For actresses who want a shot at a statuette, playing a sex worker, as Marisa Tomei does in “The Wrestler,” could be just the ticket. “Historically, there have been fewer edgy roles for women, and the world’s oldest profession — prostitution — offers a natural corollary to another time-tested role, the male criminal. Another reason: Inherently flawed characters, who possess what some might see as mental, moral or physical imperfections, make for more courageous acting performances.”
Author: Laura Collins Hughes
Christian Parents’ Lenten Sacrifice: Facebook
“They’re a little too old to give up potato chips, Guitar Hero or Red Bull for Lent. But as Christian parents ponder an appropriate sacrifice, they find themselves mulling a choice they’d have once seen as preposterous: A Facebook fast — not for their teens but for themselves.”
Survey: Nonprofit Theatres Hunkering Down For Recession
“U.S. nonprofit theaters are cutting staff and expanding discounts as they anticipate disappointing ticket sales and fundraising, according to a new survey by the Theatre Communications Group. In a January survey of 210 member theaters, the group found 77 percent are ‘reprojecting’ expenses for the coming year. Theaters with a budget of at least $10 million are cutting spending by an average of $750,000.”
Neither Scornful Nor Reverent, Architects Revive Tully Hall
“Sunday’s opening of a remade Alice Tully Hall, the first phase of an overhaul of Lincoln Center scheduled for completion in 2010, is a revelation. Designed by Diller Scofidio & Renfro, the womblike performance space, its surfaces flush with new life, makes it hard to remember the dreariness of the 1969 original. The freshness springs from the architects’ willingness to break with worn-out urban design strategies.”
California School Isn’t The Only One That’s Canceled Rent
“‘Rent: School Edition,’ a modified version of the hit Broadway musical,” is still “[t]oo provocative, in the view of some high school officials and parents. At least three of the planned high school productions, in California, Texas and West Virginia, have been canceled after administrators or parents raised objections about the show’s morality, its portrayals of homosexuality and theft, and its frank discussions of drug use and H.I.V., according to administrators, teachers and parents involved in those cases.”
Speaking In Israel, A Japanese Writer Confronts Gaza
In a speech this week, Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami explains his decision to travel to Israel to receive an award. “In Japan a fair number of people advised me not to come here to accept the Jerusalem Prize. Some even warned me they would instigate a boycott of my books if I came. The reason for this, of course, was the fierce battle that was raging in Gaza.”
Padel Is Frontrunner For Oxford Poetry Post
“Prize-winning poet Ruth Padel is emerging as the frontrunner for the prestigious post of Oxford University professor of poetry, after poet laureate Andrew Motion ruled himself out of competition for a post he said was ‘in desperate need of an overhaul’. The position, established in 1708, is the most important in poetry after the laureateship, and sees the incumbent – who is elected by Oxford graduates – giving three lectures a year.”
Awards Shows Are Catnip To Audiences — Online
“Television ratings for awards shows are on the decline. But that doesn’t mean people aren’t interested at all in the spectacle of Hollywood congratulating itself. They’re just getting their awards-show information the same way they’re getting all their other news: online.”
Sesame Street Onstage: Bert & Ernie Musical Takes Shape
The Minneapolis-based Children’s Theatre Company got three Tony nominations for “A Year With Frog and Toad.” The show’s 2003 Broadway run also “drew the attention of the makers of ‘Sesame Street,'” who asked the company “if there was any interest in putting together a musical from their popular children’s show.” The resulting adaptation, “Bert & Ernie, Goodnight!,” starts previews at CTC in September.
Dennehy Falls Off Stage, Continues Performance
“At a key moment of ‘Desire Under the Elms,’ the character of Ephraim Cabot thanks God for the arrival of his new child. At Tuesday night’s performance at the Goodman Theatre, the actor Brian Dennehy took that rapture a step too far. He fell off the stage. … But Dennehy, an actor of the old school, batted aside assistance, gritted his teeth, assured the audience that the baby (played by a doll) was unhurt and demanded that the show continue.”