"Following his enlistment in the military in World War II, only ten days before he would age out of eligibility for active service, Wilder reported for training in Miami, Florida, on June 27, 1942, having completed the screenplay for Shadow of a Doubt. In what was surely a most unusual training exercise, Wilder quickly participated in what was referred...
Chris Jones: "The issue now is the future of an institution that is not just a major tourist draw to Chicago but one of the very few avenues for diverse, Chicago-based comedic talent to move to a national stage. A decades-long success record needs no reiteration here, nor does the entertainment-industry dominance asserted by the coastal cities that typically...
"This present moment places us in an exciting crossroad between former traditions and the emergence of technical and multi-platformed storytelling. I do not believe we are in a purgatory until we return to in-person venues, but instead that we are on the precipice of incredible innovation. The future of our art form will be deeply impacted by the ways...
Yes, it's because of Brexit: a statement from a company spokesperson said that "the potential additional costs for visas and current uncertainty around social security contributions mean regrettably it is currently not financially viable. We hope that in future we'll return to tour in Europe. However, that will not be possible until we have further clarity on these points."...
Last summer, after the pandemic led to the layoff of two-thirds of the company's staff and accusations by alumni of color of serious race issues, co-owner and executive producer Andrew Alexander resigned; in October, he put Second City up for sale. Final purchase negotiations are now reportedly underway with private equity firm ZMC, which is owned by the CEO...
A British employment tribunal unanimously rejected Seyi Omooba's claims of breach of contract and religious discrimination, finding that "there is no breach of contract because the claimant was in prior repudiatory breach … the contract was empty because the claimant would not have played the part, and her conduct, pulling out at a late stage, had she not been...
In the last seven months, there has been a groundswell of support for Black-owned businesses and nonprofits that are focused on specifically and directly helping the Black community. People have recognized that to dismantle a flawed system, we need to invest in a new one. After decades of talk about funding theatres and artists of color, some are finally...
"The result is a worldwide swarm of approaches that have profoundly opened up the possibilities of the form, most likely for good. The word ‘theatre’ stands at the starting post, all but outgrown. It now applies as much to something happening in the palm of your hand as it does to an event beamed to you from a thousand...
Lyn Gardner: "At their best, are creative powerhouses, community hubs, a place of inspiration, succour and sanctuary. But often they come with self-perpetuating, top-down hierarchies" — not to mention burdensome running costs — "and fuel a self-importance around that building that keeps it from connecting with local networks, unknown artists, and from practices that do not conform to...
Comedian Mike Ward made a bad joke about a teenager with a disability back in 2010. The victim sued and the case is now in the Supreme Court. Many comedians are supporting Ward. "The support comes amid concern in stand-up comedy circles that it's found itself pulled into the debate around political correctness, free speech, censorship, and cancel culture....
Howard Sherman, author of a new book about the play: "It's a play that people think they know. People want to paint it as this old-fashioned love letter to the past. And that's not what it is at all." - NPR
All of this is true: "An effort to keep the industry alive has major stars taking to the virtual stage and much-lauded past productions available for streaming. These productions can’t compare with the energy of a full theater, but what they make up in accessibility is something that can’t be underestimated." - The New York Times
Of course, "The British weather does not always help. A valiant 'drive-through' production of La Bohème staged in a car park by English National Opera last year did encounter problems owing to high winds: sometimes the elements cannot be entirely outfoxed. Nevertheless, the more sagacious arts organisations are looking ahead to alfresco possibilities." - The Guardian (UK)
First there was Ratatouille: The Musical or Ratatousical, which raised more than a million dollars for actors, with the no doubt bemused blessing of Disney. Then TikTok went sea chanty. Now? It's Bridgerton: The Musical. (Bridgertousical?) "Barlow and Bear's frequent postings on social media have drawn lots of attention, including from Bridgerton cast members. And the pair says they've been approached...
Well, that sounds hokey. But it's powerful, a program from Georgetown that, a co-founder says, shows "there is a particular power that performance has, to allow us to listen deeply, bear witness and ultimately empathize with each other." - Washington Post
