New Guthrie Theater leader Joe Haj has been listening to voices of Minnesota

Star Tribune: Joe Haj is getting familiar with Minnesota’s winding roads.

In an endeavor that is rare for a new arts leader, Haj is exercising his knack for using theater to bring communities together and to reinscribe the Guthrie Theater’s importance as Minnesota’s flagship playhouse.

Since he became the Guthrie’s artistic director in July, Haj has logged hundreds of miles crisscrossing the state — from Duluth to Rochester, Mankato to Winona.

“I have this tremendous responsibility to take good care of the Guthrie,” he said at a recent event in Northfield. “My task is not to [mess] it up.”

Boston’s theaters need city, state support

The Boston Globe: In recent weeks much has been written about Boston’s changing theater landscape. Like many other sectors, the arts and entertainment industry is constantly evolving. Boston has more theaters, more seats, and more diverse performance offerings than ever before. At Citi Performing Arts Center, we’re not only working to fill the Wang and Shubert Theatres, we’re also working to attract new audiences and spark creativity through innovative programs like ArtWeek and our summer jobs program, City Spotlights. But without community support and investment, our vibrant creative economy and historic theaters are at serious risk.

So You Want To Be A Tour Manager? Meet Pantera’s First TM, Guy Sykes

The Void AU: In this week’s edition of The Void’s dream jobs segment, meet the legendary tour manager Guy Sykes, who started out tour managing Pantera (and was their ONLY tour manager) and now travels the world with some of the globe’s biggest musical acts including Godsmack, Die Antwoord and Volbeat. He makes a living watching hundreds of thousands of fans lose their minds from side of stage on the daily. What’s most important to nailing the gig? “Patience. Imagine you are going on a 6 week holiday with 30 friends and going to a different city everyday and you are responsible for everyone.”

N.B.A. Cheerleaders’ New Rallying Cry: Better Pay

NYTimes.com: As the N.B.A. starts a new season this week, the salary cap for players will climb to a record $70 million per team at the same time that a federal court considers charges that cheerleaders have been cheated out of fair pay.

This fall, legal claims of wage theft in professional cheerleading have spread from the N.F.L. to the N.B.A., and basketball teams’ treatment of female performers is under intense scrutiny.

Paul Allen Gives to Arts with One Hand but Takes Away with the Other

Features - The Stranger: One night in early June of 2014, a wave of bad news broke over a meeting of people assembled at Vito's Restaurant and Lounge. Vito's is a renovated old lounge, the kind of place where Frank Sinatra would have hung out, minus the smoke. Red leather booths. Gold-flecked mirrors. Lighting the color of beer.

Immersive Theater’s Next Stop: A Sexy ’70s Fantasy Island

The New York Times: In a Bushwick warehouse last month, members of Third Rail Projects, the Brooklyn company behind “Then She Fell,” the long-running immersive hit inspired by “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,” were gathering to rehearse their newest dance-theater piece, “The Grand Paradise.” On one end of the room is a tiki hut. On the other end, an empty tank that, come showtime, will be filled with water and performers.

Vegas nightclub scene the toughest ticket in town, and the price keeps going up

Las Vegas Review-Journal: New Year's party venues — and price points — have dramatically changed since Hollywood restaurateur VictorDrai arrived 20 years ago.

"When I opened, there were maybe three or four clubs in town," Drai said.

Two years later, his modest after-hours club in the basement of the then-Barbary Coast helped ignite the city's epic nightclub explosion.

Backstage on Broadway With the Holiday Spirit

The New York Times: Like the Rockettes and strip clubs, Broadway theater is a New York entertainment that doesn’t stop for the holidays. So how do the cast and crew of a Broadway show, having to stick to a typical eight-(or more)-shows-a-week schedule, make their theater a home worthy of the season?

It doesn’t help that most Broadway dressing rooms are barely bigger than walk-in closets. But leave it to theater folks, known for being creative on a dime, to turn even the ugliest green room into a makeshift winter wonderland.

5 Video Editing Apps for On-the-Go Film Creators

blog.uniquesound.com; Not all the video you create needs to be saved for studio-level editing. For example, you could’ve filmed a panel you just attended at an industry conference, or even a quick vlog where you doled out some video production tips while you were on set for a project. You don’t need to wait to get back to your computer to edit these types of videos and post them online. In fact, it’d probably be a waste of company time to do so.

The Stage’s Best Moments This Year

The New York Times: As a certain popular musical about a certain early Treasury Secretary maintains, we all want to be in the room where it happens. That’s never more so than at the theater, where on stages lavish or bare, every performance is one of a kind. Here, writers and editors for The New York Times recall stage moments worth singing about.

Arden Theatre Company's Metamorphoses | Stage Set With Pool Of Water

Live Design: Arden Theatre Company in Philadelphia opened its 2015 fall season with a revival of Mary Zimmerman’s Metamorphoses, in an ambitious production directed by Doug Hara. Based on the classical myths of Ovid, the play juxtaposes gods and mortals in a series of artfully woven, timeless tales.

DeWalt DWE7480 10" Compact Job Site Table Saw

PTR: My first experience with a table saw was my Grandfather’s 1954 Sears Power King. For a long while I trembled every time I heard it start up. With no guard, a shaky wood base, and a missing throat plate, it was always waiting for its next victim and had, on more than one occasion, lulled me into complacency only to kick a board into my chest for my reward.

Oh the days…

The Many Languages Of Digital Audio Networking

Pro Sound Web: While analog is still a popular and cost-effective method of signal distribution in pro audio, the benefits of going digital far outweigh the costs of switching from analog. No more electromagnetic interference (EMI) and high-frequency attenuation problems, and no more lugging around heavy multi-core analog snakes.

Stars consolidated entertainment takeover on Las Vegas Strip in 2015

Las Vegas Review-Journal: And to think that about this time last year, we were scoffing at the prospects of a "Duck Dynasty" musical having any snowball's chance of making it in Sin City.

We're not scoffing anymore.

Don't get us wrong, the show bombed all right. Horribly. It closed after six weeks at the Rio last May, costing its Broadway producers about $250,000 per week.

But no excessive celebration in the end zone. No one came up with a better idea for a Las Vegas production show, and hardly anyone tried. Instead, 2015 consolidated the Strip's collective shift from standing shows to recurring concert headliners tagged with the already-overused term "residency."

An underrated piece of tech you can't live without

CNET: This is an ode to the humble circuit breaker, your home's electricity gatekeeper, a jumble of wires housed in a utilitarian metal panel that powers everything from your fridge to your phone charger. Given our daily reliance on and love of technology, you'd think that the circuit breaker -- aka the central nervous system for all of the gadgets and gizmos in your house -- would be held in high regard.

Tested in 2015: Danica Johnson's Favorite Things

Tested: At the end of the year, we want to share with you our favorite things we found and used in 2015. Please welcome Danica Johnson, our set designer, as she shares some essential crafting tools she's used this year for production design and projects.

All the ghostly sounds that are lost when you compress to mp3

www.deathandtaxesmag.com: Right now, you’re probably listening to music on your computer. The source of that music — whether you’re listening to an mp3 file or streaming — is a compressed version of a file that was much more detailed, but way larger. It’s worth interrupting your music for a moment and asking: What sounds are you missing?

Tutu makers are in dangerously short supply, says London's Royal Opera House

Telegraph: Top-rank theatrical costume makers who are trained to construct intricate ballet tutus are in perilously short supply, according to London’s Royal Opera House.

The shortage of skilled makers is now causing problems at opera and ballet companies in the UK and the issue is only set to get worse as many older tailors and seamstresses near retirement.

With their expert hands and eyes for detail, stitchers are a vital cog in any opera or ballet performance.

Why does (good) audio often go unnoticed?

AV Magazine | Pro AV news, analysis and comment from Europe’s leading Audio Visual title: Many times it’s only after a bad experience that audio is given the thought it deserves and when things are going well the sound technician may often go overlooked and taken for granted. Why is it that the better the sound is in a production the more sound goes unnoticed?

The Rock Lititz Campus is Expanding

Lighting&Sound America Online - News: Known simply as Pod # 2, the second phase of the Rock Lititz campus development is a multi-tenant facility designed to attract businesses that serve the live entertainment industry. The 250,000 sq. ft. building will be located on 10.08 acres of the 96-acre campus. Construction of Pod # 2 at Rock Lititz is underway and aiming for a December 2016 completion.

How Broadway Professionals Dodge the Crowds of Tourists in Times Square

WSJ: To find out how Broadway professionals get through the burgeoning crowds, we’ve asked them for their observations and tips on navigating an area that, according to the Alliance, attracts as many as 450,000 pedestrians a day.

5 Minutes Early Is On Time; On Time Is Late; Late Is Unacceptable

Forbes: I have a magic pill to sell you. It will help you make more money, be happier, look thinner, and have better relationships. It’s a revolutionary new pharmaceutical product called Late-No-More. Just one dose every day will allow you to show up on time, greatly enhancing your life and the lives of those around you.

Dolby Cinema: Twin laser projectors + object-based 3D audio = awesome

Ars Technica: A representative from Dolby Labs explained the Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision features that together make up Dolby Cinema. Like IMAX-with-laser, Dolby Vision uses lasers as light sources instead of the usual high-intensity discharge bulb. This allows the projection to be much brighter, and the contrast level to be much higher, than with normal DLP.

Why We Need Afro-Latin@ Theatre

HowlRound: When my play The Stories of Us was chosen for the Teatro Vivo's annual Austin Latino Play Festival 2015, I was shocked to say the least. My play was Black—Blacker than Black. It called out African Americans, Latin@s, and Afro-Latin@s for the broken bonds between us, racism, and many things that we fail to say in normal conversations. I confided in a colleague about my nervousness about work being in that space and he told me, "It's needed there." Although I am not Afro-Latin@, I identify with Afro-Latin@ experiences. Being a Black American and speaking Spanish in Texas, I am often met with the question "You know Spanish?" or "How did you learn Spanish?" These questions reflect the lack of exposure to Afro-Latinidad and the hidden erasure of these stories. Why is my language ability even a question?

Happy Show Day!

Selling Out: It’s finally here! December 26 is Show Day, the perfect day to get out with your family and friends and see a show. You can learn more about Show Day here, and check out Cyndi Lauper sharing why this day is so important

Review: 'Rudolph' glows bright enough for kids, but stage show could use more glitter

TribLIVE: It's not easy being the Grinch during the holiday season.

While everyone else is wrapped in a warm seasonal glow, it's left to the Grinches among us to point out that the tree is leaning to one side, you're way over budget on presents and the roast beast is overcooked.

Varsity Theatre – Evanston, IL

After the Final Curtain: The Varsity Theater in Evanston, IL opened on Christmas Eve in 1926. It was designed by Chicago architect John E. O. Pridmore, who is also known for the nearby Vic Theatre. Clyde Elliot, an Evanston native who had worked in Hollywood before returning to his hometown to open the theater, commissioned it. Upon opening the 2,500 seat Varsity was one of the largest neighborhood theatres in the Chicago area, and the largest in Evanston beating the nearby Coronet, Hoyburn, New Campus, and Valencia Theatres.

Career Advice From 15 Broadway Stars in 2015

Backstage: Backstage rubbed elbows with some of Broadway’s best in 2015, asking for the kind of advice early-career actors can use in their everyday lives. Whether it’s reflecting on what they wish they’d known or offering thoughts on how to endure audition after audition, below are a random assortment of pointers from 15 of your favorite stage veterans to take you into the new year!

Song From Broadway Musical 'Hamilton' Celebrates Founding Mothers

NPR: The smash hit Broadway musical "Hamilton" mixes hip-hop with American history and features a multiracial cast. A lot's been written about the founding fathers in the show - Hamilton, Washington, Jefferson and Aaron Burr among them. But for reporter Jeff Lunden, "The One That Got Away," a song about the founding mothers, is the emotional heart of the show.

What Breaking Into Hollywood Was Really Like for Me as a Chinese American

The Mary Sue: I feel privileged to give some of my insights into the world of entertainment—specifically acting in film and television, since I’m a full-time actress. However, I have many friends that are musicians, and I’ve watched their rehearsals and traveled with them to their concerts. I have a friend who is a professional ice skater, who skated for Disney on Ice. I’ve gone to her shows many times, and I’ve even gone back stage at Cirque Du Soleil in my travels. Over time, I’ve come to the conclusion that entertainment is so special and so important for connecting the world that it doesn’t matter what the stage is.

Theater 2015: ‘Hamilton’ was the best, but here are 9 other standouts

The Washington Post: Even in a year with a streamlined theatergoing schedule — owing to a book-writing leave — a reviewer could find enough work of real merit to fill out a best-of list. So here, in my slightly truncated theater adventures of the past 12 months, is what still emerged as particularly worthy of mention

Crew Member Reportedly Killed On Set Of New Resident Evil Movie

kotaku.com: There is, unfortunately, more grim news from the set of Resident Evil: The Final Chapter, where a crew member was reportedly crushed to death earlier this month. A stuntwoman who’d been injured also recently said that her injuries will cost her an arm.

Karabiners with integrated pulleys - A review of the DMM Revolver Rig and Petzl Rollclip

www.abaris.co.uk: Climbers will be aware of the DMM Revolver karabiners, innovative little connectors which feature a small pulley wheel, designed to reduce the friction drag of a rope when it was pulled through the karabiner. A nifty design!

Why America Needs A National Theatre — But It Might Look Different Than You Think

Playbill.com: The U.K. has a national theatre. So does France, Germany, even China. So why don't we have one in the United States? We put some theories to the test and came up with a solution to America's arts problem.

Carrie Furnaces attract artists, entertainers and tourists to former mill site

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: On a Sunday morning in late August, a rusty industrial space at the long-idled Carrie Furnaces in Rankin became a makeshift yoga studio.

After an hour of stretches and mindful breathing, the yogis headed to a brew pub in nearby Braddock for a complimentary beer. Participants paid $10 apiece and proceeds benefited the nonprofit Pittsburgh Yoga Collective.

Venerable Redmoon Theater is shutting down

Chicago Tribune: Redmoon, an unusual performance company specializing in public theatrical spectacles and a part of Chicago's cultural fabric for 25 years, is going out of business, effective immediately.

Of Race, Ethics, Education and Rights: My Top Posts of 2015 Howard Sherman

www.hesherman.com: I honestly wish I could figure out what makes one blog post a roaring success, and another a blip on the radar. Certainly the topic under discussion has some impact, but readership seems just as likely to be affected by the title, a photo, the Facebook algorithm, the timing of a tweet, what else is happening in the world, and so on. In short, I have no idea.

Dance Machine of the 21st Century Imparts Vintage Broadway Steps to a New Generation

The New York Times: Gemze de Lappe clapped her hands in frustration, and the piano went silent. She walked to the center of the studio, which overlooks 42nd Street, and demonstrated to a dancer how to properly swoon over a man. “It’s, ‘Oh my God, he’s so beautiful,’” she said, clutching her heart and then spreading her arms. “This time, don’t be fancy.” Another attempt, another correction, and then Ms. de Lappe walked away, satisfied for the time being.

Sierra Boggess

theINTERVAL: When we met Sierra Boggess on a rainy New York City morning, within five minutes it became clear that she’s a woman who has given a lot of thought about who she is and how she wants to be in the world (she even managed to do this during the now standard, “It’s nice that it’s not freezing out, but also it’s kind of creepy,” small talk). Sierra is currently starring as Rosalie Mullins, the principal in School of Rock.

Top 10 performances of 2015 in Chicago theater

Chicago Tribune: The Chicago actor — dedicated, trained, poorly compensated, ensemble-minded, unconcerned with celebrity — is one of this city's most overlooked assets. Here, in an end-of-year celebration of practitioners of the art, are 10 great performances (in alphabetical order) of 2015.

Stage preview: Point Park grad drills deep for Hermey's voice in 'Rudolph'

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: The TV movie “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” has been broadcast every year since 1964, making it the longest running Christmas TV special ever and also making it a pretty good bet that you have spent some time in the fantastical world of stop-motion animation populated by Rudolph and friends.

Wesley Edwards has been living in that world and loving it.

Backups Of Shows | The Sound Archives of John Leonard

Business & People News content from Live Design: A local newspaper story caught my eye recently. According to the article, a woman sitting at a sidewalk café table had her laptop snatched by a couple of thugs on a motorbike. This was traumatic enough for the victim, but worst of all, the report went on to say, was that she lost four years’ worth of work on her second novel, the only copy of which was stored on a memory stick, which was plugged into the laptop. Being the subject of a robbery is a pretty painful experience, and losing four years’ worth of writing must be devastating, but what bothered me about the story was why on earth there was no backup for this irreplaceable material at all, over the course of four years. The laptop was an Apple MacBook Air, probably one of the simplest machines to back up, either to an external drive or to one of the many cloud services available, and a text file, even one containing a novel, is small enough to drop onto a second USB stick in a minute or two. It’s a lesson hard learned for this particular lady, but I’m willing to bet that she won’t make the same mistake when she finally gets around to rewriting the book.

A Flexible, Modular Acoustic Partition System

Design Milk: Benjamin Hubert, of design agency Layer, has come up with a modular acoustic partition system for Woven Image that’s incredibly flexible. After three years in development and 15 prototyping stages, Scale makes its debut as a sustainable option for creating workplace privacy and flexible spaces. Not only does it become a space divider, it provides audio absorption to cut down on noise.

2015 Young Designer To Watch | Grace Laubacher, Scenic Designer

Business & People News content from Live Design: Meet Grace Laubacher, scenic designer and recently named one of Live Design's 2015 Young Designers To Watch.

Federal tax code change will help live theatre and live shows nationwide

Brandon Sun: Live commercial theatre from Broadway to Los Angeles is about to get a huge financial boost under a federal tax code change that's been championed by U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer and such stars as Neil Patrick Harris and Bryan Cranston.

Under a tax package that passed the House and is to be voted on in the Senate on Friday, Broadway and live theatre productions would be given the same benefits that have long been afforded to TV and film productions.

Details of Las Vegas' New Year's fireworks show revealed

Las Vegas Review-Journal: For the first 8 minutes, 18 seconds of 2016, Las Vegas will be "On Top of the World," as the New Year's celebration theme goes, with eyes around the globe focused on a televised, $600,000 fireworks show launched from atop resorts along the Strip.

City leaders, officials from Fireworks by Grucci, Las Vegas Events and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority announced the details Thursday of "America's Party 2016" from a balcony overlooking the Strip at Fashion Show mall.

New show to feature all 74 of William Shakespeare's on-stage deaths

Daily Mail Online: To mark the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare's death a new theatre production will feature all 74 of the Bard's on-stage deaths in one two-hour show.

Director Tim Crouch has teamed up with comedy company Spymonkey to create The Complete Deaths - featuring every death from the farcical to the tragic in the playwright's collection.

​"Shuffle Along": Re-imagining Broadway history

CBS News: The curtain is going up on something new ... that's something old: A Broadway show celebrating what it means to make it to the top.

For months now, the cast of "Shuffle Along" has been hard at work perfecting a show that was the talk of the town nearly 100 years ago.

This new version, opening next year, is a re-imagining of one of the earliest hit musical comedies starring, written and directed by African-Americans.

Copyright infringement suspends New Milford theater’s production

NewsTimes: A rookie mistake has brought down the curtain on TheatreWorks’ production of “Bell, Book & Candle.”

Artistic license appears to have been stretched when a set design was copied by Joseph Russo, director and designer for the New Milford community theater’s production of John van Druten’s supernatural comedy.

20 highlights of LA theater in 2015

Native Intelligence: Let's begin my discussion of the theatrical highlights of 2015 with...Center Theatre Group?

Yes, that's the same CTG, aka "L.A.'s Theatre Company," that I frequently chide for its dearth of productions set in LA, or plays by LA writers. No, as far as I know, CTG's artistic director Michael Ritchie hasn't suddenly decided to commit to producing at least one LA-set and LA-written play in each of his three theaters each season - but that would be an ideal New Year's resolution for him to consider.

Stage review: Bricolage gives Pittsburgh twist to classic 'Christmas Carol'

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: To start with, “Yinz’r” is a contraction of “yinz are,” and “scrooged” is, of course, a verb made out of the famous name. If you’re within the sound of this review, you know what “yinz” means, but as to what that verb might mean, I’ll leave it up to you.

'Zarkana' always seemed like one Cirque too many

Las Vegas Review-Journal: Two shows in a row have disappointed in the same theater. What to do?

Here’s a Vegas solution, circa the boom days of the early-2000s: Tear down the theater!

So, that’s not exactly what’s happening with “Zarkana.”

It was announced today that the Cirque du Soleil title will close April 30 to make way for a $154 million expansion of Aria’s convention center.

Shakespeare, the way he would have played it: Week in Books column

Culture | The Independent: There is another way to see Shakespeare, I discovered this week, beyond the improvised, the abridged and the foreign-language productions that reboot the Bard. It is Shakespeare staged without a rehearsal, as was originally done in the 16th and 17th centuries, when each player was given a scroll with only his part, and relied on original “cue scripts” that contained the barest of contexts – when, and to whom to speak. No one, except for Shakespeare, knew the play as a whole before it was performed thus. Actors’ senses of discovery mirrored the audiences’ own. Some had hours to learn lines and carried multiple parts in their heads.

The Coming Shakespeare Extravaganza

WSJ: Too much, or not too much: That is the question.

In 2016, the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death, the Bard will be everywhere. Theater companies, orchestras, cinemas and opera houses are presenting his works—and works inspired by him—in venues ranging from London and Duluth, Minn., to Tehran and South Sudan. A New Orleans jazz funeral will mark his death. The hashtag #Shakespeare400 will beckon Shakespeare-lovers on Twitter. And a publishing frenzy has already begun, with titles ranging from academic treatises to a cocktail recipe collection (“Shakespeare, Not Stirred”), to fictional adaptations by Anne Tyler, Howard Jacobson and Margaret Atwood.

Broadway Is Getting Another Theater, Its 41st

The New York Times: A British theater magnate has acquired a long-term lease to a onetime playhouse in Times Square and has begun refurbishing it as Broadway’s next stage.
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The Hudson, owned by Millennium Hotels and Resorts and used in recent years for meetings and events, will become the 41st Broadway theater, joining the nation’s most prestigious and lucrative dramatic marketplace.

Charlie Humphrey's successes with Pittsburgh Filmmakers deserve recognition

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: I was heartened to see the comments of Grant Oliphant of the Heinz Endowments, Karla Boos of Quantum Theatre and Tom Sokolowski, formerly of the Andy Warhol Museum, in your Dec. 9 story on the resignation of Charlie Humphrey

Fuse Theater Feature: Best Stage Productions of 2015

The Arts Fuse: Any “best-of” list is going to be idiosyncratic –- it is as much a reflection of what the critic had time to see as it is of the critic’s tastes. It is entirely possible that I did not see something that I would have loved.

Boston boasts a lot of theatrical talent. But this gathering is not a compendium of “the good.” The productions are on this list because they transcended expectations: they had that alchemy that happens when every element (acting, directing, costuming, script, etc) combines into something greater.

CEO rents out local theater for employees to see the latest Star Wars movie

www.nbc15.com: In just three days, Electronic Theater Controls in Middleton is shutting down. It's moving all of it's 800 employees to a "Galaxy far, far away." That's because CEO, Fred Foster, is treating them to a private showing of "Star Wars - The Force Awakens" at the Marcus Theater on Madison's west-side.

"We're geeks," said Foster. "We all grew up watching it."

Sharon Eberson's Best of Pittsburgh Theater in 2015

communityvoices.post-gazette.com: Any talk of Pittsburgh theater in 2015 starts with Billy Porter and his triumphant return to Pittsburgh in his Tony-winning role as the drag queen Lola in "Kinky Boots." The Pittsburgh native and CMU alum left Broadway for a week at the Benedum with the touring production.

Christopher Rawson's Top 10 in Pittsburgh Theater for 2015

communityvoices.post-gazette.com: In the '80s, I inherited the Post-Gazette's annual Top 10 theater list from George Anderson, who must have inherited it from his predecessor, Harold V. Cohen, back in the mists of antiquity. In the past few years I and my successor theater editor, Sharon Eberson, have done it in tandem.

‘Fun Home’ Recoups on Broadway

The New York Times: The producers still remember the reaction of theater world mavens when they said they wanted to bring “Fun Home” to Broadway. Sure, the show had ecstatic reviews and was selling out off Broadway, but it was the coming-of-age story of a lesbian cartoonist whose gay father killed himself. Could that possibly succeed in the famously flop-rich environment of for-profit theater?

Do Not Enter: Local TV & Film Industry Lags Under Weight Of State Budget Impasse

90.5 WESA: When North Carolina discontinued its film tax credit at the start of 2015, the television series Banshee - set in fictional Banshee, Pa. - moved production from that state to western Pennsylvania for its final season.

“That’s how fickle the film industry is. They will go where the money is,” said Mike Matesic, president of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local 489, which represents 400 audio engineers, construction workers, electricians, grips and other film workers in the Pittsburgh region.

Welding Safety and Health Considerations

Occupational Health & Safety: Welding safety and health can be a broad topic and mean many things. To talk about some considerations for safe work, perhaps it would be good to start with a definition of welding. Welding is a process that joins materials together by melting a metal work piece along with a filler to form a strong joint. There are different types of welding, but oxygen-fuel welding (like oxy-acetylene) and electric welding are the most common.

Williamstown Theatre Festival Now Accepting Applications for 2016 Training Program

www.broadwayworld.com: Williamstown Theatre Festival has announced that WTF is now accepting applications for their prestigious training programs for the 2016 Season. WTF's Professional Training Program gives invaluable on-the-job learning opportunities for performers, directors, writers, designers, technicians and administrators.

5 Phrases That Kill Collaboration

Church Designer Magazine: Ask most design firm representatives if they believe in collaboration, and the answer will be a resounding “yes.” Yet, few of us are trained in the people skills needed to make collaboration happen. In fact, many of us unknowingly shape our dialogue in ways that work against it.

Consider The Options: Modern Concert Loudspeakers

Pro Sound Web: Few areas in modern sound reinforcement system design are as subjective and perhaps misinterpreted as the loudspeaker enclosure.

Are they simply structures that contain and physically support the drivers? Does solid joinery insure good quality sound? How about the overall design characteristics? What advantages, if any, are there to trapezoidal, rectangular or other shapes and aspect ratios?

Strapped for Time? Try This Technique to Stay Focused and Competitive

Remodeling | Operations: The deep midwinter, with its holiday break and its brutish weather, likely provides one of the few periods in which you have an opportunity to review your working habits and begin improving them. We give operations advice year-round, but this month I want to focus on something that can help you in life as well as on the job: How to put first things first.

Tools in Action Best of the Best Awards

Pro Tool Reviews: Every year Tools in Action gives out awards for tools it’s tested and found to be among the best performing. This year’s Tools in Action Best of the Best Awards went out to the Milwaukee M12 and M18 line, the DeWalt 40V Max outdoor tools, Ryobi’s affordable new tools, and Klein for best hand tools. They also gave kudos to The Home Depot (best retailer), and the Troy-Bilt Flex as the most innovative outdoor power equipment. The awards are judged by the editors of Tools In Action and professional contractors that they work with throughout the year.

Resonance Works brings multi-modal approach to Menotti opera

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Resonance Works | Pittsburgh is only halfway through its second full season, but one senses that the group expects to be around for a while.

This weekend at Third Presbyterian Church in Shadyside, the group paired Ottorino Respighi’s “Trittico botticelliano” (“Three Botticelli Pictures”) and Gian Carlo Menotti’s one-act Christmas opera “Amahl and the Night Visitors,” which the company also presented in its first season.

Photo Gallery: Projection Mapping On Bolshoi Theatre

Live Design: For the Circle of Light Festival in Moscow this September, Maxin10sity created "Parallel Universes," a projection mapping show displayed on the Bolshoi Theatre. Led by art directors András Sass and László Czigány, Maxin10sity overlaid 3D elements on digitally painted pictures, animated them, and then projected the result onto the theatre.

The Best Theater of 2015

The New York Times: Yet 2015 was a year of astonishments, of productions that bent and sometimes shattered the rules that govern traditional stage genres. In the past four months alone, Broadway has seen the openings of not one but three extraordinary works, in three different categories, that might be described as (to use the mot du jour) game-changers: Lin-Manuel Miranda’s hip-hop musical “Hamilton”; Mike Bartlett’s oxymoronically but accurately described “future history” play, “King Charles III”; and Ivo van Hove’s stripped-naked revival of Arthur Miller’s “A View From the Bridge.”

Is a Union Fight in Your Future?

Remodeling | Legal Issues, Franchises, Contractors: Recently, a federal agency made a dramatic and little-known change governing the relationship between businesses and employees that industry experts worry could “cripple” contractors and subcontractors alike.

In the Browning-Ferris case, the National Labor Relations Board ruled that a waste management company and a staffing agency were joint employers. The ruling is important because it essentially makes it easier for subcontractors to collectively bargain and unionize.

New stage management system for Europe's biggest show palace

Installation: The stage management system at Europe’s biggest and most modern show venue has been updated by Amptown System Company. The system includes a BroaMan fibre network, InspiControl stage management desks, a Clear-Com intercom, Crestron controllers and Panasonic cameras.

Time to Get Tested

Stage Directions: Periodically, J.R. Clancy sends out a “Rigging Report” newsletter; you can sign up on their website if you do not get it already. The November edition of this newsletter, written by Eric Mueller, asked the question, “Is your fire safety curtain closed?” This question made me pause, challenging my understanding about fire curtains and how to use them. I did some research, and found a couple of the things I thought I knew about fire curtains were wrong. So let’s talk about the reality of the care and feeding of a fire curtain and dispel some of these myths.

Editors' Picks: The Most Impactful Shows of 2015

Playbill.com: What was the one musical and the one play that impacted you the most this year? That's what we asked our editors. Find out our favorites and see which ones you can still snag a ticket for a life-changing theatrical experience all your own.

New theater a cozy fit for Blue Man Group's odd ritual

Las Vegas Review-Journal: If you messed around for the past 15 years and never saw the Blue Man Group, the good news is you didn't wait too long.

But if you do know the show? No need to rush back until you are with someone who doesn't. A new venue is a great fit for the Las Vegas perennials but doesn't translate into new material.

The bald blue guys landed on their feet after a forced move from the Monte Carlo to the cozy second-floor Luxor theater built for the Jabbawockeez

Charlie Humphrey resigns as executive director of Pittsburgh Filmmakers/Pittsburgh Center for the Arts

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: A three-member executive team will oversee daily operations for Pittsburgh Filmmakers/​Pittsburgh Center for the Arts following Tuesday night’s resignation of Charlie Humphrey, who ran the merged organization for nine years after it was formed in 2006.

The team is made up of John Cantine, director of education, Laura Domencic, director of Pittsburgh for the Arts, and Jasdeep Khaira, director of artist services.

BC/EFA Raises $4M at Gypsy of the Year Competition

Stage Directions: Six weeks of fundraising culminated in the 27th annual Gypsy of the Year competition Dec. 7 and 8 at the New Amsterdam Theatre. All told shows raised more than $4 million dollars for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS—led by Book of Mormon which raised $313,857.

Mattress Factory artists uncover secret worlds in mundane spaces

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: A visit to the Mattress Factory feels like a trip down the rabbit hole with Alice to a land of wonder and enchantment. The unconventional North Side museum, now in its fourth decade, exhibits art that ranges from fanciful to conceptual and is generally room-sized — “art you can get into,” as the staff puts it.

Are You All In? Translating The Passion Into What Really Matters

Pro Sound Web: Recently, I was subjected to a strikingly dull conversation with a top touring mix engineer. He really didn’t seem to be into his job, or anything else for that matter.

Apparently, being behind that quarter-million dollar console out in an audience of thousands, mixing shows for that totally hot female star that everyone knows, just wasn’t cutting it for this guy. What? Sounds impossible, doesn’t it? Of course.

Expanding Utility with Centipede Tool

Remodeling: Lauren Hunter participates in a demonstration of the versatile Centipede Tool table, which expands beyond a sawhorse to unfold new working possibilities for contractors with limited time and space.

Disneyland Diamond Celebration | Nighttime Spectaculars Part One

Architainment content from Live Design: Disneyland turned 60 this year, and the Disneyland Resort is observing the milestone with a Diamond Celebration that launched in May, two months before the theme park’s July 17 opening-day anniversary, and currently has no end date on the horizon. Enhancements have been made to such ride attractions as Peter Pan’s Flight, the Matterhorn Bobsleds, and the Haunted Mansion, while the stars of the celebration are three new nighttime spectaculars: Paint The Night parade in Disneyland, Disneyland Forever fireworks show, and the latest edition of the World Of Color water show, World Of Color–Celebrate! in Disney California Adventure.

Home Depot looks to adapt for baby boomers who aren’t so into ‘do-it-yourself’ anymore

The Washington Post: Home Depot has spent years cultivating a customer base of baby boomers who relish the challenge and potential cost savings of renovating their own kitchen or tackling a bathroom repair.

But now, the big-box retailer says it must adapt for a key change among its core customers: These days, when it comes to home improvement, executives say baby boomers are less interested in do-it-yourself and more about do-it-for-me.

Black Magic Crosses Directing & Design Line in Connecticut Howard Sherman

www.hesherman.com: There’s been a great deal of discussion in the past couple of months about the rights of playwrights, the legal protections of copyright and licensing agreements, the prerogative of directors to freshly interpret a writer’s work and so on. But none of this should suggest that writers are the only theatre artists whose work is to be respected and protected. This holds true, variously on legal and ethical grounds, for all creative artists in theatre.

Theatreworks New Milford's Reproduction Production Problem

OnStage: Earlier this week, OnStage posted a review of Theatreworks New Milford's production of Bell, Book & Candle. In the review we noted how eerily similar the production resembled the 2012 production that ran at Hartford Stage and the Long Wharf Theatre.

Shot, Shocked, Saved

HowlRound: In the main, theater avoids the burden of film, which can descend to a mere pornography of violence, bloodless and gory both. But with the responsibility of our form’s more delicate relationship between art and reality, we as theater artists must instead be careful not to descend to the tactics of terrorism—most commonly, shock. I’ve been wrestling with whether I can start denouncing shocking or unpleasant theater wholesale. On the one hand, I don’t want to be shocked or assaulted. Nobody does.

Inaugural DGA Diversity Report: Women Make Up Only 6.4% of Film Directors

Women and Hollywood: The DGA's inaugural Feature Film Diversity Report confirms what we already knew: the employment numbers for women directors are deplorably low.

The DGA crunched the numbers for the 376 features released in 2013 and 2014 -- excluding foreign films, documentaries, animated films and re-releases -- and found that women helmed just 6.4% of those works. A further breakdown reveals that that 6.4% total is made up of 5.1% white women filmmakers and 1.3% women filmmakers of color.

Top Animators on Working With Actors and the Value of Teamwork

Variety: The visionaries from five animated awards contenders weigh in with insights on what goes into what gets onscreen and the value of teamwork.

How to Make 3D Printed Stuff Without Owning a 3D Printer

lifehacker.com: 3D printing is really friggin’ cool, but promises that we’d all have one in our homes by now have turned out to be less than true. Fortunately, you don’t need one of your own to bring your imaginary creations to life.

‘Daddy Long Legs’ Live Stream Tests the Stage Perks of Streaming

Variety: Tonight the Off Broadway musical “Daddy Long Legs” will become the first show, on or Off Broadway, to live stream a full performance, free of charge on any computer or mobile device. In doing so, it’ll reap all the benefits that digital distribution can shower on live theater.

Which are what, exactly? Good question.

Inside The 'Secret Meeting' To Solve Gender Inequality In Hollywood

ThinkProgress: On October 14, 44 Hollywood insiders met at the Pacific Design Center in Los Angeles. This co-ed group of leaders came from studios and networks, from agencies and guilds; their ranks included CEOs, producers, directors, screenwriters, showrunners. They were brought together by Sundance Institute and Women in Film, Los Angeles, for an evening and a day. The two organizations had one goal: To come up with actionable, tangible steps to tackle the deeply entrenched gender bias in the entertainment industry.

Hearing Set for ‘Midnight Rider’ Director’s Motion for Early Release

Variety: A court official says a hearing has been scheduled for Dec. 23 on “Midnight Rider” director Randall Miller’s motion to be released early from Wayne County Jail, where he is in custody after pleading guilty to criminal charges stemming from the Feb. 20, 2014, train accident that killed camera assistant Sarah Jones and injured eight others.

Everyone 'Settles' Happy Birthday Copyright Case... Leaves Plenty Of Questions Totally Unanswered

Techdirt: Unfortunately, by settling the case, things are left kind of up in the air. The song is still not officially in the public domain. The court has ruled that Warner doesn't hold the copyright... but ACEI claims it does hold the copyright. This may mean that anyone else looking to use the song may have to go through another whole legal dispute.

Copyright case over “Happy Birthday” is done, trial canceled

Ars Technica: With less than a week to go before a trial, a class-action lawsuit over the copyright status of "Happy Birthday" has been resolved. Details of the settlement, including what kind of uses will be allowed going forward, are not clear.

A short order (PDF) filed yesterday by US Chief District Court Judge George King says that all parties have agreed to a settlement, and it vacates a trial which was scheduled to start on December 15. The key turning point came in September, when King ruled that Warner/Chappell's copyright transfer was invalid because there was no proof it was ever properly transferred from the Hill sisters, who claimed to have written the song.

Judge Won't Stop Lawsuit From Seeking 'Happy Birthday' Money Back to 1949

Hollywood Reporter: The case focuses on whether the song is copyrighted, and if not, whether Warner/Chappell has to pay back the licensing fees it has collected.

At least for now, a federal judge is allowing a lawsuit over the song "Happy Birthday" to assert claims on behalf of those who have paid licensing fees dating back to 1949.

Dance review: Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre’s 'Nutcracker' nothing short of magical

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: It’s that time of year when the world seems to fall in love with “The Nutcracker” and local fans flock to Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre’s annual production at the Benedum Center.

Now into its 14th season, it is still nothing short of magical. Zack Brown’s large operatic sets and fanciful costumes have lost none of their grandeur and, as usual, artistic director Terrence Orr has added a few new ornaments to his holiday decor on stage.

Survey Aims to Remove Doubt about Film Industry

NolaVie - Life and Culture in New Orleans: Those who successfully sought to cap the Louisiana Film Tax Incentive program at $180 million per production often argued that the benefits of the program to the state’s economy were too vague.

And actually, it was a sentiment put forward by opponents of the cap as well.

Sew What? Inc.'s President Megan Duckett Appears on CNN's Passion to Portfolio Business Series

Lighting&Sound America Online - News: A recent video piece titled "The Woman Behind Rock Bands' Backdrops" on the CNN Passion to Portfolio segment, focused on Megan Duckett -- founder of Sew What? Inc. -- a theatrical draping company outside of Los Angeles, California. Sew What? provides concert backdrops worldwide for A-List musicians like KISS, John Legend, Rod Stewart, and Madonna.

Yours, Mine Or Ours?

Pro Sound Web: Sharing is the very definition of a multi-act music festival, though some shares are bigger than others.

Various performing artists or groups take turns with a venue’s audience and stage, as well as its sound, lights and video production.

‘The Scenic Route’ Exalts the Car at the Petersen Automotive Museum

Design & Architecture: Now that cars are seen as a cause of problems — pollution, sprawl, obesity, global warming — their pleasures can be overlooked: the brilliance of their technology, their beauty (sometimes), and the liberation automobiles afford (when not stuck in traffic).

But the pleasures of cars are certainly not overlooked at the newly designed Petersen Automotive Museum, which is about to reopen its doors after what the museum describes as a 13-month “aggressive renovation” of its 21-year old dowdy interior

Pittsburgh Filmmakers board will meet this week to plot course of struggling non-profit

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: The board of Pittsburgh Filmmakers/​Pittsburgh Center for the Arts plans to meet sometime this week to plot the organization’s future after placing its longtime executive director, Charlie Humphrey, on indefinite leave.

Board president Doug Gouge said Saturday that a petition the board received shortly before its regular meeting Friday, calling for both his and Mr. Humphrey’s ouster, caught directors by surprise. The board immediately went into executive session to discuss the personnel issues, he said.

Stufish And Dragone Team Up

Dai Show Theatre content from Live Design: London-based Stufish Entertainment Architects has a big feather in its collective cap. It is the first architectural firm to design all of the interior and exterior architectural elements for a new theatre as well as complete the design for the stage and show’s scenery. Stufish’s theatre design is based on an original concept sketch by the studio’s late founder, Mark Fisher, who also designed the interior elements of the auditorium and sets for Cirque du Soleil’s KA, in a first combination of architectural and scenic design.

WHY SOUND MATTERS

Anthony Mattana | LinkedIn: #SoundMatters is a brilliant one. Not only because sound does matter but it also sums up so much of what we at Hooke Audio have been trying to communicate.

Seattle’s young theater artistic directors try to pack houses, balance budgets

The Seattle Times: RECENTLY, A BOARD member of ACT Theatre, a humming drama hub in the heart of downtown Seattle, congratulated staffer John Langs on his promotion to artistic director and offered some friendly advice: “I really believe in you. I believe in your vision. Now don’t screw up.”

“I appreciated all three sentiments,” says the fair-haired, genial Langs, who assumes his post in January.

SoundGirls.Org Presenting Slate Of Tour Managing & FOH/ME Seminars In California And New York

Pro Sound Web: SoundGirls.Org is presenting a series of seminars on handling the dual roles of tour management with front of house or monitor engineering, with two upcoming dates slated for California followed by another in New York City.

UAE earns reputation as International hub for hi-tech productions

Variety: What do the latest “Star Wars,” “Fast and Furious” and “Star Trek,” installments have in common? They all recently shot in the United Arab Emirates, where a combination of incentives, security, transportation, state-of-the art studio space, a futuristic skyline and exotic desert ambiance are positioning Dubai and Abu Dhabi as the prime Middle East hub for different types of international productions.

Theater Now Has Its Own Bechdel Test

Women and Hollywood: Just over a third of theater roles in England are for women, according to a 2014 study by Tonic Theatre.

To help correct the gender lopsidedness on stage, the London-based Sphinx Theatre Company has introduced a new test to help playwrights, producers and other decision-makers increase female representation and employment.

Designing the world for Signature's West Side Story: Misha Kachman talks set design

DC Theatre Scene: One of the most ambitious shows being put on in DC this winter is the oversized blockbuster musical West Side Story produced by Signature Theatre. Just how does Signature plan to fit this big Big Apple play into their relatively small Shirlington theatre space?

27th Annual Gypsy of the Year Performances Honor Broadway’s Ensembles

Backstage: The 27th annual Gypsy of the Year performances are once again coming to New York City Dec. 7 and 8.

Slated to honor the tireless work of “gypsies,” ensemble members, and dancers on Broadway are “Hamilton” stars Renée Elise Goldsberry, Christopher Jackson, and Leslie Odom Jr., along with Judith Light of “Thérèse Raquin,” Brandon Uranowitz of “An American in Paris,” and others.

The Radical Courage of Silent Movie Stuntwomen

New Republic: Helen Gibson’s strong, handsome face and dark hair gave her the look of someone who would try anything. In 1915, while in her early twenties, she was doubling for the star of the hit serial The Hazards of Helen. In one stunt she was supposed to leap from the roof of the station to the top of a moving train. Years later, she called it her most dangerous stunt.

Winter Palace At Saks Fifth Avenue

Live Design: Saks Fifth Avenue's Winter Palace opened on November 23, 2015 with the façade's illumination design by LA-based lighting designer Chris Werner of Chris Werner Design, as part of the creative team led by Mark Briggs at Saks Fifth Avenue, who conceived the overall concept of the “Winter Wonders of The World.”

Projection Mapping On 3-D Objects: Researchers Print Onto Moving Objects

Science World Report: Researchers have created a new technology that allows projected images to be perfectly mapped onto moving and rotating objects. The team of researchers from Osaka University in Japan created a new technique that works so well, you would think that an image was precisely fixed onto a moving object.

A Wireless Mic Guide for the Church Tech

ChurchProduction.com: Regarding the forthcoming auction of radio frequency spectrum in the United States and its impact on wireless microphone use in your church, please be aware:

The sky is not falling.

Pantone Has Spoken: Rosy and Serene Are In for 2016

www.houzz.com: It’s another year and another controversial choice for color management company Pantone, which has released its picks for the top trending colors of 2016. It’s a pair of pastels that at first glance scream, “It’s a boy! And a girl!”

Top Eight Tools For The Live Audio Toolbox

Pro Sound Web: “Can you come to our church and run sound in a few weeks?” “Can you run sound for my band next weekend?”

Work as an audio geek long enough and you’ll get these questions, usually followed by the statement, “Don’t worry, we’ve got all the gear, you just need to show up.” Danger Will Robinson!

Member Spotlight: Eric Hart is a Master of Props

sightlines.usitt.org: Eric B. Hart, prop maker, Prop Master at Triad Stage in North Carolina, author of The Prop Building Guidebook, and editor of the Prop Agenda blog.

NikeTown Flash Retail Installation

Atomic Design: What does the largest and most complex installation to date at NikeTown New York look like? We’ll tell ya, it’s the Nike Flash product installation built by ATOMIC and managed by our Production Services team. Currently on display at NikeTown on 57th Street in Manhattan, the three-story window display boasts an LED node curtain that is constantly running content promoting the new Flash products.

Advancing The Show

Pro Sound Web: Being organized and prepared ahead of the gig is a huge key for the independent audio practitioner, a.k.a., Lone Audio Ranger.

As I write this article, I’m smack dab in the middle of a multi-day, mixed programming event – a live outdoor cooking show with lots of wireless, video playback, record feeds, musicians, and emcees. This event is impeccably organized with everyone on the same page, and for the most part, happy. I chalk it up as a success.

Young fogies: Modern illiberalism is led by students

The Washington Post: You’ve probably heard about “trigger warnings,” which alert readers or viewers that what lies ahead might be upsetting or offensive. Initially such warnings were intended to help protect sexual assault survivors from reliving their trauma.

But on college campuses, they have lately been demanded for all sorts of other displeasing material.

Living With Sound – What I Learned From A Cheap App

Pro Sound Web: I have a curmudgeonly hate for modern technology. I like roll-up windows and faucet handles and telling stupid electronics what to do, when, and at what volume. I avoid the automated doors at stores in favor of the pull-handle ones. I think there’s something to human beings, to humans BEING, that technology at its zenith can’t beat. In the world of life, this makes me a dinosaur. In the world of audio, it makes me an amoeba.

Upcoming musical Waitress tipped to make history for women on Broadway

The Guardian: The musical Waitress has not yet begun serving its specials onstage yet, but it will make history. Lorin Latarro, hired to choreograph the show, joins a female writer, composer and director. It’s the first time on Broadway that the four top creative spots in a show have been filled by women.

“The fact that it’s the first time across these four departments is an amazing moment,” said Tony awardwinner Diane Paulus, the director.

Ferdinand Stuflesser Handcrafts Artwork for Church Specification

Church Designer Magazine: The Ferdinand Stuflesser 1875 studio offers custom-made church interiors, statues and restoration, carried out by the same family for 136 years and five generations. All products are made in Italy. Depending on the complexity of the project, the studio often requires 3-6 months to complete its work, working with wood, bronze, marble and mosaic.

Rethinking the Makerspace

Campus Technology: When you consider the opportunities and challenges surrounding a technology offering on campus, do you focus on the specifics of that technology, or on its impact? Here, CT examines the impact of makerspaces with Penn State's Director for Teaching and Learning with Technology Kyle D. Bowen.

Theater Troupe Gives Those on the Margins a Front-Row Seat

The New York Times: There are no stage lights. Sets and props are minimal. Unadorned costumes evoke character more than period. The audience sits on all sides in folding chairs that seldom extend more than three rows back. Casting ignores race, gender and age.

How to Stay Safe and Stay Warm This Winter

Occupational Health & Safety: Winter is coming, when the annual battle to keep warm during the coldest months of the year begins. If you're lucky enough to work in a climate-controlled environment or in warmer temperatures, cold weather may seem like a foreign nuisance. But for thousands of us, managing the cold is a harsh reality.

Thinkwell Group Publishes Third Annual Guest Experience Trend Report

Lighting&Sound America Online - News: Thinkwell Group, a global experience design and production agency specializing in the creation of theme parks, major attractions, live events, and museum exhibits around the world, announces the findings of their third annual nationwide survey analyzing the behavior and purchasing decisions by guests at location-based entertainment venues in a white paper report titled "Intellectual Properties & The Branded Experience." The 2015 Thinkwell Guest Experience Trend Report focuses specifically on consumers' experiences at family-friendly location-based entertainment venues and explores whether infusing these venues with an intellectual property would increase the amount of time and money spent there by visitors.

Five Reasons You Have Undesired Performance

Occupational Health & Safety: Leaders set expectations and manage the influences on them, but some spend too much time managing displeasing results. No effective leader can truly expect perfect performance from every one of their direct reports, one hundred percent of the time. Those who have unrealistic expectations misunderstand human behavior and its influences and likely create undesirable work environments. Managing, coaching, or counseling undesired performance is an integral part of any leader's responsibilities. How is this handled in your organization?

The Mass Market Ain’t What It Used To Be (And What That Means For The Arts)

diacritical: What does it mean to “engage with an audience”? It’s a fundamental question for anyone who makes anything. Whether it’s a political party trying to win votes, Coke trying to sell drinks, an entrepreneur trying to sell an idea, or a theatre trying to sell tickets.

Whole industries thrive on trying to define, quantify and strategize engagement and building audience. It breaks down into three parts. Can you find an audience? Can you motivate it to respond in some desired way? Can you convince that audience to continue a relationship with you?

USITT Thanks NY Times, Theatre Community for Restoration of Design Credits

Lighting&Sound America Online - News: David Grindle, executive director of USITT, has issued the following letter concerning the New York Times' restoration of production credits in its theatre reviews.

"This is meant for everyone who expressed to the New York Times how important it is to recognize the FULL production team in their theatre reviews. It also goes to the folks at the New York Times for listening.

Broadway composer Jeanine Tesori on why musical theatre is the slowest to recognise it has a gender problem

www.smh.com.au: Of all the theatrical forms, musical theatre is slowest to recognise it has a gender problem, says the multi-award-winning Broadway composer Jeanine Tesori​ ahead of the Australian premiere of her musical Violet at the Hayes Theatre Company.

"We are by nature and nurture as women taught to collect and gather and smooth over," Tesori says. "If you want to make a difference, you have to be prepared to go against that, stand out and then wrestle with feelings that come from doing that."

NFTRW Weekly Top Five

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

These People Stuck Their Arm In A Hole To Get A Surprise Tattoo

fashionablygeek.com: Scott Campbell is a famous tattoo artist, and his work adorns celebrities ranging from Penélope Cruz to Marc Jacobs. Recently he embarked upon a tattooing project called Whole Glory that’s not for the faint of heart. He offered his tattooing services free of charge to absolute strangers. The catch? Participants would stick their arm into a hole and Campbell would tattoo whatever he wanted—and they wouldn’t be able to view the tattoo until it was done.

Posted by David at 18 Comments Here

Music Lessons Were the Best Thing Your Parents Ever Did for You

www.childrensmusicworkshop.com: If your parents ever submitted you to regular music lessons as a kid, you probably got in a fight with them once or twice about it. Maybe you didn’t want to go; maybe you didn’t like practicing. But we have some bad news: They were right. It turns out that all those endless major scale exercises and repetitions of “Chopsticks” had some incredible effects on our minds.Psychological studies continue to uncover more and more benefits that music lessons provide to developing minds.

Posted by David at 16 Comments Here

Why do people in old movies talk weird?

Boing Boing: How Stuff Works explains the "Transatlantic Accent," a cultivated accent that people in the United States affected in an attempt to trick others that they were in some way affiliated with the British upper crust.

Posted by David at 14 Comments Here

The Real Moms of Cirque Du Soleil

Broadly: For over a decade, Canadian clown Shannan Calcutt has performed topless in Cirque Du Soleil's Zumanity. The sex-themed circus (tag line: "18 +: Rated Cirque") plays nearly every night at the New York, New York hotel in Las Vegas. Calcutt regularly rehearses to remember cues and freshen up her scenes, but after she gave birth to one of her children, her body interrupted her performance. One night, Calcutt remembers, another performer chased her down the hall: "Shannan, you forgot your milk!" she screamed.

Posted by David at 13 Comments Here

The most stunning theaters in the world

Business Insider: For some, a night at the theater sounds about as fun as sticking your hand in a ceiling fan. But even Andrew Lloyd Webber haters would willingly spend a few hours in these beautiful venues. Whether it's the neobaroque state theater in Wiesbaden or the ultra-modern Guangzhou Opera House, these theaters are incredible examples of both art and architecture.

Posted by David at 12 Comments Here

Goodspeed Musicals Announces Writers for 2016 Johnny Mercer Foundation Writers Colony

Stage Directions: A total of 36 writers, representing 19 new musicals, will head to the 2016 Johnny Mercer Foundation Writers Colony at Goodspeed Musicals in January. The Colony is a four-week sanctuary for composers, lyricists, and librettists to embark on new musical theatre work or to devote a substantial amount of time to a work-in-progress in an environment rich with creative energy.

Abby Binder on Attracting More Women to Remodeling

Remodeling: In this edition of Big50 Bites—our weekly series on the biggest issues facing remodelers today—we talk to Abby Binder of Abby Windows, a 100% women-owned company based in Milwaukee. She shares what it was like when she first began working in the industry, the importance of having woman-owned companies, encouraging more women to enter the field, and what can be done to do so.

Gender Swapping Shakespeare Is Far More than a Reaction

Flavorwire: A lot of the discussion surrounding gender-swapped Shakespeare productions hinges on an idea of theatrical reparation. The idea isn’t just that these casting decisions make up for the Elizabethan refusal to let women play any part, but also that they address the dearth of substantial female roles in Shakespeare’s works (at least outside the comedies). People talk about revival/reboot culture in TV and film — but theater has functioned as a revival culture for centuries, and has proven both the innovations and the potential paralyses therein. In an art form predicated primarily on endless reconstitutions of the past, that not only cherishes its classics, but necessitates their constant rebirth, such changes have to be made if the theater wishes to explore and critique male-dominated pasts without perpetuating a male-dominated present.

The Practical Effects of James Bond Films

Tested: The James Bond movies comprise the longest continually-running film series ever, beginning with the release of Dr. No in 1962 and continuing all the way up to the present day… and beyond. While the Bond films aren't exactly effects-driven, they still require the services of a crack team of illusion-wielding agents both on-set and in post. The output of these SFX and VFX mission specialists typically includes spectacular chase sequences, a big reveal of the evil mastermind's hidden lair and, almost certainly, lots of inordinately large explosions.

'City Center Encores! Unscripted': A Talk Show About Musical Theater

The New York Times: City Center Encores!, the program that stages revivals of rarely seen but beloved Broadway shows, is partnering with the Jerome L. Greene Space at WNYC to create a new talk show about musical theater.

Here Are Some Stupendous Hats

pictorial.jezebel.com: In July 1961, an Associated Press photographer stopped by a showcase of autumn and winter fashions in Florence, Italy. Hats were apparently of particular interest. It is not an exaggeration to describe the results as magical.

Seven Standards in Public Review

Stage Directions: PLASA North America isn’t letting the split from PLASA EU get in the way of their standards process. They’ve just posted seven standards for public review on their website. ​

Founding Visions: Art for the Sake of Living

The Clyde Fitch Report: Each day, everywhere we go, there are expectations we impose on others concerning their behavior, and privately, in our minds, we enforce those laws with an iron fist. When someone breaks our rules, we proceed with a imaginary slaughter in which we rob them of breath and permit them an examination of their own intestines (maybe not that extreme, but you see my point).

Kent State Coda: No Black MLK Ever Reached Their “Mountaintop”

Howard Sherman: Even if one gives credence to Oatman’s intellectual basis for attempting to split the role, it evaporated along with the unnamed black actor, regardless of Branch’s talent. At that point, the already unjustifiable production should have been irrevocably abandoned, since the entire conceptual underpinning had come undone. What Oatman did was not a half-measure, as Hall was apparently led to believe, as we were all led to believe, but indeed the complete erasure of a black body as she had feared.

Apple Has Acquired Faceshift, Maker Of Motion Capture Tech Used In Star Wars

TechCrunch: As the market for virtual reality technology continues to grow, Apple has made an interesting acquisition that could further its role in the space. TechCrunch has confirmed that Apple has snapped up Faceshift, a startup based in Zurich that has developed technology to create animated avatars and other figures that capture a person’s facial expressions in real time.

Music Lessons Were the Best Thing Your Parents Ever Did for You

www.childrensmusicworkshop.com: If your parents ever submitted you to regular music lessons as a kid, you probably got in a fight with them once or twice about it. Maybe you didn’t want to go; maybe you didn’t like practicing. But we have some bad news: They were right. It turns out that all those endless major scale exercises and repetitions of “Chopsticks” had some incredible effects on our minds.Psychological studies continue to uncover more and more benefits that music lessons provide to developing minds.

The most stunning theaters in the world

Business Insider: For some, a night at the theater sounds about as fun as sticking your hand in a ceiling fan. But even Andrew Lloyd Webber haters would willingly spend a few hours in these beautiful venues. Whether it's the neobaroque state theater in Wiesbaden or the ultra-modern Guangzhou Opera House, these theaters are incredible examples of both art and architecture.

The Real Moms of Cirque Du Soleil

Broadly: For over a decade, Canadian clown Shannan Calcutt has performed topless in Cirque Du Soleil's Zumanity. The sex-themed circus (tag line: "18 +: Rated Cirque") plays nearly every night at the New York, New York hotel in Las Vegas. Calcutt regularly rehearses to remember cues and freshen up her scenes, but after she gave birth to one of her children, her body interrupted her performance. One night, Calcutt remembers, another performer chased her down the hall: "Shannan, you forgot your milk!" she screamed.

Too Old For Hollywood

Hollywood Therapy: George R. R, Martin is 67 years old. He’s the originator of the Emmy winning Best Drama, Game of Thrones. He seems to be doing quite well in television at his advanced age. It does happen. Of course he was a successful novelist first. However, that is most certainly not the case with most writers over 67, or 57.

Contender - Costume Designer Jenny Eagan, Beasts of No Nation

Below the Line: Director Cary Joji Fukunaga‘s Beasts of No Nation takes a look at Agu’s life as a child solider fighting in a civil war of an African country that is never named. The film, which was shot in Africa, tells a powerful visual story and costume designer Jenny Eagan‘s work contributes no small part. Eagan was really excited to join the project when she received the invitation from the director to be a part of the team. She was deeply drawn to the script, which dealt with a subject matter that she had never worked with in any way, and she saw it as a chance of a lifetime. “It is always interesting to me when it is something that challenges you in a way you’ve never been challenged before, looking at something a little bit different,” Eagan said.

US concert promoters implement new security measures in wake of Paris terror attacks

Consequence of Sound: In the wake of this weekend’s terror attacks in Paris, music industry promoters are beginning to implement new security measures outside of concert venues, according to the New York Times.

Colleges Take On The 'Vagina Monologues' Of Abortion

Out of Silence: Abortion Stories from the 1 in 3 Campaign from Advocates for Youth on Vimeo.

ThinkProgress: A play based off of people’s real experiences with abortion has hit the road, heading to college campuses across the country — many of them in states where abortion isn’t exactly applauded. Last week, students at the University of Montana at Missoula performed the play, called Out of Silence, in an area where one of the few abortion clinics in the state is located. And on Wednesday, a school in the far southern Texas town of Brownsville, the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV), will host the first of the three performances at different colleges across Texas, the state with the most extreme restrictions on women’s access to abortion in the country.

Broadway Lacks Diversity, Parity Behind the Curtain

Variety: Just last week, “Allegiance,” a musical set during the Japanese-American internments of WWII, and starring a mostly Asian-American cast (including George Takei), opened hot on the heels of “On Your Feet!,” the biomusical of Gloria and Emilio Estefan, with a predominant-ly Latino cast. Already open is a production of chestnut “The Gin Game” starring Cicely Tyson and James Earl Jones; and a new staging of “Spring Awakening” featuring deaf actors and, for the first time in Broadway history, an actor who uses a wheelchair.

The All-White THR Actress Roundtable Is a Perfect Example

Women and Hollywood: The Hollywood Reporter posted its annual actress roundtable, and not surprisingly -- but certainly disappointingly -- all of the eight performers on the cover were white. Steven Galloway, the article's writer and editor of the magazine, wrote a side note explaining why there's zero diversity onscreen this awards season, at least in the best actress category. To put it bluntly, if we thought that last year was #OscarsSoWhite, this year will be even worse.

Dynamic Attractions Opening Comprehensive Attraction Design Studio in Orlando

InPark Magazine: Dynamic Attractions, a leader in media-based attractions for major theme parks, is expanding with a new office in Orlando and an ‘industry first’ service called Unlimited Attractions. The announcement was made today at the International Attractions and Amusement Parks Association (IAAPA) annual convention in Orlando, Florida.

Dramatists Guild Blasts Directors Who Cast Characters "Outside His or Her Obvious Race, Gender"

Breaking Character: Recent controversy over casting non-white characters in stage productions has prompted the Dramatists Guild to issue a position paper opposing “casting a character outside his or her obvious race, gender or implicit characteristics. To do so without meaningful consultation with the writer is both a moral and a legal breach” of the DG contract.