The Scandalous Play in Mansfield Park
Jane Austen uses Elizabeth Inchbald’s Lovers’ Vows to explore the social boundaries, both public and private, of Regency England.
King James I and the Macbeth Witches
The ever-pragmatic Shakespeare added witches to the Scottish play to please his new patron, King James I of England.
Punks vs. Cowboys in Reagan Country
A bastion of both the Old and New Right, Orange County in the late 1970s seems an unlikely place for punk rockers.
The Wonderful World of the Water Ski
Invented in 1922, water-skiing quickly became shorthand for American ideas on beauty, athleticism, and affluence.
Send in the Clowns
Lulu Adams came from a long, illustrious line of circus performers and was credited—even if wrongly—with being the world’s first female clown.
Cher’s Vocoder Is the Sound of Both Y2K and Camp
Released on the global stage by Cher, the vocoder effect speaks for the millennium and for queer subculture.
Blackface on Stage in “Old Japan”
The use of blackface may seem out of place in a Japanese-inspired stage production—until you think about the money to be made by dealing in stereotypes.
The Intersection of Dance and Science
Lynn Matluck Brooks dives into the ever-evolving relationship between movement and technology.
Cabaret Condemns and Shows Fascism’s Sinister Allure
Cabaret’s depiction of a Weimar-era nightclub reveals how easy it is to slip between satire of, indifference to, and complicity with Nazi aesthetics.
Disco and Classical Music: A Copacetic Couple
Despite seeming like strange dance partners, disco and classical make the best music—together.