Arifa Akbar: "Crunching or chewing can be a distraction, especially in the confines of the older, tighter West End venues, but theatre is a group activity. … The group experience is what we come for – and that includes jostling in the foyer, coughing, rustling and, yes, eating or drinking." - The Guardian
“We have a history of performance art going back to the 1970s. These were often illegal actions in public spaces only seen by maybe ten friends, but they documented them.” Once the Soviet yoke was lifted, an explosion of creativity followed, giving rise to a dynamic and experimental art scene. - The Art Newspaper
"For the general public, street teams are often the first touchpoint to a theater production. ... They serve as extensions of a show's brand, contribute to the general Broadway education for potential theatergoers and provide feedback to producers and marketers about what they're hearing on the ground from target audiences." - Broadway News
"The National Theatre is cutting productions due to money troubles. … Accounts show the theatre's income for the year to March 2022 was £80.8 million, down from £100m pre-COVID. Audience levels were down by 20%, while the theatre only staged 464 performances, around half as many as normal." - London Evening Standard
Four years of being the "token able-bodied actor" in Canada's Roliing Thunder Theatre Company, which had three actors with cerebral palsy and one who was blind, left writer Larry Brown with memories and the skills to cope with his own life-changing diagnosis. - American Theatre
"The Atlanta Lyric Theatre has closed its doors after 42 years under the weight of financial strain … (due to) 'a significant drop in overall attendance in the wake of the pandemic.' Remaining shows of the 42nd season — including Pippin, The Best of Broadway and the Cabaret series — have been cancelled." - ArtsATL
Gov. Healey’s proposal describes the live theater tax credit as a “pilot program” designed to support productions costing at least $100,000 that are headed to Broadway, off-Broadway or a national tour. The Massachusetts Office of Business Development would be able to grant up to $5 million a year to qualifying productions. - WBUR
Demonstrations are frequent enough in the country that they have taken on a ritualistic dimension, and often feature overtly theatrical elements designed to grab the attention. - The New York Times
In Florida, Indiana, Kansas and Pennsylvania plays and musicals have been challenged or canceled recently. Parents or school officials have complained that the content isn't family friendly. - NPR
Nataki Garrett went from artistic director of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival to interim executive artistic director — because the executive director position was eliminated, along with more than a third of the staff and over 10% of the budget. If only that were all she had to deal with ... - San Francisco Chronicle
The first four episodes of the updated version of Homer's epic will be produced in Stoke-on-Trent, Doncaster, Trowbridge, and Sunderland, with each episode adapted by a local playwright. For the finale, the teams from all four towns will converge at the NT headquarters in London. - The Guardian
Enormous is right; with more than 80 percent of the show consisting either of musical numbers or underscoring, Sweeney Todd’s 26-person orchestra rivals the 30-person cast both in size and scope. - Playbill
"The studio, which until now has focused on making movies, television shows and podcasts, has purchased the Cherry Lane Theater for $10 million, and plans to present plays as well as other forms of live entertainment there, in addition to the occasional film screening." - The New York Times
"Paul came to see the show and loved it. ... He gave me two handshakes after and is going to bring his mum back. He'd never even seen a musical before this." - BBC
