Sunday, May 07, 2017

Worth a Look

Here are a few posts from last week's Greenpage that might be worth your time...

Protest Theatre. Schenkkan pushes back on a Donald Trump promise with Building the Wall

DC Theatre Scene: It’s in the air – an urgency to use theatre to get people into the conversation about what many see as our national crisis: the Trump presidency. Now Forum Theatre gets into the act presenting a National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere of Building the Wall.
I’m not sure it’s even a play. But I’m not sure that matters. The work and the conversations that it can ignite matter terribly.

Parody Protection For Fair Use Is Important: Taiwanese Man Faces Jail Time Over Parody Videos Of Movies

Techdirt: Because we talk so much about fair use here, we often likewise find ourselves talking about parody. Parody is one of the forms of content protected under fair use, and that protection is responsible for the availability of a great deal of great content. Parody tends to be equal parts humor and commentary and enjoys a long history of important speech here in America.

Nevada entertainment safety training bill draws support

Las Vegas Review-Journal: The entertainment capital of the world may soon require health and safety training for workers in the entertainment industry.

The Senate Commerce, Labor and Energy Committee on Monday heard Assembly Bill 190, which would require health and safety training for supervisors and those who work with stage props, rigging, pyrotechnics and high-voltage wiring.

How Sports Illustrated Made The First Live-Action VR Film On Everest

www.fastcompany.com: It’s famously “there,” so a whole lot of people want to climb Mt. Everest. But the vast majority of them will never get anywhere near the peak in the Himalayas. Now virtual reality can take anyone to the top of the world’s tallest mountain.

For some time, it’s been possible to “climb” a computer-generated Everest, thanks to “Everest VR,” which lets users of high-end VR systems like the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive ascend to 29,035 feet in an entertaining, albeit facile, facsimile of the experience of summiting. Save for a scene or two in which you disappear in a fog of wind and snow, though, you don’t get much of a sense of how incredibly dangerous climbing Everest is.

Fyre Festival Disaster: Industry Vets Weigh in

Rolling Stone: Like everybody else who watched the wreckage of Fyre Festival, the "luxury" event last weekend in the Bahamas marred by shoddy housing, questionable meals and overall substandard conditions, veteran managers, agents and others in the concert business tell Rolling Stone they couldn't believe organizers neglected to supply attendees with basic food, water and lodging. Billy McFarland, who created the event with rapper Ja Rule, lamented to Rolling Stone last week that "we tried building a city out of nothing" — but those who put on Bonnaroo, Coachella and other music festivals do such a thing every year.

Monday, May 01, 2017

Worth a Look

Here are a few posts from last week's Greenpage that might be worth your time...

NEA study explains financial effect of the arts nationally — and California's huge cultural economy

LA Times: Data released Wednesday by the National Endowment for the Arts, in a joint effort with the Bureau of Economic Analysis, offers an argument for keeping arts funding alive at a time when the Trump administration seeks to eliminate the NEA altogether.

Women to Watch: Highlighting Powerful Women in the Production Industry

www.productionhub.com: The production industry is always changing, from new ways to film to new technology, with so many women spearheading new initiatives that continue to change the industry. We are thrilled to present a few of our favorite "Women to Watch" -- women who are constantly inspiring and reaching new ceilings in an industry that was previously male-dominated. Check back frequently as we add to this amazing list of women throughout Women's History Month, and place your own suggestions in the comments below.

Analysis: New Canadian Softwood Tariffs May Have Limited Impact

Remodeling | Framing, Lumber, Lumberyards: The U.S. government's imposition of 20% countervailing duties will anger builders and delight dealers by helping prop up current prices, but it's unlikely to lead to any new surge in the cost of softwood because traders have factored the duties into their prices for months.

Why Decolonization Means The Possible End Of Shakespeare In South Africa's Schools

The Theatre Times: South Africa’s education authorities are reviewing the school curriculum. Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga has confirmed that the review will feature a focus on “decolonization,” reflecting the need to move towards the use of more African and South African novels, drama, and poetry. This might spell the end of William Shakespeare in the country’s classrooms. The Conversation Africa’s education editor Natasha Joseph asked Professor Chris Thurman about the implications of the proposed review.

Turning the NFL draft into grand theater, with Philadelphia as the stage

www.philly.com: "Standing on those steps and seeing that this is such a heroic moment, this is a culmination for these [draft picks], we set out on, 'Could we create a theater? Could we build a theater here?' " said Peter O'Reilly, the NFL's senior vice president of events.

"We know it's going to be complicated. We know it's going to be audacious. But this is what we have to do, and the Parkway itself was natural. It's a home to so many iconic events over the years."