Recent Essays

Viviana Vargas compares West Side Story and La Carreta by looking at the history of Puerto Ricans migrating to New York to better understand an example of cultural appropriation in the arts, its effects, its telltale signs, and some lessons for the future.

Patty Gone interviews Christian Appel and Renée Imperato about how they used applied theatre, writing, and utopian world-envisioning to create the all-trans, ensemble- based TransGenerational Theatre Project in NYC. 

Georgina Escobar reflects on the past four years of Latinx Theatre Commons (LTC) convenings, and developing an understanding of “Latinx aesthetics.”

Theatre practitioner and educator Sophia Skiles interrogates unconsciously artificial and increasingly antiquated casting practices and urges understanding of casting practices that advance equity, inclusion, and access.

David Diamond, curator of the La MaMa Umbria International Symposia, visits St. Petersburg and presents a look at Russian theatre artists today.

Ash Marinaccio shares her experience working with seniors through a four-month residency with the Queens Theatre in New York City.

In the third installment of this series, Brendan McCall discusses the work of Norwegian artist Øystein Elle and his company Capto Musicae. Originally a classically trained opera singer, Elle now works in a hybrid performance field combining live and recorded music, with performances that border on vocal concerts or art installations.

David Dudley talks with Maria Striar and Michael Bulger of Clubbed Thumb about how they curated a program directly after the election.

Aaron Sawyer and Terri Hudson reflect on what they learned from the Access Auditions, and offer tangible steps theatres can take to become more accessible to performers who are d/Deaf and disabled.