsburgh Opera's opening night of 'Aida' on Saturday by substituting under remarkable circumstances to maintain a vocally high-powered romantic triangle at the core of this popular opera set in Ancient Egypt."
National Student Drama Festival
Times Online: "There is nothing like a brush with death to concentrate the mind. For the Sunday Times-sponsored National Student Drama Festival, it came just before Christmas, when the Arts Council decided to cull one in five of its regularly funded organisations. The NSDF was one of the lucky few to win an appeal against the loss of its grant, thanks in part to a national campaign led by festival graduates - many of whom have made careers in theatre - and, crucially, support from both this newspaper and the festival’s Scarborough home."
Stephanie Umoh hopes the stage is set for change
The Boston Globe: "They're both seniors at the Boston Conservatory, studying musical theater. They're both from Texas. Umoh is biracial, D'Jae African-American. They're both crazy about Oprah and share the fantasy that she'll discover them one day and offer them a shortcut to fame."
Leonard Bernstein - A White House Cantata
New York Times: "Few American composers’ work is performed as frequently as Leonard Bernstein’s, and that will be particularly apparent this year with concert programming honoring his 90th birthday."
Bravo Franco: Zeffirelli's Fabulous `Boheme' Returns to the Met
Bloomberg.com: Muse Arts: "The most beautiful sets in the world have returned to the stage of the Metropolitan Opera in New York, along with their creator, Franco Zeffirelli."
Hollywood Actors' Unions Bitterly Part Ways
People.com: "Despite a plea in February by George Clooney and fellow Oscar winners Robert De Niro, Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep to avert an actors' strike that could once again shut down the industry, the two Hollywood unions representing performers suddenly split this weekend rather than join forces, as had been hoped for."
Guthrie Theater architect Nouvel wins Pritzker Prize
chicagotribune.com: "Jean Nouvel, the boldly experimental French architect who shaped the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis and other buildings that simultaneously respond to their surroundings and transform them, on Sunday was named this year's winner of the Pritzker Architecture Prize, his field's highest honor."
Humana '08: Bad dads and bomb moms
The Denver Post: "The 2008 Humana Festival of New American Plays will be remembered as a celebration of bad parenting: Kidnapping, abandonment, ridicule, sexual abuse and even matriarchal claw-hammering took center stage this year."
Humana Festival discovers "This Beautiful City"
The Denver Post: "When New York actor Stephen Plunkett first set foot in the New Life mega-church in November 2006, 'it was baptism by fire,' he said."
From Ravinia to Broadway, Patti LuPone shines in 'Gypsy'
chicagotribune.com: "Rose, they say in 'Gypsy,' is a pioneer woman without a frontier. And while the manicured Illinois lawns of the Ravinia Festival don't exactly call to mind covered wagons, that verdant Midwestern venue still seeded a primal Broadway performance now delivered on the Great White Way with incomparable courage, passion and guts."
Musical 'Gone With the Wind' explores more than love and war
AccessAtlanta: "To most, Scarlett O'Hara is a Southern spitfire who always wants what she can't have. But to Margaret Martin, Scarlett is representative of all the world's stressed-out single moms who have been forced to go it alone."
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Stage Reviews: Theater critic discovers some gems on tour in London
Post Gazette: "Given just six days to sample all the breadth and depth of London theater, how do you choose?
One rule is not to waste the limited slots on American plays, but some rules are made to be broken, or the Post-Gazette Critic's Choice theater tour group would have missed one of the crispest, funniest plays in London -- Kevin Spacey and Jeff Goldblum in David Mamet's 'Speed-the-Plow,' which is as American as it gets. At least its address is impeccably British, the Old Vic Theatre."
One rule is not to waste the limited slots on American plays, but some rules are made to be broken, or the Post-Gazette Critic's Choice theater tour group would have missed one of the crispest, funniest plays in London -- Kevin Spacey and Jeff Goldblum in David Mamet's 'Speed-the-Plow,' which is as American as it gets. At least its address is impeccably British, the Old Vic Theatre."
Theater Critics Honor Four
Post Gazette: "The American Theatre Critics Association has selected Moises Kaufman's play, '33 Variations,' to receive the 2008 Harold and Mimi Steinberg /American Theatre Critics Association New Play Award. The announcement was made Saturday at Actors Theatre of Louisville during the Humana Festival of New American Plays."
MusicTelevision Crews
Craigslist: "Production Company looking for videographers to shoot music videos for an online service being launched this summer. Selected videographers will be part owners of the business venture."
Production Crew Wanted ASAP
Craigslist: "I am looking for a serious Production Company in the Pittsburgh area who is willing to discuss the Production of a Pittsburgh Based Tv Crime Show. I am looking for a crew of at least 20 Members to start a weekly television show which can be aired on the Internet, and possibly the TV Station, PBS! I have very high friends who work for PBS, and if we can get such a project going, maybe we could pull some strings. As for the Internet, the show can make money by the Local People, and possibly even International people who pay a One-Time, or even Monthly fee to view the show."
Humana '08: Bad dads and bomb moms
The Denver Post: "The 2008 Humana Festival of New American Plays will be remembered as a celebration of bad parenting: Kidnapping, abandonment, ridicule, sexual abuse and even matriarchal claw-hammering took center stage this year."
The show must go on
New Statesman: "It requires a personality this formidable to run a major cultural event in a country scarred by decades of conflict. Mikey is the driving force behind Colombia's biennial International Theatre Festival, which took place in the capital city, Bogotá, this month. Just days before the festival opened, the Colombian government was very nearly dragged into a war with Venezuela after a row between Colombia's right-wing president, Álvaro Uribe, and his left-wing neighbour, Hugo Chávez. To Mikey's relief, they settled the dispute before the opening night. 'They joked in the press that I asked the president to put off the war until the end of the festival,' she says. One cannot doubt, however, that even if hostilities had broken out, the event would have carried on regardless. 'The first ever year of the festival we had a bomb,' she says. ' We just keep going.'"
'Hair' goes Public with a trim
Variety: "'Hair' is not headed for a Broadway revival. At least, not yet.
And if it does return, auds won't see exactly the same show they saw in the '60s -- a decision blessed by the creatives but decried by its original Rialto producer."
And if it does return, auds won't see exactly the same show they saw in the '60s -- a decision blessed by the creatives but decried by its original Rialto producer."
As a Musical Winds Down, the Writing’s on the Wall
New York Times: "At the lime-green wall, soon to be whitewashed, all the elements are there for poignant remembrances: a curtain scheduled to come down, forever; a creative genius who dies young, before his dreams come to life; a show about an exotic dancer who dies young and musically and slowly; and a doorway where the fans, more devoted than most, wait longer than usual, before and after each show."
Cherry Lane Theater - Mentor Project
New York Times: "PLAYWRIGHTS who bemoan those long periods of readings and revisions that rarely lead to a production must have been intrigued last fall when the Roundabout Theater Company announced Roundabout Underground, an initiative to help usher plays by lesser-known writers to the stage."
Pyotr Fomenko Workshop Theater
New York Times: "SITTING in his office here, just across from the Moscow International Performance Arts Center, which he designed, the architect Sergei Gnedovsky reflected on his newest building, the 600-million-ruble (about $25.2 million) marble-and-glass P. Fomenko Theater."
Ruling Gives Heirs a Share of Superman Copyright
New York Times: "A federal judge here on Wednesday ruled that the heirs of Jerome Siegel — who 70 years ago sold the rights to the action hero he created with Joseph Shuster to Detective Comics for $130 — were entitled to claim a share of the United States copyright to the character."
Key actors unions split
Los Angeles Times: "Heightening fears of an actors strike this summer, one of Hollywood's two major performers unions voted Saturday to break off its 27-year joint bargaining pact with its sister, the Screen Actors Guild, leaving each to negotiate separate new contracts with the major studios."
Saturday, March 29, 2008
CMU hosts gaming convention weekend
Pitt News: "The School of Art at Carnegie Mellon University and CMU's Entertainment Technology Center will host a two-day video game symposium Monday, March 31 and Tuesday, April 1. The symposium will feature discussions led by game developers, artists and researchers to investigate the current perspective of video games - specifically their relevance as an art form."
Fairground Rides Thrill with Hydraulics
IEN: "El Volador poses an enormous challenge with regard to control and drive technology. The manufacturer mastered this problem using technology from Rexroth.
During the design and construction, HUSS Park Attractions GmbH commissioned the Rexroth Dutch subsidiary in Boxtel with the delivery of the entire hydraulic and electric drive and control technology."
During the design and construction, HUSS Park Attractions GmbH commissioned the Rexroth Dutch subsidiary in Boxtel with the delivery of the entire hydraulic and electric drive and control technology."
IATSE set to get down to business
Variety: "In one of the odder developments in the labor calendar, it's looking likely the majors' next deal won't be with SAG and AFTRA but with the Intl. Alliance of Theatrical & Stage Employees."
Tech Is Everywhere
Stage-directions: "First and foremost, Carnegie Mellon University is known as an engineering school. Yes, you can study linguistics and sociology, but CMU is most renowned for its chemists and programmers, its data networks and robot festivals. So it’s no wonder that the CMU School of Drama is packed with stage technicians, and its workshops are packed with top-notch equipment."
CVC Locks Out Three Unions from America's Center
KSDK NewsChannel 5: "The St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission says the job action follows more than a year of negotiations for a new agreement with audio-visual technicians."
Internship Opportunity
J-o-b Arts Fest
Are you looking for the best summer job ever?
Do you like art of all kinds?
Do you like fried oreos?
Well, then do I have the job for you...
The Three Rivers Arts Festival is looking for crew this summer. The hours are good, the pay is great and the work is a lot of fun. The dates are mid-May through the end of June, so if you are working for Pre-college or looking for some time off, this is a great way to make some money and still be done by July. Work duties include art installation, artist support, festival operations, stagehand, carpentry, construction, and weekly water battles (mandatory). This year, the festival will be in the heart of downtown Pittsburgh. Some long hours, late nights, good pay, lots and lots of fun, all the cheese balls you can eat, and then you have the rest of the summer off. There are also other potential work opportunities that may come from your involvement with this project. If you are interested or looking for more details, please contact Jen Owen at jowen@andrew.cmu.edu.
Thanks!
Do you like art of all kinds?
Do you like fried oreos?
Well, then do I have the job for you...
The Three Rivers Arts Festival is looking for crew this summer. The hours are good, the pay is great and the work is a lot of fun. The dates are mid-May through the end of June, so if you are working for Pre-college or looking for some time off, this is a great way to make some money and still be done by July. Work duties include art installation, artist support, festival operations, stagehand, carpentry, construction, and weekly water battles (mandatory). This year, the festival will be in the heart of downtown Pittsburgh. Some long hours, late nights, good pay, lots and lots of fun, all the cheese balls you can eat, and then you have the rest of the summer off. There are also other potential work opportunities that may come from your involvement with this project. If you are interested or looking for more details, please contact Jen Owen at jowen@andrew.cmu.edu.
Thanks!
Gala
I want to give you an early chance to sign up to attend CMU's Entertainment Technology Center's Robot Hall of Fame 2008 Induction Ceremony! This includes a free party, a free pass to a movie, and a potential prize!
WHEN and WHERE:
April 9th
Carnegie Science Center (transportation will be provided from Main Campus)
ABOUT THE INDUCTION CEREMONY:
The 2008 Induction Ceremony celebrates the coming together of the entertainment community and the robotics and community to honor the robots that inspire both in reality and on screen. Here's your chance to see the star of NBC's Heroes, Zack Quinto ("Sylar" on Heroes and "Spock" in the new Star Trek movie) and Anthony Daniels, the man inside C-3PO (He calls him "See Threepio")
WHAT'S IN IT FOR YOU:
You get a free ticket to the biggest party in town! Hundreds of people will be at this gala affair, including professionals from the entertainment industry, computers and robotics industry, and business professionals. We're taking over the entire science center. It is a fully catered affair, and the food will be free. After the party, you get to watch the Induction Ceremony LIVE. You'll also get a FREE PASS to a movie at the Southside Works Cinema.
WHAT WE NEED FROM YOU:
As a awards ceremony, we're seeking to have a "red carpet entrance" with paparazzi. This is where you come in! You'll be cheering and shouting for the stars and dignataries as they come in! We also hope you'll bring your digital camera's and take pictures!
HOW TO WIN EVEN MORE:
We will also be giving away TWO $20 Starbucks GIFT cards. These will go to:
1. The person who takes the BEST picture of the night.
2. The person who takes the MOST pictures of the night.
(You just have to send the pictures to me at robotpics@justinleader.com to be eligible)
HOW TO GET A TICKET:
RSVP right now! to me at justin@justinleader.com for your reservation.
MORE DETAILS:
1. A bus will be provided from CMU Main Campus Circle to and from the event.
2. If you want, you can park at the Carnegie Science Center (you have to mention that in your RSVP)
3. You can't come unless you get on "the list" by RSVPing to me and getting a confirmation back.
4. This offer is going out to the public shortly! Act now!
WHEN and WHERE:
April 9th
Carnegie Science Center (transportation will be provided from Main Campus)
ABOUT THE INDUCTION CEREMONY:
The 2008 Induction Ceremony celebrates the coming together of the entertainment community and the robotics and community to honor the robots that inspire both in reality and on screen. Here's your chance to see the star of NBC's Heroes, Zack Quinto ("Sylar" on Heroes and "Spock" in the new Star Trek movie) and Anthony Daniels, the man inside C-3PO (He calls him "See Threepio")
WHAT'S IN IT FOR YOU:
You get a free ticket to the biggest party in town! Hundreds of people will be at this gala affair, including professionals from the entertainment industry, computers and robotics industry, and business professionals. We're taking over the entire science center. It is a fully catered affair, and the food will be free. After the party, you get to watch the Induction Ceremony LIVE. You'll also get a FREE PASS to a movie at the Southside Works Cinema.
WHAT WE NEED FROM YOU:
As a awards ceremony, we're seeking to have a "red carpet entrance" with paparazzi. This is where you come in! You'll be cheering and shouting for the stars and dignataries as they come in! We also hope you'll bring your digital camera's and take pictures!
HOW TO WIN EVEN MORE:
We will also be giving away TWO $20 Starbucks GIFT cards. These will go to:
1. The person who takes the BEST picture of the night.
2. The person who takes the MOST pictures of the night.
(You just have to send the pictures to me at robotpics@justinleader.com to be eligible)
HOW TO GET A TICKET:
RSVP right now! to me at justin@justinleader.com for your reservation.
MORE DETAILS:
1. A bus will be provided from CMU Main Campus Circle to and from the event.
2. If you want, you can park at the Carnegie Science Center (you have to mention that in your RSVP)
3. You can't come unless you get on "the list" by RSVPing to me and getting a confirmation back.
4. This offer is going out to the public shortly! Act now!
University Lecture
The International Relations Program
at
Stuart J.D. Schwartzsein
"Iraq: Blood and Oil"
Monday, April 7, 2008
4:30 to 6, Doherty Hall A 310
Stuart J. D. Schwartzstein has worked as a foreign-affairs professional for more than 30 years, having served in the Defense and State Departments in a wide range of capacities, including as a diplomat, an analyst, negotiator, advisor and planner. He has also held positions in several think-tanks, including the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in
While at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (1992-96), he did a good deal of work on
Mr Schwartzstein is currently an independent consultant based in
University Lecture
Monday, March 31st
4:30pm Adamson Wing Auditorium, 136A Baker Hall
Elizabeth W. Jones, Schwerz University Professor and Head, Biological Sciences
MAKING IT UP AS I (WE) WENT ALONG
I joined the faculty ranks just before the movement to include women in faculties was initiated. This meant that I was often the only woman in the room at various functions. It also meant that when the movement began, units like NIH study sections were desperate to find women to appoint, providing me with the opportunity for lots of service at the national level and a wide scientific acquaintanceship early in my career. When I left the faculty at Case Western Reserve University and came to Carnegie Mellon, I joined a department that was in its infancy. Thus in both my personal/scientific life and my professional life I had few models and had to make it up as I went along. Fortunately, Carnegie Mellon proved to be a fairly forgiving environment for learning on the job.
4:30pm Adamson Wing Auditorium, 136A Baker Hall
Elizabeth W. Jones, Schwerz University Professor and Head, Biological Sciences
MAKING IT UP AS I (WE) WENT ALONG
I joined the faculty ranks just before the movement to include women in faculties was initiated. This meant that I was often the only woman in the room at various functions. It also meant that when the movement began, units like NIH study sections were desperate to find women to appoint, providing me with the opportunity for lots of service at the national level and a wide scientific acquaintanceship early in my career. When I left the faculty at Case Western Reserve University and came to Carnegie Mellon, I joined a department that was in its infancy. Thus in both my personal/scientific life and my professional life I had few models and had to make it up as I went along. Fortunately, Carnegie Mellon proved to be a fairly forgiving environment for learning on the job.
Internship Opportunity
Chicago Childrens Theatre is now accepting applications for its Fall 2008 Internship Program! An internship with Chicago Childrens Theatre offers real-world responsibility and experience with a professional Equity theatre company. An internship at CCT not only provides valuable connections in the Chicago theatre community, but also offers practical knowledge thats often missed in a university education setting. Interns can expect to be an integral component in their department, and many will have direct contact with the artists, organizations and corporations with whom CCT is allied.
The goal of Chicago Children's Theatre is to produce meaningful, enlightened and imaginative year-round programming for both children and families. We are looking for applicants interested in aiding Chicago Childrens Theatres mission to enrich our community through diverse theatrical programming that engages and inspires the child in all of us.
Chicago Children's Theatre offers both internships and fellowships. Internships are generally no less then 15 hours a week and are available for college credit. Fellowships are generally 35-40 hours a week and are compensated through a stipend or hourly wage. See position descriptions for more information. All interns must have exceptional interpersonal, organizational, and writing skills along with a working knowledge of Microsoft Office (Word and Excel required; Powerpoint preferred). To apply, please see the attached application form and instructions.
Fall internships will begin September 1 and conclude on December 15, 2008. The application deadline is July 31, 2008. All dates are flexible based on availability. Further, a few internships are project-specific and follow different schedules than our regular cycles. Please refer to the attached descriptions for details.
Additional information can be found on our website, www.chicagochildrenstheatre.org. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact me by phone or email. Thank you!
The goal of Chicago Children's Theatre is to produce meaningful, enlightened and imaginative year-round programming for both children and families. We are looking for applicants interested in aiding Chicago Childrens Theatres mission to enrich our community through diverse theatrical programming that engages and inspires the child in all of us.
Chicago Children's Theatre offers both internships and fellowships. Internships are generally no less then 15 hours a week and are available for college credit. Fellowships are generally 35-40 hours a week and are compensated through a stipend or hourly wage. See position descriptions for more information. All interns must have exceptional interpersonal, organizational, and writing skills along with a working knowledge of Microsoft Office (Word and Excel required; Powerpoint preferred). To apply, please see the attached application form and instructions.
Fall internships will begin September 1 and conclude on December 15, 2008. The application deadline is July 31, 2008. All dates are flexible based on availability. Further, a few internships are project-specific and follow different schedules than our regular cycles. Please refer to the attached descriptions for details.
Additional information can be found on our website, www.chicagochildrenstheatre.org. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact me by phone or email. Thank you!
CFA Announcements
Pittsburgh Symphony Chamber Orchestra Thursday, March 27, 2008 Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland Concerts begins at 8:00 pm
A showcase of PSO talent in OUR neighborhood! Carnegie Mellon students may purchase discounted tickets for only $10! (CFA student tickets: $7) Staff and faculty tickets only $13. Order on campus from the box located at the information desk in the University Center or on-line at http://www.pittsburghsymphony.org/cmutix Student Rush tickets will be sold at the door 2 hours prior to the performance for $12.
CONCERT PROGRAM: Albinoni: Concerto for Trumpet in B-flat, Op. 7, No. 3 Charles Lirette, Trumpet
Corigliano: Voyage Damian Bursill-Hall, Flute
Corigliano: Symphony No. 2 for String Orchestra
Balada: Caprichos No. 4 (Quasi Jazz) for Solo Contrabass & Chamber Orchestra Jeffrey Turner, Contrabass
Brahms: Sextet No. 1 in B-flat, Op. 18 Andrs Crdenes, Violin Jennifer Ross, Violin Tatjana Mead Chamis, Viola Marylene Gingras-Roy, Viola Anne Martindale Williams, Cello Michael Lipman, Cello
Leonardo Baladas Jazz-Inflected Caprichos No. 4 To Be Premiered by Pittsburgh Symphony Chamber Orchestra
Composer Leonardo Balada, who in 1970 joined the School of Music faculty at Carnegie Mellon University, continues a busy year as the Pittsburgh Symphony Chamber Orchestra under Andrs Crdenes premieres Caprichos No.4 Quasi Jazz, for bass and chamber orchestra. The concert, featuring Pittsburgh Symphony Principal Bassist Jeffrey Turner in Caprichos, is Thursday, March 27 at 8 p.m. at Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland.
The four-movement Caprichos No. 4 is a modernistic composition in which traditional jazz gestures are paired with avant-garde textures, harmonies and devices. Caprichos No. 4 is a continuation of Baladas successful collaboration with the Pittsburgh Symphony Chamber Orchestra; Caprichos No. 3 for violin and chamber orchestra was premiered by Crdenes and the orchestra in 2005.
Also, on March 25, Naxos releases an eighth disc of Baladas music, on which Baladas 2001 cantata Dionisio In Memoriam and the 1969 symphonic tragedy Maria Sabina are performed by Jos Ramn Encinar and the Orchestra and Chorus of the Comunidad de Madrid. Dionisio is based on writings from the Spanish poet and politician Dionisio Ridruejo. In Maria Sabina, the tale of the Mexican Indian priestess, Balada collaborated with Nobel Literature Laureate Camilo Jose Cela. Program notes by Balada and the CD are at www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.570425# .
Regina Gouger Miller Gallery___________________________
The 2008 Master of Fine Arts Thesis Exhibition, A Moratorium on Make-Believe opened March 21 and runs through April 20 at the Regina Gouger Miller Gallery at Carnegie Mellon University. School of Art Head John Carson says the six graduate students featured in the exhibition are restless and are always looking for new ideas and new ways of looking at the world.
The six students featured in the exhibition are Chris Beauregard, Michelle Fried, Ben Kinsley, Eileen Maxson, John Pea and Ally Reeves.
Chris Beauregard offers unhurried glimpses of a parallel world where everything is slightly and worryingly off kilter. These worlds are fantastic, hinting at a happier place than what we call reality. He contributes Lazy Barricade, a sculpture of a police do not cross line that would be quite easy to cross.
For the exhibition, Michelle Fried starred in a self-produced video, Stomach Trouble. The video follows Michelles comical adventure to cure herself, at the same time dealing with the chatter of her talking stomach and the charlatan Dr. Wolmuth, a stomach detachment and rerouting specialist. Visit www.michellefried.com
Ben Kinsley stages mischievous theatrical performances that border on anarchy in unexpected places. One such project occurred outside the Mattress Factory, where medieval knights fought for three hours while a metal band played. Visit www.bkinsley.com
Eileen Maxson, whose videos have been shown in Los Angeles, Dallas and New York, is simultaneously enthralled and repulsed by television. In her videos, she pokes fun at the medias version of reality through made-up characters and scenes. See some of Maxsons videos at www.eileenmaxson.com
John Pea will display graphite on paper drawings. Pea explores the role of art in the social landscape and tries to find the poetry and wonder in the everyday and the commonplace. Visit www.johnpena.net
Ally Reeves takes her art into the community and tries to brighten the day of all she encounters. In the mobile museum project, Reeves biked around Pittsburgh, with a small cabinet of strange and exotic objects in tow. Visit www.allyreeves.com
The Regina Gouger Miller Gallery is located on the Carnegie Mellon campus. Hours of operation are 11:30 a.m.5 p.m. TuesdaySunday. Visitor parking is available in the East Campus Parking Garage, located on Forbes Avenue just east of the Morewood Avenue intersection.
For more information about the Master of Fine Arts student exhibition, contact the Regina Gouger Miller Gallery at 412-268-3618. For more information on the College of Fine Arts, contact Eric Sloss at 412-268-5765 or email ecs@andrew.cmu.edu.
PGH Events _________________________________________________________________
Down, Dirty and Back for its Third Year: Attack Theatres The Dirty Ball Returns!
Who: Attack Theatre
What: The Dirty Ball An evening of salacious sounds, luscious libations, and flirty dirty dancing, featuring interactive multimedia installations and special performances by Attack Theatre and the world premiere of Dirty Burt's Traveling Western Revue.
When: Saturday, April 12, 2007 The Dirty Ball 8:00pm midnight Dirty Donor Reception 6:30pm 8pm
Where: 2501 Smallman Street (25th and Smallman Streets, Strip District) The Pennsylvania Macaroni Company Warehouse
Tickets: $45 (pre-sale), $50 (at the door) Call 412-394-3353 or visit www.proartstickets.org
A showcase of PSO talent in OUR neighborhood! Carnegie Mellon students may purchase discounted tickets for only $10! (CFA student tickets: $7) Staff and faculty tickets only $13. Order on campus from the box located at the information desk in the University Center or on-line at http://www.pittsburghsymphony.org/cmutix Student Rush tickets will be sold at the door 2 hours prior to the performance for $12.
CONCERT PROGRAM: Albinoni: Concerto for Trumpet in B-flat, Op. 7, No. 3 Charles Lirette, Trumpet
Corigliano: Voyage Damian Bursill-Hall, Flute
Corigliano: Symphony No. 2 for String Orchestra
Balada: Caprichos No. 4 (Quasi Jazz) for Solo Contrabass & Chamber Orchestra Jeffrey Turner, Contrabass
Brahms: Sextet No. 1 in B-flat, Op. 18 Andrs Crdenes, Violin Jennifer Ross, Violin Tatjana Mead Chamis, Viola Marylene Gingras-Roy, Viola Anne Martindale Williams, Cello Michael Lipman, Cello
Leonardo Baladas Jazz-Inflected Caprichos No. 4 To Be Premiered by Pittsburgh Symphony Chamber Orchestra
Composer Leonardo Balada, who in 1970 joined the School of Music faculty at Carnegie Mellon University, continues a busy year as the Pittsburgh Symphony Chamber Orchestra under Andrs Crdenes premieres Caprichos No.4 Quasi Jazz, for bass and chamber orchestra. The concert, featuring Pittsburgh Symphony Principal Bassist Jeffrey Turner in Caprichos, is Thursday, March 27 at 8 p.m. at Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland.
The four-movement Caprichos No. 4 is a modernistic composition in which traditional jazz gestures are paired with avant-garde textures, harmonies and devices. Caprichos No. 4 is a continuation of Baladas successful collaboration with the Pittsburgh Symphony Chamber Orchestra; Caprichos No. 3 for violin and chamber orchestra was premiered by Crdenes and the orchestra in 2005.
Also, on March 25, Naxos releases an eighth disc of Baladas music, on which Baladas 2001 cantata Dionisio In Memoriam and the 1969 symphonic tragedy Maria Sabina are performed by Jos Ramn Encinar and the Orchestra and Chorus of the Comunidad de Madrid. Dionisio is based on writings from the Spanish poet and politician Dionisio Ridruejo. In Maria Sabina, the tale of the Mexican Indian priestess, Balada collaborated with Nobel Literature Laureate Camilo Jose Cela. Program notes by Balada and the CD are at www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.570425#
Regina Gouger Miller Gallery___________________________
The 2008 Master of Fine Arts Thesis Exhibition, A Moratorium on Make-Believe opened March 21 and runs through April 20 at the Regina Gouger Miller Gallery at Carnegie Mellon University. School of Art Head John Carson says the six graduate students featured in the exhibition are restless and are always looking for new ideas and new ways of looking at the world.
The six students featured in the exhibition are Chris Beauregard, Michelle Fried, Ben Kinsley, Eileen Maxson, John Pea and Ally Reeves.
Chris Beauregard offers unhurried glimpses of a parallel world where everything is slightly and worryingly off kilter. These worlds are fantastic, hinting at a happier place than what we call reality. He contributes Lazy Barricade, a sculpture of a police do not cross line that would be quite easy to cross.
For the exhibition, Michelle Fried starred in a self-produced video, Stomach Trouble. The video follows Michelles comical adventure to cure herself, at the same time dealing with the chatter of her talking stomach and the charlatan Dr. Wolmuth, a stomach detachment and rerouting specialist. Visit www.michellefried.com
Ben Kinsley stages mischievous theatrical performances that border on anarchy in unexpected places. One such project occurred outside the Mattress Factory, where medieval knights fought for three hours while a metal band played. Visit www.bkinsley.com
Eileen Maxson, whose videos have been shown in Los Angeles, Dallas and New York, is simultaneously enthralled and repulsed by television. In her videos, she pokes fun at the medias version of reality through made-up characters and scenes. See some of Maxsons videos at www.eileenmaxson.com
John Pea will display graphite on paper drawings. Pea explores the role of art in the social landscape and tries to find the poetry and wonder in the everyday and the commonplace. Visit www.johnpena.net
Ally Reeves takes her art into the community and tries to brighten the day of all she encounters. In the mobile museum project, Reeves biked around Pittsburgh, with a small cabinet of strange and exotic objects in tow. Visit www.allyreeves.com
The Regina Gouger Miller Gallery is located on the Carnegie Mellon campus. Hours of operation are 11:30 a.m.5 p.m. TuesdaySunday. Visitor parking is available in the East Campus Parking Garage, located on Forbes Avenue just east of the Morewood Avenue intersection.
For more information about the Master of Fine Arts student exhibition, contact the Regina Gouger Miller Gallery at 412-268-3618. For more information on the College of Fine Arts, contact Eric Sloss at 412-268-5765 or email ecs@andrew.cmu.edu.
PGH Events _________________________________________________________________
Down, Dirty and Back for its Third Year: Attack Theatres The Dirty Ball Returns!
Who: Attack Theatre
What: The Dirty Ball An evening of salacious sounds, luscious libations, and flirty dirty dancing, featuring interactive multimedia installations and special performances by Attack Theatre and the world premiere of Dirty Burt's Traveling Western Revue.
When: Saturday, April 12, 2007 The Dirty Ball 8:00pm midnight Dirty Donor Reception 6:30pm 8pm
Where: 2501 Smallman Street (25th and Smallman Streets, Strip District) The Pennsylvania Macaroni Company Warehouse
Tickets: $45 (pre-sale), $50 (at the door) Call 412-394-3353 or visit www.proartstickets.org
J-o-b - TD James Madison
Position: Twelve-Month Professional Faculty Position
Title: Director of Technical Production
Duties: Serve as Technical Director for an active undergraduate NAST/NASD accredited theatre and dance program. Working with faculty and guest designers, she/he will supervise the technical execution of scenery and props, with shared responsibility for sound and lighting for all school productions. Supervise paid and volunteer student assistants, as well as jobbed-in personnel in a well-equipped shop. Limited instructional duties will be expected in areas of expertise. Some design opportunities may be available if qualifications and the technical schedule permits.
Qualifications: M.F.A. in technical theatre with professional experience. Demonstrated leadership skills in production management, planning, budgeting and personnel administration. Strong skills in theatrical carpentry, welding, CAD, rigging, management, electrics and sound are required.
Salary: Dependent upon qualification with full state benefits.
The School of Theatre and Dance is involved in the construction of an eighty-five million dollar performing arts facility, scheduled to open in 2010. The Director of Technical Production will play an important role in the planning, staffing and transition in to this space, as well as curricular innovation and revision.
To apply please go to http://JobLink.jmu.edu
Title: Director of Technical Production
Duties: Serve as Technical Director for an active undergraduate NAST/NASD accredited theatre and dance program. Working with faculty and guest designers, she/he will supervise the technical execution of scenery and props, with shared responsibility for sound and lighting for all school productions. Supervise paid and volunteer student assistants, as well as jobbed-in personnel in a well-equipped shop. Limited instructional duties will be expected in areas of expertise. Some design opportunities may be available if qualifications and the technical schedule permits.
Qualifications: M.F.A. in technical theatre with professional experience. Demonstrated leadership skills in production management, planning, budgeting and personnel administration. Strong skills in theatrical carpentry, welding, CAD, rigging, management, electrics and sound are required.
Salary: Dependent upon qualification with full state benefits.
The School of Theatre and Dance is involved in the construction of an eighty-five million dollar performing arts facility, scheduled to open in 2010. The Director of Technical Production will play an important role in the planning, staffing and transition in to this space, as well as curricular innovation and revision.
To apply please go to http://JobLink.jmu.edu
Theaters embrace digital age More shows testing limits of new technology
By MARK BLANKENSHIP
In the past 15 years, most branches of showbiz have undergone a high-tech revolution, as digital technology has changed everything from a film's visual effects to the way a music album is sold.
Now theater, the last holdout, seems to have lowered its resistance and is embracing the changes.
Only a few seasons ago, audiences complained of migraines induced by the computer-animated sets of Andrew Lloyd Webber's "The Woman in White" and critics yawned over the prosaic projections in the failed Johnny Cash musical, "Ring of Fire."
Before it came to Broadway, Tom Stoppard's "The Coast of Utopia" trilogy experimented with electronic design, yielding an ambivalent response in London and a decision to opt for more traditional stage design in the New York production.
But this season, everything from Shakespeare to Mel Brooks, from Sondheim to the Rockettes are wiggling their digitals. .
Theater creators initially appeared wary of digital input, fearing it was a gimmick, that it upstaged the actors, or that it was an attempt to turn theater into cinema. But the technology is now capable of creating dazzling stage effects that are a far cry from the old-fashioned film projections used in "multimedia shows" since the 1960s.
Instead of a movie theater-style projection from the back of the house with a beam over the audience's heads, digital projections are generated by a computer attached to the sound and lighting board. The impact of this technology and its increasingly sophisticated effects on theatercraft is only just beginning to be felt.
Last winter, for instance, the 75th anniversary staging of "The Radio City Christmas Spectacular" dropped the Rockettes into a computerized version of Santa's workshop. And the audience went on a virtual sleigh ride, during which 3-D polar bears and penguins lobbed snowballs at them.
In the current "Sunday in the Park With George," painter Georges Seurat's dog, sketched with a few brushstrokes on canvas, suddenly comes to life, wagging its tail. In addition to a computer grid in the theater, "Sunday" also utilizes a backstage projector that transmits images onto a mirror, which then bounces them onto the rear stage wall.
In the Broadway-bound revival of "Macbeth," starring Patrick Stewart and beginning perfs March 29, Banquo's ghost appears out of an industrial elevator as bloody tendrils spread like ivy vines across the back wall.
The glowingly reviewed tuner "The Slug Bearers of Kayrol Island," which just closed at the Vineyard, integrated live actors with animated sets and props.
These are just a handful of the highest-profile projection-heavy works that have recently clicked with mainstream auds and critics. Their successes may help secure broader acceptance for virtual stagecraft.
To understand what has changed, it helps to remember the negative connotations of projected scenery.
For one thing, the use of onstage projections has long been interpreted as a symbolic statement.
"At first, people were using video to represent the evils of technology," says Jim Findlay, who designed the animation for "Slug Bearers" and has created video for avant-garde companies for more than six years. "Like any other innovation, it took a while to use it without detracting from the show."
Now, Findlay adds, with video effects appearing even at business meetings, people are becoming accustomed to them. "The audience can just accept it as another element of the show, instead of wondering what the technology itself is supposed to represent," he explains.
The other assumption has been that projections dehumanize a live performance.
"You can't have two shows going on, the cinematic show and the actors trying to get attention in front of it," says David Farley, set and costume designer on "Sunday." "That gives you a backdrop with no dynamic. To me, that was the problem with 'The Woman in White.' "
The current revival of "Sunday" moved from London's theatrical fringe to the West End, and from there to Broadway in January. The production, which began at the Menier Chocolate Factory in 2005, has been praised for cleverly blending animation with flesh-and-blood elements.
If computerized sets feel divorced from the production around them, they also risk making theatergoers feel cheated. Audiences might grumble they are seeing cheap, cinematic imitations of the the three-dimensional experience only live theater can provide.
Farley addressed that concern by incorporating tangible props in "Sunday" that double as projection screens. For instance, an actual drooping curtain in Seurat's studio gets hit with video and is transformed into a tree in a park. "Tangible details make the experience real," he says. "It keeps everything connected with the performers on the stage."
Similar touches enhance "Young Frankenstein," which blends video and set pieces to give depth to the trees in an eerie Transylvanian forest. That integrated approach, folding traditional 3-D and digital elements together into one seamless setting, still may be the most viable route for new technology in theater. Going all-digital remains trickier, generally requiring projections that complement a show's "real world" and are vital to the plot.
"If they can unlock an element of the text that wouldn't be better in any other way, then they're valuable," says "Sunday" director Sam Buntrock. "Otherwise, there's no point."
Even leaders in the field are judicious about working in legit. "More often than not, I say, 'Don't do it,' " says Timothy Bird, whose firm Knifedge handled the animation in "Sunday." "If (projections) are just a gimmick, they have no impact."
Buntrock has frequently said he brought digital sets to "Sunday" because the tuner celebrates the creative process. As Seurat conceives a work, we can see it take shape all around him, with animated lines evolving into finished images.
Meanwhile, the projections in "Slug Bearers" echo its theme of being connected to (or distanced from) one's environment. Cartoonist-playwright Ben Katchor hand-drew every sketch that was animated for the production.
"Drawings are an extension of your body," he says. "They transform the set into a personality onstage with the actors."
But even with a solid concept, digital scenery can't succeed unless the creatives are in sync.
"The interaction between departments -- the human element -- is actually the most challenging bit," says Bird. "We're learning a new language, whether that's jargon or ways of working. At first, there's always a question of getting people to communicate."
Active collaboration is the obvious solution. Bird says the Broadway incarnation of "Sunday" was the easiest to plan because the creatives were granted extensive time to storyboard each moment of the show together, addressing each other's needs as they went along.
Technological advances also made that collaboration possible. "Even in the last three years, the methods for creating and delivering content have become incredibly streamlined," says Buntrock, who also has a background in animation. "Now you can be experimental with technology almost as easily a you can with lights or scenery."
In other words, until recently, it was almost impossible to change digital elements on the fly. If an animated boat was moving too quickly, it might take a week to slow it down, forcing artists to halt their process or simply accept unsatisfactory material. Now, the change can be made in about a day, allowing projection designers more involvement in a show's ongoing development.
That could soothe technophobic legiters. Other good news: The technology has gotten cheaper. Findlay says a projector that would have cost $45,000 six years ago will now run around $10,000. "If you look at the scale of what sets cost, computers are going down," he adds.
As much as anything, price slashing could cement the future of digital design. Observes Buntrock: "The switch in the producer's head that said 'technology means money' has now, rightly, been turned off."
(c) 2008 Reed Business Information
In the past 15 years, most branches of showbiz have undergone a high-tech revolution, as digital technology has changed everything from a film's visual effects to the way a music album is sold.
Now theater, the last holdout, seems to have lowered its resistance and is embracing the changes.
Only a few seasons ago, audiences complained of migraines induced by the computer-animated sets of Andrew Lloyd Webber's "The Woman in White" and critics yawned over the prosaic projections in the failed Johnny Cash musical, "Ring of Fire."
Before it came to Broadway, Tom Stoppard's "The Coast of Utopia" trilogy experimented with electronic design, yielding an ambivalent response in London and a decision to opt for more traditional stage design in the New York production.
But this season, everything from Shakespeare to Mel Brooks, from Sondheim to the Rockettes are wiggling their digitals. .
Theater creators initially appeared wary of digital input, fearing it was a gimmick, that it upstaged the actors, or that it was an attempt to turn theater into cinema. But the technology is now capable of creating dazzling stage effects that are a far cry from the old-fashioned film projections used in "multimedia shows" since the 1960s.
Instead of a movie theater-style projection from the back of the house with a beam over the audience's heads, digital projections are generated by a computer attached to the sound and lighting board. The impact of this technology and its increasingly sophisticated effects on theatercraft is only just beginning to be felt.
Last winter, for instance, the 75th anniversary staging of "The Radio City Christmas Spectacular" dropped the Rockettes into a computerized version of Santa's workshop. And the audience went on a virtual sleigh ride, during which 3-D polar bears and penguins lobbed snowballs at them.
In the current "Sunday in the Park With George," painter Georges Seurat's dog, sketched with a few brushstrokes on canvas, suddenly comes to life, wagging its tail. In addition to a computer grid in the theater, "Sunday" also utilizes a backstage projector that transmits images onto a mirror, which then bounces them onto the rear stage wall.
In the Broadway-bound revival of "Macbeth," starring Patrick Stewart and beginning perfs March 29, Banquo's ghost appears out of an industrial elevator as bloody tendrils spread like ivy vines across the back wall.
The glowingly reviewed tuner "The Slug Bearers of Kayrol Island," which just closed at the Vineyard, integrated live actors with animated sets and props.
These are just a handful of the highest-profile projection-heavy works that have recently clicked with mainstream auds and critics. Their successes may help secure broader acceptance for virtual stagecraft.
To understand what has changed, it helps to remember the negative connotations of projected scenery.
For one thing, the use of onstage projections has long been interpreted as a symbolic statement.
"At first, people were using video to represent the evils of technology," says Jim Findlay, who designed the animation for "Slug Bearers" and has created video for avant-garde companies for more than six years. "Like any other innovation, it took a while to use it without detracting from the show."
Now, Findlay adds, with video effects appearing even at business meetings, people are becoming accustomed to them. "The audience can just accept it as another element of the show, instead of wondering what the technology itself is supposed to represent," he explains.
The other assumption has been that projections dehumanize a live performance.
"You can't have two shows going on, the cinematic show and the actors trying to get attention in front of it," says David Farley, set and costume designer on "Sunday." "That gives you a backdrop with no dynamic. To me, that was the problem with 'The Woman in White.' "
The current revival of "Sunday" moved from London's theatrical fringe to the West End, and from there to Broadway in January. The production, which began at the Menier Chocolate Factory in 2005, has been praised for cleverly blending animation with flesh-and-blood elements.
If computerized sets feel divorced from the production around them, they also risk making theatergoers feel cheated. Audiences might grumble they are seeing cheap, cinematic imitations of the the three-dimensional experience only live theater can provide.
Farley addressed that concern by incorporating tangible props in "Sunday" that double as projection screens. For instance, an actual drooping curtain in Seurat's studio gets hit with video and is transformed into a tree in a park. "Tangible details make the experience real," he says. "It keeps everything connected with the performers on the stage."
Similar touches enhance "Young Frankenstein," which blends video and set pieces to give depth to the trees in an eerie Transylvanian forest. That integrated approach, folding traditional 3-D and digital elements together into one seamless setting, still may be the most viable route for new technology in theater. Going all-digital remains trickier, generally requiring projections that complement a show's "real world" and are vital to the plot.
"If they can unlock an element of the text that wouldn't be better in any other way, then they're valuable," says "Sunday" director Sam Buntrock. "Otherwise, there's no point."
Even leaders in the field are judicious about working in legit. "More often than not, I say, 'Don't do it,' " says Timothy Bird, whose firm Knifedge handled the animation in "Sunday." "If (projections) are just a gimmick, they have no impact."
Buntrock has frequently said he brought digital sets to "Sunday" because the tuner celebrates the creative process. As Seurat conceives a work, we can see it take shape all around him, with animated lines evolving into finished images.
Meanwhile, the projections in "Slug Bearers" echo its theme of being connected to (or distanced from) one's environment. Cartoonist-playwright Ben Katchor hand-drew every sketch that was animated for the production.
"Drawings are an extension of your body," he says. "They transform the set into a personality onstage with the actors."
But even with a solid concept, digital scenery can't succeed unless the creatives are in sync.
"The interaction between departments -- the human element -- is actually the most challenging bit," says Bird. "We're learning a new language, whether that's jargon or ways of working. At first, there's always a question of getting people to communicate."
Active collaboration is the obvious solution. Bird says the Broadway incarnation of "Sunday" was the easiest to plan because the creatives were granted extensive time to storyboard each moment of the show together, addressing each other's needs as they went along.
Technological advances also made that collaboration possible. "Even in the last three years, the methods for creating and delivering content have become incredibly streamlined," says Buntrock, who also has a background in animation. "Now you can be experimental with technology almost as easily a you can with lights or scenery."
In other words, until recently, it was almost impossible to change digital elements on the fly. If an animated boat was moving too quickly, it might take a week to slow it down, forcing artists to halt their process or simply accept unsatisfactory material. Now, the change can be made in about a day, allowing projection designers more involvement in a show's ongoing development.
That could soothe technophobic legiters. Other good news: The technology has gotten cheaper. Findlay says a projector that would have cost $45,000 six years ago will now run around $10,000. "If you look at the scale of what sets cost, computers are going down," he adds.
As much as anything, price slashing could cement the future of digital design. Observes Buntrock: "The switch in the producer's head that said 'technology means money' has now, rightly, been turned off."
(c) 2008 Reed Business Information
University Lecture
Please note that on Monday we also have a Journeys lecture at the time:
Monday, March 31st
4:30pm – Adamson Wing, 136A Baker Hall
Elizabeth W. Jones, Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon
JOURNEYSMAKING IT UP AS I (WE) WENT ALONG
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
*** PAKISTAN AWARENESS WEEK ***
*** March 31st - April 4th ***
Mayur-SASA(South Asian Students Association) presents a week of events that capture the essence of Pakistani culture, politics and society to better understand a country dominating international headlines. Join us as we explore the country through debate, cinema, fashion, education, food and music!
March 31:
Pakistan Today: Islamism, Activism, Performance
A lecture by Dr. Fawzia Khan
Mellon Auditorium, 4.30pm
April 1:
Fashion with a Story
Witness the underrated beauty of traditional garment in an untraditional way
The Cut, All Day
April 2:
Khuda ke Liye
A trend setting and record breaking film focusing on the divide between Muslims in a post 9/11 world
Giant Eagle Auditorium, 7.30pm
April 3:
Music of Pakistan
Explore a unique international genre with live performances and free food.
Kirr Commons, 4.30 pm
April 4:
Pakistan, the Future
Debate Democracy and be a part of the controversy in an open forum. Free food will be available.
Kirr Commons, 4.30pm :: Sponsored in part by UC Fridays
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=28628480253&ref=share
Funded in part by your Students Activities Fee, UC Fridays and Student Affairs
Monday, March 31st
4:30pm – Adamson Wing, 136A Baker Hall
Elizabeth W. Jones, Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon
JOURNEYSMAKING IT UP AS I (WE) WENT ALONG
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
*** PAKISTAN AWARENESS WEEK ***
*** March 31st - April 4th ***
Mayur-SASA(South Asian Students Association) presents a week of events that capture the essence of Pakistani culture, politics and society to better understand a country dominating international headlines. Join us as we explore the country through debate, cinema, fashion, education, food and music!
March 31:
Pakistan Today: Islamism, Activism, Performance
A lecture by Dr. Fawzia Khan
Mellon Auditorium, 4.30pm
April 1:
Fashion with a Story
Witness the underrated beauty of traditional garment in an untraditional way
The Cut, All Day
April 2:
Khuda ke Liye
A trend setting and record breaking film focusing on the divide between Muslims in a post 9/11 world
Giant Eagle Auditorium, 7.30pm
April 3:
Music of Pakistan
Explore a unique international genre with live performances and free food.
Kirr Commons, 4.30 pm
April 4:
Pakistan, the Future
Debate Democracy and be a part of the controversy in an open forum. Free food will be available.
Kirr Commons, 4.30pm :: Sponsored in part by UC Fridays
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=28628480253&ref=share
Funded in part by your Students Activities Fee, UC Fridays and Student Affairs
Friday, March 28, 2008
Stage Review: 'Layla' is forceful, strained 'choreopoem'
Post Gazette: "Let's call it 'Layla's Dream,' for short -- Ntozake Shange doesn't write conventional titles. We also know that from her best known play, the 1975 'for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf.'"
East preview: 'The Miser' at Pitt Greensburg a dark but hilarious farce
Post Gazette: "Assistant professor of theater Stephen Schrum directs two plays a year at the University of Pittsburgh's Greensburg campus. He said he chooses works to entertain and to prompt audiences to think."
North stage preview: "Viva Broadway" takes stage at Kean Theatre
Post Gazette: "It might seem like an unusual pairing, but Kean Theatre director Tom Madden says the marriage of Broadway and Las Vegas is one of the longest and most successful around."
Stage Review: 'Assassins' is a killer musical
Post Gazette: "Do you detect a rising fear of assassination these days? Perhaps it's inevitable in a time of heightened political activity, because at root, we know to our dismay that self-expression through violence is a large strand of the history Americans weave."
Trust creates playwright prizes
Variety: "The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust has created two new awards for playwrights, one of which carries a cash prize of $200,000 -- a major sum for an arts kudo, particularly in the legit world."
Photo Coverage: 'Gypsy' Opening Night Curtain Call
(BroadwayWorld.com): "Producers Roger Berlind, The Routh Frankel Baruch Viertel Group, Roy Furman, Debra Black, Ted Hartley, Roger Horchow, David Ian, Scott Rudin and Jack Viertel present a new Broadway production of the great American musical Gypsy, starring Tony Award winner Patti LuPone. Gypsy reunites LuPone with co-stars Boyd Gaines and Laura Benanti. Directed by multiple Tony Award winner and author of the musical Arthur Laurents, Gypsy began preview performances on Monday, March 3, 2008 and opened on Thursday, March 27, 2008 at Broadway's St. James Theatre (246 West 44 Street)."
Casting Notice Elicits Uproar
Backstage: "Would you attend a casting call looking for 'inbred types'? What if a film asked for 'deformed' or 'unusual' people? Does that describe you? Would you still show up if you read that 'regular-looking' people need not apply?"
God of Carnage falls prey to theatrical gremlins
Times Online: "According to theatrical legend, the shortest run in showbiz history was The Lady of Lyons in 1838. The curtain got stuck on the opening night, the audience went home and that was it."
Welcome to the not so cheap seats
Guardian Unlimited: "The West End is now officially more expensive to see a show than on Broadway. Top price tickets to see the original production of Hairspray in New York are currently $110 (£55), whereas it costs £60 to see the same show at London's Shaftesbury Theatre. Ditto the Royal Opera House, which is already the most expensive opera house in the world, with a current top price of £195, compared to the New York's Met (£147), Milan's La Scala (£160) or Glyndebourne (£190)."
When pianos attack
guardian.co.uk Arts: "In the latest production by Frankfurt composer Heiner Goebbels, the two black-clad stagehands are the only humans you ever see. At a performance I saw in Munich, they appear only at the very start, to sprinkle a sugar-like substance around the stage through a stretcher-shaped sieve. Tanks full of green liquid are then emptied out, as five inverted grand pianos, operated by remote control, start to play against a backdrop of gnarled trees."
Ralph Fiennes Plays Cynic in `God of Carnage': Warwick Thompson
Bloomberg.com: Muse Arts: "There's nothing more satisfying than to watch hypocrisy exposed on stage, even when the stage sometimes turns uncomfortably into a mirror."
LuPone's Rip-Roaring Rose Anchors Best `Gypsy' Yet
Bloomberg.com: Muse Arts: "No matter how many times you've seen ``Gypsy,'' you arguably haven't experienced it as fully as you may now on Broadway at the St. James Theatre. I think I have caught them all, starting with the legendary Ethel Merman in the premiere, but it is this one that has definitive written all over it."
A Number
Pittsburgh City Paper - Pittsburgh: "With a running time of barely more than an hour, Caryl Churchill's A Number encompasses a number of themes stemming from the premise of human cloning."
Lavender Lizards and Lilac Landmines: Layla's Dream
Pittsburgh City Paper - Pittsburgh: "as its title suggests, Lavender Lizards and Lilac Landmines: Layla's Dream is less focused, and more than a mite precious. It's also more than a handful for the Kuntu Repertory Theatre, of the University of Pittsburgh's Department of Africana Studies."
Flight
Pittsburgh City Paper - Pittsburgh: "What is it about Americans and our relentless, not to say ruthless, pursuit of happy endings? We seem to enjoy, or at least patronize, only entertainment in which good is triumphant, evil is punished and, if there's time left over, lovers united."
Assassins
Pittsburgh City Paper - Pittsburgh: "When you're in a show, especially a weird one, you often pass the time -- when another actor is speaking -- by wondering: 'What does this seem like to the audience?' In 1996, I appeared in the Pittsburgh premiere of the Stephen Sondheim/John Weidman show Assassins, a musical about everyone who has killed or tried to kill a president of the United States, and I spent lots of time trying to guess what the audience was thinking."
Thursday, March 27, 2008
East preview: 'The Miser' at Pitt Greensburg a dark but hilarious farce
Post Gazette: "Assistant professor of theater Stephen Schrum directs two plays a year at the University of Pittsburgh's Greensburg campus. He said he chooses works to entertain and to prompt audiences to think."
North stage preview: "Viva Broadway" takes stage at Kean Theatre
Post Gazette: "It might seem like an unusual pairing, but Kean Theatre director Tom Madden says the marriage of Broadway and Las Vegas is one of the longest and most successful around."
Stage Review: 'Layla' is forceful, strained 'choreopoem'
Post Gazette: "Let's call it 'Layla's Dream,' for short -- Ntozake Shange doesn't write conventional titles. We also know that from her best known play, the 1975 'for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf.'"
Stage Review: 'Assassins' is a killer musical
Post Gazette: "Do you detect a rising fear of assassination these days? Perhaps it's inevitable in a time of heightened political activity, because at root, we know to our dismay that self-expression through violence is a large strand of the history Americans weave."
Actress found feline inspiration for 'Enchanted Attic'
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "In 'The Enchanted Attic,' the latest KidWorks' production at The Theatre Factory in Trafford, two brothers and their sister discover a whole new world when they get locked in the attic of their aunt's mansion. Their aunt's cat, So-Dum, is their unlikely companion who plays a big role in jump-starting their adventure."
'Fiddler' production balances tradition, change
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Of all the plays Colleen Petrucci has worked on over the years, 'Fiddler on the Roof' is perhaps her favorite."
Gemini Theater's 'Wizard' gets audience involved
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Kids at the Gemini Theater can help Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Lion complete their journey to Oz in a stage version of L. Frank Baum's beloved classic."
Editors and Sound Designers
Post Gazette: "Our small, Chicago-based independent film company will again be in southwestern, Pennsylvania this summer shooting a number of diffrent projects. Our first feature-length film - Mars Attacks Mt. Pleasant - premieres June 19. Our short, Legend of Lillian Peacock, will also premiere sometime in June or July."
Drama League Honors Gemignani, Sher, Stewart
Backstage: "Paul Gemignani, Bartlett Sher, and Ellen Stewart will receive The Drama League's three annual specialty awards, to be presented along with its five annual production and performance awards at its 74th annual ceremony May 16."
Places: With billboards, cities are facing the digital decision
Post Gazette: "Now the outdoor advertising companies have us right where they want us: stuck in traffic or at a red light, facing a digital sign that changes about every seven seconds. At least at home, zombied out in front of our televisions, we get a little programming with our digital ads. With digital billboards, we just get ads."
Guthrie Announces 2008-09 Season of "Firsts," Including Kushner Premiere and 'Little House' Musical
Yahoo! News: "The Guthrie's three stages - the Wurtele Thrust, the McGuire Proscenium and the Dowling Studio - will host works ranging from Tony Kushner to Samuel Beckett, plus the premiere of a new musical based in the popular 'Little House on the Prairie' book by Laura Ingalls Wilder."
Introduction to AutoCAD 2009: 1 - New user interface
Daily Autocad: "The showy menu placed on the upper side of the screen is called RIBBON as it is in the Office program. Actually DASHBOARD which we are introduced in AutoCAD 2007 is replaced with RIBBON. The command name is also changed as ribbon. The ribbon is separated into 6-8 tabs and each tab is also separated into panels. Tabs and their contents change according to WORKSPACES which provides an efficient usage."
Central Region Celebrates Diversity
actorsequity.org | News #038; Media: "The Central Region Equal Employment Opportunity Committee (EEO) presented the second annual Spirit, A Celebration of Diversity reception on February 25, 2008. The event, which honored Actors of Color and minority-focused Central Region theatres, was hosted by the Goodman Theatre."
Equity Members Urged To Join In The Fight for Good Jobs
actorsequity.org | News #038; Media: "Equity members are urged to join with other rank-and-file union members, allies and labor leaders to participate in an historic rally and march, 'Hollywood to the Docks,' from April 15 -17, 2008 in Los Angeles, CA."
A Leading Lady of D.C. Theater
washingtonpost.com: "'I hate that [expletive] first act!'
The thought escapes the uncensored lips of Joy Zinoman as she banters with five guys seated with her at a conference table in the industrially chic, bullpen-style office space of Studio Theatre. The men are Zinoman's floating brain trust, longtime colleagues and shorter-term employees with whom Studio's founding artistic director frequently bats around ideas."
The thought escapes the uncensored lips of Joy Zinoman as she banters with five guys seated with her at a conference table in the industrially chic, bullpen-style office space of Studio Theatre. The men are Zinoman's floating brain trust, longtime colleagues and shorter-term employees with whom Studio's founding artistic director frequently bats around ideas."
'Gutenberg!': A Font of Laughs About Broadway
washingtonpost.com: "The goofballs behind 'Gutenberg! The Musical' make no bones about what they don't know regarding their biographical subject, but you have to smile at what they invent. Take, for instance, the name of the buxom German lass who's smitten with the inventor of the printing press: Helvetica."
Financial woes force Equity Showcase to shut
globeandmail.com: "Equity Showcase Theatre, a professional development organization for theatre artists, announced yesterday that it is closing. The Toronto organization, which runs classes and mounts workshop productions, cited continuing financial troubles, including a decrease in support from public and private sponsors."
Carnegie Mellon International Film Festival Highlights Mechanization of Modern Society, April 4-15
Carnegie Mellon University: "Industrialization is increasingly shaping people's day-to-day routines and society as a whole. To explore technology's influence on our lives and communities, the Humanities Center at Carnegie Mellon University presents 'Faces of Mechanization,' the 2008 Carnegie Mellon International Film Festival, April 4-15."
Carnegie Mellon's Entertainment Technology Center Hosts Future of Interactive Technology for Peace Conference, April 2-3
Carnegie Mellon University: "Do video games have the potential to assist the peacemaking process? If so, how do game creators incorporate social values into games? These and other provocative topics will be the focus of the Future of Interactive Technology for Peace Conference, April 2-3 at Carnegie Mellon University's Entertainment Technology Center (ETC). This first-of-its-kind conference provides a forum for discussing the impact and the potential that interactive technology holds for peace and peacemaking."
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
How Heatmapping Your Productivity Can Make You More Productive
Productivity and Personal Development:
"I’m a huge fan of heat maps, and here recently I’ve started to think about productivity in terms of heat maps, as well. The above picture is a heat map of my daily productive capacity."
"I’m a huge fan of heat maps, and here recently I’ve started to think about productivity in terms of heat maps, as well. The above picture is a heat map of my daily productive capacity."
How to edit your resume like a professional resume writer
Brazen Careerist by Penelope Trunk: "It’s very hard to write your own resume because a resume is a macro view of your life, but you live your life at the micro level, obsessing about daily details that have no bearing on your resume. So I recommend to a lot of people that they hire someone to help them. After all, spending money on a resume writer is one of the few expenditures that will have good return right away."
Why bother having a resume?
Seth's Blog: "Great people shouldn't have a resume.
Here's why: A resume is an excuse to reject you. Once you send me your resume, I can say, 'oh, they're missing this or they're missing that,' and boom, you're out.
Having a resume begs for you to go into that big machine that looks for relevant keywords, and begs for you to get a job as a cog in a giant machine. Just more fodder for the corporate behemoth. That might be fine for average folks looking for an average job, but is that what you deserve?
If you don't have a resume, what do you have?"
Here's why: A resume is an excuse to reject you. Once you send me your resume, I can say, 'oh, they're missing this or they're missing that,' and boom, you're out.
Having a resume begs for you to go into that big machine that looks for relevant keywords, and begs for you to get a job as a cog in a giant machine. Just more fodder for the corporate behemoth. That might be fine for average folks looking for an average job, but is that what you deserve?
If you don't have a resume, what do you have?"
30 Tips to Rejuvenate Your Creativity
Lifehack.org: "Recently, we asked the readers what their tips for staying creative were. Sometimes creativity flows from the heavens, but other times, as we all know, it’s like drawing water from a stone. The following are the best tips you gave us."
Does a pin nailer deliver?
The Hardware Aisle: "Last month I wrote about my latest pneumatic tool purchase: a pin nailer.
In that post, I gushed about how much I loved the tool because its tiny headless fasteners leave behind holes so small they don't need patching with putty.
Well, I heard from a quite a few fellow tool enthusiasts who questioned just how undetectable the holes really were.
Now you can decide for yourself."
In that post, I gushed about how much I loved the tool because its tiny headless fasteners leave behind holes so small they don't need patching with putty.
Well, I heard from a quite a few fellow tool enthusiasts who questioned just how undetectable the holes really were.
Now you can decide for yourself."
Getting to Good Enough
Lifehack.org: "Do you strive for perfection? Do you spend hours obsessing over the tiniest details of your life until they’re exactly right? Do you feel uncomfortable when everything in your life isn’t “just so”? Are you prepared for every eventuality, even the most unlikely?"
The Week in Tools: Toolmonger Top 5
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, which our readers helped to select"
All-Terrain Forklifts
Toolmonger: "Last week I was on-site to help put up a truss structure for an outdoor event. We requested four forklifts from the equipment rental company. What we got were not your standard warehouse forklifts, but these bad mamma-jammas with telescoping booms — they’re called telehandlers, or Lulls, the Kleenex of telescoping boom lifts."
Firefox + Gmail = GTD «
Web Worker Daily: "There are certainly plenty of alternatives for living the Getting Things Done lifestyle out there, from dedicated web sites to client-side applications to add-ins for your email program. But how about a GTD application that leverages web sites that you’re already using? That’s the premise of GTDInbox, a Firefox add-on that implements GTD in your GMail account."
Review: Music to my ears...
LumberJocks.com :: woodworking community: "I like ear muffs better than in-ear style hearing protection. Before I bought these I used a pair of ear muffs with ear bud headphones to listen to my MP3 player. Since my MP3 player has no AM/FM radio option, I often missed that."
The Nylachification of American Theatre Magazine
Theatre Ideas: "For a few months now, I have had a sense that American Theatre Magazine, the flagship magazine of the American regional theatre, seemed to be focusing primarily on Nylachi. But I told myself no, you're probably cherry-picking. But yesterday, I decided to take a look at the February 08 articles and count the articles written by Nylachi authors or written about Nylachi theatres."
Norm’s Going Digital
Toolmonger: "For all the Norm junkies out there, the New Yankee Workshop — which is set to start shooting its 20th season — is offering up more episodes than ever before on DVD. They’ve finally embraced the 21st century, and they’ll no longer be archiving to VHS."
Special Delivery
Carnegie Mellon University: "Comedian and canine enthusiast Bill Cosby has given Carnegie Mellon University its first live mascot — a Scottish terrier. This news comes just weeks before the new official mascot costume will debut at Spring Carnival, along with the announcement of a formal name for the mascot."
Stop Dithering: Become A Better Decision-Maker
Lifehack.org: "Ever encountered a project where only one decision needs to be made before you can finish the project? It may only take you a few hours to finish the project once that decision is made, but invariably, it’s the decision that takes forever to make. It’s because decision-making is as much a skill as riding a bike: it’s something that you learn and improve on as you practice."
Full Sail Announces University Status
PRWeb: "Today, Full Sail Real World Education marks another landmark in its history by announcing that it has been awarded University status by the Florida Department of Education's Commission for Independent Education (CIEICU) and its national accrediting body, the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). Effective immediately, the new name of the institution will be Full Sail University."
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Ahmanson debuts musical 'Minsky's'
Variety: "'Minsky's,' a new musical from the 'Drowsy Chaperone' creative team based on the 1968 film 'The Night They Raided Minsky's,' will receive its world premiere at the Ahmanson Theater early next year."
Laurents Stresses Killer Teens in `West Side Story'
Bloomberg.com: Muse Arts: "The 50th anniversary production of ``West Side Story'' will arrive on Broadway just in time -- for year 52. Credit Arthur Laurents for both the revival of the landmark show and the tardy party."
The Undeterred
The Stranger, Seattle's Only Newspaper: "One Thursday night six months ago, a 52-year-old theater director named Mark Weil was murdered in the entrance of his apartment building in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Neighbors say they saw two men with baseball caps waiting for the director, who was to premiere a high-tech version of The Oresteia the following night. The two men hit Weil over the head with a bottle, stabbed him several times in the stomach, and ran. They didn't take his money; they just wanted him dead."
Former Stratford director cites creative interference as reason for stepping aside
globeandmail.com: "The high backstage drama at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival may have opened a second act.
Refusing to exit silently, Marti Maraden says her resignation as co-artistic director 12 days ago was the result of creative interference and an agenda imposed by general director Antoni Cimolino despite earlier assurances that the unusual triumvirate arrangement that was put in place 21 months ago would work as a partnership."
Refusing to exit silently, Marti Maraden says her resignation as co-artistic director 12 days ago was the result of creative interference and an agenda imposed by general director Antoni Cimolino despite earlier assurances that the unusual triumvirate arrangement that was put in place 21 months ago would work as a partnership."
Drunk Enough to Say I Love You?
New York Magazine Theater Review: "With only ten months to go, it looks like my wish won’t come true. All I’ve wanted, for seven long years, is for somebody to write one measly play in defense of President Bush. Don’t get me wrong, I’m as appalled by his swaggering ineptitude as everybody else. But that’s the point. Throughout its history, political theater at its best has attacked what everybody thinks, challenging people’s prejudices and posing questions that don’t have easy answers, if there are answers at all."
Lincoln Center - Festival
New York Times: "Drama will be center stage at the Lincoln Center Festival this summer, with productions of Euripides and Samuel Beckett, Laurie Anderson’s latest performance piece and a rare production of Bernd Alois Zimmermann’s gargantuan opera, “Die Soldaten.”"
Fox Refuses To Pay FCC Indecency Fine
washingtonpost.com: "In an unusually aggressive step, Fox Broadcasting yesterday refused to pay a $91,000 indecency fine levied by the Federal Communications Commission for an episode of a long-canceled reality television show, even as the network fights two other indecency fines in the Supreme Court."
Kuntu production chronicles quest for identity
Pittsburgh Courier: "Kuntu Repertory Theatre continues its season with a poignant choreopoem, “Lavender Lizards and Lilac Landmines: Layla’s Dream/When the Rainbow is Not Enuf” by award-winning author Ntozake Shange."
Kennedy Center presents century’s worth of August
Pittsburgh Courier: "The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts will present August Wilson’s 20th Century—the playwright’s complete 10-play cycle—as staged readings with costumes, lighting and scenery in the Center’s Terrace Theater through April 6. This month-long showcase will be the 2007-2008 contribution from the Catherine B. Reynolds Foundation Series for Artistic Excellence."
City to hire sound expert for arts center dispute
The Dallas Morning News | Performing Arts: "Plans for the Dallas Center for the Performing Arts call for placing the outdoor performance space at the northeast corner of the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center. Its stage would back up against a back corner of the center's Winspear Opera House, which is due to open in October 2009.
But the Dallas Symphony Association is protesting that amplified music in the artist square will be audible and distracting inside the Meyerson, and it has repeatedly raised the question since 2004. The Dallas Wind Symphony, which also performs in the Meyerson, has also sent a letter of concern to City Manager Mary Suhm."
But the Dallas Symphony Association is protesting that amplified music in the artist square will be audible and distracting inside the Meyerson, and it has repeatedly raised the question since 2004. The Dallas Wind Symphony, which also performs in the Meyerson, has also sent a letter of concern to City Manager Mary Suhm."
More hits than misses
The Tartan Online: "Within the first five minutes of Point Park University’s presentation of the musical Assassins, the audience is staring down the barrel of a gun. Then two. Then eight. The men and women behind the firearms are some of the most notorious, misunderstood, and loathsome figures in American history"
Express theater at Pitt
The Tartan Online: "Red eyes, sleepless nights — ah, the life of a playwright. All that was especially true last weekend, during the University of Pittsburgh’s Redeye Theatre Project (RTP), when teams of theater enthusiasts got together to write, rehearse, and perform eight original one-act plays, all in 24 hours. Unlike more time-consuming theater endeavors, RTP offers a casual, short-term, and generally experimental experience for both participants and audience members."
Britney Spears, Mr. Roboto, and Annie raise money for charity
The Tartan Online: "Last weekend at the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall on Fifth Avenue, fraternities and sororities competed for charity during Greek Sing 2008. Greek Sing features 13-minute musicals put on entirely by the fraternities and sororities, from the acting and singing to the musical accompaniment. One of the biggest Greek events of the year, students in fraternities and sororities work for months to put together the shows."
Theaters playing to bottom line
Los Angeles Times - calendarlive.com: "When San Diego's Old Globe announced last week that its co-artistic director Jerry Patch had accepted a position as director of artistic development at Manhattan Theatre Club, few may have registered the extent of the theatrical loss to Southern California."
Monday, March 24, 2008
Davi Napoleon Problem/Solution| Shifting a wooden floor
Live Design: "There are surprises in the Guthrie Theatre's Peer Gynt. Some are in Ibsen's fantastical story. Some are in Tim Carroll's production of Robert Bly's translation, which adds a surprise party for Gynt during which he collapses and imagines himself into the play. And some are in, well, in the floor."
Campus debates dramatic changes in smoking policy
The Tartan Online: "Cigarette butts on the Cut may soon be punishable by a fine. The Healthy Campus Task Force presented a proposal Thursday that would dramatically change the university’s smoking policy. The suggested changes would create designated campus smoking areas and enforce prohibition through a system of warnings and fines. Smoking would be prohibited in most of the heavily trafficked and residential areas on campus, including the Cut, athletic and child care facilities, and Student Health Services."
A Gift From Tomcat UK
Live Design: "Working with Scena Projects, Ltd., Tomcat UK created four larger-than-life holiday presents for outdoor displays for the Bluewater Shopping Center in Kent, England."
Full Sail Announces University Status
Live Design: "Today, Full Sail Real World Education announces it has been awarded University status by the Florida Department of Education’s Commission for Independent Education (CIEICU) and its national accrediting body, the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). Effective immediately, the new name of the institution will be Full Sail University."
Live Design Broadway Master Classes On Sale Through April 15
Live Design: "All attendees can save $100 on the Live Design Master Classes through April 15, 2008. Register in the next three weeks and save on the BLMC, May 20-22 at NYU’s Skirball Center for the Performing Arts, the BSMC, May 16-18 at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, and the Projection Master Classes at XL LED Lab in SoHo, NYC on May 19."
Many Nights at the Opera Involve Emergency Room
New York Times: "When the tenor Gary Lehman slid down the raked stage into the prompter’s box on Tuesday night during Wagner’s “Tristan und Isolde” at the Metropolitan Opera, stopping the show at the start of Act III, he entered a storied history of midperformance mishaps at the opera."
What does the predominance of projections augur for set design?
Live Design: "As projections become ever more integrated into scenic designs on stage, their seeming ubiquity made us ponder the following questions: What does the increasing predominance of projections augur for the world of set design? Does it enhance the art or detract from it? Recently, five prominent set designers — David Gallo, William (Bill) Dudley, Michael Yeargan, Narelle Sissons, and John Lee Beatty — took time from their busy schedules to share their thoughts on projection. Has it become a collaborative tool in the design arsenal? Or something that will render the set designer's craft obsolete?"
Projection Master Classes Schedule Announced
Live Design: "Live Design is pleased to announce the initial schedule for the 2008 Live Design Projection Master Classes on Monday, May 19, 2008 at the XL LED Lab, SoHo, New York City. The exciting lineup features a new location, speakers, and classes"
Barco display technology helps make church worship services come to life at NAB 2008
SVConline: "Barco, a leading global provider of advanced display systems, will take video projection to new heights of realism at NAB‘s Technologies for Worship (TFWM) pavilion. Visitors to Barco booth #C9745 will experience the latest innovations in projection display and image processing for video-only venues and get an inside look at what it takes to create state-of-the-art realism during worship productions."
Dominic Dromgoole of The Globe: theatre forgets what it’s there for
Times Online: "One of the weirdest parts of the recent Arts Council fandango, when it somehow managed to turn a rise in overall funding into a spectacular own goal, was its attack on the Northcott theatre, in Exeter. This place has long been treasured by its own audience, by the artists who work there and by the touring companies who visit. Capacity houses fill it, and the audience has been nurtured by a diverse and intriguing body of work into being one of the most shrewd, catholic and generous congregations any company could wish to play to."
Bebe Neuwirth
Bebe Neuwirth and the PNC Pittsburgh Pops Orchestra
March 27 - 30, 2008
Heinz Hall, Downtown Pittsburgh
Bebe Neuwirth joins your PNC Pittsburgh Symphony Pops for a concert of breathtaking Broadway hits! Hear your favorites from Chicago, Cabaret and more!
Best known for her Emmy award-winning role as Lilith, Frasier's wife, on the popular TV show Cheers, Ms. Neuwirth's other television appearances include Law and Order-Trial by Jury and guest work on Star Trek, the Next Generation. Ms. Neuwirth is also a seasoned Broadway actress with two Tony awards to her name for her leads in Sweet Charity and Chicago. In addition to her work on Broadway and television, she has graced the silver screen as a cast member in such films and Summer of Sam, Jumanji, Green Card and Bugsy.
Don't miss this concert of Broadway show-stoppers with the sensational Bebe Neuwirth!
Carnegie Mellon University students may purchase tickets in advance for only $12 by visiting: http://www.pittsburghsymphony.org/cmutix
Faculty and Staff tickets are only $17 in advance. You may also make your reservation at the UC Info Desk.
Student Rush tickets will be available at the door beginning 2 hours prior to the performance for $17.
March 27 - 30, 2008
Heinz Hall, Downtown Pittsburgh
Bebe Neuwirth joins your PNC Pittsburgh Symphony Pops for a concert of breathtaking Broadway hits! Hear your favorites from Chicago, Cabaret and more!
Best known for her Emmy award-winning role as Lilith, Frasier's wife, on the popular TV show Cheers, Ms. Neuwirth's other television appearances include Law and Order-Trial by Jury and guest work on Star Trek, the Next Generation. Ms. Neuwirth is also a seasoned Broadway actress with two Tony awards to her name for her leads in Sweet Charity and Chicago. In addition to her work on Broadway and television, she has graced the silver screen as a cast member in such films and Summer of Sam, Jumanji, Green Card and Bugsy.
Don't miss this concert of Broadway show-stoppers with the sensational Bebe Neuwirth!
Carnegie Mellon University students may purchase tickets in advance for only $12 by visiting: http://www.pittsburghsymphony.org/cmutix
Faculty and Staff tickets are only $17 in advance. You may also make your reservation at the UC Info Desk.
Student Rush tickets will be available at the door beginning 2 hours prior to the performance for $17.
The Boys Next Door
The Boys Next Door
Wednesday, March 26, 8 PM
Thursday, March 27, 8 PM
Friday, March 28, 4 pm and 8 pm
Directed by Jon Brence
Helen Wayne Rauh Studio Theater, Purnell Center
Tickets will be available at the door beginning one hour before curtain.
Wednesday, March 26, 8 PM
Thursday, March 27, 8 PM
Friday, March 28, 4 pm and 8 pm
Directed by Jon Brence
Helen Wayne Rauh Studio Theater, Purnell Center
Tickets will be available at the door beginning one hour before curtain.
Job - TD
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR NEEDED
Little Lake Theatre Company is currently seeking a Technical Director for the upcoming 60th season. Little Lake Theatre Company is a highly regarded community theatre in the Pittsburgh area that utilizes and supports volunteers in all areas of performance and production and also has both full-time and part-time paid staff members and contracted designers and directors. The season runs May-December, 2008, staging 11 mainstage productions; 3 productions for young audiences; and 2 family matinee productions. The auditorium is intimate, arena stage with flexible seating for 150.
Responsibilities for this position will include serving as a lighting design assistant to the Resident Designer; board operation; participation/supervision of load-in of all lighting instruments; basic set construction and sound design; supervision of crew volunteers; and acquisition and maintenance of lighting and technical equipment.
The ideal candidate would be motivated to work in a theater environment that is busy, supportive, creative, and encourages artistic integrity and ingenuity. This candidate would benefit from the opportunity to work with 8-10 different production directors on 16 productions of varying styles and production requirements, and have his/her artistic contributions valued and encouraged.
Little Lake Theatre Company will give preferential consideration to candidates who can be contracted through mid-December, but may consider a May through August contractual agreement as well.
Resumes or introductory correspondence may be submitted to:
Robert Fitchett, Managing Director
Little Lake Theatre Company
449 Mapleton Ave
Pittsburgh, PA 15228
412-561-4402
412-400-2777
robsunny@msn.com
www.littlelake.org
Little Lake Theatre Company is currently seeking a Technical Director for the upcoming 60th season. Little Lake Theatre Company is a highly regarded community theatre in the Pittsburgh area that utilizes and supports volunteers in all areas of performance and production and also has both full-time and part-time paid staff members and contracted designers and directors. The season runs May-December, 2008, staging 11 mainstage productions; 3 productions for young audiences; and 2 family matinee productions. The auditorium is intimate, arena stage with flexible seating for 150.
Responsibilities for this position will include serving as a lighting design assistant to the Resident Designer; board operation; participation/supervision of load-in of all lighting instruments; basic set construction and sound design; supervision of crew volunteers; and acquisition and maintenance of lighting and technical equipment.
The ideal candidate would be motivated to work in a theater environment that is busy, supportive, creative, and encourages artistic integrity and ingenuity. This candidate would benefit from the opportunity to work with 8-10 different production directors on 16 productions of varying styles and production requirements, and have his/her artistic contributions valued and encouraged.
Little Lake Theatre Company will give preferential consideration to candidates who can be contracted through mid-December, but may consider a May through August contractual agreement as well.
Resumes or introductory correspondence may be submitted to:
Robert Fitchett, Managing Director
Little Lake Theatre Company
449 Mapleton Ave
Pittsburgh, PA 15228
412-561-4402
412-400-2777
robsunny@msn.com
www.littlelake.org
Irshad Khan
AID Pittsburgh & Silk Screen
present
An Indian Classical Music Concert
present
An Indian Classical Music Concert
by
Sensational Sitar Virtuoso
Irshad Khan
Sensational Sitar Virtuoso
Irshad Khan
A revolutionary musician who has enchanted audiences in over 30 countries.
Irshad Khan featured on Sitar and Surbahar (Bass Sitar)
Table accompaniment: Nitin Mitta
"Scintillating performance" - Boston Globe
"The Mozart of Indian music" - Isthmus, Milwaukee
"Feast of music for the hungry" - The Times, London.
"Best contemporary sitar and surbahar player … musical magic by himself" - Times of India, Bangalore
When: Saturday, April 26, 2008
Where: Bellefield Hall
315 S. Bellefield Ave, Pittsburgh
Time: 6 PM (Doors open at 5:15PM)
Where: Bellefield Hall
315 S. Bellefield Ave, Pittsburgh
Time: 6 PM (Doors open at 5:15PM)
Tickets: $75, $40, $20
Student discount (with valid ID): $5 off on all levels
Under 5 yrs - FREE
For tickets: http://pittsburgh.aidindia.org
Online ticketing provided by Sulekha.com
Tickets also on sale at:
Student discount (with valid ID): $5 off on all levels
Under 5 yrs - FREE
For tickets: http://pittsburgh.aidindia.org
Online ticketing provided by Sulekha.com
Tickets also on sale at:
University Center, CMU
Kohli's Indian Imports (S. Craig Street)
William Pitt Union (UPitt)
For more info, please visit:
The Art of Play
The Art of Play
Symposium and Arcade
March 31 + April 1
Symposium and Arcade
March 31 + April 1
Can video games be art?
http://www.theartofplay.com/
That will be the topic of exploration when the School of Art at Carnegie Mellon University and the Entertainment Technology Center (ETC) host The Art of Play Symposium and Arcade, a two-day event on March 31 and April 1 exploring games as a unique expressive medium. The Symposium brings together a diverse group of researchers, artists and game developers to survey the games that can inspire us with their unique creative vision, and to frame the medium moving forward.
A complete schedule of events along with speaker biographies can be found at http://www.theartofplay.com/. For more information, call 412-268-2409 or e-mail artscool@andrew.mcu.edu.
EVENTS INCLUDE:
++ A two-day exhibition in which attendees can check out groundbreaking art, independent, and commercial games. The arcade is curated by Kokoromi, a Montreal-based group that creates and promotes experimental gameplay.
++ DAY 1: guests can see presentations by Heather Kelley of Kokoromi, Randy Smith of Electronic Arts LA, Jason Rohrer of Arthouse Games and Jesse Schell, a professor in the ETC.
++ DAY 2: features Game Arcade, the Poetics of Gameplay Master Class, in which 12 Carnegie Mellon students will present games and receive feedback from the symposium guests. The symposium finishes with a panel discussion and an after party. There will also be tours of the ETC.
++ PLUS: EXTRA LIFE AFTERPARTY
brillobox / penn & main / lawrenceville
all-ages, cmu private party, 7-10pm
21+ open dance party, 10-2am
with djs: hoof & beek (pgh) gemini radio (la)
dynamic light: megamu (pgh)
All events are held in the College of Fine Arts or Margaret Morrison-Carnegie Hall on the Oakland campus. Shuttles will be provided for transportation to the off-campus ETC.
For a primer on the size of the video game industry, the process of producing games and the “are video games art?” question, listen to a LAB A6 podcast with Kelley, Rod Humble of Electronic Arts and computer science student Gregory Peng at http://www.cmu.edu/cfa/labA6.html.
You Still Suck
Over recent months, work done by designers has been disappearing from the hallways. Just last night a large model box that was constructed from many, many student hours evaporated. During Christmas, models with similar investments of work and creativity vanished. Before spring break, two beautiful student paintings were plucked off of the walls of a third floor hallway.
Why would someone take this work? What possible value, other than their intrinsic beauty, can these pieces have for you? Disappearing ipods, laptops and cell phones are bad enough, but how can anyone justify stealing Art, which is a physical embodiment of someone's creative life, or some would even say, soul.
CFA Announcements
LabA6 Podcast ______________________________________________________________
Game Designers Discuss Video Games as Art
http://www.cmu.edu/cfa/labA6.html
Host Marge Myers, associate director, STUDIO for Creative Inquiry
Guests Heather Kelley, adjunct faculty, Entertainment Technology Center Rod Humble, senior vice president, Electronic Arts Gregory Peng, senior, School of Computer Science
Heather Kelley, Rod Humble and Gregory Peng all experienced game designers give a look into the process, people and resources involved in creating a video game. Aside from a game's plot, art and music, they argue that game developers offer an artistic statement in controlling, through "rules," the way a player interacts with the game's environment, characters, and what they have to do to win.
Events _____________________________________________________________________
The Art of Play Symposium and Arcade March 31 to April 1
Can video games be art? That will be the topic of exploration when the School of Art at Carnegie Mellon University and the Entertainment Technology Center (ETC) host The Art of Play Symposium and Arcade, a two-day event from March 31 to April 1 exploring games as a unique expressive medium. The Symposium brings together a diverse group of researchers, artists and game developers to survey the games that can inspire us with their unique creative vision, and to frame the medium moving forward.
Events include the Art of Play Arcade, a two-day exhibition in which attendees can check out and of course play groundbreaking art, independent, and commercial games. The arcade is curated by Kokoromi, a Montreal-based group that creates and promotes experimental gameplay. On Day 1, guests can also see presentations by Heather Kelley of Kokoromi, Randy Smith of Electronic Arts LA, Jason Rohrer of Arthouse Games and Jesse Schell, a professor in the ETC.
Day 2 features the Poetics of Gameplay Master Class, in which 12 Carnegie Mellon students will present games and receive feedback from the symposium guests. The symposium finishes with a panel discussion and an after party. There will also be tours of the ETC.
A complete schedule of events along with speaker biographies can be found at http://www.theartofplay.com/. For more information, call 412-268-2409 or e-mail artscool@andrew.mcu.edu. All events are held in the College of Fine Arts or Margaret Morrison-Carnegie Hall on the Oakland campus. Shuttles will be provided for transportation to the off-campus ETC.
For a primer on the size of the video game industry, the process of producing games and the are video games art? question, listen to a podcast with Kelley, Rod Humble of Electronic Arts and computer science student Gregory Peng at www.cmu.edu/cfa/labA6.html .
__________________________
Future of Interactive Technology for Peace Conference April 2-3
Do video games have the potential to assist the peacemaking process? If so, how do game creators incorporate social values into games? These and other provocative topics will be the focus of the Future of Interactive Technology for Peace Conference, April 2-3 at Carnegie Mellon Universitys Entertainment Technology Center (ETC). This first-of-its-kind conference provides a forum for discussing the impact and the potential that interactive technology holds for peace and peacemaking.
Featured speakers include Lucas Welch, president and founder of Soliya, a non-profit organization that uses new media technologies to help college students with productive discussions of cultural and social differences; Eric Brown and Asi Burak, social entrepreneurs and creators of the video game PeaceMaker; Carnegie Mellon Computer Scientist and MacArthur Fellow Luis Von Ahn; and Jesse Schell, Carnegie Mellon faculty member and former creative director of Disneys Virtual Reality Studio.
Brown and Buraks work on PeaceMaker while at Carnegie Mellon initiated the discussion about the potential for using interactive technologies to educate people about peacemaking. In PeaceMaker players act as the Israeli prime minister or Palestinian president and try to establish a stable resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The conference, sponsored by the Richard Lounsbery Foundation, which focuses on peacemaking and diplomacy, will also include many other speakers who will explore applying interactive technology to conflict resolution and international affairs. A full list of workshops and speakers is available at www.etc.cmu.edu/peace2008/.
The conference brings together 200 professionals, professors and students to collaborate in workshops including Peace Pitch and Values at Play: Integrating Human Values into Games. In the Values at Play workshop, conference attendees will work with members of the Tiltfactor Lab, the first social activist game lab in the country, to incorporate social messages into games.
Our hope is that this will be the first of many conferences which explore the application of technology to pressing social issues, said Brenda Harger, co-chair of the conference and an ETC faculty member.
The ETC is interested in exploring how media and technology can have positive impact and effect social change, said Drew Davidson, director of the ETC-Pittsburgh. We're excited to host this conference with Lounsbery's support that will bring together influential and inspirational people to share ideas and strategize about the future of technology and peace.
Registration for the conference is required. Media inquiries are welcome. For more information, contact Anne Humphreys at ah34@andrew.cmu.edu.
Game Designers Discuss Video Games as Art
http://www.cmu.edu/cfa/labA6.html
Host Marge Myers, associate director, STUDIO for Creative Inquiry
Guests Heather Kelley, adjunct faculty, Entertainment Technology Center Rod Humble, senior vice president, Electronic Arts Gregory Peng, senior, School of Computer Science
Heather Kelley, Rod Humble and Gregory Peng all experienced game designers give a look into the process, people and resources involved in creating a video game. Aside from a game's plot, art and music, they argue that game developers offer an artistic statement in controlling, through "rules," the way a player interacts with the game's environment, characters, and what they have to do to win.
Events _____________________________________________________________________
The Art of Play Symposium and Arcade March 31 to April 1
Can video games be art? That will be the topic of exploration when the School of Art at Carnegie Mellon University and the Entertainment Technology Center (ETC) host The Art of Play Symposium and Arcade, a two-day event from March 31 to April 1 exploring games as a unique expressive medium. The Symposium brings together a diverse group of researchers, artists and game developers to survey the games that can inspire us with their unique creative vision, and to frame the medium moving forward.
Events include the Art of Play Arcade, a two-day exhibition in which attendees can check out and of course play groundbreaking art, independent, and commercial games. The arcade is curated by Kokoromi, a Montreal-based group that creates and promotes experimental gameplay. On Day 1, guests can also see presentations by Heather Kelley of Kokoromi, Randy Smith of Electronic Arts LA, Jason Rohrer of Arthouse Games and Jesse Schell, a professor in the ETC.
Day 2 features the Poetics of Gameplay Master Class, in which 12 Carnegie Mellon students will present games and receive feedback from the symposium guests. The symposium finishes with a panel discussion and an after party. There will also be tours of the ETC.
A complete schedule of events along with speaker biographies can be found at http://www.theartofplay.com/. For more information, call 412-268-2409 or e-mail artscool@andrew.mcu.edu. All events are held in the College of Fine Arts or Margaret Morrison-Carnegie Hall on the Oakland campus. Shuttles will be provided for transportation to the off-campus ETC.
For a primer on the size of the video game industry, the process of producing games and the are video games art? question, listen to a podcast with Kelley, Rod Humble of Electronic Arts and computer science student Gregory Peng at www.cmu.edu/cfa/labA6.html
__________________________
Future of Interactive Technology for Peace Conference April 2-3
Do video games have the potential to assist the peacemaking process? If so, how do game creators incorporate social values into games? These and other provocative topics will be the focus of the Future of Interactive Technology for Peace Conference, April 2-3 at Carnegie Mellon Universitys Entertainment Technology Center (ETC). This first-of-its-kind conference provides a forum for discussing the impact and the potential that interactive technology holds for peace and peacemaking.
Featured speakers include Lucas Welch, president and founder of Soliya, a non-profit organization that uses new media technologies to help college students with productive discussions of cultural and social differences; Eric Brown and Asi Burak, social entrepreneurs and creators of the video game PeaceMaker; Carnegie Mellon Computer Scientist and MacArthur Fellow Luis Von Ahn; and Jesse Schell, Carnegie Mellon faculty member and former creative director of Disneys Virtual Reality Studio.
Brown and Buraks work on PeaceMaker while at Carnegie Mellon initiated the discussion about the potential for using interactive technologies to educate people about peacemaking. In PeaceMaker players act as the Israeli prime minister or Palestinian president and try to establish a stable resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The conference, sponsored by the Richard Lounsbery Foundation, which focuses on peacemaking and diplomacy, will also include many other speakers who will explore applying interactive technology to conflict resolution and international affairs. A full list of workshops and speakers is available at www.etc.cmu.edu/peace2008/.
The conference brings together 200 professionals, professors and students to collaborate in workshops including Peace Pitch and Values at Play: Integrating Human Values into Games. In the Values at Play workshop, conference attendees will work with members of the Tiltfactor Lab, the first social activist game lab in the country, to incorporate social messages into games.
Our hope is that this will be the first of many conferences which explore the application of technology to pressing social issues, said Brenda Harger, co-chair of the conference and an ETC faculty member.
The ETC is interested in exploring how media and technology can have positive impact and effect social change, said Drew Davidson, director of the ETC-Pittsburgh. We're excited to host this conference with Lounsbery's support that will bring together influential and inspirational people to share ideas and strategize about the future of technology and peace.
Registration for the conference is required. Media inquiries are welcome. For more information, contact Anne Humphreys at ah34@andrew.cmu.edu.
ROBO Business 2008: April 8-10, Pittsburgh
Entertainment Engineering - Volume 5 Issue 3: Now in its fifth year, RoboBusiness is the must-attend event for those interested in the business and technical issues related to the development of the personal, service and mobile robotics industry.
Fluid FX "Secrets" Revealed in National Treasure: Book of Secrets
Entertainment Engineering - Volume 5 Issue 3: For National Treasure: Book of Secrets (Walt Disney Pictures), Asylum Visual Effects delivered an array of visual effects from painting to set-extensions to digital doubles to building intricately detailed CG environments. Yet when it came to complex fluid fx, Asylum called-in the expertise of Mark Stasiuk at Fusion CI Studios. As a result, Asylum produced fluid fx not yet seen in feature film.
Drives and Controls Make Flight Simulator Fun and Unique
Entertainment Engineering - Volume 5 Issue 3: “Unbelievable”, “Breathtaking”, “A sheer speed thrill.” The first passengers climb out of the mini airplane and let rip with their enthusiasm. In the last few minutes they were not only witnesses, but also participants in a perfect illusion. This time they were not passive spectators sitting down; they were actively involved in the action. They were entertained and swept away with the latest technology and a large amount of imagination. The new flight simulator, which will attempt to take over the entertainment and amusement parks from Spring 2008, is called the Flyboard 5000.
Jobs - ATD, Carp
ASSISTANT TECHNICAL DIRECTOR: The Tony Award winning La Jolla Playhouse (LORT B) seeks a qualified individual to assist a team of three Technical Directors for an ambitious 2008 season which includes two large-scale musicals. Individual must have excellent hand and CAD drafting skills; a thorough knowledge of complex scenic construction techniques and its related technology; knowledge in the use of hand and power tools and a variety of construction material; and experience with hydraulics, pneumatics, motion control, rigging and metal fabrication. Must have excellent skills in accurately interpreting designs from drawings and written communication. This is a seasonal position with the possibility of a long-term extension. Send cover letter, resume, and references to: Peter J. Davis, Production Manager, La Jolla Playhouse,
SCENE TECHNICIAN:
University Lecture Series
Thursday, March 27th
4:30pm – Adamson Wing Auditorium, 136A Baker Hall
Scott Berkun, Author
THE MYTHS OF INNOVATION
Much of what we know about innovation is wrong. That's the bet this talk takes, as it romps through the history of innovation and creative thinking, dispelling the mythologies we've constructed about how we got here. This fun, interactive talk, loosely based on the best selling book, will help you recognize the myths, understand their popularity (even if you don't believe in them), and explore how to apply lessons from true innovation history in your own work today.
BIO: Scott Berkun (H&SS '94) worked at Microsoft from 1994-2003, mostly as a program manager on Internet Explorer versions 1.0 to 5.0. He works now as a writer and public speaker, teaches creative thinking at the
Thursday, March 27th
LOCAL ECONOMY AND URBAN FARMING LECTURE
5:00pm – McConomy Auditorium, UC (PLEASE NOTE TIME AND LOCATION OF LECTURE)
Kenneth Warren, Director,
HOW GREEN DOES YOUR GARDEN GROW: ASSESSING COMMUNITY CAPACITY AND ALIGNING LOCAL INSTIGATIONS
Monday, March 31st
4:30pm – Adamson Wing Auditorium, 136A Baker Hall
Elizabeth W. Jones, Department Head, Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon
MAKING IT UP AS I (WE) WENT ALONG
I joined the faculty ranks just before the movement to include women in faculties was initiated. This meant that I was often the only woman in the room at various functions. It also meant that when the movement began, units like NIH study sections were desperate to find women to appoint, providing me with the opportunity for lots of service at the national level and a wide scientific acquaintanceship early in my career. When I left the faculty at
Wednesday, April 2nd, - Thursday, April 3rd
Carnegie Mellon,
The
THE FUTURE OF INTERACTIVE TECHNOLOGY FOR PEACE (REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED)
On behalf of the
The theme of the conference is exploration of the impact that interactive technology has on peace, peacemaking, and diplomacy. The conference will bring together professionals from the entertainment industry, academia (faculty and students), and government and foundation personnel.
This conference will provide an opportunity for participants to learn, share and discuss what the future holds for the use of interactive technology in peace and peacemaking. Key aims of the conference it to hear from researchers and professionals in the field on the opportunities for how interactive technology can impact education and training in the areas of diplomacy and peace and increase participants'
awareness of the role that technology has for peacemaking.
Conference speakers and workshop leaders include:
Lucas Welch, President and Founder, Soliya Luis Von Ahn, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon Mary Flanagan, Professor, Department of Film and Media Studies, Hunter College Jesse Schell, Faculty, Entertainment Technology Center and Founder and CEO, Schell Games
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