“At the Post, a redesign of the features section now ghettoizes arts coverage to Fridays. Among other headline-worthy occurrences, that means that plugged-in Broadway columnist Michael Riedel has been cut back to one column a week, instead of two — odd since Riedel is the Page Six of theater news, followed and love-hated by the most powerful people on the New York/Hollywood entertainment axis.”
Category: theatre
Report: UK Theatre Is Less Diverse Than Other Arts Sectors
“The Creative Diversity report, penned by the Creative Industries Federation in partnership with Music of Black Origin, suggests that only 6% of those in working in the performing arts are from black, Asian or minority ethnic backgrounds, compared with 11% of those employed in the creative sector as a whole.”
Chicago’s Goodman Theatre Names First All-Female Playwrights Unit
“The Playwrights Unit offers Chicago playwrights a year-long residency to foster new work with the Goodman’s artistic team. The group will meet twice a month and their work will culminate in public staged readings held in summer 2016.”
When Experimental Theatre Companies Take On Shakespeare
Complicité’s Simon McBurney, Improbable’s Phelim McDermott, Kneehigh’s Emma Rice (who takes over Shakespeare’s Globe next April), and Told by an Idiot’s Paul Hunter talk about the unusual approaches they use – and which Shakespeare plays they do and don’t get encouraged to stage.
Seattle Repertory Theatre Deals With A Big Deficit By Going Big
“You might expect the Rep to tighten its budget, to produce fewer or smaller shows. But board members and top staff are not going that route. Rather, they’re gambling that financial risk will yield eventual reward — and that mounting large-scale, crowd-pleasing shows can keep the box office flush, and the cash contributions flowing.”
Did Shakespeare Intend Hamlet To Be Fat?
“One does look for a Hamlet that is lean and pensive or, failing that, an action hero like Mel Gibson or Keanu Reeves, who both played the role in the 1990s. … But what if our mental image of Hamlet is wrong? What if the grieving, vengeful prince is actually fat? Just because you’ve never considered the possibility doesn’t mean that Shakespeare scholars haven’t argued about it.”
A Broadway Actor Stands Up For A Kid Who Disrupted A Performance
“He said in the Facebook post that he believed shows that have special performances for autistic audiences should be commended for their efforts and that he hoped the woman would see his post.”
Shakespeare’s Dad Was Rich, Not Poor, And His Shady Dealings Helped Fund His Son’s Theatrical Aspirations
Waaaaait, what? “It was also wool, not the theatre, that prompted William to leave Stratford-upon-Avon for London in 1585, where he could act as the family’s business representative.”
Babies Need To See, And Hear, A Lot Of Art As Early As Possible
“When I tell people that I make shows for babies, and that the youngest audience member for Replay’s work was just four days old, they often look incredulous. The look is swiftly followed by a lot of questions: ‘How does that work?’ ‘What’s the point?’ And, most of all, ‘But they’re not going to remember!’ Here’s the thing. They are.”
How Do Groups Doing Community-Based Work Know If They’ve Done Anything Right?
“Community-based arts projects face a unique challenge in maintaining their impact after the practitioners and organizers move on to other projects.”