Author: ArtsJournal2

Top Posts From AJBlogs For The Weekend Of 11.05.17

The Red Shoes Redux
Matthew Bourne/New Adventures brings the 1948 movie, The Red Shoes, to the stage. Victoria Page (Sara Mearns) “auditions” for Boris Lermontov (Sam Archer on settee) at a party given by her aunt, Lady Nestor (Daisy May … read more
AJBlog: DancebeatPublished 2017-11-04

Unions, Journalism, and the Creative Class
IF we needed another reason to disdain the billionaires who increasingly dominate our political and cultural life: The Chicago Cubs owner Joe Ricketts shut down several news sites, including Gothamist and LAist because the … read more
AJBlog: CultureCrashPublished 2017-11-03

Replay: Herman Wouk appears on What’s My Line?
Herman Wouk, the author of The Caine Mutiny and Marjorie Morningstar, appears as the mystery guest on What’s My Line? John Daly is the host and the panelists are Fred Allen, Bennett Cerf, Arlene Francis, … read more
AJBlog: About Last NightPublished 2017-11-03

Almanac: Thomas Beecham on the purpose of music
“The function of music is to release us from the tyranny of conscious thought.” Thomas Beecham (quoted in Harold Atkins and Archie Newman, Beecham Stories: Anecdotes, Sayings and Impressions of Sir Thomas Beecham) … read more
AJBlog: About Last NightPublished 2017-11-03

Photos Of A Community That Rarely Gets Seen In The Galleries, Thanks To Pacific Standard Time

Photographer Laura Aguilar says the project, photographing the working-class Latina butches and femmes who went to the Plush Pony bar, “didn’t get off to the best start. She offered to photograph the women for free and give them pictures in exchange for their time, but everyone reacted suspiciously. “‘They were like, ‘Who is this person who wants to take our picture for free?’’ she recalls. ‘So I said, ‘OK, five bucks.’ And then they said, ‘OK.’'”

The New Republic’s Publisher Resigns Following More Claims Of Inappropriate Conduct

Hamilton Fish wrote, “It’s my sense that our office culture has been harmed, and the best way for me to help the organization move past this is by withdrawing. … Women have longstanding and profound concerns with respect to their treatment in the workplace. Many men have a lot to learn in this regard. I know I do.” An investigation is ongoing.

Will The Opening Of This Gaudí House Lead A Tourism Resurgence In Barcelona?

Not that tourism is down a ton – 15% from last year – considering the independence referendum, anti-tourist demonstrations, and a terrorist attack, but still: When the first house Gaudí designed opens in a couple of weeks, it could be big. “Like much of the architect’s work, it is a glorious gallimaufry of styles, combining Japanese, Moorish-revival and original elements into an improbable success.”

The Executive Producer (And Writer, Director, Star) Persisted

How many shows follow the adventures of a single working-class mother doing several jobs to make ends meet for her and her toddler? Not that many. Well, none … until now, with Frankie Shaw’s new dramedy SMILF. “At a time when there’s a generation of young storytellers offering fresh perspectives on the angst of coming into your own as a young adult, with her dark comedy Shaw adds motherhood — with all its complexities and joys — to the mix.”

Who Should Be Allowed To Touch A Screenwriter’s Work?

The playwright – and screenwriter – David Hare explains the difference between writing for stage and screen. “All time spent considering your play is well spent, regardless of outcome. One day you write nothing, the next you write eight pages. It’s not in your hands. … Life is different when writing for the screen. For every hour you spend writing a screenplay, you spend 10 hours defending it.”

Yayoi Kusama’s Path To Polka-Dotted Greatness

Yes, people like their selfies in Infinity Rooms (and that’s fine), but she’s more than that – and not stopping. “Now 88, Ms. Kusama works nonstop and, if you’re wondering, does all the painting herself, save for a ground color applied by assistants. Recently she shifted her workweek from five days to six, saving Sunday for writing, reading, talking on the phone and making smaller paintings.”

Time – Perhaps Past Time – For A New Film Canon, Chosen By Women

So very much past time: “This is an all-pervasive problem. It is about how boys are hailed as geniuses and girls are not. It is about how men get given big-budget blockbusters to direct and women don’t. It is about how men get their plays on Broadway and women don’t. It is about how most of the critics are men. It is about how nearly all the talking heads on TV are men. And it is a vicious circle.” So, here’s a start of a new canon.

The Royal Court Has A 30-Point Plan To Address Sexual Harassment In Theatre

In the wake of many, many allegations (including those about Kevin Spacey when he was at the Old Vic), the plan is quite strong. “Royal Court artistic director Vicky Featherstone said her organisation would be adopting the code of behaviour immediately and it represented the ‘beginning’ of an industry-wide conversation about how to bring about lasting change.”

The Nation’s First Youth Poet Laureate Was Inspired By Malala

Amanda Gorman, now 19, was inspired a few years ago by hearing a speech by Malala Yousafzai. What’s she doing now, aside from attending Harvard? “Between courses in sociology and her laureate obligations, she continues to lead One Pen One Page, an organization she founded in 2016 that provides platforms ‘for student storytellers to change the world.’ She is also putting the final touches on She the People, an experiential virtual reality project that seeks to empower teenager girls.”