TK: “I’ve always been a little skeptical of the notion that there’s something sort of shamanistic or medicinal or restorative about theater in a kind of mysterious way, but I really felt that [the play] was that. And every time I went back, I left feeling more hope about the survival of our democracy.” New York magazine theater critic Sara Holdren does a Q&A with the two playwrights about Schreck’s hit, which Kushner has seen three times (so far). – New York Magazine
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The Stevens Spielberg And Soderbergh Are The Twin Poles Of The Movie Theater-Versus-Netflix Struggle — Or Are They?
Soderbergh has made a feature for Netflix and released his work in all sorts of ways; he says “I really don’t care how people see my movies, as long as they see them.” Spielberg is trying to ban Netflix from the Oscars and says that “movie theaters need to be around forever.” Critic Ann Hornaday writes that the root of Spielberg’s anxieties is something that Soderbergh understands. – The Washington Post
Ukraine Has A Censorship Problem, But It’s Not Caused By The Government
“Paramilitary groups, the most active of which is called C14, have existed as a form of ‘art critics’ since 2009, when they first burnt down the Gudimov Centre for its presentation of a book with a provocative name: 120 Pages of Sodome. Since then, they have intended to impact Ukraine’s cultural life, censoring the topics of gender, sexuality, and politics in art.” – Hyperallergic
Library Of Congress Chief Has Plan To Pull In Many More Visitors – But Will It Still Be A Library?
Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden’s master plan involves a makeover of the main building, including its beloved Great Hall and Main Reading Room, to add exhibition space. But some staffers and observers worry that the extra activity and foot traffic will change the nature of the place — as the leader of the staff union local put it, “All of us are interested in having people in the library. We don’t want to see it turned into an events center just because it’s beautiful.” – The Washington Post
Esa-Pekka Salonen’s Ideas For Fixing What Ails Orchestras
“The good thing is that the actual material we are dealing with on a daily basis is fantastic — [some of] the best things humankind has ever produced.” So what are the problems? Two, Salonen says: “the grid” (the week-in-week-out subscription format) and the messaging. – The New York Times
‘I Thought It Was One Of The Most Profound Experiences I’ve Ever Been Through’: Sergei Polunin Talks About His Most Recent Meltdown
Last week, ballet’s perpetual problem child had his manager summon a non-dance journalist to hear him “explain his recent activity on social media” — a series of Instagram posts that basically wrecked his career. Simon Hattenstone went, and Polunin explained — in his way. And no, he doesn’t regret anything. – The Guardian
Creating A Ballet For The Met Museum Galleries
“As his work for seven dancers moves from darkness (the staid and somber Assyrian Court) to tranquility (the meditative Chinese Garden Court) and finally lightness (a bright court in the American Wing), [he] takes the audience on a journey laced with history and spirituality.” Gia Kourlas talks with New York City Ballet corps member Silas Farley about his new piece, Songs from the Spirit. – The New York Times
‘I’d Write Another Opera In A Minute. Just Not This Minute,’ Says Nico Muhly
David Patrick Stearns talks with the youthful 37-year-old composer about his new organ concerto (titled Register), the operas he’s written already, the massive amounts of music he’s churned out, and what he’s learned about his mental health. – The Philadelphia Inquirer
Can You Use The Arts To Combat Air Pollution? In A Nairobi Slum, This Group Is Trying
A pair of British professors write about the AIR Network, a program they set up with colleagues to work with residents of Mukuru, a poor neighborhood in the Kenyan capital, using theatre, photography, drawing, and storytelling, to find ways to improve local air quality — and to push politicians to help. – The Conversation
Despite Putin Crackdown, Russian Stage Directors Are Putting Up Audacious Productions
“Directors with whom AFP spoke describe a paradoxical atmosphere in Russian theatre, in which pressure from authorities co-exists with a burgeoning of opportunities. Actress and director Marina Brusnikina says that despite a push by conservatives for ‘going back to tradition’, Moscow’s contemporary theatres are ‘teeming with life. … You can get access, you can experiment. Even with this terrible situation with Kirill [Serebrennikov], we are still working normally.'” – Yahoo! (AFP)