jezebel.com: In case you have not heard, actresses will be protesting sexual harassment at the upcoming Golden Globes ceremony by wearing black. And now, predictably, men want to get in on the protest too, by also wearing black.
I know what you’re thinking: don’t most men wear black every year to the Golden Globes because it’s a black-tie event where actors come in tuxedos? Yes, they do, which makes this a pretty lazy way to protest.
Thursday, December 28, 2017
Paramount Pictures Launching First-Ever Virtual Reality Movie Theater
Deadline: Paramount Pictures has just created another platform — or maybe even a new distribution window — to display its feature content.
The studio, in partnership with Bigscreen, is collaborating with several tech companies leading efforts in the virtual reality space — Oculus, Samsung, HTC and Microsoft, among others — to launch a first VR movie theater. A viewer puts on a VR headset and sits in a “theater” in front of a huge screen watching a movie as you would in a brick-and-mortar theater.
The studio, in partnership with Bigscreen, is collaborating with several tech companies leading efforts in the virtual reality space — Oculus, Samsung, HTC and Microsoft, among others — to launch a first VR movie theater. A viewer puts on a VR headset and sits in a “theater” in front of a huge screen watching a movie as you would in a brick-and-mortar theater.
The Craft of Bijou at Canada's Stratford Festival
Stage Directions: Whether it is razzle dazzle, Elizabethan pomp, or high society elegance the Stratford Festival's Bijou department finishes off the details with craftsmanship that is second to none in the theater world. Stratford Festival Bijou craftsperson, Rebecca Dillow gives us a look inside at their meticulous work.
Joyce Carol Oates Asks if "Othello" Works Without Race
The Mary Sue: Joyce Carol Oates is one of the most brilliant living writers of our time. She’s also a white woman and therefore prone to say some really problematic things when it comes to race. Not with malice mind you, but just a general lack of understanding.
Paint Not Paint Mugs are Funny Coffee Mugs for Your Favorite Artist
mymodernmet.com: Artists, how many times have you almost ingested your gunky paint water thinking it was your afternoon tea? It’s an unwelcome surprise, but one that doesn’t have to happen anymore—thanks to illustrator Hallie Bateman. She’s created a handy set of mugs labeled “paint water” and “not paint water” so that you’ll never make the mistake again.
Wednesday, December 27, 2017
How theater should respond to a democracy in meltdown
LA Times: How should artists respond to a nation in crisis? Playwrights and their collaborators, not wanting to be the proverbial fiddler sawing away as Rome burns, have had no choice but to contemplate their responsibility in a year of stark political turmoil.
Since Donald Trump was elected president, America has undergone a savage transformation. Institutional norms have been flouted, ethical constraints have been ignored, constitutional principles have been muddied and longstanding alliances have been kicked to the curb.
Since Donald Trump was elected president, America has undergone a savage transformation. Institutional norms have been flouted, ethical constraints have been ignored, constitutional principles have been muddied and longstanding alliances have been kicked to the curb.
Don’t Despair, Protest: Playwright Lucy Kirkwood Sees No Other Choice
The New York Times: The British playwright Lucy Kirkwood gets the jitters on opening nights, and it was no different earlier this month when she made her Broadway debut with “The Children.” But at the post-show party, at a blues club near Times Square, politics proved an unexpectedly pleasant distraction.
It was election night in Alabama, and as word of Roy Moore’s Senate loss filtered through the crowd, Ms. Kirkwood said she felt that was reason enough to celebrate, no matter what the critics turned out to think.
“Despair is not an acceptable position,” she said over coffee later that week, “but it’s hard not to feel like the last year has been quite a hopeless time.”
It was election night in Alabama, and as word of Roy Moore’s Senate loss filtered through the crowd, Ms. Kirkwood said she felt that was reason enough to celebrate, no matter what the critics turned out to think.
“Despair is not an acceptable position,” she said over coffee later that week, “but it’s hard not to feel like the last year has been quite a hopeless time.”
Broadway Shockers 2017: The Great Comet Burns Out Too Soon
TheaterMania.com: On February 15, it was announced that Okieriete "Oak" Onaodowan, the original Hercules Mulligan and James Madison in Hamilton, would replace Josh Groban as Pierre in Dave Malloy's Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 beginning July 3. On July 1, it was announced that Onaodowan's start date would be pushed a week to July 11.
Onaodowan had only been in the show for two weeks when the production announced that he would play his final show on August 13, to be replaced by Tony and Emmy winner Mandy Patinkin in his "long-awaited return to Broadway." Patinkin's run was set for August 15-September 3; Onaodowan's own final performance was expected to be September 3.
Onaodowan had only been in the show for two weeks when the production announced that he would play his final show on August 13, to be replaced by Tony and Emmy winner Mandy Patinkin in his "long-awaited return to Broadway." Patinkin's run was set for August 15-September 3; Onaodowan's own final performance was expected to be September 3.
Schedule Announced for BroadwayCon Industry Day
www.broadwayworld.com: BroadwayCon is pleased to announce the BroadwayCon Industry Day schedule. BroadwayCon Industry Day is a one-day conference for theatre professionals, featuring panels and discussions exploring new and innovative ways to engage with Broadway's biggest fans. Curated by Situation, BroadwayCon Industry Day will take place on Thursday, January 25, 2018 at the Crowne Plaza Times Square Manhattan. F
Don’t Tell Anyone—A Call to Action for a Healthy Work-Life Balance in the Arts
HowlRound: One week before heading off to play one of my dream roles, I found out I was pregnant. What should have been a happy and exciting time turned into one of the darkest periods of my life. I had so many questions, and no role models in my life to guide my way. I believed, however, that once I called my union, I would receive guidance on how to navigate this unexpected turn of events.
Friday, December 22, 2017
Olivia Munn pens essay on sexual harassment in Hollywood
EW.com: In an interview with the BBC [in the wake of allegations against Harvey Weinstein, which Weinstein denies], Woody Allen said he felt sad for Weinstein and warned of a “witch-hunt atmosphere…where every guy in an office who winks at a woman is suddenly having to call a lawyer to defend himself.” However, the possibility of an overcorrection is much less worrisome than all of the injustices that led us to this moment. Woody’s gut instinct to fear what this might become would be better suited to a gut instinct to hold back an urge that could be wrong.
HAMILTON Designer David Korins Shares Inside Look at West End Production
www.broadwayworld.com: HAMILTON set designer David Korins is giving fans an inside look at the design process for the West End transfer of one of Broadway's biggest smash hits. Watch his Instagram video below to check out the set building process from sketches to the finished product.
HAMILTON re-opens the newly rebuilt and restored Victoria Palace Theatre, and it officially opens tonight, 21 December 2017. HAMILTON is currently booking to 30 June 2018.
HAMILTON re-opens the newly rebuilt and restored Victoria Palace Theatre, and it officially opens tonight, 21 December 2017. HAMILTON is currently booking to 30 June 2018.
Stage Door: The 1937 Film that Reveals Why Hollywood’s Sexual Harassment Reckoning Took So Long to Arrive
pictorial.jezebel.com: The eighty-year-old Best Picture Academy Award nominee stars Katharine Hepburn and Ginger Rogers as actresses who confront a producer who treats sex as the price of fame. It’s an eerily timely movie to encounter in the wake of the allegations against Harvey Weinstein, James Toback, and so many others. The casting couch is often called an “open secret,” and the story of Stage Door is a study in the kind of willful ignorance required to keep something so widely known from endangering those in power.
'Mindhunter' actor Cotter Smith will open barebones' 15th season in new Braddock home
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Cotter Smith, whose most recent TV role is Unit Chief Shepard on the Pittsburgh-filmed “Mindhunter,” will help reintroduce barebones productions’ Braddock theater as the star of the 2017 play “Rules of Seconds.”
Creating The Next Bechdel Test
FiveThirtyEight: The Bechdel-Wallace Test — more commonly abbreviated to the Bechdel Test — asks two simple questions of a movie: Does it have at least two named female characters?1 And do those characters have at least one conversation that is not about a man? A surprising number of films fail the test. Although the test is punchy and has become pervasive, it doesn’t address the core inequalities in Hollywood films.
Thursday, December 21, 2017
CMU Classmates Gad, Odom Jr. Reunite in “Murder on the Orient Express”
www.cmu.edu/news: Nearly two decades after meeting as first-year drama students in the halls of the Purnell Center for the Arts at Carnegie Mellon University, Josh Gad and Leslie Odom, Jr. are performing together professionally for the first time. The 2003 graduates from the School of Drama are playing Hector Macqueen and Dr. Arbuthnot, respectively, in Kenneth Branagh’s reboot of the 1974 film adaptation of Agatha Christie’s “Murder on the Orient Express.”
Smiley’s Martin Luther King Stage Show Scuttled in Wake of Misconduct Allegations
The New York Times: A stage adaptation of a book written by Tavis Smiley about the final year of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King’s life, set for a 40-city tour coinciding with the 50th anniversary of King’s death, was suspended on Friday in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations against Mr. Smiley.
Lady Gaga signs for 2 years at The Park on Las Vegas Strip
Las Vegas Review-Journal: Saying, “It’s been a lifelong dream of mine to play Las Vegas,” Lady Gaga is making it all come true beginning in 12 months. Her residency at The Park Theater begins in December 2018, and in a news release issued today is described as “a two-year, multidate love affair with Las Vegas.”
Drama fest carries on
Cornwall Standard Freeholder: The show must go on.
Despite the loss of $200,000 in annual sponsorship for what was known as the Sears Drama Festival, local high school students are well into preparations for this school year’s competition, which is just a few months away.
“The festival will move forward at all three levels – the district, the regional and provincial (levels),” Holy Trinity drama teacher Jim Malyon said on Tuesday.
Despite the loss of $200,000 in annual sponsorship for what was known as the Sears Drama Festival, local high school students are well into preparations for this school year’s competition, which is just a few months away.
“The festival will move forward at all three levels – the district, the regional and provincial (levels),” Holy Trinity drama teacher Jim Malyon said on Tuesday.
Shocking Situations
ProSoundWeb: I’ve been a professional audio engineer for 40-plus years and a musician for 10 years more than that, and during that time, I’ve witnessed hundreds of shock events on performance stages, recording studios, and even factory floors.
Wednesday, December 20, 2017
Writers Guild Accuses Studios of ‘Insufficient’ Response on Harassment
Variety: Leaders of the Writers Guild of America have blasted studios and agencies for “insufficient response” on the issue of sexual harassment.
In a message sent to members Tuesday, the WGA West said, “We are determined that not only member rights, but also member responsibilities, be clearly defined. It is also imperative that we address what so many of us perceive as an insufficient response on the part of studios and agencies.”
In a message sent to members Tuesday, the WGA West said, “We are determined that not only member rights, but also member responsibilities, be clearly defined. It is also imperative that we address what so many of us perceive as an insufficient response on the part of studios and agencies.”
Operating the Sesame Street Puppets Looks So Cool and So Exhausting
The Mary Sue: Wired recently shared a fascinating look at all the puppeteering that goes into making an episode of Sesame Street. Having grown up on the series, and really only ever seen the finished product, I found it super-interesting to see all the different puppet mechanisms, voice work, tromps around in Big Bird and Snuffleupagus suits, and supplementary stagehand help that goes into creating these characters.
Andrew Lloyd Webber Slams Lack of Diversity in British Theatre
www.broadwayworld.com: Introducing findings from a recent study of diversity in British theatre, Andrew Lloyd Webber has slammed the "hideously white" demographics of workers both onstage and off.
Hemp Houses: Know the Ropes
AMERICAN THEATRE: In 1991, I was on staff at New York City’s Theatre for a New Audience when founding artistic director Jeffrey Horowitz and his team produced a revival of Romeo and Juliet at the Victory Theater on West 42nd Street. I remember being in that huge, musty theatre with the company for the first time. The Victory dated back to 1900, yet the young, energetic actors ran around the place like it was their own personal playground, climbing to various levels and remarking on the theatre’s historic details.
The Band’s Visit and Come From Away Designers Among 2017 Henry Hewes Design Award Recipients
Playbill: Five theatre designers will be honored at the American Theatre Wing’s 2017 Henry Hewes Design Awards luncheon. Among this year’s recipients are The Band’s Visit lighting designer Tyler Micoleau and Come From Away costume designer Toni-Leslie James.
Tuesday, December 19, 2017
BOB DOEPEL & CHICAGO SCENIC STUDIOS - 40 Years Of Making It All Come Together
CONVERSATIONS with Ed Tracy: To hear Bob Doepel reflect on Chicago Scenic Studios, the company he founded almost 40 years ago, you might think that it just happened to come together. In truth, Doepel has elevated the process of making things come together, often under impossible deadlines, on projects that materialize overnight, to an art form. His company has a vast array of resources, and coordinates with other industry professionals, to collaborate with clients to turn vision into reality.
High Winds Cause Deadly Stage Structure Collapse in Brazil
Control Geek: After a string of weather-related stage structure collapse tragedies in the US (which documented and commented on in a series of blog posts which you can read here), and a great reaction by the Event Safety Alliance and others, I really hoped I had written my last posts about weather-related stage structure collapses. But via Pollstar this morning comes news of a deadly collapse at the tragically named Atmosphere Festival in Brazil
Is a Certified Rigger a Qualified Rigger?
news.thecrosbygroup.com: Even though OSHA 29 CFR 1926 Subpart CC- Crane & Derrick Standard for Construction went into effect November 10, 2010 it still continues to prompt individuals to debate whether a “Certified Rigger” is considered a “Qualified Rigger”. In this article I have included my personal opinions along with wording and facts from the standard itself. I hope you find this information useful and rig safe!
Ballet companies throughout the U.S. reimagine “The Nutcracker”
Salon.com: “It’s fair to say you’ve never seen a musical quite like this,” says Kevin Weisman (best known for his role in “Alias”) during the introduction for “The MeshugaNutcracker.” A Jewish take on the classic Christmas ballet, “The MegshugaNutcracker” opens with a call to “grab your yarmulke, it’s time for Chanukah, a musical just for you, whether gentile or a Jew.”
Bumppo to Haven, the top-10 best in off-Loop theater of 2017
Chicago Tribune: In a year when the political and international drama went up to 11, Chicago theaters offered up a raucous and rousing array of productions, from world premieres to classic revivals. Here are 10 shows — listed alphabetically — that stood out as best in class.
Monday, December 18, 2017
Experts Weigh Disney-Fox Antitrust Concerns
Hollywood Reporter: The Walt Disney Co. may be willing to wager $2.5 billion that its 11-figure deal with 21st Century Fox will pass regulatory muster, but antitrust lawyers aren't so sure.
The companies expect the regulatory review and closing process to take up to 18 months, which will likely include a thorough analysis of whether the combined entity could substantially lessen competition in the marketplace.
The companies expect the regulatory review and closing process to take up to 18 months, which will likely include a thorough analysis of whether the combined entity could substantially lessen competition in the marketplace.
Anita Hill Chairing Hollywood Anti-Sexual Harassment Commission
Variety: Spurred by the multitude of sexual abuse scandals, top Hollywood executives have tapped Anita Hill to chair the newly formed Commission on Sexual Harassment and Advancing Equality in the Workplace.
The commission made the announcement Friday following a meeting convened by Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy, Nike Foundation founder and co-chair Maria Eitel, Nina Shaw, and venture captialist Freada Kapor Klein.
The commission made the announcement Friday following a meeting convened by Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy, Nike Foundation founder and co-chair Maria Eitel, Nina Shaw, and venture captialist Freada Kapor Klein.
How Christmas Story Live! Tackled a Chinese-Restaurant Scene
www.vulture.com: When families and “You’ll shoot your eye out!” obsessives gather ‘round the old flat-screen to watch Fox’s ambitious musical event, A Christmas Story Live!, they may notice a few adjustments to the beloved 1983 film that inspired the special.
Stage Collapse In Brazil Kills DJ, Wounds Others: Breaking
Pollstar: DJ Kaleb Freitas was killed Dec. 17 during the Atmosphere festival in
Brazil after strong winds blew over part of the stage at the electronic
music party in Rio Grande.
Brazil after strong winds blew over part of the stage at the electronic
music party in Rio Grande.
Amahl and the Night Visitors
Pittsburgh in the Round: There is certainly joy in listening to live classical music. There is joy in the artistry of skilled musicians. There is joy in the unadorned sound of classical instruments. There is joy in well-honed voices filling a space with the arias and choruses of an opera. The Resonance Works’ production of Amahl and the Night Visitors provides many opportunities for joy, along with unfortunate moments of disappointment and sadness.
Friday, December 15, 2017
The Broadway League Elects New Chairman of the Board
www.ticketnews.com: The Broadway League is pleased to announce that Thomas Schumacher, President & Producer, Disney Theatrical Productions, was elected as Chairman of the Board of The Broadway League today. Mr. Schumacher takes over the role from Chairman Robert E. Wankel, President, The Shubert Organization, following the completion of Mr. Wankel’s full three-year term.
25 Things You Didn’t Know About the Christmas Spectacular (and the Rockettes!)
The Rockettes: The Christmas Spectacular is a holiday tradition unlike any other—from watching us Rockettes perform time-honored classic dance numbers (“Parade of the Wooden Soldiers” anyone?!) to Santa Claus taking you on a 3-D sleigh ride while Radio City Music Hall turns into an immersive winter wonderland—it’s a 90-minute extravaganza that’s sure to put fans of all ages in the Yuletide spirit. As you can imagine, this annual tradition is full of rich history—after all, it’s been more than 85 years since the show’s inception!
Veteran stage manager Chris Porter saves Toronto show
The Globe and Mail: When veteran stage manager Chris Porter worked on Cirque du Soleil's water-themed production of O at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, there was an emergency procedure in place called "save the show." It involved sending out the clowns (literally), who would improvise until a technical situation could be resolved.
Casting director booted from ‘Norma Rae’ musical after union push
NY Daily News: Norma Rae wouldn’t take this sitting down.
A Broadway casting director lost out on a reading for a new musical based on the iconic 1979 film “Norma Rae” because she wanted producers to make contributions to a Teamster health and pension fund, the Daily News has learned.
A Broadway casting director lost out on a reading for a new musical based on the iconic 1979 film “Norma Rae” because she wanted producers to make contributions to a Teamster health and pension fund, the Daily News has learned.
Great lecture from SIGGRAPH: War for the Planet of the Apes
fxguide: Weta Digital in concert with SIGGRAPH has released their brilliant lecture from SIGGRAPH LA on the motion capture on the blockbuster War for the Planet of the Apes.
This is such a good talk from Weta's Visual Effects Supervisor Anders Langland. Here at fxguide, we especially love the Bad Ape performances and animation which Langlands explains in the lecture.
This is such a good talk from Weta's Visual Effects Supervisor Anders Langland. Here at fxguide, we especially love the Bad Ape performances and animation which Langlands explains in the lecture.
Thursday, December 14, 2017
Roundabout's Entire Theatrical Workforce Development Program Cohort Lands Jobs
www.broadwayworld.com:
Roundabout Theatre Company and Education at Roundabout have announced a 100% job placement rate for the first cohort of the Theatrical Workforce Development Program (TWDP), the theatre industry's first workforce development program to train and place young adults in professional technical theatre careers.
Roundabout Theatre Company and Education at Roundabout have announced a 100% job placement rate for the first cohort of the Theatrical Workforce Development Program (TWDP), the theatre industry's first workforce development program to train and place young adults in professional technical theatre careers.
Decibullz Bluetooth Wireless Earphones Review
Pro Tool Reviews: There are a wide variety of options when it comes to how we listen to music or videos privately. You can go with over the ear headphones, on the ear headphones, earbuds, or bone conduction. Then you can go wired or wireless. And of course, there’s price to consider. So what do Decibullz Bluetooth Wireless Earphones offer in this crowded space and where do they fit?
DMX Demystified
TheatreArtLife: DMX is not something we think a whole lot about, but we use it extensively in the lighting world to control dimmers, moving lights, and some special effects. For something that has a big impact on what we do, it seems few people know how DMX communicates from control desk to dimmers/fixtures. It is a very robust system that can travel long distances compared to newer systems and has proven to be incredibly reliable.
Klein Tools Cross-Line Laser Level Review
Pro Tool Reviews: Lasers don’t seem to get any less cool no matter how old I get. Sure, instead of toys they are tools now, but that’s no matter. I guess I could still use a laser-equipped tool to pretend I have a lightsaber or make the cat go crazy when no one’s looking. But in my adult life, lasers are proving to be much more useful than they ever were as a kid (when they really only got me into trouble).
Christmas Meets Broadway and Vegas
Church Production Magazine: The audience has just settled into Gateway Church’s 2016 Christmas show, “Chasing Lights,” when the room appears to shake and the image of a solid brick wall on the church's expansive 50-foot by 20-foot video wall crumbles to the ground. Suddenly disoriented, the onlookers react with a collective gasp, then chatter with nervous excitement. “It is the last thing anyone is expecting,” says Gateway’s Associate Director of Lighting Production Tim Logsdon, “and it gets a huge reaction from every audience.” If the audience wasn’t sure when they walked in, they now know this is not a typical Christmas show.For many Christian churches around the world, the eagerly anticipated Christmas show has become a time-honored way to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.
Wednesday, December 13, 2017
Hollywood Women Tell Their #MeToo Stories
Variety: While a tsunami of women in Hollywood tweeted #metoo, the powerful hashtag didn’t give most the opportunity to tell their sexual harassment stories. Many women still fear that naming names will bring about career repercussions and potential legal action. With this piece, we decided to empower women to come forward only by identifying themselves and revealing their long-held secrets. Many of these stories took place when these women were starting their careers — young, naive, and powerless, they didn’t know who to tell. They didn’t want to lose their jobs. And while no one equated their harassment story with those who had been raped or assaulted, these incidents left their mark, and changed how these women function in an industry where sexual harassment is systemic.
Global Entertainment Companies Combat Sexual Harassment
Variety: Hollywood movies have long had an outsize impact on the rest of the world. Now a Hollywood scandal is as well.
What began as an exposé of sexual misconduct by Harvey Weinstein has snowballed into a global cause célèbre, one that’s roiling not just the entertainment industry but also the realms of politics, business and education far beyond American shores. Senior officials in Britain have been forced to quit amid harassment allegations. Members of the European Parliament share their #MeToo stories. The president of France, Emmanuel Macron, says his country is “sick with sexism” and has vowed to fight discrimination and violence against women. “We must act before it’s too late,” Macron declared.
What began as an exposé of sexual misconduct by Harvey Weinstein has snowballed into a global cause célèbre, one that’s roiling not just the entertainment industry but also the realms of politics, business and education far beyond American shores. Senior officials in Britain have been forced to quit amid harassment allegations. Members of the European Parliament share their #MeToo stories. The president of France, Emmanuel Macron, says his country is “sick with sexism” and has vowed to fight discrimination and violence against women. “We must act before it’s too late,” Macron declared.
Sexual Harassment in Writers Rooms: When Spitballing Ideas Goes Wrong
Variety: Television writers rooms are not like most workplaces. They’re creative spaces where people — many of whom gravitated toward the field because they blanched at thoughts of working straight jobs — spitball freely and rely on the group to police bad ideas. Intimate personal stories are often shared. Behavior that would not be tolerated elsewhere is given a pass, to the purported benefit of the final product.
Sexual Misconduct: Powerful Men Can’t Plead Ignorance
Variety: Power.
It’s the theme that ricochets through countless TV shows, especially in the past decade or two. Who has influence, how can mastery of other people or a profession be achieved, how can ambition be cemented into unassailable and fear-inspiring dominance?
Those kinds of themes have been so prevalent — through the Golden Age of the aughts and even now — that a critic can easily grow a little tired of them. Being a privileged white guy is hard. We get it.
It’s the theme that ricochets through countless TV shows, especially in the past decade or two. Who has influence, how can mastery of other people or a profession be achieved, how can ambition be cemented into unassailable and fear-inspiring dominance?
Those kinds of themes have been so prevalent — through the Golden Age of the aughts and even now — that a critic can easily grow a little tired of them. Being a privileged white guy is hard. We get it.
How New York Times Broke the Harvey Weinstein Story
Variety: Want proof that journalism matters? Look no further than Harvey Weinstein. Were it not for The New York Times and The New Yorker, the indie mogul would still be hobnobbing at Oscar parties, attending movie premieres and, if allegations are to be believed, routinely abusing and harassing women.
Tuesday, December 12, 2017
Jeff Awards Plan Steps to Diversify, Integrate with Theater Community
PerformInk: The Jeff Awards have released the results of an independent research project to identify areas for improvement, and action steps the committee is considering to address the findings. Taproot+, a non-profit organization that provides pro bono services by volunteer professionals, conducted the study, which consisted of phone interviews with 21 leaders of theater organizations, and a survey that was provided to every Jeff-participating theater.
Review: Holiday spirit soars in Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre's 'Nutcracker'
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: While the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre’s production of “The Nutcracker” is undeniably a family treat, it’s the matinees that truly bring out Marie wannabes and Sugar Plums aplenty in the audiences at the Benedum Center.
Clickspring Design Helps Comic Con VIPs Party In The Future
Live Design: Known for its unique characters and mixture of art, storytelling, and fandom, Comic Con celebrates a broad section of popular culture including comic books, videos games, movies, and television.
ETC Tops $300K in Pledge-a-Product Donations to Behind the Scenes
Lighting&Sound America Online - News: On the LDI show floor this year, ETC presented Behind the Scenes with a check for $24,873.84, representing this year's proceeds from the company's iRFR and aRFR focus remote applications. Since the launch of the iRFR in 2009, ETC's mobile app sales have generated an impressive $322,825 in donations, helping the charity bring assistance to many ill or injured entertainment technology colleagues and their families.
The Future of Technology—and Engagement
Church Designer Magazine: As a church designer, you probably don't buy the hype that more moving lights, bigger LED screens and giant speakers are the answer to where technology is going. And as it turns out, evidence suggests that the future isn’t about "big" at all.
Monday, December 11, 2017
Sexual Harassment Panel Offers Definitions, Strategies
Animation World Network: Under a projected image of disgraced Hollywood studio mogul Harvey Weinstein, a panel of experts convened Wednesday night in Burbank at the IATSE Local 80 union building to define sexual harassment, explain people’s rights and responsibilities, and discuss strategies for how to create safer work environments for the animation industry.
Former Charlie Rose Producer Rebecca Carroll on Working With the PBS Host
www.esquire.com: In 1997, I joined the production team of Charlie Rose’s popular interview show. I was the only black journalist on staff. At the time, there was little to no recognition of what it meant to be black and female in a workplace dominated by white men. Twenty years later, in this watershed moment of examination and reckoning as one powerful white man after another is disgraced following allegations of sexual misconduct ranging from harassment to assault, we’re still not talking about the ramifications for black women—or the broader connection to structural racism in America.
How to Motivate Workers to Save More for Retirement
Nasdaq.com: Suzanne Shu, an associate professor of marketing at UCLA, has done extensive research into why we save--and why we don't. While studying for her PhD at the University of Chicago, she worked closely with Richard Thaler, who won the 2017 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for his pioneering research in behavioral economics.
Radio twist brings 'A Christmas Story' to life on stage
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: They say Christmas comes but once a year, but it sure seems like more as the year turns quicker and quicker. This tends to fray some familiar Christmas traditions. It’s one of those good news-bad news things: here comes “A Christmas Carol,” and here comes “A Christmas Carol.”
Why All of Us Should Be Fundraising in Nonprofit Arts
www.clydefitchreport.com: Nonprofit arts organizations face a long list of challenges these days, from declining participation to increasing competition from a broad range of live and digital options. And then there’s Baumol’s cost disease, which suggests that because there are no productivity gains over time in the way that art is created, and given that costs are always increasing, producing organizations are falling further and further behind every year in terms of their financial sustainability. This means, through no fault of their own, that arts organizations have to raise more money each and every year just to stay even.
Sunday, December 10, 2017
NFTRW Weekly Top Five
Here are the top five comment generating posts of the past week:
What I Learned By Letting My Mood Dictate How I Worked For A Month
www.fastcompany.com: My job has two basic parts, and chances are yours does, too:
Generating ideas
Implementing them
In my case, as a writer, the challenge is to come up with something to write about in the first place, and then turn that idea into some sort of coherent, engaging piece of content. The first half requires creativity, and the second requires me to focus without distraction. Many if not most knowledge workers’ roles are set up similarly: First you’ve got to come up with a solution or an action to take, and then you’ve got to put it into action. Nailing both steps is the real productivity challenge.The Best Leatherman Multi-tools for EDC
Everyday Carry: For many EDCers, Leatherman needs no introduction. The multi-tool maker has been covering bases and getting things done with their impressive array of tools for decades. But while they have plenty of options in their catalog, some multi-tools are better for EDC than others. Given how useful their tools are, it's a daunting task to pick the best one to carry, but we're here to help.Please Stop Complimenting Me On My Body
www.refinery29.com: These past couple of weeks have been the most meaningful of my life. Not only do I get to continue to live my dream every single night on Broadway with the most talented, radiant company, but I'm also lucky enough to be in Lady Bird, Greta Gerwig’s deeply human, hysterical, heart wrenching, magical film. And yet, with all of these insanely wonderful, once-in-a-lifetime experiences happening, I have been a little confused lately. You see, people seem to have a lot to say to me. That alone is not that surprising; I’m a dreamy conversationalist! It is the topic of conversation that is puzzling. Everyone keeps commenting on something that I haven’t thought about in years: my body.pantone announces 'ultra violet' as 2018 color of the year
www.designboom.com: following marsala in 2015, rose quartz and serenity in 2016, and greenery in 2017, pantone has announced that its 2018 color of the year is… ‘ultra violet’. described as ‘inventive’ and ‘imaginative’, the color experts say that the shade communicates ‘originality, ingenuity, and visionary thinking that points us toward the future’.Can't Pay Your Student Loans? In Some States, That Means You Can't Work Either.
Hit & Run : Reason.com: Shannon Otto took on thousands of dollars in student loan debt to pay for nursing school before an unexpected medical issue left her unable to work for more than a year. While she was recovering, her loan payments lapsed into default. When Otto was ready to go back to work, she got more bad news: The state of Tennessee had revoked her nursing license, leaving her unable to work legally in the field she'd spent years mastering. Getting her license restored would require an additional payment of $1,500.
Friday, December 08, 2017
Pittsburgh Public Theater names new leadership team to replace Ted Pappas
TribLIVE: The Pittsburgh Public Theater has announced a new team to lead the troupe when producing artistic director Ted Pappas leaves next year after 18 seasons.
It is promoting Louis A. Castelli to managing director and named Marya Sea Kaminski, the current associate artistic director at Seattle Repertory Theatre, as artistic director.
It is promoting Louis A. Castelli to managing director and named Marya Sea Kaminski, the current associate artistic director at Seattle Repertory Theatre, as artistic director.
UK Musicians Mental Health Support Line Launched
Pollstar: A 24/7 mental health service dubbed Music Minds Matter is for “anyone working in the music industry,” according to Help Musicians UK, the charity behind the initiative.
Qatar's modular shipping container football stadium can be disassembled
www.dezeen.com: Modified shipping containers are being used to construct Fenwick Iribarren Architects' Ras Abu Aboud stadium in Doha for the controversial 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar.
The Spanish architecture practice's modular design means the stadium can be dismantled and moved to a new location after the football tournament.
The Spanish architecture practice's modular design means the stadium can be dismantled and moved to a new location after the football tournament.
What I Learned By Letting My Mood Dictate How I Worked For A Month
www.fastcompany.com: My job has two basic parts, and chances are yours does, too:
Generating ideas
Implementing them
In my case, as a writer, the challenge is to come up with something to write about in the first place, and then turn that idea into some sort of coherent, engaging piece of content. The first half requires creativity, and the second requires me to focus without distraction. Many if not most knowledge workers’ roles are set up similarly: First you’ve got to come up with a solution or an action to take, and then you’ve got to put it into action. Nailing both steps is the real productivity challenge.
Generating ideas
Implementing them
In my case, as a writer, the challenge is to come up with something to write about in the first place, and then turn that idea into some sort of coherent, engaging piece of content. The first half requires creativity, and the second requires me to focus without distraction. Many if not most knowledge workers’ roles are set up similarly: First you’ve got to come up with a solution or an action to take, and then you’ve got to put it into action. Nailing both steps is the real productivity challenge.
Annie
Pittsburgh in the Round: I often commit the unfortunate preconception-based error of relegating certain plays, musicals particularly, to a realm of untouchably fey. Annie—originally adapted from Thomas Meechan’s book and Harold Gray’s comic strip for Broadway by Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin—along with musicals like Hairspray and Sound of Music function in my memory as pieces that are so performatively sentimental and over-the-top that I cannot access their relatability or edge. I was taken aback, then to be confronted, in the best sense possible, with the acerbic wit and sonorous bleakness of Annie at a small theatre’s recreation of the piece.
Academy Lighting Consultants: Lighting designers welcome
et cetera...: At Academy Lighting Consultants, founder and president Jeff Engel sticks to a winning formula that gives control to their ten designers and security for their clients: great talent and a deep pool of knowledge.
Stage Review: PICT's 'In the Company of Wilde' offers a biographical sketch of the embattled playwright
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Never match wits with a master. That is to say, when reviewing a genius wit like Oscar Wilde (and who is there like him?), don’t try to be witty yourself. You can’t measure up.
So what to say about “In the Company of Oscar Wilde”? Insofar as it channels Wilde’s wit, insight, passion and despair, it is pretty much beyond any critical tools I can wield. In a potpourri of aphorisms, excerpts from poems and plays and, to conclude, an eloquent and deeply painful excerpt from his final, bleak view of his own life, “De Profundis,” it gives us a Wilde both sprightly and somber, with the ultimate emphasis on the latter.
So what to say about “In the Company of Oscar Wilde”? Insofar as it channels Wilde’s wit, insight, passion and despair, it is pretty much beyond any critical tools I can wield. In a potpourri of aphorisms, excerpts from poems and plays and, to conclude, an eloquent and deeply painful excerpt from his final, bleak view of his own life, “De Profundis,” it gives us a Wilde both sprightly and somber, with the ultimate emphasis on the latter.
Experts: racketeering suit against Weinstein faces uphill legal battle
Business Insider: Six women on Wednesday filed a proposed class-action lawsuit against disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein and the companies associated with him, alleging that their coordinated efforts to cover up a pattern of egregious sexual misconduct amounted to racketeering.
The women accused Weinstein, The Weinstein Company, members of its board, and Miramax of violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) act, a law passed in 1970 that was designed to prosecute massive criminal enterprises like the Mafia.
The women accused Weinstein, The Weinstein Company, members of its board, and Miramax of violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) act, a law passed in 1970 that was designed to prosecute massive criminal enterprises like the Mafia.
The Best Leatherman Multi-tools for EDC
Everyday Carry: For many EDCers, Leatherman needs no introduction. The multi-tool maker has been covering bases and getting things done with their impressive array of tools for decades. But while they have plenty of options in their catalog, some multi-tools are better for EDC than others. Given how useful their tools are, it's a daunting task to pick the best one to carry, but we're here to help.
pantone announces 'ultra violet' as 2018 color of the year
www.designboom.com: following marsala in 2015, rose quartz and serenity in 2016, and greenery in 2017, pantone has announced that its 2018 color of the year is… ‘ultra violet’. described as ‘inventive’ and ‘imaginative’, the color experts say that the shade communicates ‘originality, ingenuity, and visionary thinking that points us toward the future’.
Studio Drift's swarm of drones illuminates Miami Beach
www.dezeen.com: Amsterdam-based Studio Drift has choreographed 300 drones to mimic a flock of birds over the beach during this year's art week in Miami.
Presented by Future\Pace gallery and BMW, the Franchise Freedom installation debuted last night outside the Faena hotel complex in Miami Beach.
Presented by Future\Pace gallery and BMW, the Franchise Freedom installation debuted last night outside the Faena hotel complex in Miami Beach.
Unmuffling a Culture of Silence
AMERICAN THEATRE: It begins innocently enough: A theatre artist asks another theatre artist to dinner. In an industry where ideas are discussed, and deals often made, in dimly lit restaurants, such meetings are considered essential for networking. Such was the case for a New York-based actor when the literary manager of a Tony-winning regional theatre asked her out for a post-show drink.
Can These Apps Help You When Your HR Department Fails?
www.fastcompany.com: No matter what the issue or challenge, there seems to be an app-based attempt at a solution. And workplace issues are no exception. Now, employees with issues ranging from sexual harassment and difficult coworkers to wage theft and labor regulation violations have several apps to which they can turn for help.
“The Old Man and the Old Moon” at City Theatre
The Pittsburgh Tatler: I’d be hard pressed to identify a favorite from among the many moments of sheer theatrical magic in PigPen Theatre Company’s The Old Man and The Old Moon. Would it be that early, audible-gasp-invoking episode in the story when the Old Man (Ryan Melia) first climbs to the top of a ladder with a bucket of light to refill the moon (an effect achieved by ensemble member Curtis Gillen, with a large flashlight and, as best I could determine, a piece of paperboard), accompanied by the amplified sound of liquid pouring into a bucket, courtesy of ensemble member Arya Shahi? The sudden shift in scale as a monstrous, bony, shadow-puppet fish circles ominously around the tiny shadow of the old man sinking into the watery depths, just before the fish devours him? The delightful transformation of a wall of glass bottles into a xylophone? The flight of the glowing, water-gallon-bottle dirigible? The excited panting of the bleach-bottle-and-mophead dog (lovingly animated by Dan Weschler)? The flapping of the shoe-last fish?
Thursday, December 07, 2017
Spiegelworld’s next Strip show: ‘Opium’ at the Cosmopolitan
Las Vegas Review-Journal: Harry M. Howie sits us down at his office in a decommissioned RV in downtown Las Vegas. The place is a brilliant mess of decades-old gadgets, dusty folding chairs, and maps of our city where twine literally connects the dots.
The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas is noted on that map. So is Caesars Palace, and the nearest McDonald’s.
The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas is noted on that map. So is Caesars Palace, and the nearest McDonald’s.
Harvard's First Performing Thesis: Shirley, A New Musical by Julia Belanoff
TheatreArtLife: Julia Belanoff (playwright, Shirley) first met the late Shirley Temple Black while trick-or-treating as a young girl in her neighborhood of Woodside, California. She fondly remembers seeing Temple power-walking the neighborhood with her friends, in matching track suits no less, and looks back on time spent singing along to the songs in her movies.
Stage Review: Kinetic Theatre's 'Love, Love, Love' examines generational affections
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: You may get that the title, “Love, Love, Love,” is borrowed from the Beatles’ song where it is insistently celebrated as “all we need.” But the sour intelligence in Mike Bartlett’s sharp new British comedy reports that love is really not enough, not even in triplicate. Among the other things we might need are skill, luck, timing, parents, responsibility and money, not necessarily in that order.
'Tis The Season To Be A Rockette: Part 1
TheatreArtLife: Having been a Radio City Rockette on and off for ten years, I consider myself lucky that I was hired by four different Director/Choreographers. Each one created a different atmosphere and had a slightly different mission statement for the show. Being a Rockette and a member of this iconic “lady gang” is a tremendous honor and this comes with a great amount of responsibility.
Pittsburgh Public Theater names Marya Sea Kaminski of Seattle Rep as next artistic director
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Ahead of her interview to become artistic director of Pittsburgh Public Theater, Marya Sea Kaminski took a stealth trip from Seattle to take the measure of the Steel City. She had been told about the view when coming through the Fort Pitt Tunnels and was still blown away by it on a clear October Friday. She saw “Equus” — “an exquisite production” — at the Public’s O’Reilly Theater, then walked over the Roberto Clemente Bridge and sat down to enjoy a slice of pizza while looking back at the city lights.
That was the moment she knew she was home.
That was the moment she knew she was home.
Festool CT 36 E AC CleanTec Dust Extractor Review
Pro Tool Reviews: When you start looking for a quality dust extractor to supplement your work, there’s a lot more to consider than just price. The Festool CT 36 E AC is a top choice among Pros, but what attracts so many to it?
Hang around Festool for very long and you’ll hear them talk about tools as systems. The amount of care our German friends put into their designs crosses the border of obsessive. And that’s exactly the kind of mentality you want when you’re producing high-quality results.
Hang around Festool for very long and you’ll hear them talk about tools as systems. The amount of care our German friends put into their designs crosses the border of obsessive. And that’s exactly the kind of mentality you want when you’re producing high-quality results.
Here's what happens behind the scenes of 'The Nutcracker'
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: The beloved holiday ballet “The Nutcracker” is in full swing this month at Benedum Center.
This marks the 16th season that Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre has danced artistic director Terrence Orr’s Pittsburgh-flavored adaptation of E.T.A. Hoffmann’s 1816 tale about a girl’s favorite toy coming to life and whisking her away on a fantastical adventure. Mr. Orr has woven Pittsburgh landmarks and lore throughout the show, which is set to Tchaikovsky’s signature “Nutcracker” score.
This marks the 16th season that Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre has danced artistic director Terrence Orr’s Pittsburgh-flavored adaptation of E.T.A. Hoffmann’s 1816 tale about a girl’s favorite toy coming to life and whisking her away on a fantastical adventure. Mr. Orr has woven Pittsburgh landmarks and lore throughout the show, which is set to Tchaikovsky’s signature “Nutcracker” score.
5Qs: Jeffrey Cady, Hippotizer Expert
Live Design:
The lighting and projection designs of Jeffrey Cady have been seen all over the world, from Chicago to Seoul. He has designed regional productions for Arizona Theatre Company, Cleveland Playhouse, Seacoast Repertory Theatre, and more, as well as national tours for Columbia Theatre Artists and Theatre Leagues. He was head projections programmer for Cirque du Soleil’s Wintuk, Jason Aldean’s Burn It Down Tour, and Berkeley Repertory Theatre’s Broadway production of American Idiot.
The lighting and projection designs of Jeffrey Cady have been seen all over the world, from Chicago to Seoul. He has designed regional productions for Arizona Theatre Company, Cleveland Playhouse, Seacoast Repertory Theatre, and more, as well as national tours for Columbia Theatre Artists and Theatre Leagues. He was head projections programmer for Cirque du Soleil’s Wintuk, Jason Aldean’s Burn It Down Tour, and Berkeley Repertory Theatre’s Broadway production of American Idiot.
Milwaukee M12 Crown Stapler 2447-21
Pro Tool Reviews: I’ve been looking for a better stapler for over 20 years. I’ve used them all, from the plain silver Stanley and Arrow models, to the reverse handle Powershot products. All of them do the job with some degree of efficiency, but over time hand fatigue always sets in. And let’s not talk about hammer tackers and jams! Milwaukee Tool has a great solution for Pros in the siding, flooring, and insulation trades…or anyone doing renovation.
2017 Pro Tool Innovation Workwear & Safety Awards
PTIA: Workwear and safety gear is essential to jobsite performance. One is required by OSHA, the other by common sense. I’ll let you decide which is which. From the clothing we wear to the lighting that aids vision and everything in between, these are the most innovative solutions the 2017 Pro Tool Innovation Awards found.
Best OSHA-Compliant Dust Extractor Shootout
Pro Tool Reviews: Looking for the best OSHA-compliant dust extractor? So are we! But what makes a dust extractor OSHA-compliant these days?
To answer that question, we have to look at several things, but the most important is the application. In this head to head review, we’re looking for dust extractors that meet OSHA’s silica dust requirements for working in masonry applications. In order to be compliant, your dust extractor needs to have a filter cleaning mechanism and a HEPA filter to be good across the board.
To answer that question, we have to look at several things, but the most important is the application. In this head to head review, we’re looking for dust extractors that meet OSHA’s silica dust requirements for working in masonry applications. In order to be compliant, your dust extractor needs to have a filter cleaning mechanism and a HEPA filter to be good across the board.
Submissions Now Being Accepted for 2018 Theatre Education Award Presented by Tony Awards and Carnegie Mellon University
www.cmu.edu/news: The Tony Awards and Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) will once again recognize an exemplary teacher with the "Excellence in Theatre Education Award," to be presented at the 2018 Tony Awards on Sunday, June 10, 2018. CMU alumnus, actor and producer, Zachary Quinto, will serve as the award's official ambassador and will take part in the selection committee.
Please Stop Complimenting Me On My Body
www.refinery29.com: These past couple of weeks have been the most meaningful of my life. Not only do I get to continue to live my dream every single night on Broadway with the most talented, radiant company, but I'm also lucky enough to be in Lady Bird, Greta Gerwig’s deeply human, hysterical, heart wrenching, magical film. And yet, with all of these insanely wonderful, once-in-a-lifetime experiences happening, I have been a little confused lately. You see, people seem to have a lot to say to me. That alone is not that surprising; I’m a dreamy conversationalist! It is the topic of conversation that is puzzling. Everyone keeps commenting on something that I haven’t thought about in years: my body.
Black Bodies, White Writers
AMERICAN THEATRE: I felt my body tense up. A black man—rather, a mannequin of a black man—lay headless, forgotten, on the side of the stage. I wanted to leave the theatre, but as a critic I couldn’t. The show wasn’t over yet.
Last month Elevator Repair Service premiered its adaptation of Measure for Measure at the Public Theater. Though the production would have otherwise been an inventive but harmlessly flawed take on one of Shakespeare’s notorious “problem plays,” whatever interesting or innovative elements the show introduced were quickly overshadowed by what struck me as its racial insensitivity.
Health and Safety Info on a Budget
Guild of Scenic Artists: In my first article, I talked about the need for greater attention to health and safety in the arts and how we as an industry need to respect ourselves, our skills, and our purpose enough to put a high value on protecting those assets. I’m aware that this can be easier said than done. Many, if not most, small theaters have zero dollars in the budget allocated for any kind of safety program. And if your technical crew is staffed even partially by independent contractors or volunteers, it is arguable whether or not they would technically be covered by such a program.
Wednesday, December 06, 2017
“Love Love Love” at Kinetic Theatre Company
The Pittsburgh Tatler: Kinetic Theatre closes its production season with a deceptive confection of a play. Mike Bartlett’s Love Love Love might best be described as an generational comedy wrapped around a family tragedy, a bitter pill delivered in a spoonful of comedic honey.
Weinstein’s Complicity Machine
The New York Times: HARVEY WEINSTEIN BUILT his complicity machine out of the witting, the unwitting and those in between. He commanded enablers, silencers and spies, warning others who discovered his secrets to say nothing. He courted those who could provide the money or prestige to enhance his reputation as well as his power to intimidate.
Denver wants artists to live, work in safe spaces and has $300,000 to make it happen
The Denver Post: Denver Arts & Venues knows there are artists living and working in unsafe buildings and has set up a $300,000 fund to spur tenants and landlords to make repairs.
White Christmas
Pittsburgh in the Round: One can’t help but feel the warm glow of the holiday spirit watching the endearing production of White Christmas at the Palisade Playhouse in Greenfield. The playhouse is a converted Presbyterian church, which lends itself to rebirth as a theater space with the pulpit turned stage. Typical theater seats are solo and separated, everyone jostling for armrest territory, whereas the seating arrangement of pews embodies the borderless, bringing theatergoers together in warmth and solidarity.
Four ESTA Standards in Public Review
Event Safety Alliance: Four documents are available for public review on ESTA’s TSP website. One is an existing standard that is being considered for reaffirmation, while three are new standards. All are available for review at http://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/public_review_docs.php, and the review is free.
Lee Trull Accused of Misconduct
TheaterJones: In the Dallas Theater Center’s early seasons at the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre, which opened in 2009, a Southern Methodist University student who performed at the theater says that Lee Trull, then a DTC casting director and a Hal and Diane Brierley Resident Acting Company member, repeatedly harassed her. At one point he “put his hand on my butt and grabbed it hard,” said the actress, who wishes to remain anonymous. This behavior continued—and worsened.
More allegations surface as theaters cut ties with director Lee Trull over 'inappropriate behavior'
Theater | Dallas News: Lee Trull, Dallas Theater Center's director of new play development, was fired Monday night after the theater investigated a complaint about "inappropriate behavior."
Scene In Nevada: Tanked
Nevada Film Office: Tanked is a long-running Animal Planet reality television series starring Acrylic Tank Manufacturing (ATM) and their custom aquarium projects and acrylic exhibits. Owned and operated by two brothers-in-law Wayde King and Brett Raymer, ATM started in 1997 in Las Vegas, NV and within a few short years, the company became one of the most renowned custom aquarium & fish tank design companies across the globe.
Women in Leadership: It’s About Time
AMERICAN THEATRE: “Show of hands. How many people started their own scrappy theatre company with their friends from college?” asked Hana Sharif, associate artistic director of Baltimore Center Stage, during a plenary session at the Berkshire Leadership Summit. Half the room raised their hands. “That’s my story too,” she said. I laughed in recognition, because that is also how I started, and managing that company is still how I choose to spend my free time.
White-hot fury: an interview with playwright Robert Schenkkan about Trump, fear and ‘Building the Wall’
The Seattle Times: Robert Schenkkan has won the shiniest awards a living playwright can hope for.
His scripts tend to be long-simmering, meticulously researched projects (“The Kentucky Cycle” won a Pulitzer; “All the Way,” about the backroom politics behind the 1964 Civil Rights Act, won a Tony), but “Building the Wall” was a fast gut shot.
His scripts tend to be long-simmering, meticulously researched projects (“The Kentucky Cycle” won a Pulitzer; “All the Way,” about the backroom politics behind the 1964 Civil Rights Act, won a Tony), but “Building the Wall” was a fast gut shot.
A better understanding of NFPA 70E: It will mak...
NFPA Xchange: With all the time and effort it takes to keep employees safe from electrical hazards in the workplace, what people concern themselves about is confusing. A controversial topic has moved to the top of NFPA 70E®, Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace® employee safety issues. Comments have been made so often that a blog must be dedicated to it to clear up the issue. You may be thinking that you must be out of the loop since you are unaware of any pressing electrical safety issue. What could be so controversial? The answer may surprise you.
Love, Love, Love at Kinetic Theatre Co.
Pittsburgh City Paper: In what must be classified as a most brazen bit of holiday-season counterprogramming, Kinetic Theatre Co. presents the regional premiere of Mike Bartlett’s corrosive 2011 comedy Love, Love, Love. Believe me, there aren’t coal mountains in West Virginia big enough to produce the lumps so richly deserved by the characters in this play.
PICT goes Wilde with three-part program at The Frick
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: This weekend, there will be two scandalous Victorian shows at The Frick Pittsburgh: the “Undressed” exhibition organized by London’s Victoria & Albert Museum, and “Wilde at the Frick,” a five-day deep dive into the life and work of Oscar Wilde by PICT Classic Theatre.
Erté and the enduring appeal of Art Deco
Creative Review: Erté was the pseudonym of Russian-born Frenchman, Romain de Tirtoff (1892-1990), an artist, illustrator and designer whose lavish Art Deco creations enjoyed a wide range of applications – from fashion and magazine design, to sets and costumes for theatre, opera and film.
Highlights of TEA presence at IAAPA Attractions Expo 2017
TEA - Themed Entertainment Association: It was another great year for the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) and for the industry that TEA serves - visibly so as the international community came together in record numbers at the annual IAAPA Attractions Expo in Orlando in November 2017.
Appeals Court Rules 'NBA 2K' Players Lack Standing to Sue Over Face-Scanning
Hollywood Reporter: In the past few years thanks to various court decisions, it's become tougher to mount a class action lawsuit with appellate judges tightening what plaintiffs must show in order to have standing to sue. That's especially important as digital services collect all sorts of data on their users and as many worry about privacy breaches. The latest news on this front came Tuesday at the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals as some of those who created personalized virtual basketball players in NBA 2K15 and NBA 2K16 got mostly bad news in their legal effort to sue video game maker Take-Two Interactive over biometric collection.In the past few years thanks to various court decisions, it's become tougher to mount a class action lawsuit with appellate judges tightening what plaintiffs must show in order to have standing to sue. That's especially important as digital services collect all sorts of data on their users and as many worry about privacy breaches. The latest news on this front came Tuesday at the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals as some of those who created personalized virtual basketball players in NBA 2K15 and NBA 2K16 got mostly bad news in their legal effort to sue video game maker Take-Two Interactive over biometric collection.
These Are the Cover Letter Mistakes That Keep You From Getting an Interview
lifehacker.com: We’ve all had the experience of applying for a job online—you submit your resume and cover letter into the dark abyss of some online hiring portal and, aside from an auto-generated “Thanks for applying!” email, you never hear another peep from the employer.
Tuesday, December 05, 2017
When Tribes Ruled the Streets
Theatre Development Fund – TDF: Seth Zvi Rosenfeld's vividly remembers the 1976 rampage in Washington Square Park that inspired his new drama Downtown Race Riot, currently running at Off-Broadway's Pershing Square Signature Center. "I was 14 and had a lot of friends who went to school downtown," says the playwright who was raised on the Upper West Side. "There had been problems with some black guys in Washington Square Park selling bad drugs, so a bunch of people went to beat up anyone who was black or Spanish. I knew some of the kids who were peripherally involved. Years later I woke up one day thinking about it and about the idea of tribalism. To me, the play is about the cost of being part of a tribe."
This Is How To Thrive In The Gig Economy
www.fastcompany.com: If you listen to your parents or grandparents talk about their work history, you’ll probably see an alarming trend–they didn’t go anywhere! They stayed at the same company year after year, often decade after decade. Compare that to the average job length as of January 2016: just 4.2 years.
When it comes to the job landscape, a lot has changed in the past 50 years. Flexible work arrangements continue to shake up the traditional workplace environment. Job hopping is becoming more and more common. Freelancing continues to rise, constituting 35% of the U.S. workforce in 2016.
The Sexual-Abuse and Harassment Scandals Blowing Up on Broadway
thedailybeast: The young woman said she did not have stage fright. She was looking around the room to see if the alleged perpetrator of the sexual assault she had endured was there.
“I don’t say that just as a victim, but also a witness of an assault,” she said.
“I don’t say that just as a victim, but also a witness of an assault,” she said.
Can't Pay Your Student Loans? In Some States, That Means You Can't Work Either.
Hit & Run : Reason.com: Shannon Otto took on thousands of dollars in student loan debt to pay for nursing school before an unexpected medical issue left her unable to work for more than a year. While she was recovering, her loan payments lapsed into default.
When Otto was ready to go back to work, she got more bad news: The state of Tennessee had revoked her nursing license, leaving her unable to work legally in the field she'd spent years mastering. Getting her license restored would require an additional payment of $1,500.
Penn Jillette: Brandeis censored Lenny Bruce
www.usatoday.com: I didn’t go to college. I went to the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College, but that was just a trade school for fools. When I was 18, I chose to eat fire, juggle, do magic, make jokes, and ruin my voice forever rather than pursue a higher education.
Historical Musical Theatre in the US and Mexico
OnStage Blog: Musical theatre in both American and Mexican cultures has turned around and showed us that historical musical theatre can succeed. America has productions like "Hamilton and in Mexico's case, we have "Josefa".
"Josefa" was created by the author, composer, and producer José Dolores Gonzalez in 2010. This musical shows the story of Josefa Ortiz de Dominguez, a woman that gave her life for the independence of Mexico.
"Josefa" was created by the author, composer, and producer José Dolores Gonzalez in 2010. This musical shows the story of Josefa Ortiz de Dominguez, a woman that gave her life for the independence of Mexico.
Adam Savage Learns About Creature Prop Restoration
makezine.com: One can only imagine how on-the-fly movie making is, how props, animatronic creatures, costumes, and sets are only made to be held together long enough for their close-ups. We all know the many stories of famous vehicles, spaceships, and other movie props that ended up tossed onto junk heaps, re-furbed and reused in other productions, or scavenged for parts.
Who Owns Pepe the Frog? The Alt-Right vs. Cartoonist Matt Furie
Hit & Run : Reason.com: Is Pepe the Frog a symbol of free speech or artwork hijacked by racist hate groups? This iconic amphibian has been labeled a Nazi, condemned by a presidential candidate, and now is at the center of an important First Amendment battle in an era of unlimited replication, imitation, and mutation. It's a fight that involves the alt-right, Trump voters, a powerful Washington, D.C.-based law firm, and the anonymous online image board 4chan, a.k.a., the "asshole of the internet."
Five Shows with UTA's Tim Borror
Amplify: United Talent Agency’s Tim Borror discovered his love for live music amongst the DIY punk scene in Philly. His obsession began with the music then he went to the live shows and found a calling.
“I was fairly obsessed with the punk lifestyle. It was a network of authentic people who were really about the music first,” Borror told Amplify. “The energy at the shows were pretty electric. A lot of the rules that are involved in shows these days in terms of barricades and insurance and all the good things that come with keeping a show safe, were a little more rough around the edges then. It was a different kind of excitement.”
“I was fairly obsessed with the punk lifestyle. It was a network of authentic people who were really about the music first,” Borror told Amplify. “The energy at the shows were pretty electric. A lot of the rules that are involved in shows these days in terms of barricades and insurance and all the good things that come with keeping a show safe, were a little more rough around the edges then. It was a different kind of excitement.”
Returning 'Awake and Sing!' to Its Yiddish Roots
Theatre Development Fund – TDF: When New Yiddish Rep artistic director David Mandelbaum decided to produce Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot and Eugène Ionesco's Rhinoceros, he had to commission special Yiddish versions. But with Clifford Odets' 1935 classic Awake and Sing!, currently running at the 14th Street Y, he had three preexisting translations to choose from. "The one we're using is by Chaver Paver and was originally commissioned by the WPA Federal Theatre Project," Mandelbaum says, referring to the federal program that funded live performances during the Depression. But even though Awake and Sing! originally debuted on Broadway in English in a production mounted by the legendary Group Theatre, the play has always had strong Yiddish roots.
7thSense Design Introduces New Media Technology to Radio City’s Christmas Spectacular
InPark Magazine: 7thSense Design has delivered updated video technology for the 2017 production of the Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes, presented by Chase. The full system technology upgrade has transformed the world’s largest proscenium theater and has enabled video content to be displayed on all eight of the venue’s iconic proscenium arches. 7thSense has provided video systems for Radio City since 2011.
The CAD Insider - Facing the Storm as Autodesk Stock Plunges
www.thecadinsider.com: Autodesk’s stock looks like it fell off the edge. Share prices were down 20% this morning. This after the recent Q3 announcement that the company lost $120 million.
You’ll be feeling bad if you are invested in Autodesk. You’ll be feeling worse if you were one of the 1150 Autodeskers being laid off. They were told last week.
One of them tries to put a brave face. She’s doing fine, she says. She is lifting her spirits with a friend over a salad at a trendy Hayes St. eatery in San Francsico. “But did they have to do it right before Christmas?”
You’ll be feeling bad if you are invested in Autodesk. You’ll be feeling worse if you were one of the 1150 Autodeskers being laid off. They were told last week.
One of them tries to put a brave face. She’s doing fine, she says. She is lifting her spirits with a friend over a salad at a trendy Hayes St. eatery in San Francsico. “But did they have to do it right before Christmas?”
Caught in a wave of sex-abuse allegations, James Levine puts the existence of the Met Opera at risk
Salon.com: The Metropolitan Opera, the most esteemed and popular company of its sort in the United States, has suspended its long-standing, acclaimed conductor and music director James Levine after accusations of sexual abuse against him surfaced.
Art & Assault: Feeling & Aesthetic Value
The Creativity Post: One interesting issue in aesthetics is whether the ethics of the artist should be considered relevant to the aesthetic value of their work. Obviously enough, what people think about an artist can influence what they feel about a work. But how people assess works and how they should assess works are two different matters.
A Theater Visionary ‘Nourished by the World’
NYTimes.com: At 9:30 on a nippy late-November morning, the avant-garde director Ariane Mnouchkine stood in the doorway of her theater, urging the stragglers in her troupe to hurry up and come in. “Dépêche-toi!” she yelled across the lawn to one, like a school principal urging on a dawdling student.
Gender Parity in NEO
HowlRound: During a stint on a play selection committee, a man I consider a friend, as well as someone aware of and knowledgable about diversity issues, scoffed at my suggestion that the theatre produce two female-led plays in the upcoming three/four show season. Certain many of the theatre’s past seasons contained multiple male-lead productions, I created a spreadsheet charting the gender composition of the theatre’s playwrights, directors and cast from 2010 to the present. The results were as I had predicted.
Gender parity in media has received more attention of late, and theatre is no exception.
Gender parity in media has received more attention of late, and theatre is no exception.
Gretchen Carlson on Sexual Harassment Reckoning
Variety: As 2017 comes to a close, the landscape of sexual harassment claims and the manner in which companies are handling them are changing at breakneck speed.
Over the past 17 months, we’ve seen more and more women all across the country mustering the courage to speak out en masse, and amazingly, they’re no longer being instantly called liars and having their stories pushed aside.
Over the past 17 months, we’ve seen more and more women all across the country mustering the courage to speak out en masse, and amazingly, they’re no longer being instantly called liars and having their stories pushed aside.
Monday, December 04, 2017
Ashley Judd: Women won't let sexual-misconduct fatigue derail efforts
www.usatoday.com: Actress Ashley Judd, whose claims against a Hollywood mogul helped set off an avalanche of sexual harassment allegations, said Friday that the fight against sexual misconduct will be a “chaotic, messy” endeavor, but that women won’t let potential public fatigue about the scandals slow the efforts.
#WorldAIDSDay: Still Here, Still Affecting the Theater Community
New York Theater: The death from AIDS of theater artist Michael Friedman in September at the age of 41 was a shocking reminder that, yes, people still die from AIDS — and yes it is still affecting the New York theater community, a fact worth repeating on World AIDS Day, which is today.
Women of ‘SNL’ Invite You to Their Sexual-Harassment Hell
www.vulture.com: Hey there, boys. SNL’s ladies know it’s been a hard few months with habitual male predator after habitual male predator after habitual male predator being taken down in the public eye. But you wanna know a little secret? Women have been dealing with this forever! So next time you hold a little vigil for the demise of House of Cards, think of the following things that never cease to give women anxiety: Parking. Walking. The general night time. Hotels. Vans. Ride-share companies. The occasional street cat.
"SpongeBob SquarePants" out to make a splash on Broadway
CBS News: "SpongeBob SquarePants" has been on the Nickelodeon TV Channel for 18 years and is still going strong. It tells absurdist tales of an optimistic sea sponge who lives in a pineapple under the sea, along with his saltwater pals.
But once you've made 250 TV episodes, two movies, a comic book, a video-game series, three music albums, and a theme-park ride, where do you go from there?
But once you've made 250 TV episodes, two movies, a comic book, a video-game series, three music albums, and a theme-park ride, where do you go from there?
TechShop To Reopen Locations Through Asset Acquisition
makezine.com: TechShop, Inc. has reached an agreement with a third party to acquire all company assets. The new entity, TechShop 2.0, LLC plans to re-open as many stores as possible, as soon as possible. The acquiring partnership is led by Dan Rasure and Bill Lloyd (Owner of BHL Services Inc. of Minneapolis)
Chronic Theatremakers: Confronting Denial with Robbie McCauley
HowlRound: It was actually suggested to me by a colleague knowing that I was interested in what I call “personal bigger stories”—stories that have affected my life, but address a bigger topic. I started out with many more charged ideas—war, racism... I’m always interested in those larger topics, and how they affect my physical story, my personal story. Years ago, a friend who was also a theatre person said to me, “Why don’t you write about diabetes?” And my first response was, “Eh, I don’t wanna do that.”
Confessions of a Box Office Manager: When the lights go out
WhatsOnStage.com: Is there anybody there?
Hellooooo?
Come closer to the light....(such as it is).
Identify yourself.
This was such a bad day to wear all black.
Hellooooo?
Come closer to the light....(such as it is).
Identify yourself.
This was such a bad day to wear all black.
Matt Lauer scandal: Is New York City a hotbed for sexual harassment?
www.usatoday.com: If you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere, the song goes.
Evidently, making it in the highly-competitive television news industry in the Big Apple has often meant, for women, enduring sexual harassment at the hands of their male co-workers.
The list of men ousted from high-profile seats of TV power grew this week with NBC's ousting Wednesday of Today co-anchor Matt Lauer.
Evidently, making it in the highly-competitive television news industry in the Big Apple has often meant, for women, enduring sexual harassment at the hands of their male co-workers.
The list of men ousted from high-profile seats of TV power grew this week with NBC's ousting Wednesday of Today co-anchor Matt Lauer.
Conductor James Levine facing sexual abuse allegations
Chicago Sun-Times: New York’s Metropolitan Opera said Saturday it will open an investigation into allegations that its longtime conductor, James Levine, sexually abused a man three decades ago beginning when the man was a teenager.
A Tuna Christmas
Pittsburgh in the Round: It seems that every theatre company has its own Christmas show or two. The Little Lake Theatre Company in Canonsburg has A Tuna Christmas, set in the fictional town of Tuna, Texas. Like everywhere else, the Yuletide holidays can wreak havoc, and create turmoil in what is otherwise a pretty low-key community.
The oldest tech, theater, might be an antidote to the newest
San Francisco Chronicle: Think of this pitch to a room of venture capitalists: “What we’re proposing is a scalable, repeatable product that makes vital intellectual and emotional wisdom portable, communicable, and adaptable and memorable. Everyone will use it and keep using it for millennia. We call it: storytelling.”
Globe's autism-friendly 'Grinch' has helped spark a movement
The San Diego Union-Tribune: he lighting is subdued, the surprises are dialed back and the sound is toned down for the annual sensory-friendly version of “Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” at the Old Globe.
But it’s another aspect of the theater’s special performance of the holiday favorite that Katie Sapper finds most striking.
But it’s another aspect of the theater’s special performance of the holiday favorite that Katie Sapper finds most striking.
TechShop Closes Doors, Files Bankruptcy
makezine.com: It is with a very sad heart and deep disappointment that I announce that TechShop is shutting down its operations effective November 15 and will file for bankruptcy under Chapter-7. In spite of many months of effort to restructure the company’s debt and raise new capital to fund our recently announced strategic pivot, we have depleted our funds. We are left with no other options.
Are we in the Independent Theater Era on Broadway?
The Producer's Perspective: The mid to late 90s ushered in a new age of filmmaking. It was the era of the “indie,” as movies outside the traditional studio model, many of which were lower budget, featured fewer stars and had more artsy themes, started to dominate the box office and the awards shows.
They were made for less but could gross just as much as a tentpole, making their profit margins higher while being more adventuresome than their big studio counterparts.
Many would say that it saved the art of filmmaking.
Costume Designers Create Clothes for Period, Place and Character
Variety: The devil lives in the details — and that’s a good thing during this awards season, in which multiple films eagerly tread on one another’s toes, whether with overlapping eras, themes, locations or even titles: think of Todd Haynes’ “Wonderstruck” and Woody Allen’s “Wonder Wheel” (pictured above) — both of which use New York City as an escapist destination in the 20th century — not to mention “Wonder Woman” and “Wonder.”
21st Century Fox’s Lachlan Murdoch: Wave of Sexual Harassment Allegations Marks a ‘Cathartic Moment’
Variety: Lachlan Murdoch, executive chairman of 21st Century Fox, said the tidal wave of sexual harassment charges against men in media and entertainment should lead to healthier working environments.
“We’re going through this cathartic moment as an industry… and I think we [will] come out far stronger,” Murdoch said, speaking at Business Insider’s Ignition 2017 media conference Wednesday in New York. His remarks come after critics have charged the Murdoch clan with turning a blind eye to a culture of sexual harassment at Fox News Channel.
Flash and Supergirl Showrunner Andrew Kreisberg Fired in Wake of Sexual Harassment Allegations
io9.gizmodo.com: Executive producer Andrew Kreisberg—who has credits across Arrow, Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, and Supergirl at the CW—has been terminated by Warner Bros. after a lengthy investigation into a series of sexual harassment allegations over the last month.
Protohaven is fundraising to create a new space for displaced TechShop members
theincline.com: To launch fundraising, Protohaven plans to do what its members did when starting their businesses — start with grassroots efforts.
On Monday, roughly 50 people attended a fundraising launch for the nonprofit maker space poised to replace TechShop. Although the meeting at KerfCase Studio was planned before TechShop’s abrupt closing Wednesday, the lack of tools and space added urgency to the meeting.
Sunday, December 03, 2017
NFTRW Weekly Top Five
Here are the top five comment generating posts of the past week:
Are Smartphones Keeping Us from Appreciating Art?
www.artsy.net: According to recent estimates, by 2018, there will be 2.59 billion smartphone users on planet earth. That’s around a third of the world’s current population. Yet despite their ubiquity, what smartphones do to our brains over the long term remains murky.6 Job Interview Mistakes You've Probably Made
TheGrindstone: You’re on time. You look great. Your resume slays. That doesn’t mean you aced your job interview. Here are four things to watch out for and avoid when you’re trying to get hired.Disney's "Mulan" Finds Its Lead Actual Chinese Actress
The Mary Sue: Yesterday, The Hollywood Reporter announced that the live-action adaptation of Disney’s Mulan finally found its lead in Chinese actress Liu Yifei, also known as Crystal Liu. Even more impressive, the people in charge of casting went out of their way to ensure that they got an ethnically Chinese actress.Inside the Production of the Massive Miniature Models Used to Film Blade Runner 2049
ArchDaily: You may not have guessed that the dystopian state of Los Angeles filmed in Blade Runner 2049 is a real place, just smaller. The scenes, from Los Angeles to the Trash Mesa and Wallace Tower were built to scale in Wellington, New Zealand by Weta Workshop, the massive ‘miniature’ sets were then filmed by cinematographer Alex Funke.Production Designers Conjure Past and Future on Oscar-Vying Films
Variety: Historical accuracy is vital to a period film, but invariably reality must be bent to serve not just narrative expediency and budgetary limitations, but also the artists’ personal vision, as a sampling of this year’s awards contenders demonstrates.
For director Christopher Nolan’s World War II drama “Dunkirk” (pictured above), production designer Nathan Crowley went to great lengths to be true to the historical record.
Friday, December 01, 2017
Phyllida Lloyd: 'Female producers have made theatre a more user-friendly world for women'
Does the DGA Even Understand What Counts as Inclusion?
Playwright Israel Horovitz Accused of Misconduct
Production Designers Conjure Past and Future on Oscar-Vying Films
For director Christopher Nolan’s World War II drama “Dunkirk” (pictured above), production designer Nathan Crowley went to great lengths to be true to the historical record.
“It’s Like A Petri Dish Festering”: Women In Hollywood On How To Fix Culture Of Abuse
Disney Imagineer Mk Haley on why "humans matter." (And why customer service is so aggravatingly terrible)
Wearing many hats, she’s faculty/entrepreneur in residence at Florida State University as well as a Walt Disney Imagineer — those are the folks who create immersive experiences at the theme parks and resorts. She’s also an adjunct faculty member at the Entertainment Technology Center at Carnegie Mellon University.
Pittsburgh's Warhol Museum receives grant to foster leadership diversity
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