The albums released by London-based Electric Recording Co., “assembled by hand and released in editions of 300 or fewer — at a cost of $400 to $600 for each LP — are made with restored vintage equipment down to glowing vacuum-tube amplifiers, and mono tape systems that have not been used in more than half a century. … Even its record jackets, printed one by one on letterpress machines, show a fanatical devotion to age-old craft.” – The New York Times
Blog
The Difference Between European And American Intellectuals
The American writer—so goes the transatlantic stereotype—addresses the general public deliberately and democratically. Rapidly clarifying her argument and the research or experience behind it, she (over)emphasizes how little she takes this audience’s trust and attention for granted. By a contrasting convention, the European essayist makes his genre and theme seem almost accidental. – Public Books
Shuttered Theatre Companies Still Need Their Fundraising Galas. So They’re Streaming Them — And It’s Working
“With many staffers on furlough, and operations grinding to a halt, fundraising efforts (and a boost of morale) can be more important than ever. And while there’s some debate over how well stage productions translate to the screen, theatres are proving that virtual galas do just fine online. Fundraising goals are being met, even surpassed, with attendance tripled in some cases.” Here’s how several companies are pulling it off. – American Theatre
How Our History Has Been Shaped By Plagues
“We don’t have to look far and wide to see how disease has challenged and shaped our increasingly cosmopolitan world. The modern epidemics of cholera, typhus, yellow fever, measles, smallpox, and polio, among a host of other infectious diseases, might have better prepared us for our current crisis—if only their histories were better remembered and their dead and injured duly honored.” – New Criterion
Female Choreographers Are Transforming The Story Ballet
“An iconic yet tortured female painter. A mistress wrapped up in a witch hunt in an early American colony. A talented cellist whose life ended prematurely after her battle with multiple sclerosis. … Today, there is a thrilling, 21st-century wave of story-driven ballets choreographed by women. What are their perspectives, and the stories they choose to tell, adding to ballet’s canon?” – Dance Magazine
Deborah Borda On Surviving Tough Times
“The next couple of months are very unknown. But times of this kind of catastrophe are times for really reimagining what you can do and bringing people along to dare to make those choices.” – Los Angeles Times
Irrfan Khan, Star Of ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ And ‘Life Of Pi’, Dead At 53
After an unsatisfying early career in Indian TV serials and films (his acting was too subtle and his looks too unconventional for a traditional Bollywood lead), he found acclaim in the British-Indian co-production The Warrior and settled into a career of Bollywood character parts and major roles in Indian art cinema. In the ’00s, his Western career went into high gear as he played the policeman in Slumdog Millionaire, the adult Piscine in Life of Pi, and the owner of the Jurassic World park. – BBC
One Berkshires Theater Is Going Ahead With Its Summer Season — In A Very Careful, Socially Distanced Way
“The Barrington Stage Company, … responding to the coronavirus pandemic, will give up the ambitious musical productions for which it is known (it’s the birthplace of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee). Instead, it will concentrate on one-person shows, and stage a play in which the central relationships are so strained that social distancing will not be a stretch.” 70% of the seats will be removed, as will intermissions (no mingling), and audience members must wear masks. – The New York Times
Performers And Presenters Game Out Various Reopening Scenarios (Some Of Them Quite Pricey)
With both the timing and the conditions of the return of live performances uncertain, organizations are considering numerous possibilities, from outdoor shows (free or ticketed) with spectators carefully spaced apart to playing in half-full halls (but what about box office and bathroom lines?) to booking in-high-demand artists in smaller (and half-empty) venues and charging hundreds of dollars for the few tickets. – The Washington Post
Just For This Year, Oscars Will Relax Rule That Contenders Must Be Shown In Theaters
“During a meeting on Tuesday, the [Academy’s] board of governors approved a temporary hold on the requirement that a film needs a seven-day theatrical run in a commercial theater in Los Angeles County to qualify for the Oscars. Instead, films will be allowed to be released digitally without playing in theaters. However, … to be considered, the streamed film must have already had a planned theatrical release.” – Variety