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Ground-breaking France-based British theater director Peter Brook , who revolutionized 20th-century theater, has died at the age of 97-years-old in Paris. The director, who pioneered taking theater outside of traditional theatre houses, mounting productions in unexpected venues such as gymnasiums, abandoned factories and old gas works, was renowned for his experimental and out-of-the box approach to staging classic and new works alike. He was born in West London to parents of Lithuanian Jewish heritage on March 21, 1925. After attending Westminster School and Oxford, he put on his first production, Dr Faustus at the Torch Theatre in London in 1943. By his early 20s, he had been appointed director of production at the Royal Opera House, where he distinguished himself with an experimental production of Richard Strauss’s Salome featuring sets by Spanish surrealist artist Salvador Dali. In the 1950s, he started working with the Royal Shakespeare Company, directing … [Read more...] about Revolutionary British Theater Director Peter Brook Dies In France aged 97

The war of words continues between Actors’ Equity and a group of Los Angeles-based actors and theater owners opposed to the union’s plan to force small playhouses to pay their actors minimum wage. In a recent email to members, the union said the minimum wage opponents have “openly threatened Equity staff and councilors and blacklisted members of their own community for speaking on behalf of fair pay.” Opponents say that forcing 99-seat theaters in L.A. to pay minimum wage will force many of them out of business, or to go non-union. The union, however, scoffed at that notion, telling members it’s just part of a “campaign of misinformation and propaganda.” “This is a stunning assault by Equity on its own membership,” said Frances Fisher , one of the leaders of the group opposed to Equity’s plan. “It’s really too bad my union has chosen this scorched-earth approach. Publicly discrediting your own membership because they have a legitimate disagreement with you is just poor … [Read more...] about Actors’ Equity Leaders Say They’ve Been “Threatened” By 99-Seat Plan Opponents

A group of actors and local theatre owners have filed suit against Actors Equity seeking to overturn the union’s decision to force small legit theatres in Los Angeles to pay their actors minimum wage. The plaintiffs, including actors Ed Harris, Amy Madigan and former SAG president Ed Asner, claim the union’s minimum wage mandate will destroy local theatre. In April, Actors’ Equity decided to scrap its 99-seat waiver policy and force small theaters in Los Angeles to pay their actors at least minimum wage – which is currently $9 an hour and going up to $10 next year. The suit claims that Equity’s mandate violates a settlement agreement that resolved a similar lawsuit back in 1989. Plaintiffs in that suit include many of those involved in the latest suit, including actress Salome Jens and theatre owners Joseph Sterns, Maria Gobetti and Tom Ormeny. The ’89 settlement established a Review Committee that would be allowed to review and make recommendations on any substantial changes to … [Read more...] about Lawsuit Filed to Stop Actors Equity from Forcing Small Theatres to Pay Minimum Wage

The gloves have come off in the ongoing battle that will decide the fate of small theatre in Los Angeles. A day after Actors’ Equity announced that attempts to resolve the dispute had failed, a group of actors and local theatre owners said tonight that they will go ahead and serve the lawsuit they filed against the union last October to stop it from forcing small legit theaters in Los Angeles to pay their actors minimum wage. Under the current rules, many small theatre actors work for as little as $7 a day. The plaintiffs, including actors Ed Harris, Amy Madigan and former SAG president Ed Asner, claim that scrapping the union’s 99-seat theatre waiver, which has been in place since 1989, will force many of the city’s small theatres to close. “We will serve the lawsuit and defend vigorously against Equity’s efforts to have the case dismissed,” the dissident actors and theatre owners said in a statement issued minutes ago. “We will ask the NLRB to enjoin Equity from putting its new … [Read more...] about Dissidents Vow To Take Actors Equity To Court Over Fate Of Small Theatre In LA

There was a time when psychedelics such as LSD, mushrooms, and mescaline were primarily relegated to those who were wild and weird enough to brave the legal and social throes imposed by the War on Drugs. But those days are ending — if they haven’t already slipped into the past. Today these substances are increasingly embraced for their therapeutic, spiritual, and recreational value, and journalist Michael Pollan has emerged as arguably the most prominent champion of their kaleidoscopic rewards. “It’s for spiritual experience,” he explained to Rolling Stone. “It’s for self-exploration. It’s for setting priorities. It’s for breaking habits. There are all these other ways people are using them. And we have this word ‘recreation’ that we think is negative, but we should go back and think — what is that? Well, re-creation is a very positive thing and people are using them to re-create themselves. And it seems to me that’s as legitimate as any other use.” At 67, and having … [Read more...] about The Never-Ending Psychedelic Trip of Michael Pollan

Ten years ago, most people hadn’t even heard of a podcast. Now, they’re an integral part of the media landscape, and none more so than those about true crime . To rank the best, we polled true-crime aficionados about their favorite shows, then sifted through the top choices. Whether they cover a new case each episode or present a story over the course of a season, these picks each shaped the genre in their own way. Some are the results of deep investigative journalism; others are by amateur sleuths trying to help families find answers. Some focus on bringing publicity to cold cases in underrepresented communities, and some changed the way we think about crime storytelling altogether. Perhaps equally important, they’re all great listening, promising the kind of captivating intrigue that continues to draw generation after generation to true crime: tragedy, mystery, a search for answers, and always the hunger for justice. 25. CounterClock Fans of procedurals will bond with … [Read more...] about The 25 Best True-Crime Podcasts of All Time

Former president Donald Trump has endorsed some wacky candidates since leaving office, including Michigan’s Republican nominee for secretary of state, Kristina Karamo . In a podcast episode unearthed by CNN’s KFile , Karamo claimed that abortion is “child sacrifice” and a “satanic practice,” CNN revealed on Sunday. Karamo expressed her absurd beliefs about abortion on her podcast, It’s Solid Food. “ Abortion is really nothing new,” she said. “The child sacrifice is a very satanic practice, and that’s precisely what abortion is. And we need to see it as such.” Later, she called the medical procedure “the greatest crime of our nation’s history.” “When people in other cultures, when they engage in child sacrifice, they didn’t just sacrifice the child for the sake of bloodshed,” Karamo said during the episode. “They sacrificed the child ’cause they were hoping to get prosperity, and that’s precisely why people have abortion now. ‘Because I’m not ready. I don’t wanna have a … [Read more...] about ‘Child Sacrifice Is a Very Satanic Practice,’ Trump Endorsed Candidate Said of Abortion

On July 30th, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-California) held hearings on Capitol Hill entitled “A Conversation on Race and Justice in America” in response to the intense national debate that has resulted from the killing of Trayvon Martin. Racial profiling – “a secret hiding in public,” according to panelist Morris Dees, founder of the Southern Poverty Law Center – was discussed, as were Stand Your Ground laws. Less attention was paid to the perilous way the legal system treats some African-Americans who end up in it, especially those with neither the money nor the means to defend themselves. Consider Curtis Flowers. Today, he sits on Mississippi’s death row, where he has been for 16 years. Tried six times on the same murder charges – the only known person in American history to endure that fate – he has never hedged in proclaiming his innocence, even refusing plea bargains. “I’m not going to say I killed someone when I didn’t,” he said in 2010. “I would rather be executed … [Read more...] about For Curtis Flowers, Mississippi Is Still Burning

Jayland Walker was shot and killed by cops in Ohio last week -- and video of the incident was just released ... confirming accounts that he'd been hit by dozens of bullet. The 25-year-old was pursued in a police chase early Monday morning in Akron, where officers attempted to pull him over, citing a traffic violation. Walker didn't stop and led cops on a bit of a lengthy chase through the city, with multiple units being called in to help. Akron Police says officers heard a gunshot ring out from Walker's vehicle as they followed him -- and they claim surveillance video from the area shows a muzzle flash coming from inside his car, leading officers to believe he was armed ... which they announced to dispatch. Eventually, Walker stopped and fled by foot with a ski mask on ... with officers telling him to haltand surrender. They say they tried using Tasers on him, but the efforts failed. Walker continued running, but finally stopped and … [Read more...] about Jayland Walker Police Shooting Video Released, Hit Over 60 Times

Continuing its strong ties to the entertainment industry, Howard University will be the host of the new “Disney Storytellers Fund,” which will “create opportunities for historically underrepresented students to have future careers as storytellers and innovators in media and entertainment,” according to a joint release. The new fund was announced Saturday at the Essence Festival of Culture in Burbank, Calif., where the Walt Disney Co . is headquartered. Howard has existing ties with Netflix and Amazon, among others. Earlier this year, it appointed  actress Phylicia Rashad as dean of the recently reestablished College of Fine Arts. The university also renamed that college after Chadwick Boseman, who attended Howard before going on to become an A-list actor playing iconic roles including Black Panther, Thurgood Marshall, Jackie Robinson and James Brown. The Disney Storytellers Fund at Howard University will provide stipends over a five-year period for student … [Read more...] about Walt Disney Co. Creates ‘Disney Storytellers Fund’ At Howard University To Spark Opportunities