Theatre scenes in scores of countries around the world are every bit as sophisticated as ours in the U.S. (and in many cases far better funded). So why are U.S. theatres generally so unconnected to what’s going on in the non-English-speaking theatre world? - American Theatre
"The Broadway League and the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees say a tentative agreement has been reached among the two parties and Disney Theatrical, averting a strike that IATSE members were in the process of voting to authorize." - Gothamist
"David Byrne, an award-winning playwright and director who has built a powerful reputation at a small studio theatre in London" called New Diorama, "is to be the new artistic director of the Royal Court. … He succeeds Vicky Featherstone, who (departs) early next year after more than 10 years." - The Guardian
The traditional fundraising-during-a-downturn playbook calls on organizations to lean on mega-donors when everyday givers step back and the broader pool shrinks. But this isn’t your parents’ downturn. - Inside Philanthropy
Altogether, the Metropolitan Theatre in New York brought to light and recognition over 100 largely forgotten American plays from 1787 through to the present, several of which have found new life around the country owing to the notice they received at Metropolitan. - American Theatre
Edward Hall, who founded the all-male Shakespearean specialist Propeller Theatre Company, is the brother of actress/director Rebecca Hall and son of Royal Shakespeare Company founder Peter Hall. Edward succeeds the Chicago troupe's founding director, Barbara Gaines, who departed last month after 37 years. - MSN (Chicago Tribune)
So how do we avoid this catastrophe? Just as in other areas of recent American life where entire industries were imperiled — banks, the auto industry — this crisis requires federal intervention. - The New York Times
What worries me more than money at the moment is the spiritual pall hanging over the theater community – a simmering angry paralysis mirroring our city’s wandering at anchor over its mixture of astonishing wealth, desire for social justice, and more and more people living in tents. - Post Alley
"'Writing jokes will be one the very last tasks AI will be able to do convincingly and effectively,' predicts Conan vet Matthew Broussard. 'Meaning, against all logic, I chose the career with the most stability.'" - Yahoo! (Los Angeles Times)
Yet it’s hard to shake the suspicion that Orientalist kitsch was integral to the show's commercial appeal. Remove the defamiliarizing frisson of the exotic and you have, essentially, a love triangle with an immigration paperwork angle. It’s still a heart-rending tale, but is it as much of a spectacle? - The New York Times
The nuclear apocalypse comedy will be adapted by Armando Iannucci (Veep, The Death of Stalin) and will star, and be directed by, Sean Foley. Said Iannucci, "In these sad times, what better way to cheer the nation up than a stage show about the end of the world." - BBC
"As the North American tour of Funny Girl gets ready to hit the road beginning Sept. 9 following the Lea Michele-led musical's closing on Broadway, the tour has received backlash after casting newcomer Katerina McCrimmon in the lead role of real-life Jewish vaudeville star Fanny Brice." - The Messenger
Earnest and ridiculous in equal measure, Theater Camp makes clear that places like AdirondACTS are microcosms of magical weirdness. The film isn’t just a starry-eyed ode to the wonders of theater; it’s a look at how following one’s passions requires immense support. - The Atlantic
A French musical based on a Hugo novel, but still. "A song debating the merits of the printing press at the top of Act II after a cliffhanger Act I ending? (I guess they had to leave at least one trademark Hugo tangent in there!)" - The New York Times
