Stories

How Alan Cumming Is Transforming A Small Scottish Theatre

His vision was to turn Pitlochry Festival Theatre into both an artistic retreat and a producing powerhouse. It was to invite exciting creatives to Perthshire and create and premiere a show, then for that show to be sent on to London, New York and elsewhere. - The Stage

Oops: Book Returned To Public Library 150 Years Late

The book “Antiquities of Athens,” published in 1858, was returned to the library in the seaside town of Kiama last week by a man who had found it during recent home renovations inside a tea crate bricked into a sealed fireplace, Kiama Library manager Michelle Hudson said. - AP News

It’s Not Just Homer. Gertrude Stein Is Having A Moment, Too.

“Something’s in the air: My Year in Paris with Gertrude Stein, published last month by FSG, is just one in a recent cluster of genre-spanning books that interpret, adapt, and play with Stein’s legacy, as well as that of her longtime partner Alice B. Toklas.” - Publishers Weekly

Are We Headed To Culture Collapse?

Given worsening inequality, political polarisation, falling fertility, resource shortages and global conflicts, Wilson argues that we are hurtling towards the same end as ancient Rome, the Mayan civilisation and every other sophisticated society before us. - The Guardian

A New Company For Dancers Over 40

Musicians and fine artists can play and paint until they die, and actors can age onstage. But the body is the instrument of dance. There is no other violin to polish, no other paintbrush or color except that. The maintenance of the body is essential to the capacity of performance.” - Pointe Magazine

Big Music Companies Ask That AI-Music Not Be Allowed On The Music Charts

The companies are calling on the chart companies to introduce new rules that would only allow AI-generated songs to be included if the use of AI is properly authorized and lawful, if the track was substantially human made and if it doesn’t raise concerns of streaming fraud or chart manipulation. - The Hollywood Reporter

UK Equity Ratifies New Contract For London’s West End, Avoiding Strike

“Running from April 2026 to April 2029, the agreement will see minimum rates rise by at least 13.5 per cent over three years. It also improves holiday entitlement and family leave, supports better work-life balance, strengthens equality and inclusion provisions, and recognises additional responsibilities.” - WhatsOnStage (UK)

The ARTnews List Of America’s 30 Best Art Museums

“For this list, we focused primarily on the breadth and distinction of each institution’s permanent collection. Additional considerations included the strength of its temporary exhibition program and the grandeur of its architecture.” - ARTnews

Director Ruth Mackenzie, Sacked From Paris’s Théâtre Du Châtelet In 2020, Joins UK Prime Minister’s New Government

Following her abrupt firing, she went to direct Australia’s Adelaide Festival, then quit two years early to work in South Australia’s state government. Nine months after that, she departed for London to head the British Council. One year later, Mackenzie is now in the House of Lords as Under-Secretary for the Arts. - Limelight (Australia)

Hollywood Producer Indicted For $100 Million Ponzi Scheme

“Film producer Jason Cloth, who financed Joker, Ghostbusters: Afterlife and dozens of other movies, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on wire fraud charges in connection with what prosecutors say was a $100 million Ponzi scheme.” - AP

Staffers At All Of V&A’s London Locations Vote To Authorize Strike

The union’s dispute with management is over pay, working conditions, and the museum deciding not to seek living-wage accreditation. Staffers at the new V&A Storehouse in particular complain of inadequate restroom breaks and chances to get water, comparing conditions there to those at an Amazon warehouse. - The Guardian

Simone Forti, Pioneer Of Postmodern Dance, Is Dead At 91

“Forti burst onto the New York dance scene at the dawn of the ’60s with her seminal ‘Dance Constructions,’ works in which dancers responded to cheap, ready-made objects that prompted improvisational actions such as leaning, climbing, or whistling.” - Artforum

Salman Rushdie’s Would-Be Murderer Convicted On Federal Terrorism Charges

After deliberating for roughly two hours, the jury in a Buffalo courtroom convicted Hadi Matar, 28, on all charges. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison, which he’ll serve after his 25 years in a New York state penitentiary for attempted murder. - The Telegraph (UK) (Yahoo!)

Grandparents Are Giving Their Grandkids Personalized AI-Slop Children’s Books, Driving Parents Nuts

“If the odds are against parents who disapprove of artificial intelligence, it’s because there’s an entire ecosystem of AI services designed to insert real children into books … and some relatives can’t resist their ads for specially curated storybooks.” - Wired

In Federal Trial Of Salman Rushdie’s Attacker, Defense Rests Without Presenting Testimony

As also happened in defendant Hadi Matar’s New York state trial for attempted murder (for which he was convicted in February 2025), he declined to testify himself and his attorney called no witnesses. - AP

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