Paper Machete: Original HAIR stage manager shares all

WBEZ: "This week Broadway in Chicago presents the tour of the Broadway revival of HAIR. We recently interviewed Marc Weiss, the stage manager of the original Broadway production. He shared with us stories about getting jokingly drugged by the cast, distributing 'nudity pay' to cast members who were willing to disrobe, and about touring the show through Chicago during tumultuous political times.

What If a Potential Employer Wants to See Your Facebook Page?

College Candy: "I recently heard about an individual applying for a job who was asked by the hiring manager to bring up his Facebook page. The individual was shocked, but did so because he wasn’t sure how to refuse.
What would you do if this happened to you? Does an employer even have the right to ask this, especially when Facebook is supposed to be something you only allow your “friends,” or people you have approved, to see? Perhaps not. But if you say no, are you improving or hurting your chances for getting the job?

'Spider-Man' postponed; Taymor out as director

The Associated Press: "Julie Taymor, the Tony Award winning director of 'The Lion King,' will no longer direct Broadway's troubled 'Spider-Man' musical as producers announced a new creative team and postponed the show's official opening to summer.
Taymor, who also co-wrote the book for 'Spider Man: Turn Off the Dark,' will remain a part of the new team, lead producers Michael Cohl and Jeremiah J. Harris said Wednesday, in announcing an unprecedented sixth delay for the musical.

Newburyport theater group hopes going free pays off

The Boston Globe: "In a difficult economy, Theater in the Open is dropping the admission charge for its big outdoor productions at Maudslay State Park. The theater group hopes going free is better for the arts, better for the audience — and better for its bottom line in the long run.

A fine 'Virginia Woolf' seethes and smolders at Arena Stage in D.C.

Post Gazette: "The rapture of utter depletion is what you feel these days at Arena Stage, courtesy of the toxic swamp otherwise known as 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'
Happily exhausted -- the kind of post-workout fatigue that sends endorphins coursing through your system -- is how you leave the theater after the marathon session with the brutal partnership of Tracy Letts and Amy Morton, playing George and Martha, antagonists joined in unholy matrimony.

'Addams Family' headed our way in 2012

Post Gazette: "'The Addams Family' will haunt the Benedum Center next summer as part of the PNC Broadway Across America -- Pittsburgh series, in cooperation with the Pittsburgh CLO.
Pittsburgh CLO and the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust helped to put the musical comedy on the map as founding members of Five Cent Productions, a producing partner in Elephant Eye Theatrical, a production company formed in 2006 to create new musicals for Broadway. 'The Addams Family' recently became one of a select few recent shows with original music to break the one-year barrier on Broadway.

'Addams Family' set for Benedum run in 2012

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "PNC Broadway Across America -- Pittsburgh and Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera have included 'The Addams Family' in their future season plans.
The national touring production of the Broadway musical will play July 31-Aug. 12, 2012, at the Benedum Center, Downtown, as a presentation of the 2011-12 PNC Broadway Across America -- Pittsburgh series and the 2012 Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera season.

Cirque du Soleil bringing 'Michael Jackson' event to Petersen

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Cirque du Soleil will bring 'Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour' to the Petersen Events Center in Oakland for a single performance at 8 p.m. April 13.
Employing Cirque du Soleil's creativity with visual elements, dance, music and fantasy, the production aims to capture Jackson's soul and celebrate his legacy with a show that immerses audiences in the singer's creative world and literally turns his signature moves upside down.

Tartan Terrors bringing light-hearted song, dance to Palace

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "The Tartan Terrors isn't a band of rowdy Scots in kilts as their name might suggest.
The Canadian troupe of singers and dancers, which Westmoreland Cultural Trust brings to the Palace Theatre for one performance Thursday night, is more like a Celtic variety show, according to Ellen Wilkes Irmisch, of Burlington, Ontario, who co-directs the show with her brother, Ian Wilkes Irmisch.
'We all are trained in multiple skills, so you get a full package,' she says. 'We used to say we're Riverdance meets 'Saturday Night Live.' '

'Circle Mirror Transformation' holds a mirror up to a changing slice of life

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "As Daniel Krell sees it, playwright Annie Baker's 'Circle Mirror Transformation' contains acting opportunities that are as appealing as they are disconcerting.
The 2010 OBIE Award-winner for Best New American Play has been lauded for the playwright's natural-sounding dialogue, which halts, pauses, overlaps, trails off and shifts directions in the same ways that actual conversation does.
'Circle Mirror Transformation' follows four adult-education students and their teacher who are participating in a creative drama class held in the community center of a small town in Vermont.

Peter and the Starcatcher: Theater Review

The Hollywood Reporter: "Creative teams don't get much more heterogeneous than the one behind Peter and the Starcatcher. But in most respects, the motley crew bands together surprisingly well.
Commissioned by Disney Theatrical Prods., the show was adapted by Jersey Boys co-writer Rick Elice from Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson's best-selling 2004 children's adventure book, which traces the backstory of Peter Pan. Roger Rees and Alex Timbers share directing duties, bringing classical theater smarts and downtown hipster attitude, respectively. Helping to inject vigorous physicality into the staging is movement director Steven Hoggett, known for his ruggedly distinctive choreography on Black Watch and American Idiot.

'Spider-Man' Director Julie Taymor Out; New Creative Team Hired

The Hollywood Reporter: "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark lead producers Michael Cohl and Jeremiah J. Harris announced Wednesday that Julie Taymor will step down as director to make way for a new creative team.

Spider-Man Postpones Opening Until Summer; Philip William McKinley, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa Join Creative Team

Playbill.com: "Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark lead producers Michael Cohl and Jeremiah J. Harris announced March 9 that the new musical, which has been in previews since November 2010, has a newly expanded creative team in place. Significant changes will be made to the production, which will now open in early summer 2011 rather than the previously announced March 15.

Yale Repertory Theater Announces New Plays

NYTimes.com: "World premieres of plays by Amy Herzog (“After the Revolution”) and Will Eno (“Middletown”), as well as productions of Chekhov’s “Three Sisters,” Moliere’s “Doctor in Spite of Himself” and Shakespeare’s “Winter’s Tale” will be featured in Yale Repertory Theater’s 2011-12 season, the theater announced on Wednesday.

Tracing Public Theater Executive’s Departure

NYTimes.com: "The Public Theater parted ways with its executive director, Andrew D. Hamingson, last month because in the theater’s transfer of shows to Broadway and London’s West End he had exposed it to financial risks without fully informing the board, people involved with the productions say.

For ‘Spider-Man’ Director, a Precipitous Fall

NYTimes.com: "It was 1996 when Disney Theatrical Productions took a chance on a little-known director of experimental theater named Julie Taymor. They handed her a musical based on their hit film, “The Lion King,” and they found themselves with a billion-dollar hit. Ms. Taymor became the theater world’s star auteur.

Managing Director of Long Wharf Theater Resigns

NYTimes.com: "The Long Wharf Theater of New Haven has lost its fourth managing director in less than a decade with the departure of Ray Cullom, whose resignation was accepted by its board, the theater said on Tuesday.

On location: Puerto Rico expands film tax credits in bid for larger Hollywood role

Los Angeles Times: "With its lush mountains, tropical rain forest and sugar-white beaches, Puerto Rico has long prided itself as a “paradise of locations” for filmmaking.
But the U.S. territory has never been ranked in the top tier of filming destinations, in part because it had only a small pool of money allocated for its tax-credit program. That could change now that the Caribbean archipelago wants to grab a larger share of Hollywood’s production pie.

Best All-Around PDF Tool: FoxIt

Lifehacker: "Last week we asked you to share your favorite overall PDF tool, then we rounded up your favorites for a vote. Now we're back with the most popular overall PDF tool among Lifehacker readers.

Report: 'Spider-Man' Opening to Be Delayed Three Months

Backstage: "The scheduled March 15 opening of Broadway's problem-plagued 'Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark' has been delayed for approximately three months, reports the New York Times, which cites anonymous sources who work on the production. The break will allow producers to implement a planned overhaul of the $65 million musical.

'Spider-Man' Director Julie Taymor Out; New Creative Team Hired

Backstage: "'Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark' lead producers Michael Cohl and Jeremiah J. Harris announced Wednesday that Julie Taymor will step down as director to make way for a new creative team.
The troubled $65 million musical has been delayed for a sixth time and will now open in early summer to allow the time necessary to execute a new direction, which will include revisions to the script.

Julie Taymor out as 'Spider-Man' director

Variety: "Producers of 'Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark' have at last confirmed the departure of helmer Julie Taymor from the day-to-day running of the Broadway megamusical, bringing on scribe Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and director Philip William McKinley to revise the production.

'Voodoo Parlour' invites with color, lyrical style

Post Gazette: "Now for a feast of language -- in excess, but that's what a feast should be.
To classify his 'In the Voodoo Parlour of Marie Laveau,' veteran playwright Frank Gagliano calls it 'an unsung chamber voodoo opera,' which says it pretty well. Set in the New Orleans of overlapping decadent cultures, mainly French, African and operatic, it presents a verbal landscape that veers from lurid prose to vermilion verse, then makes a U-turn for comic contrast into the everyday, before accelerating back into hypnotic, opiate verse-prose, with rhyme scattered through like luxuriant blooms.

PBT, August Wilson Center announce partnership

Post Gazette: "Workshops and master classes, training programs for budding dancers and a mid-season venue change for Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre next year are all products of a multiyear partnership between the ballet company and the August Wilson Center for African American Culture.

George Lucas Takes Stormtrooper Copyright Fight to U.K. Supreme Court

The Hollywood Reporter: "A battle between George Lucas and British prop designer Andrew Ainsworth over replica Stormtrooper outfits has hit the U.K. Supreme Court, the highest civil action court in Britain.
Ainsworth, who built the original Stormtrooper costumes from sketches while working out of Shepperton studios on 1977’s Star Wars, has been selling the outfits online for years based on his original moulds.

‘Prometheus Bound’ Gets a Rock Treatment at American Rep

NYTimes.com: "In Aeschylus’ “Prometheus Bound” the title character is punished for stealing fire and giving it to humans. For the playwright Steven Sater the idea of having one’s life altered by flames is intensely personal.

#USITT2011 Is THIS WEEK… Are You Ready?

iSquint.net: "It’s March already? Time is just flying by! As I un-pack, clean, write and re-pack for USITT this today, I wanted to check in and see if everyone else is ready for the week. Have you made a list yet? You really should. It is the worst to get to the conference and realize you forgot something.

How can "white" theaters attract black audiences? Bridge the theater etiquette divide

WBEZ: "What do all these experiences have in common? They all make me think of the tension in most mixed-raced theater audiences between the expectations of white audience members about their fellows’ behavior and those of black audience members. (I haven’t had enough exposure to Latino audiences, which is shameful enough to say, to opine on their place along this spectrum.) White audiences expect silence in the theater, and the most veteran theater-goers may regard it as their personal mission to shut others up, like the guy sitting in front of me at the Goodman. But if he managed to ruin my evening with that flashing-eyed reminder of the rules, what do all those rule announcements sound like to people who haven’t, like me, spent their lives in the theater? And particularly to black people who haven’t spent their lives in the theater, whose experience of performance is likely to include interactive church services and concerts of music where failure to clap hands or tap feet is the sign of someone’s being dead?

Supreme Court to Hear Challenge to Law That Removes Works from the Public Domain

Electronic Frontier Foundation: "Today the Supreme Court agreed to hear an important case about whether Congress has the power to 'restore' copyright protection to works that already exist in the public domain. To be clear, for more than 200 years the law has been settled – once a work was in the public domain, there it remained, and downstream users could feel free to use, store, or share it any way they saw fit. Now Congress, in enacting Section 514 of the Uruguay Round Agreements Act, is changing the game by granting copyright protection to works by foreign authors that, for a variety of reasons, were no longer protected by copyright (for example, if an author had failed to renew her copyright). This means that many works already in the public domain – Peter the Wolf, literature by Maxim Gorky, pieces by Picasso, and music by Stravinski, for example – that have been used and performed countless times would now be subject to copyright protection. Those who have used the works could now be required to pay hefty license fees, and – even worse – if they can’t afford those fees, cease use of the works.

Digital Painting 101: Get Started Painting on Your Computer

lifehacker: "Want to learn to make concept art but don't know where to start? This next entry in the Lifehacker night school series will help you get your feet wet. Because the skillset is rooted in traditional drawing and painting, don't expect to be the next superstar concept artist overnight. Instead, think of this 101 course as an opportunity to get to know the tools. Over these five short lessons I'll show you what you need to get started on the path of digital painting.

‘Spider-Man’ Director Faces Tough Choices, Including Her Exit

NYTimes.com: "The producers of Broadway’s “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark” were negotiating on Monday with their director, Julie Taymor, for her to work with a newly expanded creative team to fix the critically derided $65 million musical or possibly leave the show, according to people who work on “Spider-Man” or have been briefed on the negotiations.

Can a filmed stage show be as good as the real thing?

The Observer: "Live theatre is, of necessity, not for the masses. Even London's biggest venues, like ENO's London Coliseum or the Royal Opera House, seat less than 2,500 people each, and the Royal Opera's recent sell-out Anna Nicole or the Royal Ballet's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland only ran for six performances each. With finite inventories of tickets, not only are the prices high but also availability is necessarily limited, and a cycle of elitism is created.

Why theatre is still all white on the night

The Independent: "When was the last time you were at the theatre and you sat next to someone who didn't happen to be white? Schemes such as tickets for a fiver and free tickets may well have attracted young professionals to theatre but its done little to reach out to ethnically diverse audiences. When it comes to theatre, it appears that British-Asians just aren't interested. So why do so few Asians visit the theatre?

Ballet Hispanico full of exciting new flavors

Post Gazette: "Tina Ramirez was ahead of her time when she founded Ballet Hispanico in 1970. Now her successor, Eduardo Vilaro, only with the company for a little over a year, is poised to take the company to a new level in face of the ongoing Latino diaspora here in the United States.

Sunday an ideal day for the opera

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "A Sunday afternoon of opera preceded by brunch or followed by dinner doesn't have to cost big bucks or involve a lot of preplanning or dressing up.
Thanks to recent developments that bring world-class opera performances to neighborhood venues, it's possible to indulge your interests -- or try out an unfamiliar art form -- in a relaxed setting.

Williamstown Adds Streetcar With Jessica Hecht and Lily Rabe in Doll's House to Summer Season

Playbill.com: "Tony Award nominee Jessica Hecht will co-star with Sam Rockwell in A Streetcar Named Desire, under the direction of David Cromer, while actress Lily Rabe will take on the role of Nora in A Doll's House as part of the Williamstown Theatre Festival's 2011 summer season.

Food in Timon

props: "Our production of Timon of Athens just closed yesterday here at the Public Theater. It was my first prop master credit at the Public. I’ll probably post some more about this show once I get back from USITT and can go through my photographs, but for today, I thought I’d highlight some of the food, both real and fake.

The New World Theatrical Order

Art Works: "On February 22nd, I was invited to attend a meeting with NEA Chair Rocco Landesman and about a dozen leaders of arts service organizations to discuss the #supplydemand conversation that he had started in late January at the From Scarcity to Abundance convening at Arena Stage. He broached this topic in front of over a hundred arts professionals with complete knowledge that the proceedings were being tweeted and blogged as part of the proceedings. He wanted to start a national conversation, and he knew this was the way to do it. If we had any doubts as to whether he was aware of what he was doing, they were dispelled on January 31st, a single day after Arena’s convening was over, when he wrote a follow-up blog post on the NEA blog that was entitled #supplydemand, which, of course, is a Twitter hashtag. Clearly, he wanted this conversation to take off, and he had learned from David Dower’s web savvy how to do it.

A Bad Word

American Theatre Wing: "It goes without saying that, as a literature based-discipline, theatre must be very sensitive in its word usage. Certainly playwrights choose their words with care, to insure that we understand not only story, but character, by faithfully following their script. In contrast to what we hear about the movie business, playwrights’ words are sacrosanct in the theatre; they are not altered, production by production, by actors or directors to make either party – or the audience – more comfortable. Words are the road map from which all theatre springs.

See 'Carmen' in 3-D at local movie theaters

Seattle Times Newspaper: "A favorite opera comes to movie theaters — in 3-D. The recent Royal Opera House production of Bizet's 'Carmen' has been filmed in the new technology and will be shown during the month of March on 2,000 screens nationwide, including Seattle-area theaters; AMC Pacific Place downtown is scheduled to show the film on Saturday, Wednesday, March 13 and 15. Other theaters scheduled to run the film include Thornton Place, Lincoln Square, Bella Botega, Alderwood and Southcenter.

In new theatre craze, stage flying adds ‘extra element of awe’ – and fills seats

The Globe and Mail: "Cesar Corrales has a very serene look on his face for a young man who is about to be thrown 20 feet into the air. From an empty stage inside Toronto’s Canon Theatre, the 14-year-old is gracefully spun around and around by an older dancer before being whipped upward, soaring in huge arcing loops.

Peggy Baker and Michael Healey’s delicate dance of aging

The Globe and Mail: "Artistic collaborators Peggy Baker and Michael Healey first met on a blind date. Well, actually it was a fundraising evening at Toronto’s Theatre Passe Muraille in 2003 that brought the contemporary dancer/choreographer and the actor-turned-playwright together on-stage.

Cleverly updated ‘Blue Man Group’ should embrace its brainy side

Chicago Sun-Times: "It’s not easy being blue. But somehow, for the last 20 years, the Blue Man Group has kept the paint on its face eerily fresh. And its antics have remained smart, droll, zany and just playfully gross enough (think teenage boy mentality) to not only have assured its survival, but to have seen it thrive beyond all imagining, with multiple productions running for decades in the United States, as well in Germany and Japan.

Musical Theatre Club immerses itself in ‘Woods’ | The Pitt News

The Pitt News: "It’s Friday night beneath the Cathedral of Learning, and Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel and Cinderella are holding hands, singing “Momma made me mash my M&Ms.” Though it might sound like an unlikely dream inspired by a recent trip to Disneyland, it’s actually a rehearsal exercise for the musical “Into the Woods.” The three fairytale characters will join their companions onstage to present a tale that proposes looking beyond “happily ever after.”

Ballet celebrates colorful Hispanic heritage | The Pitt News

The Pitt News: "The growing influence of Latin culture in the United States must not be ignored. At least, that’s the belief of Ballet Hispanico, a New York City-based dance company that aims to show Pittsburgh — and the world — the many ways in which Hispanic heritage has influenced the art form.

In the Voodoo Parlour of Marie Laveau

Pittsburgh City Paper: "Because running Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company and being named artistic director of the August Wilson Center's theater initiatives wasn't stressful enough, playwright and director Mark Clayton Southers has opened a new, off-beat performance space called the Couch Theater. (It's also in Playwrights' Downtown building.)

Rising-star playwright Annie Baker's Circle Mirror Transformation, at the Public, is largely about its silences.

Pittsburgh City Paper: "On one hand, Annie Baker's critically acclaimed Circle Mirror Transformation feels quite contemporary, with its numerous short blackout scenes and character-driven narrative. On the other hand, there's silence -- the innumerable short, medium and long dialogue pauses Baker insists on in her script, in seeming defiance of the 21st-century imperative to give us more, faster, all the time.

Mahalia Jackson: Standing on Holy Ground

Pittsburgh City Paper: "If only this show were a concert. Not a play. Not an historical drama. Just a plain old concert, with an energetic gospel choir and the audience clapping along. Every few songs, an emcee could come out and say a few words about Mahalia Jackson, The World's Greatest Gospel Singer. What a great night that would be! Whatever your musical or religious persuasion, dear reader, you might want to watch Mahalia Jackson: Standing on Holy Ground, now playing at Kuntu Repertory Theatre.

Female heads of arts groups say gender doesn't determine success

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "As Jane Werner hears the list of women who head area arts and cultural organizations, she has just three words to say:
'It's about time,' says Werner, executive director of the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh since 1999.
Whether the title is artistic director, executive director, president, CEO or some variation on that theme, it's become increasingly common that the name that follows the title is female.

Stratford shows surplus for 2010 season

thestar.com: "At its annual general meeting on Saturday, The Stratford Shakespeare Festival announced an operating surplus of $317,277 for the 2010 season.
Although not a massive margin of gain for an organization with a $59 million budget, it still represents a change of pace from other large Ontario arts institutions like the Shaw Festival and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, which posted substantial deficits on their seasons.

‘Spider-Man’ Fined by OSHA Over Safety Violations

NYTimes.com: "Federal regulators on Friday cited “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark” for three serious workplace safety violations, though the proposed fine of $12,600 is unlikely to faze a production that has already run through $65 million.

In ‘Play Dead,’ Obituary Writer Tries Out a Coffin

NYTimes.com: "I think about death more than most people — I write obituaries for a living, after all — but stepping into a coffin, I didn’t know what to expect. A corpse’s-eye view of death, I figured, might be informative, but I had my trepidations; being killed and disposed of, even as a volunteer in front of an audience, was unnerving.

Top 10 Ways to Rock Your Resumé

lifehacker: "Whether you're looking for a new job or just pruning up your paperwork, one of the keys to nabbing the job you want is creating a successful resumé. Here are our top 10 ways to make sure yours stands out.

Harry Connick Jr. to Star in Broadway's Reincarnated 'On a Clear Day'

NYTimes.com: "Here’s a stage revival we didn’t expect to see in this or any other lifetime: Harry Connick Jr. will star in Michael Mayer’s Broadway-bound reinvention of “On a Clear Day You Can See Forever,” one that puts a gender-bending twist on that classic musical by Burton Lane and Alan Jay Lerner.

Before Dying, Opera's Romeo and Juliette Get Sick

Backstage: "Before dying on stage, the lead singers in the Metropolitan Opera's production of Gounod's 'Romeo et Juliette' get sick.
Really. In startling frequency.
When Guy Joosten's staging opened in November 2005, soprano Natalie Dessay missed the premiere performance because of a cold.

Research helps hone Broadway ads

Variety: "For many Broadway producers, market research is the thing you do when you stand at the back of the house and gauge an audience's reactions to a show. But for a production's marketing campaign, a growing number of producers is finding more formally conducted research -- via surveys and focus groups -- handy in measuring efficacy.

Marc Masterson, former City Theatre director, heads west

Post Gazette: "Marc Masterson, who got his start in theater management as producing director at Pittsburgh City Theatre, will take over the prestigious South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa, Calif., in Orange County south of Los Angeles.

Casting Announced for The Spidey Project; Second Show Added

Playbill.com: "Casting has been announced for The Spidey Project: With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility — a guerilla theatre project to write, rehearse, and perform a fully realized musical based on the character Spiderman in under 30 days with a budget of $0

Iranian Theater Festival at the Brick

NYTimes.com: "Iran has a sophisticated millennial culture, but it is sometimes hard for Americans to discern that through the haze generated by a theocracy’s tirades and the global controversy over the country’s nuclear program. That is one of the main reasons that the Brick Theater is sponsoring an Iranian Theater Festival, to undo stereotypes and misconceptions.

Use LinkedIn Company Profile Pages to Promote Your Freelance Business

FreelanceFolder: "You’ve probably been using LinkedIn for a while as a way to personally connect with other like-minded business people via a personal profile. But did you know that LinkedIn has a Company Profile page that you can use to promote your freelance business as well?
With more than 90 million members (according to LinkedIn’s own About page at the time of publication in 2011), having a company profile page on LinkedIn is a great way to connect with potential clients.

10 Inspirational Artist Workspaces Roundup

Apartment Therapy Re-Nest: "As I reclaim the second bedroom in my home as an office and studio, I've been looking for serious inspiration. I want to ensure it's organized from the start, instead of trying to reverse engineer it once I realize what a mess I have on my hands. With collections of computer peripherals, yarn, old cameras and crafting tools, do I strive for amazingly clean minimalism? Or do I go for quirky, yet fun functionality? Either way, it needs to adhere to my (and Re-Nest's) green living mantra: have only what you love or need!

In The Wings - Technical Director - March, 2011

American Theatre Wing: "Technical Director Mike Cristaldi supervises the installation and engineering of the physical production of a show. At Philadelphia Theatre Company, he coordinates all the technical elements, such as scenery, lighting, sound, wardrobe, props, and video, between each of PTC's departments and a show's designers. He talks about how the new Suzanne Roberts Theatre space increases PTC's technical capabilities, and how it has broadened his role as well.

Projected Scenery in Set Design

rosebrand: "Rose Brand would like to congratulate our first blog contest winner, David Ayers. David submitted an entry describing how he helped create a set made up almost entirely of projected scenery for the Broadway in Boulder Studios production of “Secret Garden.”

Project Planning 2: PERT Charts

TheatreFace: "Last week, I talked about an important tool for planning and organizing the work on a project called the work breakdown structure. This week, I want to take a look at PERT (Program Evaluation and Review Technique) charts. Where the work breakdown structure simply defines what each element is, PERT charts build upon these definitions to display important information about how each element of a project relates to the others.

How the Old Spice Guy Seduces Your Lady In One Take

Gizmodo: "How the Old Spice Guy Seduces Your Lady In One Take The Old Spice Guy's got a pretty good life, doesn't he? Smells great, makes us laugh, really good posture. But those amazing space-shifting commercials he stars in don't just happen by magic. Here's a behind the scenes look at how a go from a mountain to underwater to your fondest dreams, all in a single take.

Sondheim to be honoured at Olivier Awards

CBC News: "American composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim is to receive the Special Award at Britain's Laurence Olivier Awards in recognition of his contribution to London theatre.
Sondheim, 80, is expected to attend the award ceremony, an annual gala recognizing the best in London theatre scheduled for March 13 at Theatre Royal Drury Lane.

How The Great Game emptied the Pentagon

The Guardian: "In April 2009, The Great Game opened at the Tricycle theatre in London, and last year we revived the production and took it on a US tour. Before leaving for America, General Sir David Richards, then head of the British army, hosted a day-long performance for the British military. Taking to the stage, he said that, had he seen these plays before going to Afghanistan in 2005, they 'would have made me a much better commander'.

Another Pilot Season Goes to AFTRA

Backstage: "Of the 80 pilots ordered by broadcast networks this season, 70 are covered by the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, according to data compiled Thursday. This is the third consecutive year that AFTRA has led pilot season, further cementing a dramatic shift from 2008, when the Screen Actors Guild covered 90 percent of pilots ordered.

Steinberg/ATCA Award Finalists Announced

Backstage: "The American Theatre Critics Association has named the finalists for the Harold and Mimi Steinberg/American Theatre Critics Association New Play Award.

CMU airs 10-year master plan

Post Gazette: "Carnegie Mellon University wants to construct a new home for its Tepper business school, expand Heinz College and undertake other campus work that includes turning two Forbes Avenue traffic lanes into bicycle paths.

Playwrights put B.U.S. into 24-hour drive for Bricolage

Post Gazette: "At the bus stop on the corner of Liberty Avenue and Sixth Street Friday night, snow was swirling and making it very difficult to fold a crumpled schedule.
'I'm a little bit worried about getting on this bus,' Tammy Ryan said.
Ms. Ryan, a playwright and teacher from Shadyside, was one of six writers tasked with taking a 90-minute ride around town and turning it into a short play. Time was of the essence -- the finished product was due in 14 hours, with the play to be staged Saturday night.

Troupe embraces, shares Latino culture

Post Gazette: "A lot can change in 20 years.
For dance troupe Ballet Hispanico, two decades ago marked the first of many times that it would bring its Latino pride to Pittsburgh. Its inaugural performance here in December 1991 at the Downtown Fulton Theater (now Byham Theater) was colored with striking costumes, sensuous flamenco music and the world debut of 'El Nuevo Mundo,' a re-examination of the Christopher Columbus story, read a Pittsburgh Press review of the show.

High school musicals grace the stage at North suburban schools

Post Gazette: "Here is the annual list of high school musicals in the northern suburbs. Although a few shows have been held, most are scheduled this week through the first week in May.

High school musical schedule in the West suburban area

Post Gazette: "It will be another busy spring for high school musicals among schools in the West suburbs.
While some shows have begun, most are scheduled from the beginning of March through the first week in May.

Public Theater's 'Circle' seeks revelations in the acting process

Post Gazette: "Jesse Berger has recently traveled across centuries, plus the relatively short burst of landscape from New York to Pittsburgh, and he seems none the worse for wear. In fact, he's all smiles.
'The Witches of Edmonton' at his Red Bull Theater in Manhattan had been widely praised by critics, who particularly liked his direction of the 17th-century play -- such works are the specialty of Red Bull, where Mr. Berger is artistic director.

Ballet Hispanico celebrates its heritage

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Eduardo Vilaro remembers his Pittsburgh debut in 1991, when he was a principal dancer with Ballet Hispanico. Now he's the company's artistic director, but in one respect his perspective hasn't changed.
'I had a great time in Pittsburgh in '91,' he says. 'I'm looking forward to coming back.'

Allegiance, Musical About Japanese American Camps, Will Get Old Globe Workshop in NYC; Lea Salonga Stars

Playbill.com: "The Old Globe in San Diego will present a private Manhattan workshop of Allegiance – A New American Musical, the original musical about a Japanese-American family forced into an internment camp on American soil during World War II. Lea Salonga is among participants.

New iOS App: Electrical Formulas

iSquint.net: "Andrew Derrington, the app developer that brought us the Lighting Handbook App just released his latest iOS app into the iTunes App Store, Electrical Formulas.
The Electrical Formulas App allows users to quickly and easily convert power formulas with out the need to remember all those tricky numbers. The app includes a Volt drop calculator for both mm2 and AWG cables (Single and 3 Phase). There is also a power equation calculator, Select your voltage, then enter either amps or watts to calculate the loading.

80% Of College Admissions Officers Use Facebook To Check Out Students

Huffington Post: "Prospective college students, beware: There's yet another reason to make sure your Facebook profile is suitable for all. According to a Kaplan survey of college admissions officers, more than 80 percent of college admissions officers consider social media presence when recruiting students.

USITT 2011 iOS App Released

iSquint.net: "The New USITT iOS App is out and available. This is a totally new app and different from the 2010 app. Here is more from Userful Development, the developers of the app.
Sponsored by Barbizon Lighting Co. and Theatre Consultants Collaborative, the app has been developed by Useful Development, Inc. to provide information about the 2011 Conference and Stage Expo in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Always be Photographing

Props: "I try to photograph all the props I make. It’s a good habit to have. Look at the box above. It’s a champagne box I built a few years ago. There’s nothing terribly special about it, and I will probably never put it in my portfolio. I took a picture of it anyway. What is the cost of storing a digital image on your harddrive? Realistically, it is close to zero. You can store images and files online with a variety of free sources. You have no reason not to take a picture.

Apprentice Program- Williamstown Theatre Festival

The Producer's Perspective Classifieds: "Applications for its 2011 Apprentice Company.
The WTF Apprentice Program is a hands-on, fully immersive introduction to the world of professional theatre experienced during the summer season of the Tony Award-winning Williamstown Theatre Festival.

The Ideal Playwright Education

TheatreFace: "My very first post on this blog questioned the value of MFA programs for playwrights, at least indirectly. Some of the commentary on that post, both here and on Twitter, left me wondering what an ideal playwright education might look like. To be honest, I’m fairly certain there isn’t one clear path all young playwrights should follow… but I do have some general ideas that I think are worth considering.

Do you use 3D in your AutoCAD work? We want to learn from you!

AutoCAD Insider: "If you are familiar with 3D modeling, lighting, rendering, or visual styles, either in AutoCAD or in other software, the AutoCAD team is interested in finding out more about how you work.

Quality Fabrication - How do you water the tree?

Behind the Scenes at Taylor Studios, Inc ©: "At one point, I was a Senior exhibit designer/project manager working on a project in Stone Mt., Georgia. From the start, I was informed about the fire marshal there and how he was very strict and held the line. We had to use non flammable products only and provide all the MSDS sheets to back them up. This was an interesting challenge but one that we achieved. During an unscheduled walkthrough with the fire marshal and building maintenance person, the fire marshal stopped at one of our dioramas. Looking at the large red cedar tree model he said this tree has to go! There can’t be any real trees in this gallery. He was serious and didn’t believe us when we told him it was fake. I had to provide in-progress photos and the appropriate MSDS documentation in order for him to approve the tree.

How did Mike make out?

Berkeley Rep Blog: "Judging by Facebook and Twitter, a lot of people who saw The Last Cargo Cult are dying to know how Mike Daisey made out. We not only kept track of Mike’s “financial experiment,” but also jotted down amusing audience reactions -- and some surprising things we found in the bowl.

Julie Taymor Talks About The Struggle With Spiderman

Women and Hollywood: "Julie Taymor has been in NY working non-stop on trying to get the Spiderman Musical to a place where it can finally open. The knives have been out for some time for many reasons. One, this is the biggest show ever. Two, it just keeps previewing and charging people full price even though it is a work in progress. Three, she’s messing with the status quo of how things are supposed to go.

The Taxmen Cometh

Backstage: "Last week, thousands gathered near a major Midwestern city to rally against what they characterized as an overzealous governor's attack on working people. Star power wasn't lacking, as the crowd—whose size ranged in estimates from 2,000 to 4,000—heard from the likes of Michael Moore, Jeff Daniels, and Mitch Albom.
But the rally had little to do with the massive protests being staged by public-sector unions and their supporters in places like Wisconsin, Ohio, and Indiana. What the folks who assembled outside Detroit on Feb. 24 clamored for were tax breaks—specifically, tax breaks for Hollywood producers.

WGA, AMPTP to Begin Negotiations Thursday

Backstage: "The WGA and AMPTP have finally made a date: They'll begin contract negotiations Thursday, according to a joint statement released Tuesday. No other information was disclosed.
The current guild agreement expires in two months, on May 1.

USA Performance Activists Captivate Prague Quadrennial! by Susan Tsu

Kickstarter: "The foremost international theatre design event will happen this June in Prague! Curators of the USITT-USA National Exhibit want to include two brilliant artists to amplify our exhibition. The exhibit is bold, beautiful, and profound. It is both introspective and irreverent. It is reflective of socio-political issues consuming American performance makers today. Pat Oleszko and Paul Zaloom will bring to life what we are theming in the exhibition with their electric, satirical performances.

Behind the Scenes Boutique and Raffle Set for USITT

Stage Directions: "Behind the Scenes will once again open their boutique and hold a raffle at USITT to raise money. Behind the Scenes provides financial assistance to entertainment technology professionals who are ill or injured. Tickets are $5 or five for $20, and prizes have been donated by Apollo Design Technology, Norcostco, Production Advantage, Rosco, Rose Brand and more. Full details below.
Raffle Prizes and Swag Benefit Behind the Scenes at USITT

Helen Hayes Nominees Announced

Stage Directions: "Life just got a lot more nerve-wracking for a whole passel of Washington D.C. theatre artists. The Helen Hayes awards, which honors excellence in professional theatre in the greater-Washington D.C. area announced their nominees for the 2011 awards on February 28.

Not Playing: Canadian Films

This Magazine: "“Dammit. Everybody should be looking to get in on the action this summer. There will be cheap gear, cheap actors, cheap crew. More access to locations. We should be gearing up for that now, Rob. Come to think of it, why aren’t we?” Jonathan Williams had been slouched in a large brown velvet lounge chair. Now his face is alight, imagining a chance to shoot in Toronto without having to compete with Hollywood studios for requisite resources. Given the attractive combo of a low dollar and tax incentives to film in Canada, Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal are usually packed with American film shoots come summer. The tell-tale white trailers take up entire city blocks. Not this year. The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) contract expires June 30, while contracts for the Writers Guild of America (WGA) are up May 1. Talks between unions and producers have been deadlocked for months. Industry experts anticipate a long strike down south, and a near complete shutdown of the Canadian industry.

Modern Day Neon Expression

Sign Builder Illustrated - March 2011 [34 - 35]: "Window shop at New York City's premiere retail stores and you'll catch not only the latest trends in fashion but possibly the latest in neon."

Casting an Identical Twin

Sign Builder Illustrated - March 2011 [28 - 29]: "I never was able to see the value of the molding and casting process - that is, until I recently visited Chicago artist Chris Maylone at his studio on the city's upscale North Side. He had just taken an order to produce twenty-five hand-carved Christmas trees for a retailer. Carving just one would involve tedious detail; carving twenty-five of the same thing would've been maddening."

LightConverse Visualization at Asian Winter Games

Lighting&Sound America Online - News: "Light Converse Ltd.'s LightConverse 3D show platform performed to high expectations at the recent 2011 Asian Winter Games, held between January 30 and February 6 in Astana and Almaty, Kazakhstan.

Masque Sound Re-Teams With AKUSTIKS For Broadway`s New Victory Theater Upgrade

creativemac: "At 111 years of age, The Victory Theater on West 42nd Street has staged every conceivable theatrical presentation, from straight plays to live burlesque, even a brief stint as a XXX movie house. In 1992, The Victory became one of seven historic theaters adopted by The New 42nd St. Inc. a not-for-profit organization created by NYC and NYS to revitalize the district. Renamed The New Victory in December1995 following a $11.4 million renovation, the theater now presents exclusively family-oriented shows and is mandated by its not-for-profit status to maintain tickets within the $9.00 to $38.00 price range.

Film, TV tax credits await Corbett budget

Post Gazette: "If the Pennsylvania tax credit for film and TV production disappears or shrivels, Pittsburghers fear this could be the end of the road.
And it would have been the end of 'The Road,' whose behind-the-scenes players cited the tax incentive as a reason the Viggo Mortensen film came to town. So did the makers of virtually every other movie with stars such as Jake Gyllenhaal, Anne Hathaway and Russell Crowe.

PLASA Standards News - Feb 11, 2011

The latest issue of Standards News is available at http://tsp.plasa.org/tsp/PLASA_StandardsNews/Snews02a2011.pdf.

The Standards News archives are at http://tsp.plasa.org/tsp/PLASA_StandardsNews/listfiles.php.

The PDF bookmark table of contents includes:

• Two Control Protocols Standards in Review for Reaffirmation
• EU Commission Seeks Comments on Collective Actions in Europe
• OSHA Withdraws Proposed Occupational Noise Interpretation
• OSHA Temporarily Withdraws Column for Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders
• OSHA Finalizes Whistleblower Procedures
• FCC Appoints Nine TV Band Database Administrators for White Space Devices
• Sound Advice for Women by Women
• WTO Notifications
• ANSI Public Review Announcements
• BSI Public Review Announcements
• Draft ISO and IEC Standards
• New ANS Projects
• Final Actions on American National Standards
• Newly Published British Standards
• TSP Meeting Schedule

NFTRW Weekly Top Five

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

Carnegie Mellon students creep their way to fame and plagiarism dispute:

The Tartan Online: "Rarely do college students take center stage in national debates about artistic plagiarism, but that’s exactly what happened to Carnegie Mellon first-years Joe Reilly, a CFA student, and Sean Hoffman, an H&SS student. Their video “What is The Creep” made national headlines after Saturday Night Live released a digital short, “The Creep,” that eerily echoed some of the elements of the Carnegie Mellon students’ video.

Posted by Dale at 2/27/2011 12:03:00 PM <--Comments Here

How To Be A Woman In Any Boys’ Club

Jezebel: "Here are some rules about how to be a girl in a boys' club. This works for any world you're in or want to be in. Pretty much everything in the world is still a boys' club.

Posted by David at 2/28/2011 03:16:00 PM <--Comments Here

‘Spider-Man’ Opening May Be Delayed Again

NYTimes.com: "The producers of Broadway’s “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark” are considering delaying the musical’s opening night for a sixth time, people familiar with the deliberations say, to make more changes to the show in hopes of improving its worldwide commercial prospects after theater critics savaged it this month.

Posted by David at 2/28/2011 03:19:00 PM <--Comments Here

Carnegie Mellon raises tuition

Post Gazette: "Carnegie Mellon University is raising tuition by 4 percent for incoming students this fall and by 3 percent for returning students, school officials announced today.

Posted by David at 2/25/2011 03:04:00 PM <--Comments Here

5 Tips for Effective Digital Note taking

lifehack: "Being a full time student, working two part time jobs, being married, and doing some writing and development on the side proves to be daunting. With my discovery of GTD a few years back I was like everyone else; enamored with the idea of getting things off their mind to then produce better and more effectively. I instantly grabbed onto the practice of “ubiquitous capture” by taking notes so I wouldn’t let as many things fall through the cracks.

Posted by David at 2/25/2011 03:00:00 PM <--Comments Here