Much has been made, for a long time now and by many people, about the phenomenon of “premiere-itis.” This is the notion that too many theaters are overly concerned with being the first to produce a given script, when in fact many new plays need the dramaturgical work of more than one production to find […]
What If Every Production Were a Premiere? Read More »
When I was a young poet, studying in what I now realize was an exceptionally rigorous writing program at Northwestern University, my professors tasked my fellow students and I with getting to know a small number of poets as well as we possibly could. Throughout the first semester, we read every poem ever written by
Theatrical Biodiversity Read More »
Why do we believe what we believe? If you’re like most human beings, you think you believe what you believe because it’s rational and true. Many, many studies have shown, however, that while the things you believe MIGHT be both rational and true, that’s NOT why you believe them. You believe them, in essence, because
What Can Stories Do to Beliefs? Read More »
I am writing to honor my dear cat Helen — my companion of almost 21 years — who died yesterday after a long battle with the only illness for which there is no cure: old age. The last few years of Helen’s life were immensely difficult — more so, of course, for her than for me,
In Memoriam: My Cat Helen Read More »
You know what I’m thinking? I’m thinking that if Michael Kaiser wants a new model for arts organizations so badly, I ought to give him one. Where am I going to get it? Why, from Amazon, of course. In point of fact, Amazon actually IS the new model (or a part of it)… at least
One New Model: Arts Organizations as Platforms Read More »
