All stories by Peter Finlayson on BroadwayStars

Thursday, June 29, 2017

LA Theatre, Still Under Siege! by Peter Finlayson

As the intimate theatre scene in Los Angeles is looking to stabilize itself, when in December Actors Equity Association, the national union for stage actors and stage managers, implemented a…

SOURCE: footlights.click at 07:06PM
Wednesday, June 21, 2017

An Open Letter To LA Theatre Community by Peter Finlayson

Last week New Musicals Inc. filed a charge against Actors Equity Association through the National Labor Relations Board.  The charge centers upon unfair business practices, accusing AEA of …

SOURCE: footlights.click at 10:12PM
Friday, June 16, 2017

What’s a Good Show to See? by Peter Finlayson

Seldom does a day go by that someone doesn’t ask me, “Are there any good plays going on right now? What should I go see?” I guess being the publisher of a theatre magazine supposedly g…

SOURCE: footlights.click at 05:36PM
Friday, June 2, 2017

The Lyons at the Road by Peter Finlayson

  The Road Theatre just opened a new show at their Lankershim location –  The Lyons by Nicky Silver. This play Which originally opened off Broadway at The Vinyard Theatre in 2011. Th…

SOURCE: footlights.click at 05:05PM
Saturday, May 27, 2017

What’s it all About? Five Guys Names Moe! by Peter Finlayson

The Nate Holden Performing Arts Center on Washington Blvd in Los Angeles is now presenting a revival of Five Guys Named Moe, by Clarke Peters, and starring Obba Babatundé. The premise of t…

SOURCE: footlights.click at 03:36PM
Wednesday, May 3, 2017

Black Theatre Matters: A Dialogue by Peter Finlayson

Black Theatre Matters: A Dialogue, took place on a Monday February 27th, at the Offices of Actors’ Equity Association in North Hollywood. An eminent group of African American artists: Robe…

SOURCE: footlights.click at 09:12AM
Thursday, April 27, 2017

After The Battle by Peter Finlayson

Last December, Actors’ Equity Association (AEA) imposed a new plan regarding the use of its members for productions in intimate theatres in Los Angeles County. A two-year battle between AE…

SOURCE: footlights.click at 04:42PM
Friday, March 24, 2017

Antaeus is Ready! by Peter Finlayson

The seats are about to be filled. Antaeus Theatre Company is ready to occupy their new home: the Kiki and David Gindler Performing Arts Center located at 110 E. Broadway in Glendale. John Sl…

SOURCE: footlights.click at 10:54PM
Tuesday, March 14, 2017

Is It Enough? by Peter Finlayson

Recently, I had the privilege to see a performance of Zoot Suit, the revival at the Mark Taper Forum. While I often speak of theatre as an important tool of cultural consciousness, I also lo…

SOURCE: footlights.click at 12:12AM
Thursday, March 9, 2017

Ojai Playwrights Conference and Gala by Peter Finlayson

A pinch of words, a drop of insight, a shadow of a doubt, a dust of vision, lots of maybes, countless hopes and endless sentiments. You have the ethereal mist that makes up the alchemy of th…

SOURCE: footlights.click at 03:18PM
Thursday, January 26, 2017

Letter: Equity Stonewalls L.A. Theater Company by Peter Finlayson

This open letter to the L.A. Theater Community first appeared on Facebook and is reprinted here with permission: Dear Colleagues, Actors Equity has chosen to put us on the public “Do N…

SOURCE: footlights.click at 07:33PM
Monday, January 23, 2017

Actors’ Gang Goes To Prison by Peter Finlayson

Walking into Walden House off of McArthur Park in downtown Los Angeles, can be a slightly unnerving moment.  It’s a discomforting environment, lots of tough looking guys milling about, ta…

SOURCE: footlights.click at 06:24PM
Wednesday, January 4, 2017

Welcome to L.A. Theatre by Peter Finlayson

I had actually considered leaving this column blank. For many, that is the outlook for theatre in Los Angeles this year.  As of December 15th, there are at least 26 theaters that will no lo…

SOURCE: footlights.click at 04:36AM
Thursday, December 29, 2016

Taking Another Step by Peter Finlayson

For those of you unfamiliar with my story, there were portions of my life that, let me put this delicately, were a bit seedy. I spent a good number of years looking for easier and softer way…

SOURCE: footlights.click at 02:24AM
Saturday, December 10, 2016

Letter: What 99-Seats Means to Vanessa Stewart by Peter Finlayson

Actress and writer Vanessa Stewart is well-known in the Los Angeles theater community and to Footlights readers.  With her husband, French, she is a popular host of LA theater award ceremon…

SOURCE: footlights.click at 11:54PM
Friday, December 9, 2016

BREAKING: Plaintiffs Will Fight To Be Heard by Peter Finlayson

PRESS RELEASE From Lawsuit Plaintiffs LOS ANGELES (Dec. 9. 2016) — In response to a court decision on Thursday, Dec. 8 dismissing their lawsuit against Actors’ Equity Association, the Pl…

SOURCE: footlights.click at 05:18PM
Thursday, December 1, 2016

Art and Labor by Peter Finlayson

I grew up in Dearborn Michigan.  For those of you unaware, Dearborn is the home of Ford Motor Company and is immediately adjacent to the City of Detroit. I mention this because there is som…

SOURCE: footlights.click at 08:12AM
Thursday, November 17, 2016

LA Theatre Community by Peter Finlayson

The Los Angeles Theatre Community is facing an existential crisis. After decades of struggle, and a tenuous thirty-year relationship with Actors’ Equity Association (AEA), the union fo…

SOURCE: footlights.click at 09:18AM
Saturday, October 29, 2016

Letter: Leo Marks on Upcoming AEA Meeting by Peter Finlayson

Footlights received this open letter to the entire Actors’ Equity membership from actor and Equity member Leo Marks.  In it, he references an upcoming Equity meeting on November 7th, 2016…

SOURCE: footlights.click at 08:36PM
Saturday, September 3, 2016

Letter: Proposed Changes to Actors’ Equity’s Constitution by Peter Finlayson

Footlights received this letter from actor and Actors’ Equity member Leo Marks.  In it, he references an upcoming Equity meeting on September 12, 2016:  For those of you wondering wh…

SOURCE: footlights.click at 02:16AM
Thursday, June 30, 2016

Plaintiffs Respond to Equity Announcement by Peter Finlayson

Footlights has received this letter from the plaintiffs in the lawsuit against Actor’s Equity. It is their response to the announcements Equity made on June 28th, 2016 regarding its en…

SOURCE: footlights.click at 01:04AM
Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Letter to the Editor: A Response to Equity’s Statement by Peter Finlayson

This letter is in response to the statement made by Actors’ Equity concerning the 99-Seat Plan on June 28, 2016: My Dear AEA Councilors: Yes, I have indeed “become aware” of all of…

SOURCE: footlights.click at 12:42AM
Sunday, June 5, 2016

More from FootLights! by Peter Finlayson

FootLights is proud to be the premiere print magazine for theatre in Los Angeles. We serve more theatres and provide more information about theatre than anyone. While that has always been ou…

SOURCE: footlights.click at 05:10AM
Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Oh Ho! The Fringe Festival’s a Comin’! by Peter Finlayson

Do you hear the faint sound of trumpets blaring an announcement of something about to happen? Do you feel the tremor of excitement as a whirlwind of activity is beginning to transform Hollyw…

SOURCE: footlights.click at 11:32AM
Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Advancing Theatre by Peter Finlayson

For ten years, FootLights has been trumpeting the merits of Los Angeles Intimate Theatre. Innovative work, intimate, powerful, the vision of the new American Theatre….and the value of thea…

SOURCE: footlights.click at 09:31PM
Tuesday, April 19, 2016

‘Hamilton’ Wins 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama by Peter Finlayson

Th direction of American theatre is changing. Not just hip-hop, but actor created productions, that share profits with the participants. As reported in American Theatre NEW YORK CITY: The P…

SOURCE: footlights.click at 03:14PM
Friday, April 1, 2016

Letter to Editor: Plaintiffs’ Response to AEA President (final part) by Peter Finlayson

The intimate theatre community is a community of artists. We believe artists should be paid. We share that common goal with Equity. We also believe Equity’s attempt to radically alter inti…

SOURCE: footlights.click at 04:20AM
Monday, March 28, 2016

Letter to the Editor: 99-Seat Plan to Equity Contract – The Data by Peter Finlayson

I just spent about a year of researching 99-Seat productions that moved to contracts. And here’s what I found (with help from the Los Angeles Theater Community): At least 127 productions t…

SOURCE: footlights.click at 04:52AM
Monday, March 21, 2016

Letter to Editor: Plaintiffs’ Response to AEA President (Part 2) by Peter Finlayson

“And the other is that – and I think this is one of the things that guided the Council – the idea that a mid-sized theater could open at this point, or even a smallish theater, could o…

SOURCE: footlights.click at 09:06PM
Friday, March 18, 2016

Letter to Editor: Plaintiffs Response to AEA President (Part 1) by Peter Finlayson

We thank Dakin Matthews, Steven Leigh Morris and many others for their eloquent, considered responses to Kate Shindle’s recent statements during her interview on The Producer’s Perspecti…

SOURCE: footlights.click at 07:55PM
Thursday, March 17, 2016

A Modern Union by Peter Finlayson

Actors’ Equity Association, the labor union of professional actors and stage managers in the United States, is getting ready for its annual elections. Out of fifty thousand members, the ho…

SOURCE: footlights.click at 01:43PM

All that Chat

2023-2024 BROADWAY SEASON
May 30, 2023: Grey House - Lyceum Theatre
Jun 26, 2023: Just For Us - Hudson Theatre
Jul 24, 2023: The Cottage - Hayes Theater
Nov 16, 2023: Spamalot - St. James Theatre
Dec 18, 2023: Appropriate - Hayes Theater
Mar 07, 2024: Doubt - Todd Haimes Theatre
Apr 14, 2024: Lempicka - Longacre Theatre
Apr 17, 2024: The Wiz - Marquis Theatre
Apr 18, 2024: Suffs - Music Box Theatre
Apr 25, 2024: Mother Play - Hayes Theater
Jun 10, 2024: The Drama Desk Awards