'Frankenstein,' 'Warfare,' 'Bone Temple' Case Studies Hosted at Focus

variety.com: The 10th anniversary edition of production event Focus, which takes place at Business Design Centre, London, on Dec. 8–9, includes case studies of “Frankenstein,” “Warfare” and “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple.” The session titled “Crafting Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Frankenstein’” features Tamara Deverell, production designer on “Frankenstein,” Kate Hawley, the film’s costume designer, and Mike Hill, who worked on creature design and character prosthetics make up FX.

Step Inside Freaky Friday Musical's U.K. Stage Premiere

Playbill: Freaky Friday, based on the novel and films of the same name, made its U.K. stage premiere beginning November 27 at HOME Manchester, and Playbill has an up-close-and-personal look at the production, both onstage and in rehearsals.

Helen Shaw Named New York Times Chief Theatre Critic

Playbill: There is a new New York Times chief theatre critic: Helen Shaw. The outlet has been publishing reviews by a number of writers in the months since predecessor Jesse Green was reassigned earlier this year. That list of fill-ins notably did not include Shaw, who joins the Times after a stint as theatre critic and staff writer for The New Yorker, and a tenure as chief theatre critic at New York Magazine prior.

Prime Video pulls eerily emotionless AI-generated anime dubs after complaints

Ars Technica: In March, Amazon announced that its streaming service would start including “AI-aided dubbing on licensed movies and series that would not have been dubbed otherwise.” In late November, some AI-generated English and Spanish dubs of anime popped up, including dubs for the Banana Fish series and the movie No Game No Life: Zero. The dubs appear to be part of a beta launch, and users have been able to select “English (AI beta)” or “Spanish (AI beta)” as an audio language option in supported titles.

Do You Need A $500 Tool Chest? Pros And Cons Of High-End Storage

www.slashgear.com: Over time, it's easy to accumulate lots of tools. From picking up wrenches and sockets now and again to trying out and keeping new power tool releases, you can quickly fill up a toolbox, workshop, or even a whole garage with equipment. Fortunately, there's no shortage of tool storage solutions out there, with numerous companies offering massive tool chests for customers to consider.

How NIN Guitarist Robin Finck Scored Horror Game 'Sleep Awake'

www.rollingstone.com: Whether it’s a movie or a game, a good horror experience is almost entirely driven by sound. Audiences react to jump scares, body horror, and skin-crawling nightmarish imagery, but all work in tandem with audio — or the intentional lack thereof — to drive home discomfort. Just as much as viewers can recall a particularly gruesome visual or haunting scene, they inherently play back in their heads the squelches, footsteps, whispers, and sonic booms that triggered their fight or flight.

Watch: Sting Explains Why He—and Shaggy—Are Headed to Met Opera for The Last Ship

Playbill: Maria Callas... Leontyne Price... Shaggy and Sting? Yes, they may be better known as recording artists, but both are bound for NYC's Metropolitan Opera, one of the genre's preeminent venues, for a newly revised version of Sting's The Last Ship, a musical that played a brief Broadway run in 2014. The work will take the stage at the Lincoln Center space June 9-14, 2026, as announced last week.

Catherine Corcoran Launches Production Company FareStream

www.indiewire.com: When it comes to building a better Hollywood, Catherine Corcoran is in it for the long haul. On Monday, the “If It Bleeds” and “Terrifier” actress launched FareStream Pictures — a new film and TV production company with plans to champion “bold, emotionally charged storytelling” through women and underrepresented voices

How China's Wanda Film Attracts Gen Z With Immersive Experiences

www.hollywoodreporter.com: In an age when audiences are spoiled for choice across countless entertainment platforms, it’s no secret that cinema operators worldwide are feeling the heat.

‘Vape! The Grease Parody’ Features The Humor And Harms Of E-Cigarettes

www.forbes.com: When I first saw Grease on the big screen decades ago, little did I know that I would one day be watching an off-Broadway parody with vaping as the backdrop. Even less expected—that I would find key medical lessons throughout the musical, particularly involving the use of e-cigarettes or vaping, which is a growing public health concern.

Is Gen X Actually the Greatest Generation?

The New York Times: NINETEEN-NINETY-FOUR WAS THE year I graduated from high school, and the year Kurt Cobain died. I remember coming home from school in suburban Illinois on that April afternoon, turning on the TV and seeing the MTV News anchor Kurt Loder report that the 27-year-old lead singer and guitarist for Nirvana had been found dead by suicide in Seattle.

The Best Bay Area Theater We Saw in 2025

KQED: During a spate of theater closures, funding challenges and diminished audiences, there’s been no shortage of ideas from the Bay Area’s top theater brass as to how Bay Area theater can survive. There were also plenty of victories to be had on our region’s stages in 2025.

Amazon's Atrocious AI Anime Dubs Are a Dark Sign of Things to Come

gizmodo.com: As generative AI material threatens to encroach further and further upon the entertainment industry, animation—and Japanese animation in particular—has become something of a major battleground, as both sides of production and distribution weigh up the worth (and potential backlash) of using the technology. But over the weekend, a surprisingly grim new frontier opened up in that battle: the arrival of AI-generated anime dubs.

How To Design 3D Printed Pins That Won’t Break

Hackaday: Sure, one can make pins stronger simply by upping infill density or increasing the number of perimeters, but those depend on having access to the slicer settings. If someone else is printing a part, that part’s designer has no actual control over these things. So how can one ensure sturdier pins without relying on specific print settings? [Slant 3D] covers two approaches.

Photos: Disney Unveils Photos from New HERCULES Musical on Disney Destiny Cruise Ship

www.broadwayworld.com: Disney has released new first-look photos from the world premiere of Disney's Hercules, the Broadway-style live musical from Disney Cruise Line. Taking place on board the Disney Destiny, the new adaptation of the 1997 film will make its world premiere when the ship sets sail for its Maiden Voyage on November 20.

First look at Disney's new nighttime spectacular

www.themeparkinsider.com: Today in Paris, Disney Live Entertainment introduced the new nighttime spectacular that will debut with Disney Adventure World on March 29, 2026 - Disney Cascade of Light. Set on the park's Adventure Bay, the new production will feature fountains, World of Color-style water screens, and next-generation, purpose-built drones that will fly closer to the audience than ever before.

Who Makes Snap-On Wrench Sets & Where Are They Manufactured?

www.slashgear.com: Despite their relatively limited availability in the retail arena, Snap-on branded products continue to rank among the more respected tools on the scene. They also tend to be among the pricier options in the consumer tool market.

Microdramas Take Center Stage at Crisp Content Conference in Seoul

variety.com: The future couldn’t look more vertical than from the 76th floor of the Lotte Tower, the sixth tallest building in the world, where microdrama key stakeholders attended the conference Future Is Vertical: The Global Rise of Short Form Media. The splashy location was aptly chosen by the event’s organizer, the short-form scripted video content company Crisp, which means to shape the next phase of an industry racing toward $26 billion in global revenues by 2030.

Tom Stoppard Made Us All Smarter

AMERICAN THEATRE: Being in the rehearsal room with Tom was like a mashup of a sports event and a colloquium: You got smarter and you got faster as time went along. The reason we who had the privilege of working with him loved it so much is that his plays demand the highest level of collaboration from everyone involved. Although, like Henry in The Real Thing, Stoppard believed that “words are sacred. They demand respect,” he also understood that a playscript is the springboard by which other artists can dive into the pool.

"A Working Class Hero" - Identity And Class at Voila! Theatre Festival

The Theatre Times: Representation in the performing arts in the UK is in crisis. For years, voices have been warning of the lack of authentic working-class actors in TV and Theatre. Audition fees at the top drama schools are absurdly high; concurrently, schemes like The Television Workshop, an affordable training ground for working-class actors, are seeing their funding cut.

Sean Cercone opens new licensor for theatrical content

www.broadwaynews.com: The launch of a boutique theatrical licensing firm has been announced. Named the Licensing House, the company will be dedicated to providing personalized, strategically driven representation for stage properties to troupes around the world.

A Toronto holiday tradition: ‘The Nutcracker’ turns 30

www.thestar.com: One of the National Ballet of Canada’s best loved productions is approaching a major milestone. On Dec. 21, choreographer James Kudelka’s jaw-droppingly spectacular version of “The Nutcracker” will celebrate its 30th birthday.

Ailey dance company's new leader discusses her ‘fresh’ vision

NPR: Alicia Graf Mack's office is filled with ghosts, the benevolent kind. She sits at an industrial metal desk once occupied by Alvin Ailey, the late dancer and choreographer who founded the dance company that bears his name in 1958. In a corner stands a chaise lounge that belonged to the late Judith Jamison, the group's longtime principal dancer who succeeded Ailey as artistic director.

Front Porch Theatricals in 2026 Musicals: 'Working' and 'Come From Away'

onstagepittsburgh.com: Reaching back and passing the torch was a running theme of Front Porch Theatricals‘ 2026 season reveal on Monday, where it was revealed that Working and Come From Away will be their summer shows.

Who Is Latino Theater Company’s Work For? It’s in the Name

AMERICAN THEATRE: When, starting in June 2025, protestors and border patrol agents clashed for 40 days in the historic downtown area of Los Angeles, Latino Theater Company founding artistic director José Luis Valenzuela recalled, “Everybody was freaked out, and people were deciding that they didn’t want to come to work. Our employees were saying, ‘I don’t want to come to work. Can I stay home?’ The answer was yes, because you could be arrested. City Hall is right here; all the detention centers were only nine blocks away. And we are all brown.”

Holiday Shows in NYC 2025: A Spirited Guide

New York Theater: Any guide to holiday theatergoing in New York City must begin with the three annual staples: “The Radio City Christmas Spectacular” starring the Radio City Rockettes, “George Balanchine’s the Nutcracker” (and about a dozen sweet or sassy alternatives), and the many variations of “A Christmas Carol.” But there’s more — plays, ballets, operas, concerts, musicals, burlesques, and hybrid entertainments that have reappeared each December, some for decades.

Tom Stoppard, Diane Keaton and More to be Honored With Broadway Marquee Dimming

www.broadwayworld.com: The Broadway in Memoriam Committee, composed of theatre owners in consultation with industry service organizations, has determined that Broadway’s lights will dim in honor of Tom Stoppard tomorrow evening, Tuesday, December 2 at 6:45pm ET. The solo dimming will honor Stoppard’s indelible legacy and aligns with the West End theatres’ memorial tomorrow evening.

Is There Really A Difference Between A Mechanic Tool Set And A Home Kit?

www.slashgear.com: At a glance, a mechanic tool set and a home kit might seem similar, as both contain ratchets, sockets, wrenches, and screwdrivers. A closer look, however, would reveal some differences. A mechanic's tool set is often geared towards mechanical work, such as car repairs and engine maintenance. A home kit, on the other hand, is typically used for everyday, around-the-house jobs like repairing furniture and erecting frames.

Is Hiring a Professional Organizer Worth the Money?

Family Handyman: Professional organizers can help you take back control of messy closets, an out-of-control pantry, and overwhelming clutter. But are their services worth the price? The answer depends on a few different factors, including your personal budget and how much organizing help you need (just one small closet, or the whole house?). And although a professional organizer cost isn’t exactly cheap, they can completely transform your home—in more ways than you might think.

Experience: I was stabbed in the back with a real knife while performing Julius Caesar

Life and style | The Guardian: As someone committed to my craft, I’ve always believed that the show must go on. An accident in my second year of university took it to new extremes. It was the Exeter University theatre society’s annual play at the Edinburgh fringe and I’d landed the part of Cassius in Julius Caesar.

San Francisco Opera has a hit with Huang Ruo's'Monkey King'

Los Angeles Times: San Francisco Opera’s hit new opera, Huang Ruo’s “The Monkey King,” which had its final performance Sunday at War Memorial Opera House, quickly became the hottest show in town, all its performances sold out. It was the talk of the town, an opera with a little something for everyone, an opera that that stands for something culturally, spiritually and ethically.

FluxPose Could Be The Spiritual Successor To Lighthouse Body Tracking

www.uploadvr.com: With Valve itself abandoning its "Lighthouse" SteamVR Tracking system in favor of inside-out computer vision in Steam Frame, the future of VR body tracking is in flux (no pun intended). Computer vision has made setting up VR fast, easy, and portable, all at a lower cost, but cameras on a headset have only a partial view of your body.

Arden Theater explores Martin Luther King's last night in 'The Mountaintop'

The Arts | phillytrib.com: More than a half century ago, on April 3, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. took the stage at Mason Temple, a Black church in Memphis, Tennessee, to deliver what was to become his final speech. His historic “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech, which touched on his own mortality and how the Civil Rights Movement would go on without him, proved to be prophetic.

TCG Fall Forum 2025: Navigating the Long Arc of Change

AMERICAN THEATRE: Change—how to navigate it thoughtfully, how to ignite it courageously, and how to fund it sustainably—was a major topic of discussion at this year’s Theatre Communications Group (TCG) Fall Forum on Governance, Leadership for the Long Arc.

Why synthetic emerald-green pigments degrade over time

Ars Technica: The emergence of synthetic pigments in the 19th century had an immense impact on the art world, particularly the availability of emerald-green pigments, prized for their intense brilliance by such masters as Paul Cézanne, Edvard Munch, Vincent van Gogh, and Claude Monet. The downside was that these pigments often degraded over time, resulting in cracks and uneven surfaces and the formation of dark copper oxides—even the release of arsenic compounds.

Common Problems With The Ryobi Link Modular Storage System (According To Users)

www.slashgear.com: Thanks in no small part to an exclusivity pact with big box home improvement retailer The Home Depot, Ryobi has become a bit of an "it" brand in the power tool arena of late and is often ranked well among the market's most notable manufacturers. So popular has the brand become, we'd wager many of you have at least one Ryobi device tucked away in your garage at this very moment, with the brand's wares earning a solid reputation for producing power and quality at budget-friendly prices.

BEGIN AGAIN Musical Will Premiere in San Diego in 2026 Ahead of Broadway Run

www.broadwayworld.com: The new musical Begin Again, inspired by the Academy Award nominated film written and directed by John Carney, will have its pre-Broadway engagement next year. With an original score by Pat Monahan of the Grammy Award-winning band TRAIN, BEGIN AGAIN will make its world premiere at The Old Globe in San Diego as part of its 2026 season with performances from September 6-October 11, 2026.

Power Tool Batteries & Salt Water Don't Mix, They Explode - Florida Warns Residents As Hurricane Season Continues

www.slashgear.com: We've become increasingly reliant on lithium-ion batteries. In their various shapes and sizes, they can power everything from smartphones to EVs and have proven invaluable for their capacity to charge quickly and efficiently. Sometimes, we barely spare them a thought, beyond plugging in our devices when the display asks us to.

Riggers and Race Car Drivers

Kayt Lucas: I recently had the pleasure of watching the 2013 movie Life on the Edge about the development of safety standards in F1 racing. It was an exhilarating documentary, featuring uncensored footage of a great many crashes and the stories behind them.

Tom Stoppard, 1937 – 2025

New York Theater: Tom Stoppard, 88, an acclaimed author of some three dozen plays, had an extraordinary body of work, and lived an unusual life: Although he was viewed as one of the greatest English-language playwrights of his generation, his first language was not English. Although he was an erudite intellectual and the most cerebral of playwrights, he dropped out of school as a teenager, never attending college.

Oasis Live ’25 tour brings the biggest band of the ’90s back with DiGiCo on monitors

LightSoundJournal.com: Announced two days before the 30th anniversary of Oasis’ debut album, Definitely Maybe, the Oasis Live ’25 tour marks the band’s first live appearances since they acrimoniously split in 2009. The trek, which has crossed the UK, North and South America, Australia, and Asia, was so highly anticipated that it had the serendipitous and unexpected outcome of prompting six of Oasis’ previous LP releases to re-enter the UK charts, one of which even made it back into the top ten.

From Clamshell To Icicle Crown

The Quintessential Clothes Pen: In October, The Footwork & Frolick Society hosted a fairytale themed late 19th century ball. I wanted to wear something fun from my historical wardrobe that I hadn’t worn in awhile and decided on my 1899 Elusive Blue dress. Once the outfit was decided on I had to figure out how that might fit the theme!

Tom Stoppard Wrote Dialogue for Indiana Jones and Obi-Wan Kenobi

The New York Times: Whenever a playwright’s last name becomes an adjective, it’s a pretty clear sign that we the audience have learned what to expect. Terse and incantatory and a bit end-timesy? Beckettian. Terse and sinister and pause-ridden? Pinteresque.

Disney's new theme park lands in Paris get their opening date

www.themeparkinsider.com: The new World of Frozen land will open officially March 29, 2026. It will be the second installation of Disney's Arendelle, following the land's 2023 debut at Hong Kong Disneyland.

Paddington: The Musical review – they’ve looked after this bear quite splendiferously

Musicals | The Guardian: Here is the Peruvian bear as we have never seen him before – or so we are led to believe from the marketing of this musical, which is based on the beloved 2014 film, based on Michael Bond’s beloved books.

Hits buoy Pittsburgh theater community, defying a national pattern

90.5 WESA: How about a little good news from the local theater scene? While it’s too soon to call it a trend, several local troupes staged concurrent hits this fall, defying a national pattern that’s seen audiences stagnate and companies shut their doors.

The British Are Coming ... For American Songwriters Like Dave Grohl

www.forbes.com: Some songwriters, like Dave Grohl, are switching from America’s big song licensing agencies, BMI and ASCAP, to their British counterpart, PRS for Music, at least when it comes to handling song royalties outside of the U.S.

Pittsburgh expert recalls new Hollywood free-expression group's roots

90.5 WESA: The relaunch of Hollywood’s 1940s-era Committee for the First Amendment made national headlines in early October. One person thrilled to hear the news was Kathy M. Newman, a professor of English and media studies at Carnegie Mellon University. Newman has studied the original committee, and in fact is writing a book about its long and perhaps surprising artistic legacy.