“It made me smile to see one comment from a user who liked the place because it was where he went both to see standup comedy and to give blood. Nobody would ever say that about the National Theatre – but maybe we should be able to. Otherwise, theatre becomes separated from the everyday lives of ordinary people and hidden away in cathedrals to art that have no connection to the real world.”
Category: theatre
An Actor Takes On The Nasty Underbelly Of The Online Fan Community
Oh, and her advocacy worked: “BroadwayWorld posted a lengthy response to the concerns expressed, saying that not only had the company made it easier to report abusive comments, but that it had also taken steps to separate chat boards from the rest of its content, had added moderators, and would host a benefit concert to raise awareness about online bullying.”
‘Re-Redicalizing Chekhov’
As playwright Aaron Posner observes, “Since the last 100 years have seen Chekhov imitated by virtually every play, movie and TV show, what was once radical is now clichéd.” Here are seven different approaches to bringing Chekhov’s edge back.
Theatre’s 18th-Century Thunder Machine Rumbles Once More
“The ‘thunder run’ in the British theater’s ceiling is a rare example of cutting-edge Georgian technology that involves balls rolling down a wooden chute to conjure the roar of a tempest.” (includes video)
Can’t Score A Ticket To ‘Hamilton’? Try The Audiobook
“Hamilton fans looking for another way to feed their obsession, or simply hungry to read more about the musical’s origins, will be able to get their hands on Hamilton: The Revolution (or as creator and star Lin-Manuel Miranda calls it, the ‘Hamiltome’) on April 12, in hardcover and audiobook.”
28 Reasons New York Theater Is In A New Golden Age
“16. Old ladies!
Lois Smith, who has been acting on Broadway since 1952, … is having a golden age of her own at 85, and she’s not the only one. … We’ve got Phylicia Rashad, Linda Lavin, Judith Light, and even Cicely Tyson showing up year in, year out.”
Actor Stops Play With Four-Letter Counterattack On Heckler
“[The actor] was heard to say: ‘I won’t bother telling you the story because this c*** in the front row has ruined it for everybody.'”
Rarity: A Major American Newspaper Is Hiring A Theatre Critic
“As the theater critic for the dominant media outlet, you will provide robust features, news stories, digital and print content, as well as reviews of one of the most diverse and lively theater scenes in the United States.”
When You’re Watching A Play And It Suddenly Name-Checks Your Book
“On opening night in January, I almost jumped out of my seat. I’m no math whiz, but I could project potential book sales: 650 seats in the Samuel J. Friedman Theater, eight performances weekly, six weeks before completing its limited run. … My wife immediately nudged me back to earth.”
Bill Gates-Steve Jobs Musical Cancels Broadway Opening
“Nerds, the long-aborning and much-delayed musical comedy about the rivalry of Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, has hit another roadblock, cancelling a Broadway opening that had been scheduled for April. The musical has been kicking around since it debuted at the New York Musical Theater Festival in 2005.”