Village Voice Lays Off Theater Critic Michael Feingold After 42 Years

“Feingold, 67, began writing for The Village Voice in 1970. His columns are known for the erudition and understanding of theatre history, both ancient and modern, and how current plays fit in with that continuum. Aside from John Simon, Feingold probably possesses more first-hand knowledge of New York stage history than any other currently working theatre critic.”

A Tie At The Obie Awards

“Because of a tie vote, the judges for the 2013 Obie Awards, announced on Monday night, chose two winners for best new American play: Lisa D’Amour’s dark comedy Detroit and Julia Jarcho’s triptych Grimly Handsome. Other Obies included playwriting awards for Annie Baker (The Flick) and Ayad Akhtar for Disgraced, which won the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.”

To What Extent Can Merce Cunningham’s Dances Be Preserved?

John Cage once described his partner’s art as “less like an object and more like the weather” – which doesn’t stick around over time. Lizzie Feidelson, the granddaughter of Merce’s first student, writes about the “dance capsules” assembled by the Merce Cunningham Trust to preserve and license his works – and considers what such documentation can, and cannot, record.

The Manuscripts Of Timbuktu: A Post-Occupation Progress Report

“An unintended consequence of the Islamist occupation of the city has been a renewed global focus on the priceless manuscripts, which although mostly written in Arabic also include centuries-old writings in Greek, Latin, French, English and German. But while the Ahmed Baba Institute is painstakingly working to preserve preserving this history, other manuscripts in Timbuktu are faring less well.”