Richard Eyre, a former director of the National Theatre in London, criticized a recent RSC production of Timon of Athens in which Lord Timon became Lady Timon — and, therefore, the line “I love that man” became “I love that woman”. Eyre, stressing the importance of Shakespeare’s use of iambic pentameter (which that extra syllable throws off), called the casting “a very bad decision. … Do the plays. Don’t rework it.” – The Times (UK)
Author: Matthew Westphal
Why Are Hong Kong’s Publishers Endangered? Fear
“Hong Kong once churned out a broad range of books focused on China’s modern history and Communist Party politics, from thinly sourced potboilers churned out under pen names to respected works of analysis by top authors. … But the industry has declined thanks to tighter border checks, the consolidation of Hong Kong distributors and retail outlets under mainland control, and the disappearance and imprisonment of independent booksellers.” – The New York Times
Ocean Vuong Travels Back To The Hometown That Looms Large In His Novel
NPR reporter Kat Chow grew up near Vuong, and the two attended the same high school (though they never met each other there). She joins the poet-novelist on a road trip to Glastonbury, CT. – The Atlantic
Stanley Tigerman, One Of Chicago’s Most Influential Architects, Dead At 88
“Along with other postmodern architects of international repute, among them the late Philip Johnson and Michael Graves, Tigerman in the 1970s and 1980s broke the mold of modernist, steel-and-glass abstraction, enlivening architecture with whimsy, irony, symbolism and overt references to a building’s physical context or purpose.” – Chicago Tribune
French Authorities Drop Rape Investigation Into Gerard Depardieu
“Paris prosecutors … said Tuesday that there was not evidence to back up the allegations made by a young actress who accused Depardieu of assaulting her last August.” – Variety
YouTube Bans Children From Live-Streaming Unless An Adult Is In The Room
“YouTube is taking additional steps to restrict the possibility that children will be targeted by predators on the video platform — including banning young kids from live-streaming with[out] adult supervision. The Google-owned video platform, in a blog post Monday, also said it is limiting recommendations of videos that depict ‘minors in risky situations.’” – Variety
YouTube Algorithm Started Directing Pedophiles To Home Videos Of Children
“YouTube never set out to serve users with sexual interests in children — but in the end, … its automated system managed to keep them watching with recommendations that [are] ‘disturbingly on point.’ Users do not need to look for videos of children to end up watching them. The platform can lead them there through a progression of recommendations.” – The New York Times
Museum Staffers Across U.S. Are Publicly Revealing Their (Low) Salaries
“Last Friday, museum workers began contributing to a Google Spreadsheet documenting their place of employment, salary rates, and demographic details like race and gender. … Those who contributed to the spreadsheet hope that transparency will lead to some sort of remuneration reform that may also contribute to further diversifying the field.” – Hyperallergic
Controversial Board President Of Fine Arts Museums Of San Francisco Steps Down
Philanthropist Dede Wilsey, an heir to the Dow chemical fortune and widow of a Bay Area real estate magnate, is departing after 21 years. “Her generosity to the Fine Arts Museums, among many gifts across the region, is legendary. … Yet for years she was said to run the board like a private club,” and her response to reports of her impending departure in 2016 was defiant. – San Francisco Chronicle
Mass. Lawmakers Offer Sizeable Boots In Arts Funding — But With Unusual Conditions
“At stake is whether the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) can use state money for travel costs and continue to provide grants for individual artists — longtime recipients of the agency’s past investments.” – WBUR (Boston)