The Arab world is changing fast, and Arab writers are following suit, writing more freely about subjects once considered the worst kind of taboo, and producing work which eschews the defeatist, underdog tone which has for so long been the hallmark of the region. “Despite a wave of religious conservatism in the Arab world, the young generation of Egyptian poets and novelists is seeking ways to circumvent censorship, using the Internet and satellite television to disseminate their works.” The young writers leading the charge are controversial, outspoken, and – surprise! – popular.
Blog
Why New Music Doesn’t Play
Why don’t orchestras play more new music? Especially now when some contemporary composers seem to be picking up buzz. There are plenty of reasons, writes Greg Sandow. There’s the audience, for one thing…
Labor Troubles In Pittsburgh
“Dancers with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre handed out leaflets before performances of ‘Cleopatra’ last week because they wanted ballet patrons to know about PBT’s proposals to reduce rehearsal time and increase the number of student performers, a union representative for the dancers said yesterday.” PBT dancers have been at an impasse with management over the details of a new contract. The issue of student performers seems to be the biggest sticking point, with dancers fearing that they could be gradually pushed out of PBT productions in favor of cheaper student performers eager for professional experience.
New York Museum Leaders Are Pessimistic
“Hit with cut after cut in city funding, a steep decrease in corporate and foundation giving, and rising security and insurance costs, the city’s cultural leaders are expressing the lowest level of confidence in the future of their industry since Sept. 11. Museums and performing arts organizations are scaling back on visiting exhibitions and productions, and canceling long-term expansion plans altogether.”
Controversial Mural Moved
Protests over a mural hung in a Milwaukee courthouse have resulted in the art being moved to a much less prominent place. “When the mural – commissioned by Marquette University’s Haggerty Museum of Art as a pictorial history of the Watts area of Los Angeles from the 1965 riots to today – was first hung on the first floor of the courthouse Friday, the work triggered complaints from sheriff’s deputies and other officers, who objected to what they saw as the mural’s anti-law-enforcement images, including the Rodney King case. Court officials raised concerns that the work’s bold images could bias prospective jurors.”
Not Quite Dead Yet?
Musicians and management at the near-defunct Florida Philharmonic are reportedly still talking, in an effort to find some way of preserving or reinventing the ensemble. There isn’t a great deal of optimism at the moment, but orchestras in other communities have risen from the ashes, and some at the Florida Phil appear to think it can do the same. But any new orchestra would likely face the same problems – funding, haphazard management, and audience apathy – as the current group.
Homogeneity, American-Style
As much as we may want to believe that people are truly creative beings who appreciate the unconventional and revel in the revolutionary, the facts of modern life say otherwise, according to Lisa Rochon. “We’ve settled deeply into our La-Z-Boys and clicked on a lifetime of architectural reruns. It’s Tim Hortons, it’s Starbucks, it’s the Gap, it’s Home Depot, it’s tract housing and towers for as far as the land rolls on… To suggest that people are desperate for an alternative is to romanticize the reality.” Whose fault is it? Well, not to put too fine a point on it, but, um, Americans, actually, with our “development of ecologically sensitive land to exploit for the android architecture of the suburbs and big-box retailers which destroy the Mom and Pop stores of the downtown.”
SARS Fears Wreaking Havoc With Canadian Festivals
Canada’s Shaw and Stratford Festivals, both based in Southern Ontario, have been hit hard by the SARS outbreak in the province. Ticket sales have plummeted, thanks in large part to the festivals’ American regulars who have been staying away for fear of exposure to the virus. But both the Shaw and the Stratford insist that sales are returning to normal, and neither anticipates much long-term harm to their bottom lines.
Monette To Stay On At Stratford
“Richard Monette made Canadian theatre history yesterday as he became the longest-serving artistic director in the 51-year history of the Stratford Festival. Monette, who has been at the helm for the past 10 seasons, will keep his post until 2007.”
TWoP In Twouble?
Television Without Pity is that rarest of internet beasts – a funny, useful, and popular web site with a large staff, a coherent mission, and a bevy of devoted readers who hang on every word. But all of that may not be enough to save the site, which specializes in detailed (and unabashedly sarcastic) recaps of the action on more than three dozen TV shows. TWoP is successful, yes, but it’s still heavily in debt, and considering its harshly independent style, it’s unlikely that its creators can look to Hollywood itself for help. The site’s co-founder says future prospects will be reevaluated after May sweeps end in a couple of weeks.