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Theater News

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.

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

Carla L. Jackson Appointed Assistant Dean/General Manager at David Geffen School of Drama

Carla L. Jackson
Carla L. Jackson

Carla L. Jackson has been appointed Assistant Dean/General Manager at David Geffen School of Drama/Yale Repertory Theatre, joining the leadership team of James Bundy, Dean/Artistic Director; Florie Seery, Associate Dean/Managing Director; and Chantal Rodriguez, Associate Dean. She also joins the faculty of the Theater Management program as Assistant Professor Adjunct.Read More »Carla L. Jackson Appointed Assistant Dean/General Manager at David Geffen School of Drama

Vari-Lite University Outreach Program Delivers VL2600 Uplift for the University of Houston

The University of Houston recently took advantage of the University Outreach Program from Vari-Lite, the originators of the modern moving head and Signify entertainment lighting brand, which enables emerging lighting design students to elevate their production looks and facilitates hands-on professional fixture experience. The latest collaborative project saw Andrew Archer, who is undertaking a BFA in Technical Theatre Production, create an inspired design for the play The Learned Ladies using VL2600 SPOT luminaires.Read More »Vari-Lite University Outreach Program Delivers VL2600 Uplift for the University of Houston

In Memoriam: Jim Read, FASTC Theater Consultant

James “Jim” Read, FASTC 1933 – 2022

The American Society of Theatre Consultants (ASTC) mourns the loss of longtime member and Fellow, James “Jim” Read, FASTC, who passed away on November 2, 2022. Read served as a President of the ASTC and was a constant presence at organization events. Even as he retired from consulting and moved to emeritus status, Read was often present online or in person, always contributing observations and information.Read More »In Memoriam: Jim Read, FASTC Theater Consultant

Lighting Designer Don Holder to be Honored with the Claypaky-Sponsored Paky Award

Lighting Designer Don Holder

The seventh Paky Award will be presented to Tony Award-winning Lighting Designer Don Holder by Claypaky CEO Marcus Graser at LDI 2022 on Saturday, November 19 in Las Vegas. Sponsored by Claypaky, the award honors an individual who has made a major contribution to the lighting industry, in terms of design or technology.Read More »Lighting Designer Don Holder to be Honored with the Claypaky-Sponsored Paky Award

Ming’s Clambake, 2022: A Remembrance and Celebration of Ming Cho Lee

On October 24th, 2022, the Lee clan gathered with hundreds of his extended family of friends, colleagues, and students, as well as members of the theater community (both in person and virtually) to celebrate the life and work of Ming Cho Lee. They shared memories, told tall tales, and reflected on Ming’s life in the theater, in the classroom, and in the studio. The event was held at the Jack H. Skirball Center for the Performing Arts in New York City. Here is a video replay of the full event:

Read More »Ming’s Clambake, 2022: A Remembrance and Celebration of Ming Cho Lee