“The initiative, artistic director Jen Zeyl explained, is about more than the standard theater problem of getting ‘butts in seats.’ (Though, of course, there’s that.) It’s about getting the butts one wants in seats — not just the people who can afford to take the $25+ crap shoot known as a theater ticket, but the people who can’t: the woman at the corner store, high-school sophomore, the guy asking for spare change on the sidewalk.” – The Seattle Times
Category: AUDIENCE
Louvre Moves Into Luxury Cruise Business
“The Louvre Museum has partnered with French luxury cruise company Ponant to organize two culture cruises in 2020: one across the Persian Gulf, and one of the Mediterranean and the Adriatic, which will draw to an end in Venice.” (Controversy notwithstanding.) – Designboom
“Avengers” Edges Out “Avatar” To Become All-Time Movie Box Office Champ
What do all of these films have in common, besides an undying commitment to computer generated aliens? They’re no longer truly competitors now that they’re all owned by Disney, which is slated to continue its monopolistic dominance well into the future, with nearly a decade of theatrical releases and television series planned for Disney’s streaming service Disney+ already planned out. – Slate
When Plays Have Rape Scenes, What’s The Right Thing To Do For Theatre Profs And Students?
Should a theatre prof be responsible for taking her students to a play that has scenes with violence and rape? And perhaps more to the point, does theatrical responsibility extend to warning those in the potential audience who have experienced gendered violence? (And finally, why are some people worried that warnings might be required – what’s it to them?) – Howlround
Netflix Reports It Lost Subscribers In Q2; Stock Dives
The company on Wednesday reported a loss of 126,000 domestic paid subscribers compared with analysts’ expectations for a 352,000 gain. Netflix also missed its own forecast for global subscriber growth by 2.3 million. Its shares plunged more than 11% Thursday. – CNBC
Everyone Thinks They Can Do A Podcast. But Can They?
There are hundreds of thousands of podcasts out there, and it’s amazingly difficult to determine how popular any of them really are (popularity can be purchased). But there are an awful lot of really bad podcasts, and the form may be waning. – The New York Times
Study: Smartphone Users More Comfortable Expressing Emotions With Emojis Than In a Phone Call
The majority of respondents (65%) said they are more comfortable expressing their emotions through emojis than a phone call. That number rises to 83% among Gen Z users, who represent the largest segment of media audience, according to the 2017 Nielsen Total Audience Report. – Hyperallergic
Because Of Aggressive Theatregoers, Ushers In London Have Started Wearing Body Cameras
“It is thought that having visible cameras that are clearly recording situations will help staff feel more empowered, and reports from West End trials found that aggressive individuals had backed down when seeing themselves being recorded.” – The Stage
Museums In Britain Are Taking Out And Showing The LGBTQ-Themed Artworks And Objects They Used To Keep Hidden Away
“The [Victoria and Albert Museum LGBTQ] tour’s burgeoning popularity is part of a more general ‘queering’ of British museums that is gathering pace. Institutions across the UK are teasing out stories of same-sex desire and gender nonconformity in artefacts that have, until now, been left untold, or actively suppressed.” – The Guardian
The Stampede To Chase Streaming Video Subscribers Is Creating An Avalanche Of Content
As AT&T/Time Warner/HBO, NBC Universal, Disney, and Apple rush to compete with Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime (who, of course, all compete with each other), streaming television has become a giant maw that must be constantly fed with new shows. Yes, this gives showrunners plenty of room for creativity with material and format, but it’s also leading from the “Golden Age” of TV to the era of “good enough.” Jonah Weiner offers a longread about the prospects, good and bad. – The New York Times Magazine