A program at Harvard Medical School “uses ancient Greek tragedies to spark discussion among medical students and professionals about the ethics of treating patients facing painful, prolonged deaths.”
Author: Laura Collins Hughes
Paper Mill Playhouse Exec. Dir. Mark W. Jones Steps Down
“Mr. Jones, who came to the [Millburn, N.J.,] theater in November 2007 after four years at Shakespeare & Company in Lenox, Mass., helped to bring Paper Mill back from the financial brink with a real estate deal in June 2008.”
Pittsburgh’s August Wilson Center Is Struggling
“The Wilson Center opened last fall with $6.1 million in cost overruns for construction, a $5 million gap in fundraising and a slowdown in receipt of state money. The center later received a two-year, $8 million loan, which it cannot afford to repay from operating money even if it refinanced its debt.”
The Novel Isn’t Dead, But The Page-Turner Is In Ill Health
“In an age of literary festivals in every provincial town, and writing courses at every red-brick university, everyone is encouraged to be a writer, and writing is considered a sacred art. Well, if everyone writes, there’ll be more bad novels. And if writing is thought sacred, they will become more boring.”
Back From Brink, N.C. Symphony Breaks Even For Season
“The N.C. Symphony, regarded as among the top 50 orchestras in the country, remains in the red. But the amount it owes the bank has been reduced to $2.8 million as of June 30, the end of the fiscal year, [the symphony’s president and CEO] said. That compares to $3.8 million a year ago.”
Q&A With RSC’s Michael Boyd
Q: What is the biggest myth about theatre?
A: That it is more populated by egotists than any other profession. Architects, academics and doctors – for instance – are every bit as egotistical and competitive as people who work in the theatre.
Aboriginal Art May Suffer From Australian Pension Reform
“Up to 60 per cent of Aboriginal art is bought through self-managed super[annuation] funds, according to managing director of Melbourne-based Moss Green Auctions Paul Sumner. Banning art investments from super would be a ‘massive disincentive’ to buyers, he said.”
Biking, And Hauling His Double Bass Behind Him
“He’s a passionate new-music advocate who is also a dedicated bicyclist and a firm believer in sustainable use. To that end, he has commissioned a steel-framed bicycle trailer for his bass. The idea is to expand his performance opportunities without having to cadge a ride, rent a car or crowd his fellow passengers on the bus.”
What Makes A Dance More Than Ephemeral?
Given that few ballets “have much life expectancy, is lifeblood to be found in the brief intensity of helping to create something that won’t be around next year? Or does lifeblood course only through those rare ballets that hang around into adulthood and enrich the repertory of other companies?”
Jeffrey Deitch And His General Hospital Public Art Event
“That [MOCA] had become a soap opera set was pure Deitch, for better or worse: stuntlike, crazily experimental, scrambling high and low culture, risking ridicule and seeming not to care much when it rains down on his head. And the shoot was a perfect emblem of the issues and anxieties raised by the choice of Mr. Deitch last January….”