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Recent Essays

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

A person in a gladiator costume holding an owl and a shield.
Essay
16 September 2025

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.

A wall painted with the image of a tank pointing its gun at a person on a bike.
Essay
15 September 2025

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.

Four people in white cloth dresses on stage.
Essay
11 September 2025

To raise awareness of environmentally destructive behaviors in their community, faculty and students at Dennis Osadebay University adapted a poem about ending cultural pollution into a play about the consequences of environmental pollution. In this essay, members of the team reflect on this production and its efficacy.

A black and white photo of two dancers.
Essay
10 September 2025

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.

A group of people in an outdoor game arena.
Essay
8 September 2025

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.

A man in the center of an empty room.
Essay
4 September 2025

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.

A woman in a long red dress in a rocky area.
Essay
3 September 2025

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.

Three women on stage holding hands.
Essay
28 August 2025

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.

A person sitting in a dimly lit room holding a puppet of an old man.
Essay
27 August 2025

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.

A blue blob with a person in the middle.
Essay
18 August 2025

“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.

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