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Why Do We See So Many Gay Male Characters On Broadway But So Few Lesbians?

Sure, there’s The Prom, and before that Fun Home, Indecent, and, going back, Rent and perhaps The Color Purple, but that’s been about it, writes Elisabeth Vincentelli. “Obviously, Broadway is not the be-all and end-all of American theater. But it does represent validation and awareness, the ability to put on big spectacles, and the opportunity to land regional productions … It feels as if lesbians are still trying to build a theatrical house while gay men — having had a house, a two-car garage and a gazebo for years now — have moved on to deconstructing and repurposing the real estate they can afford to be tired of.” – The New York Times

The Surprising And Enduring Relevance Of Sam Shepard

That Shepard is starting to feel like a guide for the rest of us is surprising. He died two years ago, at the age of 73, and although the valedictions from the dramatic world were respectful, few suggested that his work was acutely relevant. But Shepard plays are back in season, and they are neither antiquarian nor regional. They are modern—even visionary—and disturbingly universal. – The Atlantic

Ecolinguistics: The Ways That Language And Climate Connect

“It turns out that language has a much more powerful role to play in ecological survival than just describing [today’s] disturbing environmental outlook.” For example, the languages of indigenous peoples are often full of information about the natural world that urbanized folk overlook. “And if we can effectively use language to help to save the natural world, well, language may also end up saving itself.” – JSTOR Daily

Festival Tells Theatre Company To Recast Role With Disabled Actor, And Company Writes Out Character’s Disability Instead

When the Belgian company Studio Orka brought its devised-theatre piece Tuesday to the Manchester International Festival, MIF officials said that their policy is that disabled characters must be played by disabled actors and that performances of the work would not proceed with a non-disabled actor in one of the roles. Studio Orka argued that Tuesday could only be performed by the actors who collaboratively developed it and changed the character to a person injured in an accident who recovers. – The Stage

An Aging Jazz Legend’s Wife Started A GoFundMe Campaign, Claiming Severe Health And Financial Problems. His Old Friends Are Very Suspicious

Kenny Burrell, the 87-year-old guitarist, is still drawing a six-figure salary and health insurance from UCLA, where he has been tenured faculty for decades. But his wife launched a crowdfunding campaign in May, saying they were desperate and faced potential homelessness. (She also won’t let anyone see him or come into their home, claiming their immune systems are compromised.) Reporter Geoff Edgers investigates. – The Washington Post

The Stampede To Chase Streaming Video Subscribers Is Creating An Avalanche Of Content

As AT&T/Time Warner/HBO, NBC Universal, Disney, and Apple rush to compete with Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime (who, of course, all compete with each other), streaming television has become a giant maw that must be constantly fed with new shows. Yes, this gives showrunners plenty of room for creativity with material and format, but it’s also leading from the “Golden Age” of TV to the era of “good enough.” Jonah Weiner offers a longread about the prospects, good and bad. – The New York Times Magazine

Ballet BC’s Emily Molnar Named Nederlands Dans Theater’s Artistic Director

When Molnar took over the [Vancouver-based] company in 2009, it was on the verge of bankruptcy. Since then she’s brought in big-name contemporary choreographers and built up” Ballet BC’s quality and reputation to the point that they now tour internationally. She begins her job at NDT, one of Europe’s leading contemporary dance troupes, in August 2020. – The Georgia Straight (Vancouver)

Conductor Who Transformed Sistine Chapel Choir Resigns As Financial Investigation Continues

“Msgr. Massimo Palombella” — who raised the (previously abysmal) standards of the papal ensemble, garnering it a major-label recording contract and international respect for the first time in many decades — “has resigned amid an investigation by Vatican prosecutors into alleged money laundering, fraud and embezzlement in connection with the choir’s funds.” – Financial Times

Police Abruptly Evict Artists From Beijing Studio Districts

“Scores of Beijing police, clad in riot gear and rain slickers, were seen yesterday marching artists out of the Luomahu, or Roma Lake, Art District ahead of its sudden demolition, purportedly under the auspices of China’s sweeping campaign against organised crime. Similarly, about 30 riot police moved into Beijing’s Huantie Art District on Sunday (7 July) to begin eviction of the several hundred artists with studios there.” – The Art Newspaper