Las Vegas may become video gaming powerhouse

Las Vegas Review-Journal: His words are as bold as his Smurf-colored hair.

“We’re taking over Olympic stadiums,” Dan “Frodan” Chou announces, underscoring his aversion to modesty in a sparkling red sports coat. The popular esports broadcaster is speaking for his industry at large.

Its next conquest: Las Vegas.

Six things to cut from your resume (and two you should add)

www.fastcompany.com: Less is more when it comes to your resume. If it doesn’t fit on a single page, it’s a sign from the universe that you need to hit “delete”–not fiddle with the margins and font size.

Thea Awards

Themed Entertainment Association (TEA): I am reinvigorated by the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) and the good it is doing for the entertainment industry. And I want to tell you about the Thea Awards.

In spring 2017 at the annual TEA Thea Awards Gala, I had the very great honor of receiving the Buzz Price Thea Award for a Lifetime of Distinguished Achievements. The award was a humbling and terrific recognition to receive for my body of work over the decades in theatre, concerts and live entertainment, visitor attractions, animal attractions, cinema, TV, and various forms of spectacle. But what I find most exciting is that being allowed to join the circle of people who have received this award brings with it a lifetime privilege of sitting on the Thea Awards Nominating Committee.

When Pop Culture Sells Dangerous Myths About Consent

The Atlantic: Edward Cullen. Chuck Bass. Lloyd Dobler. Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. That guy from Love Actually with the sign. The lead singers of emo bands with their brooding lyrics. Many of the romantic heroes that made me swoon in my youth followed a pattern and, like a Magic Eye picture, only with a little distance did the shape of it pop out to me. All of these characters in some way crossed, or at least blurred, the lines of consent, aggressively pursuing women with little or no regard for their desires. But these characters’ actions, and those of countless other leading men across the pop-culture landscape, were more likely to be portrayed as charming than scary.

Off the Rails: Look at Shakespeare, See a Native Play

HowlRound: In late October 2017, Off the Rails, Randy Reinholz’s new adaptation of Measure for Measure, closed its world premiere run at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF). Described by OSF as “Blazing Saddles meets Shakespeare,” it is part comedy, part musical, part drama, and part Shakespeare. Reinholz (Choctaw) has incorporated Shakespeare’s plot and dialogue into and alongside of his own. Off the Rails tells a truthful and sometimes painful story about Native Americans during the time that “kill the Indian and save the man” was touted as wisdom. Reinholz wraps his troubling tale in the innocence of young love and a raucous, raunchy comedy.

Long Wharf Theatre Artistic Director Accused of Sexual Misconduct

www.broadwayworld.com: The New York Times is reporting that Gordon Edelstein, artistic director of Long Wharf Theatre, has been placed on administrative leave after several former collaborators and employees of the company have come forward with claims of sexual misconduct.

The Wizard of Oz

Pittsburgh in the Round: If you are parents or grandparents of preschoolers, and love theatre, a suitable show to introduce them to the magic of theatre isn’t always easy to find.

Gemini Children’s Theater has the perfect solution to introduce the kiddos to both live theatre and the Wizard of Oz. Their production, with an original musical adaptation for children by company founders Dennis Palko and Lani Cataldi, captures Dorothy’s (Savanah Bruno) adventure in a preschooler-friendly style.

Ming Cho Lee to Depart Yale School of Drama

AMERICAN THEATRE: Ming Cho Lee, the Donald M. Oenslager Professor Adjunct of Design, will leave Yale School of Drama after the fall semester of 2017. At the time of his departure, he will have taught full-time at the School of Drama for 48 1/2 years, 34 of which he served as chair or co-chair of the design department.

Love story told from the beginning and the end in 'The Last Five Years'

TribLIVE: Two actors in a two-person musical — and they only meet once together onstage, at their wedding in the middle of the show.

The unconventional structure of Jason Robert Brown's “The Last Five Years” is part of the appeal of the musical being presented by Split Stage Productions at the Theatre Factory in Trafford.

New Details Emerge on Route 91 Shooter

Amplify: This October photo shows the view of the grounds of the Route 91 Harvest festival from the Las Vegas shooter’s Mandalay Bay hotel room. (Photo by LVMPD). Below are photos of the interior of the shooter’s 32nd floor room at the Mandalay Bay hotel and a small sledgehammer, broken glass and bullet casings inside the Las Vegas shooter’s hotel room.

Bette Midler Film ‘The Rose’ To Be Adapted On Broadway

Variety: The Jackal Group, Michael Gorfaine and Sam Schwartz will produce a Broadway-aimed stage musical adaptation of the Oscar-nominated film “The Rose,” with songs by Grammy-winning composer and record producer Glen Ballard.

How “Wonder Woman 2″ is already making history

Salon.com: Sexual harassment and assault in the workplace has been front and center in the news cycle since at least October. Now, after listening to stories ranging from the infuriating to the horrific offered by women and men from Hollywood and beyond, some are finally addressing the systematic problem in systematic ways.

Silver Ain’t Steel – But It Can Be! How To Paint A Faux Steel Effect

Rosco Spectrum: I thought the first time I was asked to paint a full faux metal set was a fluke, a once in a blue moon event that would be fun and challenging. Well I was wrong. I have since been asked to paint four more faux metal sets – making it five total in the past three years.

VIDEO: Zachary Quinto, Matt Bomer, Jim Parsons & More Pose for Broadway Return in THE BOYS IN THE BAND

www.broadwayworld.com: The highly anticipated 50th Anniversary production of Mart Crowley's landmark play, The Boys in the Band, directed by Joe Mantello, will will play a strictly limited 15-week Broadway engagement at the Booth Theatre (222 West 45th Street), beginning previews Monday, April 30, 2018 and officially opening on Thursday, May 31, 2018.

3 Damaging Career Beliefs You Need To Give Up Right Now

www.fastcompany.com: Just a few months ago, I was having a conversation with a friend who was considering trying her hand at full-time freelancing. Over coffee, I ran through all of my standard advice, tips, and encouragement, and then offered her the floor–expecting her to jump right in with the routine questions I’ve grown so used to answering.

Dispelling African Stereotypes Through Theatre

Theatre Development Fund – TDF: Ngozi Anyanwu was born in Trenton, New Jersey, and had what she describes as a typical American childhood in the suburbs of Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Her parents, in contrast, grew up in small villages in southeastern Nigeria. Every time Anyanwu, now 35, traveled there to see relatives, she experienced the mixture of familiarity and foreignness that many first- and second-generation immigrants feel when visiting their ancestral homeland.

Fresh Thinking on Lighting Control

Church Production Magazine: There’s no denying that advancements in LED lighting have changed the production landscape across the board. What church doesn’t want equipment that consumes less power? And one light that’s able to change color––who could go wrong?

The thing to keep in mind, however, is that LED lighting adds a level of complexity to theatrical control––a challenge for churches that rely heavily on volunteers, especially for large productions such as Easter.

The Producers Guild Has New Anti-Sexual Harassment Guidelines

jezebel.com: The Producers Guild of America has taken a belated step toward preventing sexual harassment and assault on film sets by implementing new guidelines that address workplace culture.

Yes I'm A Woman... And I Also Direct

YouTube: Yes I'm A Woman... And I Also Direct // Join Amy Lyndon on a walk through her directing career. Visit different sets of the projects she has developed over the years and learn the ropes. She'll explain the difference between types of directors and what they're looking for in an actor.

What happens if you insult a Morning Joe ‘technician’

MSNBC: Sam Stein learns a thing or two about what happens if you blame the 'technician.'

Alyssa Milano, Halsey, more stars speak at the 2018 Women's March

www.usatoday.com: From New York to Los Angeles, women are gathering for the Women's March 2018 — and celebrities are joining in.

Stars are speaking up across the nation Saturday to advocate for change, bring awareness to the #MeToo movement and more.

The Battle of The Hollywood

After Dark - January 2018: The future of Dormont’s historic Hollywood Theater became a source of bitter — and very public — dispute this week, after news of a pending sale prompted a swift outcry from the theater’s supporters and management.

On Monday, the nonprofit Theatre Historical Society of America (THS) announced it had come to an agreement to purchase the 90-year-old theater from the building’s owners, Oakland-based Kelly-Rielly-Nell-Barna Associates.

Producers Guild of America Sets Anti-Sexual Harassment Guidelines

Variety: The Producers Guild of America has issued its “Anti-Sexual Harassment Guidelines” to its 8,200 members in the wake of expelling Harvey Weinstein from its ranks.

The guidelines, issued Friday on the day before the PGA’s awards show, are the initial recommendations from the PGA’s Anti-Sexual Harassment Task Force, which was created last October after the start of the massive sexual harassment scandal that engulfed Hollywood. The PGA’s board of directors ratified the guidelines unanimously this week.

Read 'Em And Weep: Celebrating 35 Years Of Opera Supertitles

NPR: In 1983, the Canadian Opera Company in Toronto tried a grand experiment. While the singers performed Elektra in German onstage, simultaneous translations in English were projected above the stage. These "supertitles," as they've come to be known, were quickly adopted at opera houses and are now an expected part of the opera-going experience.

The 2018 Detroit Auto Show in pictures

The Verge: The Detroit Auto Show has a weirdly duplicitous vibe these days. The biggest companies that attend make sure to talk about things that make them sound future-focused, almost benevolent. They talk openly about autonomy, electrification, and even embracing other forms of transportation. But they do this while doling out product announcements that are very much about meeting the current demands of consumers who, enjoying low gas prices, want trucks and crossover SUVs.

Mirror Glaze Cake Trend Showcases Glossy Take on Traditional Glaze

mymodernmet.com: With a self-proclaimed “passion in patisserie,” culinary artist Ksenia Penkina crafts cakes that are as fun to stare at as they are to sample. While the Vancouver-based baker dabbles in all sorts of desserts, her mesmerizing mirror-glazed mousse cakes have proven to be her most popular pâtisserie.

Young dramatists take turn in spotlight with Plays by Young Writers fest

The San Diego Union-Tribune: Anyone fretting about the future of theater will likely find solace — not to mention inspiration — in the Playwrights Project’s celebration of young dramatists’ work.

Since 1985, the San Diego-based organization has been running a statewide writing contest for students from elementary through high school. The winners are celebrated with an annual festival, open both to school groups and the public.

Ridgid R9205 18V Hammer Drill/Impact Driver Combo Kit

Home Fixated: If you’ve ever made holes or driven fasteners for work or play, you know the value of a quality power tool. The Ridgid R9205 brushless 18V compact hammer drill/driver and 3-speed impact driver combo kit we received for evaluation is a pair of high torque, compact tools sure to impress even the most skeptical. If “high torque compact” doesn’t garner your attention, the two 4 Amp-Hour lithium-ion battery packs, lifetime warranty (even on the batteries), and saved greenbacks are even more reasons to give these safety orange monsters the respect they deserve.

NFTRW Weekly Top Five

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

Costume designer makes a new wing for an injured monarch butterfly so it can fly again

Boing Boing: Romy McCloskey of Faden Design Studios (Instagram, website) makes stunningly gorgeous costumes for movies, television, and private commissions. She also is interested in butterflies, and so she put her talents and interests together to repair the badly damaged wing of a monarch butterfly.

Posted by David at 1/17/2018 12:05:00 PM

New study reveals why some people are more creative than others

theconversation.com: Creativity is often defined as the ability to come up with new and useful ideas. Like intelligence, it can be considered a trait that everyone – not just creative “geniuses” like Picasso and Steve Jobs – possesses in some capacity.

Posted by David at 1/16/2018 12:04:00 PM

Art is Essential to Democracy

HowlRound: The Federation is a coalition of artists, arts organizations, and allies that are committed to keeping cultural borders open. The idea and the name was sparked by the artist Laurie Anderson. In the early spring, she, the producer Laura Michalchyshyn, and I were having dinner. Laurie talked about her recent experience working in Berlin, the growing refugee crisis there, and the threatened closing of physical borders throughout Europe. This was after the US Presidential inauguration but before the harmful tactics of the current administration, such as the travel ban, had taken effect.

Posted by David at 1/19/2018 12:26:00 PM

Mark Wahlberg Donates His $1.5 Million Reshoot Pay To Time's Up

www.thegrindstone.com: It’s well documented that Mark Wahlberg is kind of an asshole, but he’s taken a lot of steps within the last two decades to at least publicly correct that.

There was a public uproar when it was revealed that Wahlberg made 1,000 times more money for re-shoots of All The Money In The World than co-star (and multiple Oscar nominee) Michelle Williams did. However, that doesn’t necessarily make Wahlberg the bad guy here: Re-shoots were written into Williams’ original contract, not Wahlberg’s, which is a big reason why he charged such a hefty fee for his.

Wahlberg, in light of the public backlash against the pay disparity, donated the entire $1.5 million sum to the Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund.

Posted by David at 1/16/2018 12:06:00 PM

Study Finds Increasing Diversity on Broadway

The New York Times: Diversity is increasing onstage on Broadway, according to a new study by the Asian American Performers Action Coalition.

The study, released Monday, examined the 2015-16 season and found it to be the most diverse the group has reviewed so far, with 35 percent of all roles going to minority actors, up from 30 percent the previous season and 24 percent the year before that. The coalition has now compiled 10 years of data on diversity on New York stages.

Posted by David at 1/16/2018 12:09:00 PM

Help Wanted to Save Tungsten

Lighting&Sound America Online - News: In response to the news that the EU is once again contemplating banning the use of tungsten halogen light bulbs in entertainment lighting, the Association of Lighting Designers (ALD) is coordinating a high speed effort to gather reasons why this ban should not move forward, particularly from those who would be materially affected by such a ban, in time to create a formal response before the end of the proposal's consultation period on January 26, 2018.

Korg’s long-awaited new synth lets you program your own effects

The Verge: Korg has announced the prologue, its new flagship analog synthesizer that comes with full-sized keys and will be available in two models: the 16-voice 61-key prologue-16, and the eight-voice 49-key prologue-8.

Art is Essential to Democracy

HowlRound: The Federation is a coalition of artists, arts organizations, and allies that are committed to keeping cultural borders open. The idea and the name was sparked by the artist Laurie Anderson. In the early spring, she, the producer Laura Michalchyshyn, and I were having dinner. Laurie talked about her recent experience working in Berlin, the growing refugee crisis there, and the threatened closing of physical borders throughout Europe. This was after the US Presidential inauguration but before the harmful tactics of the current administration, such as the travel ban, had taken effect.

Building Your Workshop in 2018

Pro Construction Guide: Innovation and emerging new technologies mean your workshop can be more functional and efficient than ever. Whether corded or non-corded, the tools of 2018 will pack a punch of unmatched power when building your workshop in 2018. Battery-powered tools and combo kits are trending again for the New Year, along with ergonomic features and smart capabilities.