Daniel Engber: “Scientists use versions of the kill-one-to-save-five hypothetical, reworded and reframed for added nuance, as a standard way to probe the workings of the moral mind. … But if the answers to those questions don’t connect to real behavior” – and some new research indicates that they don’t – “then where, exactly, have these trolley problems taken us?”
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Worcester Museum Adds Signs To Its Art Explaining Ties To Slavery
Dispelling the notion of the autonomous realm of art means acknowledging that cultural institutions function within the system of inequality in the U.S. and that there has undoubtedly been inherent bias in what museums acquire and how they display it. Aruna D’Souza thinks mid-size institutions, like the Worcester Art Museum, are in a position to lead this kind of re-framing, as opposed to larger, legacy institutions with more corporate structures.
Britten’s ‘Rape Of Lucretia’, Staged With A Man Playing Lucretia And A Woman Playing The Rapist
“Directed by Kip Williams, this particular production … comes from Sydney Chamber Opera and the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, and the performers and artistic directors are all aged in their 20s and 30s. They found one way around the gender problems of the text by reversing the roles of men and women in many scenes, including the rape scene.”
Jalal Mansur Nuriddin, 74, One Of The Last Poets And Earliest Rappers
“[He] became known as the ‘grandfather of rap’ for his rhythmic, spoken-word verses with the Last Poets, a group that channeled the militant social criticism of the Black Power movement into music that paved the way for hip-hop.”
The Theatre Critic/Blogger Model Is Probably Finished, So Let’s Make Peace With That
Sean Douglass: “I think we have to accept that the former critic and blogger landscape is gone, because there just isn’t enough interest to sustain it. … While many blogs may be gone, the social media that has replaced them can be a far more powerful tool for reaching people than what we’ve ever had before. Let’s not lament the migration to social media and theaters-as-content-distributors. Let’s embrace it.”
Billionaire Buys One Of London’s Oldest Theatres
“[Leonard] Blavatnik’s company Access Entertainment, headed by Danny Cohen, the former director of BBC Television, announced it had purchased the Theatre Royal Haymarket for an undisclosed sum. … The theatre has an interesting history going back to 1720. It opened in its current John Nash-designed grade I-listed building in 1821 with a production of Sheridan’s The Rivals followed by a season which included Edmund Kean as King Lear.”
Conductor Enoch Zu Guttenberg Dead At 71
“A respected conductor of sacred music, his regular performances of Bach’s passions and Christmas Oratorio were eagerly followed by his fans. … [He] was the director of the KlangVerwaltung (Sound Administration) Orchestra and the Neubeuern Choral Association and frequently took the two ensembles on tour to places as far afield as the Concertgebouw concert hall in Amsterdam or the Hong Kong Music Festival.”
This Virtual Reality Is So Good That Disney Should Just Buy The Whole Company
‘Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire,’ a new virtual-reality attraction at Walt Disney World created by a company called The Void, blew this reporter away. And not just him: “Not one person [I talked to] exited without an ear-to-ear smile; most said it was by far the coolest thing they had done during their vacation. Even when I asked about the price — a 20-minute run through the attraction will cost you over $35 — not one person said they thought that was too much, and many said the company was undercharging. You don’t hear that often when visiting theme parks in 2018.” He calls The Void “the inevitable future of park-going experiences.”
The Philadelphia Orchestra’s Israel Tour Is Over – What Have We Learned?
Peter Dobrin: “The Philadelphia Orchestra wanted relevance. It got relevance. … And though the controversy over the orchestra’s trip to Israel may have created some uncomfortable friction, it also moved some conversations forward.”
Joan Jonas Wins $900,000 Kyoto Medal For Art
“The Inamori Foundation in Japan has announced that Joan Jonas has won its 2018 Kyoto Prize for Art, which comes with 100 million yen (more than $900,000) and a 20-karat gold medal. (The Kyoto Prize also goes to leaders in the technology and science worlds.)”