Yew, who was ending his run as artistic director of Victory Gardens in Chicago: “We will emerge with new stories to tell. We will revisit old tales that give our lives new meaning and sustenance. We will find innovative ways to see and think. We will found new spaces for our stories; they may again be in shuttered storefronts, church basements, or around the fire, as when we first told stories. New homes will be built by a new generation of American artists, and they will be more equitable and inclusive than our current ones.” – American Theatre
Tag: 03.20.20
Great Classical Music, Theatre, And Dance Now Online
This week’s edition of what we can watch while stuck at home and missing all of the culture outside our walls. – The New York Times
Broadway Unions Reach Deal With Producers To Help Workers For A Few Weeks
The “emergency relief agreement” negotiated by the Broadway League and 14 different unions created an agreement “to pay hundreds of actors, musicians, stagehands and others for the first few weeks of the industry shutdown, and to cover their health insurance for at least a month.” – The New York Times
EuroVision Is Canceled; Long Live AlternaVision?
That’s not its official name, and it won’t be a competition, but EuroVision organizers said “the show will ‘honour the songs and artists’ that were due to take part of the contest this May.” – BBC
What Theatre Can Do For Humanity In The Midst Of This Unprecedented Crisis
First of all, theatre can acknowledge the uncertainty, anxiety, grief, and pain of this time – and the resilience that so many people are bringing right now. “Some theatres … have recorded performances, and many others are doing or considering live streaming. That is a good start. After this crisis passes, we will also need to equip education and community engagement departments with the funds and technology tools needed to make our work more accessible to our communities—the future of our field and our future audiences depend on it. I remain hopeful we can do it. Theatre people are nothing if not resourceful and adaptable.” – American Theatre
The Film Industry, Devastated In An Hour
One film art director: “Over one hour, everything was cancelled. That’s £28,000 gone in an instant. My head started spinning. I realised the knock-on effect this would have in the industry and felt sick. It will be months before it’s gaining traction again, and once it does, it will be a feeding frenzy for us freelancers. I’ve never felt this hopeless and bleak in my life.” – The Guardian (UK)
How To Hunker Down And Actually Read Right Now
You can read an awful lot for free through libraries’ online services. Also, here are some tips on how to find reading community when your book group can’t meet in person. – The Washington Post
Suzy Delair, Who Starred In Movies And Music Halls, Has Died At 102
Delair starred in Laurel and Hardy’s last movie, but she was best known for starring in 1940s thrillers directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot, some of which were made during the Nazi occupation of Paris. She had begun singing in cafés when she was 14, which is how she met the director and, eventually, became a movie star – but she never stopped singing. – The New York Times
Do You Suffer From Imposter Syndrome?
This kind of reflexive self-doubt is not so much a ‘syndrome’ as it is a widespread state of psychological distortion, with roughly 70 per cent of people experiencing it at some point in their lives. – Aeon
Movie Box Office Falls 97 Percent As Theatres Shut
Box office revenue limped to a historic low of $300,000 or less on Wednesday as the vast majority of cinemas in North America closed their doors indefinitely due to the coronavirus crisis. That compares to $10.7 million in revenue on the same Wednesday a year ago, resulting in a year-over-year decline of 97 percent. – The Hollywood Reporter