At This Theatre, Every Show This Season Is Directed By A Woman

When Anna Bergmann became the director of the playhouse at the Badisches State Theater in the German city of Karlsruhe, “her first major decision … was downright radical: Tired of hearing that theaters would like to hire female directors but could find few, she said she wanted women to lead most of the productions during her first season at the helm. The State Theater’s general director … proposed going further: Why not exclusively use female directors, for once?”

Unconvincing

You’d think I might love it when the Met Opera and the New York Philharmonic hyped their new seasons with these posters, done in the most up to date corporate marketing style. But I don’t love it. To me these posters don’t, simply as advertising, do much to make their case. And they promise things that aren’t going to happen.

Turf War Between New Zealand’s Two Largest Orchestras?

The Auckland Philharmonia has reportedly complained to the national ministry of culture about an increase in the number of performances scheduled for Auckland next year by the New Zealand Symphony, the national orchestra, which is based in Wellington (the capital) but gives an equal number of performances in Auckland, which has three times Wellington’s population.