The immersive, site-specific adaptation of Macbeth has been threatening to pack it up for roughly a year. Producers originally said that the show would end performances on January 28, 2024, but several extensions have been announced since then due to popular demand. - Variety
From the 200-year-old trick known as Pepper's Ghost to holograms and deepfakes, "a whole host of techniques have been developed to demonstrate the concept of 'spirit' onstage, ranging from mindblowingly complicated to deceptively simple." - Playbill
No, this isn't a site-specific production at an outdoor pool or the Y. Flint Rep in Michigan actually installed onstage a working swimming pool — complete with filters, temperature control, pool noodles, squirt guns, and rubber duckies — for its staging of Godspell. - Playbill
Jani Lauzon has maintained she is Métis and her play 1939—now touring Canada—is based on her father’s experience at a residential school. What if none of it is true? - The Walrus
The owner of Blood Manor, one of New York's top Halloween attractions, explains how much he has to spend every year — not just on performers and animatronic figures, but makeup (up to $20,000 for 23 nights), stage blood, fog, and odors. Not to mention insurance and year-round rent. - The New York Times
While theatre leaders have stressed that they are committed to the safety of their audiences, they have also pointed out that Martyn’s Law – officially, the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill – could stretch the resources of already cash-strapped venues. - The Stage
That’s right, tourists (and New Yorkers), there are some ways to find those deals - though not, perhaps, if you want to see Robert Downey Jr or Rachel Zegler. - NPR
"The Pig Iron School for Advanced Performance Training will become part of Rowan University in New Jersey, almost four months after it was cast adrift following the sudden closure of the University of the Arts in Philadelphia." - WHYY (Philadelphia)
“A country is only the stories it tells itself about itself.” It’s James Graham's contention that, since the 2008 financial crisis, the West has struggled to tell a coherent story about itself. We’re all living in our own realities; everything is fractured through the digital world. - The New Yorker
Writer-producer/adapter Armando Iannucci (Veep), director Sean Foley, and actor Steve Coogan (playing all of Peter Sellers's roles) are brave and perhaps foolhardy, but they find that the comedy about nuclear war is now more timely than when they first decided to adapt it. - The Guardian
“The sector was one of the worst affected by the lockdowns and many, including BECTU, called for a post-pandemic ‘reset’ to address poor terms and conditions, modernise the industry and create fairer working conditions. Members tell us that little has improved." - The Stage
"On Friday, for the first time in some 30 years, (the RSC) will open a show in Chicago — William Shakespeare’s Pericles, now in previews. … There are plans for more collaborations between the two companies. RSC co-artistic director Tamara Harvey ... spoke to the Tribune about the production and future plans." - Chicago Tribune (MSN)
Over the past 10 years, as American politics and culture have grown more contentious, Shakespeare has become increasingly politicized. - The New York Times
For years, the Connelly Theater has been performing in two auditoriums at a Catholic school in Manhattan’s East Village. In recent months, the Archdiocese of New York has started scrutinizing scripts and denying permission to stage in the building anything deemed contrary to Catholic teaching. - The New York Times
