It looks like the O’Neill Playwrights Conference is close to nameing a successor to James Houghton, who left as artistic director last week. “Mr. Houghton left the O’Neill after discovering that its board had decided to centralize control to reduce costs without consulting him. In a telephone interview on Tuesday, he said he would have cooperated with the centralization and would never have changed the submissions policy if he had known about the board’s cost-cutting plans in advance.”
Tag: 11.07.03
Man Attempts To Slash Renaissance Painting At National Gallery
A man has attempted to slash a priceless Renaissance painting – Bronzino’s Allegory With Venus And Cupid – at London’s National Gallery in front of horrified museum visitors. He was caught before the painting could be damaged.
New Jersey Opera Festival Calls It Quits
The well-regarded Opera Festival of New Jersey, a summer music fiestival, has announced it is closing because of financial pressures. “The festival, which was founded in Lawrenceville, N.J., 20 years ago and has been praised by critics as a highlight of the region’s summer classical music season, has been troubled by debt since it moved to the McCarter Theater in Princeton five years ago. A spokesman said the festival ended its 2003 fiscal year just under $700,000 in debt.”
A Music Museum For Washington DC?
Plans for a $200 million music museum to be built in Washington DC, were unveiled this week. “Supporters want a 155,000-square-foot museum included in the 10-acre redevelopment of the old D.C. Convention Center site six blocks east of the White House. The museum would contain three theaters, with 3,200, 750, and 250 seats for different types of performances. It would have 50,000 square feet of exhibit space for memorabilia and artifacts, many contributed by the Smithsonian Institution and the Library of Congress.”
The Ballet Boyz With Unexpected Tastes
George Piper Dances (or the Ballet Boyz, as they are also known) have “an unexpected taste for austere, ostensibly cerebral choreography”. But here are a couple of things to know, writes, Tobi Tobias, “if you believe the folks who say that GPD represents the future of classical ballet, an art they claim is dying on its feet: (1) Classical ballet is a technique that can serve anywhere. (2) Classical ballet is also an art form that, like opera, is most itself when it can operate with a goodly number of performers in a sizeable house.”
Image-Geist – Can You Just Snap Pictures Of Anyone?
“Digital cameras in cell phones are a huge hit – more than 80 million have been sold so far. But with so many people snapping away pictures, “what are the rights of the person being photographed, and should controls be put into place to limit where and how camera cellphones may be used?”
The Great Turnoff – Viewers Abandon TV
Viewers are deserting broadcast TV in large numbers, particularly in the most desirable demographic. “Overall viewership is down nearly 10 percent from a year ago – a record low. (The decline is limited primarily to the six broadcast networks: basic and pay cable appear to be holding steady.) The new fall shows are being felled left and right.” What’s the big turnoff?