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THEATRE

How Censorship Wars are Impacting Theatre In Schools

A whopping 67 percent of educators told EdTA they are weighing potential controversies when they make show selections—and with good reason. - American Theatre

How The Logistics Of Transferring A Show To Broadway Work

"It’s a massive undertaking that, among other things, includes the public relations team finalizing (materials) for marketing and advertising, the box office setting ticket prices and rolling out a calendar for announcements and sales, and the production team planning when load-in can start and what rehearsal schedules will (be)." - Dance Magazine

Center Theatre Group Lays Out A Tentative Path For Recovery, Including Reopening The Mark Taper Forum

"The post-pandemic picture is improving but from such a low that no one can feel confident about moving forward. Theater attendance hasn’t yet rebounded to pre-pandemic levels, production and administrative costs have skyrocketed with inflation, and donor fatigue has turned to exhaustion." - Los Angeles Times (MSN)

Theatre And Journalism Are In Trouble. So Who’s Talking?

Amid these daunting financial and industry realities, what does forging a path in theatre criticism even look like these days? Where does one go to learn best practices? To learn how to craft an expert pitch? Is it all learning by doing? If so, how and where do you get started? - American Theatre

The Cultures Of Theatre Censorship

In recent months, there have been concerns both in the UK and in Europe that legislation ostensibly designed to address hate speech might also place limitations on free speech. - The Stage

Standup Comedy Flourished In China During Lockdown. Now The Government Crackdown

Flippant references to China’s military, like those to top leaders, are considered off limits in official life, and such taboos have been codified under Xi, with a new criminal code outlawing the slander of political “heroes and martyrs.” - The New Yorker

“Merrily We Roll Along” And The Nature(s) Of Long-Term Friendship

"Frank's and Charley's very different definitions of what constitutes a friend offers an astringent alternative to our culture’s sometimes treacly, overly simplistic portrayal of the bond. Even more than Broadway, Hollywood has fetishized friendship to (a fault)." - Los Angeles Times (MSN)

“Mama Mia” Star Informed She’s Being Replaced By AI Voice

Musical theater star Sara Poyzer publicly shared a screenshot of an email she received from an unnamed production company which read: “Sorry for the delay—we have had the approval from BBC to use the AI generated voice so we wont need Sara anymore.” - The Daily Beast

What’s An Intimacy Director To Do On A Musical About Ladyparts With Chompers?

"(In Teeth,) a show in which violence begets vengeance, … it’s a lot to endure, for both biter and bitee. … Campy or not, choreographing the many scenes of intimacy and assault required extraordinary sensitivity." Enter Crista Marie Jackson. - The New York Times

How Steppenwolf Theatre Reimagined Its Educational Mission

It seemed that the education department functioned as a sort of nonprofit running within another nonprofit, having separate conversations about programming. - American Theatre

Making Dementia-Friendly Theatre

"Designed in collaboration with people living with dementia and their carers, these performances are specifically adapted for their audience, allowing them to have a rollicking night out in a safe, tailored environment, free of the fear of disturbing a standard show." - The Guardian

The Long-Lost Broadway Script That Turned Fitzgerald’s “Great Gatsby” From A Flop To A Classic

"The 1926 dramatisation by Owen Davis, a Pulitzer prizewinner, opened to rave reviews and became a hit that contributed to the novel’s success, bringing Fitzgerald substantial royalties and fame. But the original script had long since been lost. Now a copy has been rediscovered and will be published." - The Observer (UK)

What Happened When Hampshire High School’s Production Of The Prom Imitated The Musical’s Plot

“The student cast and crew were informed by the school district in the small town of Hampshire, an hour outside of Chicago, that they were not allowed to advertise the musical outside the school building. ... They were told they could refer to it only as 'the musical.’” - American Theatre

Indigenous Theatre Blooming Across Canada

The Indigenous theatre community has grown to sold out shows being produced across the country. This spring alone, stages in Montreal, Whitehorse, Ottawa, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Vancouver and Toronto are all hosting plays written by Indigenous artists. - CBC

Off-Broadway Is Prospering — And There’s A Lesson In That

"A group of commercial off-Broadway shows have bucked the trend and are packing in ticket-buyers. … Taken together, though, these off-Broadway gems offer an optimistic lesson to theaters everywhere: Clever, appealing, fresh ideas brilliantly executed are what put butts in seats." - New York Post

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