Spotlight
Stories that deserve your attention
Theater Critics Need to Stop Commenting on Performers’ Bodies
After reading a review of West Side Story, where a critic decided to comment on a performer’s body instead of simply reviewing the work onstage, we need to remind critics to stop treating performers’ bodies as fair game.
A Community Theatre Used AI on Its Cast. That Should Alarm Everyone.
A community theatre got backlash for using AI in promotional images, including altering an actress’s body. That crosses a line and community theatre, of all spaces, should know better.
How Is Tyler Perry Co-Producing on Broadway While Still Flagged by Actors’ Equity?
Tyler Perry is now part of the producing team for Joe Turner’s Come and Gone. He is also still on Actors’ Equity’s Do Not Work list.
Isa Briones Calls Out Disruptive Audience Behavior at ‘Just in Time’
Isa Briones is speaking out after an audience member reportedly shouted “Dr. Santos” at her during a performance of Just in Time, prompting a broader conversation about theater etiquette on Broadway.
The Rocky Horror Show Team Needs To Clearly Tell Fans What’s Welcome
Rocky Horror fans want to know the rules. Other audience members want to know what they are walking into. Right now, both sides are being left frustrated.
With Pink, the Tonys Are Stunt Casting Their Host
If Broadway uses stunt casting to sell tickets, why wouldn’t the Tonys use it to sell a broadcast?
The Jeff Awards Have No One to Blame but Themselves
Chicago theaters are leaving the Jeff Awards behind, and the real story is not the backlash. It’s the judgment that caused it.
Not Every New Broadway Musical Needs to Be Based on Movies. But at These Prices, What Else Is Filling the Seats?
Broadway doesn’t need every new musical to be based on a movie, TV show, or some other piece of pre-sold content. But when tickets cost this much, originality starts to look like a tougher sell.
Theatre Professor and State Rep. Amy Roeder Makes Case for More Artists in Politics
A theatre professor who is also a politician should not feel unusual, and yet it still does. Amy Roeder’s story is a great reminder that theatre training may prepare people for public service more than we give it credit for.
Spokane Civic Theatre Cancels Hunchback, Pledges More Inclusive Path Forward
Spokane Civic Theatre has cancelled The Hunchback of Notre Dame after controversy over the production’s casting.
Yes, It’s Weird When the Artistic Director Casts Themself as the Lead
Harbour Lights Theatre has announced its summer production of Dear Evan Hansen, starring the theatre’s artistic director as Evan. For some, this renews a familiar question: should the person running the theatre also be taking the lead in a show?
“Mission: Impossible-The Musical” to Open on Broadway Fall 2026, Performing Mostly Outside of Theatre
The production, starring Tom Cruise himself in a strictly limited four-week run, promises to redefine immersive theater by taking place largely outside the theater itself.