“The town has come a long way from Woody Allen’s L.A.-phobic ‘Annie Hall’ days, when his alter ego, Alvy Singer, declared in the 1977 film, ‘I don’t want to live in a city where the only cultural advantage is that you can make a right turn on a red light.'”
Category: theatre
By The Numbers: Here’s Why So Few Women Run American Theatres
“To conclude that the main problem is a pipeline issue and over time more women and people of color will become viable candidates is an incomplete diagnosis of the problem, and an excuse.”
The World’s First Computer-Generated Musical
“They have become brilliant at chess, had music performed by one of the world’s leading orchestras and seen their art enter major collections. But could a computer also generate a hit West End musical? The answer may be provided next year with the announcement of the world’s first computer musical, getting a run at the Arts Theatre accompanied by a TV series on Sky Arts.” (The music composition software used is called Android Lloyd Webber.)
Now *This* Is How To Do A Theatre Conference
“During the day, audience members could choose to attend one of three deeply audience-centric experiences, which took place variously in a pool, a bed and a cupboard. They came together for a group experience in the evening, set up to look like a panel discussion – and then a show that is usually staged by surprise in classrooms happened. By surprise.”
Marty Walsh Campaigned As Boston’s Arts Mayor. So What’s He Doing As The City’s Theatres Implode?
“It suddenly looked as if the city’s theater ecosystem was imploding under Walsh’s watch. Boston desperately needed City Hall to wield its clout so that a pair of long-standing institutions would not be left dark. But in the crucial weeks after the announcements, where was the arts mayor?”
Why We Need Professional Critics (It’s An Ethics Thing)
The code of ethics is at least clear. Not that there aren’t conflicts of interest. But the expectations are in place.
Theatre Gets Its Own Bechdel Test
The British theatre company Sphinx’s test “asks how prominently female characters feature in the action, whether they are proactive or reactive, whether the character avoids stereotype and how the character interacts with other women.”
Broadway Show “Waitress” Makes History Even Before It Opens
“Lorin Latarro has been hired to choreograph the show, joining a female book writer, composer and director. That’s the first time in Broadway history that the four top creative spots in a show have been filled by four women.”
The Everlasting Temporary (It’s The Fate Of Theatre People)
“Theatre artists understand the transient nature of life. Like little gods, we create serial worlds with dazzling architecture and lush music. We set fresh beings in motion, clothed as we see fit as they strive to fulfill their hopes and destiny in the brief time allotted to them. Then we destroy that world – literally smashing it into pieces, quickly if the reviews aren’t good. Many theatre artists repeat this process hundreds of times in their own lives. I wonder how this process affects our worldview. Why does it make us cling to things less than those who pursue more conventional careers? Why do we become inured to temporariness, missing out on long-term commitments?”
Steven Leigh Morris Talks About The Challenges Of Theatre In Los Angeles
“I think our community flourished because work could be done so easily, and the reason it could be done so easily is a combination of the 99-seat plan and relatively low real estate prices. And now both of those are under siege.”