A lot of criticism has greeted the Albee estate’s decision to withhold the rights to perform Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? from a tiny theater in Portland that had cast a black actor as Nick. Thing is, though realism (the play is set in 1960s New England) was Albee’s stated rationale, he did not consider Virginia Woolf entirely naturalistic at first, and he did once permit a black Martha. What changed? Mark Harris has a theory – and a suggestion.
Tag: 05.30.17
War Of The Wall Street Statues: ‘Charging Bull’ And ‘Fearless Girl’ Joined By ‘Pissing Pug’
“In an act of protest” against the installation of Fearless Girl, which he considers a corporate marketing stunt, artist Alex Gardega “has created a small sculpture of a urinating dog to sit beside the popular feminist sculpture, which was meant to be a response to the Charging Bull sculpture. The Pissing Pug statue urinates directly on the girl’s left foot.”
Audible Launches $5 Million Fund For Commissioning Audio Plays
“As audio fiction seems to be having a moment, in the realm of podcasts, Audible plans to draw from the vast pool of young writers to create one- or two-person plays. They will be available beginning late this year, the company said.”
1,600-Year-Old Frescoes In Rome’s Catacombs Unveiled
“Restorers on Tuesday put the finishing touches on a seven-year restoration of two underground burial rooms at the Catacombs of Domitilla, which revealed long-hidden frescoes commissioned some 1600 years ago by the city’s bakers.”
To Trim Multi-Million Operating Deficit, Australian Ballet To Do Co-Productions For First Time
“The Australian Ballet has begun sharing the costs of some productions with companies overseas in an attempt to rein in an operating deficit which blew out by $2.5 million in 2016.”
Top Posts From AJBlogs 05.30.17
A new lens on ‘excellence’
Arts initiatives that seek social change often face an identity crisis: They are driven by passion, purpose, meaning, and making, but they are generally described and evaluated by more traditional measures. Worse than the challenge … read more
AJBlog: The Artful Manager Published 2017-05-30
Paul Desmond, Gone 40 Years
Several Rifftides readers have sent messages reminding me that Paul Desmond died 40 years ago today. Thanks to all of them. I hadn’t forgotten. … read more
AJBlog: RiffTides Published 2017-05-30
Why The Arts Need Think Tanks
“Given the disparity between what the public says about arts and culture and their actions, given the repeated and regular attacks on the Arts, given both the suggested and proven value of the arts on multiple levels and given the extent to which the arts and creativity are a major facet of the American job market and economy, one would think the many disciplines under the banner of Arts and Culture would be a prime area for the formation of a Think Tank dedicated to the study and consideration of the field.”
How Nick Serota Built The Tate Into The World’s Most Popular Modern Art Museum
With 3.71 million followers, Tate (which dropped its “the” when Tate Modern opened in 2000) has a bigger Twitter following than any other museum in the world. It makes millions from its shops and restaurants. But Tate has also helped rebrand London – and perhaps even Britain. Serota was part of a delegation that travelled to China with then Chancellor George Osborne in 2005.
The Entertainment Presidency
Regardless of how much or little he got done in terms of governance in his first 100 days, argues Rosie Gray, “Trump has had a profound effect on an American political culture already heavily weighted toward entertainment. The battles in the White House play out on cable news, the palace intrigue akin to a season of The Real World. Who will win this round – Steve Bannon or Jared Kushner? Gary Cohn or Peter Navarro? Trump himself views the world through the prism of media coverage, is obsessed with cable news, and acts accordingly.”