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THEATRE

Greece Is Restoring Its Ancient Amphitheatres And Returning Them To Use

From Epiros in the north down to Sparta and beyond, the outdoor venues where classical drama was born are being rediscovered: 25 are hosting events, with another 20 under renovation. A second, smaller arena has even been uncovered in Epidavros, which hosts the famous drama festival. - The Guardian

How Method Acting Made Me Mad

The idea that an actor must authentically experience and feel the lived reality of the character he is playing—and therefore be infinitely present and malleable—now underpins almost everything that Americans deem to be “good” acting. - The Atlantic

Broadway’s Reopening Last Fall Did Not Go As Expected, Even Before December’s Omicron Spike

"During the months when the pandemic kept Broadway shuttered, a hypothesis took hold: Once theaters reopened, the audience would include more New Yorkers and fewer tourists, and the result could be a more receptive marketplace for ambitious new plays. It did not turn out that way." - The New York Times

Does Anyone Understand Method Acting?

Strasberg began to think about what made some performances succeed and some fail, and concluded that it must have to do with whether or not the actor was feeling inspired. This presented its own dilemma. - The New Yorker

What Role Does Shakespeare Have In American Theatre Now?

How much Shakespeare do audiences really want these days? What adjustments are required in the performance of his canon to accommodate those who do not buy the line that Shakespeare is the “greatest” playwright of all time? - Washington Post

B Is For Broadway, And Bernadette

A new book rhymes ways to teach young children about theatre. "There are so many things in here that are favorite shows of mine that I never would have imagined being able to work into a children's book," the author says. - NPR

How Spielberg Tricked Me Into Writing The “West Side Story” Screenplay

I love “West Side Story,” I always wanted to work with Stephen Sondheim, and I’ve come to realize that my writerly self-respect is tangled up in scaring myself. - Los Angeles Times

Theatres Are Experimenting With Varied Curtain Times — Again (And That’s A Good Thing)

It was only from the 1970s that American commercial theater settled on the rule: start at 8:00 for evening shows and 2:00 for matinees (maybe 3:00 on Sundays). COVID has loosened that rule — and though ticketholders have to pay attention, they now have more choice and flexibility. - The Stage

What’s Going To Happen To Chicago’s Amazing Theater Scene As COVID Stretches Into A Third Year?

"Has one of the great theater cities on the planet just suffered the kind of blow that may require a recovery time of years?" asks Chris Jones. "Certain truths seem to have revealed themselves" — and not only that one can't predict the course of a virus. - MSN (Chicago Tribune)

Broadway Shrank Last Week

Broadway continued its winter freeze last week, with box office dropping 11% to a slim $16,494,289 for its meager 21-show roster. Attendance for the week ending Jan. 23 was 152,135, a slip of 6% from the previous week. - Deadline

Why American Conservatory Theater Is Shutting Down Its Admired MFA Program

"The school had been working tirelessly to find a university partner in order to stay open. … But, as ACT artistic director Pam MacKinnon put it, there were three reasons that such a partnership did not come to fruition: 'COVID, COVID, COVID.'" - American Theatre

The Brave, Skilled, And Versatile “Swings” Who Keep “The Lion King” Running Through The Pandemic

Jacqueline René, for instance, can do, and has done, everything from Nala the lioness and Shenzi the zebra to the bird lady, a patch of savanna grass, and the eye of the ghost of Mufasa — all depending on who tested positive for COVID that day. - New York Magazine

Omicron Is Wreaking Havoc With Touring Broadway Shows

“Touring, when we can perform, is going great — the audiences are showing up, and the audiences are enthusiastic. Touring is not going great when Covid sweeps through our company, which has happened to every one of our tours.” - The New York Times

As Big West End Shows Offer Massive Discounts, Smaller Shows Are Being Squeezed Out

"Theatre producer David Pugh (fears) it could spell the end of plays in the West End. … By contrast with his show, where tickets have a top price of £59, major West End shows have cut prices to as little as £10." - The Guardian

Broadway Fires Its Harry Potter

The show on Sunday issued a statement saying that James Snyder, who played the title role for about a year before the pandemic and then rejoined the show when it restarted last fall, had been terminated following a complaint by Diane Davis, the actress playing his wife, Ginny. - The New York Times

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