A local theater company wants to be among the first to stream live performances online. The Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theatre had planned to stream its performance of "The History Boys" last Saturday, but it pulled the plug after actors' unions objected.
Operations Director Stephanie Riso says she's frustrated, because she's convinced this is the future of theater. She and fellow Carnegie Mellon University graduate Alex Geis developed a new platform called LIPLO that gives theater groups a place to webstream their performances. The Actor's Equity Association and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists were first approached about this idea at least five years ago, but Riso says they've been unwilling to discuss it.
Riso says putting live performances online would allow theater companies to reach broader audiences... and open up a major new revenue stream. At a time many arts groups are struggling, Riso says streaming live performances would make theater company websites much more attractive to potential advertisers. Riso says actors would also benefit, because they'd get a share of that revenue. She's trying now to convince actors to put pressure on their unions.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
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