“With the “quasi-Tonys” coming later on this fall, I thought it would be a good time to start a new series of columns where we take a look back at some past ceremonies and rethink how the awards were handed out. Let’s a take a look at the 2017 awards.”

“With the emergence and likely continued existence of virtual streamed performances, it’s obviously reasonable for the audience to expect the same quality performance they would receive if there were sitting in the theatre. This means every performer needs to be off-book if the type of performance calls for it.”

With the “quasi-Tonys” coming later on this fall, I thought it would be a good time to start a new series of columns where we take a look back at some past ceremonies and rethink how the awards were handed out. Let’s start with last year’s ceremony.

“Here are my suggestions on how to maximize COVID performing for those days when you just gotta sing, gotta dance!”

“Thanks to the campaign “See Our Truths”, current and former black students are coming forward with their stories of how they had to endure multiple instances of racism during their time in Pace University’s musical theatre program, much of it coming from the head of the MT program, Amy Rogers, and her assistant JV Mercanti.”

“It was announced today that Ben Brantley, the co-chief theatre critic for the New York Times, is stepping down from the position he’s held since 1993.”

“Throughout centuries of strife, when theater has had its back to the wall, it has bounced back even stronger and responded with an unprecedented outpouring of creativity, adaptability, and grace.”

“A former student in Western Kentucky University’s theatre and dance program claims in a federal lawsuit to have been subjected to racial discrimination and sexual harassment by a professor in the program.”

“As said in Carousel, “At the end of the storm is a golden sky And the sweet silver song of a lark.” The end of the storm will come, and we will rejoice when it does. In the meantime, here are some ways to fill that emotional void while the ghost light is still on.”

“In times like these, and sadly I’ve lived through a couple of them, there seems to be this belief that we can’t be sad for anything else other than the mass tragedy unfolding around us. I think that’s ridiculous.”

“Acting is one very specific role within the theatre industry, and it’s a hugely difficult and vital one - but a bit more appreciation for those off the stage wouldn’t go amiss.”

“The publications that release college theatre program rankings failed BIPOC students. Because of how these programs were highlighted, it sent BIPOC students to audition for schools that had no BIPOC faculty. It sent BIPOC students to schools that didn’t know how to communicate with BIPOC students in the classroom. It sent students to schools where they would endure microaggressions, bullying, racism, discrimination that either pushed them out of the program or made graduation feel like more of an escape than an achievement.”