T/theater

‘Waiting for Lefty’ Review: Protest Songs in the Key of Life

The music of the folk duo Yeller Tooth gives Classic Stage Company’s revival of this dated Clifford Odets play a refreshing heart.

Why Is Clifford Odets Having His Best Year Since 1935?

The playwright of hard-talking works like “Waiting for Lefty” and “Awake and Sing!” is again the man of the moment.

Keira Knightley Is Back Onstage in a Slick, Chilling ‘The Lives of Others’

The actress is a major draw for Robert Icke’s adaptation of the Oscar-winning movie. But in this version, the secret police steal the show.

An Exuberant Revival Takes Us Back Uptown

This concert staging of Lin-Manuel Miranda and Quiara Alegría Hudes’s 2005 musical is like driving through the streets of New York with the windows down.

24 Off Broadway Shows to Catch This November

From a revival of August Wilson’s “Seven Guitars” to a musical parody of the reality show “The Traitors,” New York stages are full of creativity this month.

24 Things to Do in N.Y.C. in November

Dave Chappelle takes over Madison Square Garden, a gay “Fantasticks” opens on Broadway and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade turns 100.

Why This Playwright Can’t Quit His Family of Anxious Liberals

Richard Nelson thought he was done with the Apple family in 2020. Then Donald Trump returned to the White House.

Patrick Stewart Was Regal, Stately and Quite Hilarious

The actor used his booming voice and Shakespearean pedigree in the service of absurd (and often lewd) comedy.

A Century-Old Queens Costumer Says Goodbye

Robert Stivanello is the third-generation owner of his family’s costume company. But handmade costumes aren’t so popular anymore.

Daniel Singer Has Died. He Shrank Shakespeare and Made Disney Models.

He helped turn the Bard’s canon into a three-man, 97-minute comedy, then worked as a Disney Imagineer. He was 66.

Patrick Stewart Took Shakespeare Where It Had Never Boldly Gone

On “Star Trek” and elsewhere, Stewart gave millions a theatrical master class, often delivering richly spoken classical language to express cosmic hope or grief.

A Female Student as a Play’s Male Lead? A Texas School District Objects.

Texas officials feared the casting in “Little Shop of Horrors” violated a state law limiting diversity efforts. The student has sued for gender discrimination.

I Loved Performing at the Kennedy Center. I May Never Do It Again.

Unless you — and your audience — are avowedly and solidly Trump-supporting, it seems to make no sense to play the venue.

She Knows the Part, Perhaps Too Well

Once the victim of paparazzi stalking and tabloid phone hacks, the actress is starring in two projects that deal explicitly with surveillance.

Patrick Stewart: A Life in Pictures

The motley mix of roles that won the British actor acclaim includes a Shakespearean hero, a “Star Trek” captain and an “X-Men” mutant.

Patrick Stewart, 86, Master of Shakespeare, ‘Star Trek’ and More, Dies

The British actor was 86. He achieved pop-culture stardom as Capt. Jean-Luc Picard on “Star Trek: The Next Generation.”

7 Memorable Patrick Stewart Performances

The actor’s long and varied career included Shakespearean roles, “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” comedy and a stint in the Marvel Universe.

‘A Few Good Men’ Gives Up the Fight

Bradley Whitford, Tom Blyth and Krysta Rodriguez star in a revival of Aaron Sorkin’s 1989 breakthrough that lacks tactical cohesion.

‘The Heart’ Review: A Bracing New Musical Pulses With Life

The show’s electronic dance-influenced music perfectly suits its story about a young man’s death and the rush to carry out a heart transplant.

Patrick Stewart, ‘Star Trek’ Star, Dies at 86

Patrick Stewart, who rose from Britain’s coal-mining country to find acclaim as a Shakespearean actor and later achieved stardom as Capt. Jean-Luc Picard in TV’s “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” has died at the age of 86.

‘A Few Good Men’ and a Few Busy Editors

Watch Bradley Whitford and three other actors from the Broadway revival of Aaron Sorkin’s classic courtroom drama argue in an office at the New York Times Building.

Barbara Barrie, Oscar Nominee Known for Mom Roles and More, Has Died

She was nominated for “Breaking Away,” appeared in the original Broadway cast of “Company” and was seen on “Barney Miller.” She was 95.

In ‘I Became We,’ Many Voices Exalt One Very Personal Decision

For her latest autobiographical work, Mona Pirnot collaborated with Jack D. Coen on beautifully composed classical song-cycle.

Sad Stories Are His Specialty

The actor says he is no more tragic than anyone else, but in the one-man play “Sea Wall,” he’s the soul of a sadness machine.

‘A Few Good Men’ Is Back in the Public Arena

Bradley Whitford, Tom Blyth and Krysta Rodriguez are starring in a revival of Aaron Sorkin’s breakthrough, “A Few Good Men,” at Lincoln Center Theater.

How ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’ Grew Up

A musical adaptation of the F. Scott Fitzgerald short story has been in the works for nearly 10 years. Now it is making its U.S. debut at the Public Theater.

4 Objects That Measure the Life of ‘Rent’

As the original cast reunites for a 30th anniversary concert, the Jonathan Larson archive continues to shed light on the enduring Broadway musical.

Jonathan Groff to Explore Forgiveness in Play About School Shooting

“The Amish Project,” a solo show, is inspired by a massacre that took place minutes from Groff’s childhood home. He will bring it to Broadway in February.

Early Voting Starts Saturday. Here’s an Election Rundown.

It’s 11 days until Election Day. In New York City, there are a governor’s race and five ballot proposals.

A Sparkling ‘Imaginary Invalid’ Is the Cure for What Ails You

Bill Irwin, who may well be our greatest living clown, stars in his own adaptation of Molière’s 1673 play about a domineering hypochondriac paterfamilias.

Tom Hanks Will Return to Broadway in Time-Travel Romance

“This World of Tomorrow,” co-starring Kelli O’Hara, will come to Broadway next fall.

In Line for a Chance at 20 Minutes of Caryl Churchill for Free

Our reporter met some of the people waiting for free tickets to see the British playwright’s newest microplay at the Public Theater in Manhattan.

‘Midnight’ and ‘Benjamin Button’: New Musicals Preoccupied With Time

Todrick Hall’s overstuffed quasi-opera is beautifully sung but discombobulated, while a cutesy Fitzgerald adaptation has a talented cast but lacks depth.

‘860’ Review: Billy Crystal, After the Fire

The actor revisits his annus horribilis, and what came before it, in a warm and very funny solo Broadway play.

In ‘School Pictures’ and ‘Two Girls,’ the Tweens Are Not All Right

Milo Cramer’s excellent lo-fi song-cycle and Eliya Smith’s verbatim play about a notorious video both reveal how young minds are made.

‘King of the Yees’ Review: Buckle Up for a Daughter’s Fantastical Quest

The playwright Lauren Yee paints an amusing portrait of a Chinese American father-daughter relationship before taking audiences on a delightfully wild ride.

‘Other Desert Cities’ Review: Julia Louis-Dreyfus’s Smashing Debut

Jon Robin Baitz’s 2010 family bash-em-up gets an uneven Broadway revival, with a cast that also includes Allison Janney at her droll, insulting best.

Alan Mandell, Star of ‘Godot’ and Other Beckett Plays, Dies at 98

An actor, producer and director, he also managed several theater companies. But he was best known for his performances in works by Samuel Beckett.

Whispering Phantoms and Shadowy Scares in Two Inventive Plays

The Off Broadway shows “A Ghost in Your Ear” and “The 4th Witch” use aural and visual tricks to give you the seasonal spooks.

‘Memoirs of Amorous Gentlemen’ Review: Duncan Sheik’s Tale of Eros

This new musical aims to tell a sexy story about perversions and pleasures but ends up blandly nodding at eroticism.

‘Rhinoceros’ Comes to Broadway as ‘The Full Monty’ Is Postponed

John Turturro, Tatiana Maslany and Tony Shalhoub will star in a spring production of the satirical Ionesco drama.

Tackling Beauty Standards, With Zingers and Pageant Gowns

Jocelyn Bioh’s “School Girls; or The African Mean Girls Play” has audiences laughing, but also wrestles with weighty topics like colorism.

‘Macbeth’ and More Theater to Stream This October

Verdi’s adaptation of the Shakespeare tragedy comes to movie screens around the world. And “Rent” holds a 30th anniversary concert.

‘Anon’ Review: Anne Washburn’s Satire Gets Lost in the Storm

The playwright tries to strike a middle path in this comedy about QAnon far-right conspiracy theories, which stars the reliably zany Crystal Finn.

Onstage in London: A Knockout Josh O’Connor, Cate Blanchett and More

Tilda Swinton (in “Man to Man”) and Billy Crudup and Gillian Anderson (in “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”) are among the titans making a meal of London.

‘Slam Frank’ Review: Razzing the Wokerati

After a hot-ticket comedy club run last fall, Andrew Fox and Joel Sinensky’s satirical musical, spurred by a tweet about Anne Frank, resurfaces Off Broadway.

Uta Hagen and Herbert Berghof Played Here. Now the Curtain May Come Down.

HB Studio, founded in 1945, has serious financial woes and is in disrepair.

A Performance Artist in a Puppet World

Joey Arias and Basil Twist have resurrected their trippy 2008 hit, “Arias With a Twist.” Just don’t call it drag.

Baron Cohen And Tarantino Join Forces

“The Popinjay Cavalier,” directed by Tarantino, is scheduled to open for previews in London’s West End in February.

Why Wallace Shawn Stepped in to Play ‘the Other Woman’

When an actress in Shawn’s play “What We Did Before Our Moth Days” got Covid, he took on the role.

As Regional Theaters Struggle, Some Defy the Odds

Naples, Fla., and Milwaukee are quite different, but have one thing in common: They are home to regional theaters that are thriving.

For Some Audiences, A Slow Bounce Back

Broadway is almost back, and pop music tours and sports events are booming. But Hollywood, museums and other cultural sectors have yet to bounce back.

Off Broadway, Labor Tension Heats Up

Stagehands and other backstage workers have gone on strike against a prominent theater, and two productions have been canceled.

Stratford-Upon-Lake-Michigan

With less touring, it’s been a while since all the world has been its stage, but the troupe is working with the Chicago Shakespeare Theater — where it has family ties.

A ‘Roommate’ Is Out With Covid. Marsha Mason Steps In.

Mason, an associate director of “The Roommate,” which opened on Broadway last week, stepped in as Patti LuPone’s counterpart.

Broadway Hits Reap Millions In Tax Breaks

Broadway is still recovering from the pandemic. A state tax-credit program has helped, but watchdogs say it aids some shows that don’t need a boost.

Audiences Are Back, More or Less

Covid brought live performance to a halt. Now the audience for pop concerts and sporting events has roared back, while attendance on Broadway and at some major museums is still down.

Theaters Experiment With Earlier Start Times

In an effort to entice audiences back after the pandemic, Britain’s National Theater is testing a 6:30 p.m. curtain.

Off Broadway, Vital to Theater Scene, Struggles

The small theaters that help make the city a theater capital are cutting back as they struggle to recover from the pandemic.

Luring Theater Audiences Back

Readers discuss the decline in theater subscribers after the pandemic. Also: Northern Ireland; food allergies; a Covid playmate; anti-China bias.

72 Regional Theaters, One Shared Crisis

Michael Paulson spoke with producers and artistic directors at nonprofit theaters across the country about the crisis their industry is facing.

Theater in America Is Facing a Crisis as Many Stages Go Dark

As they struggle to recover after the pandemic, regional theaters are staging fewer shows, giving fewer performances, laying off staff and, in some cases, closing.

A Soundtrack of Our Pandemic-Era Lives

Suzan-Lori Parks wrote one play a day for 13 months during the pandemic. Those stories come to life onstage in the form of monologues, dialogues and songs at Joe’s Pub.

An Accessible Window May Soon Be Closing

When shuttered venues embraced streaming during the pandemic, the arts became more accessible. With live performance back, and streams dwindling, many feel forgotten.

First Gloom, Zoom and Then a New Bloom

The veteran performance artist Karen Finley leads the audience through the troubles that plagued New York City at the peak of the pandemic.

Obie Awards Honor ‘English’ as Best Play

A ceremony for the awards, celebrating work Off and Off Off Broadway, will be held Monday, but organizers decided to announce the winners in advance.

Broadway Shines Brighter

Broadway shows grossed $51.9 million during the holiday week, the most since 2019, and “The Lion King” set a record for the most earned by any show in a single week.

Backstage, Challenged By Covid

Stakeholders including Patti LuPone and Lynn Nottage share their real-time reactions to New York theater’s shutdown and reopening in Amy Rice’s documentary.

For Holiday Shows, a Spirit of Renewal

After one holiday season lost to the pandemic and another curtailed by Omicron, seasonal staples including “The Nutcracker,” “A Christmas Carol” and “Messiah” are back in force.

Why This Is America’s Most Popular Play

An annual survey, suspended during the pandemic, resumes and finds theaters nationally doing fewer shows and torn between escapism and ambition.

Did Fauci Lead America Astray on Covid?

Responses to an essay that criticized Anthony Fauci’s handling of the pandemic. Also: Migrants as props; abortion rights; David Milch; theater’s lessons.

Mask Policies: One Size Won’t Fit All

Some audience members are turned off by mask mandates. Others won’t attend indoor performances without them. Arts presenters are taking different approaches this season.

A Town Adapts As a Play Evolves

After a two-year pandemic delay, villagers in the German town of Oberammergau are once again re-enacting the story of Jesus’s life and death, with some changes.

One Broadway Show Keeps Masks. It’s Not ‘Phantom.’

“American Buffalo,” at Circle in the Square, is sticking with masking till it closes, July 10, citing the “proximity of the audience to the actors” and “the staging in the round.”

You Don’t Want to Wear a Mask? Do It for Hugh Jackman

Beginning in July, Broadway will no longer require audiences to mask up. Actors and theater workers aren’t loving the idea.

You Don’t Want to Wear a Mask? Just Do It for Hugh.

Beginning in July, Broadway will no longer require audiences to mask up. Actors and theater workers aren’t loving the idea.

Broadway Is Dropping Mask Rule

Most theaters stopped requiring proof of vaccination this spring. Now they are going “mask optional.”

Celebrating More Than Just the Winners

“The Lehman Trilogy” won best play, “Company” won best musical revival and “Take Me Out” won best revival of a play at the 75th Tony Awards.

Well, Folks, Looks Like It’s Time to Go

The musical, which opened in 2017, is the third to announce a closing in two days, as many shows struggle in a pandemic-softened marketplace.

Broadway Theaters Extend Mask Policy for Audiences

The decision comes at a time when New York City has declared a “high Covid alert.”

‘Can You Believe That We’re Here?’

At times it felt like a game of survival. But during a Broadway season unlike any other, productions showed their resourcefulness while learning how to live with Covid.

‘Mrs. Doubtfire’ to Close on Broadway

The musical, which shuttered temporarily in January as the Omicron variant spread, has struggled with the slow return of tourists to the theater.

Your Monday Evening Briefing

Here’s what you need to know at the end of the day.

Most Broadway theaters have ended vaccination checks as coronavirus cases are rising.

Vaccine Check Goes Dark On Broadway

While for-profit theater owners and operators agreed to stop checking proof of vaccination this week, several nonprofit Broadway theaters continue to require it.

Manhattan Springs Back to Life

Broadway enthusiasts, art aficionados and food lovers will find new offerings in and around Times Square and in neighborhoods below 42nd Street, heralding the promise of a vibrant recovery.

‘For Colored Girls’ To Close on Broadway

The revival, directed by Camille A. Brown, received strong reviews but struggled to attract audiences and overcome challenges posed by Covid.