Spotlight
Stories that deserve your attention
Dear Community Theaters, Inviting a Critic Does Not GUARANTEE Praise
A local critic told me a community theatre will stop inviting them to shows after one negative review. Wild, right? If we send the invite, we have to be willing to hear the truth.
“Wicked: For Good” Proves You Can’t Stretch Act Two Into a Whole Movie
Wicked fans, we need to talk. I wrote about why Part Two didn’t hit the same highs for me, even though I went in hoping it would. All love, no snark. Just honesty.
Do We Really Need a Trigger Warning for Jesus Christ Superstar?
A theatre added a trigger warning to Jesus Christ Superstar because it shows the crucifixion. I’m all for content warnings when they’re needed, but this one had me blinking.
Did Kristin Chenoweth’s Charlie Kirk Comments Really Cause the Closing of The Queen of Versailles?
Did Kristin Chenoweth’s comments about Charlie Kirk quietly hurt The Queen of Versailles on Broadway? I don’t think they closed the show, but they definitely shaped the conversation around it.
Director Kept Actor in Cast Despite Complaints Before Child Sex Crime Arrest
A community theatre performer has been arrested for child sex crimes. Multiple cast members warned leadership months ago. Those warnings were ignored.
Kids Can Handle More Than You Think: Why Youth Actors Need Higher Standards
Young performers deserve the same respect and expectations that we have for the adults in these productions. This type of groundwork will set kids up for long-term success in theatre.
Did Parent Complaints Cause a High School to Change “She Kills Monsters” Without Permission?
High School officials in Iowa delayed a production of She Kills Monsters last week, saying “modifications” were needed after parents objected to its LGBTQ themes. Were those changes allowed under the script’s licensing?
“Hamilton” Licensing News Gives Theatre Education a Much Needed Boost
Hamilton is officially coming to schools and, eventually, community theatres. It is hard to overstate how meaningful that is for the next wave of young performers.
The Surprising Case for Opera in Community Theatre
Someone in the comments suggested that community theatres should try opera, and I haven’t stopped thinking about it. Maybe it isn’t as impossible as we think.
Youth Dance Instructor Charged With Molestation
Police say a former Theatre Arts Tulsa instructor admitted to inappropriate contact with a minor student. The case is reigniting conversations about adult access and accountability in youth programs.
Addressing the Stigmas of Running a Christian-Based Theatre Company
What does it mean to make art from a place of faith — without being mistaken for a movement?
What a Canadian Postal Dispute Reveals About the Fragility of Theatre Marketing
Thousands of theatre brochures printed and waiting, but nowhere to go. A postal dispute has left community theatres across Canada unable to reach their audiences.