HowlRound Theatre Commons

The HowlRound team mourns the passing of Philip Arnoult, founder and director of the Center for International Theatre Development (CITD) and life-long advocate for international theatrical cultural exchange. Jamie Gahlon, HowlRound director and co-founder, writes, "Like so many in the American Theatre, I was fortunate to have been deeply impacted by the larger than life, one of a kind, passionate matchmaker and international theatre wizard that was Philip Arnoult. Philip and I first crossed paths during my time at Arena Stage in DC. Later, when HowlRound began focusing on expanding our global footprint and network of relationships, Philip became a crucial ally, conspirator, and connector. Philip understood the stakes of our increasingly isolationist turn and the indelible and unique power that theatre holds to build bridges of mutual understanding and advancement. He dedicated himself toward ensuring we were there for each other through our differences and because of them; that our homegrown theatre did not lose touch with the wider world to our own detriment. May those of us who believe in this charge continue in Philip's footsteps and extend his profound legacy of international cultural exchange." Learn more about Philip and explore his work on HowlRound: https://lnkd.in/e5Va9Mpm

We've got a new look over at howlround.com—check it out and let us know what you think of the redesigned homepage! Many thanks to our longterm partners and web developers at Giant Rabbit and to our accessibility consultants at Axess Lab for making our vision a reality! What do you think? Feedback welcome in the comments!

Save the date! Next Wednesday, June 26, at 12 pm ET, I have the privilege of moderating a virtual roundtable conversation with Mashuq Mushtaq Deen, Tyrone Mitchell Henderson, Wayne Maugans, Lisa Rothe, Kathleen Salazar (and other special guest panelists to be announced) about... The SAY GAY PLAYS, a collection of short new plays commissioned in response to the 2022 passage of Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill. After a stunning kickoff event at NYU Skirball , we are celebrating Pride Month by calling in the LGBTQ+ community and its allies to stage 100 productions of these plays this year. Want to spice up your voter drive? Host a fundraiser for your local LGBTQ+ organization? Open up an important conversation in your classroom? The SAY GAY PLAYS are here for you, royalty-free. Tune in next Wednesday for more information! Thank you HowlRound Theatre Commons for your support. https://lnkd.in/e3yd9FnS

I wrote an essay! Thank you to HowlRound Theatre Commons. You can check out "Gender, Disability, Transmedia, and Balkan Folklore" here: https://lnkd.in/ev2NQHEz

"Every day I have to wrestle with myself not to fire off angry, sad, or confusing screeds. But maybe that’s the work ahead—to feel all these things we feel and still find a way to listen to each other, to hold ground and also cede it, as we build/rebuild/dismantle/re-found this thing together." Todd London, via HowlRound Theatre Commons (h/t Sean-Maurice Lynch)

“Over time it became clear to us that, while keen to get these “new audiences,” many institutions didn’t necessarily have the experience to understand what their needs might be. But we—the artists and producers of the work—with deep cultural and lived experiences in those communities, were able to anticipate the needs.” - Ravi Jain and Miriam Fernandes, Co-Artistic Directors of Why Not Theatre Join Ravi and Miriam as they share a vision for a new paradigm for the arts in Ravi’s keynote speech at the Under the Radar Symposium, published on HowlRound Theatre Commons. A must-read for theatre professionals seeking innovative engagement methods and groundbreaking strategies for “new” audience development. Read here: https://lnkd.in/ghXB3yiB #TheatreLeadership #AudienceEngagement

We're so proud of our cultural strategist and co-founder Vijay Mathew, who will be leading this webinar on producing accessible, green, and open source livestreaming events in May!

Happy Earth Day! We're celebrating by launching our latest installment of the long-running Theatre in the Age of Climate Change series! Series curator, playwright, and environmental activist Chantal Bilodeau kicks off the week by reflecting on her journey working on the Arctic Cycle against the backdrop of the continuously increasing global temperature.

Sending big congratulations to National Playwright Residency Program (NPRP) playwright Virginia Grise, whose piece RIDING THE CURRENTS OF THE WILDING WIND opens tonight at the Magic Theatre. This theatrical concert was developed in part during an NPRP residency at Emerson's Los Angeles campus this past February—HowlRound producers Julia Schachnik and Alison Qu had a blast supporting this beautiful work!⁠ Huge thank you to Tim Chang and the unbelievable Emerson College Los Angeles team for helping this collaboration come together. Created in collaboration with musical director Martha Gonzalez, writer Virginia Grise, and director Kendra Ware, RIDING THE CURRENTS OF THE WILDING WIND is at once live performance, a concert, an album, theatre. Stories from THEIR DOGS CAME WITH THEM by Helena María Viramontes are brought to life in the multifaceted sonic landscape—a mix of Mexican and Afro-Cuban rhythms, jazz, funk, rock and gospel—performed by Martha Gonzalez, Tylana Enomoto, and Juan Perez. The music is matched by a rich visual world created by set designer Tanya Orellana, video artist Yee Eun Nam, lighting designer gg Torres, and costume designer David Arevalo. Presented by a todo dar productions and Campo Santo.⁠

We're excited to be part of this exciting new arts journalism fellowship! Learn more and submit an application below!