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THEATRE

Why Theatre Is Devolving Into Uselessness

Does anyone actually read theatre reviews? National newspapers continue to slim down arts sections. Theatre coverage, with confined geography, is lucky to survive with slashed wordcounts. Sometimes the Sunday Times devotes more lines to podcasts than it does to theatre. - The Critic

The New Musical About Frederick Douglass And Abraham Lincoln Isn’t Meant To Be A History Lesson

“The adversaries-turned-allies famously shaped the course of American history, even though the two leaders met in person only three times .” - Los Angeles Times

Lea Salonga Says She’ll Never Tire Of Sondheim

Salonga, longtime Broadway star, is pleased with her newest role. “I’m getting the chance to sing some of the most incredible lyrics ever written. I’m getting to dip, not just a toe, but my entire body, into this incredible work.” - The New York Times

Sing Sing Star Colman Domingo Found Himself In Theatre

As a 19-year-old at Temple University, Domingo says, “just taking an acting class as an elective, it gave me a voice. ... And it gave me some purpose. You’re creating a community, and you’re doing something and building together.” - Los Angeles Times (MSN)

How One Regional Theater Company Was Resurrected Ten Years After Its Sudden Demise

Carolina Actors Studio Theatre (CAST) in Charlotte was founded in 1992 and won numerous regional awards; in 2014, it abruptly announced its closure shortly before opening night of a production. CAST is reopening at the end of this month; here's how the company's revival came together. - The Charlotte Observer

Ibsen’s “An Enemy Of The People” Is Just The Play For These Times

"That’s not just because President Donald Trump has repeatedly weaponized the phrase of the title against his own critics. ... It’s also because the 1882 play … seems to express the micro and macro ethical dilemmas that have become a daily fixture of the second Trump term." - San Francisco Chronicle (MSN)

Her Title Just Begins To Describe What This Woman Does For Broadway’s “The Lion King”

"The show is like a giant, kinetic jigsaw puzzle: It needs someone to ensure that all the pieces fit together, so that the narrative moves forward — and no one gets hurt. This has been Ruthlyn Salomons’s job" — with the title of resident dance supervisor — "for 25 years." - The New York Times

“Dolly Parton” Producers Strike Back Against Homophobic Audience Outbursts

The homophobic incidents come as a new bio-musical about Parton, titled Hello, I’m Dolly, is prepping for a bow on Broadway in 2026, with the country legend writing the music, co-writing the book, and serving as a producer. - Deadline

Off-Broadway Stage Crews Unionize; Producers Worry

"Many workers see the unionization of stage crews as long overdue, noting that the sector has come a long way from its scrappy origins. … Nonprofit companies and producers fear that the unionization push could drive up costs at a moment when many are running deficits and staging fewer, and smaller, shows." - The New York Times

Cast Of Dolly Parton Musical Walks Offstage When Audience Member Shouts “Homophobic Abuse”

The incident happened last Wednesday at the Manchester Opera House in England during the musical Here You Come Again, currently on a national tour. A similar disturbance happened over the weekend, and a cast member says there were occasional disruptions of the same sort during the London run. - The Guardian

Trinity Rep/Brown University Theater MFA Programs “Paused” Indefinitely

"'While there may come a time in which we create and implement a new academic model for the programs, that will not come in the short term,' reads a statement posted to Brown's website. … The programs will operate through June 2026, allowing all current students to finish their (degrees)." - Playbill

How Does ‘Hamilton,’ Now A Decade Old, Hold Up?

“It all felt so good. The comfort of self-mythologizing, of thinking of ourselves as a nation of revolutionaries — delicious.” But, ouf, times have changed. - Seattle Times

Want To Write A Prize-Winning Novel?

One path, according to novelist Eimear McBride: Go to drama school, and study method acting. - The Guardian (UK)

Yet Another Director For Berlin’s Most Troubled Theater

"Many theater lovers are hoping that (Matthias) Lilienthal’s appointment marks the end of a prolonged period of turmoil at the Volksbühne, which … in recent years has been plagued by scandal and tragedy, as well as vicious conflicts about its creative direction." - The New York Times

David Hare: London’s National Theatre’s Retreat From Repertory Is Diminishing Culture

Funding cuts and the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic have pushed the venue towards fewer plays with extended runs, often featuring a high-profile name in order to fill seats – a move which Hare decried as “terrible impoverishment”. - The Guardian

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