1. Theater stars are all over television this season, from our own local Chicago shows, to the big bad New York. The upcoming Smash, which is actually about the theater world, is the obvious example. You’d think this might cause some resentment among those who believe the stage is the ultimate in the acting arts, but The New York Times’ Charles Isherwood writes, “It’s always satisfying to see talented actors find success in other mediums, given how difficult it can be to make a consistent (or even inconsistent) living exclusively doing stage work.” No hard feelings, no problem.

2. There’s a new theater podcast in town; CHIRP has just launched their weekly show Off Book with Katy Walsh of ChicagoNow’s The Fourth Walsh and actor Joshua Volkers. The first episode features Walsh’s friend Bob Bullen, and TimeOut’s Kris Wire, and a short original play by Brett Neveu. It’s also half an hour. Too long or too short for your tastes?

3. The Elephant Man opens the Saint Sebastian Players’ season in October. And perhaps most notably, actress Simina Contras plays the role of John Merrick. All veterans will get free admission on Veterans Day. 

4. Theater etiquette is always lurking around the minds of those who probably spend too much time in theaters, prompting some bloggers to write about it, and others to just add a nice, polite note at the end of their reviews. See Zachary Whittenburg’s review of Eiko and Komo’s Regeneration, where he wrote at the very end, “*Just a reminder: If you’re in a theater, silence your fucking phone or turn it the fuck off. Thanks in advance.” (In case you’re wondering, Whittenburg seemed to like their performance, regardless.)

5. The new company Fine Print Theater Company opened At Ease for their inaugural season in early September. It’s about PTSD and returning from modern warfare. As usual with Fine Print, the play is original and new, and by Heather Bodie & Emily Gann. Also their website is interactive and cool so check that out.

Questions? Tips? Email kdries@wbez.org.