After media writers had come up with all possible synonyms for strike, theater reporters get to benefit from all their research.

A Broadway “work stoppage” has taken over midtown. Twenty-seven plays have stopped production this weekend as the stage hands began to strike over their contract with the League of American Theaters and Producers.

The contract dispute is over the size of the stagehand staff on Broadway productions. The league claims that the current arrangement leads to extra stagehands on call who don’t end up doing any work. The stagehands claim that sitting through productions of “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical” is work.

The league estimates the strike will cost the city $17 million a day, as restaurants in midtown suffer the ripple effect of the strike. All our hopes are with the Times Square Olive Garden during this difficult time.