A Critics Bestiary
There may be as many kinds of writers about theatre as there are kinds of theatre. Here’s a handy guide.
Special Section
Tastemaking in a Post-Newspaper World
Sure, theatres can find ways to spread the word without critics, but patrons still want—and deserve—disinterested reviews.
Black Bodies, White Writers
The crushing homogeneity of theatre criticism means it’s missing crucial perspectives—and its relevance to readers.
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.
The View From the Aisle Over ‘10,000 Nights’
Choice notes from an extraordinary theatregoing career, documenting trends and artists of the late 20th-century stage.
Pulling Focus
The challenge for artists: to keep our attention on human stories and larger questions, not on our distractor-in-chief.
Speaking Truth to Trumpism
Plays on some pet presidential subjects—immigration, U.S. history, the presidency itself—stir uneasy new resonances.
Wide Awake in America
Why Suzan-Lori Parks decided to write a play every day during Trump’s first 100 days
The View From the Middle
In a state that tipped red decisively in 2016, the opportunity for theatrical dialogue across divides seems ripe and freshly urgent.
Trump-ocalypse Now?
American plunder didn’t begin with this administration. Our theatrical dissent must be grounded in a holistic critique of state violence.
