Playwright Al Smith says he didn't mean one of his characters - a zillionaire Silicon Valley bro meant to represent Elon Musk - named "Hershel Fink" to read as Jewish, but after protests, Britain's Royal Court theatre has changed the name. - The Observer (UK)
Sounds like a horror novel, but this was real. "The man got into a crawl space in the building. ... He was in the hiding spot for two days before he fell into a space in the wall of the men’s bathroom and became trapped." - Syracuse Post-Standard
The anecdotal evidence, gleaned from social media and private conversations with industry leaders, suggests a variety of challenges — lingering fears of the coronavirus, the disinclination by some patrons to wear masks and resistance to high ticket prices. - Washington Post
Big picture: the 27 shows currently running grossed $19.66 million together last week, with 168,169 butts in seats. That’s a 11% box office drop from the week before, and a 5% drop in overall attendance. - Forbes
Her Trouble in Mind treats a touchy subject, even now: it's about an interracial cast rehearsing an anti-lynching play written and directed by whites. In 1955, the Off-Broadway producers made her tack on a happy ending; in 2021, it's playing as she intended. - The New York Times
There remained no shortage of quality work presented at the fringe, but its own aesthetic had changed over this time, contributing to making it feel less conducive for West End and commercial productions. - The Stage
Less than a week after news broke of Mandy Greenfield's departure from the Williamstown Theater Festival following reports of poor working conditions, co-founder Julianne Boyd has announced her retirement (on good terms) from Barrington Stage Company. - The New York Times
Chris Jones: "Contrary to the way it has sometimes been reported, Steppenwolf has not added a theater to its portfolio so much as replaced an inadequate one with a superior facility in a different configuration." - MSN (Chicago Tribune)
Students complained of a script they felt made light of sexual assault victims and contained inappropriate language and stereotypes that made cast members uncomfortable. - Chicago Sun-Times
The move comes after a Times investigation, published in September, in which 25 current and former festival workers alleged that WTF exposed them to repeated safety hazards and a toxic work culture. - Los Angeles Times
The female comics in the trenches of the club circuit say it remains a realm of "blatant misogyny" — and that #MeToo has only complicated their struggle not to be harassed. Part of the reason is built into the very structure of the industry. - The Hollywood Reporter
The high-profile revival of the Sondheim musical was to be directed by Terry Gilliam (yes, from Monty Python), who has made some, er, controversial remarks (such as declaring himself "a black lesbian in transition"). Sondheim himself is said to be furious. - inews.co.uk
You may not know of Concord Theatricals, but in the past five years, it has bought up Samuel French, Tams-Whitmark Music Library, and rights to the shows of Rodgers & Hammerstein and Andrew Lloyd Webber. Its majority owner — for now — is Michigan's state pension fund. - Forbes
The Lucille Lortel Awards will honor outstanding lead performer and outstanding supporting performer in a musical and in a play, thus cutting the number of acting awards almost in half (a single category is being added for outstanding ensemble). - The Hollywood Reporter
Joshua Jay: "In my craft, unlike filmmaking, I have to find the intersection of suspense and surprise, and that's difficult. In a two-hour movie, you get to alternate. You can have some surprises and lots of suspense, but in a magic show you have to have them together." - Salon
