Judith Kazantzis, ‘Gadfly Poet Against Injustice,’ Has Died At 78

Kazantzis, born into a literary family (and a titled one – a privilege she steadfastly refused), “explored themes like the power relations between men and women and the abuses of power against the weak, and when it was first published in the 1970s, it resonated with an emerging new feminism — one that was giving a platform to women to express their repressed anger toward patriarchy, find a place in the literary establishment and, perhaps more important, connect with one another.”

This Festival Is Building A Theatre Audience From Scratch In Burkina Faso

“Founded in 2002, Les Récréâtrales takes place in a residential area of Ouagadougou. Plays are developed, rehearsed, and performed in family courtyards, bringing theatre to the people. Whereas non-festival performances at downtown cultural centers … attract audiences composed of Europeans, other artists, and the artists’ family members and friends, the festival’s audiences are locals of all ages who would not usually have access to or interest in theatre.” Writer and translator Heather Jeanne Denyer talks with the festival’s artistic director, playwright Aristide Tarnagda.

A Tuba Player’s Journey From One Of Baltimore’s Poorest Neighborhoods To The New Mexico Phil

Richard Antoine White slept under trees and on friends’ couches with an alcoholic mom when he was a kid. But when foster parents took him in, he found out that he was good at music – and his path has provided a Baltimore documentary duo with a great project. White mentors other kids in need of a hand up, but also, and this is a fun one, he is “particularly passionate about baroque music (he has transcribed works of Bach for the tuba).”

Theatres In Yorkshire Launch Program To Diversify Boards Of Directors

“The programme will see 10 members of [Artistic Directors of the Future] from a range of culturally diverse backgrounds given access to the boardrooms of five Yorkshire theatres, including Sheffield Theatres, Scarborough’s Stephen Joseph Theatre and York Theatre Royal, over the course of four months. It aims to develop relationships between aspiring trustees from culturally diverse backgrounds and existing board members, and to give the participants insight into the way theatre boards operate.”

Women In Theatre In Minnesota Succeed By Creating Their Own Spaces

In the Twin Cities, three theatre companies founded by women – including a new one focusing on opportunities for women of color and/or queer women – are changing the landscape. “‘These theaters are being founded as answers to a lack of opportunity,’ said Mary McColl, a former Twin Cities arts leader who now runs the 51,000-member Actors’ Equity union. Acknowledging that the politics of the moment have women fired up, she said she sees these companies as crucial ‘for the industry to become more inclusive and equitable.'”

The Public Theater Lives Up To Its Name With A Tour Of Lynn Nottage’s ‘Sweat’ To Devastated Midwestern Cities

Five states, 18 cities, free performances – and a plan that reaches far beyond the play itself; “Along with community organizations, public libraries, Rotary clubs, humanities councils, and whoever else is interested, it has encouraged lectures, discussion groups, story circles, and art pieces in the weeks before and after staging a free performance of Sweat. The tour is now over, but the project is not.”