When the Archbishop of Turin, Cesare Nosiglia, announced the church would livestream the Shroud, things in the world of the mysterious sacred artifact got a bit weird. “Whether Nosiglia knows it or not, his decision to exhibit the Shroud of Turin virtually in real time during a global pandemic finds neat points of synchronicity with the history of the shroud’s rise to becoming Christianity’s most famous—and notorious—sacred artifact. It also forces us to rethink the limits and capabilities of digital mediation as life is exiled to virtual platforms.” – Slate
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How Bad Is The State Of The Arts?
At least in one West Coast city – though truly, everywhere in the U.S. – “It’s pretty grim. … Everyone is experiencing the worst.” – Oregon Artswatch
Louis Johnson, Acclaimed Dancer, Choreographer, And Director, Has Died At 90
Johnson choreographed the film adaptation of The Wiz and won a Tony for his choreography for Purlie. He performed in both stage and screen versions of Damn Yankees, created works for the Alvin Ailey and for the Dance Theatre of Harlem, and inspired Jerome Robbins’ “Afternoon of a Faun.” He began the dance department at Howard University. Carmen de Lavallade, his costar from the 1954 musical House of Flowers, said “You know those hard rubber balls that bounce? He reminded me of that because he had such elevation, and he was quick and tough. He was low to the ground, but he could get off the floor, and he could jump high. My goodness, he was strong. … And there was always a sense of humor in his movement — the jauntiness that he had.” – The New York Times
Novelist Ann Patchett, Alone In Her Bookshop With Her Dogs, Says The Store Feel Closer To The Community
Patchett isn’t actually alone because her co-owner and staff are still coming in, carefully distanced from each other, to work so they can ship books to all of those desperately wanting new reads while self-quarantining. “I understand now that we’re a part of our community as never before, and that our community is the world. When a friend of mine, stuck in his tiny New York apartment, told me he dreamed of being able to read the new Louise Erdrich book, I made that dream come true. I can solve nothing, I can save no one, but dammit, I can mail Patrick a copy of The Night Watchman.” – The Guardian (UK)
Pandemic Virtual Book Clubs Are Popping Up All Over The Internet
Are books therapeutic? Is reading itself, with the concentration it requires, even possible now? Yes, but make it social. “The experience has been, by turns, surprisingly insightful and predictably frustrating, but above all, it has given me something to look forward to.” – The Atlantic
Bollywood Grinds To A Standstill, Halting Movies And Careers
No, that’s not different from the U.S. or Nigeria, but Bollywood stars, directors, production companies, dancers and everyone else are trying to figure out what to do next. “Given the speculation that the [21-day] lockdown will be extended, producers are already anticipating major changes to the way Bollywood will operate.” – BBC
Bruce Baillie, ‘Essential’ Avant-Garde Bay Area Filmmaker, Has Died At 88
Baillie “personified the Bay Area experimental cinema of the 1960s as an independent filmmaker and consummate 16-millimeter craftsman whose most extraordinary movie is a single panning shot.” – The New York Times
Diane Rodriguez, Longtime Champion Of Theatre Artists Of Color, Has Died At 68
Rodriguez, a writer, actor, and former associate artistic director at Center Theatre Group, died of cancer on Friday. “‘Diane was an incredibly disciplined artist, with equal talent as a writer, director and actor,’ said CTG Artistic Director Michael Ritchie. ‘But she was never more animated than when she was advocating for the work of other artists. The arts community mourns the loss of a leader and advocate for accessibility, inclusion and community.'” – Los Angeles Times
The Show Is Going On
No matter how bad the technology may be, actors gonna act; singers gonna sing; and a theatre-loving public may get some benefit from the many performance livestreams. – BBC
Playing To An Empty Cathedral On Easter
Organists and cantors prepare to play for live streams instead of live services. On the other hand, sometimes that’s a bigger crowd: “Fewer than 600 people would tune in to watch the cathedral’s Sunday Mass streams before the pandemic, said Joe Zwilling, a spokesman for the Archdiocese of New York — and that number was up to more than 100,000 on Palm Sunday.” – The New York Times