“[One] of the [scriptures’] abiding themes is precisely the ever-urgent need for human beings, if they are to find what is true and just, to maintain their capacity for independent thought and action. Almost every major hero and heroine of the Hebrew Bible is depicted as independent-minded, disobedient, even contentious.”
Tag: 08.25.12
New Chief, New Style At Stratford’s Shakespeare Festival
“Des McAnuff has unquestionably raised the festival’s profile, in Canada and around the world – but that hasn’t stopped certain observers from wondering whether he was the right man to run it.” His controversially free-wheeling approach to Shakespeare, going for visual stimulation and flash even at the expense of the text, differs wildly from the work of his successor, Antoni Cimolino, which “is known for its fidelity to what the playwright set down on the page.”
Ukrainian Dance Camp, Led By A Nuyorican
“Think of it as a kind of Ukrainian Hogwarts. This retreat, the Roma Pryma Bohachevsky Ukrainian Dance Academy … is secluded in an enchanting patch of forest purchased half a century ago by Ukrainian immigrants. … So it is curious that among those most responsible for imparting this important bit of Ukrainian culture is Orlando Pagan, a son of Puerto Ricans who grew up in the Bronx.”
Book Reviews In Bulk (No Surprise – There’s A Market)
“At first, he advertised that he would review a book for $99. But some clients wanted a chorus proclaiming their excellence. So, for $499, Mr. Rutherford would do 20 online reviews. A few people needed a whole orchestra. For $999, he would do 50.”
Why Do College Tuitions Keep Going Higher?
“In the 10 years between 2000 and 2009, while the median income of American families grew a modest 16 percent, the cost of attending college shot up 63 percent; more than 70 percent for in-state students at public universities.”
What Drives Hollywood’s Movie Business Model
“The entire business model for today’s movie business is rooted in an aversion to originality. When it comes to marketing an expensive movie, brand familiarity is the name of the game.”
Hollywood’s Switch To Digital Projection Spells End For Many Smaller Movie Theatres
“The analog projectors that have whirred along for decades will be suddenly rendered incapable of playing modern movies. For many seasonal theaters, the dog days of this summer may be the only days they have left.”
Electronic Dance Music – The Music Of Now
“The rise of E.D.M. also reflects the shifting ground of the music industry, in which big record labels are no longer the primary career makers, and a young, hyperdigital generation of acts has its eyes on more distant and prestigious prizes like film scoring.”
Metropolitan Opera Finds Money To Offer Low-Cost Rush Tickets
The benefactor who had funded the popular program died and the Met had to scramble to find ways to fund the discount program.
What The Apple/Samsung Verdict Will Mean For Innovation
“Allowing companies to take a good product and make it better and cheaper is good for consumers. But the patent lawyers won today.”