Category: theatre

“Theater awards matter because theater vanishes. Paintings, sculptures, novels, and poems can last for centuries, or millennia. And, while scripts live on, productions themselves last only as long as that magical assemblage of actors, stagehands, musicians, stage managers, craftspeople and front-of-house staff are together.”

“All but daring American theaters to put on more new plays by women, an advocacy group of female writers and producers released a list of 46 such works on Monday that have been recommended for production by dozens of other playwrights, dramaturges and artistic directors.”

The Culture Ministry demanded that the Moscow Open International Book Festival cancel a scheduled play titled The Soul of a Pillow for promoting homosexuality. (Also censored, for naughty language, was the grown-up play Herbivores.) Said the Ministry’s letter, “The content of both plays goes against the traditional moral values of Russian culture.”

“So when the Americans took to the stage in their own showcase, … the laughs were less rapid but much more explosive, and there was far greater development of character. And … I was staggered to learn that the five had never previously performed together.”

Carl Heap, longtime artistic director of the UK’s Medieval Players: “We soon discovered that it was not so much the material of medieval theatre that assured our success, but its style. Central to this style was the acknowledgment by the actors of a visible, lit, audience.”

“All of the ads will also try to reinforce a recognizable brand for the musical — an orange color scheme — much like green makes many theatergoers think of the blockbuster hit ‘Wicked.'”

“Speaking at the International Theatre Engineering and Architecture Conference in London, Howard Panter, who owns 11 West End theatres, said that theatres upwards of 100 years old were not built to last this long, and as such are ill-equipped to cater for modern-day audiences.”

“Sound designers working on Broadway and at theaters nationwide erupted in outrage after a committee that oversees the Tony Awards decided Wednesday to eliminate future awards for best sound design of a play and of a musical.”

Susan Elkin, The Stage‘s Education and Training editor: “Nobody embarks on medical training, an accountancy degree or business management training in the knowledge that she or he is highly unlikely ever to be able to make a living from it. It simply isn’t how training and work operates in a sensible world.”

“The Seattle theater scene is a well-oiled machine fueled by a commitment to community-building, a home where performers are inspired to work together, pursue their passions, and try new things. More so than in larger metropolitan cities, theater companies dedicate themselves to enabling Seattle-based artists to choose their own adventure.”