Not everyone is happy about this. “Opponents of LACMA’s building project have zeroed in on county funding that includes $117.5 million released last April, arguing that the money should be reallocated to address a pandemic that has led to mass shortages of much-needed medical supplies, such as face masks for health workers, COVID-19 test kits and ventilators for sick patients.” – Los Angeles Times
Author: ArtsJournal2
Original Cast Recordings To Get You Through The Pandemic
Why now? “As an adult, I’ve try to keep my performing past under wraps. Being a theater nerd was never cool to begin with, but … polite society seems to find something sad about being nostalgic for the activities you loved in adolescence. But now that we’re in the midst of a worldwide pandemic, shame is no longer a concern of mine.” – Slate
Theatres Pivoted To Digital As Fast As They Could Before Shutdowns, So What Will Come Of All That Streaming?
Could some of this be the future of online theatre? “In response to this crisis, Actors Equity Association created a new, temporary streaming agreement available for select producers to record these performances, sell tickets through the theatre’s website, then stream the production online for one-time viewing by ticket buyers. In essence, the idea is to make the patron experience as close to a true theatrical experience as possible.” – American Theatre
Actors Are Also Out Of A Job – All Of Their Many Jobs At Once
So what are they doing instead of booking, acting, producing, and bartending? Hosting livestreamed music classes for kids in the morning and asking watchers to donate $5 if they have it; building creative communities; and, well, kicking up the “coronavirus content” subgenre. – The Atlantic
All The World’s Living Rooms Can Be Stages, With The Right Plays
Ben Brantley: “Remember that plays — even those lofty classics that show up on college reading lists — are meant to be spoken and heard. And saying their lines aloud, no matter how clumsily, helps you hear the music and cadences in them. This is true not only of Shakespeare, but also of linguistically rich latter-day writers like August Wilson, Caryl Churchill, Edward Albee, [and] Suzan-Lori Parks.” – The New York Times
For Commercial Dancers In Los Angeles, All Revenue Streams Are Gone
There’s no touring, no practicing for Coachella, no videos filming. There’s nothing. “As the entertainment business comes to a halt, commercial dancers and choreographers — the performers who animate film, TV and music videos — said the experience has been surreal and stressful.” – Los Angeles
Despite Attempts To Negotiate Rent Freezes In NY, Landlords Are Trying To Boot Small Galleries
Despite petitions with thousands of signatures and attempts at local legislation, many galleries aren’t eligible for small business loans and other relief. “April 1 is quickly approaching and small storefront gallery owners who spoke with Hyperallergic say they are feeling increasingly anxious and helpless.” – Hyperallergic
The University Of Michigan Finally Fires Opera Singer David Daniels Over Sexual Misconduct
Daniels, once a leading countertenor and now facing a separate criminal charge for sexual assault in Texas, “was deemed not eligible for severance pay. According to the university, Daniels is the first tenured faculty member to be dismissed since it adopted its current bylaws in 1959.” – NPR
The National Symphony Orchestra Lays Off All 96 Musicians With A One-Week Notice
Despite a $25 million stimulus package for the Kennedy Center, the musicians of the NSO were told late Friday night that their April 3 paycheck would be their last, and their health care would end at the end of May if concerts have not resumed. Unsurprisingly, given that their collective bargaining agreement requires six weeks of pay before layoffs for economic hardship, “the union has filed a grievance challenging what it believes is an illegal action.” – The Washington Post
Movie Theatres Reopen In China As Threat Recedes For Now
No one is comfortable buying tickets yet (literally no one, as in zero people, in two of the provinces where theatres reopened), but the distributors had a plan for that: “Most of the films currently available are re-runs of recent and popular Chinese movies, a move that is intended to minimize risk.” – Variety