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Express Tribune
02-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Stage director Robert Wilson dead at 83
Celebrated US director Robert Wilson, who revolutionised stage and opera, died Thursday at the age of 83, his management said. "Robert Wilson died peacefully today in Water Mill, New York, at the age of 83, after a brief but acute illness," said a statement issued on his website. It said he worked right up until the end. Wilson's productions of original works as well as traditional repertoire pieces were hugely popular wherever they were shown. But it was in France where he was best known. It was the French who gave him a "home," Wilson told AFP in 2021. It was in 1976 that Wilson was propelled onto the international stage with Einstein on The Beach, a nearly five-hour opera staged several times since its creation, with music by Philip Glass. Einstein on the Beach broke all the conventions of classical opera - there is no linear narrative but rather it draws on themes related to Einstein's life. It does not aim to explain the theory of relativity but to convey the upheaval introduced by the notion of space-time, notably through dance. Wilson's trademarks included minimalist aesthetics, body language influenced by Asian theatrical forms, and lighting effects evoking dreamlike worlds. His love affair with France began with Deafman Glance (Le Regard du Sourd) — his first success — a "silent" seven-hour show presented at the Nancy Festival in 1971, and later in Paris. The show was born out of a real-world incident when in 1967, Wilson saw a 13-year-old Black teenager, Raymond Andrews, being beaten in the street by a police officer. He realised the child was deaf and mute and eventually adopted him. Wilson, also a visual artist, had a string of collaborations including with choreographer Andy de Groat, Tom Waits, Isabelle Huppert for Orlando by Virginia Woolf, Lady Gaga for video portraits of her at the Louvre, and ballet legend Mikhail Baryshnikov. "While facing his diagnosis with clear eyes and determination, he still felt compelled to keep working and creating right up until the very end," the website piece announcing his death said. "His works for the stage, on paper, sculptures and video portraits, as well as The Watermill Center, will endure as Robert Wilson's artistic legacy." Memorials will be held for Wilson at time and locations yet to be announced. Born to a lawyer in October 4, 1941, in Waco, Texas, Wilson was performing his own plays in the family garage by the age of 12, but recalls being bottom of the class at school.


France 24
31-07-2025
- Entertainment
- France 24
US theater and opera auteur Bob Wilson dead at 83
"Robert Wilson died peacefully today in Water Mill, New York, at the age of 83, after a brief but acute illness," said a statement issued on his website. "While facing his diagnosis with clear eyes and determination, he still felt compelled to keep working and creating right up until the very end. "His works for the stage, on paper, sculptures and video portraits, as well as The Watermill Center, will endure as Robert Wilson's artistic legacy." Memorials will be held for Wilson at time and locations yet to be announced. Wilson's productions of original works as well as traditional repertoire pieces were hugely popular wherever they were shown. But it was in France that the artist was best known. It was the French who gave him a "home," Wilson told AFP in 2021. He had directed the inaugural show of the Opera Bastille in 1989 but it was in 1976 that Wilson was propelled onto the international stage with "Einstein on The Beach," a nearly five-hour opera staged several times since its creation, with music by Philip Glass. "Einstein on the Beach" broke all the conventions of classical opera -- there is no linear narrative but rather it draws on themes related to Einstein's life. It does not aim to explain the theory of relativity but to convey the upheaval introduced by the notion of "space-time," notably through dance.


Elle
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Elle
Inside Saks's Star-Studded Hamptons Dinner With Sarah Catherine Hook, Brooke Shields, and More
Every item on this page was chosen by an ELLE editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy. Sarah Catherine Hook is no stranger to encountering an eclectic mix of personalities while traveling—just consider her breakout role in The White Lotus, where her character's dream of spending a year at a Buddhist monastery went out the window the moment she realized she couldn't survive without air conditioning or organic food. So it feels perfectly on-brand that her next role is in Netflix's upcoming adaptation of Emily Henry's bestselling novel The People You Meet on Vacation. But before that, Hook—who stars in the film alongside Jameela Jamil, Lucien Laviscount, and Lukas Gage—is taking some well-deserved time off. Last night, she joined Saks in the Hamptons for a summer dinner filled with art, hosted by global president and CCO Emily Essner at The Watermill Center. Guests were given private access to the new exhibition 'Upside Down Zebra,' created by children ages 3 to 5. 'It's really such a treat to be here at The Watermill Center—it's such a beautiful evening, we're so lucky,' Essner told the crowd once everyone had taken their seats for dinner. 'I hope you all had a moment to experience the exhibition. I was so inspired by the creativity of our children.' She continued, 'It's a really transformative year for Saks Fifth Avenue, for Saks Global. We're so energized by the momentum, so optimistic about what's ahead for us.' The night unfolded with a sunset dinner curated by chef Flynn McGarry, featuring a menu inspired by the artistic styles showcased throughout the museum, from Minimalism to Abstract Expressionism. Guests were encouraged to become artists themselves with each course, using paintbrushes and edible powders to turn their plates into works of art. The night ended fireside with s'mores and cocktails. Other notable attendees included Brooke Shields, Alejandra Alonso Rojas, Ashley Avignone, Elizabeth Kurpis, Evan Ross Katz, Joseph Altuzarra, Katie Lee Biegel, Laura Kim, Leyna Bloom, Serena Goh, SouKeyna Diouf, Tanya Taylor, Tara Rudes Dann, Tinx, Tommy Dorfman, Romilly Newman, and more. Claire Stern Milch is the Digital Director at ELLE, where she oversees all content and strategy. Previously, she was Deputy Editor at ELLE. Her interests include fashion, food, travel, music, Peloton, and The Hills—not necessarily in that order. She used to have a Harriet the Spy notebook and isn't ashamed to admit it.