Theater - Truthdig

The Homeless and the Indigent Are People, Too

Jordan Riefe / Truthdig Oct 2, 2018 A powerful new play at Hollywood's Hudson Guild Theater explores the lives of some of our most neglected and misunderstood communities. Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )

Top-Flight Cast Takes On American Classic ‘Long Day’s Journey Into Night’

Jordan Riefe / Truthdig Jun 15, 2018 The Beverly Hills production features Jeremy Irons and Lesley Manville under the direction of five-time Olivier Award winner Richard Eyre. Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )

Russian Punk Band Pussy Riot Creates an ‘Immersive Theatre Project’

Emma Niles / Truthdig Jul 26, 2017 The work is part of a campaign for prison reform, band member Nadya Tolokonnikova (pictured) tells Truthdig. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

‘Lear,’ Not ‘1984,’ Defines the Trump Era

By Ron Charles Jun 10, 2017 The best literary precedent for what we're enduring now is not the absolute order of Big Brother but the irrational eruptions of King Lear. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )

Chris Hedges and Wallace Shawn on Politics, Playwriting and Power (Video)

BLANK May 31, 2017 In the latest episode of "On Contact," Hedges sits down with the actor, playwright and essayist to discuss Shawn's new book, "Night Thoughts." Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

‘The Designated Mourner’: A Play on Authoritarianism, Restaged for the Trump Era

Jordan Riefe / Truthdig May 12, 2017 Twenty years after its debut, playwright Wallace Shawn’s drama has taken on new meaning for American theatergoers. (Shawn is pictured at left.) Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )

‘On Contact With Chris Hedges’: Eugene O’Neill’s ‘Electra’ Shatters the American Myth

Kasia Anderson / Truthdig Apr 24, 2017 The Truthdig columnist and RT host explains that a culture saturated with artifice and false promises of success and happiness doesn't easily accommodate the ideas the playwright dramatized onstage. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

‘Building the Wall’: Staging America’s Worst Immigration Nightmare

Jordan Riefe / Truthdig Apr 5, 2017 Playwright Robert Schenkkan sounds the alarm about a scenario he says “absolutely” could come to pass in the United States. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )

Much Ado About Very Little

Alexis Camins / Truthdig Dec 30, 2016 What does it take to put on a Shakespeare play in a Midwestern regional theater? A new book seeks to answer this question, but far more interesting questions are left unasked. Dig deeper ( 6 Min. Read )

‘By Women Possessed: A Life of Eugene O’Neill’

By Nelson Pressley Dec 16, 2016 His creative career as one of America's greatest playwrights is unmatched. It is as difficult to put down this exhaustively reported re-examination of O'Neill's dark family backstory as it is to ignore fresh productions of his great plays. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )

‘Notes of a Native Song’: Writer James Baldwin’s Work Resonates in the Time of Trump

Jordan Riefe / Truthdig Dec 16, 2016 Musical artist Stew’s ode to the literary icon is particularly welcome now, when Baldwin's words have taken on fresh significance. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )

Writer and Actress Lynn Ferguson on the Art—and Power—of Storytelling

Eileen Cronin / Truthdig Nov 10, 2016 The sister of comedian Craig Ferguson is a versatile performer, whether she’s doing stand-up, improv or a "Moth Radio Hour" story. She also teaches others how to tell stories and master their craft. Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )