London’s Barbican is devoting an exhibition to Oscar Wilde. But at least one critic isn’t happy about it: “In fact he was a second-rate poseur and plagiarist, and his influence on the visual arts in this country was almost wholly destructive. His apologists call him a populariser, but forget to mention the devastating effect that his popularising had on the course of British art.” – The Telegraph (UK)
Tag: 10.18.00
THEATRE’S COLOR LINE
When asked if there is a crisis in black theatre in Britain, Nicolas Kent, director of north London’s Tricycle Theatre, has more than a little to say. “I could go on and on listing the problems. The fact that there is no theatre building run by a black or Asian director, that there is no black children’s company and that theatre staffs and boards are overwhelmingly white.” And what about so-called “color-blind casting?” “We don’t just need to be told that the RSC is to have a black Henry VI. What we need is enough money to support black companies to do black-generated work.” – The Guardian
I, SHAKESPEARE, MBA
A new program at Ontario’s Stratford Theatre Festival brings corporate executives together to learn management lessons from Shakespeare. Sessions include: “How might the leaders in Hamlet have been more effective leaders?” and “How would you rate a Shakespearean leader?” Days are jammed with seminars, the evenings devoted to social dinners and two Stratford performances, ‘Hamlet’ and ‘As You Like It’. Perhaps because of the cost and because a few of the participants are on government payrolls, the vast majority wanted to remain anonymous.” – The Globe and Mail (Canada)
PUBLIC PERCEPTIONS
George C. Wolfe heads into his eighth season at the helm of New York’s Public Theater/New York Shakespeare Festival with two costly Broadway flops in his wake – and $14 million in losses his theater has had to absorb. “Theater veterans have been asking why the Public’s board backed Mr. Wolfe on yet another risky Broadway venture so soon after the last one, and how it could stand by him when artistic directors around the country have been let go simply for losing subscribers.” – New York Times
NEW YORK SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL EXAMINED: What does the New York Times Story mean? – Theatre.com
NEW SHERIFF IN TOWN
The head of the Canadian province of Alberta’s government arts funder has a new formula for awarding grants, and the arts groups don’t like it: “When I first arrived, grants were based on how much money you spent, and my view is, that just encouraged profligate spending. I said, no, grants should be based on revenue. So there’s a huge incentive to go out there and raise money in the community, to sell tickets, to do whatever you have to do.” – CBC 10/18/00
GREAT NO MORE
The Bolshoi Theatre is a wreck – physically, artistically and on just about any other term you want to consider it. Things have deteriorated so far that last month the Russian government stepped in to seize control. But is it too late? – The Scotsman 10/18/00
WHEN FLATTERY GETS YOU NOWHERE
A regularly outspoken critic of the Royal Opera House’s former management, Raymond Gubbay has applied to run the institution after Michael Kaiser’s departure. In his application Gubbay called the Opera House “the preserve of the rich, the influential and those concerned with corporate entertainment.” – The Times (UK) 10/18/00
- I CAN FIX THIS: Gubbay “calls for a higher status for the Executive Director which would put him or her above the Music Director and the Artistic Director of the Royal Ballet. He also wants more performances, longer production runs and cheaper seats.” – London Evening Standard 10/18/00
IN SEARCH OF WYETH
The White House is looking for a painting by NC Wyeth depicting George Washington standing in front of a partially completed White House. The painting, worth as much as $1 million, has gone missing. – Philadelphia Inquirer
GLOWWORM
- A genetically-altered French bunny named Alba that glows green in the dark is at the center of an international controversy.” Eduardo Kac–an intense, cutting-edge artist at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago–claims he conceived of Alba and spurred scientists to create her for the sake of art. He wanted to use her living being as a canvas, if you will, to generate debate about the future of genetic engineering. Art?! you exclaim. Greening a living thing as art?!” – Washington Post
ACTIVE CRITIC
A retired teacher who defaced a painting at last year’s controversial “Sensation” show at the Brooklyn Museum says it was his constitutional right to do so. “It was his response to an obscenity against his beloved Virgin Mary. He was offended by the nature of that painting, and that’s what the museum wanted.” – New York Daily News