Roslyn Sulcas

1 month ago | nytimes.com | Roslyn Sulcas

Mark Rylance sat quietly and alone, his black-capped head bowed, his eyes closed. Nearby in a grand chamber, Damian Lewis stood resplendent in a huge gold jacket, playing King Henry VIII, as the director Peter Kosminsky rearranged some actors playing courtiers. It was Shoot Day 77, last spring, at Bishop's Palace in Wells, England, one of the locations for "The Mirror and the Light," the second and final television series based on Hilary Mantel's dazzling trilogy of novels.

2 months ago | nytimes.com | Roslyn Sulcas

In early 2010, I was sitting at a communal table in a coffee shop in Cape Town, when I spotted a grizzled, bearded fellow who looked strangely familiar. It was Athol Fugard, South Africa's foremost playwright and the great chronicler of his country's apartheid past. There he was, sipping a cup of coffee like any ordinary person. I plucked up courage and approached him, murmuring something inarticulate about my admiration for his writing. "Hall-O," Fugard said enthusiastically. "Join us. Have a coffee.

Dec 31, 2024 | nytimes.com | Isabella Kwai |Roslyn Sulcas

Dada Masilo, a South African dancer and choreographer known for injecting African dance into bold, unconventional interpretations of classical ballets like "Swan Lake" and "Giselle," died on Sunday in Johannesburg. She was 39. The death, in a hospital, was confirmed by Bridget van Oerle, a spokeswoman for Ms. Masilo's family, who said she died unexpectedly after a brief illness.

Dec 16, 2024 | nytimes.com | Roslyn Sulcas |Tom Johnson

The ballerinas of Les Ballets Trocadero de Monte Carlo never change. With the never-say-die showbiz spirit of a faded Russian touring company, and a whiff of greasepaint and glamour, Ida Nevasayneva, Maya Thickenthighya and the other ballet warriors are eternally giving heroic performances, triumphantly knocking off a technical trick or two, flirting with the audience, elbowing rivals out of the way.

Dec 15, 2024 | nytimes.com | Roslyn Sulcas

Guillaume Diop had heard the whispers: His feet were flat, his bottom too big; he would never get into the Paris Opera Ballet School. He proved the naysayers wrong, entering the school at 12. Three years later he was ready to leave. He felt insecure about his body and his abilities, was restricting his eating and had received treatment for anorexia. His friends all aspired to join the Paris Opera Ballet, but Diop was not so sure.