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Aesthetics

In this section, dive into conversations focused on beauty, taste, and the artistic choices made while creating performance. Check out Brendan McCall’s Beyond Ibsen series, which features contemporary Norwegian theatremakers, and Jonathan Mandell’s essay “Pandemic Theatre Aesthetic,” which discusses the immediate artistic responses of theatremakers in the first weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.

The Latest

The Amateur Botanist Talks Merrily Into the Night: Some Notes on Neurodivergent Performance (and How to Make It)
Essay
The Amateur Botanist Talks Merrily Into the Night: Some Notes on Neurodivergent Performance (and How to Make It)
by Rob Onorato
12 December 2023
Digging for Bones with Topdog/Underdog
Podcast
Digging for Bones with Topdog/Underdog
by Leticia Ridley, Jordan Ealey
15 November 2023
Scattered, but Not Apart: A Two-Sided Story
Essay
Scattered, but Not Apart: A Two-Sided Story
by Carl(os) Roa, Rula(s) A. Muñoz
26 October 2023
Three people in amateur superhero costumes posing on a sidewalk.
Confounding and Creating
Essay

Confounding and Creating

At Play with Audience Expectations

2 March 2011

Christopher White, of the Mugwumpin ensemble, dissects their process for subverting audience's expectations when entering a theatrical performance.

A classical art piece showing three women dancing.
Dialing the Suicide Hotline
Essay

Dialing the Suicide Hotline

24 February 2011

P. Carl asks: What are we to do to survive our own ego-mania?

The Theatre of the Future
Essay

The Theatre of the Future

9 February 2011

In this installment of the series From Scarcity to Abundance: Capturing the Moment for the New Work Sector, Meiyin Wang hypothesizes on the future of theatre and the impact it can have on the world.

Performers on a stage, one singing into a microphone
From Scarcity to Abundance
Essay

From Scarcity to Abundance

A Truly Abundant Moment for the New Play Sector

5 February 2011

In this installment of the series From Scarcity to Abundance: Capturing the Moment for the New Work Sector, P. Carl connects the abundance of new plays with the need to embrace diversity in the theatre.

Four actors perform in a play, they wear mostly ripped clothing
The Bounty of Big Institutions and the Glory of Grass Roots
Essay

The Bounty of Big Institutions and the Glory of Grass Roots

30 January 2011

Playwright Lisa D'Amour considers the inherent differences between big institutions and grassroots theatres, and the possibilities that could arise were the two to collaborate.

A black and white photo of five actors in Edwardian costume and their director.
Confessions, Contradictions, Beauty
Essay

Confessions, Contradictions, Beauty

25 January 2011

P. Carl reveals his personal journey with theatre through the lens of confessions, contradictions, and beauty.

Laboratory for creation and experiment series logo.
Reactor's laboratory for creation and experiment
Series

Reactor's laboratory for creation and experiment

Produced and presented by Reactor in Cluj, Romania.

A series of five performances created through a laboratory-type process and a presentation of that process by the artists who created them. The project aims to support artistic research in the Romanian theatre, through documenting and archiving different processes of creation and distributing this information to professionals and students of performative arts, as well as to the public. The performances are produced by the independent theatre Reactor, based in Cluj, Romania.

Beyond Ibsen
Series

Beyond Ibsen

Brendan McCall discusses the work of Norwegian artists.

Desire Multiplied 
Series

Desire Multiplied 

Irene Loy articulates six cogent alternatives to the hero's desire.

Pulp Ibsen
Series

Pulp Ibsen

Often deemed unable to compete with the “serious” storytelling capabilities of Realism, this series discusses the rich history of genre theatre.

Spectacle-based Drama
Series

Spectacle-based Drama

This series introduces basic tenets of spectacle-based drama and is rooted in the touring experiences, laboratory practices, international travel, and broader performance community of The Carpetbag Brigade.

After the Avant-Garde
Series

After the Avant-Garde

In her series, Kate Kremer explores the question of the new avant-garde; what is avant-garde theatre today?

Yugen Theatre Series
Series

Yugen Theatre Series

This series explores the pursuit of Yugen in theatre.

Sports in Theatre
Series

Sports in Theatre

A series focusing on the overlaps between sports and theatre.

#JewPlay: What is the Future of Jewish Theatre?
Series

#JewPlay: What is the Future of Jewish Theatre?

A series of articles by Jewish theatre practitioners on what Jewish theatre means to them.