The Divine Sister: Raindrops on Daisies and Whiskers on Old Women

ACACIUS. Reverend Mother, am I walking too fast? You know me and my strong, healthy stride. MOTHER SUPERIOR. I was listening to the melody of the Robin Red breast. God gives all of his creatures perfect pitch, if they’d only sing with hearts full of prayer. from The Divine Sister This exchange could have been […]

Anna in the Tropics: Cultural Intersections

In a world where we are more likely to read stories about how our differences separate us, it’s important to remember that we can learn from these differences, too. Anna in the Tropics, a beautiful play by Nilo Cruz, won the Pulitzer Prize in 2003. The play has much to say about how cultures intersect. This convergence, […]

Angels in America: The Theatrical A/B Test

Rare is the opportunity to observe an A/B test on stage. Acting teachers likely see this sort of thing more often, but regular theatre artists like me certainly do not. On occasion, I’ve seen the same show twice, with an understudy going the second time. I’ve seen nine different productions of A Funny Thing Happened On […]

Suite Surrender: New Old Plays

I recently saw a local production of the play Suite Surrender, an innocent comedy that I expect is targeted directly at theaters who cater to an older, conservative crowd. I say this for a few reasons: It’s only a few years old but feels like it’s from the 40s. It takes place in 1942. Almost […]

Constellations: It’s Not About Stars. Not Exactly.

The play is called Constellations, but it’s not about your horoscope or the starry sky. Not exactly. You could say that anyone who lives on this planet goes through life “under the stars,” but that’s not really the point. It does take inspiration from subjects such as relativity, Quantum Mechanics, and beekeeping, but you won’t […]

Six Degrees of Separation: Ripped from the Headlines

When we walked into the TKTS booth that afternoon, we entered with an open mind. It was our first night in New York City, and there were dozens of shows that seemed appealing. With excitement so palpable you could practically hold it in your hand, we quickly scanned the screen full of possibilities. We quickly […]

The Tempermentals: When Harry Met Rudi

When avid theatergoers announce that there is a fresh, interesting play in town, my first question is usually, “What is it adapted from?” Before seeing The Tempermentals at Chicago’s About Face Theatre, I’d never heard of The Mattachine Society. So watching the story unfold was truly exciting, at least to the extent that I was learning something about my own history in the landscape of American social progress. Theatre, after all, is […]