The playwright of the moment in the American theatre is 32-year-old Sarah Ruhl, whose award-winning, much-buzzed-about play, “The Clean House,” is at last hitting New York; whose lower-profile drama, “Eurydice,” earned a near-benediction from The New York Times a few weeks ago; and — oh, the other thing — who made her way onto the genius list when she became a MacArthur Fellow last month. “The superstitious part of me goes, ‘Uh-oh, when is the other shoe going to drop?’ ” she said. “There is so much happening at once. But the nonsuperstitious part of me is trying to enjoy it and see it as the result of 10 years of labor.”
Tag: 10.14.06
Art’s 100 Most Powerful
“ArtReview magazine’s annual list of the 100 most powerful people in the contemporary art scene was published yesterday, prompting predictable modest coughs from those who found themselves near the top, and sniffy dismissals from those who had been bumped down the list or, worse, banished altogether.”
Paul McCartney, The Brand?
“According to documents lodged with the trademarks registry in London, the multi-millionaire former Beatle has begun a process to trademark his name for use on goods as wide-ranging as pantihose, waistcoats and vegetarian food.”
Stirling Prize – Out Of Touch With Reality?
The Stirling Prize is the UK’s top honor for architecture. Yet “many of the other buildings to scoop the prize have failed to live up to the praise heaped on them. Critics say architects have become detached from everyday life and are calling for a rethink of the prize so that buildings are judged on how well they stand up to use.”
Pamuk Nobel Richly Diserved
“This year, the Academy has done the right thing, thank God, saluting a writer who, in the words of the Nobel citation, ‘has discovered new symbols for the clash and interlacing of cultures’. With Turkey and its record as much in the news as it was in 2005, Orhan Pamuk has become the first Turkish writer in 100 years ever to receive this supreme accolade.”
The Musicians Who Make House Calls
“Since 2004, Musicians on Call has regularly serenaded those in Britain unable to attend concerts and, according to its mission statement, draws on scientific research that suggests that listening to live music lowers blood pressure, anxiety and depression. The orchestra seems eager to establish a footing in New York, where it spends about 10 days a year, and its members are starting to treat the city as a second home.”
Pamuk: Proposed French Ban On Armenian Genocide-Deniers Is Wrong
The French parliament is debating whether to make it a crime to deny the Armenian genocide. But Turkish Nobel-winner Orhan Pamuk (who was put on trial for writing about the genocide) objects to the idea. “The French tradition of critical thinking influenced and taught me a lot. This decision, however, is a prohibition and didn’t suit the libertarian nature of the French tradition.”
Cure Cancer? Or Fund The Arts? Hmnnn
“It’s a rising concern for many potential donors to the arts: What is the justification for donating to the opera when the money could help stamp out malaria – or stem global warming, reform education or solve any of a number of humanitarian crises?”