It used to be that actors did Shakespeare to prove themselves. “Obviously the old standards of judging Shakespeare have to be modified to deal with this new phenomenon. In the old days we might have fussed over how Academy Award winner Denzel Washington lived up to the demands of Brutus. Now it makes more sense to determine how the character of Brutus fits the qualities Washington brings to him.”
Month: April 2005
Canada To Toughen Copyright
Canadian Heritage Minister Liza Frulla says her government intends to inrtoduce tough new copyright laws later this year. “Frulla expressed her intention to toughen Canada’s ‘antiquated’ intellectual property laws through proposed new copyright legislation to be tabled in June. ‘We’ll also be addressing the peer-to-peer issue. It will give the tools to companies and authors to sue’.”
New Gore Network: TV For The Internet Generation?
Al Gore announces the launch of a new cable TV network. “The former vice president and longtime Internet champion joined investors Monday to announce the creation of Current, a cable TV channel that will target younger viewers with a blend of news, culture and viewer-produced video. Gore will serve as chairman of the board of the new venture, which will be based in San Francisco.”
The Colors Of NPR
Does National Public Radio have a diversity problem? ” ‘Public radio news and information audiences tend to be curious about their world, enjoy learning and are heavier consumers of information than the general population. . . . Our own research finds that these characteristics are present in both groups of listeners, black and white.’ But doesn’t that let public radio off the hook by pretending its focus on white culture is really just a focus on a transcendent culture – blaming the lack of minority listenership on the fact that not enough minorities go to college?”
August Wilson: A Century Of Plays
“August Wilson has almost completed his series of plays chronicling the 20th Century. “His output over the past 20 years has been prodigious. His name is frequently mentioned in the same breath as Arthur Miller, Eugene O’Neill, and Tennessee Williams. O’Neill set out to write a cycle of plays chronicling the life of a single American family over time, but he completed only one play before he died. Wilson is about to achieve his ambitious goal, and for years to come his cycle will be studied as a reflection of the black ethos in the 20th century. But Wilson is not without his detractors.”
Shanley Wins Drama Pulitzer
John Patrick Stanley wins this year’s Pulitzer for drama. “Shanley’s play opened on Broadway just last week to critical acclaim after an off-Broadway run. It tells the story of a confrontation between a nun and a Roman Catholic priest at a Bronx parish; she suspects the priest of molesting a male student. Shanley, who has written a number of successful off-Broadway plays, captured the Academy Award for best screenplay for “Moonstruck” in 1988.”
A Run On Pope Books
Publishers and book stores are bracing for a run on books about Pope John Paul II. “Sales of books by and about Pope John Paul II have soared since his death Saturday, with several quickly reaching the top 20 of Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.com.”
The Moscow Biennale’s Important First Steps
It’s not clear if the first Moscow Biennale achieved its ambitious goals, but “visitors, Russian and Western, agreed that the biennale was the most important event in Russian art of the past ten years. And it seems that legitimization of contemporary art was at least partially achieved.”
New York Mag – A Successful Makeover In Search Of Readers
It’s been a year since Adam Moss took over as editor of New York Magazine. “New York has enjoyed some journalistic success under Mr. Moss, with three National Magazine nominations. But it has been slower to find financial success. Though its advertising is up, the level is not as high as it was as recently as 2001, and circulation is flat, with newsstand sales down. The magazine is losing money, although executives would not say how much.”
I Starbucks, Major Music Label?
Starbucks has had big success selling music in its 4000+ US stores. Building on that success, the coffee retailer is introducing its first album by a little-known band, a next step in building a major music business.