VIEWPOINTS – The Collateral Damage of Getting Things Done (or the US Two-Party System)

Change is a bitch. This is especially true of American politics in the modern era. This season, two solidly-built new American plays effectively dramatize the painful swings of the pendulum … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS: Hedwig, Superstar!

“Ladies and Gentlemen, whether you like it or not … HEDWIG!” So begins “Hedwig and the Angry Inch”, a show that has become one of the unlikeliest success stories in … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS: Shakespeare Highs

Dear William Shakespeare, Happy 450th birthday, sir. Since I am not convinced I’ll make it to your half century celebration, it seems that now is the right time to take … Continue Reading →

REPORT CARD: Shakespeare-mania, or the 2013-2014 New York Theater Season

As the 2013-2014 New York theater season comes to a close, it seems appropriate to take the time to provide an overview of the unprecedented plethora of Shakespeare productions that … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS: The Frugal New York Theatergoer

After getting a sense of how many performances I attend, most people tend to ask: “How are you able to afford it all?” For the record, I am (currently) NOT … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS: Humanizing the AIDS Crisis Through the Truth-Telling Lens of Theater

One of darkest episodes in recent American history has been the ongoing AIDS crisis, particularly during the panic- and confusion-ridden 1980s and the anguished 1990s. Luckily, since then, life-maintaining drugs … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS: Space and Perspective Relative to Performance (Part II – Breaking the Fourth Wall, and Then Some)

In the previous installment, I explored how one’s experience of performance can be affected not only by the dimensions of the playing space, but also by one’s physical location within … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS: Space and Perspective Relative to Performance (Part I – Theatricality and Physical Dimensionality)

On Monday, I had the privilege of seeing the minimalist British band the xx perform up close and personal with 44 other lucky guests at the Park Avenue Armory, one … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS: Theater in the Third Person

I’ve been spending an hour or two each day over the last week watching the recording of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s nine-hour adaptation of Charles Dickens’ sprawling “The Life and … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS: Exploring the Intersection of Visual and Performing Arts (Part III)

In this final installment, I celebrate stage designers whose works have transcended conventional stage designs to establish themselves as standalone works of visual art. Many of these stage designers are … Continue Reading →