There’s a certain romance in the bygone days when shows would play Boston, Philadelphia and New Haven before turning up in the Big Apple, and despite their relative proximity to New York, critics tended to leave them alone. Coverage was the purview of the local press and trade publications such as Variety. - The Stage
Lily Janiak: "Recently, I heard about three artistic director resignations all in a single week. ... Three points do not a data set make, but it still felt like a wave within a wave. So I wondered: What's the deal with all these theater leaders leaving their jobs?" - San Francisco Chronicle
"The Broadway production of The Kite Runner announced a policy Tuesday requiring masks for audience members at Friday evening performances only. The new hybrid policy marks the first of its kind on Broadway." - The Hollywood Reporter
"The group of 16 employees — which includes front-of-house staff, stagehands and arts administrators — filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board last week" to join three locals of IATSE. They also called for the Board of Directors' resignation and decried "the broken 501(c)3 non-profit model." - Yahoo! (Los Angeles Times)
"This playwright read a Wikipedia page that mentioned a fascinating historical incident wherein Benedict Arnold and Frank Sinatra spent a night at the same tavern. What conversations they must have had! By the time the article was corrected, the writer was already halfway through." - The New Yorker
"Are there more types of fake blood than there are of real blood? Oh, positively. ... As a prop master for the last 30-odd years, I've had to navigate my way through some truly inspirational and some pretty disastrous blood special effects ideas posed by directors and actors." - American Theatre
"Performers are split on how to respond to turbulent times in a way that entertains audiences. After the BBC's cancellation of (a) long-running satirical panel show, the public appetite for political comedy is in question." Several comics say they're now simply too angry about politics to be funny. - The Guardian
The measures included "will ensure pay transparency, a safe working environment, late-night safety, and anti-harassment and discrimination policies. ... In the months ahead, we'll be reaching out to venues and promoters across the country and seeking to work with them to make the Charter the industry standard." - Yahoo! (Press Association UK)
"Laughter at your own expense — unleashed when you need it most — can heal what ails you, keep your ego in check and even speed your path to enlightenment." - Los Angeles Times
"There is no doubt that this is a violation of copyright. Not only did RGV Productions and The Door Christian Fellowship Ministries of McAllen not obtain rights to perform the show in its entirety, but also didn’t receive permission to change the text." - OnStage Blog
The UK's arts access card for disabled audience members has been delayed until 2024. In the meantime, "It's the Wild West out there for disabled consumers. There's no consistency." And "During the course of the research, a number of theatres agreed their websites were confusing." - BBC
Julie Benko, who replaced Beanie Feldstein at 26 performances before being tapped to take over between Feldstein and Lea Michele, "has established herself in theater-loving circles as a performer worth seeing." - The New York Times
For decades after WWII, Oberammergau "resisted calls from prominent American and European intellectuals to tone down the play’s classic anti-Semitism. The Jewish people continued to be portrayed as a bloodthirsty mob" and much worse. Now, it's very, very different. - The Atlantic
"What matters now is whether this community can rebuild itself with fewer takedowns and more inclusion, less intramural finger-pointing and more outward-facing togetherness. Above all, end the canard that you can only reform an organization by ripping it apart, at least until it offers you a paycheck." - MSN (Chicago Tribune)
New local laws that limit Airbnb-style short-term rentals and encourage students to keep their apartments over the summer are good for the city's permanent residents, but prices for temporary accommodations in August have soared as a result — high enough that the Fringe festival could become unviable. - The Guardian
