A Shakespeare authority at the University of London “used software called Pl@giarism, developed by the University of Maastricht to detect cheating students, to compare language used in Edward III — published anonymously in 1596, when Shakespeare was 32 — with other plays of the period.”
Tag: 10.12.09
Claim: Fingerprint, Palm Print ID Portrait As A Leonardo
A portrait in chalk, pen and ink, which was designated “‘German, early 19th century’ and sold for $19,000 at Christie’s New York in the late 1990s,” is now said to be a Leonardo, based on multispectral images that literally show “the hand – and fingerprint – of the artist in the work.”
Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre Signs Music Director
“After four years without an official music director, the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre has a three-year contract with Charles Barker, giving him the dual titles of music director and conductor.”
An Indie Bookstore Is Saved; Customers Worry Anyway
Fear of change “followed news that Vroman’s bookstore in Pasadena has signed an agreement to purchase Book Soup,” a West Hollywood institution, whose founder died in January. “Customers’ worries were exacerbated by the continuing struggle [facing] independents….”
Six Designers Shortlisted For $100K Siminovitch Prize
“The award, created in 2001 in honour of scientist Lou Siminovitch and his late wife Elinore, a playwright, is worth $100,000. The winner gets $75,000 and gives the other $25,000 to a protégé or organization of his or her choice.” This year’s prize recognizes accomplishment in Canadian stage design.
Video Games Are Health Food For The Brain! (Maybe.)
“[S]tudies are revealing that a wide variety of games can boost mental function, improving everything from vision to memory. Still unclear is whether these gains are long-lasting and can be applied to non-game tasks. But video games, it seems, might actually be good for the brain.”
Is Your Song Hit Material? Algorithms Render A Verdict.
Sales suggest The Black Eyed Peas’ “I Gotta Feeling” is a good song. “David Meredith, CEO of Music Intelligence Solutions, says there’s no magic in that; it’s math. His software, called Hit Song Science, gave the song a hit score of 8.9 out [of] 10.”
Beyond Laramie‘s Original Take On Matthew Shepard
“Now there’s an epilogue to The Laramie Project, and tonight more than a hundred theaters around the country will perform readings of the new play. Together with the first one, it constitutes a powerful version of Matthew Shepard’s story. But it’s not the only version — and that’s a big part of why the epilogue exists.”
Randy Newman Songs To Be Knitted Into A New Musical
“Harps and Angels,” which is to premiere in November 2010 at the Mark Taper Forum, “will feature songs previously written by Newman arranged in a way to tell a story about the American experience, according to Center Theatre Group.”
To Survive, LA’s Cultural Institutions Must Engage Latinos
“L.A.’s cultural elite shouldn’t mistake the Dudamel phenomenon for a solid strategy to reverse its historic negligence toward the city’s Latinos. … Historically, foreign-born elites generally escape the social prejudice that burdens even their relatively well-to-do native-born co-ethnics.”