“I feel, going back now, that the early ’90s, the late ’80s, for all the horrors of the AIDS epidemic, were comparatively innocent and carefree times compared to where we are now. … [The] play, and the times, both feel darker to me now than they did back then.”
Tag: 09.13.11
Opera Company of Philadelphia Names First Composer In Residence
“New York-based Lembit Beecher, 30, will spend stretches of several weeks at a time at the Opera Company, as well as Gotham Chamber Opera and Music-Theatre Group in New York, observing productions and developing ideas for potential projects.”
How Will Shortz Edits A New York Times Crossword Puzzle
“Every crossword in the Times is a collaboration between the puzzle-maker and the puzzle editor. On average, about half the clues are mine. I may edit as few as five or ten percent of the clues, or as many as 95 percent for someone who does a great puzzle but not great clues.”
Micro-Arts Funding Initiative Earns $1 Million
“United States Artists says that creative folks conducting do-it-yourself fundraising on its website have reaped $1 million from philanthropically minded visitors in the initiative’s first nine months.”
Why National Ballet Of Canada Can’t Bring Classics On 60th Anniversary Tour
Most onlookers has assumed that the company would bring its beloved large-scale story ballets – Swan Lake, Giselle and the like – on its big birthday tour of Canada. Alas, says director Karen Kain, “We are coming with no orchestra, for the first time in the history of the company.”
High-Tech Marketers Hate The ‘The’ Word
Amazon’s Jeff Bezos never refers to “the Kindle.” Apple won’t allow “the Mac” or “the iPad.” “In Silicon Valley especially, dropping ‘the’ before product names has become an article of faith.” Says one marketing exec, “When you can drop an article, the brand takes on a more iconic feel.”
The Roar Of The Crowds: Urbanites Process Stress Differently
“Researchers have known for decades that residents of densely populated areas have higher rates of mental illnesses, including anxiety disorders and schizophrenia. But do the brains of city dwellers function any differently from those of rural folk? Studies are showing that they do.”
British Government To Cut Entertainment License Red Tape
“The government has published proposals to scrap many of the licensing regulations that campaigners claim are stifling live entertainment in the UK. … Plans involve cutting regulation on sectors including travelling circuses, small-scale live music performances and even licensing for theatre performance with audiences of less than 5,000.”
Nederlands Dans Theater Names New Director
“Paul Lightfoot, who has spent nearly his entire career with the Nederlands Dans Theater as a dancer and choreographer, has been elevated to artistic director, replacing Jim Vincent.”
What Vaclav Havel Didn’t Bargain For: Central Europe’s Loss Of Interest In Ideas
“The artistic and literary scene that flourished paradoxically under censorship and repression has died off. … The people of Central Europe traded in ideas for groceries and for not being beaten to death by the police. No one could possibly blame them, but at the same time, Havel and the other leaders had no sense of the true cost of democracy.”