Theater News

From scenic washes to specials, lighting designer Cory Pattak uses power luminaire’s feature set to stunning effect on Beauty and the Beast

Set against a magnificent red rock canyon backdrop in the Utah desert, Tuacahn Amphitheater in the state’s southwest corner is one of the most picturesque settings you’ll find anywhere for outdoor theatre. Lighting designer Cory Pattak has lit a production of Beauty and the Beast amid the spectacular surroundings and used the venue’s new IP65-rated Proteus Maximus™ moving heads as workhorse front light fixtures. Here’s a preview video from Tuachan for this recent production of Beauty and the Beast showing off the scenic, lighting, and projection designs:

Read More »Proteus Maximus™ Versatility Shines Through at Utah’s Tuacahn Amphitheater

Continuing its support for emerging designers, Vectorworks, Inc. announces the winners for the fifth Vectorworks Design Scholarship. With over 1,800 submissions, scholarships were awarded to 28 students for 21 projects in the architecture, entertainment, landscape, and interior design industries. Winners included both individual and group submissions. Stage Directions sends its congratulations to all of the winners.Read More »Entertainment Winners in the Fifth Vectorworks Design Scholarship

Lifeline Theatre welcomes Amelia Ablan to her new staff position as Production Manager, beginning June 2021. Reporting directly to Artistic Director Ilesa Duncan and Managing Director Allison Cain, Ablan will be responsible for overseeing the production processes for the company, collaborating closely with directors and the Artistic Director to fulfill the production needs for Lifeline’s future live and digital programming. Ablan succeeds Jennifer McClendon, who served as Production Manager since 2016, now heading to Providence, RI to Trinity Repertory Company as their new Producing Director.Read More »Amelia Ablan Joins Lifeline Theatre as Production Manager

Berkeley Rep has named Sunshine Deffner as its new Associate Managing Director. Deffner previously worked as the Senior Director of Operations and Education for The California Symphony in Walnut Creek, where she served as an organizational leader for concert operations, artistic administration, program development, strategic partnerships, education programming, and general operations. At Berkeley Rep, Deffner will oversee new program initiatives that support the Rep’s commitment to relevance and diversity. She will also work closely with the Theatre’s Managing Director Susie Medak on the advancement of key priorities across the organization.Read More »Berkeley Rep Announces Sunshine Deffner as New Associate Managing Director

Counting Together, a growing coalition of theater artists, arts professionals, and organizations engaged in separate, long-term studies of race, gender, and disability in our field, announces the launch of a new online resource (CountingTogether.org) designed to provide free and easy access to industrywide data and statistics in these areas. By telling the stories of its findings, Counting Together’s stated goal is to identify and forge pathways to greater equity and inclusion. Currently made up of fifteen separate projects, Counting Together includes both individuals and groups engaged in countering systems of exclusion in the theater.Read More »Counting Together Provides Critical Data on Equity in American Theater

The American Theatre Wing produces The Network, which provides emerging and developing theatre professionals advanced education, networking opportunities, and tools for career advancement within a supportive creative community.

Coming up next on The Network is a Free panel discussion with Stage Managers, Stage Management | Charting Your Course. Learn from the masters of logistics, communication, time management, and problem-solving during this panel discussion. The panelists of Stage Managers, who will share career advice and more, includes Cody Renard Richard, Cherie B. Tay, Rachel Sterner, and Kamra A. Jacobs. This discussion will be moderated by David Mendizábal. This will be held on Wednesday, June 16, 2021 from 5:00 – 6:00 p.m. EDT.Read More »ATW’s The Network | Stage Management, Charting Your Course Panel Discussion, June 16

Michael Ritchie has announced that he will retire as Artistic Director of Center Theatre Group on December 31, 2021. Having taken over the position from Founding Artistic Director Gordon Davidson in January 2005, for more than 16 years, Ritchie has led one of the country’s largest nonprofit regional theatres, producing and presenting 266 productions—which included 49 world premieres, four Pulitzer Prize finalists and led to 59 Tony Award nominations—while programming the Ahmanson Theatre and Mark Taper Forum in downtown Los Angeles at The Music Center and the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City.Read More »Michael Ritchie to Retire as Artistic Director of Center Theatre Group on December 31, 2021

The USITT and ESTA Terminology Working Group is gathering suggestions about problematic racist, sexist, genderist, and other exclusionary language in our industry as well as suggestions to replace those terms. The group’s endeavor is to identify any terminology that is linguistically rooted in, or suggestive of oppression or exclusion, and supplant it with more inclusive and accurate language.Read More »Terminology Working Group Looking for Suggestions

1812 Productions is pleased to present a one-of-a-kind digital theatre experience, Set Model Theatre. In early 2021, they gathered more than a dozen Philly theatre designers and technicians together with a one-of-a-kind task: find the funny in Shakespeare’s infamous tragedy King Lear. The only rule… there are no rules! (Oh, except that the entire production has to fit in a space the size of a breadbox!)Read More »Philadelphia Designers on Display at Set Model Theatre

Following the unprecedented impact of COVID-19 on the performing arts, The Shubert Foundation announced that it is awarding a record $32.1 million in 2021 grants to 575 not-for-profit theatres, dance companies, professional theatre training programs, and related service agencies across the United States.

The grants, which range from $10,000 to $325,000, benefit the broadest possible spectrum of theatre and dance organizations—from large to small, from urban to rural—including groups that provide crucial early arts exposure to young audiences. The announcement comes as many longtime Shubert grantees have been fighting for their survival.Read More »The Shubert Foundation Awards $32.1 Million in 2021 Grants

The University of Wisconsin – Madison: Department of Theater and Drama is proud to announce two online summer courses specifically designed for the needs of K-12 theater, music, and dance teachers, and those who work on those shows: Audio for Performing Arts Teachers, and Lighting for Performing Arts Teachers. Read More »UW Madison Offers New Technical Theater Courses for K-12 Teachers