Recent Essays

Holly Derr writes about Jacqueline E. Lawton’s new play at Arena Stage, part of their Power Plays commissioning initiative.

Seth Baumrin, artistic director of Subpoetics International, discusses the history, process, and journey of a company working with the stories of refugees and displaced peoples to find their way.

In the second installment of this series—a collaboration with SpiderWebShow—Majdi Bou-Matar writes about the power and relevance of a Canadian production featuring the work of two Syrian immigrant artists.

Writer and performer Kelly Tsai shares the process of devising Ai Weiwei: The Seed, which is based on the art and writings of activist-artist Ai Weiwei.

Paul Gagliardi, a scholar of the Federal Theatre Project, considers recent productions of It Can’t Happen Here and why the play is resonating with both directors and audiences today.

Professor James Ogden explores what it means to put a chair on stage, considering how design informs character choices.

Em Piro images what a Paleo theatre practice would involve.

P. Carl considers how to teach theatre in the time of Trump.

Playwright and educator Tammy Ryan speaks to the benefits of taking a break in a field when there seems to be constant pressure to always be producing.

In the first installment of this new series, a collaboration with Canada’s SpiderWebShow, Yvette Nolan ponders the porous boundary between the United States and Canada, and the importance of theatrical communication in difficult political times.