#contemporary-plays

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#romantic-comedy
Film
fromVulture
1 day ago

The Drama Is Too Cowardly to Commit to Its Provocative Premise

The film presents a dark romantic comedy featuring complex characters and a central premise that challenges audience expectations.
Film
fromThe New Yorker
2 days ago

"The Drama" Struggles to Justify Its Combustible Premise

Charlie and Emma navigate their relationship's challenges through humor and the concept of starting over.
Arts
fromwww.london-unattached.com
1 day ago

The Authenticator

The Authenticator explores themes of identity, race, and the ownership of history through contrasting experiences of opulence and the legacy of slavery.
SF music
fromFuncheap
4 hours ago

Dandelion Dancetheatre "Parable of Belonging - Cycle 1"

Interdisciplinary performance 'Parable of Belonging' explores future life in the Bay Area through creativity and collaboration.
NYC music
fromQueerty
1 day ago

Claybourne Elder gets personal, playful & a little creepy with a package of reimagined standards - Queerty

Claybourne Elder's debut album reimagines iconic songs, blending storytelling with humor and emotional depth for a fresh perspective on timeless classics.
Books
fromThe Atlantic
1 day ago

Unconventional Novels About Conventional People

Aging revolutionaries and conformists share parallel narratives of disillusionment and the loss of youthful dreams in recent literature.
#queer-cinema
Film
fromQueerty
6 hours ago

This Easter weekend, watch sexuality & spirituality collide in this campy melodrama about naughty nuns - Queerty

Outside The Walls explores the intersection of faith and queerness through a lesbian love story set in a convent during the Spanish Inquisition.
Film
fromQueerty
6 hours ago

This Easter weekend, watch sexuality & spirituality collide in this campy melodrama about naughty nuns - Queerty

Outside The Walls explores the intersection of faith and queerness through a lesbian love story set in a convent during the Spanish Inquisition.
London music
fromwww.theguardian.com
2 days ago

Curated chaos': Danny Boyle on the pop culture spectacular' he's bringing to London's Southbank Centre

Danny Boyle's 'You Are Here' celebrates 75 years of youth culture with a one-day immersive event featuring 1,000 performers at London's Southbank Centre.
fromQueerty
2 days ago

The next Shane & Ilya? Meet the stars bringing a Heated Rivalry musical to the stage - Queerty

MarcAurele knew he had to strike while the iron was red-hot, so he got to writing, and in just three short weeks he was bringing the show to life, complete with a number that explored the inherent musicality of that bike scene and another that featured a chorus lauding 'gay hockey players with big butts' as if they were singing a church hymn.
NYC LGBT
Brooklyn
fromBrooklyn Paper
1 day ago

Arts Gowanus unveils packed 2026 season, from Venice-themed gala to Pride art show * Brooklyn Paper

Arts Gowanus announces a busy 2026 lineup with various events, including the Patterns Gala and a major outdoor exhibition for Brooklyn Pride.
fromFast Company
1 day ago

HarperCollins is forging ahead with AI-assisted dramas based on books. Some authors have concerns

Toonstar's proven ability to translate beloved stories into engaging animation, while keeping artists at the center of the process, makes them the ideal partner to bring Friendship List and other popular titles to new audiences in formats today's families love.
Media industry
Podcast
fromArtforum
1 day ago

Schlock Jock: Joshua Citarella at the Whitney Biennial

Doomscroll podcast's live tapings at the Whitney reflect changing museum priorities and the evolving relationship between art and digital discourse.
Women in technology
fromwww.theguardian.com
1 day ago

What to know about the controversial practice of orgasmic meditation'

Nicole Daedone's OneTaste, promoting orgasmic meditation, faced severe backlash after coercion allegations led to her federal prison sentence.
Travel
fromGothamist
1 day ago

Travel is hell. You should staycation in New York.

New Yorkers can enjoy local alternatives to travel, avoiding long waits and high costs associated with vacations.
Design
fromDesign Milk
1 day ago

OUTSIDERS Investigates the Space Between Society and Solitude

Modern design challenges conventional public seating to enhance social interaction and presence in urban spaces.
SOMA, SF
fromArchitectural Digest
2 days ago

Inside the New Museum's Long-Awaited Addition, Designed by OMA

OMA designed a glass-covered tower that integrates with an older building, featuring a complex atrium and stairway, creating a unique architectural experience.
Berlin music
fromwww.amny.com
2 days ago

Beyond the metronome: The emotional intelligence of ballet | amNewYork

Ballet's beauty stems from the intricate collaboration between music and dance, emphasizing trust and relational excellence among artists.
Music production
fromIndieWire
2 days ago

This Is What Honest AI Conversations Sound Like in Hollywood

Mastery in the age of AI is evolving, requiring individuals to excel beyond a baseline of quickly learned skills.
fromDefector
5 days ago

For Now, ABS Makes Good Theater | Defector

Under the ABS challenge system, a team begins each game with two challenges. If a player gets an umpire's call overturned, their team retains the challenge. In effect, this means a team has unlimited challenges until they get two wrong.
Boston Red Sox
Boston real estate
fromArchitectural Digest
3 days ago

Broadway Actress Barrett Wilbert Weed Turned Her Brooklyn Heights Apartment Into a Victorian Dollhouse

Compelling interiors rely on collaboration between character and setting, as demonstrated in Barrett Wilbert Weed's Brooklyn Heights home restoration.
Television
fromThe Atlantic
3 days ago

TV's Failing Cure For Middle-Aged Malaise

Imperfect Women exemplifies the decline of the 'messy-mom thriller' genre despite initial viewership success.
Film
fromVulture
1 day ago

The Twist in The Drama Is Not the Problem

The film features a controversial plot twist involving a character's past plan for a school shooting, sparking significant online speculation and backlash.
London food
fromTime Out London
5 days ago

The 10 best new London theatre openings in April 2026

April features notable revivals and new productions in London theatre, including classics and avant-garde performances.
Humor
fromVulture
5 days ago

9 New Comedy Specials You Should Definitely Watch (When You Have a Moment)

Netflix's early stand-up special for Zach Galifianakis initiated a revolution in comedy specials, leading to a vast increase in monthly releases.
#broadway
Writing
fromVulture
5 days ago

Soon You Can Marry Mariska Hargitay on Broadway

Mariska Hargitay will take over the role from Daniel Radcliffe in the Broadway revival of Every Brilliant Thing, emphasizing themes of healing and hope.
Independent films
fromVulture
4 days ago

Did Dog Day Afternoon Get Away With It?

The new Broadway production of Dog Day Afternoon offers a fresh interpretation, emphasizing character development and emotional depth over strict adherence to the original film.
Film
fromTime Out New York
4 days ago

Broadway review: A heist and a play go wrong in Dog Day Afternoon

Stephen Adly Guirgis's new Broadway play fails to capture the intensity of the original 1975 film about a botched bank heist.
Writing
fromVulture
5 days ago

Soon You Can Marry Mariska Hargitay on Broadway

Mariska Hargitay will take over the role from Daniel Radcliffe in the Broadway revival of Every Brilliant Thing, emphasizing themes of healing and hope.
Independent films
fromVulture
4 days ago

Did Dog Day Afternoon Get Away With It?

The new Broadway production of Dog Day Afternoon offers a fresh interpretation, emphasizing character development and emotional depth over strict adherence to the original film.
Film
fromTime Out New York
4 days ago

Broadway review: A heist and a play go wrong in Dog Day Afternoon

Stephen Adly Guirgis's new Broadway play fails to capture the intensity of the original 1975 film about a botched bank heist.
#titus-andronicus
DC food
fromwww.amny.com
5 days ago

Titus Andronicus' is stylish, savage and still a tough sell

Titus Andronicus is a violent tragedy that explores themes of revenge and chaos, staged with modern echoes and a fast-moving direction.
DC food
fromwww.amny.com
5 days ago

Titus Andronicus' is stylish, savage and still a tough sell

Titus Andronicus is a violent tragedy that explores themes of revenge and chaos, staged with modern echoes and a fast-moving direction.
fromStreetsblog New York City
5 days ago

To Save Lives - And The Theater - Let's Ban Cars From Broadway - Streetsblog New York City

In that small 30-block zone last year, there were 486 reported crashes, injuring 76 cyclists, 108 pedestrians (one fatally) and 67 motorists, according to city stats. That's more than a crash every day, injuring more than 250 people.
London politics
#theatre
Arts
from48 hills
2 days ago

Drama Masks: Mad, bad, and dangerous to see - 48 hills

The experience of attending performances can evoke feelings of isolation and scrutiny, especially for those who stand out in a predominantly different crowd.
Television
fromwww.theguardian.com
4 days ago

Romeo and Juliet review overbearing directorial stamp is saved by dazzling cast

Sadie Sink makes her West End debut as Juliet in a modern adaptation of Shakespeare's play while concurrently starring in a prequel to Stranger Things.
Arts
from48 hills
2 days ago

Drama Masks: Mad, bad, and dangerous to see - 48 hills

The experience of attending performances can evoke feelings of isolation and scrutiny, especially for those who stand out in a predominantly different crowd.
Television
fromwww.theguardian.com
4 days ago

Romeo and Juliet review overbearing directorial stamp is saved by dazzling cast

Sadie Sink makes her West End debut as Juliet in a modern adaptation of Shakespeare's play while concurrently starring in a prequel to Stranger Things.
History
fromFuncheap
1 week ago

The Drillmaster Staged Reading

The Drillmaster is a comedic play about Baron Von Steuben, a gay founding father who transformed the Continental Army during the American Revolution.
NYC music
fromForbes
1 day ago

New York Through the Eyes of "The Book Of Mormom Star" Sydney Quildon

The Book of Mormon celebrates its 15th anniversary with special events featuring original cast members and a Broadway newcomer, Sydney Quildon.
Books
fromTime Out New York
22 hours ago

This New York reading retreat is rethinking book clubs

Page Break offers a unique weekend retreat where strangers read a novel aloud together, fostering community and enhancing comprehension.
#open-mic
fromFuncheap
1 day ago
SF music

16th & Mission Open Mic (w/out a mic)

An outdoor open mic event has been celebrating diverse expressions in San Francisco for 19 years, welcoming all forms of art every Thursday night.
fromFuncheap
1 day ago
SF music

16th & Mission Open Mic (w/out a mic)

An outdoor open mic event has been celebrating diverse expressions in San Francisco for 19 years, welcoming all forms of art every Thursday night.
SF music
fromFuncheap
1 day ago

16th & Mission Open Mic (w/out a mic)

An outdoor open mic event has been celebrating diverse expressions in San Francisco for 19 years, welcoming all forms of art every Thursday night.
SF music
fromFuncheap
1 day ago

16th & Mission Open Mic (w/out a mic)

An outdoor open mic event has been celebrating diverse expressions in San Francisco for 19 years, welcoming all forms of art every Thursday night.
fromThe Atlantic
1 day ago

A Marriage, Turned Into Epic Theater

Lily Allen's 'West End Girl' is an excoriating concept album about the failure of her second marriage, filled with vivid details of betrayal and personal turmoil.
London music
Marketing tech
fromAdExchanger
1 week ago

Ad Tech's Off-Broadway Debut | AdExchanger

Companies at NewFronts emphasize performance and interactive ads, with Walmart and Vizio collaborating for enhanced user engagement.
Brooklyn
fromBrooklyn Paper
2 days ago

Late-night laughs: Stand-up comedy returns to Williamsburg's Kellogg's Diner after yearlong hiatus * Brooklyn Paper

Kellogg's Diner in Williamsburg offers late-night stand-up comedy, combining food and entertainment in a unique after-hours setting.
Design
fromwww.archdaily.com
2 days ago

Flipmod / Ambit Narrative Design (A.N.D)

Flipmod is a modular shading system designed for public spaces in subtropical cities, promoting climate responsiveness and public engagement.
NYC LGBT
fromwww.amny.com
3 days ago

Indelible' voices: How the NYC trans community is fighting erasure from a Lower East Side stage | amNewYork

Indelible is a forum for trans people to share their stories and foster understanding.
#zendaya
Film
fromThe New Yorker
1 day ago

The Drama Surrounding "The Drama"

Fans gathered for the New York premiere of 'The Drama' starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson, showcasing excitement and anticipation despite the cold weather.
Film
fromVulture
4 days ago

Critics Aren't Sure Whether to Marry The Drama

Zendaya's performance in the controversial film is widely praised, while critics are divided on the film's originality and execution.
Film
fromThe New Yorker
1 day ago

The Drama Surrounding "The Drama"

Fans gathered for the New York premiere of 'The Drama' starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson, showcasing excitement and anticipation despite the cold weather.
Film
fromVulture
4 days ago

Critics Aren't Sure Whether to Marry The Drama

Zendaya's performance in the controversial film is widely praised, while critics are divided on the film's originality and execution.
Music production
fromPitchfork
5 days ago

Nobody's Chosen: An Interview With Sideshow

Sideshow's album TIGRAY FUNK addresses societal issues through personal experiences and a unique musical fusion of G-funk and Ethiopian influences.
Arts
fromArtnet News
2 days ago

Performance Artist Crackhead Barney Moves From the Streets to the Stage: 'Art Should Be Going Insane'

Crackhead Barney is a performance artist known for her viral heckling of protestors and celebrities, significantly impacting NYC's political landscape.
#theater
NYC music
fromGothamist
3 days ago

How 'American Psycho' inspired a new theater opening in Bushwick

A new cultural venue, The Empyrean Club, is set to open in Bushwick, inspired by the musical 'American Psycho'.
NYC LGBT
fromThe New Yorker
2 days ago

Broadway's "Dog Day Afternoon" Is a Dog

The stage adaptation of 'Dog Day Afternoon' fails to capture the emotional depth of the original film, transforming it into a superficial sitcom.
NYC music
fromGothamist
3 days ago

How 'American Psycho' inspired a new theater opening in Bushwick

A new cultural venue, The Empyrean Club, is set to open in Bushwick, inspired by the musical 'American Psycho'.
NYC LGBT
fromThe New Yorker
2 days ago

Broadway's "Dog Day Afternoon" Is a Dog

The stage adaptation of 'Dog Day Afternoon' fails to capture the emotional depth of the original film, transforming it into a superficial sitcom.
fromTime Out New York
2 days ago

An exciting new theater and restaurant hybrid is coming to Bushwick

"Rather than a traditional theatre, we are creating a garden of earthly delights. Empyrean is a place of ecstasy, artistry and real interpersonal connection. When the curtain falls, the night has just begun."
London music
Books
fromThe New Yorker
3 days ago

The Sci-Fi Novelist Who Disappeared for Decades

Cameron Reed's science fiction explores cognitive estrangement, revealing alien worlds that reflect and challenge our own societal norms and moral dilemmas.
Writing
fromVulture
1 week ago

A Play About the Play Becomes the Thing: Hamnet Onstage in D.C.

Maggie O'Farrell's memoir recounts her encounters with death and the intense experience of caring for her ill daughter.
NYC music
fromPitchfork
2 days ago

King Princess to Star in Aimee Mann's Girl, Interrupted Musical

A musical adaptation of Girl, Interrupted featuring Aimee Mann's songs will debut later this year, starring King Princess as Lisa.
London music
fromConsequence
4 days ago

David Byrne Performs "When We Are Singing," Explains Using ICE Footage in Concerts on Colbert: Watch

David Byrne emphasizes colorful live shows and addresses serious themes through performance and visuals.
Film
fromJezebel
4 days ago

'The Drama' Is Worth the Secrecy

Kristoffer Borgli's film explores dark human impulses through a pre-wedding gathering that reveals unsettling secrets among friends.
Arts
fromHyperallergic
5 days ago

A Drama of Two Masters

A documentary dramatizes the rivalry between British landscape painters Turner and Constable while exploring survival strategies in the age of AI.
NYC music
fromTime Out New York
1 week ago

Review: Two friends makes a great escape in Mexodus ()

Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson create a musical that highlights the historical escape of enslaved Black people to Mexico.
London music
fromwww.theguardian.com
1 week ago

The Guardian view on new musicals: sex, drugs and song n' dance | Editorial

Trainspotting the Musical adapts Irvine Welsh's novel, showcasing the evolution of stories from books to stage with contemporary themes.
Arts
fromHyperallergic
2 days ago

Required Reading

Calida Rawles' art explores the duality of water as both healing and destructive within the Black diaspora's history.
fromBrooklyn Paper
1 week ago

Bronx-born, Brooklyn-based Pulitzer winner John Patrick Shanley debuts new play in NYC * Brooklyn Paper

His writing is incredible. The characters are real. There's so much for actors to dig into. To be able to write that way and to connect with people, you're operating on a higher plane.
NYC music
Arts
fromwww.amny.com
2 days ago

Grimanesa Amoros and the architecture of illumination

Light is a powerful force in art, transcending culture and language, and is essential to understanding perception and truth.
Film
fromIndieWire
1 day ago

What Everyone Gets Wrong About Intimacy Coordinators

Intimacy coordinators play a crucial role in choreographing sex scenes, ensuring safety and clarity on set.
fromHyperallergic
2 days ago

The Art World Is a Joke

Kamrooz Aram is everywhere this year, from Mumbai Art Week to the Whitney Biennial, and critic Aruna D'Souza is grateful. She pens a beautiful meditation on his work, reading his abstract paintings as not simply a denunciation of Western modernism nor a reassertion of Islamic visual motifs, but something else entirely - something gestural, exuberant, riotous, and incomparably his own.
Arts
Miscellaneous
fromThe Mercury News
1 month ago

Actor, director establish 'Trust' going into TheatreWorks production

Director Jeffrey Lo and actor William Thomas Hodgson collaborate effectively through intentional exploration, detailed character work, and a shared commitment to avoiding conventional theatrical choices.
Film
fromQueerty
2 days ago

WATCH: This shocking camboy drama pushes queer cinema into provocative new territory - Queerty

Blue Film is a provocative camboy drama exploring taboo subjects and complex human relationships between a sex worker and his former teacher.
Arts
fromwww.amny.com
3 days ago

In praise of upheaval: Women, art, and the refusal of stillness | amNewYork

Art emerges from upheaval, reflecting change as an inherent female quality and rejecting imposed stillness.
Film
fromKqed
3 days ago

Riz Ahmed's 'Hamlet' Is a Frenetic Take on the Tragedy

Riz Ahmed's portrayal of Hamlet emphasizes fighting injustice rather than merely questioning life in a modern adaptation of the classic play.
Arts
fromHyperallergic
3 days ago

The Best April Fools' Jokes in the Art World This Year

April Fools' Day inspires creative and humorous pranks across arts and humanities, showcasing institutions' ability to engage in lighthearted satire.
Film
fromVulture
2 days ago

Should A24 Be Worried About The Drama's Plot-Twist Drama?

The Drama features a controversial plot twist involving a character's admission of a near mass shooting, sparking significant backlash.
Arts
fromArtnet News
4 days ago

Rare Rauschenberg Experimental Dance Revived at Brooklyn Roller Rink

The Trisha Brown Dance Company is reviving Robert Rauschenberg's 1963 dance 'Pelican' for the first time in 60 years at a Brooklyn event.
Film
from48 hills
2 days ago

Screen Grabs: Aliens, witches, mermaids, and other swell company - 48 hills

Love can take unconventional forms, as seen in films featuring relationships with aliens, witches, and other offbeat characters.
Arts
fromThe New Yorker
4 days ago

The New Museum Returns, but Humans Are Left Behind

The exhibition explores humanity's struggle against technology through diverse multimedia installations and thought-provoking artworks.
Film
fromThe Independent
3 days ago

How Backrooms went from a viral 4chan post to an A24 movie starring acclaimed actor

A24's horror film Backrooms explores a fictional liminal space inspired by a viral internet myth from 4chan.
fromwww.nytimes.com
3 weeks ago

How John Slattery, the Mad Men' Star, Does Whatever He Wants

John Slattery, 63, moved to an apartment on Bank Street in the West Village after marrying the actress Talia Balsam in 1998. At the time, he had established himself as a character actor.
Film
SF music
from48 hills
1 month ago

Drama Masks: The Manhattanization of San Francisco stages - 48 hills

Supervisor Bilal Mahmood's proposal to turn Market Street into a theatre arts district with $5 million funding prioritizes commercialized, tourist-friendly entertainment over San Francisco's unique, eclectic theatrical identity.
UX design
fromMedium
2 months ago

From playwright to stage manager

Self-generating AI interfaces require structured constraints like A2UI to prevent chaotic, unusable experiences and shift designers from deterministic blueprints to probabilistic protocols.
NYC music
fromwww.amny.com
1 month ago

New Off-Broadway shows you need to see this March | amNewYork

March brings diverse Off-Broadway productions including folk musicals, experimental works, and comedy exploring Deaf experiences and contemporary social themes.
fromLoving New York
2 months ago

The BEST Comedy Shows on Broadway 2026 | + Tickets

Comedy shows on Broadway are one of the best past times for NYC locals and tourists alike. Ironically, they're some of the most over-looked attractions when it comes to searching for tickets for a Broadway show when they're next to competitors like Hamilton, Sweeney Todd, and Some Like It Hot. If you want to know what Broadway has to offer right now, check out my list of the best current Broadway shows in NYC.
New York City
UX design
fromMedium
2 months ago

From playwright to stage manager

AI-generated, probabilistic interfaces break traditional deterministic UI design; designers must adopt structured protocols (like A2UI) to ensure stability, continuity, and predictable user workflows.
Arts
fromBrooklyn Paper
1 month ago

At Caveat, Laibson's tech-heavy Chekhov adaptation The HARMNF examines digital-age alienation * Brooklyn Paper

Contemporary theater uses virtual, mixed reality, and AI technologies to create immersive, interactive performances that blur traditional audience and performer roles.
Arts
fromwww.theguardian.com
2 months ago

A provocative new play challenges society's discomfort that disabled people have sex lives'

A Birds of Paradise production confronts sexual taboos by portraying disabled people as complex sexual beings, challenging assumptions, pity, and social discomfort.
fromwww.amny.com
2 months ago

Going Under the Radar' with international experimental theater amNewYork

Two years ago, the annual Under the Radar festival (which showcases international, experimental and multidisciplinary theater) was unexpectedly canceled by the Public Theater, its longtime presenter, due to financial issues. In response, the festival was quickly reconceived as a citywide effort involving several other theater companies, allowing it to move forward. The festival, now in its 21st edition, returns this month with productions at theaters across the city from Jan. 7 to 25.
Arts
Film
fromThe Drum
2 months ago

Let me entertain you

Covid-19 pushed entertainment and brands to innovate, shifting releases and creating digital experiences to maintain connection and reach audiences.
Arts
fromArtforum
2 months ago

Blame Game

Molière's comedies are being revived in contemporary theater to critique cultural elites and prompt self-reflection within arts philanthropy and performance.
Arts
fromTime Out New York
2 months ago

Under the Radar 2026: what NYC's boldest theater fest is

Under the Radar presents 31 adventurous, genre-defying theater and performance works across four boroughs, emphasizing experimental, in-progress pieces and vibe-based programming.
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