Artistic Directors like me have been wringing our hands over the same question for decades. How do we get younger audiences to come to our theatre? How do we engage young people today in our ancient art form? How do we not only hold their attention but excite them enough to want to come back to our theatre? This week, one answer came. And it showed me that maybe we’ve been asking ourselves the wrong question. Sometimes we must bring the mountain to Muhammed. – Intimate Excellent
Author: Douglas McLennan
Why The Right Chooses To Fight For Classical Architecture
A big part of the appeal of classical architecture for the right is this perceived ability to endure. Buildings can be read as part of an unbroken chain, supposedly embodying an uncomplicated continuity between the past and present, with little or no “revisionism” getting in the way of our admiration of the way things were. – The Guardian
Sondheim Is The Shining Genius Of Musical Theatre (But What Does That Mean?)
He revolutionized the Broadway musical with “Company” in 1970. And since, he has created brilliant shows lauded for their originality. But few hits. And where’s the legacy? – Commentary
Yale Shuts Its Art History Survey Course – The End Of Western Civ?
“For outside observers, this was yet one more sign of the American university’s dereliction of its responsibility as the carrier of Western culture. Yale “has succumbed to a life-draining decadence” (Wall Street Journal), perpetrated by “a band of hyper-educated Visigoths” (New York Post). As Visigoths go, Yale comes late to the pillaging; for a generation now, universities have quietly been shelving their introductory surveys. Had Yale done so in the 1990s, as Harvard did, it would have passed unnoticed. Or perhaps not, for Yale holds an exceptional place in the history of American art education.” – Commentary
Betrayal Of Education: America’s College Adjunct Crisis
According to the UC Berkeley Labor Center, 25 percent of part-time faculty nationally rely on public assistance programs. In 1969, 78 percent of instructional staff at US institutions of higher education were tenured or on the tenure track; today, after decades of institutional expansion amid stagnant or dwindling budgets, the figure is 33 percent. More than one million workers now serve as nonpermanent faculty in the US, constituting 50 percent of the instructional workforce at public Ph.D.-granting institutions, 56 percent at public masters degree–granting institutions, 62 percent at public bachelors degree–granting institutions, 83 percent at public community colleges, and 93 percent at for-profit institutions. – New York Review of Books
Musicians Talk Horror-Airline Stories
“You can have a bad experience whether flying with it in your hand or freighting. I’ve seen a forklift go right through a guitar case before. Airlines should be as explicit as possible on their websites about their policies. But if you’re not a platinum member, don’t expect any special treatment.” – Los Angeles Times
How Coronavirus Is Affecting The Entertainment Industry
Theaters in China, the world’s second largest box office market behind the U.S. and Canada, have almost entirely shut down. So have theme parks and film shoots. Travel bans meant to curb the global spread of the virus have affected business conferences and live events, such as concerts. – Los Angeles Times
The Downside Of Learning With YouTube How-To’s
Many of these videos fall into what Carlson calls “infotainment,” where the goal isn’t to teach, but to pass on information, even if it doesn’t lead to understanding. “They’re not saying, ‘Here’s how you would do the problem yourself,’” Stephen agrees. “They’re just handing you a bunch of microwaved facts.” – Fast Company
Trump Gets 45-Minute Briefing On The Play “FBI Lovebirds: Undercovers”
Trump hasn’t seen the play, according to playwright Phelim McAleer, but praised its concept: a script based entirely on congressional testimony and the text messages between former FBI agent Peter Strzok and former FBI lawyer Lisa Page, who discussed the FBI’s investigation into Trump’s campaign and Russia while having an affair. The play’s leads—Superman actor Dean Cain and former Buffy the Vampire Slayer actress Kristy Swanson—also attended the White House meeting. – The Daily Beast
How One Expert Discovered The Creative Freedom Of Early Music
“I finally realized it felt more creative to be doing what I was doing in early music because there was so much that we hadn’t figured out; there was so much that was not in the scores. And just because you can’t make up all the notes doesn’t mean you can’t make up most of them. I played continuo, where you’ve got a bass line and you make it up. And I liked that.” – Van