Recent Essays

From a four-mile-long human chain to a torchlight ceremony in the rain—the playful, passionate demonstrations and symbols that arose from Hungary's Freeszfe movement inspired artists globally. Todd London and László Upor discuss the movement’s many examples of how artists can use their talents to stand up to tyranny.

Cynthia Schneider reviews artists’ influence on political change in the twentieth century and today, tracing an evolution of cultural diplomacy toward local artists. Her talk, originally presented in spring 2025, serves as a reminder of what culture-bearers can accomplish.

Junior Programs, Inc brought the values of democracy and racial and ethnic diversity to children across the United States through an innovative, decentralized model that featured comprehensive educational partnerships. Joan Lancourt offers their approach as a potential inspiration for the contemporary moment.

Dávid Somló discusses key trends in the growing field of spatially focused transdisciplinary performances that center audience experience, highlighting examples across several potential directions for this work.

Several characters are played by one performer in I’m Assuming You Know David Greenspan. In an analysis that spans from ancient Greece to contemporary Russia, Arseniy Fariatiev argues that the play does the opposite for the director, splitting directorial labor across several production roles.

Through one-on-one transformational encounters, Oakley Boycott’s SENSES build community in the mountains of Wyoming. Anne Mason tracks the development of the series—including SILENCE, ECHO, and NOISE—and the ways SENSES makes space for participants to rage or write or sit in contemplation and collectivity.

For almost forty years, Real Women Have Curves has pulled audiences in with its story of Latine women in a sewing factory taking charge of their own destinies. Carlos Morton traces the story’s path from play to film to Broadway musical, affirming the power at its core.

How can a life be organized? What authority should an archive hold? Dani Lamorte explores questions like these that propel B Kleymeyer’s As Others Have Before, an account of a sculptor’s life and the claims the living have on the stories of the dead.

“If your body is a portal, where does it lead?” This question led the creation of Paradise Portals, an immersive performance and dance party featuring Baltimore-area trans and queer artists. Laura Grothaus captures some of these artists’ answers, which span the celebration, transformation, ecology, and even escape.