“The figures showed around 2.6 million tickets were sold for 3,893 shows — a similar level to last year and well below the peak of three million sold in 2019, before the COVID pandemic.” The ever-rising cost of performing at, or even attending, the Fringe is thought to be the main factor. - The Scotsman
If the merger proceeds and is successful, it could become a national model for regional theater companies in other cities and states around the country, which are all facing similar financial challenges. - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Owners of 24 Broadway Theaters are taking their opposition to a new Times Square casino right to theaters goers by stuffing a pamphlet into copies of the iconic “Playbill” magazine urging patrons to personally protest the proposed Midtown gambling hall. - New York Post
“Three of Pittsburgh’s most venerable troupes announced they are looking into ways they might join forces to survive. The announcement by Pittsburgh Public Theater, City Theatre and Pittsburgh CLO came in the form of an email to subscribers and other supporters.” - WESA (Pittsburgh)
The redevelopment and restoration of older theatres such as the Citizens has become important as their social value and anchoring presence in towns and cities has been recognised. - The Conversation
Managing director Raphael Picciarelli: “We weren’t chasing hype for its own sake. We were trying to spark the feeling that draws people to Burning Man or the World Cup: the thrill of witnessing something unrepeatable. … We fell short on revenue, but we doubled our audience. Forty percent were first-timers.” - The New York Times
Even for a theatre critic, the orchestra is easy to overlook. It wasn’t until I sat in behind the scenes, with a copy of the music for “Annie” and “Scoundrels” in front of me, that I realized how much material is underscored with music. - Toronto Star
“Conversing with a plant might sound silly, and Dan Daly acknowledged the piece” — Arborlogues: A Botanical Recital Performed for One Tree — “is probably not for everyone. But the aim is to highlight the interdependence of humans and trees.” - The New York Times
“The audience appetite for theatre just isn’t here this year,” said one producer, who has been bringing work for a number of years, adding that they thought it reflected a decline in theatre audiences at the fringe. Any post-Covid bounce has well and truly bounced away. - The Stage
“As a culture we tend to talk about ageing as a series of losses, a whittling-away of vigour and ability, but talking to actors in the latter part of their careers reveals something more complex. Apart from obvious issues with mobility and strength, … they feel freer and more focused than ever.” - The Guardian
“Intense rainfall Aug. 9 and 10 left the relatively new facility (in Wauwatosa) under three feet of water. … (Executive Director Chad) Bauman described the situation as close to ‘a total loss.’ Because that rainwater was mixed with sewage, many of the items immersed in that water can't be salvaged.” - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
“The executive director of Boxcar Theatre in San Francisco resigned Sunday, the organization said, after anonymous internet vigilantes accused him of attempting to meet up with someone who had posed online as a 14-year-old boy.” - San Francisco Chronicle (MSN)
Many of the finest productions I saw in the Fringe took the position of living memorials to horrors. Sometimes an insistence on accuracy turned these shows into political statements, whether they were originally designed that way or not. - The New Yorker
