“It’s not [Nicholas Hytner’s] fault that during his 12-year tenure at the National Theatre he wildly discombobulated expectations of what artistic directors could do. But that is what happened, because … in the wake of Hytner, it’s assumed that a single figure can be as brilliant directing as they are a chief executive, ultimately responsible for everything.” Steven Atkinson, himself artistic director of a theatre company, argues that it’s high time that the demands and expectations of the job be rethought.
Author: Matthew Westphal
Merriam-Webster Dictionary Admits 850 New Words, Including ‘Embiggen’
“The official ruling … gives embiggen the long-overdue recognition it deserves for being both an incredibly useful word and one of the greatest things to come out of The Simpsons. Though embiggen has definitely enjoyed more popularity because of its frequent use in Ms. Marvel, the word was first introduced (in a modern pop cultural context) in ‘Lisa the Iconoclast,’ the sixteenth episode of The Simpsons‘ seventh season.”
Guards At DC’s National Gallery Of Art Complain Of Years Of Hostile Working Environment
“Sexual harassment, various instances of discrimination and retaliation are among the top complaints, according to these employees. They describe supervisors who are inept at scheduling, a workforce that is chronically understaffed and managers who are not held accountable for their actions.”
Tap-Dance Genius Michelle Dorrance To Create Three Works For ABT
“[The MacArthur Fellow] will create three works for American Ballet Theater dancers, starting with a pièce d’occasion for Ballet Theater’s spring gala on May 21. The new works, announced on Tuesday by the company, are co-commissions with the Vail Dance Festival, where Ms. Dorrance will create the second piece.”
Director Of MOCA In L.A. Fires Chief Curator
“Helen Molesworth, the chief curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art whose exhibitions have included the critically acclaimed 2017 Kerry James Marshall retrospective that was also a rare popular hit, has been fired, according to sources close to the museum. … [MOCA board member Catherine] Opie said she called [director Philippe] Vergne after receiving the surprise [news] and was told that Molesworth had not written a letter of resignation but was terminated for ‘undermining the museum.'”
City Of Bordeaux Fires Museum Of Contemporary Art’s Chief Curator; French Art World Fights Back
“María Inés Rodríguez, the director of the Musée d’Art Contemporain de Bordeaux, was called into a town hall meeting last Tuesday, March 6, during which she was informed that her artistic program was ‘too demanding’ and she was being let go. … But a group of more than 50 art world luminaries … have now signed an open letter condemning Rodriguez’s forthcoming dismissal.”
Minneapolis-St. Paul’s Theater Awards Shut Down
“The Ivey Awards have been celebrating theatre in the Twin Cities for the past 13 years. But on Feb. 28, the organization announced that it will discontinue producing the annual awards event due to difficulty raising funds.” Allison Considine looks at the history of the prizes and reaction to their disappearance.
Stephen Hawking, 76
“The image of Stephen Hawking … in his motorised wheelchair, with head contorted slightly to one side and hands crossed over to work the controls, caught the public imagination, as a true symbol of the triumph of mind over matter. As with the Delphic oracle of ancient Greece, physical impairment seemed compensated by almost supernatural gifts, which allowed his mind to roam the universe freely, upon occasion enigmatically revealing some of its secrets hidden from ordinary mortal view. Of course, such a romanticised image can represent but a partial truth.” An obituary by Hawking’s Cambridge colleague Roger Penrose.
India’s New Literary Prize Is Its Richest (By Far)
The JCB Prize for Literature will recognize (the jury’s choice of) the best work of fiction by an Indian author either written in or translated into English from an Indian language. The winning author will receive 2.5 million rupees ($38,500), and the translator (if applicable) wins 500,000 rupees ($7,700). The aim is not only to promote Indian literature, but to encourage translations between Indian languages and into English.
Paula Vogel On ‘How I Learned To Drive’ In The Age Of #MeToo
“We are in an interesting cultural moment in the United States as I write this; scandals about the abuse of power through sexual manipulation and assault proliferate in social media. … #MeToo ripples through our awareness, even as older women and men face the reality that their careers, their ambitions, and their visibility have already been impacted by that power for decades. Mine certainly has been. … I don’t know if I will ever again write a play that connects with such a wide demographic of audience members.”