Stop Procrastinating Now!

Web Worked Daily: "Everyone procrastinates, but when you’re in the grip of a procrastination funk, it can feel like you’re destined to spend the entire day reorganizing your bookmarks and cleaning up your contacts in a sham of “productive work.” When you’re a one-man-band, you create your own deadlines, and there’s not always someone to look over my shoulder and tell you to get back to work. So I’ve developed a foolproof strategy to pull myself together and get back on track."

Entertainment Lighting News & Review

iSquint: "Our first contest involves winning Richard Cadena’s latest book, Electricity for the Entertainment Electrician & Technician from Focal Press. We recently received an advance copy of the book to do a review of here on iSquint which you can read here."

The Labors of Kelli O’Hara

NYTimes.com: "It’s one thing to be pregnant, which Kelli O’Hara certainly is. It’s another to be pregnant and perform seven times a week, including two late shows, at the Café Carlyle."

Everything's Ruined: A Look at the Contenders for the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Drama

Playbill News: "Ruined, Lynn Nottage's lavishly praised drama set in the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo, is the front-runner for the 2009 Pulitzer Prize in Drama, industry people are speculating."

NFTRW Weekly Top Five

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

Students can't sneak by in this class

NorthJersey.com: "Students in a lecture class at Carnegie Mellon University were packing up to leave when Elliott Curtis, their instructor, called them back to their seats, saying he'd forgotten a key part of the lesson."

Posted by David at 4/05/2009 07:00:00 PM

State offers film crew training for unemployed

New Mexico Business Weekly:: "The New Mexico Film Office is launching a program to train workers displaced from other jobs for the film industry."

Posted by David at 4/05/2009 06:59:00 PM

Bus Stop Opera

Carnegie Mellon University: "A team of Carnegie Mellon University students from different artistic disciplines is taking their music to the streets. They are performing 10- to 30-minute operettas at public bus stops in Pittsburgh and New York City."

Posted by David at 4/07/2009 02:46:00 PM

Is Creativity a Team Sport?

ExhibiTricks: "In a recent post, I asked people to suggest 'Museums Worth a Special Trip.' One thing I've noticed about the museums suggested is that many, if not most of them, are the products of strong-minded founders. Which begs the question, 'Is Creativity a Team Sport'?"

Posted by David at 4/07/2009 02:45:00 PM

'Chorus Line' connects musically, emotionally

Post Gazette: "In these days when a job, any job, is hard to come by, the song 'I Hope I Get It' gives 'A Chorus Line' a sense of urgency, a relevance that never seems to fade."

Posted by David at 4/06/2009 06:23:00 PM

Preview: Reddin puts character into City Theatre's 'Human Error'

Post Gazette: "Erik and Miranda are just 'two middle-class people on the road,' but they don't meet 'cute.'
As investigators for the National Transportation Safety Board, a devastating air crash brings them together at crucial points in their lives.
That's where we find them at the start of 'Human Error,' a play by Keith Reddin opening tonight at the Hamburg Studio Theatre, the intimate second stage of City Theatre on the South Side."

Review: Dance Alloy Theater's 'Exposed' makes a strong statement

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Three perspectives on the ways we change combined for a provocative theatrical experience in 'Exposed,' Dance Alloy Theater's spring production that ran Friday through Monday at the New Hazlett Theater in the North Side."

Review: Quantum Theatre offers a compelling 'Yerma'

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "That emotional frustration and sexual tension is a major theme in the plays of Federico Garcia Lorca is an understatement.
Quantum Theatre's production of 'Yerma,' which opened Friday in East Liberty, is no exception."

Interns needed for feature film

Craigslist: "'Yin, Yang and Other Middle-Aged Nonsense' is currently looking for interns in the wardrobe, production and grip departments."

Join our Theatre Factory Family!

Craigslist: "The Theatre Factory, located in Trafford, PA, is looking for Directors, Musical Directors, Stage mangers and set builders for the upcoming season."

Looking for a 3D Modeler Looking to Build Their Reel

Craigslist: "Short film production looking for a 3D modeler for use in our upcoming cyberpunk sci-fi, post apocalyptic flick."

SAG Task Force Updated on Contract Talks

Backstage: "The wheels of progress continue to turn, ever so slowly, on the labor front. But don't expect any breakthroughs before the Screen Actors Guild's next national board meeting set for April 18-19."

Psycho Dad, Porno Priest Rant for Laughs in ‘Torture’

Bloomberg.com: "Happy news from Christopher Durang, whose “Why Torture Is Wrong, and the People Who Love Them” at New York’s Public Theater is his funniest play in years. Along with other good things, it establishes Laura Benanti, already known in musicals (“Gypsy”), as an absolute star with this nonsinging role."

$32 Million ‘Ring’ Comes to L.A. With Domingo

Bloomberg.com: "Richard Wagner’s epic cycle of gods, humans, giants and one dragon pursuing power and gold continued at the Los Angeles Opera last weekend with Placido Domingo as the doomed Siegmund in “Die Walkure.”"

Actor Kal Penn becomes arts groups liason for the White House!

Chicago Theater Blog: "Great news! The Obama administration is definitely following through on their promise to support the arts in a greater way, knowing that a vibrant American arts community creates a more vibrant American society. Specifically - actor Kal Penn, known for his roles in the 'Harold and Kumar' movies and the television series 'House,' has been hired by the White House to serve as a liason between the administration and arts groups."

A Chance for Some Theatrical Gems to Shine

NYTimes.com: "London boasts so many theatrical offerings that it is sometimes easy for smaller productions to slip through the net or for those shows originating in the not-for-profit arena to be eclipsed by the 10-ton gorillas that sashay their way, “Priscilla Queen of the Desert”-style, to the West End. The Almeida Theatre’s British premiere of “Parlour Song,” the play by the Englishman Jez Butterworth that was first seen in a completely separate Off Broadway staging this time last year, probably cost less to put on in its entirety than a single one of the more scintillating frocks in “Priscilla.” But as staged by Ian Rickson, Mr. Butterworth’s usual London director, a three-character play that in New York seemed rather opaque has landed on home turf with genuine punch."

Laura Benanti of ‘Why Torture Is Wrong’: The Not-Crazy Person in a Crazy World

NYTimes.com: "Laura Benanti has played a waitress who sings (“The Wedding Singer”), a Cinderella who sings (“Into the Woods”) and a governess who sings (“The Sound of Music.”) She even won a Tony Award for playing a stripper who sings in the 2008 Broadway revival of “Gypsy.”"

The Playwright Anna Deavere Smith Finds a New Stage Home in New York

NYTimes.com: "Anna Deavere Smith, who transformed the art of solo performance in the 1990s by embodying dozens of characters in her plays “Fires in the Mirror” and “Twilight: Los Angeles 1992,” is returning to the New York stage this fall for the first time in nine years with a new production about medicine and health care, “Let Me Down Easy.”"

Cleveland Play House Will Get New PlayhouseSquare Home in 2011

Playbill News: "The PlayhouseSquare's 2,500-seat Allen Theatre will be reconfigured into two smaller theatres that will seat, respectively, 550 and 300 audience members. An additional 175-seat black box theatre will be constructed adjacent to the Allen for intimate productions on the Cleveland Play House bill."

World Premiere of Old Man and the Sea Opens at Long Wharf April 8

Playbill News: "Adapted by Craig Siebels and Long Wharf associate artistic director Eric Ting, who also helms the production, The Old Man and the Sea began performances April 1 and continues through April 26 in New Haven, CT."

ASCAP chief stepping down after 15 years

Hollywood Reporter: "Marilyn Bergman, who has led ASCAP for 15 years, is stepping down as president and chairman of the board.
The three-time Academy Award-winning songwriter and composer said Tuesday that she will continue to serve on the performing rights group's board. Her successor is expected to be elected at the board meeting this month."

Review: Chouinard maintains stunning qualities in classic works

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Two revolutionary ballets created in Paris just before World War I were revived with great impact by Compagnie Marie Chouinard on Saturday night at the Byham Theater, Downtown, in the Pittsburgh Dance Council series."

Bus Stop Opera

Carnegie Mellon University: "A team of Carnegie Mellon University students from different artistic disciplines is taking their music to the streets. They are performing 10- to 30-minute operettas at public bus stops in Pittsburgh and New York City."

Actors' Equity buys a building in Chicago, will expand presence here

The Theater Loop - News from America's hottest theater city: "Actors' Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers in the United States, has purchased its own building on Randolph Street just a block or two west of the core of Chicago's theater district."

New Jersey’s Toxic Ooze Yields Musical ‘Avenger'

Bloomberg.com: "Loud, gross and lovable, “The Toxic Avenger” retails hoary Helen Keller jokes, horror-flick cliches and geek romance in a rock musical that raises your consciousness and gets you out in under two hours."

Is Creativity a Team Sport?

ExhibiTricks: "In a recent post, I asked people to suggest 'Museums Worth a Special Trip.' One thing I've noticed about the museums suggested is that many, if not most of them, are the products of strong-minded founders. Which begs the question, 'Is Creativity a Team Sport'?"

Building A Team Without Silly Teambuilders

Stepcase Lifehack: "“As we go around the circle, tell the group your name and something special about you.”
That kind of team builder may have been useful on the first day of kindergarten, but when you’re building a business team or putting together a team for another important project, you need to go far beyond silly icebreakers to create a cohesive group."

'The Toxic Avenger' - Geek Turns Superhero to Save a Town

NYTimes.com: "What’s big and green and sings pop-rock anthems while tearing off the limbs of evildoers? The Toxic Avenger, the mutant superhero born of a shlocky cult movie who has now been given the supreme honor of inspiring a stage musical."

Actors' Equity Gets a New Chicago Home; Will Move in Spring 2010

Playbill News: "Actors' Equity Association (AEA), the union representing more than 1,400 professional actors and stage managers in the Chicago area and 48,000 nationwide, purchased a building at 557 W. Randolph St. as its new Chicago office."

"We Built This City": Rock of Ages Opens on Broadway April 7

Playbill News: "Rock of Ages — the new pop-scored musical co-starring Constantine Maroulis, Amy Spanger and James Carpinello — officially opens at Broadway's Brooks Atkinson Theatre April 7."

Concentrate to double the impact of 'Exposed'

Post Gazette: "A Dance Alloy concert these days comes with accoutrements, from a free spaghetti dinner to cupcakes and wine tastings. But where ballet icon George Balanchine ideally composed a concert according to appetizer, entr??e and dessert, Alloy artistic director Beth Corning builds her dance menu around a trio of weighty entrees."

You won't escape the grip of Quantum's 'Yerma'

Post Gazette: "Love is simple. It's not always easy, but it is simple. There's the emotion; there's the object of the emotion. Longing, on the other hand, is infinitely complex. Its foundation is a hole, an absence. Filled with love, you are sated. Filled with longing, you are empty."

'Chorus Line' connects musically, emotionally

Post Gazette: "In these days when a job, any job, is hard to come by, the song 'I Hope I Get It' gives 'A Chorus Line' a sense of urgency, a relevance that never seems to fade."

Tony winners, Rockettes part of Broadway series

Post Gazette: "The 2008 Tony winners for Best Play, 'August: Osage County,' and Best Musical, 'In the Heights,' lead a PNC Broadway Across America lineup that doesn't scrimp on the fun. 'Young Frankenstein' and 'Xanadu' also are part of the roster, along with a new production of 'Dreamgirls' and the unrelenting but reliable 'Grease.'"

A&E season schedules for 2009-10

Post Gazette - A&E season schedules for 2009-10

City of Pittsburgh Promotional Video(s)

Craigslist: "Looking for 8 amatuer and or professional photo & videographers for immediate work on promotional video highlighting The City of Pittsburgh."

Brooks & Dunn Music Video PAs

Craigslist: "For interested PAs, I can offer the possibility of an internship at our company for college credit."

Rockettes kick off PNC Broadway series season

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "The return of the Rockettes will literally kick-start the 2009-10 PNC Broadway Across America — Pittsburgh season.
The high-stepping precision dance troupe will bring 'Radio City Christmas Spectacular' to the Benedum Center for 50 performances from Nov. 12 to Dec. 6."

Waiting in the wings: when will young theatre critics get their big break?

guardian.co.uk: "To take a geographical metaphor, theatre criticism is a bit like tectonic plates: though gaps only rarely appear on its upper surface, they cause radical transformations to the landscape. Nicholas de Jongh's departure from the Evening Standard will likely reshuffle the critical cabinet. However, in raising the question of its immediate effects, Mark Brown this week unearthed a deeper concern: where are all the young critics?"

Fey Knight Meets Falling Puppet in Berlin’s Naked ‘Lohengrin’

Bloomberg.com: "With horned helmets, Richard Wagner puppets, a man in a bear suit and some obtuse references to the Berlin opera scene, the Staatsoper Unter den Linden’s new “Lohengrin” is too cluttered to make much sense."

Travelex’s Dorfman Says Arts Sponsorship Pays Off in Branding

Bloomberg.com: "Dorfman, 56, is also behind the innovative Ten Pound Season at London’s National Theatre. Thanks to his sponsorship, half of the seats for a number of plays during the year are available at just 10 pounds ($14.37). Since the project began in 2003, more than 1 1/2 million people have bought reduced-price tickets while the number of first-time visitors has risen 700 percent, according to the theater."

The Coworking Visa Project

Web Worker Daily: "Most coworking spaces have some kind of fee structure in place to meet the diverse needs of wandering workers (and to pay the rent). These fees can include hourly or daily rates, monthly rental of premium space, or one-time rental of space for meetings and events. Whether you’re a regular or occasional coworker, I have good news for you."

Bland Wade at SETC Theatre Symposium

Props: "Bland is the props director at the North Carolina School of the Arts. NCSA does about twenty shows per year. He began working as a props director in 1976. Part of NCSA’s philosophy is that the teachers keep tabs on the industry, so in addition to teaching, Bland also works in a professional capacity throughout the year. For instance, he did the set decoration for The Color Purple. The general store is almost entirely his work."

4 Weeks to a 4.0: Streamline Your Notes

Study Hacks: "This is the second post in our four-part series 4 Weeks to a 4.0. Last week, I asked you to start an autopilot schedule and adopt a Sunday ritual. If you’re like me, you’re probably having some trouble making this schedule work. That’s okay! Just keep adjusting; it takes some practice to work out the kinks. This week I want to move from the big picture issue of scheduling to something more tactical: notetaking in class."

Easy to Sneer At and to Love

NYTimes.com: "IF the jukebox musical and the 1980s rock ballad are not direct siblings, they must surely share a common ancestor. Both tend to be bombastic and demand un-self-consciousness from their performers; both attract fans who mask their sincere affection behind a layer of irony. Both are easy punching bags for critics in their respective genres, and nobody is going to argue that Broadway needs more of them."

A Guide to the Stars Under Lights in ‘Blithe Spirit,’ ‘Exit the King,’ ‘God of Carnage,’ ‘Impressionism’ and ’33 Variations’

NY Times: "“GOING to the theater, to me, meant going to see people, apparently serious people, making a spectacle of themselves,” Eugène Ionesco sniffed, recalling his early antipathy for the art form that would ultimately transform him into a brand name for highfalutin lunacy."

Some Enchanted Musical

NYTimes.com: "The Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, based on James Michener’s book “Tales of the South Pacific,” opened on April 7, 1949, at Broadway’s Majestic Theater. It starred Ezio Pinza as Emile de Beque, a French plantation owner, and Mary Martin as Nellie Forbush, a Navy nurse from Arkansas, and introduced such ridiculously hummable numbers as “Wonderful Guy,” “Some Enchanted Evening,” “A Cockeyed Optimist” and “There Is Nothin’ Like a Dame.”"

IATSE signs up stage workers

Variety: "Backstage workers at producing org NETworks Presentations have unionized. New members of IATSE unions include stagehands, wardrobe, hair and makeup workers on the current road tours of 'Sweeney Todd,' 'The Drowsy Chaperone,' 'Hairspray,' 'The Wizard of Oz' and 'Annie.'"

Students can't sneak by in this class

NorthJersey.com: "Students in a lecture class at Carnegie Mellon University were packing up to leave when Elliott Curtis, their instructor, called them back to their seats, saying he'd forgotten a key part of the lesson."

State offers film crew training for unemployed

New Mexico Business Weekly:: "The New Mexico Film Office is launching a program to train workers displaced from other jobs for the film industry."

CMU grad gets '80s tale 'Adventureland' to screen

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "To a young Greg Mottola, it seemed like the worst summer job ever -- a humiliating, minimum-wage gig at a rundown Long Island amusement park called Adventureland. And it was, in some ways, worse than he imagined."

Conservatory Hour

Monday, April 6

Critique for The Father

in the Checco Stuido A 5:00-6:00

Global & Environmental Electives

Global and Environmental Electives F 2009

Publish at Scribd or explore others:

God's Dice: A Dramatic Exploration of Quantum Metaphysics

pitt

Publish at Scribd or explore others:

Physics for future Presidents

PffP Poster

Publish at Scribd or explore others:

Big Show Construction Management Creates Video Ring for JetBlue Terminal at JFK

Lighting&Sound America Online - News: "Passengers arriving at JetBlue Terminal 5 at JFK International Airport encounter by a ring of video monitors that was designed, engineered, and installed by Big Show Construction Management (BSCM), which specializes in managing the creation of themed and interactive spaces. The installation recently won the 2009 Apex Award for Public Spaces at the Digital Signage Expo in Las Vegas."

Drama Book Sale

Wed. April 8, 10am-2pm
50% off all books!

Thursday, April 9, 10am-2pm
75% off all books!

Purnell Center Lobby

Large selection of plays and other drama-related books that have been used at Carnegie Mellon in past semesters, all available these two days only for super-discounted prices!

cash, credit card, and checks accepted

University Lecture Series

Monday, April 6 - 4:30pm – McConomy Auditorium, UC
Where’d You Get Those?
Bobbito Garcia, author

Tuesday, April 7 - 4:30pm – MMCH 103, Breed Hall
ULS JOURNEYS LECTURE
Take what you HAVE and make of it what you CAN: An Introspection
Milton Fine, FFC Capital
This ULS Journeys lecture is presented in partnership with Carnegie Mellon’s College of Fine Arts and School of Computer Science

Wednesday, April 8 - 5:30pm – Adamson Wing, BH 136A
Good, Fast, Cheap in New Product Development: Don’t Settle for Just Two
Stephen Hoover, Xerox Research Center
Co-sponsored by the Engineering and Technology Innovation Management Program


Monday, April 13 – 5:00pm – Chosky Theater
Brecht at Sea and in America
Holger Teschke, playright, author, translator, director and former dramaturg at the Berliner Ensemble
Co-sponsored by the School of Drama


Tuesday, April 14 - 4:30pm – Adamson Wing, BH 136A
Environmental DLS*
Thinking green: How PNC Applies Sustainability to Create Value for Stakeholders
James Rohr, PNC
Co-sponsored by the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering and The Shaw Group

New Course

SciFi Poster

Publish at Scribd or explore others:

Lightswitch Architectural Observes "Earth Hour"

PLSN: "Lightswitch Architectural, an architectural lighting design firm, participated in Earth Hour on March 28 and encouraged clients, colleagues, associates and friends to do the same."

Bill Sapsis Named USITT Fellow

PLSN: "Sapsis Rigging, Inc. founder and president, Bill Sapsis, has been named a Fellow of the USITT. The presentation was made during the Fellows address and award ceremony on at the USITT’s annual conference."

Live Design Names lighting, sound, and projection gear Products of the Year

Live Design: "Live Design announces its 2008-09 Products of The Year, chosen in the categories of lighting, sound, and projection by our panels of judges who are working designers, programmers, and technicians in those fields. And the winners are…"

Surviving and Thriving in a Multi-Generational Workplace

Talking ‘Bout My Generation:
Surviving and Thriving in a Multi-Generational Workplace

When it comes to a rapidly-changing world, adaptation is critical for success. How do you ensure that you and your co-workers’ messages aren’t lost in translation? Are you speaking the same language as the ‘incoming class’ of workers, or are Boomers, Gen Xers, and Millennials stuck in a well-intentioned tower of Babel?

Join the Pittsburgh Emerging Arts Leaders and special guest Dr. Michael Bridges, the Associate Director of Educational Support at the Eberly Center for Teaching Excellence at Carnegie Mellon University, as we learn about issues of inter-generational miscommunication. Dr. Bridges’ background in social psychology includes extensive work in personality, motivation, and generational differences.

An event of the Pittsburgh Emerging Leaders Network and the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council, hosted by Pittsburgh Irish & Classical Theatre and the University of Pittsburgh Repertory Theatre.

April 20, 2009
5 to 8 p.m.
The Charity Randall Theatre
On the University of Pittsburgh Campus
In the Stephen Foster Memorial, Oakland.
4301 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213

Tickets are $5 in advance, or $8 at the door. Call ProArtsTickets at 412-394-3353 or visit www.proartstickets.org.

Court Rules Part Of Copyright Act Unconstitutional

Techdirt: "A year and a half ago, we were quite surprised when the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals actually sided with Larry Lessig, concerning how a part of copyright law that pulled foreign works out of the public domain was potentially unconstitutional. This was in the 'Golan case,' the third of three big copyright cases Lessig had championed. The appeals court had sent the case back to the lower court, and that lower court has now decided that, indeed, a trade agreement (URAA) that pulled foreign content out of the public domain is unconstitutional as it violates the First Amendment."

5 Best Image Editing Software

The Best Article Every day: "Image editing software has become ubiquitous in this digital age. Whether you’re creating a web interface or simply cropping and enhancing your family photos
- you’ll need your favorite image editor to do it."

New York Nonprofit Theaters Brace for Even Tougher Season

NYTimes.com: "This nonprofit theater, which has one of the most consistent track records of critically acclaimed productions in New York, had already reduced its fund-raising target by 10 percent. With salary freezes a possibility and other belt-tightening under way, Signature and its nonprofit theater brethren in New York have entered an especially difficult economic period in their history, with the 2009-10 season looming as the toughest financial challenge they have faced, executives say."

"Rumpelstiltskin" Inspires Goodman World Premiere, Ghostwritten, Starting April 4

Playbill News: "Lisa Tejero and Kim Martin-Cotten are among performers in Goodman Theatre's world premiere of Naomi Iizuka's tale of family ties and mystical stories, Ghostwritten, to play April 4-May 3 in Chicago."

Need a Camera Support Built

Craigslist: "Will need someone to design, acquire materials and build unit. Job may entail metal work/welding."

16 years later, 'Only Me' comes to fruition with help from friends

Post Gazette: "'Only Me' is a bit of a misnomer for the new musical opening at the Kelly-Strayhorn Theater in East Liberty."

Beth Leavel returns to Pittsburgh CLO

Post Gazette: "Beth Leavel, the delightful 'Drowsy Chaperone' who won a 2006 Tony in that title role, returns to Pittsburgh CLO this summer as the witch in 'Into the Woods.'"

Avonworth captures complexities of 'Into the Woods'

Post Gazette: "midseason for that entertaining harbinger of Western Pennsylvania spring, the high school musical. It's midseason for me, too -- Avonworth High School's 'Into the Woods' is the third musical of the six I will write about this spring, and it's the best so far."

More than 30 years later, 'A Chorus Line' is still kicking

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "For the young performers in the national tour of 'A Chorus Line' that arrives at the Benedum Center on Tuesday, the musical mirrors their lives as much as it did for those who originally played the roles in 1975."

Broadway actors cast in Civic Light Opera shows

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Broadway performers Robert Cuccioli and Beth Leavel will return this summer to perform with Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera at the Benedum Center, Downtown."

Extra performance added of Point Park's 'Rocky Horror'

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Because of popular demand for its production of 'The Rocky Horror Show,' Point Park University's Conservatory Theatre Company is adding a performance and a special promotion."

Laboring to Ad It All Up

Backstage: "If it weren't for two H&R Block commercials, Catherine Campion might never have moved to Los Angeles four years ago. And if it weren't for the residuals she continues to receive from them, the Minneapolis native would not be able to stay."

LaBute’s Couples Curse, Punch, Holler in ‘Pretty’: John Simon

Bloomberg.com: "Neil LaBute’s ferociously funny “Reasons to Be Pretty,” about fragile human relationships and the seemingly inconsequential details that threaten or even wreck them, has traveled successfully from New York’s Greenwich Village to Broadway despite changes in cast and text."

Design Inspiration: Storytelling

ExhibiTricks: "During the recent 'Creating Exhibitions' conference put on by the Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums (MAAM) several sessions, and a talk by author David Macaulay about his process, got me thinking again about the importance of stories and storytelling, especially in design projects and museums."

Manage Design Collaboration With CreationFlow

Web Worker Daily: "CreationFlow differentiates itself from its competitors by virtue of its integrated project management features and its focus on visual design and advertising projects."

Wybron Updates Gel Swatch Library iPhone App

iSquint: "We received a Press Release from Wybron that they have updated their iPhone/iPod Touch Gel Swatch Library App with detailed SED curves."

Effects of the recession on college costs

Marketplace: "The economic crisis is making some families rethink the costs of college. Kai Ryssdal speaks with Don Heller, director for the Center for the Study of Higher Education at Penn State, about how the economy is affecting universities and students."

New Writers, New Musicals: Jonathan Larson® Grants 2009 (WIT #374)

ATW: "Our guests - 2009 Jonathan Larson Grant® recipients Mark Allen, Dave Malloy, Thomas Mizer and Curtis Moore - tell us what these Grants and others mean to them and their work; how they became involved in musical theatre; the programs and workshops that helped their work move forward; what parameters they work within when writing for musical theatre; how much license they give to others to interpret their work; what they do to sustain themselves financially while pursuing their musical passion; dealing with the business aspects of writing and composing; and what Broadway represents for them."

The Week in Tools: Toolmonger Top 5

Toolmonger: "It’s been a busy week here at Toolmonger. If you’ve been spending time in the shop — you should! — and you haven’t had a chance to keep up with Toolmonger this week, we suggest you start with these posts, which our readers helped to select"

Video: Aerial training for Steppenwolf’s “The Tempest”

Chicago Theater Blog: "Came across this YouTube video featuring Emma Rosenthal and Miles Fletcher discussing their aerial training for “The Tempest“, which opens this weekend at the Steppenwolf Theatre, directed by ensemble member Tina Landau. Heard on the video, this tamer-than-it-sounds quote from cast member Miles Fletcher:"

‘Shells’ at Joe’s Pub Is an Episodic One-Woman Show

NYTimes.com: "Pity Michelle Hoffman. She drinks too much wine. She broods too much about her love life. She watched way, way too much “Sex and the City”; thanks to DVD, she’s probably watching it still. And on Sunday night, as they have been doing monthly for more than a year, people will gather at Joe’s Pub to alternately laugh at and yell at her."

'Spider-Man' to star unknowns

Variety: "Julie Taymor appears to be considering going the unknown route in casting the leads for her return to Broadway with 'Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark.' A nationwide casting call has been announced running April 9 through May 27 in Orlando, New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, Chicago and Austin."

Theaters test rock-it launches

Variety: "Now '80s hair-metal tuner 'Rock of Ages' has aggressively worked to create a vibe that's far less formal than the norm at Rialto theaters, aided by low ticket prices, in-seat cocktail service and free lighters for aud members to wave during appropriate power ballads."

NFTRW Weekly Top Five

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

Shhhh Salvage Makes Dumpster Diving Fashionable

NYTimes.com: "To fight the waste, Ms. Clancy set up a business last year called Shhhh Salvage (www.shhhh-projects.com). It is a nimble, one-woman hub: through a network of contacts with people who work on shows, Ms. Clancy finds out when sets will be struck, then puts the word out to artists who can use stuff that would otherwise end up in a landfill. She gets the discards, then sells them for a fraction of their value."

Posted by David at 3/31/2009 04:38:00 PM

The queen of props

Surrey Leader: "When theatre directors need muskets for a squad of soldiers, a classic sailing ship wheel or a mural backdrop of Ottawa's Parliament buildings, they come to Maxine Lloyd – and get what they ask for."

Posted by David at 3/30/2009 03:07:00 PM

Google Docs Adds Drawing

Ian's Messy Desk: "Google has added the ability to insert drawings into Google Docs. You can create and insert drawings into documents, presentations and spreadsheets to illustrate your ideas or just for fun."

Posted by David at 3/31/2009 04:24:00 PM

In an effort to be hip, theater has lost its shock value

The Boston Globe: "I came to a shocking realization the other day: Apparently, I can't be shocked anymore."

Posted by David at 3/30/2009 03:09:00 PM

Mysterious Subway Brings Strangers to Eternal Bliss

Bloomberg.com: "Strangers in a New York subway car bound for -- who knows where? -- may not seem to be the most surefire bet for a musical."

Posted by David at 3/31/2009 04:29:00 PM

Women choreographers make all the moves for Alloy

Post Gazette: "Female choreographers are few and far between, so a dance program consisting entirely of works by women is a rarity."

Flamenco taps into characters' emotions in 'Yerma'

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "When Quantum Theatre begins performances of 'Yerma' Thursday, it will be the continuation of an exploration begun two years ago.
As in its production of 'Red Shoes' in 2007, 'Yerma' will use the rhythms and dance steps of flamenco to express and illuminate the repressions and yearning of Federico Garcia Lorca's drama about Yerma, a childless woman living in rural Spain in the 1930s."

Everything's right in 'Error,' actress says

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "It's been four years since Tasha Lawrence appeared at City Theatre as the solo performer in 'Bad Dates.'
She returns to City Theatre's Hamburg Studio Thursday as yet another relationship-challenged woman, in Keith Reddin's 'Human Error.'"

Notions to be 'Exposed' in Dance Alloy presentation

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "The situations Dance Alloy Theater present pose many questions, ones to be explored as much through feeling as thought.
'As usual, I don't answer the questions,' artistic director Beth Corning says. 'I don't have any answers yet, which is why I keep making these pieces. The older I get, the more I know; so the more questions I have.'"

Action-packed scenes keep 'Narnia' moving

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "'The Chronicles of Narnia,' written by C.S. Lewis in 1950, is a classic children's literature series with a recommended reading level of ages 9 to 12.
Disney's 2005 hit movie version of the fantasy tale about four children thrown into the scary, mystical land of Narnia had a PG rating.
So, it seems logical that the musical stage adaptation, 'Narnia,' is a children's show that is not appropriate for very young children."

Arts & books: 'Beckett begins again' by Colin Murphy

Prospect Magazine April 2009 issue 157: "One afternoon last October, I boarded a bus at the village of Glasson in the Irish Midlands for a two-hour, cross-country drive to a small town in County Cavan. The bus had “Waiting for Godot” emblazoned on the sides and, for passing helicopters, on top. In it were the cast and crew of the Gate Theatre’s Waiting for Godot, somewhere towards the end of what could alternately be described as a 40-night or a 20-year tour."

Milwaukee Shakespeare giving assets to UWM theater department

JSOnline: "Milwaukee Shakespeare, which closed suddenly in October when it lost its principal funder, is giving its remaining financial assets to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee theater department. Board President Matt Flynn said a bit more than $38,000 is involved."

Twittering Actors, Directors Give On-Set Insights

Backstage: "When he showed up to begin shooting his new film 'Five Killers' in the south of France last week, Ashton Kutcher encountered one of those unexpected glitches that regularly pop up on any movie set. His stunt double had arrived for work with a shaved chest, so Kutcher would have to submit to a little chest waxing of his own."

SAG-AFTRA Reach Commercials Contract

Backstage: "The Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists said early Wednesday they have reached a tentative new three-year commercials contract."

A Daring Take on a Wilde Play

NYTimes.com: "Presenting Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest” with an all-male cast dressed as men has raised a few eyebrows in conservative Singapore, leading the media regulator to request the company to prominently display an age advisory of “16 years and above” on all its publicity material, with the notice, “Re-interpretation, all-male cast.”"

In Observance of Passover, Feldshuh Will Skip April 8 Performance of Irena's Vow

Playbill News: "The April 8 evening performance of Dan Gordon's Irena's Vow will feature Tina Benko in the role of World War II heroine Irena Gut Opdyke at the Walter Kerr Theatre."

Wilkin tops Broadway Across America

Variety: "BAA -- which presents touring incarnations of 'Wicked,' 'The Lion King' and 'Jersey Boys,' among others -- has recently upped its Gotham profile as part of an effort to play a more active role in producing the fare that it presents on the road. Org is credited as a producer on recent Rialto outings including 'Hair,' 'West Side Story' and 'Blithe Spirit.'"

South Coast Rep slates Sondheim

Variety: "On the Costa Mesa theater's larger, 507-seat Segerstrom Stage, Sondheim's 'Putting It Together' will run Sept. 11-Oct. 11. Story centers on a Manhattan couple who look back on their lives while hosting a cocktail party. Tuner incorporates music from the composer's other musicals, such as 'Company' and 'Sweeney Todd.' Nick DeGruccio directs."