Worth a Look

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

The Joffrey Ballet's Nutcracker Has a New Role for Dancers With Disabilities

Dance Magazine: Marie and Franz have a new guest at their Christmas Eve party this year. Emma Lookatch and Larke Johnson, both dancers in the Adaptive Dance Program at Joffrey Academy of Dance: Official School of The Joffrey Ballet, are alternating in the new role of Worker Girl. It is a permanent part created specifically for students with disabilities in Christopher Wheeldon's version of The Nutcracker at The Joffrey Ballet.

Posted by David at 12/06/2019 10:38:00 AM

4-day firestorm of controversy ends with Utah Rep closing its doors

Gephardt Daily: Four days after an actor vandalized the Utah Repertory set of “American Psycho,” and one day after that actor posted the reasons for his act on Facebook, the theater has closed down all operations.
“Utah Repertory Theater Company closes its doors after seven wonderful years of productions,” says a theater Facebook post issued in the early hours of Tuesday.

Posted by David at 12/06/2019 10:54:00 AM

College yanks student-directed play at last minute because it depicts KKK

The College Fix: Is ‘The Sound of Music’ banned now, too?
A private college canceled a student-produced play that satirizes the Ku Klux Klan an hour before its final dress rehearsal, saying it could trigger some people on campus.
Maryland’s Washington College denies that the last-minute decision amounted to censorship that will chill the expression of other student artists.

Posted by David at 12/05/2019 02:27:00 PM

'Tarzan' high school musical dropped, amid racism concerns

www.lohud.com/story: What happened at Alexander Hamilton High School last week was either a district acting sensitively to parent concerns or the cancel culture at work.
Either way, Tarzan’s vine has been cut.
Alexander Hamilton High School’s drama club had set Dec. 4 auditions for the Disney musical adaptation of “Tarzan” when two parents complained, one to Principal Joseph Engelhardt, another to Rob Jacoby, the club’s music director and producer.

Posted by David at 12/05/2019 02:25:00 PM

When Department Stores Were Theater

The New York Times: After the hundreds of jobs going poof and the thus-far inadequate discounts, the saddest thing about the closure of Barneys New York is that its signature naughty window displays will recede even further in collective memory.

Posted by David at 12/03/2019 10:59:00 AM

Worth a Look

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

'Like dance, but with more pointy objects': Learning swordplay for the stage at SDSU

The San Diego Union-Tribune: A voice rings out across the Don Powell Theatre stage early one morning at San Diego State University, issuing a terse command: “Assume the position of attention.” But for an observer witnessing a dozen people suddenly brandish swords and daggers as they step into warrior stances, attention is not really an issue. The weapons, as it happens, are real (more or less). But the purpose is the pursuit of art rather than some poor foe’s arteries.

Posted by David at 11/29/2019 11:09:00 AM

Ms. and They: Coming to Terms with Terms of Identity

www.clydefitchreport.com: As the only white dancer in the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater circa 1969, my moniker was “Miss Scarlett.” Fresh from high school, I remember thinking it hilarious at the time. While touring Africa, the company played 12 countries, including Kenya, where there was a press conference at the embassy before opening night (you may remember this tale from a story that I wrote for the CFR last April). A reporter asked Ailey, “Do you want to be known as ‘Negro’ or ‘Black’?” I saw him struggle with frustration as he searched for an honest answer. Finally, he said, “I want to be called Alvin Ailey, the choreographer.” This began my lifelong fascination with the profound impact of identity on our deeper selves, whether it is personal or within society.

Posted by David at 11/29/2019 11:06:00 AM

How Seeing Shows Is Changing These Veterans

Theatre Development Fund – TDF: James Faulkner recalls his wife and daughter going to the theatre, but the Korean War veteran admits he didn't join in. "I never did go with them there, or to the Statue of Liberty or, you know, a lot of places," he says, explaining his experience as a prisoner of war left him a bit introverted. "My wife was a big talker, not me."

Posted by David at 11/29/2019 11:02:00 AM

What Makes Site-Specific Revivals So Powerful?

Theatre Development Fund – TDF: This week, TDF Stages Editor Raven Snook geeks out (via Facebook Messenger) with Juan Michael Porter II, a dancer, teacher and playwright who's contributed articles to Time Out New York, Broadway World, HuffPost and TDF Stages. Today's topic: The coolest site-specific revivals we've seen, wish we'd seen or would like to see!

Posted by David at 11/29/2019 10:59:00 AM

An American Revolution at Sing Sing

Reasons to be Cheerful: “This is a revolution, dammit!” shouts John Adams, his voice thundering against the fluorescent lights in the acoustic-tile ceiling. “We’re going to have to offend somebody!” The original congressman from Massachusetts is addressing his fellow founding fathers, twenty of whom are huddled on a 16×20 foot platform, arguing over word choices in the newly-written Declaration of Independence. Adams’ long dreadlocks are twisted into elegant coils as dignified as any powdered wig.

Posted by David at 11/28/2019 10:58:00 AM