Spotlight
Stories that deserve your attention
Could 'Ursula' be played by a man?
“Disney is making strides in the progressive direction. To cast a male actor as Ursula would not be “unfortunate” at all.”
When Broadway Shows Resume, Should 'The Book of Mormon' Be One of Them?
“In response to the Black Lives Matter, the NYC theatre community is having conversations about the representation of black performers and what types of roles black performers are having to portray. And while the conversation about “The Book of Mormon” has happened plenty of times before, it’s certainly been reignited now.”
The Theatre Community Should End Its Support of ‘Autism Speaks’
“With the upcoming official release of Music this week, I write with a related frustration: This industry has a problem with support for Autism Speaks.”
Making Improv Theatre Work in a Virtual World
“When COVID first hit and performing arts venues were forced to shut down, a lot of us felt scared. We wondered whether we would still be able to create art in a way that was familiar and whether we’d ever be able to gather in the same space again. But the theatre improv community? They said, “Yes, and,” to the challenges they faced and tackled them head-on just as any good improviser would.”
Actress fired from 'The Color Purple' claims she would’ve refused role if she knew character was gay
“A U.K. actress who was fired from the lead role in The Color Purple for past alleged homophobic remarks on social media claims she did not realize the character she was due to portray was a lesbian and would have refused to take on the role if she did.”
Actor charged with molesting boy he met during a play at local FL theatre
“An actor in Ocala, FL has been charged with sexual battery after admitting to molesting a young boy he had met during a play at the local theatre. The abuse happened over a dozen times over a period of six months. In the wake of the arrest, the theatre has barred the actor from their stage but has not confirmed or denied knowing about the allegations while allowing the actor to appear in productions with minors.”
Rachel Bloom’s biography 'I Want to Be Where the Normal People Are' is a must read
“I Want to Be Where the Normal People Are is an incredibly fast read, because Bloom makes the reader feel like they are old friends getting lost in a zany conversation and wondering where the time went.”
'Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical’: A Case Study of Connecting to a Digital Theatre Audience: Part 1
“‘Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical’ is a case study that provides two approaches to online theatre-making, the perfect dichotomy in which to examine how we connect with an audience in the infinite abyss of the internet, and more specifically TikTok.”
"You're Pretty Good at This for a Girl" : Managing Misogyny While Being a Woman in Tech
“To any male-identifying technicians who feel they’re superior, please listen to what I have to say.”
Randy Rainbow: The tweets, the apology and how our "allies" betrayed us
The controversy over Randy Rainbow’s old tweets certainty drew a lot of reaction on social media. Many were outraged, many were ready to forgive. But the issue led to some observations about how some of us excuse such past behavior and how others accept apologies that weren’t directed to them in the first place.
Who Was Mr. Lovett? Unpacking a Mystery of ‘Sweeney Todd’
“At the end of 2020, when the world seemed to be on the brink of complete collapse, I found myself consumed with one particularly inconsequential question. What happened to Mr. Lovett in “Sweeney Todd”?”
What The Theatre Industry Can Learn from 2020
“As I reflect on this past year and look toward the future, I hope that the theatre industry remembers what has happened and learns from it. What can we keep from 2020 and what do we want to leave behind?”