Blog

Whither The Globe?

With actor-director Michael Rylance set to leave the Globe Theatre, there is a definite opportunity for the company to head off in a new direction, a change which many high-minded critics might find welcome. But Rylance’s positive effect on the Globe cannot be easily replaced. “Undeniably, Rylance has made it a popular space where audiences are prepared to put up with the inclement weather, bossy ushers and physical discomfort for the sake of a star performer… [Rylance’s replacement] will determine whether the Globe continues to be an old-fashioned, actor-driven company or whether it opts for intellectually challenging, director-led reinterpretations of Shakespeare.”

And Yes, The Tickets Will Still Cost $8

A new series of economic incentives intended to give the domestic film industry a boost have been introduced in the UK. Producers will be eligible for direct subsidies of up to £4 million per picture, and “[p]roducers of films with budgets up to £20m will also receive a 50% tax waiver on their production costs, on condition that the film makes a profit.” The plan also protects producers against the possibility of money-losing films, offering 20% of production costs in the event that a film fails to make a profit.

Video Remix: The Future of Sampling?

Recent court rulings have threatened to severely limit the appropriation of small passages of music known as “sampling.” But even as the law cracks down on behalf of the authors of three-note musical phrases, the art of the remix may be about to move on to the world of video. The director of a successful documentary is making waves with the announcement that he will make the video of his work available online for anyone to sample, free of charge. “By all accounts, it’s one of the first times a major motion picture has been offered for public manipulation.”

High Noon For The Barnes

Court is back in session for the Barnes Foundation in its attempt to move from Lower Merion, Pennsylvania, to central Philadelphia. “Among those on tap to support the Barnes’ petition is Jeremy A. Sabloff, the former director of the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. Sabloff and James N. Wood, the former director and the president of the Art Institute of Chicago, are expected to testify against the Barnes’ selling any of its stored art to create a new operating endowment.” But the art students opposing the move have lined up some experts of their own…

In Need Of A Conductor, Pittsburgh Hires Three

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, in the early stages of its search to replace departed music director Mariss Jansons, will fill the leadership void with a triumvirate of conductors in supporting roles. Sir Andrew Davis will take the title of Artistic Advisor, and will program most of the orchestra’s concerts. Yan Pascal Tortelier will become principal guest conductor. And Marek Janowski will be a guest conductor with a specially endowed chair. The arrangement is already being compared with the innovative (and controversial) leadership model adopted last year by the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra.

A Best Seller That’s Online For Free

“While the 9/11 Commission Report — a surprisingly readable work addressing an issue of supreme national importance — is in a category of its own in the annals of government-funded literature, it’s also serving as a high-profile case study of the effects of free online distribution on sales of printed works. One lesson: Just because someone can read something for free online doesn’t mean they will want to.”