“ATX TV Festival has always been a place of celebration and community,” ATX TV co-presidents and founders Caitlin McFarland and Emily Gipson said. In addition, ATX TV has shifted all writing conversations to focus on the importance and craft of writing as well as broad topical panels such as “Why Do You Write?” and the festival’s programming track with Hollywood, Health and Society, which focuses on social issues in storytelling such as climate change, AI, criminal justice, and aging and caregiving. Organizers said that the studios and networks have shifted programming representation to focus on actors, directors, cinematography, casting, costumes, music, non-writing producers and more. The co-founders of the Austin-based TV festival have been talking with the WGA to make sure they are following strike compliance rules as a result, they have made changes to the programming and schedule including both additions and cancellations. During this panel writers discuss first-hand the issues at stake, the changes they’re fighting for and why the strike is necessary to safeguard the future of not just writers, but all entertainment unions and creatives.” The official description of the panel is as follows: “With fair pay, streaming residuals, artificial intelligence, the size of writers rooms, and on-set experience all on the table, the writers of the WGA have gone pencils down for the first time in 15 years. “We enthusiastically support CSC’s mission of reimagining the canon, and this event takes that notion in yet another direction.'Īll proceeds from the evening support the company’s audience development and community outreach programs.'We Want to Disrupt as Much as We Can': How Warren Leight Is Leading the WGA East's Push to Shut Down Filming

The Skivvies are also giving a special performance while Marie’s Crisis pianist Brandon James Gwinn leads the night's classic showtunes sing-along.ĬSC Associate Board Chair Cara Akselrad and member Eric Ulloa direct. “We want to approach the classics boldly,” said Akselrad and Ulloa in a joint statement. Each are putting a spin on some of Shakespeare's most famous words with the audience helping decide the direction of the script in a night that is part-show and part-party.

James ( The Book of Mormon), Tony winner Celia Keenan-Bolger ( To Kill a Mockingbird), and Will Roland ( Be More Chill). Isaac ( Once Upon a (Korean) Time), Tony winner Nikki M. Performing at the event are Jay Armstrong Johnson ( Parade), Frank DiLella (NY1’s On Stage), Linedy Genao ( Bad Cinderella), Julie Halston ( Tootsie), Daniel K. Titaníque and RuPaul's Drag Race star Rosé hosts the evening which is taking place in the Lynn F. Reinventing Shakespeare for one-night-only, Off-Broadway's Classic Stage Company holds its inaugural benefit Classics Gone Mad! May 15 at 7 PM.

About that night by julie james