The rules? Be flexible. “We each have our audiences, which are different in Memphis than in Sarasota or Houston, and we each have our missions. For some theatres, it’s about the actors or the playwright. For us at Hattiloo, it’s about accessibility to all socioeconomic groups.” - American Theatre
“The couple never meant to make political movies, Sanaeeha . ‘But in Iran, everything is political.’” (The issue here? A 70-year-old woman character doesn’t wear hijab … inside her own home.) - The Guardian (UK)
The Grammy winner stumbled across 17th-century music by accident. “Much of this Baroque music was written by women who sang about the pain of lost loves who went off to sea. They sang of nostalgia, melancholy and passion. Many of them are also … long forgotten.” - El Pais
For winter and spring 2024, box office was down 30% from the previous year. So the fact that this summer was down only 10% is seen as good news. But it also raises the question of whether the U.S. film business can maintain its momentum coming into the fall and then 2025. - Variety
"The UK‘s accomplishments in the arts are something its public prides above all else, according to a new study, while fondness for British history has dropped dramatically. The findings come from the British Social Attitudes Survey, which shows stark changes ... since it was last conducted ten years ago." - The Art Newspaper
"You pay a monthly membership fee ... that entitles you to attend however much you’d like. As with a gym or a streaming service, some people may go often; some, not at all. Regardless, the orchestra receives steady revenue, and you have full control of your calendar." - The New York Times
In a world that’s bleak enough already, feel-good, heartfelt comedy feels like more of a salve; earnest sitcoms seem to counteract the vitriol of the real world. But the dark comedies, by their very nature, feel truer to life than their more wholesome peers. - The New York Times
New company director Anthony Roth Costanzo has raised over $7 million since he took over on June 1, and he says, "That fundraising is not only subsidizing this ticketing model, but a lot of it is inspired by this ticketing model." (Patrons who can afford more have a pay-what-you-wish option.) - WHYY (Philadelphia)
“Concert music moves audiences bodily. … Music reaches not just the minds (the cognition and experiences of people), but also their bodies such as heart rate, breathing, body movement. This is called ’embodied cognition.’” - PsyPost
The sculpture of Priscilla Chan, wife to Mark Zuckerberg, is so obviously self-referential and AI-influenced that it’s hard to discuss critically. But “is this what most sculpture, or indeed most art, will look like in the future? Given the endless possibilities of AI, is this where we’re all headed?” - Washington Post
Well, Second City doesn’t really do a ton of political comedy, per se. However, if someone shouted out Tim Walz: “We know he likes white-guy tacos. … Truly - yes. Present him as very cool uncle. So, yeah, I'd probably go straight to Minnesota.” - NPR
Serious institutions might legitimately turn up their noses at the immersive van Gogh or Monet "experiences," but nearly half of the immersive art shows out there have been designed by artists themselves, from Meow Wolf to teamLab to David Hockney. Should museums join in, despite the expensive equipment required? - ARTnews
The opera and ballet mecca has seen two big price increases this year alone; admission now costs well over double what it did in 2023. Many angry patrons blame new general director Valery Gergiev, with some noting that prices at St. Petersburg's Mariinsky Theater, which Gergiev has run for decades, remain reasonable. - Gramilano
"The first thing we do is make sure that they can see plays that reflect their lives," says artistic director (and Oscar winner for Moonlight) Tarell Alvin McCraney about his Theater as a Lens for Justice initiative, which offers free tickets to "populations impacted by incarceration." - The New York Times
“We’re expanding the size of the theatre; we’re not creating a competitive product." Now, with unions across the field adopting streaming provisions, the second-best seat in the house might be at home. - American Theatre
