A Year After the Shutdown Began, Play-PerView Has Altered the Theater Landscape |
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TheaterMania
Linda Buchwald | February 22, 2021 "Company co-founder Jeremy Wein talks about the successes of the past 12 months and plans for the future. He and his co-founder, who left to work on her own company about two months in, immediately started thinking about ways to fill the void and took to social media to gauge interest. Some of the first people to respond were Maria Dizzia and Marin Ireland. "I had no idea how we were going to keep those muscles working at all, so I was open to anything," Ireland says. "I was excited that somebody had some proactive ideas right away and I was glad that some people could move at all in light of all of this turmoil." READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE |
21 culture picks: Samuel L. Jackson, Tina Fey, ‘Weird Al’ and Amanda Gorman |
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LA Times
Matt Cooper | January 28, 2021 "Play-PerView reunites original cast members Aya Cash, Chris Geere, Desmin Borges and Kether Donohue and series creator Stephen Falk in a virtual get-together that includes a live table read of an episode of the irreverent FXX sitcom." READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE |
In Virtual Readings, Less (a Lot Less) Is Sometimes More |
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New York Times
Jesse Green | January 27, 2021 "With minimal rehearsal and production values, online events are becoming a distinct (and worthy) new genre of theater. Standout examples of this subgenre include Martyna Majok’s “Ironbound,” Will Arbery’s “Heroes of the Fourth Turning” and Lydia R. Diamond’s “Toni Stone,” all featuring their original Off Broadway casts and all presented on the Play-PerView platform." READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE |
This must-see virtual event features one of Broadway’s best playwrights performing his work live
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Time Out
Adam Feldman | October 2, 2020 "Will Eno is one of America's premier playwrights of the 21st century, with a sensibility that combines dark comedy, existential dread and meticulously crafted language into a distinctive writerly voice. This weekend, theater lovers will get a rare chance to hear the playwright's actual voice in a remarkable offering from the virtual-theater benefit series Play-PerView: two live performances of Eno's solo play Title and Deed, performed first in a recreation of the show's original production and then by the writer himself." READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE |
From a Wrestling Ring to Tiny Boxes: How ‘Chad Deity’ Went Zoom |
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New York Times
Maya Phillips and Elisabeth Vincentelli | August 17, 2020 "Two critics square off to determine how well this body slam of a comedy, about stereotypes and storytelling, made it to the very small screen. If you had to select the least likely play to translate to Zoom, it might well be Kristoffer Diaz’s “The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity.” A 2010 Pulitzer Prize finalist, the play uses the outlandish world of professional wrestling, with its larger-than-life heroes and villains and reliance on ethnic stereotypes, to consider the power of storytelling itself." READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE |
In Two Renditions, ‘Dutchman’ Speaks to the Moment |
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New York Times
Maya Phillips | August 11, 2020 "A Seeing Place Theater production and a Play-PerView reunion reading by the 2007 Cherry Lane Theater cast bring out different aspects of Amiri Baraka’s famous play. A white woman eating an apple walks into a subway car and sits near a Black man. She alternatively taunts and flirts with him and offers him one apple, then another. By the end of their conversation, the Black man is dead." READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE |
Theater Performances to Stream This Week |
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Brownstoner
David Kennerley | July 28, 2020 "Play-PerView was a direct and immediate response to the pandemic,” Wein explained. “When everything started shutting down, I knew in my bones it wasn’t going to be a short-term thing. The moment doors start closing the clock starts ticking, and I heard it ticking loud.” READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE |
Theater Performances to Stream This Week |
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New York Times
Elisabeth Vincentelli | May 18, 2020 "Dolly Parton, Meryl Streep and Jon Bon Jovi in a star-studded benefit concert; a play written specially for Zoom; Shakespeare on YouTube; and more. On a smaller scale but with a heart just as big is the New York-based Play-PerView, which has put on 11 play readings since its premiere on March 26. This thriving little operation raises money for various organizations and specializes in remounting Off and Off Off Broadway shows with stellar casts." READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE |
PODCAST: Three on the Aisle |
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American Theatre
American Theatre Editors | May 17, 2020 "Twice a month, Terry Teachout of the Wall Street Journal; Elisabeth Vincentelli, contributor to The New York Times and The New Yorker; and Peter Marks of the Washington Post get together to talk about what’s going on in the American theatre. This week the critics talk to Jeremy Wein, producer and co-creator of Play-PerView, a new theatre initiative presenting livestreamed readings of plays by Tony-winning writers with all-star casts." LISTEN TO THE PODCAST HERE |
Theaters may be dark, but theater-makers are still finding ways to dazzle you |
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Washington Post
Peter Marks | May 14, 2020 "Like an uprooted family, theater artists are feeling their way around a new neighborhood. And more and more, they’re feathering their Zoom rooms and other dramatic nests with intriguing original furnishings. “Play-PerView,” a live-streaming series on Zoom for which producers Jeremy Wein and Mirirai Sithole recruit accomplished stage actors to read contemporary plays. The proceeds from ticket sales go to arts groups thrown into financial turmoil by the shutdown." READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE |
Where to Find Drama Now? All the Internet’s a Stage |
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New York Times
Elisabeth Vincentelli | April 10, 2020 "In just a few weeks, Jeremy Wein and Mirirai Sithole’s scrappy new company has presented an impressive series of panels and readings featuring names like Tessa Thompson, Michael Urie and Celia Keenan-Bolger. The readings must be watched live and start at $5, with proceeds going to various charities and arts organizations." READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE |
Quarantine must-watch of the day: Marin Ireland in the immigrant tale ‘Ironbound’ |
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LA Times
Matt Cooper | April 9, 2020 "A world-weary immigrant named Darja ekes out an existence cleaning houses in Ironbound, a decades-spanning drama from Pulitzer Prize-winner Martyna Majok that was an L.A. Times Critic’s Choice when it ran at the Geffen Playhouse in Westwood in 2018. Marin Ireland, who played Darja in the original off-Broadway production as well as at the Geffen, is joining the rest of the original New York cast for a live reading of Ironbound on Thursday. Proceeds will benefit the New York Theatre Workshop and the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services." READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE |
Theatre by Any Other Name |
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American Theatre
Jerald Raymond Pierce | April 8, 2020 "Beyond simply streaming filmed stage productions, artists are getting creative in connecting with audiences and each other in a quarantined world... tackling the challenges of remote readings through Zoom is Play-PerView, co-produced by Mirirai Sithole and Jeremy Wein. Play-PerView provides one-time-only play readings, monologue nights, panel discussions, and more as a way to raise funds for organizations like the Actors Fund and Broadway Cares as well as nonprofit theatres and theatrical unions, who are all working to help artists and those in need during this crisis." READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE |
The best live theater to stream online on April 6 |
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Time Out
Adam Feldman | April 6, 2020 "Theaters are closed for now, but you can find great stage stars and events live online today. The isolation crisis has had a devastating effect on the performing arts. Broadway is shut down, and the ban on gatherings in New York extends to all other performance spaces as well. So the show must go online—and, luckily, streaming video makes that possible. Here are some of the best theater, opera, dance and cabaret performances you can watch today without leaving your house or apartment, many of which will help you support artists at a difficult time." READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE |
Enjoy culture while social distancing: 11 picks from L.A. Opera to Tessa Thompson |
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LA Times
Matt Cooper | April 1, 2020 ""Westworld” actress Tessa Thompson and “Ugly Betty” actor Michael Urie head the cast of a live benefit reading of Ryan Spahn’s comedy. 4 p.m. Wednesday. $5 and up. play-perview.com (Requires the Zoom teleconference app, downloadable for free at zoom.us )." READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE |
The best live theater to stream online on April 1 |
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Time Out
Adam Feldman | April 1, 2020 "The new virtual-theater initiative Play-PerView presents a live, one-time-only reading, via Zoom, of Ryan Spahn’s comedy about casting an openly gay performer in a gay role. The cast includes two boldface names: "Westworld"’s Tessa Thompson (who played Valkyrie in Thor: Ragnarok) and "Ugly Betty"’s always delightful Michael Urie, who recently starred in Broadway’s Torch Song Trilogy and Grand Horizons." READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE |
Tessa Thompson and Michael Urie to Star in Play-PerView Reading of Ryan Spahn's Nora Highland |
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Playbill
Olivia Clement | March 31, 2020 "The benefit streaming platform also adds Celia Keenan-Bolger, James Monroe Iglehart, and more to its lineup. Torch Song's Michael Urie is set to star in the April 1 benefit reading of his partner Ryan Spahn's Nora Highland. The play, previously seen at Rattlestick Theater's Pride Plays, will be live streamed via Zoom on the new platform Play-PerView, also starring "Westworld"'s Tessa Thompson." READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE |
Tessa Thompson to Lead Live Reading of Play Nora Highland |
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ComingSoon
Max Evry | March 31, 2020 "On Wednesday, April 1 at 7:00pm, Play-PerView will stream a live reading of Ryan Spahn’s comedy Nora Highland featuring Tessa Thompson (Thor: Ragnarok, Men in Black: International, Between Two Ferns: The Movie, Lady and the Tramp, HBO’s "Westworld," Second Stage Theater’s Smart People) and Drama Desk Award winner Michael Urie ("Ugly Betty," Buyer and Cellar, Grand Horizons, Torch Song). READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE |
Play-PerView Adds Celia Keenan-Bolger, James Monroe Iglehart, Michael Urie and More |
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Broadway World
BWW News Desk | March 30, 2020 "The initiative announced additional events today, set to include some more of your Broadway favorites! On April 1 at 7 p.m, Michael Urie and Tessa Thompson will star opposite one another in a reading of Ryan Spahn's comedy, Nora Highland, a new play that examines the casting process as producers want to hire a straight actor to play a gay role. a??The reading will benefit the Broadway Cares virus Emergency Assistance Fund and Covenant House New York." READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE |
Tessa Thompson, Michael Urie and Celia Keenan-Bolger to Appear in Play-PerView Fundraiser (EXCLUSIVE) |
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Variety
Brent Lang | March 30, 2020 "Tessa Thompson will appear in a live reading of Ryan Spahn’s comedy Nora Highland in order to raise money for arts organizations impacted by the coronavirus. Nora Highland is being featured on Play-PerView, a new live-streaming initiative that was co-founded by producer Jeremy Wein (NYC PodFest) and actor and producer Mirirai Sithole (“Black Mirror: Smithereens”.)" READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE |
How To See (And Support) New York City’s Arts & Culture From Home |
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Forbes
Julie Tremaine | March 29, 2020 "Play-PerView is a just-launched initiative that streams one-night-only theatre events performed by Broadway luminaries. Every Friday, there’s an all ages event, and then performances throughout the week by Tony Award-winners and nominees. These require a ticket purchase - but you can snag the least expensive at $5 if you buy early enough - and proceeds go to non-profits like The Actors Fund." READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE |
Ladysmith Black Mambazo, ComedyQuarantine: Today’s culture binge online |
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LA Times
Matt Cooper | March 26, 2020 "For a little culture during your home quarantine, we’ll be offering daily recommendations of streaming concerts, online musicals, virtual art exhibitions and more. Here are six picks for Thursday." READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE |
The best live theater you can watch from home on March 26 |
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Time Out
Adam Feldman | March 26, 2020 "Theaters have been shut down for now, but you can catch many great stage stars and events live online today. The new virtual-theater initiative Play-PerView presents its inaugural production: a live, one-time-only reading, via Zoom, of Lucas Hnath’s excellent quasi-sequel to Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, with a very impressive cast. Maria Dizzia, who has been starring in the national tour of What the Constitution Means to Me, plays Nora; the supporting cast comprises Stuart Zagnit, Linda Powell and Mirirai Sithole." READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE |
Play-PerView to Live-Stream Reading of ‘Doll’s House 2’ |
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American Theatre
American Theatre Editors | March 26, 2020 "A new theatre streaming service has been launched to support artists and uplift audiences during the COVID-19 outbreak and the subsequent closing of theatres nationwide. Play-PerView, co-founded by producer Jeremy Wein and actor-producer Mirirai Sithole, promises to deliver “unique, one-time-only, live-streamed theatrical events and original series into the homes of theatre fans around the globe,” said Wein and Sithole in a statement." READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE |
New Theatrical Live Streaming Initiative Play-PerView Launches March 26 |
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Playbill
Ruthie Fierberg | March 25, 2020 "The platform will deliver one-time-only streamed events and original series—including A Dolls’s House, Part 2 and the Alice Ripley-led The Pink Unicorn—to benefit arts organizations impacted by the COVID-19 crisis." READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE |
Alice Ripley, Maria Dizzia and More to Perform Live Streamed Play Readings on New Platform Play-PerView |
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Broadway World
BWW News Desk | March 25, 2020 "Producers Jeremy Wein and Mirirai Sithole have launched a new live-streaming theater initiative called Play-PerView! They will be delivering one-time-only, live-streamed theatrical events and original series into the homes of theater fans around the world! Proceeds from all events will be directed to arts organizations impacted by the COVID-19 virus." READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE |
PRESS RELEASE: Announcing Play-PerView streaming platform |
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(New York, NY | March 24, 2020) Play-PerView, a new live-streaming theater initiative co-founded by producer Jeremy Wein (NYC PodFest, Kevin McDonald: Alive) and actor and producer Mirirai Sithole (“Black Mirror: Smithereens;” School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play; If Pretty Hurts…) that will deliver unique, one-time-only, live-streamed theatrical events and original series into the homes of theater fans around the globe, launches with an exciting first week of programming. Proceeds from all events will be directed to arts organizations impacted by the COVID-19 virus.
DOWNLOAD PDF HERE |
The Shows Must Go Online: 12 Ways to Stream the Stage |
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The Observer
David Cote | March 17, 2020 "This is super-new. Producer Jeremy Wein has partnered with the marvelous stage actress Mirirai Sithole (School Girls; or The African Mean Girls Play) to create Play-Per-View, a livestream play reading series that launches Friday, March 20. The effort, they say, would help raise money for the Actors Fund, the Dramatists Guild, Broadway Cares and other organizations who are hurting. “Currently we have Marin Ireland, Maria Dizzia, Lucas Hnath, Tori Sampson, Jonathan Caren, and Bess Wohl,” Wein says. Each livestream is one-night-only, one time it might be a solo piece, the next it could be a night of monologues, or a musical. Or “dream casting”—actors doing roles they wouldn’t normally do." READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE |
Theater professionals plan live-streamed performances after theaters shut down |
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BroadwayNews
Caitlin Huston and Gillian Russo | March 13, 2020 "In the wake of the Broadway shutdown, theater professionals and actors are seeking other ways to deliver performances to fans. Some took the form of concerts, with Telly Leung and Alice Ripley planning to perform a live-streamed set Monday. Others looked to readings, such as the weeklong, live-streamed series organized by producer Jeremy Wein and actor Mirirai Sithole, in order to keep performers working and to continue the art form." READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE |
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