Playwrights unite across the country for short plays about gun violence, and to plan for longer productions as well. Why? “Today’s cultural climate is being dominated by fear and division. Theatre is an ideal space to challenge the dividing forces at work—a space for empathy, expression, and dialogue.”
Tag: 05.08.18
Calling A Book ‘Timely’ Erases Not Just History, But All The Books Before That Book
Yeah, immigration didn’t just pop into international consciousness when Donald Trump was on the campaign trail. “Marginalized writers are told by white editors, we need your stories now more than ever, as if we have not always needed them urgently. We are told our experiences are timely, exotic, and trendy. We are told our stories are not authentic if our characters do not suffer, as if the only way to prove that we are human is to bleed.”
Thieves Steal Ballet School’s Costumes; Dancers Get To Work Sewing Replcaements
Ballet dancers from the Central School of Ballet had 100 outfits stolen from their touring van, leaving them without costumes for their showcase which signifies their graduation and for many a chance to secure jobs with dance companies.
The Flaws Of Science Deniers
This widespread rejection of scientific findings presents a perplexing puzzle to those of us who value an evidence-based approach to knowledge and policy. Yet many science deniers do cite empirical evidence. The problem is that they do so in invalid, misleading ways. Psychological research illuminates these ways.
How A Cuban Biennale Ran Afoul Of The Cuban Government
It is hard to believe that a well-oiled machine like the Cuban Ministry of Culture would feel so threatened by its artists that it would stomp out what essentially amounts to a 10-day art party. But that is precisely what is happening.
The Chaos In How We Determine Scientific Research
A clearer sense of the greater science ecosystem is required to figure out what role science should play and how society can best make that happen. Who gets to do research in the 21st century, and why? How has it changed over time? Is science in good shape, and how can we know? When I started asking these questions I realized there’s a lot that even scientists still don’t know about themselves.
How Moviemakers Use Edits To Game The MPAA’s Ratings Rules
“Why do two movies with nearly identical sex scenes get different ratings for sexual content? And why does the same thing happen with violence, drugs, and swearing? Is our ratings system totally arbitrary? Not quite. … In this episode of Watch Smarter, we explore how the subject shown on screen matters to the MPAA less than how that subject is shown – and the impression the MPAA believes a certain depiction leaves on the audience. Our journey begins with the F-word.” (video)
When Marcel Duchamp Agreed To Forge One Of His Own Most Famous Works
Well, okay, if he does it himself, it’s not exactly a forgery. But here’s the story of a couple who rushed to buy Duchamp’s then-reviled Nude Descending a Staircase (No. 2) from the 1913 Armory Show, only to find that someone else had beaten them to it, and how they ultimately convinced Duchamp to make them another one.
Shakespeare’s ‘Julius Caesar’ And Politics, Then And Now
“Why was the Bard so fascinated with the fall of the Roman Republic? Why do we tend to turn to this play when we worry about society’s future? … Isaac [Butler] talks to theater critic Helen Shaw and English professor Andrew Hadfield about what was going on in Shakespeare’s time that led him to look back to ancient Rome. We also talk to theater directors Rob Melrose and Tyler Dobrowsky about the choices they made in their recent staged renditions of Caesar.” (podcast)
The Icky Stuff Librarians Find In Returned Books
“When a Washington librarian made a polite request for patrons to cease using cheese as a bookmark in her library’s books, librarians across the Twitterverse chimed in with their tales of strange library book finds. The May 1 tweet by Anna Holmes was reportedly triggered by the discovery of a Kraft Singles slice, which to some librarians was a tame deposit.” (slideshow)