“Great sets can be simple [or intricate], but they must fulfil two basic functions: relevance and ease. … Great sets, however traditional or disruptive, often seem to somehow spring from the play organically; we forget that the actors are not simply conjuring the imaginative world in which they play.”
Tag: 02.09.11
Slamming A Popular DC Poetry Slam
“What looked like a literary prank – a cardboard cutout of Langston Hughes snatched from Busboys & Poets last week – has turned into full-blown debate about the D.C. poetry scene.”
The Uncertain Swamp Of Television (They’re Scared)
“The TV business these days is a vast swamp of fear and loathing, pity and terror, and sports. Folks – that’s you the viewer, also known as “the eyeballs” – like live sports events on TV. Recent changes to the mechanics of measuring how many people watch TV in Canada indicate that we adore sports.”
Has The Internet Spoiled The Thrill Of The Chase?
“The Internet, with all its top-speed awesomeness, has rendered hundreds of pastimes and proclivities (sports trivia, porn acquisition, late-night song lyric competitions) much less challenging. For me, though, the most distressing side effect of Web-based instant gratification is the death of the treasure hunt.”
Will Aging Population Mean Older Faces On TV?
“Some media experts believe rapidly aging societies and rising retirement ages in the developed world may slowly start reshaping expectations about the kinds of faces people expect to see on the screen, opening the door to more roles for older people in visual media.”
Promoting From Within – Opera Company Of Philadelphia Appoints New Leader
“David Devan, 48, has been shouldering increasing responsibility since coming to the Philadelphia troupe as managing director in 2006, after serving as director of Pacific Opera Victoria in British Columbia.”
Does Music Need A Singer In Order To Become Popular?
“All the folks who talk about accessibility, audience friendliness, etc., might do well to ponder why vocal music, or music that accompanies narratives of some sort, reaches more people than instrumental music of any kind.”
Surprising News From the Farmyard: Sheep Are Actually Smart
“Over the past few decades, evidence has quietly built up that sheep are anything but stupid. It now turns out that the humble domestic sheep can pass a psychological test that monkeys struggle with, and which is so sensitive it is used to look for neurological decline in human patients.”
Arts Funding = Jobs. Let’s Argue That
“At times, it appears that we forget that jobs in the arts are just that: jobs. While I believe that reasonable people can disagree as to the role of government funding and whether or not tax dollars should be spent on the arts, I find it frustrating how little we discuss the true economic impact of our cultural institutions.”
Porn Studio Cracks “Top Ten” Busiest LA Shooting Locations
“Porn production accounts for less than 5% of all film permits, but FilmL.A. does not track the industry’s overall activity. A decade ago, local economists estimated that the porn industry in the San Fernando Valley generated 10,000 to 20,000 jobs annually and had $4 billion in annual sales.”