Welcome to the NYTW Blog—a resource for behind-the-scenes insights on our productions, share-outs from the classroom penned by teaching artists, community partner spotlights, and a peek behind the curtain to see how work gets made at NYTW.

TBT: THE FIRST VIRTUAL FIRESIDE CHAT

Before Doug Wright shares the Zoom room with some of our sharpest contemporary satirists in The Wright Stuff, we wanted to throw it back to another conversation he had early on in quarantine. Back in April 2020, Doug sat down with some fellow Usual Suspects, writer/director Lisa Peterson and scenic designer Rachel Hauck, for the first virtual Fireside Chat.

January 7, 2021 by NYTW


Youth Artistic Instigators Take The Stage

Birthed in the midst of the pandemic, NYTW brought together a group of high school students, known as the Youth Artistic Instigators, to create bold activist theatre. Over 10 sessions with NYTW Teaching Artist Nana Dakin (and a few special guests!), these students collaborated, created, and performed an original piece of theatre responding to urgent current events.

December 15, 2020 by Jerald Raymond Pierce for AMERICAN THEATRE MAGAZINE


THE COOKING PROJECT HEATS UP

The Dominican Artists Collective welcomes you to the real Washington Heights—and Melissa Crespo welcomes you behind the scenes of The Cooking Project in this new interview about creating art during the pandemic and producing as part of a collective. 

December 11, 2020 by John Soltes for HOLLYWOOD SOAPBOX


Better Than WooHoo: The Seagull on Sims 4

There is no debate: you have never seen The Seagull like this before. See how Celine Song changed the very definition of what theatre is, and read what made Vulture critic Helen Shaw say, “I laughed, I cried, it was better than WooHoo!”

November 15, 2020 by Helen Shaw for VULTURE


NYTW Spotlight: Yang-Yang Chen

Meet Producing Associate Yang-Yang Chen. If you know an artist or NYTW staff member who’s been here in the past three years, there is a good chance that they’ll remember Yang Yang’s caring personality and delicious bread. Read more and get some suggestions on new recipes from the master herself!

November 14, 2020 by NYTW


TBT: IN CONVERSATION WITH RUBÉN POLENDO

Before </remnant> makes it digital premiere on November 16, Remnant was a stage show by Theatre Mitu in 2017. Before that, Theatre Mitu was a company-in-residence at NYTW. It’s in this spirit of throw-backs and community that we take you back to Theatre Mitu Artistic Director Rubén Polendo chatting with NYTW Tow Playwright-in-Residence Victor I. Cazares about their artistry and what it means to be in residence.

November 13, 2020 by NYTW


NYTW SPOTLIGHT: LINDA CHAPMAN

Associate Artistic Director Linda Chapman is retiring this December after over 30 years at New York Theatre Workshop. As Linda prepares for retirement, we caught up with her to talk about her start at NYTW and some memorable experiences from her time here.

November 3, 2020 by NYTW


A Republic in Three Monologues (Part 1)

BIPOC Critics Lab writer Alexi Chacón spins a unique interaction with artists Denis O’Hare in Part 1 of his two part interview. In Part 1, Chacón draws on the inspiration of Stud Terkel’s American Dreams: Lost and Found to have himself, O’Hare, and Peterson create individual monologues around citizenship, activism, and democracy.

October 24, 2020 by Alexi Chacón


PINCHING PENNIES ON A PODCAST

Jose Solis sits down with NYTW Tow Playwright-in-Residence Victor I. Cazares to chat about Pinching Pennies with Penny Marshall. The two also talk about the pop culture that formed them, and how Victor has created a space for themselves in a field that suggests they are not Latinx or queer enough for the kinds of works being produced.

October 23, 2020 by Jose Solis for TOKEN THEATRE FRIENDS


THE NETWORK TALKS COVID SAFETY

The show must go on – but you’ll need to follow some guidelines! Making live theatre during a global pandemic has come with its own unique set of challenges, the most important of which is ensuring the safety of everyone involved; from actors, creatives, and production staff to the audience members. THE NETWORK talks with several individuals, including NYTW Production Manager Hilary Luong, to better understand this new layer of logistics and protocols involved in creating live theatre, as well as the new role of the COVID-19 compliance officer.

October 20, 2020 by AMERICAN THEATRE WING