In Colorado, Seeing New Plays Before They’re Born
Last week at the Colorado New Play Festival in Steamboat Springs, work by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins and Jill Sobule, among others, searched for its sound and form.
Opinion
‘King Lear’ Minus the Monarch, Plus Mom
Samantha Shay’s stripped-down, fem-focused take on the tragedy inspires low-tech awe—and starts a raucous argument.
The Translator’s Glance
Moving work from one language to another is an art unto itself, and adapting it for the stage only adds layers of challenge and meaning.
Qui Nguyen Is Telling the Story of Asian America
How ‘Vietgone’ and ‘Poor Yella Rednecks’ subverts the Asian-as-foreigner trope to tell a distinctly American story.
The Gender Problem ‘Tootsie’ Can’t Dress Up
The new musical’s creators think they’ve upended the material’s sexist tropes; apparently they don’t see that ‘man in a dress’ jokes are inherently transphobic.
Humana’s Changing Conversation, and Who Leads It
The shows in this year’s new-play fest at Actors Theatre of Louisville were in dialogue with past offerings, no doubt, but also with our current moment.
Incidents in the Life of a 21st-Century Black Boy as Written by Himself
When memory fails, writing can recall, awaken, and even liberate.
All the Single Bobbies
What does Sondheim’s newest heroine have to say about his body of work, and about women today?
5, 6, 7, 8 Takeaways From ‘Fosse/Verdon’
Spoiler: The new bio-musical series isn’t just great TV, it also makes a case for more inclusive storytelling.
The Dramatic, Precarious Life of the 19-Century Actor
2 new books about Sarah Bernhardt, Eleonora Duse, and Harry Watkins shows the life of a 19th-century actor was filled with acclaim and alcoholism in equal measure.