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Call for Contributions to Celebrate Dr. Joel E. Rubin on his 95th Birthday

Dr. Joel E. Rubin

Where would we be without him?  Of course we’re talking about Dr. Joel E. Rubin. In honor of Dr. Rubin’s 95th birthday, a number of people have decided that the most meaningful celebration would be an informal Festschrift* of contributions from the many people whose lives he has positively impacted over his long career. See below for the Call for Contributions honoring Dr. Rubin for his birthday.Read More »Call for Contributions to Celebrate Dr. Joel E. Rubin on his 95th Birthday

The Cody Renard Richard Scholarship Program Awards $100,000 to 2023 Class of Scholars

In partnership with Broadway Advocacy Coalition, the program has selected 10 theater students for the next cohort. 

Cody Renard Richard

Broadway Advocacy Coalition (BAC) and Broadway Stage Manager and Producer Cody Renard Richard announce the 10 recipients of the 2023 class of The Cody Renard Richard Scholarship Program. The program is dedicated to uplifting and supporting the next generation of theatermakers of color working behind the scenes by providing financial support, mentorship and more to BIPOC students studying to be the future leaders of the theater industry.Read More »The Cody Renard Richard Scholarship Program Awards $100,000 to 2023 Class of Scholars

Laura Lee Everett Named USITT Executive Director

Laura Lee Everett is the new Executive Director of USITT

Carolyn Satter, president of the United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT), today announced that Laura Lee Everett has been named as the Executive Director of the association after an exhaustive nationwide search. Everett is currently the Chief Programs Officer for OPERA America.Read More »Laura Lee Everett Named USITT Executive Director

In Memoriam: Walter Stark, Prop Artisan at Utah Shakespeare Festival

PLSN has learned of the death of Walter Stark, who served as Senior Prop Artisan at the Utah Shakespeare Festival. After a long battle with cancer, Stark passed away at the age of 82. Stark was a senior prop artisan for 10 years, and he was an integral part of the Festival. Liz Armstrong, Content Creator at the Festival created this post acknowledging his passing on the Festival’s website:Read More »In Memoriam: Walter Stark, Prop Artisan at Utah Shakespeare Festival

Light on the Horizon – Theaterhaus Stuttgart Relies on Robert Juliat Dalis LED Cyc Lights and Footlights

Since 1985, the Theaterhaus Stuttgart has brought together various artistic genres, experimental and popular productions, internationally renowned artists, and newly developed projects under one roof. The Theaterhaus maintains its own theatre and dance ensemble and raises almost 65% of its annual costs itself. The figures speak for themselves: the Theaterhaus has around 300,000 visitors every year, with an average of 900 events ranging from theatre and dance to concerts, comedy and cabaret, readings, lectures, and exhibitions.Read More »Light on the Horizon – Theaterhaus Stuttgart Relies on Robert Juliat Dalis LED Cyc Lights and Footlights

Filament Eleven 11 Gets Creative with Astera

The costume/set piece from ‘Scenes from a Yellow Peril’. Photo by Andi Crown

Auckland, New Zealand-based design studio Filament Eleven 11 is a creative tour de force combining the talents and imagination of lighting and visual artists Rachel Marlow and Brad Gledhill. Working across multiple genres – theatre, opera, dance, rock ‘n’ roll’ live events, installation, and light art – and embracing a mix of media and light forms, the company is known for its innovative and fun approach to enhancing storytelling with this unique form of expression.Read More »Filament Eleven 11 Gets Creative with Astera

Ayrton Bora and NandoBeam S6 Tell a ‘West Side Story’

Staged for the first time at the Cagliari Lyric Theatre in Sardinia, Arthur Laurents’ two-act stage musical West Side Story, with music by Leonard Bernstein and loosely based on William Shakespeare’s tragedy Romeo and Juliet, was a guaranteed success. The staging offered by the Cagliari Lyric Theater was derived from three major U.S. musical institutions: the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Houston Grand Opera, and the Glimmerglass Festival in New York. The performance, which blends the language of traditional opera with that of the musical, took place from 15th – 23rd December, bringing to a close the 2022 opera season with 10 highly anticipated English-language performances.Read More »Ayrton Bora and NandoBeam S6 Tell a ‘West Side Story’

ESTA Announces the 2023 Board of Directors Election Results

Todd Spence

The results are in for the 2023 ESTA Board of Directors election. Incumbent Todd Spencer of Ventana Capital Investments will return as President, and incumbent Joe Aldridge will return as Individual Director. Hannah R. D’Amico of IATSE has been elected as the new Organizational Director. She will succeed Alan M. Rowe, who reached his term limit.Read More »ESTA Announces the 2023 Board of Directors Election Results

elektraLite Sheds Celestial Light on Theatre Raleigh’s Production of ‘Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812’

Raleigh, NC’s Theatre Raleigh pretty much defines what small professional theater can and should be. Theatre Raleigh is a regional, non-profit theater company, operating out of the brand-new Theatre Raleigh Arts Center, home to four new performance venues ranging from an intimate 70-seat theater to a 200-seat black box space. The company has served the arts community there since 2005, growing into one of the top theater destinations in the area, employing both local professionals and Broadway veterans.Read More »elektraLite Sheds Celestial Light on Theatre Raleigh’s Production of ‘Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812’

Gena Buhler Named Associate Principal as Theatre Projects Deepens Focus on Strategic Planning

Theatre Projects believes in reaching beyond the brick and mortar. The firm, primarily known for space and technology design, has reimagined its services in recent years to heighten focus on AV and strategic planning. Strategic planning, notably, has marked tremendous success for Theatre Projects, forging stronger connections between the firm and the communities that make its venues thrive.

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Shurtape Technologies, LLC, Acquires Pro Tapes & Specialties, Inc.

Transaction poised to accelerate growth for both companies through increased investments in manufacturing capacity, sales efforts, and marketing activities

Shurtape Technologies, LLC, an industry-leading producer of pressure-sensitive tapes, today announces the acquisition of Pro Tapes & Specialties, Inc., a tape manufacturer and converter that services a variety of markets, including graphic arts, library and school supply, precision die-cutting and fabricating, contract and custom converting, retail and general industrial. The culmination of a nearly two-decade partnership, the transaction brings together two companies that share a relentless commitment to exceptional product quality and innovation as well as industry-leading customer service.Read More »Shurtape Technologies, LLC, Acquires Pro Tapes & Specialties, Inc.

Entertainment Unions Urge Congress to Restore Tax Fairness for the Industry’s Workers

Americans will soon start gathering their receipts and documents to prepare their taxes, and entertainment workers anticipate owing unnecessarily burdensome amounts in taxes because they are unable to deduct required work expenses. In a letter sent today, unions of entertainment workers affiliated with the Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO (DPE) call on Congress to restore tax fairness for these middle-class creative professionals by passing the bipartisan Performing Artist Tax Parity Act (PATPA), S. 2872/H.R. 4750. Read More »Entertainment Unions Urge Congress to Restore Tax Fairness for the Industry’s Workers