The Week in Review: February 25
PUSH FESTIVAL’S NORMAN ARMOUR TO DIRECT PAULINE
Norman Armour, known best for heading the PuSh International Performing Arts Festival, will direct City Opera’s anticipated new work, Pauline, it was announced this week. Premiering in May 2014, the work was written by Margaret Atwood and scored by Tobin Stokes, documenting the final week of Canadian poet Pauline Johnson’s life. It is likely to be the first work staged on the new York Theatre on Commercial Drive.
LEADING CANADIAN FILM CRITIC, MARK HARRIS, DIES
We were saddened to hear about the loss of Mark Harris, the film critic for the Georgia Straight, and UBC film-studies tutor, who passed away on February 26 at the age of 62. Tributes are already pouring in from students, colleagues, and media, but few can be more moving than that from his wife, Carola Ackery, who told the Straight: “My grief is quite uncomplicated,” she said. “We got to travel a lot and we didn’t have any bad stuff to work out. We were a great couple—just right for each other, and not everyone can say that.” Our thoughts are with Carola, and Mark’s family. His death is a great loss to BC culture.
ENGLISH NATIONAL BALLET REBRANDS… WITH THE HARLEM SHAKE
The English National Ballet vowed, in 2012, to become Britain’s “best loved and most creative company”. A recent viral video shows the bold and edgy methods they are using to seek attention and new audiences: a staged version of the “Harlem Shake” that has quickly made the rounds on social media. Pacific Standard wrote an insightful article documenting just this trend and answering why we all love dance crazes.
AUTHORS BARE ALL FOR ARTS CALENDAR
Opinions are divided about a new fundraising initiative by PEN Canada: the Bare it All for Books Campaign. PEN aims to create a 2014 calendar of nude photos to raise money for its programs supporting free speech and literature in Canada. So far, they have released the names of 12 authors who will pose for the calendar including Dave Bidini, Terry Fallis, Yann Martel, Vincent Lam, Miranda Hill, and Sachiko Murakami.
A fully-clothed Yann Martel with Brian & Laura at the inaugural Indian Summer Festival.
ROBERT LEPAGE WINS GLENN GOULD PRIZE
Quebec-city playwright, film director and actor, Robert Lepage, has been named the recipient of the $50,000 Glen Gould Prize. Lepage, who already holds the Order of Canada, was chosen by a jury including Patti Smith, Deepa Metha and Sir David Tang, to name but a few. The artistic director responded to his win by saying, “As I know Glenn Gould did, I believe there is such a thing as a culture of the North and as I was walking to work this morning, trying to fight my way through the heavy blizzard that had invaded my fair city, I could somewhat sense his presence in the howling wind.”
Categories: MPMG