"Industry professionals say soaring ticket prices are due to various reasons, including rising production costs, a changing industry and the rise of celebrity headliners. Many of the shifts they cited have been in the making for decades, but have been exacerbated by the pandemic," - Gothamist
"The Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society is demanding an overhaul of how culture funding is allocated in Scotland after a bid to secure £155,000 to help artists appearing at the event was rejected" by Creative Scotland, the funding agency. - The Scotsman (MSN)
A whopping 67 percent of educators told EdTA they are weighing potential controversies when they make show selections—and with good reason. - American Theatre
"It’s a massive undertaking that, among other things, includes the public relations team finalizing (materials) for marketing and advertising, the box office setting ticket prices and rolling out a calendar for announcements and sales, and the production team planning when load-in can start and what rehearsal schedules will (be)." - Dance Magazine
"The post-pandemic picture is improving but from such a low that no one can feel confident about moving forward. Theater attendance hasn’t yet rebounded to pre-pandemic levels, production and administrative costs have skyrocketed with inflation, and donor fatigue has turned to exhaustion." - Los Angeles Times (MSN)
Amid these daunting financial and industry realities, what does forging a path in theatre criticism even look like these days? Where does one go to learn best practices? To learn how to craft an expert pitch? Is it all learning by doing? If so, how and where do you get started? - American Theatre
In recent months, there have been concerns both in the UK and in Europe that legislation ostensibly designed to address hate speech might also place limitations on free speech. - The Stage
Flippant references to China’s military, like those to top leaders, are considered off limits in official life, and such taboos have been codified under Xi, with a new criminal code outlawing the slander of political “heroes and martyrs.” - The New Yorker
"Frank's and Charley's very different definitions of what constitutes a friend offers an astringent alternative to our culture’s sometimes treacly, overly simplistic portrayal of the bond. Even more than Broadway, Hollywood has fetishized friendship to (a fault)." - Los Angeles Times (MSN)
Musical theater star Sara Poyzer publicly shared a screenshot of an email she received from an unnamed production company which read: “Sorry for the delay—we have had the approval from BBC to use the AI generated voice so we wont need Sara anymore.” - The Daily Beast
"(In Teeth,) a show in which violence begets vengeance, … it’s a lot to endure, for both biter and bitee. … Campy or not, choreographing the many scenes of intimacy and assault required extraordinary sensitivity." Enter Crista Marie Jackson. - The New York Times
It seemed that the education department functioned as a sort of nonprofit running within another nonprofit, having separate conversations about programming. - American Theatre
"Designed in collaboration with people living with dementia and their carers, these performances are specifically adapted for their audience, allowing them to have a rollicking night out in a safe, tailored environment, free of the fear of disturbing a standard show." - The Guardian
"The 1926 dramatisation by Owen Davis, a Pulitzer prizewinner, opened to rave reviews and became a hit that contributed to the novel’s success, bringing Fitzgerald substantial royalties and fame. But the original script had long since been lost. Now a copy has been rediscovered and will be published." - The Observer (UK)
“The student cast and crew were informed by the school district in the small town of Hampshire, an hour outside of Chicago, that they were not allowed to advertise the musical outside the school building. ... They were told they could refer to it only as 'the musical.’” - American Theatre
