staylorellis

"The best moments in reading are when you come across something - a thought, a feeling, a way of looking at things - which you had thought special and particular to you. And now, here it is, set down by someone else, a person you have never met, someone even who is long dead. And it is as if a hand has come out, and taken yours." -Alan Bennett, The History Boys Welcome to my archive of moments in reading across the web. var sc_project=6384755; var sc_invisible=1; var sc_security="67cdf047";

[pittsburghclo]

It’s been another incredible few days of SPARK with our talented artists. Rehearsals were in full swing at the Academy with POOL BOY, THESE GIRLS HAVE DEMONS, GAME ON, SKINFOLK and JUST BETWEEN THE ALL OF US. We welcomed the company of SKiNFoLK: AN AMERICAN STORY to the Benedum for the start of their rehearsals as well. Throughout the past couple of days, we’ve had a chance to sit down with each writing team and talk about their SPARK experience and aspirations for the future. Talk about a SPARK of inspiration! To have this opportunity to showcase their work for an entirely new audience is an exciting prospect for these teams and we can’t wait to see what they have in store.

[staylorellis]

This is a thing that exists.

[zavone]

[staylorellis]

Poetry by Jay Eisenberg, Music by Sam Willmott. Sung by Kerstin Anderson at Feinstein's/54 Below in New Writers: the Songs of Sam Willmott.

[restlessruminations]

In Barbara Cook’s Final Days, Her Friends Came to Sing at Her Bedside

Vanessa Williams, Norm Lewis, and others came to sing by Ms. Cook’s bedside as she lay dying. Others sent audio and video recordings to say goodbye.

[itsdlevy]

Use imagination and bifocals and a subtext can be found anywhere, even in Mamma Mia.

Arthur Laurents (via itsdlevy)

[fuckyeahgreatplays]

I just learned about Scenery Bags and I’m in LOVE. Stage manager Jen Kahn makes one-of-a-kind clutches from retired backdrops. Inside each bag is a tag that tells you what show it’s from. The pictured design, from a show called Desert Song, is sold out, but you can sign up on her site to be alerted to the next run!

A portion of proceeds from each bag is donated to TDF’s Stage Doors program, which gives middle and high school students with a meaningful introduction to live theatre by attending a Broadway or Off Broadway performance and participating in in-class workshops. 

[fuckyeahgreatplays]

Best Theatre Cities in the U.S.

Although New York is great, we wanted to give some love to nine great theatre cities (that aren’t New York), and the amazing performances they have to offer.

As I’ve said before, NYC is not the end-all-be-all of theater. Here are some other cities with great theater scenes:

Chicago

Boston

San Francisco

Minneapolis

Louisville

Houston

Atlanta

Philadelphia

Washington, DC

I’ve seen theater in almost all of these cities and can vouch for the quality of work happening there.

[staylorellis]

LA never seems to make these lists but absolutely deserves a spot for their awesome 99-seat black box theater scene. <3

[staylorellis]

I am just one transgender veteran. 15,500 transgender adults are on active duty or serving in the Guard or Reserve forces. Transgender service members are neither a burden nor a disruption. They are brave, honorable people putting their lives on the line for all Americans.

[moe-honk]

'I'm A Musical Theater Composer'

Glee, in its presentation of Broadway songs as contemporary pop music, shamelessly auto-tuned and lip-synched, has helped to make musical theater more popular than ever. But, even if it is popular, musical theater is still uncool. Why is this?…

I recently re-stumbled on this article by Dave Malloy from 2012, and it was worth re-reading. The premise, about Glee, may not be quite as relevant today, but Malloy does a good job tracing the history of musical theatre, and posits how and why musical theatre is what it is today.

[moe-honk]

Bringing this back again. Re-re-stumbled.

[staylorellis]

The history is not inaccurate, but I truly, truly hate the authenticity argument.

[staylorellis]

David Mamet Doesn’t Want to Hear From You. Do Other Playwrights?

Tedious or contentious, the postshow discussion has become part of the theater landscape. Given a choice, would other writers issue a gag order?

Doug Wright (‘I Am My Own Wife’)

After a preview of “I Am My Own Wife” at Playwrights Horizons a dashing young man asked a terribly smart question. We’ve been together for 15 years and married for eight.

[staylorellis]

Opinion | Why Women Aren’t C.E.O.s, According to Women Who Almost Were

It’s not a pipeline problem. It’s about loneliness, competition and deeply rooted barriers.

[fuckyeahstephensondheim]

I think about my own death all the time, now that I’m so close to it.

Stephen Sondheim, in a July, 2017 interview with the Los Angeles Times. (via fuckyeahstephensondheim)

This whole interview is great tbh

(via itsdlevy)

[staylorellis]

Six Easy Ways to Immediately Address Racial and Gender Diversity in Your Music History Classroom

By Kira Thurman and Kristen Turner

“For art music to grow into a richer, more inclusive space, we must start in our classrooms by showing ourselves, our colleagues, and our students that classical music has never been the preserve of white cisgender men only, and it does not have to continue to be the place of privilege and whiteness that it too often is.”

[staylorellis]

On the 200th anniversary of Jane Austen's death, Meghan and I are holding another EMMA rewrite bootcamp day! Here is a piano/vocal demo of a beloved song (performed by the outstanding Briana Gantsweg) that had an all-too-short life in our musical adaptation. Thank you, Jane!

[staylorellis]

The business of Art [...] is to live in the actual present, that is the complete actual present, and to completely express that complete actual present.

Gertrude Stein, “Plays”

[staylorellis]

Women of Note Event Will Celebrate Female, Queer, and Trans Theatre Artists | Playbill

Erin Davie and Ariana DeBose are among more than 30 scheduled performers.

Excited to share a song from THE TROJAN WOMEN in the 9:30pm lineup!