This Month in Theatre History
From the beginnings of Interlochen and the Ohio summer tradition ‘Tecumseh!’ to Deaf West’s Broadway debut, summer was off to a hot start with these June milestones.
Feature
Tina Landau, World Builder
The ‘SpongeBob’ director has built a career on experimentation, even within traditional forms. Her next assignment: a musical of ‘Dave.’
For William Finn, It’s All in ‘The Royal Family’
The ‘Falsettos’ and ‘Spelling Bee’ composer tries his hand at the Kaufman/Ferber backstager about a clan of larger-than-life stage creatures.
Kris Vire’s Newest Review: Of His 13 Years as a Chicago Theatre Critic
The recently laid off editor of Time Out Chicago reflects on the scene he’s covered and the state of arts journalism.
Leslye Headland on Sin, Certainty, and Harvey Weinstein
After a decade, she concludes her ‘Seven Deadly Plays,’ and finally opens up about her time working at Miramax.
Expanding Autism-Friendly Work Under a Big Umbrella
No longer a rarefied practice, sensory-friendly performances got a national boost from Lincoln Center’s April-May festival.
Les Waters’s Vision of Life
The outgoing artistic director of Actors Theatre of Louisville talks about new plays, directing vs. interpreting, and his impressive beard.
How 4 Gender-Nonconforming Youth Made Their Stage Debut
My play ‘The Mermaid Hour’ asks theatres to cast only trans or gender-nonconforming performers in the lead role. Here’s how they, and the teens, rose to the occasion.
Roads Less Traveled
In touring shows for young audiences, how do you get beyond familiar titles? Building trust among adventurous allies is key.
The Good Places
Many theatres consider ‘excellence’ a priority, even a mission. But what do we mean by that word?