Mary McCarthy

Other than a handful of playwrights 30 and under, all the playwrights spoken to for this piece believe their sex has impacted their careers in the theater. Women feel that they have trouble getting in the room and being taken seriously once there. But there is something more, a sense that when things get really bad -- beyond mansplaining bad -- there aren't many people to turn to in the theater.

The High Museum of Art in Atlanta announced that it will present the first major US museum exhibition dedicated to photographer Evelyn Hofer View in browser

The Norwalk Symphony Orchestra (NSO) and New Paradigm Theatre (NPT) are co-producing the concert version of 'Carousel.' 

Strongbox Theater just launched several evenings of short, one-act plays complimented with songs by live musicians. After receiving over 500 plays from writers all over the world, the directors at Strongbox chose (8) entertaining and well written plays authored by award winning playwrights to be performed at their festival in East Rockaway's outdoor theater in Memorial Park. The plays will consist mostly of comedies and the music will be upbeat.

Mint Theater Company will conclude the highly popular Silver Lining Streaming Series with the on-demand streaming of the three-camera archival recording (filmed in HD!) of The Fatal Weakness by George Kelly, beginning Monday May 17th, and continuing through June 27th.

The Broad Stage presents An Evening with Fran Lebowitz, star of the recent Netflix series Pretend it's a City directed by Martin Scorsese. Lebowitz will appear on stage for four performances only April 28 through May 1, 2022. A Q+A with the audience follows the performance.

Author Carol LaHines has announced the promotion of her literary novel, Someday Everything Will All Make Sense. Someday Everything Will All Make Sense follows Luther van der Loon, an eccentric professor of early music, as he navigates the stages of grief after his mother chokes on a wonton.

Veteran NYC writers Carol LaHines, Beverly Gologorsky, and David Dunbar in lively discussion about New York, parenting, and literary writing, hosted by Pen Parentis. This livecast event is online Tuesday September 8th from 7 - 8:15pm, and open to the general public. RSVP is required at penparentis.org/calendar 

Bay Street Theater & Sag Harbor Center for the Arts is pleased to announce a new show by and starring Roger Rosenblatt entitled Lives in the Basement, Does Nothing: A Writing Life on Friday, April 26 and Saturday, April 27 at 8 pm. The show will also have "almost surprise appearances" by Amy Hempel (Friday 4/26) and Alice McDermott (Saturday 4/27). The production consultant for the show is Scott Schwartz, Bay Street Theater's Artistic Director.

Mint Theater will open Days to Come by Lillian Hellman on Sunday August 26th. Performances have been extended through October 6th at Theatre Row (410 West 42nd Street). 

Mint Theater (Jonathan Bank, Producing Artistic Director) will present a rare revival of Days to Come by Lillian Hellman, "one of the most important playwrights of the American theater" (New York Times). Performances will begin this Today, August 2nd, and continue through September 30th at Theatre Row (410 West 42nd Street). Opening Night is set for August 26th.

Mint Theater (Jonathan Bank, Producing Artistic Director) will present a rare revival of Days to Come by Lillian Hellman, "one of the most important playwrights of the American theater" (New York Times). Performances will begin this Thursday, August 2nd, and continue through September 30th at Theatre Row (410 West 42nd Street). Opening Night is set for August 26th.

Mint Theater (Jonathan Bank, Producing Artistic Director) will present a rare revival of Days to Come by Lillian Hellman, 'one of the most important playwrights of the American theater' (New York Times). Performances will begin August 2nd and continue through September 30th at Theatre Row (410 West 42nd Street). Opening Night is set for August 26th.

Over halfway through DECONSTRUCTION, Jonathan Leaf's remarkable play about Paul De Man, Mary McCarthy (Fleur Alys Dobbins) tells Hannah Arendt (Karoline Fischer) that she sees no morality 'worthy of the name' in the philosophy of Martin Heidegger. 'There's a need to find authenticity,' McCarthy concedes, 'But it seems to me that you can be genuinely and perfectly evil.' However one feels about deconstruction as a method of reading--I happen to be a fan--we should all agree that De Man was a bad guy: a thoroughgoing liar, a bigamist, a swindler, a manipulator, and the author of some 200 pieces for the Nazi publication in Belgium, Le Soir. I've lingered over this literary-historical context (ironic, given that deconstruction deemphasizes extra-textual material, including authorial intent) because while Leaf's play works beautifully as a story about the (alleged) affair between De Man and McCarthy, the play's real triumph is how deftly it evokes the intellectual minefields on which these personal relationships developed. DECONSTRUCTION is far better, to say nothing of smarter, than most of the ideologically-driven caricatures of the play suggest. This is all the more remarkable given the play runs a mere 75 minutes.

The Storm Theatre, in association with Christopher Ekstrom Productions, kicks off its 20th anniversary season with the world premiere of 'Deconstruction,' by Jonathan Leaf. The historically-inspired play directed by Storm Artistic Director Peter Dobbins, runs Mar. 3 - Mar. 25, Grand Hall (at St. Mary's Parish), 440 Grand Street, New York, NY 10002, for 16 performances. Tickets are on sale now for $25 and can be purchased at SmartTix at 212-868-4444 or www.smarttix.com.

The Storm Theatre, in association with Christopher Ekstrom Productions, kicks off its 20th anniversary season with the world premiere of 'Deconstruction,' by Jonathan Leaf.

The Storm Theatre, in association with Christopher Ekstrom Productions, kicks off its 20th anniversary season with the world premiere of 'Deconstruction,' by Jonathan Leaf. The historically-inspired play directed by Storm Artistic Director Peter Dobbins, runs Mar. 3 - Mar. 25, Grand Hall (at St. Mary's Parish), 440 Grand Street, New York, NY 10002, for 16 performances. Tickets are on sale now for $25 and can be purchased at SmartTix at 212-868-4444 or www.smarttix.com.

The Drama Book Shop welcomes an acclaimed cast, comprised of actors from the original New York production and from the play's Bermuda premier, for a reading of Steven Carl McCasland's play Little Wars. The 12:30pm reading will take place in the shop's downstairs Arthur Seelen Theatre. It will be followed by a signing with the playwright.

 Bay Street Theater & Sag Harbor Center for the Arts is pleased to announce the 3rd ANNUAL NEW WORKS FESTIVAL, April 29 - May 1. THE READINGS ARE FREE. Reserve seats online at www.baystreet.org or by calling the Bay Street Theater Box Office at 631-725-9500, open Tuesday through Saturday 11 am to 5 pm.

How wonderful is it that a song can usher in all sorts of memories - perhaps of your first kiss, driving in a car along a dusty country road, or of people once-loved, still-loved, who are no longer a part of your life - to flood your mind, fill your heart and to transport you, as if by magic, to some earlier time? I love that feeling, which we in the theater are subject to far more often than regular folk, thanks to the music that underscores our dramatic lives and which allows everyone onstage, offstage, backstage - in whatever stage of life - to indulge in the play of 'make believe.'