What Gets Lost When Federal Arts Funding Gets Gutted

HowlRound Theatre Commons: The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is being dismantled in plain sight. Within days of President Trump’s “skinny budget” announcement, the NEA saw a mass employee exodus, and previously obligated grants were unceremoniously cancelled across the country.

Special Tony for educators goes to NYC high school teacher who urges students to 'step out the box'

www.thestar.com/entertainment: The special Tony Award that honors educators is going to a New York public high school teacher who shows how theater skills can apply to a career in the arts — and also far away from it. “My platform is career focused,” says Gary Edwin Robinson. “So, as I am working with my students, it’s always, ‘How is theater going to help develop you in whatever area you’re going into?’”

‘Sirens’ and the Seductive Power of Costume: Caroline Duncan on Dressing Desire and Control

The Art of Costume: In “Sirens and the Seductive Power of Costume: Caroline Duncan on Dressing Desire and Control,” we dive into the striking world of Sirens costume design and explore how clothes become instruments of influence, aspiration, and transformation. Costume designer Caroline Duncan walks us through the show’s most unforgettable looks—from the mythic grandeur of Michaela Kell (Julianne Moore) to Simone’s eerie visual evolution (Milly Alcock). With elegance and sharp insight, Duncan details how the costume design in Sirens is never just fabric—it’s a weapon, armor, and a means of seduction.

Guthrie Theater Reports Dramatic Fiscal Turnaround with Reduced Deficit

www.broadwayworld.com: After reporting a $3.8 million shortfall on a $32 million budget in fiscal year 2023, the Guthrie Theater posted a deficit of $85,578 on a $29.6 million budget for the year ending August 31, 2024.

OpenAI COO: Humans Have 4 Years Before AI Can Do Everything We Can

www.thewrap.com: Homo sapiens had a good run. But OpenAI COO Brad Lightcap said Thursday AGI — or artificial general intelligence, where AI models can perform any intellectual task that humans can — will be reached within the next few years. “I think it is possible that in the next four years, we do approximate something like [AGI], and it’s a testament to how fast things are moving,” Lightcap said.

Euro Hinges: The Secret to Effortless Cabinet Door Installation

Family Handyman: One of the main advantages of Euro hinges is their simplicity. Unlike traditional hinges, which can be fussy and error-prone, installing Euro hinges just requires boring a single large hole and driving in a few screws. As long as you get that hole in the right spot, the process is nearly foolproof. Additionally, Euro hinges are much easier to adjust compared to traditional ones.

Supercon 2024: Using An Oscilloscope To Peek Below The Noise Floor

Hackaday: When you’re hunting for a signal with your oscilloscope, the stronger it is, the better. If it’s weak, you might struggle to tease it out from other interference, or even from the noise floor itself. You might wish that you were looking for something more obvious rather than the electromagnetic equivalent of a needle in a haystack.

DJI Flip Gets Cinematic Dolly Zoom Feature With Latest Firmware Update

No Film School: Not to be confused with a toy, the DJI Flip drone has proven to be a pint-sized powerhouse since it was first released earlier this year. Yet, despite this vlogging-focused drone from DJI already being quite popular and powerful with its 4K60 horizontal video capture and 48MP stills, it’s been lacking a few killer features that you might find in higher-end aerial drone options.

Gypsy choreographer Camille A. Brown interview

GoldDerby: Camille A. Brown had the musical Gypsy in her bones from a young age. So when director George C. Wolfe needed a choreographer who could bring a new perspective to the show, instead of the oft-used Jerome Robbins dances, she was a natural fit. “I grew up on Gypsy. My mother introduced me when I was a girl, so I already knew the show. I already knew the choreography,” says Brown. “So that was really helpful to figure out, OK, this is Jerome Robbins' perspective, now what is my perspective?”

It’s too expensive to fight every AI copyright battle, Getty CEO says

Ars Technica: In some ways, Getty Images has emerged as one of the most steadfast defenders of artists' rights in AI copyright fights. Starting in 2022, when some of the most sophisticated image generators today first started testing new models offering better compositions, Getty banned AI-generated uploads to its service. And by the next year, Getty released a "socially responsible" image generator to prove it was possible to build a tool while rewarding artists, while suing an AI firm that refused to pay artists.

Quixote to Revive Star Waggons Brand of Luxury Production Trailer

variety.com: The Star Waggons brand of luxury production trailers will be back in action soon as owner Quixote plans to roll out the first new models in years.

Edinburgh international children’s festival review – naughty shadows, silly grown-ups and tongue twisters

Children's theatre | The Guardian: If you think Peter Pan had problems with his shadow, you should see what Tangram Kollektiv have to contend with. In the German-French company’s clever and understated Shades of Shadows, performers Sarah Chaudon and Clara Palau y Herrero find themselves in a landscape where shadows refuse to behave.

The Last of Us composers Gustavo Santaolalla, David Fleming interview

GoldDerby: Oscar-winning composer Gustavo Santaolalla and Emmy Award-winning composer David Fleming didn’t even meet for the first time until after they each worked on the first season of HBO’s The Last of Us. However, the mutual admiration the composers shared for each other was there from the start.

AI Cheating Is So Out of Hand In America's Schools That the Blue Books Are Coming Back

gizmodo.com: It’s no secret that AI is wrecking America’s educational system. With easy access to apps like ChatGPT—which can answer any question and also write full-fledged essays for you—high school and college students have begun to cheat their way through life, content to let an algorithm do the thinking, and the test-taking, for them.

Lost Continent adds 'How to Train Your Dragon' overlay at Islands of Adventure

attractionsmagazine.com: We have dragons—again. On May 23, 2025, décor, photo ops, and merchandise for the new live-action “How to Train Your Dragon” movie appeared throughout The Lost Continent in Universal Islands of Adventure park.

You Are Not Prepared for This Terrifying New Wave of AI-Generated Videos

lifehacker.com: Don't skip this article because you know what AI content looks like—the current stuff your algorithm delivers to your social media feeds is easy to spot if you know what you're looking for. But even if you can identify AI slop the second it hits your eyeballs, you need to know you're not ready for the next wave of AI-generated videos. That wave isn't just on its way—it's already here.

Design. Skill. Passion. The 2025 Young Wood Pro Finalist Projects

Woodworking Network: Each year, Woodworking Network's #YoungWoodPro competition recognizes outstanding projects and the young wood pros who create them. Entrants must be between the ages of 18-35, (by year’s end 2025) and be a professional woodworker or student. This year we were able to narrow the submissions down to 21 finalists and one winner will be chosen by our panel of judges based on the overall look/presentation of the project, and complexity of construction and design.

Opera Festival of Chicago Makes The Summer Sing

www.newcitystage.com: When the last toot of the flute at Lyric Opera sounds for the season, it can get very quiet in the Windy City, until that next gala opening signals the return of larger-scale operatic offerings. Chamber-sized opera and academic programming keep the whistles wet, but there’s something about a stage full of people who are trained to scream beautifully all yelling together that is unequalled, and once you’ve been swept away by the spectacle that is grand opera, you can find yourself seriously jonesing for your next fix.

First look: Epic Universe's Dark Universe, featuring classic Universal monsters, is a theme park masterpiece

Boing Boing: The Dark Universe portal in Universal Orlando's new theme park, Epic Universe, is set in the impeccably rendered Darkmoor Village, a possibly Transylvanian setting themed for Universal's classic monster roster.

'Jaws' Fans Jump at 'Shark' Bait Plus Patricks Trifecta

onstagepittsburgh.com: The shark tale that launched the summer blockbuster will celebrate 50 years of terrifying beachgoers with a re-release in movie theaters in August. Starting May 30, the play The Shark Is Broken, inspired by the clash of personalities on the set of Jaws, will make its local debut, safely landlocked in Braddock.

Charles Strouse, Jedi Master

AMERICAN THEATRE: Jan Hammer was famous at that time for having written the Grammy-winning theme song to the television show Miami Vice, which featured his signature use of synthesizers and electronic drums. This futuristic sound, I guess, is what made him the front-runner when Lucas was approving a list of potential composers for a stage musical version of Star Wars in 1992.

Writer Howard Sherman Named International Thespian Society's Honorary Thespian of the Year

Playbill: Recipients of the 2025 Educational Theatre Association (EdTA) Awards have been revealed, with theatre writer-advocate Howard Sherman receiving the International Thespian Society's Honorary Thespian of the Year honor. The distinction recognizes people who go above and beyond in the service of advancing theatre education.

‘The Compton’s Cafeteria Riot’ is Serving Up Coffee, Pancakes, and Resistance

(The NoPro Review) | by Brian Resler | May, 2025 | No Proscenium: The Compton’s Cafeteria Riot is not simply a piece of immersive theatre. It’s a defiant, full-bodied act of historical restoration, and it is a living, breathing act of resistance. Staged in the heart of the Tenderloin, the show transports audiences to the San Francisco of 1966, to the fluorescent-lit, linoleum-floored Compton’s cafeteria, where transgender women, drag queens, and queer folk dared to fight back against police harassment in one of the first LGBTQ+ uprisings in US history, three years before the events of Stonewall.

MyConnext Workplace Misconduct Tool Opened to All Hollywood Workers

www.hollywoodreporter.com: In 2024, the Anita Hill-led Hollywood Commission launched a first-of-its-kind workplace misconduct reporting tool tailored to the entertainment industry that was quickly adopted by unions and select studios.

How a Broadway Veteran Tackles Stains, Snaps, and Rips Backstage at Boop!

Reviews by Wirecutter: A night on Broadway can be dazzling. But behind the scenes, it’s often a chaotic storm of wardrobe menaces: oily stage makeup, sweat-inducing spotlights, and a dimly lit backstage that lends itself to lost jewelry and torn costumes.

Gavin Creel, Brian Stokes Mitchell Will Be Honored at 2025 Drama Desk Awards

Playbill: This year's Drama Desk Awards will bestow honorary awards on Tony winner Brian Stokes Mitchell and the late Gavin Creel. Tony winner Creel, who passed away last year at the age of 48 following a brief battle with cancer, will posthumously receive the Harold S. Prince Award for Lifetime Achievement.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Musical to Embark on World Tour

Playbill: Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman's musical adaption of Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory will tour the globe beginning this fall. Based on the novel of the same name, the musical ran on Broadway April 2017–January 2018.

Inaugural Austin Theatre Critics Awards Drop 2024-2025 Nominees: Delicious drama of awards anticipation

Arts - The Austin Chronicle: The OG Austin Critics Table was a COVID casualty, disbanding after decades of recognizing Austin’s arts scene. Last year, local theatre advocate and founding director of theatre hub ATX Theatre, Sharron Anderson, encouraged Austin’s critics to congregate in a new formation: the Austin Theatre Critics.

Tom Hanks Will Co-Write, Star in World Premiere Play This World of Tomorrow at Off-Broadway's The Shed

Playbill: Off-Broadway's The Shed has added a world premiere play from Tom Hanks and James Glossman to its upcoming season. The World of Tomorrow, based on Hanks' short stories, will play the company's Griffin Theater beginning October 30 and continuing through December 21. Tony winner Kenny Leon will direct.

Production of Milton Hershey biopic comes to Pittsburgh's South Side

CBS Pittsburgh: From Hershey to Harmony to Pittsburgh's South Side, the Hershey movie is being filmed around Pennsylvania, mainly in southwestern Pennsylvania. Bedford Square on Pittsburgh's South Side has been transformed into a movie set, throwing us back to the late 1800s as crews film the Hershey movie.

Do we see colour the same way? What scientists can learn from artists

theconversation.com/: As many people sit at the wheel of their car, they are certain they know what colour is. It’s the red traffic light in front of them, the garish yellow hatchback in the next lane, or the green verge banking to their right.

Adobe's new Creative Cloud Pro tier is even more expensive

Fast Company: Adobe’s Creative Cloud All Apps subscription, which includes access to more than 20 Adobe apps, will soon be known as “Creative Cloud Pro,” the company announced last week. The renamed subscription plan will give users expanded access to Adobe’s AI-powered tools and apps, but for a price: For subscribers on an annual plan, the cost will increase from $59.99 to $69.99 monthly, or from $659.88 to $779.99 annually.

Canadian Producer Touts U.S.–Canada Film Co-Production Treaty

www.hollywoodreporter.com: Canadian film producer and distributor Leonardo Fuica says its time for filmmakers from Canada and the U.S. to develop and make movies together as official treaty co-productions.

Darren Aronofsky Launched a Generative AI Storytelling Venture

No Film School: Aronofsky released a statement saying, “Filmmaking has always been driven by technology. After the Lumiere Brothers and Edison’s ground-breaking invention, filmmakers unleashed the hidden storytelling power of cameras. Later technological breakthroughs — sound, color, VFX — allowed us to tell stories in ways that couldn’t be told before. Today is no different.

Exploring Universal Epic Universe: Super Nintendo World

www.themeparkinsider.com: Super Nintendo World is the one land in Universal Epic Universe that is not unique to the park. The land debuted at Universal Studios Japan in 2021, with a smaller version opening at Universal Studios Hollywood in 2023.

Martin demos lighting and drone sync-ing in unified show

AV Magazine: Martin Professional has teamed up with Verity Studios, which specialises in indoor drone shows, to demonstrate how autonomous drones and advanced lighting can operate as a unified show experience.

Disney's VFX Workers Just Fought Back Against A Dangerous Trend

www.inverse.com: For decades, Walt Disney Pictures and its subsidiaries have dominated the film industry with productions that strike a deft balance between commercial success and genuine artistry. Recently, however, it’s gotten a lot harder to enjoy the House of Mouse’s output. Bloating budgets, poor working conditions, and back-to-back disappointments at the box office have affected everything from Marvel to Star Wars. Disney films just don’t look or feel the way they used to, and much of the fault lies with the company’s corner-cutting, especially where its visual effects are concerned.

Director Mei Ann Teo on 'Twelfth Night' as a subversive celebration of love

DC Theater Arts: Shakespeare would love it. And audiences will too, once they cotton to the fact that gender, in Mei Ann Teo’s new take on Twelfth Night, is rarely static. In fact, male and female roles — as revealed in the Folger’s new production, directed by Teo — are as interchangeable as a costume or hat.

SAG-AFTRA Files Labor Charge Over ‘Fortnite’ Darth Vader AI Voice

www.hollywoodreporter.com: SAG-AFTRA has filed an unfair labor practice charge against Fortnite’s production company, alleging that its use of an AI-powered James Earl Jones Darth Vader voice infringes on the union’s right to negotiate major changes to its collective bargaining agreement.

New Mexico accepting public comment on proposed heat rule

Safety+Health: A proposed rule from the New Mexico Environment Department would require employers to establish, implement and maintain an “effective heat illness prevention plan” for indoor and outdoor workers. Comments are being accepted until May 30 on the proposed rule, which if implemented would go into effect July 1. It would apply to employers in general industry, construction and agriculture, as well as convenience store owners.

How to Install Prefinished Cabinet Molding

Fine Homebuilding: Crisp Crown: Great-looking prefinished cabinet molding starts with a solid place to nail, achieved by installing an “L”-shaped crown riser blind-screwed through the top of the case. Fastening the lower edge of the crown to the vertical face of the riser allows for minimal nailing while ensuring a precise fit to the ceiling. Gluing and blind-fastening inside corners before installation keeps the miter tight over time

What Is A Rabbet Joint In Woodworking? (And How Did It Get Its Name?)

www.slashgear.com: If you've ever peeked inside a kitchen cabinet or admired a well-built drawer, there's a good chance you've seen a rabbet joint, whether you knew it or not. This classic woodworking joint has been around since at least medieval Europe, and today, it's earned a solid place in both traditional and modern cabinetry.

Spain's Film Sector Experiments With Artificial Intelligence

www.hollywoodreporter.com: In March, Spain’s government became one of the first countries in Europe to approve a draft law concerning AI, almost a year to the date after formal approval of the landmark European Artificial Intelligence Act provided a common legal framework for the development, commercialization and use of AI systems across Europe.

Charlene Adhiambo and Amy B. Tiong Receive 2025 Hansberry-Lilly Fellowship

Playbill: Created in honor of playwright Lorraine Hansberry (A Raisin in the Sun, The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window), the fellowships ensure that the next generation of women and non-binary playwrights of color are able to follow in Hansberry's footsteps, allowing them to create new work and develop their writing careers regardless of their economic situation.

Winners of the 2025 Drama League Awards for Broadway and Off-Broadway

DC Theater Arts: At a cocktail reception and luncheon ceremony hosted by Frank DiLella at The Ziegfeld Ballroom from 11 am-3 pm today (Friday, May 16), the 91st annual Drama League Awards, honoring outstanding accomplishments in Broadway and Off-Broadway theater, were presented by past Distinguished Performance Award winners Annaleigh Ashford, Norbert Leo Butz, Danny Burstein, Audra McDonald, and Sutton Foster, and previous honoree for the Founders Award for Excellence in Directing, Schele Williams.

'Hershey,' the origin story of Pa.'s own chocolate company, films in Butler County

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: The “Hershey” movie, which tells the story of Milton Hershey’s company with Finn Whitrock in the role of its founder, began filming in Western Pennsylvania on Monday. The initial days of the production, set to wrap Wednesday, per the company, took place north of Pittsburgh in Harmony, Butler County.

‘Death Becomes Her’ and ‘Romeo + Juliet’ most awarded winners of Broadway.com Audience Choice Awards

www.broadwaynews.com: Winners of the 25th annual Broadway.com Audience Choice Awards were revealed on May 15. Following the release of nominations on May 5, the honorees were selected by theater fans and audience members around the globe, who cast votes online between May 5 and 9. The awards will be celebrated at a private reception on May 29 at the Skylark, a rooftop bar in midtown Manhattan.

Integrator Spotlight – AVTech Specialists

Residential Systems: “What a long, strange trip it’s been” could very well describe Nate Hibschman’s career path. Hibschman, the owner of AVTech Specialists Inc., had an early background in IT, but AV was nowhere on his radar. That all changed with a simple phone call.

AI Is Making Many People Rethink Copyright

Techdirt: For the last hundred years or so, the prevailing dogma has been that copyright is an unalloyed good, and that more of it is better. Whether that was ever true is one question, but it is certainly not the case since we entered the digital era, for reasons explained at length in Walled Culture the book (free digital versions available). Despite that fact, recent attempts to halt the constant expansion and strengthening of copyright have all foundered. Part of the problem is that there has never been a constituency with enough political clout to counter the huge power of the copyright industry and its lobbyists.

Pliant Technologies At The Heart Of Expansive Hybrid Corporate Event

ProSoundWeb: An annual shareholder event by major retailer held recently in a basketball arena in Fayetteville, Arkansas and live streamed internationally for virtual attendees, was supported by Pliant Technologies wireless intercom components deployed by live events/systems integration company Creative Technology.

Theater Alliance announces WorldPride Arts Hub

DC Theater Arts: In celebration of WorldPride DC 2025, Theater Alliance is thrilled to announce its WorldPride Arts Hub, featuring dynamic and inclusive events including vibrant performances, participatory community gatherings, and visual art installations — all designed to celebrate and uplift the richness of queer identity and culture. Rooted in Theater Alliance’s mission to produce socially conscious, community-connected art, the Theater Alliance WorldPride Arts Hub champions radical belonging and offers an affirming, intergenerational space for queer creativity to thrive.

MythBusters: Shared Leadership Edition

HowlRound Theatre Commons: Shared leadership in larger theatrical organizations is becoming increasingly popular as a way of breaking hierarchy, diversifying the decision-making voices in the room, and combating a strictly patriarchal structure of leadership. These leadership structures expand artistic titles and responsibilities, which is a great move forward! But let’s not get it twisted—adopting shared leadership doesn’t mean that hierarchy, toxic power dynamics, and burnout automatically get thrown out with the old models.

Review: Super Nintendo World at Epic Universe

Coaster101: Nintendo is how I feel theme park lands were meant to be designed: a complete escape from the real world. It’s not only my new favorite theme park land, it’s one of the most impressive feats of immersion and play I have ever seen. Stepping into the land reminds me most of the feeling I had riding Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure, Cosmic Rewind, or Flight of Passage for the first time and saying “I didn’t know a ride could make me feel like that.” Pure euphoria. Super Nintendo World is like stepping into that feeling.

The Alliance’s Reiser Lab playwrights are ready to show their work

ARTS ATL: Alliance Theatre’s 10th round of its Reiser Atlanta Artists Lab — a program that provides money and resources to local artists to help them develop new work — will showcase readings and presentations of its selected 2025 recipients May 15 through May 17. Show creators Dalyla Nicole, Emma Yarbrough and Vynnie Meli have been working with their teams and perfecting the material for a year, and they said in interviews that they are eager for audiences to see these works-in-progress, which will be presented for free in the Selig Family Black Box Theatre on the third floor of the Woodruff Arts Center.

Adam Kantor, Kyla Stone and More to Star in CAMELOT at Pittsburgh CLO

www.broadwayworld.com: Pittsburgh CLO has revealed the cast of Lerner & Loewe’s CAMELOT launching the 2025 PNC Summer of Musicals. This beloved classic comes to life on the Benedum Center stage June 17 – 22, offering audiences an unforgettable blend of romance, adventure, and magic.

Front Porch Theatricals opens 2025 season

The Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle: Nancy Zionts is clear — the spirit of Leon Zionts still resides in the works she produces with her partner Bruce E.G. Smith. Zionts and Smith founded Front Porch Theatricals with Leon in 2009. When Leon died in 2019, the pair decided to continue to produce works that mattered to them and the community at large. Leon’s vision became the company’s raison d’être.

A Toolchanging Delta 3D Printer

Hackaday: We’ve seen quite a few delta 3D printers, and a good number of toolchanging printers, but not many that combine both worlds. Fortunately, [Ben Wolpert]’s project fills that gap with a particularly elegant and precise delta toolchanger.

John Proctor Is the Villain interviews: Sadie Sink, Fina Strazza

GoldDerby: “I hadn’t read it since college,” says playwright Kimberly Belflower of Arthur Miller’s iconic play The Crucible. She drew inspiration for John Proctor Is the Villain from that 1953 drama and found herself compelled to reread the work — an allegory of the McCarthy era in American politics told through the lens of the Salem Witch Trials — in 2017 at the height of the #MeToo movement.

How New Jersey Landed Netflix

www.hollywoodreporter.com: The Hollywood Reporter was on-site Tuesday morning when Netflix broke ground on its new east coast home, Netflix Studios Fort Monmouth in central New Jersey. (Yes, there is a central New Jersey.) The gigantic renovation project, in which Netflix will turn a long-abandoned U.S. Army base into a dozen soundstages, a backlot, state-of-the-art post-production facilities, general office space and basically 500,000 square feet of all things Netflix, was brought to you by one thing: tax credits.

Megan Thee Stallion anime cosplay Airbnb in Los Angeles

attractionsmagazine.com: “You know I love a good cosplay moment,” Megan Thee Stallion wrote on the Airbnb event page. “My passion for anime has always been front and center, even in my music. It’s more than entertainment, it’s a way to express different sides of myself, shape-shifting into whoever I want to be —a nd I want that for you, too! But to activate your inner Otaku, you gotta earn it. Complete my Otaku Hottie Quest to unlock a whole new persona.”

The Rehearsal: Nathan Fielder's Fake Singing Show Contestant Speaks Out

variety.com: “Wings of Voice” was not a real singing competition. Instead, the show was an elaborate stunt devised by comedic mastermind Nathan Fielder, orchestrated solely for the purpose of making a tangential point in his social experiment series on HBO, “The Rehearsal.”

Behind the Lens: Visual Storytelling in LEGO

BrickNerd - All things LEGO and the LEGO fan community: They say a picture is worth a thousand words—and when it comes to photography, I’ve found that to be absolutely true. LEGO photographers, in particular, have a remarkable ability to tell rich, imaginative stories through minifigs. Their work often gives us a charming glimpse into a world in miniature, where minifigures live out full, expressive lives.

How Navy SEAL tactics can help you thrive under pressure

Fast Company: Rich Diviney spent 21 years as a Navy SEAL, leading and operating on missions around the globe. In that time, he completed multiple combat deployments and had the honor of serving as the Commanding Officer of a SEAL Command. One of his most pivotal roles was running a specialized Selection and Assessment program for one of the most elite SEAL units. He also spearheaded the SEALs’ “Mind Gym” to train soldiers’ minds to perform better under stress. Today, he teaches optimal performance to thousands of business, athletic, and military leaders.

Profile: Joanna Obuzor, the Downtown Manager

www.pittsburghmagazine.com: Stage management is a tricky job. The stage manager of a Broadway show or marquee concert needs to make sure everything happens — from performers making their entrances to lights coming on. In fact, the stage manager probably had to make sure the lights got to the venue in the first place. It’s a thankless and often exhausting job. Joanna Obuzor does it for an entire neighborhood.

Having Your Performance Misjudged Distorts How You Assess Others‌‌

Yale Insights: If you’ve ever been denied a promotion or award you believed you earned, you know the sting can linger—as can the glow of unexpectedly receiving recognition. ‌ In fact, such instances of misrecognition may influence how you evaluate others in the future, according to new research from Yale SOM’s Tristan L. Botelho, with co-authors Mabel Abraham of Columbia and James T. Carter of Cornell.

The Inspirations Behind the Met Opera’s ‘Antony and Cleopatra’

The New York Times: The production of “Antony and Cleopatra” that opens at the Metropolitan Opera on Monday is by Elkhanah Pulitzer, who turns Shakespeare’s play of torn allegiances, thwarted love and ascendant authoritarianism into a study of how people’s public images are constructed. She imagines a world in which celebrities can be tantamount to gods, the way they long have been treated in Hollywood.

Best Cordless Impact Driver: Expert Recommendations for 2025

Pro Tool Reviews: When it comes to finding the best impact driver, is your top priority power? Speed? Size? Price? We’ve tested dozens of impact drivers over the years, and we have more choices than ever. In this guide, I’ll walk you through the ones that rose to the top in our testing. I’ll also share what we look for when we’re evaluating these tools to help you make a more informed decision.

How Employee Engagement Lifts Safety

Builder Magazine: Kit Dickinson, ADP industry executive, says employee engagement is where that culture begins. Dickinson has been working with construction companies for over a decade to help solve complex payroll and human resource (HR) needs. His company, Integrated Design, was acquired by ADP in 2021. In celebration of Construction Safety Week, BUILDER caught up Dickinson to learn more about how engagement boosts safety.

Glyndebourne Summer Festival: Behind The Scenes Of Kát'a Kabanová

Live Design Online: This summer, Glyndebourne brings back Káťa Kabanová, one of Leoš Janáček's most personal works, with extraordinary staging by Paolo Fantin. This production was first produced at the legendary British opera house in 2021 with Fantin's simple but elegant sets using bird cages to symbolize Káťa's inability to escape her torment.

All the summer festivals in Pittsburgh from Picklesburgh to Three Rivers Arts

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Festival season is upon us and, with it, it brings such annual favorites as Picklesburgh, the newly re-imagined Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival, Juneteenth celebrations, both the Millvale and Northside Music Festivals and county fairs alike.

Take Our 2025 Mental Health Survey

Behind the Scenes: The BTS Mental Health Initiative was launched in 2019 with an industry-wide survey the results of which guided the development of the tools and resources currently available. The entertainment industry has experienced major changes over the ensuing years including a global pandemic, weather related catastrophes, strikes and work slow-downs, and changing business models, so it’s time to once again ask you what initiatives would support your mental health and wellbeing.

Fighting for U.S. Film & TV Jobs

IATSE: The American film and television industry is more than just entertainment — it’s a powerful economic engine that supports hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs, fuels small businesses, and promotes American culture around the globe. But today, this industry faces an urgent threat from international competition.

Performers Sitting Out 'Les Misérables' Kennedy Center Show Over Trump

www.billboard.com/culture: When Donald Trump finally visits the John F. Kennedy Performing Arts Center next month to attend his first-ever show at the beloved Washington, D.C. cultural institution he will be treated to a performance of the musical Les Misérables that will be missing a number of key players. According to CNN, at least 10-12 of the show’s performers are expected to skip the June 11 performance Trump will reportedly attend on the same night as a high-dollar fundraiser at the Center.

Long Live LIFE AND TRUST—A Beautiful Immersive Theater Performance We Loved and Lost

Nerdist: In I Saw the TV Glow, the main character is asked by his friend, “Do you like girls? Boys?” and he answers, “I think I just like TV shows.” And that line has resonated in my heart since I first heard it in the trailer. But for me, that truth extends beyond “TV shows” to any kind of narrative—books, movies, comics, and most recently, theatrical performances. The captivating and arcane world of the off-Broadway immersive theater show Life and Trust was my latest great love affair, and for two and a half incredible months before it suddenly shut down (please help support the performersOpens in a new tab), it swept me off my feet and consumed my every spare thought. And it was a worthy narrative, oh yes.

Pittsburgh Film Office gives reviews of suggested movie tariffs

CBS Pittsburgh: The reviews are pouring in on the plan President Donald Trump pitched to put 100 percent tariffs on films made outside the United States. No final decisions have been made, but reaction from film industry leaders has been rolling in.

The Hidden Messages in Hulu’s Paradise Costume Design

www.forbes.com: I met with the costume designer for the series’ first season, Sarah Evelyn, to talk to her about the incredibly nuanced series, about deciding how to dress the inhabitants of this Brave New World, especially since it is riddled with literary and cinematic Easter Eggs, tiny references woven into the narrative in a seemingly endless series of winks and nods from show creator Dan Fogelman.

The Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center: 8 million and 8 reasons to be grateful.

New York Theater: In announcing the 2025 Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre, the Tony Awards Administration Committee pointed to the library’s collection of “upwards of eight million items, notable for their extraordinary range and diversity—from 11th-century music, to 20th-century manuscripts, to contemporary hip-hop dance,’ all available for free.

AI-generated Christian persecution movie is exactly as bad as you'd expect

Boing Boing: Or Hellywood, as the "director" of Marked or Delivered describes it. After months of flirting with AI video generators and crowing about how actors' jobs are on the chopping block, the AI crowd has put their best foot forward with the so-called first feature-length AI generated movie.

Netflix Removing Black Mirror's Interactive Bandersnatch

consequence.net: When the Black Mirror special episode “Bandersnatch” premiered in 2018 on Netflix, it represented a bold experiment in narrative storytelling, plunging viewers into a dramatic, twisty choose-your-own-adventure experience they could interact with via their browsers. Unfortunately, “Bandersnatch” and the Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt interactive special, “Kimmy vs. the Reverend,” will both be leaving Netflix this month.

Disney plans futuristic park in Abu Dhabi

Fast Company: The Walt Disney Company’s stock price soared on Wednesday, up by 10% at the time of publishing, as the company surpassed earnings expectations and unveiled its first new theme park development in 15 years.

Met exhibition review: show-stopping peacockery and introspective origins

Met Gala 2025 | The Guardian: For its spring 2025 exhibition, the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute gave itself a monumental challenge: to use fashion as a means of exploring the complexities and contradictions of Black life. More specifically, to use the expressive style known as dandyism to explore the nuances of Black masculinity.

Automation Important to Fluid Power Design

Power & Motion: Automation remains a key trend influencing the design of both mobile and industrial machinery. At bauma 2025, a large trade show for the construction and mining equipment industries, automation was one of the event's themes due to its growing role in this sector; as such many companies exhibiting at bauma 2025 showcased their developments in this area.

Lumber Prices Ease as Uncertainty Settles

Builder Magazine: Uncertainty over international trade barriers has caused significant fluctuations in lumber prices in recent months, as quotes and supply levels have varied from sawmill to sawmill, according to Keta Kosman, publisher of Madison’s Lumber Reporter.

Stagehand 101: Generator Power Play

by Richard Cadena: Years ago, when my daughter was in middle school, they had a talent show, and I volunteered to light the stage. As luck would have it, a local production company—Midnight Lighting—had been hired to light the same stage for another show that was only a few days before the talent show.

Love Our Industry, Love Training!

www.signshop.com: For the most part, not many kids grow up thinking, “I’m going be in the sign industry someday!” And even if this is some young kid’s dream, there are no trade schools or universities offering a degree in sign technology.

Teamsters Cheer Trump's Movie Tariffs

www.hollywoodreporter.com: The Teamsters are celebrating President Donald Trump’s idea to impose tariffs on films produced abroad, calling it a “strong step” toward “reining in the studios’ un-American addiction to outsourcing our members’ work.”

2025 Met Gala: Jaw-dropping looks and WTF moments

GoldDerby: Which celebrities made waves and turned heads during the 2025 Mel Gala, held May 5 in New York City? This year's theme was "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style," with LeBron James initially serving as the honorary chair and Louis Vuitton being the sponsor. The basketball star dropped out of the event Monday morning due to a knee injury he sustained during Game 5 of the Los Angeles Lakers playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves. His wife, Savannah James, will still be in attendance.

Met Gala 2025 Red Carpet: See All the Fashion, Outfits, and Looks

Vanity Fair: During the Met Gala 2025, the ultra-exclusive, invite-only fundraiser for The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, the world was once again reminded of the indisputable role fashion has played in history as much of the evening's conversation centered around the cultural and historical examination of Black style in relation to “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” the Costume Institute’s spring exhibition.

National Endowment for the Arts Officials Resign Amid Trump Grant Withdrawals

www.broadwayworld.com: The New York Times has reported that senior officials at the National Endowment for the Arts have resigned following the Trump administration's withdrawal of grants from arts organizations across the country.

Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' PURPOSE Wins 2025 Pulitzer Prize for Drama

www.broadwayworld.com: The Pulitzer Prize Board has just announced that Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' Purpose has won the 2025 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Other finalists included: Oh, Mary!, by Cole Escola, and The Ally, by Itamar Moses.

Trump Says He Will Implement 100% Tariffs on Films Made Outside U.S.

variety.com: In a move that sent shockwaves through Hollywood, Trump deemed foreign productions a “national security threat” to the American movie industry, adding that they not only draw filmmakers out to other markets but also bring “messaging and propaganda” into the United States.

Trump Announces a 100% Tariff on Foreign Movies

No Film School: Trump put up a post on Truth Social that said he instructed the Commerce Department and the US Trade Representative to add a 100% tariff on films that are produced outside the United States and for films that are imported into America.

Trump Announces 100% Tariff on Movies Made Outside of America

consequence.net: Donald Trump has announced a 100% tariff on “any and all” movies “coming into our Country that are produced in Foreign Lands.” The announcement was made Sunday night in a post on his social media network, Truth Social. “The Movie Industry in America is DYING a very fast death. Other Countries are offering all sorts of incentives to draw our filmmakers and studios away from the United States. Hollywood, and many other areas within the U.S.A., are being devastated,”

Trump to Impose Tariff on All Movies Produced Outside of the U.S.

www.indiewire.com/news: Utilizing the resources of the Department of Commerce and the United States Trade Representative, Donald Trump has announced his intention to seek a 100% tariff on all films brought to America from another country. This includes films made by American companies like Netflix overseas in areas with better tax incentives, such as the U.K. and South Africa.

Trump Proposes Cutting the National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities

www.broadwayworld.com: Earlier today, the President submitted his 2026 budget proposal, which calls for the elimination of several government agencies in order to "reach balance and restore confidence in America's fiscal management". Included in that list are the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

NFTRW Weekly Top Five

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

THE PRINCESS BRIDE Musical to Have 'Substantial Workshop' Later This Year

www.broadwayworld.com: Bob Martin and Rick Elice, book writers for Broadway's Smash, have given an update on their long-awaited musical adaptation of The Princess Bride. In an interview with Variety, Martin revealed that the show is actively in the works, also providing a time frame for a major workshop taking place later this year.

“Hyperlong Exposure” Photographs Merge Past and Present

mymodernmet.com: Compared to other artistic media, photography is far more capable of time travel. Its ability to capture our past with such astonishing immediacy is unique, serving as more representational portraits of historic lifestyles. This is why Garry Pycroft is drawn to the medium, and also why he feels compelled to reinvent it.

PADDINGTON THE MUSICAL Will Premiere at the Savoy Theatre in London's West End

www.broadwayworld.com: PADDINGTON The Musical will receive its world premiere this Autumn - opening at the Savoy Theatre on 1 November. Adapted from the much-loved books written by Michael Bond, and the award-winning films by STUDIOCANAL, with music and lyrics by Tom Fletcher, book by Jessica Swale and direction by Luke Sheppard, priority booking will open on the 13 May, with public on sale on 15 May. Full cast, creative team and performance schedule will be announced shortly.

PHANTOM Return Teased With Masquerade Masks Appearing Around the City

www.broadwayworld.com: The New York return of The Phantom of the Opera is being further teased with masquerade masks popping up all around the city. The Instagram account Masquerade NYC, which has been dropping teasers about the show's immersive return, has posted photos of the new promotion.

Kennedy Center Cancels Pride Events Amid Trump Takeover

www.broadwayworld.com: Following sweeping leadership changes under Donald Trump, the Kennedy Center has quietly canceled or relocated its Tapestry of Pride events, originally set for June 5–8 as part of WorldPride 2025 in Washington, D.C., according to the Associated Press.

 

Why Hollywood Productions Are Moving to Hungary

www.indiewire.com: In one of the most ambitious scenes of Francis Ford Coppola’s “Megalopolis,” the musical score comes to life with a grandeur that only a large orchestra can provide. What few viewers know is that this soundtrack was not recorded in Los Angeles or London, but in Budapest.

Making Arrangements (and Orchestrations) on Broadway

AMERICAN THEATRE: In the singing land that is the musical theatre, orchestrators are too unsung. These showbiz pros do much to give a musical a distinctive sound and feel, and yet—the Tony Award for orchestrators notwithstanding—they often dwell in the shadow of composers, directors, and other creatives.

Multiple Stages At Segerstrom Center for the Arts In California Outfitted With DiGiCo

ProSoundWeb: Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, CA, a 14-acre campus that’s home to Segerstrom Hall, a 2,994-seat, opera house-style theater, the 1,704-seat Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall and the 375-seat Samueli Theater, recently upgraded to DiGiCo consoles for all stages.

OMA / shohei shigematsu designs dior exhibition as architectural dreamscape in seoul

www.designboom.com: At Seoul’s Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP), a vast, column-free volume becomes a stage for the OMA-designed exhibition, Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams. Led by Shohei Shigematsu, this latest iteration of Dior’s traveling retrospective breaks from the format of boxed gallery rooms to orbit around a central void inspired by Korean hanok courtyard logic. Here, structure is narrative, and fashion becomes spatial.

X-Laser LD Challenge: Watch LD Steve Kosiba Bring Laser Effects to Life

www.limelightwired.com: Earlier this year, we invited lighting designers to get creative and submit ideas as part of the X-Laser LD Challenge. LDs sent in their favorite moving light effects, challenging us to recreate them using lasers; first to prove it could be done, and second to show just how much Mercury can deliver.

Korean Animation Business Gets $1 Billion Government Boost

variety.com: The South Korean government is betting big on animation, unveiling a $1 billion investment strategy aimed at transforming its cartoon industry into a global powerhouse.

From Good Enough To Best

Hackaday: It was probably Montesquieu who coined the proto-hacker motto “the best is the mortal enemy of the good”. He was talking about compromises in drafting national constitutions for nascent democracies, of course, but I’ll admit that I do hear his voice when I’m in get-it-done mode and start cutting corners on a project. A working project is better than a gold-plated one.

AutoCAD Drawing for Beginners: AutoCAD Foundations

AutoCAD Blog | Autodesk: The AutoCAD Foundations guide takes you step-by-step through AutoCAD basics. In our blog series, we’re moving on to AutoCAD drawing for beginners. Here are some quick tips with exercises to get you going, and you can also check out the full article here.

Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s 2025-2026 Pittsburgh Dance Council Series Announced

onStage Pittsburgh: The Pittsburgh Dance Council’s 55th anniversary season showcases five contemporary dance companies from France, theUnited Kingdom, and the United States.

Elation Lighting helps shape Sci-Fi vision of The Electric State

LightSoundJournal.com: The sci-fi adventure The Electric State, directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, premiered on Netflix in March, with state-of-the-art lighting technology from Elation playing a key behind-the-scenes role. Lighting console programmer Eric “TK” Androvich skillfully integrated Elation FUZE MAX PROFILE and PROTEUS MAXIMUS moving heads to help shape the film’s distinctive visual style.

UNICOL introduces Spirit range of LED mounting solutions

AV Magazine: UNICOL has launched a range of dvLED mounting solutions engineered to make installation simple, efficient and precise for AV integrators. Manufactured in the UK and developed to meet market demand, Spirit is a no-fuss system that works with leading dvLED brands such as Absen, INFiLED, Leyard, Samsung and Unilumin.

Supercon 2024: Sketching With Machines

Hackaday: When it comes to our machines, we generally have very prescribed and ordered ways of working with them. We know how to tune our CNC mill for the minimum chatter when its chewing through aluminium. We know how to get our FDM printer to lay perfect, neat layers to minimize the defects in our 3D prints.

luminous sphere emerges from layered netherlands pavilion at expo 2025 osaka

www.designboom.com: The Netherlands presents its pavilion, developed by RAU Architects, at Expo 2025 Osaka under the theme ‘Common Ground.’ Designed according to circular principles, the structure serves as a platform for knowledge exchange and international cooperation, with a focus on the energy transition and environmental sustainability. Over a six-month period, the pavilion is set to host programming aimed at facilitating collaboration between Dutch and Japanese organizations across business, research, and policy.

Sing Street Musical Will Make U.K. Premiere This Summer

Playbill: Adapted from the 2016 film of the same name written and directed by John Carney, the musical played a world premiere run Off-Broadway at New York Theatre Workshop in 2019, and was scheduled to transfer to Broadway's Lyceum Theatre.

4 Coolest Announcements from Adobe Max London

www.inverse.com: For the TL;DR: The integration of AI into the world’s most influential suite of creative products is moving apace and the capabilities being added are headspinning. More than anything, shortcuts are everywhere in the form of AI Agents, generative advances, and a fair share of visual tricks that look to get rid of the more grueling Photoshop tasks.

Mosaic Theater Company announces 2025/26 season

DC Theater Arts: Mosaic Theater Company announced its 2025-2026 season, inspired by the legendary Congressman John Lewis’s call to “make good trouble.” At the core of the season are four mainstage productions, including a new musical about Lewis’s formative years, the world premiere of the comedy Precarious, and the DC premieres of Dodi & Diana and A Case for the Existence of God.

New accessibility options at Ensemble Arts open…

Broad Street Review: Jaci Brown, who is Deaf and lives in Trenton, used to schlep to Broadway for ASL-interpreted performances, making plans months in advance, if she wanted to truly enjoy a musical show. When she attended shows closer to home with her hearing friends, she knew she wasn’t getting the whole story.

Midas For Mix Engineer Ian Bond On "The Road to the Isles" Tour By Fish In The UK & Europe

ProSoundWeb: Engineer Ian Bond delivered front of house and monitor mixes via a Midas HD96 console on the “The Road to the Isles,” the farewell tour by Scottish rock singer Fish of the UK and Europe following a 45-year career that saw him rise with prog-rock band Marillion before becoming a solo artist.

Warner Bros. Discovery Beats Lawsuit Over Superman Rights

www.hollywoodreporter.com: Warner Bros. Discovery and DC Comics will not have to face a lawsuit over the rights to Superman that looked to block the release of the studio’s tentpole film in several countries ahead of its July release, a court has ruled.

LOAM, a Transformation Through Eco-Theatre

HowlRound Theatre Commons: A handful of dirt Bring it close to you and smell Remember your roots. I think about soil. Often. My first interactions with soil—the ones I remember—were filled with curiosity. Curly grubs in the garden-gloved hands of my father, writhing worms escaping the saturated ground after rain, mock strawberries dotting the yard, dandelions (for wishes, of course), darting chipmunks, and anything my father wanted to grow in his garden.

Trump, Fascism, and What Artists Can Do

by Hannah Yoest: WHEN DONALD TRUMP WAS PRESIDENT the first time, the artistic world mocked, castigated, and condemned him. There were examples in a variety of media: illustrated tabloids, open letters, billboards, posters, performance art, you name it.

How Boutique Music Festivals Are Building Community

www.forbes.com: As the music festival season heats up, star acts like Green Day, Metallica, Lady Gaga and Fall Out Boy will take the stage. While Coachella and Stagecoach have held most of the attention, a quieter boutique collection of festivals are attracting a growing number of younger fans opting for more unique, curated and affordable music experiences.

10 Invaluable Mini Multitools That Are Perfect For Everyday Use

www.slashgear.com: Multitools are handy because a single device can perform multiple tasks. Mini multitools are even more popular because they can be carried around in trouser pockets or backpacks and are useful in several everyday situations. Whether you want to open a bottle of beer or tighten a bolt in your garage, a mini multitool can do it in a jiffy.

Mystic 2 Road Tests: What the Pros Really Think

www.limelightwired.com: From massive outdoor shows to high-pressure touring environments, the Mystic 2 isn’t just surviving—it’s leading the pack. To get a true sense of its impact, we connected with the pros who use it day in and day out. Here's what makes it stand out.