Author: ArtsJournal2

The Making Of ‘Maiden’

The Oscar-shortlisted documentary Maiden wasn’t easy to make – in some ways, it was almost as hard to make as the incredible, history-making voyage it depicts. For one thing, all of the filming the crew did on the ship was on VHS tapes that had been literally cut and spliced by various news crews on different continents. – Los Angeles Times

A Kentucky Opioid Recovery Program Uses Traditional Stringed Instruments To Keep People Engaged (And Employed)

While some in recovery opt for yoga or prayer groups, the group that chooses to connect with Kentucky’s musical heritage is doing well. “The art of crafting an instrument by hand requires keen focus, attention to detail and commitment to a goal — qualities that can help during recovery, in concert with therapy, peer-support groups and other rehabilitation work, experts say.”  – The New York Times

Time’s Up Releases New Guidelines For Casting And For Nude Scenes

Time’s Up is trying to prepare actors and would-be actors for situations that have been rather iffy in the past (by “iffy,” we mean “containing lots of possibilities for assault and rape”): “Some of the ‘specific circumstances’ addressed in the guide range from preparing for chemistry reads (sometimes-intimate audition scenes between two actors) and casting directors who say, ‘Come back sexier,’ to ‘experiencing sexual assault mid-shoot’ and ‘being asked ‘to have actual sex’ instead of simulated sex’ during production.” Just … argh, Hollywood. – Los Angeles Times

Yes, We Do Need More New Recordings Of Classical Music

Anthony Tommasini says new recordings are vital, no matter how many we’ve got from the past: “New takes on standard repertory works — if not as essential as recordings of works by living composers or of overlooked scores from the past — can enrich and enliven the art form. It’s empowering for performers and audiences alike to have recordings of these scores by artists we can hear today.” – The New York Times

Ballet, Too, Must Move Past Its (White, Imperialist) Roots

Says one artistic director, “Addressing this issue can’t happen by simply replacing white bodies with those of color. ‘The storylines have to change,’ Vilaro says, noting that some narratives told onstage still uphold the stereotypical racial tropes.” That means new works, new narratives, and company-wide discussions about tough topics. – Dance Magazine

What’s Going To Happen To This 10,000-Member Writers’ Association If It Can’t Get Itself Together About Racism?

The RWA is still embroiled in an ongoing and, it seems, widening scandal about its leadership. Karen Grigsby Bates says of the organization for the most lucrative sector of publishing: “If they don’t adjust to change and format themselves so that the people that they want to reach, that they need to reach feel included and welcome, they will find that they have a much smaller organization, if they have an organization at all.” – NPR

Even Comic Book Characters Created In 2011 Need A Makeover After *That* Decade

Marvel’s Miles Morales – the star of Into the Spider-Verse and a lot of comics, books, animated series, and a game – needed help as the decade went on. See, “despite Marvel’s financial interest in expanding the diversity of its characters during and after the election of President Barack Obama, they initially charged very few writers and editors of color with the creation and development of these characters.” (Things have been improving, but there’s a ways to go.) – Los Angeles Review of Books