Category: theatre

Michael Garady reminisces about Tennessee Williams on the occasion of their joint exhibition of paintings: “As we painted, I asked Tennessee for advice on writing. He gave me a lot of hints and I ended up writing three novels. He said keep everything very simple and straightforward: be honest to yourself.”

“News comes from the [Institute of Contemporary Arts] that as of the end of next month it will be closing its Live & Media Arts department. The really astonishing – and worrying – thing is … the extraordinary statement put out by artistic director Ekow Eshun, ‘it’s my consideration that, in the main, the art form lacks depth and cultural urgency’.”

“After a wearying five-year search… [New York’s Signature Theater Company] now plans to move to a tower under construction on West 42nd Street, a few doors down from its current home. The Signature space, to be designed by Frank Gehry, would be at the base of a 58-story, 1.2-million-square-foot hotel and residential building… near the strip of theaters known as Theater Row.”

“Paul Binder, the 66-year-old founder, artistic director and ringmaster of the Big Apple Circus, will be stepping away from the tanbark next year after three decades as boss man of the little top.”

“The latest exhibit in [the] desire to play it safe on Broadway – to ensure that audiences get exactly what they want – is the ghastly audience survey, a little ballot that turns every theatergoer into a junior George Abbott, the legendary director who used to ‘doctor’ his friends’ shows out of town… But let’s be honest: The audience survey is ridiculous. You can’t fine-tune a great musical by pandering to Mr. and Mrs. Great Neck.”

“Bartlett Sher, a Tony Award winner for his direction of the current revival of “South Pacific” at the Vivian Beaumont Theater, has been named the resident director of Lincoln Center Theater. Mr. Sher, who will retain his position as the artistic director of the Intiman Theater in Seatlle, will have an office at Lincoln Center and direct one production there each year.”

“An off-Broadway artist can breathe a sigh of relief now that he’s been able to replace the stolen soap solution he uses to blow bubbles for his ‘Gazillion Bubbles Show.'”

“Members of historic preservation groups held a demonstration and news conference at noon Monday in front of the Provincetown Playhouse and Apartments, calling on New York University or the city to halt a plan that would demolish most of building while preserving the facade and the walls of the historic theater within it.”

“[T]he Andrew W. Mellon Foundation recently awarded nearly $10 million to playwriting organizations and theaters in the hopes of getting more fresh voices before an audience.” The “grants are a result of a three-year study into the particular problems new plays encounter” — the most notorious being, as any playwright could tell you, workshop hell.

“Following up on its regional Tony Award, Chicago Shakespeare led Chi’s Joseph Jefferson Awards on Monday night, taking home five trophies. … This year marks the first time the Jeff Awards have separated overall production and design noms into two categories, large and midsize, based on the annual budgets of the theaters and not the size of the venue.”