Mondays are Dark

A quick update on Ground Up and Rising – they’ve added a performance of their production of Gruesome Playground Injuries; the final performance will be staged at Artistic Vibes, 2pm on October 6.

The Broward Center for the Performing Arts offers a sneak peek at its renovated lobby, which will be officially unveiled opening night of Chicago, starring John O’Hurley.

Now here’s your Monday reading list:

Hometown Playwright Awarded

The Miami Herald reports that Tarell Alvin McRaney has just been awarded a MacArthur Fellowship, also known as the Genius Grant.

 

Theatre in a Box. A Big Box.

BroadwayWorld takes a look at MicroTeatro Miami.

At $5 a pop, you can see as many shorts as you want in a night, each in a different storage container. A new show is a announced every 15 minutes or so, and there are fifteen shows total, all fifteen minutes in length.

Embarrassingly, we didn’t know about MicroTeatro; they haven’t listed themselves anywhere.  It wraps up this Sunday.

 

Early Bird Gets the Discount

A lot of theaters offers various kinds of deals on tickets; group sales, promo codes, and subscriptions are the most obvious ones. But The Miami Herald reports that The Aventura Arts and Cultural Center is offering a 15% discount on any tickets purchased by October 15.

 

Younger Crowd at Old School Square

The Sun-Sentinel reports on efforts by The Delray Center for the Arts at Old School Square to bring in a younger crowd.

"There's not a lot out there targeting the younger demographic, and we want to fill that gap," Ridalfo said. "It is important for the longevity of the center. We can't continually cater to an older audience and expect them to be around forever."

Honor an Arts Teacher

BroadwayWorld reports that the Broward Cultural Division is seeking nominations for outstanding teaching artists in Broward County, home of Fort Lauderdale.

To increase public awareness of the importance of arts education in our everyday lives, the Arts Teacher of the Year Program has expanded to recognize and promote not only school-based arts teachers, but also Teaching Artists working throughout Broward County schools and communities.

The deadline is October 18, so make your submissions now!

 

Hearken Back to Saturday Night

You may recall that New Theatre is doing a play based on the early years of Saturday Night Live, as reported in The Sun-Sentinel.  Vanity Fair has an article by legendary SNL producer Lorne Michaels, a reflection on the creation of this iconic comedy program.

The 70s began for me in 1975—on April 1, 1975, to be exact. That was the day I signed on to move to New York and begin work on a new late-night comedy/variety series for NBC. And it was going to be live. As it turns out, April Fools’ Day is the right day to start work on something like that.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

 

How Theaters Stimulate the Economy, #5

The New York Times takes a look at something most large theatre companies have to address during production: actor housing.

Theater companies and stage productions around the country are often obliged to house actors, directors and others from out of town. In some instances, it is a union obligation. In others, it is just the cost of doing business with a bright star.

Of course, touring productions have to house everyone working on the show; for a musical, that may mean hotel rooms for 50 to 75 people.  Then factor in transportation, meals, laundry – these are just some of the ways theaters are an economic boon to a neighborhood.