Why ‘Measure For Measure’ Is *The* Shakespeare Play For 2015

“[Isabella’s] willingness to be a martyr for chastity – and Angelo’s moral crackdown, backed by capital punishment – would seem less quaint to the Tea Party wing of the Republicans, at the Vatican, or in countries and cultures subject to Islamic sharia law. And so the conflict in the Vienna of the play between sexual licentiousness and censoriousness has an obvious contemporary topicality, while the play’s broader exploration of the nature of justice is perennially relevant: at the Globe, the production is part of a season under the umbrella theme of ‘Justice & Mercy’.”

Stop Hating On Puns: They’re Useful, They’re Ubiquitous, They’re More Complex Than You Think, And They Deserve Respect (As Long As They’re Clever)

“The fact is, quite a lot of ordinary people enjoy puns. So why is the pun looked down upon? Is its reputation as an inferior form of wordplay really deserved? … It turns out puns are pretty weird, linguistically speaking, given what we think we know about words and what they signify.”

Roberto Minczuk’s Turbulent Tenure At Brazilian Symphony Orchestra Comes To A Sudden, Quiet End

The Rio-based orchestra gave its now-former chief conductor no formal sendoff: first his title was quietly changed to Conductor Emeritus on publicity materials, then (apparently in response to inquiries) an official statement noting that his contract had expired in August was given to the press. Minczuk’s decade with the organization saw a widely acknowledged improvement in musical standards – and conflicts over his leadership style that culminated in a player revolt in 2011 that cost him the title of artistic director. (Perhaps coincidentally, last month it was also announced that Minczuk is ending his ten-year tenure as music director of the Calgary Philharmonic this season.) (in Portuguese; click here for Google Translate version)

The Most Anticipated New Restaurant In Providence Turned Out To Be An Art Project Satirizing Foodie Culture

Lura Cafe “would be a refuge for diners in the know, serving modern takes on cafe classics – all local, all organic, all certified GMO-free. It was upscale and casual, timeless and avant-garde. … It announced itself – as all similarly accoutred restaurants must – with a social media blitz, featuring sans serif lettering, sunny high-angle shots of brunch dishes, even a breathless write-up in the New York Times. It was also totally fake.”

London’s West End Theatres Are Not ‘Fit For The 21st Century,’ Says Former National Theatre Chief

“Nick Starr has claimed the West End’s current ‘old and ageing’ playhouses are unable to accommodate [any] contemporary theatremaking … that is more innovative in form than revivals of old plays, and said new venues were needed to provide homes for theatremakers who want to create for spaces that are non-proscenium arch.”

Using Arts Education To Create Good Citizens And Thinkers: Remembering Black Mountain College

“Democracy is about making choices, and people need to take ownership of their choices. We don’t want to vote the way someone else tells us to. We want to vote based on beliefs we have chosen for ourselves. Making art is making choices. Art-making is practice democracy. Rice did not think of art-making as therapy or self-expression. He thought of it as mental training.”

Why Are Boston Audiences Laughing Inappropriately During Serious Plays?

“Rogue laughter,” as Boston-area actress Marianna Bassham calls it, has become an occupational hazard for actors, an annoyance for audiences, and an increasingly common phenomenon on stages from Boston to Broadway and from “A Streetcar Named Desire” to last year’s New York revival of “A Raisin in the Sun,” starring Denzel Washington.

Study: Streaming Isn’t Killing Recording Industry Revenues

“When looking the top songs each week and calculating how much rights holders were paid, researchers find that streaming usage increases music-industry revenue thanks to the ability to convert those who were either downloading illegally or not listening to tracks at all. But those gains are pretty much offset by streaming’s displacement of permanent track purchases or downloads.”