"A couple of recent high-profile physical attacks on comedians ... have left some comics wondering if the stage is becoming less safe, and have led some clubs and venues to take steps to beef up their security at comedy shows." - The New York Times
Even with understudies and swing performers, The Rep had to cancel 15 out of 49 total shows due to the quantity of cases and people involved. That’s about a third of the total run. - Milwaukee Magazine
Just a day after incredulity and scorn over £400 ticket prices (double those of Hamilton) hit social media and then news outlets, seats in the stalls are now listed at £175 ($216), with seats that had been £350 ($432) and £300 ($371) now £150 ($185) and £125 ($154). - The Guardian
While liberals lost their way doing “Orange Man Bad” comedy during the Trump administration, a new ecosystem emerged of right-wing comedians—on podcasts, YouTube, and, yes, Fox News—that’s been growing increasingly popular. - Fast Company
The £400 price for the revival of Mike Bartlett's play Cock, featuring Bridgerton star Jonathan Bailey, isn't advertised. Some poor guy ordered online and found himself paying £920 ($1,134) for two seats — that's £400 plus a £60 processing fee per ticket. The producers' response? Supply and demand. - Time Out (London)
Colbert, who performed at the Old Town theater in the 1990s, will chair the board. He said in a statement Monday that his recruits “all believe that comedy is better off with a vital Second City. - Chicago Sun-Times
Oklahoma!, South Pacific, The King and I, Carousel, The Sound of Music — they can seem corny today. Yet they deal with loaded issues — persecution of outsiders, racism, exploitation and oppression of women, and escape from fascism — and a new generation of directors is bringing those themes out. - BBC
Fat Ham, which transmutes Hamlet from a tragedy in Denmark into a comedy at a Southern Black family's cookout, was produced for streaming last year by Philadelphia's Wilma Theater, where playwright James Ijames is one of several artistic co-directors. (Live performances start this week in New York.) - The New York Times
The nominators spread out their admiration quite widely: Of the 34 shows eligible for nominations, 29 got at least one nod, including the critically scorned “Diana.” But five new plays were completely overlooked. - The New York Times
For best play, The Lehman Trilogy has the most nominations, and Company is in the mix for best musical revival. The ceremony was delayed until June 12. - The New York Times
Marjan Neshat, a 45-year-old Iranian American actor, is having a real one, with three critically acclaimed performances in one season. Says playwright Sanaz Toossi, "She’s a very Chekhovian actor. ... She’s so interested in the tiny ways we can destroy each other." - The New York Times
Director Awoye Timpo and dramaturg Arminda Thomas: "We were thinking about this notion of what what does it mean to expand the canon? .. Now what we think of is exploding the castle of classical canon." (Note: The transcript of this podcast is here.) - Slate
Masks are still required, mostly, but "while some patrons welcomed the change, others said they felt uneasy about going into crowded theaters without the assurance that their seatmates were vaccinated." - The New York Times
Two theatres have converted their stages for people to sleep and for storage of food and medicine. It echoes a narrative happening across Ukraine cultural spaces, which have been transformed to meet people’s current needs. - The Stage
