"From March 2020 to April 2021, Parks wrote a short play a day. Sometimes, Parks would write multiple (sic). Other times, Parks would write fragments of a song, eventually creating 23 original songs for the theatrical piece that charts the family's journey through the pandemic." - The Guardian
"Thanks to a combination of lackluster ticket sales and an end to government relief, they have no choice but to try out new things." Here's a look at what three of them — Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Control Group Productions (Denver), and the West Village Rehearsal Co-Op (Manhattan) — are trying. - NPR
Sandy Powell, a multiple Oscar and BAFTA winner, says, "It terrifies me this has happened. ... What I would say to government is that working in the arts really is a proper job and that, especially when times are hard, entertainment is what people want." - The Observer (UK)
Sure, people are mostly back to live theatre - but " a newly formed nonprofit organization is collaborating to bring nonprofit Broadway ... into homes, schools and community centers." With high-quality streaming, at that. - Los Angeles Times
“Theatre is in danger of just being a museum piece – not current and not tackling the things that are going on right now around the world, and that’s really important in order to not become obsolete.” - The Guardian
"There were years when it was me shouting into the wind and nobody was really listening. There are more voices now. They've been voices of great renown, and they've definitely been more honest. ... We haven't solved the problem. But at least it's not a secret anymore." - Yahoo! (Los Angeles Times)
"Artificial intelligence technology used to transcribe anonymous historic works at Spain's National Library has uncovered a hidden gem — a previously unknown play by one of the nation's greatest authors, Felix Lope de Vega. ... Experts confirmed that the playwright wrote La francesa Laura a few years before his death in 1635." - CNN
"The rule change, put in place for the 2022-2023 season only, will allow a voter to still vote in a category if they have missed one nominated show, one performance by a nominated actor or actress and one creative element (i.e. lighting or scenic design) per category." - The Hollywood Reporter
Why has The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window been neglected? "It's not a play about Black people. She was seen as going out of her lane." In a Q&A, stars Oscar Isaac and Rachel Brosnahan and director Anne Kauffman discuss the work's power. - The New York Times
The Public may be the only remaining major American theatre that operates according to proudly articulated left-wing principles. On a wall in the offices hangs a sign proclaiming, “Artists are a force for change; culture belongs to everyone.” - American Theatre
"In many ways Beetlejuice, which closed Jan. 8, encapsulates life on the bifurcated Broadway of 2023 — a place where the hits are still boffo but the misses tank quicker than ever, and even successes are complicated by fast-changing trends in post-lockdown economics." - Variety
Michael Longhurst, who took the top job at the small and extremely successful theatre in 2019, will depart when his five-year contract ends in 2024. (He also expressed confidence that the Donmar would remain financially healthy despite the loss of its Arts Council England funding.) - WhatsOnStage (London)
A new Some Like It Hot musical tries to balance painful depictions "and the rich reality of drag as art, self-expression, and everything in between. But can a revision of an old story featuring harmful stereotypes ever truly be a vehicle for authentic representation?" - The Takeaway
"Dallas Mayor pro tem Omar Narvaez brought up the issue of 'sticker shock' at the very start of the meeting early Tuesday. In 2010, a master plan put renovating the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed theater at $25 million." The current expected cost? $308 million. - KERA (Dallas)
Hayley Finn, 48, is a career-long specialist in new plays and has conducted workshops for nearly 1,000 scripts. She's currently associate artistic director of the Playwrights' Center in Minneapolis. - MSN (The Washington Post)
