The company is presenting a series of Russian drama, including four new scripts, at Stratford-upon-Avon. “Michael Boyd, the RSC’s artistic director who trained in Moscow early in his career, told The Independent yesterday that he wants Russian money to flow into theatre in the way that it has helped the visual arts to prosper.”
Tag: 09.23.08
It’s One Way to Deal with the Financial Collapse…
“A Brooklyn artist is giving Wall Streeters the opportunity to vent their irritation with corporate America. Geoffrey Raymond takes his over-sized paintings of CEOs to Wall Street, then asks passers-by to write comments on his artwork.”
Science-vs.-Creationism Debate Rages in Muslim World
A Turkish writer who says that “All terrorists are Darwinists” and that the impending return of both Jesus Christ and the Mahdi is “scientific fact” is gaining a growing following and claims to have sold eight million books.
Osama Bin Laden, Bard
A Univ. of California professor is publishing poems by the Al-Qaeda mastermind in an academic journal next week. The verses, collected from cassette tapes left in his Afghan compound, “reveal Osama Bin Laden as the performer, the entertainer with an agenda.”
Prime-Time TV Sees Jump in Gay/Lesbian Characters
“Broadcast television will have 16 gay and bisexual regular characters in prime-time series this fall, more than double the seven of a year ago, a new study has found.” Leading the network pack is Fox, with five regular LGTB characters.
The Jefferson-Hemings Web Was More Tangled Than We Thought
“Sally was not just an enslaved woman; she was the half-sister of Jefferson’s dead wife… Trained for highly skilled and sensitive jobs, the Hemingses were granted tremendous autonomy, living in circumstances almost unique for Virginia slaves.”
HBO Finally Comes to Canada
Couch potatoes who have complained that the award-winning cable network ‘ isn’t available north of the border will get their wish starting Oct. 30. HBO Canada will offer the full HBO slate of programs, including Big Love, Curb Your Enthusiasm and Real Time with Bill Maher as well as repbroadcasts of older hits like Oz, Da Ali G Show and Angels in America. (Yes, of course there will be Canadian content.)
Michael Moore Gives It Away, Totally Free (and Online Only)
America’s wealthiest agitpropster is releasing Slacker Uprising, a documentary of his 2004 anti-Bush college tour, as a free download. “I prohibited [my agent] from contacting any studios to ask them whether they were interested. I just said straight up, ‘I want to give this away for free.’ He thought I should have my head examined.’
Guggenheim Signals Change Of Direction In New Director Choice
The museum board’s choice of Richard Armstrong “appears to signal a distinct change in style for the Guggenheim, whose international ambitions under Mr. Krens have stirred some conflict within the institution in recent years.”
Cleveland Plain Dealer Looking Very Bad In Critic’s Hog-Tying
Last Friday the newspaper banned classical music critic Donald Rosenberg from writing about the Cleveland Orchestra. Rosenberg had been critical of the orchestra. Its journalistic credibility in the balance, the newspaper refuses to comment. Susan Goldberg, the newspaper’s editor since June of 2007, would not comment on her decision to reassign Rosenberg, calling it “an internal personnel move…we never talk about this kind of thing.”