There are no bad ideas

Sunday, February 05, 2023

Worth A Look

Here are a few posts from last week's Greenpage that might be worth your time...

Actors' Equity Condemns Political Attacks Against Drag and Trans Performers

Playbill: Theatrical union Actors' Equity, which represents actors and stage managers on Broadway and other professional stages across the country, has released a statement condemning recent political attacks aimed at trans and drag performers.

Posted by David at 1/30/2023 12:51:00 PM
Students Behind Cancelled High School Production of Indecent Frightened of Hateful Attacks

Playbill: On January 5, a high school production of Paula Vogel’s Indecent was cancelled in Jacksonville, Florida, in what students believed was an act of antisemitic and homophobic censorship. Playbill initially reported on the then-unfolding story at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts shortly after student Madeline Scotti posted an Instagram video announcing the production’s cancellation, citing Florida’s recent “Don’t Say Gay” law as the culprit.

Posted by David at 1/31/2023 12:40:00 PM
DGA, SAG-Aftra, IATSE, Teamsters, Hollywood Basic Crafts Extend COVID-19 Safety Agreement with Less Testing

Below the Line: The Directors Guild of America (DGA), International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) and the Hollywood Basic Crafts (Teamsters Local 399, IBEW Local 40, LiUNA! Local 724, OPCMIA Local 755 and UA Local 78), and the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) announced the extension of the current COVID-19 Safety Agreement through April 1, 2023.

Posted by David at 2/03/2023 10:59:00 AM
Learn How to Safely Intervene If You See Bullying or Harassment in Your Workplace

Lighting&Sound America Online - News: Do you know how to safely intervene if you see a co-worker being bullied or intimidated? Did you know there are different ways to intervene to match your comfort level? In just 90 minutes you will learn five easily accessible tools, illustrated by relevant scenarios, for use in any workplace to safely intervene without the worry of retaliation. The next free Behind the Scenes webinar is on Monday, February 6 at 7pm EST. Additional webinars will be offered on April 30 and July 17.

Posted by David at 1/31/2023 12:48:00 PM
It’s Unlikely AI Music Will Go Away Any Time Soon, and That’s … Concerning

The Mary Sue: We’ve already covered, at length, why AI art is not necessarily something to encourage, at least not at the rate it’s currently going. Although some of the programs may seem cool and harmless to screw around with, ultimately these sorts of things threaten the livelihoods of many talented people, via “art” that isn’t even that impressive since there’s no heart behind it, not to mention how many of them are built on art used without the owner’s permission.

Posted by David at 2/03/2023 10:53:00 AM

Friday, February 03, 2023

DP Weekly Wrap Up

Sunday, January 29, 2023

Worth a Look

Here are a few articles from last week's Greenpage that might be worth your time...

Could AI-Written Musicals Ever Come To Broadway?

www.broadwayworld.com: Imagine a Broadway where computer-generated musicals, powered by cutting-edge artificial intelligence technology, take center stage. No more waiting for years for a new hit musical to be written and produced, no more limitations on special effects, and no more casting restrictions. This may sound like science fiction, but the reality is that AI is rapidly advancing and has the potential to completely revolutionize the way Broadway musicals are created, produced and experienced. From AI-generated original scores to virtual reality sets, the future of Broadway could be unlike anything we've ever seen before.

Posted by David at 1/25/2023 11:06:00 AM
Oscars 2023: Academy Fails to Nominate Any Female Director

IndieWire: After last year’s record-breaking Best Director win for Jane Campion — who became only the third woman to ever win the Oscar for Best Director, joining Chloé Zhao (“Nomadland” in 2021) and Kathryn Bigelow (“The Hurt Locker” in 2009) — the 2023 Oscar nominations failed to nominate any women in the Best Director category. Instead, this year’s Best Director race will see Martin McDonagh, Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, Steven Spielberg, Todd Field, and Ruben Östlund duking it out for the honor.

Posted by David at 1/24/2023 10:15:00 AM
Ticketmaster/Live Nation Slammed in Extraordinary Senate Hearing

www.ticketnews.com: Ticketmaster and its parent Live Nation were under heavy fire on Tuesday, as its president and CFO Joe Berchtold was forced to answer withering questions from the Senate Judiciary Committee at its hearing examining the ticketing and live events industry in Washington, D.C. The hearing, which was scheduled in the wake of widespread outrage directed at the entertainment giant in the wake of the Taylor Swift Eras Tour ticket sales process in November, featured numerous references to lyrics from the singer.

Posted by David at 1/25/2023 11:08:00 AM
The strength of community

Chicago Reader: At the end of September 2020, I wrote a piece for the Reader titled “Black artistic leaders take charge at several Chicago theaters,” which framed the influx of new (and preexisting) Black leadership in Chicago theater against the backdrop of a historic disruption in the industry. That disruption was powered in part by COVID-19 leading to budget cuts and mass layoffs, and in part by intense public criticism of the shortcomings of many predominantly white theater institutions, with a call to action for faster and more concrete gains in racial equity in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement’s impact on the arts sector.

Posted by David at 1/26/2023 11:54:00 AM
How to Design a More Just Theatre Field

AMERICAN THEATRE: What is the role of race in theatrical design? An innovative symposium at the Park Avenue Armory a few weekends ago asked visitors to consider the question. As part of the venue’s conversation series, Making Space at the Armory, “Sound & Color: The Future of Race in Design” brought together artists and designers working across the disciplines of costume, lighting, set, and sound for a groundbreaking collaborative enterprise.

Posted by David at 1/23/2023 10:26:00 AM