Beyond the Lights : Making Theatre Better and Safer

Chris Peterson

Last year I wrote a piece about James Barbour's criminal past in relation to his casting as the latest Phantom on Broadway. Suffice to say, that piece got a lot of attention and really put this blog on path of growth that now stands at a weekly readership reach of 3 Million people. 

Much of our growth and popularity is due to our advice columns, reviews of local productions, humorous pictures and  college rankings. However, I feel our best work has always been shining a spot light on issues we all face in this industry or exposing unethical, or even illegal, behavior occurring in our theaters. 

Over the past month, I've been asking myself one question. With the dramatic growth of our readers and the opportunity that shine an international spotlight on various issues, how can OnStage make theatre better and safer for others?

So starting this Monday, this blog will start publishing a new feature titled, Beyond the Lights, a column that will investigate and highlight stories and people from all over the world. 

The theatre industry, although different in what it produces, is no different than any other industry: It has issues that need addressing. It has good people who need help keeping the lights on and bad people who deserve to be exposed for creating unsafe environments. 

I want this blog to be an outlet that brings all of this to light. That is what Beyond the Lights is going to be. A column where we can help keep theaters open and safe.

On Monday, we'll be running a story documenting a sex abuse case at a Children's Theater that dates back to the 1970's. With your help, I can only imagine what we can do. 

If you have a story that you feel should be featured in this column, email us at cpeterson@onstageblog.com

 It's time to start using this blog's vast resources to help others.