Items

• 
  2021-11-01

  Yiddish Cabaret Postponed in Jewish Melbourne

  Melbourne's state of rolling lockdowns through the second half of 2021 played havoc with the performing arts industry. 'Durkh A Modnem Gloz' ('Through A Strange Lens'), staged by the Kadimah Jewish Cultural Centre in Elsternwick, a Yiddish cabaret performed by Galit Klas (with English translation surtitles created and operated by me) was an event that had to be rescheduled multiple times. As seen in the first image, the original performance dates were listed June 23-27, but was postponed to July 21-25 due to insufficient rehearsal time, thanks to the lockdown ending 10th June. With a new lockdown coming into effect on Thursday 15th of July, new dates were again required. In the Facebook post on the 21st of July (screenshotted and posted here), the Kadimah Jewish Cultural Centre officially announced the postponement. These new dates were set for August 4-8, but the opening night was the only show performed as Lockdown 6 was announced and came into effect on Thursday 5th. Now with that lockdown finally over, will ‘Durkh A Modne Gloz’ finally get the full season it deserves? (Uploaded as a part of my university studies: HIST30060)
• 
  2020-03-13

  My UC SmashBubble

  I was a college freshman only a few weeks into my spring semester when COVID got real. On March 13th, the entire school received an email that academics would be halted and that no guests would be allowed in any of the dorms. In essence, Columbia College Chicago was on lockdown. There was no leaving the dorms because there was no reason to leave. Any comedy gigs that I had were cancelled as theatres began to shut down, school assignments were postponed as schools struggled to find solutions, and most of my friends living in the other dorm buildings were far away. I had washed and sanitized my hands so manically that they were chapped and burning. I was too afraid to go to the pharmacy across the street because I didn't have a mask. The grey walls of a dorm feel a lot more grey when they're the only things you see. I was scared and alone when I heard a ruckus coming from the dorm I shared a bathroom with. One of my suitemates had gathered some friends to play Super Smash Brothers. I had played with him and my roommate in the past, but he was entertaining a group of people I had only seen in passing glances in the hall. I picked up a controller and, for the next two weeks, they were my only friends. We did everything together, played games, ate together, watched TV (turns out they like to watch Wheel Of Fortune, a game that I've won many times from the comfort of my couch), they even persuaded me to watch a little of the anime they all enjoyed. After a few terrible days of thinking only about my problems and what this pandemic meant for my future, a fun, tight-knit group of friends was just what the doctor ordered. I made a lot of fantastic memories with them and, if it wasn't for COVID, they would have remained passing faces in the hallway.
• 
  2021-03-25

  Eyeing a Fall Theatre Reopening, NYC to Create Dedicated COVID-19 Vaccination Site, Mobile Unit, More for Industry

  Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York has announced efforts to reopen Broadway by the fall. These efforts include vaccine and pop-up testing sites in the theatre district. Currently, no performance will take place at least through May 30. However, pop-up performances and performances at certain venues are still happening.
• 
  2020-07-29

  Jewish Melbourne: Performance of a Shakespeare monologue in Yiddish, by Kadimah

  Performed by Evelyn Krape, this monologue from Hamlet was performed in Yiddish as part of the Kadimah Theatre's lockdown programming
• 
  11/17/2020

  Anonymous Oral History, 2020/11/17

  This is an interview with a student of St. Mary's University, who is also a member of the student assistant crew which works in the university's drama department, who describes how her job, which is primarily done in-person and in service to theatre productions on campus, has changed with the vast majority of school no longer meeting in person and events such as theatre productions cancelled, as well as what the department is doing in the meantime and what steps it is taking to guarantee student worker safety in the workplace.
• 
  10/16/2020

  Jorge Martinez Oral History, 2020/10/16

  An interview between a student of St. Mary's University who is involved with the university's Drama Department talks about the challenges of the recent school semester in the current circumstances and how the Department is working to overcome them and plans for the future. Interview conducted by myself.
• 
  2020-10-06

  How acting changes during the age of COVID

  This document is a list of requirements and guidelines for the attendance of a an acting workshop I was a part of in October of this year, as a part of a larger project the Drama Department at my university, St. Mary's was and is attempting to create a new and safer theatre experience for the coming semesters. The workshop we attended was, of course, created with the intent for attendees to participate in-person. Despite this, however, as the requirements here show, the fact that that was impossible, or at least very ill-advised, not only wasn't enough to prevent it from happening, it may have helped it in a good number of ways. For a first example, the individuals in charge of the workshop, affiliated with The Tectonic Theatre, were situated in New York, as opposed to my university being located in San Antonio Texas. The fact that the workshop was held virtually actually made it much more realistically approachable as otherwise the distance would have complicated matters considerably, which was taken care of in that way. In the same vein, as the requirements hint at with the items that are required, is that each person who participated was able to use their surroundings, almost exclusively their own homes, which they were of course very familiar with, to great affect for the exercises that were given to them. In fact, despite the initial misgivings that many of us-myself included-initially had, the workshop was able to take place not only just as well as it would have had it been in person, but in my personal opinion, it might have gone even better. All in all, the workshop was a pretty impressive look at overcoming complications from this pandemic and working around them to make the virtual experience lose nothing from an in-person experience.
• 
  2020-04-08

  "Viktor Orbán is Using the Coronavirus Emergency to Crush Minorities" - Jacobin

  In an article for Jacobin Magazine, Imre Szijarto and Rosa Schwartzburg describe in length how the far-right government of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has taken advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic to pass a law to give itself emergency powers over civil society and the other branches of government. These emergency powers, which include the ability to censor journalists, attacks on LGBTQ rights, the power to grant government contracts (to Orban's cronies), and the takeover of art institutions, represents a blatant power grab that is unprecedented in Europe since the 1930s. Indeed, Orban's emergency power decree has drawn comparisons to figures as varied as Adolf Hitler and Emperor Palpatine (in Hungarian language memes), and the European Union leadership has strongly condemned Orban's decree as akin the "Enabling Act," which was passed by the Nazis in 1933. Orban's autocratic power grab and the democratic backsliding experienced by Hungary were already underway before the pandemic, but COVID-19 has allowed Orban to use a "state of exception" to effectively suspend liberally democracy in Hungary for the foreseeable future.
• 
  2020

  Jewish Melbourne: Bialik College Foundation fundraising projects for Covid-19

  Amongst its other fundraising efforts, Bialik College launched a special 'Covid-19 Relief' fundraiser: "Our goal is to ensure no child leaves Bialik College as a result of financial hardship caused by COVID-19. Help us make this a reality and support a family in need. We are all in this together." They also launched a fundraiser to create new outdoor spaces: "Help us transform our outdoor amphitheatre into a flexible event space. With current social distancing measures in place as a result of COVID-19, we need to think creatively to look for alternative ways to gather as a school community."
• 
  2020-10-01

  Performing Arts Lives On

  With permission from the original poster I wanted to share my friends’ story. Being in the Performing arts has been tough for him since COVID hit, he had a show that was supposed to run right in the midst of COVID and in perfect artistic manner they found a way to make it happen. They held their show in a park and everyone (including the performers) wore masks. In his post he shares the magic of performing arts.
• 
  2020-10-09

  Broadway Shutdown extended through May 2021

  This article shares the news that the Broadway League has extended the suspension of performances through May 2021. Previously, Broadway shows were scheduled to reopen in January 2021. This is significant because of how much employment Broadway affects, from performers to those who work in costume shops.
• 
  2020-10-10

  Florida Theatre

  The Florida Theatre, a historically significant building in Jacksonville, Florida, has been closed since the beginning of the pandemic and has been unable to reopen safely since guidelines have relaxed. As this article says, the theater is now out of money and is trying to raise money through donations so that they can reopen in December.
• 
  2020-07

  Broadway Community Project

  "This is a project curated by and for the Broadway community. While the footlights are dimmed during the Broadway suspension, we wanted to shine a spotlight on the sprawling, interconnected world of workers beyond the stage that help bring the stories we love to life. By creating this interactive tool, we hope that audience and industry members alike will take a moment to learn more about the artists and artisans, technicians and ticketers. Collectively, all the roles, small businesses, and vital individuals have helped make Broadway the cultural heart of New York City through their passionate, tireless work. This is a living, breathing map, and we need you to continue its growth and evolution. The contributions from within our community will help ensure it’s as representative of Broadway as possible."
• 
  2020-07-26

  American Theater Workers Urgently Need Financial Help. The Government Must Step In.

  "The arts in New York City is a major economic engine. According to a study commissioned last year by the Mayor’s "Office of Arts and Entertainment, theater is responsible for $1.3 billion in annual economic output, 8,409 jobs, and $513 million in salaries. The Broadway closedown, effective from March 12, has had a massive financial impact on New York, and a massive personal impact on those who work within it...When the coronavirus pandemic hit New York City, hundreds of Broadway shows closed immediately. While the Actors’ Equity Association was able to secure several weeks of pay and health insurance for Broadway and touring performers, many were left with nothing."
• 
  2020-04-22

  Before Coronavirus, Theatre Was My Salvation. Where Do I Turn Now?

  1. Due to COVID-19 fears, theaters on Broadway and across the country have shut down. Legendary actor and director, Joel Grey reveals the mental health strain this loss has caused for himself and so many in his position, including the loss of work and the community he relied on for support and companionship. Joel Grey writes "Because of the coronavirus, we’re facing a future that sure feels more tenuous and fragile than ever. Projects have been canceled, milestones have already been missed, and all the shows have gone dark. These are hard times, for sure, and in hard times I, like so many others, have always turned to the theater for comfort. Where do we turn now? This tragedy has been made that much more devastating by having to face the nightmare without the laughter, tears and sense of community that a night in the theater delivers."
• 2020-05-29

  Extra legroom and no interval: Germany plans for post-lockdown theatre

  “As Germany continues to relax social distancing restrictions imposed to curb the spread of Covid-19, playhouses in most cities are still waiting for an official date when they can reopen their doors to the public. The Berlin senate announced on Friday that open-air cultural events will be allowed from 2 June, but theatres are likely to remain shut until September. Venues such as the German capital’s Berliner Ensemble, however, are already providing a glimpse of what drama could look like in a world of social distancing.”
• 
  2020-05-14

  "The Show Must Go On...Line" Pioneer Theatre Company

  Karen Azenberg introduces this week's theme for The Show Goes On...Line! with the cast of "Music Man." It's a large cast, so hang on! Cast members also give a special shout out to ensemble member Michael McArthur from the 2015 production and went on to appear in TV's Smash, and Fosse/Verdon. Michael passed away this month; he will be terribly missed by all of us. Here to kick things off is none other than Lizzie Klemperer who played "Marian Paroo," performing her tribute to Michael with "I Could Have Danced All Night."
• 
  2020-05-28

  Actors Argue About Safety of Return

  data does not matching civic leaders decision to admit actors and patrons back into the theatre. It is becoming a hot issue amongst the Performing Arts community
• 
  2020-05-28

  Local Actors Disagree on Safety of Return To The Theatre

  Local actors are very cautious about returning to the theatre and resuming rehearsals/productions. This particular post shows the distrust of public and civic officials as they are contradicting the data provided. Some are turning against each other because of the differences of opinion and fears based in the conflicting data. Actors have been hit hard by the Pandemic and want to get back to work. Others are more cautious, arguing that the safety of others is more important.
• 
  2020-04-27

  Running on Hope

  So theatre stopped. Everywhere. Broadway all the way to the community theatre in small towns. Shows that people put there blood, sweat, and tears into were postponed, rescheduled, then finally cancelled. They majority of theatre in the U.S. is community theatre. If a company doesn't put on a show, it could very well put them out of business. It's a business that needs an a crowd. Many companies are planning there upcoming season on hope. Hope that there will be a world to see the art they created. Online major companies have put out previous recorded operas, plays, and concerts in order to keep that spirit of art alive. And it seems to be working, for now. But we are a social species. I don't know if we can handle the separation. I hope we can outlast it. See, we are running on hope.
• 
  2020-03-27

  Neighborhood Theatre Says "Wash Them Hands"

  The popular Neighborhood Theatre in the almost desolate North Davidson neighborhood in Charlotte, NC shut its doors until further notice. The main, front marquee says “Stay Safe CLT, Wash Them Hands”; the theatre’s right side marquee says “Back At It Soon Y’all Much Love, NT”
• 
  04/01/2020

  An important update about Evita

  Show delayed due to COVID-19.