Given their prevalence in the great cathedrals of Europe, it is easy to imagine that pointed stone arches and soaring ribbed vaults are Christian in origin. But the former dates back to a seventh-century Islamic shrine in Jerusalem, while the latter began in a 10th-century mosque in Andalucia, Spain. In fact, that first known example of ribbed vaulting is still standing. – The Guardian
Tag: 08.13.20
AMC Is Opening Movie Theatres Next Week – Admission 15 Cents
For one day only, tickets at the theaters will sell for 15 cents, roughly the equivalent of what it cost to watch a movie in 1920. That’s the year that the company’s founders, the Dubinsky Brothers, began operations with a single movie screen in Kansas City, Missouri. – Variety
‘Literally Melting’: Medieval Buildings Of Yemen’s Capital Are Collapsing In Rain And Floods
The multistory, ochre-and-white mud-brick houses in the UNESCO-listed old city of Sanaa had already been weakened by bombs and artillery during Yemen’s six-years-and-counting civil war. But this year’s monsoon season, the rainiest in recent memory, is seeing some of those buildings simply fall to pieces. – France24 (AFP)
Even Before The Blast, Beirut’s Arts Communities Were In Crisis. Some Wonder If It’s Worth Trying To Rebuild
That’s because all of Lebanon was in crisis, with daily demonstrations, the collapse of the currency, and a gridlocked, dysfunctional political class that has been clinging to control since the civil war ended inconclusively 30 years ago. “What is frightening is that we are already so exhausted, so discouraged,” said the director of the city’s leading museum. “I don’t think we’re going to be able to pick ourselves up and move on,” lamented one gallerist. “I am 55. I have reconstructed my life so many times, and this time it’s just the last straw.” – CNN
Geoffrey Nunberg, Sociopolitical Linguist Known From NPR, Dead At 75
“Dr. Nunberg’s day jobs were in academia and in a Silicon Valley think tank, but his deepest preoccupation was in understanding how human beings communicate through words, from slang and vulgar slurs to political messaging and professional jargon. … He published several books, including essay collections and The Ascent of the A-Word, about the popularity of a certain seven-letter term applied to annoying bosses or people who used to be called heels and jerks … and, for more than 30 years, provided commentaries on language for the NPR program Fresh Air.” – The Washington Post
Massachusetts Orders Two Live Plays In Berkshires To Reduce Audience Sizes
The first two theater productions in the U.S. since lockdown to be approved by Actors’ Equity for performing before an in-person audience, Godspell at Berkshire Theater Group and Harry Clarke at Barrington Stage Company, “will each allow only 50 people to be present — down from 100 — after the state of Massachusetts rolled back its reopening protocols in an effort to slow the spread of the disease.” – The New York Times
Indoor Performances In England Get Green Light To Resume This Weekend
Venues must require audience members to wear masks and maintain social distance, but if those requirements are being met, then — “despite concerns about persistently high daily infection numbers” — theatres and concert halls may reopen as of Saturday, August 15, along with bowling alleys, skating rinks and some sports events. (Of course, if recent history is any guide, this decision could be reversed Friday afternoon.) – The Guardian
Hollywood Movie Production Restarts (But Not In Hollywood)
Hollywood has been unable to restart production on its own soundstages in California because of surging infections in the state, plodding negotiations with unions over protocols and the time it takes to get test results. So big movie studios, under pressure to get their production assembly lines running again, have focused on overseas shooting. The “Avatar” sequels are filming again in New Zealand. Sony Pictures has “Uncharted,” its adaptation of a popular video game, going in Berlin. – The New York Times
First Woman To Conduct Opera At Salzburg Festival Isn’t Much Interested In Gender
Joana Mallwitz: “I’m still amazed about all the situations where it’s still possible to be ‘the first woman ever.’ … I’ve conducted Mozart operas my whole life at major houses, and I wasn’t asked to conduct at Salzburg just because I’m a woman. That’s not how it works.” – The New York Times