In Louisville There Once Was a Festival
Every April for decades, producers, theatre mavens, and critics would gather to binge new plays at the Festival of New American Plays. But not this April.
Category Archives: Opinion
Let’s Crack the Proscenium and Breathe New Air
After years of soul-searching, this summer’s LMDA conference in Philly promises to engage the whole field in a fresh, inclusive dialogue about which forms sustain us (and which don’t).
What ‘Help’ Sees, and Who It Misses
A new theatre piece based on a Claudia Rankine essay may be educational for white audiences, but for Black audiences it’s merely relatable.
Lock Up Tha Theatre
An excerpt from a new collection of micro-plays.
When Worlds Fall Apart, There’s ‘Nuestro Planeta’
Amid health and climate crises, a new-works program takes Latine writers to their ancestral homes to inspire hope and healing.
What’s Gender Got to Do With Acting Awards?
Why the Georgia High School Musical Theatre Awards are beginning to eliminate gendered acting awards, in recognition of a generational shift and an increase in LGBTQIA+ representation.
Hath Not a Jew Roles? A Case for Authentic Jewish Casting
Not every Jewish role needs to be cast with Jewish actors, but for plays with antisemitic elements, strong Jewish representation is a must.
Kaddish for Steve: On the Jewishness of Sondheim
Sondheim’s work is elusive, ambivalent, internally conflicted, and deeply concerned with how stories are told. What could be more Jewish?
In Theatre, At Least We’re Honest About the Lie
A poet/playwright reflects on the pleasure and possibility of a medium where deliberate fakery can lead to a kind of freedom.
How ‘American Utopia’ Managed to Remain in Light
The Broadway stage manager recounts how her company conceived and staged a new concert version of the popular show in the face of COVID cancellations.
