Latest news with #TheStaircase
Los Angeles Times
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
South Coast Repertory gets an assist after losing NEA funding for ‘The Staircase'
South Coast Repertory found itself in a bind last month, when officials learned on opening day for the final production of the 2024-25 season, 'The Staircase,' it would be losing $20,000 in promised federal funding. But with a little help from a philanthropic organization started by a Newport Beach family, whose founder heard about the loss and stepped up to replace the lost grant money, the show and the season went off without a hitch. Although the National Endowment of the Arts had initially awarded the grant to SCR in November, the agency informed the Costa Mesa theater company in a May 2 email the funding had been withdrawn, due to the updating of grant-making priorities to projects that aligned with missions prioritized by the Trump administration. A list of fundable projects, the email explained, included those that elevate historically Black colleges and universities and Hispanic-serving institutions, celebrate the 250th anniversary of American independence, foster AI competency, empower houses of worship to service communities, foster skilled trade jobs and support the military and veterans, among others. The loss in funding, far from the total cost of the project, helped support the work of several skilled technicians and was a 'meaningful amount of money,' SCR Managing Director Suzanne Appel told City News Service in May. So when officials learned a short time later that the OneRoot Foundation, which had never before worked with South Coast Repertory, had offered to fill the budgetary gap left by the NEA's withdrawal, they were a little stunned and deeply touched. 'It was incredibly generous and life-affirming support that says something about what they stand for,' SCR Artistic Director David Ivers said of the foundation's gift Tuesday. 'We cannot say thanks enough.' Founded in 2021 by the Pyle family of Newport Beach, the OneRoot Foundation supports a number of causes through private grantmaking and volunteerism. Trustee David A. Pyle, also founder and chief executive of American Career College, said the gift was made in honor of his father, actor Denver Pyle, who portrayed 'Uncle Jesse' Duke in the TV series 'The Dukes of Hazzard' and racked up more than 200 film and television credits throughout a 50-year career. Robert May, the executive director overseeing OneRoot Foundation's philanthropic efforts, said the organization was proud to support SCR, where he and his family have attended annual productions of 'A Christmas Carol' for more than 25 years. 'We believe in doing what is right, so seeing the NEA pull its funding the day of the opening with no warning was disappointing, to say the least,' May said in a June 11 news release. 'We wanted to make it right and assure that South Coast Repertory had the funding required to complete 'The Staircase.' We support the vision of SCR to engage and enrich our community with outstanding programs.' Just as OneRoot Foundation pledged its support, SCR filed an appeal to the National Endowment for the Arts to reinstate the withdrawn award. Officials maintain 'The Staircase' meets the administration's guidelines favoring projects that benefit skilled laborers and tribal communities. Written by native Hawaiian playwright Noa Gardner, 'The Staircase' told the story of a Hawaiian family and celebrated culture through ancestral myths, legends and music, exploring the relationship between Hawaii and the mainland U.S. Its cast and crew featured three native Hawaiian actors and music director and dramatist Mehanaoakala Hind. 'It's astonishing to me we're presenting the world premiere of a play that takes place in one of our 50 states, from a community that's been largely ignored as it relates to three-dimensional art on the stage,' Ivers said of the funding withdrawal decision. 'That's as un-American as you can get.' South Coast Repertory as of Tuesday had not yet learned whether a decision had been made on the theater company's appeal to the NEA.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Arnold Schwarzenegger Grills Son Patrick on Why He Thinks His Last Name Was an 'Obstacle' in Hollywood
In the past few years, the 'nepo baby' debate has been all the rage. And while some celebrity kids have been candid about the opportunities they've been given because of just who they are, others have insisted that being a 'nepo baby' isn't quite as luxurious as it seems. For Patrick Schwarzenegger, who recently made a name for himself in the third season of The White Lotus, his journey has been a mixed bag – and dad Arnold Schwarzenegger is ready to grill him on it. More from SheKnows The Most Popular Celebrity Teen Is Worth a Staggering $250 Million, According to a New Study In their new 'Actors on Actors' for Variety, Arnold asked his son about a quote of his from the past, claiming that having their famous last name was 'difficult.' 'Explain that to me, because to me, the name Schwarzenegger always meant a big plus,' Arnold said. 'And then all of a sudden you were talking about [how] it can be an obstacle.' For his answer, Patrick, who's also starred in other known projects like The Staircase and Gen V, talked about his audition process with White Lotus creator Mike White. 'I feel it in multiple different ways,' he told his dad. 'Mike White said that it comes with baggage, the idea that when you have successful parents like I do with you and Mom [Maria Shriver], there's an added level of what other people think.' As fans of the show know, Patrick was eventually cast as Saxson Ratliff, the older and most know-it-all son of Victoria (Parker Posey) and Timothy Ratliff (Jason Isaacs). 'Mike was worried about if he cast me, what other people would think,' Patrick continued. 'Which they did — they did care about that; people said I got the role because of you and Mom.' Patrick then revealed that he once considered changing his last name. 'There were times earlier in my career where I was wondering, does it make sense to go under an alias?' he said. 'It took a while for me to get to a point where I was less worried about living in your shadow versus wanting to do it the way I thought I should do it.' Luckily, it seems Patrick never addressed the thought to his dad, who might've been hurt by name change. 'I'm glad you kept the name, because now I can take credit,' Arnold joked. 'You joined a very short list of people: You know, Jamie Lee Curtis — I think she's one of the greatest actors in history. If you show you have the substance, you can get rid of the whole idea of nepotism.' Patrick then finished the thought by expressing his gratitude for all the opportunities his parents have given him over the years. 'I understand how hard you and Mom have worked throughout your life to give me the opportunities that I've had,' he said. The biggest advice you gave us kids is to work hard. I've tried to honor that.' Whether you're a fan of the generation of 'nepo babies' or not, honoring your parents is surely something most of us can relate to. Before you go, click to see more celebrity kids following in their parents' acting footsteps. Best of SheKnows 27 Celebrity Moms Who've Opened Up About Their Plastic Surgery 16 of the Steamiest Movie Sex Scenes With Older Women & Younger Men All the Men Marilyn Monroe Reportedly Had Relationships With Throughout Her Short Life
See - Sada Elbalad
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- See - Sada Elbalad
Kathryn Newton, Lana Condor Team Up for Survival Thriller "Devil's Mouth" at Amazon MGM Studios
Yara Sameh Kathryn Newton and Lana Condor are teaming up for Jeff Wadlow's next project, "Devil's Mouth." The survival thriller, a co-production between Amazon MGM Studios and Lionsgate, follows college friends who, on a trip to get to Thailand who get trapped in an underwater cave system with a bull shark. Old tensions and power struggles resurface as they fight to survive. Aja Gabel (Sunny, The Staircase, upcoming Five Star Weekend) and Myung Joh Wesner (Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, High Potential) wrote the script, which was featured on the 2019 Black List, with the latest revisions by Wadlow. Producers include Thunder Road Films' Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee, and Wadlow. Thunder Road is natch, behind the John Wick movies. Carsten Lorenz will executive produce. Chelsea Kujawa will oversee for Lionsgate. Helen Lee-Kim and Michael Meyer negotiated the deal on behalf of Lionsgate. Newton most recently starred opposite Dan Stevens in Universal's vampire thriller "Abigail". Last year, she starred in Lisa Frankenstein for Focus Features. She also made her debut in the Marvel Universe as Cassie Lang in "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania", and headlined Amazon MGM Studios' sci-fi romance "The Map of Tiny Perfect Things". She also starred in the body-swap slasher "Freaky" opposite Vince Vaughn. Her earlier credits include blockbusters like "Pokémon Detective Pikachu", Netflix's fan-favorite series "The Society", and Universal's "Blockers", the top-grossing R-rated comedy of 2018. Up next, she will star in Searchlight's "Ready or Not 2", opposite Samara Weaving. Condor was recently seen starring in "Valiant One", which was released in January, and will next be seen in the romantic comedy "Worth the Wait" for Tubi. Next in film, Condor will star in the action-thriller "Ballerina Overdrive", produced by David Leitch. She also stars in "Coyote vs. Acme" alongside Will Forte and John Cena, which is expected to release worldwide in theaters sometime next year. On TV, Condor recently appeared in several episodes of "Abbott Elementary". She became a household name in 2018 with the launch of Netflix's feature film "To All the Boys I've Loved Before", based on Jenny Han's New York Times bestselling novel. Condor reprised her role in "To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You" (2020) and "To All the Boys: Always and Forever" (2021). Additional credits include "Moonshot", "Alita: Battle Angel", "Boo, Bitch", "Deadly Class", "X-Men: Apocalypse", and "Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kraken". read more New Tourism Route To Launch in Old Cairo Ahmed El Sakka-Led Play 'Sayidati Al Jamila' to Be Staged in KSA on Dec. 6 Mandy Moore Joins Season 2 of "Dr. Death" Anthology Series Don't Miss These Movies at 44th Cairo Int'l Film Festival Today Amr Diab to Headline KSA's MDLBEAST Soundstorm 2022 Festival Arts & Culture Mai Omar Stuns in Latest Instagram Photos Arts & Culture "The Flash" to End with Season 9 Arts & Culture Ministry of Culture Organizes four day Children's Film Festival Arts & Culture Canadian PM wishes Muslims Eid-al-Adha News Egypt confirms denial of airspace access to US B-52 bombers Lifestyle Pistachio and Raspberry Cheesecake Domes Recipe News Ayat Khaddoura's Final Video Captures Bombardment of Beit Lahia News Australia Fines Telegram $600,000 Over Terrorism, Child Abuse Content Arts & Culture Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban's $4.7M LA Home Burglarized Sports Former Al Zamalek Player Ibrahim Shika Passes away after Long Battle with Cancer Sports Neymar Announced for Brazil's Preliminary List for 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers News Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly Inaugurates Two Indian Companies Arts & Culture New Archaeological Discovery from 26th Dynasty Uncovered in Karnak Temple Business Fear & Greed Index Plummets to Lowest Level Ever Recorded amid Global Trade War
Perth Now
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Kathryn Newton cast with Lana Condor in shark thriller Devil's Mouth
Kathryn Newton and Lana Condor have been cast in new thriller 'Devil's Mouth'. The 'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania' star will appear alongside 'Coyote vs. Acme' actress Lana in filmmaker Jeff Wadlow's upcoming survival film. The movie - which is being co-produced by Amazon MGM Studios and Lionsgate - will see college friends on their way to Thailand, who get stuck in an underwater cave system with a bull shark. Wadlow will be directing from a script by The Staircase's Aja Gabel and 'Star Wars: Skeleton Crew' scribe Myung Joh Wesner. Back in March, it was revealed Newton will also be starring in the upcoming 'Ready or Not' sequel, alongside a returning Samara Weaving. Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett are again directing the film from a script written by 'Ready or Not' writers Guy Busick and R. Christopher Murphy. She previously worked with the directing duo on 2024 horror 'Abigail', and she's delighted for the upcoming reunion. She wrote on her Instagram Story: "So grateful to be back with my favorite directors!!! Love you @mattbettinelliolpin and @tylergillett thank you.' The first film followed Grace (weaving), a young bride played by Weaving who was hunted by the rich family of her new husband (Mark O'Brien) as part of a deadly supernatural tradition. The original film grossed almost $58 million at the global box office and was a hit with critics. Weaving recently confirmed she was coming back for the sequel. She told 'I'm all in. I think we're all in, I don't know. I think we're all in. I don't know if we've had our blood handshake, but pretty much. We've done the spit handshake, but we haven't cut each other's hands and rubbed our blood together.' Meanwhile, Newton previously admitted playing Cassie Lang in 'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania' was a dream come true. She told Empire magazine: "I started watching those movies when I was eight years old. So they're a big part of my life. "Honestly, one of the biggest goals of my career was to be a Marvel superhero. I would do it forever if I could." Despite this, she remains determined to try her hand at different roles and on-screen challenges over the coming years. The actress was just four years old when she landed her first role in 'Bun-Bun', a short film for HBO, and she remains as enthusiastic about her work as she ever has been. Recalling her debut appearance, she said: "I didn't even say my lines half of the time. I just thought I was dressing up."
Los Angeles Times
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
South Coast Repertory loses $20k grant after NEA changes priorities
Richard Soto and Richard Doyle in South Coast Repertory's 2022 production of 'A Christmas Carol,' by Charles Dickens, adapted by Jerry Patch. South Coast Repertory announced Tuesday it lost a $20,000 federal grant for a play on the day the theater company was celebrating its opening night due to a change in the National Endowment for the Arts' grant-making priorities. The Costa Mesa-based theater company was notified Friday that its National Endowment for the Arts grant for 'The Staircase' by Noa Gardner was being withdrawn. The grant did not finance the entire production, South Coast Repertory Managing Director Suzanne Appel told City News Service. But the grant 'supports quite a lot of the work of the skilled technicians,' who work on the production, she said. The $20,000 'is not anywhere close to the full cost of the project or even a tenth of the full cost, but it is a meaningful amount of money,' Appel said. The company was told Nov. 7 it would receive the grant. 'We were told we did everything we needed to do and the grant was in process, and then we received this notification with no warning,' Appel said. South Coast Repertory has been given a chance to appeal the denial in a week, Appel said, adding the theater company intends to appeal the denial. In the notice of withdrawal of the grant, the theater company was told that the arts agency was 'updating its grant-making priorities to focus funding on projects that reflect the nation's rich artistic heritage and creativity as prioritized by the president. Consequently, we are terminating awards that fall outside these new priorities. 'The NEA will now prioritize projects that elevate the nation's (historically Black colleges and universities) and Hispanic Serving Institutions, celebrate the 250th anniversary of American independence, foster AI competency, empower houses of worship to service communities, assist with disaster recovery, foster skilled trade jobs, make America healthy again, support the military and veterans, support Tribal communities, make the District of Columbia safe and beautiful, and support the economic development of Asian American communities. Funding is being allocated in a new direction in furtherance of the administration's agenda.' Gardner's story focuses on a native Hawaiian family and was commissioned, developed and staged by South Coast Repertory. South Coast Repertory officials say it celebrates native Hawaiian culture and is a 'universal story of familial love and obligations...'
