“If the tale of Rosemary Squire and Sir Howard Panter, the husband and wife team who built a theatrical empire from scratch, was ever turned into a play (and it would make a mighty fine one), then the first act’s set would centre round a little red BMW. Twenty-five years ago, … backstage space was tight and there was no cash left to rent an office. So Squire parked outside the theatre and – with one eye open for zealous traffic wardens – tackled her paperwork from the driver’s seat.”
Toronto Symphony In Familiar Crisis Mode Again
“Is there a way forward for the Toronto Symphony Orchestra in the aftermath of its current case of triple jeopardy? That’s the big question confronting its board of directors. For the third time in less than two decades, the TSO is in crisis mode with its future in jeopardy.”
Restoring One Of The World’s Oldest Libraries
The Qarawiyyin Library in the Moroccan city of Fez is well over a thousand years old, and it’s about to reopen after a four-year renovation. “There were problems of infiltration, of sewage, degradation of walls, some cracks in different places in the library.” (includes audio)
This Dancer Is Way Over The ‘Only One Body Size Is Good’ Idea For Ballet
“The 30-year-old Texan native known as ‘Frostine Shake’ blows most ballet stereotypes out the water. Shake might be a classically trained ballerina but she defies all traditional expectations.”
The Mikado Gets A Makeover That May – Just May – Remove Its Shocking Yellowface And Orientalism Problems
“The issues at the heart of this conversation stretch well beyond ‘The Mikado’ and highlight a movement taking place, at varying speeds, across a number of artistic media.”
Can The UK Fix The Hellacious Secondary Concert Ticket Market?
“Some of the music industry’s leading players are demanding that ticket touting be made a criminal offence for all UK concerts, plays and sporting events.”
Paying Attention To Children As Performers
“Inspired by the theories of Janusz Korczak, a Polish educator who understood children’s need for freedom of expression, Ms. Lockhart brought in a movement therapist, a theater director, a philosopher and a curator, among others, to hold creative workshops to help the girls develop their voices. Ms. Lockhart filmed them speaking intimately about topics she knew they valued.”
The Nobel Laureate Of Suffering, Now Translated From Russian Into English
“‘In the West, people demonize Putin,’ Ms. Alexievich, who turns 68 later this month, said in a recent interview here, speaking Russian through a translator after a conference on her work at the University of Gothenburg. ‘They do not understand that there is a collective Putin, consisting of some millions of people who do not want to be humiliated by the West, ‘ she added. ‘There is a little piece of Putin in everyone.'”
To Write Better Code, Read More Virginia Woolf
“I’ve worked in software for years and, time and again, I’ve seen someone apply the arts to solve a problem of systems. The reason for this is simple. As a practice, software development is far more creative than algorithmic. The developer stands before her source code editor in the same way the author confronts the blank page.”
The Near Future Of The Toronto Symphony Looks Pretty Grim
“One point is clear. The future of the TSO depends on its 19-member board and how they respond to a situation that has spun out of control under their watch.”