“It’s the energy of the building that has the potential to bring Shakespeare to life. It’s the shared space, the triple-galleried cockpit, the restless crowd, the direct address. It’s these conditions of performance that create a transformative experience.” Miles Gregory explains why he and colleagues are constructing “a full-scale, temporary, working theatre space that precisely replicates the dimensions of the Globe Theatre. That can quite literally ‘pop-up’ anywhere.”
How “We Shall Overcome” Became An Iconic Song (The Man Responsible For It Just Died)
“We Shall Overcome” is a staple for civil-rights protests—and for that matter, for any kind of social-justice movement. The Library of Congress calls it “the most powerful song of the 20th century.” So it was a surprise to learn that not only is the identity of the person who made it into that anthem known, but he died only on May 2.
So, What Do French Muslims Think About The PEN/Charlie Hebdo Controversy?
The people arguing about PEN’s award to the magazine’s surviving staffers have mostly been anglophones, many of whom had never heard of Charlie Hebdo before the murders. Finally, someone has asked French Muslims – well, seven of them, anyway – for their opinions.
Trolls, What Constitutes Trolling, And How It Has Changed
Way back in 1992, a writer for the Toronto Star described online trolls as people who “fish for flames” the way fishermen troll for fish. These days, Laura Miller observes, “‘troll’ is a word pinned on whoever happens to be upsetting us online.” Miller looks at the motivations of trolls and the rise of reverse trolling.
Do Memes – As Transmissible, Mutating Entities Like Viruses Or Genes – Really Exist? (Nah, Probably Not)
At least not the way Richard Dawkins theorized them. That was a metaphor, whether Dawkins realized it or not.
Can You Really Make A Dance About Britain’s 1984-85 Miners’ Strike?
“The strike was a defining political and social moment in recent British history; it changed the nation, and its repercussions are still being felt. But it is a complex and difficult subject to navigate in an abstract art form such as dance.” Even so, Rambert Dance Company artistic director Mark Baldwin gave it a go, and he writes here on how he went about it.
The U.S. Might Finally Be Reading For A Museum Of African American History, A Century After It Was Planned
“In 1915, a group of black Civil War veterans began pushing for a memorial and museum dedicated to black service members. A little over a decade later, President Calvin Coolidge approved the construction of a building to serve as a ‘tribute to the Negro’s contributions to the achievements of America,’ according to the Smithsonian Institution. Thanks to the Great Depression, that building never came to fruition.”
When Will U.S. Museum Directors Reflect America’s Demographics?
“The impending influx of new blood at the top offers museums an opportunity to rethink the job and question many of the assumptions that underlie traditional museum operations: the emphasis on splendid buildings, the primacy of curatorial authority and the balance between rich donors, for whom museums are often personal vanity projects, and the public, who see museums as shared common goods.”
The Ex-Con Forger Whose Own Work Is Now Worth Millions [VIDEO]
“A German forger who conned the art world out of millions of dollars is holding his first exhibition since becoming a free man.”
As The ‘Billy Elliott’ Musical Turns 10, Where Are The Original Dancing Billys?
Well, one of them is playing young King Tommen on Game of Thrones – and the others are doing pretty well too.
The Artistic Power Of Those On The Margins
“Away from the fierce logic of power that creates the center, the margins remain conspicuously dispersed, unfocused, chaotic. Life takes other forms here; it has its own rhythms and priorities, and unfolds in ways both uncontrollable and difficult to predict.”
Cable TV Execs Don’t Really Know What To Do With This Streaming Thing That’s Eating Their Lunch
“‘We didn’t have to sell the value of television for a long time,’ said one top sales executive for a large cable network group who was not authorized to speak publicly. ‘Now you’re seeing the industry on the defensive because clients are enamored with toys under the Christmas tree.'”
That Time An Artist Who Wanted To Photograph And Challenge Queer Identities Got A Little Overwhelmed
“I honestly thought that the project would be a small collection of 50 or so photographs, but the response to the project was so profound that I decided to expand it and travel to several US cities like New York City, Portland, Chicago and soon Austin to photograph more people. I imagine that this will be an ongoing project for me throughout my lifetime.”
Officials Threaten To Close Mosque That’s Part Of The Venice Biennale
“The project, by the Swiss-Icelandic artist Christoph Büchel, serves as Iceland’s national pavilion for the Biennale and is intended in part to highlight the absence of a mosque in the historic heart of Venice, a city whose art and architecture were deeply influenced by Islamic trade and culture.”
Some Of The Best Dead Comedians Are Coming Back To Life, As Holograms
“Ghost names on the marquee could include everyone from Joan Rivers, who died last year, to George Carlin, Bob Hope, Rodney Dangerfield and Milton Berle.”
Cincinnati Symphony Gets New Contract That Expands (!) Orchestra
“The orchestra announced Thursday that a successful fund-raising campaign, and a new contract that it reached with its musicians, would allow it to hire 14 more full-time players over the next four years, expanding the size of the ensemble to 90 as other orchestras around the country, from Philadelphia to Atlanta, have shed positions to save money.”