ArtsJournal: Arts, Culture, Ideas

THEATRE

The Company That Invented The Portable Pop-Up Theater And Locked Writers In A Room Until They Drafted A Play

"It began over a pint in a Bedford pub. Fifty years later, Paines Plough is a theatrical trailblazer. … To mark its half-century, the key players remember the company’s fights, firsts and furious creativity." - The Guardian

Too Many New Plays, Too Few Producers

The ratio of independent producers to new plays being written, and people wanting to make them, is completely out of kilter. And as subsidies dwindle and support for the arts in general wanes, the number of us – people willing to run a small business producing independent theatre – is decreasing too. - The Stage

Geffen Playhouse Expands Its Audience To Include Prisoners And Their Families

"The first thing we do is make sure that they can see plays that reflect their lives," says artistic director (and Oscar winner for Moonlight) Tarell Alvin McCraney about his Theater as a Lens for Justice initiative, which offers free tickets to "populations impacted by incarceration." - The New York Times

Streaming Service Aims To Expand Live Theatre Audience

“We’re expanding the size of the theatre; we’re not creating a competitive product." Now, with unions across the field adopting streaming provisions, the second-best seat in the house might be at home. - American Theatre

More Theatres In Britain Are Doing Shows Without Intermissions

Skipping the interval (as they call it over there) is somewhat controversial: some producers and directors think that offering a shorter evening may bring back patrons who've been staying away since the pandemic, while many theatres depend on the income from bar sales during the break. - The Guardian

Why Have Standup Comedians At The Edinburgh Fringe Been Performing Outdoors? They’ve Had To

"These natural basement-dwellers have been flushed out of their venues by various fire alarms and outages, including a city-wide power cut that caused the partial deflation of the giant purple cow inflatable in George Square. Oh, the humanity." - The Guardian

The Year Of Celebrating America’s Favorite Fighting Frenchman

Two hundred years ago, Lafayette arrived for a year-long tour of the country he helped create. The guy who has played him for years at Colonial Williamsburg is prepared for 13 months of celebrations, including a triumphal visit to Manhattan. - The New York Times

Another Bay Area Theatre Meets Its Fundraising Goal, But Plans To Downsize Anyway

Despite raising $500,000 in emergency funds, Aurora Theatre in Berkeley “has shed five full-time workers, including one co-managing director and its entire marketing and development teams.” - San Francisco Chronicle (MSN)

What Do You Get When You Cross “Waiting For Godot” With An Escape Room? This.

"Escape From Godot … is a play where audience members become participants, the game requiring patrons to hop on the dials and interact with props to propel the narrative forward. Puzzles are hidden in the script, ensuring that the players become actors and are in abstract communication with the performers." - Los Angeles Times (MSN)

Ivan Van Hove Finds Inspiration In Bleakness

Of course he enjoys being the new artistic director of the  Ruhrtriennale Festival of the Arts, which produces shows “in former industrial sites, like power stations or coal plants, among cities in the Ruhr region of northwestern Germany.” - The New York Times

A Taiwanese Play That Openly Addresses The Question of Independent Statehood

"Written by Swiss and Taiwanese creators and produced in Switzerland, This Is Not An Embassy deals with Taiwan’s lack of global recognition as a country and the diplomatic challenges it faces as a result." It premiered in Switzerland, had a sold-out run in Taipei, and will tour Europe this fall. - The Guardian

We Know Theatre Has To Adapt And Change, But How?

“The things we will try have not been tested. The new ideas will seem too radical to implement. The work will necessitate giving up unearned privilege and power. Theatres do not operate in a vacuum, and neither do theatre workers.” - American Theatre

The Unnerving Experience Of One-To-One Shows At The Edinburgh Fringe

"Giving an audience member 'a hand in guiding the show' is key to the success of a one-person performance. 'You have to sort of walk a tightrope between delivering a scripted show and being flexible to an audience member.'" - The Guardian

Stans Of The Greatest Showman Movie, Rejoice

The surprise hit film is going to be a stage musical! But you knew that. The true news is that the Hugh Jackman passion project is finally in serious development for the stage, with Disney. Do we hear the sound of a million theatre kid dreams soaring? - Variety

This Rural Wisconsin Company Knows How To Do Summer Theater Right

At the American Players Theater, about an hour west of Madison, they do around nine mostly classic plays (no musicals) each season, running in repertory, with no microphones in a 1,075-seat amphitheater. Audiences love it, with many people returning season after season. - The New York Times

Our Free Newsletter

Join our 30,000 subscribers

Latest

Don't Miss

function my_excerpt_length($length){ return 200; } add_filter('excerpt_length', 'my_excerpt_length');