Monday, November 30, 2020
Land of the Bittersweet: COVID's Effect on Nutcracker
Dance Magazine: To some dancers, a winter without The Nutcracker may seem like a gift. No Tchaikovsky on an endless loop. No missing real parties to dance in the party scene. No pulling fake snow out of your hair. It's the stuff that burned-out ballerinas might dream about in mid-December.
Mad props: Opera Australia's warehouse sale is a treasure trove for devotees
Fashion | The Guardian: At the front of the queue, roped off by brass bollards and braided red velvet rope, Liam Benson waits with his friend. To their left and right are shipping containers. Behind them is a chain link fence and weeds slouching against an industrial building. In front of them is a goldmine.
Reflecting on ‘Zumanity,’ so much more than a Las Vegas show
Las Vegas Weekly: “People say the craziest things to me. One woman from somewhere in the Midwest sent me a message years ago, saying our show completely changed her sexually,” says Christopher Kenney, who created the emcee drag character of Edie and portrayed the “Mistress of Sensuality” in Cirque du Soleil’s Zumanity for more than 12 years. “She always felt like she had to be a certain kind of woman, or no man would find her attractive. She was incredibly insecure, and something about Zumanity made her feel sexy. … She said she was having more sex and was happier than she’d ever been in her life. And that’s so wonderful.”
Heidi Latsky Dance’s ‘On Display Global’ honors International Day of Persons with Disabilities
DC Metro Theater Arts: On Thursday, December 3, in partnership with NYU’s Tisch School for the Arts, the NYC Mayor’s Office, and the United Nations, Heidi Latsky Dance (HLD) will present its fifth annual performance of On Display Global (ODG) – a worldwide initiative honoring the UN’s International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Originally commissioned by the NYC Mayor’s Office and performed in Times Square for the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 2015, the HLD guerilla art project has expanded in complexity, diversity, and size from its premiere in New York and Hobart, Australia, to a network of 87 cities in 22 countries during 2019, when it simultaneously occupied more than 200 public and private spaces, with as many as 650 participants in a single installation.
Kengo Kuma Wins Library Design with Beautiful Timber Proposal
mymodernmet.com: An elegant curvilinear proposal that blends into the existing landscape has been chosen as the final design for Ibsen Library in Skien, Norway. Designed by Kengo Kuma & Associates, Mad Arkitekter, and Buro Happold Engineering, the project impressed the jury with its porous perimeter and bright open spaces.
Live spectators at Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade disappointed
nypost.com: The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was a deflating experience for New Yorkers this year.
Even though the event was supposed to be TV-only due to COVID-19, a small crowd of would-be revelers braved the drizzle and an air-tight ring of NYPD barricades in an attempt to watch the show in person Thursday — but say they wish they’d just stayed at home.
How a Spider-Man musical became a theatrical disaster
BBC Culture: I
It’s been 10 years since one of the most momentous nights of Glen Berger’s life. He was already an established off-Broadway playwright and children’s television writer, but on 28 November 2010, a musical he had scripted had its first preview at the Foxwoods Theatre in New York – and it was shaping up to be an international smash.
Jill Krementz Photo Journal: Before the Curtain Goes Up and After it Comes Down
New York Social Diary: In 1964 Patricia Bosworth was the understudy for Tiffany in Jean Kerr’s Mary Mary. on Broadway. A gifted writer, she had a typewriter on her dressing table.
Patti had studied acting at the famed Actor’s Studio from Lee Strasberg and worked with Marlon Brando and Marilyn Monroe.
Sadly, Patti was one of the early fatalities of Covid-19. Her books include biographies of Diane Arbus and Montgomery Clift as well as a featured film role in The Nun’s story.
Oh yes they are: drive-in pantomimes salvage Christmas tradition
Stage | The Guardian: With winds over 35 miles an hour and sideways rain, an outdoor pantomime on the Isle of Skye was always going to demand some creative stage management.
But Daniel Cullen, producer of the island’s first drive-in panto – a production of the Grimms’ fairytale Rapunzel, with a Scottish twist – is confident he can reach an accommodation with the wintry weather.
Context Over Cancel Culture: What Companies Can Do With Problematic Nutcracker Footage
Dance Magazine: With most live Nutcracker performances canceled this year, many companies are planning to present footage of past productions digitally instead. But for some, there's a snag: The video is from a few years ago, and the second act might come across as racist. Now what? How can companies still provide digital access for their communities to the beloved ballet—the one that attracts the most audience members all year—while not offending folks during the holiday season?
21st Century Dreamin': Theater -- a Major Job Sector
The Theatre Times: Once the COVID-19 pandemic finally relinquishes its control of the world economy, the impact of artificial intelligence on the job market will no doubt earn its way into news headlines as a major societal concern. How and to what extent industry is impacted by A.I. will depend in large part on global regulations in place to ensure A.I. is developed ethically with the advancement of human society in mind. Right now, there are no such regulatory bodies.
The Mysterious Monolith Disappeared, Some Ideas As To What Happened To It
brobible.com/culture: The mysterious monolith in a remote area of the Utah desert has completely vanished. Where did you come from, where did you go? Where did you come from, desert torpedo?
Sunday, November 29, 2020
NFTRW Weekly Top Five
Here are the top five comment generating posts of the past week:
Actors’ Equity, SAG-AFTRA Settle Dispute Over Filmed Theatre
AMERICAN THEATRE: Actors’ Equity Association and Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) have announced that the two unions, which had spent months at odds over recorded theatre contracts, have reached an agreement on the coverage of live theatre “that is recorded or streamed for exhibition for a remote audience.” The tentative agreement was reached on Nov. 14 and was then unanimously approved by the SAG-AFTRA National Board and Actors’ Equity Association National Council on Nov. 19. The full eight-page agreement is available online.Largest cluster off-campus to date; Weinert says to hang on, hope on the horizon
The Tartan: 18 Carnegie Mellon students caught COVID-19 in an off-campus cluster of cases that the administration is calling the “largest cluster identified among students to date.” In an interview with The Tartan, Daryl Weinert, Chief of Staff and Vice President for Strategic Initiatives and campus COVID-19 Coordinator, said that the cluster was centered around two households, and friends associated with those holdholds. Of these 18 positive and probable cases, which were not all symptomatic, one student was exposed to campus.Helen Mirren Believes that Shakespeare Should Not Be Taught in Schools
www.broadwayworld.com: Helen Mirren has revealed that she does not believe Shakespeare should be taught in schools, The Independent reports. She recently chatted with Royal Shakespeare Company's artistic director Gregory Doran over Zoom, stating, "I don't think Shakespeare should be taught in schools. All young people's experience of Shakespeare should be live theatre."Why is 3D Modeling Software Important in Design?
Fusion 360 Blog: With advances in design and 3D CAD software, prototypes can now easily come alive on a computer screen. Modern workflows have ushered in a new class of richly-functional applications, which have redefined what can be designed in a given length of time. 3D modeling has resolved many shortcomings associated with outdated processes and has increased functionality across design teams.Soured: Pittsburgh pickle balloon popped when it was being installed for the holiday season
TribLIVE.com: 2020 continues to deflate. A giant pickle ornament that was supposed to be the perfect backdrop for a selfie in Downtown Pittsburgh was canned before its planned debut Friday, according to the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership. The ornament was being tested Wednesday for a final time when installers heard a loud pop.
Friday, November 27, 2020
Largest cluster off-campus to date; Weinert says to hang on, hope on the horizon
The Tartan: 18 Carnegie Mellon students caught COVID-19 in an off-campus cluster of cases that the administration is calling the “largest cluster identified among students to date.” In an interview with The Tartan, Daryl Weinert, Chief of Staff and Vice President for Strategic Initiatives and campus COVID-19 Coordinator, said that the cluster was centered around two households, and friends associated with those holdholds. Of these 18 positive and probable cases, which were not all symptomatic, one student was exposed to campus.
Lightwright LLC: A New Future for Lightwright
LiveDesignOnline: John McKernon and Sam Molitoriss today announced the formation of Lightwright LLC, a new home for future Lightwright development, support, and sales.
“Since the first sale of ALD in 1984, Lightwright’s reach has expanded every year, but it also means that running the business as a one-man operation has become more and more difficult,” says John McKernon, the author of Lightwright and sole owner of John McKernon Software since 1979.
How I Did That: Converting REMNANT into a Digital Experience
LiveDesignOnline: I’ve been a company member with Theater Mitu, a Brooklyn-based arts collective, since 2006, and my fellow company members are my longest and most fruitful collaborators.
For the first six years of my work with the company, we operated in a very standard manner, wherein different people had different roles within the production: I was the sound designer, someone else was the set designer, a different group of people were the performers, etc.
2020 Holiday Tool Gift Guide
Tool Box Buzz: Every year we put out a holiday tool gift guide to help you pick out a gift for that hard to buy for tradesperson in your life or maybe a gift for yourself. All of the tools in this year’s guide are ones that are in my job site kit or in my shop. I can personally recommend all of these because I use them regularly.
DEWALT 20V Max with Flexvolt Advantage Technology
Tool Box Buzz: DEWALT recently launched a line of 20V Max with Flexvolt Advantage Technology tools. This review is for the DEWALT 20V Max 7-1/4″ Circular Saw w/ Flexvolt Advantage Technology.
The tools that have been released are the 7-1/4″ circular saw, 1/2″ hammer drill, reciprocating saw, and 4-1/2″-5″ grinder.
3D Printing Coming to Hydraulics
Hydraulics & Pneumatics: One advantage of hydraulics technology is its high power density. Hydraulic pumps are typically a small fraction the size of the electric motors that drive them, and the size and weight differential between pumps and gas or diesel engines is even more pronounced. An even bigger advantage is with actuators. Hydraulic cylinders only a few inches in diameter can generate forces to lift thousands of pounds, crush rock and concrete, or form high-strength steel into rugged components.
Actors’ Equity, SAG-AFTRA Settle Dispute Over Filmed Theatre
AMERICAN THEATRE: Actors’ Equity Association and Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) have announced that the two unions, which had spent months at odds over recorded theatre contracts, have reached an agreement on the coverage of live theatre “that is recorded or streamed for exhibition for a remote audience.” The tentative agreement was reached on Nov. 14 and was then unanimously approved by the SAG-AFTRA National Board and Actors’ Equity Association National Council on Nov. 19. The full eight-page agreement is available online.
Quarantine, Ventilate, Be Ready to Quit: In-Person Theatre in the Time of COVID
AMERICAN THEATRE: When planning a full season of shows for Premiere Stages at Kean University in Union, N.J., artistic director John Wooten (he/him) typically submits a four-page proposal to Actors’ Equity Association. But for a single recent production of Fannie Lou Hamer, Speak On It!—staged outdoors just five times with two performers for relatively small, socially distanced and masked audiences—Wooten “went back and forth 15 times” with the stage actors’ union, filling up a safety worksheet with a “multicolored rainbow” of highlights of concerns and solutions, for a document that ended up close to 30 pages.
Actors’ Equity Association Releases Second-Ever Diversity and Inclusion Report
Stage Directions: Actors’ Equity Association, the national labor union representing more than 51,000 professional stage managers and actors in live theatre, has released the union’s second-ever diversity and inclusion report, tracking the demographics of how its members are hired for acting and stage management work, and how much they were paid from the years 2016-2019.
Broadway Advocacy Coalition Announces Inaugural Class of Fellows for BAC Artivism Fellowship
Stage Directions: The Broadway Advocacy Coalition (BAC) announces the inaugural class of fellows selected to participate in the BAC Artivism Fellowship, created to support artist-activists using their tools to have an impact on the world around them.
Best Tool Chest Reviews for 2020
Pro Tool Reviews: Our picks for the best tool chest take into account organization, application, value, and size. When dealing with tool chests we address the needs of mechanics, DIYers, home users, and even contractors. A solid tool chest helps a Pro or home user organize his or her tools in such a way as to keep them safe, make them easily accessible, and help them stay organized so they are easy to grab and replace as needed.
Films like 'Mank' and 'Zappa' show why time's up for the 'difficult genius' trope
The Washington Post: In the new documentary “Zappa,” a very young Frank Zappa admits in an interview that of course he cheats on his wife, Gail, nonchalantly adding that if he “gets the clap,” they both simply pop some penicillin and go on with their lives.
Famous for his irascible perfectionism, Zappa is remembered with affection by Gail and his former bandmates, who speak admiringly, if ruefully, of their exacting, aloof and withholding leader. It’s telling that Zappa’s biggest hit, “Valley Girl,” was co-written with his daughter Moon, prompted by her pleas for more time with her emotionally distant dad.
Thursday, November 26, 2020
Changing the Landscape – Episode 5: Barrier To Entry Part 2
in 1: the podcast: Barriers to entry are everywhere, from grade school, to college, and beyond. How can we change that? What we’ve been told is that hard work and elbow grease are all you need, but the actual fact is that it takes much more than that to reach “success”. With this in mind, it was a privilege this past summer to have a candid conversation with 3-time Tony Nominated Costume Designer Toni-Leslie James. With credits ranging from Footloose to Come From Away, Jelly’s Last Jam to Bernhardt/Hamlet, and The Wild Party to The Scottsboro Boys, hear about her decades-long journey from young, bright-eyed student at Ohio State in the late seventies, to multi-award nominated costume designer. Get your notebooks ready… class is in session.
Ryobi HP Compact Drill and Impact Driver Combo Kit Review
www.protoolreviews.com: Having used all of the tools in Ryobi’s HP Compact lineup, we’re impressed with the combination of size, performance, and the price they’re offering. The value gets even better with the Ryobi HP Compact brushless drill and impact driver combo kit.
Audience Development – Empowering Youth Through Theatre: Theatre Not Only For, But With the Youth
The Theatre Times: Productions and theatre projects with young people are staged every season at the Deutsches Theater Berlin (Germany). That’s why Junges DT (Young DT) formed a Youth Council to represent the interests of younger audiences and advise the youth division of Deutsches Theater Berlin on its season planning.
Walkie Talkies Chicago Children's Theatre podcasts get children away from screens
Chicago Tribune: Chicago’s 77 neighborhoods may seem like a lot to explore, but we’ve got nothing but time on our hands, given the pandemic, right? And per a recent survey of 2,500 Americans across the country, our city ranks 8th when it comes to the friendliest neighbors in America. What more do you need to get out and explore the city in which you reside (besides a mask, that is)?
Helen Mirren Believes that Shakespeare Should Not Be Taught in Schools
www.broadwayworld.com: Helen Mirren has revealed that she does not believe Shakespeare should be taught in schools, The Independent reports.
She recently chatted with Royal Shakespeare Company's artistic director Gregory Doran over Zoom, stating, "I don't think Shakespeare should be taught in schools. All young people's experience of Shakespeare should be live theatre."
Workhorse Collaborative wants to promote your arts organization or nonprofit
Features | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh City Paper: Compared to many groups, arts nonprofits and organizations face more difficulties finding the time and money to dedicate to marketing and communications. Emily Willson and Jackie Baker, the co-founders of Workhorse Collaborative, a local boutique consulting firm specializing in arts marketing and organizational strategy for the arts, are more than aware of these challenges.
AXS Head Says Tickets Shouldn't be Tied to Consumer COVID Status
www.ticketnews.com: After watching Ticketmaster refute a report that it would be tying access to events to consumer personal health data following a blistering negative reaction, AXS boss Bryan Perez says his company isn’t planning to do so either. The company is searching for any way that it can improve fan safety while COVID continues to rage, but doesn’t believe the path to safety involves requiring that invasive of a ticketing ecosystem, since it would be near-impossible to implement even if consumers were willing to accept it.
Musicians' union launches campaign for relief
Broadway News: Local 802 is sounding the alarm for relief for musicians in New York City.
Launched Tuesday under the banner #SaveNYCMusicians, the campaign asks for donations to the union’s emergency relief fund and seeks to bring greater awareness to the need for longer term relief measures, such as an extension of unemployment benefits and healthcare subsidies. While there may be hope for federal aid with a new administration, Local 802 President Adam Krauthamer said many of his members cannot afford to wait.
A Big Small Story
The Theatre Times: Subdued browns, grays and black dominate the stage. The impression of a vast empty space is amplified by the clocks dotted around the stage. They stand on the floor, creep into the scenery and costumes, hang from the ceiling and from the dwarf tree redolent of Salvador Dali’s work. The two-level scenic space is pulled out from the darkness by masterfully controlled light.
Otherworld Theatre faces social media onslaught
Performing Arts Feature | Chicago Reader: Since its founding in 2012, Otherworld Theatre has been a haven for theater fans who also love gaming, sci-fi, and fantasy. But over the past two months, a wave of allegations involving Otherworld, the resident company Out on a Whim (creators of the long-running hit Improvised Dungeons & Dragons), and Moonrise, Otherworld's LARP gaming division, have hit social media outlets.
20 Broadway Performances from the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade to Gobble Up!
www.broadwayworld.com: For more than nine decades, the magic of the holiday season has kicked off with the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. This year, the parade passes by for the 94th time, featuring its signature mix of whimsical elements and dazzling performances.
Soured: Pittsburgh pickle balloon popped when it was being installed for the holiday season
TribLIVE.com: 2020 continues to deflate.
A giant pickle ornament that was supposed to be the perfect backdrop for a selfie in Downtown Pittsburgh was canned before its planned debut Friday, according to the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership.
The ornament was being tested Wednesday for a final time when installers heard a loud pop.
Wednesday, November 25, 2020
NYC Musicians' Union, AFM Local 802, Announces #SaveNYCMusicians Campaign
www.broadwayworld.com: Members of the New York City musicians' union (AFM Local 802) announce the launch today of #SaveNYCMusicians, a campaign to share the stories of NYC musicians and ask the public for support.
Hugh Vanstone’s Atmospheric, Tony-nominated Lighting for A Christmas Carol
LiveDesignOnline: The Ghost of Christmas Past visited Hugh Vanstone on October 15 with the news of a 2020 Tony Award nomination for his lighting design of A Christmas Carol, which graced Broadway last festive season at the Lyceum Theatre. “It always feels great to have your work noticed, and this is the ultimate honor,” notes the designer.
Hold on Tightly, Let Go Lightly
HowlRound Theatre Commons: Pursuing a life in theatre or medicine requires such dedication that it can be hard to imagine a career transition, and yet, as this year has viscerally reminded us, the only constant in life is change. Although the path between theatre and medicine may not be evident at first glance, the specific skill set that both professions require makes the transition more seamless than one might imagine.
Pittsburgh Dance Troupes Get Virtual National Stage Courtesy Of Kennedy Center
90.5 WESA: For artists in theater, music and dance, there are few honors higher than a gig at the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, in Washington, D.C.
But with the Center’s stage gone dark because of the coronavirus pandemic, the next best thing might be an online, national showcase under that institution’s banner.
Inconceivable: TikToker Who Made Paint Mixing Very, Very Cool... Is Fired From Sherwin-Williams For Doing So
Techdirt: TikTok remains a somewhat fascinating service to me, as different people experiment with using it to express all sorts of things in ways that are unexpected and often delightful. A couple months ago I discovered that there appears to be an entire genre of TikTokers creating videos about... mixing paint colors. I know... I know. At first that sounds insane. Who could possibly want to watch that?
Best Tool Gifts for Christmas 2020 Edition
Pro Tool Reviews: It’s been a year to remember (or possibly forget), but that doesn’t mean we can’t redeem it with some outstanding gifts this holiday season. We pulled together some of our favorite tools and gear this year to give you some options for the best tool gifts for Christmas 2020!
BWW Interview: In Mothballs and Treading Water: Good Theater and MSMT Share Survival Strategies
www.broadwayworld.com: "At Good Theater we have put ourselves in mothballs, declares Executive/Artistic Director Brian P. Allen. Maine State Music Theatre's Artistic Director Curt Dale Clark concurs, " For me the hardest part is the feeling of treading water."
Theatermakers Guide to Living With Loss
thriveglobal.com: We are a community whose motto is “the show must go on,” but eighty-five percent of the five million Americans working in the arts and culture sector are currently unemployed. In March 2020, The Broadway League sent an email to members asking them to use the social media message #OnlyIntermission; six months later, the request was to use #SOS. The Broadway and live entertainment industry as we knew it is GONE. The uncertainty of what the performing arts will look like when it returns, and if they still have a place in it, has left millions of us experiencing grief over multiple losses, including the types called ambiguous loss and disenfranchised grief.
Engineer in fatal 2012 Radiohead stage collapse in Toronto guilty of professional misconduct
CBC News: An engineer who signed off on a Radiohead concert stage that collapsed and killed a drum technician in Toronto eight years ago has been found guilty of professional misconduct, but the findings and the engineer's acceptance of them come too late to provide justice, according to the band and the family of the man who died.
A Proposal for Modelling Fluid Power Systems
Hydraulics & Pneumatics: As a young engineering student many years ago, I was taught that an electrical energy source was comprised of an ideal generating element in series with an output impedance. The output impedance accounts for the fact that an internal voltage drop causes the output voltage to fall as load current is increased. It did not occur to me that this was, in reality, a simple mathematical model of a real generator.
Four (Really Good) Reasons To Add Reverb To A Track
ProSoundWeb: Reverb is sometimes added to a track to create width and depth, but also to dress up an otherwise boring sound. The real secret is how much to use and how to adjust its various parameters.
Let’s look at some of the reasons to add reverb in this excerpt from my book, The Audio Mixing Bootcamp.
When you get right down to it, there are four reasons to add reverb.
First Impression: ARRI Orbiter Directional LED Luminaire
Church Production Magazine: One of the most exciting technological developments in the field of lighting over the past decade has been the evolution of LED instruments powerful enough to be used in cinematic and live production settings. With the introduction of their L-series LED Fresnels and Skypanels, ARRI has established themselves as an industry leader in this developing field.
Tuesday, November 24, 2020
Bringing Clarity To The Element Of Time As It Relates To Sound
ProSoundWeb: How fast do sound signals travel through the various parts of the sound system? Do sound signals travel faster in analog snake cables or fiber optic cables?
Also, what about transmission through the air with wireless mics? And where do the true and relevant sources of time lag exist in a audio system?
The film crews being directed from a continent away
BBC News: In a production studio in Kiev, Ukraine, a film director sits in front of a computer screen and yells, "Action!"
Some 7,500 km (4,660 miles) away in Shanghai, China, his assistant relays the message to the crew filming a TV advertisement for Mercedes-Benz.
Meanwhile, in Germany, executives from the carmaker are watching on in real time.
Academy Museum of Motion Pictures Just Installed the Only Surviving Shark Model from 'Jaws'
Bloody Disgusting: If you need some feel-good joy on the road to Thanksgiving, we’ve just been provided with behind the scenes footage of the shark from Jaws being installed at LA’s Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, specifically the only surviving model from Steven Spielberg’s classic!
Best Gifts for a Carpenter (2020)
This Old House: Carpentry projects call for a unique set of tools that can help woodworkers make intricate cuts, carve special patterns, and ensure the quality of their design. In this review, we’ll help you find the right holiday gift for your carpenter by detailing 15 of the best carpentry tools and accessories available on Amazon.
Biden Campaign Celebrates Victory with Drone Light Show from Strictly FX and Verge Aero
Lighting&Sound America Online - News: When US President-elect Joe Biden delivered his long-awaited victory speech in his home town of Wilmington, Delaware on the evening of Saturday, November 7, the exuberant celebrations culminated with a spectacular drone and pyrotechnic show from Strictly FX. "The creative on this originated with executive producer Ricky Kirshner, of Kirshner Events, who has been the nexus of all the work we've done with the DNC," notes Ted Maccabee, CEO of Strictly FX.
TEA Announces the 27th Annual Slate of TEA Thea Awards Recipients
Lighting&Sound America Online - News: The Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) announces the new slate of TEA Thea Awards recipients. The prestigious TEA Thea Award is considered one of the attractions industry's greatest honors. A full press release with descriptions and photos has been posted at www.teaconnect.org.
Behind the Scenes Mental Health Initiative Launches Tools to Fight Bullying, Harassment and Intimidation
Lighting&Sound America Online - News: Last year the Behind the Scenes Mental Health Initiative conducted a survey that revealed that bullying, harassment, and intimidation are a common experience in our industry. Respondents told us, "Emotional abuse is part of the culture," and "Harassment, discrimination, and retaliation are rampant."
Nintendo's Theme Park Is Looking Fantastic
kotaku.com: Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan was supposed to be open by now, but you know, stuff has happened. It’s almost done though, and even if none us are likely to be travelling there anytime soon, we can at least press our disgusting faces up against the glass and admire it from a distance.
European Screenwriters and Designers Discuss Collaboration in Filming
Variety: Creators and screenwriters from Europe discussed the importance of collaboration in filmmaking during a panel in the Variety Streaming Room.
Hosted by international features editor Leo Barraclough, the conversation, titled “Lost in Translation? Visual Story Development from Script to Screen,” included creators from the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival’s Black Room and writers from the Face to Face program.
The Queen's Gambit Hair and Makeup Designer Interview
POPSUGAR Beauty: Netflix has a new original miniseries premiering on Oct. 23: The Queen's Gambit, starring Anya Taylor-Joy. The show follows the life of Beth Harmon, a young chess prodigy, and takes place during the Cold War era. Given the time period of the seven-episode series, you can expect the set design, costumes, and hair and makeup to transport you back to the 1940s through the 1960s.
Netflix to Expand New Mexico's ABQ Studios, Pledges $1 Billion in Production Spending
Variety: Netflix is expanding its footprint in New Mexico, announcing Monday that it is expanding ABQ Studios and pledging an additional $1 billion in production spending there.
The investment, per a release from the streaming giant, will create about 1,000 production jobs in New Mexico over the next decade as well as 1,467 construction jobs to complete the expansion.
Why is 3D Modeling Software Important in Design?
Fusion 360 Blog: With advances in design and 3D CAD software, prototypes can now easily come alive on a computer screen. Modern workflows have ushered in a new class of richly-functional applications, which have redefined what can be designed in a given length of time. 3D modeling has resolved many shortcomings associated with outdated processes and has increased functionality across design teams.
Monday, November 23, 2020
(More) Dress Form Hacking - Literally
American Duchess: As we go along as historical sewists, the saga of the dress form develops. We've sliced off chests, whittled away waists, padded, adjusted, drawn on, and generally hacked our dummies into workable forms that can be corseted and altered to get *close enough* to the historical silhouette needed to build a period gown.
Encinitas artist uses performing arts experience to serve those with autism, other disabilities
The San Diego Union-Tribune: Kathryn Campion is co-founder and executive director of Positive Action Community Theatre, a nonprofit organization in Encinitas that uses dance and theater training to help people with autism connect with their peers, master social skills, and enjoy the arts
Many arts groups pivoted to virtual galas this year to raise funds. How did that work out?
The Seattle Times: If you go to a fundraising gala in Seattle this fall, you won’t have to put on your shoes.
Nonprofit arts organizations in the city depend on annual fundraising galas to draw big donations and keep their books balanced. These have traditionally been elegant affairs: Patrons dress up to attend a formal luncheon or a swanky dinner, raise their paddles for an auction, maybe watch a special performance or tour galleries.
Broadway From Home: 129 Musicals & Shows You Can Stream Online This Fall
www.broadwayworld.com: Are you looking for something to get your mind off... all of this? So are we. Because everyone needs some escape, BroadwayWorld put together a list of all the live action musicals you can stream on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, BroadwayHD, and Disney Plus.
Actors Equity and SAG-AFTRA reach agreement: Full text
New York Theater: Actors’ Equity Association and SAG-AFTRA have resolved their differences over streaming theater during the pandemic, a conflict that arose when theater buildings are shut down, and theater companies went digital. The full text of the agreement follows.
Perspectives on the Internationalization of Theatre: An Interview with Thomas Irmer
The Theatre Times: Thomas Irmer is a scholar, dramaturg, and critic regularly contributing to Theater der Zeit, Theater Heute, and Shakespeare (Norway). He has also worked for various international festivals, including spielzeit Europa/Berliner Festspiele as a dramaturg from 2003 to 2006. His recent books include Andrzej Wirth. Flucht nach vorn. Erzählte Autobiographie und Materialien (2013) and Maria Steinfeldt. Das Bild des Theaters (2015). His recent academic research covered the new phenomenon of the internationalization of German theater, and he taught a class on this subject at the University of Osnabrück from 2014 to 2015. He has also made documentary films on theatre and theatre history, among them the prize-winning The Staged Republic – Theatre in the G.D.R. (2004). He lives in Berlin.
Carnegie Museum of Art highlights local and emerging artists with latest offerings
Visual Art | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh City Paper: In the months since the Carnegie Museum of Art reopened in late July, visitors have been treated to shows looking at the wide-reaching impact of conflict and advancing technology. Now, the museum is offering the online debut of the video work Tyrant Star and Locally Sourced: Contemporary Pittsburgh Products.
San Diego Opera reports drive-in 'La bohème' a success
The San Diego Union-Tribune: San Diego Opera officials are celebrating the success of their drive-in production of “La bohème” last month, which not only sold a large number of tickets but also brought many new opera-goers into the arts organization’s audience.
Two of the four performances sold out all 450 available parking spaces. The other two performances sold at 96 percent and 85 percent. And more than 34 percent of attendees were first-time San Diego Opera ticket-buyers, the company said.
Bosch Rexroth marks 225 years in business
www.motioncontroltips.com: The story began in 1795 when Georg Ludwig Rexroth launched the water-driven forge for iron production in the Spessart mountains in Germany. With this, he founded what now is one of the oldest technology companies in the world. Part of the Bosch Group today, Bosch Rexroth AG is a technology and market leader for drive and control technologies used by mechanical and plant engineering partners around the world.
Transnational Chinese Theatres in Pandemic Times
The Theatre Times: I have hesitated for a while to engage with the increasingly ubiquitous “[insert own subject field] in times of Covid-19” catchphrase, or variations thereof. This is because of some personal reservations about the appropriateness of turning a public health emergency — and immense human tragedy — into the latest academic mantra while the global pandemic is still in full swing and no foreseeable end (or “post-coronial” condition, as some are calling it already) is yet in sight.
Can theatres survive the pandemic? For Brave Spirits, the answer is no.
dctheatrescene.com: The economic havoc caused by the coronavirus has claimed another local victim – Brave Spirits Theatre.
The nine-year-old company was in the midst of an ambitious project to produce Shakespeare’s histories from Richard II to Richard III when Covid-19 began to shut down theaters – and most other enterprises – in and near DC.
Manchester theatre staff use skills to upgrade homes after Covid layoffs
Manchester | The Guardian: A number of theatre workers who lost their jobs when the coronavirus crisis forced live venues to close are retraining to insulate and upgrade homes as part of the fight against climate breakdown.
Stage hands, technicians and joiners from theatres and live venues across Manchester and the north-west are using their skills to retrofit homes in the region, installing insulation, fitting windows and upgrading heating systems.
Sunday, November 22, 2020
NFTRW Weekly Top FIve
Here are the top five comment generating posts of the past week:
CMU Students Light Up The Stage Remotely
Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama: Carnegie Mellon University students now can light on-campus theatrical projects from the comfort of their homes. Implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the upgrades to the university’s Light Lab and John Wells Directing Studio provide students with the tools for a hands-on learning experience no matter where they’re based.Study Credits “Hamilton” For Modest Improvements In Theater Diversity
Deadline: The first Actors’ Equity diversity and inclusion report since 2017 finds “modest improvement” in the hiring of actors and stage managers of color in the last three years, but describes the slight shift as “extremely gradual, inconsistent and not enough to change longtime problems in the industry.”Why Every Production Should Hire an Intimacy Director
Playbill: In the wake of #MeToo and #TimesUp, the entertainment industry initially had a reckoning with the casting process. But over time, questions about what actors were being asked to do for their jobs arose. Physical and emotional intimacy—as well as violence—take place on sets and in rehearsal rooms regularly, yet actors have often been left to figure it out themselves. Enter the intimacy director.Here's How Disney World Will Hide the Tech Behind Its New Show
www.themeparkinsider.com: That toolkit includes five enormous floating platforms, including one with a six-story ring structure that will house a water curtain during the show. Other platforms will support 25-foot-tall, double-sided LED walls. The show also will use eight 54-foot moving arms, along with moving lights, fountains, and lasers.SAG-AFTRA Reaches Deal With Actors Equity Over Live Performance
Variety: SAG-AFTRA and Actors’ Equity have settled a bitter jurisdictional dispute over which should cover the streaming of live events. The performers unions announced the settlement late Thursday. Actors’ Equity, which represents 51,000 theater actors and stage managers, had accused SAG-AFTRA of raiding its turf and undercutting its contracts by negotiating lower-paying deals with theaters for streaming productions.
Friday, November 20, 2020
In the Room Where It Happens: How Repertory Companies Plan Out a Season
Dance Magazine: Repertory company directors have a uniquely challenging yet rewarding responsibility when it comes to planning out a season. Without a company namesake to draw from, a troupe's artistic vision and reputation are cultivated through a collage of choreography contributed by outside artists. Whether reviving beloved classics or bringing in an up-and-coming voice for a world premiere, the process of crafting a repertory season can be intense. So what goes into the decision-making?
Undoing Post-colonial Structures in Theatre, Starting With Zoom Convenings
HowlRound Theatre Commons: Georgetown University’s Laboratory for Global Performance and Politics brings together artists, thought leaders, activists, and policy makers from around the world who harness the power of performance to humanize global politics. Part of the Lab’s diverse programming is an eighteen-month-long fellowship program that gathers ten emerging artists who work at the intersection of performance and politics. The aim is to foster intercultural artistic and dialogue exchange and bridge ideological divides.
IATSE's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee Hold Elections for New Executive Committee
IATSE Cares: After its reconstitution and first meeting in September, the IATSE Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee held elections on Tuesday, November 10, 2020 to choose officers to sit on its new executive committee.
The IATSE DEI executive committee consists of two Co-Chairpersons, a Secretary and six Members-at-Large. In creating this executive committee, the officers will establish and prioritize actionable goals for the committee through open forum and outline the committees’ next steps for action.
Panto in a pandemic: honks not hisses and an unprecedented cow
Panto season | The Guardian: Iain Lauchlan has been putting on panto in Coventry for almost 30 years. Whenever he starts rehearsals, the writer, director and uproarious dame gives his actors the same advice. “I say we’re not going to have the full pantomime cast until the first night because you need the audience,” he explains. Whether they’re being showered with sweets, dragooned on stage by Widow Twankey or bellowing “It’s behind you!”, audiences always ramp up the voltage.
Bridgertons on Netflix: Costume designer Ellen Mirojnick on the Featheringtons’ dresses and historical accuracy.
slate.com/culture: Netflix’s upcoming Regency drama Bridgerton (from executive producer Shonda Rhimes!) promises plenty of sumptuous, tastefully designed gowns—and a few not-so-tastefully-designed ones. The series, which premieres Dec. 25, is based on Julia Quinn’s megapopular historical romance novels about the Bridgerton family as its eight siblings find love in 19th century England.
'Sylvie's Love' Artisans Talk Tessa Thompson's Hair, Makeup, Costumes
Variety: When period looks onscreen seem effortless, it reflects the mastery of the craft. In “Sylvie’s Love,” set for release on Christmas Day via Amazon Studios, the artisans’ extensive research behind Tessa Thompson’s ’50s and ’60s hair, makeup and styling remain unnoticeable.
Study Credits “Hamilton” For Modest Improvements In Theater Diversity
Deadline: The first Actors’ Equity diversity and inclusion report since 2017 finds “modest improvement” in the hiring of actors and stage managers of color in the last three years, but describes the slight shift as “extremely gradual, inconsistent and not enough to change longtime problems in the industry.”
New York's Own "Pizza Rat" on Making Performance Art Accessible
hyperallergic.com: The internet is squeaking with delight this week at a 23-second-long clip of a figure in a rat costume, complete with a long tail, whiskers, and mousy gray suit, dragging a life-sized pizza slice up the stairs in a New York City subway station. As surreal as it may be, the sight is intimately familiar to urban dwellers who remember video footage of a real rodent carrying an entire cheese slice up the platform steps a few years back. The strangely endearing, ubiquitous New Yorker became lovingly known as “Pizza Rat.”
SAG-AFTRA Reaches Deal With Actors Equity Over Live Performance
Variety: SAG-AFTRA and Actors’ Equity have settled a bitter jurisdictional dispute over which should cover the streaming of live events.
The performers unions announced the settlement late Thursday. Actors’ Equity, which represents 51,000 theater actors and stage managers, had accused SAG-AFTRA of raiding its turf and undercutting its contracts by negotiating lower-paying deals with theaters for streaming productions.
Here's How Disney World Will Hide the Tech Behind Its New Show
www.themeparkinsider.com: That toolkit includes five enormous floating platforms, including one with a six-story ring structure that will house a water curtain during the show. Other platforms will support 25-foot-tall, double-sided LED walls. The show also will use eight 54-foot moving arms, along with moving lights, fountains, and lasers.
Thanks and giving
Ghost Light | Chicago Reader: This unholy year is winding down (or so we're told), and as we veer between images of poop emojis and dumpster fires to do it visual justice, it's hard to remember that there are in fact things for which to be grateful. For me, that gratitude comes in the form of recognizing how many theater, dance, and performance companies have continued to create in the digital world—one that wasn't a familiar home for many of them before COVID-19.
Living on the Edge, the ‘Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge,’ That Is (The NoPro Review)
No Proscenium: The Guide To Everything Immersive: Star Wars fans often want the impossible.
I should know, I’ve been one since the day my mom took me to see Star Wars — we didn’t call it A New Hope back then — during one of its theatrical rereleases.
Since then I’ve been chasing all the things I felt that day, and discovering new feelings and making new friends, fictional and real, along the way.
Thursday, November 19, 2020
Robe Supports Lir Academy Gradfest
LightSoundJournal.com: An exciting new collaboration between Robe and Dublin’s acclaimed Lir National Academy of Dramatic Art sees a quantity of Robe moving lights – including T1 Profiles and T1 Fresnels, LEDWash 300 LEDs and ParFect 150s – made available on long term rental, which were used to great effect for Lir’s 2020 Gradfest event.
How a Life-Changing Road Trip Inspired Writing Duo Melissa Li and Kit Yan to Pen a Musical
Playbill: “We were mortal enemies,” says Kit Yan of himself and Melissa Li. Yan and Li, however, are now the co-writers of the musical Interstate—a sold-out extended show at NYMF, a buzzed-about show at NAMT, and one that was preparing for a full production at Mixed Blood Theatre in Minneapolis just before the pandemic hit in March.
How do mortal enemies create a hit musical together? Well, first they make up.
Be An #ArtsHero Open Letter to the U.S. Senate Gains 16,000 Signatures
www.broadwayworld.com: Be An #ArtsHero, a grassroots sector-wide lobbying movement for Arts & Culture workers has received over 16,000 signatures on Co-Organizer Matthew-Lee Erlbach's Open Letter to the Senators of the 116th U.S. Congress. The letter, which has been shared more than 30,000 times, represents a unified, sector-wide call for economic relief for individual Arts workers and Arts organizations.
Screenwriter Billy Ray on Hollywood and Political Activism
Variety: I often wonder what would happen if Donald Trump got to make a movie about Hollywood, instead of the other way around.
Of course, he’s been writing it for years. We’re the radical left, anti-God; we hate Christmas! A bunch of condescending socialist defund-the-policers. Clichés all, but here’s one I bet he wouldn’t use to describe us: patriots.
CMU Students Light Up The Stage Remotely
Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama: Carnegie Mellon University students now can light on-campus theatrical projects from the comfort of their homes. Implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the upgrades to the university’s Light Lab and John Wells Directing Studio provide students with the tools for a hands-on learning experience no matter where they’re based.
How Quantum Physicist Ballerina Merritt Moore Learned to Dance With a Robot (Plus, Her Newest Film)
Pointe: When the world went into lockdown last March, most dancers despaired. But not Merritt Moore. The Los Angeles native, who lives in London and has danced with Norwegian National Ballet, English National Ballet and Boston Ballet, holds a PhD in atomic and laser physics from the University of Oxford. A few weeks into the coronavirus pandemic, she came up with a solution for having to train and work alone: robots.
Second Equity Diversity and Inclusion Report Shows 'Moderate Improvement' From 2017 Study
www.broadwayworld.com: Actors' Equity Association has released its second-ever diversity and inclusion report tracking hiring and compensation trends for actors and stage managers from marginalized groups.
There has been modest improvement since the 2017 study pointing to more equitable distribution of contracts and earnings, but most improvements have been extremely gradual, inconsistent and not enough to change longtime problems in the industry.
Why I Resigned From The California Arts Council In The Middle Of A Pandemic
Cultural Weekly: I am a Chicana activist, author, and award-winning artist from Orange County, California who resigned late October as an Arts Program Specialist at the California Arts Council (council). The year prior to obtaining my position at the council, I served as a grant panelist reviewing over 100 grant applications between three grant programs. I had hoped by obtaining the Arts Program Specialist position I would be able to assist in creating a pipeline from state-level funding to Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) artists, grassroots cultural producers and BIPOC-led small organizations often overlooked in regions like Orange County, which is approximately 60% people of color.
'It's not about cancel culture': Hedwig and the Angry Inch postponed after trans-led petition
Culture | The Guardian: The creators of the show Hedwig and the Angry Inch have weighed in to a casting row that led to the producers of an upcoming Australian production pulling the show from January’s Sydney festival.
In a statement on Wednesday, John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Task said they did not believe the title role was a trans character, and the role should be “open to anyone who can tackle it and, more importantly, anyone who needs it.”
Actors' Equity study finds gradual, but improving diversity in the industry
Broadway News: The theater industry has hired more actors and stage managers of color in the past four years, but still falls short of reflecting the diversity of the country, according to a new study from Actors’ Equity.
QSC Proves a Perfect Fit for Automated Modern Multi-Band Rehearsal Spaces at Taylor Sound
LightSoundJournal.com: Taylor Sound is a full-service studio serving musicians in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area. Located just west of Minneapolis, the complex features rehearsal rooms, on-site recording, and even music video production in a massive, green-screen-equipped room. Facilities manager T. Perry Bowers wanted to increase access for local bands and artists who lacked the budget to lock out a rehearsal space of their own, so he created the Band Share program, in which bands pay for one or two nights per week in a room equipped with a drum kit, backline, and P.A.
Mosaic Theater to move on without its founding artistic director, Ari Roth
DC Metro Theater Arts: In a meeting Tuesday night, November 17, 2020, the 26-member board of Mosaic Theater Company of DC unanimously accepted the resignation of Ari Roth, who founded the company six years ago “to be a home for socially relevant drama and cross-cultural discourse,” as he wrote in a public statement November 18 on Medium.
Wednesday, November 18, 2020
Relentless Pursuits: How Failure Can Actually Make Us Better
ProSoundWeb: When bringing a new venture to market, some people look at all of the challenges that stand in their way instead of looking for the solutions that may be discovered on the road ahead. They beat themselves out of the race before they have a chance to succeed.
'Bigscreen' Expands Platform for Creators with New Green Screen Environment
Road to VR: Bigscreen, the social screen-sharing app for VR, is striding into new territory with its new green screen environment, which aims to let creators repurpose their avatars for anything from Zoom chats to YouTube videos.
The platform has a number of theater environments that are great for chatting, viewing videos and playing games; since there’s no user-generated environments, it can’t really be used for much else though.
Cirque du Soleil permanently closes 'Zumanity' after 17 years in Vegas
www.usatoday.com: After 17 years on The Strip, Cirque du Soleil’s “Zumanity” is closing permanently, the company announced Monday.
“Zumanity” at New York-New York is the first Cirque du Soleil show to permanently close since the company shut down all productions due to COVID-19 concerns.
Carnegie Science Center Completes Buhl Planetarium And Miniature Railroad Upgrades
90.5 WESA: The Carnegie Science Center’s Buhl Planetarium is promising visitors an enhanced experience of what it’s like to travel into the far reaches of the galaxy thanks to the completion of phase one of a multi-million dollar renovation project.
Resounding Cracks the Code for Live Theatre - At Home
www.broadwayworld.com: What if I told you there was a way, even now, that you can have a night of theater without breaking quarantine? That you can mingle with your fellow audience, enjoy a custom, themed cocktail, page through your program as the orchestra tunes, and experience a live show again?
Ok, granted, the program is digital and you get to be the bartender (custom recipe and full instructions included!), but the show is really, truly LIVE, and the theater...made completely out of sound!
Daniel Arsham Is Now the Creative Director of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Signaling Closer Ties Between the Sports and Art Worlds
news.artnet.com: For spectators eager to see contemporary art produce more highlight-reel moments in the larger pop-cultural arena, the National Basketball Association (NBA) just provided the next all-star team-up.
In an unprecedented move, multi-hyphenate artist Daniel Arsham will become the creative director of the Cleveland Cavaliers. The ongoing role will put him in command of the entire visual identity of the only NBA franchise in his native state of Ohio.
Art as a Force for Good
HowlRound Theatre Commons: Sabera Shaik is the artistic director of Masakini Theatre Company in Malaysia, a company that mixes drama and shadow theatre, offers workshops for young actors, and entertains kids via shadow puppetry. On top of this work, Shaik was quick to respond to the arts and culture fallout that came with the COVID-19 pandemic, co-organizing a virtual arts festival Gerak Angin.
Movie Theaters Struggle to Survive Without Blockbusters
Variety: Movie theater executives don’t usually quote Winston Churchill on earnings calls.
But during his company’s most recent quarterly report to analysts, AMC chief Adam Aron dusted off one of the prime minister’s most famous speeches to describe the financial cataclysm engulfing the exhibition industry and the resilient spirit he hopes will rise up to meet the challenge.
Star Trek TOS: Top 10 Episodes for Costuming
ScreenRant: Back in the 1960s, when television and special effects were still in the early stages of development, other departments needed to get creative to fill in the gaps. Costuming was important for setting the tone, mood, and visual style of any given TV episode. This was especially true for science fiction shows, which were also a new phenomenon. One of the most famous of these was Star Trek, The Original Series.
New Integrations Improve AutoCAD and AEC Workflows
AutoCAD Blog | Autodesk: We are excited to share that within Autodesk, we are improving the AutoCAD and AEC workflows. Available now, in the Autodesk App Store, the Autodesk Docs Extension for AutoCAD plugin allows you to push your CAD drawing sheets as PDFs directly from AutoCAD to Autodesk Docs (available in early 2021) or BIM 360 Docs.
Unpacking the Milwaukee Packout 2 Wheel Cart and Customizable Worktop
Home Fixated: Milwaukee is on a roll now, literally. Their newest release is the #48-22-8415 PACKOUT 2-Wheel Cart. Also released recently is the #48-22-8488 PACKOUT Customizable Worktop. In the ongoing war of modular storage systems between the major tool manufacturers, Big Red keeps firing salvos of innovation. In this slightly reformatted Tool News Nirvana, we’ll learn more about these two new releases, what they mean for productivity, and how they fit in with the rest of the PACKOUT™ ecosystem.
SilverStar Voyages
Matt Kizer: Scenic & Lighting Design: Throughout the spring and summer of 2020, the rules for putting up shows and for being a university kept evolving. In June, we diligently completed the set design and cost estimate for our planned production of Mamma Mia. We knew this might not happen in the fall. By July, there was no doubt: we needed a new plan.
Tuesday, November 17, 2020
Camera Woman Liselle Bertrand - Roadies of Color United
TheatreArtLife: It’s not common for women to work in the concert touring industry. It’s even less common to have a Caribbean woman behind the camera. Liselle Bertrand has been touring for ten years now and is one of the best camera operators in the business. Interviewing Liselle was a pleasure. I greatly enjoyed to learn more about her career and her views on the industry.
3D Printering: The Things Printers Don’t Do
Hackaday: 3D printers are amazing things, but if one judges solely by the successes that get showcased online, it can look as through anything at all is possible. Yet in many ways, 3D printers are actually quite limited. Because success looks easy and no one showcases failure, people can end up with lopsided ideas of what is realistic. This isn’t surprising; behind every shining 3D print that pushes the boundaries of the technology, there are misprints and test pieces piled just out of sight.
3 Epiphanies That Made Me a Happier Sound Engineer
Pro Audio Files: Work satisfaction and happiness often go hand-in-hand. Regardless of whether determining self-worth based on the success of your career is right or not, it’s undeniable that it can have a huge impact on your everyday ability to enjoy life and feel fulfilled.
Today, I’d like to talk about three key conclusions I’ve come to during my career in audio. These conclusions have allowed me to maintain a healthier work life and prevent work problems from “getting to me” as easily.
CMU Students Light Up The Stage Remotely
India Education,Education News India,Education News | India Education Diary: Carnegie Mellon University students now can light on-campus theatrical projects from the comfort of their homes. Implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the upgrades to the university’s Light Lab and John Wells Directing Studio provide students with the tools for a hands-on learning experience no matter where they’re based.
Lighting for Video: Experimenting Your Way to Excellence
Church Production Magazine: Lighting for video is a tricky subject. Despite the treasure-trove of online videos, apps, and instructional guides, we still find ourselves drowning in technical manuals telling us that if you “simply do x, y, and z, then your desired outcome will happen.” While these instructions typically aim us in the right direction, it often doesn't work out exactly how we–or the confusing manual for that matter–first envisioned. Just ask anyone who's attempted to assemble a piece of furniture from IKEA.
The Broadway League’s Charlotte St. Martin Q and A. We don’t yet know what it’s going to take to get open
New York Theater: The Broadway League will today be sending out to its producers and theater owners news of a contact tracing system that it hopes will be put in place to make theatergoers feel safe when Broadway reopens. The League will also be rolling out unconscious bias training for all its members within the next ten days. It’s one of several new initiatives to address equity, diversity and inclusion in the theater community that Charlotte St. Martin, the president of the League, discussed today at an industry conference,
Why Every Production Should Hire an Intimacy Director
Playbill: In the wake of #MeToo and #TimesUp, the entertainment industry initially had a reckoning with the casting process. But over time, questions about what actors were being asked to do for their jobs arose. Physical and emotional intimacy—as well as violence—take place on sets and in rehearsal rooms regularly, yet actors have often been left to figure it out themselves. Enter the intimacy director.
The Best Music and Audio Software Programs
SoundGirls.org: The coronavirus pandemic has brought new ways of working and creating remotely, with many music and audio companies offering free or reduced prices for their products. Whether you’re looking to experiment, diversify your software knowledge or get started with a new DAW, here are some of the best free and professional standard programs on the market.
In The Studio: Control Room Techniques To Foster Great Vocals
ProSoundWeb: During a session, I remember when an artist was on mic, out in the studio ready to start vocal overdubs, and the producer asked: “How do we look in here, from out there?”
Interesting, because he knew the appearance of the control room to the artist might affect the vocal performance. The control room (from the studio) does look like an aquarium with the huge window and the silent action of the animals encased within it.
Hannah Lavery: “If we do not revise our history, then that’s dangerous”
Exeunt Magazine: On May 3rd, 2015, 32-year-old father Sheku Bayoh died in custody, after several police officers pinned him to the ground in the early hours of the morning. But this wasn’t Minneapolis, or Charlottesville, or even America. This was Kirkcaldy, Scotland, a medium-sized, post-industrial town of 50,000 people, lying across the Firth of Forth from Edinburgh. Not, in other words, the sort of place that many white people would immediately associate with a black man dying at the hands of the state.
Black girl — and nonbinary — magic at helm of Bay Area theaters
Datebook: In July, Leigh Rondon-Davis, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, began a director’s residency at Shotgun Players, where they’ve been working for six years; now they will collaborate more closely with leadership staff to learn how to run a midsize theater company. (Theatre Bay Area administers the residency with support from the National Endowment for the Arts.) In August, Khalia Davis became the artistic director of Bay Area Children’s Theatre, with Nina Meehan changing titles from executive artistic director to CEO. In September, Margo Hall was named artistic director of Lorraine Hansberry Theatre, succeeding Darryl V. Jones.
The Necessity of Pivoting
HowlRound Theatre Commons: As a soon-to-be graduate with an MFA in costume design, I thought I would be riding high this year—hustling and making moves to launch myself into a decades-long lucrative career in design. Lofty, yes, but that’s truly how I felt things were going to go—I had been kicking butt. It all came to a screeching halt in the short span of four days in the middle of March. All at once my prospects were cancelled. My summer plans were gone, and my upcoming production was eliminated the same day I was let go from my assistant job at a regional theatre. I found myself at a bar on a Friday evening trying not to cry while Celine Dion blasted over the speakers.
Monday, November 16, 2020
How Ticketmaster Plans to Check Your Vaccine Status for Concerts: Exclusive
Billboard: Monday's news that pharmaceutical company Pfizer's early results on a new COVID-19 vaccine showed a 90% efficacy rate on an initial clinical trial have given concert professionals hope that the business can start mounting a return in 2021. As part of that preparation, Ticketmaster has been working on a framework for post-pandemic fan safety that uses smart phones to verify fans' vaccination status or whether they've tested negative for the coronavirus within a 24 to 72 hour window.
Washington Ballet partners with Marquee TV for its new season
The Washington Post: A career in ballet, like any athletic pursuit, is inherently finite. So when the pandemic forced the Washington Ballet to put its pirouettes on pause this spring, artistic director Julie Kent wasn’t going to let her company of 40-plus dancers lay dormant indefinitely.
We have to prove theater is a necessity. Oskar Eustis Q & A
New York Theater: Oskar Eustis, artistic director of The Public Theater since 2005, spoke about the ways theater (and the Public itself) has been shaken up during this time of crisis, in a conversation with critic Soraya Nadia McDonald of The Undefeated, for the 2020 virtual conference of the American Theatre Critics Association. The following is a heavily edited* transcript
20 Powerhouse Women Directors Theatre Fans and Industry Pros Alike Need to Know
Playbill: The theatre is in a moment of reckoning. The events of the summer, including the theatre shutdown, forced the industry to confront racism in our workplaces. And there has been a shift: a call to produce BIPOC artists and BIPOC stories; a call to mentor young Black theatre professionals; a wave of hiring Black artistic directors and associate artistic directors at influential institutions. And as we peel back the layer of systemic oppression when it comes to race, it opens the door for the examination of other underrepresented communities.
Joffrey Ballet "Nutcracker" video part of new Art on the Mart show
Chicago Tribune: The Loop’s historic theaters are closed. The Christkindlmarket is to be depressingly virtual, being as you can’t eat wienerschnitzel through a computer. And if the great retail emporia in downtown Chicago manage to survive both this marauding virus and latent orders to hunker down and stay at home, we’ll all be calling that a Christmas miracle.
Here's How Cloud Collaboration Improves Productivity
Fusion 360 Blog: Yep, we’re still working remotely. But things have changed. What started as a rocky road for many — forgotten Zoom calls, lost connections with co-workers, downloading the same files after every little update, helplessly staring at unopened email attachments on your phone because they’re too large — has become less of a hassle through a wider adoption of cloud-based platforms that streamline remote collaboration.
Ghana’s Politics Has Strong Ties with Performing Arts: This is How it Started
The Theatre Times: Towards the end of the Kwame Nkrumah era in 1966, a number of highlife artists wrote songs critical of Nkrumah as Ghana’s president; but, during the period leading up to independence in 1957 and the early years of independence, most Ghanaian popular artists and entertainers wholeheartedly backed Nkrumah and his Convention People’s Party.
How Black Lives Matter Inspired a Grassroots Push for Diversity in Australian Theater
www.backstage.com: The “We See You, White American Theatre” campaign may be striving to create a less racist American theater, but its impact has been felt worldwide. In Australia, a group of actors have created a similar campaign called “I Stand with the Quarter” to advocate for more diversity in the Australian theater industry. They were also inspired by Black Lives Matter.
'Our Work Is Just Starting': 12 LGBTQ Artists Talk America's Future Under Biden-Harris
Billboard: On the evening of November 7, 2020, president-elect Joe Biden made American history during his victory speech. “I am proud of the coalition we put together, the broadest and most diverse in history,” he said. Biden acknowledged different political ideologies, ages, races and demographics and then thanked his supporters who identified as “gay, straight, transgender.”
Covid-Broadway: No shows, no health care — shutdown crushes actors
www.cnbc.com: This spring, Kinnunen found herself out of work as an actor after the Covid-19 pandemic forced a shutdown of professional theaters. The 29-year-old ultimately boxed up her New York apartment and drove across the country to move back into her parents’ home in Washington.
Now, she faces a new threat: losing her health insurance.
Thomas Schumacher Q & A. Broadway will have to rebuild again
New York Theater: “Out of all this madness, and out of all this pain, will grow some opportunity for new voices, new creators.”
So says Thomas Schumacher, president of Disney Theatrical Productions and current chair of The Broadway League, who discussed Broadway’s future and its past, what it will take to reopen, issues of diversity, the Tony Awards, the new streaming, and the need for kindness, in conversation at the Theatermakers Summit on Saturday with Broadway publicist Rick Miramontez
Gods of Mars Is the First Film to Produce Fully in Unreal
io9.gizmodo.com: Helmed by Peter Hyoguchi, Gods of Mars is an in-production science fiction film that’s breaking new ground. While companies like Disney have used Epic’s Unreal Engine to aid in production, Hyoguchi’s film is going a step further and just filming the whole damn thing in Unreal.
Sunday, November 15, 2020
NFTRW Weekly Top Five
Here are the top five comment generating posts of the past week:
Will the Vaccine mean Broadway will come back early?
The Producer's Perspective: It’s been a good week for the theater world. First, we had the election. Enough said. Second, Pfizer announced a vaccine that was 90% (!) effective in preventing Covid-19. (To put that in perspective, the FDA stated they’d take a shot on a shot that was 50% effective.) And yesterday, on CNN, Dr. Anthony Fauci said that the average person would have access to the vaccine by April, 2021!Broadway Stagehand Falls To Death Clearing ‘Beetlejuice’ Props
Deadline: A 54-year-old stagehand fell to his death from scaffolding inside Broadway’s Winter Garden Theatre this morning as workers were restoring the venue following the departure of the Beetlejuice musical and in preparation for next year’s arrival of The Music Man.All About Milk Paint
This Old House: You wouldn’t whip up a batch of pancakes without reaching for a container of milk, but you might not think to hit the fridge for that ingredient when it comes to your next paint project. Perhaps it’s time to think again, due to the rising popularity of milk paint.From Classroom to Stage, COVID-19 Has Profound Impact on Theatre Education According to EdTA Survey
www.broadwayworld.com: From canceled productions to funding cuts, school theatre programs are feeling profound effects from the COVID-19 pandemic according to a newly released survey of theatre teachers across the U.S. by the Educational Theatre Association (EdTA). The survey, "The Impact of COVID-19 on Theatre Education," confirms programs hit hardest by the pandemic face significant risks in the coming years.Pitt Tightens Student Restrictions After Case Spike, Prepares For Winter
90.5 WESA: The University of Pittsburgh is caught in a complicated balancing act of trying to educate students while keeping the community and students’ home communities safe. Mark Roberts a member of the University’s Healthcare Advisory Group and director of the university's Health Dynamics Laboratory, says as the weather gets colder people are more likely to gather indoors. And he says that continuing to follow coronavirus guidelines, like mask wearing, is essential.
Friday, November 13, 2020
All About Milk Paint
This Old House: You wouldn’t whip up a batch of pancakes without reaching for a container of milk, but you might not think to hit the fridge for that ingredient when it comes to your next paint project. Perhaps it’s time to think again, due to the rising popularity of milk paint.
These Carnegie Mellon students condensed the campus experience into an app
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: For college students, a big university campus far from home can present challenges initially to making new friends, asking strangers for academic help and keeping up with everything available around them.
Now imagine what it’s like — especially for freshmen — if the school in which they enrolled went all or partly remote for the fall before they ever set foot on campus.
Broadway Stagehand Falls To Death Clearing ‘Beetlejuice’ Props
Deadline: A 54-year-old stagehand fell to his death from scaffolding inside Broadway’s Winter Garden Theatre this morning as workers were restoring the venue following the departure of the Beetlejuice musical and in preparation for next year’s arrival of The Music Man.
How to Do Remote, Real-time Worship Team Rehearsals
Church Production Magazine: As the defining global health issue of our time, the pandemic has literally changed the lives of people everywhere—impacting business, education, and virtually all aspects of life. Even with no pandemic, remote music rehearsal has always been a challenge. With that said, Chicago’s Moody Bible Institute has found an innovative solution—using the to the DR-05X Stereo Handheld Digital Audio Recorder and USB Audio Interface from Tascam.
The Drama League Announces Formation of Directors Council Featuring Daniel Banks, Melia Bensussen and More
www.broadwayworld.com: This new Directors Council is composed of award-winning directors and creators from across the country, in theater and its related mediums, who have participated in The Drama League's director-focused programming in the past, and have committed to providing counsel, guidance, and partnership to the organization moving forward.
From Classroom to Stage, COVID-19 Has Profound Impact on Theatre Education According to EdTA Survey
www.broadwayworld.com: From canceled productions to funding cuts, school theatre programs are feeling profound effects from the COVID-19 pandemic according to a newly released survey of theatre teachers across the U.S. by the Educational Theatre Association (EdTA). The survey, "The Impact of COVID-19 on Theatre Education," confirms programs hit hardest by the pandemic face significant risks in the coming years.
How to Network Online: Advice for College Dancers
Dance Magazine: Connecting with an artistic director on LinkedIn. Sliding into a choreographer's Instagram DMs. Tweeting at your favorite dancer. With so many ways to network online, it's hard to know which are most professional and effective. How can students use today's digital tools to build meaningful relationships with the professionals they meet on campus?
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