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Recent Essays

This is a repository of written content, sorted by most recent to oldest. Enjoy!

A woman sits and speaks into a microphone while others look at her.
Restorying Our Past and Present, Imagining Our Future
Essay

Restorying Our Past and Present, Imagining Our Future

9 February 2023

Theatremaker and advocate Ronee Penoi shares her inspired keynote speech from the Public Theater’s 2023 Under the Radar Professional Symposium.

Four people stand side by side for a photo.
The International Presenting Commons Convenes at Last
Essay

The International Presenting Commons Convenes at Last

6 February 2023

The International Presenting Now convening brought a collective of US-based presenters of international work together in physical space in January 2023, following almost three years of virtual conversations and events. Janice Paran details the conversations that arose around the convening’s key question: how might international presenters want to work differently?

Two women stand on stage in front of music stands on microphones.
“Serving Lewks and Puro Class,” Tus Tías Explore the Legacy of Selena
Essay

“Serving Lewks and Puro Class,” Tus Tías Explore the Legacy of Selena

2 February 2023

Trevor Boffone reviews Tus Tías’ The Invocation of Selena, a sketch comedy and cabaret-style show that begins by summoning Latine icon Selena and ends by eulogizing her.

A person sits in front of a laptop watching actors rehearse on stage.
For Some Russian Dissident Theatremakers, the Future Is Unclear
Essay

For Some Russian Dissident Theatremakers, the Future Is Unclear

31 January 2023

Director Vitaly Kogut is one of many displaced Russian men spending this winter in Batumi, Georgia. Daniel Mesta interviews him about his work, in which uses theatre to communicate the complexities of the Russian soul while enduring censorship and cancellation.

A group of protesters with various posters smile for a photo in Times Square in New York City.
A Dream Deferred: Black, Indigenous, and Women+ of Color Playwright-Activists
Essay

A Dream Deferred: Black, Indigenous, and Women+ of Color Playwright-Activists

30 January 2023

Yvette Heyliger reflects on her experience as a Black woman artivist and discusses the racial and gender inequities in the theatre field.

Two people sitting at a table watching someone gesture at the board on the wall.
Every Production Is a Moonshot: Research on Improving Repertoire Selection
Essay

Every Production Is a Moonshot: Research on Improving Repertoire Selection

19 January 2023

For three years, Kristin Patton and Nick Rabkin worked with five case study theatre companies to study the often fraught, high risk, and complex decision-making process of theatrical repertoire selection. The result of their research project, the Moonshot Report, offers insights into their process and practical recommendations for strategic approaches to season planning.

Two actors in yellow-green outfits standing over another actor in white lying on a table.
Female Stories from Kosovo: How Two Plays Look at the Loneliness of Balkan Women
Essay

Female Stories from Kosovo: How Two Plays Look at the Loneliness of Balkan Women

10 January 2023

Theatremaker verity healey discusses two plays from Kosovo’s 2022 Theatre Showcase that highlight Balkan women’s stories and struggles.

An actor sits on a pure white stage with a white background and a human-sized laptop behind them.
Exodus and the Autobiography of War at Tbilisi International Festival
Essay

Exodus and the Autobiography of War at Tbilisi International Festival

5 January 2023

Yaşam Özlem Gülseven interviews Mikheil Charkviani about his work on Exodus, a production that traded grand historical narratives for granular perspectives on the impact of war in Georgia. Their interview, like the production, hinges on an important question: how do we learn to live with the past?

Two performers embrace each other with their foreheads touching.
The Queer Theatre We Need Now
Essay

The Queer Theatre We Need Now

13 December 2022

David Valdes explores the limitations of queer theatre historically and makes the case for a more expansive future—one that includes a wider range of characters living more complex lives, created by more queer theatremakers.

A woman in a dress lying on a bench covering her face with a book.
I Don’t Think It’s Just Me Anymore: The Shift Towards Healthier Theatre Education
Essay

I Don’t Think It’s Just Me Anymore: The Shift Towards Healthier Theatre Education

12 December 2022

Theatremaker Sara Bozin reflects on her college theatre experience and shares changes she’d like to see in theatre education that prioritize students’ physical and mental health.

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