ArtsJournal: Arts, Culture, Ideas

THEATRE

Stephen Sondheim Solved Puzzles Of Theatre, And Much More

"His achievement is Shakespearean. Like Shakespeare, he inherited an art form and theater scene from a previous generation, then pushed the boundaries of what theater could do again and again. ... His work follows us through each stage of our own lives." - Slate

Using Medieval Mystery Plays To Revive The Cornish Language

This year was the third full production in modern times of the Ordinalia, a cycle of three 14th-century mystery plays originally written in the Celtic language once native to the far southwest of England. - Atlas Obscura

Study: Disparities In The Ways Theatres Are Funded

“Almost no theatre of color has a budget over $3 million. Until we reach $5 million, we don’t get access to commission funding or new-work development support. To funders, budget size conveys quality, excellence, and ability to deliver. There’s an inherent bias in providing organizations like us support.” - American Theatre

Theatre Norms: Always Changing

The 19th century brought about the popularization of the proscenium arch: an architectural feature that effectively separates the audience from the actors on stage. Alongside this structural shift, a change in lighting also reinforced the separation between audience and performers. - The Conversation

Lin-Manuel Miranda Turned Jonathan Larson’s Solo Show Into A Filmed Rock Opera

It's not a direct adaptation: "Miranda and his co-writer Steven Levenson (Dear Evan Hansen) have added music from Larson's other shows, tweaked some of the character arcs and even removed an entire subplot about Twinkies." - BBC

Cary Grant, Aldous Huxley, And Clare Boothe Luce Dropping Acid Together: The Musical (We’re Not Making This Up)

Yes, the actor, the writer, and the playwright/politician/doyenne all experimented with LSD in the 1950s, when it was legal. They never did it together, though — that was the idea of writer-director James Lapine, who's rather familiar with hallucinogens himself. - The New York Times

Zadie Smith Never Meant To Write A Play. A Press Release Made Her Do It.

First of all, when her neighborhood submitted a bid to be London's Borough of Culture, she agreed to participate, thinking it wouldn't win. Then it did. So she had to come up with an idea. And she did — whereupon something entirely different (a play) was announced. - BBC

Theatre That Breaks Pre-Pandemic Rules

It's a musical experiment that questions the long-accepted rules of theatermaking and theatergoing, established and upheld before the pandemic. For example, a percentage of the masked audience traverses a dance floor, because why must they all be seated? - Los Angeles Times

Does Method Acting Have A Future In The 21st Century?

The Method's two main teachers in America, Stella Adler and Sanford Meisner, said in 1979 that they doubted it would outlive them. Well, it's still here. Neighborhood Playhouse School director Pamela Kareman and Stella Adler Studio president Tom Oppenheim talk about the Method's present and future. - American Theatre

A Political Consultant Turns The Story Of His Downfall Into An Autofiction Musical

Hank Morris was a serious player until then-New York state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo prosecuted him. His new show, A Turtle on a Fence Post, "is not journalism. It's ... easier to swallow, because the audience is given clear permission to leave believing whatever they want." - Columbia Journalism Review

As People Continue To Work From Home, Will Weeknight Performances Remain Feasible?

Fewer people than back in The Time Before will be able to swing by the theater or concert hall after leaving the office. Will they come in from home? In no American city does the question loom larger than in San Francisco. - The New York Times

La Mama Theatre Rises From The (Literal) Ashes

No, La MaMa in New York didn't burn down. But La Mama in Melbourne did. Founded in 1969 and an important venue for developing new Australian plays, La Mama was destroyed by fire in 2018, just short of its 50th anniversary. Here's how it got rebuilt. - ArtsHub (Australia)

Woman Interrupts Guthrie Performance With Half Hour Racist Rant

Patrons attending A Christmas Carol were seated and ready for the 7:30 p.m. showtime when a woman began screaming in the crowd. According to social media posts from witnesses, the woman ranted for upwards of 30 minutes. - Bring Me The News

The (Re)Rise Of The Movie Musical

Charles McNulty: "A musical must establish its own aesthetic logic without apology to rational etiquette. We may think we’re living in a purely realistic drama but our inner lives are belting à la Ethel Merman." - Los Angeles Times

In Paris, Black Theatre Directors Forge Their Own Paths

French theatre is massively lacking in diversity, so "Le Mois Kréyol, which was created in 2017 by the Caribbean-born choreographer Chantal Loïal, also celebrates French Blackness — and is a reminder of what the country’s mainstream theater is missing." - The New York Times

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