TheaterMatters was a pre-pandemic live-theater-review series created, hosted and moderated by Hunter College Theater Professor Jonathan Kalb, which took place at HERE Arts Center, The Invisible Dog, and other venues. Full recordings of the panels may be found here!
ABOUT
A one-of-a-kind event in NYC, TheaterMatters brought together professional critics and practicing theater artists for incomparably smart, passionate, in-depth discussions of current New York City theater productions in front of a live audience. For three theater seasons, TheaterMatters was the only forum where critics and artists collaborated on serious critique of new work, and the only vehicle for criticism practiced as a live, communal event. The panels included Q&A with the audience. They are preserved here as recordings. Click to listen!
EPISODES
Episode 10 (special Zoom edition)
May 1, 2020, 1:00-1:38 pm
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A FacebookLive/Zoom discussion of What Do We Need to Talk About?: The Apple Family: Conversations on Zoom, written and directed by Richard Nelson, livestreamed by The Public Theater
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Panelists:
Jason Zinoman (Cultural Critic and "On Comedy" columnist for The New York Times)
Brian Herrera (Theater professor at Princeton, award-winning author of Latin Numbers: Playing Latino in 20th-century U.S. Popular Performance)
Episode 9
February 10, 2020, 7pm-8:30pm
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A discussion of "A Soldier's Play," by Charles Fuller Theater, at The American Airlines Theater, and "Medea," written and directed by Simon Stone, at BAM Harvey Theater
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Panelists:
Soraya Nadia McDonald (Cultural Critic of The Undefeated and Fresh Air with Terry Gross)
Charles Mee (widely produced playwright of Big Love, True Love, First Love, bobrauschenbergamerica, Iphigenia 2.0 and many other plays)
Tom Sellar (Yale Drama School Professor, Editor ofTheater)
Episode 8
December 9, 2019, 7pm-8:30pm
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A discussion of "The Inheritance," by Matthew Lopez, at The Ethel Barrymore Theater, and "The Underlying Chris," by Will Eno at Second Stage Theater
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Panelists:
Vinson Cunningham (Theater Critic of The New Yorker)
Caridad Svich (Obie-winning playwright of 12 Ophelias, Iphigenia Crash Land Falls... and many other plays)
Robert Hofler (Theater Critic for The Wrap)
Episode 7
October 21, 2019, 7pm-8:30pm
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A discussion of "Heroes of the Fourth Turning," by Will Arbery, at Playwrights Horizons, and "Soft Power," by David Henry Hwang and Jeanine Tesori at The Public Theater
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Panelists:
Sarah Ruhl (MacAruthur-winning playwright of Eurydice, The Clean House and many other plays)
Jose Solis (Theater Critic for The New York Times and other publications)
Charles Isherwood (Theater Critic, Broadway News)
Episode 6
May 13, 2019, 7pm-8:30pm
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A discussion of "Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus," by Taylor Mac, at The Booth Theater, and "Ink," By James Graham at The Samuel J. Friedman Theatre.
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Panelists:
Laura Collins-Hughes (Theater Critic, The New York Times)
Michael Rogers (Actor in roles from God to Dracula)
Marc Robinson (Yale Drama School professor, award-winning author of "The American Play")
Episode 5
March 18, 2019, 7pm-8:30pm
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A discussion of "Marys Seacole," by Jackie Sibblies Drury, at Lincoln Center's Claire Tow Theater, and "Boesman and Lena," By Athol Fugard, at Signature Theatre.
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Panelists:
Ben Brantley (Co-Chief Theater Critic, The New York Times)
Elysa Gardner (Theater Critic, New York Stage Review and Broadway Direct)
Jedediah Wheeler (Executive Director Arts + Culture, Montclair State University, Artistic Director of Peak Performances)
Episode 4
December 10, 2018, 7pm-8:30pm
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A discussion of Ivo van Hove's Broadway production of "Network," adapted by Lee Hall from Paddy Chayevsky's screenplay, and the Playwrights Horizons production of "Noura," by Heather Raffo.
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Panelists:
Elisabeth Vincentelli (Theater Critic for The New York Times and co-host of the podcast Three on the Aisle)
Ivan Talijancic (Multidisciplinary director, choreographer, visual artist and co-founder of Wax Factory)
Miriam Felton-Dansky (Veteran theater critic for The Village Voice, Bard College professor, author of Viral Performances: Contagious Theaters from Modernism to the Digital Age)
Episode 3
October 1, 2018, 7pm-8:30pm
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A discussion of the Broadway production "Bernhardt/Hamlet," by Theresa Rebeck, and the New York Theater Workshop production "What the Constitution Means to Me," by Heidi Schreck.
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Panelists:
Alexis Soloski (Theater Critic for The New York Times and The Guardian and a contributor to The New Yorker)
David Cote (Theater Critic and reporter for The Observer, American Theatre, What Should We Do? and other publications)
Lee Sunday Evans (Obie-Award-winning director and choreographer of Dance Nation, [Porto], HOME, Farmhouse/Whorehouse, China Shop, Caught, and many other plays)
Episode 2
May 14, 2018, 7pm-9pm
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A discussion of the Lincoln Center revival of "My Fair Lady" and Clare Barron's new play "Dance Nation" at Playwrights Horizons.
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Panelists:
Sara Holdren (Theater Critic of New York Magazine and Vulture.com)
Helen Shaw (critic for Time Out New York, The Village Voice and many other publications)
Theresa Rebeck (widely produced Broadway and Off-Broadway playwright, film and TV writer)
Episode 1
March 19, 2018 7pm-9pm
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A discussion of the Broadway production of Tony Kushner's "Angels in America" and Richard Thomas and Stewart Lee's "Jerry Springer--the Opera," produced by The New Group.
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Panelists:
Peter Marks (Theater Critic of The Washington Post)
Alisa Solomon (Professor, Columbia School of Journalism, critic for The Nation and many other publications)
Fitz Patton (veteran Broadway and Off-Broadway sound designer)