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F*ck the System (And the Horse It Rode In On)
Essay

F*ck the System (And the Horse It Rode In On)

17 September 2017

Chantal Bilodeau kicks off this week's series on Theatre in the Age of Climate Change, and argues that we as a theatre community need to recognize when our practices and systems are detrimental to the earth and other people, and strive to change them.

Loving and Loving in Trump’s America
Essay

Loving and Loving in Trump’s America

15 September 2017

Brett Aresco discusses Radical Evolution's New York City production of Loving and Loving, inspired by the famous 1967 Loving v. Virginia case. 

The West Side Story Appropriation We Never Really Talk About
Essay

The West Side Story Appropriation We Never Really Talk About

25 August 2017

Viviana Vargas compares West Side Story and La Carreta by looking at the history of Puerto Ricans migrating to New York to better understand an example of cultural appropriation in the arts, its effects, its telltale signs, and some lessons for the future.

Who’s Afraid of Virginia vs Loving
Essay

Who’s Afraid of Virginia vs Loving

Learning How to Talk About Casting

22 August 2017

Theatre practitioner and educator Sophia Skiles interrogates unconsciously artificial and increasingly antiquated casting practices and urges understanding of casting practices that advance equity, inclusion, and access.

poster for red theater chicago's accessibility auditions
Access Auditions for Performers who are d/Deaf and Disabled
Essay

Access Auditions for Performers who are d/Deaf and Disabled

15 August 2017

Aaron Sawyer and Terri Hudson reflect on what they learned from the Access Auditions, and offer tangible steps theatres can take to become more accessible to performers who are d/Deaf and disabled.

The Cultural Apartheid of Disability
Essay

The Cultural Apartheid of Disability

A Conversation between Judith Smith and John Killacky with Resources and Tips

2 August 2017

A conversation between Judith Smith and John Killacky with resources and tips at the Americans for the Arts 2017 Annual Conference, Friday June 16, 2017.

How a Commons Becomes a Selection Committee
Essay

How a Commons Becomes a Selection Committee

2017 Encuentro de las Américas / Cómo un 'Commons' se convierte en un comité de selección: 2017 Encuentro de las Américas

1 August 2017

Abigail Vega writes about the process for choosing shows for the 2017 Encuentro de las Américas festival. / Abigail Vega escribe sobre el proceso de selección de obras para el festival Encuentro de las Américas 2017.

Under the Big Top
Essay

Under the Big Top

Creating Multi-Sensory Work for Children with Autism

19 July 2017

Samantha Mueller, a theatre practitioner who works with the special needs community, talks about Seesaw Theatre which creates multi-sensory work for children with autism.

The Necessity of Diverse Voices in Theatre Regarding Disability and Difference
Essay

The Necessity of Diverse Voices in Theatre Regarding Disability and Difference

2 July 2017

Kaite O’Reilly addresses how reimagining disability can open up creative possibilities on stage in content, aesthetics, and form.

A Collective Call Against Critical Bias
Essay

A Collective Call Against Critical Bias

26 June 2017

A collectively authored essay by leading artists, academics, and theatre advocates about Paula Vogel’s Indecent and Lynn Nottage’s Sweat on Broadway amid a conversation about critical bias toward women playwrights and playwrights of color.

Dramatizing Faith in the Post-Trump Era
Essay

Dramatizing Faith in the Post-Trump Era

A Conversation between Director June Guralnick and Playwright Suzanne Bradbeer

18 June 2017

Conversation between director June Guralnick and playwright Suzanne Bradbeer about The God Game, plays about faith post-election, and the division of church and state.

A Call for Inclusivity in Quebecois Theatre / Plaidoyer pour une Scène Québécoise Inclusive
Essay

A Call for Inclusivity in Quebecois Theatre / Plaidoyer pour une Scène Québécoise Inclusive

10 June 2017

In this installment, actress Isabel dos Santos discusses traditional Quebec theatre and the lack of immigrant artists, and looks at theatres and organizations advocating for more representation and inclusion practices.

Re-Orienting How American Theatre Covers Islam
Essay

Re-Orienting How American Theatre Covers Islam

1 June 2017

Thomas Dolan discusses the need for Middle Eastern and Islamic theatre artists and decision-makers to be involved in the creation and production of work about their communities.

A Few Considerations When Programming Bilingual Theatre
Essay

A Few Considerations When Programming Bilingual Theatre

23 May 2017

Arlene Martínez-Vázquez discusses the rise of bilingual, Latinx plays produced in Seattle, Washington, advocating for hiring bilingual, Latinx artists involved in the programming and decision-making for these shows.

On Diversity Hiring
Essay

On Diversity Hiring

Choosing the “Best” Person for the Job

20 May 2017

Director Carol Ann Tan explores her reaction to the question of whether it's easier for her to get work because she's Asian.

James and the Giant Peach
Essay

James and the Giant Peach

An Earthworm’s Resistance to Normalize Difference

15 May 2017

Actor Billy Flood discusses his performance as the Earthworm in StageOne Family Theatre’s production of James and the Giant Peach, sharing how he engaged with the role to resist gender norms.

Desire Multiplied
Essay

Desire Multiplied

Renouncing and Diversifying Desire

8 May 2017

In this last installment, Irene Loy discusses a character’s drive to renounce their desire, and advocates for diversifying how desire is written for stage and film. 

A Ritual for the Alliance Theatre at Almost Fifty
Essay

A Ritual for the Alliance Theatre at Almost Fifty

5 May 2017

Playwright Pearl Cleage shares her ritual at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Alliance Theatre’s new theatre space on March 30, 2017. 

Gender Bending Power
Essay

Gender Bending Power

Bring Down the House

2 May 2017

Erin Murray discusses the echo of history in upstart crow collective’s Bring Down the House.

Toward a Model of Inclusive Practice
Essay

Toward a Model of Inclusive Practice

An Intern’s Perspective on the Guthrie Theater

28 April 2017

Matthew Hernandez shares his experience interning at the Guthrie Theater last summer as part of a pilot program for students of color at University of Texas at Austin.

The Power of Jo of Arc
Essay

The Power of Jo of Arc

18 April 2017

The grace and fury in the performance of Jo Lampert as Joan in Joan of Arc: Into the Fire.

Black Women Have Theorized Everything
Essay

Black Women Have Theorized Everything

12 April 2017

Sola Bamishigbin and Tia-Simone Gardner look at plays by Lorraine Hansberry and Lynn Nottage with intersecting themes, written at different times in US history.

Afro Blue, un homenaje
Essay

Afro Blue, un homenaje

A Room of My Own

11 April 2017

In this third installment, Jadele McPherson discusses how artists (both past and present) influence each other across the African diaspora, and advocates for more contemporary artists to acknowledge their ancestors.

Blk Womyn
Essay

Blk Womyn

Going Dark!

9 April 2017

The launch of #BLKARTS Presents: Black Womyn Going Dark! a look at the history and legacy of black womyn in the arts.

The Need for Cultivating Theatre Critics of Color
Essay

The Need for Cultivating Theatre Critics of Color

7 April 2017

Tanuja Jagernauth and Regina Victor discuss the lack of theatre critics of color, and issues surrounding agency and consent for theatre artists of color.