“He was a communist whose mission was to peddle what is now a defunct ideology. His theories, once revered as theatrical scripture, seem patronising and dated today.” So why does Brecht still have such a hold on us?
Author: Laura Collins Hughes
Will The Lost Symbol Cannibalize Fiction Sales?
“[J]ust as there will inevitably be casualties when yet another sinister secret society tangles with a plucky lone Harvard symbologist, so there are likely to be victims of The Lost Symbol‘s sure-fire success. Foremost among them could be all writers of adult fiction not called Dan Brown.”
The Music In Sarah Palin’s Voice
Sarah Palin “has achieved one measure of fame – someone’s written an opera about her.” Composer Curtis Hughes says that “Say It Ain’t So, Joe” is more about voices — the contrast between Palin’s and Joe Biden’s — than politics.
Reflecting Economy, Big Deals Scarce At Toronto Film Fest
“At the halfway mark in the 10-day gathering, the vast majority of more than 140 films that showed up in search of American distribution” had yet to find it, “according to a count by the Indiewire news service.”
Jane Fonda Tempers Criticism As Toronto Protest Simmers
“Actress Jane Fonda, one of the principal voices criticizing the Toronto International Film Festival’s special spotlight on Tel Aviv, stepped back last night from her position. … The Fonda statement comes amid a flurry of pro- and anti-Israeli statements.”
At Subway Station, A Sol LeWitt Installation In Porcelain
“[W]hile its title — ‘Whirls and Twirls (MTA)’ — may sound more like an amusement park ride than an artwork, the eye-popping palette and monumental scale are bolder than most of the art in the subways, a surprising visual jolt for the estimated 69,000 commuters who use the station every day.”
Millions For Bolshoi Theatre Renovation Are Missing
“Officials from Russia’s general prosecutor’s office said they had opened a criminal investigation into the misuse of funds at Moscow’s celebrated ballet and opera venue. The firm supposed to renovate the theatre was being investigated, they said.”
What Tennis Has In Common With Ballet
“There is a great affinity between the combination of athleticism, power, dexterity, speed and coordination demanded by tennis, and those very same qualities that can be particularly evident in ballet. And tennis has the same quality of individual endeavor as dance….”
Regulators Probe Prince Charles’ Architecture Foundation
“The Charity Commission has asked the Prince’s Foundation for the Built Environment to explain its relationship with the heir to the throne, amid concerns that it had gone beyond its remit as a registered charity and tried to influence a number of planning decisions.”
Pope Plans Autumn Meeting With As Many As 500 Artists
“The director of the Vatican museums, Antonio Paolucci, said it was hoped [the event] would mark a sort of ‘reconciliation after the great divorce’. The invitation list includes artists from five continents, ranging from painters, sculptors and architects to poets and directors.”