Theater

From left to right: Toni L. Martin (Sephronia), Harriett D. Foy (Nina Simone), Felicia Curry (Sweet Thing) and Theresa Cunningham (Sarah) in Nina Simone: Four Women, running November 10-December 24, 2017 at Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater.

Maverick Music Takes Center Stage in This New Play on Nina Simone

A Smithsonian expert delves into the song and struggle at the heart of 'Four Women' at D.C.'s Arena Stage

Gotcha!

Gulliver's Travels Wasn't Meant to Be a Children's Book And More Things You Didn't Know About the Literary Classic

Even now, 350 years after his birth, the great Irish satirist Jonathan Swift remains as sharp and relevant as ever

Dave Malloy & Rachel Chavkin

These Shooting Stars of Broadway Staged the Impossible: A Musical About 'War and Peace'

Dave Malloy and Rachel Chavkin brought the Tolstoy epic to life with <em>Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812</em>

Members of the chorus sing their parts in a performance of Antigone in Ferguson at Normandy High School in St. Louis.

The Healing Power of Greek Tragedy

Do plays written centuries ago have the power to heal modern day traumas? A new project raises the curtain on a daring new experiment

The Acoustics of Ancient Greek Theaters Aren't What They Used to Be

The sound quality in ancient times was likely much better than it is today

A centuries-old hun luang puppet is seen in a Thailand museum. Artisans there have recently revived the style of theater using them.

After 149 Years, Thailand's Royal Puppets Dance Again

The ancient art of Hun Luang all but vanished until passionate artisans revived the style in time for the late king’s royal funeral

Guillaume Rondelet was an early anatomist who founded his own dissecting theater, which was a thing people did in the sixteenth century.

A Sixteenth-Century Hot Date Might Include a Trip to the Dissecting Theater

Anatomy theaters were an early site for science as spectacle

Since It's 2017, New Broadway Play Plans to Keep Up With the News

From the creator of 'House of Cards,' 'The Parisian Woman' plans to capture the political zeitgeist of the moment

J.M. Barrie's newly discovered play, "The Reconstruction of the Crime," was published in the latest issue of "The Strand Magazine."

Lost Play By J.M. Barrie Discovered in Texas Archive

The newly published <i>Reconstruction of the Crime</i> features comedic detective exploits and audience participation

A 2009 U.S. stamp commemorating "The Twilight Zone" from the collections of the Smithsonian

'Twilight Zone' Enters the Stage Dimension

London theater will adapt the iconic television series to capture "American nightmares" past and present

Great riot at the Astor Place opera house, New York on Thursday evening May 10th, 1849

When New York City Rioted Over Hamlet Being Too British

In the deadly Astor Place Riot, how to perform Shakespeare served as a proxy for class warfare

The first page of 'Measure For Measure' in the First Folio of 1623. Set in Vienna and full of less-than-proper characters, this play proved the most challenging to bowdlerize.

The Bowdlers Wanted to Clean Up Shakespeare, Not Become a Byword for Censorship

Thomas and Henrietta Bowdler started out with relatively noble intentions

A Broadway production of "1984" is so graphic, it has audience members fainting and vomiting.

A Broadway Production of ‘1984’ Is Making Audiences Faint and Vomit

Blood spatter, electrocution and strobe lights are all part of the experience

Aphra Behn made a name for herself in Restoration-era England, writing bawdy plays that were wildly popular.

The Spy Who Became England’s First Successful Female Writer

Aphra Behn made a name for herself in Restoration-era England, when most women still relied on their husbands

Edith Wharton circa 1900. Her play "The Shadow of a Doubt" didn't make it to the stage in 1901—but has finally been rediscovered by scholars.

Scholars Rediscover Forgotten Edith Wharton Play

“The Shadow of a Doubt” had been overshadowed by over 100 years of history

Wanted: modern takes on a classic group of plays.

Battle the Bard in Shakespeare Remix Competition

$25,000 is on the line—along with some serious bragging rights

Comedy in Ancient Rome could be a matter of life and death.

When Actors Mixed Politics and Comedy in Ancient Rome

Laughter was one way to challenge authority, but it could also mean risking your life

Marcel Marceau in 1955

The Mime Who Saved Kids From the Holocaust

Marcel Marceau is history’s most famous mime, but before that, he was a member of the French Resistance

These early Jim Henson puppets (you might recognize the frog on the right) appeared in a local Washington, D.C. television show “Sam and Friends” that ran from 1955 to 1961. Headed by Kermit, Henson’s muppets went on to wider fame.

Why Puppets (and Puppeteers) Are Still Important

Puppets aren't just children's toys, as this look into the Smithsonian's collection shows

A portrait of Dan Rice circa 1840.

This Famous American Clown Was (Probably) a Model for Uncle Sam

Dan Rice was the John Oliver of the mid-nineteenth century

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