How To Do Shakespeare

As another round of Shakespeare gets underway on Broadway, the directors of this year’s installments share their vision of the Bard’s work through contemprary lenses. Jonathan Miller argues that King Lear is not remotely the “cosmic” play it is often mistaken for; Edward Hall makes the case for his all-male production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream; and Bartlett Sher discusses the importance of establishing a common rhythmic pulse within the cast of any Shakespeare production.

Ananiashvili: Dancing Is Easier After 35

Bolshoi star ballerina Nina Ananiashvili is 40. “The ballerina Tatiana Terekhova told me once, `Nina, after 35 years old you will be dancing much more easily, you will really enjoy your dancing.’ And I thought, `Ah no, it’s impossible, after 35 I will be really tired.’ Now I think she was right, because now I know on stage I can control everything. I am really secure. I enjoy every moment, because time has gone so quickly and I have this feeling that I haven’t danced my best ballet yet. Choreographers haven’t used my possibilities as I still hope. Sometimes when I see young dancers I think, `My God, why don’t they jump?’ It’s amazing – I’m jumping better than them!”

Art Of The Terminally Ill

A new British festival staged by the terminally ill involves 250 people “ranging in age from 20 to 80, sufferers from cancer, HIV/Aids, motor neurone disease, multiple sclerosis and other incurable conditions. “Among the works awaiting audiences at the Rosetta: Live! festival will be 15 videos made by amateur film-makers, most of whom are no longer alive. There will be performances, music, a mural, installations, workshops, collaborations with established artists including Mike Figgis, the director of Leaving Las Vegas, and talks by experts such as Dr Oliver Sacks.”

Can A New “Serious” Newspaper Find An Audience In Britain?

What has happened to serious British newspapers? They’ve dumbed down. “It is undeniable that our broadsheet newspapers are a good deal less serious-minded (without being any wittier) than they were little more than a decade ago. No doubt most readers are perfectly happy with this state of affairs, but not everyone is. The question is how many people really yearn for a grown-up newspaper that provides honest reporting and intelligent commentary without the trivia and pap that is generally also served up.” Stephen Glover thinks there’s an audience of about 100,000, so he’s raising money to give it a try.

La Scala’s Grand Makeover

The fix-up of La Scala opera house should be completed by November 10. “The new architecture includes a striking elliptical extension rising from the classical building. The new stage tower is 2.4 metres taller than its predecessor, while the stage area will be twice the size at 1,600 square metres. The rebuild will allow La Scala to mount no less than three different productions simultaneously.”