Black Theatre United, Theater Industry Leaders Outline Widespread, Historic Reform Agreement In “New Deal For Broadway”

Pittsburgh in the Round: Black Theatre United, the nonprofit advocacy organization that’s taken a leading role in the move for greater equity, diversity and inclusion on Broadway, has released a comprehensive, industry-wide agreement on wide-scale reform that includes increased training, expanded casting efforts, the naming of theaters for Black artists and a pledge for producers to “never assemble an all-white creative team on a production again, regardless of the subject matter of the show.”

Outline’s Newton - Don’t Leave Home Without It

LightSoundJournal.com: Based near Liverpool, Joe Baker not only runs Sound Access Events, his full-service production support company, but also engineers on a freelance basis for corporate AV and live music events.

Retrofit Update

Actors' Equity Association: On Wednesday, July 28, the Diversity & Inclusion Department of Actors' Equity Association provided members and update on its Diversity & Inclusion Retrofit of the organization.

These Cincinnati Arts Organizations and Venues Will Require Audience Masks and Vaccinations or Negative COVID-19 Test

Cincinnati Theatre News: In order to ensure that the show(s) can go on, Cincinnati arts organizations and venues have banded together to present uniform COVID-19 precautions going into the fall season.

3D-printed construction hits the mainstream with Icon's Texas homes

newatlas.com: As 3D printing has matured from niche hobby to mainstream building technique over the past few years, Icon has positioned itself as a major player in the field. Shortly after unveiling plans to print a simulated Mars base with NASA and the Bjarke Ingels Group, the firm has now put the finishing touches to a development of 3D-printed homes in East Austin, Texas.

Best Fashion Business Card Templates With Creative Designs 2021

business.tutsplus.com: Looking for fashion business cards? Need some business card ideas for fashion designers? Whether you're a designer looking to network or you're working on clothing brand business cards for your business, there's plenty of inspiration in this article.

Concert venues are banking on proof of vaccines or negative tests to woo back fans

Salon.com: Fans of the band Wilco could have reasonably interpreted frontman Jeff Tweedy singing "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart" at an Aug. 13 concert at St. Louis Music Park as the universe explaining the past year or so.

Behind Hollywood glamour, an Instagram account highlights darker side for workers

www.msn.com: Last month, Ben Gottlieb, a 27-year-old set lighting technician, wanted to show his support for his union's campaign to improve working conditions on film sets so he wrote an Instagram post calling for an end to 12- to 14-hour shifts.

With set stuck on a cargo ship, LA Opera builds a new one

spectrumnews1.com: In opera the stakes are usually high, but as the LA Opera prepares for their first in-person, fully-staged production since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, things have reached a crescendo. Inside, outside, upstairs and downstairs, crews are working feverishly all over the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion with an assembly line moving prestissimo to meet an unexpected deadline. It’s a symphony of construction sounds that is music to technical director Jeff Kleeman’s ears.

New Actors' Equity Association policy shows how much society fails Bay Area actors

Datebook: In July, the union Actors’ Equity Association surprised the theater industry, including many of its own members, with a new “Open Access” policy. Effective immediately, it said, any actor or stage manager who has been paid for any gig could join — no matter the theater company, no matter how meager the wage or honorarium.

San Diego native Karen Ann Daniels tapped to lead Folger Theatre in Washington, D.C.

The San Diego Union-Tribune: San Diego native Karen Ann Daniels has always loved theater, Shakespeare and museums, and she’s long had a fascination with the nation’s capital city. So her recent appointment as director of programming at Folger Shakespeare Library and artistic director of Folger Theatre in Washington, D.C., feels like a snug fit.

From Urban Bush Women to Robots: Meet Grisha Coleman

Dance Magazine: I first ran into Grisha Coleman in Dayton, Ohio, some 20 years ago, when she was touring with the Urban Bush Women. Even within a company of brilliant dancers, she was a technically inimitable, radiant performer.

Sahara Las Vegas comes alive with new entertainment options

Las Vegas Sun Newspaper: The legendary Las Vegas Strip casino resort first opened in 1952, changed ownership several times as places like this usually do, went through a challenging period as SLS Las Vegas from 2014 to 2019, and returned to its original name two years ago after the Meruelo Group purchased it in 2017.

3D Printering: Is Hassle-Free Bed Leveling Finally Here?

Hackaday: 3D printers have come a long way over the past several years, but the process of bed leveling remains a pain point. Let’s take a look at the different ways the problem has been tackled, and whether recent developments have succeeded in automating away the hassle.

Gae Aulenti

Women in Lighting: Lighting Design is a multi-faceted discipline in a sense that designing a lighting product is as significant as designing spaces with light. With a small experiment by Humphry Davy to develop an electric bulb to the modern-day LEDs, the evolution of lamp design is quite interesting to look at. The history of design in general can be traced back from the evolution of lamp design with different shapes, materials & styles.

Subway Serves Up a Giant Floating Submarine Sandwich

Nerdist: A submarine, also known as a hoagie, hero, or grinder, is a perfect food. It’s a mini loaf of bread you can fill with a seemingly endless number of options to satiate your own tastes. Whether you desire Italian cold cuts or a mini Thanksgiving feast, it can deliver what you desire. In an easy to hold meal you can consume by yourself, or share/split (so you can try two different ones). Like I said, perfect. The only way to improve a sub is to make it bigger.

Oprah helps launch ‘This Is Broadway’ campaign

DC Metro Theater Arts: As theaters begin to reopen following the industry’s 18-month pandemic shutdown, The Broadway League, founded in 1930, as the national trade association for the Broadway industry, and co-presenter of the Tony Awards – today launches its This Is Broadway initiative. The unified campaign, the result of partnerships with theater owners, behind-the-scenes professionals, and industry competitors, is designed to let the world know that “Broadway is BACK!” and to welcome theater lovers back to Times Square.

Hybrid Worship: Presenting A Quality Experience In Person – And – Virtually

ProSoundWeb: The future seems bright. Churches have been brought into the 21st century (albeit some kicking and screaming.) I’ve been hoping for this to happen over the past several years, and all it took was a global shift in how we view technology – what a relief! Now that religious institutions and houses of worship are finally seeing the necessity of hybrid events and services, how can we help? Well, from an audio point of view, there’s plenty we can tackle.

Robe Stands Proud at Embankment, London

LightSoundJournal.com: Proud Embankment in London’s West End is a venue defined by its world-class cabaret shows, embodying the spirit of true diversity with the sounds, styles, and vibes of a spectacular show-stopping mix including International circus and cabaret acts, death-defying aerialists, fearsome fire breathers, and astonishing acrobats, headlined by celebrity comperes.

Merlin Entertainments & LEGO break ground on LEGOLAND Shenzhen Resort

InPark Magazine: Merlin Entertainments announced that construction of the world’s largest LEGOLAND Resort in Shenzhen, China, has begun. Representatives from the Shenzhen Municipal People’s Government, Dapeng New District, Merlin Entertainments Ltd., The LEGO Group and Hazens Holdings attended a launch ceremony which featured the arrival on site of 20,000 brightly colored LEGO bricks.

Learning & Growing: Taking On The Challenge Of Reinforcing An Outdoor Opera Production

ProSoundWeb: Working with a young team in addressing some of the unforeseen challenges involved with taking a traditionally acoustic genre into a natural amphitheater configuration.

Kid Rock cancels shows after band members test positive for Covid

The Independent: Kid Rock on Twitter has been forced to cancel two shows in Fort Worth, Texas, because “over half the band has f****** covid”, he has said.

42 of the Most Mind-Blowing Special Effects Sequences in Movie History

lifehacker.com: Admittedly, we’ve gotten a little jaded. Digital effects are so omnipresent in our blockbusters that we’ve come to expect the impossible from movies. Our sense of awe has been, perhaps, a bit dulled, even as we’re very easily disappointed (although I don’t see the human-feline CGI monstrosities from Cats pleasing anyone in any era). We watch movies for the rush of a brilliantly constructed moment—chasing the high of the coolest things we’ve seen in movies that we’ve loved.

Magic Mike Live Australian tour cancelled

theatre people: The US producers and Australian management team of Magic Mike Live have made the extremely difficult decision to cancel the remainder of the Australian tour. The decision to close the tour was made due to the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 restrictions imposed by the Victorian Government and the lack of certainty surrounding the tour’s ability to perform any of its announced dates.

EEOC Dialogues: Disability

Actors' Equity Association: On Wednesday, June 2, Equity’s Equal Employment Opportunity Committee held its biannual dialogue on disability, featuring artist and inclusion expert Claudia Alick. Alick began by asking participants to consider the virtual space they were in, and what each aspect of the webinar might mean in terms of accessibility, from sharing pronouns in an introduction to who has their microphone on and who is muted.

Photos: Henry Lee's Reimagined Lego Broadway Sets Are on Display This Fall at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts

www.broadwayworld.com: Company, Follies, Evita, The Phantom of the Opera, A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd. These popular Broadway shows and iconic sets will be seen like never before in the new pop-up installation opening September 17, 2021 at The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts in Lincoln Center, thanks to artist Henry Lee of Lego Broadway Sets. Brick By Brick, Putting It Together: The Broadway Set Miniatures of Henry Lee showcases Lee's intricate, miniature reimaginings of set designs built with LEGO® bricks.

Know Your Audio Analyzer Averages

www.sounddesignlive.com: After you take several measurements and average them together, what do you expect to see? If these two measurements are averaged, what do you expect? Is zero the average of -6dB and 6dB, or something else?

DIY theatre is the next pandemic-era innovation

Montreal Gazette: If theatre is at a crossroads right now, there have been lots of companies and artists in Montreal determined to make sure it’s not about to head off down a cul-de-sac.

San Diego Rep's Latinx New Play Festival kicks off

The San Diego Union-Tribune: The fifth edition of the 2021 Latinx New Play Festival is ready to unveil the curtains on Labor Day Weekend. The three-day event, presented by San Diego Repertory Theatre (San Diego REP) and Amigos del REP, will have comedy, drama, a music show, panels on directing, dramaturgy, Latino theater history and more.

Cirque du Soleil’s ​​’Michael Jackson One’ and ‘The Beatles Love’ reopen on the Strip

Las Vegas Weekly: Cirque du Soleil’s popular productions The Beatles Love and Michael Jackson One obviously operate as musical celebrations of iconic artists, but that’s the end of similarities between the two Las Vegas Strip shows.

ETC Introduces Lonestar

LightSoundJournal.com: The High End Systems Lonestar brings the renowned brightness, quality and performance of our bright white LED framing fixtures in a more compact and powerful package. With 15,400 lumen output and a rich feature set, Lonestar is a perfect addition to lighting systems in small to medium-sized venues.

THE KARATE KID Will Have its Pre-Broadway World Premiere in St. Louis in 2022

www.broadwayworld.com: The upcoming Broadway-bound musical stage adaptation of The Karate Kid has set its world premiere dates! The musical will premiere at STAGES St. Louis as part of their 2022 season, before bowing on Broadway.

Claiming Our Power: AAPI Agency, Representation and Justice in the Workplace

Actors' Equity Association: On Monday, May 24, Actors’ Equity Association’s diversity and inclusion department hosted an event for AAPI Heritage Month entitled Claiming Our Power: AAPI Agency, Representation and Justice in the Workplace.

Merlin starts construction on $1bn Legoland Shenzhen Resort

blooloop: Located on the Dapeng Peninsula, Legoland Shenzhen Resort will cover around 580,000 square metres. It will be the Greater Bay Area’s first international IP-based theme park resort. Legoland Shenzhen will be operated by Merlin Entertainments, with Hazens Holdings as its local partner. The project is expected to cost more than $1 billion, and the attraction is due to launch in 2024.

Six tips for attending a Broadway show in the COVID era

www.timeout.com: On August 20, I attended a performance of Antoinette Chinonye Nwandu's urgent and timely Pass Over, the first Broadway play to open since the general shutdown in March of last year. It was my first time in a Broadway house in more than 17 months, as it was for many: You could feel the excitement and gratitude in the theater's briskly circulating air.

A Better Understanding of NFPA 70E: My Encounter with Electric Shock Hazards

NFPA: How many times have you escaped death? That may seem like a weird question but if you are involved with the installation, repair or maintenance of electrical equipment the answer is most likely not zero. Even if you are not actively involved with these activities many of you will also not have zero as the answer if you have used electrical equipment.

Who Does The Dishes On Top Chef?

www.gawker.com: Certain questions have haunted the human spirit since time immemorial; for Martin Heidegger, during his philosophy lecture course at the University of Freiburg in 1935, it was the classic, “Warum ist überhaupt Seiendes und nicht vielmehr Nichts?” For me, a blogger who gets assignments, it is: Who does the dishes on Top Chef?

Walt Disney World Adds Vaccine Requirement for Unionized Employees

collider.com: Walt Disney World took another step into ensuring all its staff gets vaccinated by reaching an agreement with the Service Trades Council Union, the largest union associated with Disney. Last month, Walt Disney World had already announced vaccination would be mandatory for all salaried and non-union U.S. employees. Now, the deal with the STCU will help Walt Disney World regulate over 30.000 Disney cast members filiated with the union.

'Sesame Street' Brings All-Ages Adventure to PortAventura

www.themeparkinsider.com: The Themed Entertainment Association this month honored PortAventura World's Sesame Street: Street Mission during a Thea Award Digital Case Study. We covered the interactive dark ride when it opened in 2019.

An electric Faust outfit and a pair of kinky boots in V&A’s ‘major refresh’

Theatre | The Guardian: A fabulous red dress and thigh-high leather boots worn by Lola the drag queen in the musical Kinky Boots are to go on display near to what many would say is the equally fabulous red ensemble worn by Henry Irving in an 1885 production of Faust.

Black Theatre United Outlines Widespread Reform In Broadway “New Deal”

Deadline: Black Theatre United, the nonprofit advocacy organization that’s taken a leading role in the move for greater equity, diversity and inclusion on Broadway, has released a comprehensive, industry-wide agreement on wide-scale reform that includes increased training, expanded casting efforts, the naming of theaters for Black artists and a pledge for producers to “never assemble an all-white creative team on a production again, regardless of the subject matter of the show.”

Five Reasons to Join TSDCA

SoundGirls.org: A bunch of us SoundGirls bloggers who work in theatre are also members of the TSDCA, which stands for Theatrical Sound Designers and Composers Association. I’ve personally been involved in TSDCA since around 2017 and became a more active member once I began freelancing in NYC. During the pandemic, the friends I had made through TSDCA provided a great source of Zoom camaraderie and company, and through TSDCA, I’ve gotten to work with them on some really exciting projects that help to further awareness and advocacy for those working in theatrical sound. So for this month’s blog, let’s dive into what the TSDCA is, what it does, and why you should join!

Moulin Rouge! Musical Names Chloe Beck Director of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

Playbill: Chloe Beck has been hired as the director of equity, diversity, and inclusion at Moulin Rouge! The Musical, working with the Broadway production in addition to the U.S. tour and international stagings. Beck started in the role July 12, coming from New York University where she worked in student affairs, including training and development, anti-bias response, and mental health and wellness.

Wicked Appoints a Director of Social Responsibility to Foster Inclusivity

Playbill: The Broadway, national tour, and London productions of Wicked will welcome Christina Alexander in the newly formed position of director of social responsibility, formed to create and support a more inclusive and respectful environment for companies and audiences of the hit musical.

“An Odyssey” at Quantum Theatre

The Pittsburgh Tatler: Imagine, if you will, one of those old-fashioned TV game shows with two doors. Behind Door Number One is the Odysseus we all know from the Homerian epic: valiant hero, master strategizer, savvy trickster, and luckless victim of the gods’ perverse whims.

New COVID-19 safety protocol now in effect in NYC for indoor entertainment and activities

DC Metro Theater Arts: On Monday, August 16, NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio issued Emergency Executive Order 225, requiring COVID-19 vaccination for all indoor entertainment, recreation, dining, and fitness settings, to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus and to avert death and serious illness. Those rules went into effect citywide today, Tuesday, August 17.

Theater Lovers Won't Want To Miss 'Broadway: Beyond The Golden Age'

NPR: In 2003, a documentary film was released called "Broadway: The Golden Age," presenting an oral history of Broadway through the 1950s. The film's interviewer, writer and director was Rick McKay, who envisioned a sequel or two and kept interviewing Broadway stars, writers, producers and directors for the next chapters. He died in 2018 at age 62 while still at work on a rough cut for his next film. But four of his producers have rescued McKay's work in progress and completed it, presenting it this month as a PBS pledge break "Great Performances" special titled "Broadway: Beyond The Golden Age." It covers the years 1959 through the '80s.

CODA Audio gets the angles right for Paradiso Film Festival in Paris

LightSoundJournal.com: The Paradiso Film Festival made a welcome return to Paris this summer, after an enforced absence in 2020 due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Staged in the magnificent setting of the Louvre Square courtyard, Paradiso offered its patrons four nights of free open-air screenings, preceded by DJ sets and live music. Opening with Kubrick’s classic ‘2001, A Space Odyssey’ and concluding, appropriately, with Tornatore’s ‘Cinema Paradiso’, the festival also included previews of new films, including Chris McKay’s ‘The Tomorrow War’.

REVIEW ROUNDUP: What Do Critics Think of EVERYBODY'S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE?

www.broadwayworld.com: Inspired by true events, Everybody's Talking About Jamie follows Jamie New (Harwood), a teenager from Sheffield, who dreams of life on stage. While his classmates plan their livelihoods after they leave school, Jamie contemplates revealing his secret career ambition to become a fierce and proud drag queen. His best friend Pritti (Patel) and his loving mum (Lancashire) shower him with endless support, while local drag legend Miss Loco Chanelle (Grant) mentors him toward his debut stage performance.

Small Green Screens Can Make A Big Difference

Rosco Spectrum: When people think of green screens, they often think of huge, green cycloramas. This is especially true for science fiction projects. Sometimes, however, a set design needs small green screens so that visual effects can be added into those smaller areas later. That was the case for Filmmaker Kyle Kelley whose most recent project was a sci-fi-themed ad for a sound effects company.

The Tony Awards are coming in September, but will be different this year

DC Metro Theater Arts: As was previously announced, the 74th annual Tony Awards, presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League, will take place on Sunday, September 26, beginning at 7:00 pm, with a reduced field of eighteen shows eligible for this year’s honors. In addition to the limited number of nominees, there will be other significant changes to the long-awaited celebration of the best of Broadway, postponed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

AEG's Live Music Venues Will Require Vaccines Or Negative COVID Tests

NPR: Some of the most recognizable music venues across the country will soon require proof of vaccination to enter. The new rules will take full effect by Oct. 1. Until then audience and staff will be able to show a negative COVID test to enter.

The Guardian view on the Edinburgh festivals: signs of rebirth

Editorial | The Guardian: The Edinburgh festivals are back – but not as we know them. Last year was the first time since their founding in 1947 that the international festival and its restless, noisy sibling, the fringe, were cancelled. The Edinburgh international book festival, in the meantime, went digital, and found an audience online.

'The Gray Man' leads foreign productions in Prague

Variety: From the din of vehicle crashes and the crack of automatic weapons fire heard around Prague’s Old Town of late, you’d hardly think — once you realize these are blanks and epic film stunts — the city has seen a COVID slowdown in location filming at all.

Both concert giants to make vaccines mandatory

IQ Magazine: Live Nation and AEG, the world’s biggest live entertainment companies, will both require all full-time employees in the US to be vaccinated against Covid-19 when they return to the office, the firms have announced.

The Importance of the Cover Letter

SoundGirls.org: College may or may not be in person where you live this semester but that doesn’t mean school isn’t starting soon. As students prepare for Zoom or in-person orientations this August I encourage you to consider looking for places you may want to intern at or be employed at after school.

Applause for theater’s unsung hero: The stage manager

orlandosentinel.com: If I had a stage manager, this column would have been written on time. The Year of the Stage Manager, an online initiative for education and visibility, came to an end June 30. But even if I’m six weeks late acknowledging it, there’s never a bad time to reflect on the importance of these theatermakers who stay out of the spotlight but are backstage superstars. It’s not a job for just anyone.

Kennedy Center, Ford's Theatre, More D.C. Venues Will Require Proof of Vaccination

Playbill: The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and Ford’s Theatre—two major venues in the Washington, D.C. area—will require that all audience members, artists, staff, ushers, and volunteers be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Local arts activists say they ‘will not accept any more gaslighting’ from Orlando's Mad Cow Theatre

Live Active Cultures | Orlando | Orlando Weekly: On July 10, Orlando stage manager Blue Estrella posted on Facebook voicing her frustration with Mad Cow Theatre over her delayed paycheck for their production of Hound of the Baskervilles, joining an illustrious fraternity of local artists who claim they've been ignored or intimidated when asking for their contracted compensation from one of the region's most acclaimed companies.

The actors were unmasked for the show’s opening. Then came questions about whether they were vaccinated

Datebook: As Chanticleers Theatre’s production of “The Four Poster” began its run last month, ticket buyers might have felt reassured by the COVID protocols listed on the Castro Valley community theater’s website. Masks were required for audience members and staff, though the play’s two actors, Rhonda Joy Taylor and Roger Caetano, would perform unmasked.

It’s Not Just A Phase

SoundGirls.org: If a tree falls in the forest and nobody is there to hear it, does it make a sound? If an engineer walks between two loudspeaker systems and says it sounds “phase-y,” is there really a “phase issue”? What does that even mean?? In the world of audio, music results from the amazing amalgamation when science and art combine together.

PRG Expands Virtual Production Studio Capabilities with L-ISA Immersive Hyperreal Sound Technology

LightSoundJournal.com: PRG, one of the world’s leading providers of entertainment and event technology solutions, has incorporated L-Acoustics L-ISA Immersive Hyperreal Sound Technology into its Los Angeles Virtual Production Studio. L-ISA Immersive Hyperreal Sound Technology enables artists to create and deliver multi-dimensional sound for live and recorded productions of any scale. This advanced audio technology pairs with PRG’s extended reality setup to offer an array of tools for multi-sensory immersive experiences.

PBS takes TV viewers ‘Beyond the Golden Age’ of Broadway

DC Metro Theater Arts: As part of its acclaimed series of Great Performances, the new PBS TV documentary Broadway: Beyond the Golden Age explores the world of Broadway from 1959-1983, as recounted in the personal anecdotes of a diverse roster of stage legends who were there and made it happen.

The Poem of Fire… Symphony No. 5

SoundGirls.org: A few years ago, I had the fortune to work for a while in Japan, a country I have known for a long time, during my stay I visited MORI Building DIGITAL ART MUSEUM: teamLab Borderless, is a digital museum full of works with images, lights, sound and objects that invite you to get lost in its labyrinths and live multi-sensory experiences that make us awaken the imagination and the senses.

Very Genki, Slightly Kitsch, Occasionally Compelling: The Olympic Opening Ceremony Put Humanity in Centre Frame

 The Theatre Times: The rising of the Japanese flag and the singing of the national anthem is the first moment of stillness. Devoid of external commentary, before a sea of empty stadium seats, it is a stark reminder of the pandemic. More than any of the previous symbols of the “apart but not alone” theme, this image reinforces the optimism (misplaced for some, hopeful for others) of continuing with the games despite the obstacles wrought by the pandemic.

IATSE To Hollywood Producers: It’s Time For New Media To Pay Up

Deadline: Saying that “New Media is not so new anymore” and that “not-so-New Media doesn’t need a worker subsidy,” IATSE says it’s time for longstanding discounts afforded to New Media productions to end.

Review Roundup: MERRY WIVES at Shakespeare in the Park- See What the Critics Are Saying!

www.broadwayworld.com: Shakespeare in the Park is back! On Friday night, MERRY WIVES celebrated its opening at the Delacorte Theater, where it will run through Saturday, September 18. The play is adapted by Jocelyn Bioh and directed by Saheem Ali. Set in South Harlem, amidst a vibrant and eclectic community of West African immigrants, MERRY WIVES is a New York story about tricks of the heart, performed in the heart of the City-Central Park's magical Delacorte Theater.

Work/Life Balance and the Importance of Mental Health

SoundGirls.org: In these work-from-home times, they can be challenging. What a lot of people don’t mention is how important mental health is. Some employers or clients will treat you like garbage and expect you to act on their every beck and call. Especially when you’re new to an industry. I’m a freelance sound designer and I’ve had my fair share of clients who call me at 2-4 AM asking me why I’m not working on their film.

Edinburgh festival kicks off – in pictures

Stage | The Guardian: Photographer Murdo MacLeod has been photographing rehearsals and preparations for this year’s much-reduced programme of the Edinburgh festival, which opened on Saturday

Vegas COVID Mandates Put Performative Masking' on Display

www.businessinsider.com: I arrived in Las Vegas on Friday, July 30 — the same day the new mask mandates went into effect in light of the recent COVID-19 surges in Clark County. Generally, my vaccinated friends and I followed the rules: When we stepped indoors, we masked up. So did the casino dealers, restaurateurs, hotel employees, and about half of the tourists. That is, until we went into the MGM Grand's Hakkasan nightclub.

Red House Streaming Upgrades Facility with Full-Sized Chromakey Studio

Creative COW: Red House Streaming, a CP Communications brand, today announced upgrades to one of the two studios at its St. Petersburg-based professional and network operations center (NOC) to create an enhanced chromakey space. Known as Studio B, the new area can easily accommodate a four-person interview set and produce a full 16:9 chromakey shot. Red House Steaming completed the renovations to Studio B in about three weeks and began using the chromakey set in mid-July.

Mark Clayton Southers parlayed his love of trees into a lucrative business during the pandemic

New Pittsburgh Courier: Mark Clayton Southers’ love for trees sustained his mind, body and theater company during the coronavirus pandemic. The Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company founder and producing Artistic & Executive Director always enjoyed cutting down trees with his father as a child.

Job Diary: I Run Tours for Disney and Universal Theme Parks in Orlando

www.businessinsider.com: Armed with insider experience, I helped families avoid long waits, maximize the use of FastPass service, and free up time for more rides. By 2010, demand was so high, I started working full-time and trained my wife and brother to help out too. During the busy season, there are days when we're all in the parks running separate tours for families.

Live Nation allows artists to choose entry restrictions

IQ Magazine: Live Nation is allowing artists performing at its US venues to require all attendees and staff to be fully vaccinated or to show a negative test result to gain entry, where permitted by law.

Fred Gallo, Irene Gandy, Beverly Jenkins & New Federal Theatre Will Receive 2020 Tony Honors

www.broadwayworld.com: The Tony Awards Administration Committee has just announced that they will present the 2020 Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre to four outstanding contributors to the Broadway industry - Fred Gallo, President of PRG Scenic Technologies; Broadway press agent Irene Gandy; stage manager Beverly Jenkins and New Federal Theatre, Woodie King, Jr. Founder.

On directing R&J with a Deaf Romeo: A Q&A with Christine Mosere

DC Metro Theater Arts: Mention Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, and some of us instantly, tragically, get an earworm. Especially if you grew up on Zeffirelli’s 1968 film version. (Pipe in the love theme with weepy violins, soaring appassionato.)

Thomas Gerdon Designs TV Productions with GLP Creative Light 1 Plus

LightSoundJournal.com: Lighting designer Thomas Gerdon, from GERDON design, has recently taken several opportunities to use the new creative LED system Creative Light 1 Plus from GLP in various German TV productions—and has been extremely enthusiastic about its versatile application.

How VR and AR are Changing the World of Immersive Theater

AMT Lab @ CMU: In the ever-changing and technologically advanced age that we are currently in, there are integrations of new technologies into our lives almost everyday, and the arts are no exception. The world of theater, especially that of immersive theater, has been experiencing a technological revolution of its own thanks to advancements in and the adoption of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR).

TimeLine marches on

Chicago Reader: TimeLine Theatre's mission is to present "stories inspired by history that connect with today’s social and political issues." For most of their 24-year history, they've produced at the Wellington Avenue United Church of Christ's upstairs Baird Hall in East Lakeview, using the narrow lobby space as best they could for their signature displays of photos, documents, and, well, timelines further exploring the worlds of the plays they produced.

Alberta adds incentives for productions looking to shoot in Canada

Variety: “Alberta has arrived,” Luke Azevedo, commissioner for Film, Television and Creative Industries of Calgary Economic Development, tells Variety.

TimeLine Theatre updates plans for Uptown home

Chicago Tribune: TimeLine Theatre Company is making progress on its new home in the Uptown neighborhood, according to an announcement Wednesday by the company.

Broadway’s neon lights shine with 10 new Black plays, musicals

New Pittsburgh Courier: After a somewhat experimental reopening in June with “Springsteen on Broadway,” the Great White Way will step further into the mix with the August 4 debut of “Pass Over” at the August Wilson Theatre. Barring any restrictions, the late summer and fall plays and musicals will feature no less than a dozen African American-themed productions – ten of which are new.

Tony Awards Announce 2020 Recipients of Honors For Excellence

Deadline: The Tony Awards Administration Committee announced today that the 2020 Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre – to be presented in September – will go to Fred Gallo, President of PRG Scenic Technologies; Broadway press agent Irene Gandy; stage manager Beverly Jenkins and New Federal Theatre founder Woodie King, Jr.

Digital theater Is here to stay, and other key conclusions from Sundance Institute’s report from 76 arts workers on the future needs of live performance

New York Theater: The pandemic has given theater artists an opportunity to innovate like never before, their innovations (like digital theater) are here to stay — and these are good things, because the entire field of theater is in need of rethinking.

Costume Designer and Artist Renata Morales on Her Obsessive Drawing Practice, and the Studio Habits That Fuel It

news.artnet.com: The Mexico-born, Montreal-based artist Renata Morales may be best known for her costume designs, which have been donned by Grimes, Arcade Fire, and Spike Jonze, among others. But she’s also a prolific visual artist, drawing “all day without stopping” at her studio in Canada and then flying south to work on ceramics in Guadalajara.

See a 350-foot waterfall cascade down One Times Square

www.timeout.com/newyork: As the old saying goes, one should generally not go chasing waterfalls. However, if said waterfall is a cascading virtual stunner flowing through one of the most iconic locations on the planet, well, you may want to give that rule a second thought. (At least for a quick shot for the ‘gram.)

Titanic museum visitors hurt in Tennessee after wall collapses

nypost.com: Even Titanic fans are getting downed by icebergs. Three visitors to the world’s largest Titanic museum in Tennessee have been hospitalized after an iceberg wall collapsed, the owners said.

Imagineer and Disney Research Fellow Lanny Smoot Receives his 100th US Patent

Disney Parks Blog: We are excited to report that longtime Walt Disney Imagineering Research & Development Imagineer and Disney Research Fellow Lanny Smoot just received his 100th career patent from the US Patent and Trademark Office – a first for anyone at The Walt Disney Company. His 100th patent (number 11,080,779 – “Systems and Methods of Presenting a Multi-Media Entertainment in a Venue”) was issued earlier today.

‘Bridgerton,’ ‘When They See Us’ Score Interview With Kris Bowers

Vanity Fair: By the time he turned 30, Kris Bowers had worked with top artists like Jay-Z and José James and crafted scores for Justin Simien’s Netflix TV series Dear White People and the Oscar-winning film Green Book (he was also the stand-in for Mahershala Ali’s hands in the piano scenes).

Samantha Potter – Audio Empress

SoundGirls.org: Samantha Potter has forged a path in audio by being versatile, having a great attitude, continuously learning, and having a willingness to share her expertise. She has been able to achieve a career working both as a freelance audio engineer and on staff at pro audio companies.

Book Review: Working Backstage

New York Theater: At a time when playwrights and actors are demanding to be treated as “arts workers” crucial to the economy, along comes this new book by Christin Essin, a former professional stagehand turned theater professor, arguing that stagehands and hairstylists and dressers deserve respect for their artistry.

Broadway Shows Will Reopen But Only If You're Vaccinated And Masked

NPR: Broadway theatergoers will need to prove they've been vaccinated for COVID-19 and masks will be required when theaters reopen in the coming weeks, producers announced Friday. Audience members will have to wear face coverings and show proof they are fully vaccinated by a FDA or WHO authorized vaccine when they enter the theaters until at least the end of October, the Broadway League said in a news release.

'Wicked' Is First Broadway Tour Since Coronavirus Shutdown

The New York Times: Talia Suskauer knows what it’s like to be green. She remembers the feel of pigment and powder on her arms, neck, and face; how the color seemed to seep into her pores and linger behind her ears; what it was like to see a strange but familiar self staring back from a mirror.

What the Dance World Can Learn From Simone Biles and Team USA

Dance Magazine: In the heat of the women's team gymnastics final, a shaken Simone Biles withdrew from the Olympic event last week to protect herself and her teammates. Her courageous decision to prioritize her health was met with overwhelming support, including from former U.S. Olympic gymnast Kerri Strug, who competed through extreme injury at the 1996 Olympic games and subsequently retired at 18 years old.

All of Broadway to require proof of COVID vaccination

DC Metro Theater Arts: Founded in 1930, as the national trade association for the Broadway industry, The Broadway League announced today that the owners and operators of all 41 Broadway theaters will require vaccinations for audience members, as well as performers, backstage crew, and theater staff, for all performances through October 2021.

Broadway Will Require COVID Vaccines for Audiences

Playbill: Theatregoers eager to return to Broadway will need to show proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 before the curtain rises. The Broadway League, the trade association representing producers, theatre owners, and more, announced that all 41 Broadway venues will require vaccines for audience members. Masks will also be required inside the theatre, per current CDC recommendations in the wake of the Delta variant.

How to pitch yourself in 2 minutes or less—and nail your dream job

www.fastcompany.com: A professional narrative captures your career story at its most concise and memorable level. Ideally, that’s about two minutes in conversation, and less than 200 words when written. It’s a power-packed paragraph that when done right, clearly differentiates you in the job market, identifies your target role and keeps you top of mind.

Immersive Video Stars at Asian Art Museum in SF

Cultural Daily: The Asian Art Museum of San Francisco has just opened a major expansion of its gallery space, after five years of planning and construction and a year’s delay because of the pandemic. It’s a welcome addition.

23,000+ events cancelled in Australia in July

IQ Magazine: The findings from a survey quantifying the immediate impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on Australia’s live event and entertainment industries has painted an “alarming picture” for the near future of the sector.