Like all designing, it is a double-edged sword. On one hand, no one has ever designed for this show before, so you know it will look unique. On the other hand, no one has ever designed this show before, so you are setting the precedent.

So let’s talk about some of those struggles of designing for a totally new show.

Now more than ever we need the performing arts. We are living in uncertain times and I believe one of the best ways to protest our current state of affairs is via the arts!  We especially need to make it accessible to our youth. Rebel Verses Youth Arts Festival is doing just that. Starting July 27th and going through August 5th - Developing Artists, in a new collaboration with Vineyard Theatre, gives youth theatre companies the opportunity to work with well-known people in the industry and develop new works.

Daphne Rubin-Vega, best known for originating the role of Mimi in Rent, and playing Magenta in the Broadway revival of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, is the spokesperson for Rebel Verses Youth Arts Festival.

Theft and vandalism is unfortunately a familiar foe for those involved in theatre.  Everyone in the performing arts has had something stolen, broken, or otherwise disrespected. It is a terrible feeling, and it is one that the staff at A-Z Theatrical is currently experiencing.

A-Z Theatrical Supply and Service Inc   is a highly respected supply in the Kansas City Metro. With 50 years in business, they are a crucial part of the performing arts in the Midwest They offer a wide range of services, including thousands of costumes, lighting, rigging, and full show packages.  They also have a full-scale scenic and design studio, and offer large prop rentals such as the replicas of Grease Lightning and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

This morning, OnStage Blog posted a column reporting on a theatre in New Hampshire that appeared to be moving forward with a production of 'Gypsy' without having obtained the rights to do so. 

However, within an hour of the story being published, we were presented with further evidence, which proved that the documents and statements we received were false.

I've got a bone to pick. This Great Comet controversy started as, well, ridiculous. And it's only escalated it something that hindered far more than it helped. So my question is this:

Was it worth it?

Late-July is usually the time of year when teachers start to put together their lesson plans, order supplies and decorate classrooms. But Martha Pfeiffer won't be doing anything of that. Because after 29 years of teaching, Ms. Pfeiffer is out of a job. While news of an unemployed teacher is, sadly, not rare these days, what makes Ms. Pfeiffer's situation unique is the events that led to her resignation. What follows is a story about tolerated bullying at a high school, the loss of a beloved teacher and LGBT students facing the reality that they no longer have a much-needed advocate. 

ear Sam Shepard,

In the past few years, popular culture has been wracked with celebrity deaths that many feel strongly about. And rightfully so – Robin Williams, Gene Wilder, Carrie Fisher, several very high profile artists and actors that have caught the public eye and imagination. But I don’t think there will be such a widespread heartache for you, sir. Which is a shame, because you have been hailed several times as the greatest American playwright of your time.

While I have only been active in theatre for the past 20 years, I cannot recall a Broadway fiasco like the one that is unfolding with Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812. 

To say it's a mess would be an understatement. If this is how it looks from the outside, I can only imagine what the cast and crew are going through and my heart certainly goes out to them. 

Tell me if this story sounds familiar: You leave an audition feeling like you absolutely crushed it. So much so it would be a complete shock if you weren't offered the role. Days go by and you hear nothing until the moment you're told the role was given to someone else.

Aside from being sad and angry, chances are you might be a bit confused. Why didn't you get the role? What did you do wrong? What could you have done better? 

‘Are you nervous?’ someone asked me last night about bringing my show over from the UK to New York for the first time.

‘No,’ I replied honestly. ‘I don’t tend to get nervous anymore before doing Shurl - just excited to be sharing it with people.’

A couple of hours ago I sat in the tiny black box theatre that is Midtown Festival’s Jewel Box. The technical rehearsal had gone well - efficient; lighting states swiftly sorted; cue-to-cue accomplished without a hitch.