Back in 1809, the newly renovated Theatre at Covent Garden in London raised the cost of the cheapest tickets by half a shilling, and people fought in the streets over this for three months. (Twenty people died.) In 2019, prices have, in some cases, more than doubled in the past ten years as most people’s pay has remained stagnant — and folks do little more than grouse or stop going. Alice Saville argues that high prices warp audience expectations and, ultimately, the art itself. – Exeunt Magazine
Tag: 09.18.19
Protecting The Playwright’s Art Through Residencies
When playwrights get company residencies, they learn a lot – how seasons are put together, what kinds of casts theatres are looking for, and how not to take it personally when their plays don’t get selected. But they have to choose carefully. Luis Alfaro: “You know how to see a play, how to read a play, how to understand a play. And that’s more beautiful than trying to help figure out the architecture of a new building.” – HowlRound
What Makes A Dictator? An Outsized Personality
The road to dictatorship is depressingly predictable. Once power is stolen, the problem is to keep it. Anyone who might develop a separate power base must be struck down. Eradicate rivals, rule through force and fear. Trust no one, particularly family, friends and the army. Keep everyone on their toes with random executions, unpredictable policy changes and imaginative public tortures. – New Statesman
Remembering Canadian Curator Bruce Ferguson
From the late 1980s onward, Bruce was recognized as an expert on cutting-edge Canadian art. He knew all the artists and got all the jobs—well, not quite—and was repeatedly invited to curate the Canadian contributions to the major biennials. – Canadian Art
Poet Jane Mead, 61
“In a literary career that spanned more than 20 years, Mead wrote five poetry collections and her work was regularly published in anthologies and journals. She was a Griffin Poetry Prize and Los Angeles Times Book Award finalist for her 2016 book World of Made and Unmade, about her mother’s death. It also was long-listed for the National Book Award.” – Los Angeles Times
Can Ira Glass Convince Public Radio Non-Pledgers To Pledge $1 A Month?
The host and creator of This American Life has recorded five spots urging people to become donors to their public radio stations at about the lowest possible rate. Why? Basically, for the same reason that iTunes priced tracks at 99 cents. – Current
A Brief History Of Being Famous
There are two ways of telling the story of celebrity, and both are true. The first narrative holds celebrity to be a modern invention. There were always famous people, but they made their names through great deeds and works and with an eye to posterity. – Times Literary Supplement
The Best Dance Of The 21st Century (So Far)
Be wary of lists such as these. The Guardian attempts to select the best dance this century. But with dance spread out all over the world, can a critic (or group of them) choose (let alone judge) best performances? Doubtful. And yet, there are some great candidates for a best-of list here. – The Guardian
A New Library In Queens Is Terrific. So Why Can’t New York Build More Like This?
“Compact, at 22,000 square feet and 82 feet high, the library is among the finest and most uplifting public buildings New York has produced so far this century. It also cost something north of $40 million and took forever to complete. So it raises the question: Why can’t New York build more things like this, faster and cheaper?” – The New York Times
Russia’s Culture Minister Called Comic Books Stupid. Sales Soared
Dmitry Yakovlev, head of one of Russia’s leading indie comic producers, the St Petersburg-based Bumkniga, was unfazed by the minister’s dig. “Medinsky’s comment was pure stupidity, therefore supporting the comic industry,” he told the Guardian. “Sales increased.” – The Guardian