News

In France, Live Theatre Returns With Voiceovers And A Lot Of Acting In The Eyes

Source: ArtsJournal.com | Posted: August 23 2020 @ 9:30 am

And then there are the outdoor performances, with masks: “When a performer speaks a lot onstage, … masks become damp and stick to the skin, so each cast member goes through four or five of them over a two-hour performance.” – The New York Times

Theatre Reform: We Shouldn’t Work So Many Hours

Source: ArtsJournal.com | Posted: August 21 2020 @ 4:33 pm

“It’s this process that we have spent decades, centuries developing in theatre of how much time it takes to make the thing. In my experience, the process will expand to fill as much time as you give it. So we’ve put ourselves in a place where we say, it’s going to take this many weeks […]

A Historical Disinclination To Theatre

Source: ArtsJournal.com | Posted: August 21 2020 @ 3:58 pm

One of the key facets of Jonas Barish’s argument is that, throughout history and across cultures, theatrical activity has almost always been met by vociferous opposition. From ancient Greece, when Plato wrote that acting and the theatre would be excluded from his ideal state, to the Soviet era in Russia, when strict governmental regulation dictated […]

Magic To Do! A Six-Person, Open Air Production of Pippin Will Play London

Source: Broadway.com | Posted: August 21 2020 @ 2:37 pm

Stephen Schwartz and Roger O. Hirson's hit musical Pippin is getting a new production across the pond! London's outdoor Garden Theatre at The Eagle will present the staging, which will feature six performers. Directed by Steven Dexter, the show will run from September 8 through September 20. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, all audience members must wear face masks or coverings throughout the performances. Social distancing will be in place with seat allocations by the theater's staff.

The cast will feature Tsemaye Bob-Egbe (Tina: The Tina Turner Musical) as the Leading Player, Ryan Anderson (Bat Out of Hell) as Pippin, Tanisha-Mae Brown as Catherine, Joanne Clifton as Fastrada and Bertha, Harry Francis as Lewis and Theo and Dan Krikler as Charles.

"My take on the show—which I have been lucky to direct twice before at drama schools—is told by a group of hippie travelers," director Dexter said in a statement. "A huge thank you to Stephen Schwartz and David Hirson (son of book writer Roger O. Hirson) for embracing this approach and granting us the rights for a new version of Pippin with a cast of six players.”

Head here for more info.

Lea Salonga Releases New Song & Music Video "Dream Again" to Benefit The Actors Fund

Source: Broadway.com | Posted: August 21 2020 @ 2:03 pm

It's never a bad day when stage favorites release new music, especially when it's Tony winner Lea Salonga! She has debuted a new tune "Dream Again," along with a music video, which features fans holding up signs of things they dream of doing again. From frontline healthcare workers dreaming of reuniting with their families to friends wishing for the day they can sit in a theater again, "Dream Again" is a true anthem of hope. "This song is a message to us all that it’s okay to be sad. It’s okay to feel lonely, and it’s okay to miss whatever it is we’re missing but that it will get better," Salonga said. "It’s an anthem for resilience and hope and a reminder for all of us that dreamed once before that it’s time to dream again." Profits from “Dream Again,” which was written by Blair Bodine and Daniel Edmonds, will be donated to charities supporting COVID-19 relief around the world, including The Actor’s Fund. Watch the full video below!