Stage Directions

National New Play Network, the country's alliance of nonprofit theaters that champions the development, production, and continued life of new plays, announces its 2017-18 grant recipients, including the 2017 Smith Prize for Political Theatre, seven Producer Residencies, and five Collaboration Fund awards that will support partnerships between multiple Member Theaters, playwrights, and other theater makers in various projects.

For the recent premiere of the opera, Snégourotchka (The Snow Maiden) by Rimski-Korsakov at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, Russia, three enormous lightboxes – the largest features of the set in this spectacular production – which form the backdrop to the Russian folk tale that tells of the Snow Maiden’s ill-fated love for the human, Mizgir. The opera premiered on June 15 in the 1,740-seat Heritage Stage and featured a set design by Vladimir Arefiev, with lighting by Damir Ismagilov.
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Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for theatre, announces the recipients of the first round of the 2017 Edgerton Foundation New Play Awards. The awards, totaling $359,000, allow 13 productions extra time for the development and rehearsal of new plays with the entire creative team, helping to extend the life of the play after its first run. Past Productions to recieve award support include 2017 Tony Winners Dear Evan Hansen and Oslo. 
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The German-Israeli co-production St. Matthew’s Passion 2727 is a dance oratorio choreographed by Tamir Ginz for the Kamea Dance Company, inspired by the St. Matthew Passion (BWV 244) by Johann Sebastian Bach. The dance production, produced by Bayer Arts & Culture, is a co-production between two opera houses in Leverkusen and Wuppertal in Germany and Beer-Sheva Performing Arts centre in Israel. Lighting designer Yaron Abulafia was asked to add his magic and imagination to the intense performance.

Belgium-based Luminex Network Intelligence continues to strengthen its American sales force with the addition of Cardone Solomon & Associates (CSA) representing Luminex in the Northeastern U.S. Right after the announcement was made CSA unveiled Luminex products to a very receptive audience at its CSA New England Tech Showcase in Boston.

The Long Reach Long Riders are happy to announce the success of their 14th annual charity motorcycle ride. The ride, which was dubbed The Avocado Adventure, by ride marshal Drew Wending, raised over $57,000. for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and Behind the Scenes Charity, bringing the total raised since the rides began in 2004 to over $600,000.

Tony Kushner’s multi-award-winning play, Angels in America has made a triumphant return to the National Theatre, marking 25 years since its UK debut. This new staging of the play is directed by Marianne Elliott, complemented by lighting design from Paule Constable and a set designed by Ian MacNeil, who takes advantage of the moving parts afforded by the National’s Lyttelton stage to blend reality and fantasy for the multifaceted story. This technology-laden production of the two-part epic features innovative ways of working with ETC’s Eos^® family of lighting control desks.
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Global entertainment leader Cirque du Soleil today announced the acquisition of New-York-based Blue Man Productions, a global live entertainment company best known for the award-winning Blue Man Group show, performed in over 20 countries and seen by more than 35 million people worldwide since 1991. 
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The Burry Fredrik Foundation has announced a new commitment to launching the careers of graduates from the Yale School of Drama Design Departments with the establishment of the Burry Fredrik Design Fellowship. Set designer Claire DeLiso, who received her MFA this past spring, is the first recipient. This new Foundation initiative is a collaboration with Yale School of Drama and the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center’s National Playwrights Conference.

Harman Professional Solutions has announced the AKG 600MHz Wireless Trade-In Program is now live. This special promotion offers customers the opportunity to trade in any qualifying*, complete and working 600MHz wireless system—from AKG or a variety of other brands—to receive a rebate of up to $350 per channel towards a new AKG wireless microphone system.