In the opening scene of the Restoration tragedy Venice Preserved at the RSC, a rebel recruits a desperate friend to the cause. His indignation is scorching hot, so of course he pulls out a lighter, itching to burn the rotten state to the ground. – David Jays
Author: Matthew Westphal
At Historic House Museums In The South, A New Focus On The Lives Of The Enslaved
“In cities including Savannah and Charleston, … for years, tours of historic homes would focus on their architecture and fine furniture, but not on how the wealth so clearly displayed depended on enslaved labor. … Now that’s changing.” – The New York Times
When Mexico Became The World’s Hotbed Of Surrealism
It wasn’t just Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. In the 1930s and ’40s, André Breton, Leonora Carrington, José and Kati Horna, Gordon Onslow-Ford, Wolfgang Paalen, and others flocked to Mexico City. As Kahlo once put it, “I never knew I was a Surrealist until André Breton came to Mexico and told me I was one.” – Artsy
Sculptor Charles Ginnever, Known For Large Outdoor Works, Dead At 87
“Working largely in steel, made massive geometric forms that often seemed to defy gravity — giant squares or slabs appearing to float in the air or balance precariously on a point. His works were deliberately made to be walked around; viewing them from multiple angles gave dramatically different experiences.” – The New York Times
Preserving The Japanese Writing System Reserved For Women
“Women in medieval Japan were discouraged from studying kanji – characters modelled on written Chinese which represent individual words – and began using kana, which transcribe words phonetically. A [20th-century] standardisation programme … saw 90% of the 550 kana die out. But these forgotten characters are now being kept alive by the artist and master of Japanese calligraphy Kaoru Akagawa, who became fascinated with them after deciphering letters from her grandmother.” – The Guardian
Negotiating The Most Intimate Sex Scene On Broadway
Terrence McNally’s Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune begins with noisy sex in the dark, then the lights come up on the actors getting out of bed naked. It’s always been a delicate scene to stage, and the current New York revival is the first Broadway production of any kind to use a professional intimacy coordinator. Laura Collins-Hughes talks with her — Claire Warden — and stars Audra McDonald and Michael Shannon about how they make it work. – The New York Times
William F. Brown, Tony-Nominated Playwright Of ‘The Wiz,’ Dead At 91
“Mr. Brown began his career producing advertising for television before branching out as a freelance writer, playwright and, for several years, the co-creator of a syndicated comic strip. A versatile and all-purpose writer, Mr. Brown published humor books, wrote for musical revues and contributed jokes and skits to television shows.” – The Washington Post
Actors’ Unions Push IMDb Not To Publish Birth Names Of Trans Actors
The online database says that it’s not outing anyone; it’s simply listing the names of actors as they were at the time they appeared in a given production. SAG-AFTRA, joined by a number of LGBTQ advocacy organizations, calls the practice an invasion of privacy that can put the named actor at risk. – The New York Times
Director Who Transformed California Symphony Resigning
In five years as executive director of the Walnut Creek-based orchestra, Aubrey Bergauer used a data- and diversity-driven approach to turn a languishing institution around, with ticket sales, donor base, budget, and number of performances all more than doubling. – The Mercury News (San Jose)
Rem Koolhaas’s OMA To Create Annex For New York’s New Museum
“The new structure, which will add 60,000 square feet of space, reflects how much New York’s small, scrappy New Museum has changed since it opened on the Bowery in 2007, increasing its annual attendance to more than 400,000 from 60,000 and staff to 150 from 30.” – The New York Times