“Relatives and former students of the late Mexican artist Frida Kahlo have dismissed claims that a recently discovered recording could be the only surviving trace of her voice.” – The Guardian
Author: Matthew Westphal
David Mamet’s Harvey Weinstein Play Is Getting Really, Really Bad Reviews
Despite the praise that critics (try to) give John Malkovich in the horndog-movie-mogul role, their verdicts are clear. “Bitter Wheat is a bitter disappointment.” “Mamet’s monstrous misfire.” “[Its] most shocking quality is its laziness.” “Bad, weird, and pointless.” – Los Angeles Times
China Has Hundreds Of Ultra-Modern Museums With Nothing In Them
“As part of a broad central government initiative, thousands of museums have been built across the country over the past decade, with a staggering 451 being opened in 2012 alone. … [But] the obsessive drive to build more and more cultural facilities has resulted in a conspicuous dearth of exhibits, let alone demand from people wanting to visit them — leaving hundreds of massive, often opulent, and architecturally iconic buildings sitting underused or even completely empty today.” – Forbes
Brazilian President’s New Theatre Boss Calls On Conservative Artists To Create ‘Cultural War Machine’
Roberto Alvim announced last week that he was closing his São Paulo troupe because he was the target of criticism and boycotts for his conservative political views. President Bolsonaro promptly appointed him head of theatre at the National Foundation of the Arts — and from that perch, Alvim has called for right-leaning arts professionals to submit resumes for a database that can be consulted when awarding federal funding. – The Art Newspaper
Without Warning, Britain’s NHS Closes Its Sole Dance Injury Clinic
“The Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in north London, where it was based, … said it had planned to close the centre in 2020 as part of a wider plan to concentrate specialist services in fewer centres, but had accelerated the process following the resignation of the centre’s sole consultant.” – The Stage
Berlin Philharmonic Inaugurates New 650-Seat Concert Hall In Swiss Mountain Village
The little town of Andermatt had been in decline because of the gradual closure of an army base. But an Egyptian developer who fell in love with the area has begun creating a large ski resort, with “hotels, apartments and chalets, restaurants, new infrastructure, a golf course – and a concert hall good enough to attract the world’s best players.” – The Guardian
‘Judy Punches Back’ — Creating A Feminist ‘Punch And Judy’ Show
“[Puppeteer Sarah] Nolen wanted a new challenge: save Judy from centuries of unfair abuse and repurpose her story as an empowering allegory for audiences of all ages.” Roxanna Myhrum, artistic director of the theater where Nolen developed Judy Saves the Day, writes about how it all went down. – HowlRound
Girish Karnad, India’s Greatest Playwright, Dead At 81
As a young man, he got a graduate degree from Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar before coming home to make his career on stage and screen. He appeared in almost 100 films (Bollywood blockbusters and arthouse) and directed a dozen (including several award winners), “but it is for his plays, in which he often used myths, folklore and historical events to examine the cultural, economic and social changes in post-independence India, that he will be remembered.” – The Guardian
The Printing Press Was Invented Centuries Before Gutenberg
“Movable type was an 11th-century Chinese invention, refined in Korea in 1230, before meeting conditions in Europe that would allow it to flourish — in Europe, in Gutenberg’s time.” – Literary Hub
Meet America’s Leading Trans Choreographer
“[Sean Dorsey] is an openly transgender choreographer and activist with a professional dance company that has been thriving for 15 years. His company is more in demand than ever. … His mission has always been to honor the lives and stories of the forgotten and censored LGBTQ and transgender elders before him.” – Forbes