Category: theatre

“Never mind that writing is right up there with sleeping as a potential spectator sport, so stimulating that the writer him- or herself often has to bring the action to a complete stop in order to check e-mail, clean a closet, or book a flight and get the hell out of there.”

“Hundreds of theater workers, including bathroom attendants, porters and elevator operators – all represented by the 32BJ union – last week threatened to strike as their current contract speeds toward its expiration date on Dec. 30. On Monday, however, 32BJ reached a tentative agreement with theater producers of the Broadway League.”

“When the Arts Council asked how organisations would respond to the five ambitions set out in their 10-year strategy, a group of eight programmers and producers based across the south east of England saw the possibility to put into practice a more generous, collaborative model for touring theatre.” One of those eight, Gavin Stride, explains how the model works.

Since the early 1990s, scenic designers have increasingly made use of digital printing and projections, and today, it’s unusual for a set not to have them. As opposed to solely relying on old-school materials like steel, wood and paint, with digital printing and projections, “you can make changes much more easily,” he said. “You have complete control over it, and at an affordable price.”

“One [thing] is that for a whole period we were deluged with big lavish musicals where the sets were almost more important than the content. And then something like Chicago, which was very spare, where all you have is content, is suddenly seemed new and refreshing. Some people have said that we’re more cynical today. But when Chicago happened we were just off the Watergate scandal.”

“At a time when theatres are feeling the pinch on all of their revenue streams – government funding, private donations and box-office receipts – boards of directors understandably have became more activist in providing financial oversight. But the desire to avoid risk in tightened times helped drive a series of questionable decisions that will lead to 2012 will going down as the year of boards behaving badly.”

“The Storefront Playwright Project is putting 27 authors on exhibit this month in the big front window at Hot Tix/Expo 72.”

“It has never been part of our mission to explore a singular form, or a particular set of performance ideas, or any through-line to our content. Our plays are wildly different from each other in terms of content, style, and form. Culturally, we have always seemed to be most attracted to the thing we’ve never done before.”

“The audience gets as perilously close to the action as the company’s insurance providers will presumably allow – which, in this brave new world of pure-performance theatre, is very close indeed.”

Sarah Shippobotham worked with the actors who needed to speak in Orcish: “I love the ugliness of it. You have to be careful to not go too Russian because it had a sort of Russian feel, but the ‘L’ wasn’t as dark, like Russian. I was always thrilled when there was an Orcish scene.”