Getting Serious about Promoting Plays by Women

HowlRound: The lack of representation of female playwrights in theatre seasons across the US is no longer something over which to sadly shake our heads. It is, quite simply, a disgrace. For those of us whose latent militancy has been awakened by the current administration in Washington, DC, seeing to it that true balance is pursued is as much of a political act as writing to an elected official.

Fifty inches of water in your theatre? What’s next?

Wenger | J.R. Clancy: Natural disasters are an equal-opportunity force of destruction, with no regard for whom or what gets hit with devastating consequences.

That was certainly the case when Hurricane Harvey, a massive Category 4 hurricane, hurled more than 50 inches of rain at the heart of Houston’s vibrant performing arts scene. Just over two weeks later, Hurricane Irma tore through Florida. It was the first time that two “Cat 4” storms hit the U.S. in the same hurricane season.

What's It Like Being on the Autism Spectrum?

Theatre Development Fund – TDF: Of the many breakups, breakdowns, and breakthroughs featured in Uncommon Sense, Tectonic Theater Project's new play about people on the autism spectrum, cast member Andrew Duff's favorite scene involves "Noodle Night." Dan, who's on the spectrum, invites Sarah, who has no official diagnosis, to dinner, but when he has trouble using his fork, she tosses hers away and they both dig in with their hands, feeding each other, getting wildly playful, and ending up in a kiss. "It's a moment of connecting and understanding without a need for words," says Duff. "They accept each other for the way they are."

Fall for glass art at Phipps Conservatory all over again

www.nextpittsburgh.com: Due to popular demand, the larger-than-life exhibit, SUPER. NATURAL, will remain at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens until Sun., Nov. 5. The show embraces Phipps’ tradition of stunning Fall Flower Shows, newly transformed as the plantings change from tropical summer plants to a colorful cornucopia of chrysanthemums. This is your last chance to see this exclusive blockbuster glass art show during its fall finale.

A Modern Haunted Effect With A Vintage Touch

Rosco Spectrum: The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, California’s oldest seaside amusement park, recently underwent a $14MM renovation process that blended old-time nostalgia with modern thrills to enhance their guest experience. As part of the renovation, Fright Walk – one of the park’s most popular attractions – had a major makeover and utilized Rosco CrystalGel in a wonderfully inventive manner.

GrubHub “gig economy” trial ends with judge calling out plaintiff’s lies

Ars Technica: The first trial over the status of "gig economy" workers drew to a close here, as a man who worked for GrubHub for several months seeks to prove that he should have been classified as an employee, not an independent contractor.

Shannon Liss-Riordan, representing plaintiff Raef Lawson, didn't get 20 minutes into her closing argument when US Magistrate Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley interrupted her to say that her client was untruthful and that her decision would reflect that. He produced a "fabricated resume" and lied on an application to GrubHub that he submitted after filing the lawsuit.

True account of the dramatic "Trial of the Century" behind Inherit the Wind

DC Theatre Scene: “From the hallowed hills of sacred Sinai,” Matthew Harrison Brady bellows. He is red-faced and sweating. He has lost his case; worse, he is losing his audience. “In the days of remote antiquity…” His lips move silently; then he crashes to the floor.

Mercifully, things never got that bad for William Jennings Bryan, Brady’s real life counterpart. But he was a protean figure who got a humiliating comeuppance in what was supposed to be an exercise in self-promotion, and, yes, at the conclusion of it, he died.

Planning Out Your Creative Utopia

Butts In the Seats: About two years ago I started an after (work) hours art show that would provide students and local artists an opportunity to show their work and get experience speaking about it with people who didn’t have the shared vocabulary of visual artists.

Last Thursday we had the 4th iteration of the event, which we have been holding every 6 months or so. Due to my involvement with the Creating Connection initiative, I consciously tried to employ suggested language about personal capacity for creativity in the promotional materials. I referenced people’s past comments about not realizing their neighbors were so talented or even interested in creating works of visual art.

The Sexual Predators of the Children's Theatre Company

OnStage Blog: "I'm probably going to need a glass of water..."

Laura Adams says as she stands at the podium. In front of her are several members of local media. She visibly nervous but unmistakably resolute. You might look the same if you were about to reveal a thirty year old secret that's been eating away at you since the day it happened. Now imagine doing it in front of a room full of media.

She begins, "It's time to tell our stories....We have held this secret for far too long...."

Production Notes: Stunt Coordinator

Nevada Film Office: Stunt coordinators are responsible for overseeing all aspects of performances that require highly specialized skills like diving, auto racing, martial arts, and more. They must assist in creating a budget, choreographing stunt sequences, selecting appropriate tools and equipment that need to be used during stunts, casting the right stunt actors who possess the physical capacity and skill level to perform different types of stunts, and ensuring that all precautions are taken to keep cast and crew safe.

Rockler Table Saw Crosscut Sled - Makes Your Table Saw More Versatile

homefixated.com: Ask a random woodworker what power tool they consider the backbone of their shop. There’s a good chance “table saw” will be at or near the tip of their tongue. Figuratively, we hope. Most projects begin at the table saw. But to get the most out of yours, you need to accessorize: a fashionable handbag, some shiny bling and a jig or two. One jig every woodworker should own is a crosscut sled.

Creating Saturday Night Live: Control Room

YouTube: Director Don Roy King and crew share how an episode goes from script to stage.

This Is How Many Minutes Of Breaks You Need Each Day

Fast Company: Your calendar is probably full of things to do, but how often do you schedule in breaks? If it’s rare to find a blank space on your calendar, you should rethink your nonstop workflow. Taking regular timeouts can help you refresh your focus and get more done, productivity experts say. And how often you should break depends on your workload, energy level ,and the time of day.

Sharing. Community. Collaboration.

Maker Faire Pittsburgh: The weekend of Maker Faire, October 13, 14, and 15, was like listening to the most wonderful jazz. Everything came together – sounds from everywhere, different instruments all playing at the same time – and it all made sense.

The Hard Problem

Pittsburgh in the Round: “Tell me where is fancy bred, Or in the heart, or in the head?” -William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice Master playwright Tom Stoppard’s The Hard Problem at Quantum Theatre should move to the top of playgoers’ must-see shows list through November 19.

20 Tips I've Learned from 12 Years in the Recording Studio

The Pro Audio Files: Arrive early. Nothing looks worse than having to delay a session because the basic setup wasn’t ready to go.

Knowing and Showing

Dimmer Beach: Last week I mentioned that there are only a handful of major touring companies in our industry and went off on a tangent after that. This week we are going continue down that path taking a look at a couple very important things to remember once you get in at Company X.

Female Freelancers Are Paid Way Less Than Men For The Same Creative Jobs

Fast Company: Gender-based wage discrimination in traditional business settings can be insidious because women who start out being paid less may be continuously offered less competitive raises or salaries when they change jobs. But many female entrepreneurs in creative fields—perhaps even those who think that owning their own business shelters from such bias—are actually seeing a similar disparity play out in a different way.

How to Tell If You're Mansplaining

lifehacker.com: Mansplaining has become one of the defining phenomena of the 21st century, and its pedantic tentacles touch everything from the last presidential campaign to online riffs about how women just can’t “get” Rick and Morty. While we’ve come a long way towards naming and shaming the mansplainers in our midst, on the flip side of that exchange, catching yourself in the act (and taking a step back) can be a challenge for anyone who’s spent their whole life assuming that they always have something interesting and useful to say, despite all evidence to the contrary.

Hear What Literally Every Genre of Music Sounds Like With This Tool

lifehacker.com: When you load up the page in your browser, you’ll be greeted with a massive wall of colored text links. Each one represents a specific genre of music. There’s everything from “Taiwanese pop” to “dark psytrance” to “Danish jazz” to “vapor twitch” to “Brazilian gospel” to “funk rock” to “discofox” to good ol’ fashioned “hip hop.” With more than 1,500 different music genres mapped, it’s all there.

A Win for Music Listeners in Florida: No Performance Right in Pre-1972 Recordings

Electronic Frontier Foundation: Another court has ruled that the public still has the ability to play old music that almost everyone believed they lawfully had the ability to play. The Florida Supreme Court, following in the footsteps of New York State’s high court, ruled yesterday that its state law, which governs sound recordings made before 1972, doesn’t include a right to control public performances of sound recordings, including radio play. Both this decision and the reasoning behind it are good news for digital music companies and radio listeners.

Mythburgh: Round 2 with 12 Peers

Pittsburgh in the Round: I reviewed the first installment of 12 Peers Theater’s Mythburgh series last month. The second in this three-part series of Pittsburgh-focused stories was also staged at the Brillobox. Last time, the bar turned theatre venue for a night meant it was mostly standing room only. This time was no different, except I leveraged my lessons learned and wore flats instead of the 4-inch heels I chose last time. A simple, low stage was slung across the front of the bar space under towering windows rimmed by dizzying red wallpaper.

New York City College of Technology students build spooky haunted house

abc7ny.com: Welcome to the Gravesend Inn.

Once a thriving seaside resort in the late 19th century in Coney Island.

But it was built on top of a cemetery, and the only thing thriving in here today are ghosts.

In Beirut, Play About Syrian War Gets As Close To Home As It Can

The Theatre Times: A play about Syria’s war, told through one family’s tragedy, made its Lebanon debut on Friday, the closest it will ever get to being staged on home soil, its Syrian director said.

“It would be impossible to perform it in Syria. There are red lines and the censorship that was there before 2011 is still there today,” said Omar Abu Saada, one of the country’s best-known theater directors.

The play – called While I Was Waiting – is based on the real-life story of a young man found beaten unconscious near a hospital in Damascus in 2013, but the circumstances of his beating and subsequent death remained unclear. Abu Saada knew the man and his family.

Love and Information at Aquinas College

HowlRound: There is no single paramount challenge to leading a one-person collegiate theatre department. Certainly resources—like personnel and finances—come immediately to mind. However, questions of “currency and relevancy” are even more immediate. How can we demonstrate the power of a collaborative art form in a liberal arts setting and into the surrounding community? And how can we do this through the production of complex contemporary work that likely would not be produced by local theatres?

Fully Immersive CAUGHT to Make L.A. Premiere at Think Tank Gallery

www.broadwayworld.com: The award-winning Firefly Theater and Films, in association with THINK TANK GALLERY and Vs. Theatre, will present the Los Angeles Premiere of the 2016 Obie-winner for playwriting, CAUGHT, by Christopher Chen.

The show will be the first fully immersive production of CAUGHT - set "inside" and integrated into a real art show at Think Tank Gallery in Downtown LA - and will be directed by New York's rising star director Ed Sylvanus Iskandar. It will feature Louis Changchien, Jackie Chung, Jessica Kaye, and Steven Klein.

Free Historical Costume Patterns Available Online

mymodernmet.com: We've already introduced you to thousands of vintage sewing patterns you can purchase online, but what if you're interested in trying your hand at historical dresses? Cosplayer Artemisia Moltabocca has done us all a service by pulling together a fantastic set of free resources for sewing your own costume, from an Italian Renaissance ball gown to petticoats from the 1950s.

The Hallowe'en Holocaust: A Closer Look At The 1963 Holiday On Ice Explosion

Skate Guard: I've long been a fan of the wonderful work done by Allison Manley and PJ Kwong on their respective Manleywoman SkateCast and Open Kwong Dore podcasts. Considering I didn't have a sweet clue about interviewing people when I started the blog last year, I really admire and look up to both Allison and PJ for what they continue to accomplish in doing these important interviews. Sadly though, I hadn't found time to listen to a lot of the less recent ones. That all changed in June. I decided to take a break from my usual routine of listening to music while working my day job and went on a three week bender of playing catch up on many of the interviews I had missed.

What Is An Artist's Responsibility? The Question Of Trigger Warnings

The Theatre Times: My most common access need attending the theatre, after bringing a companion, is to sit at the end of an aisle, preferably close to the exit. This is to manage my anxiety, which fluctuates in intensity, and when booking a show weeks in advance, I don’t know how I’ll feel that day. It gives me the ability to make a quick exit if my anxiety flares up − it’s too loud for me today, too bright, too crowded. Or, if the show itself is too disturbing or triggering in its content. Triggering content is by far the top reason that I do make good use of my requested aisle seat to make a dash for fresh air and a place of calm.

Russian Theatres – Searching For Balance

The Theatre Times: According to the national statistics, the number of state and municipal theatres reached 651 in 2016. That same year, 87,553 people were employed as actors, stage crew, and administrative staff. The theatre companies used 1394 buildings, 20% of which were listed as cultural heritage. However, almost 25% of buildings were in unsatisfactory condition and in dire need of serious reconstruction. This issue is critical for regional theatres which cannot afford reconstruction and renovation of their facilities or some theatres actually fear that the buildings and premises where they are based might be taken from them by investors. The total capacity of the venues amounted to 234,028 seats. Only 2% of the seats were fit to be used by physically disabled people.

Top Producers Vow to Combat Sexual Harassment: ‘We Have to Lead and Create a Culture’

Variety: The black cloud of the Harvey Weinstein scandal hung heavy over the Producers Guild of America’s third annual Produced By NY conference, held Saturday at Time Warner Center.

Discussions of mechanisms for allowing victims of sexual harassment to come forward, the drive for greater inclusion of women and persons of color, and the need for clear guidelines for behavior on film and TV sets were hot topics across the daylong series of panels.

Brain Candy – a review of “The Hard Problem”

'Burgh Vivant: In Tom Stoppard’s cerebral play, “The Hard Problem” the playwright explores René Descartes famous philosophical proposition, “Cogito ergo sum,” or, more roughly translated, “I think therefore I am.”

2017 Disney Accelerator Demo Day Showcases Innovators in Technology

InPark Magazine: The fourth annual Disney Accelerator Demo Day provided a glimpse into the future of media and entertainment, as 11 companies from a range of areas such as esports, location-based entertainment, robotics, media production and distribution, messaging commerce, and real-time entertainment presented their businesses to investors, Disney executives and other industry leaders.

In dreams: Roy Orbison hologram to embark on UK tour in 2018

Music | The Guardian: Roy Orbison, master of the romantic yet slightly eerie country ballad, died in 1988 – but will tour the UK again in 2018, albeit in holographic form. Using 3D projection technology that has previously brought the likes of Tupac Shakur and Michael Jackson back to visible life, Orbison will be backed by the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra on the 10-date tour. His son Alex described it as “a dream setup”.

Linda Bloodworth-Thomason: I Knew About Harvey Weinstein. You Probably Did, Too

Hollywood Reporter: I always knew I wanted to be a writer. As luck would have it, my first three mentors were Hollywood giants Norman Lear, James L. Brooks and Larry Gelbart. These industry icons not only taught me everything I know about writing, they were also perfect gentlemen who never exuded even a hint of sexual impropriety. It wasn't until a few years later that I began to experience sexual harassment — the producer's hand rubbing my back inside my blouse during meetings; the studio exec who, on my first day, encouraged me to wear a bikini to work (sadly, I actually asked, "Why, is there a pool?"); the talent agent I literally had to wrestle to the ground in order to get out of his house. I didn't know then that this is a man's town, based mostly on male friendships. Forget those iconic letters that make up the Hollywood sign. It would be much more fitting if there was a giant penis casting a shadow over all the women who tirelessly endeavor to rise above this unpoliced playground for men.

NFTRW Weekly Top Five

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

Negotiate a Higher Salary With a Sneaky Joke

twocents.lifehacker.com: So many of us avoid negotiating because it seems so tricky and so confrontational. You don’t want to miss out on that money, though. One easy, non-confrontational way to haggle your salary? Make a ridiculous joke.

In a 2008 study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, University of Idaho professor Todd J. Thorsteinson conducted a series of mock negotiations and found that when subjects joked about being paid a ridiculously high amount, those subjects had more successful negotiations.

Posted by David at 10/27/2017 01:08:00 PM

Ask These 9 Questions Before Every Meeting To Avoid Wasting Time

Fast Company: Many activities suck up a lot of our time at work. And no activity feels more like a time suck than pointless meetings.

Of course, not all meetings are a waste of time. If done right, a meeting can solve problems or convey information without an endless Slack thread. The key is preparation, and asking yourself the right questions. Before you get your team together for another pointless meeting, ask the following questions to ensure that it’ll be the most productive use of everyone’s time.

Posted by David at 10/27/2017 01:06:00 PM

College requires students to take Patriotic Education and Fitness

www.insidehighered.com: Quick quiz: Where is Omaha Beach?

If your answer was Normandy, France, the site of the D-Day landings, you’re correct. But Jerry Davis is worried that kids these days might wager Nebraska.

That’s why the College of the Ozarks, where Davis is president, has launched a new required course for freshmen -- dubbed Patriotic Education and Fitness -- to combat what he sees as rising anti-American, antipatriotic sentiments in American culture that have been "bubbling for many years." How much that is true versus how much that is his perception is certainly up for debate, but given that one of the college’s five pillars is “patriotic education,” the course certainly fits the culture of the Christian liberal arts college.

Posted by David at 10/27/2017 01:09:00 PM

I Was a Child Actress in Hollywood. There Were Always Whispers.

www.esquire.com: When I was a teenager, my mother had a friend, a children’s talent manager. He was bright, well read, and effortlessly charming. He also had a pool. We didn’t. On hot weekend days, we’d frequently go over to his house and lounge poolside.

Posted by David at 10/27/2017 01:05:00 PM

How are the arts doing in the US and what can YOU do?

AMT Lab @ CMU: The news is full of what’s happening in advocacy at the federal level, but the state level is where individuals and organizations can make the most difference.

State legislative bodies pass laws like Congress, but state policies are customized to each state’s needs and their impact is more direct. Take the time to research how state policy is made because this information is critical to effective advocacy.

Posted by David at 10/27/2017 01:03:00 PM

SAG-AFTRA Obtains International Support for Anti-Harassment Efforts

Variety: SAG-AFTRA has obtained a declaration from the International Federation of Actors urging the industry to work with unions to achieve workplaces that are free of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation.

Protecting Artifacts From UV Light

Rosco Spectrum: One of the main functions of museums is protecting the artwork and artifacts in their care from damage. At the same time, a museum must also display their collections, which involves balancing adequate lighting for proper visibility, while addressing preservation concerns at the same time. Light can slowly cause discoloration and structural damage in materials as it breaks down the molecular structure of dyes, pigments and substrates.

College requires students to take Patriotic Education and Fitness

www.insidehighered.com: Quick quiz: Where is Omaha Beach?

If your answer was Normandy, France, the site of the D-Day landings, you’re correct. But Jerry Davis is worried that kids these days might wager Nebraska.

That’s why the College of the Ozarks, where Davis is president, has launched a new required course for freshmen -- dubbed Patriotic Education and Fitness -- to combat what he sees as rising anti-American, antipatriotic sentiments in American culture that have been "bubbling for many years." How much that is true versus how much that is his perception is certainly up for debate, but given that one of the college’s five pillars is “patriotic education,” the course certainly fits the culture of the Christian liberal arts college.

Negotiate a Higher Salary With a Sneaky Joke

twocents.lifehacker.com: So many of us avoid negotiating because it seems so tricky and so confrontational. You don’t want to miss out on that money, though. One easy, non-confrontational way to haggle your salary? Make a ridiculous joke.

In a 2008 study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, University of Idaho professor Todd J. Thorsteinson conducted a series of mock negotiations and found that when subjects joked about being paid a ridiculously high amount, those subjects had more successful negotiations.

The Best Electronic Cutting Machines From Cricut and Silhouette: Wirecutter Reviews

Wirecutter Reviews | A New York Times Company: A cutting machine can make quick work of craft projects such as decals, stickers, signs, and cards. To find the best one, we spent 25 hours researching, talking to experts—including two cutting machine educators—and testing four models from Cricut and Silhouette (the favored brands of most crafters). The Cricut Explore Air 2 is our pick for beginners.

Ask These 9 Questions Before Every Meeting To Avoid Wasting Time

Fast Company: Many activities suck up a lot of our time at work. And no activity feels more like a time suck than pointless meetings.

Of course, not all meetings are a waste of time. If done right, a meeting can solve problems or convey information without an endless Slack thread. The key is preparation, and asking yourself the right questions. Before you get your team together for another pointless meeting, ask the following questions to ensure that it’ll be the most productive use of everyone’s time.

I Was a Child Actress in Hollywood. There Were Always Whispers.

www.esquire.com: When I was a teenager, my mother had a friend, a children’s talent manager. He was bright, well read, and effortlessly charming. He also had a pool. We didn’t. On hot weekend days, we’d frequently go over to his house and lounge poolside.

Black and Blue: Dramatizing the Life of a Pioneering Policewoman

HowlRound: No hot-button social issue is bigger right now in the US, it’s safe to say, than the fractured relationship between policing and racial justice. A new play takes direct aim at that explosive topic, through the lens of New Orleans’ complex history of law enforcement, crime and punishment, race relations, and the empowerment of women.

How are the arts doing in the US and what can YOU do?

AMT Lab @ CMU: The news is full of what’s happening in advocacy at the federal level, but the state level is where individuals and organizations can make the most difference.

State legislative bodies pass laws like Congress, but state policies are customized to each state’s needs and their impact is more direct. Take the time to research how state policy is made because this information is critical to effective advocacy.

Thinks and Links: Reflecting on the ASTC 2017 Conference

ExhibiTricks: The Museum Exhibit Design Blog: The 2017 ASTC (Association of Science-Technology Centers) Conference just wrapped up in San Jose, California.

As you might expect, given the audience of science-minded folks hunkering down in the heart of Silicon Valley there was much discussion of tech, but I was also left with the feeling that the Science Center field (and perhaps the entire museum and cultural sector) is in a time of introspection and re-evaluation.