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Theatre History

There’s so much to be learned from history, and theatre is no exception. If you’re looking to dive into theatre’s past, the Theatre History Podcast is the perfect place to start.

The Latest

Black Patience: Performance, Civil Rights, and the Unfinished Project of Emancipation
Video
Black Patience: Performance, Civil Rights, and the Unfinished Project of Emancipation
A talk with Dr. Julius Fleming on his latest book, followed by a discussion with Hillary Miller
Monday 11 March 2024
Opening the Channel with Masi Asare
Podcast
Opening the Channel with Masi Asare
by Masi Asare, Leticia Ridley, Jordan Ealey
28 February 2024
Towards a Sustainable Theatre Model
Essay
Towards a Sustainable Theatre Model
by Scott Walters, Munroe Shearer
27 February 2024
How Western Theatre Has Portrayed Islam
Essay

How Western Theatre Has Portrayed Islam

20 March 2016

In this installment, Michael Lueger examines historical and contemporary depictions of Muslims in Western drama. 

Ham4Ham
Essay

Ham4Ham

Taking Hamilton to the Streets

18 March 2016

Trevor Boffone discusses Lin-Manuel Miranda’s wildly popular Ham4Ham show, and how it fits into a Latina/o theatre tradition.

The Crucible Returns and We’re Still Pointing Fingers
Essay

The Crucible Returns and We’re Still Pointing Fingers

12 February 2016

Billy McEntee traces the social history connected to Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, which premiered on Broadway in 1953 during the height of McCarthyism.

The Guard at the Door
Essay

The Guard at the Door

Theatre in Dangerous Times

5 February 2016

Alexis Greene shares her experience entering the theatre for Young Vic’s production of Arthur Miller’s A View From the Bridge. She reflects on Miller’s life and work in relation to today’s social climate.

What’s Hecuba To Him?
Essay

What’s Hecuba To Him?

21 December 2015

In this second installment, Matthew Minnicino discusses legendary women characters in ancient Greek theatre. 

Shaking the Box of Tradition
Essay

Shaking the Box of Tradition

6 December 2015

Scenic designer Joe Klug considers how the proscenium stage impedes engagement and connection with an audience.

The Legacy of Luis Valdez and El Teatro Campesino
Essay

The Legacy of Luis Valdez and El Teatro Campesino

The First Fifty Years / El Legado de Luis Valdez y El Teatro Campesino: Los Primeros Cincuenta Años

5 December 2015

Dr. Jorge Huerta reflects on the birth, present, and enduring legacy of El Teatro Campesino on its fiftieth anniversary.

Conversations & Presentations Richard Schechner Day
Video

Conversations & Presentations Richard Schechner Day

30 November 2015
New York, NY, United States

The Martin E. Segal Theatre Center in New York City presented Richard Schechner Day livestreamed on the global, commons-based peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Monday 30 November. In Twitter, use #howlround to join the conversation.

Readings of Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s Theatre Work
Video

Readings of Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s Theatre Work

Monday 16 November 2015

 

The Martin E. Segal Theatre Center in New York City presented Fassbinder and the Stage livestreamed on the global, commons-based peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Monday 16 November at 3:30 p.m. PST (Los Angeles) / 5:30 p.m. CST (Chicago) / 6:30 p.m. EST (New York) / 23:30 GMT (London). 

The Art of Justice: Articulating an Ethos and Aesthetic of the Movement
Video

The Art of Justice: Articulating an Ethos and Aesthetic of the Movement

Saturday 7 November 2015.
New York, NY, United States

The Art of Justice: Articulating an Ethos and Aesthetic of the Movement presented its first convening in a three-part series of artist roundtables, livestreamed on the global, commons based peer-produced HowlRoundTV network at howlround.tv on Saturday 7 November. To join the conversation via Twitter use hashtag #TheArtofJustice and follow @cccadi and @nyuartspolitics.

Why I Work in Theatre
Essay

Why I Work in Theatre

7 November 2015

On Albert Camus’s birthday, scholar Amy Brady reviews an article that was published in Theatre Arts Magazine in 1960 reflecting Camus’s reasons why he worked in theatre.

Pulp Ibsen
Essay

Pulp Ibsen

Chekhov’s Gunmen

30 October 2015

In this final installment, Jake Rosenberg traces the theatrical origins of the Spaghetti Western genre.

Independent, Fringe, and Alternative
Essay

Independent, Fringe, and Alternative

Czech Theatre Beyond the Big Houses

30 October 2015

Eva Kyselová writes about trends in independent theatre in the Czech Republic.

Gigi, “What Miracle Has Made You the Way You Are?”
Essay

Gigi, “What Miracle Has Made You the Way You Are?”

29 October 2015

Donald Sanborn on the evolution of Gigi from novella to film, film to stage, and stage and to stage once more.

Noises Off? A Brief History of Unruly Audiences
Essay

Noises Off? A Brief History of Unruly Audiences

27 October 2015

In his third installment, Michael Lueger discusses the trajectory of theatre audiences from the ancient Greeks to the contemporary moment.

Performance of Medea by Teatro Patologico (Italy) directed by Dario D’Ambrosi
Video

Performance of Medea by Teatro Patologico (Italy) directed by Dario D’Ambrosi

Sunday 18 October 2015
New York, NY, United States

 

La MaMa presented a performance of Teatro Patologico’s Medea directed by Dario D’Ambrosi livestreamed from New York City on the global, commons-based peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Sunday 18 October at 1 p.m. PDT (San Francisco) / 3 p.m. CDT (Chicago) / 4 p.m. EDT (New York) / 20:00 GMT / 21:00 BST (London) / 22:00 CEST (Rome). 

Choreography Isn’t Just For Dancing
Essay

Choreography Isn’t Just For Dancing

The Films of Bob Fosse

18 October 2015

Bob Fosse is the only theatre artist who has won eight Tony Awards for choreography and one for direction, an Academy Award, and an Emmy. Dan Friedman considers Fosse’s impressive although spare film legacy.

Boy Writes Girl
Essay

Boy Writes Girl

An Introduction

15 October 2015

Playwright Matthew Minnicino kick starts his series by addressing the tradition and implications of male playwrights writing female characters. 

Interview with Beth Kattelman, Curator of Theatre Research Institute, Ohio State University
Essay

Interview with Beth Kattelman, Curator of Theatre Research Institute, Ohio State University

14 October 2015

In his second installment, Michael Lueger interviews Dr. Beth Kattleman about her journey in theatre and academia.

Pulp Ibsen
Essay

Pulp Ibsen

A Pain in the Asimov

7 October 2015

In the third installment of his series, Jake Rosenberg explores the history of Science fiction in literature, film, and theatre.

Trouble with the Classics
Essay

Trouble with the Classics

A Moon for the Misbegotten at Williamstown

6 October 2015

Michael Lueger on Gordon Edelstein’s production of A Moon for the Misbegotten at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in Massachusetts.

Václav Havel
Essay

Václav Havel

Personal Truth as Political Theatre

5 October 2015

Edward Einhorn, artistic director of Untitled Theater #61, reflects on the Czech playwright and president Václav Havel’s contribution to theatre.

Hoping for Change
Essay

Hoping for Change

A Reconsideration of the Hopeless Landscapes of Samuel Beckett

20 September 2015

Mackenzie Ward considers a more hopeful interpretation of the hopeless landscapes of Samuel Beckett.

Spectacular
Essay

Spectacular

The Art of Theatre Spectacle

15 September 2015

Playwright and actor Natalie Osborne distinguishes spectacle from special effects and advocates for spectacle with minimalist staging.

From Playwriting to Screenwriting
Essay

From Playwriting to Screenwriting

Thornton Wilder in Hollywood

12 September 2015

Educator and author Max Alvarez discusses the unlikely alliance of film director Alfred Hitchcock and playwright Thornton Wilder and Wilder’s contribution to one of Hitchcock’s greatest films Shadow of a Doubt.