A Critical Lion in Winter: Robert Brustein Looks Back
The legendary critic and impresario is still writing every day, though he’s largely left the battlefield to other warriors.
Stories by Carol Rocamora
Family Troubles and Hostile Takeovers in London
New plays from Jez Butterworth, James Graham, and Lucy Kirkwood throw its characters and their values into sharp relief and thrilling conflict.
Seattle’s Seagull Project Is Staying Aloft for the Long Haul
The ensemble that formed around a production at ACT Theatre is living the dream of becoming a slow-brewing Chekhov rep company.
John Doyle Directs His Favorite Sondheim Show
His minimalist aesthetic seems to mesh well with the character-driven work of the composer/lyricist. Next: ‘Pacific Overtures.’
Updating the Classics: When, Where—and Why
From ‘Cherry Orchard’ on Broadway to ‘Cymbeline’ in London, period transplants have varied success.
David Hare: Chekhov Peaked With ‘The Seagull’
In adapting 3 early works by the Russian master, the English playwright met a young, passionate artist, not a distant deity.
Philly Fringe on Top: All the City’s a Stage
From avant-garde to populist, from reimagined Shakespeare to devised immersion, this year’s fest delivered a richly various banquet of theatre.
Albee, the Quotable Mentor
He loved to visit my graduate theatre class, always unannounced, and scatter pearls of wisdom. My students took notes.
How Arin Arbus Revived a 130-Year-Old Debate About Feminism
Putting Strindberg’s ‘The Father’ and Ibsen’s ‘A Doll’s House’ in rep heightened the similarities, and the contrasts, between the Scandinavian rivals.
Laughing in London, When We’re Not Dreading or Dreaming
A few farces aside, current plays in the Old Smoke offer no escape from a disturbing world.