In 1912, at the tender age of 24, an aimless, alcoholic college dropout named Eugene O’Neill tried to commit suicide in a New York City flophouse called Jimmy-the-Priest. By then he’d already been married, had a son and divorced, and there was much more personal tumult to come in his eve
Rob Weinert-Kendt
Rob Weinert-Kendt, an arts journalist and editor of American Theatre magazine, has written for The New York Times and Time Out New York.
From Rags to Revolutionary: ‘Hamilton’ tells a true American story
Depending on when you date its birth, it took rock music as much as a decade and a half to move from the pop charts to the Broadway stage, with 1968’s “Hair.” Hip-hop has been with us nearly twice as long—at least 30 years, if you measure by mainstream success—and as su
Look at This: The strange, seductive worlds of ‘Cabaret’ and ‘Side Show’
A show that skewers show business strikes a slippery bargain with its audience, and it can backfire. While we may smile knowingly at its insights into backstage chicanery and the cynicism of producers, and enjoy its winking parodies of other, implicitly lesser shows, a piece of entertainment intende
Watching Rome Burn: Two shows challenge the complacent viewer.
A show that skewers show business strikes a slippery bargain with its audience, and it can backfire. While we may smile knowingly at its insights into backstage chicanery and producerial cynicism, and enjoy its winking parodies of other, implicitly lesser shows, a piece of entertainment intended to
Their Eyes Were Watching God: Two new plays set out in search of the divine
Where are we more likely to encounter the divine: in otherworldly apparitions and miracles, or in selfless service to others? In Lourdes, or at the soup kitchen? To secular and religious liberals, the latter answer has vastly greater appeal, not to mention more practical application: We may not agre
Staying Afloat: Two new productions navigate chaotic times
Two new productions navigate chaotic times
A Strange and Urgent Tale: The Gospel of Mark, retold
A bearded, haunted man scrambles into the black box theater wearing a soot-colored hoodie, jeans with fist-sized holes at both knees, and a slim backpack, while red siren lights flash and tense cop-show music blares. He crouches behind trash cans to elude an unseen pursuer. When the threat appears t
Creature Discomforts: Journeys of hurt and healing on Broadway
Journeys of hurt and healing on Broadway: ‘Of Mice and Men’ and ‘The Cripple of Inishmaan’
A Good Fight : L.B.J. campaigns for civil rights in ‘All the Way.’
L.B.J. campaigns for civil rights in ‘All the Way.’ A review from theater critic Rob Weinert-Kendt.
