ideas: on the arts
REVIEW: Year of magical theatre
It is my sad duty to report that of the best pieces of theatre I saw in Brisbane in 2009, none of them were locally produced. But we were witness to some of the best writing from the world of theatre; some gems that truly left their mark. Here’s a round-up of the best of the best.
How faith, and America, can heal
The Trial of the Catonsville Nine is many things Australians dislike about Americans: political, patriotic and preachy. But unlike the worst of the United States, the play is also deeply questioning of its place in the world. It prosecutes American exceptionalism and the greyness of, and uneasiness between, faith and justice.
For true Grace, mags still rule
An exhausting number of words have been written on the future of journalism in a digital age, but little has been made of what sort of future art and design has in the seemingly inevitable online convergence. The wonderful new documentary The September Issue brings into sharp focus the real art of magazine production in danger of being lost.
MY10: Songs that make me sing
I love lists. I like reading them; I like comparing them; I like compiling them. I recognise they’re entirely silly and offer no real use to anyone, but I love them all the same. And music is, as Julie Andrews would sing, a very good place to start. Here, in particular order, are the ten songs that make me sing.
Life, art under Belarus’ iron rule
Real democracy never came to Belarus. When the USSR collapsed and the landlocked race declared sovereignty in 1990, its people were subjected to more Soviet-style uncompromising rule. It is the only dictatorship left in Europe, with a human rights record to match it would seem. The clampdown on civil society by the ‘elected government’ has, for many, been brutal. And yet a small theatre group risks prison and beatings to speak out.
The importance of ideas
“Just once in a while let us exalt the importance of ideas and information.” Those are the words of pioneering American newsman Edward R. Murrow. I love the quote, and his many others like it. It may sound a particularly high-minded agenda for what will inevitably be another inconsequential blog-of-consciousness. But I reckon it’s a good place to start.
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