English artists have been wailing over Arts Council England’s plans to cut funding for many oragnizations. But “in a dramatic 11th-hour reprieve, Arts Council England has been forced to reconsider potentially devastating funding cuts for dozens of organisations.”
Tag: 01.28.07
Evangelicals Move Dancing Off The Sin List
As evangelical colleges toss out longstanding rules against dancing, they’re mirroring an evolution in conservative Christian beliefs. “There are still conservative Christians, particularly in Baptist, Pentecostal and independent Bible-church traditions, who don’t dance, but they are growing scarce.”
Brilliant But Canceled (But Not Anymore)
Old TV shows that got canceled are finding new life on DVD. “Every canceled TV series had millions of people who watched it and presumably millions who remember it. If 20 to 25 percent of the nation watched a series, that just wasn’t enough at the time. And it wasn’t enough if a series was critically acclaimed but didn’t get good ratings.”
Indie Actors – Don’t Bump Your Heads
Sundance shows that thee are indie star actors. But “a glass ceiling still separates the indie and Hollywood spheres. And they may not even be cozily entrenched, given the constant pressure to get A-list names in indies and the corresponding trend toward stunt-casting. Further complicating matters, an ever growing number of Hollywood A-listers regard Sundance as a kind of boutique spa where they can order up an image makeover.”
Curious Gilbert (And George)
Gilbert & George are getting a major retrospective at the Tate. “It’s impossible to get to grips with Gilbert and George. Perhaps this all started out as a game, and then it became their reality. Or perhaps this is just what they are like. I really have no idea. But they are cheering company, like two crazy but indulgent old uncles.”
Who Invented Applause?
“Applause can be an award or a motivational force, serve as recognition or inspiration. But trying to find out where it originated is like trying to find who told the first joke or sang the first song…”
Theatre Leadership As Philosophical Choice
Boston area theatres Huntington and American Repertory Theatre are both looking for new leadership, this at a time of great uncertainty in the theatre world. “The leaders they choose will tell us a lot about the solutions they favor. That makes this an excellent time for everyone who cares about theater in Boston to think — and speak — about what we believe it can and should be.”
TV Sitcoms – On Life Support, But Still, A Pulse
“Clear signs that the sitcom is rebounding from its early-2000s slump are beginning to surface. Before this year, as onetime hits such as ‘Frasier,’ ‘Friends,’ and ‘Everybody Loves Raymond’ were saying their too-long goodbyes, the sitcom genre was viewed as a tired format with a musty TV Land vibe. But while there are fewer sitcoms on TV now, each of them seems to be working harder to stay alive.”
Philly Museum Accuses Former Prez Of Fraud
The Independence Seaport Museum in Philadelphia has “accused its former president yesterday of defrauding it of $2.4 million to pay for a ‘lavish lifestyle’ that included trips to France and New Zealand and freewheeling spending on paintings, high-end furniture and expensive boats.”
But What If Smoking Is Essential To The Plot?
More and more cities and states are banning smoking – evn onstage as part of a performance. “In Colorado three theater companies — the Curious Theater Company and Paragon Theater, both in Denver, and Theater13 in Boulder– have gone so far as to sue the state, arguing that smoking in the course of a play is a form of free expression.”