In an excerpt from his new history of Method acting, Isaac Butler looks at the American Laboratory Theatre, where, in the 1920s, two of Stanislavski's students at the Moscow Art Theatre, Richard Boleslavsky and Maira Ouspenskaya, began teaching what they called Stanislavski's "system." - American Theatre
So argues one business-oriented demographer. Why drama? Because you learn how to work closely in groups and to fill a variety of roles, onstage and off. - ArtsHub (Australia)
Since the revival began rehearsals in October, five dozen cast and crew members have tested positive for the virus; at one point producers had to cancel 11 performances. Here, six company members (including stars Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster) tell us how they've gotten through it. - The New York Times
In all, the total attendance of 139,584 indicates that about 74% of available seats were filled. Average ticket price was stayed at a modest $108, same as the previous week. - Deadline
From Epiros in the north down to Sparta and beyond, the outdoor venues where classical drama was born are being rediscovered: 25 are hosting events, with another 20 under renovation. A second, smaller arena has even been uncovered in Epidavros, which hosts the famous drama festival. - The Guardian
The idea that an actor must authentically experience and feel the lived reality of the character he is playing—and therefore be infinitely present and malleable—now underpins almost everything that Americans deem to be “good” acting. - The Atlantic
"During the months when the pandemic kept Broadway shuttered, a hypothesis took hold: Once theaters reopened, the audience would include more New Yorkers and fewer tourists, and the result could be a more receptive marketplace for ambitious new plays. It did not turn out that way." - The New York Times
Strasberg began to think about what made some performances succeed and some fail, and concluded that it must have to do with whether or not the actor was feeling inspired. This presented its own dilemma. - The New Yorker
How much Shakespeare do audiences really want these days? What adjustments are required in the performance of his canon to accommodate those who do not buy the line that Shakespeare is the “greatest” playwright of all time? - Washington Post
A new book rhymes ways to teach young children about theatre. "There are so many things in here that are favorite shows of mine that I never would have imagined being able to work into a children's book," the author says. - NPR
I love “West Side Story,” I always wanted to work with Stephen Sondheim, and I’ve come to realize that my writerly self-respect is tangled up in scaring myself. - Los Angeles Times
It was only from the 1970s that American commercial theater settled on the rule: start at 8:00 for evening shows and 2:00 for matinees (maybe 3:00 on Sundays). COVID has loosened that rule — and though ticketholders have to pay attention, they now have more choice and flexibility. - The Stage
"Has one of the great theater cities on the planet just suffered the kind of blow that may require a recovery time of years?" asks Chris Jones. "Certain truths seem to have revealed themselves" — and not only that one can't predict the course of a virus. - MSN (Chicago Tribune)
Broadway continued its winter freeze last week, with box office dropping 11% to a slim $16,494,289 for its meager 21-show roster. Attendance for the week ending Jan. 23 was 152,135, a slip of 6% from the previous week. - Deadline
"The school had been working tirelessly to find a university partner in order to stay open. … But, as ACT artistic director Pam MacKinnon put it, there were three reasons that such a partnership did not come to fruition: 'COVID, COVID, COVID.'" - American Theatre
