An AI character comes to life in Morning, Noon, and Night

Chicago Reader: Plays about Black women and the effects (tangential or otherwise) of COVID-19 are having a moment on Chicago stages this winter. MPAACT just completed their run of Squat by Tina Fakhrid-Deen, in which neighbors and lovers in a Bronzeville condo building struggle with their relationships while sheltering in place. COVID cautiousness also shows up in Kristen Adele Calhoun’s Black Cypress Bayou, running through March 15 in a local premiere with Definition Theatre.

What Can We Learn From Interrogating 'The Jazz Singer?'

Theatre Development Fund – TDF: Although it was once considered a classic and remade twice, the original Jazz Singer is rarely seen these days. While the 1927 film broke cinematic ground as the first feature with synchronized sound, it's now best remembered as that movie with Al Jolson doing blackface. It's the rags-to-riches tale of Jakie Rabinowitz, a Lower East Side Jewish boy who is cast out by his family after choosing to become a jazz singer instead of a cantor. The character makes his triumphant Broadway debut singing "Mammy" in blackface. By 2019 standards, the film and its star should be cancelled.

Stage Fright: The 20 Scariest Characters of Broadway Past!

www.broadwayworld.com: Halloween has arrived! On this spookiest of days, we are shining a spotlight on the twenty creepiest characters of musical theatre past. From chilling to thrilling, outright maniacal to downright diabolical

When The Show Must Not Go On: Chicago Artists Respond to Controversial Casting Notice

rescripted.org: On Wednesday, September 19, several Chicago artists received an invitation to audition for a play called Angel by playwright Henry Naylor. Angel is the second production in a series called “Arabian Nightmares”. The invitation was sent by local Chicago theatre Akvavit on behalf of Urbanite Theatre, located in Sarasota, Florida. Angel is inspired by fake news tweeted by the English-language news outlet Slemani Times.

Great Truths: Five Lessons We Learned Producing Tuck Everlasting

Breaking Character: Sally Dietlein, producer, vice president, and co-founder of Hale Centre Theatre, and Dave Tinney, director and choreographer at Hale Centre Theatre, recently reflected on the life lessons they learned from working on Tuck Everlasting.

Writing Great Characters

Breaking Character: What do Lady Macbeth, Hamlet, Hamilton, Willy Loman, and Blanche DuBois all have in common? They are all great characters. The ability to write unforgettable characters is key to being a playwright. Ultimately, it is the recognizable yet surprising and unique character that leads our readers or audience forward.

Why are There So Few Female Monsters

The Mary Sue: This began its life as a piece on the obsession our culture has with sexy movie monsters, but as with many ideas, it began to change as soon as words hit paper. It’s one thing to read about how women are attracted to the monstrous as a way to challenge social and sexual norms, but it’s another when you ask “where are the female monsters?”