Blog

Before You Repost A ‘Toxic Twitter!’ Article With An Approving Comment, Consider This

The story is bigger than a one-off about how “toxic” Twitter has become for some people. “The challenges that the YA community is experiencing are deeply connected to — and reflective of — the challenges Americans face as a nation. Questions of class, culture, and race erupt in the news and on our streets every day, and the white supremacist terrorism on display in Charlottesville is just one small battle in a war that’s sure to claim many casualties.”

Can A Small, Actor-Focused Theatre Make It Today? (Reports Indicate No)

Basically, the problem is money. “The Houston theater scene knew and respected the couple, and critics generally adored the work they did. But a few years in, and after receiving grants to form the company, Lehl and Tobin-Lehl realized that there was no system in place for 4th Wall to grow. Billing themselves as champions of artists, their plea for more support – enough to pay a small, full-time administrative staff – fell on silent ears.”

A High School Student’s Film About Transgender Youth In China Gets Popular, And Gets Banned

Does the film “violate socialist values”? Well, it’s been screened several times in the past few weeks, but wider circulation “is proving challenging in a country where gender identity remains a sensitive topic. Chinese law allows individuals to change their gender on personal identification cards, but only if they have undergone sex reassignment surgery, and this is illegal for people under 20.”

As ‘Hamilton’ Opens In Los Angeles, What Does It Mean Now?

It means the same thing it did before, only more so: “With a cast far more racially mixed than the European-descended men who penned the Constitution, the play’s power is that promises of equality made in the 1700s should never be forsaken. The American dream, the play suggests, belongs to all, not to the resentful and narrow vernaculars reverberating through red and blue state battles.”

The Monuments Of Tomorrow, And The Artists Who Are Building Them

In Philadelphia, with years of input and discussion, artists are building new monuments. “As a result of the years-long project, a public art project titled Monument Lab,’ will take over the city of Philadelphia this fall. Twenty artists of various ages, races, gender identities and artistic backgrounds will erect monuments in 10 public spaces spread throughout the city.”

Suburban Theater In Illinois Gets Complaints For Same-Sex Couple In ‘As You Like It’

You’d think that some folks in the suburbs near Chicago had, somehow, never met a lesbian couple: “More than 2,000 people have seen the outdoor show, which closes Sunday, since previews began July 12. Rice received about two dozen phone calls, letters and emails complaining mostly about the relationship between courtier Touchstone (a role typically played by a man) and shepherdess Audrey (a role typically played by a woman).”

Trump Pulls Out Of Participating In The Kennedy Center Honors

A statement this morning reads “Each year, THE KENNEDY CENTER HONORS the careers and achievements of artists who have helped shape cultural life in the United States with a weekend that includes celebrations and events. The award recipients are recognized for their lifetime contributions in the arts and the positive change that they have made all over the world. The President and First Lady have decided not to participate in this year’s activities to allow the honorees to celebrate without any political distraction”

Why The President’s Arts And Humanities Council Quit As A Group

Kal Penn: “It became clear that the government became inoperative under this particular presidency. A lot of the work and the agencies have been frozen. There’s a big waste of taxpayer dollars. We had hope, but the president made comments that quite literally were in support of the domestic terrorists. It’s one thing to say you want to serve the programs you were appointed to serve, regardless of politics, but after a certain point . . . we just don’t want our names attached to this in any way.”