How The Venice Biennale Is Like Kafka International Airport

“There’s a very funny video ‘news clip’ online produced by the folks at The Onion, called ‘Prague’s Kafka International Named Most Alienating Airport’. In the report, travelers describe an airport where corridors lead nowhere, shuttle trains deposit people back where they started and gate B2 can be found in the F terminal. This is a little what trying to get your press pass feels like at the Venice Biennale.”

Charles McNulty Gives His Tony Predictions

And, when those predictions chafe, the critic states the outcome he’d prefer, such as this one in the best-play category: “‘God of Carnage’ will vanquish its competition, but a sentimental appreciation for the late [Horton] Foote would have had me cast my vote for the timely ‘Dividing the Estate’ in what is undeniably a weak category this year.”

For Music Industry, YouTube Takes On MTV’s Old Role

“YouTube is becoming increasingly important to the music business. In fact, some industry professionals say it has become the MTV of the digital generation. In the old days, new bands created buzz by playing clubs and getting on local radio. Today, record labels often gauge a new band’s popularity by looking on YouTube” and promote their own bands on the site.

Yale Sued By Purported Heir To Night Café Owner

“Yale University was sued by a man who says he’s the descendant of the former owner of a Van Gogh painting that was unlawfully seized during the Communist takeover of Russia in 1918 and rightfully belongs to him. … The painting, ‘The Night Café,’ was later sold to galleries in Europe and New York and eventually bequeathed to Yale in 1961, according to court papers filed May 21 in federal court in New Haven, Connecticut.”