theater Archives - TPR: The Public's Radio

NPR

See who’s nominated for the 2026 Tony Awards

by Jennifer Vanasco May 5, 2026May 5, 2026

Nominations for the 79th Tony Awards are underway this morning, announced by Uzo Aduba and Darren Criss.

Performers Percy Mtwa, left, and Mbongeni Ngema in a scene from "Woza Albert" at the Market Theater in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1981.

NPR

The iconic South African theater that took on apartheid

by Kate Bartlett March 28, 2026March 28, 2026

South Africa’s iconic Market Theater, born in the darkest days of apartheid and a force for change, is celebrating its 50th anniversary.

David Giesbrecht/MGM+ Copyright: MGM+ Description: Kevin Kline as Richard Bean, Laura Linney as Kristen Forrest-Bean

NPR

‘American Classic’ is a hidden gem that gets even better as it goes

by David Bianculli March 10, 2026March 10, 2026

In this charming TV series, Kevin Kline plays a Shakespearean actor who retreats to his small hometown after a crisis, and gets engaged in an effort to save the local theater.

Arts And Culture, Local

Rhode Island Latino Arts wins legal victory over Trump administration

by James Baumgartner September 22, 2025September 22, 2025

Rhode Island Latino Arts and three other arts organizations won a ruling against the Trump Administration on Friday when a federal judge in Rhode Island ruled that a policy from the National Endowment for the Arts violates the First Amendment and other federal laws. The policy would have allowed the NEA to disfavor grant applications […]

Arts And Culture, Local

Fear of nuclear war plus Reagan-era optimism? It’s ‘Cold War Choir Practice’ at Trinity Rep

by Mareva Lindo and James Baumgartner September 16, 2025September 16, 2025

Cold War Choir Practice at Trinity Repertory Company – September 4 – October 5. It’s 1987 in Syracuse, New York. Michael Jackson dominates the charts. Ronald Reagan is president. And The Cold War, with its threat of nuclear war, is ever-present in American culture. That’s the setting of the latest play at Trinity Rep, called […]

Arts And Culture, Local, Metro Desk

Why Curt Columbus plans to step away from Providence’s Trinity Rep

by Luis Hernandez August 27, 2025August 27, 2025

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The theater scene in Rhode Island got some big news this month: The Trinity Repertory Company in Providence will be looking for a new artistic director. Curt Columbus will step down next fall. At that point, he’ll have been artistic director of the Trinity Rep for two decades. Morning Host Luis Hernandez sat down with […]

Street performers entertain passersby on the Royal Mile as crowds of entertainers and festival-goers gather for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Edinburgh International Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland, on Aug. 1, 2025. The Fringe, one of the world's largest performing arts festivals, features over 3,800 shows across 265 venues and draws an audience of roughly 3 million visitors.

NPR

Is Edinburgh’s Fringe still fringe, or has it — gasp — gone mainstream?

by Lauren Frayer August 25, 2025August 25, 2025

It began on the edgy margins of a mainstream festival — which it’s now eclipsed. But nearly 80 years on, performers and spectators say rising costs threaten the Fringe’s alternative vibe.

Rachel Zegler, playing Eva Perón in Evita, performs "Don't Cry For Me Argentina" on a balcony overlooking a London street at the London Palladium on June 18.

NPR

This summer’s most talked-about performance on London’s West End isn’t onstage

by Lauren Frayer June 26, 2025June 26, 2025

In London, an actor playing Evita sings “Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina” on a balcony over the street. It’s livestreamed into the theater — frustrating some ticket holders but delighting passersby.