Industry Pro Newsletter: Drama Desk winners announced & Jeff Awards halt non-Equity Adjudication
by Alex Freeman - May 18, 2026
In New York, awards season rolls on: Schmigadoon! and Ragtime led the 70th Annual Drama Desk Awards, Dorian Award nominations have been announced, and John Lithgow is slated for a lifetime achievement honor. Chicago’s Jeff Awards have halted non-Equity adjudication to overhaul policies following community backlash, while the UK’s National Theatre is launching a 12-venue partnership to rescue a collapsing regional touring network. We round out the news with a wave of key executive appointments in Massachusetts, Dallas, and London, a breakdown of Australia’s complex new $1.1 billion arts budget, and the return of BroadwayWorld's My Show’s Curtain Call for the 2025-2026 season.
Industry Pro Newsletter: IATSE Takes on the Kennedy Center — and Touring Theatre's Crisis in the UK Deepens
by Alex Freeman - May 11, 2026
This week's theater news spans awards season milestones, legal disputes, labor tensions, and the business challenges facing the art form on both sides of the Atlantic. The 2026 Tony nominations are in — with Schmigadoon! and The Lost Boys leading the pack. Voting is also now open for BroadwayWorld's own Theater Fans' Choice Awards. On a more turbulent note, a fire at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre has shuttered The Book of Mormon through at least May 17, a second lawsuit has been filed against the producers of Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club, and IATSE is accusing the Kennedy Center of using its upcoming temporary closure as cover to permanently eliminate union jobs. Regionally, The Naples Players have secured a multi-year grant to expand paid apprenticeships for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. And internationally, The Stage examines whether the UK touring sector — where the number of touring plays has fallen 64% since 2019 — can find a path forward through its mounting financial and structural pressures.
THE MONSTERS Cast & Creative Team Unveiled at La Jolla Playhouse
by A.A. Cristi - May 7, 2026
La Jolla Playhouse has announced the cast and creative team for THE MONSTERS, a co-production with Berkeley Repertory Theatre. Playwright Ngozi Anyanwu stars alongside Sullivan Jones in the sibling drama set in the world of mixed martial arts.
Industry Pro Newsletter: Are 8 PM Curtains Hurting Broadway? Plus: Your 2026 Tony Nominations Guide
by Alex Freeman - May 4, 2026
As New York prepares for the 2026 Tony Award nominations and honors the recent Lucille Lortel winners, producers are facing tough questions about whether traditional 8 PM curtain times are driving audiences away. The business landscape is shifting heavily behind the scenes, marked by the merger of licensing giants BMG and Concord, looming strike ballots in the West End, and the Kennedy Center's controversial two-year shutdown. Despite these logistical and financial challenges—including a devastating embezzlement case at a Pennsylvania community theatre—there is plenty of positive momentum to report, from the rapid financial recoupment of the Suffs national tour to new initiatives supporting theater education and large-scale playwriting.
Mark Brokaw Memorial To Be Hosted By Lucille Lortel Theatre
by Marissa Faith Curley - Apr 30, 2026
Lucille Lortel Theatre to host memorial for stage director Mark Brokaw. Featuring appearances by Douglas Carter Beane, Santino Fontana, Robyn Goodman, David Grimm, Kenneth Lonergan, Mary-Louise Parker, Sam Pinkleton, Amy Ryan, and Paula Vogel.
Photos: Meet the Cast of ||: GIRLS :||: CHANCE :||: MUSIC :||
by Jennifer Broski - Apr 29, 2026
Vineyard Theatre will soon present the world premiere of ||: Girls :||: Chance :||: Music :|| written by Pulitzer Prize finalist Eisa Davis and directed by Tony Award winner Pam MacKinnon. The cast includes Gianna DiGregorio Rivera (Private Lives), Hillary Fisher (Cyrano), Naomi Latta (In The Heights) and Yeena Sung (Younger). Check out photos of the company here!
Industry Pro Newsletter: New Artistic Directors, A New Union Contract & A New 3,000-Seat Venue
by Alex Freeman - Apr 27, 2026
On the industry and international fronts, American Dream mall in New Jersey prepares to open a 3,000-seat performing arts center ahead of the FIFA World Cup, UK theater organizations call for ticket resale price cap legislation ahead of the King's Speech, and the Royal Academy of Dance receives a two-year grant to fund bursaries for trainee dance teachers.
Vineyard Theatre Ratifies First IATSE Collective Bargaining Agreement
by A.A. Cristi - Apr 24, 2026
Vineyard Theatre has ratified its first collective bargaining agreement with IATSE, formally recognizing the union as representative for its backstage and overhire crew members, establishing wage scales, healthcare benefits, and workplace protections.