Recent Essays

María Regina Firmino-Castillo discusses the inspiration behind and implications of Lukas Avendaño’s Xibalbay, a multidisciplinary performance project that relates enduring stories of the Mayan underworld to contemporary forced disappearances of people in Mexico.

Luiza Medeleanu discusses the importance and impact of Roma representation through her analysis of four Roma social plays.

Regina Victor, artistic director of Slideshow Theatre Company, and Kaiser Ahmed, artistic director of Jackalope Theatre Company, discuss the joys and challenges of stepping into their Chicago-based positions as theatres across the United States recalibrate their programming.

Fumbani Innot Phiri Jr. speaks with Bright Chayachaya, the founder and director of Umunthu Theatre, about their production of Sometimes in July, a play based on the real-life demonstrations that occurred on July 20, 2011 in Malawi.

Noémi Herczog discusses the need for greater Roma visibility on stage and introduces Roma Heroes: Five European Dramas, a new collection that anthologizes plays from the Independent Theater Hungary’s Roma Heroes International Theater Festival.

Eve Bernfeld discusses creating a culture of care in her Alexander Technique classes by paying attention to embodiment. She asks: What if we heal the false rift between mind and body in our theatre making and training?

Kim Messer writes about the potential impact that anti-trans laws aimed at school athletics could have a broader impact on theatre students. To prepare themselves to advocate for students, theatre educators must deepen their own understanding of these policies.

Brooke Ishibashi, performer and co-founder of Be An #ArtsHero, shares her experiences organizing with and advocating for arts workers during the COVID-19 global pandemic.

Rika Iino and Marc Bamuthi Joseph talk about the way trust and transparency have shown up in their work, both individually and as a duo, and how theatre practitioners and organizations can use those elements to work towards a more equitable future.

Miranda Wright discusses the vitality of supporting new work development in the field and shares learnings from her experiences doing so as the founder of Los Angeles Performance Practice (LAPP) and the Live Arts Exchange (LAX) Festival.