Spotlight
Stories that deserve your attention
4 Books Stage Managers Swear By
“There are plenty of resources out there to teach interested people about stage management, but here are four books that established stage managers swear by”
Phylicia Rashad Needs to Resign from Howard University Immediately
“Phylicia Rashad’s tweet defending Bill Cosby was reckless, showed extremely poor judgement, two qualities no college dean should have. She should resign immediately.”
Yale School of Drama Goes Tuition Free with $150 million gift from David Geffen
“Arguably the most prestigious drama school in the country is now going to be tuition-free for current and future students. Yale University’s drama school will no longer pay tuition, thanks to a landmark $150 million gift from entertainment executive and philanthropist David Geffen, the university announced today.”
Demystifying Dramaturgy
“I always describe Dramaturgical work as putting together pieces of a puzzle that never has a correct solution. You can dive into plays, research, and have conversations with a writer, and never hit the bottom of what can be explored-- there’s always something.”
If You're Pre-Casting a Show, Just Be Honest About It
“To be honest, I'm fine with pre-casting, as long as the theatre and director are upfront and honest about it at auditions.”
University Theatre cancels 'Chaplin: The Musical' over concerns about his conduct with young girls
“Last week, a university theatre club in New Zealand decided to cancel their upcoming production of Chaplin: The Musical after it had been discovered that the actor had a notorious past when it came to conduct with teenaged girls.”
How to assemble the perfect production team
“Hiring a talented but also reliable production team can be stressful. Of course, you want a crew that can help bring your vision to the stage, but how do you know they’ll also make deadlines, show up to production meetings on time, and overall be a professional individual?”
The 5 Struggles of Being the Only Musical Theatre Fan in Your Group of Friends
“Some day you’ll make your friends come around.”
Encourage more boys to join youth theater
“Why are there never enough boys in children's theater programs? Why is it that there is a stigma with theater not being considered masculine?"
RI Theatre Staff Resign Amid Allegations of Sexual Assault Against Artistic Director
“Staff members at a Rhode Island theatre company have resigned following an investigation into allegations of sexual assault against the company’s artistic director, who has vowed to continue in his role.”
Musical Theater Students & Alums File Lawsuits Against Pace University and Former Head of MT Program
Sixteen current and former students of Pace University’s School of Performing Arts have filed individual lawsuits in hopes of forcing the school to address allegations of systemic racism within its musical theatre program. Named in the lawsuits are not only Pace University but also its former head of the musical theatre program, Amy Rogers.
Does 'The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee' work as a film?
“It’s not that a musical can’t ever translate well on screen. Grease, Rodger and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, Annie, West Side Story, Hello Dolly! – these worked. I also have hope for other upcoming adaptations, such as Lin Manuel Miranda’s In the Heights. In cases like these, the switch in medium makes sense and serves an artistic purpose. For Spelling Bee, it has the potential to do the opposite.”