The Joseph Jefferson Awards present two sets of honors, one for Equity productions and another for non-union shows at the area’s storefront theaters. The Jeff Committee is suspending consideration of non-Equity shows opening after June 1 due to backlash over an award in March to a director accused of abuse. - WBEZ (Chicago)
“Called National Theatre Nationwide, the initiative will see one National Theatre production tour annually direct from its London run with its original cast, … (to) 12 venues across England,” among them venues in Sheffield, Coventry, Salford/Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, and Newcastle. - WhatsOnStage (UK)
More than 350 years after his death, the 17th-century dramatist has been revived after scholars at the Sorbonne University in Paris used artificial intelligence to help write an experimental play in his style. - The Guardian
“Indigo’s report (for Britain’s National Theatre) states that ‘there is very little evidence that filmed theatre reduces in-person attendance of theatre overall’ and that 93% of survey respondents who saw at least one filmed theatre production in the cinema or via streaming also attended a performance in person.” - The Guardian
“The pastiche numbers glue together scrapbook memories from multiple shows and even as far afield as Alvin Ailey’s Revelations. A dance that seems to derive from The Music Man might sneak in a gesture from The Sound of Music.” - The New York Times
“I think of book writing as analogous to screenwriting: It’s a craft more about structure than dialogue, about setting the scene for the central activity, which … in the case of a musical is singing and dancing.” - American Theatre
“The long-running Broadway hit … will close its doors through May 17 as its theater undergoes repairs. … The blaze, which began May 4 in an electrical room, caused ‘substantial damage’ to the Eugene O’Neill Theatre.” - AP
“It doesn’t feel as though we have recovered any meaningful ground since the pandemic, and the fact that venues and their teams remain under such pressure is evident in terms of morale, energy, staff turnover and sector knowledge.” - The Stage
“I would be lying if I said … I didn’t grapple with making that decision. … I will say I do believe in accountability, and I think Scott has spoken about taking responsibility. ... I believe in second chances. I know other people don’t share that belief, and that’s their right.” - Variety
While it’s too early to tell which of the nominated shows will go on to have an international life, we can find some hints of the possibilities with a look at the title pages of their Playbills. - Jaques
“Liberation centers on a group of women who gather to talk, during the second wave feminist movement of the 1970s, about changing their own lives and the world. Fifty years later, one of their daughters looks to the past for answers when she finds history repeating itself.” - Playbill
It is unknown if the fire has had or will have any affect on the production or future performances. No one was inside the theatre when the fire happened, and the show is not scheduled to perform until the evening of May 5. - Playbill
“Lincoln Center Theatre’s revival of Ragtime will likely lead the nomination field, with the possibility of six performers getting nods, mirroring its season-leading eight Drama Desk bids.” But there’s a lot of competition out there in a strong year. - Variety
