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THEATRE

Teaching Acting To 90-Year-Olds During The Pandemic

It's a surprisingly great life choice for one otherwise out-of-work actor. - Washington Post

Theatre Needs Help With Resilience As Much As With Fight Choreography

"We love trauma onstage. But while we have long understood that expertise is necessary to keep performers physically safe, the mental aspects of our craft have been largely unsupported. ... In a profession that prides itself on unprecedented emotional feats, we have yet to apply this same principle to the mental health of our artists." - American Theatre

Folger Theatre Gets A New Artistic Director

Karen Ann Daniels, 45, has been director of the Public Theatre’s Mobile Unit since 2019 and before that had similar audience-engagement responsibilities for six years at the Old Globe Theatre in her hometown of San Diego. - Washington Post

“Pass Over”, Broadway’s First Play Since Lockdown, May Be In Trouble

One unnamed producer says, "The show is bleeding money," and not all of the initial capitalization had been raised when previews began on Aug. 4. Opening night is now three weeks earlier than previously announced, perhaps so reviews can spur more ticket sales. - Forbes

Actors, Get Your Damn Shots Or Get Off The Damn Stage: L.A. Times

Charles McNulty: "Whatever excuses you may have for not doing everything in your power to avoid taking up a scarce hospital bed or putting a friend, family member, colleague or perfect stranger into one, I don't want to hear them." - Los Angeles Times

The Most Exciting, Original Streamed Theater Of The Pandemic Happened In A 2x4x8-Foot Closet

Jesse Green says that Joshua William Gelb's Theater in Quarantine "offered the best argument by far for the artistic promise of streaming theater. So I wanted to see how they were made, and especially where." - The New York Times

Will Streaming Theatre Still Be Viable Once Stages Reopen?

“In the last few months, the requests for either virtual or digital performances from streaming have really dropped off dramatically. They’re still happening, but it’s maybe 10 percent of the requests that we get.” - The New York Times

Director Of Salt Lake City’s Largest Theatre Company Resigns After Lies On His Résumé Are Caught

Christopher Massimine came to the Pioneer Theatre in 2019 after seven years at National Yiddish Theater Folksbiene, where he doubled the budget and oversaw the hit Yiddish production of Fiddler on the Roof. You'd think that would be enough — but Massimine did not. - The New York Times

National Company Of “Wicked” Hires “Director Of Social Responsibility”

Working closely with labor unions and other production partners, Christina Alexander will implement strategic procedures related to hiring practices to identify qualified candidates from underrepresented communities. - Playbill

Theatre’s Employment Problems

The harsh reality of layoffs and rehiring has sparked much confusion and pain among theatre workers, especially the technicians whose shops have sat empty for over a year and a half but now need to be filled with skilled practitioners. - American Theatre

Broadway Ticket Sales, Including For Hamilton And Wicked, Are Slow

Broadway isn't back, baby. Thanks, Delta. - CNBC

Kennedy Center, Ford’s Theatre To Require Proof Of Vaccination

A (very) recent negative test will also do. But it's not just audiences: "Additionally, all artists, staff, ushers and volunteers will be required to be vaccinated." - Washington Post

What Should Theatres Do When Actors Aren’t Vaccinated? And How Will They Know?

Last month in the Bay Area, rumors that the actors in a two-hander were performing unvaccinated in a 99-seat house led to the cancellation of the rest of the run. As theaters reopen and the Delta variant spreads, questions arise about safety and enforcement. - San Francisco Chronicle

Justice For College Improv!

Eliminate the distinction between collegiate and professional improv, because there is none. We henceforth reject the label “amateur improvisers.” “Improvisers” is embarrassing enough, we have been told. - The New Yorker

Establishing Serious Theatre In The French Countryside

The Federation of Local Festivals and Theaters, formally launched this month at the Avignon Festival, is made up of 17 rural companies started by young theatre grads who "found themselves frustrated with the rigid structure of France's theater world." - The New York Times

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