Early Monday morning, thieves stole a U-Haul containing the hundreds of puppets, costumes, and equipment used in Hamid Rahmanian's Persian-style shadow-puppet show Song of the North. The truck was located in Richmond on Wednesday; most of the puppets were there, though the costumes and electronics were gone. - The New York Times
Hampshire High School in the Chicago suburbs had been planning to stage "The Prom" — about, ironically, a school that tries to cancel a dance rather than letting a gay couple attend — when district officials "postponed" the show for "safety" reasons. The ensuing uproar changed their minds. - MSN (Chicago Tribune)
"You have to consider the fact that he was in his 80s working on a musical about going into a room that you can't get out of. And I think that subconsciously it must have preyed upon him." - NPR
At the Royal Exchange in Manchester, "the new creative director will not be expected to direct shows but will take on a more strategic role, as part of a trio of 'creative voices' in senior leadership positions. This will include a new associate director ... and incumbent dramaturg Suzanne Bell." - The Stage
The Indicator podcast from NPR's Planet Money features a tech exec-turned-Broadway producer who says that "the industry fully functions like venture capital. If you fail, it just goes (whooshing sound) to zero." The crucial difference is in how you scale up. (audio plus transcript) - NPR
"The stolen U-Haul truck contained 500 shadow puppets, props, costumes, projectors and other items used to stage puppet master Hamid Rahmanian’s Persian epic Song of the North, … leaving the production company empty-handed after four San Francisco shows." - MSN (San Francisco Chronicle)
The company is facing a $2.5 million budget shortfall, managing director Danny Williams said. It will need to raise the money through ticket sales and philanthropy by the end of 2023 in order to present the productions scheduled for the second half of this season, he said. - St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Tony-winner Ali Stroker has a new book out, and a new kid, so what has she seen on Broadway? Nothing, "because Mom life. ... But I want to see Sweeney Todd, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and Hadestown." - The New York Times
Of the 79 plays being performed in 2024, 68 (87%) were written after 2000, 60 (76%) were written after 2014 and 23 (29%) will have their world premiere in 2024. Only three were written prior to the 20th century. - ArtsHub
The production, an adaptation of Shakespeare's play set in the days of Oswald Mosley's Union of British Fascists, stars Tracy-Ann Oberman as a single-mother Shylock. She says audiences and critics have been very supportive, but since the Gaza War broke out, antisemites have made verbal attacks and threats. - Variety
After surveying more than 8,000 audience members, who expressed desires for more time for post-show dinner, discussion, and/or catching the last train home, the NT will start a pilot scheme this winter of 6:30 pm start times for some Tuesday and Thursday performances. - The Guardian
In 2021, New Rep paused its operations due to financial losses incurred during the pandemic. It reopened nine months later on a smaller scale with a renewed focus on new work and diverse voices. - WBUR
For the second year running, Lynn Nottage tops the list, which includes nine women out of 20. (Lauren Gunderson, once the perennial leader, is now in eighth place.) Contemporary writers dominate; with Shakespeare omitted, the only canonical playwright, at no. 4, is August Wilson. - American Theatre
