Author: Matthew Westphal

Matt Salinger, J.D.’s Son, Talks About His Father’s Long-Hidden Writings (And When The Hell We’ll Finally See Them)

“This was somebody who was writing for 50 years without publishing, so that’s a lot of material. So there’s not a reluctance or a protectiveness: when it’s ready, we’re going to share it.” When will that be? “We’re definitely talking years. … We’re going as fast as we freaking can.” — The Guardian

Guthrie Theatre, No Longer Headless, Gets New Managing Director And Two Senior Staffers

“James Haskins, managing director of the Wilma Theater in Philadelphia, will take the same title at the Guthrie,” and new development director Mollie Alexander Hogan comes from Kansas City Rep. “Both the development and managing director positions have been vacant since Danielle St. Germain-Gordon left the former job in May and Jennifer Bielstein left the latter position in June. Another member of the Guthrie leadership team, production director David Stewart, also resigned last summer. Rebecca Cribbin was hired to replace him in December.” — The Star Tribune (Minneapolis)

How’s MoMA Paying For Its Big Overhaul? $200 Million From David Rockefeller Sure Helps

The gift from Rockefeller’s estate is the largest in the museum’s history. “[His] mother, Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, was one of the founders of MoMA in 1929, and he carried on her legacy, serving as the institution’s chairman and one of its foremost supporters. He was on the museum board from 1948 until his death [in 2017 at age 101].” — Artnet

Vancouver Art Gallery Staffers Out On Strike

“Workers at the Vancouver Art Gallery in Canada went on strike on Tuesday over claims that the museum’s wage policies are unfair. According to members of the union CUPE Local 15, tension between workers and the Vancouver Art Gallery has been mounting since a previous contract expired in June 2017, with attempts at negotiation mired in institutional politics.” — ARTnews

Izzy Young, Godfather Of Early ’60s Folk Revival, Dead At 90

Young’s Greenwich Village music store, the Folklore Center, “was also equal parts hiring hall; Schwab’s Pharmacy, where young hopefuls awaited discovery; matchbox recital space for organized performances and impromptu jam sessions; nerve center for gossip on a par with any small-town barbershop; and forum for continuing, crackling debate on the all-consuming subject of folk music, which thanks in no small part to Mr. Young was enjoying wide, renewed attention.” — The New York Times

How To Create A Theatre Culture That’s Both Mainstream And Genuinely Queer?

Ezra Brain: “Even as representation increases, there doesn’t seem to be much evidence of a truly and uniquely queer theatrical culture — which, for this argument, I am defining as a unique set of practices, aesthetics, and philosophies that are recognizable to an average audience member. … To [create such a culture], we must first decide what makes a play queer.” — HowlRound