#Stageworthy News of the Week.
In the mere three weeks since George Floyd was killed, the #BlackLivesMatter movement has received intense attention and growing support. Calls for racial justice have spread beyond black lives to black livelihoods…including in the theater.
“From Cosmetics to NASCAR, Calls for Racial Justice Are Spreading” article in @NYTimes quotes @JeremyOHarris (is that what Slave Play does?) https://t.co/MhiSsyTB5S pic.twitter.com/ER44mGfMMb
— New York Theater (@NewYorkTheater) June 14, 2020
Tomorrow Samantha Williams (Caroline, or Change, Dear Evan Hansen) will be the host of a discussion called Black Theatre Matters — the latest in a series of convenings (Broadway for Black Lives Matter Again), statements (We See You, White American Theater), essays (“We don’t want your statements of solidarity” by Kevin Dinkins, Jr and Al Heartley in HowlRound), interviews (Wesley Morris with Adrienne Warren, Daniel J. Watts, Celia Rose Gooding and Kenny Leon at the beginning of the New York Times’ show Offstage: Opening Night), and many social media posts, all expressing concern, pain and outrage over the treatment of African American theater artists.
More than 300 theater artists call out racism in the theater in a letter to “White American Theater”
“We have watched you exploit us, shame us, diminish us and exclude us.” @NYTimes coverage: https://t.co/wTiEAZSGqj Full letter: https://t.co/PB3OEBLQr5 pic.twitter.com/ph27XigCTD— New York Theater (@NewYorkTheater) June 9, 2020
“We’ve been unraveling, week after week, day after day” — @BwayAdvocacyCo‘s Britton Smith
“Year after year” — director @LieslTommy
Broadway for Black Lives Matter, Day 2https://t.co/RBBHz6aAky
— New York Theater (@NewYorkTheater) June 12, 2020
Director @kwamekweiarmah talks to @guardian critic @Arifa_Akbar about the ways theater has undermined black people. He is 1 of 60 UK artists who wrote their own open letter last month, to UK culture secretary. https://t.co/LtVhHoQaoQ pic.twitter.com/hNKACupAuw
— New York Theater (@NewYorkTheater) June 9, 2020
Black Lives Matter On Stage Relevant theater to watch online now.
Black Pain on Stage — in 2018!
The Week in Awards
65th Annual Drama Desk Award Winners
(Scroll to the bottom at the link to watch the entire hour-long ceremony.)
Nominations for the newly created #AntonyoAwards by @BroadwayBlack for black theater artists.
(My favorite category: “Best Quarantine Content”)https://t.co/dFMw1Ox4JZ pic.twitter.com/VRuHj9TYMU— New York Theater (@NewYorkTheater) June 9, 2020
Congratulations to @TheLivingMJ for winning @dramatistguild’s
Frederick Loewe Award for Dramatic Composition — yet another award for #AStrangeLoop https://t.co/PgBdRtUuJf— New York Theater (@NewYorkTheater) June 12, 2020
20 New Theater Books for Summer Reading 2020
It is the special strength of James Shapiro’s fascinating book..that the author employs even these entertaining details as a way into American history, in order to analyze long-standing tensions involving race, class, gender, immigration and other fault-lines in American culture.
…He looks at eight controversial events involving Shakespeare, which he calls “defining moments in American history.” Each chapter focuses on a specific year, a specific play by Shakespeare, and specific issues of the day — most of which continue in some form into the present.
My full review of Shakespeare in a Divided America
The Week in Broadway Recalled and Recreated
.@BobDylan on @NorthCountryBwy https://t.co/EMTBg56ARS pic.twitter.com/V5PVCH0dp4
— New York Theater (@NewYorkTheater) June 13, 2020
Watch Patti LuPone, Matt Doyle, et al sing Company to Katrina Lenk https://t.co/TeW214izRj
— New York Theater (@NewYorkTheater) June 12, 2020
The Week in Theater Now
How audio theater is thriving in the digital age
Just as the coronavirus crisis has stimulated a surge of digital theatre on our screens, it has also sparked a wave of theatre via our headphones, the latest, unexpected development in an audio drama landscape already undergoing seismic shifts.
Brain research shows the art promote mental health. Practicing the arts can be used to build capacity for managing one’s mental and emotional well-being.
Minneapolis theater community uses stagecraft skills to support businesses of color in the aftermath of protests
Many of those volunteering their time are furloughed theater workers whose summer productions were canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.
What’s Coming Up Online
Chat live with @AnnaDeavereS Monday at 7 p.m., via @92Y https://t.co/HBecuh9VRc
(And watch her #NotesfromtheField on @HBO, and #TwilightLosAngeles on @PBS — spectacular works of theater directly relevant to #blacklivesmatter) pic.twitter.com/mHemERMKFE
— New York Theater (@NewYorkTheater) June 10, 2020
In honor of #JUNETEENTH on June 19, @AMSLAVERYPROJ presents a stellar cast, including #PhyliciaRashad, in 3 radio dramas (w/ visuals) that tell the story of rebellions large and small that Black women mounted for the right to vote.
Details: https://t.co/iBPAhwT8F1 pic.twitter.com/SH5MUGwizW
— New York Theater (@NewYorkTheater) June 15, 2020
Just announced: Tartuffe@MoliereBKPark LIVE & free online June 27th@RaulEEsparza, @SamiraWiley, @JenniferMudge et al star in Moliere’s timely satire about a pretend-pious crook, happy to use the Bible as a prop for personal gain (!)
Details:https://t.co/65vzcEtbYT pic.twitter.com/x1e6IrP10Y
— New York Theater (@NewYorkTheater) June 11, 2020
2 just announced shows to put on your calendar for June 20:
Mrs. Warren’s Profession, starring fabulous @tonyapinkins @GingoldGroup #PlaysintheHouse
The Gorgeous Nothings, a play w/ music about NYC’s hidden LGBTQ+ community in 1920s. @Playbill
Details: https://t.co/N63pqXVhMA pic.twitter.com/cUZkLlk3r9
— New York Theater (@NewYorkTheater) June 15, 2020
Check out
June 2020 Online Theater Openings: Pride and Perseverance. What’s Streaming Day by Day
and
Where To Get Your Theater Fix Online, Old Favorites and New Experiments
