“We don’t have to remain in our Brady Bunch squares. It was great to walk by and see the dancers sweating and breathing. We still do that. We are all choreographers now. People are starting to think more spatially.” – Dance Magazine
Tag: 07.22.20
The 2,300-Year-Old Character Sketches That Have Influenced Western Literature Ever Since
“The ‘Theophrastan character’ is not often mentioned today, perhaps because it is so little known as a genre. Yet for centuries this was what ‘character’ meant in literature. A list of familiar social types compiled in the fourth century B.C. that chronicled human traits and foibles — from bore to boaster, cynic to coward — influenced the development of later fiction and drama, and remains sharply pertinent in psychology, journalism, cartoon art, and popular culture.” – The Paris Review
The Revisionist Andy Warhol
Over the last half-century, Warhol has been merchandised into the trite, plastic banality he supposedly critiqued, but as Blake Gopnik reminds us, the artist is much harsher, and more cynical, than we sometimes credit. – The New Republic
Can British Theatre Survive Coronavirus In Any Recognizable Form?
A huge number of Britain’s theatres are in serious trouble:”Julian Bird, chief executive of UK Theatre and the Society of London Theatre, said 70 percent of theatres and production companies risked going bust before the end of the year” – Yahoo News (AFP)
Scientists Plan Concert Experiment To Test COVID Spread
German scientists are planning to equip 4,000 pop music fans with tracking gadgets and bottles of fluorescent disinfectant to get a clearer picture of how Covid-19 could be prevented from spreading at large indoor concerts. – The Guardian
UK Arts Bailout For Arts Institutions. But What About Artists?
After months of monotone condolences and a vague “five-step roadmap” from culture secretary Oliver Dowden, the British government Beyoncéd the arts community on 5 July by announcing a surprise £1.57bn emergency support package. Dowden said he would begin by bailing out the “crown jewels of our national life – you know, the Royal Albert Halls and so on”. It should come as no surprise that this government is prioritising bedazzled institutions. The “crown jewels” of theatre, however, are not the brick-and-mortar, however fine, of London landmarks, but the creative workforce that set the stage alight – 70% of whom are freelancers. – The Guardian
How I Got Audiences To Pay More For Streamed Performances Than I Would Have Asked Them To
Kahlil Ashanti began his performing career as part of an elite U.S. Air Force unit that did shows for servicepeople at military bases and in battle zones all over the globe. One thing he heard over and over from audience members, both soldiers and civilians (in his post-Air Force life), was “I would have gladly paid more for that.” Here’s how he got them to actually do it. – Arts Professional
Spread-Out And Sanitized: The Future Of Dance In The Age Of COVID
“In conversations about the future with 14 dance professionals, feelings of anguish, hope, fear and resolve emerged, along with ideas about adaptation and innovation. … Here are some glimpses of what might lie ahead.” – San Francisco Chronicle
Trump Books Have Changed The Publishing Industry
There was a time, not that long ago, when—like most of America—publishers thought that this Trump boom would end when the president left office. It increasingly seems like it could outlast Trump’s own political career. – The New Republic
Every Artwork At The Whitney Is Being Covered With Plywood
Online, that is. “Every day at sunset, Artist — an anonymous conceptualist who legally changed their name to question the biases built into the phrase ‘American Artist’ — will replace every image of an artwork on the Whitney Museum’s website with a picture of plywood, effectively boarding up the pages. The site’s unassuming white background will be turned black, obscuring all text in the process. Titled Looted, the work calls into question what is being stolen and through what means.” – Artnet