“When Stephen Sondheim visited the Library of Congress in 1993, he saw something that stopped him in his tracks. Mark Horowitz, a senior music specialist, had prepared a selection of historical scores from its collection — including works by Brahms and Rachmaninoff — to show the acclaimed composer and lyricist.” - The Washington Post (MSN)
A military hero turned civilian leader, a rigid strongman, weaselly senators, demagoguery, class dynamics (not to mention an interfering mother) — these things are perennial issues in the news (and advice columns). So why don’t theatre companies present it as often as even Julius Caesar, let alone Macbeth or Hamlet? - The Guardian
“The Odeon of Herod Atticus recently opened the 70th season of the annual Athens Epidaurus Festival, a cherished tradition for many Greeks. But this edition marks the last before the theater that’s more than 18 centuries old shuts down for maintenance and restoration work that is expected to last at least three years.” - AP
For 10 years, “To Protect, Serve and Understand,” was an acting troupe born out of the killing of Eric Garner in 2014. It paired seven officers with seven civilians, and the group went through acting exercises meant to help both sides see each other’s humanity and to create “a theater of empathy.” - The New York Times
“Stages have been brimming with large-scale and high-resolution videos, deployed not simply for scenery but also as an integrated narrative tool. It is all made possible by the growing availability, affordability and stability of the cameras, computers, projectors and surfaces that are utilized as part of today’s stage sets.” - The New York Times
That is to say, more than 100 high school theatre stars have been working for a week to put on a Broadway show tonight. Then? Only two can win the top prizes. - NPR
Dead Outlaw “was nominated for seven prizes, including best musical, but won none. It is the third new musical to post a closing notice since the awards ceremony.” Ouf. - The New York Times
One (male) audience member: “We want to see a good, solid male psyche. We want to see the full extent of the male experience. … You don’t always get that in theater.” - Washington Post (MSN)
Adapting Giovanni’s Room hasn’t been easy. “The room is as much a metaphorical space as it is a physical location, marked by the feelings and experiences of the two lovers. So how do you replicate such a setting, so viscerally described?” - The New York Times
“‘We’re both interested in the accessibility of the arts,’ said 25-year-old Sian, who had come with her drama-school buddy. ‘I don’t know the show, but I know that the context of the song is her singing out to the peasants. And we’re the peasants!’” - The Guardian (UK)
Like its better-known counterparts in Bali and Java, the wayang kulit of Kelantan in northern Malaysia tells the stories of the Hindu epics Mahabharata and Ramayana — which is why the conservative Muslim government has suppressed it. Kelantan’s last wayang master has trained (unusually) a female puppeteer who’s updating both stories and puppets. - Hyperallergic
At the Vienna Festwochen, director Milo Rau and dramaturg Servane Dècle presented The Pelicot Trial, a seven-hour reading of excerpts from the courtroom proceedings, interviews, and commentary about the trial of Dominique Pelicot dor drugging his wife, Gisèle, and allowing dozens of men to rape her while he watched. - The New York Times
“The audience inside — who have paid up to a whopping £250 ($336) a ticket — are left with a livestream of the number. Those on the street below, some waiting for (Rachel) Zegler and some lucky enough to have been passing by, get a free performance from a Golden Globe-winning actress.” - The Hollywood Reporter
Before leading the festival, Gabriella Calicchio had more than 25 years of experience in the arts, including as managing director of Minneapolis’ nonprofit Children’s Theatre Company and as chief executive officer of The Walt Disney Family Museum. - The Oregonian
While the actors are high-profile, the production costs are kept down: small casts, minimal sets, simple tech, smaller Off-Broadway venue. A quarter of the tickets are free, distributed to community groups; another quarter are sold on show day for $35. Also, equal pay for actors, no star billing, no designated press nights. - The Guardian
