the week of january 25-29, 2021
is this month over yet
Welcome to Nothing for the Group, the newsletter where one dramaturg rounds up one week in theatre news, reviews, and takes.
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Identity design by Elizabeth Haley Morton.
virtual theatre
Ryan J. Haddad’s Hi, Are You Single? starts streaming at Woolly Mammoth on February 1st. In his autobiographical one-man play about the complicated intersection between romance and disability (Haddad has cerebral palsy), “Ryan will guide you through the gay dating scene with his provocative take on intimacy, rejection, and judgment — and also Grindr, fabulous drag queens, and go-go dancers.”
The English-language premiere of Mexican playwright Alejandro Ricaño’s Hotel Good Luck starts streaming February 12th. Co-presented by The New Ohio and The Cherry Artists’ Collective, the play will be live-streamed from the State Theater in Ithaca, NY.
Patrick Page’s All the Devils Are Here starts streaming at Shakespeare Theatre Company on February 4th. The one-man performance is a study of Shakespeare’s villains.
assorted news
The Tony Awards ceremony remains unscheduled, but will be “in coordination with the reopening of Broadway.” Voting will take place in early March, 22 months after the first eligible shows premiered in April 2019. I can’t summon the energy to dunk on the American Theatre Wing for this timeline — they’re not exactly known for their innovation and agility — but just give the nominated artists meaningful recognition and closure already.
Sideshow Theatre Company adds new collaborators. The incoming ensemble members at the Chicago company include Wardell Julius Clark, Greg Geffrard, Arti Ishak, Krystal Ortiz, Gabrielle Randle-Bent, and Netta Walker. New artistic associates include Patrick Agada, J. Nicole Brooks, Brynne Frauenhoffer, Jyreika Guest, and Sarah Price.
Folger Theatre artistic director Janet Griffin will retire at the end of March. She has led the classical company for 30 years.
2021 season updates
The Alliance Theatre updated its 2021 season. The theatre is postponing several previously announced productions and launching an outdoor “Under the Tent” concert-style series to accommodate socially distanced performances. The company also has four digital series in development, including Matthew Libby’s Data, an interactive streaming experience.
EastWest Players announced its 2021 digital season. Projects include Rogue Artists Ensemble’s Kaidan Project: Alone, an immersive, five-episode ghost encounter; Kristina Wong’s From Number to Name; the world premiere of Lavina Jadhwani’s Sitayana (directed by Reena Dutt), Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre’s production of Tetsuro Shigematsu’s 1 Hour Photo; and Danny Pudi’s Running.
things I read this week
Wesley Morris on Cicely Tyson — “a wonder of poise and punch, [who] dared to declare herself a moral progenitor, taking on roles that reflected the dignity of Black women.” She died yesterday at age 96, a week after the release of her memoir. (NYT)
Jeremy O. Harris on the need for a new Federal Theater Project (The Guardian)
Maya Phillips on Sibyl Kempson’s new experimental radio play about Mary Shelley (NYT)
Rob Keinert-Wendt in conversation with playwright Will Arbery on the insurrection at the Capitol and its intersections with the characters and explored ideologies in Heroes of the Fourth Turning (America)
This response from a “concerned patrons of the arts” to We See You W.A.T.’s demands, which is a case study in defensiveness, fragility, and tone policing. Why do entitled racists always love using their work emails to send this kind of trash?
