Blog

What’s The Deal With Superhero Hair?

Women superheroes, that is, with their heavily styled, beautifully flowing tresses (Thor has long hair too – but he pulls it back when he fights). “Something happens when women become superheroes in earnest, as though it’s impossible to deify them without the hallmark of traditional femininity, the comic equivalent of Breck Girls.”

Mexico Has A Booming Theatre Scene, A New Theatre Awards Show – And A Flood Of Foreign Actors

Almost all of the leads in Les Mis are from other countries, and that’s not unusual for productions in Mexico. But there’s more: “The fact that the foreign actors from Argentina, Brazil and Spain are generally taller and more fair-skinned than the Mexican actors also means they fit the conventional look of a leading role, especially when the production is exported from the United States or Europe.”

You Want A Real ‘Civil Society’? Fund The Library

What’s the issue when libraries are more used than ever, and for more reasons than ever? Uh, they’re seriously underfunded. “Libraries are being disparaged and neglected at precisely the moment when they are most valued and necessary. Why the disconnect? In part it’s because the founding principle of the public library — that all people deserve free, open access to our shared culture and heritage — is out of sync with the market logic that dominates our world. But it’s also because so few influential people understand the expansive role that libraries play in modern communities.”

Who Is Ana Mendieta Now?

Writer Achy Obejas has some thoughts: “Ana Mendieta is the president of Coca-Cola and a double-agent. She invented the sitcom, the telephone, birthed Amazon, came over with 14,000 kids and got deported with 2,021 others, mostly murderers. Ana Mendieta fears that if she weren’t an artist, she’d be devoted to a life of crime.”

It’s Time For The Women Of Wakanda To Take Center Stage

Andrea Hairston argues that those who ignore the women of Wakanda are making a big mistake – and misreading the movie entirely. The details: “The Women of Wakanda perform like African women before them: the Benin Queen Mothers; the Dahomey Ahosi women warriors, advisors, and reign-mates to the king; Yoruba Iyalojas — queens of the market in Nigeria; the Sande Women’s Societies of Central West Africa; the dike nwami — Igbo warrior women; Zulu Isangoma — healer women of South Africa; and the mikiri, ad hoc political institutions of Igbo women.”

One Of Disneyland’s Original Designers Says The Park Is ‘Gone’

Rolly Crump has a reputation as one of the park’s consistent critics – but for good reason. For deacades, the designer “has offered blunt assessments of Disney designs as well as his former peers — a no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is artist who is offended at the suggestion that others would be offended by his critiques. At the same time, Crump is fiercely possessive of Disneyland’s ideals and believes strongly in the theme park as a place of living art.” (Don’t miss the detail about the poster he had on his Disney door that said “Smoke marijuana.”)

Some People Loathe The Dance Sequence In ‘Oklahoma,’ But It’s Actually Central To The Musical’s Meaning

Here’s the thing, haters: “Far more than a frothy break in the action, de Mille’s original choreography revolutionized musical theater. She had stage and film in her blood: Her father was a playwright, and Cecil B. de Mille was her uncle. That made her a natural to create dances for Oklahoma!, but de Mille did more than build on the western theme: Her ballet for the dream sequence advanced the narrative in ways singing and talking couldn’t.”