“On Monday, the fall semester began for USC’s sole MFA art student, a woman from South Korea on a fully-funded scholarship and educational visa. … Last May, the once-lauded program suffered a devastating blow when the entire class of 2016 left the school in protest of alleged broken promises and a perceived corporate takeover of the program.”
How I Became Julie Taymor
The director tells Alec Baldwin about her youth at Boston Children’s Theater, her time at Oberlin majoring in anthropology (“but I couldn’t stay away from theater”), what she learned watching shadow puppet plays in Java, and how her career metamorphosed – several times – once she returned to the U.S. (podcast)
Why Critics Have Such A Bad Rap
“Just about no one has a good feeling about the word “criticism.” Most of the time, it simply means chastisement; it sounds like what you don’t want to get on your performance review, or from your parents. If you have a critic, that person is likely to be your enemy, and to be critical means to be ill disposed, hard to please or actively hostile — in short, a hater. When it comes to the arts, for many people a critic is someone whose job it is to tell you why you’re wrong to like the movies or music or books you like.”
Touring Theatre On A Long, Skinny Canal Boat
“Despite having to deal with endless locks, cabin fever and chemical toilet mishaps, the Mikron theatre company is flourishing, thanks to its passionate following.”
Fed-Up Myung Whun Chung Says He’s Leaving Seoul Phiharmonic; Musicians Campaign For Him To Stay
After a horrendous year that saw the orchestra openely rebel against an abusive but politically connected CEO, who resigned with obvious reluctance and then had Chung investigated for embezzlement, the maestro announced he was stepping down as music director. Then the musicians held a press conference pleading for the city government to convince Chung not to quit.
Arabic ‘Sesame Street’ Returns For First Time Since Gulf War
“On Friday, a new production of Iftah Ya Simsim, the Arabic cousin of Sesame Street that ended in 1990, will have its premiere on nine channels across the Gulf Cooperation Council countries of the Persian Gulf.”
For Whom Should (Or Shouldn’t) Broadway Dim Its Lights? It’s Less Simple A Question Than Ever
“For at least 50 years, New York has honored the passing of lifelong theater-industry participants by briefly dimming the lights of Broadway marquees. But in the social-media era, the decision over whose legacy merits the tradition is kicking up painful public controversy.”
Ambiguity – How Did It Get To Be So Valued In Art?
“Above all, how did it come to take on, at least for some, a cloak of liberal righteousness, to shift from being an aesthetic to a moral virtue, as if the text that wasn’t clear, that didn’t state its preferences clearly, were ethically superior to the text that does. In every other sphere of expression ambiguity is a flaw. Clarity is prized.”
‘Leathery Authenticity And Baked-In Americana’: Harold Bloom, Rock Critic
On The Band’s “The Weight”: “The song’s chorus centers on removing a spiritual load and the narrator’s charitable offer of assuming responsibility for it: ‘Take a load off Fanny, and you put the load right on me.’ Here, you also have the double entendre of ‘fanny’ in the vernacular sense and a rather loose lady. The ‘load’ is the weight of earthliness, of mortality.”
What Place Do The Arts Play In Wellbeing?
“Most indicator systems and other initiatives rooted in wellbeing have historically overlooked the role of arts and culture, and continue to do so.”
Technologists Race To Save 3D Images Of Ancient Historical Sites Before ISIS Smashes Them
“As ancient sites across Syria and Iraq crumble under bombs and mortar from the region’s battles, archaeologists and technologists are racing to be able to one day reproduce them. In the coming months, they will be distributing thousands of low-cost, high-quality 3D cameras across the Middle East that will hopefully capture these ancient sites before they disappear.”
What’s With All These Punctuation-Challenged Dance Company Names?
“Sure, it’s fun to play around with the punctuation marks on your keyboard. But invented punctuation doesn’t guarantee inventive choreography. It’s just punctuation run amok.”
Maybe Jonathan Franzen Isn’t Quite As Weird As His Public Statements Make Him Seem
“Franzen, whose writing tends to be very careful, has a gift for putting his foot in his mouth when he speaks publicly. … But if you look at Franzen’s taste in writing, it’s clear that he isn’t quite as one-dimensional as his bad press would lead readers to believe.” Scott Timberg reviews the evidence.
Top Posts From AJBlogs 09.01.15
Best Practices
AJBlog: Engaging Matters Published 2015-09-01
Lookback: on being funny—on paper
AJBlog: About Last Night Published 2015-09-01
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ISIS Destroys Yet Another 2,000-Year-Old Temple In Syria
“After a day of conflicting reports about the extent of damage that Islamic State militants had inflicted on the Temple of Baal in the ancient city of Palmyra, Syria, a United Nations agency said late Monday that satellite images confirmed that the structure had been largely destroyed. The primary temple building, nearly 2,000 years old, was flattened.”