Jessica Hagedorn’s Love Letter to 1970s San Francisco Comes to Stage

Emily Wilson / Truthdig Apr 21, 2018 The Filipina writer talks about her passion for literature, the influence of poet Kenneth Rexroth and adapting "The Gangster of Love." Dig deeper ( 6 Min. Read )

A Racist Mecca, a Black Architect and Odious Politics That Refuse to Die

Jordan Riefe / Truthdig Aug 8, 2016 “Blueprint for Paradise,” in its world premiere in Los Angeles, is powered by an odd, real-life California tale of a pre-war Nazi center and its acclaimed designer, Paul Williams Sadly, the political rot explored by the play survives: Check out the 2016 presidential campaign “Blueprint for Paradise,” in its world premiere in Los Angeles, is powered by an odd, real-life California tale of a pre-war Nazi center and its acclaimed designer, Paul Williams. Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )

‘The Deep Blue Sea’: A Forgettable Affair

Richard Schickel / Truthdig Mar 26, 2012 It may be that, as Americans, we are the victims of a cultural disconnect. At the height of Terence Rattigan's fame, the Brits invested a good deal of admiration in his attempts to extend the reign of the carefully constructed prewar "problem" play into the postwar era. We need to see some joy from the adulterers, some sense of the world well lost for love. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )

Iraq and Afghanistan on Stage

Jean Randich / Truthdig Sep 2, 2011 "Acts of War: Iraq and Afghanistan in Seven Plays," edited by Karen Malpede, Michael Messina and Bob Shuman, steps into the moral vacuum left by politicians, corporations and religious leaders."Acts of War: Iraq and Afghanistan in Seven Plays" steps into the moral vacuum left by politicians, corporations and religious leaders. Dig deeper ( 11 Min. Read )

Theater of Combat

Staff / Truthdig Sep 1, 2011 The recently published “Acts of War: Iraq and Afghanistan in Seven Plays” collects seven works for the stage, all of them about war. Here are excerpts from two of those plays, “9 Circles” by Bill Cain and “American Tet” by Lydia Stryk. A review of the book will be published in this column Friday. Dig deeper ( 9 Min. Read )

It Takes a Pillage

Mr. Fish / Truthdig Aug 18, 2011 Dig deeper

Robin Williams as Atheist Tiger in Baghdad

Staff / Truthdig Apr 1, 2011 The comedian and actor best known for his manic motormouth is starring on Broadway in "Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo." Williams plays the tiger and, according to The New York Times, he plays it well. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

A ‘Prophecy’ Worth Watching

Chris Hedges / Truthdig Jun 14, 2010 Theater, which at its best makes us more human and humane, has become increasingly mediocre, produced as spectacle or driven by the presence of Hollywood celebrities. Dig deeper ( 9 Min. Read )

RFK and the Civil Rights Movement

Staff / Truthdig Mar 20, 2010 In this interview with Truthdig's Associate Editor Kasia Anderson, "RFK: The Journey to Justice" playwrights Murray Horwitz and Jonathan Estrin talk about Robert F. Kennedy's evolution from political animal to true believer in his transformative relationship with the civil rights revolution.Playwrights Murray Horwitz and Jonathan Estrin talk about RFK's evolution from political animal to true believer in his transformative relationship with the civil rights revolution. Dig deeper ( 7 Min. Read )

The Man Who Put the Rainbow in ‘The Wizard of Oz’

Amy Goodman / Truthdig Nov 11, 2009 The 70-year-old film classic bears close watching this year, perhaps more than in any other, for the message woven into the lyrics, written during the Great Depression by Oscar-winning lyricist E.Y. "Yip" Harburg. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Small-Town Homophobia, On and Off the Stage

Staff / Truthdig Mar 17, 2009 While trying to teach her students about homophobia, Debra Taylor could have done without what appeared to be an illustrative demonstration: The Oklahoma high school teacher was forced to resign in a controversy that grew out of a gay-related project undertaken by her class. Taylor and her students had been working on their own production of "The Laramie Project," a play and film based on the murder of Matthew Shepard. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

A Sad Game

Mr. Fish / Truthdig Jun 22, 2007 Dig deeper