Category: theatre

“[L]ongtime Los Angeles theater and arts critic Jim Farber was let go today. Farber, whose wrote for the Daily Breeze for nearly 16 years, said the news came as a surprise to him since he reviewed and wrote nearly all features on classical music, opera and fine art, in addition to coverage of the stage.”

“The Magic Theatre’s emergency fundraising appeal had raised $293,820 by midday Friday. That’s well below the $350,000 goal the company had set for its “viral” campaign for individual donations received through Friday, but doesn’t include an anonymous challenge grant received late in the week that will match any contributions made through today, up to a total of $100,000. Consequently, the Magic has extended its campaign deadline until midnight.”

After almost 30 years, the Theater Editor position in a city with 2,000 professional plays opening every year was determined by Phoenix to be a fiscal extravagance.

“Even though the last few months of the year were challenging, these last two weeks encompassing the Christmas and new year’s holidays grossed nearly two million dollars more than the same two-week period last year. This reflects that even in tough economic times, theatregoers go to the theatre.”

“It’s in our best interests at the Theater Center to keep talented actors in our community. It’s in the artistic community’s best interests to have a pool of artists who are continually rejuvenated and challenged to work throughout the community. And it’s in the interests of Dallas as a city to have artists who live amongst us and are creating art for us.”

African-American publisher Third World Press has called for a boycott of the Wooster Group’s staging of Eugene O’Neill’s play, currently hosted by the Goodman Theater and nearly sold out. The widely-traveled 15-year-old production features white actress Kate Valk, performing in blackface, as the African-American title character.

“With security improving throughout Iraq, once-ubiquitous theater groups are starting to reappear. The National Theater led the way in October when it staged a series of evening performances for the first time since the U.S.-led invasion of 2003.”

“Internet forums have been up in arms for weeks now at a sneaky policy to shunt singletons into the circles where possible, leaving those lucrative stalls seats to tidy pairs.”

“A violent pacifist, a charming bruiser – and the greatest playwright of his generation. Five actors remember what it was like to be in a rehearsal room with Harold Pinter.”

Many patrons of the Carousel Dinner Theatre in Akron were left with useless tickets they had paid for. “Those who used a credit card to purchase seats are being asked to contact their card company. Those who paid with cash are considered creditors who must wait until larger debt-holders are paid.”