“I can’t think of anything else but that bridge. I have an idea of what the [new] bridge should look like but this is just the start… there is a moral commitment. The bridge must reflect the tragedy and how it has played out.”
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Guest Columnist: Empty Room at the Top
Here is the latest piece by CultureCrash’s regular guest columnist, Lawrence Christon. Christopher O’Riley, of course, is best known to some of us for his classical-piano interpretations of Radiohead, Nick Drake and Elliott Smith.
On Rescuing a “Dead Art Form” — Take Two
It seems to me pretty obvious that nowadays it’s far easier to stage a successful Hamlet or Three Sisters than a successful Aida or Siegfried. And one reason is equally obvious: finding an actor to play Hamlet or Masha is no problem; finding a dramatic soprano for Aida or a Heldentenor for Siegfried is difficult to impossible
Philanthropist Gives $160 Million To Yale’s Peabody Museum
Edward P. Bass, a Yale alumnus, businessman and philanthropist, said his gift was motivated by a belief in institutions. “I see institutions as having the power to transmit and perpetuate a set of fundamental values, and to do so generation to generation,” he said in a phone interview. Yale, he added, is a particularly strong institution with a long history: “It’s been more than 300 years, so I have some faith.”
Is The Whole ‘Rite Of Spring’ Riot Story A Myth?
Evidently, yes, it is a myth, even if it’s not 100% unfounded. Yes, there was some disapproval of the premiere from the upper balcony (which may have had more to do with social politics than with the work itself), but little more – and crucial evidence to that effect has been lying in plain sight the whole time since. The caused-riots-in-Paris!! bit seems to have come from an American effort to drum up excitement and sell tickets.
Next Year Could Be The First Year In Decades With No New Woody Allen Movie
Allen’s work rate is unparalleled in modern cinema. He has written, directed and released a new movie every year for the past 44 years, and had looked set to continue. In 2016, he signed a five-picture distribution deal with Amazon, which technically leaves him with three movies to go
More Designs Released For Edinburgh’s First New Concert Hall In A Century
“The 1000-capacity auditorium will have a rooftop dome, glass-covered walkway and outdoor terraces, under Sir David Chipperfield’s vision for the £45m IMPACT Centre, which could open by 2021. The complex, which will provide a long-awaited home for the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, is also expected to become a major new Edinburgh International Festival venue.” The IMPACT Centre “is expected to be open every day, attract more than 250,000 visitors each year and generate £25 million for the economy.”
Does activist Theatre Demand Active Criticism?
We are beyond having reviews that are summaries and opinions on aesthetics. We need context and attention to detail in criticism. And we must not turn a blind eye to a playwright’s activism.
Shaw Festival Tries Every Way It Can To Engage Audiences Outside The Theatre
“[Artistic director Tim Carroll] points to the nearly endless number of meet-up opportunities: the post-show talkbacks, the cocktail hours, the classes and clubs, the pop-up patios, the escape rooms, the speakeasy jazz nights, and garden tours, some of which are for friends and members only, many of which are open to all. ‘I think all of that is as much part of the Shaw experience as coming to the shows,’ Carroll said. ‘People sign up for the whole ticket.'”
Fukuyama: What Happened After The End Of History
“It began to unfold back in the ’60s and ’70s, when identity came to the forefront. People felt unfulfilled. They felt they had these true selves that weren’t being recognized. In the absence of a common cultural framework previously set by religion, people were at a loss. Psychology and psychiatry stepped into that breach. In the medical profession, treating mental health has a therapeutic mission, and it became legitimate to say the objective of society ought to be improving people’s sense of self-esteem. This became part of the mission of universities, which made it difficult to set educational criteria as opposed to therapeutic criteria aimed at making students feel good about themselves. This is what led to many of the conflicts over multiculturalism.”