Read on for more theatre news you may have missed in today's headlines.
Billy Porter Delivers the 2021 LGBTQ State of the Union
Tony Award winner Billy Porter returned for the third year to deliver Logo network's 2021 LGBTQ State of the Union address. "Our union remains strong," he says in a speech that highlights the issues impacting the LGBTQIA+ community. Porter reviews a challenging 2020, marked by the COVID-19 pandemic and a record number of violent transgender deaths. "Honey, it is bleak out there. But there are reasons to remain hopeful," he says, noting the change of the presidential administration in the U.S. and the trailblazing LGBTQIA+ politicians elected to state and federal government in November. "Brighter days are ahead of us if we continue to work toward them together." Watch the address above.
Seaview Presents an Interactive Tour of the Porter Family Mansion
Take an interactive audio journey through the former mansion of the eccentric millionaire couple Hubert and Clarissa Porter in a new theatrical experience from production company Seaview. A House Tour of the Infamous Porter Family Mansion with Tour Guide Weston Ludlow Londonderry...At Home is written by San Francisco playwright Peter Sinn Nachtrieb and features the voice work of Danny Scheie and Tony nominee Lilli Cooper, under the direction of Jason Eagan. Bespoke boxes, filled with artifacts designed to bring the audio tour to life, are included with the experience. For more information, visit PorterFamilyMansion.com.
A New Virtual Roundtable Television Series Inspired by Jagged Little Pill
A four-part television series, Wake Up: Why Social Responsibility in Theatre Matters, about the importance of responsible storytelling will premiere on NYC Life April 2 at 11 PM ET and air on Fridays through April 23. Inspired by the themes of Broadway's Jagged Little Pill, the series will run in April in observance of Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Wake Up features members of the Jagged Little Pill cast, creative, and producing teams, along with activists and experts, in virtual roundtable discussions on four themes explored in the Alanis Morissette musical: sexual assault, gender expression and sexuality, transracial adoption and race representation, and opioid addiction. The series is produced by the NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment and NYC Media. Watch a promo below.
Christopher Lloyd Will Play Lear for Shakespeare & Company
Three-time Emmy winner Christopher Lloyd (Taxi, Back to the Future) will play Shakespeare's mad king for the Massachusetts company's 2021 summer season. King Lear, directed by Nicole Ricciardi, is on tap as the first production in Shakespeare & Company's new outdoor amphitheatre. Performances will run July 2–August 29, pending approved health and safety protocols. Other summer offerings include Becoming Othello: A Black Girl’s Journey (July 16–25), an autobiographical solo show written and performed by Debra Ann Byrd, and a workshop production of Shakespeare's Measure for Measure (September 1–5). For more information on the season, visit Shakespeare.org.
