Category: theatre

“The idea behind the project is to create a seed organization that exposes new musical works to producers, directors and the public.”

“With their abrasive characters and often profane language, the plays of Stephen Adley Guirgis aren’t crowdpleasers in the conventional sense. The New York playwright specializes in chronicling the rougher side of city life, and has earned critical raves and a Tony Award nomination for his work.”

“As the first installment of a long-term project, in which the festival hopes to document its productions of the entire Shakespeare canon, three of this year’s stagings will be filmed in HD. The films will be screened in cinemas around the world in 2015 and television broadcasts by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation will follow, as will on-demand digital releases.”

“Few producers will criticize Sir Howard [Panter], … given that his company holds the keys to 40 theaters and has plans for more in Asia and Australia.” That company – Ambassador Theatre Group – is about to open its own Broadway house, the Lyric (formerly the Foxwoods Theater).

“The highly anticipated Off Broadway production of the musical American Psycho has been canceled after the show’s commercial backers pulled the rights from Second Stage Theater … No explanation was given.”

“I get it. Dead people work for cheaper than those of us who breathe air. And they’ve got more name recognition and audience draw. Plus, they won’t show up to rehearsal with script changes or input. There’s no need to spend money ‘developing’ their plays. Their work is finite. Frozen forever in perfection.”

“Culture secretary Sajid Javid also announced £300,000 for a Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) tour of China.”

Says one, Vicky Graham, “Talking to a potential investor is a good way of seeing whether the idea you have has a chance of success. If they’re not interested, maybe an audience won’t be either.”

“Good surtitles are a real art. One issue with surtitles is positioning. Poorly sited surtitles are like trying to hold a conversation in a room where a TV is on. However much you try not to look at them, your eye is constantly drawn towards them, even if you speak the language.”

In Belarus, the KGB attends Free Theatre shows, sometimes just to scare the performers. Other times, the evenings end in arrests. Criminal cases brought against the company drove four members to permanent exile in London. But they never cease their work. … The company now functions as a two-pronged operation: In England they perform with a rotating ensemble of British and Belarusian actors, and in Belarus they continue to write, develop and rehearse new material.”