Tag: sj

A Black, Queer Kentuckian Returns Home To Take The Helm At Actors Theatre Of Louisville

After decades living and working all over the U.S., actor-director-choreographer Robert Barry Fleming is now in his first season as artistic director of one of the country’s most important regional theatres. He tells Diep Tran, “It’s taken me 50 years to be afforded my ‘Jackie Robinson moment’: the chance to lead a large, multi-million dollar institution, and I believe that may have less to do with my ability or readiness to do the job, and more about the dominant culture demonstrating readiness.” – American Theatre

In Wake Of Racial Incident, Boston’s Museum Of Fine Arts Works To Make Amends

Last spring, a group of black middle school students had an ugly encounter with a few museum patrons and a guard. “Critics rightfully pounced, and the museum moved swiftly to contain the damage. … It might have ended there. But in this city still scarred by court-ordered desegregation and the turbulent busing of minority students to white suburbs in the 1970s, the museum — which welcomes 1.2 million visitors each year — took it as a wakeup call.” – Yahoo! (AP)

Royal Ballet’s New Star Marcelino Sambé On How He Got Into Dance

“It was hilarious. I showed up in tracksuit and trainers, didn’t know what ballet was. The atmosphere was sterile, the other kids were preppy and well prepared. I was nothing of the kind. But I could do the splits and I remember I kept doing the splits repeatedly [he laughs].” The panel was not impressed. “Then came the special moment when they asked us just to dance. – The Guardian

Seeing ‘Slave Play’ As A Black Person, With An All-Black Audience

Aisha Harris: “At one point during the performance — as the white woman … used a black dildo on her [black] partner … while they pretended to be the mistress and slave on a plantation — my colleague, seated next to me, said, ‘Imagine seeing this with white people!’ I could absolutely imagine it, and thus understood why this specially curated audience needed to exist.” – The New York Times

Major Public Art Project Honors Black Lives In One Of America’s Most Important Black Neighborhoods

“Njaimeh Njie, a Pittsburgh-based artist who works primarily with print and photography, set out on a journey in 2016 to document black lives in her city, focusing on the Hill District, the historic black neighborhood that serves as the home base for some of the world’s most pioneering musicians and August Wilson’s 10-play theatrical universe.” – CityLab