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West End Woes

“London’s theatrical business is enduring a summer of ennui. But is it a seasonal slump, or a sign of long-term decline? In the last couple of months, a slew of West End shows has closed early, many within weeks — or even days — of opening.”

A Line From Shakespeare To Clinton?

In watching this week’s Democratic National Convention, Anna Deveare Smith is struck by the theatricality of the political show. “Four years ago, I would have pooh-poohed the notion of politics as theatrical. If theater is anything, it is life made urgent. We don’t waste words, gestures or time on stage. But politicians can learn from us and we can learn technique from them. In this election year, none of us can waste a moment. The theater could afford to be more political and politics needs to be a lot more theatrical.”

Viola Frey, 70

“Frey was one of a number of California artists working in clay in the 1950’s and 60’s who turned away from that medium’s conventional refinement to produce works with robust sculptural qualities associated with Abstract Expressionist painting, Pop Art and what would come to be known as California Funk.”

The Politics Of Art Of Politics

Should Linda Ronstadt have been able to express her politics at a Vegas concert? John Rockwell: “Art exists in a context inevitably conditioned by politics, and politics and the values behind it express themselves in art. There is an obvious linkage between mass commercial art and politics, quite apart from individual actors and directors and pop musicians espousing a political view. Popular art makes money by reflecting what its producers think people want. But given the leftward tilt of Hollywood and our coastal cultural elites, the right has reason to complain that commercial television, films and music often advance a left-leaning political agenda.”

FCC Vs. TV Violence

The Federal Communications Commission wants to take on violence on TV. “Hundreds of studies over decades document the harmful impact that exposure to graphic and excessive media violence has on the physical and mental health of our children. Wanton violence on the people’s airwaves has gone unaddressed for too long.”

Scottish National Theatre Gets Its First Director

Vicky Featherstone has been named the first director of the Scottish National Theatre. “The appointment of an Englishwoman will raise some eyebrows, but it was welcomed by many in the arts community as a sign that the new theatre would be as ground-breaking as they had hoped. The 37-year-old beat other more established names with stronger Scottish links, including Kenny Ireland, who ran the Royal Lyceum theatre in Edinburgh for more than 10 years.”

The National’s Bold Choice

Choosing Vicky Featherstone as the Scottish National Theatre’s first director is “about as bold and challenging an appointment” as could have made. “Young, brilliant and not remotely Scottish, Ms Featherstone, at just 37, represents a young generation of British theatre talent that has completely recast the old pattern of relationships between London, where her current company, Paines Plough, is based, and the rest of the UK; and which tends to regard Scotland as being in the forefront of new developments in British theatre.”

From Screen To Stage (A Threat?)

More and more movies are being turned into stage productions. “The trend has some critics concerned about the commercialization of theater, where public appeal is a key to recouping costs. But it also suggests a gradual shift in the flow of American storytelling. It used to be that Broadway supplied fodder for films. Today, the flow is the other direction, thanks in part to the popularity of movies.”

Jefferson Out As NYT Theatre Critic

Margo Jefferson is out as theatre critic at the New York Times. “Earlier this summer, the Times announced that Jefferson—a Pulitzer Prize winner for her book reviews— was “on leave” in order to write a book. Many in the theatre community, however, suspected she would not return to the theatre beat. The Times recently named Patti Cohen to the new position of overall theatre editor. Cohen will oversee the daily and weekend coverage of the theatre. Cohen confirmed that Jefferson had stepped down.”