The homophobic incidents come as a new bio-musical about Parton, titled Hello, I’m Dolly, is prepping for a bow on Broadway in 2026, with the country legend writing the music, co-writing the book, and serving as a producer. - Deadline
"Many workers see the unionization of stage crews as long overdue, noting that the sector has come a long way from its scrappy origins. … Nonprofit companies and producers fear that the unionization push could drive up costs at a moment when many are running deficits and staging fewer, and smaller, shows." - The New York Times
The incident happened last Wednesday at the Manchester Opera House in England during the musical Here You Come Again, currently on a national tour. A similar disturbance happened over the weekend, and a cast member says there were occasional disruptions of the same sort during the London run. - The Guardian
"'While there may come a time in which we create and implement a new academic model for the programs, that will not come in the short term,' reads a statement posted to Brown's website. … The programs will operate through June 2026, allowing all current students to finish their (degrees)." - Playbill
“It all felt so good. The comfort of self-mythologizing, of thinking of ourselves as a nation of revolutionaries — delicious.” But, ouf, times have changed. - Seattle Times
"Many theater lovers are hoping that (Matthias) Lilienthal’s appointment marks the end of a prolonged period of turmoil at the Volksbühne, which … in recent years has been plagued by scandal and tragedy, as well as vicious conflicts about its creative direction." - The New York Times
Funding cuts and the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic have pushed the venue towards fewer plays with extended runs, often featuring a high-profile name in order to fill seats – a move which Hare decried as “terrible impoverishment”. - The Guardian
What's more, the four Miller tragedies that usually get performed have some funny parts as well (at least if the production is good). Yet, writes on scholar, "critics and audiences just do not know how to accept or understand Miller the comedian." - JSTOR Daily
The Iranian-American playwright says she was inspired "by a lifetime of seeing people treat my parents, who speak English as a second language, as lesser-than because they had accents, and the way that they were perceived as less human and as people that don’t hold full personalities." - Variety
Just Stop Oil demonstration interrupted a performance of The Tempest at The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. Actor Sigourney Weaver sat aghast as protesters walked on stage and fired a confetti cannon, holding placards and announcing politely: “We’ll have to stop the show, ladies and gentlemen, sorry.” - The Conversation
The leaders of four London theatres, including the National Theatre and the Young Vic, along with theatres in Sheffield, Liverpool, and Wales, talk about their goals. - The Guardian
“Hell’s Kitchen, a coming-of-age show inspired by the adolescent experiences of Alicia Keys and fueled by her music, won a Grammy Award on Sunday for best musical theater album.” Keys is composer and lyricist for the songs on the album. - The New York Times
As commercial theatre recovers from the holidays, experimental theatre is amped up. "January is this incredible crush of everyone doing everything all the time, and by the seat of everyone’s pants." - The New York Times
ACT, founded in 1965, has a fiscal year 2025 operating budget of $6.8 million while Seattle Shakespeare Company, founded in 1991, has a current operating budget of $2.5 million. The new company’s fiscal year 2026 budget is still in development. - Seattle Times
