Twiddle, twiddle. Our thumbs grow weary of the exercise, but those FANY Awards just keep keepin' us hangin' on -- plus, we've decided to add the prestigious OOBR Awards as soon as they're available. Soooo, we battle our ennui by taking a brief look at some new (or previously unmentioned) and interesting theatre websites. (We will be taking a further look at several of these.) Therefore, in alphabetical order:
Pretty much says it -- it's the official site of the League of American Theatres & Producers, the who put up the money and/or house the shows. There's a members only section which I can only conjecture about, but for all of us non-members there's a lot to see. Find out about the League, as well as their events, services, shows, theatres, press releases, etc. Take a gander at some research projects, including demographic studies into just who it is who goes to Broadway shows, the industry's contribution to the New York City economy, or statistics of past seasons. Get on their mailing list or join the Broadway Fan Club. C'mon-a here!
Yes, it's the online version of "The Original Casting Weekly for the Performing Artist." You'll find here much of what you'll find in the print edition: feature articles, news, reviews, commentary, production and performance listing, profiles of celebrities, a short-list of casting directors, and Hildy Johnson's "Inside Ink" gossip/news column. They even have an online submission casting call submission form. Alas, what you won't find, though, is the area that is the primary reason people buy the print edition, namely the Casting Call listings. Even though actors will still continue to have to pick up a copy of the weekly paper to get the listings, this site is still a fabulous resource for those looking for information about the theatre.
The site of Canada-based play publisher, Theatrefolk. They provide an online catalog of their available plays (since -- other than the Shakespeare plays -- no author is listed for the plays, should we assume that all the plays were written by Lindsay Price, one of the Theatrefolk owners?), as well as royalty rates and information. Also provided are information and registration for their intriguing 8-week Playwrighting Online Workshop for school groups.
"We bring the show to you!" The stated goal of this
site is "to provide a more entertaining and convenient way
for theatregoers to select and buy tickets." And as the site
is chock full of Flash presentations, it certainly can be entertaining
-- at least the first time through. Having to site through the
same 20-second animation each time you return to a page can become
tiresome, although many of the animations do contain a "Skip"
button to get you right to the info. The site has an extremely
short list of shows for which they provide codes for discounted
tickets (at the time of this writing, just three), but in addition
to saving money using their service not only are you entered in
a contest (win cash, free tickets, etc.), but a portion of TheatreGrams'
income from the sale goes to non-profit organizations (like the
Actors Fund, for instance).
Note that this site requires the Macromedia
Shockwave Flash plug-in.
Yet another site that seems to want to butt heads with the Goliaths of theatre on the internet, TheaterMania.com provides a less New York-centric view of the theatre. The site defaults to a kind of generic view, but choose any of more than 25 "scenes" -- from Atlanta to Washington DC -- and the page reformats to highlight that particular city, with links, stories, and reviews to match. The site attempts to provide a meeting place for "Novice and Experienced Theatergoers," "Industry Professionals," and "Show, Network, and Content Partners." Excerpted from their long list of features:
...convenient and comprehensive listings, news, reviews, and ticketing options... Group discounts, music, memorabilia, books, souvenirs, travel packages, and gift certificates... discover new shows, have a discussion, or follow the Maniac from show to show... e-mail updates with special deals, previews and up-to-date theater buzz.
Become a member for special features and discounts.
Originally published at Suite101.com Theatre, 6/13/00
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