Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer Design Lighting for "Burlesque" Film; Due in Theatres in November

Playbill.com: "Tony Award-winning lighting designers Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer created theatrical lighting designs for the musical numbers in the upcoming feature film 'Burlesque.'"

Funny Bone comedy club relocating to Green Tree

Post Gazette: "Station Square no longer tickles the Funny Bone.
After a 22-year run at the South Side entertainment complex, the Funny Bone comedy club is taking the show up the road to the Radisson Hotel in Green Tree.
The club closed its doors at Station Square Monday and will reopen at the Radisson on Friday, April 9."

Tharp show best enjoyed for dance, not narrative

Post Gazette: "That voice. Those bodies.
The most easily accessed pleasures of 'Come Fly Away' -- Frank Sinatra's gorgeous phrasings, the dancers' gorgeous spins -- are the major selling points of choreographer Twyla Tharp's latest Broadway venture, a night of exhilarating but repetitious exertions to the tunes of 'That's Life,' 'Makin' Whoopee' and 'My Funny Valentine.'"

Local Production Team Seeks Unpaid Intern

Craigslist: "Looking for an intern to join the ranks of a local film crew shooting a low budget horror movie starting on or around April 26th."

June Havoc, Vaudeville Star, Is Dead at 97

NYTimes.com: "June Havoc, who appeared on vaudeville stages when she was 2 as Baby June and went on to a successful acting career — but saw her accomplishments overshadowed by the fictionalized portrayal of her in the 1959 musical “Gypsy” — died on Sunday at her home in Stamford, Conn. She was believed to be 97. The death was confirmed by her caregiver, Tana Sibilio."

Broadway Musical ‘Next to Normal’ Turns a Profit

NYTimes.com: "Bipolar disorder, electroshock therapy, a yearning for peace of mind: these are not the usual elements of a successful Broadway musical. Yet “Next to Normal,” which passed its one-year mark on Broadway on Saturday and is preparing for a national tour in November, now qualifies as a hit: it has earned back its $4 million capitalization, the producers said last week."

SketchUp for Woodworkers: Review and FAQ

Popular Woodworking: "Last week we released the first of two SketchUp 'Shop Classes' in the BookShop. In the first class, 'SketchUp for Woodworkers Part 1: Getting Started,' Robert W. Lang teaches you the essential techniques to use SketchUp for a variety of woodworking applications. Many have already purchased the on-demand video download and others have ordered the CD-ROM version which will be shipping late April."

Theatrical Reinvention

donhall: "Reinventing ourselves as we go through life is a natural part of being a human being. As we mature, encounter new circumstances, build new relationships, the acts of self reflection and personal growth are as necessary as breathing and feeding oneself. Without a bit of constant personal transformation, we stagnate and eventually become fetid, like a swamp."

Festival of Scenic Arts – Workshops

Scenography: "Workshops programme
3rd edition of International Festival of Scenic Arts (IFSArts)
Casa dell’Architettura (Piazza Manfredo Fanti, Rome, Italy)"

Are Benchtop Saws Gone?

Popular Woodworking: "The Carlos Osorio vs. One World Technologies Inc. et. al. lawsuit centers on whether the table saw being used when Osorio's accident occurred was defective. Osorio’s team claims the Ryobi BTS 15 was defective because there was no independent riving knife, no “user-friendly” guarding system and the saw did not incorporate SawStop technology or a similar technology that detects contact between a person and the spinning blade of a table saw, according to court records. The latter was the focus of the proceedings."

Hits, Smart Money Ditch Off-Broadway For Tonys

Bloomberg.com: "The producers of two new hit musicals, “The Scottsboro Boys” and “Yank!” say they’d rather gamble on Broadway than move into an off-Broadway theater.
The costs are lower, but so are potential profits -- and prestige."

In theatre, the cheap seats are meant to be just that

guardian.co.uk: "In a recent entry on his blog at The Stage, Mark Shenton discussed the relative merits of seeing the West End staging of Jez Butterworth's Jerusalem – and Mark Rylance's masterful Olivier-winning performance – from the cheap seats. For £10 it's possible to see the play from a (very) creaky balcony seat, roughly at eye level with the light fittings and ceiling sconces of the Apollo, with a view of the stage that's, to put it mildly, vertiginous. The actors seem very far away indeed, which is par for the course with balcony seats, but it's particularly marked at the Apollo." Via: ArtsJournal

Are preview performances worth it? Some surprising highs and lows

Chicago Tribune: "Last Thursday night, “Billy Elliot the Musical” began previews at the Oriental Theatre. And my mailbox immediately began to fill up with stories of computer malfunctions, restarted dance numbers and holds for technical problems leading to missed trains. And, in fairness, I've also heard much tell of how fast the show seems to have found its legs, and of the thrill of seeing hugely talented young performers out onstage alone for the first time.
Ah, previews. They are a weird breed." Via: ArtsJournal

Revival of Helen Keller Play Closes on Broadway

Backstage: "A Broadway revival of 'The Miracle Worker' that starred teenage actress Abigail Breslin as a young Helen Keller will close on Broadway after disappointing ticket sales, producers said on Monday."

NFTRW Weekly Top Five

Here are the top five comment generating posts from the past week:

Musicians share blame when theater groups use recorded tunes

ReviewJournal.com: "Live music has been slowly disappearing from the community theater scene, and after years of chastising the playhouses, I'm starting to think the musicians are responsible.
As most of us know, community theaters rarely pay participants. Here and there you may have find a director, union actor or a professional designer, but pretty much the pay stub is either a paltry stipend or zilch. So it's surprising to learn that the exception to all this cultural generosity is the musician."

Posted by David at 3/28/2010 01:50:00 PM

12 Ways to Find More Time

WebWorkerDaily: "The return of daylight savings time often brings with it a flurry of complaints about losing something web workers treasure most: time."

Posted by David at 3/25/2010 05:37:00 PM

Mardis Gras Indians Claim Copyright Protection Over Outfits

Techdirt: "A bunch of folks have sent over the recent NY Times article about the 'Mardis Gras Indians' -- a group of folks in New Orleans who create elaborate costumes that they wear to a few events each year (with Mardis Gras being a big one, obviously). With the costumes being so elaborate, they're often photographed, and the Indians are so pissed off that these photographs are then sold that they're trying to claim copyright over their costumes, in order to threaten any photographer who does anything with such a photograph."

Posted by David at 3/27/2010 08:29:00 PM

How to fake tattoos for the stage

SFGate: "How do you create stage tattoos that won't smear on costumes but aren't durable enough to interfere with actors' future casting options? Sometimes with a brush, sometimes with fabric."

Posted by David at 3/25/2010 05:21:00 PM

Drama Scene Shop – Day 1

The ImininTech Project: "Yesterday was our first day in the CMU Drama Department’s Scene Shop. They have every tool you could ever need to build amazing things. We also received a huge shipment of lumber and supplies."

Posted by David at 3/25/2010 05:40:00 PM

The Mikado

Pittsburgh City Paper: "While noting that Gilbert & Sullivan's The Mikado turns 125 this month does acknowledge some of the show's challenges, deeper issues remain. Sure, many of the references and attitudes in this classic operetta are a bit worn with age. But beyond content, the form of The Mikado is as dated as some of the jokes."

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Pittsburgh City Paper: "When Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice created Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, they were 20 and 24 years old, respectively. It was 1968, and Webber and Rice were nobodies. What began as a quaint 15-minute concert piece for a small English school has evolved into one of the most-produced musicals in history."

Musicians share blame when theater groups use recorded tunes

ReviewJournal.com: "Live music has been slowly disappearing from the community theater scene, and after years of chastising the playhouses, I'm starting to think the musicians are responsible.
As most of us know, community theaters rarely pay participants. Here and there you may have find a director, union actor or a professional designer, but pretty much the pay stub is either a paltry stipend or zilch. So it's surprising to learn that the exception to all this cultural generosity is the musician."

'Japanese Jazz Opera' spectacularly odd

PRI.ORG: "A video making the rounds online features actors dressed up as peasants singing American jazz standards with Japanese lyrics."

Minnesota Theater Alliance formed

StarTribune.com: "Despite its national profile as a theater center, Minnesota has lacked a service organization charged with galvanizing the industry. The newly formed Minnesota Theater Alliance hopes to fill that void."

Theater is one party after another for Weiner

The Boston Globe: "At the moment, the focus of Weiner’s attention is the first run-through of an off-off-Broadway musical he’s co-written and helped produce called “Caligula Maximus.’’ The show kicks off with a topless Penthouse Pet, Justine Joli, carried in on what happens to be a 9-foot-long cardboard penis."

A ‘leap of faith’ pays off nicely for City Ballet

SignOnSanDiego.com: "City Ballet of San Diego teetered on the edge of bankruptcy a year ago, but that near-death experience put barely a crimp in Steven and Elizabeth Wistrich’s ambition to make their company San Diego’s top professional ballet troupe."

In His Own Words - David Greenspan, Actor and Playwright

NYTimes.com: "“I CAN take any empty space and call it a bare stage. A man walks across this empty space whilst someone else is watching him, and that is all that is needed for an act of theater to be engaged.” I encountered these lines from “The Empty Space,” by Peter Brook, as a college freshman. They struck a chord within me then and have remained a guiding principle in my work."

Baryshnikov Talks to Elizabeth LeCompte of Wooster Group

NYTimes.com: "SINCE its opening in 2005 the Baryshnikov Arts Center has been resolutely multidisciplinary in its programming. Still, the building is named after a man who is synonymous with dance, and it was something of a surprise to learn three years ago that Mikhail Baryshnikov had asked the Wooster Group, the venerable experimental theater collective, to take up residence in a newly acquired and still-to-be-renovated theater in the building in Midtown Manhattan."

Southern California's big theaters need fresh, dramatic thinking

latimes.com: "Southern California is famous for being ahead of the national curve -- in styles, fads and unenviable crises. And right now, the region's largest institutional theaters are serving as a crystal ball for leadership concerns affecting nonprofit theaters throughout the country."

Review: Corning Works presents a striking launch

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "The debut production of Corning Works, choreographer Beth Corning's new production company, is a striking example of dance theater. 'A Seat at the Table' was presented for the first time on Thursday night at the New Hazlett Theater on the North Side, with performances continuing through Sunday."

Equivocation Wins Steinberg/ATCA Award; Margulies and Zacarias Also Cited

Playbill.com: "The American Theatre Critics Association (ATCA) has named Bill Cain's Equivocation winner of the 2010 Harold and Mimi Steinberg/ATCA New Play Award, which recognizes the best scripts which premiered professionally in 2009 outside of New York City."

Dance - Sinatra, Focused on Sex and Sizzle

NYTimes.com: "The choreography for the new dance musical “Come Fly Away” is overwrought. That’s hardly surprising; it’s by Twyla Tharp, whose artistic temperament has always been marked by ambition and excess, often with exciting results. It’s hard to imagine anyone in the audience falling asleep for a moment: the music, nearly all Sinatra songs, is loud, and the dancing’s energy is whiz-slam high."

Mardis Gras Indians Claim Copyright Protection Over Outfits

Techdirt: "A bunch of folks have sent over the recent NY Times article about the 'Mardis Gras Indians' -- a group of folks in New Orleans who create elaborate costumes that they wear to a few events each year (with Mardis Gras being a big one, obviously). With the costumes being so elaborate, they're often photographed, and the Indians are so pissed off that these photographs are then sold that they're trying to claim copyright over their costumes, in order to threaten any photographer who does anything with such a photograph."

Cambridge University 800th Anniversary by ETC

Design Year Book: "To celebrate the legendary Cambridge University 800 years anniversary, ETC was commissioned to create a light show to mark the celebration. ETC produced a projection spectacular onto the facades of two of the faculty’s buildings – the Senate House and the Old School building. The 50m wide video projections paid homage to the incredible theories and inventions to come out of the famous institution, such as those from Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin. The nine-minute looped show played for three nights, attracting thousands of spectators to the town centre."

Waking Sleeping Beauty - A Look at Famous Fables That Sing on the Screen

NYTimes.com: "“Waking Sleeping Beauty” is a moderately engaging documentary about the renaissance of Disney animation during the golden decade (1984-94) that yielded “The Little Mermaid,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Aladdin” and “The Lion King.” Directed by Don Hahn, the producer of “Beauty and the Beast” and “The Lion King,” the movie is a sly retrospective exercise in corporate self-congratulation masquerading as an insider’s tell-all."

Mullally’s Broadway Bolt Opens Door for Scott Mennonite Musical

Bloomberg.com: "Broadway musicals are often announced years in advance. Thanks to television star Megan Mullally, Broadway belter Sherie Rene Scott may have the challenge of opening one with a month’s notice."

Pittsburgh City Theatre Opens World Premiere of 'When January Feels Like Summer'

Yahoo! News: "Cultures collide at Pittsburgh's City Theatre in the world premiere of Cori Thomas' When January Feels Like Summer, opening March 26 after previews from March 20. Performances play to April 11."

Play revivals carry baggage

Variety: "Opera has its ABCs ('Aida,' 'La Boheme,' 'Carmen), and the repertoire for classical ballet doesn't include many works beyond 'Swan Lake,' 'Giselle' and 'Sleeping Beauty.' Broadway has developed a similar case of repertoire ossification when it comes to staging a classic play from the 20th century that can turn a profit."

Taymor gets lifetime achievement award

Variety: "Julie Taymor will receive New Dramatists' lifetime achievement award, presented by Helen Mirren, later this spring as part of the Gotham nonprofit's annual spring lunch."

Tales of the City Musical Will Premiere in San Fran; ACT Season to Include McCraney, Irwin and Pinter

Playbill.com: "The musical adaptation of Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City will make a homecoming during the 2010-2011 season at San Francisco's American Conservatory Theatre."

Court Documents: Osorio Wasn't Using the Guard or Rip Fence

Popular Woodworking: "If you're a woodworker, you know about the landmark lawsuit – Carlos Osorio vs. One World Technologies Inc. et al – and about the $1.5 million dollar jury award. Discussions, both for and against the verdict, have been ongoing since the jury decided that One World Technologies (known to us as Ryobi) was at fault. However what most people don't know are the actual facts of this injury. How did Osorio cut his hand? What injuries did he sustain?"

Concert Promoters Replacing Paper Tickets With Smart-Chip Wristbands

Fast Company: "Live Nation, the world's largest concert promoter, is on the case of paper tickets. The firm has been trialling smart-chip wristbands in an attempt to cut down on ticket fraud, and it is expected that the promoter will roll out the scheme at British festivals this summer."

I Hear The Weather's Nice In East Texas, Too, But I Doubt That's Why Patent Litigants Move There...

Techdirt: "We're all familiar with the many reasons why patent holders try to file their lawsuits in East Texas -- a notoriously 'patent holder friendly' court, such that the it remains (far and away) the most popular court for patent lawsuits. However, in recent years, there has been some effort underway to get cases that obviously don't belong in East Texas to be moved elsewhere, with some success. However, to deal with this, we've seen a variety of tactics from patent holders, including suing lots of companies in a variety of places so that 'any place' is better than somewhere else and picking a random tiny local East Texas company to sue along with all the big companies, just so you can claim 'hey, the lawsuit belongs in East Texas.'"

Daniel Libeskind's New Theater Opens, Offers Hope to Cash-Strapped Dublin | Design of the Times

Fast Company: "Daniel Libeskind's new theater is a stage within a stage within a stage. With Ireland's economy in tatters, it's a reaffirmation that even when times are tough, the show must go on."

Summer Interns - Signature Theatre Company

The Producer's Perspective Classifieds: "The Signature Internship Program offers you the opportunity to work alongside professional artists and managers at the forefront of New York not-for-profit theatre. Through our comprehensive program, undergraduates, early-career professionals, and graduate students can acquire hands-on experience in not-for-profit theatre administration and production. In addition, our program features a seminar series, mentorship opportunities, and the chance to explore each and every department in our company."

AutoCAD 2011 Feature Tips Tricks Transparency

Between the Lines: "Here is a great tip from my Autodesk colleague Shiho Tanaka an AutoCAD QA Engineer here in the Autodesk San Francisco office. This tip covers the new AutoCAD 2011 Transparency property which has been a top request of AutoCAD customers."

iSquint & JimOnLight Announce #USITT50 Kansas City’s Evening Party Plan

iSquint.net: "So over the last several months we’ve been talking about that convention that’s happening in Kansas City next week, and how @lekogirl and @a_mandolin are going to be going head-to-head in a Gaff Dress Challenge at the BMI Supply booth (which is booth 1010, by the way). Even though apparently none of the lighting bloggers in this world are cool enough to report on the USITT convention in Kansas City, we’re still gonna be there having a good time!"

5 Reasons why we shouldn't have gotten rid of Special Theatrical Event this season.

PRODUCER’S PERSPECTIVE: "Immediately following last year's Tony Awards, the Admin Committee decided to strike the 'Special Theatrical Event' Tony from the list of trophies that it would hand out in the future."

West End audiences see more shows

Variety: "West End auds go to the theater more frequently -- and in a more equal distribution of age ranges -- than Broadway ticketbuyers, according to stats released in a new study of West End theatergoers from the Society of London Theater."

Playground

Carnegie Mellon University: "For one week every year, classes and production work in Carnegie Mellon's School of Drama stop while student directors, designers, actors, technicians and playwrights collaborate on more than 40 productions of their own. It's called 'PLAYGROUND: A Festival of Independent Student Work.'"

Drama Scene Shop – Day 1

The ImininTech Project: "Yesterday was our first day in the CMU Drama Department’s Scene Shop. They have every tool you could ever need to build amazing things. We also received a huge shipment of lumber and supplies."

Norwin High School cast, crew take on challenge of 'Curtains'

PG East Review: "In the long, annual list of high school spring musicals, familiar titles dominate - 'Annie,' 'Oliver,' 'Grease.'
When something new comes along, you take note."

'Nunsense' offers night of good, clean fun

Post Gazette: "I must confess that until last week, I was a 'Nunsense' virgin.
Now that I have witnessed the 25-year musical success story, count me among the believers that convent humor can be habit-forming. It's good, clean fun, and in the production now at the CLO Cabaret, 'Nunsense' also provides a showcase for a couple of veteran performers and an angel-faced novice."

'Oz' gives locals a shot at Munchkinland

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "For a dozen local children, the road to Munchkinland begins at a dance studio in Wexford.
A group of 12 students at Michele's Dance Center in Wexford will play Munchkins and Winkies when the national touring production of 'The Wizard of Oz' begins performances Tuesday at Heinz Hall, Downtown.
The non-Equity touring production is a non-subscription special presentation of PNC Broadway Across America-Pittsburgh."

City Theatre's new play a quest for love

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Playwright Cori Thomas hopes audiences will find 'When January Feels Like Summer' as surprising as she did.
'I would like for people to start the play thinking it will be one thing and then discover it's something else,' Thomas says.
'When January Feels Like Summer' is having its world premiere production through April 11 at City Theatre on the South Side."

CREW NEEDED FOR FEATURE FILM

Craigslist: "Black Boot Productions is looking to fill crew positions for a feature film. Shooting will start May 1st and last till July 17th"

Makeup Assistant Needed for weddings

Criagslist: "Must know how to apply makeup and will be tested in two interviews."

12 Ways to Find More Time

WebWorkerDaily: "The return of daylight savings time often brings with it a flurry of complaints about losing something web workers treasure most: time."

A Transforming Video Wall at HP's HQ Is More Than Meets the Eye

Fast Company: "It's a wall! It's a TV! It's a new architectural installation that can transform from a stunning contemporary room divider to a large-screen digital theater! HP has just installed this genre-defying display in its Palo Alto headquarters, designed by New York-based Tronic. The hybrid sculpture/video wall was created to be a piece that 'transcends technology and creates an experience that embraces the new,' Tronic co-founder Vivian Rosenthal tells FastCompany.com."

Hot Or Not: Magnifying Safety Glasses

Toolmonger: "Many Toolmongers are familiar with the eye strain that comes with years of examining fine measurements, instruction manuals, and other close-up work in the shop. Since it’s such a common issue, a slew of companies makes various types of magnifying and bifocal safety glasses — 3M, Fastcap, DeWalt, Apex, and Smith and Wesson, to name a few"

Roland AR-3000R and Time Code

- John's Blog Main Page - : "OK, this is an INTENSELY geeky post. If you're not a show control nerd, feel free to skip ahead now. If you want to see what the exciting world of show control is like, read on, but there's probably about 50 people in the world who will find this interesting... (If you want to learn more, of course, I can recommend a fantastic book on the subject.)"

AutoCAD 2011 and many other Autodesk 2011 Products Released

Between the Lines: "Starting today March 25th 2010 you will begin to see and hear a great deal of information about the new 2011 products being released from Autodesk."

Quickie: Lighting A Green Show

On Stage Lighting: "Creative Stage Lighting is hosting a webinar at Friday, March 26, 3:30pm-5pm EST called “The ABCs of Lighting A Green Show”. Hosted by Richard Cadena (him wot wrote the book on automated lighting) and with Rush LD Howard Ungerlieder"

Theater Talkback: Costume Drama

NYTimes.com: "Even before he opens his mouth, you can tell that the central character in Martin McDonagh’s “Behanding in Spokane” is bonkers. Of course, it’s kind of a giveaway that he’s being played by Christopher Walken, that master interpreter of psychos. But look closely at what he’s wearing, and how he’s wearing it. Everything is at least secondhand, and nothing really fits, including that big black coat and those oversize, way-too-short pants. Yet his clothes seem as much a part of him as his skin, or a carapace for an armadillo. This guy lives in those duds and probably has for a long, long time."

It's official: Harry Potter opens at Universal Orlando on June 18

Themepark Insider: "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal's Islands of Adventure will open - officially - on June 18, just making Universal's announced deadline of 'Spring 2010.'"

Email Overload - Reducing Electronic Overload

Productivity501: "Email is one of those things that can be both a great time-saver and a huge waste of time. The idea of being able to send a message to someone across the country and get a reply back in hours or even minutes is amazing, even though we take it for granted. Unfortunately, email has become a victim of its own success, and it is easy to drown in the huge volume of electronic messages that come in each day."

The Looking Glass Theatre - Assistant Directors/Stage Managers

The Producer's Perspective Classifieds: "Looking for a few fantastic, professional women to join our Spring 2010 Writer/Director Forum, an exciting festival of new works created and brought to the stage by emerging female playwrights and directors!We're seeking Assistant Directors/Stage Managers for the Spring Forum, which runs June 3 through the 27. Thursday-Sunday night shows, rehearsals begin late April."

Harry Potter park adds new characters

Reuters: "'Harry Potter' creator J.K. Rowling helped flesh out four new characters who will appear exclusively at Universal Orlando's theme park version of her mythical Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, park designers said on Thursday."

How to fake tattoos for the stage

SFGate: "How do you create stage tattoos that won't smear on costumes but aren't durable enough to interfere with actors' future casting options? Sometimes with a brush, sometimes with fabric."

Oskar Eustis, bicoastal wonder

SFGate: "It is my experience that, in general, we do not appreciate the things that happen to us while they are happening. Life, in general, seems like one thing after another, and we often don't pause long enough to think that This Thing is rather more remarkable than the bus ride beforehand or the hillside trudge afterward."

Role Reversal

Backstage: "Don't be fooled by the rising stock market or other signs of economic recovery. The color of most state budgets is deep red, and arts funding remains on the chopping block. Coast to coast, theaters already offering fewer productions are set to lower their tallies further, with shows featuring tiny casts increasingly standard. Until state arts funding stabilizes—that's a big if—the number of acting jobs on stage won't rise anytime soon."

AFTRA, SAG Urge Action on Piracy

Backstage: "The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and the Screen Actors Guild joined five other industry and labor groups—among them the Motion Picture Association of America—in a joint filing Wednesday with the White House Office of Intellectual Property Enforcement that outlines a consensus view regarding threats to intellectual-property enforcement."

MSI: The Science of Storms

abc7chicago.com: "Be blown away by a 40-foot tornado swirling before you. See bolts of lightning crack over your head. Trigger an avalanche. Unleash a tsunami wave. It's all possible beginning March 18, 2010, as the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago (MSI) unveils Science Storms, an unprecedented and dramatic permanent exhibit in newly-named Allstate Court that reveals the extraordinary science behind some of nature's most powerful and compelling phenomena-tornados, lightning, fire, tsunamis, sunlight, avalanches and atoms in motion."

CMU to host TEDx conference centered on speeches

Post Gazette: "It's taken almost a year for the April 4 TEDx conference at Carnegie Mellon University to come together - a long time for an event built on 18-minute presentations."

Stage Right's 'Guys and Dolls' is no gamble

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Even though he is an accomplished actor, David Cabot of Edgewood admits he strays from his comfort zone to portray Sky Masterson in Stage Right's production of the classic Frank Loesser Broadway musical, 'Guys and Dolls.'"

Glue Factory Project brings back former Dance Alloy director

Post Gazette: "Last July, Beth Corning's mostly hand-picked board at the Dance Alloy suddenly dismissed her as artistic director. She grabbed her laptop and a few personal items and left the building."

Small fire on Capitol Theatre stage won't affect show

Deseret News: "A small fire at Capitol Theatre generated a lot of smoke inside the building Wednesday morning, but theater personnel said it would not affect the current production." via BackstageJobs.com (backstagejobs) on Twitter

New Kushner Play at the Public Next Spring

NYTimes.com: "Tony Kushner’s latest play, “The Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide to Capitalism and Socialism With a Key to the Scriptures,” his first epic-size work about American life since his Pulitzer Prize-winning “Angels in America” in the early 1990s, will have its New York premiere next spring in a co-production by the Public Theater and the Signature Theater Company, the two theaters announced Monday."

Why are professors at Harvard, Duke, and Middlebury teaching courses on David Simon's The Wire?

Slate Magazine: "Among the police officers and drug dealers and stickup men and politicians and dockworkers and human smugglers and teachers and students and junkies and lawyers and journalists who populate the late, great HBO series The Wire, there is one academic. His name is David Parenti and he teaches social work at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. He is not a major character, but he appears throughout the show's fourth season—an earnest, well-meaning man defined in part by his naïveté about the inner-city kids whose lives he wants to improve. As for Johns Hopkins, Baltimore's best-known university, it only comes up as a place where the show's police officers can get cushy campus security jobs after they retire. Academia, in other words, is not a culture that the show's creators, David Simon and Ed Burns, betray much interest in exploring."

Downstage Center - Jordan Roth - March, 2010

American Theatre Wing: "Jordan Roth, President of New York's Jujamcyn Theaters, discusses his ascension to the top spot running a quintet of Broadway houses, which makes him one of the handful of people who can decide what is (or isn't) a Broadway show. He talks about his lifelong love of theatre; how he grew to be dissatisfied with performing while still a student at Princeton; his wholly unplanned evolution into the producer of The Donkey Show and the freedom on that production to create new ways of putting on a theatrical production; his move into Broadway producing and how he worked to push beyond conventional boundaries with the revival of The Rocky Horror Show; the profound impact closing of The Mambo Kings out of town had on him; how he came to produce A Catered Affair and why he bridles at the show being considered a more conventional work than his previous efforts; and, six months in, how he's enjoying his new role, the difference between being 'the producer' and 'the house,' and how he hopes to achieve artistic goals while operating the theatres. He also explains his new role moonlighting as a moderator for the 92nd Street Y's new 'Broadway Talks' series and his role in creating Givenik.com, which merges ticket selling with philanthropy."

It looks like a rendering, but it's not: Lichtfront's augmented light sculpture

Core77: "Installation artists and visual designers Grosse8/Lichtfront developed the above 'Augmented Sculpture,' working in both 3-D and time-based media, presented to a public audience for the first time in January at the Interior Design Week Cologne"

Transmaterial 3 sheds some light on Delight Cloth

Core77: "Japan's Tsuya Textile Co., in conjunction with the Fukui Engineering Center, has developed Delight Cloth, a 'light-emitting textile' made from superthin fiber optic strands woven into a sort of tapestry."

Hollywood prop shop helps re-create the past

Los Angeles Times: "The movie: an adaptation of Sara Gruen's 2006 bestselling novel 'Water for Elephants,' about a veterinary student who quits his studies to join a traveling circus.
The scene: a group of students, circa 1931, on the campus of Cornell University.
Jim Elyea's task: to make sure the briefcases the students are carrying look authentic when the film begins shooting this May in Santa Paula, Calif."

It’s Just Cool: Garage Door Photo Tarpaulins

Toolmonger: "The Now That’s Nifty blog reports on photo tarpaulins from the German company Style Your Garage. These tarps are giant flexible photos designed for “up-and-over” garage doors, and they attach with Velcro. They have a variety of themes ranging from vehicles to landscapes to animals and more."

The Swiss Family Tree Sprouts

Kevin Kidney: "It's the early part of 1962 and six tons of steel are rapidly
becoming the Family Robinson's island homestead.
Had construction stopped right here it still would have
been a very impressive work of minimalist modern art." via Boing Boing

A new stage age: why theatres should embrace digital technology

guardian.co.uk: "There was a time, back in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when 'multimedia' was a real buzzword. In practice, what this meant was a few video screens dotted around a venue, merely the borrowed trappings of technology rather than a geniune attempt to make art or engage audiences in new ways. But the growth of pervasive media and digital technologies is offering theatre-makers and audiences unprecedented new challenges and opportunities. Unlike multimedia theatre, these technologies are not a passing fad; in fact they are as likely to have an impact on our theatregoing and theatre-making as the Oyster card, Facebook or mobile phones have had on our everyday lives."

David Mamet's Master Class Memo to the Writers of The Unit

Movieline: "HERE ARE THE DANGER SIGNALS. ANY TIME TWO CHARACTERS ARE TALKING ABOUT A THIRD, THE SCENE IS A CROCK OF SHIT.
ANY TIME ANY CHARACTER IS SAYING TO ANOTHER “AS YOU KNOW”, THAT IS, TELLING ANOTHER CHARACTER WHAT YOU, THE WRITER, NEED THE AUDIENCE TO KNOW, THE SCENE IS A CROCK OF SHIT.
DO NOT WRITE A CROCK OF SHIT. WRITE A RIPPING THREE, FOUR, SEVEN MINUTE SCENE WHICH MOVES THE STORY ALONG, AND YOU CAN, VERY SOON, BUY A HOUSE IN BEL AIR AND HIRE SOMEONE TO LIVE THERE FOR YOU."

AFTRA, Equity Cheer Health-Care Reform

Backstage: "On March 23, President Obama signed into law the Affordable Health Care for America Act, a massive reform package, following more than one year of political wrangling. The signing ceremony came just two days after the House of Representatives passed the bill by a vote of 219 to 212. Reaction from two of the major performers' unions was mostly positive."

Lighting Professor Named One of 50 Most Powerful in Entertainment Technology

CMU Drama School Blog - post-gazette.com: "Abigail Rosen Holmes, Carnegie Mellon’s new Associate Professor of Lighting Design, was just listed in the top 50 most powerful people in Entertainment Technology by Live Design Magazine. Abbey was exposed to performing arts at an early age. Her mother was a contemporary dancer and professor of dance. The performances Abbey attended inspired a passion for exploring lighting’s many possibilities."

Production Technology and Management Students Explore with “Navigator” Stage Automation Package

CMU Drama School Blog - post-gazette.com: "Casey Roche, a leader in the Production Technology field, and currently affiliated with Fisher Technical Services, Inc., led a weeklong workshop with the School of Drama’s Production Technology Management students in the programming and operation of the Navigator stage automation package, which the School of Drama recently acquired."

Drama in Vegas

Carnegie Mellon University: "The fourth-year architecture theater studio is an interdisciplinary class of eight architecture students and six drama students. Dick Block, associate head of the School of Drama, co-teaches the course with Kevin Wagstaff, an architect and partner at Perfido Weiskopf Wagstaff + Goettel in downtown Pittsburgh. Both instructors were looking for a trip that would be of equal interest to both architecture and drama students."

Review: 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat' has flash, fun

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Lisa Elliott's lively choreography and Ken Gargaro's efficient direction put the flash and fun into Pittsburgh Musical Theater's production of 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,' Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's extravagant musical that plays at the Byham Theater, Downtown through Sunday."

Writers Will Benefit From Roundabout Decision to Alter Subsidiary Rights Practice

Playbill.com: "Roundabout Theatre Company announced on March 23 that it will begin a new subsidiary rights practice for living playwrights whose work is seen at the not-for-profit's Off-Broadway home at the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre."

SketchUp Shop Class Now In Session

Popular Woodworking: "We've been teasing our blog readers for a couple weeks now about our new online 'Shop Class on Demand' for SketchUp and I'm happy to announce that it it now up and running in our store. If you've been wanting to learn how to use SketchUp, or tried it but gave up in frustration, this is an exciting new way to master this design and planning software."

African American Woman- Katori Hall- Wins London’s Olivier Award for Best New Play

Women & Hollywood: "In what was seen as an upset of the more high profile plays Enron by Lucy Prebble (which is coming to Broadway this spring) and Jerusalem by Jez Butterworth, 28-year old American, Katori Hall a walked off with the best new play prize for her piece about the last night of Martin Luther King Jr’s life, The Mountaintop."

Playwright Lynn Nottage’s Message for World Theatre Day

Women & Hollywood: "I challenge all of us to sustain the complexity of our world; to invite a multitude of diverse voices onto the stage. We must open the doors and windows of our theatres to let the world in. It is our responsibility; it is our burden and our gift. We are fabulators…we are cultural watchdogs."

Ageing and Dyeing: What the **** is that? «

MarthaStalwart: "I was away last week working on location and I realized that some of the skills or tips I’ve picked up at work might be valuable information for DIY-minded people or just people in general. When I am not making things for my store, renovating our apartment or writing this blog, I am a costumer in film and TV. My job varies drastically from gig to gig, from shopping to fitting actors to swatching fabrics, but this past week, I was helping out the Ager/Dyer. This job is often overlooked in film but it is essential to look of the clothes, and when it looks bad, it looks REALLY bad and vice versa."

Theatre Management Internship - Maximum Entertainment Productions

The Producer's Perspective Classifieds: "We are looking for an energetic and reliable Summer intern with an interest in Theatrical Management. Must be a responsible, detail oriented, problem solver with a positive attitude. Dates are early May to late August. There is some flexibility in start and end dates."

Want to be a theatre director? Here are my 10 top survival tips

guardian.co.uk: "The world is full of aspiring theatre directors. Some of them are young, some not so young. Some are already working in the theatre, others have yet to break into it. They all know, or think they know, that they want to try their hands at directing. Directors, they believe, have control and vision and authority. They choose the plays, the actors and the designers. They are central to the creative process of the theatre but never have to write a play, act a part or sweep a stage; they have the perfect job. Well, maybe they have."

Windy City Burlesque Festi Announces Headliners, 4/15-17 2010/03/23

Broadway World: "Back in January, Belmont Burlesque and Vaudezilla made a splash with the announcement of the first-ever Windy City Burlesque Fest. Since then, they've been working hard to make this an event worthy of the birthplace of American Burlesque."

Villazon Triumphs in Stage Return as Love-Sick Twit

Bloomberg.com: "Sad-faced people held signs reading “Suche Karte” (Seeking Ticket) as the luckier souls piled into the Vienna Staatsoper last night. Scalpers charged as much as 1,000 euros ($1,350) for a seat in the top balcony."

Sondheim Stays on Marquee With Renamed Broadway House

Bloomberg.com: "By a quirk of fate or sport of the gods, March 22 is the shared birthday of modern musical theater icons Stephen Sondheim (80) and Andrew Lloyd Webber (62). Last night, Sondheim got the better birthday present: His signature permanently emblazoned on the marquee of a Broadway house."

L.A. Drama Critics Circle spreads the wealth at 2009 awards ceremony

Los Angeles Times: "The Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle handed out its 2009 awards Monday night and it looks like the group was in a spread-the-wealth mood. The circle--made up of print and online reviewers, including two free-lance journalists who write for the L.A. Times--continued its custom of honoring multiple winners in multiple categories."

The stamp of Shakespeare's on it

Philadelphia Inquirer | 03/23/2010: "Well, move over, Hamlet. An edition of Double Falsehood was published yesterday in England as part of the eminent Arden Shakespeare series. The U.S. edition will appear on May 17. Brean Hammond, professor of English at the University of Nottingham in England, showed Arden his decade of literary detective work - and the publisher was persuaded.
We're not talking about proof. Just about being convinced there's a chance. And both Hammond and the Arden folks say, guardedly, that they are. 'There could be Shakespeare here,' says Richard Proudfoot, general editor of the Arden series."

LADCC Awards Spread the Wealth

Backstage: "The 41st annual Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards, honoring distinguished achievements in theatre during 2009 in L.A. and vicinity, were handed out in a warm and entertaining ceremony at the Colony Theatre in Burbank, Calif., March 22, co-hosted by two very funny men: critic Wenzel Jones and actor-singer Jason Graae."

Music, costume, and dance: Students gather for Greek Sing

The Tartan Online: "For students and faculty members alike, Greek Sing is often acclaimed as the most anticipated event of the school year. This reputation has been rightfully earned, as the members of Carnegie Mellon’s various fraternities and sororities often dedicate hours upon hours of their time to building sets, learning songs, and choreographing dance routines to prepare for this stunning show."

“NOW WHAT? READY, SET, PRODUCE!” Saturday, March 27, 2010 at Point Park University

Pittsburgh Art + Technology: "The public is invited to join our finalists as they make their presentations in simulated pre-production meetings to review issues such as locations, casting, budgets, licensing, technical issues and more. At the discretion of the judges, one, two or even all three finalists could go away that day as winners."

Production drawbacks don't hold Pittsburgh Opera's 'Carmen' back

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Carmen is irresistible but can be difficult. A successful performance of Georges Bizet's ultra-popular opera 'Carmen' about the free-spirited gypsy woman can enchant from start to finish with a naturalness that makes time fly."

Beth Corning proves dance not only for the young

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Beth Corning is back. The former artistic and executive director of Dance Alloy Theater has created a new company called Corning Works. She's starting by reviving a methodology that's been successful for her before."

Broadway day for Obamas

Variety: "On Sunday, First Daughters Malia and Sasha Obama took in their first show on Broadway, the new musical 'Memphis,' and brought along their mom, First Lady Michelle Obama, and an entourage of about eight aides, secret servicemen and friends."

My Favorite Sondheim: Broadway Songwriters Choose Their Most Cherished Sondheim Songs

Playbill.com: "To mark the 80th birthday of groundbreaking composer-lyricist Stephen Sondheim, Playbill.com asked Broadway songwriters to do the impossible — pick their favorite songs by the master. From Ahrens to Zippel, we got an earful."

Stage Accents Trouble American and British Actors

NYTimes.com: "It’s only when you come to this city and hear British actors playing Americans that you realize how funny we all talk. I’m kidding, of course, but after listening to the peculiar nasality of some accents in the Old Vic revival of John Guare’s “Six Degrees of Separation,” I found myself wondering whether the twang-free voice I’d always assumed I’d been using sounded so very peculiar to the British. I’ve been working on something grander-sounding and mid-Atlantic ever since."

‘Next Fall’ Tries to Do Broadway on a Budget

NYTimes.com: "Rather than use the costly automated system of some big-budget shows, the crew for the new Broadway play “Next Fall” manually slides pieces of its set into place for different scenes. An actor even helps out, at one point carrying a table across the stage. Expensive scrims were considered but cut, and there has been no all-out advertising blitz of the kind that heralds some new productions."

News: Student Loan Overhaul Advances

Inside Higher Ed: "Unless you knew better, you would have been hard-pressed to know that Congress was considering one of the most significant pieces of higher education legislation ever on Sunday."

Fans flock to Texas SXSW festival in record numbers

Reuters: "But for music executives that flocked to the event on Sunday, the 10-day music, film, and interactive industry networking marathon was an chance to live on the razor's edge of technology and glimpse of the industry's changing face."

The Mountaintop pulls off shock win at Olivier Awards

The Stage: "Katori Hall’s The Mountaintop, which premiered at a 65-seat south London pub theatre, has pulled off a huge shock at this year’s Olivier Awards, beating both Jerusalem and Enron to the Best New Play Award."

The original, R-rated 'Grease' comes home to Chicago

The Theater Loop: "Forty years after its debut at the old Kingston Mines Theatre and after years of sanitation, disco-ization and Hollywood commercialization, the original, Chicago-style, R-rated “Grease” is coming back to its hometown.
As it once was. Or very close."

Rachel Weisz, Revivals Win Olivier Awards

Backstage: "Rachel Weisz was named best actress in a play as Blanche DuBois in 'A Streetcar Named Desire' and Mark Rylance best actor for 'Jerusalem' at the 2010 Laurence Olivier Awards, hosted by Anthony Head and presented Sunday evening."

Olivier Awards Presented March 21; Spring Awakening, Enron and Red Are Nominees

Playbill.com: "The U.K's Laurence Olivier Awards will be presented in a ceremony at London's Grosvenor House Hotel March 21. Anthony Head, who is currently appearing in Six Degrees of Separation at the West End's Old Vic Theatre, hosts."

Loving Molly Ivins, and Getting Her to the Stage

NYTimes.com: "THE Texas columnist and humorist Molly Ivins was an outspoken critic of those she saw as nincompoops in politics and big “bidness.” Ivins, who also wrote books like “Molly Ivins Can’t Say That, Can She?” and, with Lou Dubose, “Shrub: The Short but Happy Political Life of George W. Bush,” was feisty and controversial, a mix of bonhomie and sheer audacity. In short, a character."

Poster Art for Revival of ‘La Cage Aux Folles’

NYTimes.com: "REMEMBER when a poster with a little French street waif or a pair of cat’s eyes was enough to sell a Broadway show? Now, with advertising trying to stand out on television, the Internet and mobile devices, choosing the right Broadway campaign often means finding a look that is flexible enough for different platforms, and one that also catches attention quickly."

A Collection of Worst Practices

Arts Marketing: "A couple of weeks ago while sitting on a funding panel, I said to a representative of a very large funder that I didn't understand why people were so afraid to fail, and then discuss their failures openly so that everyone could learn from them. Especially in the fields of technology and audience development, more advances come out of failure than anything else. The funding representative said that she felt the same way, but heard from companies that they were afraid to admit their failures because they feared it would affect future funding opportunities."

Cincinnati Playhouse Announces 2010-2011 Season 2010/03/21

BroadwayWorld: "The Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park announced its 2010-2011 Season today. The season boasts two world premieres and four regional premieres, as well as the return of the Playhouse's most successful Shelterhouse production of all time.
According to Playhouse Producing Artistic Director Edward Stern, 'I'm proud to announce this remarkable 51st season at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. These plays - known and unknown - will excite, entertain and totally captivate Cincinnati audiences.'"

'9 to 5' Gets a New Director-Choreographer for National Tour

Yahoo! News: "When Dolly Parton's Broadway musical 9 to 5 is launched Sept. 21 on its national tour, the work of the original director and choreographer won't be seen. Jeff Calhoun has been enlisted to direct and choreograph.
Joe Mantello directed the Broadway staging in 2009, and Andy Blankenbuehler was Tony-nominated for the choreography."

City Theatre mixes it up next season

Post Gazette: "City Theatre's first three plays of the 2010-11 season are a wide-ranging mix, from a Broadway comedy to a true-life tragedy, along with a world premiere commissioned by the South Side theater."

City Theatre season to include world premiere

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Four plays now set for the 2010-11 City Theatre season include the world premiere of a home-grown comedy, a thriller recently on Broadway, an Off-Broadway drama and a summer special presentation.
Plans for three additional plays, as well as performance dates and times for all six plays in the subscription season, are still being decided."

Mountain Playhouse's season put on hold

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "A year after its 70th anniversary celebratory season, Mountain Playhouse in Jennerstown has put its 2010 season on indefinite hold.
The nonprofit theater company's board of directors voted to suspend operations so it could concentrate on paying down the $250,000 debt the professional summer theater operation accumulated during its 2008 season."

Pitt's repertory theater creates new take on 'Alice' - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Alice is certainly experiencing a growth spurt.
Sightings of Alice, the heroine of Lewis Carroll's 145-year-old children's book 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' have mushroomed in a variety of media and adaptations: most prominently in Tim Burton's film, but also in Melanie Benjamin's novel 'Alice Have I Been' and 'Alice,' a miniseries on the cable channel Syfy.
The latest addition to this growing collection of works, 'Alice,' a family-friendly musical-theater adaptation, has its world premiere as a production of the University of Pittsburgh Repertory Theatre."

'Nunsense' mines familiar vein for humor

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Pittsburgh has a proven fondness for nuns.
City Theatre has found a virtually renewable resource in various editions of 'Late Night Catechism.' For years, producer Jude Pohl filled a succession of performing spaces around town with productions of 'Nunsense.'
Now, Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera is mining the seemingly unconventional idea of funny nuns with its own production of 'Nunsense,' which is being given an extended run at the Cabaret at Theater Square, Downtown."

TV ads play up plays

Variety: "Channel-surf through the roster of New York TV stations these days and you might catch commercials featuring Denzel Washington's face on one, Christopher Walken on another and Scarlett Johansson on the next.
But the ads aren't promoting new movies. They're pushing Broadway plays."

'Glee' not going legit

Variety: "News that tuner licensing company Music Theater Intl. was in discussions to create a legit version of the buzzed-about show initially surface online, and were confirmed by MTI. But a rep for Fox said no talks had taken place with MTI or any other legit licensing company."

Hanging out with the Idiot interns

Berkeley Rep Blog: "Jamie and Amanda have filed their first Idiot intern video blog. Granted, there's not a lot of insider information, but their enthusiasm is infections, and they do take us inside the St. James Theatre and allow us a few minutes with Rebecca, whose pink streak looks even grander and pinker than it did in Berkeley."

3-D Printed Shoes: Quite the Feet

Fast Company: "You can make anything from 3-D printing, from impossibly complex lamps to chain-mail bags to entire buildings. So it's actually kind of surprising that 3-D printed shoes aren't more common. Maybe someday soon: For her master's thesis at ArtEZ in Arnhem, The Netherlands, Pauline Van Dongen created a line of high heels, dubbed Metamorphosis."

Shaw Fest and IATSE Reach Tentative Agreement

Yahoo! News: "George Bernard Shaw, who was concerned with issues of fairness and social justice, would be pleased with this news: The Shaw Festival and IATSE Local 461 announced on March 19 that a marathon bargaining session has led to a tentative agreement for a collective agreement for the festival's Facilities Department, and tentative renewal agreements for the Production and Audience Sales and Services Departments."

'Sondheim on Sondheim,' a New Musical Reflection of a Life in Art, Begins on Broadway

Yahoo! News: "Stephen Sondheim as you've never known him will materialize on Broadway March 19 with the first preview of Sondheim on Sondheim, a musical portrait that integrates stars, songs and candid video interviews with the composer-lyricist himself."

Magic tricks add extra zing to 'Zuccini' show for kids

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "The Theatre Factory's latest KidWorks production brings a little bit of vaudeville and more to the Trafford stage in a children's show written by Sylvia Ashby. The show features three stories: 'The Flower Sisters,' about a widow and her three daughters who outwit the devil; 'The Pasta Brothers,' in which one foolish brother outsmarts the smarter one; and 'The Proud Prince,' about a royal who must learn humility in order to find a bride."

Need a small crew for a documentary

Craigslist: "Working on a 1 hour documentary and need a small crew to handle filming, audio, and makeup."

Next Stop for ‘Fela!’ - London’s Olivier Theater

NYTimes.com: "While the West End has been home to the commercial runs of many successful Broadway musicals, the nonprofit National Theater in London on Thursday announced a rare undertaking for its stages: a production of the new Broadway musical “Fela!” later this year that will star the two actors who now alternate in the title role in New York."

iSquint Podcast: Episode 8 – Interview with USITT President, Carl Lefko

iSquint.net: "Can you smell that? It’s the smell of excitement and anticipation. The USITT Conference and Stage Expo is right around the corner in Kansas City at the end of the month. As everyone is preparing to make the trip to KC for the Conference, what better time to learn a little bit about the organization and what to expect in KC."

Machine That Prints Buildings, A Stunning Innovation by Enrico Dini

freshome: "Enrico Dini, an Italian designer and architect came up with the revolutionary idea of a machine that prints…buildings. His invention-a 3D printer momentarily located in Pisa, Italy- is said to look like a “prototype for the automotive industry” and combines the functionality of computer architecture programs with the printer mechanism. Instead of paper, the material introduced in the machine is sand that is further on shaped in the desired form, computer-configured in advance."

BMW Museum, München

Kinetische Skulptur: "The Kinetic Sculpture is a metaphorical translation of the process of form-finding in art and design. 714 metal spheres, hanging from thin steel wires attached to individually-controlled stepper motors and covering the area of six square meters, animate a seven minute long mechatronic narrative."

Ronald St Patrick

Polkadot: "To celebrate St Patrick and put forward its Shamrock Shake, McDonald’s enjoys a tradition of 50 years. Every year, the Chicago River and the Calumet River are adorned with a green Irish, incidentally us a very strange but is explained by an anecdote. To verify that there have leaks, the plumbers of the city of Chicago inject painting biodegradable in both rivers, they quickly realized that this was the same color green as the famous Irish green."

Top 3 Websites To Build A Free Resume Online

MakeUseOf: "When you’re looking for a job, you don’t have a lot of chances to catch the interest of a potential employer. After the cover letter, the curriculum vitae (CV) or resume is one of the first documents recruiters see. To keep them interested in you, this document should highlight your strengths, be easy to scan, yet look unique and interesting."

Postcard from California, Part 1

Art Works: "According to Rocco, his nearly week-long visit to California has been “educational, informational, and incredibly informative.” We caught up with the Chairman yesterday for a few moments as he was leaving a panel on San Francisco’s urban revitalization efforts."

In The Wings - Theatrical Photographer - March, 2010

American Theatre Wing: "Theatrical Photographer T. Charles Erickson captures two-dimensional representations that become the historical record of live stage productions. Erickson grew up with a camera always by his side, from childhood through Woodstock to his first photography job at Yale University."

Tool Maker Loses Lawsuit For Not Violating Another Company's Patents

Techdirt: "Patent system supporters regularly point (slightly misleadingly) to the claim that the patent system gives patent holders the right to exclude others from using their inventions. And, thus, most lawsuits we see around patents revolve around cases involving a company manufacturing a product that includes a patented invention. But what about a lawsuit for a company that deliberately chose not to license or use a patented technology, because it was too expensive?
Welcome to today's world."

10 Questions for a Broadway Pro. Volume 3: A Tony Award-Winning Designer

PRODUCER’S PERSPECTIVE: "David Gallo is one of the hippest guys around, and he's one of the most in-demand designers in town, thanks to his terrific work on a ton of shows, from Drowsy Chaperone (Tony, Tony, Tony) to Xanadu to Memphis to Thoroughly Modern Millie (where I first worked with him)."

How To Light A Sharkstooth Scrim (Part 2)

Rosebrand: "The most common placement of lighting instruments for a scrim is above and directly in front of the scrim. However, that isn't the only lighting position that will be effective. Remember: angle angle angle! As long as your lighting is oblique, and can wash the scrim, it doesn't have to be from above. If your scrim is in an extreme downstage position, for example, footlights can be very effective for scrim washes."

Juliet and Her Romeo: Star-crossed senior citizens

The Guardian: "At 76, Siân Phillips has reached the age when male actors of her generation and stature are squaring up to such titans in the Shakespeare canon as Lear and Prospero. She, meanwhile, must be content with somewhat lesser parts: the Nurse from Romeo and Juliet, say, or Mistress Quickly, the pub landlady in Henry IV. 'They're very nice roles,' she says, in the tone of someone accepting a ham sandwich in lieu of steak au poivre."

Text of Theresa Rebeck Laura Pels Keynote Address

Women & Hollywood: "Last night I saw someone do something very brave. My friend, Theresa Rebeck, a very successful playwright, TV writer and novelist, got up in front of a group of theatre people and talked about gender. She talked about how her career has been hampered because she is a woman. She talked about how she became toxic after a bad NY Times review. She talked about the abysmal number of plays produced by women. She talked about the missing women’s plays."

Theresa Rebeck on women in theater

NYPost: "At an ART/New York (ART = Alliance of Resident Theaters) event celebrating the off and off-off Broadway community on Monday, writer Theresa Rebeck gave a keynote address that was largely about being a female playwright nowadays. It's reproduced at the Women and Hollywood site, and it's a rather interesting read. Rebeck has been very outstpoken about the gender imbalance in theater, namely that plays written by women have a harder time getting produced than plays written by men. I overall agree with her, but I wish Rebeck would stop using her own case history -- which is that of a successful writer -- as a starting point."

Nederlander Will Be Given Schoenfeld Award at Gala Benefit

Yahoo! News: "James M. Nederlander, chairman of The Nederlander Organization, will receive the second Schoenfeld Vision for Arts in Education Award, presented by The Celebrate Broadway Preservation Fund, Inc. under the direction of The Broadway League."

Old Globe 'Boeing-Boeing', Using Broadway Design, Opens in San Diego

Yahoo! News: "Mark Schneider, the associate director on Matthew Warchus' 2008 Tony Award-winning revival of Boeing-Boeing, stages The Old Globe Theatre production of the comedy, opening March 18 in San Diego.
Rob Howell's Tony-nominated costumes, and set design, are featured in the Globe production. Previews began March 13 for a run to April 18."

Inside Sundance

Carnegie Mellon University: "The Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, is more than just a chance to preview movies and mingle with the stars. For second-year students in Carnegie Mellon's Master of Entertainment Industry Management (MEIM) Program, it's an educational and professional networking opportunity."

Richard III Virtual Casebook Blog

The Ghost Light Dramaturgy Collective: "Check out my production blog/virtual casebook/actor packet for our fast-approaching production of Richard III. Just follow this link! Read all about the context of the play, look at research images, find links to lots of Shakespeare websites and the Costume Designer's site, and keep up with developments as we move into rehearsal."

Actor still enjoying 'Amazing' roles onstage

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "After appearing in two Broadway musicals in the past two years, Tim Hartman is back in Pittsburgh.
'I'm happy to be back home and back with my family,' says Hartman, who had roles in the Broadway musicals of 'A Tale of Two Cities' and 'Finian's Rainbow.' He had a wonderful time in both shows, he says, but adds: 'In New York, you're living a younger person's dream.'"

Playwright Cori Thomas' Pittsburgh connection

Post Gazette: "In case you need any more proof that it's a small world after all, or that there's no theater connection without a Pittsburgh connection, check out this anecdote from playwright Cori Thomas, whose 'When January Feels Like Summer' debuts at City Theatre this weekend."

Subway ride inspired Cori Thomas' 'When January Feels Like Summer'

Post Gazette: "It all began ominously, with a subway ride in New York City. There was one open seat, across from two young African-American men who were using vulgar language to describe a woman and speaking in volumes that filled the car. Cori Thomas stepped in and reluctantly sat down ."

'Valu-Mart': a whodunit with character

Post Gazette: "This is why we need Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre. Sure, it's made a name doing full-bodied versions of August Wilson's plays, and other Pittsburgh playwrights on its roster range from George S. Kaufman to founder and artistic director Mark Clayton Southers. But in 'Valu-Mart,' it's found a play that has won playwriting awards around the country without, amazingly, ever being produced. Apparently it's too controversial."

Edinburgh Intl. Fest looks to Americas

Variety: "The lineup of the 2010 Edinburgh Intl. Festival focuses on the Americas and the New World, with helmer Jonathan Mills shifting the character of the traditionally Euro-centric event to include more theater, dance and music from countries such as Chile, Brazil and New Zealand."

Ullmann Will Stage Mellencamp and King's Ghost Brothers Musical

Playbill.com: "Academy Award nominee Liv Ullmann has announced that she will direct the aborning John Mellencamp-Stephen King stage musical The Ghost Brothers of Darkland County, according to Variety."

Three Theaters and Some Intermissions

2am. Thinking outside the black box.: "And now, a post about the­aters of dif­fer­ent sizes and how their inter­mis­sions help make audi­ences feel more comfortable."

Wireless DMX Controlled Staircase Lighting at City Tech

- John's Blog Main Page -: "For our current production of Ex*Pgirl at City Tech (which opens tonight), we needed a rolling staircase with chasing lights. The unit has to be spun downstage and quickly placed and we felt that a multicable solution would have been bulky and unweildy. The solution? City Theatrical's excellent SHoW DMX system. (Oh, and a CNC router to cut the piece--I'll leave that to our TD, John McCullough, to explain)."

SDCF Masters of the Stage - JoAnne Akalaitis - November, 1995

American Theatre Wing: "In this One-on-One conversation with Lincoln Center Dramaturg Anne Cattaneo, Mabou Mines founder and famed director JoAnne Akalaitis shares her wisdom with a full room gathered at Arts Connection in November, 1995. They discuss her days with Mabou Mines and the experimental theatre of the 60s and 70s, and the desire for a broader audience that motivated her transition to regional theaters, where theatre was part of the community."

Hamlet in Raincoat, Bloody Ophelia, Where’s Denmark?

Bloomberg.com: "To flee or not to flee? That was the question when the Metropolitan Opera staged Ambroise Thomas’s “Hamlet” Tuesday night after dropping the piece for more than a century."

Pasadena Playhouse still trying to choose a script for getting out of debt

Los Angeles Times: "The Pasadena Playhouse's leadership aims to choose a script within three weeks -- not for a play to mount on the stage that went dark Feb. 7 because of financial woes, but for a legal scenario the company can follow as it tries to settle about $2 million in debt and eventually return to the boards."

Adam Smith Institute's proposals could mean curtains for UK theatre

guardian.co.uk: "Imagine a world in which there was no government subsidy for theatre-makers. It would be a place where art responded entirely to the demands of the market. Such a theatre would probably look much like the West End. Hang on a minute: it wouldn't, because from Les Miserables to The Caretaker, from Jerusalem to Enron, several West End shows emerged out of subsidised theatre."

Anonymous input, please!

Technology in the Arts : "We’re putting together a webinar on digitizing art, and want to know what YOU want to know. Please help us make this an experience that benefits you by filling out this 3-question survey."

Pop Filter Event of the Week: Carnegie Mellon's wats:ON? Festival explores virtual reality

Pop City: "Ways of seeing: This week, visual art and virtual reality collide at Carnegie Mellon.
Taking place March 17 to 20 at various on-campus venues, the 2010 wats:ON? Festival will delve into the many motivations, mediums and manifestations behind the exploration of virtual reality in visual art."

Pittsburgh scores a 10 in goofy, charming box office hit She's Out of My League

Pop City: "Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that She's Out of My League is as much about a love affair with Pittsburgh as it is about a geeky guy falling for a bombshell girl in the city of Pittsburgh.
The goofy romantic comedy, which came in third in its opening weekend box office, was filmed on-location in Steel City."

Tune-filled 'Pirates' still provides plenty of laughs

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "The memorable music of one of the most popular Gilbert and Sullivan operas, 'The Pirates of Penzance,' will fill the Palace Theatre on Friday in a touring production staged by New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players, a theater company in residence in Manhattan."

Personality Test: Actor Martin Giles

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Most area theatergoers know Martin Giles best as a versatile actor. And with good reason.
Over the last 15 months he has been seen in local productions that include 'Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde' and 'Seafarer' at City Theatre and 'The History Boys,' 'What the Butler Saw' and 'Rock 'n' Roll' with Pittsburgh Irish & Classical Theatre."

Squonk Opera strips down to its roots for some 'Mayhem'

Post Gazette: "Long before the stage arts illuminati discovered Pittsburgh's Squonk Opera, it was an oddball local band that integrated elements of jazz, classical and folk music, visually augmenting the sound with film projections, homemade props and unashamedly clunky movement elements."

Cirque du Soleil's social media balancing act

ZDNet.com: "When one thinks of Cirque du Soleil, beautiful imagery and athleticism come to mind long before the nitty gritty business operations. The team at Cirque du Soleil works hard to maintain these images and the mystique that go with every one of its shows. However, just as many businesses are these days, the company is using a mix of blogger relations and social network outreach to help grow attendance for all of its home and traveling shows."

Carmen Capalbo, Theater Director, Dies at 84

NYTimes.com: "Carmen Capalbo, a theater director and producer whose revival of “The Threepenny Opera” in the 1950’s became one of the biggest hits in Off Broadway history, and who directed the premiere of Eugene O’Neill’s “Moon for the Misbegotten” on Broadway in 1957, died on Sunday in Manhattan. He was 84."

City Center to Embark on $75 Million Renovation

NYTimes.com: "City Center, dedicated by Mayor Fiorello La Guardia in 1943 as Manhattan’s first major performing arts center, is embarking on a $75 million renovation and restoration of its landmark neo-Moorish building on West 55th Street."

Guns N' Roses Stage Collapse Video from Rio

- John's Blog Main Page -: "Scary video of a pretty intense storm collapsing a stage at the Praça da Apoteose stadium"

Dressing Interior Sets for the Motion Picture Camera

Props: "by E. E. Sheeley(originally published in American Cinematographer, 1923)
The dressing of moving picture sets calls for something more than a pleasing effect to the eye—any interior may be ever so pleasing in itself but its composition may be entirely conflicting when the camera angles are taken into consideration."

Operations Internship - Jujamcyn Theaters

The Producer's Perspective Classifieds: "Interns will gain a 'nuts and bolts' experience of running a chain of Broadway theaters and gain an insider’s perspective into the upkeep and maintenance of these unique, land-marked buildings. Interns will work with individuals from all levels of theater operations and management and outside contractors and vendors. Interns will work directly with the Operations Department, assisting them with their current projects and whatever the daily operations crisis management presents us with. No two days will be alike."

Snooty about musicals? Sheila Hancock should change her tune

guardian.co.uk: "Are critics snooty about musicals? Sheila Hancock thinks so and has said so forcefully in a Radio Times interview. I beg to differ. A lot of my colleagues are musical buffs and can tell you precisely which numbers got cut in out-of-town try-outs of Broadway hits. And even I, often characterised as an anti-musical puritan, was reared on the genre. One of my earliest West End memories is of a superb Joan Littlewood musical, Make Me an Offer, in which a young Hancock stopped the show with a number called, if memory serves, Isn't it Romantic? But that was an age ago and times have changed."

Death, Taxes, and Student Loans

Backstage: "Type the word 'student' into Google, and the first option that comes up in the 10-deep list of autocomplete suggestions is 'student loans.' Third down is 'student loan consolidation.' Keep going and you'll pass 'student loan forgiveness,' 'student loan calculator,' 'student loans without cosigner,' and something called 'studentloan.com' before you hit bottom. For the Internet age's first generation of college graduates, the words 'student' and 'loan' have become nearly inseparable."

*d’Arte* explores worlds of fashion, design, culture

The Tartan Online: "With the conclusion of this year’s Lunar Gala came the release of d’Arte, a new online magazine. d’Arte is managed by Carnegie Mellon students and dedicated to fashion, design, and culture."

PICT names casts for upcoming plays

Post Gazette: "With an MFA in theater from the University of Pittsburgh, Javon Johnson is no stranger to the local stage. He returns in May to play one of the most demanding of Shakespeare's roles, the title character in Pittsburgh Irish & Classical Theatre's 'Othello.'"

Public values compelling theater with Arthur Miller's 'The Price'

Post Gazette: "A jumble of old furniture hangs over the O'Reilly Theater stage just as the past hangs over Arthur Miller's 'The Price.' The set is a fitting metaphor for the play's gathering storm of memory that reaches its bitter climax between estranged brothers, then disappears like a quick summer shower."

'Addams' b.o. is so strong, it's scary

Variety: "'The Addams Family' had no trouble scaring up auds last week.
The new tuner racked up stellar sales of $1,192,213 from its first seven preview perfs, playing to houses that averaged almost 99% of capacity and landing at number two in the week's Top Ten."

Broadway's a two-way street

Variety: "In 'Mr. and Mrs. Fitch,' Douglas Carter Beane's new comedy at Gotham's Second Stage, John Lithgow plays an acerbic gossip columnist who gets to deliver what is arguably the evening's biggest laugh-getter. 'You know, theater,' he opines, 'that thing that movie people do when they want to announce they're available for television.'"

Back on the Horse: Mel Brooks Penning Songs for Blazing Saddles Musical

Playbill.com: "At the end of Mel Brooks' Broadway musical Young Frankenstein, the cast asked, in song, if a stage version of Brooks' hit film 'Blazing Saddles' might be also be in the wings. After all, Brooks had already also made a hit stage musical out of his film, 'The Producers.'"

Signature Theater’s Plans Shift, but Gehry Remains

NYTimes.com: "It is a far cry from the freestanding performing arts center, designed by Frank Gehry, that was supposed to be the Signature Theater Company’s new home at ground zero and that was expected to cost $700 million."

'Sondheim - The Birthday Concert' - A Little Birthday Music for Sondheim

NYTimes.com: "From Broadway’s prodigious boy wonder to its beloved aging monarch: For Stephen Sondheim, whose forthcoming 80th birthday on March 22 was celebrated in a thrilling concert at Avery Fisher Hall on Monday evening, it must have seemed like a hop, skip and a jump from one to the other. Inside the hall, where the mood was more exhilarated than elegiac, an unspoken question hung in the air: Where did all that time go?"

SeaChanger Open Mic Contest at #USITT

iSquint.net: "This years Conference and Stage Expo is going to be one huge party and learning fest to help celebrate the 50 years for USITT. SeaChanger is adding to the fun by having an Open Mic Contest in their booth at USITT. Following the American Idol method, SeaChanger would like to see or hear your 5 minute “audition” before USITT. You can submit your routine to SeaChanger via almost ANY media to SeaChanger by Skype, Email, YouTube, Phone… any way you can think of getting it to SeaChanger."

Another study on Broadway performance schedules. Results revealed.

PRODUCER’S PERSPECTIVE: "As a follow-up to their recent report on the Broadway audience's preference for certain performance times, Telecharge dug a bit deeper and did another study to determine 'whether there was a consumer preference for matinees on Wednesday, for 7 PM curtains on weekdays, and 2 PM curtains on Saturdays.'"

Eye Candy: The Spellbinding Light Projections of Kit Webster

Fast Company: "We've previously covered some amazing media facades, light projections on buildings, and some amazing interactive light shows. The artist Kit Webster has a similar MO: He usually uses LCD projectors in his pieces, but he works on a smaller scale. That allows him to create some pretty luscious illusions."

Mixed-gender dorm rooms are gaining acceptance

Los Angeles Times: "In the 1970s, many U.S. colleges moved from having only single-sex dormitories to providing coed residence halls, with male and female students typically housed on alternating floors or wings. Then came coed hallways and bathrooms, further shocking traditionalists. Now, some colleges allow undergraduates of opposite sexes to share a room." (via Jezebel)

Work Smart: How to Make Procrastination Productive

Fast Company: "You've got a big, important report to write for work and you're dreading it. The deadline has been weighing on your mind for weeks and so far, you've done nothing about it. At this point, you'd rather get a root canal than get started. Still, you set aside time this afternoon to buckle down and get to work, but instead you're playing Solitaire, you're checking Facebook, you're reorganizing your pens, you're chain-smoking on the fire escape, and you're feeling like crap. You're procrastinating."

Oscar Winners Serve as Inspirations

CollegeSurfing Insider: "Last weekend’s Academy Awards ceremony weren’t just about seeing George Clooney and other hot stars, but it had teachable moments that went past the glitz and glamour of Hollywood and spotlighted people breaking barriers in their career fields."

How To Be Hassle-Free On Soft Goods Flame Retardancy Issues

Rosebrand: "Our industry has stringent fire safety regulations pertaining to soft goods flame retardancy. As a result of the good work of our stage technicians, fire officials and suppliers of flame retardant products, our industry also has an excellent record of fire safety. The following checklist describes best practices for implementing fire safety standards for your soft goods in your stage or event production."

AutoCAD Plug-In - Community Commands

Between the Lines: "Have you tried out the free Community Commands AutoCAD plug-in on Autodesk Labs? http://labs.autodesk.com/utilities/acad_community_commands/
This plug-in allows you to explore other commands from the community of other AutoCAD users submitting CIP (Customer Involvement Program) data based on your AutoCAD usage."

11 Signs You Might be a Micromanager

Behind the Scenes at Taylor Studios: "Last Friday, at my Vistage meeting, we all took a quiz on whether we are micromanagers or not. The book Creating Passion-Driven Teams by Dan Bobinski noted that micromanagers share certain characteristics. These behaviors can do a lot of harm even when the intent is good."

Lift Hold Roll @ The Future Perfect: Call for Entries

Core77: "The concept is based around three mechanical products that are essential to the process. These three objects are a pulley, a clamp, and a caster. The idea is to utilize any one of these objects in a finished project. You can use as many of the one object that you have chosen. The Future Perfect will provide you with one object of your choosing."