Dominique Morisseau Exposes Race, Class Bias in Schools by Patricia L. Morin Dominique Morisseau’s “Pipeline”—based on the School-to-Prison Pipeline for students of color—profiles a divorced mom’s struggle with the expectation her son will end up in prison, like so many urban Black teens. On Lincoln Center’s small stage, Director Lileana Blain-Cruz uses Matt Sanders’…
Millennial Notes Shakespeare’s Classic Finds Sympathetic Killer & Sadistic Hero by Julian Auston The Stratford Festival of Canada brings us an innovative “Hamlet” that flips the play’s essentials. Claudius, the repentant murderer, evokes our sympathy; while Hamlet, his ambitious heir, startles with his vengefulness, as a slew of courtiers are mangled by their conflict….
Simon Stephens Invokes Delicacy in Harsh Times by Jennifer Ann Charron It’s hard these days not to view everything through the lens of 2020—global warming, worldwide pandemic, systemic racial injustice, millions sick or dead, 100-degree temperatures in Siberia. Everything seems so big, so overwhelming, so “HUGE.” I’ve grown exhausted using words like dystopian, monumental,…
Millennial Notes Vincent Terrell Durham Serves Cocktails & Dash of Guilt by Evelyn Arevalo Vincent Terrell Durham is unapologetic in his portrayal of problematic white saviors. “Polar Bears” explores white guilt, but it’s more than a racially charged play. Durham deep dives into themes of colorism, classism, fetishization, and queerness–displaying American horrors before the…