William Sydney Porter “probably would have remained an obscure hack” if a former employer hadn’t accused him of theft. “As Prisoner No. 30664, he started to submit short stories to magazines in Manhattan. He used the name O. Henry, which he possibly borrowed from a prison guard named Orrin Henry. The most notable phase of his life was about to begin.”
Author: Laura Collins Hughes
Martha Graham Company Revisits A Landmark Work
“While ‘American Document (2010)” evokes, and pays homage to, that earlier project, the company has completely reinvented it for today. Perhaps most surprising, a theater director – Anne Bogart – is at the helm, and six actors (members of SITI Company, which Bogart co-founded in 1992) will share the stage with 10 members of the Graham company.”
Diller Scofidio + Renfro Is Broad Museum Front-Runner
Anonymous sources said Eli Broad favors the firm to design his art museum, but they “cautioned that Broad could still change his mind and pursue a design by one of the other architects,” particularly if the Diller Scofidio plan proved too costly. First, of course, he has to get approval for the downtown L.A. site.
One Of The World’s Best Dance Festivals Is In … Venice?
The Festival Internazionale di Danza Contemporanea “was set up through the largesse of the larger Art Biennale, and it continues to be subsidised handsomely from crumbs that drop from an entourage of art world sponsors. Being funded by the visual arts doesn’t make this festival feel like it’s a poor relation, though.”
When The Stage Is A Tunnel Beneath Waterloo Station
“Although not specifically written for a subterranean stage, the drama is a perfect match for the dimly-lit, dank location. The play itself unfolds on a pit of earth, surrounded by a moat of water. As you might expect, audiences are advised not to wear their best shoes.”
Curation Is Missing From Arts Venues Across America
Nearing the end of his 69-city tour, Michael Kaiser reports that he “was depressed to see how many venues I visited presented performances that were entirely interchangeable with performances at other venues. It is not that the art was bad. It simply was not special or unique to the organization.”
Fela! To Hit Movie Screens Before It Tours
“London’s National Theatre said Monday that it will broadcast its production of ‘Fela!’ in January 2011 as part of its NT Live series. The high-definition broadcast will take place in approximately 300 cinemas and performing arts centers in 22 countries.”
Bumper Crop Of Remakes, Sequels Fails To Entice Public
“It’s the original films that are the wild cards. Year after year … they are the surprise hits that really drive the business. Original movies create a palpable sense of verve and excitement that not only propel themselves to box office glory, but expand the audience for films that follow in their wake.”
Cache Of Lost Silent Movies To Be Returned To US
“The 75 movies are a real rarity — in part because early film was volatile and degraded quickly. ‘Only about 20 percent of the films produced in America during the silent era — that is the era of motion pictures before 1929 — survive today in the United States in complete form,’ says Annette Melville, director of the nonprofit Film Preservation Foundation.”
Working From Biblical Design Guidelines
“Launched by the nonprofit group Reboot, which seeks to update Jewish traditions, the competition invites entrants to grapple with the highly detailed, Old Testament rules governing sukkah construction, and reimagine those limits ‘as the foundation for new liberties and abilities.'”