“Because of the Proms’ enviable roster of visiting orchestras, its support for contemporary composers, and its accessibility, there remain few larger forces for musical good anywhere. But it is now operating in an atmosphere of some discomfort: Its parent corporation and fellow musical broadcasters in Europe are under pressure. And the British government remains bent on austerity.”
Author: Matthew Westphal
Fired Artistic Directors Sue Edmonton’s Ballet Company
“Two recently fired directors with Citie Ballet plan to take the organization to court as ongoing infighting at Edmonton’s small professional ballet organization has resulted in dancers leaving and its reputation, according to some, to be tarnished.”
Natalia Osipova Never Thought She’d Dance At The Royal Ballet – Here’s How She Got There
“I never associated myself with that troupe, which has its own, clearly expressed characteristic, its own style. I didn’t think of experimenting with that repertoire. I thought that I would never dance English ballets, that they don’t suit me! But two years ago Kevin O’Hara, the director of the Royal Ballet, invited me to dance Swan Lake.”
Desperate To Keep Ahead Of ISIS, Iraq’s National Library Is Digitizing Its Whole Collection
“In February, IS torched more than 8,000 rare books and manuscripts in Mosul, Iraq’s second city, which the group seized in June, 2014. … The microfilm department overseeing the digitisation in Baghdad faces significant obstacles, as many books have been ruined by fire or dampness, while others have become hardened and petrified as a result of extreme heat and dampness.”
Carol Brown Janeway, Award-Winning Translator And Editor At Knopf, Dead At 71
“Janeway joined Knopf in 1970 and eventually became a senior vice president and senior editor who worked with writers from all over the world. … [Her] uthors ranged from biologist E.O. Wilson to Nobel Prize-winning fiction writer Imre Kertesz.”
Why This Bookstore Is Offering Refunds For ‘Go Set A Watchman’
Says a statement from the independent Brilliant Books in Traverse City, Michigan, “It is disappointing and frankly shameful to see our noble industry parade and celebrate this as ‘Harper Lee’s New Novel’. This is pure exploitation of both literary fans and a beloved American classic (which we hope has not been irrevocably tainted).” In a Q&A, Brilliant Books owner Peter Makin explains the decision.
The Nonprofit Hunger Games, And How We Might Stop Them
“We all got to talking, and it turned out the two seniors [at our table] were major donors to Jane’s organization who also happened to like Vietnamese food. I said, ‘Hey, I know a great Vietnamese restaurant! I’d love to take you sometime. Maybe the four of us could get lunch together.’ There was a 20-second stare-down between Jane and me. … [Later,] I ran into her at another event, and she introduced me to others as ‘The guy who tried to poach my donors.'”
Lynn Manning, 60, Playwright, Actor, Founder Of LA’s Watts Village Theater Co.
“[He] overcame blindness from a barroom bullet to forge a 30-year career as a champion athlete, poet, actor, theater company founder and, especially, playwright inspired by his own harshest experiences and the social problems of south Los Angeles.”
How David Simon Makes Urban Politics Into Compelling Television, In Series After Series
“To me, it’s the core of where the American experience is suffering. It’s self-governance. How do we govern all this? Is this country still a utilitarian experiment? Are we governing in a way that’s best for the most of us? Or do we not even give a fuck anymore? That’s not a flippant question.”
Meet The Last Living Link To The Bertolt Brecht Golden Age Of East German Theatre
“[Manfred] Karge, now 77, has been called ‘East Germany’s Orson Welles’ or ‘the Brandenburg Beckett’ – though those aren’t comparisons he is comfortable with. … ‘Beckett knew exactly how he wanted his plays to be performed. Mine don’t even have stage directions.'”