Longtime Village Voice Theatre Critic Axed "Michael Feingold, 67, began writing for The Village Voice in 1970. His columns are known for the erudition and understanding of theatre history, both ancient and modern, and how current plays fit in with that continuum. Aside from John Simon, Feingold probably possesses more first-hand knowledge of New York stage history than any other currently working theatre critic." Playbill 05/21/13

email this story | Posted 05/24/13@06:00AM

British Equity Worries About Increase In Nudity Requests "Fears have been raised [by the actors' union] about the increasing number of acting jobs that require nudity, and the possibility that actors refusing to take their clothes off at castings are being denied work." The Stage (UK) 05/22/13

email this story | Posted 05/24/13@12:59AM

L.A.'s UnCabaret At 25 For a quarter-century, "it's been a place to hear unvarnished, rough-edged ideas being tried out ... It brought in funny people from the huge Hollywood talent pool ... and freed them to talk about things in their own lives." Founder Beth Lapides's key instruction to performers: "When you get onstage, do the material that, if you don't do it, your head is going to explode." NPR 05/20/13 (includes audio)

email this story | Posted 05/24/13@12:52AM

Scotland's Oldest Theatre is Saved "The Theatre Royal in Dumfries, which has been in operation for more than 200 years, has been given £455,000 by Dumfries and Galloway Council. The grant ... will allow the theatre to be refurbished and additional facilities installed." The Guardian (UK) 05/22/13

email this story | Posted 05/23/13@12:57AM

Casting Directors: The Unknown, The Powerful "They are rarely interviewed. Few people outside theatre, film and TV know who they are. Yet casting directors rank among the most influential operators in show business. ... So who are they, and what do they do?" The Guardian (UK) 05/21/13

email this story | Posted 05/23/13@12:56AM

London's West End Is Awash In Blockbusters. But Does That Signal That Theatres Are Healthy? "When there are blockbuster shows in town, other productions can benefit from a trickle-down effect of interest and excitement; it's not a case of one hit precluding the chance of another. But in the harder, leaner economy that has emerged over the last few years is a Darwinian mode of ruthlessness emerging among the punters?" The Telegraph (UK) 05/21/13

email this story | Posted 05/22/13@05:49AM

Village Voice Lays Off Theater Critic Michael Feingold After 42 Years "Feingold, 67, began writing for The Village Voice in 1970. His columns are known for the erudition and understanding of theatre history, both ancient and modern, and how current plays fit in with that continuum. Aside from John Simon, Feingold probably possesses more first-hand knowledge of New York stage history than any other currently working theatre critic." Playbill 05/20/13

email this story | Posted 05/22/13@12:55AM

A Tie At The Obie Awards "Because of a tie vote, the judges for the 2013 Obie Awards, announced on Monday night, chose two winners for best new American play: Lisa D'Amour's dark comedy Detroit and Julia Jarcho's triptych Grimly Handsome. Other Obies included playwriting awards for Annie Baker (The Flick) and Ayad Akhtar for Disgraced, which won the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Drama." The New York Times 05/20/13

email this story | Posted 05/22/13@12:55AM

A Venture Capital Fund For Young Theatre Producers "How does an independent theatre producer ever get started?" After all, without a track record, why would investors or creative professionals sign on with you? Stage One is a start-up fund that takes a chance on young producers and their projects. The Guardian (UK) 05/20/13

email this story | Posted 05/22/13@12:51AM

Making Up Kurt Vonnegut's Mind After 20 Years Vonnegut's play Make Up Your Mind had only one brief staging in 1993, because the author couldn't settle on a final script. (He left behind a dozen versions.) Now there's finally a performing edition, courtesy of playwright Nicky Silver, who says that Vonnegut "was the perfect collaborator. He is a genius, and he is dead." The New York Times 05/20/13

email this story | Posted 05/22/13@12:44AM

How A Theatre Decided To Offer A Money-Back Guarantee "If we're a young, innovative, energetic theatre company that is trying to do the best work that we can, why wouldn't we back our work with something like a money-back guarantee? Are we going to be so afraid of people disliking our work that we will, in fact, lose money on it?" The Globe & Mail (Canada) 05/22/13

email this story | Posted 05/21/13@10:20AM

Wait, Why Are Latino Playwrights Writing Asian-American Characters? (Um, Why Not?) "Latino writers are asked to write 'rice and beans' plays about immigration, drug cartels, and the working class. That expectation assumes we're all the same, and--most problematically for me--it creates a theatrical culture of inauthenticity. There are amazing Latino playwrights writing about these subjects; they're true and important to them. But when you force me to do that, you're perpetuating a lie." HowlRound 05/19/13

email this story | Posted 05/19/13@08:53PM

Bring Your Own Canoe To the Theatre In Minnesota "Eighteen voyageur canoes, each holding nine audience members and a guide, paddled the 13-mile theater route." Minnesota Public Radio 05/19/13

email this story | Posted 05/19/13@08:48PM

Man Falls From Broadway Window To Marquee "The victim was leaning against a window about 2:50 p.m. when he tumbled out onto the ornate limestone marquee just before the start of the matinee performance of 'The Nance,' starring Nathan Lane, officials said." New York Daily News 05/19/13

email this story | Posted 05/19/13@08:43PM

Shut Up, Big Theatres: Summer Is For The Fringe (Or The Beach) "Some smaller theaters are heeding the sage words of the old-time baseball player 'Wee Willie'Keeler, whose advice to batters was 'Hit 'em where they ain't.''' The Boston Globe 05/18/13

email this story | Posted 05/19/13@09:28AM

Does Britain Need Any More Theatres? Will new playhouses create new activity and help regenerate their neighborhoods and towns? Will they just be yet more parties in the never-ending scramble for public and private funding? Lyn Gardner starts the discussion. The Guardian (UK) 05/16/13

email this story | Posted 05/17/13@12:53AM

Audience Member Takes Cellphone Use During Performance Into His Own Hands (Literally) "I asked her whether I had missed something during the very pointed announcements to please turn off your phones, perhaps a special exemption granted for her. She suggested that I should mind my own business." National Review 05/15/13

email this story | Posted 05/16/13@08:11AM