Rides & Attractions Revealed for Peppa Pig Theme Park

Coaster101: Six rides, six themed playscapes, a water play area and even more oinktastic experiences have been revealed for the World’s First Peppa Pig Theme Park. These all-new attractions will create an unforgettable day of adventure at the new standalone theme park, opening in 2022, just steps away from LEGOLAND® Florida Resort.

COVID-19 Delta variant threatens theater plans

Los Angeles Times: “Delta, Delta, Delta, can I help ya, help ya, help ya?” I think of that old SNL skit about sorority sisters every time I hear the word “Delta,” which, these days, is pretty much all the time. It’s a bizarre bit of cognitive dissonance: something that used to make us hiccup with laughter is also the COVID-19 variant on the rise in L.A. County. Hot vax summer has turned into, as my colleague Tracy Brown tweeted, “hot masks summer,” and as numbers continue to soar, fear is growing among theater groups that audiences will hunker down at home once again.

Preview - Pittsburgh Savoyards' presentation of The Imaginary Invalid

Pittsburgh in the Round: The Pittsburgh Savoyards opened their 84th season on July 22nd with live performances of Molière’s final theatrical work, The Imaginary Invalid, on the outdoor stage at the South Park Theatre.

Black Theater Artists Are Helping Shakespeare Speak To More Diverse Audiences

NPR: Thousands of people will lay down blankets this week and watch Commonwealth Shakespeare Company's annual production in Boston Common, the heart of the city's sacred civic space.

Lollapalooza Covid Protocols Report: What's Happening On The Ground?

consequence.net: When Lollapalooza announced its return to Chicago back in May, it felt like one more positive sign of a return to some kind of post-pandemic normal. Flash forward to this week, and the sentiment around Chicago has become far more ambivalent; stalling COVID-19 vaccination rates and the emergence of the dangerous Delta variant led prominent local music critics to label the festival a potential superspreader event.

Due to variant concern, DC theatergoers still reluctant to return, says new study

DC Metro Theater Arts: Despite increased vaccination rates, concerns over the delta variant may be driving hesitation to return to the theater, according to a new study, posing a challenge for theaters planning to reopen in the fall. Limelight Insights by Shugoll, a national marketing research company in Rockville, Maryland, conducted an online survey with 526 DC-area theatergoers from July 13 to 15, 2021, on their intent to return to theaters. This is the fifth wave of this study for DC that has been tracking these issues since the pandemic began.

Cosplay Central Virtual Competition Gallery At Cosplay Day

Cosplay Central: This year's Cosplay Central Virtual Competition consisted of 58 total contestants from around the world. Premiering on Cosplay Cental's YouTube channel, the competition was hosted by Jaremi Carey and featured judges Alyson Tabbitha, Xephyr Studios, and Bakka Cosplay.

Disney Imagineers on the Creative Process and Behind the Attraction

collider.com: The Disney+ original series Behind the Attraction peels back the curtain to give a glimpse into the magic of Disney Parks, as it explores how Imagineers created, designed, and developed various theme park attractions around the world. Over the course of 10 episodes (five of which are available now, and the remaining five will be out later this year), viewers will get to learn about current and previous attractions, with archival and never-before-seen footage and photographs, and see how they’ve been refined over the years as new ideas arise and technology evolves.

Workshop Tools Are Available In First-Class

Hackaday: Most of dream of having a fully-stocked shop with all of the tools needed to build our projects, at least if we don’t already have such a shop. In the meantime, a lot of us are hacking together our own tools and working on whatever bench space might be available to us.

when robots compose poetry: tetro presents new kinetic sculpture created by collectif scale

www.designboom.com: ‘flux’ is a new light installation designed by collectif scale, which evolves smoothly as music plays. the kinetic project is composed of multiple lines of dynamic light, which twist and turn to form a ‘living’ robotic sculpture. tetro has presented the project at the constellations festival, an international digital art rendezvous, which will be live until the 4th of september 2021 in the city of metz, france.

‘You’re Dying for Your Dream’: Exploited Hollywood Assistants Are at Their Breaking Point and Fighting Back

www.thedailybeast.com: Jayce Jurado is pretty sure she is the only person to make it to Hollywood from where she grew up. The 30-year-old Filipino American hails from Saipan, the largest of the Northern Mariana Islands. Given that Saipan houses only 48,220 people, Jurado is probably right.

Cincinnati Shakespeare Company Welcomes 4 New Leaders

AMERICAN THEATRE: Cincinnati Shakespeare Company (CSC) has announced new leadership team members, including Kate Bindus, production manager; Candice Handy, director of education; Crystian Wiltshire, associate artistic director; and Maddie Regan, who joins the executive leadership team as managing director. This team expansion comes in preparation for the return of CSC’s mainstage season this fall.

5 Important Things a Sound Engineer Must Keep in Mind

SoundGirls.org: Being a sound engineer is difficult sometimes. You have a lot of things to consider when you are planning a live event and you will be the one that takes all the blame if the event is not a success. Sound mixing can be an enjoyable experience, but only if you are prepared to take care of all of the tasks that are required of you during a live event.

Watching the Dance World Return, Without Me

Dance Magazine: Sitting on a quiet South Carolina beach this month, I felt something I hadn't felt in many months: the desire to move. I tried single-leg balances, some basic floorwork, headstands…formerly easy things that I now couldn't quite do. Stunned and emotionally spiraling, I sat in the sand and let it all wash over me; it wasn't until this moment that I finally reflected on what I had lost to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

IATSE Taking Hard Line In Advance Of Next Month’s Film & TV Contract Talks

Deadline: IATSE is talking tough in advance of next month’s resumption of negotiations with management’s Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers for a new film and TV contract, with the union and the leaders of its 13 West Coast studio locals demanding livable wages, shorter workdays and sustainable benefits for their members, as well as an end to discounts that have long been afforded to so-called “New Media” productions.

Mixing a New Musical

SoundGirls.org: Getting any show up and running is hard. Layers upon layers of new information are being added to the piece once the actors move from the rehearsal space to the performance venue, and it’s all happening very quickly. As a show’s A1, I am hard at work preparing my script, generating paperwork, programming the console, and in some cases also working as a hand on the shop build and/or load-in. Design elements are coming together throughout the tech process. Ideas are tried, then retooled, and tried again. However, one thing that usually isn’t changing is the actual script of the show. Not so on new work!

Emilio Sosa Has Been Elected the Chair of the American Theatre Wing

www.broadwayworld.com: Tony Award-nominated Costume and Fashion Designer Emilio Sosa has been elected the Chair of the American Theatre Wing. Having joined the board of the American Theatre Wing in 2015, Mr. Sosa will succeed current co-chairs David Henry Hwang and Ted Chapin. Both Mr. Hwang and Mr. Chapin will maintain active roles for the Wing as they take on responsibilities as its Immediate Past Chairs.

97 percent of companies want to continue participating in trade fairs

LightSoundJournal.com: 97 percent of companies want to continue participating in trade fairs That was the finding of the second round of Messe Frankfurt’s customer survey. Known as the Customer Care Campaign (CCC), the survey was first conducted in autumn 2020 and then repeated in spring 2021.

Theatre Leadership Project Announces Company Management Program

Playbill: The Theatre Leadership Project has announced a new program that will provide on-the-job training, mentorship opportunities, and financial support to up to five BIPOC company managers and assistant company managers. The program is designed for company managers and assistants currently working on Broadway shows, particularly as the industry is starting up again.

Live theatre can boost empathy and pro-social behavior, according to new research

www.psypost.org: Watching a live theatre production can increase empathy for the groups depicted in the plays and may even result in real changes in charitable behavior, according to new research published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. The findings shed light on how the consumption of fictional narratives can alter people’s socio-political beliefs and their behavior towards others.

New Alvin Ailey documentary offers a fuler view of the modern dance pioneer

The Washington Post: The documentary “Ailey,” opening nationwide in theaters Aug. 6, is a long-overdue portrait of the modern dance pioneer. Alvin Ailey died in 1989 at age 58, but, significantly, much of the Insignia Films documentary was filmed in 2018 at a New York dance studio near a street named Alvin Ailey Place. As we watch a new generation of Ailey dancers taking direction from hip-hop choreographer Rennie Harris, it’s as though Ailey never really left; he and his company have always evolved to meet the times.

What Is Queerbaiting? Is it Homophobic?

Rolling Stone: In June 2021, pop singer Billie Eilish put out the music video to her newly released single, “Lost Cause.” The video features Eilish at a sleepover with a handful of her girl friends. As a promotion for the video, she posted a set of photos of behind-the-scenes moments with the caption: “I love girls.” Soon after, her comments were flooded with questions about whether or not she was coming out.

Marshall turns volume to 11 with new recording studio

LightSoundJournal.com: Legendary amp-maker Marshall has built a world-class recording studio next to their Milton Keynes factory in the UK. “This has been a passion project for the Marshall crew,” said commercial director Alex Coombes, “our ambition was to build a versatile and flexible commercial multimedia facility to serve the modern entertainment market, and at the same time to promote young talent and give something back to the artist and producer community.”

Costume designer Emilio Sosa elected chair of the American Theatre Wing

Broadway News: Broadway costume and fashion designer Emilio Sosa has been elected chair of the American Theatre Wing. Sosa will succeed David Henry Hwang and Ted Chapin, who will continue to be active within the Wing as immediate past chairs. He is joined by newly appointed vice-chairs Dale Cendali, Patricia Crown, James Higgins, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Lee Perlman and Nadine Wong.

With three new musicals, Washington reemerges as major Broadway tryout town

The Washington Post: When the producers of the immersive musical “KPOP” surveyed the map for a city in which to prep for a leap to Broadway, they put a pin in Washington. When the producers of a new musical with a Britney Spears songbook, “Once Upon a One More Time,” went on a similar search, they homed in on the same city. And when the producers of “A Strange Loop” were seeking an out-of-town venue for their Pulitzer Prize-winning musical, they found their way to a stage in the nation’s capital, too.

Steppenwolf names co-artistic directors to replace Anna D. Shapiro

Chicago Sun-Times: A new day will soon dawn at Steppenwolf Theatre Company. The Tony Award-winning Chicago company on Thursday announced the appointment of co-artistic directors — Glenn Davis and Audrey Francis — marking the first time in Steppenwolf’s history that the job will be shared by two individuals, and the first time that a person of color will helm the troupe.

The Rockettes Return to Radio City in the CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR This November

www.broadwayworld.com: The Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes is back this holiday season with performances at Radio City Music Hall from November 5, 2021 to January 2, 2022. The Christmas Spectacular - seen by more than 69 million people since it debuted in 1933 - is a one-of-a-kind tradition where the magic of Christmas in New York comes alive.

The Evolution of the Asian Heroine in Hollywood

Nerdist: Hollywood hasn’t been easy on representation for Asian Americans. Just five years ago, the Oscars made Asians a punchline with three Asian children dressed as PricewaterhouseCoopers accountants. (The awards show mocked them with the stereotype of being good at math and building iPhones.) Only recently have there been major strides to increase Asian representation in films and television.

Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience Coming to the UK

collider.com: Harry Potter fans, your time to enter the Forbidden Forest is now! Warner Bros. Themed Entertainment is set to open Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience on the grounds of Arley Hall & Gardens in Cheshire, UK. Opening this fall, the experience will take fans through JK Rowling’s Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts.

Giant projection structure collapses, second rapper arrested ahead of Rolling Loud music festival

www.local10.com: A giant video wall collapsed at Hard Rock Stadium and a rapper who was scheduled to perform was arrested — one day before the start of this weekend’s Rolling Loud music festival in Miami Gardens.

California's increased funding for the arts called 'historic,' 'bold' and 'unprecedented'

Datebook: When Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the 2021-22 state budget on July 12, the arts, culture and live events industries got $616 million — a figure that, according to many longtime arts advocates, could herald a new era in how the state supports the arts.

Actors' Equity forecasts change with opened membership program

Broadway News: Several hundred potential members expressed an interest in joining Actors’ Equity Wednesday, hours after the union opened up eligibility to all professional actors and stage managers in the U.S. The changes to eligibility are part of a two-year pilot program in which the union will allow any actors or stage managers who are paid for work in those roles to become members.

The Cleverest Way to Make a Clamp When You Don't Have One

lifehacker.com: Clamps are an important tool for temporarily securing wood together during carpentry, woodworking, furniture making, and other projects—and there are as many different types of clamps as there are uses. fusing pieces of wood together and making a strong bond. If you don’t have the right clamp for the job, though, there is one alternative you can try to secure your wood.

'Woodstock '99' Documentary Review, Now Streaming on HBO

Rolling Stone: Woodstock ’99 was supposed to be sex, drugs, and rock & roll. Instead, what we got was three days of mob violence, sewage spills, and Jamiroquai. If you weren’t there, congratulate yourself on at least one shrewd life decision. (If only the decision not to be born yet.) If you went, prepare for some nasty flashbacks in the new HBO doc on the infamous festival, Woodstock 99: Peace, Love, and Rage.

Hair ties and no heels: The evolution of female superhero costumes is finally here

EW.com: When Birds of Prey exploded into theaters in a frenetic, neon-colored glitter bomb in January 2020, Margot Robbie's R-rated Harley Quinn solo film dazzled audiences with its DGAF attitude and unapologetic femininity. But there was one seemingly throwaway moment that shocked fans in the best way: In the midst of the film's climactic third-act fight scene, Harley noticed that her comrade-in-arms Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell) was struggling with her long hair flying everywhere during the pivotal battle, so Harley simply offered her a hair tie.

Theatres accuse UK government of breaking Covid-19 insurance promise

Theatre | The Guardian: Theatre unions and trade bodies claim the UK government has “let down a vital industry” by failing to back a Covid-19 insurance scheme to help their beleaguered sector.

How to Pitch Yourself to a Prospective Employer

lifehacker.com: I only got my two most impactful jobs, each of which opened a number of other opportunities, because I contacted the right person at the right time. One job was at a genetics lab, and the other was a science writing position, and neither was previously advertised; I got them both after sending out lots and lots of emails to lots and lots of people explaining who I was and why I wanted to work for them.

Disney’s Hall of Presidents Reveals President Joe Biden Animatronic

collider.com: Walt Disney World has shared a first look at the President Joe Biden animatronic figure that has been added to The Hall of Presidents. The attraction closed for refurbishments the day before Biden’s inauguration and is expected to reopen in August.

National Endowment for the Arts Announces New Biden-Harris Appointees

National Endowment for the Arts: The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) today announced the appointment of Diane Dewhirst, senior deputy chairperson, and Hannah Schwartz, director of strategic priorities and projects, as political appointees for the Biden-Harris Administration at the agency.

Williamstown Theatre Festival sound crew walks out on 'Row'

Los Angeles Times: The musical “Row” recounts how Tori Murden McClure became the first woman to row solo across the Atlantic. Because numerous scenes take place in the ocean, the world-premiere production is being staged at the Clark Art Institute’s reflecting pool, a picturesque Massachusetts setting that both evokes the story and meets the COVID-19 guidelines of Williamstown Theatre Festival’s outdoor season. The show, from composer-lyricist Dawn Landes and book writer Daniel Goldstein, “exposes you to the elements endured by an extraordinary woman undeterred by the odds,” its program reads.

What if steel prices don’t return to “normal”?

www.thefabricator.com: If you have been keeping a close watch out for the inevitable fall in steel prices, you’ve probably heard this phrase quite often in recent weeks: “Look what happened in lumber.” In case you’ve been living under a rock (or tree), lumber prices fell by more than 40% in June, their biggest monthly drop on record. What if steel prices fell by the same amount over the same period? Steel Market Update’s hot-rolled coil (HRC) prices stood at $1,770/ton ($88.50/cwt) as of July 9. A similarly rapid descent in steel would mean $1,060/ton ($53/cwt) HRC.

3 factors will keep lumber prices elevated despite a multi-week decline, an economist says

markets.businessinsider.com: Prices for lumber futures have dipped to their lowest in seven months after a record-breaking run since the middle of 2021. The price of the red-hot commodity traded at $524.70 per thousand board feet as of Monday at 12:40 p.m. ET, roughly 68% lower from its May 7 peak of $1,670 per thousand board feet.

Disneyland Revamps Problematic Jungle Cruise Ride

The Mary Sue: Parkgoers at Disneyland and Disneyworld have long criticized the popular Jungle Cruise ride for its racist and offensive depictions of Indigenous people. And now, nearly 66 years after Disneyland’s inaugural opening day in 1955, the legacy ride has finally been revamped. It’s been a long battle for Disney fans, as Jungle Cruise has been one of the park’s oldest and most enduring experiences. But the combination of culture shifts and a new movie inspired by the ride have pushed the park into the future.

Andrew Lloyd Webber Closes London ‘Cinderella’ Musical Due To Covid-19

Deadline: Andrew Lloyd Webber has announced the indefinite closure of his new West End musical Cinderella a day before its official opening due to what the composer angrily called “the blunt instrument that is the Government’s isolation guidance” regarding Covid-19.

Disney Is Moving 2000 Jobs To Central Florida In An Unprecedented Uprooting

www.forbes.com: The Walt Disney Company recently announced it would be moving 2,000 jobs to the central Florida neighborhood of Lake Nona. The move comes as both Walt Disney World and Disneyland have reopened and have continued to increase capacity at their respective theme parks. With the reopenings comes the lure of Walt Disney World’s 50th anniversary celebrations starting October 1, and the debut of the all new Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure.

Tokyo wakes up to a sky-high floating head staring back at them

Boing Boing: People in Tokyo woke up Friday morning to find a giant black-and-white face staring back at them from above the trees in the city's popular Yoyogi Park.

As New York Reopens, It Looks for Culture to Lead the Way

The Seattle Times: Broadway is planning to start performances of at least three dozen shows before the end of the year, but producers do not know if there will be enough tourists — who typically make up two-thirds of the audience — to support all of them.

Prime Stage Theatre to return to in-person plays for its 25th season starting this fall

Theater | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh City Paper: Prime Stage Theatre went beyond traditional theater during the pandemic, featuring one-actor plays live-streamed from as far away as Rwanda and South Africa. For its 25th anniversary season, the Pittsburgh theater company will go Beyond the Imagination as it returns to New Hazlett Theater in the North Side.

Broadway’s ‘Pass Over’ To Require Proof Of Audience Covid Vaccinations

Deadline: Though Broadway as an industry has yet to definitively rule on whether Covid vaccinations will be required of audience members this fall, a second production – Lincoln Center Theater’s production of Pass Over at the Jujamcyn-owned August Wilson Theatre – has announced that the policy will be enforced when the play begins previews next month.

Ford and Mellon Foundations Expand Initiative for Disabled Artists

The New York Times: The Disability Futures initiative, a fellowship established by the Ford and Andrew W. Mellon Foundations last fall to support disabled artists, is expanding. The foundations announced on Friday that they will commit an additional $5 million to support the initiative through 2025, which will include support for two more cohorts of 20 fellows.

Covid Surge Shuts Down West End Shows

The New York Times: The cast and crew of “Seven Methods of Killing Kylie Jenner,” an experimental play at the Royal Court, were just two weeks into their run when they received some bad news: One member of the company had tested positive for the coronavirus, and everyone had to quarantine.

Opera Returns To Open-Air Desert Theater With Diverse Cast

Pollstar: An open-air theater surrounded by high desert vistas, the Santa Fe Opera is known as the place to watch the sun set while taking in a performance. With a deadly respiratory virus still on the loose, the opera is one of the safest venues for large crowds and singers who are known for the strongest projection of sound in the music world.

Settlers and Indians

Intermission: It was summer of 1982, and my parents had enrolled me in Camp Cabot, a day camp run by the St. John’s YMCA. Every morning I, along with the sixty other campers and a dozen teenage counsellors, travelled on rickety school buses to reach the campsite, a vast, wooded area a few kilometres outside the city. I was ten years old, and I was not the outdoors type. I was also not the kind of child who delighted in games of that era like Duck Duck Goose, which we played at camp. I imagine that like many people, I would rather forget such games. However, there was one game we played called Settlers and Indians. That one’s worth remembering.

Christian Youth Theater Chicago staffers resign over new policy, say it hurts LGBTQ+ kids

Chicago Sun-Times: At least two employees of a Christian-oriented suburban theater company have resigned in recent weeks, citing its policy toward LGBTQ+ students. The exits from Cary-based Christian Youth Theater Chicago, which offers workshops and puts on shows starring students ages 6-18, were prompted by a document issued by CYT Chicago’s board aligning itself with “traditional beliefs of God, the Bible, sexuality, marriage, human identity and gender.”

The Only 'New' Thing About Cross-Cultural Casting Is Who's Getting The Roles

NPR: From the debates and the hype on social media about unconventional casting choices lately, you might think the world was about to spin off its axis. If Slumdog Millionaire star Dev Patel takes a seat at the Round Table in The Green Knight, does that mean King Arthur recruited knights of Indian descent in the 12th century?

Ridgid Stackable Tool Box System

Pro Tool Reviews: Ridgid has long been known for its high-value mobile tool box storage system and they continue to expand with even more versatile options. Beyond the base Ridgid stackable tool box 3-piece set, the line has a lot to offer folks needing to transport tools and gear. You have everything from open-top boxes to organizers and separate rolling totes.

Prolight + Sound 2022: Sustainable showcase of the future to be crowned by an expert jury at „Green Event Space Contest”

LightSoundJournal.com: Acting sustainably – and, at the same time, creating impressive presentations. With the “Green Event Space Contest”, Prolight + Sound aims to prove that these goals are not mutually exclusive. The search is on for a detailed concept for the multifunctional and sustainable showcase of the future that combines an exhibition area and an event stage while helping to preserve natural resources.

Luca, Disney and queerbaiting in animation

theconversation.com: Back in June, Disney released Pixar’s latest feature film, Luca. Set in the fictional seaside town of Portorosso, Luca is a story of adventure, escape, difference and found family. It’s also, according to many, a narrative about a gay relationship – even if the film itself stops short of confirming that.

Did You Know – Not All Seats Are Created Equal

ASTC: For those folks who have never laid out an auditorium seating plan, or for those who do not carry a tape measure when attending a performance, this thought may have never crossed your mind.

Metalworking Ideas For Today's Job Shop

Modern Applications News: On the surface, changing from a vertical machining center (VMC) to a horizontal machining center (HMC) is straightforward. The axes may have different names, but the basics of machining remain the same. You're still operating a CNC machine with familiar controls and end mills. But while the concept is easy to understand, it can be challenging to master.

Sporting Fashion: Outdoor Girls 1800 to 1960 serves looks galore at Frick Art Museum

Visual Art | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh City Paper: Before even entering the gallery for Sporting Fashion: Outdoor Girls 1800 to 1960, the latest exhibition at the Frick Art Museum, I'm met with possibly the most badass looking mannequin I've ever seen. Posed confidently next to a vintage Harley-Davidson motorcycle, the model cuts quite a figure in tall black leather boots and jodhpurs, flared-cuff gloves, and a striking red fuzzy sweater cinched by a wide belt. "Take me away, leather biker mommy," I thought as I gazed longingly.

California Theaters, Facing a Shaky Future, to Get $50 Million in Aid

The New York Times: California’s beleaguered network of small, nonprofit theaters will receive a $50 million one-time subsidy under a $262 billion California state budget agreement signed this week by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

RCF ART 9 Series Makes a Giant Leap Forward in Audio Technology

LightSoundJournal.com: ART 9 sets a new standard in professional audio with its innovative electroacoustic design and extreme versatility, delivering stellar performance in a rugged, tour-ready cabinet. ART 9 is a reliable audio solution that can be used as the main sound system, fill speaker, or stage monitor.

Diversity, firsts and more facts from Emmy nominations

Las Vegas Sun Newspaper: Mj Rodriguez of “ Pose," nominated for best actress in a drama, breaks ground as the first trans woman to be nominated in a lead acting category. She's the third trans person overall to be nominated, after Laverne Cox’s 2014 guest drama actress nod for “Orange is the New Black” and Rain Valdez’s 2020 nomination for short form comedy or drama actress for “Razor Tongue.”

No infections recorded at Pohoda on the Ground

IQ Magazine: Slovakia’s Pohoda on the Ground did not record a single positive Covid-19 result throughout the “extraordinary” five days it took place, according to organisers. The festival mini-series took place between 7–11 July 2021 at Trenčín Airport in western Slovakia instead of the flagship event, which was cancelled for a second consecutive year.

South Side transported to 1940s for filming of ‘A League of Their Own’

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Even for a Monday afternoon, East Carson Street was eerily quiet. The usually bustling thoroughfare was almost devoid of cars — except for World War II-era vehicles behind caution tape. Filming kicked off Monday on the South Side for “A League of Their Own,” Amazon Prime Video’s television adaptation of the 1992 movie about the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League that operated from 1943 to 1954.

Researchers Develop Fabric-friendly Sensors

www.cmu.edu/news: Sensors are part of modern-day technology. From contactless payment to key fobs, credit card chips to smart devices, near-field communication (NFC) allows for humans to communicate with objects. But what if we could use this technology so that everyday objects, like a pillow or a shoe, could sense and interact with us?

Even With Cardboard Beds And Recycled Medals, Olympics Take Flak Over The Environment

NPR: The Olympic medals use precious metal extracted from used electronics. Athletes sleep on cardboard beds. The podiums are recycled plastic. Even the Olympic torch has aluminum that was recycled from the temporary housing used after Japan's Fukushima disaster.

"Godspell" Celebrates 50 Years of Performances

www.cmu.edu/news: It was 1971, and the world needed some good news. The United States was almost six years into the Vietnam War, Charles Manson was sentenced for leading a murderous spree on the West Coast, and Marvin Gaye released "What's Going On?" about police brutality. One bright spot was the opening of Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, but few had traveled south to what would become one of the world's most famous vacation spots.

Overworked, Underpaid, Unheard: Chicago Theatre Freelancers Speak Out

AMERICAN THEATRE: In the span of two weeks in late May and April, Chicago theatre’s mythologized Steppenwolf Theatre Company seemed to be a site of contestation in the battle against inequity and for change in the American theatre. In late April, video content producer and busy Chicago freelancer Lowell Thomas II, resigned from Steppenwolf with an Instagram essay, citing personal experiences and calling for divestment due to the company’s burying of “claims of harassment, racism, and sexism to avoid accountability and real change.” A week later, artistic director Anna D. Shapiro, whom Thomas had called out by name in his resignation, announced her plans to step down from the company at the end of her contract in August 2021.

‘It’s like the Batcave’: Victorian ice factory in Grimsby to be transformed into a theatre

Heritage | The Guardian: Grimsby resident Graeme Bassett admits he used to be “dubious” about whether it was worth trying to save the town’s ice factory, a derelict Victorian building on the docks. But then he looked inside.

These drama students trained for years. Then theater vanished.

The Seattle Times: Things got real the night the drama students reached Atlanta. Truth be told, they should have seen it coming. There were the news reports. And the cancellations. And a bunch of them felt sick. But still, this was showcase, a night they had prepped for all year. A night they would finally get to perform for agents and managers and casting directors, who might then agree to represent them or invite them to an audition. A night that could set them up for success. Or not.

Broadway's Fall Season Filled With New Works By Black Playwrights

NPR: Broadway is back, and its 2021 new play lineup is brimming with shows by Black writers. Through the end of the year, new and returning shows are scheduled to hit Broadway stages after theaters closed for a year and a half due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A nude staging of Antigone is coming to Prospect Park this summer

www.timeout.com/newyork: Theater buffs will soon get a chance to see a classic Greek tragedy staged in the buff. The body-positive company Torn Out Theater has raised eyebrows in Prospect Park in past summers with nude outdoor productions of Shakespeare

ID&T to sue Dutch gov over "disproportionate" restrictions

IQ Magazine: ID&T, the promoter behind festivals including Mysteryland and Awakenings, has announced it is taking the Dutch government to court over new Covid restrictions, which have been reimposed just weeks after they were lifted.

Love Island: how women with 'fake' faces have been belittled throughout history

theconversation.com: After a recent episode of the British dating reality show Love Island, Twitter buzzed with the word “fake”. In a challenge designed to test the couples’ knowledge of each other, the islanders were quizzed on everything from their partner’s favourite sex positions and turn-ons and turn-offs to which cosmetic procedures they had undergone.

Michael Berger Lights Boston Pops July 4th Spectacular With Over 270 CHAUVET Professional Fixtures

LimeLight Wired: As the Times Square ball drop is for New Year’s Eve, and The Tournament of Roses Parade for New Year’s Day, the Boston Pops July 4th Spectacular has become an indelible part of Independence Day celebrations across the USA. Even a temporary change of venue couldn’t diminish the power of this association.

Meyer Sound Returns to Support a Reimagined Montreux Jazz Festival

LightSoundJournal.com: The Montreux Jazz Festival launches its 55th edition from July 2–17, with Meyer Sound returning for its 35th year as a Strategic Partner and Official Sound Provider. Although scaled back with fewer venues and lower capacities to meet local health and safety guidelines, the legendary Swiss festival nevertheless promises a new audience experience as the principal venue moves outdoors to the scenic shoreline of Lake Geneva.

Las Vegas multimedia artist Brett Bolton builds dazzling concert visuals for some of music’s biggest stars

Las Vegas Weekly: One of the walls of the Downtown cocktail lounge Velveteen Rabbit was damaged in an electrical fire years before the bar’s 2013 opening, and owners Christina and Pamela Dylag decided to preserve its scorched beauty with a coat of protective lacquer and a piece of projected, constantly-changing digital art, courtesy of Bolton. When you cast a shadow on Velveteen’s burnt wall, the wall plays with it; the negative space around your outline breaks into woozy, geometric ripples. The burn marks on the wall act as rocks would, diverting those waves in new directions.

Into Omega Mart: The wild and eccentric world of Las Vegas' Meow Wolf outpost

Las Vegas Sun Newspaper: Putting your finger on Meow Wolf’s Omega Mart is nearly impossible. It’s a transportive, maximalist art installation, rooted in the foundation of a dense, explorative narrative. It’s a place to play and a place to study. It’s the anchor experience at Area15 and Meow Wolf’s largest installation to date, totaling 52,000 square feet.

Flex 24V Brushless Oscillating Multi-Tool Review

Pro Tool Reviews: Flex may be fairly new as a power tool brand compared to other brands, but the team behind it has been making quality power tools for a long time. Their knowledge and talent is evident with the Flex 24V brushless oscillating multi-tool as it brings several impressive technologies together.

‘Life is never what you expect!’ Deborah Warner on theatre, nature and new parenthood

Theatre | The Guardian: A flicker on the screen and a shadow resembling Deborah Warner is there. Then she’s gone. “Sorry, I’m not really set up!” she bellows. “I’m putting you on some books!” The camera judders and Warner reappears, bathed in light. A director to the last.

Processing the Pandemic at the Manchester International Festival

The New York Times: “Your City, Your Festival.” The slogan is emblazoned on the 2,000-odd posters strung up around the city center here, above pictures of ethnically diverse faces of various genders and ages. That would be the Manchester International Festival, which, against considerable odds, in a region of England particularly affected by the pandemic, opened on schedule on July 1. (It runs through July 18.)

Met Opera and IATSE Local One Reach Tentative Agreement Ending Lockout; Workers To Return To Opera House July 7

www.broadwayworld.com: After nearly round-the-clock negotiations at the end of June that lasted into the July 4th holiday weekend, negotiators for the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local One and the Metropolitan Opera reached a tentative agreement for a new contract.

Breaking The Burger Code: LA’s ‘Codename Burg3r’ Gamifies Dinner (Review)

by Juliet Bennett Rylah | Jul, 2021 | No Proscenium: When you play things before the general public, you often get a slightly different version. And sometimes that version will be a little buggy and you just have to roll with it. So, to be totally transparent, that was the case for me with Codename Burger. While I did end up figuring out how the game would go if it all went off without a hitch, that was not my experience and I’ll note that in this review where applicable.

Sound Designer Ryan Hickey: Listening as an Art Form

National Endowment for the Arts: While sound has always been an integral part of theater, sound design is relatively new as a distinct craft. And just to complicate things, sound designers often wear two hats. For “straight” plays, they work with the director to create the right sound for the play—which can mean content building, such as composing incidental music, creating sound effects and sound beds.

What Audacity's Privacy Policy Update Actually Means

gizmodo.com: Ever since Audacity was acquired by tech conglomerate Muse Group in late April, fans of the free-to-use audio tool have been raising hell about some of the changes made to the software. First came plans to add telemetry capture. Then came a new contributor license agreement. Then last week came a privacy policy update that some Audacity die-hards say turns the software into “spyware.” But Audacity isn’t “spyware”—if only because virtually every app we use is some form of spyware these days.

The Tomorrow War: How the Terrifying Aliens Were Created

Variety: Visual effects supervisor James Price and creature designer Ken Barthelmey worked together to bring the menace to life. Price, who has worked for over 27 years in VFX including providing shots for “Robocop” and “Pacific Rim,” said developing the look of the White Spikes was their biggest challenge. The other challenge was to make sure the creature appeared real, while “designing something that was fresh and new.”

“Too Fat to Be Loved:” The Dark Truth of Fatphobia in Youth Theatre

OnStage Blog: When I asked actors to anonymously disclose their experience of fatphobia in youth theatre, it was painful to read – not just because of the abuse that they suffered, but because I know they expected better. Shows like Glee and High School Musical the Musical: the Series preach a world where theatre is a safe space for all, especially in educational contexts. Young people use this art form to escape parents who don’t understand, bullies, heartache – and often, even worse. To be hurt by your own cuts so deep.

Pittsburgh CLO scores a touchdown with 75th anniversary celebration at Heinz Field

Theater | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh City Paper: The Pittsburgh CLO is coming back after a year of being in the dark due to the pandemic, but not to where many might expect. Instead of the Benedum Center in Downtown Pittsburgh, the theater company is making an unprecedented return at the home of the Pittsburgh Steelers, trading in football helmets and black-and-gold jerseys for a witch’s hat and a yellow brick road to debut their 2021 summer season opener, The Wizard of Oz, at Heinz Field.

A Call to Diversify Theater Stage Managers

The New York Times: Perhaps the hardest-working people in theater, stage managers oversee all aspects of a production. They work closely with the director to mark down every piece of staging — from where the actors and sets are placed, to the sound and lighting cues. During “tech week,” when a show loads into a theater, they run the rehearsal process to ensure that technical aspects of a production flow smoothly before opening night.

'I don't own that job': Rethinking the theater scene's long tenures and limited opportunities

Datebook: Earlier this year, David Dower ran off with the circus. But when asked why he left Boston theater company ArtsEmerson to serve as executive director of new San Francisco circus company Club Fugazi Experiences, he said that leaps and tumbles and flips were only part of the answer.

PLSG2021: Post Show Report and Interviews

LightSoundJournal.com: This year’s Prolight + Sound Guangzhou (PLSG) concluded its largest edition with a record breaking increase in visitors and exhibitors. Held from 16 – 19 May in Areas A & B of the China Import and Export Fair Complex, 82,740 visitors and industry peers were happy to once again gather at the physical fair to make face-to-face business connections and discover the latest products and innovations in 15 thematic halls and three newly introduced “Immersive Experience Zones”.

Actors' Equity Association Releases Updated COVID Safety Protocols

www.broadwayworld.com: Actors' Equity Association has updated its safety protocols for theatres across the country with fully vaccinated companies, including the lifting of masking and testing mandates.

Hotline Ring returns to raise relief funds for Pittsburgh arts organizations

Arts + Entertainment | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh City Paper: Last year, many initiatives popped up to help organizations survive the pandemic, especially for those in the arts and entertainment industries. Hotline Ring, a local collective born out of the pandemic and organized by Kelly Strayhorn Theater, is back for a second year to support seven arts organizations led by or supporting those in the community who are queer, Black, and people of color.

Restarting Our Machine

Technicians for Change: I am a staff member at a local roadhouse and my theater will have been idle for 13 months by the time I walk back into it. That’s a whole year of deferred maintenance my colleagues and I need to catch up on plus new items we didn’t know about because, well, we’ve been away.

The Benefits of Mindfulness for Theatre Technicians

Technicians for Change: Every production meeting has a presence. It is an energy created by each person in attendance, felt by all, and it sets the tone for the entire process to come. We’ve all been in the room with that one team that just clicked; you enter the space, and everyone is on the same wavelength. Successes are team successes, and, when you reach an impasse, everyone works together to move past it, no matter the department. On the other hand, we’ve all entered that same first meeting and experienced the opposite: you walk in and feel the negative energy. Your defenses go up automatically, and you arm yourself before you even know what is coming.

Which Do You Want to Be: Independent Contractor or Employee?

Technicians for Change: I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve heard people claim that they make more money as an independent contractor than as an employee, so it’s better to be an independent contractor, full stop. Similarly, I don’t know how many times I’ve heard people incorrectly state what their rights or protections are. It’s understandable that people get confused by this topic– in fact, there are actually 3 separate entities who dictate what it means to be an independent contractor, and each determines different benefits and responsibilities!

What is Material Sustainability Within Theatre?

Technicians for Change: How many shows have we been a part of where everything just ends up in the trash? Theatre is often called a disposable artform, because most of it usually ends up in the trash after a show is closed. As a scenery and props designer, I deal with the materiality of a production, creating the physical world that actors activate. I’ve always tried to incorporate sustainable elements into my design.

Health and safety in the workplaces–what can OSHA do for you?

Technicians for Change: I used to work as a technician in the performing arts. I was primarily a scenic artist, but also dabbled in props, scenic carpentry, general stage operations, electrics, and stage management. After the 2008 recession eliminated my job prospects for (at the time) the foreseeable future, I went to graduate school for health and safety and became an industrial hygienist. Now I work at a contract development and manufacturing organization that specializes in finding novel ways to get medicines to the right places in people’s bodies as efficiently as possible.

Coming Soon: Peabody Awards for Interactive Storytelling

No Proscenium: For those who don’t: for over 80 years the Peabody Awards have been a coveted mark of excellence across the fields of television, radio, and digital media putting the spotlight on “Stories That Matter,” as the Award’s motto has it. Fiction and non-fiction work alike is recognized by the Peabody Board of Jurors, and the unanimous vote standard means the quality bar is set high.

How YouTube Theater’s Opening Is Inspiring A New Creator Economy

www.forbes.com: YouTube is making bold moves as the entertainment industry resumes live music and events. This week the company announced a first naming rights agreement with Hollywood Park sports and entertainment venue that will name the 300-acre, 6,000-seat destination YouTube Theater.

The Best iPad Drawing Apps (That Aren't Adobe Fresco)

lifehacker.com: Adobe recently announced Photoshop Sketch and Illustrator Draw, two great free drawing apps available on iPad, will be removed from the Apple App Store (and Google Play) on July 19. Luckily, the apps are getting a free replacement in Adobe Fresco, which combines the features of Photoshop Sketch and Illustrator Draw into a single app—but there might be a better choice for you out there, and it’s the perfect time to find out.

FUSION by GLP announces weatherproof FUSION Stick FS16 Z with new Halo-Diffuser ring

LightSoundJournal.com: Lines of light are a popular and versatile design element for stage and TV shows. However, most of the solutions available do not meet modern design and camera requirements. With the FUSION Stick FS16 Z, FUSION by GLP is now introducing a contemporary LED stick in a weatherproof (IP65) design.

Broadway Hit Hamilton Could Get Up to $50 Million Federal Bailout

Reason.com: Broadway mega-hit Hamilton will receive at least $30 million and possibly as much as $50 million in federal bailout funds, The New York Times reported Wednesday, despite its status as one of the most successful and profitable musicals in American history. The funds are being delivered through the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) program, a $15 billion portion of the $900 billion COVID relief bill passed by Congress last December.