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THEATRE

The Emotional Toll Of Dying Onstage Every Night

“Halfway through the Broadway run, I started to feel the weight of doing this every single day. Everything was tight, so I talked to a physical therapist.” - The Guardian

North Carolina’s Triad Stage Is Closing Its Doors

"This spring, the professional regional theater in downtown Greensboro stopped selling tickets to shows while examining its options amid financial struggles. The group's volunteer board had hoped to find a path to save it as other regional theaters across the country shuttered in recent years." - Greensboro (NC) News and Record

A Depressing Report On Freelancing In The British Theatre Industry

"A comprehensive report published by Freelancers Make Theatre Work … reveals significant disparities in pay between male and female workers, amounting to a gap of 37.4%. … The sobering picture painted by the report continues, with average earnings for freelancers in the industry falling 17.5% below the U.K. national average salary." - Variety

Who’s In Line To Run Britain’s National Theatre?

"Will the NT reach for a safe pair of hands (as) arts funding is squeezed and theatre is clawing back revenue lost over the pandemic? Or will it continue Norris's project of opening up the venue to new audiences? … Here is The Guardian's shortlist of potential contenders." - The Guardian

Russians Revive Mariupol’s Bombed Theatre As Russian Culture Showcase

“This theater is being reborn and has restored its great reputation,” said Aleksandr Rostov, the theater’s new, Russian-appointed creative director in a video to mark the first anniversary of the strike, which he addressed to Mariupol residents and “our beloved soldiers and our own Russian army.” - Wall Street Journal

This Dutch Improv Club Launched The Careers Of Major American Comedians

Next month marks the 30th anniversary of Boom Chicago, an Amsterdam venue featuring Chicago-style improv comedy in English, where Seth Meyers, Jordan Peele, Amber Ruffin, and Jason Sudeikis are among the alumni. - The New York Times

How The Oregon Shakespeare Festival Found Itself In A Crisis

“We've been basically in a recovery mode since the 2020-21 pandemic. And I think that's the real reason why things have been stressed more. We've had some management and infrastructure issues that didn't adapt well to those two major business disruptions.” - Jefferson Public Radio

A Hamlet, In New York, For The George Floyd Era

Director Kenny Leon: "Can I set this play in 2020, in Atlanta, Georgia, honoring everything that Shakespeare has on the page, only using his words, only substituting original songs that are more contemporary but nothing else?" - The Atlantic

On Strike From TV, But Staying Busy In Theatre

Tori Sampson is "one of the many, many writers who love the theater but who make a lot of their living in TV." She was in rehearsals for her Off-Broadway show This Land Was Made when the WGA strike began. - Variety

Center Theatre’s Shocking Taper Announcement Reflects Wider Woes

Post COVID-19 shutdowns, theatres everywhere are "fighting to keep doors open despite dwindling ticket sales, increased production costs and hesitant, recession-wary donors. The result: drastic cuts to programming, layoffs, candid pleas to subscribers." And this disaster in L.A. - Los Angeles Times

There’s Now A One-Stop Shopping App For Theatre In New York And London

"The new venture, called Hollywood.com Live, has acquired the theater-focused media company Theatrely. Under the Hollywood.com Live banner, the venture has begun selling tickets online to Broadway, London’s West End and regional theaters." - Deadline

L.A.’s Mark Taper Forum Cancels 2023-24 Season Amid Financial Crisis

"Facing a significant budget shortfall, Center Theatre Group on Thursday announced that it would lay off about 10% of its full-time staff and pause season programming at the Mark Taper Forum ... through the 2023-24 season, (although) there is no confirmed end date yet." - Yahoo! (Los Angeles Times)

Rufus Norris, Director Of London’s National Theatre, Will Step Down In 2025

"His time in charge (has) seen 10 Culture Secretaries come and five Prime Ministers come and go as well as the impact of Brexit and the pandemic. 'It's a blessed relief to see how we're emerging intact after the most challenging time in our history,' he added." - London Evening Standard

The Bay Area’s Mass Transit Is Facing A Cash Crisis. The Region’s Theater Scene Could Be Collateral Damage.

Over a third of the audience of the major theater companies uses mass transit, as do half the artists and staff; the percentage is likely higher for smaller companies. If the severe cuts BART and Muni are warning of go through, theater there will be hobbled. - MSN (San Francisco Chronicle)

Standup Comedy At Rock Festivals? Yes, It’s A Thing

In Britain, that is: Glastonbury has a cabaret tent that seats 2,000. "The memories you make doing zany things is why you come to music festivals," says one comic. "Come for Lil Nas X, stay for a clown who drops their trousers in a tent at 2am." - The Guardian

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