That Shepard is starting to feel like a guide for the rest of us is surprising. He died two years ago, at the age of 73, and although the valedictions from the dramatic world were respectful, few suggested that his work was acutely relevant. But Shepard plays are back in season, and they are neither antiquarian nor regional. They are modern—even visionary—and disturbingly universal. – The Atlantic
Tag: 07.11.19
Festival Tells Theatre Company To Recast Role With Disabled Actor, And Company Writes Out Character’s Disability Instead
When the Belgian company Studio Orka brought its devised-theatre piece Tuesday to the Manchester International Festival, MIF officials said that their policy is that disabled characters must be played by disabled actors and that performances of the work would not proceed with a non-disabled actor in one of the roles. Studio Orka argued that Tuesday could only be performed by the actors who collaboratively developed it and changed the character to a person injured in an accident who recovers. – The Stage
An Aging Jazz Legend’s Wife Started A GoFundMe Campaign, Claiming Severe Health And Financial Problems. His Old Friends Are Very Suspicious
Kenny Burrell, the 87-year-old guitarist, is still drawing a six-figure salary and health insurance from UCLA, where he has been tenured faculty for decades. But his wife launched a crowdfunding campaign in May, saying they were desperate and faced potential homelessness. (She also won’t let anyone see him or come into their home, claiming their immune systems are compromised.) Reporter Geoff Edgers investigates. – The Washington Post
Ballet BC’s Emily Molnar Named Nederlands Dans Theater’s Artistic Director
When Molnar took over the [Vancouver-based] company in 2009, it was on the verge of bankruptcy. Since then she’s brought in big-name contemporary choreographers and built up” Ballet BC’s quality and reputation to the point that they now tour internationally. She begins her job at NDT, one of Europe’s leading contemporary dance troupes, in August 2020. – The Georgia Straight (Vancouver)
Police Abruptly Evict Artists From Beijing Studio Districts
“Scores of Beijing police, clad in riot gear and rain slickers, were seen yesterday marching artists out of the Luomahu, or Roma Lake, Art District ahead of its sudden demolition, purportedly under the auspices of China’s sweeping campaign against organised crime. Similarly, about 30 riot police moved into Beijing’s Huantie Art District on Sunday (7 July) to begin eviction of the several hundred artists with studios there.” – The Art Newspaper
What Burning Man Taught Us About Networks Of Cooperation
So when do networks enable cooperation to thrive? And when do they hinder it? A vast body of work from across anthropology, psychology, and sociology has explored the conditions under which cooperation—the propensity for individuals to pay a personal cost for the benefit of the whole—operates. – Nautilus
A New Generation Of Transgender Singers Making Their Mark In The Opera World
“Some … found new voices, either with the help of hormones or through retraining. Others kept the voices they had built their careers on — even if it meant continuing to perform in the gender they had left behind. Now some are getting higher-profile roles — and upending preconceptions about voice and gender. … We spent time with four of the artists at the forefront of this new wave.” – The New York Times