The Week in Review: July 29
THE RETURN OF THE SIMINOVITCH
The Canadian theatre community issued a collective sigh of disappointment last fall, when it was announced that the Siminovitch Prize- one of the industry’s highest honours- would be discontinued.
It was there a jubilant occasion when, little more than a year after its demise, a press release announced it would be returning with new partners. The prize is awarded annually to a director, writer, or designer (on a three-year, rotating cycle) and gives them $100,000 to pursue their craft, as well as an additional $25,000 to support a protégé.
A (RATHER IGNORANT) QUESTION OF AUTHORSHIP
Fox News set off a firestorm this week when corespondent Lauren Green interviewed Iranian-American religious scholar Reza Aslan about his new book “Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth.”
In the interview, Green repeatedly pursues a line of questioning about why Aslan, as a Muslim, would write about Christianity, while replies that he is a scholar seem to fall upon deaf ears. The interview quickly went viral, sparking debate over hypocrisy, bigotry, and the ever-green topic of Fox News’ journalistic integrity.
SAFAR BREAKS RECORDS
In case the last video made readers feel a little depressed about cross-cultural understanding, there is good news this week from Vancouver’s Museum of Anthropology. The currently running Safar/Voyage: Contemporary Works from Arab, Iranian & Turkish Artists has broken institutional attendance records, drawing more than 46,000 visitors to the Arthur Erickson-designed space since the exhibition’s April opening.
A NEW SPIN ON THE THEATRE FESTIVAL
We’re always interested in artists experimenting with unconventional venues, so we were very intrigued to learn about Home Theatre. The one-day festival of new plays takes place in 30 London households simultaneously, with residents personally inviting guests to be audiences.
We’ll definitely be tuning in on November 9 when the fascinating end results are posted online.
FAMILIAR TALES TOLD DIFFERENTLY
The New York Times reported on the rapidly growing trend of Hollywood getting into the business of Broadway. While musical adaptations of films are nothing new, there are two major elements that differentiate this new trend from what has come before: the significant, direct involvement of Hollywood studios and the sheer volume of works being developed.
A shortlist singing-and-dancing adaptations in the works include: Rocky, Animal House, Big Fish, Back to the Future, Mrs. Doubtfire, and The Bridges of Madison Country, to name but a scant few.
The musical adaptation of “Rocky” in Hamburg, Germany, with Darsteller Drew Sarich in the title role. Photo: Morris Mac Metzen
Categories: MPMG