Interview | Jake DeGroot, Lighting Designer for CAROLINE IN JERSEY

Williamstown Theatre Festival Blog: "Sarah Slight: I really wanted to interview you because I feel like people, myself included, don’t know a ton about lighting design. It would be really interesting to hear you talk about the different ways you think about it. I imagine you think about realistic lighting but you also enhance theatrical moments. What is all the thought that goes into lighting design?

Jake DeGroot: Well, for me lighting is all about story-telling."

AFTRA Confab Under Way

Backstage: "More than 240 delegates from the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists gathered Aug. 6 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Chicago for the their 62nd national convention. While the agenda for the three-day gathering is wide open, Roberta Reardon will likely be re-elected as the union's national president."

Building to Code Not Always Easy

Backstage: "Whether actors have just arrived in New York or are planning to move here soon, chances are they will come into contact with Actors' Equity Association's showcase code, which sets the parameters for a significant amount of work done in smaller theaters. In recent years, producers and other theater artists who regularly work under the code called for changes to be made, and in late May a few were instituted."

Theatre festival fatigue in New York

guardian.co.uk: "While I love my work as a drama critic and used to very much enjoy my days of frantic Fringe-ing, I have begun to view this late-summer ritual with something approaching dread. It's not the fault of the Fringe, but rather the fact that in recent years New York has come to suffer from a condition called festival glut. And it's an acute case. Not very long ago, Manhattan theatre used to take a summer holiday. A few shows demanded attention, such as the Public's Shakespeare in the Park, but, for the most part, a critic could have a holiday – some time to relax and indulge in other passions. Dagger-sharpening, say. Or making small children cry."

Now playing: Garth Drabinsky stars in The 7-year stretch

TheStar.com: "Ontario Superior Court Justice Mary Lou Benotto smacked down the hopes of defence counsel for soft conditional terms for the two defendants. Instead, the crimes at Livent Inc. and its predecessor company, MyGar, evolved, Benotto said, from an early kickback scheme to systemic accounting fraud, a fraud made cozy in a corporate culture of dishonesty presided over by the defendants."

First Wives Club the ultimate in crassness

Reuters: "Less than a year after the debut of Dolly Parton's '9 to 5: The Musical,' here's another pre-Broadway tuner based on a film comedy from yesteryear about fed-up women scheming to wreak revenge upon chauvinist-pig men."

London theatre booming despite recession

Reuters: "Record numbers are flocking to London's theatres as cash-strapped Britons follow the global trend of taking holidays at home during the recession."

Robodinos: What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

Wired: "Built for the stage show Walking With Dinosaurs: The Arena Spectacular—based on the similarly named 1999 BBC TV miniseries—the dinobots turned the production into a hit. Thanks to robotics work of Melbourne-based Creature Technology Company, the beasts pulled in $110 million in 600 shows across North America. Now the company has two new projects in the works: live adaptations of King Kong and next year's film How to Train Your Dragon."

Take a tour of KNB, one of Hollywood's creepiest F/X shops

SCI FI Wire: "That was on a recent tour SCI FI Wire took of KNB EFX Group—formed by Berger and Greg Nicotero—which is one of Hollywood's premiere makeup, creature and special-effects shops, headquartered in a nondescript 25,000-foot warehouse in the San Fernando Valley in suburban Los Angeles. At any one time, Berger's team is working on up to 10 movies at the warehouse, with as many as 120 people. (Click on the images below to enlarge.)"

Garth Drabinsky Sentenced for Livent Fraud

NYTimes.com: "The former Broadway theater producer Garth H. Drabinsky was sentenced to seven years in prison on Wednesday for defrauding the shareholders of his production company, Livent, of 500 million Canadian dollars, or more than $400 million. His former business partner, Myron I. Gottlieb, received a six-year sentence."

Out of Kansas, Into the World - A Trove of Inge Plays

NYTimes.com: "In a small Kansas town that inspired some of William Inge’s most melancholy characters, about two dozen never-before-performed plays are poised to become the found treasures of his collected works. These plays were not hidden in the proverbial cedar chest in a dusty farmhouse but languishing in a college library in obscurity and solitude, like a tragic Inge heroine."

A Berkshire Festival Is a Different Fringe

NYTimes.com: "FROM New York City to Edinburgh to Adelaide, Australia, fringe theater festivals have become a staple of summertime culture, with troupes of actors producing experimental work on shoestring budgets and set-less stages. But none of these dozens of festivals are quite like the five-year-old Berkshire Fringe, in western Massachusetts, where its organizers work out of a cafe on Main Street because the wireless Internet is free."

Makeup and Wardrobe Needed!

Craigslist: "Makeup and wardrobe needed for short film shooting early this fall. Perfect for students looking for internship credit!"

Undercroft Opera company gives 'Elixir' a Hollywood update

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "While some people think the arts are too serious, Undercroft Opera is having too much fun preparing a classic opera to worry about such misconceptions.
The company, whose slogan is 'Everyone Deserves an Operatunity,' features mainly young local singers. Its new staging moves a comic opera from its original setting in rural 19th-century Italy to contemporary Hollywood, creating the potential for a lot more laughs."

'History Boys' puts educational philosophies in spotlight

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Pittsburgh Irish & Classical Theatre artistic director Andrew S. Paul loves the fact that he's staging 'The History Boys' in the shadow of the Cathedral of Learning.
Set during the mid-1980s, Alan Bennett's alternately moving, troubling and funny drama uses a group of British secondary school students prepping for a pivotal exam to explore questions such as why we study history, the purpose of education and the methods teachers use to advance long-term and short-range goals."

PICT to use 'History Boys' for live Web experiment

Post Gazette: "Pittsburgh Irish & Classical Theatre will stream its Aug. 15 performance of Alan Bennett's 'The History Boys' live on the Internet, a test run for what the group hopes can become a virtual live theater.
Starting at 8 p.m., the play can be seen at www.LIPLO.com (Live and In Person and Live and Online), an entertainment Web portal designed by PICT's Stephanie Riso and fellow Carnegie Mellon grad Alex Geis."

Bennett play goes beyond the books

Post Gazette: "Alan Bennett's 'The History Boys' is unusual, a play about a supposedly dry subject that proves to be a rich and thoughtful comedy, with a touch of sentimental tragedy. It was a popular hit in both London and New York.
Unsurprisingly, it isn't really about its ostensible subject -- the prepping of eight 17- and 18-year-old English schoolboys for the entrance exams to the golden realms of Oxford and Cambridge, with scholarships to boot."

CLO takes a smooth ramble 'Into the Woods'

Post Gazette: "This has turned into a dark week for Pittsburgh amid the excitement of preparing the town for the fairy-tale hopes of the G-20 summit next month. Life has a nasty habit of turning tragic just when things are going good.
Art imitates life at the Pittsburgh CLO this week with its final production of the season, 'Into the Woods,' Stephen Sondheim's and James Lapine's gloomy revision of 'happily ever after.'"

Veteran Canadian actor comes to Pittsburgh for Pittsburgh Irish & Classical Threatre production of 'The History Boys'

Post Gazette: "'Just as the meter's about to run out, you get a part like Hector,' says Bernard Cuffling.
He's not as old as that sounds -- just 60-something. But the lead role in Alan Bennett's witty tragi-comedy, 'The History Boys,' energizes him. A native Englishman, then a Canadian for 35 years, he first played Hector last year at the Vancouver (Canada) Arts Club, and now he's making his U.S. debut, tackling Hector again for Pittsburgh Irish & Classical Theatre."

Sam Mendes crosses Bridge Project

Variety: "The second installment of trans-Atlantic legit initiative the Bridge Project will consist of Shakespeare double bill 'As You Like It' and 'The Tempest.'
Stephen Dillane, Christian Camargo, Juliet Rylance and Anne-Marie Duff will top the cast of the Sam Mendes-helmed shows, which will run in repertory."

'Spider-Man' musical halted?

Variety: "Should Broadway's Spidey sense be tingling?
Rumors have spread among legiters that the production sked for incoming mega-musical 'Spider-Man, Turn Off the Dark' may be threatened.
The extensive work being done to prep for the technically demanding show, both in the shop constructing the physical production and in the theater where 'Spider-Man' is due to bow, is said to have stopped this week."

Drabinsky gets 7 years, bail

TheStar.com: "Livent founder Garth Drabinsky was released on bail this afternoon after being sentenced earlier to seven years in prison for an accounting fraud that propelled the theatre company onto the global stage before leading to its collapse."

Wacky, weird and provocative at Edinburgh Fringe

Yahoo! News: "A credit crunch musical, a fat Glaswegian Sikh who cooks and tells anecdotes and a man who washes his audience's feet await visitors to the 63rd Edinburgh Festival Fringe beginning on Friday.
The annual three weeks of creative anarchy in the Scottish capital will see more than 2000 comedy, theater, dance, music and other shows compete for attention at the world's largest open-access arts festival."

Terror drama staged in back of a Belfast taxi

The Observer: "The mobile play is the work of former IRA hunger-striker-turned-writer Laurence McKeown and begins a 10-day run during the West Belfast Festival, Féile '09, this weekend. McKeown and his director Paula McFetridge hope it can become a permanent drama fixture on the tourist trail around the old conflict zones of north and west Belfast."

Stage musical on L.A. porn industry is in the works

Los Angeles Times: "Thank goodness there are no MPAA ratings for the live theater.
A new stage musical about the San Fernando Valley's porn industry is currently in the development phase. The production is a partnership between New York's experimental group the Civilians and L.A.'s Center Theatre Group."

Ex-Producers Drabinsky, Gottlieb Sentenced to Prison

Bloomberg.com: "Ex-Producer Garth Drabinsky was sentenced to seven years for defrauding investors in the Toronto-based production company Livent Inc. His former partner, Myron Gottlieb, received a six-year term."

Melissa Gilbert Plays ‘Little House,’ Aids Habitat for Humanity

Bloomberg.com: "The day before Melissa Gilbert began rehearsing her role as Ma Ingalls in “Little House on the Prairie -- The Musical,” she spent a few hours in a hardhat helping to build a little flat above the urban terrain of the Bronx."

Let’s Make a Sandwich Part II

Behind the Scenes at Taylor Studios: "Last week I came across a blog post that referenced one of our past posts, “Let’s Make a Sandwich.” From what I gathered from the blog, www.tdtidbits.blogspot.com, the author is a project manager for one of our friends in Chicago, Chicago Scenic Studios. In the post, “Building a Sandwich,” the importance of a detailed Scope of Work written in an RFP was outlined. I couldn’t agree more with the point, “you will never get what you want unless you ask for it.”"

How to Build Effective Working Relationships

Ian's Messy Desk: "Leaders achieve results through the work of others. Interpersonal skills are crucial to the leader’s ability to persuade and motivate both internal and external stakeholders. Effective leaders know how to negotiate with associates and resolve conflicts both formally and informally."

It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right

Berkeley Rep Blog: "Last week, a group of us helped our Company Management Department with a very special project... Meeting the cast of American Idiot at the Oakland Airport and driving them to their local housing."

Copyright Conundrum: Was 'Public Domain' Music Silenced On YouTube?

Techdirt: "Mark Guertin writes in with an interesting situation that he's dealing with, which I think highlights some of the problems with copyright law today. Guertin put together a YouTube video of some swimming pugs as part of a promotion for a charity he's involved with. Knowing that music on videos is a potential copyright issue, he went to Wikipedia to find some public domain music, and chose Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries to accompany the swimming pugs."

Second City to Celebrate 50th Year With Special Weekend; Short, Martin and "SCTV" Pals to Reunite

Playbill News: "The Second City will celebrate its 50th year of improvisational-based comedy with a weekend festival Dec. 11-13 in the city for which the troupe was named — Chicago."

Livent Producers Drabinsky and Gottlieb Get Prison Sentences

Playbill News: "Garth Drabinsky and Myron Gottlieb, the former leaders of the now-defunct theatrical production company Livent, Inc., who were convicted earlier this year of fraud, were sentenced on Aug. 5 to seven and six years in prison, respectively, for their crimes."

Stage Manager Needed ASAP

Craigslist: "Stage Manager needed immediately for running lights & sound & a few other minor jobs for Cup-A-Jo Productions, show running August 13-23"

Trust's 25th-anniversary lineup includes Albom, acrobats, ABBA music

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Diversity is the mission of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust's Cohen & Grigsby Trust Presents series.
Visits from 'Abba, The Music,' David Copperfield, Nickelodeon stars Dora and Diego and a one-man 'Lord of the Rings' are among the performances of dance, comedy, magic and live music planned for the 2009-10 season that is part of the Trust's 25th-anniversary celebration."

'36 Views' deftly layers concepts, clues and consequences

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "A grassy knoll on Washington's Landing provides a zen-like outdoor setting for Quantum Theatre's production of Naomi Iizuka's drama '36 Views.'
The Allegheny River island location separates us from the workaday world with a timeless quality that allows us to contemplate big questions of what's authentic, who's sincere or telling the truth and how to judge the true value of art with a fast-paced story of romance, intrigue and suspense."

Cultural Trust unveils diverse '09-10 lineup

Post Gazette: "The performance series has something for almost every taste in live stage shows -- from kids' entertainment to virtuoso musicians, international performers and best-selling authors, theater, dance and music, and even a one-man interpretation of 'The Lord of the Rings.'"

Drabinsky, Gottlieb sentenced to prison

Variety: "Former Broadway producer and Livent CEO Garth Drabinsky was sentenced to a surprisingly severe seven years in prison today by Ontario Superior Court Justice Mary Lou Benotto, while his partner, Myron Gottlieb received a sentence of six years."

Famed Choreographer Dies... Intellectual Property Lawyers Take Over?

Techdirt: "A few years back, we wrote about the guy who claimed to have invented The Electric Slide sending DMCA takedown notices to people who put up videos of people (at weddings, for example) dancing the dance. Eventually, the EFF sued and the guy backed down, but it looks like we haven't seen the end of aggressive enforcement of copyright control over choreography. Mockingbird writes in to let us know of a story talking about the recent death of choreographer Merce Cunningham, which focuses on how his estate is moving rapidly to execute a plan concerning the intellectual property he held in his dances."

No better setting anywhere than American Players Theatre

The Theater Loop - News from America's hottest theater city: "On a recent Friday drive from Chicago to this verdant area of Southwest Wisconsin, black clouds were as menacing as the orange barrels clogging the interstate. Lots of summer rain is the reason why Spring Green is such a green and pleasant spot. And its resident American Players Theatre, the reason for my trip, is a wholly al-fresco operation as vulnerable to the elements as the Centre Court was at Wimbledon, before they belatedly came up with the sliding roof."

London theatres to boost security

BBC NEWS: "It comes after reports of drunkenness and even fights during performances.
The owners of several venues, including The Lyric, The Garrick and The Apollo say they'll increase security staff.
The deteriorating behaviour is being blamed on cheap tickets, attracting younger audiences, and a liberal attitude to alcohol in theatres."

Youth should not be valued over experience in theatre

guardian.co.uk: "The flurry of interest surrounding the news that 17-year-old Anya Reiss is to have a play staged at the Royal Court next year, is a reminder of how much the young are valued in theatre – and the media – over the older and more experienced. The Young Vic and the Barbican even ran a season a few years back celebrating Young Genius and Keats's suggestion that: 'if it does not come as naturally as the leaves to a tree/ It had better not come at all'."

Immediate bail likely for former Livent duo

financialpost: "Garth Drabinsky and Myron Gottlieb are unlikely to spend more than a few hours in custody even if they are sentenced to a prison term tomorrow by Ontario Superior Court Justice Mary Lou Benotto."

Kodak Theatre bets Cirque du Soleil will fill its seats

Los Angeles Times: "The development company CIM Group, which owns Hollywood & Highland and runs the Kodak, says it could strengthen the theater and buoy tourism revenues in Hollywood by signing the famed acrobatic troupe Cirque du Soleil to a long-term contract."

Drabinsky Sentence Bid Would Draw Laughs in U.S., Lawyer Says

Bloomberg.com: "Garth Drabinsky, the Toronto-born former Broadway producer of hits like “Phantom of the Opera,” wasn’t always a fan of his native land. That may have changed since he was convicted of defrauding investors."

Flying Dancers in ‘Burn’ Throw Off Heat, Charisma

Bloomberg.com: "“Burn the Floor” is a dance show I can wholeheartedly recommend to everyone, even to people who can’t tell an entrechat from an entrecote, and those who think that watching dance on the stage is for sissies."

Review: Steppenwolf’s 5th-Annual First Look Repertory of New Works

Chicago Theater Blog: "For the past five years, Steppenwolf’s First Look Repertory of New Work has given Chicago audiences the unique opportunity to view works in progress for the very first time in the intimate setting of Steppenwolf’s Garage Theater. All three plays in this year’s First Look series are still in development, and are likely to undergo changes before being produced again."

Laramie Project: Ten Years Later to Be Read Across U.S.

Playbill News: "On Oct. 12 as many as 100 theatres around the U.S. are expected to present a reading of a follow-up to the acclaimed play, The Laramie Project, the spare 2000 docudrama by Tectonic Theater Project that told the story of the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard, a gay 21-year-old, in Laramie, WY."

Makeup/Wardrobe Person, Prop Handler Needed

Craigslist: "People needed to handle makeup, wardrobe & props for a short film shooting early this fall. Experience is always welcome, but not required!"

Needed: SFX make-up: vamps, blood 'n wounds

Craigslist: "We're sorry this is such short notice, but it will be a good credit for anyone who is available this Thursday, Friday and/or Saturday. We'd like to make a great impression on the L.A. producers of this web pilot in order to encourage more filming in our region, so any help or referrals will be greatly appreciated."

Noise, odd plot hinder '36 Views'

Post Gazette: "The visual dimensions of a drama are an essential part of the productions staged by the peripatetic Quantum Theatre, so it's a no-brainer to figure out why director Karla Boos picked '36 Views' for her latest effort."

The vote is in on 'Enron'

Variety: "The corporate crime that defined the end of the 20th century comes under dramatic scrutiny in Brit playwright Lucy Prebble's 'Enron,' which premiered July 23 at Britain's Chichester Festival Theater to money reviews."

'Black theater is for everyone'

News & Observer: "The National Black Theatre Festival begins its 20th anniversary Monday in Winston-Salem. More than 100 performances and a keynote address by poet Maya Angelou are expected to attract an estimated 60,000 people to the biannual, weeklong event.
'Nowhere else on the planet can you see over 100 shows in six days,' executive director Gerry Patton said."

Fringe on benefits: How the credit-crunch is hitting the Edinburgh Festival

The Independent: "Fringe Sunday has been cancelled, as have the opening and closing parties for performers; the Cavalcade has been greatly cut back; there is a dearth of sponsors; and, heaven forfend, Soho House will no longer be providing free champagne for its members staying north of the border during festival time. The recession is certainly having an effect on what is being called the credit-crunch Fringe, which gets under way in Edinburgh next weekend."

Why some of the best theatre is all foreign to me

guardian.co.uk: "Is it possible to watch a play in a language that you don't speak or understand, and still enjoy it?
Earlier in the year I was lucky enough to catch Thomas Ostermeier's production of Hamlet in Berlin. I've been a huge fan of Ostermeier since I saw his stark, spare Hedda Gabler at the Barbican early last year. I also figured that I probably know Hamlet well enough to get by. And so it proved. As long as you know the German for 'To be or not to be' ('Sein oder nichtsein' as it goes), it's not hard to follow the action, recognise the characters, and hear (through half-remembered German lessons) some familiar snatches of dialogue."

The magic of Gilbert and Sullivan

Telegraph: "I can still remember my first encounter with the genius of Gilbert and Sullivan. It was an unbearably hot afternoon in Bangkok in the early Seventies, and students from the American School were presenting The Mikado. Two black girls and one Caucasian sang Three Little Maids from School Are We in thick Bronx accents. The orchestra was pretty ropy and the heat made the strings slide more and more out of tune."

Jackson, Grateful Dead Royalties Sound Sweet to Music Investors

Bloomberg.com: "Michael Jackson, the Grateful Dead and “The Sound of Music” are finding new fans in pension funds, private equity and banks convinced that old hits will play on as technology expands the way people use music."

Ballroom show to hit Broadway amid dance popularity

Reuters: "After performing in more than 30 countries, ballroom dance company 'Burn The Floor' debuts on Broadway on Sunday with producers saying the time -- and the timing -- is right."

10 Shows that stand out at this year's Fringe Festival.

PRODUCER’S PERSPECTIVE: "It took us four years and four writers to finally get the book right on Altar Boyz. The guy who finally got hit the soul sensor on the head was Kevin Del Aguila, and I found him at The New York International Fringe Festival."

Philip Glass and JoAnne Akalaitis Collaborate on ‘The Bacchae’

NYTimes.com: "Mr. Glass, now a celebrated composer, and Ms. Akalaitis, a seasoned director and former artistic director of the Public Theater, which produces Shakespeare in the Park, have been working together for more than 40 years, for 15 of which they were also married. Their collaborations include an opera based on Kafka’s “In the Penal Colony”; a production of Jean Genet’s “Screens,” with music by Mr. Glass and the Gambian composer Foday Musa Suso; several productions of Beckett plays, including a controversial staging of “Endgame” at the American Repertory Theater in 1984; and numerous productions in the 1970s and 1980s with Mabou Mines, a company that Ms. Akalaitis and Mr. Glass founded with three friends."

After ‘Passing Strange,’ Stew and Heidi Rodewald Find a Host of New Projects

NYTimes.com: "WHEN Stew, the rock musician whose musical “Passing Strange” earned a Tony last year, was invited to compose music for Shakespeare on the Sound’s production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” this summer, he had a few misgivings."

Broadway Bargains: Answers to Your TKTS Questions

NYTimes.com: "Last week, Victoria Bailey, the executive director of the Theater Development Fund — the nonprofit organization that operates New York City’s three discount TKTS booths — offered advice on how to navigate the TKTS system. This week she will be answering readers’ questions."

Big Opening for Epilogue to ‘Laramie Project,’ About Matthew Shepard’s Murder

NYTimes.com: "The creators of “The Laramie Project,” the acclaimed play about the 1998 murder of a 21-year-old gay man, Matthew Shepard, are finishing work on an 80-minute epilogue to the original work that will be given its debut simultaneously at dozens of theaters across the United States on Oct. 12, the 11th anniversary of Mr. Shepard’s death."

CREW WANTED- FOR INDIE MOVIE CREDIT

Craigslist: "We are filming an independent movie and will get film credit/food. There is no pay but you will be working with a experienced director and screenwriter. This project will have film value. This project is done to inspire the youth in the inner city and a number of them will be on the crew recieving hands on training. So you will be giving back to the community by working on this project."

At $14 million, the arts are a bargain for state's budget

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "As the state's budget woes drag on through the legislature, the arts continue to get no respect.
The most recent budget proposals contain zero funding for the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, the conduit through which the state dribbles support to arts organizations across Pennsylvania.
At stake is $14 million.
To most of us, that sounds like a lot of money.
But, according to the arts advocacy group Citizens for the Arts in Pennsylvania, that $14 million costs each taxpayer a nickel per week or $2.60 a year."

Beth Leavel expects 'Woods' and Pittsburgh to be magical

Post Gazette: "Something about the combo of Pittsburgh CLO and Sondheim makes Tony winner Beth Leavel positively giddy.
Maybe she's always this bubbly on the phone when discussing her craft. Or maybe it's just the thought of returning to Pittsburgh.
'I love Pittsburgh, I just do,' said Leavel, who's back this week in the juicy role of the Witch in Stephen Sondheim's 'Into the Woods.'"

Loeb re-elected as president of IATSE

Variety: "Matthew Loeb has been reelected to a four-year term as president of the Intl. Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, the union that reps more than 110,000 below-the-line showbiz employees."

Obama’s Student-Loan Overhaul Passes House Committee

Bloomberg.com: "President Barack Obama’s plan to eliminate subsidized student loans by companies led by Sallie Mae won approval today from a House committee.
Representative George Miller’s legislation, which includes Obama’s plan, passed the House Education and Labor Committee on a 30-17 vote. Miller, a California Democrat, heads the panel."

Rallies show commitment, raise public awareness

PennLive.com: "Recently more than 300 people representing arts and cultural groups from across Pennsylvania stood in our Capitol's rotunda to protest the possible elimination of state aid for the arts. They were just the latest in a long stream of folks who have made their way to the rotunda in the last few months to make their case to the governor and state legislators."

Dragone entertainment Group

Backstage Employment Network: "Reporting to the Head of Rigging. The Rigger is responsible to learn and diligently execute all rigging show tracks, perform maintenance / inspections. Support the technical needs of all other stage departments."

Blue Man Group - Carpentry Dept Supervisor

Backstage Employment Network: "This position is responsible for the overall management of the Carpentry Department; including rigging and automation and reports to the Technical Director."

Assistant Project Manager ** Theatrical Lighting**

Backstage Employment Network: "Responsibilities include working with customers and manufacturers to execute contract work, coordinate deliveries, layout system designs, review construction documents, track progress and attend/ coordinate job-site meetings."

Meyer Sound Education Program Dives into New Training Center for Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas

Stage Directions: "In March 2009, Cirque du Soleil officially opened the doors of its new training center based at the company’s Resident Show Division (RSD) in Las Vegas where technical staff can advance their skills in the use of the high-end lighting, audio, rigging, and automation equipment behind Cirque’s extravagant, multisensory theatrical spectacles. Meyer Sound, whose audio technology supports all of Cirque’s resident productions, has expanded the company’s worldwide education program to include regular Matrix3 audio show control and CueConsole training sessions at RSD."

Nick.com to Host Shrek the Musical Competition

Stage Directions: "Part talent search, part publicity stunt, the producers of Shrek the Musical have partnered with Nick.com, the online arm of children’s cable network Nickelodeon, to launch a competition aimed at giving two girls a chance to perform alongside Sutton Foster in the Broadway production of Shrek. The girls will perform as “Young Fiona” and “Teen Fiona” in the musical."

Northglenn Youth Theatre Wins National Youth Theatre Awards

Stage Directions: "Northglenn Youth Theatre , the resident youth theatre company at D.L. Parsons Theatre near Denver, has been honored with four awards from the National Youth Theatre for their work in the past year."

IATSE Reaches Agreement with George Fern Company

Stage Directions: "Striking members of IATSE Columbus, Ohio Local 12 and Knoxville, Tennessee Local 197 reached a settlement agreement on July 17 with the George Fern Company, a general service contractor with warehouse facilities in seven major cities."

The Long Reach Long Riders Reach Fundraising Milestone

Lighting&Sound America Online - News: "The Long Reach Long Riders announce a fundraising milestone: With donations of more than $35,000 for this year's ride, the total raised since the group's first ride in 2004 has now topped $200,000."

Sapsis Rigging at Castleton Festival, Virginia

Lighting&Sound America Online - News: "Sapsis Rigging, Inc. provided the rigging package for the inaugural Castleton Festival, held in Castleton, Virginia. The festival, which will be an annual event, was held on the 550-acre estate of Lorin Maazel, who finished his final concert as music director of the New York Philharmonic a week before the start of Castleton."

New contract, new members at Minneapolis Children's Theater

Welcome to Workday Minnesota, your leading source for labor news!: "The employer had warned about making cuts or seeking concessions, prompting a creative response from Local 13: organizing. “We wanted to make sure we had a strong bargaining unit there to withstand that kind of pressure,” reported Royce Jackson, IATSE Local 13 financial secretary. “We went through a membership drive.”"

Stage Collapse At Pepsi Concert

Pollstar - The Concert Hotwire: "A video of a stage accident during a band competition sponsored by Pepsi in Guangzhou, China, that recently surfaced online appears to show members of the production being injured when a giant LED screen capsizes."

Posted Video Shows Scaffolding Collapsing During Concert in China

PLSN: "A video posted on the Web site, ChinaMusicRadar.com, showed Taiwanese singer Pan Yuwen performing onstage, adjacent to a multi-tiered scaffolding structure supporting lighting and audio gear. The video captures the sudden loss of power to the I-Mag and other stage elements, followed by chaos as the scaffolding adjacent to the stage falls over the crowd."

Washington State Convention & Trade Center (WSCTC) Requires ETCP Certification

Live Design: "Washington State Convention & Trade Center (WSCTC) has implemented a rigging installation and inspection program, effective October 1, 2009. The program stipulates that any rigging, either ground support or aerial, which falls within specified categories must be installed by an ETCP-certified rigger. In addition, rigging supervisors, who must be ETCP-certified, are required to submit inspection and approval documentation to the WSCTC of all rigging installations."

Problem/Solution: High-Tech Design, Low Budget For MTV’s ESL

Live Design: "When the producers of the variety show Entertainment as a Second Language with Carlos Santos (ESL) came to production designer Terry Gipson of Gipson Design Group and lighting designer Michael Grabowski of the Lighting Design Group to do a new show for MTV, they recalled the finale of MTV’s Total Request Live. “The designer had created a low ceiling grid over the performers by renting [Philips Color Kinetics] iColor© Accents. These tubes have LEDs in them, so you could constantly change the color,” Gipson explains. “You could have different looks for each performer. It’s very flexible and dramatic looking.”"

U2 On Tour » Blog Archive » Mark Fisher On The Cladding of the Claw

Live Design: "Production designer/architect Mark Fisher explains why they opted for the tensile material that covers the set for the U2 360 tour, including why they opted for the unique color scheme."

U2 360° Video Screen: Kinesys Makes It Move

Live Design: "Once it was designed and engineered by “the dream team” of Willie Williams, Mark Fisher, Chuck Hoberman, and Frederic Opsomer, the high-tech, expanding video screen that visually stuns the audience during the U2 360° tour had to be moved. In other words, the 888 individual hexagonal panels that support 500,000 Barco LED pixels has to move in order to transform during the show, as it expands from seven meters to 22 meters high. That job fell to UK-based Kinesys and their K2 3D software control package."

Back Stage Panel Offer Musical Audition Advice

Backstage: "On Thursday July 16, 2009, as part of its Successful Actor series, Back Stage held a free workshop, 'How to Get a Callback at a Musical Theater Audition,' at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York. The panel included composer-lyricist Douglas J. Cohen ('The Big Time'); musical theater director Sara Louise Lazarus; and musical director-composer Alex Rybeck who has worked on such Broadway as 'Merrily We Roll Along' and 'Grand Hotel.' Rybeck is also a teacher in partnership with Lazarus and was mentored by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim. The workshop was moderated by Back Stage Editor-at-Large Sherry Eaker."

Rob Marshall to Aye-Aye 'Pirates'?

Backstage: "Choreographer-turned-director Rob Marshall is in talks to take the wheel of the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' franchise from director Gore Verbinski. Disney and series producer Jerry Bruckheimer have been eager to set sail on a fourth installment with star Johnny Depp back in his bandana as Sparrow as early as next year."

For Actress, a $117 Outfit Was Pivotal

Backstage: "Brooke Elliott says a pivotal moment in her career started with an inexpensive outfit.
The star of Lifetime's 'Drop Dead Diva' got her big break in the 2004 Broadway show 'Taboo,' produced by Rosie O'Donnell."

Design (WIT #223)

ATW: "The design panel - lighting designer Beverly Emmons, costume designer Ann Hould-Ward, and scenic designers David Schulder and Tony Walton - and co-moderater lighting designer Jules Fisher talk about where they studied their craft, how the props can overlap with costuming, how lighting design has evolved, the Ridiculous Theatrical Company’s production of Movieland, and a demonstration of Gary Beach’s costume from Beauty and the Beast."

Ask Questions the Right Way to Solve Conflict

Ian's Messy Desk: "Choosing the right words and setting an respectful tone are important to the success of issue-based problem-solving. It is intended to set the stage for discussion, not for interrogation. Remember, you’re talking with people not to or at them."

How to write a killer bio

Manage Your Life on Shine: "For a growing swath of the workforce the resume has been replaced, or at least supplemented, by the bio. If you’ve ever had to be introduced by someone at a conference, you know it’s wise to give the person introducing you a written bio rather than sit back and hear how she decides to describe you. Written bios are posted on websites; abbreviated bios show up on sites like LinkedIn; even shorter ones appear next to our profiles on Twitter; and snappy taglines trail the bottoms of our emails."

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"

ETC Releases Eos/Ion Software Verison 1.7

iSquint | Entertainment Lighting News & Review: "We just heard through the grape vine that ETC’s Eos/Ion/Element software version 1.7 is out and ready for download from ETC’s web site. The new version is for the Eos, Ion and element consoles, remote processor units and remote video units."

A.C.T. Will Lose Exec Director Heather Kitchen

Playbill News: "Heather M. Kitchen, now in her 14th season as executive director at American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.), will step down from her position at the end of August 2009.
Kitchen will remain available to the company through the end of this year as a consultant and adviser during the transition process. The A.C.T. board of trustees is forming a search committee to conduct a comprehensive search for Kitchen's successor."

Chicago's Marriott Will Welcome Harold Hill, Tevye, Man in Chair and More in 2010

Playbill News: "The Marriott Theatre, the popular company in Lincolnshire, IL, announced a 2010 35th-anniversary season to include Fiddler on the Roof, The Drowsy Chaperone, Once On This Island, A Chorus Line and The Music Man."

Set Designer Needed

Craigslist: "Local filmmaker seeks a set designer for work on a short Fall 2009 project."

'Gypsy' a family show, despite the burlesque

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "How did a performer who kept her clothes on become one of the most legendary strippers in American history? That will be answered this weekend and next when the Valley Players of Ligonier produce 'Gypsy,' the musical based on the life of Gypsy Rose Lee, a famous burlesque performer of the 1930s."

Mt. Washington native nominated for work in theater in New York

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Mt. Washington native Nick Moore received two nominations for New York Innovative Theatre Awards for his work on the play '23 Knives,' which was produced by Resonance Ensemble."

'8-Track' plays up feel-good groove

Post Gazette: "'8-Track: Sounds of the '70s,' a feel-good retro romp playing at the CLO Cabaret, celebrates history's grooviest decade.
Four fun-loving and infectious vocalists lead the love train back in time to a decade known for its bold bell-bottoms, sky-high afros and fab floral prints."

'Catch Me' preps for Seattle premiere

Variety: "The new tuner adaptation of 'Catch Me if You Can' comes from the songwriters, director and choreographer behind 2002 hit 'Hairspray.' The book writer is a Rialto vet of both plays and musicals. And the world-preem production at 5th Avenue Theater in Seattle is staged with enhancement funds from two Broadway producers."