A new “Faust” in London is an interactive experience for he audience. “Call it a performance piece, call it an installation, call it promenade theater as the British do, but whatever the label, it’s likely to leave a profound impression. It’s theater for the interactive age. But instead of moving a cursor, you simply move yourself, choosing whatever character you want to follow, whatever sound intrigues you, whichever enticing corridor you are drawn to explore.”
Category: theatre
Can The Cell Phone Save Performance Art?
“We don’t need the cellphone-addicted script from the latest James Bond film Casino Royale to remind us that the cell is society’s prevailing fetish object. In the past few years, it has also become the multipurpose art gadget of choice that, more than ever, has helped artists bust out of gallery walls to reach a vast and eclectic audience.”
Aussie Gov To Review Role In Theatre
The chairman of the Australia’s national arts council is backing a major review of the country’s struggling theatre industry. “Previous inquiries into the film industry, visual arts and, more recently, the nation’s orchestras [have] brought major changes.”
The Vibrant New Broadway?
The occasional Dylan/Tharp floperoo aside, Paul Taylor says that Broadway seems to be embracing a whole new type of musical theatre based on giving people not what they already know they like, but what they’ve yet to discover.
We’ve Killed Broadway, So Maybe London Will Work?
With some upcoming new shows, there are signs that commercial theatre in Toronto is “once again looking to London’s West End for new material and as an antidote to Toronto’s toxic reputation as the place where big shows go to die.”
One Man’s Life In The Theatre
Wade McCollum is an acclaimed actor in Portland, Oregon. He’s got no shortage of work, but can he make a living at it? “I was making $7 a show in Los Angeles. I’ve made $130 a week. There is no average Equity wage: I’ve been paid between $7 a show and $1,000 a week. God knows I’ve lived in the car for most of the time I’ve been a professional actor.”
The New Musical That Changes Everything
“Spring Awakening” is a groundbreaking musical, writes John Heilpern. “A kind of miracle is happening at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre. With its superb rock score by Duncan Sheik, and Steven Sater’s fine book and lyrics, this is the show that changes everything we thought we knew about that once-great invention, the All-American Musical.”
Meadow Steps Aside At Manhattan Theatre Club
Lynne Meadow has been the artistic force behind New York’s Manhattan Theatre Club fo 34 years is stepping away for a season beginning next fall. Daniel Sullivan will step in as acting artistic director, and has been consulting with Ms. Meadow on the 2007-8 season.
Why No Theatre About The Nativity?
“Given that most of our leading playwrights, directors and actors have at some point appeared in a Nativity play during their formative years, it’s surprising more of them haven’t been drawn to tell the story of the Nativity, or other aspects of the life of Christ, in their adult work.”
Building A Film’s Support From The Boards Up
“Even in seen-it-all Hollywood — which never fails to pull out the stops in a quest for Oscar gold — one publicity campaign in particular stands out this year. DreamWorks has been building support for its Oscar-gunning adaptation of the stage musical ‘Dreamgirls’ by paying licensing costs for any noncommercial theatrical organizations (high schools, colleges, community and youth groups and other groups) that wanted to stage the musical.”