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Theater News

Vectorworks, Inc. Congratulates the 2023 Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival Regional Winners

Region 4 winner Mari Davis, North Carolina Central University, for ‘Long Time Since Yesterday’

As a continued supporter of student designers, global design, and BIM software provider Vectorworks, Inc. honors the winners of this year’s Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) regional awards. KCACTF is a national theater program involving 18,000 students from colleges and universities across the United States.Read More »Vectorworks, Inc. Congratulates the 2023 Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival Regional Winners

USITT24 Seattle Call for Proposals

USITT will be held in Seattle for 2024, taking place March 20-23, 2024. USITT’s mission is to connect performing arts, design, and technology communities to ensure a vibrant dialog among practitioners, educators, and students. USITT invites people to submit an education session proposal for presentation at USITT in Seattle.

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TONY Awards Will Go Ahead, WGA Will Not Picket the Show

The WGA has made a statement that they will not picket the Tony Awards, thus clearing the way for the Broadway celebration to be broadcast live on June 11, 2023, with some adjustments. The ‘no picket line’ assurance means that members of other unions will now be able to attend and work the Tony Awards without crossing a WGA picket line.

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‘Working In The Theatre’ with Director LaTanya Richardson Jackson and Scenic Designer Beowulf Boritt

The productive and creative relationship between director and designer is an essential element to any theatrical work. In the American Theatre Wing’s latest ‘Working In The Theatre’ episode, Director LaTanya Richardson Jackson and Scenic Designer Beowulf Boritt discuss their work on the Broadway revival of August Wilson’s ‘The Piano Lesson.’

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TONY Awards Celebration Will Not Broadcast on June 11

With the TONY nominations announced barely two weeks ago, the TONY Awards presentation itself is now in limbo. Having not received a requested waiver from the WGA, The 76th Annual TONY Awards, presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing will not be able to move forward with a live broadcast. Scheduled for Sunday, June 11, 2023 from the historic United Palace in Washington Heights, in New York City on CBS, and streamed live and on demand on Paramount+. Both CBS and Paramount+ are members of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) which the Writers Guild of America (WGA) are on strike against since May 1.Read More »TONY Awards Celebration Will Not Broadcast on June 11

USITT: Collier Robert Woods, Jr. Scholarship Now Accepting Applications Through June 22

The scholarship is named to honor designer and technician Collier Robert Woods, Jr. Image courtesy of Anjali Austin-Wood

USITT is now accepting applications for the Collier Robert Woods, Jr. Scholarship 2023. The application portal is now open and will be accepted through June 22, 2023. Founded in 2021, the Collier Robert Woods, Jr. Scholarship supports Black and African American students with interests in lighting design and/or theatre production, technology, and associated theatrical fields. Applicants are considered based on strength of application and potential as supported in a letter of recommendation. The scholarship is renewable and is paid directly to the bursar at your institution.

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Amara McNeill Named the 2023 Fellow of The Howell Binkley Fellowship Program

The Howell Binkley Fellowship Program announces their third Fellow for 2023, Amara McNeil. McNeil is a New York-based, Hartford-raised, theatrical lighting designer and filmmaker. She holds a B.A. in Theater from Fordham University and is a 2019 ALW American Theater Wing Scholar.Read More »Amara McNeill Named the 2023 Fellow of The Howell Binkley Fellowship Program

Chelsea Antrim Dennis Joins the Washington National Opera as Director of Production

Chelsea Antrim Dennis

Washington National Opera General Director Timothy O’Leary and Artistic Director Francesca Zambello announce two new appointments that will oversee the newly defined Artistic and Production departments. The delineation aims to create clearer lines of responsibility, a more sustainable workload for Washington National Opera (WNO) staff, and new support for WNO’s mission. Chelsea Antrim Dennis will join WNO as Director of Production, beginning August 7, 2023. Dennis comes to WNO from Santa Fe Opera, where she currently serves as Director of Production and where she began her career in 2004. Dennis’ position will oversee the technical production, costumes, lighting, stage management, facilities planning & administration, and rehearsal departments.Read More »Chelsea Antrim Dennis Joins the Washington National Opera as Director of Production

2023 Tony Awards Nominees

Nominations in 26 competitive categories for the American Theatre Wing’s 76th Annual Antoinette Perry “Tony” Awards® have been announced. Of particular note from our ‘behind the scenes’ perspective is that one of the 2023 Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre will be presented to Production Supervisor and Production Stage Manager Lisa Dawn Cave. The Tony Awards presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing will air live on Sunday, June 11, 2023, from the historic United Palace in Washington Heights, in New York City from 8:00-11:00 PM, ET/5:00-8:00 PM, PT on the CBS Television Network, and streaming live and on demand on Paramount+.

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Actors’ Equity Association Membership Ratifies New Unified Touring Agreement with The Broadway League

Actors’ Equity Association, the national union representing more than 51,000 professional stage managers and actors working in live theatre, and The Broadway League, the national trade association for the Broadway industry, officially have a new contract governing touring productions, following ratification by vote of Equity membership. The new Touring Agreement will be in effect through September 7, 2026.Read More »Actors’ Equity Association Membership Ratifies New Unified Touring Agreement with The Broadway League

Lisa Dawn Cave to Receive The 2023 Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre

The Tony Awards Administration Committee announced that they will present the 2023 Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre to Production Supervisor and Production Stage Manager, Lisa Dawn Cave. The Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre were established in 1990 and are awarded annually to institutions, individuals and/or organizations that have demonstrated extraordinary achievement in theatre, but are not eligible in any of the established Tony Award categories.Read More »Lisa Dawn Cave to Receive The 2023 Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre

ADJ’s Focus Profile Illuminates Lavish Production of Dennis DeYoung’s ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’

The Wisconsin premiere of ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’ by former Styx front man Dennis DeYoung. The musical was staged by Skylight Music Theatre at the Cabot Theater in Milwaukee, WI. Photo: Mark Frohna

Lighting Designer Jamie Roderick heavily utilized eight of ADJ’s flagship Focus Profile automated luminaires for last summer’s Wisconsin premiere of The Hunchback of Notre Dame by former Styx front man Dennis DeYoung. The musical was staged by Skylight Music Theatre at the Cabot Theater in Milwaukee, WI and featured an impressive production that employed gobo projections from the Focus Profiles extensively to recreate the atmospheric interior of the famous cathedral.

Based on Victor Hugo’s Gothic novel of the same name, Dennis DeYoung wrote his musical adaptation of The Hunchback of Notre Dame in the ‘90s and it debuted in Nashville at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center’s Polk theater in 1996. It was well received by audiences, generated positive reviews, and was set to transfer to Broadway, however illness meant that Dennis was unable to take the project further at the time. The show was first revived in Chicago, when in 2007 it was awarded the Joseph Jefferson Award for best musical. However, Michael Unger, the Artistic Director of Skylight Music Theatre, has wanted to stage the show ever since a chance meeting with DeYoung outside Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre led to Michael being invited to his childhood rock hero’s home studio to be one of the first people to ever hear the entire score of The Hunchback of Notre Dame.Read More »ADJ’s Focus Profile Illuminates Lavish Production of Dennis DeYoung’s ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’