J.R. Pierce

What Was Caryl Churchill Smoking? And Other Chicago Highs This month's Sightlines checks in on a 'smoky riff' on a well-known Churchill play, Chicago theatre news, and a rising local lighting designer.

In this month’s edition of Sightlines, managing editor Jerald Raymond Pierce checks in on a “smoky riff” on a well-known Churchill play, Chicago theatre news, and a rising local lighting designer.

Seeking: New Chicago Theatre Hangouts In this edition of Sightlines, we experience an inaugural WBEZ theatre event, tour TimeLine's newest space in Chicago's Uptown neighborhood, and hear from a rising costume designer.

In this edition of managing editor Jerald Raymond Pierce's Sightlines, we experience an inaugural WBEZ event, tour TimeLine’s newest space in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood, and learn more about a Seattle-based designer.

The Shows That Reloaded the Canon for the 21st Century To compile this list of the new millennium's influential plays and musicals, we turned to industry workers, leaders, and observers to come up with 50 that pushed theatre forward.

Over the past few months, American Theatre surveyed industry workers, leaders, and observers for the plays and musicals that have shaped theatre in the U.S. in the 21st century. We've compiled the results into 50 remarkable titles. Which titles would you include on your list?

This package was a labor of love (equal emphasis on both labor and love). Thank you to the entire American Theatre team who helped put it together, including @thejrpierce.bsky.social, Gabriela Furtado Coutinho, @pieceofkay.bsky.social & @daniellaignacio.bsky.social. Let a thousand discourses bloom

6 Theatre Workers You Should Know This edition features leaders and artists who are standing out in the Boston theatre community.

This edition of Roll Call features leaders and artists who are standing out in the Boston theatre community, behind the scenes, onstage, and in administration and education.
www.americantheatre.org/2025/11/24/6...

Your Call Is Very Important to ‘Lennox Mutual’ Candle House Collective's personalized immersive experience engages participants in a series of 20-minute phone calls that can go to some very odd, personal places.

Managing editor Jerald Raymond Pierce recently immersed himself in the world of Candle House Collective's LENNOX MUTUAL. The experience engages participants in a series of 20-minute phone calls that can go to some very odd, personal places.
www.americantheatre.org/2025/04/11/y...

Memory Care in Noga Flaishon’s ‘Memoriam’ In this world premiere at Houston's Main Street Theater, people can rent and fully experience the memories of others.

From our Winter 2025 issue, Jerald Raymond Pierce reports on MEMORIAM, a world premiere at Houston’s Main Street Theater wherein people can rent and fully experience the memories of others.
www.americantheatre.org/2025/03/26/m...

Artists Mount 1st Amendment Challenge to New NEA Grant Requirements Filed by the ACLU on behalf of theatre organizations, including TCG, the suit is aimed at a new anti-trans guideline recently added by the endowment.

The @aclu.org & @riaclu.bsky.social have filed suit on behalf of theatre organizations, including TCG, to challenge a new NEA grant guideline mandating that applicants comply with the president’s anti-trans “gender ideology” executive order to receive funding. www.americantheatre.org/2025/03/06/a...

Sunam Ellis Wants to Hear Your Voice In this episode, Woodzick talks with the Seattle-based creative about returning to acting, creating caring classrooms, and seeing the 'whole picture' as a director.

Back in 2024, Woodzick recorded an incredible 'Theatrical Mustang' episode with Sunam Ellis, a Seattle-based actor-director-educator, about Ellis's passions and practices to create caring spaces. Now available here or on any podcast streaming service!

www.americantheatre.org/2025/02/24/s...

Available to read in our current issue, just saying. www.americantheatre.org/winter-2025/

Garden Variety Grown From ‘Fifty Boxes of Earth’ A response to Bram Stoker's 'Dracula,' Ankita Raturi's world premiere play explores what it means to try to survive in a new place when those already there treat you as a monster.

From our Winter 2025 issue, Jerald Raymond Pierce previews Ankita Raturi’s response to Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula,’ a world premiere play that explores what it means to try to survive in a new place when those already there treat you as a monster.
www.americantheatre.org/2025/02/18/g...

Are you an early career theater journalist or critic of color? You should apply for this program tcg.org/Web/Web/Our-...

Repping Arkansas: Arkansas Rep Hires Steve Broadnax III as Artistic Director The versatile director returns to Little Rock, joining executive director Will Trice and producing director Ken-Matt Martin to lead their hometown regional theatre into its next chapter.

Steve H. Broadnax III caught the theatre bug at his hometown theatre, Little Rock's Arkansas Rep. Now he's returning as the theatre's artistic director, joining 2 other area natives, executive director Will Trice and producing director Ken-Matt Martin. www.americantheatre.org/2025/02/14/r...

Offscript: A Shot of ‘Eureka Day’ and a Visit to Seattle This episode features a chat on the stage of Manhattan Theatre Club with playwright Jonathan Spector, and a check-in with Seattle Times arts writer Gemma Wilson.

Had this fun chat with my old buddy @isaacbutler.bsky.social for @americantheatre.bsky.social's podcast about Eureka Day.

People to Watch: Larissa FastHorse The Las Angeles playwright discusses nonprofit farces, community-engaged theatre, and the magic of theatre.

From our Winter print issue: We check in with playwright Larissa FastHorse, whose new farce FAKE IT TILL YOU MAKE IT starts at L.A.'s Center Theatre Group next week, about how rehearsals are going and what keeps her going in tough times. www.americantheatre.org/2025/01/16/p...

Stevie Walker-Webb: Theatre That Belongs to Us A little over a year into his tenure leading Baltimore Center Stage, the Tony-nominated director reflects on his city, his impact so far, and what’s to come.

Stevie Walker-Webb, who's been leading Baltimore Center Stage for a little over a year, talks to Jerald Raymond Pierce about his city ("a Black cultural mecca"), about his work at the theatre so far, and what's still to come amid challenging times. www.americantheatre.org/2025/01/31/s...

In "Quetzali and the Comic Book Queen vs. the Alebrije of Darkness" at Lexington Children's Theatre, playwright Alvaro Saar Rios sets out to popularize Aztec mythology in much the same way Greek myths have been reimagined for young people. www.americantheatre.org/2025/01/28/a...

Aw, thanks Matt, means a lot coming from you!!