All Of It with Alison Stewart
Episode: A Fall Theater Bonanza
Date: September 6, 2024
Guest: Helen Shaw, Theater Critic for The New Yorker
Episode Overview
This lively episode dives into New York City's highly anticipated Fall 2024 theater season with critic Helen Shaw, who previews the new shows, big stars, and shifting industry currents. Host Alison Stewart and Helen Shaw explore the mix of Broadway and Off-Broadway, newly imagined classics, and emerging trends—including the challenges theaters face post-pandemic. The conversation spotlights both buzzy revivals and adventurous new works, while also addressing the economics and etiquette of New York’s ever-evolving theater scene.
Key Themes and Discussion Points
The Pulse of Fall 2024—Three Adjectives
02:44
- Helen Shaw pegs the season as “starry, nostalgic, and troubled,” setting up a discussion about big names, the lure of the past, and the uncertain state of theater organizations.
An Abundance of Openings and Reliance on Playwrights
03:02–04:04
- 16 Broadway openings between now and end of year, notable for a strong slate of plays as well as musicals.
- Helen notes a "new optimism" and sees a focus on playwright-driven productions, with many acclaimed writers (e.g., Leslie Hedlund’s Cult of Love, David Henry Hwang’s Yellowface) returning from Hollywood or the Off-Broadway world.
The Health (and Struggles) of New York Theater
04:18–05:13
- Despite a vibrant slate, Helen acknowledges ongoing struggles, especially for non-profit theaters:
- Non-profits foster new works—every Tony-winning play in the past two decades originated at one.
- Mergers (e.g., Second Stage and Signature, Soho Rep and Playwrights Horizons) are signs of economic trouble, even as they create "heat and light."
Notable Quote:
“Without our nonprofits, we don't have an American theater.” – Helen Shaw (04:24)
New Productions and Notable Names
Left on Tenth and the State of Romantic Comedy
05:13–06:56
- New romantic comedy starring Julianna Margulies and Peter Gallagher, based on Delia Ephron's memoir; Helen expresses optimism about playwright and stars.
- Helen discusses what Margulies brings:
“The secret, as I learned last night watching Carrie Young melt in and out of love, is letting command go and letting vulnerability show.” – Helen Shaw (06:23)
The Hills of California (Jez Butterworth)
06:56–08:16
- A family drama, thematically centered on nostalgia and intricate storytelling, starring Laura Donnelly.
“She might be the most magnetic person I've seen on stage this year. She is a lodestone.” – Helen Shaw (07:37)
Musicals and Unusual Revivals
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Sunset Boulevard: Lavishly reimagined, “blood drenched” staging arrives after success in London.
“It looks like Carrie, basically. It’s pretty blood drenched, apparently.” – Helen Shaw (08:56)
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Notable Stars: Adam Driver (currently at Lortel in a Kenneth Lonergan play), Robert Downey Jr. (McNeil), much of the Succession cast.
"This is a person who really loves—he loves text...really willing to go there. Go there. Go there. In a robe. In a shorty robe, in that particular case." – Helen Shaw on Adam Driver (10:41)
Ticket Prices, Access, and Celebrity Casting
11:35–12:15
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High ticket prices are a concern, especially for major stars; Helen offers practical tips for finding cheaper tickets:
“There are ways...You have to follow a show on Instagram, go to bwayrush.com...it requires a kind of an insider take.” – Helen Shaw (20:05)
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Observes that London’s more reasonably-priced theaters draw significantly younger audiences.
Major Revivals & Culture Highlights
Our Town—Why It Endures
12:15–14:32
- Kenny Leon directs a new Broadway revival, with cast including Katie Holmes and Jim Parsons.
- Helen, who teaches Our Town, champions its profundity and how it confronts mortality with simplicity:
“It asks us to look at the most simple fact of life, which is that it ends. It's a beautiful piece, and it's done so without pretension.” – Helen Shaw (13:10)
Yellowface (David Henry Hwang)
14:32–15:32
- Anticipated transfer to Broadway, with Daniel Dae Kim starring.
- Helen praises both Hwang’s comic touch and Kim’s comedic skill:
“For me, it is the fact that we're going to be looking at two masters of timing, kind of linking up and making mischief.” – Helen Shaw (15:21)
Spotlight on Off-Broadway
Gatz at The Public
16:17–17:36
- An epic, entire-book reading of The Great Gatsby with mischievous origins, now possible due to public domain status.
“Scott Shepard is basically like an office drone. Talk about going to work. And he sits there and he reads the entire book to you while it sort of coalesces around him.” – Helen Shaw (16:55)
Bad Creole by Dominique Morisseau
17:43–18:46
- Last of Morisseau’s run at Signature; Helen lauds the Signature’s commitment to deep engagement with a single playwright’s voice.
The Star Question: Robert Downey Jr. in McNeil
18:46–19:31
- Helen’s honest take on movie stars returning after long absence: “Might it be a car crash? It might be, but you know, a car crash worth seeing.” (19:16)
Industry Realities & Cultural Shifts
Economic Pressures
19:31–21:10
- High production costs and big stars drive ticket prices up.
- Helen provides advice for theater lovers on budget: rush tickets, box office discounts, avoiding surcharges.
Russian Expat Directors
21:10–21:57
- Acknowledgment of the influx of Russian theater artists fleeing repression in Putin’s Russia, and their influence on NYC’s small theater scene.
International and Experimental Theater Picks
22:00–22:59
- Helen delights in the avant-garde and “weird”—shouting out NYU's Skirball, BAM, Japan Society, and a festival staging a one-person Showgirls cabaret:
“Nothing says theater like that.” – Helen Shaw (22:57)
Theater Etiquette Post-Pandemic
22:59–24:29
- Audiences seem less sure about theater behavior post-pandemic, with increased participation or disruptions.
- Helen describes recent trends:
“There was sort of violation of the fourth wall, but we didn't ever actually have to participate. And yet what it had done was created this real kind of porous relationship. People were yelling at the stage.” – Helen Shaw on Six Characters at Lincoln Center (23:39)
Memorable Quotes
- “Without our nonprofits, we don't have an American theater.” – Helen Shaw (04:24)
- “She might be the most magnetic person I've seen on stage this year. She is a lodestone.” – Helen Shaw, on Laura Donnelly (07:37)
- “There is, you know, I mean, you go to work all day and you're okay with that. Just go to the theater all day. It's just as peaceful.” – Helen Shaw, on the length of Gatz (16:25)
- “There’s something that happens to you in your 40s when you realize that culture is just pandering to you, and it feels great.” – Helen Shaw, on Death Becomes Her (12:03)
- “Nothing says theater like that.” – Helen Shaw, on a Showgirls cabaret (22:57)
- “A car crash worth seeing.” – Helen Shaw, on potential chaos of big star casting (19:16)
Notable Timestamps
- 02:44 – “Starry, nostalgic and troubled” descriptor
- 03:02–04:04 – Broadway optimism, focus on playwrights
- 04:18–05:13 – Nonprofits’ struggle and importance
- 06:20–06:56 – Margulies’ comedy challenge
- 07:09–07:37 – The Hills of California highlights
- 08:56 – Spectacle of Sunset Boulevard
- 10:41 – Adam Driver's return to stage
- 13:10 – Enduring power of Our Town
- 15:21 – Anticipation for Yellowface
- 16:25–16:55 – Endurance and concept of Gatz
- 19:16 – Robert Downey Jr. in McNeil
- 20:05 – Helen’s tips for budget theatergoing
- 22:57 – “Nothing says theater like that”—avant-garde cabaret
- 23:39 – Audience behavior and fourth wall
Final Thoughts
With broad expertise and spirited conversation, Alison Stewart and Helen Shaw offer a detailed, opinionated, and hopeful look at a dynamic yet challenging season for New York theater—a fall marked by star-driven productions, the resilience of nonprofit theaters, rising costs, inventive Off-Broadway gems, and evolving audience engagement. It's an episode packed with recommendations, insider advice, cultural insights, and a celebration of the rich complexity of NYC’s performing arts.