Center Theatre Group News & Blogs

Broadway gears up for Halloween, and other theatre news

Tue, 29 Oct 2013 00:00:00 -0700

Broadway gears up for Halloween, and other theatre news

A rise for non-profit theatres and arts programs, and Broadway costume designers and actors get ready for Halloween.

Importance of the Arts

1.TCG Report Cites Good Fiscal News for Nonprofit Theaters by LA Stage Alliance [LAStageTimes.com]
October 22, 2013

After a decline in non-profit theatre attendance due to the recession, Theatre Communications Group is happy to announce the number of individual and season ticket holders increased in 2012.

2. Six Ways Arts Education Helps Prepare our Kids for Life by Lisa Phillips [IntimateExcellent.Wordpress.com]
October 29, 2013

In a competitive world that seems to be focused only on "rights" and "wrongs," the arts continue to be very beneficial to young people for many reasons. Here are just a few.

Halloween Frenzy

3. Halloween Tips From a Costume Designer by Allen Mogol [BroadwayDirect.com]
October 28, 2013

With Halloween fast approaching, it is hard to decide whether to go buy a costume or make one at home. Take some tips from Broadway costume designer, Gregory Gale, by clicking on the link below.

4. Cinderella’s Santino Fontana on Loving Leprechaun & Dressing Up as Miley Cyrus' Tongue by Broadway.com Staff [Broadway.com]
October 28, 2013

"Halloween is the most theatrical holiday, so it makes perfect sense that Broadway actors — who understand the value of rocking a costume — would embrace the spooky season." Check out this interview with Santino Fontana to see his take on Halloween costumes.

5. Nick Adams & the Cast of The Rocky Horror Show Do the Time Warp at Bucks County Playhouse by Ryan Gilbert [Broadway.com]
October 28, 2013

What better way to get into the Halloween spirit than to see The Rocky Horror Picture Show with an all-star cast! Click the link below to read more about the Bucks County Playhouse's new production.

Emerging shows and playwrights take stage in New York

Tue, 22 Oct 2013 00:00:00 -0700

Emerging shows and playwrights take stage in New York

James Franco makes his Broadway debut, while Jesse Tyler Ferguson works on The 24 Hour Plays, and ‘Bronx Bombers’ makes its bump up to Broadway.

Emerging Shows

1. James Franco Confirms His Broadway Debut in Revival of John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men with Chris O'Dowd By Ryan Gilbert [Broadway.com]
October 22, 2013

The show will be directed by Tony winner Anna D. Shapiro, but even though the run dates have not yet been released, both Franco and O'Dowd are excited to make their Broadway debut in Of Mice and Men.

2. A Broadway Run for ‘Bronx Bombers’ By Aadm W. Kepler [NYTimes.com]
October 21, 2013

"'Bronx Bombers,' a play centered around the Yankees and some their biggest stars from the last century, completed a short Off Broadway run on Saturday. But the producers are to announce on Monday that a move to Broadway is set for January..."

3. Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Zachary Levi, Julia Stiles & More on Tap For Broadway’s 24 Hour Plays By Lindsay Champion [Broadway.com]
October 22, 2013

With The 24 Hour Plays on Broadway coming up on November 18, stars like Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Zachary Levi, and Julia Stiles sign on to help out with the cause. The cast will have 24 hours to write, direct and perform six original short plays.

Emerging Playwrights

4. New York University sophomore wins playwriting contest. Next stop? Broadway, for a little bit By Mark Kennedy [StarTribune.com]
October 22, 2013

Sophomore Devin Mojica from New York University won "the chance to write one of the six short pieces that will be performed as part of the 'The 24 Hour Plays.'" All competitors had six hours to write a 3-minute play that was then performed for the judges, and Mojica's play "Naughty List" about an anger management class won. He will now be one of the six playwrights, working alongside five highly respected playwrights, for The 24 Hour Plays next month.

5. 10 emerging authors, poets, playwrights each receive $50,000 Whiting Writers' Award By Associated Press [StarTribune.com]
October 21, 2013

"Ten emerging authors, poets and playwrights have been picked as winners of $50,000 prizes for showing 'exceptional talent and promise.'"

New pieces in Los Angeles and New York theatre and film

Tue, 15 Oct 2013 00:00:00 -0700

New pieces in Los Angeles and New York theatre and film

A diverse range of new works gears up for performances across the country.

Los Angeles works

1. Time and space are one in thrilling 'Einstein on the Beach' by Mark Swed [LATimes.com]
October 13, 2013

Einstein on the Beach is being revived again after 20 years. This image-based 4-hour show was brought to life with the help of the LA Opera and the Center for the Art of Performance at UCLA. Though the designer of the show, Robert Wilson, thought that the Music Center would be the end of the show's run, he did not realize other countries, like France and Germany, would also want to experience this moving piece of opera.

Click here to read the full review of the show!

2. Richard Montoya takes L.A. tale 'Water & Power' from stage to screenby Reed Johnson [LATimes.com]
October 12, 2013

Richard Montoya, known for his works in Chicano comedy-theater ensemble Culture Clash and stage drama "Water & Power," is premiering his film adaptation of this drama as part of the revived L.A. Latino International Film Festival. Now that Latinos are becoming a dominant ethno-cultural group in Los Angeles, Montoya says, "The film hopes to be a kind of a cautionary tale with how we're going to proceed in this city and how are we going to deal with each other."

With a cast that includes many of its original players, the show turned film "challenged us to see what is in front of our eyes that we never see."

New York works

3. Jump In! Little Miss Sunshine, Starring Will Swenson & Stephanie J. Block, Begins Performances by Lindsay Champion [Broadway.com]
October 15, 2013

"Based on the movie of the same name, Little Miss Sunshine tells the story of Olive (Nordberg), an idealistic young girl who convinces her entire family to drive an old VW bus 800 miles to a pre-teen beauty pageant. As the group makes its journey, a series of mishaps threaten to derail the trip."

4. In Performance: Eric Bogosian of ‘100 (Monologues)’ by Erik Piepenburg [NYtimes.com]
October 15, 2013

Obie Award-winning playwright Eric Bogosian began his run of 100 monologues on October 1. Bogosian got a lot of inspiration for his piece based on overheard voices on the streets of New York. To read more and see an excerpt from his work, click here.

5. Musical from cancelled show 'Smash' gets a concert performance in New York with Jeremy Jordan by Mark Kennedy [Startribune.com]

Though the TV show "Smash" was cancelled, its legacy will live on in New York on December 9. The musical within the show "Hit List" will have another shot with a concert performance. BONUS FACT: Joe Iconis, the creator of CTG's upcoming show The Black Suits, assisted in writing the music for this show!

Shut down: How the political deadlock affects non-profit organizations

Wed, 09 Oct 2013 19:01:00 -0700

Shut down: How the political deadlock affects non-profit organizations

COMMENTARY: Journalists and bloggers respond to the political battle that has temporarily closed many cultural institutions and furloughed thousands of workers.

1. The Government Shutdown's Effect on Culture Is Worth Caring About by Kevin Pires [Flavorwire.com]
October 1, 2013

A red banner tops the Smithsonian website. It’s a simple two-sentence statement. The first sentence reads, “Due to the federal government shutdown, all Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo are closed.”

It’ll be difficult to rally for art ...

2. Government shutdowns are even worse for Washington's museums than you think by Katherine Boyle [WashingtonPost.com]
October 5, 2013

This week, the National Gallery of Art turned away the prime minister of Greece, Antonis Samaras, and Adrienne Arsht, the philanthropist who underwrote the gallery’s most recent blockbuster exhibition, “Diaghilev and the Ballet Russes.” Samaras was supposed to view ...

3. Updated: Government Shutdown: What It Means for Nonprofits [Philanthropy.com]
October 8, 2013

Big swaths of the federal government have closed shop because Congress failed to reach a deal to keep the money flowing. [This article contains] reports about how the shutdown is affecting nonprofits.

4. Shut Down, Not Shut Off: What Can Nonprofits Learn From the Government Impasse? by Adnan Mahmud [HuffingtonPost.com]
October 7, 2013

We are now one week into the government shutdown. ... The effects are starting to be felt in my office and at other nonprofits here in Seattle and around the country that receive federal grants or otherwise work closely with government offices. ...

5. Government Shutdown Will Impact Millions of Service Volunteers by Aine Creedon [NonprofitQuarterly.org]
October 2, 2013

The Corporation for National and Community Service engages millions of Americans in service through national service initiatives, and the government shutdown is putting many of these programs and AmeriCorps members in limbo ...