Author: ArtsJournal2

This Austrian Village, Overrun By ‘Frozen’ Tourists, Wants Them To Go To The Salt Mines

Only 780 people live in Hallstatt, Austria – but a million tourists visit each year, hoping for the perfect Frozen-style photo. The town had had enough. “Hallstatt is embarking on a campaign to focus on quality — not quantity — tourism, according to local officials. Tour buses, which tally as many as 90 on the busiest days, will be capped at 50 and must register with the tourism office. Groups that arrange lunches at local restaurants, sign up for boat cruises or visit Hallstatt’s famous salt mines will be given preference.” – The New York Times

What A ‘Narrative Performance’ Is – And What It Can Do For An Audience

Helen Shaw breaks it all down: “Our critical function operates differently with the storyteller than with scene-player, because we immediately wonder about truthfulness. … The narrating performer demands the close involvement and even participation of her audience, and so our belief and ability to be persuaded (and betrayed) are her main tools.” – Vulture

A Royal Ballet Dancer Says It’s On Dancers (And Companies) To Make Sure Ballet Doesn’t Look Elitist

Marinela Nuñez: “When I’m dancing, I always think – even when I am in a fairytale ballet such as The Sleeping Beauty – that it is real. It touches me and it makes me think of my life; it should have that impact when you’re watching. Some people always say that ballet is elitist and it’s definitely not. It is this beautiful piece of art, unfolding live in front of you, not like something in a museum.” – The Observer (UK)

What Did Happiness Used To Look Like?

We don’t know without a lot of careful analysis because words and their meanings change. However, “over the past two or three decades, the historical study of emotions has developed a rich set of tools with which to chart the ways that emotions have changed over time. Emotions such as anger, disgust, love and happiness might seem commonplace, but they are not so readily understood in the past.” – Aeon

Hank Azaria Says He Will Stop Voicing Apu On The Simpsons

But will Apu be retired from the show, or will the show get a new voice actor – perhaps an Indian American voice actor? This has been a long time coming. “In 2017, the comedian Hari Kondabolu’s documentary The Problem With Apu forced Mr. Azaria, who is white, to reckon with his portrayal of the Kwik-E-Mart owner who speaks with a pronounced Indian accent. The film attempted to trace the origin story of Apu and put the character in a broader context of Hollywood depictions of Indians.” – The New York Times

Stephen King’s Twitter Comment About The Oscars Gets At One Of The Academy’s Deepest Problems

These guys just will not accept responsibility. “Diversity is too often discussed as something separate from, or even in conflict with, artistic virtue. It is treated as an abstract concept meant to materialize without industry gatekeepers and Oscar voters, such as King, challenging their own possibly narrow views and instituting different practices. Put more plainly, the lack of representation is regularly talked about as a problem, but one for someone else to solve and for other institutions to address.” – The Atlantic