“This is not a competition. It’s a documentary about competition within the company. ‘We don’t have to create drama,’ said Ballet West artistic director Adam Sklute. ‘The drama is there. All the drama and the joy and everything about being a part of a major arts organization is already there.'”
Month: May 2012
Is Death Truly Bad For You?
Yale philosopher Shelly Kagan: “We all believe that death is bad. But why is death bad? … [If] death is my end, how can it be bad for me to die? After all, once I’m dead, I don’t exist. If I don’t exist, how can being dead be bad for me?”
Sonnets, Scenes, And Bar-Hopping: The New York Shakespeare Exchange
The NYSX means to explore “what happens when contemporary culture is infused with Shakespearean poetry and themes in unexpected ways.” What does that mean? For starters, a Sonnet Project (154 poems, 154 actors, 154 videos), and “a Shakespearean pub crawl, where at each location, a scene breaks out. They call it … Shakesbeer.”
René Magritte’s Art Deco Sheet Music Covers (Who Knew?)
The Belgian Surrealist “may have carved his place in art history as a master of mind-bending, advertising-influenced imagery at the intersection of aesthetics and philosophy, but he also had a little-known early commercial career.”
Uncertainty Will Set You Free
“Religions are often built around this heartache for certainty. In the face of sickness, loss and grief, a thousand dogmas with a thousand names have risen. … [Yet the] world’s history of spiritual endeavor contains many beautiful descriptions of authentic encounters with uncertainty. Ironically these often serve as gateways to the most compassionate experience of what can be called sacred in human life.”
What’s The Future Of Television? Interactive Screens All Over Your Walls
“Think your flat-screen television is big? You ain’t seen nothing yet. … Tileable, interactive TV ‘wallpaper’ will dominate the room, with wrap-around screens that recruit your peripheral vision to create a truly immersive experience. What’s more, you’ll be able to use part or all of the screen for different shows, movies, web pages or Twitter timelines.”
Australian Ballet Is More Popular Than Ever But Can’t Capitalize On It
“Record numbers of people are subscribing to the Australian Ballet but box office takings have plateaued because the company can’t add more performances to its schedules or seats to its theatres.”
The Master Paper-Cutter Of The New York Subways
“In the congested world of subway performers, where dance troupes, conga circles and violin players blur, Ming Liang Lu, 57, is an alluring presence. A self-described ‘master paper portrait cutter,’ he has the ability to trim facial portraits out of frail paper within minutes, compelling some riders to willingly miss their trains.”
The New Yorker Launches Beefed-Up Books Blog Called ‘Page-Turner’
“We’ll debate about books under-noticed or too much noticed, and celebrate writers we’ve … We’ll recommend and we’ll theorize. Daily essays will be the blog’s mainstay, with books as an anchor for wide-ranging cultural comment.”
LA Times Magazine Closing Down
The monthly’s editor, Nancie Clare, says, “I think it’s fair to say there were revenue issues … I don’t think they got rid of us because they don’t like us.” The magazine’s seven staffers may or may not be offered jobs elsewhere at the newspaper.