Category: theatre

“Denmark’s Queen Margrethe will design the costumes and scenery for an upcoming play based on the fairy tale ‘Thumbelina,’ written by Hans Christian Andersen.”

Nobel prizewinner Elfriede Jelinek’s work has always been confrontational and decidedly political. What it has not always been is commercially viable. But now that her name is everywhere, at least temporarily, English-language theaters may well decide to take another look at Jelinek’s work, especially in this season of ultra-political productions.

“The news that the Shubert Organization will rename two of its Broadway theaters after two of its executives – one living, one dead – is not likely to cause major confusion, or even consternation, among theatergoers… But the city’s and the country’s theater lovers can only be dismayed. For them – for us – the lexicon of Broadway, including the names of specific playhouses, conjures not just a street or a business but also a history, a cultural tradition and even an ideal. The word Broadway may now be used chiefly as a marketing tool for producers, but it still has historical resonance for many theatergoers.”

Edward Albee apparently isn’t the box office draw he once was, according to the producers who have abruptly canceled the playwright’s new off-Broadway production before it began. Albee is reportedly more than a little bit annoyed with the decision, reportedly asking, “Since when is anyone supposed to make money on an Edward Albee play?”

The Shubert Organization has announced that it will be renaming two of its Broadway theaters after the company’s own executives. “The Royale will become the Bernard B. Jacobs Theater, and the Plymouth will be renamed the Gerald Schoenfeld Theater.” Theaters have traditionally been named after those who impact theater on the artistic side of things, and the reaction to the announcement has been mainly in the realm of disbelief. “Several prominent producers and publicity agents, all of whom refused to be identified for fear of angering the powerful Shubert Organization, responded with disbelief, laughter or both.”

Movie theaters figured out years ago that patrons like to be able to watch a film without requiring major physical rehabilitation when they pry themselves out of their seats at the end of the evening. So why are so many newly refurbished Broadway theaters still sporting totally substandard seating with zero leg room? The answer is a combination of historic preservation restrictions and profit-driven decision making.

The UK’s largest theater companies are openly soliciting the younger generation of playwrights to write the next generation of great British plays. “We are, it seems, witnessing a shift in the theatre culture, an explosion of energy not witnessed since the emergence of Joe Penhall, Mark Ravenhill, Sarah Kane, Conor McPherson et al through the Royal Court a decade ago. That energy has, however, long since dissipated,” and the best young writers tend to be found working in the television world, making for a work experience which doesn’t necessarily translate well to the stage.

“The redesign of the Arts & Leisure section at the Sunday New York Times won no raves from Off Off Broadway. The small-print column known as the Guide used to provide a comprehensive listing of all legit shows, even those playing the tiniest venues. But as of Oct. 3, the Guide is gone.”

“London’s Bridewell Theatre is to close in January after failing to secure sufficient funding from the Arts Council. Over the past 11 years the theatre has won itself an international reputation for music theatre and become a powerhouse in the development of new British musical talent.”

The new off-Broadway political docudrama, Guantanamo: Honour Bound to Defend Freedom, featured an unexpected cameo this past week by an actor known the world over for his activist tendencies and opposition to the Bush Administration’s policies at home and abroad. And no, it wasn’t Alec Baldwin. The graying eminence presiding on stage as Lord Justice Steyn was, in fact, none other than Bishop Desmond Tutu, who, having wrapped up his engagement in New York, says that he is now awaiting his Tony nominations.