Author: Matthew Westphal

An Improbable Film Industry Grows In Deepest Siberia

In the Russian Federation’s Sakha Republic — whose capital, Yakutsk, is considered the coldest big city on Earth — locally-made movies, many in the local Yakut language, often outsell international blockbusters. In an article titled “Arctic zombie apocalypse,” a correspondent looks at the challenge of making films in Sakha, from harrowing temperatures (down to 50 below) to horrifying mosquitoes (“When one buzzes in front of the lens, it looks like a horse is galloping across the frame”). – The Economist

Are Dancers Today So Versatile That They’re Losing Their Individuality?

Nancy Wozny: “We used to be able to tell a dancer’s ancestry — be it Graham, Cunningham or Balanchine — by their movement.” No more: “I’ve always felt my gift to the field is being able to put into words how an artist moves differently than the person next to them. … I am finding it harder these days to define a dancer’s kinetic signature, which is my signature as a dance writer.” – Dance Magazine

Yeah, Lots Of Us Love To Point And Laugh At ‘Florida Man’ — But Is That Really The Right Thing To Do?

“At its most comical, the Florida Man phenomenon encapsulates the wildness of both America and the Internet. At its most salacious, it’s a social-media update on the true-crime TV of America’s Dumbest Criminals and the gallows humor of tabloid headlines. At its most insensitive, Florida Man profits by punching down at the homeless, drug-addicted or mentally ill.” Reporter Logan Hill travels to a Florida prison to meet an actual subject of a Florida Man story — and he talks with the guy who started the Florida Man Twitter feed about the moral qualms he began to feel. – The Washington Post Magazine

Martha Plimpton Does Something Very Few Actors Ever Do — Quit Steppenwolf Theatre

“Why would anybody want to go? It’s inarguably among the most prestigious collections of stage actors in the world and yet membership comes with no formal minimum participation requirement. … However, two sources close to Steppenwolf said that there was no love lost between the actress and the current artistic administration, although Plimpton had wanted to keep her action as private as possible.” – Chicago Tribune

Richmond’s Institute For Contemporary Art, Only A Year Old, Lays Off More Than A Fifth Of Its Staff

“Six full-time employees out of 27 are having their positions eliminated as a result of a reorganization, said Dominic Willsdon, executive director of the ICA. … The non-collecting contemporary art museum at Virginia Commonwealth University opened in April 2018 after four years of construction and roughly 15 years of planning.” And ICA has had staffing issues ever since. – Richmond Times-Dispatch

Metro-DC-Based National Philharmonic Says It’s Out Of Cash And Is Closing

The freelance orchestra, based at Strathmore in the Maryland suburbs, was founded in 1983 and performed two to three dozen concerts a year. The announcement said that the orchestra would need an additional $150,000 to save the upcoming season, and its president told Anne Midgette, “The National Phil would be delighted if a donor would come forward or funding were to come through for its operations.” – The Washington Post