‘Spider-Man’ Musical’s Inaugural Flight Is a Little Rocky

NYTimes.com: "All $65 million of the new Broadway musical “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark” took flight on Sunday night at its first preview performance, but not without bumps. The show stopped five times, mostly to fix technical problems, and Act I ended prematurely, with Spider-Man stuck dangling 10 feet above audience members, while Act II was marred by a nasty catcall during one of the midperformance pauses.

The Spider-Man Musical Finally Turned Off the Dark Last Night

toplessrobot.com: "After a jillion years, budgetary problems, and the death of several million stunt men, the Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark musical had its first performance last night in New York City. Now, it was a preview performance -- the first official performance is on January 11th -- but even in a preview, certain things aren't supposed to happen. Things such as:

Julie Taymor Directs the Most Expensive Musical in Broadway History

womanandhollywood.com: "ast night was the first preview of Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark the $60 million musical with songs written by Bono and the Edge (of U2) and directed by Julie Taymor. It is the most expensive Broadway musical ever.

The Spider-Man Broadway musical is like eating a candy-coated black widow

io9.com: "The $65-million Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark is not unlike eating a caramel-covered, poisonous arachnid. It's a deranged spectacle that's sweet going down.

Dance Critic Thinks Ballerina Is Too Fat

jezebel.com: "If you're planning to see the New York City Ballet's performance of The Nutcracker, be warned: According to the New York Times review, the Sugar Plum Fairy looks like she's 'eaten one sugar plum too many.'

5 Things to Know Before Buying a Cordless Power Tool

gizmodo.com: "There's no better way to say 'Merry Christmas, dear friend' than with a double-bevel compound miter saw or a heavy-duty 18V impact driver. But before you pick up a cordless tool for that special someone, keep these five things in mind.

37 Flicks Theatre Lovers Should Know

americantheatrewing.org: "Last week, the good folks at Theatermania.com posted a story entitled “15 Flicks for Theater Lovers,” which quickly caught my eye. I must confess to disappointment when I read the story, only because that title led me to believe it would be a recounting of great movies about the theatre. Instead, it was about upcoming films starring or featuring stage stalwarts, an admirable and useful piece.

Vivid exterior lighting for Hunt Library at CMU

Vivid exterior lighting for Hunt Library at CMU: "The exterior of Hunt Library at Carnegie Mellon University has a new lighting design, which will change for holidays and special events.

We're looking for a few good . . . interns

PRODUCER’S PERSPECTIVE Ken Davenport, Broadway Producer, Off-Broadway, Theater : We're looking for a few good . . . interns: "The fall class of interns are getting close to their graduation date, which means we're looking for a new crew of responsible, hard-working and hungry folks for our spring semester.

A slap in the face with every puff

The Tartan Online: "Carnegie Mellon University dedicated a bridge on Oct. 30, 2009 in honor of Randy Pausch, a professor who died in 2008 of pancreatic cancer. Everyone on this campus has either seen or read his “Last Lecture” and has, in one way or another, been deeply affected by the message and wisdom he shared during his last few months on Earth. Yet today, a mere year after the bridge’s dedication, students smoking on the Pausch Bridge are degrading Pausch’s memory.

Students need better options for improving writing

The Tartan Online: "A must-read item for students and professors alike this week is a column in the Nov. 12 issue of The Chronicle of Higher Education. In the column, a contributor under the pseudonym of Ed Dante provides a stunning exposé of the hidden world of “custom essay writing” — hiring someone to complete a writing assignment that will be passed off as one’s own work.

Flying Tricks Go Wrong During 'Spider-Man' on Broadway Preview

backstage.com: "The most expensive stage production of all time (at $65 million, it's twice as much as the runner-up, Shrek the Musical), ran over three-and-a-half hours, according to published reports, and stopped at least five times times as actors dangled from cables with flying tricks gone wrong.

Dance Alloy looks back in celebration

post-gazette.com: "How has Dance Alloy Theater managed to remain a staple of Pittsburgh's modern dance scene for 35 years?

Pittsburgh Ballet out on the town

postgazette.com: "Dancers with the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre will perform vignettes from 'The Nutcracker' around the city before staging a 17-show run of the holiday classic at the Benedum Center next month.

James Franco and Anne Hathaway Will Host the Academy Awards

Playbill.com: "Access Hollywood reports that actors James Franco and Anne Hathaway will co-host the 83rd Annual Academy Awards, which will be presented Feb. 27, 2011.

Young Ford City Library Players stage 'A Christmas Story'

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Jean Shepherd's beloved reflection on a midwestern 1940s Christmas and a 9-year-old boy's obsession to score a Red Rider BB gun under the tree leaps from the screen to the stage for the Ford City Library Players' retelling of 'A Christmas Story.'

Voices ready for annual Highlands Rotary Club choral fest

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Angelic voices will again rise in unison for the 23rd annual Highlands Area Rotary Club Choral Festival on Wednesday in the Highlands Senior High School auditorium in Natrona Heights.

'Christmas Magic' made to cast a holiday spell over audience

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "One of Pittsburgh's holiday traditions, Mark Milovats' 'Christmas Magic' show, will be coming to the Byham Theater on Sunday as a post-Thanksgiving treat, with singing, about 50 dancers, Yuletide spirit and more.

'Littlest Angel' kicks off holiday season

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "For those who are looking for the true meaning of Christmas — especially on Black Friday, the busiest day of the holiday shopping season — Greensburg Civic Theatre offers its production of 'The Littlest Angel.'

Amy Morton and Tracy Letts, ready to tear it up in 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf'

The Theater Loop: "When Tracy Letts and Amy Morton ignite George and Martha's Fun and Games in “Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” it will mark the first time that a play by Edward Albee has ever appeared on the stage of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company.

Teenage writer leads the new generation of winners at Evening Standard Theatre Awards

thisislondon.co.uk: "The new stars of British stage were recognised in a sweep of awards for youth led by teenage playwright Anya Reiss and former Skins actor Daniel Kaluuya.

'Empire Strikes Back' Director Irvin Kershner Dies

backstage.com: "Empire Strikes Back director Irvin Kershner died at his home in Paris after suffering from illness, his goddaughter Adriana Santini confirmed to the AFP Monday. He was 87.

Actor Playing Dying Freud Collapses on NYC Stage

backstage.com: "An actor playing a dying Sigmund Freud has been sent to the hospital after collapsing on stage in New York City.

Actor Leslie Nielsen of 'Naked Gun' Movies Dies at Age 84

backstage.com: "Leslie Nielsen, who traded in his dramatic persona for inspired bumbling as a hapless doctor in 'Airplane!' and the accident-prone detective Frank Drebin in 'The Naked Gun' comedies, died on Sunday in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. He was 84.

Judge Blocks Use of Adrien Brody's Image in Film

backstage.com: "A federal judge has blocked the makers of a thriller film starring Adrien Brody from using the Oscar-winning actor's likeness until he is fully paid for his role.

Old Horror Movie Room In Burning Hotel Gives Cops, Firefighters Fright

WTAE Pittsburgh: "Washington Police Chief J.R. Blyth thought Sunday's discovery was the most grisly murder scene in his 35 years in law enforcement. He committed several investigators to the 'crime scene' -- until they realized it had been set up that way for a horror movie.

Art meets intricate performance

The Tartan Online: "Silvia Ziranek certainly knows how to make an impression when she walks into a room. This past Friday at the Waffle Shop, a restaurant run by the Center for Arts in Society, the British artist arrived with short pink hair, a garland of lights around her head, and a mismatched ensemble of brightly printed clothes, complete with large red shoes. Ziranek is a performance artist, sculptor, photographer, and writer who, according to waffleshop.org, aims “to deflate the pretentious and absurd in daily life.”

A slap in the face with every puff

The Tartan Online: "Carnegie Mellon University dedicated a bridge on Oct. 30, 2009 in honor of Randy Pausch, a professor who died in 2008 of pancreatic cancer. Everyone on this campus has either seen or read his “Last Lecture” and has, in one way or another, been deeply affected by the message and wisdom he shared during his last few months on Earth. Yet today, a mere year after the bridge’s dedication, students smoking on the Pausch Bridge are degrading Pausch’s memory.

After 10 years, 'ABBA Mania' still going strong

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "The highly successful '70s Swedish pop group ABBA broke up in 1983, but its popular music is still being heard today, thanks to a hit musical, a movie adaptation and now, a touring stage show.
Songs such as 'Dancing Queen,' 'Fernando,' 'Winner Takes It All,' 'Waterloo' and 'Mamma Mia' are being enjoyed by a new generation. Mark Thomas, who founded the tribute show 'ABBA Mania,' coming to the Palace Theatre for one performance Wednesday, couldn't be happier.

Review: 'Rock of Ages' brings '80s music, culture to life

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "First, a disclaimer: I spent the mid- to late 1980s raising teenagers.
So the music in 'Rock of Ages' -- hits by bands such as Styx, Journey and Whitesnake -- was my kids' music.
That makes me an unlikely candidate to enjoy this rock musical extravaganza about people living in that era of fringed vests, thigh-high boots, big hair and minuscule skirts.

'Christmas Magic' made to cast a holiday spell over audience

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "One of Pittsburgh's holiday traditions, Mark Milovats' 'Christmas Magic' show, will be coming to the Byham Theater on Sunday as a post-Thanksgiving treat, with singing, about 50 dancers, Yuletide spirit and more.
'The people who have come say this is the way they kick off their holiday season,' says Milovats of Murrysville. He is a pop standards crooner who is doing his 13th annual Christmas concert, featuring music from his CDs 'Just in Time for Christmas,' and 'Somethin's Goin' On,' and more.

'Littlest Angel' kicks off holiday season

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "For those who are looking for the true meaning of Christmas — especially on Black Friday, the busiest day of the holiday shopping season — Greensburg Civic Theatre offers its production of 'The Littlest Angel.'
The children's musical, with book and lyrics by Joseph Robinette and music by Diane Leslie, is based on Charles Tazewell's classic Christmas story about the misadventures of a little angel whose gift to the newborn Christ Child is miraculously transformed into the shining Star of Bethlehem.

Unlikely couple engage hearts at Public's 'Talley's Folly'

Post Gazette: "It's such an old-fashioned play that only an old-fashioned expression is fitting:
'Talley's Folly' warms the cockles of your heart.
Thirty years old this year, the Lanford Wilson work was quite the Broadway hit in its day with echoes of such old-fashioned plays as 'Our Town' and even a bit of 'The Little Foxes.' It also gave the accomplished actor Judd Hirsch a big fat part as Matt Friedman, the deadly serious suitor who dominates the two-person cast.

'Rock of Ages' holds on to good-time '80s vibe

Post Gazette: "You may try to harden your heart. You may try to fight this feeling. But you may as well give in to the silliness, the insanity, the supersized hairstyles of 'Rock of Ages,' a loud mash-up of 1980s arena rock and power ballads that dares you to stop believin'.
OK, OK. I believe.

‘Spider-Man’ Starts to Emerge From Secrecy

NYTimes.com: "Nine years in the making, the moment came on Saturday to try running through the first act of the new musical “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark” without stopping. As the band struck up an ominous tune that wailed like an ambulance siren, the enormous stage curtain rose to reveal a young woman dangling under a mock-up of the Brooklyn Bridge. Above her appeared a masked man, clad in skin-hugging tights, red and blue and all-American.

‘Pitmen Painters’ at the Samuel J. Friedman Theater

NYTimes.com: "If you love painting or think you could, consider seeing “The Pitmen Painters,” the British play by Lee Hall that the Manhattan Theater Club is presenting on Broadway at the Samuel J. Friedman Theater. It tells the true story of a group of northern England miners who joined an art appreciation class in 1934, but it is really a tutorial in looking at art, especially painting.

Theater Books - Holiday Gift Guide 2010

NYTimes.com: "The ephemeral nature of theater makes it hard to give gifts that will endure even as long as a tie or a bottle of cologne, but this fall has seen a handful of new theater-related books that make fine gift choices for a footlight addict.

Art Talk with Forum Theatre « Art Works

arts.gov: "Last fall, Forum Theatre inaugurated its new home in Silver Spring, Maryland, with a production of the play cycle Angels in America and Perestroika by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tony Kushner. We spoke with Forum Theatre Artistic Director Michael Dove—who directed part one of the cycle—about the role of theater in the community and about taking on Kushner’s iconic work.

Bono Talks 'Spider-Man' Musical's Delays, Expense

Rolling Stone Music: "'Dreaming up the show, the scale of it, the flying sequence, the pop-art opera that it is — that was all pure joy,' Bono tells Billboard of the long-delayed Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark musical, which will finally open to the public on Sunday.

U2's Bono, The Edge Talk About Making 'Spider-Man'

Billboard: "Creating a megamusical is no easy feat, even in the hands of U2 megastars Bono and The Edge.
'Easier than we could ever have imagined. Harder than we ever thought,' says Bono, resting on a Times Square hotel bed near where 'Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark' is readying for its first preview.

The dream I dreamed

The Australian: "WHEN he was 18, Michael Orland sat down in his flat in Newtown, in inner-city Sydney, and began to write some songs. It was 1975, and he hoped one day to stage his own original musical. Thirty years passed. He married, had three children and built a successful sound hire and installation business. On his 50th birthday he decided it was time to act. Orland found a director and cast, hired an orchestra and secured a venue. In July this year, after a gestation of 35 years and a personal investment of almost $400,000, Beaudy, a contemporary adaptation of the Sleeping Beauty tale, debuted at Sydney's Parade Theatre with a cast of 17, a 12-piece band and 20 original songs.

SAG and Project: Hollywood Cares Launch Program for Troops

Backstage: "The Screen Actors Guild, in partnership with Project: Hollywood Cares, announced today the launch of the A Touch of Home From Hollywood program, designed to help U.S. troops deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq call home to their families over the holidays.

Harlem, Cincinnati theaters get $90,000 from NEA

Variety: "The Natl. Endowment for the Arts disbursed $90,000 to two theaters, among $26.68 million awarded to 1,057 nonprofits nationwide, according to chairman Rocco Landesman on Tuesday.

Broadway Phantom Star Saves the Day at A Little Night Music

Playbill.com: "It's known as the actor's nightmare: An actor must perform a role at the last minute and pray he or she remembers all the lines. At the Nov. 23 performance of A Little Night Music, theatregoers had the chance to witness what became an actor's dream.

Giving Thanks for Your Fans

technologyinthearts.org: "Thursday marks that wonderful time of the year when we gather with friends and family, give thanks, and have a perfectly valid excuse to eat too much food and take a nap. So in this time of giving thanks, has your arts organization thought about how you give thanks for your online communities?

Is Broadway America’s National Theatre?

americantheatrewing.org: "“Mr. Roth,” the tweet went, “What kind of system is needed to feed the truly great theatre all over America to Broadway?”

Crack

props.eric-hart.com: "Ever since the CIA invented crack and introduced it to America in the 1980s, this drug has found its way into a number of plays. Thus it is up to the prop master to figure out how to simulate its use on stage, since smoking real crack is often beyond the budget of most productions.

Unlikely couple engage hearts at Public's 'Talley's Folly'

post-gazette.com: "Thirty years old this year, the Lanford Wilson work was quite the Broadway hit in its day with echoes of such old-fashioned plays as 'Our Town' and even a bit of 'The Little Foxes.' It also gave the accomplished actor Judd Hirsch a big fat part as Matt Friedman, the deadly serious suitor who dominates the two-person cast.

United Solo Festival Winners Announced

backstage.com: "The United Solo Festival, a two-week festival of one-person theatrical performances, concluded on Sunday night with an awards ceremony at Theatre Row in New York City, hosted by four-time Academy Award nominee Marsha Mason.

Is Broadway’s love affair with Mamet over?

The Independent: "He's America's best-known playwright, a man whose works actors queue up to star in and whose dialogue has been so celebrated that it earned its own adjective. Yet the news that the most recent David Mamet revival, A Life in the Theatre, is set to close in New York next Sunday (28 November) after poor ticket sales has led people to ask a previously unthinkable question: has Broadway fallen out of love with Mamet?

Pushing Art, Maybe a Bit Too Far

NYTimes.com: "What began as a self-styled cultural revolution is now slipping into a culture war of sorts. On one side is a self-assured elite from Moscow, here to instruct the provinces on what is new, cool and cutting-edge. On the other side are the guardians of a local culture, who feel threatened and belittled by the implication that they are a bunch of rubes.

Italy's cinemas and theatres close in cuts protest

Yahoo! News: "Most of Italy's cinemas, theatres and concert halls closed for the day on Monday in protest against culture budget cuts, amid ongoing outrage over poor maintenance of the country's major ancient monuments.

Filming of A Game of Thrones "obliterated" the ecosystem on a protected beach

io9.com: "In George R.R. Martin's A Game Of Thrones, nobles wreak unimaginable destruction in their power-lust. But one environmentalist is calling HBO real-life Lannisters: They covered a protected beach in Malta with fake sand, resulting in 'total elimination' of the ecosystem.

Hacked Kinect gives shadow puppets a major upgrade

DVICE: "Kinect has been hacked, allowing DIY modders to play around with it and use it for their own devices. One of the first projects to appear since it was hacked is this, an amazing update to old-school shadow puppets.

Talks resume in standoff between IATSE and "Biggest Loser" producers

Los Angeles Times: "The union representing striking workers on 'The Biggest Loser' and the show's producers resumed talks Friday in an effort to end a bitter labor dispute that has disrupted production on the reality series, according to people close to the discussions.

Million Dollar Quartet' headed to London

Chicago Tribune: "'Million Dollar Quartet,' the hit Chicago (and then Broadway) musical produced by Gigi Pritzker and beloved by the governor of Illinois, is headed to London's West End next.

With Peter Pan injured, Lookingglass cancels two Sunday shows

Chicago Tribune: "The Lookingglass Theatre Company canceled both its Sunday performances after Ryan Nunn, an undergraduate at Northwestern University and the actor playing Peter Pan, sprained his leg during a fight rehearsal Sunday morning.

Sony Centre, Mirvish theatres to share audiences, programming

thestar.com: "David Mirvish, the largest producer of commercial theatre in Toronto, and Dan Brambilla, CEO of the Sony Centre and the biggest impresario in the non-profit sector, have formed a partnership with far-reaching implications for this city’s show business scene. In an exclusive interview with the Star, both men revealed that they will immediately start offering their patrons special arrangements to purchase tickets for the other’s shows; help each other with cooperative publicity and make the spacious (3,200-seat) Sony available for up to 10 weeks a year for Mirvish-Brambilla co-productions that would demand the increased capacity and production facilities.

Q&A with Ellen Henry of 'Cirque Dreams Holidaze'

The Courier-Journal: "Gingerbread men flipping in midair, toy soldiers marching on thin wires, spinning penguins, caroling puppets and reindeer soaring over the stage transform whimsy and imagination into mesmerizing reality in “Cirque Dreams Holidaze.”

'Rock of Ages': This is big

post-gazette.com: "Throw on some acid-washed denim and don't forget the eyeliner. Eighties rock is ready to roll into Pittsburgh. Tony Award best musical nominee 'Rock of Ages,' the latest in PNC's Broadway Across America: Pittsburgh series, is a gleeful ode to big dreams and big hair.

Mark Clayton Southers gets August Wilson Center theater post

post-gazette.com: "Mark Clayton Southers, founder of the Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company, has been hired as artistic director for theater initiative at the August Wilson Center for African American Culture.

SHELF LIFE: "The Hammersteins," a "Kay Thompson" Biography and the Vocal Score of Night Music

Playbill.com: "We page through Oscar Andrew Hammerstein's 'The Hammersteins: A Musical Theatre Family'; Sam Irvin's 'Kay Thompson: From 'Funny Face' to 'Eloise''; and a revised vocal score of Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music

World Premiere of Randy Newman's Harps and Angels Opens Nov. 21

Playbill.com: "The world premiere of Randy Newman's new musical Harps and Angels officially opens at the Center Theatre Group's Mark Taper Forum Nov. 21 at 7 PM following previews that began Nov. 10.

Brendan Fraser in ‘Elling’ at Barrymore

NYTimes.com: "One is an almost-40-year-old virgin, understandably obsessed with sex but not particularly fond of bathing. The other is a proud mama’s boy who does not see the point in leaving the apartment — ever. Both are Norwegian and nutty as fruitcakes.

Playwrights Shuttle Between Stage and TV

NYTimes.com: "ONE of the strangely enduring laments of the American theater concerns playwrights leaving for television. Critics and theater people regularly sigh about how the lure of riches hurts the growth of playwrights and contemporary drama.

Colonial Theatre and Berkshire Theatre Merging

iBerkshires.com: "In a surprise announcement on Friday, Kate Maguire was named the head of two gems of the American theater landscape. Plans are well under way for a targeted merger of the Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield with the Berkshire Theatre Festival in Stockbridge.

Madrid - Nurturing the Arts, Even in Tight Times - NYTimes.com

NYTimes.com: "Managing to turn rubbish into art is a valuable skill for a city like Madrid, which is trying to enhance its cultural credentials by opening more galleries, turning old industrial space into art centers and holding festivals in the midst of an unprecedented financial crisis.

Casting Directors on Fox, Warner Lots Received Death Threats

backstage.com: "The six Los Angeles–area casting directors who received death threats earlier this month included some with offices at Fox Studios and Warner Bros. Studios, according to a Teamsters union Local 399 business agent. The identities of the casting directors and the motivations behind the threats are still not known.

Actor Wesley Snipes Headed to Prison for Tax Evasion

backstage.com: "Actor Wesley Snipes was ordered on Friday to start serving a three-year prison sentence for failing to file income tax returns by a federal judge who rejected the Hollywood star's bid for a new trial.

Sony Launches Online Casting Site

backstage.com: "Sony Pictures Entertainment is launching a new casting service called Face of the Fan. At www.faceofthefan.com, users will be able to download select pages from a script, then upload their audition videos and résumés.

Daniel Day-Lewis to Play Abraham Lincoln in Spielberg Biopic

backstage.com: "DreamWorks Studios just announced that Daniel Day-Lewis will take on the role of President Abraham Lincoln in the long-in-development biopic to be directed by Steven Spielberg.

Public Theater looks at the 'Folly' of falling in love

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "In the opening monologue for 'Talley's Folly,' Matt Friedman tells us that the next 90 intermissionless minutes are going to be a waltz. Instead, Lanford Wilson's romantic drama expends most of its dramatic energy on an emotional standoff between Sally Talley and Matt, two mature, intelligent and well-matched people who are in love.

» Hologram in Concert Dvorak Uncensored: General interest observations and true web-log.

dvorak.org: "Japan’s newest singing sensation is a… Hologram. No, that’s not a typo! It’s amazing where technology is headed these days! Over in Japan Cryton Future Media is actually starting projector concerts using a actual live band to compliment their virtual vocaloid idols like Hatsune Miku.

CMU crew works with high-tech 'toy'

post-gazette.com: "For about 18 months and now three productions, the technology known as the Navigator has been employed in a CMU production, this time to traverse the dreamscape of Shakespeare's comedy.

"Angels in America" - Carnegie Mellon University

Carnegie Mellon University: "The off-Broadway revival of Angels in America opened Oct. 28 and stars three Pittsburgh natives and Carnegie Mellon's School of Drama alumni Zachary Quinto (A'99), Chris Borle (A'95) and Billy Porter (A'91). The play consists of two parts: 'Millennium Approaches' and 'Perestroika.' The parts are being presented as separate shows and already have a six-week extension due to their popularity.

Senate Committee Approves Anti-Piracy Bill

backstage.com: "The Senate Judiciary Committee today approved legislation aimed at cracking down on Internet piracy. In a unanimous vote, the committee recommended that S.3804, known as the Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act, be considered and approved by the full Senate. The bill—introduced by committee chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.)—would empower the Justice Department to monitor and shut down so-called rogue websites that make pirated content available to visitors. The Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television Radio Artists were among four entertainment unions who issued a joint statement today praising the committee.

A short history of corsetry, from whalebone to Lycra. - By Eleri Lynn - Slate Magazine

slate.com: "In the late Middle Ages, women wore tightly laced bodices stiffened with paste to control and smooth their figures. In the 16th century, however, as the great voyages of discovery across the Atlantic revealed teeming new whale fisheries and rich silks and velvets requiring firmer foundations were imported from Italy and Spain, whalebone became a popular and common material for shaping both body and clothing.

John Guare’s ‘Free Man of Color’ at Vivian Beaumont - Review - NYTimes.com

NYTimes.com: "Theatergoers looking to experience the wittiest part of John Guare’s “Free of Man of Color,” the spangled white elephant now rampaging at the Vivian Beaumont Theater, need only pick up a program. You know how practically every Playbill handed out on Broadway these days features a list of producers as long as Shaquille O’Neal’s arm?

Frank Wildhorn's Bonnie & Clyde Musical, Revised Since CA Run, Opens in Florida - Playbill.com

Playbill.com: "Laura Osnes and Jeremy Jordan are the title renegades of the Florida engagement of the new musical Bonnie & Clyde, opening Nov. 19 following the Nov. 12 start of performances at Asolo Repertory Theatre's mainstage Mertz Theatre in Sarasota, FL.

Treasure Island, A New Musical Presentations, With Sutherland, Anderson, Monley, Offered Nov. 19 - Playbill.com

Playbill.com: "The new musical features a book by director Smock and Carla Vitale, who is also the dramaturg, with a score by Corinne Aquilina.

Tix for New Broadway Musical Book of Mormon On Sale Nov. 19 - Playbill.com

Playbill.com: "The new musical comedy, which will begin previews Feb. 24, 2011, at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre, will officially open on Broadway March 24. The cast will be headed by Josh Gad ('The Daily Show with Jon Stewart') and Andrew Rannells (Jersey Boys) as, respectively, Elders Cunningham and Price, 'a pair of mismatched Mormon boys sent on a mission to a place that's about as far from Salt Lake City as you can get,' according to press notes.

'The Morini Strad' plays on modest, artful thoughts

post-gazette.com: "Much credit, then, to the world premiere of Willy Holtzman's 'The Morini Strad' at City Theatre, in which the dialogue is indeed artful: sharp, witty, sometimes pensive and sympathetic, occasionally seductive. But there are few of the pyrotechnics of which even a solo instrument is capable. At just under 90 minutes, this is narrative imbued with different moods (comedy, sonnet, georgic, elegy), never building to something explosive. Its emotions are generally modest, but they ring true.

Gotham has 'Blind Date' - Entertainment News, Legit News, Media - Variety

variety.com: "Producer Kevin McCollum is backing an Off Broadway tryout run of Toronto hit 'Blind Date' at Ars Nova next month.

Art Director, Jason Cox, Discusses Quality Control | Behind the Scenes at Taylor Studios, Inc ©

www.taylorstudios.com: "The photo below shows work that would never be accepted here at Taylor Studios. Why? you ask. Not only would we not cut the hole three times bigger than it needed to be but also we would not design that kind of exposed wire management. The exhibit looks sloppy and unfinished.

Sweet Home Chicago « Art Works

www.arts.gov: "Jeffrey Sweet wrote the book on Chicago theater. No, really, he wrote the book: Something Wonderful Right Away: An Oral History of The Second City & The Compass Players is considered the definitive book on the history of improv theater in the Windy City. The Second City troupe has influenced and inspired everyone from Steppenwolf Theatre to playwright David Mamet, as well as affecting Sweet’s own playwriting. Sweet has been a fan of Chicago theater for some time, which is apparent in this excerpt from our Art Works podcast.

'Dracula' Will Rise Off Broadway - NYTimes.com

NYTimes.com: "New York theater’s last major attempts at vampire shows — the Elton John musical “Lestat” in 2006, “Dracula, the Musical” in 2004, and the musical “Dance of the Vampires” in 2002 — were among the biggest Broadway flops of that decade. But the monster success of the “Twilight” book and film series — about young love between a well-coiffed vampire and a pretty, sulky human — since 2008 has led to a host of movies, television series, and books featuring vampires.

'circlePOP' dancers take a look at fame

post-gazette.com: "Lady Gaga sings about it. Andy Warhol said we'll all get 15 minutes of it. Hollywood has a walkway dedicated to it. Fame. Everything is affected by it, said choreographer and visual artist Staycee Pearl. 'There's a group of entertainment celebrities who are just very prominent and they kind of cycle out. ... People don't fall out of favor as fast as they used to, but [the cycle is] still going around and around.'

Company's choice of 'Groucho' debut as easy as duck soup - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "For founder and president Nancy Gordon Galluzzo, the choice of show for QM Productions' stage debut was never in doubt.

Phylicia Rashad Visits Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama - CMU Drama School Blog - post-gazette.com

post-gazette.com: "Acclaimed Broadway and television star, Phylicia Rashad, visited Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama to host acting workshops. Students presented monologues and songsPhylicia Rashad for Ms. Rashad. “Phylicia would give us feedback on how to make it more real, more human,” says Josh Wilder, a junior actor. It was an informal workshop; Ms. Rashad would work through a piece in progress and use teachable moments to show students how to deal with certain challenges when developing a performance piece.

Using soft materials to mimic hard details

props.eric-hart.com: "Every once in a while you come across some curved or otherwise intricate detail on a prop you wish to recreate that seems far too intense and labor-intensive to undertake by hand. Take, for instance, the curved ridges running along the front of the arm in the picture below (the parts in grey).

Fabricators talk about their favorite install sites | Behind the Scenes at Taylor Studios, Inc ©

taylorstudios.com: "Today, several of our fabricators talk about their favorite install locations and what they’ve gotten to see and do while traveling for work. If you have question you’d like us to answer during one of our Tuesday Vlogs, let us know!

AutoCAD Insider: Navigating with the ViewCube in AutoCAD 2011

heidihewett.blogs.com: "Learn how to navigate around your 3D model with the ViewCube. In this video, I describe how to control the display of the ViewCube including the location and opacity. I demonstrate the ability to choose standard viewpoints, freely orbit the model, and set a home view.

Amazon Studios Wants to Fund Tomorrow's Auteurs | Fast Company

fastcompany.com: "With $2.7 million up for the taking, Amazon Studios should start a stampede by wannabe scriptwriters and directors. The Internet giant launched the venture yesterday, in an attempt to make movie-making more 'open and collaborative.' Hollywood, as Amazon's promo video implies, is far too old-school and untrustworthy a concept for the 21st Century.

'What Would Jesus Do' Tops Audelco Awards

backstage.com: "'What Would Jesus Do?' was the question of the night at the 38th Annual Vivian Robinson-Audelco Recognition Awards for Excellence in Black Theatre.

Angelina Jolie Cuts Bosnia Filming on Permit Woes

backstage.com: "Hollywood star Angelina Jolie has cut back on filming plans in Bosnia for her directorial debut after problems with permits, a local producer said on Wednesday.

Friendly Neighborhood Deathtrap

backstage.com: "Though it's difficult to say for sure, injuries to actors have made recent headlines. Take 'Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark,' a $65 million Broadway production that has been beleaguered by more hobgoblins, from script problems to safety issues, than its title superhero.

Amazon Launches Film Production Website

backstage.com: "Amazon.com Inc is making a foray into film production with a new website that allows would-be filmmakers to submit scripts and movies that could land on the silver screen.

PHOTO ARCHIVE: Les Misérables Over the Years - Playbill.com

Playbill.com: "It's a big year for Les Misérables. This fall marks both the 25th anniversary of the original London production and the launch of a newly imagined U.S. national touring production of the epic musical.

Life is sweat in the theatre | Bella Todd | Stage | guardian.co.uk

guardian.co.uk: "Beyoncé banned photographers from capturing her at it, Lee Evans can't get through an interview without being asked why he does it so profusely, and Hollywood's female stars are reportedly queuing up to have it botoxed out of existence. The entertainments industry is perennially waging war against sweat. So it was refreshing last week to sit through the sweatiest theatre performance I've ever seen, courtesy of absurdist Chicagoan duo Cupola Bobber.

GRCC resumes debate over funding programs that one trustee says do 'evil things' | MLive.com

MLive.com: "Grand Rapids Community College officials say they will allow debate over whether they should continue funding programs one trustee says includes performances of 'evil things.'

Safety Inspectors to Examine Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark's Flying Sequences Nov. 17

Playbill.com: "Safety inspectors from the New York State Department of Labor are headed to the Foxwoods Theatre Nov. 17 to inspect various flying sequences in the new Broadway production Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, according to the New York Times.

Young Alums, Great Jobs - Carnegie Mellon University

Carnegie Mellon University: "While many avenues can lead to success, Sam Tsai (CMU'07) and Andrew Seay (A'06,HNZ'08) can point to one resounding factor: support they received from the Peter C. Dozzi Family Foundation during their time at Carnegie Mellon.

Tron Legacy: Light Suit Costume - Part 2 | Clothes on Film

Clothes on Film: "Part 2 of our detailed look at the costumes in Tron Legacy. After examining the overall creation and construction of the light suits, we have now moved onto specific design elements for individual characters.

IAAPA update: Koch, Rogers join the theme park industry's Hall of Fame

themeparkinsider.com: "The late Will Koch, the president of Holiday World, who passed away last summer at age 48, was inducted this morning into the IAAPA Hall of Fame, joining his late father, Bill, who was inducted in 2001.

Real-life crime frames City Theatre drama - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "In Willy Holtzman's play, now receiving its world premiere at City Theatre on the South Side, a rare and valuable violin becomes the device that allows Morini and Skarstad to confront these issues.

'Annie' turns into a family affair at Geyer - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Michael and Tricia Rohlf have their work cut out for them. The husband-and-wife duo will co-direct the Actors and Artists of Fayette County's production of 'Annie' this weekend at the Geyer Performing Arts Center in Scottdale.

Stage Right offers a catchy 'Madeline's Christmas' - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Stage Right artistic director Anthony Marino says his theater company's musical adaptation of Ludwig Bemelman's children's books is destined to become a holiday classic.

A Do-Over for the Wasserstein Playwriting Prize - NYTimes.com

NYTimes.com: "Mounting criticism and attention over word that the $25,000 Wendy Wasserstein Prize for playwriting would not be awarded this year because no script by a young female writer was deemed worthy has led to a turnaround. The administrator of the prize announced on Monday that the selection process would be refined and done over in hopes of finding a winner.

Who You Gonna Call? For Bedbugs, an Out-of-Work Actor - WSJ.com

WSJ.com: "For struggling New York actors reduced to waiting tables for a living, there's finally an alternative career path: bedbug hunter.

War Horse stagehand claims racist bullying behind the scenes | Stage | The Observer

The Observer: "A stagehand who worked behind the scenes on the critically acclaimed West End production War Horse is pursuing a case for wrongful dismissal after blowing the whistle on an alleged culture of drunkenness and racism, which he claimed was making life traumatic for cast and crew.

BBC News - Arts bodies braced for fresh cuts

BBC News: "Theatres, galleries and other arts bodies are preparing for a 'double whammy' of funding cuts as local councils try to balance their budgets.

Lincoln Center Scrambles After Visa Problems - NYTimes.com

NYTimes.com: "Visa problems have forced Lincoln Center to delay the culminating performances of its White Light Festival, dedicated to transcendence in music, until next week.

The corporate takeover of American schools | Paul Thomas | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk

guardian.co.uk: "The top positions in state education across the US – for example, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, recent chancellors Joel Klein (New York) and Michelle Rhee (Washington, DC), and incoming Chancellor Cathleen P Black (New York) – reflect a trust in CEO-style leadership for education management and reform. Along with these new leaders in education, billionaire entrepreneurs have also assumed roles as education saviours: Bill and Melinda Gates, and Geoffrey Canada.

It's the First Pic from Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark (UPDATED)

Topless Robot: "Honestly, I have no words. There's just nothing I can say that this pic, which will be in this month's Vogue, doesn't say ever so clearly, all by itself. Infinite thanks to keepoffthegrass for the tip.

This Blog is Prior to Broadway

americantheatrewing.com: "If you are an inveterate consumer of theatre news, scanner of theatrical advertising in any U.S. market other than New York, or theatrical journalist bombarded by press releases, you have invariably run across the phrase “prior to Broadway,” probably many times. Indeed, I nominate the phrase “prior to Broadway” as perhaps the most flagrantly and falsely used – and accepted – promotional phrase in theatre hucksterism. I would also say it is perhaps the most damaging.

Video Backdrops Made Easy & Less Costly

rosebrand.com: " Video Backdrops can be difficult and costly to buy, transport and setup. So when we went looking for a simpler solution, our friends at ShowLED helped us to 'see the light.' Our new Animation Curtain enables amazing effects, offers easy setup & maintenance, and is priced more competitively than similar products. It's perfect for rendering low to medium resolution still images, video loops and flash animations.

AEG Wants to Make Environmental Standards for the Live Music Industry Rock | Fast Company

Fast Company: "The live entertainment industry has a huge environmental footprint, so why don't we hear more about sustainability initiatives from the sector? It's a problem that AEG--a facilities management, live entertainment, and sports company best known for owning the Staples Center, Nokia Theatre, LA Kings and LA Galaxy--is trying to remedy with its first ever sustainability report.

Critic's Notebook: 'Gatz' and 'Angels in America' off-Broadway - latimes.com

latimes.com: "Theatrical marathons, those all-day affairs adored by festival-trotting Europeans, are quietly staging a comeback in New York. Nothing as momentous as Peter Brook's production of 'The Mahabharata' or the Royal Shakespeare Company's 'Nicholas Nickleby' has landed. But 'Gatz' and 'Angels in America,' which combine for roughly 15 hours, are unquestionably two of the hottest events of the fall season.

‘Elf’ on Broadway at Hirschfeld Theater - Review - NYTimes.com

NYTimes.com: "In some remote corner of Santa’s kingdom up at the North Pole, elves are whistling show tunes as they work. Instead of sewing button eyes on dolls and fiddling with the circuitry of game consoles, a small but dedicated cadre of Santa’s tireless helpers are manufacturing splashy, peppy, sugar-sprinkled holiday entertainments destined for Broadway. The latest product to be shipped south for family consumption is “Elf,” a musical adaptation of the popular Will Ferrell movie that opened Sunday night at the Al Hirschfeld Theater.

Review: Pittsburgh Opera's 'Lucia' is riveting production - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Before the curtain rose Saturday night at the Benedum Center, Downtown, Pittsburgh Opera's general director Christopher Hahn came out to warn the audience that the singers for 'Lucia di Lammermoor' might not be in top voice. A cold had spread through the cast and some indulgence might be needed.

New Hazlett Theater names executive director - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "The New Hazlett Theater search committee has chosen Rene Conrad for its new executive director.

100 Picketers Protest Replacement Workers on 'Biggest Loser'

backstage.com: "With cries of 'scab,' striking crew and supporters confront vehicles entering the production site Monday morning. About 100 Biggest Loser crew members and IATSE supporters picketed the show's production location in the Santa Monica Mountains above Malibu before dawn Monday.

Nov. 12: CMU's School of Drama Re-imagines Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream," Nov. 18-20 and Nov. 30-Dec. 4 - Carnegie Mellon University

Carnegie Mellon University: "PITTSBURGH—William Shakespeare’s fantastic dream of a laborer who yearns to be an actor will replay itself on stage at Carnegie Mellon University's School of Drama when Don Wadsworth, professor of voice and speech, directs “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” Nov. 18 through 20 and Nov. 30 through Dec. 4. Known for its strengths in the arts and technology, the school will use new automated stage equipment to create magical effects in this imaginative version of Shakespeare’s famous comedy. The technology will move scenery and lift actors on and off stage.

Local News | Intiman Theatre's mounting debts are life-and-death financial drama | Seattle Times Newspaper

Seattle Times Newspaper: "In recent days, rumors have swirled over the financial stability of Intiman Theatre, a Tony Award winner and one of Seattle's 'Big Three' professional regional theaters.

Can You Get Genius Results With Just Hard Work? No | Sightings by Terry Teachout - WSJ.com

WSJ.com: "What do you think of when you hear the word 'genius'? Most of us, I suspect, picture a fellow in a white coat who squints into a microscope, twiddles a knob, and says, 'Eureka! I've found the cure for cancer!' More often than not, though, scientific and creative discoveries are the result not of bolts of mental lightning but of long stretches of painfully hard slogging.

Arts Marketing: Managing Success

Arts-Marketing.blogspot.com: "I was joking with my Managing Director a couple of days ago that managing success is just as time consuming as managing a flop. On the other end of a conference call, Adrian Bryan-Brown, whose press firm Boneau/Bryan-Brown represents Arena Stage, replied “yeah, but it’s a lot more fun.” Truer words have never been spoken.

The Mystery of Edwin Drood - On Stage - Theater Reviews & Features - Pittsburgh City Paper

Pittsburgh City Paper: "It all began in 1870, when Charles Dickens dropped dead in the middle of writing his novel The Mystery of Edwin Drood. Over the years there have been several novels, and a surprising number of movies, attempting to finish what Dickens started and provide the who in 'whodunnit.'

Ghetto Klown doesn’t do Leguizamo justice - thestar.com

thestar.com: "John Leguizamo is a very funny man with a killer way of getting an audience on his side, but Ghetto Klown, his latest work for the stage, which opened Thursday night at the Berkeley Street Theatre, doesn’t show him off to the best advantage.

actorsequity.org | Actors' Equity Association President

actorsequity.org: "There is an infamous moment during the first three days of rehearsal when a cast elects the Equity deputy. The election process tends to follow one of a few classic paradigms.

Broadway's 'Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown' lacks an edge

washingtonpost.com: "Maybe a whole evening of funny freak-outs is too much to ask of the new musical version of 'Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown,' the resistible confection that's been coaxed out of Pedro Almodóvar's screwball Spanish film comedy. But as it happens, there's only one great manic explosion in the sporadically tickling affair that opened Thursday night at Broadway's Belasco Theatre.

Dancers Leap Over U.S.-Cuba Political Barriers : NPR

NPR.org: "In Cuba, American artists and musicians are going where tourists and politicians cannot. In October, trumpet legend Wynton Marsalis came to Havana with members of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. And last week, the American Ballet Theater was in town for the first time in 50 years.

Oscar Wilde's Big Secret, Ghastly `Don Giovanni': London Stage - Bloomberg

bloomberg.com: "There’s brittle-clever dialogue, an explosively guilty secret and swathes of gorgeous period frocks. Why then does a clammy hand of theatrical torpor hover over “An Ideal Husband” in London?

Entertainment

newpittsburghcourieronline: "During a time when only 2 percent of Blacks in Pittsburgh held any of the 30,000 craft union construction jobs during the Pittsburgh’s Renaissance in the 1970s, Nate Smith emerged as a leader to change the staggering statistics on construction sites.

'Love, Loss, and What I Wore' at Geffen Playhouse has plenty of drama backstage too - latimes.com

latimes.com: "A series of seven casts with their own requests and chemistry created a lot of challenges and cherished memories for the team behind the scenes.

Andy Warhol Museum honors Hollywood icon - The Tartan Online

The Tartan Online: "Throughout the years, Pittsburgh’s Andy Warhol Museum, located by the riverfront in East Allegheny, has dazzled visitors with a vast array of year-round and traveling exhibits. Last month, the museum proudly debuted its newest addition dedicated to the blonde bombshell and sex sensation Marilyn Monroe.

How Hollywood killed the movie stunt

Salon.com: "On Nov. 12, 1910, a hundred years ago today, a man jumped out of a burning-hot air balloon into the Hudson River while a movie camera rolled. The vast majority of silent films are lost to history -- vanished, destroyed or somehow rendered invisible -- and this, it would seem, is one of them; I've seen the burning balloon gag cited as the first movie stunt on a number of sites, some quite thorough and authoritative, yet none list the film's title or the name of the stuntman. Photographic evidence of the balloon man's deed lives on in the Topps bubblegum card pictured here, and his legacy can be seen on any screen that shows moving images.

Chandelier Created from Solaris+ LEDs | iSquint.net

iSquint.net: "The 14th edition of the SonneMondSterne-Festival (‘SMS’) took place in the Thuringian city of Saalburg in Germany. Every year, thousands of visitors feel the lure of the festival for electronic dance music at the Bleiloch dam in the peaceful town of Saalburg. The entire lighting and video equipment at the “Main Circus” was provided by the event services agency HELI-Show equipment this year.

Yale Rep’s ‘Notes From Underground,’ With Bill Camp - NYTimes.com

NYTimes.com: "The Yale Repertory Theater’s production of “Notes From Underground,” adapted by Bill Camp and Robert Woodruff, is true to the outline, and often to the letter, of the bombshell of a book that inspired it: Dostoyevsky’s short, relentless novel of self-laceration from 1864. But this production, directed by Mr. Woodruff and starring Mr. Camp, never seems closer to its source’s spirit than in its use of an anachronism: the little camera with which the Underground Man records his sorry confessions.

Single set adds 'a layer of theatricality and color' to Pittsburgh Public Theater's 'Talley's Folly'

post-gazette.com: "'Talley's Folly,' the Pulitzer Prize-winning middle piece in Lanford Wilson's trilogy, is a romantic comedy set on the lakefront of the Talley family farm in Missouri, circa 1944, a spot the playwright wrote of in intricate detail. He describes 'a Victorian boathouse constructed of louvers, lattice in decorative panels, and a good deal of Gothic Revival gingerbread.'

Big Bad Wolf gets to tell his side in 'Three Little Pigs' - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "That's the case that the big carnivore will plead to audiences during the next two weeks in the children's play, 'The True Story of the Three Little Pigs.' The stage production -- the second of the 41st season for Pittsburgh International Children's Theater -- tells the classic fairy tale with a clever twist from the Big Bad Wolf's point of view, the director says. At the end, the audience gets to decide the verdict on the wolf's guilt or innocence; then, one of three potential ending scenes will follow, based on the audience's votes.

'Marvelous Wonderettes' on CLO Cabaret lineup - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera has added 'The Marvelous Wonderettes' to its CLO Cabaret schedule. The off-Broadway pop musical will make its Pittsburgh premiere April 28 to Oct. 2. The show had its premiere at the Westside Theater in New York City in 2008 where it ran until earlier this year.

'Mary Poppins' tickets go on sale - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "A presentation of PNC Broadway Across America -- Pittsburgh series, the national touring production of the Broadway musical will play Jan. 5 through 23 at the Benedum Center, Downtown.

Child prodigy's play designed to pull at the heartstrings - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Carla Belver plays Morini and David Whalen appears as Brian in the Holtzman's drama now in previews for its world premiere at City Theatre.

Future Ten 7: 'Too Big to Fail' offers some short, sweet plays

post-gazette.com: "This is a little-engine-that-could story. Future Ten 7 calls itself 'Too Big to Fail,' which is sort of a joke, because the annual festival features 10-minute plays, the opposite of big. But it is in its seventh year, attracting better and better collaborators, indicating stature of a kind.

What is Plagiarism, and Is it Always Bad?

lifehacker.com: "It's easy to become attached to your words, claiming ownership to their arrangement on the page and to the phrases you create. But how much do you really own what you write? How much have you, technically, plagiarized?

"Biggest Loser" suspends production due to labor dispute (Update) | Company Town | Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Times: "UPDATE: IATSE confirmed Wednesday that it was on strike against the show and its producers. IA International President Matthew D. Loeb said: “This is a top-rated prime-time television show, and the crew remains unified. 'The strike is the result of a unanimous decision by members of the production crew that they get a contract similar to others covering these types of productions, and we are resolute in getting it for them.

Taking Over Someone Else’s Project: How to Handle the Transition : Business Collaboration News «

gigaom.com: "I sometimes find myself taking over other people’s projects. These could be projects that have been abandoned or left incomplete by another freelancer, or it could be a redoing of a finished product, like rewriting existing website content, updating an old e-book or completing unfinished designs.

- Sent using Google Toolbar"

Screen Actors Guild reaches accord for actors on basic cable, animation shows | Company Town | Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Times: "After just three days of negotiations, the Screen Actors Guild said Thursday it had concluded a new agreement covering basic cable television programs and network animated shows.

Getting Ready For When The Industry Tries To Kill 3D Printers | Techdirt

Techdirt.com: "Back in 2003, we noted that once 3D printing came around, just imagine how crazy various industries would go once 3D printing became commonplace, and people could 'file share' the printer instructions for various physical products.

Fair Use of Dance-Related Materials: A Discussion | Technology in the Arts | Blog, podcast, and workshops exploring arts management and technology

technologyinthearts.org: "In response to CAMT’s “Social Media, Video Footage and the Law” white paper, Lisa Niedermeyer from Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival contacted us with a related video about fair use as it relates to dance-related materials.

SAG Reaches Cable, Animation Deals

backstage.com: "The Screen Actors Guild has reached a tentative agreement with producers on new contracts for broadcast and cable animation and basic-cable live-action television, the guild announced today.

PLAYBILL ON OPENING NIGHT: The Pee-wee Herman Show — Paging All Inner Children - Playbill.com

Playbill.com: "Pee-wee Herman pitched his playhouse on Broadway 11/11 — in, of all sophisticated settings, a theatre newly designated the Stephen Sondheim — which just might be the only way those two names will ever surface in the same sentence.

Fela! musical is sued by biographer | Music | The Guardian

The Guardian: "But Kuti, an African revolutionary, musical visionary and polygamist who married 27 women on the same day in 1978, is turning out to be as controversial in death as he was in life. An award-winning American musical based on his life – lavishly praised by a string of American celebrities, including Madonna, Spike Lee, Toni Morrison, Oprah Winfrey and co-producer Jay-Z – has been hit with a $5m lawsuit. Carlos Moore, the musician's only official biographer, claims the producers of Fela! breached his copyright by failing to credit his book, Fela: This Bitch Of A Life, as a source for the production.

Nego Gato moves to living history

post-gazette.com: "When the Nego Gato Afro Brazilian Music and Dance Ensemble performs at the Kelly-Strayhorn Theater on Saturday, the music, dance and costumes of Brazil will not be the only things the company will be celebrating.

Atkins, O'Malley to read for benefit

post-gazette.com: "Why it has taken this long to get Tom Atkins and Bingo O'Malley on a stage together is one of those inexplicable oversights that finally has been set right:

Director says 'The Morini Strad' strikes a sweet and poignant tone

post-gazette.com: "Daniella Topol basks in a sunny fall day as she walks the Carnegie Mellon campus, reconnecting with the place and people she knew as a student. It's one day until tech rehearsals for City Theatre's world premiere of 'The Morini Strad,' and the director is feeling pretty good about her homecoming.

Analysis: How the Guilds Lost the 'Hobbit' War

backstage.com: "As more and more U.S. productions are made in other countries, Hollywood studios are determined to limit guild influence as much as possible.

'30 Rock's' Tina Fey Receives Top U.S. Humor Prize

backstage.com: "WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Comedian Tina Fey, whose parody of former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin some say influenced the 2008 U.S. presidential election, accepted the Mark Twain prize for American Humor on Tuesday before a packed audience at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Click for curtain-up: technology and theatre | Culture | The Guardian

The Guardian: "In a world dominated by digital media, theatre can seem old-fashioned. You might buy tickets for a show online and tweet about it afterwards, but mostly the shows themselves are sheltered from the technology that saturates modern lives. Does that mean theatre-makers are missing a trick? The Pervasive Media Studio thinks so. Based in Bristol since 2007, it exists to foster relationships between the computing, communication and creative industries – and this year it's paying particular attention to theatre.

A new day dawns for Toronto’s musical theatre - thestar.com

TheStar.com: "A new musical theatre company will be launched in Toronto in 2011, founded by 20 of the brightest lights in the country and modelled along the lines of Soulpepper Theatre, the Star has learned.

Rich Americans' philanthropy dropped in 2009, but not for the arts, study finds | Culture Monster | Los Angeles Times

LATimes: "The facts support him still, judging by a study of rich folks’ charitable habits released Tuesday. One of the things that most differentiates them from the rest of us, it reveals, is that they give to the arts.

Tony Awards to Be Presented Live from the Beacon Theatre - Playbill.com

Playbill.com: "The awards, Broadway's highest honor, have been broadcast on CBS since 1978. This will be the first year that the show will be broadcast live from The Beacon Theatre, which is part of the Madison Square Garden portfolio of venues. (As previously reported, Radio City Music Hall, the home of the Tony Awards for the past several years, is unavailable for this year's awards show.)

Chandelier Created from Solaris+ LEDs | iSquint.net

iSquint.net: "At this year’s SonneMondSterne-Festival, the Solaris+ by G-LEC found its premiere in a highly creative and impressive design.

Cirque slates 'Zarkana' - Entertainment News, Legit News, Media - Variety

Variety.com: "Cirque du Soleil has named its upcoming Gotham outing 'Zarkana,' with the show set to begin perfs at Radio City Music Hall in June.

Set design is one of the stars in 'Talley's Folly' - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "For Michael Schweikardt and other scenic designers of his generation, 'Talley's Folly' has an iconic status.

'They are very beautiful set designs and if you take a look at the play you understand why,' Schweikardt says.

2010 - Broadway's 50 Most Powerful People

BroadwaySpace: "Who are Broadway's most powerful people? We put the question to a handful of industry insiders who, on condition of anonymity, ranked Broadway's movers and shakers for a final and decidedly unscientific list of 50. Is power the ability to get a show up with the scratch of a pen? Is it the person at the very top of the game or the person you wouldn't dare put on hold? We let everyone define 'power' for themselves and let the chips fall as they may.

Inbox Infinity: The Passive Approach to Getting Things Done

lifehacker.com: "There are many strategies and tools for getting to inbox zero, yet they generally require a level of diligence most of us can't manage forever. Rather than doom yourself to failure, give into your inadequacies and stop aiming for zero.

The inside story of how ILM changed movies

io9.com: "any of your favorite movie scenes feature the technical brilliance of Industrial Light & Magic. So we're dying to see the new documentary about ILM's history, airing Friday on Encore. Glimpse the behind-the-scenes wonder in a new trailer.

Time To Remix Copyright Law: The Hip Hop Case Study | Techdirt

techdirt.com: "For decades hip hop producers have relied on the innovative use of existing recordings (most of which are protected by copyright), to create completely new works. Specifically, cuttin' and scratchin', digital sampling, looping and (most recently) mashing are all methods of creating music and are all integral parts of the hip hop music aesthetic. Collectively these creative processes are the hallmark of the type of innovation and creativity born out of the hip hop music tradition.

Tron Legacy: Light Suit Costume | Clothes on Film

Clothes on Film: "In Tron Legacy, the light suit exemplifies two key facets of the mythology: light, as in energy, and ‘disc’ – lifeblood of the wearer. This suit is a meticulously designed ‘second skin’ that integrates seamlessly into director Joseph Kosinski’s vision of the Tron story universe. Here we examine the design of the new light suit including background to its creation, construction, symbolism and application in Tron Legacy.

Beyond the Wii and Kinect, this is how motion control could evolve | DVICE

DVICE.com:"The Wii made motion control a big deal with its Wiimotes. Now, four years later, the system is starting to show its age and competitors are sneaking in, such as Sony's more accurate Move and Microsoft's controller-less Kinect. Where can we go next? A group of students have an idea after taking a cue from Avatar.

Innovation and Public Art in Sacramento « Art Works

arts.gov: "Dancers from Sacramento Ballet perform on the street for free to better connect with the community.

Dark Knight hits the road - Entertainment News, Legit News, Media - Variety

Variety.com: "Warner Bros. will launch a Batman arena tour, 'Batman Live,' next year in the U.K. and Europe ahead of a North American stint planned for 2012.

Seton Hill production looks at another 'World' - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Terry Brino-Dean, associate professor of theater and director of the theater and dance program at Seton Hill University, is directing the Restoration comedy by British playwright William Congreve. He says the work is an excellent example of the unique genre.

Point Park to honor choreographers who share Pittsburgh connection - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Five choreographers who share Pittsburgh roots will be presented by Point Park University's Conservatory Dance Ensemble at performances starting Friday.

A New Kind of Torch Song: Harvey Fierstein Will Star as Albin in La Cage aux Folles - Playbill.com

Playbill.com: "Four-time Tony Award-winner Harvey Fierstein will return to Broadway, in drag again, to star as Albin in the 2010 Tony Award-winning revival of La Cage aux Folles, for which he also wrote the libretto. He will slip into feathers and bugle beads starting Feb. 15, 2011, for 12 weeks.

The Brits Figure Out That Chekhov Is Funny

guardian.co.uk: "Chekhov was the great chronicler of human misery. So why are top comics – from Steve Coogan to Johnny Vegas – playing him for laughs?

From La Scala to Bolshoi, Classics Tune Up for Big Screen - NYTimes.com

NYTimes.com: "Opera houses, ballet companies, even the National Theater in London, are competing to lure audiences to live high-definition broadcasts in movie theaters, many of which are then shown again. It is the HD-ification of the arts, and it is already affecting programming decisions along with costume and set design, lighting choices and even ticket prices.

VIDEO: 'Going Public" Publicist Panel

backstage.com: "Back Stage at the SAG Foundation recently presented Going Public: Publicists Discuss How to Keep Your Acting Career 'Spinning.' Leading industry publicists discussed how to get and keep your career moving forward. Panelists including Tammy Lynn (Spotlight PR), Liz Bankey (ID PR), Bryna Rifkin (ID PR), Craig Bankey (WKT) shared important trade secrets to get you moving in the right direction with or without a publicist on your team.

Midnight Sun: Magician Spencer Horsman comments on Harry Houdini routine that sent him to the hospital for five hours

baltimoresun.com: "PX00137_9.JPGWere you at Illusions: Magic Bar & Lounge Friday night? If you weren't, you missed a 20-pound beam come down on 24-year-old illusionist Spencer Horsman.

Dark Knight hits the road - Entertainment News, Legit News, Media - Variety

Variety.com: "Warner Bros. will launch a Batman arena tour, 'Batman Live,' next year in the U.K. and Europe ahead of a North American stint planned for 2012.

Stage Lighting Equipment - Curse of Lighting Design? - On Stage Lighting

On Stage Lighting.com: "On Stage Lighting takes a look at the curse of the Lighting Designer and some reasons why it can be more of a danger than ever. But you can resist it’s temptations, and we’ll set on you on the road to recovery.

Top 3 Productivity Pitfalls Disguised as Work-Boosting Tools: Business Collaboration News «

Giagaom.com: "Sometimes, the things that start of seeming like a they’ll be a great boon to productivity turn out to be not such a great help. In fact, many things that masquerade as helpful in getting work done can, in fact, make jobs harder and draw things out.

Humana Festival Preview: Familiar faces provide the next crop of plays | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal

The Courier-Journal.com: "With world premieres of Pulitzer Prize-winning new classics like “The Gin Game” and “Crimes of the Heart” to its credit, the Humana Festival of New American Plays at Actors Theatre of Louisville, now in its 35th year, draws no small amount of interest from the international theater community.

PlayhouseSquare stars in its own real estate revival | cleveland.com

Cleveland.com: "Behind the marquees of PlayhouseSquare, a real estate machine is chugging along.

The PlayhouseSquare Foundation, which has revived historic venues and attracted Broadway shows and more than 1 million people a year to Cleveland's theater district since the 1970s, owns roughly 1 million square feet of real estate.

Warner Bros. to buy and expand 'Harry Potter' studio in Britain | Company Town | Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Times: "Warner Bros. is going Hogwarts over Britain.

The studio, owned by Time Warner Inc., is paying $161.4 million to acquire and expand the 170-acre Leavesden Studios northwest of London, where it shot its eight 'Harry Potter' films.

'The Nightmare Story' - Carnegie Mellon University

cmu.edu: "The irony of PigPen Theatre's 'The Nightmare Story' is that the seven students from Carnegie Mellon University performing the play are living a little bit of their dream. Beating out several thousand other shows, the play won the coveted honor of Best Overall Production at this year's New York City Fringe Festival.

Lincolnbot Mark I - Boing Boing

boingboing.net: "Disney's put the original Abe Lincolnbot Mark I from the 1964 New York World's Fair on display at the gallery at Disney Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World.

Intiman says it's taking 'corrective measures' | Crosscut.com

Crosscut.com: "Backstage at Seattle's major three theaters there have been many discussions about merger, collaboration, or other cost-saving steps. At one point, the Rep and Intiman talked about combining, with Sher as the artistic director of the merged entity's three stages.

Before TV, Theater Was in the Home - WSJ.com

WSJ.com: "Long before film and television, not to mention video games, legions of children stirred their imaginations and broadened their knowledge with toy theaters made of paper. Through Jan. 30, the Bruce Museum in Greenwich, Conn., is presenting an exhibition of these delightful amusements. 'A Child's View: 19th-Century Paper Theaters' features 32 examples from England, Germany, Denmark, France, Spain, Italy, Austria and the U.S. The miniature playhouses—some antiques, others modern reproductions—are on loan from the private collection of New Yorker Eric G. Bernard.

Stage review: 'South Pacific' still thrills decades later

post-gazette.com: "Sixty years, and we still haven't figured it out. The portrayal of the human toll of war and prejudice in 'South Pacific' rings as true for a 21st-century audience as when it debuted in 1949.

Thoroughly Modern Millie - On Stage - Theater Reviews & Features - Pittsburgh City Paper

Pittsburgh City Paper: "Jessica Ernest is such a goddamn entertaining spectacular playing the title role in Point Park University Conservatory Theater Co.'s production of Thoroughly Modern Millie that, for a long time, it's actually difficult to notice anything else. Her exuberantly winning personality bursts like a supernova, while the ferocity of her dancing and power and beauty of her voice blast you against the back wall of the theater.

Steeltown hosts second scriptwriting competition | The Pitt News

pittnews: "Steeltown Entertainment’s contest, which is open to anyone, will give participants a chance to win $30,000 to make their film and to show their skills to “Hollywood Heavyweights,” as the company describes them.

Gogol Bordello brings benevolent anarchy to Mr. Small’s | The Pitt News

pittnews.com: "After all, the critically renowned multicultural ensemble, which capped off its American tour in Pittsburgh last Thursday, is known for two things: an idiosyncratic hodgepodge of world music and rock ’n’ roll — self-proclaimed as “gypsy punk” — and bringing an audience to the brink of chaos.

Will a high-tech revolution bring curtain down on theater as we know it? - The Denver Post

DenverPost.com: "Love it or loathe it, the proliferation of affordable new technologies means that even the smallest theater company can show off a crashing chandelier or a flying helicopter. Or at least beam them up in compelling ways.

The Bollywood experience, without the screen - thestar.com

thestar.com: "Watching Bollywood’s giant, candy-coloured musical confections on screen is a guilty pleasure that most of us can admit to. The Merchants of Bollywood brings the experience closer, by putting the over-the-top fun of Indian cinema on stage. It opens Thursday at the Sony Centre.

SAG, AFTRA Reach New TV-Film Deal

LATimes.com: "The Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists announced this morning that they have reached a tentative deal with producers on new contracts for primetime network television and film.

Andy Warhol Museum honors Hollywood icon - The Tartan Online

thetartan.com: "Throughout the years, Pittsburgh’s Andy Warhol Museum, located by the riverfront in East Allegheny, has dazzled visitors with a vast array of year-round and traveling exhibits. Last month, the museum proudly debuted its newest addition dedicated to the blonde bombshell and sex sensation Marilyn Monroe.

Bhangra dancers perform for sold-out crowd - The Tartan Online

thetartan.com: "The fourth annual Bhangra in the Burgh competition was one of the most exciting shows since the creation of the competition. Master of ceremonies and social and decision sciences junior Suraj Baxi kept the audience entertained, and Carnegie Mellon’s own bhangra team performed at the end of the show.

Fire Erupts at Historic Majestic Theater in Ohio

backstage.com: "Officials say a fire during a gospel performance forced the evacuation of the historic Majestic Theater in Chillicothe, Ohio.

Three Divas Founder in Pointless `Women on the Verge' Musical: John Simon - Bloomberg

Bloomberg.com: "Heroic efforts from the remarkable singing actresses Laura Benanti, Patti LuPone and Sherie Rene Scott and the equally accomplished Brian Stokes Mitchell can’t disguise the fact that “Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown” is an unholy mess.

'Dark Shadows' to Be Next Burton-Depp Movie

backstage.com: "It looks like Johnny Depp's next movie will be Warner Bros. and Tim Burton's big-screen incarnation of gothic vampire TV soap opera 'Dark Shadows.'

'Law & Order' Finds Real Handgun During Filming

backstage.com: "The discovery of a real gun brought real police officers to 'Law & Order: Los Angeles' during location filming.

*Rocky Horror* dazzles - The Tartan Online

thetartan.org: "The Rocky Horror Show has been known for its risqué content — and none of that was absent from Scotch’n’Soda’s Homecoming weekend performance. With many characters in only their underclothes, a “sweet transvestite,” and sex scenes, the show truly lived up to its reputation.

Quantum Theatre finds a great place for a grim play

Post Gazette: "The Quantum location scouts had a monumental task ahead of them preparing to stage 'When the Rain Stops Falling' by Australian Andrew Bovell. They needed a space big enough to hold Ayers Rock, now called Uluru. Figuratively, of course.
What they found is an empty warehouse with a high ceiling on Sassafras Street behind the gutted Pittsburgh Brewing works in Lawrenceville.

Stage review: 'South Pacific' still thrills decades later

Post Gazette: "Sixty years, and we still haven't figured it out. The portrayal of the human toll of war and prejudice in 'South Pacific' rings as true for a 21st-century audience as when it debuted in 1949.

Touring shows treated seriously

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "In all likelihood, my theater friends in Manhattan -- a small island just off the coast of the American mainland -- will not like what I'm about to tell you.
But the reality of the national musical-theater scene is that, increasingly, New York City is a try-out town.
The Broadway production serves as a device to tweak, prepare and credential musicals before they hit the national touring circuit, where the money is.

Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour, Featuring Cirque du Soleil Choreography, to Launch in 2011

Playbill.com: "The show will feature the late star's music and dance moves combined with a creative new visual take on the material. Jamie King will direct and Cirque du Soleil will choreograph 'a riveting fusion of visuals, dance, music and fantasy that immerses audiences in Michael’s creative world and literally turns his signature moves upside down,' according to press notes.

Off Broadway Shows Often Struggle on Broadway

NYTimes.com: "Broadway or death. The reigning wisdom of theater producers these days is that if a play is ever going to grow up — that is, be taken seriously, receive lots of attention and, above all, make money — it can do so only on Broadway.

House Manager Appreciation Week: Nov 29 – Dec 5

Backstage at BackstageJobs.com | Life behind the scenes…: "In recognition of the difficult work our theatre House Managers do every day, I am declaring the final week of November to be House Manager Appreciation Week.
House Managers have the far-to-often thankless task of dealing with a combination of issues on any given day

The Difference Production Makes

Steppenwolf Theatre Company Blog: "Some really interesting chats at the reception following last night’s performance of The Etiquette of Vigilance. Since First Look combines readings with teched productions, I was most interested in talking to folks about the merits of presenting plays in different stages of development: Is a full production always a director, actor, or playwright’s ideal format for a work, or do some theater artists prefer staged readings as a format for new plays, or even polished products?

The Value of a Project Blog: Business Collaboration News «

gigaom.com: "When you’re working on a big project, there are plenty of moving parts that not every team member will be aware of. One way to help to keep everyone up-to-date with the project is to use an internal blog to share information with your team members. It can mean a little extra work, but being being able to keep everyone on the same page can be invaluable.

Intiman says it's taking 'corrective measures'

Crosscut.com: "Intiman Theatre has explained a little bit of the context for the abrupt departure of managing director Brian Colburn earlier this week. Colburn left 'for personal reasons,' but was unavailable to the media. Intiman spokespersons said they could not comment further but that everything was going ahead as usual at the theater.

In Light of Safety Concerns, 'Spider-Man' to Open in 2011

Backstage: "Broadway's 'Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark' will delay its opening by two weeks in light of a continuing investigation by the New York State Department of Labor into its flying safety, a producer announced Thursday.

Mold Sculptures On an iPad App, Then Print Them With a 3D Printer

Gizmodo.com: "We've already ascertained that 3D printers are cool. But when connected to an iPad, running the Beautiful Modeler app? Consider our collective minds blown. You can mold digital clay into whatever you want, then print it with a 3D printer.

Circus zooms into the Consol Center

Post-Gazette.com: "Starting Wednesday, Tweedy and the rest of the circus -- 97 performers, nine Asian elephants, 15 horses, 13 tigers and five zebras -- will be at Pittsburgh's Consol Energy Center, whether they know it or not. It's billed as 'The Greatest Show on Earth.'

Chinese Monkey King Story Adapted in $60M 3-D Film

Backstage.com: "The Monkey King character from Chinese folklore will be revived in a $60 million 3-D blockbuster.

Arts Post - Gates Foundation donates $50 million to Smithsonian

WashingtonPost.com: "The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is giving $50 million to the Smithsonian Institution, the national museum announced late Wednesday.

Director of Michael Jackson's 'Cirque du Soleil' Show Revealed

Backstage.com: "Jamie King, who has served as Madonna's creative director for the past 12 years, will write and direct Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour, the next traveling acrobatic show from Cirque du Soleil that kicks off in October 2011.

'Orpheus and Euridice' translates to love, relationships - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "The right truth at the right time is irresistible. Creating an opera as a music drama was the path composer Christopher Wilibald von Gluck took to operatic immortality when he wrote 'Orpheus and Euridice.' Opera composers ever since have been in his debt.Opera Theater will perform 'Orpheus and Euridice' Friday to Sunday at the William Penn Snyder Mansion on the North Side.

Prime Stage's 'Sleepy Hollow' aims to rattle all of the audiences' senses - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Prime Stage Theatre's 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow' brings a classic, eloquently written ghost story from the page onto the stage in a production that requires viewers to use their imaginations, the artistic director says.

CBC News - Arts - Arts groups re-think the 'creative economy'

CBCNews.com : "The creative economy, a term popularized by urban theorist Richard Florida, argues that supporting artists, thinkers, inventors and others in the so-called 'creative class' results in net economic gains for cities and governments.

AutoCAD Insider: Applying Geometric Constraints in AutoCAD 2011

HeidiHewett.com: "Learn how to apply geometric constraints that enable you to maintain relationships between drawing objects. In this video, I demonstrate the key tools for applying geometric constraints including AutoConstrain and Infer Constraints.

Study Hacks » Blog Archive » The Roberts Method: A Professor’s Advice for Falling in Love With Your Major

CalNewport.com: "This post is the third in my series on the Romantic Scholar approach to student life, which details a collection of strategies to transform school from a trial to survive into the foundation of a life well-lived. Roughly every other post on Study Hacks in the near future will be dedicated to this series.

Getting a new take on Shakespeare - The Tartan Online

The Tartan Online: "Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream is opening in Carnegie Mellon’s stage next month. The show, which opens Nov. 18, is expected to be a big hit.

- John's Blog Main Page - Gravesend Inn-frasound: Subsonic Show Business

Controlgeek.net: "I’ve spent my career wandering around the crossroads of art, science and technology, and I’ve long been especially fascinated by the nexus of those fields: perception.

MDG Fog, theONE, Takes Best Debuting Product at LDI 2010 | iSquint.net

iSquint.net: "MDG Fog took home the Best Debuting Product Award at LDI this year with the latest product, theONE. It’s not wonder why, this thing spits out fog or haze like no ones business! Just take a look at the tour edition of the thing with CO2 canisters attached, it looks mean and ready to smoke you out. In fog mode, theONE can spit out 10 hours, yes 10 HOURS of continues fog.. But it gets better, it Haze Mode, 308 HOURS all while consuming just 1415 watts of power.

How much should you charge for your work?

Props.com: "If you are a prop artisan, and you find yourself freelancing (or wishing to freelance), you may wonder how to make money, or more appropriately, how much to charge for your work. In my experience, it has been most helpful to calculate the costs of the project as accurately as possible beforehand, including a set rate you charge for your own labor. My favorite tool for this is the computer spreadsheet, whether it’s through Microsoft Office, OpenOffice, or Google Docs (or whatever Macs use).

'The Nightmare Story' - Carnegie Mellon University

Carnegie Mellon University: "The irony of PigPen Theatre's 'The Nightmare Story' is that the seven students from Carnegie Mellon University performing the play are living a little bit of their dream. Beating out several thousand other shows, the play won the coveted honor of Best Overall Production at this year's New York City Fringe Festival.

Review: Quantum's 'Rain' is a deep and rewarding puzzle - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Both Quantum Theatre and playwright Andre Bovell work with big ideas and even bigger spaces. So, it's only natural that Quantum is taking its second excursion into Bovell's work with its production of 'When the Rain Stops Falling' that's being performed through Nov. 21 in one corner of a humongous, but otherwise empty, warehouse.

Inspectors To Review Flying Safety for "Spider-Man" Musical - NYTimes.com

NYTimes.com: "Inspectors from the New York State Department of Labor will visit Broadway’s Foxwoods Theater on Wednesday to examine the flying and safety devices and watch some of the aerial stunts for the upcoming musical “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark,” which is expected to feature acrobatic flying that is unprecedented for Broadway.

Kevin Aubin, Actor in 'Spider-Man' Musical, Is Injured - NYTimes.com

NYTimes.com: "An actor in the coming Broadway musical “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark” was injured last week during a demonstration of one of the many flying and acrobatic effects in the $60 million show, whose creators have promised an unprecedented aerial spectacle while also going to lengths to ensure safety.

Review: Pilobolus delights audience with creativity in dance - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Saturday night's dance concert by Pilobolus was, predictably, a celebration of creativity bubbling over into audience delight. But it also included a touching tribute to one of its founders, Pittsburgh native Jonathan Wolken, who died in January.

Review: 'Thoroughly Modern Millie' showcases student talent - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Perky tap-dance routines and a thoroughly professional design team turn Point Park University's Conservatory Theatre Company production of 'Thoroughly Modern Millie' into a well-supported showcase of student song and dance talent.

Elf: The Musical Unwraps Broadway Christmas Bow Nov. 2 at the Hirschfeld - Playbill.com

Playbill.com: "One of Santa's overgrown helpers ushers in the holiday season on Broadway Nov. 2 when Elf – The Musical, starring Sebastian Arcelus as the cheerful elf Buddy, begins performances at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre.

Song of the Goat theatre: 'Shakespeare is a composer' - Telegraph

Telegraph. com: "Moving rapidly from being a cult attraction to an award-laden international force - the Barbican run of its radical revisioning of the Scottish play has practically sold out - Song of the Goat, which devises its work in a 14th-century monastery in Wrocław - sits slightly out on a limb compared with much contemporary Polish theatre.

Rock music brings different sound to dance performances - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "While music and dance have long been complementary partners -- try to imagine a dance performance without music -- rock 'n' roll is rarely the genre of choice when dancers take the stage. An art form in which grace and balance are honed by countless years of practice does not seem simpatico with the often raucous, improvisational nature of rock. So much of the rock 'n' roll canon is ill-suited to dance, which is why Attack Theater was selective when soliciting musicians for 'Site/Re-Site.'

News: Call to Defend the Humanities - Inside Higher Ed

InsideHigherEd.com: "Arguing that the humanities are facing a crisis of funding and attention, Cornell University's president, David Skorton, used his 'state of the university' address Friday to say that he planned to start a national campaign on behalf of the humanities.

- Sent using Google Toolbar"

Actor Mistaken For Gunman Killed in Philippines

Backstage.com: "MANILA, Philippines -- A Philippine village watchman mistook an actor for a real masked gunman, jumped onto his moving motorcycle and fatally shot him in what witnesses thought was part of the filming, police and another actor said Monday.

'South Pacific' seems more relevant than ever in revival

Post-Gazette.com: "Singing forces the stomach to move, so that even if you have six-pack abs, 'it's so bizarre,' admits Anderson Davis, the 2006 Carnegie Mellon graduate who plays Lt. Joe Cable in the national touring company of 'South Pacific.'

Scholars Say International Property Accord Needs Senate Approval | Threat Level | Wired.com

Wired.com: "More than 70 academics, mostly legal scholars, are urging President Barack Obama to open a proposed international intellectual-property agreement to public review before signing it.