“The talent of the cast and production impact heavily on our overall enjoyment of a musical and play but I do think there is something intangible that makes something especially rewatchable.”
Read More
“Tony winning costume designer, William Ivey Long, has been sued over allegations of sexual abuse by one of his victims.”
Read More
“While regional and local theatres all over the country are delaying or canceling their upcoming seasons, one Kansas City-area theatre is forging ahead to open next month, ignoring health concerns and union guidelines in the process. To make matters worse, they sent a nasty email to other area theatres listing the names of actors who are speaking out against the reopening date. Which many are calling ‘blacklisting.’”
Read More
Due to COVID-19, the Twilight Theater Company had to shut their season down early, ending shows such as “A Feminine Ending”. But they were able to produce quite an interesting web series titled, “Overcoming the Artist’s Nightmare”.
Read More
An actor in the cast of “American Psycho” admits that he vandalized the set of the show. However, there is much more to the story.
Read More
“Producing Neil LaBute’s work is oppressive to womxn, people of size, people of color, people with disabilities, and many other groups, while simultaneously putting money into the hands of someone known to be problematic and hurtful. Keep your theatre life safe and healthy, and truly consider your choice before producing, or working on, a Neil LaBute piece.”
Read More
I’ve even made a job out of doing social media marketing, and actually, I love it. From a business point of view, it’s a great way of promoting yourself, but as an individual and for your mental health, I’m not sure I agree. Is social media good for performers?
Read More
A local theatre in Kansas City, MO has found itself at the center of some controversy over its firing of an actress apparently due to “Pro-Trump” comments she had made on social media.
Read More
Many people living on low incomes often get left out of the accessibility discussions in theatre, but there are several ways to reach low-income communities with your theatre, and these communities are some who need theatre the most.
Read More
I recently went to see a broadcast of David Hare’s new play, ‘I’m Not Running.’ A political comedy that is excellently staged, one exchange stood out to me. “I’m not political” claims Pauline when she first meets Sandy as his doctor, “why not?” is Sandy’s response.
This question is important because we should all be political, whether we want to be actively involved or not we should all be focused on politics as it affects every part of our lives. If you are lucky enough not to be political, it shows how you feel so secure and protected in your existence and have never had to worry about how someone’s opinions will affect your daily life. How far into politics and political agendas should theatre delve? Should theatre stay away from specific political events such as Brexit, and controversial political figures such as Donald Trump?
Read More
Recently I involved myself in an online controversy by making derogatory comments on the boards usually fastened to theatres. Some board members responded in a fury. One said that boards do the best they can with what they’re given. Theatre, he reasoned, “(I)s a dying art form.”
Now regardless of whether board members work hard, a problem exists when someone attached to a theatre thinks that the art is dying. And this indicates a widespread problems with U.S. theatres.
Read More
So frequently in my rehearsal rooms, or in my classrooms, I hear theatre artists decry politics. There seems to be an idea that one must learn their craft in a hermetically sealed bubble, lest the influences of the banal and mundane workings of the outside world impose themselves upon the art. In the theatre, though, nothing could be farther from the truth.
The fact is that ALL theatre is political. The Public Theatre’s Oskar Eustis has said that it can be no coincidence that theatre and democracy were invented in at the same time. He says “I think that theater is the democratic art—it's no mistake that they were invented in the same city in the same decade. It's the proper place to exercise democratic virtue, for the contesting of different points of view, identifying with other people, what citizens need”.
Read More